Solstice
The
Star-Crossed Saga
Book
3
Braxton
A. Cosby
Genre:
YA Sci-fi, Romance
Publisher:
Cosby Media Productions
Date
of Publication: 11/25/2016
ISBN-13:
978-1540541673
ISBN-10:
1540541673
ASIN:
B01LZ4OMHI
Number
of pages: 303
Word
Count: 90K
Cover
Artist: CMP
Book
Description:
What
You Believe, Can Destroy You!
William
and Sydney have sacrificed everything to fortify their love, so much
so that William dares to brave the depths of space to find a cure for
their deadly Supernova bond, leaving both her and Earth vulnerable to
Torrian Alliance attack.
But
with a full scale rebellion in play on Fabricius, the reality of
Sydney’s execution from Torrian hands is diminished, only eclipsed
by the certainty of a more threats – The Third Faction and The
Dagmas Clan – lead by Dominic and his insurgent recruits. With
overwhelming odds mounting against them, William makes a desperate
attempt to find the last of the endangered Star-children only to be
captured by a new menace, where he is forced to compete in the
dreaded Gauntlet of sport. Allies surge to free Fabricius, seeking
alliances across the galaxy while Sydney tries to keep her identity
hidden and trains to master the third phase of her Star-child
evolution: Solstice.
With
Sarah’s mysterious return home with clues to unlock the future,
Noella’s training and Bill’s symbiotic development hope is
restored, but will it be enough to unite the galaxy and destroy evil
for once and for all?
Book
Trailer: https://youtu.be/NHUT02Fqk5w
CHAPTER
THREE
Sydney
and Noella walked hand in hand along the small winding path leading
to the top the Mount Dothan. The dusking sky painted a sheet of
orange and red light across the woodsy terrain around them, giving
the impression of wading through a sea of fire. Amid the grim moment
of the day and the burning sensation rising in Sydney’s throat, the
tone seemed fitting. Silence accompanied them, and it wasn’t until
the pair hit the peak that Sydney finally broke the ice. “So what
do your people call this ceremony?” she asked.
“The
time of the harvest. It’s the moment when a fallen soldier is said
to join the being of the sky. I think humans refer to it as God,”
Noella said, her tone as flat as the expression on her face.
“Sounds
cool,” she replied as she surveyed the surroundings; a patch of
flatland that housed a family of hawks who watched cautiously from
above in a lone cedar tree. From here, every inch of Madisonburg
could be observed without the need of telescope or binoculars. A bed
of dandelions and weeping willows greeted them in the center of the
field.
“This
way. I’ll show you where I buried his body,” Noella said.
She
could see that Noella was visibly shaken, slowly unravelling before
her eyes. Her hands trembled as her eyes began to redden. She
wondered how long it’d take, amazed at how Noella had not said a
word since Arrion’s death a few weeks ago, only morning him in
silence, which she explained was customary on Fabricius. She had done
the deed all by herself, refusing to allow Sydney to assist in his
burial. From scouting the plot of land to digging the hole, Noella
insisted that it was protocol on her planet for a lone fellow soldier
to be assigned the arduous task of preparation. Seeing as though
William had departed soon after, there was no better candidate left
for the job.
She
took Noella by the hand and drew her close, giving her the most
delicate and firm hug she could muster. Noella stood motionless,
sinking into her friend’s embrace. After a few seconds, she
released her, unable to make eye contact. “I’m here for you,”
she murmured.
“Thanks,
Syd,” Noella replied, her voice ragged.
She
finally looked up at her and gave a nod, following Noella’s lead
over to the place where Arrion’s body lay. Surprisingly, the
disturbed clay seemed more settled than she expected, dried from the
sun and already showing signs of life as Bermuda grass had slowly
began to encroach along the edges. A makeshift tombstone had been
erected, fashioned from metallic fuselage scraps of the Daedallus,
with only Arrrion’s name and handle tatted along the surface, minus
dates to hide his identity to hikers in hopes that most consider it a
memorial to a lost pet if they stumbled upon it.
Noella
knelt next to the grave, slid her backpack from her shoulders and
began to open it. Searching her bag, she retrieved a small
oval-shaped disk and a satchel filled with purple powder. “These
are crushed lilacs pedals. We must first prepare the path for
Arrion’s ascension by sending tribute to the sky.” She stood and
sprinkled a few handfuls over the grave until a thin layer had
materialized before them. “On our planet we usually use the oil of
a Tonosia Tree, which is a lot thicker substance and is used for
sterilization. Sarah thought it’d be a good idea to use lilacs as a
substitute because it was a similar color.”
“It’s
beautiful,” she replied.
“I
will now begin the ceremony.” Noella placed the disc in the center
of the burial site, depressed a red button on the top and came to her
side. The two joined hands as the disc began to spin and dig into the
hardened clay. Noella pointed a hydrogen phaser at the site and fired
a stream of fire upon it that scorched the sheet of crushed pedals.
The disc disappeared beneath the flames and Noella broke out into
song, in an alien dialect that Sydney could not understand. It was
less about the words and more the moment that choked at her, forcing
the tears to flow freely down her face. She squeezed Noella’s hand
as she crooned on. By the time Noella had finished, a small fissure
had opened in the place where the disc had entered and a cloud of
embers swirled into the air; a mix of red, orange and yellow. It
lifted high into the sky and faded into the clouds.
Noella
dropped to her knees in a whimper. “It is finished.”
Sydney
came beside her and held her close. “It was… beautiful.”
The
two sat in silence with only sobs to drown out the sounds of the
forest.
About
the Author:
Braxton
A. Cosby is the award-winning author of YA fiction.
He
endeavors to paint vivid pictures of his characters and worlds in the
minds of readers, so that they too can share in his complex visions
of the past, present and future.
Braxton
lives in Atlanta, GA with his amazing wife and four children.
Instagram:
braxtonacosby
Twitter:
@BraxtonACosby
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/DrBraxtonCosby
Websites:
www.braxtoncosby.com
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