ANAZ-VOOHRI
Ancient Enemy Book 1
by Vijaya Schartz
in eBook everywhere
the Anaz-voohri have
returned from the stars after eight hundred years, to claim the
planet of their ancestors... a blue orb named Earth.
Since he
witnessed the abduction of his baby sister by an alien creature,
Zack will stop at nothing to rescue her, even if it means joining
the Special Forces.
But Tia Vargas, the reckless Amazon training the
secret unit for a highly classified mission, has no use for this
handsome, rebellious recruit, at least not on the battlefield, until
Zack’s farfetched stories prove to be true, and tragedy strikes
"an epic
novel of enduring love despite Herculean obstacles and
extraterrestrial intrigues. I was caught up from the first
sentence... I adored this book." Coffee Time Romance - 5 cups
EXCERPT:
Zack woke up with a start, unable to see anything.
Anything at all. Had the power gone out? A subtle vibration
permeated the house. Earthquake? No. Earthquakes didn’t make the
walls sing.
Something was wrong. With no glow from the digital
clock or from his computer screen, Zack tossed his blanket aside and
felt his way to the window. He pulled up the black roman shade and
lifted the glass pane. The sweet fragrance of roses from the front
yard filled the room. As he craned his neck outside, the second
story view revealed a full moon but no street lights in the whole
residential area of Granada Hills. Had all of Los Angeles blacked
out?
Outside, the strong vibration shook the foliage of the
eucalyptus trees. As far as Zack could see, the streets and houses
looked dark and quiet. Too dark, too quiet, with no breeze, no
birds, not even the chirp of a cricket.
Moonlight filtering into the room illuminated the
life-size poster of Angelina Jolie in Tomb Raider. As the
vibration intensified, something familiar tugged at Zack’s mind.
Ashley? His baby sister screeched for help in his head! She was
terrified.
Rushing out of the bedroom, Zack stumbled over his
sneakers and stepped into the ink black hallway. The vibration
shook the hardwood under his bare feet. The smell of burnt rubber
or heated machinery assaulted his nostrils. How weird.
Feeling his way along the wall, Zack turned the corner
and saw an outline of white radiance around Ashley’s door. He’d
left it ajar last night.
Wearing only his boxers and tee-shirt, Zack shivered
when a malevolent breeze coursed across his skin, as if to keep him
away. Was he dreaming? He bit his lip. It hurt, and the coppery
taste of blood filled his mouth. Wide awake! His heart beat so
hard, it threatened to explode.
Outside Ashley’s door, their Persian cat arched his back
and hissed, spooked. His bristled tail rose straight up in the air,
sparking with static electricity.
“What’s going on in there, Dude?” Zack whispered, his
heart faltering. He swallowed with a dry throat, remembering the
horror movies he used to enjoy watching. But this was no movie, and
he couldn’t stand the thought of his baby sister in any danger.
Zack moved sluggishly, like through water with weights
on his ankles. Had the air become dense? Had he landed in the
middle of a strange videogame? Finally he pushed the door open.
Blinded by bright light, Zack stood paralyzed. He tried to step
inside, to no avail. His legs refused to move.
Unable to scream his frustration, he remained frozen in
the doorway, immobilized by a strange force that controlled his
body. As his eyes adjusted to the brightness, the unobstructed view
of his sister’s room chilled his spine.
Bent over the bed, a tall creature of humanoid
proportions hovered above the floor, wearing a long, shimmering cape
that accentuated its square shoulders. Seven-year-old Ashley, her
blue eyes wide with terror, blonde curls framing her tan face,
clutched her favorite Barbie Doll, her mouth open in a silent wail.
Get away from my sister, you freak! No word came
out of Zack’s mouth.
The creature turned to face Zack. Under the hood, the
bald skull glowed from within, blue, pink and green, like a
see-through phone. The face had large oval eyes, milky skin,
elongated cheeks, and a straight thin mouth etched with grim
determination.
Hang on, Ashley, I’m coming. When Zack attempted
to rush the creature, his feet stuck to the floor. He tried to yell
but his vocal cords remained mute. He wanted to break the freak’s
skull, bloody the monster’s small nose, make it feel pain. What did
this thing want with his baby sister?
The creature turned its attention to a small device it
held in spidery fingers. The bright light shrunk to a wide oblique
beam that angled out through the gaping window. Beyond it, an
ominous shadow hung above the house. The vibration emanated from
it. Zack couldn’t believe what he saw. A spacecraft?
Howling inside, but unable to intervene, Zack watched as
the creature lifted his frightened sister from the bed. Ashley
didn’t protest when the monster wrenched the Barbie doll from her
grip and threw it back on the blanket. Then the monster stepped
into the beam of light and floated out the window with its prize. The paralyzing hold ebbed. Zack staggered into the room toward the
window. He wanted to call for help but his throat still refused to
make any sound.
As Zack stepped after them into the beam of light, the
creature had almost reached the waiting craft. The alien pointed a
small device at Zack. The shot sizzled and shook him like an
electroshock. Zack’s legs buckled from the pain. He hit the plush
pink rug and darkness engulfed him.
Hope you enjoyed this Sunday Snippet. Visit the blogs of the other authors involved in this tour for more exciting excerpts.
