Wednesday, February 7, 2024

Upcoming release sample: INQUEST

Ye Olde Dragon Books


 Releasing March 1


“We have a … development,” M’kar reported, stepping onto the bridge less than half an hour after the Defender settled into orbit around Le’anka. She gestured at the forward viewscreen, where Anwesta slowly rotated in orbit, growing larger as the ship approached.

“Don’t tell me.” Genys looked around the bridge. “Granny got on board, despite the newest update to the drac-proof fence?”

“Exact opposite. Ask Axe where all the teacher dracs are.”

Battleaxe chirped and twisted her head, looking around the bridge. Genys would have liked to have laughed at her little black drac’s confusion, but that sort of worried her.

“She can’t find them.”

“On the ship,” M’kar said. “I can’t feel them anywhere on the ship. I sent out the call and got …” She shrugged. “Not exactly echoes, but this definite feeling I was shouting into an empty room.”

“They have to be on the station already. Probably teleported over as soon as we were close enough.” Decker stepped up to join them. Spitfire crooned and rubbed his cheek with her muzzle, then chirped in what certainly struck Genys as a relieved tone. “Did you get that?” His eyes narrowed and he twisted his head to look at his drac.

“An impression they’re gone and not coming back?” M’kar leaned on the arm of the command chair. “I reached out to the dracs on the station, and I get a strong impression of a cold shoulder, but with a lot of regret.” She snorted. “Granny is behind the effort to ignore us. Sour grapes, I say.”

“Please, Enlo …” Genys stopped herself there. She had the awful feeling that despite her best efforts, a wide grin was about to split her face.

“Well, I did get—” M’kar paused, her head cocked to one side, eyes narrowing, in what was clearly a listening pose. “Dulit’s contacting me through our dracs …” After a few seconds, she nodded. “It’s official. The kids are old enough to be on their own. No more overseers.”

“No more spies for Granny,” Decker added.


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