Fantasy

No Fireworks but we come bearing discount codes and coupons

Hi Readers,

Are you excited? I hope you are. Curse Breaker Trapped publishes on Thursday everywhere!

But you can purchase it at our new store for 30% using the code CBS30 at checkout. That code is good for 30% off all books that are 2.99+ on our store.

Don’t forget the Humorous Fantasy Bundle ends on July 7th, so head over to  StoryBundle.com/fantasy to grab the 13 books in the bundle and support Challenger Learning Centers for Space Science Education before the bundle disappears forever.

Wait, there’s one last thing we need to discuss before we jump back into our special preview. Many stores decided to run some promos to celebrate Curse Breaker Trapped‘s release. That’s my theory anyway since so many promos are happening this week. Buckle up as we take a whirlwind tour of them.

Promo Codes & Sales this week that we’re aware of:

Whew! That’s a lot. I think that’s the most we’ve had since we started publishing on other stores. But it’s exciting.

And now, let’s jump back into our preview of Curse Breaker Trapped. We left off in one of my scenes, so we need to return. This is Ran, Sarn’s bubbly son, except in this book, I am not his sidekick. I am an adventurer in my own right. 🙂

Curse Breaker Trapped

by Melinda Kucsera

The Adventure Calls (Chapter 3, part 2)

“How did you know what I had planned?” Ran whispered as he picked up Furball, and his little friend hit the rune that opened the outer door.

“It wasn’t hard to guess since you kept looking at the door.” Furball glanced over his shoulder at the nest of blankets near the window, but his grandfather still hadn’t stirred.

Neither had Papa. But his magic must know they were leaving the flat. Ran crossed that threshold and a thrill of anticipation rolled through him when Papa’s magic didn’t jump in front of him to stop him. He was out of the flat for the first time on his own, and Ran reveled in that as the door closed without a sound.

“Where to now?” Furball hung on as Ran raced around a bend.

“To the library to see Uncle Miren and learn about this school thing he goes to every day.” Ran dodged the statues crowding this hallway. He’d never understood why the builders of this place thought it was a good idea to put lots of lifelike statues of warriors with pointy weapons in all the corridors. Adults were often weird, but this went beyond that.

“He doesn’t go every day, just five days a week, by my count.” Furball kicked his feet.

Ran realized he was holding his friend in front of him like a battering ram. Oops. That probably wasn’t comfortable, so he slowed. “Sorry, you can ride on my shoulders.”

“That’s okay. You didn’t hurt me. I have a lot of padding.” Furball patted his belly, which was mostly fur. He had skinny arms and legs, but they were furry too. Only his little wings had feathers.

“I’m glad.” Ran helped his friend climb onto his shoulders. “Just don’t hold on too tightly. I need to breathe.”

“I’m just glad we got out. I thought Uncle Crispin would stop us.” Furball tucked his bottom into the hood hanging down Ran’s back. It made a convenient seat. “Is this okay? My arms aren’t long enough to hold on.”

“Yes, it’s fine. Your uncle is as suspicious as mine. I’m just glad your aunt called when she did.” Ran tugged the cloak’s neckline down and charged down the hallway toward the library until he felt eyes on him.

“Me too.” Furball fell silent, and the thud of Ran’s boots punctuated the silence.

Ran slowed and checked behind him, but he didn’t see anyone, just a lot of odd shadows thrown by the statues. Papa had relit all the lumir crystals between Nulthir’s flat and the library, so Uncle Miren would have plenty of light. But he hadn’t lit many of the crystals on the corridor heading the other direction away from Nulthir’s flat, and that area was full of shadows and maybe a watcher or two.

“What’s wrong?” Furball tapped the back of his head.

“Someone’s watching us.” But the hallway was empty except for the statues. Was there someone behind that statue of a mounted warrior? Ran squinted at it.

***

Straymos glared at the door until the symbols surrounding it blurred. But Sarn didn’t appear when it opened an hour later. Instead, a small boy slipped out of the flat and ran past a grimacing statue holding a sword. I must have the wrong flat. Damn it. Straymos pounded a fist into his palm until he remembered their first meeting two months ago. Sarn had been holding a child then.

Was that the boy Sarn had carried? Straymos grabbed hold of the statue’s leg and pulled himself up. But he’d sat too long on the cold stones, and his stiff legs buckled.

Be patient. Sarn must leave the flat sometime, Mosel reminded him.

You’re just saying that because you don’t want me to chase the boy. Straymos glanced around for the kid, but he was gone, and not even an echo remained of his passing. The child had been silent on his little feet. But he was probably headed to the library since there wasn’t anything else in the direction he’d gone.

I might have been a dark mage, but I drew the line at children. That’s why I took you in and let you take over my body. Mosel appeared before him, as transparent as a ghost.

Straymos extended his hand to smooth down Mosel’s gray hair. It was always sticking out at odd angles. But his hand passed through the old summoner, and the nonagenarian faded.

But I’m still with you, just not physically because you’re wearing my body. Mosel returned to the passenger seat in their mind. That was the only place Straymos hadn’t used his powers to remodel.

I know. Straymos rested his hand on their heart and summoned his powers as he rose slowly this time. Darkness dove into his muscles and wiped away the stiffness. But it was only a temporary measure. There was only so much life he could shove into those old bones before they would crack from the strain. But for a short while, Straymos would be as strong and fit as a man of around twenty ought to be.

If you took over another body, you wouldn’t need to waste our power rejuvenating these tired old muscles, said the beast that also lived inside him. It thirsted for blood and death, and so did Straymos until Mosel pulled him back from the edge.

Stay with me. Don’t give in to your dark nature. It doesn’t have to define you. Mosel held tightly to the core of what made Straymos himself as the beast roared inside him. They were both lost in that darkness for a while.

***

Can’t wait to find out what happens next? Get Curse Breaker Trapped!


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