Excerpt! Spiral Ascended by Erin Danzer

Title: The Spiral Ascended (Spiral Defenders Series: Book Four)

Author: Erin Danzer

Genre: Young Adult Scifi/Romance

Publication Date: September 12, 2014

Blurb:

Everything seems perfect now that Ronnie is married. She can be crowned and finally defeat the evil that infests the Spiral.

Until Rick and the Irradians seize the castle.

Now, Ronnie and Gavin are in hiding. They must amass an army from those still loyal to them and protect their friends and family—all without leaving their refuge. When Ronnie ventures out, Gavin is captured. Their bond is severed. All Ronnie knows is that Gavin is still in her heart.

Until that breaks, too.

Ronnie must find the strength to ascend to her destiny and defeat Rick or risk losing everything forever.

Excerpt:

The blast came out of nowhere. Ronnie barely had time to brace herself before the blue energy hit. Her sword flew from her hand, leaving Ronnie defenseless. She called upon the elements, concentrating on the gremlins’ spears. The weapons cracked and broke all around the room. Gremlins screeched as they scrambled for new weapons. Ronnie tried to reach out to fling a fireball, but nothing happened. Panic flared within her. Instead of the energy that always tried to escape after a blast, cold numbness swiftly moved through her.

Gavin! She screamed in her mind. Instantly, he was there, hacking through the goblins that blasted her, thinking if they died the paralysis would fade. No such luck. He got through the last of them, and still, Ronnie couldn’t move. She saw him glance behind her even as he lifted his sword to deflect the spear of another gremlin. The wave seemed nonstop. Ronnie desperately tried to move, but her body wouldn’t listen.

You need to use my magic, she thought to Gavin.

Are you sure it will work?

We have no choice.

Ronnie pushed her powers at him through their bond. Andi and Shawn huddled against her back as Gavin let loose a gale-force wind in the room. Gremlins and goblins screamed and grunted as they flew off their feet. Before they could recover, Gavin threw fire at them. Screeches and growls filled the room as most of the creatures burned. The ones left created a portal and jumped through it before Gavin could get to them.

As soon as the last Irradian disappeared, the paralysis broke. Ronnie stumbled forward with a gasp. Andi and Shawn reached out to each grab an arm to keep her on her feet. Gavin immediately took her into his arms, crushing her against his chest. After a moment, she pushed back to an arm’s length and his hands ran down her body, looking for injuries. Ronnie pushed his hands away, ignoring the way they made her feel. She couldn’t think about that right now.

“I’m okay,” she declared when Gavin continued his perusal of her body. When his eyes wouldn’t stop searching, she reached up, cupped his face in both hands, and forced him to look at her.

“I’m okay,” she repeated with more force this time. Relief poured through her as Gavin gathered her into his arms once more. She only stayed there a moment before turning to her friends. Andi huddled in Shawn’s arms, her blonde curls bouncing as she shook. Ronnie reached out and put her hand on Andi’s shoulder.

“Are you guys hurt?” she asked. She had no idea what to say. How could this even happen? Anger filled her veins as she thought about Rick trying to take her two best friends from her. How dare he!

“No,” Andi said, her voice small. She turned wide blue eyes up to Ronnie. “How did they find us?”

Ronnie clenched her hands into fists as she struggled with the anger steadily building within her. If she didn’t calm down, she would teleport again, but she couldn’t let this go unanswered. Rick needed to pay. They needed to hurt him worse than he almost hurt her.