Double Deal: The Elf Girl Effect Trilogy, #2

By Jonathan Evan Hudson

A thrilling chase full of epic battles and seductive elf girls. But can Roo uncover the truth about the war threatening their world?

A magical knight sworn to protect humanity Roo Vorshaya loves action and adventure. With his unique powers he crushes most monsters. And outwits the most powerful.

Together with his childhood love Roo seeks the truth behind the war threatening their world.

If they survive long enough ...

If you enjoyed the adventure of The Elf Girl Effect, don't miss the spellbinding sequel to The Elf Girl Effect: Double Deal!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Swordpulp Studios
• Release date: Jun 17, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201427870

Jonathan Evan Hudson

Widely traveled, Jonathan Evan Hudson spends as much time studying life as he does writing gripping tales of fantastic adventures. From the giant redwoods of California to the deserts of Israel, his thrilling stories all draw on first-hand experiences and expand them with the fantastic and his acclaimed creativity.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Roo

Time to once again savor the sight of apples roasted beyond reproach at the stand Roo Vorshaya first met Peaches.

His cheeks even blazed as hot as the steaming apples at the very thought of being here once again, waiting for her once again at one of his most favorite places in Appleharth, and just eyeballing those elegant apples carved soft and carefully along in the spokes of the stand’s two wheels …

His stomach growled louder than any monster eager for tasty elf girl.

Despite his morning breakfast of roasted peach slices because why not? Peaches would love the physical pun.

Yup!

And the apple goo dripped all over the stand. Its table was carved full of wood imprints of leafy apples—just like the orchards full of apples just beyond the town’s gates. Orchards that the two of them used to raid all the time as little obnoxious brats, ha!

And just like the first time he met her, there was only one roasted apple on a stick left.

Perfect.

Good thing the road the behind Roo was more than wide enough for wagons to rush passed in both directions and leave plenty of space for passerbiers as well. The squeals and cries of their wheels, the grunts and stinks of the oxen pulling them, nope, no matter.

The day was as clear and bright as a steaming hot summer day should be. And as dry as the best kind of ale. The kind of ale Roo downed plenty of just last night to celebrate his coming mission with her.

No.

Today, it was drier. Way drier.

Damn, did he want a drink, and not just a single mug of mead. But it was so dry, sucking up the goo all over that stand’s table started to sound like a fantastic idea, especially if he left some for when Peaches finally got here.

His dragon scale took the worst of the heat. From his jerkin, cowled cloak, and to his belt and slacks, all pale blue dragon scale earned as one of the last members of the Vorshaya Clan.

Yup.

That Vorshaya Clan. The once, very badassed clan that got nearly wiped out protecting the greatest of the great Oak of Ages, the source of all lightful magic from … something.

Something he’d hunt down and deal with himself.

No, not just himself, him and Peaches now.

They both now knew that vampire lord Carmilla had something to do with it, but neither of them were strong enough to defeat her and her minions directly, so time to get stronger.

Lots stronger.

And ready for battle the moment Peaches arrived.

He had his pair of sabers strapped to his waist along with his trusty whip. One saber was the bluest, sharpest cold silver—a bane toward dark demons like orcs—and the other, the blackest sharpest cold steel, a stronger variant of cold iron, a bane to lightful demons like elves. His whip was made of pretty strong scarlet dragon scales, along with the dragon magic woven strongly within the whip itself.

Overall, they were good for both offense and defense, against magical and nonmagical trouble too.

Sort of.

As long as he didn’t whip his eye out, like his mother often teased, and yet hopefully never would, actually.

Just as important, he had a pair of trusty arm guards. Both were cold silver and cold steel forged together. His left could extend into a shield. The right into a miniature bow with a string of holy blue magic so with the correct motion, it would fire bolts of holy blue light or unholy violet magic.

Perfect for a True TriCross Knight such as himself.

His heart raced for the coming battle.

For the girl she would soon fight along.

And nothing, absolutely nothing raced his heart like that elven fragrance of hers. That whiff of the sweetest of peaches and cream musk in this sweet sweltering hot afternoon.

And nothing sent a colder chill down his spine than the hint of hungry serpent, of a savage dragon, following her.

From behind.

Chapter 2

Peaches

Peaches felt lighter than that chipmunk darting across the gravel road, even if she was currently in the middle of the town of Appleharth. She couldn’t help but savor the sight of that all-too-familiar apple cart. Its odd pair of huge wheels with its silly apple-themed spokes. Its table with all the apple imprints. And best of all …

Roasted crisp apples of the reddest, sweetest sort.

Enough that a single whiff was so sweet it was already making her a tad drunk. Never mind the goo everywhere. She’d soon be drunker than a keg of ale would make her beloved Roo, and he wasn’t the heavyweight drinker that he thought he was either.

Peaches even went with her traditional elf minidress. The slutty bright green one with its slutty wide notch down the middle, showing plenty of her chest, ruby bra of heart-shaped cups, and plenty of sexy midsection all for Roo leer happy at and sate his silly obsession with smutty elf girls.

Especially with smutty her.

Her stiletto heeled boots clonked the cobble louder that then rooster calling out the sun. They even tried to peck at her for daring to challenge them more than the rising morning sun did.

She really was over the lightspawn mind twister nonsense and she wanted everyone here to know it. From the colorful timber-framed houses painted full of apples to the hawkers at each and every stall selling apple themed anything. She wanted them to know, be certain that she really wanted to help protect them from other elves caught up by those awful mind twisters.

Convince them to forgive the elves too.

Maybe.

Hopefully.

Maybe one day … those slim black lampposts of cold iron would no longer need to house fairies lamped against their will. It blocked the full extent of her foresense. As a genie bound to Roo, her foresense wasn’t completely blocked, only some, but right now …

The hackles on her neck shot high into the sky, higher than any arrow of light she could fire, and she could summon a bow of light and fire plenty of arrows of light right now. Summon it quicker than any elf in her generation. Fire it quicker and more deadly too. Guy or girl.

And the stiletto heels of her thigh boots could double as sly alicorn daggers.

Yet where was the danger coming from …

Roo was right ahead of her. His lean and mean build helped him take down more than a few enemies. Technically, herself included, at the time, but let’s not dwell on that. His blue dragon scale armor protected him ever more so than her own regeneration and extra lives protected her. His sabers sent a chill down her spin, especially that cold iron saber, but elves were enemies for the moment.

His whip … it was out?

Wait. Above him. On the jetties. The size of a large housecat, and as pitch black, but the form of a dragon.

A night nixie!

Deadly to the bite—and it was about to dive right at Roo!

Peaches whipped out her bow. Watch out!

He even said the same thing?

She didn’t hesitate.

The nixie dragon dived at Roo. Just as she fired.

It dodged her first arrow.

But not her second.

Crack!

A serpentine scream above her head?

You were followed by a dragon, Roo said.

Peaches nodded. You too.

Roo hopped over and gave her such a tender warm hug.

And my favorite elf genie saved me, he said, and smooched her warm and lusty right on the lips.

She smooched him good right back. Then sighed.

Report to Crow? she said.

Yeah, he said, But first …

And he more than eyeballed the last apple. He flipped a coin to the slim stiff hawker behind the cart, and that hawker was in bright red and white striped everything.

For you, he said, My love.

And for you, she said, My sweet love.

And together they held the stick holding the roasted apple. Munched their half, and what a gooey sweet half it was!

Ending with a mutual, even sweeter kiss.

When a sinister but playful giggle erupted above them both.

Chapter 3

Roo

That strange girly giggle … even with his lips cooling from that warm kiss from Peaches, Roo didn’t let go of the gooey stick holding a nice gooey chunk of apple.

Not yet.

The timber-framed house was like an upside-down pyramid of red jetties, white crosses, and amber walls. The ground floor had walls of roughly hewed stone and was painted full of bright red apples like most of the ground floors in this town.

But the giggle came from higher.

Above the windowless ground floor all three rows of windows were shuttered, painted full of more apples, but their windowsills were full of unharmed and incredibly fragrant red roses whose thorny vines tangled the shutters solidly shut.

And the giggle came from outside, not inside—probably.

But … how could anyone open those windows without damaging the rose vines? People in Appleharth loved opening their windows during the day. Especially during apple festivals.

In fact, an apple festival was coming up later today.

With the sun blazing overhead, the apple cart wasn’t shadowed by anything either. Not by the jetties right above it. Not the least by any of the floors overhanging the lower floors.

Nor whoever was above them.

Peaches was already beside Roo. Her peaches and cream musk almost distracting him as much as it usually did. Making his heart race loud and clear. Even in moments like this. But they hadn’t had the chance to bathe together.

Yet.

But later … very much maybe. Supposedly. Since the apple festival included some much beloved girlie mud wrestling.

And wow, did Peaches love herself some mud wrestling wins. Least back in their kiddie days. Especially when the reward was a whole apple pie.

Or even a whole entire peach pie.

Just like the pies cooling on the windowsill on the top floor. Steaming hot and fresh and incredibly fragrant.

Why the top floor and not closer to the bottom … strange. Ovens usually were heavy enough to be on lower floors. If not the ground floor. Shared by all everyone in the building too—if the building had one.

Usually people bought their bread and baked goods from the bakery down this street. And no, the bakery rarely sold the pies so fresh they were still steaming when they got back to their apartment.

But on the pitched tiled rooftop … on the last jetty Roo spotted the source of the giggle.

Another elf girl.

Almost as gorgeous as Peaches too.

Her peaches and cream skin was tanned a lovely crisp wow. Her body was curved slim in the right places and