But while his mother can walk the Path of Verdure (to make plants grow faster) and his grandfather the Path of Ash (to move the earth around), Hei Louw is just unable to cultivate Qi in his core and has to make do with his limited abilities. And so the three of them are tending the fields one afternoon, bickering as usual, when they see a black fog descend upon them from the sky. They try to protect themselves from this thing, but the dark miasma kills everything it comes in contact with. As it turns out, every living organism—be it animal, plant or man—that was able to cycle the ambient Qi is slain on the spot. Now alone on his mountain, in a strange world that keeps on mutating, Hei Louw the Qi-cripple has to fend for himself and use his knowledge of plants to survive. Taking it one day at a time, he manages to build a small hut and slowly recreate some semblance of normalcy. However, one night, as he’s eating by the fire, he’s attacked by some monstrosity that seems to have been affected in disturbing ways by what he has come to call the ‘Blight’. Right away he knows that he will be no match for the corrupted beast which is larger, stronger and much more fearsome than the dog it used to be. His life hanging by a thread, Hei Louw decides to go for broke: he opens up his core to the Blight and lets the foul poison fill him up. That suffices to grant him enough power to best the beast. And thanks to his condition as a Qi-cripple, he manages to eject the Blight from his core before it has a chance to reduce him to a pile of rotting meat. That night, Hei Louw makes a promise to himself; he will turn that former weakness of his into absolute power. And so he embarks on a journey to test and master this new ability. He will use the Blight just like former cultivators used Qi, and learn to walk a new, Broken Path. But if the corrupted dog was only one of many dangerous beasts lurking within the mountains, and Hei Louw sets on a mission to hunt them down, he must beware. The mutated creatures are not the sole threat to his existence. Not only can the Blight kill him if he’s not cautious, the vile substance has a tendency to infest the mind and turn people crazy. That will reveal to be all the more problematic when Hei Louw finally stumbles upon other survivors…

    The decision to split was a mutual one, but left residual feelings of longing on both sides of the chasm between them. Miscommunication led to the breakdown, but Maurice is determined to mend the rift and reunite the two of them permanently. Alecia, however, is not so much on the same plan as Maurice.After being being drafted to participate in a bachelor auction to help raise funds for the revitalization of his old neighborhood, Maurice sees the pieces of trying to reconnect with Alecia falling into place. Enlisting the help of their other best friend— and Maurice's twin—Monica, a plan is hatched to bring Alecia and Maurice back together again; for good this time. Author’s Note: These characters first appear in the short story, Pucker Up, which can be found in Sparks Fly by me! The story provides some context, but does not necessarily need to be read to enjoy this novella.

     Brand is the youngest bodyguard to ever protect the king, but he may never grow any older. A horde of mankind’s ancient enemies lays siege to Cardoroth city. During the day, the clang of blades, the mad shrieks of the foe and the hiss of swift-flighted arrows cuts the air. At night, the sorcerous chanting begins. Brand ignores it all. His one duty is to guard the king. But the realm teeters on the brink of destruction and the king knows that his bodyguard, touched by fate in ways that neither of them understand, is the only man with the skills to save it. He asks Brand to undertake a last-chance quest to save all that they love. Brand accepts the mission. Soon, enemies track him across strange lands, beasts of foul magic stalk him and an emissary of evil hunts him. Amid it all, he meets a beautiful but deadly girl who aids him – for reasons of her own. She knows secrets that she will not tell, but she does reveal that more is at play than just the fate of kings and realms. Ancient forces, drenched in long-forgotten blood, seek to plunge the world into the dark. The odds pile against him, but not for nothing was he the king’s last hope. This boxed set contains the entire Durlindrath trilogy.

    Readers can experience Dredd strips that haven't been reprinted in over 30 years. This collection of classic strips in a must-read for any comic fan!

    In their place, an iron-fisted empire has arisen, one that has finally brought order to the war-torn lands. An empire that has outlawed magick for anyone but itself.At last, it seems that peace has come to Emaneska. Or, that is what the emperor would have Emaneska believe. On the fringes of the Arkan Empire, a different story is being written. Those who show magick talent must join the empire, live as an outlaw, or hang for their crimes.The Last War is still being fought, homestead by homestead, and a young peasant girl is about to be thrust into the violent world that exists beneath the lies of empire.Welcome back to Emaneska.

    Now Rivals James the Dom 'Bought a Virgin' at auction, then shared her with his friend of years, Michael. However, both men have fallen for her. Will their friendship survive the rivalry this causes? A BDSM Ménage Erotic Romance Explicit Adult content: For mature readers only This Box Set contains the following previously published books Part Five – Rivals Part Six – Lovers Part Seven – Masters Part Eight – Dominants Total Approx 76,000 words

    Kec’s dream tells her that her clan is in jeopardy, and Mother Earth expects her to do something to save her people. A magic child will be sent to help her.Far away, Strong Branch, a powerful Shaman of his people, has his own dream. The Great Spirit sends him a warning about a future of conflict and killing.Kec’s people are very simple, but they are strong and powerful enough to have survived the ice ages of Pleistocene Europe, by force, for over one-hundred-thousand years. Strong Branch’s people are late comers from an alien world far to the South. They bring an advanced technology that allows them to utilize the environment to ways Kec’s people never could.As the population of the aliens has grown over a period of more than twenty-thousand years, the stress on the environment has become critical. Kec and Strong Branch must play their parts in a microcosm of the greater struggle for survival. The conclusion of their struggle will establish a new story and a new history for each of their peoples.

    Trying to show everyone that she wasn’t weird, Lindsey made a goal to become more social and more confident. One day as she was walking home from school contemplating a plan to get friends, Lindsey hears one of her classmates, popular and pretty student Laurie, yelling at an unknown person. Overhearing their conversation, Lindsey learned that the two are waiting for someone to ‘awaken’ and save them from something. Curiosity takes over Lindsey, and she decides to abandon her mission of making friends and takes on a new purpose of finding out what Laurie is hiding. However, what Lindsey learned was something definitely out of a Harry Potter novel, and Lindsey is ultimately the one who awakens to a world that she never thought existed.

    She never wanted to get married and was terrified of giving her heart away. Shunning the idea of settling down by her thirtieth birthday, Isis gives up on her pursuit.That’s until she meets handsome, multi-talented design artist Ramelo King.He came into her life on a pedestal, literally. He was determined to change her flawed view on love and make her his… for good. But at what cost? In his mind, loving her was worth the heartache, but for how long?

    Gain powers. Unleash Goddesses. The locket that James got for his crush was supposed to be a present - but after opening it he accidentally unleashed a pair of ancient gods, reigniting a battle that has been centuries in the making. Now he's taken on their powers, and the only way to stop a terrible evil from laying waste to humanity is to team up with an ancient consortium of goddesses who have two things on their mind; stopping evil and satisfying James. Luckily for James, he's got time for both. Warning: This story involves violence, monsters, an enchanted axe, two goddesses that the main character gladly satisfies, cross-dimensional travel, roof-jumping, embarrassment, library shelves toppling like dominos, and security guards generally having a bad time.

    It was not at all loud, but the sound a blade would make being slowly pulled from its scabbard. Many years spent in the woods listening to the ambient rhythms of nature had trained his ears to pick up such out of place sounds. His body reacted reflexively, without thought as though he had done so thousands of times before. He jumped back off the steps just in time to see the glint of a sword slice past were his head was and thunk into the railing. He touched the pummel of his sword, feeling the energy surge through him and was about to pull it free when something within urged him to stop. Before he could decipher the reason for this impulse, the dark form leapt down at him. He ducked back, just far enough to let a second blade wisp by his face. The first was still lodged in the railing. This dodge put him in close to his attacker, making it possible for him to easily strike a deadly blow, but again something inside gave him pause. And then, in the soft glow of a nearby lantern, he caught a glimpse of his attacker, and she was absolutely beautiful.”Choices, we all make them, every day moment by moment. What most people do not realize is how a simple choice could very well alter their own life and those of everyone around them greatly. What would you do if you were blessed with the curse of being able to see evil and how they manipulate those around you? Would you choose to run in fear, ignore what you have just seen, or fight against something that no one else can see, and therefore limits their belief? Lucian was chosen to be such a man, much to his dismay. On a path of vengeance he strikes out to find a murderer, unknowing that the world around him is at the brink of war. He pushes on through pain, treachery, despair and even death, only to receive a Revelation that shows him what could very well become the future of his world, and it terrifies him. He is given the ability to see the creatures of shadow, set to destroy the world of the living and manipulate mankind into an evil existence. He is now faced with choices that would change the world forever. The pathways to his destiny are set, but he must choose to follow the correct path, for free will must always be heeded.

    He wanted only to run the family inn and enjoy his small corner of the world. His dreams weren't of adventure or power. His dreams were modest and humble.His dreams were not to be. As the bastard son of Lord EarthScorn, he had a Knack, which meant he would have to be trained as a wizard for the council. He would have to defend the kingdom from the evils of the outer world.Magic came with benefits; power, long life, money. But Eric didn't want any of that. His time in the magical academy only reinforced his views of magic and the kingdom. He didn't want to fight for old men who had lived far longer then they should. He didn't want to be relegated to a far-flung outpost where he would fight for the benefit of those same old men.The alternative was potentially worse, fleeing from the wars, fleeing from his home, and escaping through the most dangerous place in the kingdom.The Underdark.

    Collected here for the first time , award-winning Britishcreators Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon (Preacher, Punisher) began theirlong-time collaboration with this riotous Judge Dredd tale, one that takesMega-City One's toughest lawman across the toxic Black Atlantic to theEmerald Isle in pursuit of a ruthless hitman. Only there the local militiado things a little differently to Dredd ... to be sure!Plus more mind-blowing Dredd action in Almighty Dredd and The MagicMellow Out.

    Orgasms? Yeah, I give those. Fairytales? Never wanted to live those Because I'm simply not that chick Hearts? Yeah, I broke some Love? These niggas can't get none Commitment? I'm probably the wrong one But you can stop by and lick this clit If a freak is what you're looking for Be prepared when you step through my door On the bed, couch, or kitchen floor I can give you what you need I prefer my kisses down low We can do this fast or we can take it slow Either way, I think it's best I let you know When it's over, please, get up and leave My name is Melody Bledsoe and I got some freaky things to tell you. You ready? Probably not!

    Instead, she decided to end it all. Using long forgotten dark magic, she summons sinister forces to eliminate her rival Sages and reshape the world to her liking.Life in the Spirit Wilds is peaceful, tranquil, and safe. Tuni Teal-eye wants more. After apprenticing herself to the Green Sage, she joins the power struggle between near-immortal Sages.Dorrick Vane spent his life working to make his father proud and become a Knight of the Red Flame. When the intervention of Tuni and the Green Sage leads to a tragic first mission, he’s exiled from the knighthood by the Knight Commander himself. His father.Tuni and Dorrick will have to put the past behind them so they can fight back against the Sage ultimately responsible for upending their lives. If they fail, the entire world will pay the price.If you enjoy magical worlds and unforgettable characters, you don't want to miss this epic adventure from bestselling author Jada Fisher.