Fantasy

Good Vibrations & Bad Dragons

Hi Readers!

Check out what we hope is pretty close to the final cover: We’re extra colorful now.

It might need a few adjustments, but our scribe needs a break from it. Too much photoshopping gives her a headache. I might contribute to that by continually asking ‘what’s this,’ and ‘can you try that,’ and my all-time favorite, ‘what does that do?’ As soon as those words leave my mouth, I grab the mouse and start clicking on random things. Our poor scribe has to take the mouse away from me and undo what I did, but hey, it’s fun to see what photoshop can do.

So we hope things are coming together cover-wise. 😉

We have a new printer (Amazon) because Createspace no longer prints books, so that will likely affect the text placement, but hopefully not anything else because:

  1. I’m not holding any weapons. (Does Papa’s crystal pendant count as a weapon? I wield it with deadly precision in Sundered.)
  2. Papa’s not pointing his staff at you.
  3. There’s no blood, and we are dressed to impress.

So we’re not breaking any obvious rules.

But we also might have to remake the covers for Curse Breaker: Enchanted, Curse Breaker: Darkens, Curse Breaker: Faceted, Curse Breaker: Falls, and His Angelic Keeper for their paperback versions because Amazon has a confusing note in their FAQs about the switchover about that, but they are still on sale still on Amazon, so maybe we’re misreading things?

While we investigate that, you can purchase a copy of one of our paperbacks, just email us to order them. We have a limited number of signed copies for sale, and each one comes with a note from me, Ran, because nothing leaves my scribe’s apartment without me adding a little something to it. 🙂

And now for today’s adventure because I really want to know what that Newsletter-Dragon came to tell us last week. I better go get my convincing face on. I’ll need it this week.

 

 Today’s Adventure

 

“Well? What did you find out?” I [Ran, the ever patient] elbowed Papa in the ribs.

While he’d stared off into space, his magic had probed the crystal the Newsletter-Dragon had left for us. Bored with waiting, I sat down beside him hoping for a better view of what his magic was doing but I had no such luck. His magic was keeping its secrets to itself as usual. Neither did his magic talk to me even though I asked it numerous questions. So it was time for a more direct approach.

Poke, poke. “What did the crystal tell you? Do you know how the Newsletter-Dragon projected herself through it?” I poked Papa in the ribs again.

“Hmm? Maybe. Like all lumir, if you pass a charge through it–or some magic–it will compress the stone and cause it to vibrate. There’s no reason why she couldn’t pass through it as well. After all, she’s digital. She might be electrical, too, for all I know.” Papa leaned back and stretched the muscles in his back. He’d been sitting hunched over that crystal for a long time.

“Huh, so you’re saying the newsletter-dragon zapped the crystal thus compressing it, and it transmitted her annoyingness into our cave?” Uncle Miren stroked his hairless chin while he followed the logic Papa had laid out to its confusing conclusion. “I think you’re missing something. Once she was in there, she’d need something to keep it going.”

“Not necessarily, lumir stays lit as long as there’s magic bouncing around inside it, and this thing is definitely vibrating. I can sense the frequency it’s vibrating at. I think that’s how I shut it off and put her in a time-out.”

“How I asked?” I was still unsure how vibrations related to frequencies. I rested my head on Papa’s thigh and poked the crystal, but I couldn’t feel its vibrations—good or bad. I scowled at this annoying reminder that I didn’t share Papa’s magical gifts.

Papa tousled my hair. “Lumir crystals filter out any frequency that isn’t theirs. So my magic blocked the frequency that digital lizard is feeding into that crystal to keep it under pressure and vibrating. The vibrations generate the power and project her. I think though I could be misinterpreting what the magic is showing me.”

“This whole thing sounds a bit far-fetched. Don’t you think?” Uncle Miren flipped open a nearby book. Maybe it held the answers but probably not. If there were books on the theories of magic in the library, he would have borrowed it by now.

I raised my hand. I was now thoroughly confused, but I was the only kid in the room and this was the first time Papa had ever really discussed his magic’s more technical applications. But Uncle Miren jumped in before I could ask a question. How rude.

“At least she can’t manifest as long as you’re blocking her. That’s one thing to be grateful for.”

Papa nodded. This was the most animated I’d seen him in a while. I just wished I had put that spark in his eyes. “Yes, until then, no projection and no conversations.”

“And no answers,” I said sourly.

Papa lifted me to a sitting position and pulled me in for a one-armed hug. “I could be mistaken though. I’ve never delved this deep into any kind of lumir before. I only recently figured out how I light them.” [In Enchanted]

“Can your magic show us what you see?”

“Yes, I believe it could—” Papa trailed off, and his brows knitted in concentration.
I tried to be patient, but let’s be honest. All this talk about good and bad vibrations had flown right over my head. And then, so did an angry blue dragon made of flashing 1s and 0s.

Papa bit off a curse as the Newsletter-Dragon glared down at us.

“Thought you could lock me up, eh?”

“How did that thing escape?” Uncle Miren pointed at the projection on the ceiling. Tiny stalactites no longer that Papa’s index finger poked through her body, giving her a stippled, unfinished look.

“If you aren’t civil, I’ll shut you down again.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“Try me.” Papa gave the Newsletter-Dragon a gimlet stare. His other hand hovered over the crystal resting on his upturned palm.

“Fine, then I won’t deliver the message. I don’t have to play messenger. He can get someone else to tell you important things like—” The Newsletter-Dragon shut her big toothy mouth, and her digital rill quivered in anger.

“So the message is from JC?” I asked.

The way she emphasized ‘he,’ like it belonged in all caps, only confirmed it in my mind. JC’s awesome presence deserved all capitals.

“I don’t feel like telling you after you insulted me.”

“Please tell us.”

“What will you give in exchange? Knowledge isn’t free. It might want to be, but it most assuredly isn’t. Someone always pays.” Her eyes burned, and I knew we were in trouble.

What price will we pay? Find out next week.

 

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Until next time, dear reader

This is your host, Ran, son of Sarn, “the Persuader” wishing you a great week!