Title: The Harbinger
Series: Artemis, Book One
Author: Mary Eicher
Publisher: NineStar Press
Release Date: June 15, 2020
Heat Level: 3 - Some Sex
Pairing: Female/Female
Length: 99100
Genre: Paranormal, LGBTQIA+, Contemporary, paranormal, family-drama, lit, lesbian, plague, bells, prophecy of death, fake religious cult, Hawaii, astronomy, mother/daughter relationship, Greek mythology, pandemic
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Synopsis
In a picturesque California town, the
deafening sound of bells brings dozens of people to their knees. Three days
later a horrific accident claims their lives. Among the dead is the twin
brother of Artemis Andronikos, a beautiful attorney, who abandons the ill-fated
vacation and returns home to grieve.
Her mourning is interrupted by Lucy
Breem a reporter who suspects a connection between the strange bell sound and
subsequent deaths. Disturbed by the possibility that the phenomenon had
presaged her brother’s death, Artemis agrees to join forces with Lucy to
investigate the mysterious premonitions. Utilizing her considerable physical
and deductive talents, Artemis battles nefarious forces and seeks information
from friends in high places. Their research takes them to various global venues.
But the solution to the mystery proves illusive and the couple discovers that
neither science nor religion can provide an explanation for what has become
known as the Harbinger.
Excerpt
The Harbinger
Mary Eicher © 2020
All Rights Reserved
Artemis wiped her mouth with the back of
a dirty hand. Rivulets of sweat slithered down her back, and heat from hours of
exertion roiled off her. The dog-eared map indicated they had four more miles
of steep terrain before they would reach the checkpoint. Glancing at a sun
already low in the western sky, she folded the paper and shoved the map back
into her pack. It would be a struggle to reach Lake Isabella before dark. A
momentary breeze rippled her shirt, and she brushed dark, damp bangs from her
forehead, savoring the momentary relief. Then, summoning fresh determination,
she started up a brush-choked hill.
“Come on, Cab,” Artemis called back to
the struggling man behind her. “We’ll get there faster if you get the lead
out.”
Ichabod leaned on his walking stick and
watched his sister’s long legs settling into an easy stride.
“Shut up, Temmie,” he shot back, annoyed
by her effortless advance. “Trekking the Pacific Crest Trail was your idea, not
mine. I need a steak, medium rare, and alcohol. You promised me beer,
remember?”
Artemis turned and aimed pale-blue eyes
at her twin brother. She tossed her long black ponytail and gave him a
patronizing smile.
“Come on, Cab. Let’s just get there,”
she encouraged him softly. “I need a bath.”
“Yes, you do!” he muttered, stumbling
over a patch of loose rocks. She was doing it again, making him feel second
best; a feeling that irritated him more than the roughness of the trail. He
disliked having to push himself to keep up with her. He slapped at a bug that
landed on his neck and stopped to catch his breath. He hated hiking. He hated
everything his sister loved about it. He wondered how it was possible for twins
to be so utterly different from each other. And why was she always, always
better at everything?
An instant later, his head felt as if it
was exploding in a cacophony of clanging bells.
“Ah, Jesus H. Christ!” He dropped the
walking stick and sank to a knee, pressing hard against his ears with both
hands. The discomfort of the trek disappeared as the painful ringing in his
head blotted out any other sensation.
Artemis turned to see Ichabod writhing
in the dirt. Her heart pounding, she raced back down the trail to see what had
happened.
“What the hell, Cab?” she cried as she
reached him, panicked at the thought he might be seriously hurt.
Ichabod cautiously released his grip on
his head and slumped to a sit. Pale and confused, he leaned against the base of
a tree and dug at his ears. Artemis knelt down and hugged him to her chest to
check his head for any kind of injury.
“Did you hear that?” he asked, glancing
up at her, crystal-blue eyes wide with concern. “What was it?”
“I didn’t hear a thing, except you
cursing.” She sat down beside him and tousled his shaggy black curls. “I can’t
find anything wrong. Are you having a stroke or something?”
“No, I don’t think so. There was just
this really loud noise in my head. Bells. Really, really loud bells. It hurt
like hell.” He gave her a slight smile. “It’s over now. I can’t believe you
didn’t hear anything. You’re the one who usually hears things. Not me.”
She helped him to his feet and made sure
he was steady enough to heft his pack. He pushed her arm away and stiffened his
back in a display of competence beyond what he actually felt.
“I’m okay. Come on. Let’s get to Lake
Isabella so I can have a beer. You promised me, remember?”
The lake came into view as they crested
a final hill. It sparkled in the slanted sunlight, and just seeing it gave the
pair a sense of relief. The view before them was mystical. Streaks of pink and
yellow from the setting sun reflected off the dark-blue water framed by an
endless horizon of verdant hills. They gaped at each other and shared
triumphant smiles. Ichabod put his arm around his sister’s waist.
“Okay. Sometimes it’s worth all the
trouble,” he admitted. “Now, let’s go get that beer.” He hugged her and added,
“You’re buying.”
All that remained was a downhill slope
that melted away and they trudged the final half mile along dusty roads until
they found the check-in station. An older man in a well-worn MAGA hat welcomed
them, had them sign the register, and directed them to a nearby hotel.
Ichabod slung his pack to the floor as
soon as he stepped into the room. He stretched stiff muscles and then sank into
one of the two narrow beds. Artemis set her pack on the room’s solitary chair
and did a leisurely tour of their Spartan quarters. Seeing an enormous bathtub
in the otherwise cramped bathroom, she issued a little cry of delight.
“Go ahead, sis,” Ichabod told her,
settling on the cot-like bed. “You can bathe first. I’m headed for a bar.” He
rolled on his side and hugged a pillow. “In a few minutes.”
Artemis turned on the faucet and ran her
fingers through the water, waiting for the stream to reach the proper
temperature. She selected jeans and a reasonably clean tank top from her pack,
stripped off the clothes she’d worn for three days, and stepped into the tub.
Letting the warm water sooth her athletic body, she settled back to reflect on
the trip so far.
She lathered a washcloth and drew it along
her arms. The image of Cab writhing in pain flashed in her mind, and she drew
in a heavy breath. Her brother was young and strong physically. He had
recovered within minutes. Whatever had happened, Cab didn’t show any residual
effect. She sank lower in the tub until the warm water was just below her chin.
She would keep an eye on him, but she willed herself not to give in to needless
worry.
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Meet the Author
I live in Southern California with my two daughters. I have degrees in English and Psychology from the University of California and twenty plus years of writing experience from technical manuals to short stories. As an executive with a major computer firm, I managed customer documentation and field training and have traveled extensively. I have a passion for history, alternative theories about life’s mysteries life and dolphins. You can find Mary on Facebook.Giveaway
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