The three of us, Jovo, Bear, and I, crouched on the ledge. Below us the remains of the assault team sprawled on the rocks. We had doubled back to the kill site.
The corpses were still there, untouched. I pointed at the bodies, looked at Jovo, and made a cutting motion. “Knife.”
The lees pondered the bodies below.
The first thing Jovo did after we rested was to scale the sheer side of a cliff to a higher ledge to get a better view of the cavern. He’d scrambled up a forty-foot wall like it was nothing, which gave me an idea. Jovo needed a weapon, and the only unclaimed weapons in the breach lay there below us. They were out of my reach but maybe not out of his.
The fox took a deep breath, put his marble into his mouth, and leaped off the stone bridge. He bounced off the stone, weightless, bounced again, zigzagging down the wall like a superhero squirrel, and then landed among the bodies.
Wow.
Jovo gagged, coughed, waved his hand in front of his nose, and began rummaging through the corpses. I sat on the stone bridge and watched. Once he armed himself, we would head to the anchor.
Jovo pulled a tactical belt with five pouches on it from a corpse, and wrapped it around himself, over one shoulder, bandolier style. His marble went into one of the pouches.
I could smell the bodies now. The sickening, cloying stench reached all the way up to the bridge.
Jovo picked up a machete, swung it a couple of times, and tossed it over his shoulder. A big ugly knife was next. He waved it around, and over the shoulder it went. It would be almost comically cute if it weren’t for the rotting corpses.
Bear stared up ahead, at the darkness beyond.
“What is it?” I whispered.
The shepherd went still, focused on something in the gloom. She didn’t woof though.
At the bottom, Jovo raised two small, curved blades. They had 6-inch blades shaped like claws and rings in their handles. There was a specific name for that kind of a knife… care.. kura.. karambit. That was it. The style of the knife originated in Southeast Asia.
Those were Ximena’s back up blades. She was a pulsecarver, a burst damage dealer with enhanced speed who slashed at her opponents. She was like a whirlwind on the battlefield, and now she was dead, decomposing below.
Did we actually have a chance to win a fight with the gress? Or was I deluding myself?
Jovo slid his fingers through the rings in the handle, holding the blades out, and sliced the air in two vicious, lightning-fast strikes.
Okay.
Jovo spun on one foot, danced across the rocky ground, cutting and carving, and leapt into the air spinning like a windmill. The twin blades flashed as he lacerated his imaginary opponents in twin X slashes and landed in a crouch.
Holy shit. How the hell had the gress even caught him?
Jovo straightened, looked at the knives, let out a giggle, and bounced from paw to paw, doing a little happy dance.
Bear’s black lips trembled. She let out a low, grumbling growl.
“Jovo!”
The lees was still bouncing and waving his knives around.
The darkness at the edge of the chamber shifted.
Bear snarled.
“Jovo!” I waved at him frantically. “Up! Up!”
Jovo glanced at me.
“Dangerous! Up!!!”
Bear broke into barks, snarling.
The shape within the darkness lunged forward.
Jovo leaped at the wall and scrambled up as if he had a ladder. A blink and he was thirty feet up, then fifty.
A creature stalked into the open, its lunge aborted at the last moment. It was definitely feline but as big as an SUV, with the broad build of a jaguar. Its stocky frame rippled with muscle that shifted and bulged as it walked. Its dense fur was like nothing I had ever seen. Each hair started with a deep ruby, then darkened toward the end into tar black. Like a smoke-colored cat, except that smoke cats of our world went white to black and their coloring was solid, while this creature’s pelt shifted as it walked, the multicolored fur forming rosettes and stripes that vanished with the next step. Its paws were enormous, as big as my head, and they had too many toes.
Jovo shot up the wall, conquered the last dozen feet, and landed on the bridge next to me.
The beast below tilted its huge head and stared at us, its eyes a malevolent, terrible green.
I put my hand on Bear’s back. The shepherd clicked her mouth closed and glared at the monster.
This thing did not belong in the breach. Every animal that was a native part of this ecosystem – the stalkers, the goats, the bugs – was grey, blue, or purple with fluorescence or a flash of contrasting color here and there. The only exception was the red Grasping Hand, but that was a stationary invertebrate. It didn’t hunt or roam.
This cat didn’t fit the color scheme and that fur said it was a forest predator. It was as alien to the caves as Jovo and I.
There was a frightening intelligence in those eyes. It reminded me of Bear, the new upgraded version. When I looked into my dog’s eyes, something more than a typical canine intelligence looked back. This creature was like that: smart and cunning.
The giant cat took a step back, turned soundlessly, and vanished back into the gloom.
Now I knew why the corpses hadn’t been eaten.
“Skelzhar,” Jovo hissed.
I pointed at him. “Jovo…”
The fox shook his head and touched his chest. “Lees.” He pointed at the beast. “Skelzhar.”
Species name.
He pulled his marble out and squeezed it. Five gress walking out of the darkness, two skelzhars flanking them like hounds. When I compared it to Bear, I had no idea how right I was.
“Dan-je-rous,” Jovo said carefully.
The gress by itself was bad enough. This took it to another level.
I stood up. “Let’s get moving.”
YAY! Happy Friday and thank you
Confirmed first, even if you’re not playing the game 🙂
Oh, I’m playing. I even won once … sometime during the first Innkeeper, maybe? (Also by accident). But mostly I’m here for the break in my day, given how filthy wet and depressing it is in Scotland, the breach is light relief 😀
We canny let a wee bit o rain scunner oor breach plans!
(I’m practicing for moving to Scotland, how did I do? Mr Mod R doesn’t know we are yet, but he’ll adapt 😁)
“Brigadoon, Brigadoon, blooming under sable skies….” 🎶🎭
<3
It is at that… we’re on holiday in Skye. Good day to curl up with a book!
And I haven’t been so close to first before because I live on the West Coast of the US… lol
I am in central Texas, also wet and cloudy. Our fireworks opportunities are not looking good. Can’t wait for the pre-order, order, having book in hand!
Thank you!
Too bad he didn’t get the stone beacon thing for Ada.
The cheesecake stone is of no use to Ada 🙂 . It’s like a restaurant pager that can only do one thing: signal to the people in the breach to come out. You can’t send messages on it or do anything else with it.
Linzi was 1st? AWESOME!!!! This snippet is also awesome and not nearly long enough! *Pout*. Yes I know it actually *was* long enough but I apparently devoured it in the blink of an eye. I cannot wait for Monday now. In fact – I want the entire book please – soooooooooooon!
wow, am I first?
haha, almost 🙂
Thank you very much in any case and happy weekend!
first?
first?
Yippee
So exciting – thank you!
Thank you and happy July 4!
Top 10?
Same mind!
@Top 10?
Whoot, top 25 🙂
Top anything?
Thanks for the post, always makes my Fridays a little better.
Terrifying! Thank you for this!!
Top anything?
Thank you
Top of the day ☺
Loving this “novella”, can’t wait to give HA my money! Thank you for making my weekend with the installment and the announcement.
Wow, pretty early seems like!!!
I hope we get the full story from Jovo about what happened to them, with some alien translator or sth 😁😁😁
I love how we’ve gone from 1st? To Top 10? Top 25?
Woo Hoo! Another thrilling installment! Thanks for giving us this on the holiday weekend.
18th by my count. So top 20!
A whirling dervish, let’s go!
Thank you & happy Friday!
Nice gift for my birthday today. Yay for me 😀
Happy birthday! Don’t even think of returning this gift. 😛
Happy Birthday!!
Oh my, the gress have pets – erh companions. Well bummer, hope Jovo finds some poison, so he can go full lees.
+1
thank you 😊
Elias and team have to face that?! Wow 🙏🏾
happy Friday. Happy 4th! Now I can start celebrating. Happy Independence day House Andrews and the BDH
Maybe London will be there, too😆
close to the top?
oh no!!! …. more enemies…….
no wonder it is going to be a great fight scenes…..
looking forward to Monday
Happy 4th.
Keep safe & keep your pets inside for those areas having fireworks
Thank you!! Happy 4th of July to HA as well.
Thank you for the holiday installment – very enjoyable! Yet another well described emotion invoking species to be worried about…..
Wishing all and those you love a delightfully magnificent day!
Thank you
Thank you
Ada, Bear, and Jovo are gonna save Elias and team! Well, not London and Melissa.
The Inheritance brings me so much joy, listen to my cackles of delight!
Thank you HA and Mod R.
I *personally* would not go anywhere with London at my back, after all, we’ve been shown that he seems to be the last man standing when it’s dire.
However if anyone can make it reasonable it’s HA.
Ooh this is going excellently! Can’t wait to see how they back each other in a fight when push comes to shove.. and when they meet up with Elias and team, they’ll have to get a new team name for all the bada$$ness. ☺️
So…does that mean the Gress are not native to the breaches either? I was assuming they were…
Also, are they waiting for the humans? I have to go back and start at the beginning…🧐
I wonder if Gress are the cause of the breaches? Maybe they left their pet guard cat to notify them if any more defenders show. Maybe this will give Earth 6 an explanation and possible allies?
Earth 1 us, Earth 2 Kate Earth 3 Hidden Legacy Earth 4 Innkeeperb Earth 5 edge. and this would be earth 6
thank you so much for the holiday post!
how do we only have 6 posts to go?
I would happily buy the unedited version right now if I could.
I wonder if Ada thinks her predecessor was also alien to the breach.
If the killer grees guard dog is alien, they must be too.
I’ve been wondering if the searching corruption from the gray robes at the mining site is related to the corrupted Innkeeper.
I also wondered about Ada’s grees stalker that glowed red. Was it the 4th from the chamber? Is a grees, but not a killer, or if she had a chance he would also glow orange (danger) under the red (valuable).
Is Joro’s image of 5 Grees and 2 Skelzhar from his current experience? Will Ada and co have to battle two more of each??? I was hoping that the tacticle team killed one and then was ambushed by the other.
Patience is not a virtue I possess so the serial ia the ultimate challenge.
I immediately wondered if the 5 & 2 were from this experience, too. But this guard cat —that description was magnificent— doesn’t seem to be with a gress. It seems to be “loose” or she would have had to face it at jovo’s cell.
Fabulous, thank you!
I am so grateful the Ilona love to write.
Love the story, thank you!
Now for some questions… Gress? Grasping Hands? I can figure out what they are, but I don’t recall them being labeled such before. Am I losing it (probably) or is this an update by the author lords? Time for a re-read, dear me!
The Grasping Hand is the large field of toxic red thorns Ada had to cross in chapter 4 🙂 https://ilona-andrews.com/blog/the-inheritance-chapter-4-part-2/
The gress is the species name of the grey shroud enemies who killed the Inheritance Gem Lady and most of the miners https://ilona-andrews.com/blog/the-inheritance-chapter-10-part-1/
Thank you, Mod R! That matches what I thought. I just went back and re-read the introduction of Jovo, I can’t believe I forgot about the naming of the gress!
But why did he not get the cheesecake?
Very nice, but I keep asking me that question.
Cheesecake only flashes to alert you to return. It has no powers. You can’t communicate through it, you can’t use it as a weapon, unless you low it at someone. It’s literally like a restaurant pager. Ada has no use for it. 🙂
thank you! I was wondering the same thing.
Wow! More “Dan-je-rous” complications… Thank you!
Happy Fourth of July!
Another reason for Earth’s popularity besides the space travelers using Earth as a jump point, pocket dimension formation appears easy.
Hope HA is not inundated with flooding in the area.
I just realized the crossover with this installment! Is there an Otrokar in the wings?
tellement hâte qu’il paraisse en France 🙏🏻🤞🏻
Le livre sera disponible sur des libraires internationaux comme tous les autres livres publiées par Ilona Andrews eux-mêmes (lien pour Sanctuary, par exemple, sur Amazon France https://www.amazon.fr/Sanctuary-Romans-Chronicles-Book-English-ebook/dp/B0D1GQPN83/).
Si ce que tu souhaites c’est le lire en français, alors il faut convaincre un éditeur français de le traduire. Les auteurs ne contrôlent pas les éditions étrangères, seuls vos éditeurs locaux 🙂
You are seriously challenging my limited high school french, from lo those decades ago
Sigh. OK. It may have to be three copies. So I can give one to a friend who needs to be initiated.
Wowza! Loving this story! So good!
I just / nope / nothing to say but / wow
Enjoying this book so much, thank you, HA!
oh fabulous …. and i know it is highly unlikely but does anyone else get another cross over vibe to hidden legacy and the huge Cat that Cornelius and Matilda tamed that was pulled out of another word … are we facing a true multiverse 🙂
I want to say Zeus is blue… with a mane of tentacles? I bet someone’s about to fact check me in less than 5 minutes 😀
I know this is almost definitely not related to this feline (I think?) but the rosettes on the fur made me think of the large white feline contestant in Sweep of the Heart. (I can’t remember her name because my decrepit old brain can’t remember names for more than about 2 minutes! 😂
(I would also not be at all surprised if the kitty contestant didn’t even have rosettes and I’m mis-remembering that too!) 😂
Don’t want to disappoint you, but no need for corrections, you are right.
“A creature waited next to him, indigo blue, with a spray of ghostly black and paler blue rosettes and spots across its fur. At least two and a half feet tall at the shoulder, six feet long, with a thick neck crowned with a fringe of tendrils, a short wide muzzle with dagger teeth, and wide paws as big as my hand. It reminded me of a tiger.” (Wildfire)
Ooh. I love this idea.
And Mod R, that marches my memory, and I think he also had rosettes.
+1
the rosettes on the fur made me think of Zeus.
the summoners have to pull the monsters from somewhere. . .
no but I did think of the Sun Cats vs the werewolves of innkeeper I don’t think we ever saw them on screen in cat form cause that description…screamed sun cat to me rolf…
Thank you sooo much!!! I can see an epic battle, when they finally get to the anchor. Who will get there first, Ada or Elias? I think Ada is closer, but with this book, you never know what happens next. And that is one of the reasons, why I love it so much!!!
That description was incredible! Nice prezzie for 4th of July! I can’t tell if I want this to end so I can get off the roller coaster or just want it to keep going! Thanks HA for the excellent storytelling!
oh wow I’m pretty early for once. Thanks for the installment, looking forward to the full release!!
l love it when the Lees are part of the story
Oh boy. A gress attack dog. I wonder how Elias and company will handle it. And why is it hanging around? Waiting for someone? Guarding the bodies? Does it have something to do with the anchor?
I’ve felt for quite awhile that the plot keeps thickening over the installments. There’s more and more plot points to resolve. I keep asking myself how is everything going to be resolved with only 6 more installments and an epilogue? It feels like we’re in the middle of this story, not heading towards the end.
Is this typical to this genre? This is my 1st book in this type of genre and I’m curious if this kind of flow is what the genre is known for. 🤔
Thank you for another great installment! 🙏 Happy 4th of July. 🎉Can’t wait for Monday. I hope everyone has a great weekend.
Remember that this is only the first book of the Inheritance trilogy. There have to be some loose threads to carry over. 😆
Where you said trilogy, how about pentology? Heptology? Or just a nice round dozen?
BDH maths for the win 😉😉😉
(Only joking! We love what HA writes and we’ll be a very fluffy horde, waiting for whatever comes next 😊)
🤣 right on schedule
Lee’s deal in commodities, information is a commodity,the marble records and stores information. Was jovo gathering information about the breach to sell? Jovo seems to have been hiding it from the Grees,maybe they were after the information he had stored in it 🤔
Thank you 😊 🙏 💓
Happy 4th of July!
Cool! The lees go everywhere!
I’m not sure if I am horrified by the gress’ evil “shroud” thingy and deadly cat-ish companions or hoping Ada is soon powerful enough to defeat them… maybe it’s both.
Could the gress be “evil” because of the shroud?
Are the cat-ish companions torn from an arcane realm and somehow enslaved by the gress?
>> quote from WILDFIRE (Hidden Legacy): There was something feline about it, something reminiscent of the broad powerful tiger, but its nose was a complicated thing of four nostrils, and the fringe of tentacles that ringed its neck moved on its own. The beast looked at me with an understanding, as if it was a lot smarter than any Earth animal. It was just odd. Really odd and unsettling. <<
So exciting!
Can’t hardly wait for the next chapter… and the final ebook!
Toodles!
There is also the scene in ‘Sweep in Peace” when Dina talks to Nuan Cee and shows him a video from Lees’ planet – with small fox hunting a massive feline predator, with fur splattered with rosettes of black and cream….
LOVED IT!!! BUT… only 6 blogs left, BUT… that closer to buying the whole thing. Happy Dance!!!
Also, may the Fourth be with you!
Happy 4th of July to all who celebrate it.
Take care… don’t light the lawn on fire! 🔥
Toodles!
So now we know why the bodies are still there rotting away. Uh oh.
Onward to Monday! 😁
Happy 4th of July to the US branch of the Horde! Be safe today. 🎆🎇
but why didnt the Skelzhar eat the assualt team? using the corpses for bait for the next recovery team?
Shivery awesome.
Happy fourth from where I am, with natural fireworks in the form of thinder and lightning showers!
Thank you for another great installment!
Happy Independence Day for those who celebrate it!
Love it!
This was great! I thought the cat thing was on the same level as bear though. I think it was in the lower level with Jovi right?
Ava and Bear are 200 feet above Jovo, the corpses and the skelzhar 🙂
too short – and thank you!
If I’m remembering correctly, the flooding in Texas is at least 100 miles west of where you folks live. I hope I’m right – and I’m damned sorry that people have died there.
Thank you for today’s installment. I am eagerly awaiting the pre-order link, or even the buy here buy now link. I’ll take either one.
Ok. So the Gress and the Skelzhar as well as the Lees and Humans are foreign to the breach. Hmmmm. Everyone is trying to home. Are the Gress and Lees from the same planet? I remember a film that Dina shows a Lees taking down a feline creature via poison and a knife amongst the trees.
Can I pet that cat? Hoping that the dangerkitty can be convinced to not be a bad guy, hahahaha. Thanks for the installment!
Heart jumping all over inside my body. Holy cow! Such a great read. It is not possible to have a favorite Ilona Andrews series, so every time I reread one of the series it is my favorite. Now this novella. Well, they are all my favorites including this one (which may not be a series, yet). Heeheehee.
Happy Friday!!
At night, I ask myself what were the best things about today, and why.
On Mondays and Fridays, The Inheritance and the BDH’s comments are on the short list, have been from the start.
Because the writing is wonderful and we are a curious and caring bunch.
– Grateful in California
Interesting. So the Grees and Skelzhar are waiting near the anchor. Skelzhar sounds like a perfect species to stage an Ambush! Size of a SUV. Wonder if it can talk and communicate with the grees to report on Ada, Bear, and Jovo. Doesn’t seem to, or otherwise it should have spoken something to Ada like, “you, dead.” Or made gestures. So it’s intelligent, can wait in the darkness, but not very communicative. Can’t wait to see the next installments. HA thank you for the announcement of all good books coming our way! Hope you are having a great holiday day!
So the Skelzhar sounds like the colors that a 4th of July firework gives off. Also it seems like Ada even with Jovo has a chance in hell of taking one down, especially with the grass. Maybe that’s how Ada and Elias meet up? In a big nasty no holds barred fight with the two?
I know that it hasn’t been confirmed yet but IF the direct sales goes through, what format(s) does that app support?
“…has NO chance in hell of taking one down, especially with the GRESS alongside”
I MUST remember to proofread BEFORE I hit the “Post Comment” button
Stupid errors, and “auto correct” are no friends of mine
Thank you an happy 4th!!
Wow again. Thank you!
So anxious to buy it!
Besides weapons, I hope ADA sends Jovo back to get the cheesecake stone and foodstuffs left.
The cheesecake stone is of no use to Ada 🙂
Huh, good point. (the foodstuffs part) I know that Ada, at least, would welcome a break from the constant diet of delicious (NOT) Stalker Tartare. Even if Bear is wholeheartedly pleased with it. I just question the wisdom of sending Jovo back down to where the Skelzhar is apparently lurking. It may not be worth the risk.
Also, any food has been in pouches or pockets on rotting corpses now for about a week. It may well be permeated to the point of being nauseatingly inedible.
Me: “Guess what day it is?”
Mom (93): “The 4th of July.”
Me: “Yes, but…”, *waving kindle*, ” what day is it?”
Mom: *knitting nearly goes flying over her head as she grabs for the kindle*, “Friday!!!”
Just saying’ you have created a monster!
Thank you for the chapters and joy you are bringing us.
😁👍
Color changing kitty! I want one!
Thank you!
What was that old song? “Chama, chama, chama, chama, chame – lion”….
I think Ogden Nash’s great classic poem also applies here:
The Panther is like a Leopard,
Except it hasn’t been peppered.
If you should see a Panther crouch,
Prepare to say “Ouch!”
Better still, if called by a Panther —
Don’t anther.
Omg, what next!?! As usual, counting the hours until Monday. Thanks!! Have a happy 4th of July, to those celebrating it. And a nice weekend to all!
I feel like we need to adopt the adorable, clever kitty who has been so kindly keeping the bodies safe from harm.
That IS very kind and thoughtful of it, isn’t it?
Huh, I think I’ve figured it out. It’s not that these installments always end as cliffhangers (because they mostly don’t) they just FEEL like a cliffhanger, because there’s that “OMG, that’s IT? What the heck will we ever do until Monday/Friday”
I’m hoping that this is a logical break point to shift to an Elias POV
I remembered on a Friday! just a bit late, so out of the top 100 😄 of to enjoy. thank you in advance 7-1=6 to go whoop whoop
the way my heart was in my throat for this entire episode…😬
Loved it!
Looking forward to the pre-order.
thank you!
Thank you! I am trying not to wish the weekend away and wait patiently for Monday.
It’s a great day when I suddenly realize it is a Monday or Friday and I can run to my iPad and read the next installment of the Inheritance. I have been telling my sister to read but she says she couldn’t stand the frustration of having to wait to find out what is next. I love trying to figure it out and reading all the fantastic comments and ideas.
Thank you!! 📚
Happy Fourth of July!! 🎇❤️🤍💙
Oh my! Giant smoke cat= Skhelzar. Got it. Thanks for the story!
And where’s Cornelius when you need him?!
I am SO enjoying this serial! I got my updated reading glasses yesterday and read the whole thing celebrating when today’s popped up. You’ve done it again you two. It’s wonderful. Can’t wait for the next episode! Happy Fourth. 🎉🎊💥🎆
I wonder if the Grees, Skelzhar, and/or Jovo have “powered up” while in the breach, like Ava and Bear have done.
Will Ava be allowed to keep the sword bracelet when she leaves the breach (rights of salvage)? Or does it belong to the Guild or the Government?
I’m thinking it might (conveniently or really) not come off her wrist now she has “accepted” it… 🤔
Ahhh! So short! So delicious!!
This is so good 🥰 thank you!
As there are lees (Jovo) will Ava find out about Innkeepers?
Thank you! Like with all the books form House Andrews its like a Blockbuster in my mind. Cant wait für monday! Greetings form hot and dry bavaria
Thank you for the treat of an Inheritance installment today!
I, too, wondered about the cheesecake thing, in case it had extra hidden powers or – ooooh, proof of a conspiracy!
Aaaaand, just like that, I am shipping Ada and the gang uncovering a conspiracy that goes allll the way to the top! But with this story, we only get the first reveal, with more to come. Oh dear. I need to sit down and practice challantness, because, oooh, the possibilities! More stories! Must. not. get. carried away. Heh.
I hope HA enjoys a well-earned rest this weekend.
A move to Scotland, ModR? Yes!
whoa! Thanks for posting on a holiday! Amazing. TY TY
Thank you so much for the installment, I inhaled it.
Thank you for the part I hope you have a good holiday
if available would choose bookfunnel. skip the extra steps. hopefully I can use calibre library management