#bonecrossed

[shelfaddiction]

#FantasySeries Re-Read of Bone Crossed (Mercy Thompson #4) | Book Chat

[thefallingdownthebookhole]

Do you have any series you marathoned or ones you are reading and just want to keep picking up the next book? ⁣ ⁣ That has been the Mercy Thompson series for me lately. I’m currently on book four and just want to keep going! The books aren’t perfect, but are just what I need. They have a kickass heroine, a great cast of characters and so entertaining! ⁣ ⁣ #seriesmarathoning #mercythompson #bookstagram #patriciabriggs #bonecrossed #seriesreads #currentlyreading #goosethecat #books #bookish #booksandcats #downthebookhole #urbanfantasy @goosebandersnatch https://www.instagram.com/p/CHNv0NNgfPp/?igshid=w8rj92d525oo

[vicegrips-fr]

@jollyroger-fr @shadowdrac-rising @fr-owlistuff @kattafr

New Arrivals 

I’m so excited to bring these two gross children into my lore finally. :> 

I apologize in advance for any errors. I’m a little unfocused at the moment!

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“Where did you say you were from?” Velina asked, staring at the pair of dragons before her with unease. According to Calypso, the Pearlcatcher and Fae had just shown up in the middle of their camp asking to see their new queen. This did not bode well with her.

The Pearlcatcher grinned up at her in her throne, “Our previous clan lived very near the Wyrmwound, your majesty.” Velina shifted uncomfortably in her seat and nodded, shifting her gaze from the Pearlcatcher to the Fae. 

“You say that they lived there... Where are they now?” 

Much to her surprise the Fae remained silent, his clawed hands signing rapidly. “Do you not speak?”, she asked with mild curiosity. It was the Pearlcatcher who answered her, “No, you’re majesty. He’s mute.” Velina tapped a long claw against the side of her head, “I see. So then, I’ll ask you, where are they now?”

The Pearlcatcher stood silently for a moment, rolling the skull that served as his pearl in his claws. So it was all true. He’d heard the rumors of what this pirate queen had done, what she was capable of. He had to do everything in his power to control his excitement as he thought of all the possibilities. Of what she could do for him. 

Time seemed to drag on as Velina watched him stand there, stroking the old skull in his claws. Finally, just as she was about to demand an answer, he spoke. 

“They’re all dead, your majesty. All of them are dead and I’d rather not discuss what happened to them. Suffice to say it wasn’t pretty. Only myself and Maggot here”, he said gesturing briefly to the Fae, “Made it out alive.”

Though she was taken aback a little by his blunt answer, her expression slowly began to soften. It appeared these two were merely looking for refuge. Perhaps their arrival wasn’t so sinister after all. “You have my sympathy.-”, Velina paused, “I don’t believe you mentioned your name?” The Pearlcatcher let out a raspy chuckle, “How rude of me! My apologies, your majesty. It’s Mortimur.” Velina smiled, “Ah, then you have my sympathy, Mortimur. I assume you are here then because you wish for me to take you in? Or do you seek my help in some other way?” 

Mortimur and Maggot both took a knee and bowed their heads before her. “If your majesty would have us then we would be honored to join your clan”, Mortimur lifted his head to meet her gaze, “I promise that you won’t regret it.”

Velina tilted her head to the side as she considered their request. She needed more subjects if she hoped to build her new empire and these two, though strange, seemed honorable enough. After what had happened between her and Othello, she was more determined than ever to prove that this was the only way. What better way to do it than to grow her clan and show him that like this, they would finally flourish. The only issue now would be whether they were willing to give up their lives to be reborn as a true Bonecrossed dragon.

“I see no reason why I shouldn’t take you in... Though there is one very important thing I must ask you..” 

Both dragons looked up at her, their eyes gleaming. “Yes, your majesty?”

“Are you willing to give up your lives to be reborn as true members of my kingdom?” Velina sat back in her throne, awaiting their answer. This was not an easy thing to ask, but it was the only way. She would not risk the life of any Bonecrossed dragon to Dagna’s prophecy. 

Mortimur felt his heart leap for joy in his chest. Yes! This is exactly what he had hoped for. “Aye, I am.” It was hard to keep the excitement out of his voice, but he managed. Velina nodded her head in approval and turned her attention to the Fae once more, “And you? Would you do the same?” The Fae merely nodded his head once, eyes obscured by his crimson hood. 

Velina clapped her hands together once and stood, her wings fanning out behind her dramatically. “Then it is settled. I will perform the ritual tonight right here in my throne room. Until then you are to remain under the watch of my Guardian,” she said motioning to the behemoth of Guardian beside her, “Narcissus until then.”

Mortimur and Maggot turned to face the Guardian, both bowing to him in an almost exaggerated fashion. “It’s a pleasure, Narcissus.” The Guardian grunted in response, his dull eyes never leaving the floor. 

Nodding in approval Velina turned to leave, but stopped short suddenly. “Oh”, she said turning back to face them again, “What is it that you two did in your previous clan? I’d like to know what skills you posses.” Mortimur smiled as he rose to face her, his eyes never leaving hers. 

“We dealt with corpses, your majesty,” he replied, sounding what she could only describe as hungry.

[vicegrips-fr]

@jollyroger-fr @shadowdrac-rising @fr-owlistuff @kattafr

Proposition 

I’d like to apologize for taking so long to write this. IRL stuff has been really difficult and hectic lately, though I’m hoping for positive change in the very near future. ; 3; This isn’t as long as I’d like for it to be, but honestly I’m just happy to get something up.

---------------

Everything had gone according to plan.

The clan was hers, the ship was hers, and most importantly, the throne was hers. Building a kingdom from nothing would be no easy task, but Velina never did shy away from a challenge. Yes, everything was going exactly the way it was suppose to.

“This is madness.”

Narcissus. It was no surprise that he was angry after what she’d done to his former charge. She cared not. Let him mumble his grievances under his breath, it made no difference to her.

Lost in her thoughts she almost didn’t notice Ramsay approaching her. He held his head high, his smile and movements controlled. “Velina-”, his grin widened, “Your highness. I was wondering if I could steal just a moment of your time?” Velina took a deep breath and forced a thin smile back at him. “Of course, Ramsay. What do you need?”

At first he said nothing. He simply stood there, the gears in his head turning as he searched for the right words to say. “I had a proposition, my lady. One I think you’d be most interested to hear.” Velina quirked a brow at him, this should be good. “Go on.. I’m listening.” 

“I think it’s safe to assume that you’re aware of how many... Enemies you’ve created among your subjects”, his eyes shifted to Narcissus who stared back, eyes hard and full of anger, “You’re going to need help. Help from someone who you can trust.”

Velina stared straight ahead, her eyes betraying nothing of her feelings. “And are you suggesting that you are the man for this job?” Ramsay bowed his head and shrugged, “I suppose that I am. After all..”, he said, locking eyes with his queen, “I am one of the few among us who thinks what you did was for the greater good of the clan.” Velina sat silently as she considered all that he was saying. It was true that she wasn’t very popular, but surely that would change over time. They’d come to see that she’d done this for them. 

Besides, how could she be sure that she could trust Ramsay? Up until now Ramsay had had very little to do with her and he certainly never seemed like the trustworthy type to her. Velina was no fool, he clearly had an angle. However, as with most things, her curiosity got the better of her. “What is it that you would do for me exactly?” 

Ramsay tilted his head and smiled humbly; a smiled that looked completely out of place on his face. “I would act as your right hand. I would help you take care of business and deal with those not worth your time so that you wouldn’t have to”, he shrugged, “A win win for you if I do say so myself.” Velina nodded her head slowly as she considered his proposal, but her mind was already made up.

“It’s clear that you’re very well aware of my current... Predicament”, she said finally, “If you weren’t you wouldn’t have come in here expecting me to jump at the first opportunity to have someone on my side, correct?” Ramsay’s expression remained neutral, “Not at all, your highness. In fact-” Velina held up her paw to silence him. This made his blood boil, but he quickly squashed it down. Patience was key in this situation. 

“While I appreciate your offer I think it would be best for me to decline. Perhaps something will change in the future, but for now..” 

“Ah”, Ramsay said suddenly, “Say no more. I understand that you need time to think about it”, he smiled broadly at her, “ After all you have so much on your plate with building a kingdom and working towards gaining the loyalty and respect of the clan back”, Velina flinched and Narcissus shifted uncomfortably a her side, “Just know that the offer remains on the table if you happen to change your mind, your highness.”

He bowed to her and she gave him a simple nod in response. As she watched him leave she couldn’t help but feel uneasy. As much as she hated to admit it, he did have a point. Times were tough and they would only get tougher.

[vicegrips-fr]

@shadowdrac-rising @jollyroger-fr 

Okay, this is sorta a long one, but I felt like I needed to write a longer opening this time. 

Anyways, this is the start to my new Plague clan for when I move back! Why wait until then though? :>

Warning for: blood, death, gore, all that sorta stuff, ect. (just to be safe!)

--------------------------

An Old Friend

They attacked under the cover of darkness, their movements as quiet and as light-footed as a cat’s. The small village laid in the Wispwillow grove just near the Plague border and the plan was simple; get all of the riches they could carry and kill anyone who stood in their way.  

Upon reaching the outskirts of the village their leader, an imposing Ridgeback, held up his claw, bringing them to a halt. “We must wait until the moment is right, lads.” The brawny Guardian who stood at his right tilted his large head towards his Captain, eyes hard and unblinking. “What’s there to wait for?”, he growled under his breath. 

A sly smile spread across the Captain’s lips as he watched the village’s guards shift their positions, leaving their backs wide open. “That”, he said softly, inching forward ever so slowly towards the village once more. His crew followed, weapons and claws at the ready. 

They took them completely by surprise. The last thing either of the guards heard was the primal roar of the Captain’s Guardian before he slaughtered them, their skulls crushed beneath his feet in an explosion of blood and bone. The Captain chuckled lightly as he ran past their pulverized corpses. The poor fools never stood a chance. His crew made quick work of those who’d had the misfortune of being in the center of the village that night. They cut them down without mercy, quickly taking what few possessions they’d had on them before moving on to the next poor soul. Some chose to run and others chose to hide; either choice ended badly. 

The assault lasted far longer than they’d expected it to and when it was finally over the Captain looked around at the carnage they’d caused, a twinkle in his red eyes. “Now, let’s see what treasures we can find. It would be a shame if all of this,” he gestured around dramatically at the bodies in the streets, “was for nothing!” Laughter erupted from the crew as they began to search the village and the dead for anything they thought valuable. 

“Captain!”

The Captain turned to face Hemlock, brows knit in annoyance. “What is it?!” The Wildclaw stepped forward with a smug grin, dragging with her a struggling, and very familiar,  Skydancer. Though her face was obscured and covered in cuts and bruises, he recognized her instantly. Velina. Lithe of body and eyes that were both intelligent and serious, she was still just as beautiful as he remembered her. “Well, what do we have here?”, he said as he snatched her wrist from Hemlock, not bothering to hide his grin. Velina twisted angrily in his grasp, “Let me go, you filth!” The Ridgeback stifled a laugh, he loved her spirit. 

“Now, now... Is that anyway to talk to an old friend?” In an instant he grabbed his sword from its sheath and pressed the blade against her neck. Enough to make her bleed, but not enough to truly hurt her. She swallowed, a bead of sweat trickling from her forehead to the tip of her sharp beak. “That’s better”, he said satisfied for the moment by her silence. “What an odd place to bump into an old friend.... and traitor,” he spat the last word at her like venom, “I wonder...What brought you here?”

Six months ago she’d not only been his First Mate, but his lover. It was true, she was a traitor, but she didn’t regret a thing. Not stabbing him in the back that night, not stealing from her former crew, and certainly not leaving him. Velina didn’t care about any of it. All she cared about was her end goal and they would have just held her back. Funny that she’d run into him now when she was so close.

“And I would do it all over again, just the same,” she spat back. As she turned her head away from him in disgust, something caught his eye. Tight around her neck was a very expensive and very old looking amulet. “My, my... What a pretty little necklace you have there. Where ever did you find it?”, he cooed, reaching out to touch it. She met his eyes suddenly, her stare unwavering. “Either let me go or kill me, but I promise you I will not let you take this, Barbossa”. Her words were laced with a threat, her teeth bared at him in snarl. The Ridgeback said nothing at first and his eyes held fast to her’s. He hated how his heart hurt to hear her say his name again. 

His grip on her loosened slightly and the corners of his mouth fell into a frown. “As you wish.” His hand shot up to grip her throat tightly and the air was cut off from her lungs. She struggled, kicking and clawing at him violently, but to no avail. He tilted his head ever so slightly, “Sorry about this, love. In the end it’s just business, isn’t it?” With that he thrust his sword into her belly and she gasped. She tried to speak, but the words were caught in her throat as he pulled the blade from her body only to shove it back deep into her chest this time.

The sticky metallic taste of blood coated her tongue as she fought to spit out the blood that was filling her esophagus. It’s almost poetic, she thought as the world around her grew darker and darker, that he’d be the one to end her when she was so close...

He released her throat and watched as she slid from his blade to the ground with a loud thud. He steadied himself, actively fighting to choke back the pang of sadness he was feeling in the pit of his stomach. “Pity.... I probably would have let her go”, he said finally as he reached down and ripped the necklace from her neck. “Let’s get out of here so the flies and vultures can clean up this mess”. As his crew left one by one, their sacks heavy with whatever treasures they had found, Barbossa sneaked a glance behind him. 

In his sadness his eyes must have been playing tricks on him because he could’ve sworn he saw her move, ever so slightly.

[kanne13]

I had an amazing evening at the book signing, I'm just sad it will be the last one I go to for a long time unless Patty magicly does a signing in Bahrain. Since Fire Touched wasn't delivered until after I left for the signing(poo on you amazon and usps for not sending a confirmation), I got one of my other books signed instead. I love all of the books in this series and can't wait to see where this new book will take the series!! #patriciabriggs #mercythompsonseries #mercythompson #firetouched #newbook #booksigning #bookreading #universitybookstore #universitybookstoreseattle #seattle #udistrict #washington #crywolf #bonecrossed #booklove #bookworm #booklife #bookstagram #booknerd #bookaddict #favoritebooks #readreadread #book9 (at University Book Store)