Free Rend the Dark by Mark Gelineau, Joe King Page B

injured creature folded its bulk
around, trying to round on the girl. The crown of white tentacles snapped and
writhed like angry serpents, seeking her.
    Instead of retreating, she moved into the circle of the
rendworm’s turning bulk. The mace carved through the air once more, the flanged
head crashing squarely just behind the enormous hooked jaws and tentacles. This
time, there was no crack like thunder, but a wet sound like the smashing of
rotting fruit. The rendworm immediately shuddered and collapsed to the ground dead.
    The other rendworm came now, covering Con with a shower of
earth, a massive shadow blocking out the sun. Bringing his blade free of its
sheath, he held it before him in desperation as one of the tentacles lashed at
him. By some fortune, Con’s sword came across his body right in the path of the
slashing tooth of the tentacle. Con dropped to the ground as the horror reared
for another strike.
    There was an explosion of gore as the creature’s soft
abdomen was crushed under the girl’s mace. The white flesh shuddered and
collapsed, and Con scrambled away from the new corpse. Through the noxious
rendworm blood dripping down his face, he peered at the young cadet.
    Her eyes shone with excitement and triumph.
    “From the stories, I thought they would be bigger,” the
girl said, her voice colored in disappointment.
    Conbert looked at her, unable to stop shaking, unable to
keep from staring as she handed him a water flask. She walked to the first
corpse and began working away at the creature with the short blade from her
belt. With quick, sure movements, she tore free the huge serrated jaws of the
rendworm.
    The girl grinned ear to ear. “They have no eyes, but they
can feel your vibrations when you move. You did incredibly well, sir.”
    Con could only nod dumbly. Finally, he found his tongue.
“Conbert Eylnen,” he said, unsure of what else to say. “My name is Con.”
    The cadet nodded as she tore out the jaw of the second
rendworm. “Elinor,” she said, handing him the bloody mandible. “That one’s
yours, but I think we had better get on our way before we attract any more
attention. Don’t you agree?”
    Con shook his head in disbelief. “After you,” he finally
managed.
    Elinor smiled and started for the road.
    Con made sure to follow close behind.

Echoes of the Ascended
    by Gelineau and King
    Elinor 1: A Reaper of Stone
    A Lady is dead. Her noble line ended. And the King’s
Reaper has come to reclaim her land and her home. In the marches of Aedaron,
only one thing is for certain. All keeps of the old world must fall.
    Elinor struggles to find her place in the new world. She
once dreamed of great things. Of becoming a hero in the ways of the old world.
But now she is a Reaper. And her duty is clear. Destroy the old. Herald the
new.
    Ferran 1: Rend the Dark
    The great Ruins are gone. The titans. The behemoths. All
banished to the Dark and nearly forgotten. But the cunning ones, the patient
ones remain. They hide not in the cracks of the earth or in the shadows of the
world. But inside us. Wearing our skin. Waiting. Watching.
    Once haunted by visions of the world beyond, Ferran now
wields that power to hunt the very monsters that he once feared. He is not
alone. Others bear the same terrible burden. But Hunter or hunted, it makes no
difference. Eventually, everything returns to the Dark.
    Alys 1: Best Left in the Shadows
    A Highside girl. Beaten. Murdered. Her body found on a
Lowside dock. A magistrate comes looking for answers. For justice.
    Alys trades and sells secrets among the gangs and
factions of Lowside. She is a daughter of the underworld. Bold. Cunning. Free.
When an old lover asks for help, she agrees. For a price.
    Together, they travel into the dark heart of the underworld
in search of a killer.
    Roan & Kay 1: Faith and Moonlight
    Roan and Kay are orphans.
    A fire destroys their old life, but they have one chance to enter the School of Faith.
    They are given one month to pass