Prophet of the Badlands , The Awakened (#1)
by Matthew S. Cox
Publisher: Curiosity Quills
Genres: Adult, Cyberpunk, Science Fiction, Dystopian
Release date: April 26, 2015
For most twelve year olds, being kidnapped is terrifying. For Althea, it’s just Tuesday. Her power to heal the wounded and cleanse the sick makes her a hunted commodity in the Badlands, a place devoid of technology where the strong write the law in blood. For as long as she can remember, they always come, they always take her, and she lets them. Passed around in an endless series of abductions, she obeys without question―mending those who killed to own her. After three whole months in the same village, the affection of a young warrior makes her feel almost like a member of the tribe rather than a captive. Her brief joy shatters when raiders seize her yet again; for the first time in six years, being stolen hurts. A reluctant escape sends her wandering, and she realizes her gift is a prize that causes as much death as it prevents. Her attempt to return to the tribe leaves her lost and alone, hounded at every turn. When a family who sees her not as the Prophet―but as a little girl―takes her in, she finds the courage to use her power to protect those she loves. A strange man from a world beyond her imagining tests her newfound resolve, seeking to use her power to further his own agenda. Tired of being property, her freedom boils down to one question: Can Althea balance the sanctity with which she holds all life against the miserable truth that some people deserve to die?
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Born in a little town known as South Amboy NJ in 1973, Matthew has been creating science fiction and fantasy worlds for most of his reasoning life. Somewhere between fifteen to eighteen of them spent developing the world in which Division Zero, Virtual Immortality, and The Awakened Series take place.
Hobbies and Interests:Matthew is an avid gamer, a recovered WoW addict, Gamemaster for two custom systems (Chronicles of Eldrinaath [Fantasy] and Divergent Fates [Sci Fi], and a fan of anime, British humour (<- deliberate), and intellectual science fiction that questions the nature of reality, life, and what happens after it.He is also fond of cats.
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EXCERPT
He carried Jake and gathered the others. Althea stood and offered a hand to Den to help him up. A chill spread through her when she noticed the alpha bonedog gone. Where once had been a body, threads of shadow seeped into the trees, black wisps the only trace of its presence. She pulled Den away from the spot as fast as she could coax him to go.
They followed Nalu for a while before he decided to let them rest at a spot where an old crumbling wall faded back into the earth. After arranging the group in a defensive circle, he set Jake down against a fallen log. Other Seekers migrated further south, away from her. She sighed, watching Nalu ruffle the boy’s hair. The brotherly affection they had was something no one dared share with her. They even cringed away from her healing caress, enduring it only as long as it took to mend them.
Not one of them wanted to touch her, much less hug or carry her around―except Den of course. He wandered over to where she had flopped, sitting next to her in the shadow of the tiny wall. An arm around her shoulders pulled her close. Astonished, she held her hands to her chest and leaned into him. The others thought him crazy for being around such a creature as her. Even Braga sounded dismayed his son chose her; the talk among the elders hinted at their expectations Den would ask permission for the joining ritual soon.
Althea grinned at the thought of joining; she did not know what it meant, but she could see in Den’s mind he wanted it, and it felt comforting.
“What are you smiling at?” He glanced over, swallowing a bit of dried meat so he could talk.
She helped herself to a piece of it and tugged at her ragged shirt. “Braga’s face when you gave me this.”
“Yala is still angry.”
Gnawing on the hard ration, she gave him a mute inquiring look.
“Before we found you, father had set her aside for me because I had not chosen.”
Althea looked off to the right, muttering. “She is pretty… her hair is so long and beautiful.”
“You’re pretty, too.” He poked her in the side.
She scrunched her face up at him and squirmed. “I’m too pale.”
“You are of a different tribe. Still beautiful… and Yala’s eyes don’t make the night run away.”
A blush settled on her face for an instant before it went white. “If I wasn’t… I mean if I was normal…”
“I’d still want you for a wife.”
“What?” She shot upright and stared at him, a hint of a tremble in her. “They said we were to be joined, not that I was to be wifed!”
He took her hand, eyebrows drifting closer. “What do you mean? Getting joined means you are my wife.”
Althea shivered, her eyes reddened, and she rubbed at a lump in her throat. “I thought it meant something nice.”
Den fixed her with an unblinking stare. “What do you think a wife is?”
Her head pitched down, she cried. “I have seen slaves get wifed.”
He beckoned her close again. “It is not the same. We are not raiders.”
“So if we are joined, you won’t wife me?” She sniffled back tears, looking at him.
“Someday you’ll want to.” He looked up with an impish smile. “I hope.”
Althea glared with confusion and peeked into his mind. His feelings seemed quite different from what she expected. Getting wifed was the most evil thing she had ever seen. She would never allow that to happen to her. However, the contents of Den’s thoughts looked altogether different and a little embarrassing.
Relieved, she settled back against him. “Would you like me even if I wasn’t the Prophet?”
“Uh huh.” His adrenaline had worn off, leaving him sounding about ready to sleep. “Maybe… As long as you still had glow-eyes.”
He laughed when she returned the side poke.
“I like it here.” Her fingers traced lazy circles across her bare stomach.
She exaggerated. Den she liked, the rest of the village not so much. However, it was better than being a captive of killers and crazies.
“Den?” She lifted her head, waiting for him to look at her. “Why are they scared of me? All I want is to help everyone.”
“They fear the stories.” He brushed a finger across her forehead, moving her hair off her face. “The old one says darkness will follow you.”
Althea stared down, focusing on the fleck of green rock at the center of his chest. “Bad people always take me.” She cuddled closer, reaching an arm across to play with the pendant.
He carried Jake and gathered the others. Althea stood and offered a hand to Den to help him up. A chill spread through her when she noticed the alpha bonedog gone. Where once had been a body, threads of shadow seeped into the trees, black wisps the only trace of its presence. She pulled Den away from the spot as fast as she could coax him to go.
They followed Nalu for a while before he decided to let them rest at a spot where an old crumbling wall faded back into the earth. After arranging the group in a defensive circle, he set Jake down against a fallen log. Other Seekers migrated further south, away from her. She sighed, watching Nalu ruffle the boy’s hair. The brotherly affection they had was something no one dared share with her. They even cringed away from her healing caress, enduring it only as long as it took to mend them.
Not one of them wanted to touch her, much less hug or carry her around―except Den of course. He wandered over to where she had flopped, sitting next to her in the shadow of the tiny wall. An arm around her shoulders pulled her close. Astonished, she held her hands to her chest and leaned into him. The others thought him crazy for being around such a creature as her. Even Braga sounded dismayed his son chose her; the talk among the elders hinted at their expectations Den would ask permission for the joining ritual soon.
Althea grinned at the thought of joining; she did not know what it meant, but she could see in Den’s mind he wanted it, and it felt comforting.
“What are you smiling at?” He glanced over, swallowing a bit of dried meat so he could talk.
She helped herself to a piece of it and tugged at her ragged shirt. “Braga’s face when you gave me this.”
“Yala is still angry.”
Gnawing on the hard ration, she gave him a mute inquiring look.
“Before we found you, father had set her aside for me because I had not chosen.”
Althea looked off to the right, muttering. “She is pretty… her hair is so long and beautiful.”
“You’re pretty, too.” He poked her in the side.
She scrunched her face up at him and squirmed. “I’m too pale.”
“You are of a different tribe. Still beautiful… and Yala’s eyes don’t make the night run away.”
A blush settled on her face for an instant before it went white. “If I wasn’t… I mean if I was normal…”
“I’d still want you for a wife.”
“What?” She shot upright and stared at him, a hint of a tremble in her. “They said we were to be joined, not that I was to be wifed!”
He took her hand, eyebrows drifting closer. “What do you mean? Getting joined means you are my wife.”
Althea shivered, her eyes reddened, and she rubbed at a lump in her throat. “I thought it meant something nice.”
Den fixed her with an unblinking stare. “What do you think a wife is?”
Her head pitched down, she cried. “I have seen slaves get wifed.”
He beckoned her close again. “It is not the same. We are not raiders.”
“So if we are joined, you won’t wife me?” She sniffled back tears, looking at him.
“Someday you’ll want to.” He looked up with an impish smile. “I hope.”
Althea glared with confusion and peeked into his mind. His feelings seemed quite different from what she expected. Getting wifed was the most evil thing she had ever seen. She would never allow that to happen to her. However, the contents of Den’s thoughts looked altogether different and a little embarrassing.
Relieved, she settled back against him. “Would you like me even if I wasn’t the Prophet?”
“Uh huh.” His adrenaline had worn off, leaving him sounding about ready to sleep. “Maybe… As long as you still had glow-eyes.”
He laughed when she returned the side poke.
“I like it here.” Her fingers traced lazy circles across her bare stomach.
She exaggerated. Den she liked, the rest of the village not so much. However, it was better than being a captive of killers and crazies.
“Den?” She lifted her head, waiting for him to look at her. “Why are they scared of me? All I want is to help everyone.”
“They fear the stories.” He brushed a finger across her forehead, moving her hair off her face. “The old one says darkness will follow you.”
Althea stared down, focusing on the fleck of green rock at the center of his chest. “Bad people always take me.” She cuddled closer, reaching an arm across to play with the pendant.
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