Sample Chapter | Volume 10 of Elemental Angels eBooks

Chapter 1

Krono set the ship to auto-pilot and walked to the back where the others sat around at a nice dinner table eating and talking.  He sat down next to Saturnus who had already proceeded to fix a plate for him.  “Sorry guys... there’s a little problem.”  He broke into their conversation, quieting them down.  “There aren’t enough rooms for all of you so some people will have to share.  This is the smaller of the two ships that my father stole from Queen Uno.”  Krono informed them.  “You’ll have to find roommates…” Cupid yawned, stretching his muscular arm over Vixen’s shoulder.  From either side of Nova, Dai and Apollo glared at each other before gripping Nova’s arms.  Both Nova and Vixen cringed and looked to Krono for help.  “…Preferably of your own gender!”  Vixen peeled Cupid’s arm off and Nova sat still until they released her.

Lynx looked around the table at all the couples; whether happy or not, she still envied them.  Even little Si and Otto seemed to like each other.  She felt lonely.  “I guess I’m the only one who has nothing to worry about.”  She returned to her book, without finishing her dinner. 

“I’m sure you will find that special soul mate soon!”  Nova said to encourage her.  Lynx didn’t bother to look up, but stuck her head further into the pages to hiding her blushing cheeks.  Nova sighed and started to play with her food using her fork, when she noticed Apollo hadn’t touched any of his food.  “Are you alright?”  She asked touching his hand that trembled as it held his fork.

He pulled his hand away.  “Yeah, yeah... just one less thing for me to worry about…”

“Worry about what?”  She asked innocently.

Dai placed his arm around her shoulder leaning back in his chair.  “He knew you would have chosen to stay with me.”  He whispered loud enough in her ear for Apollo to hear. 

Nova frowned.  “Oh... Dai…”  She pushed him back playfully.  “You’re just joking right?”  She looked back to find Apollo gone.  “…who would I choose?”  She whispered to herself.  Once dinner ended everyone appeared to already know who to stay with.  Nova stopped in front of a vacant room and pushed the door in.  In the dark hallway, she could hear a struggle in the shadows.  Two people seemed to be arguing about something, but she could not see who it was.  “Who’s there?”

“Alright, alright... I will...”  Son-Shi said as he rolled out from the shadows. 

“You will what?”  Nova asked him. 

“Oh, um… nothing…” Nova leaned down into his face with a big smile.  Adjusting his collar, he felt a little nervous with her looking at him.  A cigarette bud hung from his lips, which seemed strange for a little monkey to do.  He tried to appear as adorable as he could so he tossed out the cigarette bud.  “Well actually… Nova... Apollo wants... I mean I was wondering...”

“Would a cute little monkey like you want to stay with me in my room?”  She asked him.

“No, not me...”  He shook his head with his eyes stretched.  Nova failed to hear his plea, as she grabbed him up and brought him into her room.  Out of the shadows, Apollo walked up after they entered the room.  With his foot he stomped out the cigarette Son-Shi tossed away.  He couldn’t tear himself away from Nova’s door; he placed his hand it, gently, as if he was touching Nova instead.  Resting his head on the door, he laughed at himself for trying to use Son-Shi as a mediator to tell her his feelings.  In his line of business and for the sake of his soul, there was no room for feelings.  It was for the better; if Hydra discovered that he had feelings for her it might be the end of him.  Thinking about Hydra made him shutter; he hoped that hellion god would never find him again.  Still, he wanted to protect Nova in case something hideous like Hydra appeared or something worst – Dai.  He pulled a chair up to the door, leaned against it, lit a cigarette, and blew a smoke ring in the shape of a heart into the air.

***

In the middle of their rest, the ship shook violently tossing Apollo to the floor.  He woke up with a start, running to the pilot seat, to find Syria passed out in the co-pilot seat.  He noticed the dashboard flashing wildly with red warning symbols; one, in particular, for engine malfunction.  Sand from the Desert Planet mixed had shot up into the motor damaging the engine of the ship.  Veering out of control, the spaceship hit the outside wall of a space dome.  He grabbed Syria around the collar shaking her violently.  “Wake up!”  The ship jerked forward, as it entered into a small hole in the side of the dome.  Into the passageway, they passed pieces of debris being thrown out of the space dome’s garbage shoot.  He watched helplessly as they spiraled toward a forested area of a colony. 

Most of the ship is made out of shock absorbent material that helps give each passenger a smooth ride; so, inside of their rooms they feel nothing and hear nothing.  With Syria unconscious, Apollo was the only one who knew about the dire circumstance.  He dashed back to Nova’s door; stumbling over the chair, he began banging on the door.  “Shiva, Shiva, wake up!”

Her eyes fluttered open with every bang on the door.  Unable to hear or see what was going on outside of the ship, Nova was confused about why Apollo wanted to come into her room so frantically.  “Apollo...?  Dai isn’t in here... just me and...”  She rolled over to find Son-Shi gone.  In his place laid a brawny, dark skinned, afro-haired man lying in the bed next to her.  It was the man she had seen with Apollo a few times before.  But what was he doing in her room?  She screamed, just as Apollo broke through the door.  Nova rushed into his outstretched arms.  The ship crashed against a massive tree, ripping a hole into Nova’s room.  The afro haired man woke up, but a branch of a mighty tree slashed through the wall striking him over the head rendering him unconscious.  Still holding on tight to Nova, Apollo plummeted from the ship with Nova in his arms and the other man by his side.  The rest of the ship descended on an aimless path across the jungle until it landed several miles away.  Apollo watched it crash with all the others on board as he faded into a slumber.  He could just barely see two tall angels, Luna, with a mask of the moon and Samus, with a mask of the sun carrying Nova and him down safely to the jungle floor.

Hours passed, Apollo could feel cold water being poured down his throat.  He could see two hands wrapping a bandage around his head.  When his eyes cracked open he saw Nova’s face; it looked more beautiful than the faces of the two angels that saved them.  Nova’s golden hair sparkled in the sun as she leaned over him, to tie the cloth tight.  He reached up gently and pulled her down to him, pressing his face into her shoulder.  With a deep breath, he breathed in her fresh scent, allowing himself to be lost in her embrace.  He realized what he did, letting her loose.  “I’m sorry.”  He said.

“It’s alright.”  Nova said.  Unfazed, she finished wrapping his head.  She crawled up next to him, leaning against the tree.  Apollo let his hand wander along her hair, to her chin and finally down to her collar bone.  He touched her necklace of the little silver heart.  With his fingernail, he popped it open to find the picture of Venus’ family.  “It’s my grandfather, grandmother, and mother... or is it my uncle?  They think it was my brother in this picture and not my mother.  My uncle was stolen away from his father and mother as a baby.”  Apollo felt pain from the words “stolen from his father and mother” because the same thing had happened to him.  “My mom received this necklace from my grandma who had turned into an angel.  She didn’t know she was her mother at the time.  She was young when grandma gave it to her.  Later on mom gave it to me.  It’s the only picture I have of them.  We lost all the old photos when the cottage was destroyed.”

“I wish I knew who my mother was.”  Apollo sighed touching Hyperion’s face.

“Really you don’t know who your mother is?”  He shook his head letting go of her necklace.  She sprung up with a smile.  “Then I’ll help you find her...”  She knelt down and grabbed his hand. “I promise… you’ll find her someday...”

He stared at her a long while, surprised by her words.  After sometime, he sighed and looked away.  “Sure... I’ve tried my entire life… I doubt I’ll find her that easily.”

“Come on…” she bounced up.  “You can’t give up hope that easily.”  She said.  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something moving in the bushes.  “What the...?”  Apollo sat up and looked in the direction of her gaze.  A gargantuan creature slithered from the brush.  The colossal serpent slid into the clearing watching them closely.  Apollo rose up in front of Nova pulling her along behind him as he sidestepped away from the snake.  Nova observed from over Apollo’s shoulder as its red eyes followed them.  The serpent reared back to strike, but as it projected forward to strike a man landed on its tail to deter it.  It spun around hissing at the man.  He swung a pole colliding with the snake’s scaly face.  Other brown skinned people with aboriginal clothing emerged from the bushes scaring the large snake away by waving their primitive tools.  Apollo took a sigh of relief, while Nova gripped tighter to his shirt, when the head of the native people approached him.  The man drew his weapon on them; Apollo placed his hands up and spoke in a foreign language.  “What did you say?”  Nova asked him.

“I think I told them we’re friendly... hold on...”  He said something else in their language, but it caused them to explode in conversation.  The angered man raised his weapon to lash out on him, when the afro-headed man descended from the trees catching him by the arm.

He stepped before the people speaking in the same language that Apollo attempted.  After conversing for a while with older man for a while, he spun around laughing to Apollo.  “I thought I taught you enough of the language to know the difference between ‘We are friendly’ and ‘We are manly’.”  He laughed hysterically, slapping him on the back like a familiar friend.  “As if those words didn’t challenge the alpha male enough, you could have left off the second statement.”

“What did I say?”  Apollo asked.

“I’m manly, even more manly than your mother.”

“I guess being away for so long I’ve gotten some words mixed up…”  Apollo blushed with embarrassment.  “I was trying to say, we were friendly and gentle like a mother.”

“Now that is funny!”  Nova laughed.

“Oh Nova, I didn’t see you just then.”  Afro man said.

“No, you just saw her all night is all.”  Apollo grumbled.

“Oh, you’re not angry about that, are you?”  Nova studied the stranger; he seemed so familiar.  She wanted to figure out who he was and how he ended up in her room. “Are you really angry?  Hey, it’s not my fault she...”

“I’ve got it!”  Nova interrupted their conversation.  “I know what happened.  You came into my room, ate that adorable monkey, Sushi-San, and took his clothing… and stretched it out… a lot…”

“It’s S-O-N - S-H-I, short for Son-Hou-Shi.  It’s the name of an ancient god of monkeys.”

“Well whatever, the problem is you ate him!  You killed my pet!  I mean… friend!”  She grabbed his afro, developing a small ball of light in her hand; his afro started to glow.  “You’ll pay for eating my friend!”

“Hold on!”  He yelled.  “Watch this!”  Before their eyes, he metamorphosed into a spider monkey.  “I am him...”  With a cheeky smile, he wiggled his eyebrows.

“Huh...?”  She frowned, letting go of his hair to give him a big hug.  “He coughed you up!”

Apollo and Son-Shi slapped their foreheads.  “Maybe she’ll figure it out later?”  Apollo suggested.

“Somehow I doubt that.”  He said being squeeze by Nova’s firm grip.  “Venus and her children are known for their strength, but they are lacking in other departments…”

Sample Chapter | Volume 9 of Elemental Angels Series eBook

Chapter 1

The morning sun shined on the Morgana Castle.  Calypso lay asleep in bed dreaming.  Inside his mind, he sat on a fluff of white clouds, eating the most scrumptious candies and fruits in the kingdom.  A self-serving all you can eat buffet was lined up with all his favorite foods.  As he splurged, he could hear a faint cello being strummed in the background.  Not before long, he could hear an entire orchestra of music invading his peaceful dream.  He woke with a start and stared at the small band of musicians playing alongside his bed.  They were sent to play classical music as a sort of live alarm clock.  He frowned miserably and tried to continue his dream of cakes and cheeses.  “Uh, uh, uh, Prince Calypso.”  His trusted advisor said.  “It’s time to wake!” the servant opened the window to allow fresh bright light into the room.  He waited then grabbed Calypso up by the arm and forced him into the dressing chamber.  He presented him with a set of clothes he picked out himself.  “I have placed ye clothing and trust that ye shall enjoy wearing them.  Too bad they must be burned at the end of the day like the others.”

“Yeah…” Calypso said unbuttoning his pants.  “I really liked that outfit yesterday... but gotta wear something different everyday… queen’s rules.”  He yawned.

“Master, what are you doing?”  The advisor slapped his hands away from his belt.

“Taking off my pajamas so I can get dressed…”

“Nonsense, you have servants to do that for you!”  He clapped his hands twice, and thus entered an army of butlers.  They dragged him to the bath, undressed him then washed, cleaned and brushed his hair and teeth.  They dried him up and tailored his clothes as they placed them on.  They fixed his collar, and combed his long pink hair, tying a matching ribbon to bind it back.  They wiped his glasses clear, and placed them on as he stood in front of the mirror.

“Not bad I suppose, you guys still haven’t beaten your record time.  Nothing will beat the day I was almost late for graduation.”  Calypso emerged from his room laughing with the other servants.  The servants adored working for Calypso and would sometimes fight over who would serve him.  He was so much more gracious and kind than the other siblings and their mother.  He would slip them extra food if he could or some wages if they needed to purchase something for their family. Calypso met his brother Taro in the hall on the way to the kitchen.  “Good day brother.”

“Good morning, Cally.  Where were you for Holy Book studies yesterday?”  Taro asked him.

“Probably out with that invisible girlfriend that no one knows.”  Echo commented.

“Sister how did you know...”

“You talk in your sleep, besides everyone knows you have a girlfriend, brother.” Azo joked.  “Just like everyone knows that we are supposed to have either thirteen butlers or thirteen maids, not twelve maids and one butler like Valaro.”  He laughed.  As they approached their big sisters door, Taro shooed away the maids snooping in front of Valaro’s door.  He knocked loudly on the door, and called for her to come to breakfast.  All, but Taro, laughed when a handsome young butler ran from the room first.

Then moments later Valaro came to her door.  “Can’t a girl get some privacy?”  She asked brushing through her annoying siblings.

“Any more privacy and you would have gotten yourself in trouble.”  Azo laughed, before she gave him a firm tug on the ear.  “Ow… ow! okay… okay…”  She released his ear.

Taro counted heads to make sure all were dressed and coming with he noticed the only pink haired one in the family missing.  He spun around and saw Calypso staring out the window.  “Calypso what are you doing?”  Taro asked him.

“Huh... uh... I’ll be there in a moment...”  Calypso said with his eyes still fixated at something outside.

“Alright, but when mom comes by don’t say I didn’t warn you.”  Taro watched his brother until he finally peeled his eyes away and headed towards the dining area.

Calypso had his eyes fixed on a magnificent rare bird.  It seemed to follow him down the hall, as it hopped from window to window.  He began running down the hall to catch up with it when he struck what felt like a soft brick wall in his path.  From the floor, he looked up and could see his mother’s bodyguard.  From behind him, the aged slender face of his mother, Uno scowled down at him from over her nose.  “Prince Calypso, isn’t there somewhere you need to be?”  She asked him.  Calypso jumped up and bowed to her, before stumbling off.  “I still can’t believe I produced that insult to the family name.”

Almost every day of Calypso’s life seemed this way – a pauper in prince’s clothing, a duck among swans, or a moth among butterflies.  He was a misfit in a royal setting.  Everything from the extravagant lifestyle to the servants at his every whim left a distasteful feeling in his mouth.  From church service to etiquette lessons, everything left him dissatisfied.  Surprisingly, he only felt comfort with fencing.  With the swords, he could release anguish inside of his soul knowing he would not seriously injure anyone in the process.  The queen was actually proud to acknowledge his abilities in handling a sword, for he was better than all his siblings and matched Taro in skill.  But, alas, fencing only came once a week for recreation or extracurricular activities. 

The first class of the day seemed the most boring – proper schooling.  With only the best and most expensive scholars, they were taught mathematics, science, literature, writing, history, and languages – the essentials to an education.  Each royal child was assigned two levels above what any public or even private school would offer for their age group.  Calypso’s mind would never fail to wander during sessions.  His mind flew to his friends that he wished he could have adventured with.  “I wonder what they’re doing right now.”  He sighed as he stared out the window.

Sample Chapter | Volume 8 of Elemental Angels eBook

Chapter 5

The remainder of the day went pretty smooth, surprising to Krono, president of the student body who monitored the activity of the students.  The school administration asked that he watch the students and see if he could find anything that would help reduce the breakout of fights and petty theft.  The school board worried about their students, especially Nova and Cupid.  Those two always picked a fight with everyone, but today Nova seemed calmer than normal.  They only saw her like this when she had some sort of sickness, but usually that meant she would skip school altogether.  At lunch, Krono started his rounds across the cafeteria checking up on the students.  Krono crossed passed the “Satanists” table, while heading for his “snotty” friends.  He waved to Styx and she smiled back at him.  One of Styx’s friends noticed her waving to him.  “Seriously, I don’t see the relation between you and your brother.”  She said as her lip ring bounced against her teeth.  “Are you sure you’re twins?”

“Well, he did come out after me, made something happened in those couple of seconds.”  Styx and the others laughed.

The guidance counselor pulled Krono to the side.  “Have you noticed that the Vulcan siblings aren’t fighting today, Mr. President?”

“Well, yes, if you ask me it’s a step forward.”  Krono said.

“But, Mr. President...”

“Please, don’t call me that.  Go back to your office and rest; I’m sure everything is fine.”  Krono said.

“Well, alright…”  The counselor said taking out a handkerchief to wipe off his brow.  He seemed so nervous despite everything going well.  “But it won’t last all day, if you ask me.” 

“That’s why no one asked you.”  Said Cupid followed by a different girl latched to his arm.  The counselor became frightened at the sight of him and hurried from the cafeteria.  Cupid and the girl laughed.  “Guess I’m too tough… scaring little old men away…”  He laughed and flexed his bicep.  “You guys need to loosen up Krono.”  He slapped him on the shoulder.

Krono laughed. “Alright, but I don’t think they know the meaning of the word.  They take my office so seriously.”  Cupid took his girl by the arm as another girl approached him as well.  Krono feared the girls would fight over him, but the girl walked away without incident.  His girl joined him at the table as he sat down next to Nova.  Cupid asked Nova to hand him the salt.  Nova, busy staring at Apollo sitting on the opposite side of the lunchroom, handed him the pepper instead.  “Salt… salt I said!  Gees, doesn’t anybody listen?”

The girl beside him sprung up.  “I’ll get it honey!”  She said.  The salt was on the other side of the table.  Standing from the table, she stepped back into another girl.  “Oh, I’m sorry.”

“Yeah I know, and you’re going to be even sorrier when I’m done with you!”  The girl who sat with Cupid on the bus fumed.  “How dare you try to take my boyfriend?”

“Your boyfriend, he’s all mine and he’ll tell you!”  They turned and looked at Cupid who just shrugged.  “See, you’ve gone and confused him!”

The girls bickered back and forth Cupid just sat laughing.  Another guy strutted over and grabbed the girl by the arm.  “Hey, I thought I said you’re my girl!  What are you doing fighting over this little boy?”

“Little Boy?”  Cupid stood up, but Nova pushed him back down.  She stood up and stared the boy in the face; the same troublemaker from the bus that morning.

“I remember you!”  She said to him.  “This one’s mine, Cupid.  Once I’m finished with him, you can take his girlfriend and the other girl if you want both.  For now, you can take his flunkies.  I have a score to settle with this one.”  She cracked her knuckles and waved for the kid to come on.  The kid thrashed his arm forward, Nova moving aside to dodge him.  Then he threw an uppercut and she did a back flip onto the table.

Just then the troublemaker’s friends ran up to the table.  Cupid tossed down his jacket. “Let’s rumble!”  He took on three of the kid’s friends at once, blocking and dodging all of them.  He grabbed a cup of soda, knocked one to the ground, threw the drink in one of their faces, and chucked the empty glass at the third.  With one stomp on the floor, the whole cafeteria shook and they dropped to their knees.

Krono watched in amazement at their fighting skills.  Styx came up behind him and shook him from his trance.  “Hey! Mr. President!  Aren’t you going to break them up like you usually do?”  She asked.

“Are you kidding?  Nova has mad skills.  Want to bet on her?”  Krono nudged her.

“Yeah right, who would take that?  You know she’s going to win.”  She laughed.

The troublemaker was a chunky kid and his arms grew tired.  Nova was too quick on her feet for him; she floated and buzzed around like a hummingbird.  He suddenly stopped swinging.  Out of breath and working up a sweat, he fell over catching himself on his knees.  “That’s it… I’m going to prove that you two aren’t as tough as you seem!  The reason you win is because you ain’t never been hit before!  You’re too darn fast!  I dare you to stand still!”  He shouted.  Everyone stopped fighting, including the two girls. 

Nova looked over, and saw Apollo’s eyes on her.  In fact, the whole cafeteria watched them. Nova bounced down off the table and stood in his face. “Do it!”

 “You’re going to regret it!” The boy laughed and ran his fist into her stomach.  It took a while to set in, but everyone heard a crack when his fist hit.  They all waited and watched.  His face contorted in pain from the fracture in his fist.  “Ow!”  He grabbed his hand and fell over.  Nova stood perfectly calm looking down at him wallowing in agony.

All the kids were stunned, most ran out of the room in terror.  “How can she do that?  Is she some sort of freak?”  They crowd of whispers said as they ran passed her.

The comments tore at her soul and she threw her fist through the table breaking it into pieces.  “If you have something to say, say it to my face!”  She shouted.  The room fell silent again; she looked to Apollo but he no longer sat there.  Looking down to her feet, she felt her cheeks turning red with embarrassment.  Then the school’s security came up behind her and Cupid, and handcuffed them.

“You’re coming with us you two!”  Principal Corona said.

“Okay…” Cupid shrugged.  “But we ain’t wearing these.”  He lifted his arms up and broke the chains; Nova did the same.  They walked after the principal and out of the cafeteria.  As they exited the cafeteria, medics surrounded the bully who still lied on the floor in agony.  Shiva did not have an ounce of pity in her face for him.  Before leaving she locked eyes with Dai; his worried expression tugged at her heart.