A Book Excerpt from The Gypsy Hunter

Hey Readers!
I am getting excited because the second book in the Hunter and Queen series is almost complete! Yippee! Yippee! I have included another excerpt from the book for you to enjoy (pre-edit before publication). The Gypsy is morphing, but she still has time to stop the process. Please enjoy this book excerpt about Sadeiq, the Gypsy.

 

The Gypsy’s Dark Lord

     Her eyes darted around the restaurant. The bamboo divides cluttered the dining area, but she didn’t care. She was hungry and starting to morph. She picked up her chopsticks and grabbed a piece of tuna; she liked this chef because he always prepared his cuts within seconds of the kill, if he didn’t already cut the meat while the fish was still alive. The gypsy dusted her sashimi with freshly harvested smelt roe; she then placed the bite into her mouth and chewed the fish flesh until it liquefied on her tongue. The Gypsy tried to enjoy her meal, but she felt nervous. She smelled darkness in the air.

     Sadeiq, the gypsy hunter, sat at the sushi bar. As she quietly chewed her raw fish, her eyes rolled back in the sockets and the whites of her eyes were exposed. Her head dropped back and her mouth opened wide. The chewed fish remains were displayed on her tongue. She stayed in this demonic looking state for several seconds, no one took notice. The sushi chef witnessed her do this before, and he assumed she was possessed; but by what he did not know. After several minutes, Sadeiq regained her composure and finished chewing her food. She swallowed, and she nervously looked at the chef and faintly smiled. She was morphing into a hunter, and she wants to stop the process. She still has time, but she must find the elements; she must find Jolán.

     Sadeiq feels a need to leave England. She wants to go to Asia for a few weeks. She can’t track down Jolán, but she feels she may have luck finding her in Asia. Sadeiq decides to book a train ticket and leave England on the next available trip. She pays for her food, and she thanks the chef for his service. As she leaves the restaurant, she thinks of her finances. Sadeiq has a lot of money, but her soul was what she cared about securing. Her soul had no price, but the Order had a contract to claim her life. Sadeiq made a bad decision, a haste decision, and she hoped she could correct her mistake and save herself from becoming a hunter. Although her train ride to Asia won’t take her to Jolán, unbeknownst to her, but the trip might bring her closer to the elements. She still has some time left, she has time to save herself from turning into a hunter for eternity.

     Within an hour of leaving the sushi bar, Sadeiq arrived at the train station. She purchased a few items, and she had a change of clothes for her trip. She knows she can purchase additional items along her journey, but she prefers to travel light. As her trip to Asia necessitates several days of travel, Sadeiq decides to reserve a sleeping cabin on the train. The Trans-Siberian Railroad traveled along beautiful landscape, but it is a very lengthy ride. Sadeiq wants her privacy.

     After her ticket was purchased, she immediately boarded the train and walked towards her cabin. Since she only had a small carry-on, she was easily checked and escorted towards the boarding area. As Sadeiq walked towards her reserved area of the train, she had another eerie feeling. She felt someone watching her; she turned around but nothing looked unusual. She continued towards her sleeper cabin. Before she reached her quarters, a tall man with grey tinged skin, black hair and aquamarine colored eyes exited the cabin directly next to where Sadeiq was booked. He surprised her, and she moved back a step as he closed his cabin door. He noticed her, and he released a sinister smile. Sadeiq lowered her eyes and stepped aside. As the man walked by, she kept her focus on the ground and quickly made her way to her room. Once inside her cabin, she put her bag on the small chair tucked under the cabin table. She sat on the bed and took a deep breath. She wanted a drink of alcohol, but she knew she couldn’t have one because she had to stay focused. The gypsy didn’t want any attention, she only wanted to stay human.

     The train left London and was headed to Russia. It would take nearly 48-hours before Sadeiq would arrive in Moscow. From Moscow she would head towards Asia. She had packed a few puzzles and a few books, so she could pass her time while in her cabin. She didn’t want to socialize while on her journey, she knew her morphing state only alarmed the unaware and alerted the aware to her identity. Sadeiq wanted to stay as below the radar from society as possible. She didn’t want to turn into a hunter.

     As the train glided over the railways, she took notice of all the beautiful trees, waterways, and green pastures on her ride. She knew her trip was on its way towards Amsterdam, and she looked forward to the 45-minute delay in the city. Sadeiq wanted to pick up some smokes; she was grateful she could still smoke. She had to stay under the radar about most everything else, but, she thought, at least there was still smoking to enjoy. She stayed in her cabin, and she watched the afternoon slowly turn to evening. She had a few hours until she arrived in Amsterdam, she decided to take a nap. She didn’t lock her cabin door.

     As Sadeiq rested on her mattress, she drifted away as the train sped over the smooth tracks of the railway. She felt the electricity in the air, and she felt the speed of the moving vessel. Although she felt rested, she didn’t feel completely safe. She never felt absolutely protected.

     Sadeiq fell asleep in her room. Her minimal belongings were still neatly packed in her travel bag. She enjoyed a deep sleep for a couple hours before her cabin door handle turned open. Once the door was open, her cabin neighbor with the aquamarine eyes entered the room. He wanted to smell her cabin, he wanted to identify her and seek her destination. He smelled her before, and he knew the smell.

     She slept quietly in her bed; her slumber was deep. Sadeiq did not know anyone had entered her room. The man roamed around the small cabin, and he kept his eyes on the gypsy. He knew what she was, and he was going to confirm his suspicion. The man walked up to the bed; he placed his hands on the wooden rails. He leaned closer and smelled her breath, he smelled her skin. Yes, he thought, he knew exactly what she was and he was excited.

     The gypsy began to stir in her bed; she tossed and turned before she opened her eyes. Her first vision was of the man standing over her bed. He immediately grabbed her hand and held it tight to his chest. Sadeiq didn’t feel a heartbeat. He grabbed her, leaned over, and forced his tongue in her mouth. She squirmed and moaned, but he read her thoughts. He could see her visions. Sadeiq tried to push the man off her, but then she relaxed and let his tongue take control. She knew he was a hunter; Sadeiq was aware he was a very important member of the Order. She received glimpses of his memories, but he blocked many images from her view. His power was stronger. Sadeiq was not fully developed; and she doesn’t want to ever transform into a hunter.

     After several long minutes, the man stopped and pulled away from Sadeiq. When he stepped away from the bed, he had some information; and he knew the gypsy was aware of the elements.
     Sadeiq looked over at the image of the tall man in the shadow, and she said, "Rupik. That’s what you want me to call you? That is your name?"
     She hated her telepathy, she knew it was part of becoming a hunter. She was nervous. A fully developed hunter had found her on her journey. She was anxious because she felt her journey put her on the radar of the aware.
     Rupik leaned in close to Sadeiq and he said, "I am watching you, gypsy. I know you have a final destination that collides with your contractual path with the Order. You can’t hide from the hunters, you can trust my words."
     He then licked her face and walked out of her room. He locked her door before he made his exit. Sadeiq felt nervous. She started to shake. Her eyes rolled back and the whites of her eyes were exposed. Her mouth was wide open, her head was completely leaned back, and she started to gently shake…..

     After several moments, Sadeiq returned to a lucid state. She needed a smoke. She couldn’t wait to get to the next stop. As she looked out of her window, she noticed the landscape had turned bleak. The pastures were dry and dead. The skies looked black, and the air was filled with smoke. Her horrors were too close for comfort. The gypsy knew she had to stay focused. Time is of the essence.