The Consequences of Coerced Evolution

I’ve been busy for the past several months. I had a story rattling around in my brain, so I decided to write it down. After doing some edits, I then decided to share it with the world.

My latest urban fantasy story, The Consequences of Coerced Evolution, is now available for consumption on Wattpad.

Like with The Art of Tearing Down Houses, I’m trying something new with this one. I didn’t want to go the regular publishing route, mainly because I don’t have the time or desire to put myself through that process.

I’m going to do another blog post with more of an explanation about this.

Until then, I hope you check out the story and offer some feedback on what you think. I’d really appreciate it.

Here’s what the story is about:

Evi was born into high expectations, but she found herself unable to live up to the standards. Cast out, she wondered if she’d ever feel loved and accepted again.

Then, she met Liam.

Falling for him was easy. His good looks drew her in, and his kindness kept her wanting more. Being in his presence brought about feelings of comfort and familiarity, and Evi wasn’t about to let those go.

But she isn’t the only one who is awed by what Liam has to offer.

Dark forces have taken an interest in Liam and want to use him for their own nefarious plans. Evi might very well be the key to Liam’s salvation, but she doesn’t know if she’s strong enough to take on the task. If she fails, she won’t be the only one who gets destroyed. Worlds might fall with her.

Here’s a taste of what you’ll find within the “pages”:

PROLOGUE

Evika’s fingers turned white as she tightened her grip on the inside of her forearm. Pain burned through her extremity. She knew what came next, and she didn’t want to see it, but she couldn’t pull her eyes away from her limb. It started slow, with just a trickle of red-black liquid that oozed from between her fingers. Then, it gained momentum, and the trickles turned into rivers. White lights flashed at the edges of her vision, her breathing came in rasps. She thought she heard someone call her name, but the rush of blood in her ears made it impossible for her to tell.

Her body jostled, weakening her grip on her arm. With spastic movements, she tried to grip her limb again, but her fingers slipped on the blood. Her vision blurred, and the color green rushed toward her face. Unable to stop the progress, she pitched forward. The green was replaced by black.



A soft, rhythmic clicking penetrated into Evika’s ears, making her aware of the darkness. She blinked—or she thought she did—attempting to clear her vision to figure out where she was. It didn’t help. Darkness continued to engulf her, but the clicking gave her something to cling to. She strained to focus her hearing on the sound, hoping it would pull her back into the world. The sound grew slightly louder, then faded altogether. Panic gripped Evika’s chest. Without the sound, how would she ever find her way back to where she’d been? She attempted to sit up, only to realize that she couldn’t feel her body. Hopelessness and despair replaced the panic, as did the slightest hint of fear.

“She…come…okay.”

A faint, choppy voice penetrated into Evika’s skull, pulling her out of her misery and giving her something else to cling to.

“Not…worried about.”

Another voice, another tether to a realm that wasn’t a deep void.

“...not the first time…too many mistakes…liability.”

A warning bell went off in Evika’s brain, and she realized that clinging to these voices wasn’t going to be her salvation. She had to get away from them, pretend she hadn’t heard them, but where could she go? She was already lost with nothing else to strive for. If only she had access to her body; then she could turn away and escape her fate.

“I…no…want her here.”

The despair that Evika had felt before engulfed her, like a thick, heavy blanket that settled over her body and threatened to suffocate her. Part of her brain wanted to scream out, to fight the decree, but the other part had resolved itself to its fate. That part turned into the darkness and reached out its arms to embrace it. Right before she slipped back under, Evika thought for sure she had felt a tear land on her cheek.



White light penetrated into Evika’s eyelids. With reluctance, she squeezed her eyes tighter shut, as if that would somehow make the brightness go away. When it didn’t, she attempted to roll over, only to find that action thwarted as well. Pain radiated through her body, causing an involuntary groan to escape from her lips. Surprise washed through her as she became aware that she once again had access to her body. With effort, she attempted to crack open an eye.

Whiteness flooded her vision, causing a spike of pain to stab through her head. She closed her eye once again, and the shooting pain dulled into a throbbing ache. Taking a deep breath, she counted to 10 before attempting to open her eye once again. The whiteness flooded back in, as did the pain, but after a few seconds, blurry, dark shapes materialized in her line of sight. She couldn’t make out what they were, but she knew they were inanimate objects that wouldn’t hurt her. At about that same time, sound entered her ears; the soft wooshing of an oxygen machine, as well as voices somewhere in the distance.

More sensations crept into her body. A cool breeze touched her left arm, a mattress cradled her body. Plastic pressed against her nose, and when she lifted her hand to find out what it was, she felt the roundness of oxygen tubing. Her vision continued to clear, and the shadows became more distinct. It didn’t take long for Evika to realize that she was in a hospital room. She attempted to sit up, but her body refused to cooperate, and pain flooded through her. She laid back down with a grunt.

A soft squeak filled her ears, followed by the rolling scrape of metal beads against a metal rod. The curtain around her bed was pulled back, revealing a young woman with dark hair secured in a bun wearing purple scrubs. When her eyes met Evika’s, she took an involuntary step back.

“Oh!” she exclaimed. “I didn’t think you’d be awake.” Professionalism took over at that moment, and she moved forward with a purpose. She grabbed the remote to the bed and lifted the top so that Evika sat in a more upright position.

“How are you feeling?”

Evika tried to answer, but her tongue felt too large for her mouth.

“Let me get you some water.” She reached around behind the bed and grabbed a cup with a straw.

The cool water instantly relieved the swelling in Evika’s tongue, but she still wasn’t convinced she could talk. Not that it mattered. The nurse didn’t seem to have any more questions, and instead pulled the tray from the side of the bed and moved it so that it went across Evika’s midsection. She set the cup on the surface, along with the TV remote and the controller for the bed.

“Push the button if you need anything. The doctor will be in shortly to check up on you.” The woman turned on her heel and closed the curtain with a metallic whoosh as she stepped out of the room.

With her vision completely clear, Evika took in her body. The blankets from the bed were pulled up to her chest, covering the thin, scratchy hospital gown that she was dressed in. Her left arm was beneath the covers, keeping time with her heartbeat. She stared at the lump her arm made beneath the blanket, wondering if she truly wanted to pull it out and survey the damage, then decided to get the moment over with.

Evika wasn’t sure what she had expected to see, but before her was a bright white bandage that covered her from wrist to elbow and had been secured with surgical tape. The movement caused pain to shoot through her arm, and she laid her limb on the bed and turned away. She squeezed her eyes shut, and every ache and pain in her body became apparent. She felt the edge of the bruise that had formed on her right shoulder blade. Her knees ached from where they had slammed into the ground. Her low back was on fire from bending and contorting to counteract the lunges and advances of her opponent. Her head throbbed from the blow that knocked her enough off balance for her attacker to move in for the fateful attack.

She opened her eyes and let them fall once again onto the bandage on her arm. With slow, deliberate movements, she reached forward and touched the surface with her other hand. Her pink fingers trembled. The covering felt slick and soft beneath her fingertips. She held her breath, but when she could no longer deny her lungs oxygen, she let out a heaving sigh that was followed by streams of tears.

No matter how much she wanted to deny it, she couldn’t. The bandage, the nurse, the hospital room—it all pointed to one thing. She’d been banished. She’d failed. The scar that would forever adorn her arm would mark her shame. She should have seen it coming. She should have known she wasn’t ready. But she hadn’t had a choice. She had been expected to prove herself. She’d never get the chance to overcome this defeat.

Evika let her fingers slip from the bandage. She leaned her head back against the pillow, letting her gaze drift up to the tiled ceiling. She let the tears flow until they clouded her vision, then she squeezed her eyes shut and begged the darkness to once again overtake her.

For Your Reading Pleasure

I have been uploading my latest novel, chapter by chapter, to Wattpad. I'm trying something new with this story. Unlike my other stories that I've uploaded to this site, this one has not been published previously, and it has not gone through a professional edit. I'm open to feedback and suggestions, so don't be afraid to let me know what you think of this novel. :)

 

 

 

For as long as Mina can remember, the House of Fox has always held a prestigious position in the kingdom. The girls who make the house their home have been sought out by nobles and politicians for their counsel, wit, and company. As the head of the House of Fox, Mina has enjoyed the privileged life and was ready to make a future with Kendrick, who also held a high position in society.

Now, a war threatens everything Mina knows and holds dear. The hierarchy that has ruled the kingdom for generations may not survive. Alliances are forming, Mina's beloved is missing in action, and her favor with the Emperor and the upper class seems to be waning.

With the war raging outside of the city and also within it, what will happen to Mina and the House of Fox?

Chapter 1

Warm, humid air settled onto Mina's shoulders, but it did little to relieve the tension in her muscles. Her gaze drifted toward the horizon, taking in the silhouettes of the city before her. She couldn't see much from her vantage point, just the tops of buildings, but she knew what was out there. The city had always been her home, and she'd watched it grow and change.

Boring, square buildings were now adorned with scalloped columns that rose proudly into the sky. Two- and three-story businesses and houses dwarfed the one-story buildings that had been all the rage only a few decades ago. Open-top carriages were being replaced by enclosed buggies from the latest country up north that had become part of the ever-growing kingdom. With curtained windows, the occupants no longer had to worry about being seen while attending to business--they could hide away in the dark, plush interior and avoid the more unpleasant parts of city life.

At one time, the streets bustled with activity, even late into the night, and Mina heard the echoes of raucous laughter and hawkers selling their wares deep in her mind. But hardly anyone stayed on the streets past dark anymore, and curtains were drawn tight. A few small pinpoints of light broke up the darkness. Silence hung thick in the air. Far off in the distance, almost beyond where she could see clearly, flashes of light lit up the night sky. They were far enough away that she could pretend that it was lightning. She frowned. A storm brewed out there, but it wasn't one made by nature.

She sighed and laid her hands on the top of the marble railing before her. She felt the cool slickness beneath her touch. The silence set her on edge, made her muscles even more tense. She missed the sounds of the city; they made the world feel alive. But there hadn't been much to celebrate lately, so most people just headed home as soon as the day ended.

"Just getting a breath of fresh air?" The question came from a familiar male voice, and the soft baritone sound encircled Mina with comfort. Arms wrapped around her shoulders, bringing it with them the heat from his tanned skin and the slightest hint of pine and rich dirt.

"Actually, I'm making sure the world still exists. That it hasn't vanished into a wisp of smoke and betrayal."

The arms tightened around her, pulling her into the man's body. Heat penetrated into her flesh, and the solidness of his muscles gave her support. His breath tickled her earlobe, and his voice whispered into her ear. "The world will always be here. It's humanity that you have to worry about disappearing."

Mina sighed again and lifted her hands so that they gripped his forearms. "With the silence that has overtaken this city, you would think that many of them have already gone."

"Those who have somewhere to go have gone. Those who don't will soon be on the front line. But it won't last forever. It won't take us long to crush this uprising, and then the city will once again be filled with people and sound."

Mina's gaze once again drifted toward the horizon where the faint lights continued to flash against the dark sky. The laughter and voices from her memory were replaced with the sounds of screams and clanking swords. Horses clomped over the hardened street, and soldiers yelled out curses. The crackle and snap of fires were barely audible over the other sounds, but they grew in intensity. She shuddered.

"Do you really have to go?"

 

 

To read more, head on over to Wattpad.

Urban Fantasy Book Giveaway

It’s a week of giveaways!

I’ve teamed up with 26 fantastic authors to give away a huge collection of urban fantasy novels to two (2) lucky winners, PLUS a brand new eReader to the Grand Prize winner!

Oh, and did I mention you'll receive a collection of FREE ebooks just for entering?

You can win my novel Wucaii, plus books from authors like D.N. Erikson and Kendrai Meeks. 

It has been 500 years since Aelana has been home, and a lot has changed in that time--including her. As a half-dragon, half-human hybrid, she has been traveling the universe destroying worlds. Both anxious and excited to return, she wonders what she will find. Her memories of home are filled with pain and loss, especially for her first and only love. She knows he won't be there, but will his memory? Will her anguish remain?

What waits for Aelana on her home world? Find out in this exciting urban fantasy novel by Pembroke Sinclair.

Enter the giveaway by clicking here.

Good luck!

Coming in April

From MuseItUp Publishing.  Adult urban fantasy story.  I will send the link when it goes live!

After five hundred years’ labor destroying worlds, half-dragon half-human Aelana returns to her home planet.  She expects to be anonymous, but instead she is worshipped as a god.  She finds the reincarnation of her centuries-dead first and only love and life begins anew.  Little does she know, however, that a shrewd and formidable evil lays in wait, one with the power to undo everything she’s worked for.  To maintain the balance of the universe, she must confront and destroy the menace before it annihilates her and everything she loves.