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Andy Peloquin
SciFi
SciFi
Author of:
The Last Bucelarii (Book 1): Blade of the Destroyer
The Hunter of Voramis is the perfect assassin:
ruthless, unrelenting, immortal. Yet he is haunted by lost memories, bonded to
a cursed dagger that feeds him power yet denies him peace of mind. Within him
rages an unquenchable need for blood and death.
When he accepts a contract to avenge the stolen innocence
of a girl, the Hunter becomes the prey. The death of a seemingly random target
sends him hurtling toward destruction, yet could his path also lead to the
truth of his buried past?
Blade of the Destroyer (Book #1)
A chill hung in the night air, and
sweat dripped down the nameless nobleman's back, soaking his thick tunic. He
clenched his fists to still his shaking hands. His nondescript clothing blended
with the rough crowd of the Blackfall District, and yet he felt eyes upon him,
following his every step.
He cast anxious glances around the
darkened alleyway, searching for a sign of…what?
By
Derelana, why do I fear so?
Perhaps it was the terror of a
moonless night, or the instinctive fear dredged up at the thought of meeting
the legendary Hunter of Voramis.
He chided himself. Fuck me for a jumpy little princess!
He would rather be somewhere else,
anywhere else, but here. He had no desire to face the creature the mothers of
Voramis used to threaten their children into behaving. His mother had used
those legends to frighten him, and he had developed a healthy fear.
Get
it together.
You have a job to do. Get in, get it
done, and get the fiery hell out of there!
The doors to the dilapidated
tavern swung shut behind, but none of the handful of patrons at the tables paid
him any heed. He slipped a pair of copper bits into the bartender's hand.
"Top of the stairs, door at
the end of the hall," the portly pub landlord drawled as he made the coins
disappear.
The stairs creaked dangerously as
the noble climbed, but he forced himself to place one foot in front of the
other. The smell of mold filled his nostrils and threatened to make him sneeze.
Swallowing hard, he stared at the door at the end of the darkened hall. It
looked like something out of his nightmares, and it made his blood run cold.
"Hello?" he called in a
weak voice as he entered the room.
He saw no one in the gloomy
darkness, and breathed a sigh of relief as he closed the door behind him.
Believing himself alone, the noble took deep, calming breaths.
"What brings you to the
underbelly of Voramis, little man?" The voice sounded far too close for
the nobleman's liking.
He leapt backward, a feminine
squeak bursting from his mouth. His back slammed against the door, knocking the
breath from his lungs.
Fucking
Hunter!
The nobleman struggled to regain
his composure, trying to ignore the thick drops of sweat rolling down his face
and coating his palms.
"I-I-I h-have a
c-c-commission for you, er, Hunter, sir," he managed to stutter.
"Tell me more," the
Hunter said in a rough voice. He stepped forward, pulling back his hood.
Scars crisscrossed the dark face,
twisting his upper lip into a perpetual sneer. Heavy brows hooded his dark
eyes, and his crooked nose had been broken and badly set. A scarlet ribbon
bound his midnight black hair, which hung in long, greasy strands.
Bloody
twisted hell, no wonder he hides himself. I would too if I
looked like that!
The nobleman realized his mouth
hung open, and snapped it shut. He belatedly tried to hide his revulsion at
seeing the Hunter's grim visage, but knew it had shown through.
The dark figure with the horrible
face waited in silence, clearly unaffected by the nobleman's disdain.
"My, er, master,"
stuttered the shaken man, gulping as he spoke, "requests your services in
a matter of a…er… delicate
nature."
The Hunter raised an eyebrow.
"Your master understands that
delicate situations cost more?"
"Of course, sir, er, Hunter.
I have more than enough to c-cover any extras beyond your usual fees." The
nobleman removed a leather purse from his cloak. His hand trembled as he passed
it to the Hunter, who balanced it in a burn-scarred hand.
"Good. It will suffice."
The purse disappeared into the Hunter's cloak with a movement that caused the
noble to jump. His cheeks burned with shame, and he saw mockery in the Hunter's
cold eyes. "You have the other item?" the Hunter demanded.
"Of-of course," the
noble stammered. He fished around in his robes for a moment before producing a
handkerchief. His fingers brushed dangerously close to the Hunter's hand as the
assassin took the kerchief, and the aristocrat's skin crawled.
"I-I hope it is enough,"
the noble whispered, the fear in his voice audible. "It was all my master
could procure."
The Hunter's rough fingers traced
the initials embroidered in one corner of the delicate cloth. G.D.
"It will do," the Hunter
rasped.
"So you will take the job?
You'll make the coward pay for his affront to my master? The swine—"
The Hunter cut him off. "I
care little for your master's reasons why,
as long as his coin is good. The job will be done." He pulled the hood up,
obscuring all but his mouth from the nobleman's view. "Does your master
have any special requests?"
"No," the noble replied.
"He simply wishes for the job to be done before the Feast of the Mistress,
and would prefer the target die in his own home. It is to send a message, you
see, to all the nobles of Voramis that—"
"No details, fool," the
Hunter growled, interrupting him. "They matter not."
The nobleman stiffened, offended
at the Hunter's interruption. The muscles in his back went rigid, and he
somehow summoned up the courage to glare at the Hunter. One look into the dark
hood, however, and his pride deflated.
"Good." The Hunter's
mouth twisted into a horrifying semblance of a grin. "I will contact you
when the job is complete."
Shuffling nervously from foot to
foot, the noble called upon all of his limited courage and limitless
self-importance to stand tall, when he wanted nothing more than to flee. He
thought he detected a smile twitch the corner of the Hunter's lips.
"Have the rest of the sum at
hand," the Hunter grated. "I will expect it once I have carried out
the contract."
"Of-of course," the
noble said, "I will…"
He trailed off as he found himself
talking to an empty room. The Hunter had simply disappeared, startling him and
leaving him feeling like a fool.
Long moments passed before the
noble regained his shattered composure. The darkness of the room haunted him,
and his eyes darted around as if expecting to see the Hunter standing there
once more. His breath came in ragged gasps, and every muscle in his body tensed
in fear.
"Fucking Hunter," he
cursed in a quiet voice.
He wiped sweaty palms on his fine
robes, and his hands shook as he reached for the doorknob. His fear diminished
with each shaky step toward the dim light of the stairwell, his relief growing
as he stepped into the smoky alehouse taproom. Ignoring the few patrons sitting
and drinking, he stumbled into the cool Voramis night.
He breathed deep, filling his
lungs with the foul-smelling air and letting the chill calm his nerves.
"Fucking Hunter," he
repeated. The curse helped to restore some of his shaken confidence.
His sweat-sodden robes clung to
his body, causing him to shudder and pull his cloak tighter. The heavy garment
offered some protection from the cold, but the noble knew it would be hours
before he would be able to sit without feeling a stab of panic.
With his attention consumed by his
desire to leave the stinking alehouse and the horrific memory of the Hunter's
scarred visage behind, the terrified man failed to notice the dark figure
sitting on the inn rooftop. Midnight black eyes followed the noble's steps, and
a scarlet ribbon fluttered in the breeze.
Amazon Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Blade-Destroyer-Last-Bucelarii-Book/dp/1515038955/
Book Info:
Title: The Last Bucelarii (Book 1): Blade of the
Destroyer
Author: Andy Peloquin
Official Launch Date: August 21st, 2015
Publication Date: July 11th, 2015
Paperback Price: $15.99
Digital Price: $3.99
Pages: 298
ISBN: 1515038955
Andy Peloquin: Lover of All Things Dark and Mysterious
I am, first and foremost, a storyteller and an
artist--words are my palette. Fantasy is my genre of choice, and I love to
explore the darker side of human nature through the filter of fantasy heroes,
villains, and everything in between. I'm also a freelance writer, a book lover,
and a guy who just loves to meet new people and spend hours talking about my
fascination for the worlds I encounter in the pages of fantasy novels.
Fantasy provides us with an escape, a way to forget about our mundane problems and step into worlds where anything is possible. It transcends age, gender, religion, race, or lifestyle--it is our way of believing what cannot be, delving into the unknowable, and discovering hidden truths about ourselves and our world in a brand new way. Fiction at its very best!
Fantasy provides us with an escape, a way to forget about our mundane problems and step into worlds where anything is possible. It transcends age, gender, religion, race, or lifestyle--it is our way of believing what cannot be, delving into the unknowable, and discovering hidden truths about ourselves and our world in a brand new way. Fiction at its very best!
10 Things You Need to Know About Me:
Hot wings, ALWAYS!
I never forget a face, but rarely remember a name.
I'm a head taller than the average person (I'm 6'
6")
Marvel > DC
I was born in Japan, and lived there until the age of
14.
Selena Gomez, Skrillex, Simon & Garfunkel, Celine
Dion, and Five Finger Death Punch are all in my writing playlist.
Aliens are real, but it's self-centered of us to believe
that they would come to visit Earth.
Watching sports: suck. Playing sports: EPIC!
I earned a purple belt in Karate/Hapkido/Taekwondo.
I dislike most Christmas music, aside from
Trans-Siberian Orchestra.
A Few of My Favorite Things:
Favorite Books: The
Gentlemen Bastards by Scott Lynch, The
Stormlight Archives by Brandon Sanderson, Sherlock Holmes by A.C. Doyle, Warlord
of Mars by E.R. Burroughs
Favorite Songs: Wrong
Side of Heaven by Five Finger Death Punch, Prayer by Disturbed, I'm an
Albatraoz by AronChupa, Look Down from
Les Miserables, Shatter Me by Lindsay
Sterling and Lizzi Hale
Favorite Movies: 300, Red Cliff, Shoot Em Up, Love
Actually, Princess Bride
Favorite Comics: Anything with Deadpool, Wolverine or
Doop in it
Favorite Foods: Hot Wings, Meat-Lover's Salad, A good
sandwich (made by me), Yaki Soba, Sushi
Favorite TV Shows: The Flash, Daredevil, Agents of
S.H.I.E.L.D., Hawaii Five-0, Brooklyn 99, Firefly (too soon!), The Last Ship,
The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones
OUT NOW...
THE LAST BUCELARII (BOOK 2)
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