Tour Stop, Excerpt & Giveaway: Lincoln by Christina Bauer

As I ride Nightshade into camp, we slow to a walk. At this point, there shouldn’t be anyone running around the compound, but you never know. My horse’s hooves make sloshing sounds in the mud as I navigate through the labyrinth of cabins. Some places are neatly closed up. Others have open doors, the cabin’s interior showing as a mess of quickly piled belongings. Once Armageddon invaded, everyone was forced to evacuate through the temporary Pulpitum station. Clearly, some people handled the rush better than others.

I make a mental note to send servants back here to go through the cabins, inventory leftover items, and ensure they get to their rightful owners. My court wasn’t pleased to be stuck in Purgatory. Leaving in a rush for Armageddon would only make things worse. The least we can do is ensure they get their things.

I turn down the so-called street which holds my old cabin.

Beyond the spindly trees, the horizon line starts to lighten. Between nightfall and morning, there’s a certain kind of magic in the air. That power attracts some demon breeds to cause trouble. Shape shifters, mostly. And although there haven’t been many demons by our compound, that was mostly because the place was overrun with thrax. Now that my people have left, I’d expect more demons to poke about.

All of which is why I’m not surprised when I see a wispy shape before my cabin. Could be a shape shifter. Or a muto demon. Perhaps even a false vision from a hedge witch. As Night walks me closer, my blood freezes. The shape is none of those things.

It’s Myla.

And she’s a ghost.

Terror rattles through my nervous system. I slide off Night and race over to the spectral version of Myla. My girl hunches over in pain.

“Lincoln,” she moans.

I kneel before her, tilting my head to catch her line of vision. “I’m here.”

“Some thrax asshole in a toga showed up. He wants me to serve him for eternity.” She hisses in a breath. “I told him to fuck off.”

I recall what happened with Devak, Silvinio and Jali. “This happened to some of my ministers. They were approached by the Tithe, too.”

She hisses in a pained breath. “What does he want with me?”

“You have angelic blood; he’s obsessed with angels. Beyond that, I don’t know.”

She hunches over into a crouch. “It hurts.”

“That happened to Jali. It’s because you’re not accepting the change. Keep fighting. If you stop and give in, he’ll turn you into an effigy.”

She looks up at me through her mass of hair. “A what?”

“A stone soldier that will serve him forever. That won’t happen, though. I’m coming for you.”

“Then we’ll kill that dickhead.”

“Yes, we will. I promise.”

“Good.” Myla falls over and moans. A moment later, her ghostly self vanishes. I race over to Night, ready to hoist myself back on her saddle and return to Myla’s house. Her body is still alive, even if her ghost has been separated. At least, that’s what happened with Jali, Devak and Silvinio. I must get her physical self to safety. I set my foot in the stirrup, ready to mount Night and take off. That’s when I hear it.

A low moan.

And it’s coming from my cabin.

All the hair on my neck stands on end. I’d know that particular voice anywhere.

It can’t be.

Once again, I set both feet on solid ground. My hurt thuds against my rib cage. I rush over to my cabin and throw open the door.

Walker lies on the floor. The back of his head is a mass of blood.

I race inside. “Walker!”