Excerpt:
"They're haunting me!" I scream it as they remove me from the meeting room, my feet dragging on the dirty tiles. "They'll never leave me alone now! They're here to make me crazy!" Ashur and Gideon have a tight grip on my upper arms and I can feel the bruises forming.
"Junco!" Gid yells down at me. "They're not real! Listen, Junco. This is just a side effect of the Archer morph, OK?"
I look behind us to see if they're following, but they're not. Ashur whooshes open a door with a wave of his hand and they drag me into a bedroom and push me down on the bed.
"Junco," Ash starts, his voice calm and deep. "Look at me, Snowbird."
I look up into his eyes. They are glowing so bright they are almost fluorescent.
"You're hallucinating. Understand? This is a consequence of the unsanctioned Archer morph Inanna put you through. You're hallucinating."
I consider it for a moment, I really do. Try and see it from both perspectives like Lucan taught me. But that was not a hallucination. "No, Ashur, I saw them. They were each standing behind us Seven. Like they picked us or something."
Sera pops onto my vision screen as a video feed. You're going to ruin everything. Just calm down, Junco.
Your doing? This is your doing? You bring these ghosts to me and then you tell me to calm down?
"Junco"—it's Gid now—"here, take this." He shoves some water at me and I take the glass. "Drink it, Junco." I do without even thinking and then hand him the glass back.
What are you doing, Sera? Why are you doing this?
Junco, this is part of the plan. Tier's plan involves raising the Djed Pillars, and that part is my plan as well. But the Seven of you need proxies. Those ghosts are your sacrifices, remember?
Sacrifices? "Oh, God!" My head falls into my hands as this new horror hits me.
Ashur Interviews Tier
I Am Just Junco - Tier Interview
Hey everyone – Ashur here… Junco asked me to introduce Tier’s interview since I happen to know him best. I thought I’d spice things up a bit and add my take on his questions…enjoy!
Character profile: Raubtier, Aves 039-1
Physical Description: 6’1, 185 lbs. black hair, green eyes. I think this is a stupid question, let’s move on. No one cares what I look like, only how well I fight. (ASHUR: I look just like him, only smarter.)
Actor who could play you in a movie: Next… (ASHUR: I agree, that’s like a total chick question.)
Job: Second in Command to Lucan, Captain of the 039. (ASHUR: So he thinks…)
Favorite gun: Whatever’s available when I need it, which isn’t often. (ASHUR: Tier only uses guns if they're handy, otherwise he’s all about slashing throats.)
Favorite MMA move: The flying knee because that throws them off every time. It’s like, splat, there goes your jaw. Bye… (ASHUR: Yeah, the flying knee is brutal. That shit totally hurts.)
Favorite Team Member: Ashur. (ASHUR: Awwwww…he loves me.)
Favorite vaca spot: Next… (ASHUR: Secretly, Tier loves Disney World)
Favorite food: I’ll eat anything, who cares? Food is food. Although Junco is an excellent cook and I enjoy her human meals. (ASHUR: Junco makes an awesome pineapple upside-down cake)
Age: In Clutch I’m 24. In Fledge and Flight I’m 25…Range takes place when I’m 27.
Birthday: I have no idea when my birthday was – sometime in the Clutch year of 2127 maybe. The only day that counts is your morphday. Mine is March 9, 2139 and since the 039 were all sent back from Earth at the same time, we all morphed together. So all the members of the 039 share the same morphday. (ASHUR: We have a raging fucking party every year. Invitation only.)
Zodiac Sign: Aquarius
Favorite Color: Black
Favorite Song: Everything by Metallica (ASHUR: Dude, do you remember that time we saw Ozzy and Metallica, and Van Halen and Metallica, and all those other times we saw Metallica? If you do, let me know – because they’re a little fuzzy in my memory for some reason….)
Words to live by: Trust me. (ASHUR: pffft.)
Perfect Saturday Night: At home with Junco. (ASHUR: Yeah, me too… except with Selia.)
Three traits that best describe me: Rational, ruthless, and loyal. (ASHUR: Well, I’d say asshole, asshole, and asshole. Is three all we get?)
What did you want to be when you grew up: A good guy. (ASHUR: Good guy? You don’t even come close, brother. Sorry.)
Day or night: Night. The best part of my day is sleeping next to Junco. (ASHUR: braggart.)
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