Evelyn: You’ve been naughty! 😘
Clara: Thanks! Totally worth it! You’ll love the dress. 😈
Evelyn: Oh? Do tell? 🥹
Clara: No. You’ll have to wait and see. We’ll be two Shebas going out to a clip joint after singing their declarations of independence.
Evelyn: It’s a date! 😁
Disclaimer: This excerpt from The Van Helsing Impetus is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth.
The answer was obvious, and unexpectedly her heart raced in anticipation. Still, another part of her wanted it to be someone else. She noticed the notification, and after unlocking her phone confirmed the details. I’d take a message from Evelyn over that lawyer any day.
While her deepest desires remained fixed on Elizabeth, that empty conversation window taunted her still. It was a vicious cycle: write, hesitate, and delete in frustration. For someone who went to war against a pack of werewolves, this was a bizarre hill to die on.
Clara sighed in frustration. At least she had a distraction tonight to keep from running aground on the shores of guilt. She clicked on the conversation to see what Evelyn had to say.
Evelyn: You’ve been naughty! 😘
Disclaimer: This excerpt from The Van Helsing Impetus is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pexels.
To unwind, Clara ran a hot bath and turned on the jets. While an unfamiliar experience, she fell in love with the combination of heat, pressure, and bubbles. If only it weren’t so loud.
With wings unfurled, she sank into the water and let the heat and bubbles work their magic. For the first time in weeks, all was quiet on the Western Front. I wonder if being in my natural form put the sisters on mute?
Clara luxuriated in that silence until her phone sent pulses through the metal frame of the tub.
“I wonder who that could be,” Clara said grimly.
Disclaimer: This excerpt from The Van Helsing Impetus is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pixabay.
That party at the pub had been a lot of fun, a reminder of what she had been missing by not taking an active role.
Building alliances, finding her way back to the Tower and dealing with Ada could wait. Life was like an in-basket. No matter how much work she put in, the pile always got bigger.
Occasionally it proved to be cathartic to toss it all into a fire and walk away. For Clara, hunting had such an effect on her. She was free to shine a bright light on the dark corners of the world and it make life safer for those who knew nothing of things that went bump in the night.
Disclaimer: This excerpt from The Van Helsing Impetus is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pexels.
“Seems reasonable,” Clara said.
Joseph grumbled, beating himself over losing an opportunity to extort more money from her. Clara smiled and reached out for Evelyn’s card.
“Cash only,” Joseph said.
“Oh,” Clara replied. “I don’t have that much on me.”
He gave her the once over and said, “Well, I suppose we could come to an arrangement…”
Great, I happened across the dirty old man’s version of a drugstore cowboy…
“Mon cher,” Clara said. “While tempting, I know your heart is not up to the task.”
“Oh,” Joseph said, in a muted tone.
“Is there a cash—” Clara said.
“You can transfer the funds…” Joseph said in defeat. “The price goes up twenty per cent.”
Disclaimer: This excerpt from The Van Helsing Impetus is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pexels.
“There. You can change the channel now,” Clara said.
“What did you do?” Joseph asked.
“This model was always finicky,” Clara said.
“How would you know this?” Joseph asked.
It was time to come up with a convincing reason for having intimate knowledge on the inner-workings of a radio from the twenties. It was improbable that anyone her age would have owned such a model. Some of the younger ones can’t even figure out a blower… thank god I was never much of a dingle dangler…
“My grandmother had a model like this one in the house when I grew up,” Clara said. “She claimed there was nothing better for sound.”
Disclaimer: This excerpt from The Van Helsing Impetus is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pixabay.
“The radio actually works?” Clara asked.
“It does. To be honest, I’m not sure why it does,” a man replied in the local dialect. “You’re the one who called earlier?”
“I am,” she said. “I’m Clara.”
“Joseph,” the man replied. “I have to say that you have peculiar tastes.”
“I know what I love,” Clara replied. “You said it shouldn’t work?”
“I had to replace the cord. I managed to turn the volume dial to power up the unit. Suddenly this thing started rhyming off numbers. Clear as day…” Joseph replied
“That is peculiar,” Clara said.
“Thing is, there are no AM radio stations in the area and nothing here picks up that signal,” Joseph said.
Disclaimer: This excerpt from The Van Helsing Impetus is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pixabay.
Before her, there were stacks of furniture, tools, outdated office equipment, books, magazines and even clothes. All of it was precariously stacked, and accessible through several winding paths. This man lives to collect the past, I bet every piece has meaning for him.
If not for the naked bulbs shining the way, Clara would have considered turning back. Although facing so much clutter nearly had the same effect. To think I’d been worried about the mine collapsing back home…
Disclaimer: This excerpt from The Van Helsing Impetus is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pexels.
In the early forenoon, she found herself at a bistro near the water. While waiting for breakfast, she searched for antique shops. If this city was so in touch with its history, then she might find items from her past.
After some calls, Clara learned there was such a place just outside of the old city. With a destination in mind, she was free to take in the view while eating her fresh pastry.
Today, re-enforced how much she enjoyed hunting on her own. At night there was work to be done, but under the sun’s glory she was free to be herself and let go. She smiled when the server brought the bill, but he did not reciprocate. With her spirits riding high, she paid while wearing a smile and walked out like she owned the joint.
Disclaimer: This excerpt from The Van Helsing Impetus is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pexels.
Unbound is a dark fantasy novel written by independent author Luna Fiore. This is the first book in the Underhill Saga, featuring a realm that borders our world, and is the home of witches and fae.
This story focuses primarily on Alannah, a young woman trapped on a small property that straddles both worlds. Alone and isolated, she has grown to accept her solitary existence. She has been tasked with providing food and shelter to humans before they venture out into the dark woods of Underhill, never to be seen again.
All of that changes when a member of the last group to pass through returns. Left with a choice, she can either carry on with her duties or break a vow and take action. The choice she makes on that day, unleashes a chain of events that will push her into the unknown, where friends and foes are not so easily distinguished.
The author uses multiple points of view to grant us insights on other characters. This effectively gives us a glimpse at their motivations, brings to the forefront the harshness of life, and humanises those who interact with Alannah.
Fiore paints a stunning portrait of a world that is as dangerous as it is beautiful. While Unbound offers a satisfying ending, it also blows open the doors to a new adventure on the horizon! Worth a read!
