Thanks for signing up! You’re awesome, and I’m so glad you’re here! Here are a few more scenes from This Moment, book two in the Chronicles of the Marked series (tentatively set to publish in December of 2025). FYI: The bonus scenes are not yet professionally edited. 😁

ADAN

Adan, heart still thundering, turned to his massive and empty living room window.

In his dream, he’d stood before a shimmering portal. Through it, Sector Six spread before him. 

The scene roamed over the land, and the great city of Sodorrah came into view, a dark smudge on the land as its walls swelled with people. The scene drew south, and he recognized the bright and winding streets of Inevah. He zoomed over the jail where Viviana still sat waiting to be rescued. Or to die. Inevah castle rose to the sky, and with it, all of Adan’s memories of the last month lifted to the forefront of his mind. 

A creeping blackness crawled over the southeast tower like a sickness infected the very stones. He floated toward the window high on the castle wall where, not long ago, he’d spent many a lonely hour. As he drew close, he saw someone standing just inside, looking out. 

Evie. 

Her features changed, ever in constant motion—morphing from dark and golden like his own appearance to light and foreign, and back again. Only her golden eyes did not change or blink. They simply watched him in wonder. 

He was very close to the window now and stood before it as if the portal were now the window and the only obstacle between them. He stepped forward, matching her stance, and could make out the outline of polished silver bars behind her, along with the silhouettes of dark and sleepy skyscrapers. 

She reached out and pressed her palm to the glass. He stepped closer, but she looked unsure. With her other hand, she reached down and touched the place where he’d driven a golden blade into her side. Blood began to ooze between her fingers. She stepped back, looking frightened of the blood on her hand. She turned to go. 

“No,” he called out. But it was too late; she was gone, and he sat up, feet tangled in a blanket on an ordinary couch. His reflection on an enormous black TV screen replaced her beautiful face. 

“Evie?” he’d asked aloud. Are you alive? Remembering the tall, dark window and the city beyond, Adan sat up, stunned and afraid to hope. He slowly turned toward the window and the only recently polished metal of the fire escape. 

No one stood outside the spotless window, but an imperfection caught his eye as he walked toward his dark reflection—a fading handprint. He ran to get a closer look, but in a moment, it was gone.

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That’s all from Adan and Evie for now. But don’t worry, they’ll meet again in the next book in the Chronicles of the Marked series. We’ll also learn more about Lena. Here are two more scenes from her perspective in This Moment: The Chronicles of the Marked, Book Two.

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ESTALENA

“Do you know him?”

Lena glanced up, following Paige’s gaze, and scowled. Of course she did, the little leech. Was he deliberately trying to out her in front of her school friends? 

Catrina, the third in their group, also paused, watching the teenage boy across the cobblestones. He wore ratty, too-short pants and waved in their direction, an innocent grin crossing his face. 

Three years younger than her own eighteen years, Jimmy hadn’t quite made it to manhood. But he was certainly old enough to know he couldn’t address her here. This was far outside of their neighborhood across the river. 

He’d been Lena’s best friend since they were five and eight. Perhaps more like a brother.

But, to her friends, these daughters of wealthy Inevite nobles, she said, “No, I’ve never seen him.” She glanced at Paige and saw how she pitied the boy. 

Catrina, however, sneered in disgust. “Look how dirty his feet are.” 

Sure enough, Jimmy had left his shoes at home again. His face fell, and his hand slowly dropped when he saw that Lena would not return his gesture. 

Her insides squirmed as shame rushed through her. “Let’s go this way instead.” She tugged her friends along, and Catrina continued her insults.

“And did you see his eyes? They were as black as night. So unnatural.” She huffed and tossed her perfect brown locks over her shoulder, her bright green eyes a mocking contrast to Jimmy’s poor, unnatural eyes.

Lena glared at her with her own set of perfect green eyes.

“What? Did I say something?” Catrina purred, all innocence. She really had no idea about any part of the world other than her own uptown circle.

Lena and Paige ignored her and kept walking. 

Paige looped an arm through Lena’s. “So, Lena, what do you have planned for tonight? Want to come dress shopping with us for the King’s banquet?”

Catrina squealed, clapping her hands, her scorn forgotten in the light of an upcoming party. “Yes, we need dresses, shoes, the perfect hairpiece. We have to look absolutely stunning.” She prattled on about the other necessities. “So, are you coming?”

“No, I have plans with my family tonight. I’m sorry.”

“But you know the seamstress will be booked for ages if you don’t get your order in by this weekend?”

“Yeah. I mean, yes, I know. I’m not really the banquet type. I’m not going.” 

Both girls stopped and swung around to look at her. Catrina’s mouth had fallen open. “Are you kidding? How often do you think the king invites the young people of Inevah to the castle? You have to go.”

Paige nodded. “And there’s rumor he’ll choose a pool of possible suitors for the prince.”

Catrina squealed again.

Lena laughed at their intensity. “No, I’m really not going.” She tucked her arms into theirs and pulled them along. “But I’m sure you guys will tell me all about it.”

It was true that Lena didn’t want to go. Wearing a fancy dress sounded like a nightmare. But more than that, she couldn’t afford to buy a fancy dress, shoes, or stunning hairpiece. She’d gotten quite good at navigating the nobles of this school. Morris, her cousin and caretaker, made her attend, but going to a formal event under the king’s nose wasn’t on her to-do list. She wasn’t sure she could fake her way through that much pomp and nicety. Besides, if any of them ever found out who she was—what she was, that would be the end of her privileged education. Her education was the only thing Morris prized more than her safety. 

And becoming a suitor for the prince, well, that was out of the question. 

Her friends continued their excited chatter all the way down the street, and Lena could hear them even as she veered away to make her way home—or at least where she pretended to live with her fabricated family. 

Soon, she approached a modest townhouse she’d dubbed her own in her mind. 

She paused near the gate and placed her hand on the cool metal, where a vine of flowers wound over it. 

Gazing up the walkway, she imagined running to the door and wrenching it open. “Hey, Mom!” She whisper-yelled under her breath. “I’m home.”

Lena’s voice changed as she thrust her hands into her jacket pocket. “Hey honey, come in and tell me about your day while I start dinner.” 

“Okay, I’m just going to say hi to dad first.” Her whisper trailed off as she continued down the sidewalk. 

She cut east at the following street and headed toward the river where her real family lived on the other side. Where Morris would try to keep her from doing anything dangerous. Where Jimmy would be brooding and waiting for an explanation. Where she would change out of her nice school clothes and become what she really was—the rebel leader’s cousin. 

Her shoulders lifted in a sigh. 

No, she wouldn’t go dress shopping tonight. She had other plans (whether Morris liked it or not)—dangerous plans with dangerous weapons. There would be no dress. No fancy shoes. 

She smiled and picked up the pace, thinking of their recently acquired weapons.

But there might be the opportunity to stun.

And finally, here is a snippet from later that night:

ESTALENA

Lena took aim, but the thud of an arrow—a real arrow—burying into the wood two inches from her face broke her concentration, and she wheeled backward. She banged into the wall and felt a crunch in her pocket. The remaining two horsemen were almost on her. She changed her aim and shot at the archer. He dove out of the way, but she didn’t stand around to watch him fall. She took off at a sprint down a narrow alleyway, pulling another arrow. She knew her strengths, and close combat with a skilled fighter was not one of them.

“Gutter rat.” She heard him yell. 

“No, don’t shoot.” Another voice called out as the hoofbeats of his mount drew closer. She heard the ring of a sword being pulled. The rider’s horse didn’t fit, and the sounds behind her faded. But when she rounded the next corner, he was already at the end of the street, having come around the side of the building on the main road. It was the well-dressed man, and he barreled toward her. 

Lena ran the other way, legs burning. She didn’t know the streets in this part of town as well as she should, and she could not outrun a horse. She sprinted down another alley, hoping to lose him. He reached the mouth of the alley just after her. As she ran, she looked over her shoulder and saw that he had dismounted and was sprinting after her, sword and shield in hand. 

Lena grinned. Now, perhaps, she could lose him. But her smile faded when she turned the corner and almost ran straight into a brick wall—a dead end. There was no time to climb. She wheeled around and nocked her arrow. She had to keep some distance between them.

He pulled up short, raising his shield, and cried, “Wait.” 

Not a chance. She shot him in the thigh. The blunt arrow bounced off. 

He grunted at the impact, and a current curled over the impact sight, but then it dissipated into the ground. He did not pass out as he should. 

What? Lena paused, then reached over her head to grab her last arrow.

He cautiously stepped forward into the meager light of a nearby window. Lena was partially in shadow and thankful for her mask. He smiled then and glanced down at his thigh. It wasn’t a sinister look but one of genuine shock as if he hadn’t expected his little trick to work.

First, she noticed he was much younger than expected, and unbridled curiosity danced in his eyes. 

“You’re—a girl.” His voice was deep, like the rushing river. 

“Uh…yeah,” she said stupidly because the second thing she noticed was his ruggedly handsome face. Green eyes shone brightly under dark hair and eyebrows, and fine clothes and boots hugged his body.

“Right,” he said, seeming almost as flustered to have stated the obvious. He awkwardly adjusted his glove at his wrist while still holding his weapons. “That was an impossible shot back there.” He tilted his head behind him.

“You mean for a girl or a gutter rat?”

He cringed at the word. “Gutter rats don’t shoot like that. Who taught you?”

The rebel leader. Lena smirked. “Lucky shot, I guess.” 

“Right,” He said again. “Where did you get the tech?” He referred to the electric arrow nocked in her bow.

“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.” She shrugged all innocence. If she shot him again, would he go down?

“How did someone like you get her hands on rare tech weapons?” 

“Would you believe I found them just lying around in the gutter…with the rats.”

“No.” He paused a moment, brow drawn. “You took out four of my men back there with only four arrows. Impressive.”

She snorted. “Yes. And in case you haven’t noticed, I have one more.”

“Yes. But it doesn’t work on me.”

Keep him talking. Figure this out. “You say your men. Aren’t you a little young?”

He frowned and, rather than answer, and asked a question. “How did you know we would be coming through? We only decided which route to take through the city an hour ago.”

“What? I wish you hadn’t come through. Complicated my entire evening.”

He looked confused. “If not to ambush us, then why?”

It was her turn to be confused. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Well, either way, I have to take you in now. Lower your weapon. It won’t work anyway.”

She didn’t move. “And why is that?”

He smiled, showing off his white teeth and high cheekbones. “My secret.” She picked up on the movement this time. It was as if he was making sure his skin was covered. 

“It’s your suit, isn’t it?”

He glared at her.

“That’s it.” She laughed.“You know, you’re starting to grow on me, so just know, I really don’t want to have to do this.” She raised her bow, and his eyes widened as she let it fly. The dull arrow bounced off his forehead, and he fell over with an electric jerk.

She stepped over him and bent down to push his hair from his face, where an angry red circle now marred the skin above his eyes. It was already swelling—a shame to mark such a handsome face.

She retrieved her arrow and jogged out of the alley. This night had been a disaster. Morris was going to kill her. So why couldn’t she wipe the silly grin off of her face?