Exhausted with life, Dakota tries to end his -- only to be saved at the last moment by his friend Terrell, who then drags him into a world of magic and intrigue that's always been right there, hidden beneath the surface.<br><br>Powerful magic users are steadily pulling the planet into a violent war, and evil forces will stop at nothing to take the talismans possessed by Dakota and his newfound family. Dakota soon finds himself deeply in over his head ... with love, with family, with fighting for all their lives.

The Pyre Starter

Her face quickly changed. Astonished, she whipped her head around to make eye contact with Terrell, who nodded. “It was a matter of life or death,” he said slowly.


The woman’s mouth moved for a few words before any sounds came out. Eventually, she regained control. “I—wow. Okay, great. So, you not only brought some stranger here, but he’s suicidal? Yeah, that’s gonna help us out wonderfully, Terry. What the fuck were you thinking?” When Terrell didn’t immediately respond, she snapped, “Ko!”


Dakota fell the rest of the way. He braced himself for impact with both arms to avoid any damage to his spinal column. In the dirt, he groaned. “Oh, fuck you, lady. What the hell? This is crazy.” Terrell appeared at his side. He rubbed Dakota’s arm, just as he had on the bridge. When Dakota finally looked up, he saw nothing but sympathy in his expression. Still, he wasn’t finished. “You were actually telling the truth, you crazy jackass?! You were fucking telling the truth?!”


Chapter 9