A mortal woman's search for her mother's murderer drags her into an action-packed thriller revealing a secret, millennium-long war between supernatural creatures.
Two Sisters
Assassin’s Absolution Trilogy, Song 1
by Mark Wooden
Genre: Urban Fantasy Action
Two sisters. Two destinies. One terrifying fate.
When Safia Edris' surrogate mother is murdered on the night of the new millennium, the only clue is an eighteenth-century painting of two mysterious sisters.
But the painting has disappeared.
To uncover the truth of her mother's death, Safia must find the painting and the answers that lie within. But her pursuit leads her into a conflict with supernatural creatures that manipulate the mortal world from the shadows.
Safia finds help in Adriana Dupré, a former member of a cult of vampire assassins. However, Adriana has an agenda that conflicts with Safia's goal.
Ultimately, Safia and Adriana must solve the real mystery... Who are the two sisters?
Fans of Anne Rice's “Vampire Chronicles,” William Peter Blatty's “The Exorcist,” and Ian Fleming's James Bond will love this thrilling adventure. If you enjoyed the intrigue, horror, and action of these classics, then you won't want to miss "Two Sisters," the first story in the “Assassin’s Absolution” trilogy of the “Shadowdance” action/ urban fantasy saga.
Buy it now and be the first to enjoy this intriguing, horrifying, and thrilling action/ urban fantasy saga!
Am I too late? Adriana thought as she raced her BMW motorcycle across the southbound lower deck of the Fort Duquesne Bridge. Her destination, the Gateway Towers condominiums just off Point State Park, stood ahead. Despite the fireworks, she could see the muzzle flash outside the corner condominium on the top floor.
Her mercenary contacts had told her the Daughters of Lilith were on the warpath this night. They performed each of their many kills in their bloody signature. Adriana knew their signature; as a former Daughter, she’d left targets displayed in that fashion more times than she could count.
Adriana considered the weapon used by the would-be assassin. The Daughters’ signature kills required a taste of the target’s blood. The killer would have to get inside and find their prey among the many injured by the gunfire. Adriana would at least arrive in time to avenge the man the Daughters had attacked.
Glancing back at the building and the shooter, Adriana got a surprise. A white flame burst from the condominium, sending the assassin flying away from the building.
Slamming her brakes, Adriana pulled over to the shoulder on the Pittsburgh Point side of the bridge. Looking back at Gateway Towers, she saw the ethereal flame dissipate. The woman—Daughters of Lilith were exclusively female—remained attached to her rappelling line.
As Adriana watched, the assassin must have eased the tension on the rappelling device attached to the line. She slid down nearly twenty stories as the line swung her back toward the building. The assassin eventually slammed into the building some ten stories above the ground.
Better to hit the building than take another blast from the Knight of Vyntari sorcerer in the penthouse.
The assassin detached from her line and plummeted the remaining thirty-six meters to the ground. A mortal assassin would never survive the fall without incapacitating injury or death.
But this was a Daughter of Lilith. She would take the injury and walk away after a time.
The sorcerer had earned himself and Adriana a reprieve, but she still had to hurry.
Looking ahead, Adriana saw the interstate would take her in a roundabout way to the condominiums. A faster route would require Adriana to drop down to a road beneath her, then to a road beneath that so she could drive through Point State Park and toward Gateway Towers. Add the complication that dropping to the first road would put her into oncoming traffic.
But how would she even drop down with the bridge’s meter-high concrete barrier designed to prevent such a feat?
Luckily for her, another unfortunate motorist had dislodged a section of that barrier. A hastily installed, now rusted steel barricade stood in its place.
Adriana swung her bike around and drove into oncoming southbound traffic. Traffic was light and manageable, thanks to most people being off the roads celebrating the new millennium. That did not avoid a barrage of horns and profanity along the way, both barely audible over the booming fireworks.
Halfway back to the city, Adriana spun her bike around again, leaving burnt rubber on the bridge. She accelerated quickly, weaving through cars as required, aiming the motorcycle for the steel section of the barricade. Upon reaching the steel, Adriana shifted her weight, pulling the front of her bike up so the front wheel left the ground. The bike’s underside broke through the rusted steel. The back wheel caught air as the bike sailed down and landed on a lower street section.
Immediately, horns assaulted Adriana as northbound traffic rushed at her. Pressing forward, she deftly dodged one car, then another. She’d have to overcome another concrete barrier to get to the park. Unfortunately, she didn’t see any section of the barrier under construction.
She spotted a Lamborghini Diablo approaching in the lane closest to the barrier. The car’s driver furiously honked their horn. Adriana steered onto the line dividing the outer and center lanes so the vehicle would pass her without incident.
Adriana’s brows furrowed.
If she failed to time her next move exactly—
Meters before the Diablo and motorcycle were to pass one another, Adriana jerked her bike into a head-on course with the sports car. She got close enough to see the yuppie behind the wheel screaming in fear, a woman with too much makeup screaming in the passenger seat next to him.
Adriana drove her motorcycle over the sports car using the Diablo’s low-angled hood and windshield as a ramp. The makeshift ramp placed her over the barrier and into the air. She smashed hard on the road below but endured the force of impact to remain on the bike. She brought the machine to a screeching halt.
Adriana scanned for the assassin but saw only the empty rappel line swaying in the breeze. She engaged the bike’s engine and raced down the stretch of road leading through the park and to Gateway Towers. Once near where the assassin fell, Adriana leaped from her ride before it stopped. The motorcycle fell on its side, sliding over the grass.
The assassin had fled.
The fall would generate an injury; the assassin would bleed, if not worse.
Adriana knew the Daughter assassin could channel the magic within her blood to repair any wound.
It’s what vampires did.
"Two Sisters" author Mark Wooden was a quarterfinalist in the 2017 ScreenCraft Cinematic Short Story Contest for "Fall to Grace," a short story from his "Shadowdance" urban fantasy saga.
The monster in his short horror film, "Where the Heart Bleeds," earned the approval of horror maestro Clive Barker. Mark is also a member of the Horror Writer's Association.
Mark's command of the horror genre combines with his love of James Bond-style action to create stories that explore loyalty, manipulation, revenge, and redemption.
His day job involves setting up video equipment for concerts and corporate events. Ask him about when he worked for Jimmy Buffett and literally ran into Harrison Ford.
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Mark Wooden is a new author to me, but I look forward to reading this book.
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