An assassin,
obsessed with revenge, undergoes a procedure giving him magic and discovers his
life and purpose were built on lies and has to decide which path he’ll choose;
the one of vengeance or the one of redemption....
By Cassie Sanchez
CHASING THE DARKNESS, Romantic Fantasy, Morgan James Publishing, 275 pp.
Pain is inescapable. Suffering is a choice.
Azrael, the Angel of Death, knows pain. The deaths of his mother and sister, as well as his harsh experiences in the Watch Guard at age twelve, have brutally shaped him into the most feared assassin in all of Pandaren. Azrael’s role as a Hunter requires him to search for those with magic, called Spectrals, which he is happy to do. Hunting allows him to pursue his true goal—exacting revenge on the Fire Spectral who altered the course of his life.
Azrael’s obsession with revenge and power leads him to undergo an experimental procedure that gives him magic, but when this procedure has unexpected and dangerous side effects, he becomes a liability to the Hunters and the Watch Guard. Rescued by the people he has sworn to eliminate, Azrael finds himself questioning everything he once believed as years of secrets and lies are exposed. His very nature is challenged as he battles unfamiliar emotions and navigates relationships that contradict the heart of a killer.
Can the Angel of Death have a conscience? Can Azrael?
Chasing the Darkness is an escape to a land of magic, sword fights, and love, with memorable characters who must face the darkness within and journey down a path of destruction or redemption.
Orilyon Palace, Pandaren
Torches flickered and the thump of
boots echoed through the hallway as Commander Drexus Zoldac of the Watch Guard
strode down the corridor toward the war room, followed by his soldiers. Castle
guards and servants flattened themselves against the wall, their expressions a
mixture of fear and grief. Hours before, the people of Pandaren had celebrated
their victory in the war against the Vastanes. Cheers of celebration, though,
became wails of sorrow as the palace and the city of Orilyon crumbled into
chaos.
“How did he get in?” Drexus asked.
“We’re still working on that,
Commander Zoldac.”
Drexus stopped and slowly turned
toward the guard, who glanced up at him and winced. “Work faster,” he warned.
The guard swallowed, nodding.
Drexus continued down the corridor,
clenching his jaw, trying to rein in his anger. Two soldiers saluted as he
pushed open the heavy wooden doors into a room buzzing with activity. Council
members argued near the fireplace and his generals surrounded a large oval
table studying a map of Pandaren. They stood to attention, saluting as Drexus
approached. Kenneth Brenet, head advisor to the king, sat in a corner holding
his head.
One of the council members hurried
over. “Is it true? Is King Valeri dead?”
“It’s true,” Drexus said. He
ignored the questions yelled at him and walked across the room to put a hand on
Kenneth’s bony shoulder. “They need you, now more than ever.”
Kenneth nodded, set his shoulders,
and approached the center of the room. Drexus stood at his side, arms crossed.
“Attention, please,” Kenneth said,
silencing the room. “As many of you suspect, the king is dead, murdered in his
study this evening.”
Murmurs filled the room.
“How?” someone called out.
Kenneth looked up at Drexus, who inhaled,
resting his sizable hands on the table as he regarded each council member,
noble, and general. “An Air Spectral killed King Valeri.”
Gasps and shouts of anger
reverberated off the stone walls.
“I thought the Spectrals were on
our side,” one of the council members said.
Drexus fisted his hands. “So did
we.”
“What do we know about the
Spectrals?” Kenneth asked.
General Charlys stepped forward,
her eyes darting to Drexus. “There are two main types of magic, physical and
mental. A Spectral with physical magic can either control an element or is an
Amp.”
“What are Amps?” one of the nobles
asked, nearing the table.
“Amps, or Amplifiers, have
unnatural speed and strength,” the general said. “The Mentals are a little
trickier, but we’ve determined there are five types: Shields, Healers,
Vaulters, Trackers, and Psyches.”
“Psyches?” Kenneth looked from the
general to Drexus.
“They can move objects with their
minds,” Drexus said.
“How do you have this information?”
“When the Spectrals joined forces
with the Watch Guard, I assigned General Charlys to obtain as much information
about them as possible, just in case.”
“With that kind of power?” a
councilman said. “How are we going to defend ourselves? Naturals can’t fight
against magic.”
Drexus’s eye twitched at the whine
in the man’s voice. “I’m currently working on something that will neutralize
their power. But first, we need strong leadership. I think Kenneth Brenet
should rule as steward until the council deems it unnecessary.”
The murmurings grew, and a few council
members’ faces turned red.
“What about Queen Valeri?” one of
them asked.
Drexus refrained from rolling his
eyes. “She’s grieving the loss of her husband, and with her diminished health,
we cannot expect her to take the throne.” He sensed a shift in the room as men
and women nodded their heads—a shift in his favor. “Who supports Kenneth Brenet
becoming steward of Pandaren?”
Hands raised, and Drexus smiled.
Kenneth stared at the men and women
surrounding the war table. “This is an honor. I can never measure up to our
great king, but I will do my best. And my first act as steward is to put into
law that all Spectrals will identify themselves and their powers. We have to
know who they are and what they can do.”
The room bristled with fear.
“All in favor?” Drexus said.
The motion passed unanimously.
Kenneth turned to Drexus. “Whatever
you’re working on, get it completed as soon as possible. In the meantime, our
priority is to defend the kingdom.”
Drexus led Kenneth away from the
table. “Do I have your support to do whatever is necessary?” he asked.
The thin man stared up at him with
wary eyes and nodded.
Drexus kept his expression blank.
“I’d like permission to create an elite group of soldiers specifically trained
to fight the Spectrals.”
“What do you propose?”
“Hunters.” Drexus glanced over his
shoulder, savoring the warmth of victory radiating through him. “Lethal
assassins who will ensure the Spectrals comply with our new laws.”
The steward held Drexus’s gaze.
“Fortify our army, Drexus. And train your assassins. Create a force that will
breed fear by the very mention of their name.”
Amazon → https://amzn.to/2VZm4lg
Growing up, Cassie Sanchez always wanted superpowers and to be a warrior princess fighting alongside unlikely heroes. Suffice it to say, she lost herself in books, from fantasy to sci-fi to a suspenseful romance. Currently, Cassie lives in the southwest with her husband, Louie, while pestering her two adult men-children. She can usually be found drinking too much coffee while working in her office with her dogs warming her feet. When she isn’t writing about magic and sword fights, she enjoys golf, spending time with friends, or partaking in a satisfying nap.
Her latest book is Chasing the Darkness.
You can visit her website at https://www.cassiesanchez.com/ or connect with her on Twitter, Facebook and Goodreads.
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