The
great cataclysm wiped almost all life from the face of planet Earth, but tiny
pockets of survivors crawled from the ashes, with only one thought: survival,
at any cost.
But
not all survivors were human.
In
the dark, militant society that has risen in the aftermath, vampires, once
thought to be mythical, have been assimilated and enslaved. Used for blood
sport their lives are allowed to continue only for the entertainment of the
masses. Reviled as savages, they are destined to serve out their immortal lives
in the arena, as gladiators.
And
there is no greater gladiator than Mira: undefeated, uncompromising...and
seemingly unbreakable. When an escape attempt leads Mira into the path of
Lucian Stavros, the city’s Regent, her destiny is changed forever.
Lucian,
raised in a culture which both reviles and celebrates the savagery and
inhumanity of vampires, finds Mira as intriguing as she is brash. An impulsive
decision - to become Mira’s patron – changes more than just Lucian’s perception
about vampire kind. The course of his
life is altered in ways he could never have predicted – a life that is suddenly
as expendable as hers.
Can Mira prove to Lucian that all is not as it
seems? Can Lucian escape centuries of lies, bloodshed, and propaganda to see
the truth? Or will the supreme power of the human overlords destroy them both
EXCERPT
The roar of the crowd, all
twenty-five-thousand people in attendance, rose to a thundering crescendo when
Mira delivered a bone-crunching blow to her opponent’s ribs. Standing only five
feet tall, she might not have appeared a formidable warrior, but the thin,
spiky-haired waif of a vampire could hold her weight and more when put to the
test. Amplified by the superb acoustics, the sound of bones cracking echoed
through the Superdome arena. The defeated, a red-headed male vampire staggered,
punch-drunk, and then dropped to his knees. Dirt and sweat coated his face but
could not mask the fear in his icy blue eyes. His was a look Mira had seen so
many times before. Her opponent’s immortal life had finally come to an end, and
he was ready to take the final deadly blow.
Above her, Mira knew the fifty-foot mega
screen showed her hapless victim in brilliant resolution, ensuring that all who
were attending, and those watching from the comfort of their homes, could see
these last gruesome moments in crystal clear high-definition.
Mira gazed down at her opponent’s
blood-soaked face. Though he was her enemy for the moment, she did not relish
having to end him. No one should be forced into the arena and told to kill or
be killed. It wasn’t right. But it was what was demanded of her, and given the
choice between her life and someone else’s… well, there really was no choice.
No matter the cost, Mira was a survivor.
She glanced up to the large private box
overlooking the arena. A well-dressed man in deep-purple robes sat, enjoying
what appeared to be a dinner of filet mignon and roast potatoes. Even here, in
the dusty arena below, Mira’s enhanced senses picked up the tantalizing scent
of very rare, bloody steak. She could hardly believe that a human could not
only watch the murder about to take place, but also sit and eat the dead flesh
of a once-living being while doing it. From the smell of it, the poor beast was
practically still bleeding on his plate. Who was truly the more savage
creature?
Over the crowd’s roar, an announcer
introduced the well-dressed man, Lucian Stavros, Regent of the Iron Gate. Lucian gently and purposefully slowly set down
his knife and fork. He took another moment to wipe his face clean and then
smiled, acknowledging the roaring crowd.
Chants of “Death, death, death,” rang out
from the throng as a single unified demand.
The Regent listened for a moment, making a
show of putting his hands to his ears to hear screaming hoard’s request, and
then held a hand out, with his thumb pointed to the side.
As if the next moment were the most
important, the anticipating mass hushed. Eerie silence filled the arena as
everyone watched for the Regent to make his decision.
From her vantage point below, Mira saw the
steely look of determination cross the Regent’s face. If she didn’t know
better, she might have thought he took this decision seriously; but then, he
was human, and they never cared much if her kind lived or died. Lucian Stavros
took a cursory glance down at Mira. Their eyes met. It was only a brief moment,
but in that short time, Mira saw him waver.
Could it be true, she wondered, or was it
just a trick of the light? No human actually cared about the lives of vampires.
The moment faded, and the fleeting thought left.
Mira saw the Regent’s decision. He turned
his thumb down. Death!
The crowd went wild.
The last hope for her defeated opponent had
vanished; Mira had to finish him. “Sorry,” she whispered to the half-dead
vampire on his knees before her. Though her fangs tingled at the prospect of
tasting his final dying moments—her reward, if you could call it that, for
living through another battle— she did not enjoy what she was about to do. Like
her, he was a slave, forced into servitude to the humans as they saw fit. He
had not asked for this, and neither had she. But, despite what either of them
wanted, it was the will of the crowd, the humans, that had to be served.
Katie Salidas is
a Super Woman! Endowed with special powers and abilities, beyond those of
mortal women, She can get the munchkins off to gymnastics, cheerleading,
Girl Scouts, and swim lessons. She can put hot food on the table for dinner
while assisting with homework, baths, and bedtime… And, She still finds the
time to keep the hubby happy (nudge nudge wink wink). She can do all of this
and still have time to write.
And if you can believe all of those lies, there
is some beautiful swamp land in Florida
for sale…
Katie Salidas
resides in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mother, wife, and author, she does
try to do it all, often causing sleep deprivation and many nights passed out at
the computer. Writing books is her passion, and she hopes that her passion will
bring you hours of entertainment.
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