She imagined Kaylee, travelling with almost no ambient light, and reached the water. Based on the flattened grass behind her, Kaylee took a direct route, but something spooked her. Imagine being mid-way through the water and seeing a pair of glowing eyes staring back at you…
Disclaimer: This excerpt from Dark Hearts is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pixabay.
Edge of the Breach is a grimdark story, the first part of the Rift Cycle series, and written by independent author Halo Scot.
The author brings forth a world cursed by humanity’s unquenchable thirst for violence. In their most recent war, most of the Earth is rendered uninhabitable, the poles are reversed, and a rift to another dimension is opened. The latter event unleashes gods and magic onto our lands, imbuing powers to humanity based on the season of their birth.
In this post-apocalyptic hellscape, we are introduced to two main characters who are polar opposites of one another. This theme flows out beautifully from out of the prose, and Halo Scot writes each character in first-person form.
Over the span of a decade, you’ll see them grow, adapt to evolving dangers, and find their niche in this dark world. Despite their stark differences, they find themselves inexplicably linked, which comes into play as the story develops.
Edge of the Breach is a wonderfully crafted novel that offers a taste of what is to come. The book itself is an easy read, with short chapters that can be consumed in bite-sized chunks. For what happens next, the reader will need to progress in the series, with hints of a war between immortal Gods.
“Asshole,” her boyfriend said.
“I know, …” Julia found herself saying.
While her lips moved no sound was produced. It seemed there even in her mind, she was incapable of bringing up her boyfriend’s name. Why can’t I remember his name?
“Why didn’t you call me?” he asked.
“I got lost in the moment,” Julia said. “How did you know where I’d be there?”
“A co-worker told me,” he said. “His wife called, she was worried that we were still doing line work at the school.”
“Thank goodness, for worried spouses,” Julia said.
Disclaimer: This excerpt from Dark Hearts is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pixabay.
“I heard you talking to the cops,” Julia said. “Figured you could use all the help you could get.”
Gwen’s left eye twitched repeatedly, while she digests those words. Fear and prejudice were rather difficult for people to overcome with people, but Julia was not people, she just happened to look like one.
“She never made it home last night,” Gwen said.
Disclaimer: This excerpt from Dark Hearts is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pixabay.
The first thing she needed to do was to get noticed, so she crested over a hill, her silhouette showing up clearly against the cloudy night sky. Even in these low light conditions, they managed to spot her making a break for the main road and took chase. Come at me!
Disclaimer: This excerpt from Dark Hearts is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pixabay.
“You crazy bitch,” John said. “You were never worth my—”
Seeing an opportunity, Julia grabbed the full bottle of beer and swung it hard across John’s jaw. With all that adrenaline pumping through her veins, Julia saw it all unfold in slow motion. She watched as his head initially resisted the impact, followed by a shock wave that enveloped his head as though it were a water balloon.
![Picture of a woman with boxing gloves punching out a man. Source Pixabay.com.](/wp-content/uploads/Excerpt_Woman_Boxing.jpg")
Disclaimer: This excerpt from Dark Hearts is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pixabay.
“Come…” John said sternly.
“No, James,” Kaylee said, “I’m done!”
“That’s my girl,” Julia whispered and realised how that outburst did not rouse any attention. Even in the worst dive Julia came across, the bartenders at least pretended to care… unless this is normal.
Kaylee recoiled away. Before Julia could think, she was standing, with every muscle twitching, ready to pounce.
“I said no!” Kaylee yelled.
“She said no!” Julia yelled.
Disclaimer: This excerpt from Dark Hearts is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pixabay.
“How the fuck did I manage to run into this idiot?” Julia said, while staring at the man besides Kaylee.
While the face was concealed, his style and mannerisms were dead giveaway. This was the one who traumatised Michelle. This guy gives werewolves a bad name…
Disclaimer: This excerpt from Dark Hearts is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pixabay.
“Where did you score this shit?” a burly man with a light blue beanie asked.
“Some guy,” a man wearing an orange jacket replied. “Found him near the dispensary.”
“Wait,” a man with a blue and red beanie said. “Oh, right it’s Sunday.”
“Yeah,” said the man with the orange jacket. “Everything closed up as I left the liquor store.”
For Julia the idea of legalised weed was shocking. Still, drugs like anything else was a case of supply and demand, and in this case, there was plenty of demand outside of store hours.
Disclaimer: This excerpt from Dark Hearts is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pixabay.
Instead, Julia settled on settling down beneath the canopy of a weeping willow growing along the banks of a creek. The trickling of the water reminded her of her childhood sanctuary, and the light breeze was soft against her cheeks.
“I needed this,” Julia said, between bites of her ration. “I hope my mood holds.”
Disclaimer: This excerpt from Dark Hearts is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pixabay.
