As the Indigos prepare to battle the Believers, they train in every way possible. Rayne Darby is the sister of Crystal child Lucas, but has no powers of her own, except for her unflinching courage and loyalty, which will be tested in Crystal Fire. Here’s a training scene between her and Gabriel Stewart.
Excerpt
Stewart Estate
Bristol Mountains—east of L.A.
Next morning
Bristol Mountains—east of L.A.
Next morning
Rayne Darby had on her lucky stuff, a black Guns N’ Roses “Sweet Child O’ Mine” T-shirt with her favorite jeans that were shredded on the thighs and her dark brown café racer motorcycle boots. Both wrists were laced with leather, and beads coiled around them. She wanted to kick ass today in her best gear. If her parents had been alive and knew she planned on declaring war on a church, they would have totally grounded her.
A spotlight shone down on her as she stood in the cool darkness of a large room and stared at a man’s lighted silhouette twenty-five yards away. The tiny details of his face didn’t matter to her. Only one guy haunted her mind whenever she held a gun in her hands, like now.
The Stewart Estate had a firing range located in its basement, along with other rooms Gabriel and his uncle Reginald had dedicated for training. The Stewarts came from a long line of Indigos. The family had taken every opportunity to hone their abilities because they knew they’d need every protection possible. The others had powers that made weapons unnecessary. Rayne was the only one who clocked time at the firing range. At first Gabe had resisted the idea of her with a gun, but when she told him that he might not always be around to be her white knight in blue flames, he reluctantly agreed to lend her a handgun and show her how to use it.
She’d come alone to practice with a Glock 21, but Gabe’s ghost dog Hellboy had followed her. She welcomed the company, but the dog must have sensed her jittery mood and paced the floor behind her, whining.
“Settle down, boy. I can’t kill you, remember? I’m the only one in danger here. I could shoot my eye out.”
Guns made her nervous. She had to get over that. Not long ago, she’d pointed a gun at Boelens, a cruel man who hunted kids for the Believers. He’d made fun of her for not knowing about the gun’s safety. She was determined that wouldn’t happen a second time. If she ever had that man in her sights again, she’d know which end to point and how to wipe the smirk off his face.
Staring at the paper target of a man’s silhouette, she imagined facing someone who could shoot back. She got the cold sweats every time she pictured standing in front of Boelens again. With her eyes on the target, she slipped on her protective goggles, but before she donned her ear muffs, a low voice with a faint British accent sent shivers down her arms.
“You look quite fetching in those goggles.”
When she turned to see Gabriel standing on the edge of the spotlight, she smiled and put down her weapon.
“That’s something a girl doesn’t hear every day.”
He walked up and pressed his warm body against her back. He fit in all the right places as if he’d been made for her.
Rayne couldn’t help it. She stifled a gasp when he ran fingers through her hair and she felt his breath on her skin.
“Protection is important,” he whispered in his sexy British accent as he nuzzled and kissed her neck.
“Are you here to give me a…lesson?” She leaned back against his chest and let him wrap his arms around her.
“You need one?” He put his lips next to her ear. “Anything you want, I’m your guy.”
Rayne heard the smile in his voice. She fought a grin too.
“Give me the run down one more time and do it slow. I want to remember everything.”
It would have been easy to stick with the flirty teasers and kiss Gabriel all afternoon, but he took weapons seriously and she did too. Too much was at stake and she hadn’t forgotten the reason she wanted to practice. After Gabe pulled away, he stayed at her back and spoke in her ear as she stared at the target, the second object of her growing obsession.
“You must do one very important thing before you ever pick up a gun,” he told her.
“Oh yeah? What’s that?”
“Read the manual. Not everything comes with instructions, but firearms do. Take advantage of that.”
After she moaned and flashed back to high school, she said, “Okay, I got a homework assignment. What comes next?”
“Find a suitable target, preferably very bad men. Not me,” he said. “And don’t fire at Hellboy. You’ll only piss him off.”
“I’d never shoot your dog.” Rayne winced. “Not on purpose.”
“Ah…your confident assurance makes me feel much better, but my four-legged friend is another matter.”
When she looked down at Hellboy, the phantom dog cocked his head and perked a blue shimmering ear.
“I swear he understands every word you say.” She smiled.
“Funny. He never listened when he was alive. Being dead has improved his disposition.”
“Okay, don’t shoot dead dogs. Got it. What’s next?”
Gabriel went down the list, cautioning her to keep her finger outside the trigger guard unless she was ready to shoot. He had her practice holding the gun until she felt more comfortable and watched her rack the slide to load the chamber.
“Spread your feet, shoulder width.” He moved his fingers along her arms as she aimed and repeated what he’d told her, about where to place her feet, knees and elbows.
“Firm grip and lean forward a bit,” he said. “Now align the front sight with the rear one and aim for center mass. No fancy head shots, Annie Oakley. When you’re ready, take a deep breath and let it out before you squeeze the trigger.”
Gabe slipped her earmuffs over her head and put on his own gear before he stepped out of the way. When he gave her the thumbs-up, she took her deep breath and aimed her Glock.
Rayne squeezed the trigger and blasted the target. This time she didn’t close her eyes.
A spotlight shone down on her as she stood in the cool darkness of a large room and stared at a man’s lighted silhouette twenty-five yards away. The tiny details of his face didn’t matter to her. Only one guy haunted her mind whenever she held a gun in her hands, like now.
The Stewart Estate had a firing range located in its basement, along with other rooms Gabriel and his uncle Reginald had dedicated for training. The Stewarts came from a long line of Indigos. The family had taken every opportunity to hone their abilities because they knew they’d need every protection possible. The others had powers that made weapons unnecessary. Rayne was the only one who clocked time at the firing range. At first Gabe had resisted the idea of her with a gun, but when she told him that he might not always be around to be her white knight in blue flames, he reluctantly agreed to lend her a handgun and show her how to use it.
She’d come alone to practice with a Glock 21, but Gabe’s ghost dog Hellboy had followed her. She welcomed the company, but the dog must have sensed her jittery mood and paced the floor behind her, whining.
“Settle down, boy. I can’t kill you, remember? I’m the only one in danger here. I could shoot my eye out.”
Guns made her nervous. She had to get over that. Not long ago, she’d pointed a gun at Boelens, a cruel man who hunted kids for the Believers. He’d made fun of her for not knowing about the gun’s safety. She was determined that wouldn’t happen a second time. If she ever had that man in her sights again, she’d know which end to point and how to wipe the smirk off his face.
Staring at the paper target of a man’s silhouette, she imagined facing someone who could shoot back. She got the cold sweats every time she pictured standing in front of Boelens again. With her eyes on the target, she slipped on her protective goggles, but before she donned her ear muffs, a low voice with a faint British accent sent shivers down her arms.
“You look quite fetching in those goggles.”
When she turned to see Gabriel standing on the edge of the spotlight, she smiled and put down her weapon.
“That’s something a girl doesn’t hear every day.”
He walked up and pressed his warm body against her back. He fit in all the right places as if he’d been made for her.
Rayne couldn’t help it. She stifled a gasp when he ran fingers through her hair and she felt his breath on her skin.
“Protection is important,” he whispered in his sexy British accent as he nuzzled and kissed her neck.
“Are you here to give me a…lesson?” She leaned back against his chest and let him wrap his arms around her.
“You need one?” He put his lips next to her ear. “Anything you want, I’m your guy.”
Rayne heard the smile in his voice. She fought a grin too.
“Give me the run down one more time and do it slow. I want to remember everything.”
It would have been easy to stick with the flirty teasers and kiss Gabriel all afternoon, but he took weapons seriously and she did too. Too much was at stake and she hadn’t forgotten the reason she wanted to practice. After Gabe pulled away, he stayed at her back and spoke in her ear as she stared at the target, the second object of her growing obsession.
“You must do one very important thing before you ever pick up a gun,” he told her.
“Oh yeah? What’s that?”
“Read the manual. Not everything comes with instructions, but firearms do. Take advantage of that.”
After she moaned and flashed back to high school, she said, “Okay, I got a homework assignment. What comes next?”
“Find a suitable target, preferably very bad men. Not me,” he said. “And don’t fire at Hellboy. You’ll only piss him off.”
“I’d never shoot your dog.” Rayne winced. “Not on purpose.”
“Ah…your confident assurance makes me feel much better, but my four-legged friend is another matter.”
When she looked down at Hellboy, the phantom dog cocked his head and perked a blue shimmering ear.
“I swear he understands every word you say.” She smiled.
“Funny. He never listened when he was alive. Being dead has improved his disposition.”
“Okay, don’t shoot dead dogs. Got it. What’s next?”
Gabriel went down the list, cautioning her to keep her finger outside the trigger guard unless she was ready to shoot. He had her practice holding the gun until she felt more comfortable and watched her rack the slide to load the chamber.
“Spread your feet, shoulder width.” He moved his fingers along her arms as she aimed and repeated what he’d told her, about where to place her feet, knees and elbows.
“Firm grip and lean forward a bit,” he said. “Now align the front sight with the rear one and aim for center mass. No fancy head shots, Annie Oakley. When you’re ready, take a deep breath and let it out before you squeeze the trigger.”
Gabe slipped her earmuffs over her head and put on his own gear before he stepped out of the way. When he gave her the thumbs-up, she took her deep breath and aimed her Glock.
Rayne squeezed the trigger and blasted the target. This time she didn’t close her eyes.
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: November 26th 2013
Blurb:
Because of what you are, the Believers will hunt you down.
A storm is brewing on the streets of LA, one that has intensified since a tragic and deadly confrontation claimed an innocent life.
While Gabriel Stewart trains his army of teen psychics to stop Alexander Reese--the obsessed leader of the Believers--the fanatical church becomes more bent on the annihilation of all Indigo and Crystal children. They're silencing the voices of the telepathic hive, one soul at a time, with frightening experiments cruelly executed on vulnerable minds.
When the Believers torture a mysterious homeless boy, Oliver Blue, they brainwash him into betraying his own. The boy becomes a deadly pawn to take Gabriel down. As the fires of chaos burn around him, Gabe is running out of time. He'll need to confront his past--and the man who made him--before the hope of peace for the future is silenced forever.
A storm is brewing on the streets of LA, one that has intensified since a tragic and deadly confrontation claimed an innocent life.
While Gabriel Stewart trains his army of teen psychics to stop Alexander Reese--the obsessed leader of the Believers--the fanatical church becomes more bent on the annihilation of all Indigo and Crystal children. They're silencing the voices of the telepathic hive, one soul at a time, with frightening experiments cruelly executed on vulnerable minds.
When the Believers torture a mysterious homeless boy, Oliver Blue, they brainwash him into betraying his own. The boy becomes a deadly pawn to take Gabriel down. As the fires of chaos burn around him, Gabe is running out of time. He'll need to confront his past--and the man who made him--before the hope of peace for the future is silenced forever.
You can purchase Crystal Fire at the following Retailers:
Book one:
Purchase: Amazon | The Book Depository
Because of what you are, the Believers will hunt you down.Voices told Lucas Darby to run. Voices no one else can hear. He’s warned his sister not to look for him, but Rayne refuses to let her troubled brother vanish on the streets of LA. In her desperate search, she meets Gabriel Stewart, a runaway with mysterious powers and far too many secrets. Rayne can’t explain her crazy need to trust the strange yet compelling boy—to touch him—to protect him even though he scares her.
A fanatical church secretly hunts psychic kids—gifted “Indigo” teens feared to be the next evolution of mankind—for reasons only “the Believers” know. Now Rayne’s only hope is Gabe, who is haunted by an awakening power—a force darker than either of them imagine—that could doom them all.
Author Bio
Avon/HarperCollins launched Jordan Dane's debut suspense novels in a back to back publishing event in Spring 2008 after buying the 3-book series in auction. Pursuing publication since 2003, Jordan had received awards in 33 national writing competitions and was an energy sales manager in the oil and gas industry prior to selling. Now she is following her passion and writes full time.
Ripped from the headlines, Jordan's gritty plots weave a tapestry of vivid settings, intrigue, and dark humor. She loves challenging a reader's moral barometer with the borderline ethics of her characters and their flawed personalities—dark, angst-ridden antiheroes pitted against unforgettable villains. Publishers Weekly compared her intense pacing to Lisa Jackson, Lisa Gardner, and Tami Hoag—"romantic suspense that crosses over into plain thriller country with tight plotting and exceptional male characters, both bad guys and good."
Jordan and her husband share their residence with two cats of highborn lineage and the spirit of an intelligent canine who is impossible to forget.
Ripped from the headlines, Jordan's gritty plots weave a tapestry of vivid settings, intrigue, and dark humor. She loves challenging a reader's moral barometer with the borderline ethics of her characters and their flawed personalities—dark, angst-ridden antiheroes pitted against unforgettable villains. Publishers Weekly compared her intense pacing to Lisa Jackson, Lisa Gardner, and Tami Hoag—"romantic suspense that crosses over into plain thriller country with tight plotting and exceptional male characters, both bad guys and good."
Jordan and her husband share their residence with two cats of highborn lineage and the spirit of an intelligent canine who is impossible to forget.
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