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FROM THE ASHES
BY
Maree Anderson
EXCERPT
Eggs produced purely for human consumption were rare and hideously expensive commodities. Calista considered herself immensely privileged to have actually dined on one, given that the majority of commoners had never even laid eyes on one. The menu had claimed it was “soft boiled”, with the white cooked until firm but the yolk warm and runny. And given the fuss and ceremony which had accompanied its journey to her table, afterward she’d been too embarrassed to admit to her host that she didn’t much care for the taste.
So Calista knew a real egg when she saw one. What she didn’t know was what the hell kind of creature might have laid this monster.
She dug her hands into the gel and extracted the egg from its goopy cocoon. It weighed about three pounds. She lugged it over to a packing bench and laid it carefully down.
Despite knowing that it was fragile and that she risked cracking it, she couldn’t resist touching it again. She stroked the gel from its surface with her palms, marveling at its size.
Sheesh! Some Libertine chef was gonna be cooking up a heap of omelets with this sucker. No accounting for the gourmet tastes of the rich and libidinous. Dudes! Didn’t your mothers tell you that when it comes to edibles, big is not always tastier? Little wonder the crate had been shielded and its contents so carefully packaged. This thing was worth a fortune!
She’d allowed herself to be distracted by wishful calculations as to how many credits this egg would fetch in various illegal marketplaces, when one very important fact smacked her upside the head. The egg’s shell was warm. Which meant….
A living embryo.
“Fuck!”
As if voice-activated, the egg came to life and shuddered beneath her hands.
Calista forced her rubbery limbs to move and backed away. Whatever manner of creature was eventually going to hatch from it, and whatever the purchaser’s plans for it might be, she wanted no part of it.
A faint tapping noise cut through her panicked thoughts.
She saw fine cracks marring the egg’s shell.
Calista’s heart thudded like a mad thing in her chest. It couldn’t be hatching now….
Images of some nightmarish, ravenous creature skittered through her mind. She whirled on her heel, intending to flee.
Crrrraaaaack!
Don’t look. Do. Not. Look!
Of course she halted. And looked. She couldn’t help herself. She was just dumb that way.
The shell split in two, revealing a human infant. Amidst the shattered remains of eggshell, it uncurled itself, its torso glistening with fluids, hair slicked to its skull. It waved its arms and legs, as if luxuriating in the freedom of movement after being cramped in a fetal position. Then it yawned and rubbed its eyes with its tiny fists. It was such an inherently human gesture that Calista’s fear dissolved and she couldn’t help the goofy smile spreading across her face because it was so gosh-darned cute!
She ventured closer, staring down at the baby. The smile froze on her lips. No freaking way! She had to be dreaming. Not even the most sought-after and talented enhancement specialist could replicate that! She squeezed her eyelids shut, rubbed them, and then for good measure, blinked a couple of times. But the extra er…appendage was still there.
Two sets of male genitals? Oookay then. Definitely a “he” not an “it”.
He opened his eyes and focused on her.
A sharp pain bloomed in Calista’s skull, a close-your-eyes-and-grit-your-teeth pain that spiked but before she could scream, almost instantly dissipated, leaving her clutching her temples and sagging with relief.
When she finally dared pry open her eyelids, the infant had grown to the size of a small child. His eyes were mesmerizing, blacker than black irises, with diagonal golden striations shaped like tiny lightning bolts bursting outward from the pupils.
He swung his legs over the edge of the bench. And before Calista could even understand what she was actually witnessing, the child hopped off the bench and morphed into a fully grown man.
Calista’s a freelance space courier recovering from a disastrous marriage during which her ex tried to sell her as a slave. Sure, she’s emotionally damaged, but you should see the state of her ex! She’s also an expert pilot who can illegally reprogram and augment all manner of tech. She's been ripping off the system and flying under the radar her entire life.... Until now.
Asher’s her “cargo”, the mouthwateringly gorgeous Phoenixae alien who accidentally hatched from the egg she was transporting, and bonded with her. He’s been bred as a sex slave and he can read her mind. Which wouldn’t be so bad if
1) she didn't abhor slavery and everything it represents,
2) she wasn't horny as hell, and
3) he wasn't doubly tempting because of his extra er, male parts! Oh, and then there’s the small issue that if Asher is killed and his body burnt, he can be resurrected. He’s one hot commodity that illegals will kill to possess.
Take one sex-deprived space courier who'll risk everything to save an alien from a life of slavery. Add one mouthwateringly hot alien sex-slave who knows her deepest desires, feels her pain, and lives to please her in every way. Mix with a ruthless ex-husband intent on vengeance. And stir in a sadistic Libertine noble who will do anything at all to get his hands on a Phoenixae. Thank the gods that from the ashes, an unexpected hero will emerge.... And he’s full of surprises!
To My Readers: I originally wrote From The Ashes as a novella, in Calista’s point of view. It even had another title: “Double Trouble”, an allusion to the hero’s, er, extra appendage! But my Phoenixae alien hero, Asher, was just so compelling—not to mention outta this world hot!—that I felt he deserved more. And so From The Ashes was born. I had a blast fleshing out Asher’s character, bringing him to life, and having him smack Calista upside the head with the fact that he’s more than just a victim destined to be a sex-slave, he truly is a worthy hero. I hope you enjoy the result!
ISBN:
9781603105743; 1603105743 Adobe PDF 9781603105736; 1603105735 ePub 9781603105774; 1603105778 HTML 9781603105750; 1603105751 MobiPocket 9781603105767; 160310576X MS Reader
This is an Official Review by an Erotica Romance Writer Official Reviewer
From the Ashes
Author: Maree Anderson
Reviewer Comments: In this fantasy world all is possible and we can see what other worlds are in our sphere. There are those who live beyond the norms of society and who demand more and more of that depravity for their enjoyment. It is into this world that Asher is born and Calista must use her wits.
Calista is a privateer and she is also very resourceful woman. She takes on cargo and delivers it to the clients. Calista is fiercely independent and has learnt many lessons in her life. She has had one bad marriage and unfortunately her ex-husband keeps appearing in her life, this time to avenge what she had done to him. However, his revenge is more deprived that anything Calista could do to him. Calista takes on a particular cargo and realizes that something is not right with the job. She opens the cargo and comes across an egg. An egg that hatches before her very eyes and Asher appears with a very astonishing quality. One she cannot get over, ever.
Asher is a Phoenixae. He has many distinguishing characteristics. Firstly, he is a phoenix who, once he is killed or dies, he can be reborn by the use of fire. This means he comes to the attention of a sadist who wants to use this for entertainment. Secondly, he also has a dual set of genitalia, more than enough to please any woman. Immediately upon hatching, he bonds with Calista and is able to read her every thought. As he is her slave, he also feels her pain and when the dark thoughts of her ex-husband intrude, he feels all her pain, physically. When the pair are separated, Asher realizes that the bond he has with Calista goes beyond the master-slave bond and it is something he is willing to fight for.
While this story is shorter than normal, the reader becomes involved in the storyline quickly and the reader is taken on the adventure as Calista and Asher need to escape those who want the egg. Naturally, as this story is erotica, the initial sex, real and imaginary, between Calista and Asher shows the instant chemistry. This explosive sex continues throughout the story and both are very satisfied by the outcome. Their attempts to be together are often interrupted and there are also some entertaining moments.
This story does contain language that is suited to the erotica format and also contains, as you can imagine if a male has two sets of genitals, contains sex that is beyond the norm.
Reviewed by: Heather
From the Ashes - Maree Anderson
Published 2011
Red Sage Publishing
Urban Fantasy/PNR
Categories: Fantasy, Five Hoots by Karia
5 HOOTS!
Summary-
Calista’s a freelance space courier recovering from a disastrous marriage during which her ex tried to sell her as a slave. Sure, she’s emotionally damaged, but you should see the state of her ex! She’s also an expert pilot who can illegally reprogram and augment all manner of tech. She's been ripping off the system and flying under the radar her entire life.... Until now.
Asher’s her “cargo”, the mouthwateringly gorgeous Phoenixae alien who accidentally hatched from the egg she was transporting, and bonded with her. He’s been bred as a sex slave and he can read her mind. Which wouldn’t be so bad if
1) she didn't abhor slavery and everything it represents,
2) she wasn't horny as hell, and
3) he wasn't doubly tempting because of his extra er, male parts! Oh, and then there’s the small issue that if Asher is killed and his body burnt, he can be resurrected. He’s one hot commodity that illegals will kill to possess.
Take one sex-deprived space courier who'll risk everything to save an alien from a life of slavery. Add one mouthwateringly hot alien sex-slave who knows her deepest desires, feels her pain, and lives to please her in every way. Mix with a ruthless ex-husband intent on vengeance. And stir in a sadistic Libertine noble who will do anything at all to get his hands on a Phoenixae. Thank the gods that from the ashes, an unexpected hero will emerge.... And he’s full of surprises! (Goodreads)
Review-
At first I forgot that I had requested this book. Then upon looking at my list, I remembered it and thought, yikes, I have to read that by the end of the week…well no worry there. I read it in one night and boy was I pleasantly surprised. I had an immediate image of the two phallus man and the “sex-capade” direction that the book could have gone. But no, the lust was there certainly, but the story and more importantly the plot was excellent and the characters well developed. I enjoyed Asher’s twist on the slave mentality in that he wanted to be the man Calista could love so badly that he was ready, willing and able to become her master.
The mental and emotional bond between these two was so powerful that when bonded, neither could tell where one ended and the other began. The imprinting was deeper and stronger than anything Asher had been programmed to understand. What could it mean? Both he and Calista struggled to understand the bond and the feelings…but since neither had known true love before, they were in uncharted ‘space’. Speaking of space, Calista’s ex Nate is hunting them all over the universe trying to capture “the cargo”, aka Asher and sell him into slavery, just as he attempted to do to Calista. The two fight together and Calista finally learns to trust another and in turn together they save their lives, their freedom and their love.
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