Release by M R Merrick (Book 3)
After uniting the shifters and calling in reinforcements, Chase has to face his toughest challenge yet: learning to control his emotions. But as tensions rise and his powers grow, controlling his emotions becomes the least of his problems. Terrorized by a multi-shifter who is hell-bent on turning him, Chase questions just how far he’s willing to go to stop his father. Meanwhile, Tiki’s virtuous nature has placed him in the middle of Vincent’s past, leaving Chase to oppose a senate of vampires and defend a demon he hates. Trying to balance his friends, his enemies, and his inner demons, Chase is left searching for answers about the Mark, his destiny, and where he can find the next soul piece. Stopping Riley is his top priority, but as more obstacles arise, he finds himself doubting all the decisions he’s made - especially regarding Rayna. One thing is for certain: Chase has finally realized that he doesn’t know anything. The light doesn’t always quell the darkness, the monsters don’t always stay in the shadows, and the past doesn’t always stay in the past - sometimes, the demons inside are the hardest to fight.
Purchase Links :
Paperback
CreateSpace
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
eBook
Amazon
Kobo
Barnes & Noble
iBooks
All eReaders can also purchase Release through Smashwords.
Excerpt :
Chapter 1
His power surged and slammed me into the wall. A bright light flashed over my eyes from the impact and I broke into a run, the concrete sliding beneath my feet. As he flexed his magic, his air element wrapped itself around a chair and pitched it through the air like a homing missile with me as its target. I took cover behind a concrete pillar and the chair shattered against it, splinters scattering across the floor.
Power churned inside my body, water and fire pulsing through my veins in an icy flare. Spheres of magic formed in my palms as beads of sweat ran down my brow. I took a deep breath, centering my focus.
I spun out from behind the column, red and blue magic drifting behind me like a comet’s tail. My elements shuddered and heat from the flame swirled as I pulled back my right arm, launching the flame forward. A stream of fire snapped through the air towards him.
Shadows coiled around him, blending his body with the darkness. Another element pulsed, but this time it wasn’t mine. It was heavy, powerful, and smothering. His magic submerged me, forcing me to tighten my chest. I thrashed against the power, gasping for air while I tried to break its hold, and my flames flickered, then died.
The fire and water receded and another element rose inside me. My own air element twisted through my body and pushed his power back, allowing me room to breathe.
Magic rumbled inside me as I called more elements to my aid. The ground moved in a violent quake and my earth element rattled the walls.
His body stumbled and his focus broke. As his element faded, I tore the water back up from that place deep inside my soul. Cold power chilled my body and burst towards him.
A ball of ice shot across the room, shattering against his chest. Crystals of frozen magic sparkled and rained like diamonds to the ground. The shadows collapsed around him, vanishing back to the corners of the room, and Marcus dropped to the ground.
Silence wafted through the room and I crept forward, awaiting his reaction, but he was hardly moving. His massive form lay on the floor, his chest rising and falling. I noticed a layer of sweat glistening off his dark skin as I inched closer. The black shirt that hugged his muscular form was smeared with white dust, and my crystalized magic littered the concrete around him.
“Marcus?” I asked.
He took a deep breath and nodded. “You’re…getting much faster.” His face twisted as he propped himself up on his elbows.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to go all out.”
“Don’t be. That’s kind of the point of training, right?”
“I guess.”
“Are you boys done playing yet?” Rayna stood behind us with crossed arms. Dark jeans hugged her long legs, revealing toned thighs before disappearing into knee-high fur boots. A red tank top embraced her curves, revealing smooth pale skin. Her raven hair was pinned up, her slender neck exposed, leaving red strands to frame her face. “People are starting to show up for the meeting, and Eric’s about to lose it…again.”
“What happened this time?” Marcus asked.
“I think Tiki tried to say hello.”
Marcus sighed. “I’ll be right there.”
I reached out and pulled Marcus to his feet. He dusted the crystals off his chest and smiled. “That was a good session. How do you feel?”
“I feel good. It’s you I’m worried about. I think maybe you’re getting too old for this.”
Marcus laughed but quickly silenced it and narrowed his eyes. “We’ll see.
Next time I won’t be going easy on you.”
“Now that’s funny.”
“Who’s joking?” Marcus asked. “I better go deal with this.”
Rayna stared at me and I shook my head. “He wasn’t going easy on me. He’s kidding.”
Rayna nodded. “Sure.”
“No really, he was kidding, right?”
Rayna laughed and followed after Marcus.
“Rayna, don’t play with me. Tell me he was joking.”
About the author :
M.R. Merrick is a Canadian writer and author of The Protector Series, a Young Adult mash-up between Urban and Epic Fantasy. Having never traveled, he adventures to far off lands through his imagination and in between cups of coffee. As a music lover and proud breakfast enthusiast, he’s usually found at the computer between a pair of headphones and in front of a large bowl of cereal.
Contact the author :
Website : http://mrmerrick.net/blog/
Twitter : http://www.twitter.com/MRMerrick
Stop by M R Merricks website, Facebook and Twitter and say hi!! Enter the giveaway and come back tomorrow for a look at book 4.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
this cover was the one i was the most attracted to because of the cover ... it seemed less dark and less dystopia/end of the world ( even if it didn't scream happy ending/love at the horizon either^^)
ReplyDeleteI love this cover too but number 4 is the one I liked the best :)
DeleteBook one is on my Kobo and I hope to get round to reading all the books lurking there over the summer!
ReplyDeleteYou should definitely try it and see :)
Delete