Succubus Ascendant: An Urban Fantasy (The Telepathic Clans Saga Book 4) by BR Kingsolver Page A
Authors: BR Kingsolver
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doesn’t matter what Brenna thinks, or what I think. Tell me one thing that you’re ashamed of.*
To Rhiannon’s surprise, Rebecca blushed. *I forgot to brush my teeth this morning. It’s been bothering me all day.*
Rhiannon erupted with laughter so loudly that the men in the front seat of the van turned to look at her.
“Oh, Goddess, I forgot how much I enjoy you,” Rhiannon managed to sputter.
~~~
The force driving down to Ayr from Glasgow numbered almost five hundred Protectors. They were joined by another three hundred that flew in from Edinburgh and two hundred that arrived in Ayr harbor by ship out of Glasgow. Collin had no intentions of letting Hugh or any of his adherents escape.
The shipboard troops disembarked and quietly took control of the harbor. Half of those who came in by plane took the airport, and the rest fanned out and cut off all the roads out of town. Masquerading as Scottish National Police, one hundred Protectors took up stations in the city.
The force Rebecca and Rhiannon rode with donned battle gear and surrounded the estate where Hugh had his headquarters. At noon, the Clans’ Protectors moved on the rebels throughout the Glasgow region, in concert with the opening attack in Ayr.
The response from Hugh’s forces at the Ayr estate was immediate and violent. Heavy machine guns opened fire. Fireballs were launched at the attackers. Despair and futility were broadcast using Empathic Projection.
The Clan forces responded in kind with rifles, submachine guns and fireballs. With both sides protected by air shields, it was a lot of noise and flash without much damage.
A telepath’s power comes from his or her own physical and mental energy. Part of Collin’s plan depended on getting close enough that the six Druids, augmented by Rebecca and some others, could begin to use their Energy Draining Gifts to drain energy away from the defenders and feed it to the attackers.
“We need to get closer,” Rebecca said. “I can’t do anything from this distance.”
She turned to the Druids crouched with them behind a stone wall. The closest one shook her head. “I can’t either.”
“Well, hell,” Rhiannon said. “I can do something. We don’t have time for this.”
She stood, and began walking forward, covered by her air shield. The front door of the manor house suddenly crashed inward, the thick wood shattering. The next thing Rebecca noticed was the machine guns, one by one, going silent.
A fireball splashed off Rhiannon’s air shield. Bullets ricocheted off of it. She continued to walk, and the sounds of battle diminished. The Clan forces held their fire, staring at her in awe. The entire battlefield fell silent.
Rhiannon stumbled, caught herself, then sank to her knees.
*Rebecca, I can’t hold my shield,* she sent, then fell on her face.
Rebecca raced from her cover and, reaching her friend, extended her air shield to cover them both.
“What the hell?” Rebecca said to no one in particular.
“She expended too much energy. She’s exhausted herself,” a redheaded Druid who had followed her said. “She needs an energy infusion.”
The Druid put her hands on Rhiannon’s back and Rebecca could feel the energy flowing.
“Be careful. Don’t exhaust yourself,” Rebecca said.
“No danger of that,” the Druid said with a smile. “I took five lads last night to prepare for today.”
“I’ve never seen anyone pass out like that,” Rebecca said. “I’ve seen people tired after a battle, but not like that.”
“You’ve never seen anyone release that much power before,” the Druid said. “Hell, I’m fifty years older than you are, and I’ve never seen that much power released either.”
Rhiannon stirred and they turned her on her back.
“What the hell did she do?” Rebecca asked.
“Listen,” the Druid said.
“I don’t hear anything.” Indeed, total silence had fallen on the battlefield.
“Exactly,” the Druid said. “She killed them all with a
To Rhiannon’s surprise, Rebecca blushed. *I forgot to brush my teeth this morning. It’s been bothering me all day.*
Rhiannon erupted with laughter so loudly that the men in the front seat of the van turned to look at her.
“Oh, Goddess, I forgot how much I enjoy you,” Rhiannon managed to sputter.
~~~
The force driving down to Ayr from Glasgow numbered almost five hundred Protectors. They were joined by another three hundred that flew in from Edinburgh and two hundred that arrived in Ayr harbor by ship out of Glasgow. Collin had no intentions of letting Hugh or any of his adherents escape.
The shipboard troops disembarked and quietly took control of the harbor. Half of those who came in by plane took the airport, and the rest fanned out and cut off all the roads out of town. Masquerading as Scottish National Police, one hundred Protectors took up stations in the city.
The force Rebecca and Rhiannon rode with donned battle gear and surrounded the estate where Hugh had his headquarters. At noon, the Clans’ Protectors moved on the rebels throughout the Glasgow region, in concert with the opening attack in Ayr.
The response from Hugh’s forces at the Ayr estate was immediate and violent. Heavy machine guns opened fire. Fireballs were launched at the attackers. Despair and futility were broadcast using Empathic Projection.
The Clan forces responded in kind with rifles, submachine guns and fireballs. With both sides protected by air shields, it was a lot of noise and flash without much damage.
A telepath’s power comes from his or her own physical and mental energy. Part of Collin’s plan depended on getting close enough that the six Druids, augmented by Rebecca and some others, could begin to use their Energy Draining Gifts to drain energy away from the defenders and feed it to the attackers.
“We need to get closer,” Rebecca said. “I can’t do anything from this distance.”
She turned to the Druids crouched with them behind a stone wall. The closest one shook her head. “I can’t either.”
“Well, hell,” Rhiannon said. “I can do something. We don’t have time for this.”
She stood, and began walking forward, covered by her air shield. The front door of the manor house suddenly crashed inward, the thick wood shattering. The next thing Rebecca noticed was the machine guns, one by one, going silent.
A fireball splashed off Rhiannon’s air shield. Bullets ricocheted off of it. She continued to walk, and the sounds of battle diminished. The Clan forces held their fire, staring at her in awe. The entire battlefield fell silent.
Rhiannon stumbled, caught herself, then sank to her knees.
*Rebecca, I can’t hold my shield,* she sent, then fell on her face.
Rebecca raced from her cover and, reaching her friend, extended her air shield to cover them both.
“What the hell?” Rebecca said to no one in particular.
“She expended too much energy. She’s exhausted herself,” a redheaded Druid who had followed her said. “She needs an energy infusion.”
The Druid put her hands on Rhiannon’s back and Rebecca could feel the energy flowing.
“Be careful. Don’t exhaust yourself,” Rebecca said.
“No danger of that,” the Druid said with a smile. “I took five lads last night to prepare for today.”
“I’ve never seen anyone pass out like that,” Rebecca said. “I’ve seen people tired after a battle, but not like that.”
“You’ve never seen anyone release that much power before,” the Druid said. “Hell, I’m fifty years older than you are, and I’ve never seen that much power released either.”
Rhiannon stirred and they turned her on her back.
“What the hell did she do?” Rebecca asked.
“Listen,” the Druid said.
“I don’t hear anything.” Indeed, total silence had fallen on the battlefield.
“Exactly,” the Druid said. “She killed them all with a
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