Hunter (The Hero Rebellion 0.5) by Belinda Crawford (ebook e reader .txt) 📗

gaze locked on Subria, stayed there. 'Well, that would have been different.'

It took effort not to shift on the bench, to keep her face blank and meet Bayard's stare as the memory of the blue-grey 'pard played behind her eyeballs, the…the thing that had passed between them. Subria fought the urge to rub her chest, to soothe the small, hollow space left behind.

Erebos landed on her knees, his outspread wings a wall of darkness breaking the stare.

Subria breathed.

Erebos folded his wings, one set at a time, and glided up her arm to rest on her shoulder. She scratched the little hollow at the base of his head, where skull met spine, grateful for the distraction.

The wan-adder hummed, eyes open, attention fixed, not on Subria, but on the instructor.

Bayard sat forward, elbows on her knees, returning Erebos's regard.

The 'adder growled.

Bayard bared her teeth. 'You can't keep her from it forever.'

Erebos hissed, fangs flashing.

The instructor laughed, the sound as dark as Erebos's hide, and stood. 'You'll need bigger teeth before you can scare me, little shadow. And you.' She pointed at her, and Subria wondered how a single, work-roughed finger could be so intimidating. 'I'll have you sorted out before the end of the first trimester. Mark my words.' She clasped Subria's shoulder. 'Welcome to the Academy.'

Author’s note

May 2020

I suck at prequels.

When I started writing Hunter, the goal was to create a quick little introduction to The Hero Rebellion trilogy. It was meant to be a short self-contained story, something to help new readers discover the series and a bonus for fans, but I realised very quickly that wasn’t going to happen.

This sucker had a mind of its own.

Instead of a Hero Rebellion prequel, I present to you a prequel to a prequel series (which I guess makes me really good at prequels??). And yes, you read it right, Subria is getting her own series. Apani and Ursula will be there, as well as Norah’s grandfather and a few other characters you might remember.

When will you be getting this as yet unnamed series? Currently, I’m slated to start work on it after I finish The Hero War, which should be the end of 2021.

I know, I know, that’s like forever away, but there’s a lot happening between now and then, including the conclusion to The Echo trilogy and then The Hero War. So, make sure to stay in touch!

The story continues

Available now from your favourite retailer

www.books2read.com/Hero

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About the author

Physics makes Belinda’s brain hurt, while quadratics cause her eyes to cross and any mention of probability equations will have her running for the door. Nonetheless, she loves watching documentaries about the natural world, biology, space, history and technology.

She’s also a sucker for a fast horse, a faster computer and superhero movies. When she’s not doing the horse, computer or superhero thing, Belinda writes science fiction (emphasis on the fiction), where she loves to write about butt-kicking girls (and guys) who blow stuff up.

You can keep in touch with Belinda, or just pick her brains about sci-fi via her website, Facebook or by sending her an email (she loves email).

www.belindacrawford.com

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Also by Belinda Crawford

Have you read them all?

THE HERO REBELLION

Hero

The battle for human evolution begins now.

Hero Regan is special, and not in a way she likes. She hears voices in her head that other people can’t. Insulated from the outside world, her only solace is Fink, a six-hundred-kilogram, genetically engineered ruc-pard. They share lives, thoughts, triple-chocolate marshmallow ice-cream and the burning desire for freedom.

Their chance comes when Hero is allowed to attend school in Cumulus City. Here Hero discovers she is an unwitting part of a master plan set into motion 300 years before, a plan she must either help or hinder if she’s ever to attain the freedom she craves.

(Race)

Riven

Regan

—

THE HERO REBELLION PREQUEL

Hunter

Her entrance exam just became a fight for survival.

Subria is going to be one of the few, a Rider dedicated to helping her people survive, but first she has to pass the entrance exam. However as soon as the test starts, something goes terribly wrong.

Now, she’s no longer fighting for a dream, but survival.

—

THE ECHO

Cold Between Stars

In the dark, empty space between solar systems, something lies in wait.

It’s pretty easy being a ship kid; clean out the cyclers, avoid your sister, don’t get sucked into space. The hardest bit about it is spending a couple of decades in stasis/sleep while your ship travels to the next solar system. Then rinse and repeat all the way back to a home you’ve never seen.

Except I just got kicked out of stasis early, like years early. And I’m alone.

All. Alone.

Except for the fug.

Dark Between Oceans

Echo Between Worlds (coming 2021)

Dedication

To my beta readers –

Iffet B., Jeanette H., Linda W. and Tracy M Joyce.

Thank you.

Published by Hendrix & Faust, Publishers in 2020

Copyright © Belinda Crawford 2020

All rights reserved. No