Ruled by Death (Liz Baker, Book 9)

By Christie Silvers

Arriving home from captivity wasn't as smooth as Liz had hoped. There's a tension in the air. New people are running the basement command center. And all of her friends are in terrible moods. However, none of that matters right now. Their goal is to find a way to destroy The Master, and prevent his plans of destroying the world as we know it.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christie Silvers
• Release date: Dec 7, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005105112

Christie Silvers

Award-winning internationally published indie author of urban fantasy with a touch of naughtiness. Vampires, werewolves, and witches...oh my!

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Christie Silvers

Ruled by Death

Liz Baker, Book 9

First published by Christie Silvers 2021

Copyright © 2021 by Christie Silvers

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

Christie Silvers asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

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First edition

Cover art by Kelly Shorten

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Contents

Acknowledgement

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

TEN

ELEVEN

TWELVE

THIRTEEN

FOURTEEN

FIFTEEN

SIXTEEN

SEVENTEEN

EIGHTEEN

NINETEEN

TWENTY

TWENTY-ONE

TWENTY-TWO

TWENTY-THREE

TWENTY-FOUR

Epilogue

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About the Author

Also by Christie Silvers

Acknowledgement

An enormous thank you to everyone reading this. I’ve enjoyed writing about Liz and her adventures over the last eleven years. I can’t believe it’s been that long! My readers keep me going (as well as Liz’s annoying voice in the back of my mind) as the days tick by.

After the numerous changes Covid-19 brought about in everyone’s lives, 2021 has been a year of rediscovery for me. This was the first year in a very long time where I’ve been able to release several new projects. I have even bigger things planned for 2022. Including the release of the 10th and final Liz Baker book. Eek!

While I’m at it, I’d like to acknowledge my grandson, Grady. He’s such a sweet boy, and I love him with all my heart. Unfortunately, he’s also a time-suck. LOL! You can forget about me getting any work done with that little guy here. So if you follow me on any social media platform and you see me sharing his pictures, just know I didn’t get a lick of work done that day.

Love to you all, and thank you for being my readers, supporters, and some of my greatest friends.

ONE

The house was in an uproar. A group of military personnel marched from the basement to outside repeatedly. Monty moved the guards every hour to keep fresh eyes on the horizon. The men who weren’t on watch returned to the basement command post to go over every piece of intel they’d been able to find on The Master.

Monty and I were standing in the subterranean hallway leading to the command center under my house. He was about to tell me something he’d heard over radio chatter when a soldier stomped toward us. I glanced up as Monty began a small tirade.

I told you not to come back out here until you found something I could use, Monty snarled with balled fists at Aimee’s new beau, Murphy Donovan. Thankfully, Aimee wasn’t around, or else she would’ve laid into him about abuse of power and treating people like human beings.

Murphy’s eyes dropped to the floor and his hands clasped behind his straightened back. I’m sorry, sir, but Mr. Langford asked me to come get you. I didn’t trust the guy, but he didn’t deserve to be treated like that.

I placed a gentle hand on Monty’s forearm. Calm down. His narrowed eyes looked at me, questioning me as a fire burned inside him. A crease split his forehead down the middle, and he stared at me for a few seconds before it softened. He did nothing wrong. I nodded toward Murphy. He’s just the messenger.

Fine, Monty growled, throwing up his right hand. But I’ll not have Chad summoning me whenever the hell he wants. He motioned for Murphy to leave with the swat of his hand. Go do something useful, he barked, turning his back on the soldier.

Murphy dashed away, presumably to find something useful to do, but I had a feeling he would run straight to Aimee and let her know how Monty had spoken to him. Not that he was a little tattle-tell bitch, but Monty could use some new skills in the conversation department.

Aimee would be on Monty’s ass later in the day, and I really couldn’t blame her. She was all tied up with that guy and not about to let anyone push him around. The girl gained some attitude in the weeks I’d been overseas. I needed to take a few minutes and sit down for a conversation with my little sister to see how she’s really doing with all this mess.

There was a drastic shift in the atmosphere around the house since I’d left. I could feel it with every interaction I witnessed. Something had happened, and not just my disappearance. My family had been through a rough time in my absence; I just hoped they’d make it past the tension and return to normal after we finish off The Master.

I can’t believe you, Monty grumbled.

Me? I pointed to my chest. "You can’t believe me? Standing a little taller, I stepped closer to him. How about I can’t believe you? Why are you being this way?"

He groaned and turned away. Oh no, you don’t. I grabbed his arm and pulled him back. You don’t just walk away. He glared at me. Tell me what has happened. Why are you being this way? You’ve never snapped at your men like this before.

You want to know? he asked. His face took on a determined, rebellious look. "You really want to know?"

I nodded. Uh, yeah. I rolled my eyes. Duh.

You! he shouted. You’re the reason everyone is stressed the fuck out right now!

People passing through the hallway froze and looked our way. Their eyes searching us to decide if this was a dangerous situation to be handled or just a quarrel between close friends. I glared at them and flicked a hand for them to continue on their way. They did as instructed, and soon the hallway emptied again.

Monty turned his back on me once more. Oh, hell no you don’t! I snapped, running around to face him. You won’t put all your shit on me. I stepped toe-to-toe, staring into his eyes, anger fueling my every word at that point. "Not everything is my fault. I poked him in the chest with a pointy fingernail. I had to protect you… both of you. Throwing a hand up in the air, I screamed, Hell, all of you! Tears pooled in my eyes as the anger coursed through my veins. What else could I do?" A sob caught in my throat.

He leaned in closer, towering over me. His face softened, and he wrapped his arms around me. As he pulled me tightly against his body, I inhaled his earthy scent. He always smelled like freshly cut grass, the forest after a rain, a warm summer day. His body was always several degrees warmer than mine, and I especially enjoyed it during the middle of winter. You could just sit near him and soak in the radiant heat coming off his werewolf body.

I’m sorry, he whispered, pressing his face to the top of my head. I shouldn’t have said that. Every muscle in his body seemed to wrap around me. Strength emitted from every stretch and twist of the sinew beneath his flesh. The brand on my wrist warmed, and I knew from past experiences it was probably glowing, as was Monty’s. You don’t know the pain I felt while you were gone, he continued.

I think I do, I said, my voice muffled against his chest. Monty’s rhythmic rubbing of my back lulled me into a calmness I hadn’t felt in a while. I sighed heavily, and my nerves relaxed. He pulled me tighter, and I didn’t resist.

A sudden cough pulled us apart instantly. I straightened and smoothed down the front of my shirt before looking up. Monty ran a hand through his hair and took two steps away from me.

I’m sorry to interrupt, Chad started. His eyes full of hatred and a frown pulled the corners of his lips downward. But I asked Donovan to come get you. There’s something you, he glanced over at me, both of you need to see.

I wanted to go to him. Assure him nothing was going on. But I knew Chad, and that would be a terrible idea at this moment. It would definitely make things worse. Anything having to do with Monty was an explosion waiting to happen.

It had been a few days since his late night bedtime proposal, and neither of us had spoken about it since. I hoped he was waiting for all The Master stuff to be over with, and to see how many of us came out alive, before pushing the subject. We couldn’t very well plan a wedding, with the world’s destruction looming over our heads every second. Now could we?

I’ll fix this, I told myself. They’ll both forgive me, eventually. I didn’t know how I’d fix it, but I had to do something.

Lead the way. I smiled, rushing to Chad’s side. What is it this time? Satellite images of The Master’s castle? Or maybe a drone shot of a new monster? I asked.

Something like that, Chad grumbled. I sidled up against him and smiled wickedly, nudging him with my elbow. He didn’t pull away, but he also didn’t reciprocate. Monty fell in step several paces behind, and we walked down the hallway to the command center door.

Chad opened the door and held it for me. I slipped in, but he cut Monty off to keep himself between us. There was so much tension in the air it made me nervous. Something had to give before they killed each other. One way or another, we needed to figure out how to handle the pull between me and Monty. There had to be a way to squash it before things got too far out of hand. It wasn’t like I’d been all up in Amanda Lou’s business since her brand appeared. Why was it only Monty I had this unyielding pull toward?

Ah, you made it. A woman I didn’t know addressed us from behind a desk on the other side of the large room.

Screens, desks, and computers lined the walls. Soldiers mulled about the room, flipping through papers, staring at screens, or leaning over desks to look at something someone else was showing them. There was so much activity and chatter, it was a sensory overload for a few seconds.

I looked around the room for a moment longer. I don’t know anyone in here, I mused. Even the layout had changed. More equipment meant more people to run it.

We change people out regularly, Monty said as he slipped past me and walked over to the woman across the room. This is Sergeant Leonard. She is our satellite specialist. She stood, smiling timidly, and reached out her hand.

I stepped forward and shook her hand. Nice to meet you, I said, returning the smile. Satellite specialist? She nodded. Wow, that’s amazing. She released me, and I took in her demeanor.

Sergeant Leonard gave off a polite vibe. Nothing about her made my enemy senses blare in my ears, or my powers slither to the surface, ready for battle. She was taller than me, probably closer to six feet, and had a slender, athletic frame. She had pulled her dark brown hair into a tight bun at the back of her head. Her eyes were almost as dark as her hair, reminding me of freshly roasted coffee beans. She wasn’t wearing any sort of uniform—most of our soldiers didn’t—but a pair of black denim pants and a long-sleeved tee shirt with ARMY written across the front. She finished the outfit off with black military-style boots and a silver watch on her left wrist.

It’s so nice to finally meet you, Ms. Baker, she said. Her voice was even and confident, with a twinkle to the tone.

Oh, please, I swatted a hand at her. Just call me Liz. Everyone else does.

Enough of the pleasantries, Chad interrupted with a frown. Maybe we should look at what Sergeant Leonard has found?

Of course, sir. She nodded toward the enormous television screen on the wall directly behind her desk. As you can see here, she clicked a button on her laptop and the screen flickered from black to prominently green. She pointed to a small spot in the middle, and the screen zoomed in closer. There has been a lot of movement on the estate in the last two days.

It took a moment, and some squinting, before I realized we were staring at an aerial view of The Master’s castle and surrounding grounds. My stomach dropped as I saw what she pointed at.

This woman appears to be orchestrating a move of immense size.

I interrupted, my voice barely above a whisper. That’s no woman. It’s Demon Dolly.

Who? Sergeant Leonard asked, looking from Chad to Monty.

I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen. Minor details jumped out. The Master’s limo parked in front of the castle, presumably awaiting his arrival. It was daylight when these images were taken, so he wouldn’t have been out there then. But who knows a few hours later after the sun went down?

When were these taken? I asked, looking over at Chad.

Yesterday, I think. He looked to Sergeant Leonard. Right?

She nodded and pulled up the next image. Here’s where the really interesting stuff happens. I looked up. A line of vehicles arrived in the morning and a small group of people went into the building. It was several hours later before they exited, and even then they appeared to be coordinated and running through numerous military-style drills.

I turned away from the screen and walked to the exit. All of this had my nerves on edge. I couldn’t just stand here staring at a screen. Action had to be taken to prepare for The Master’s arrival, and this wasn’t it.

Where are you going? Monty asked. Concern covered his face. I felt his aching pull at my heart.

Chad stepped over and took my hand. Don’t go, he whispered, leaning in close. Let me come with you.

I gave him a curt nod and turned back to Monty. Sergeant Leonard looked up at him and then back to me. Her eyes told a story of lust for the werewolf I was in no mood to deal with. The Master is on his way.

How do you know? Monty asked.

I shook my head. I know what I’m talking about. He’s on his way. We might have a week to prepare. Maybe less. But definitely no more.

War was coming to Georgia. Preparations needed to be made.

I looked at Chad, and he opened the door for me. We have to get everyone together. Glancing over my shoulder as I walked out, I shouted to Monty, There’s no time to waste. Meet us in the sitting-room.

TWO

It didn’t take long to assemble everyone. In thirty minutes, they were all standing around the sitting room waiting for me to explain something… anything. However, I didn’t really know where to start.

Monty explained what we saw on the satellite feed. He looked over at me. According to the images there, it looks like The Master is on the move with a small army of his own. It’ll only be a matter of days before he arrives. After that, who knows how long he’ll wait to attack.

Look, I interrupted, holding up a hand. There’s a lot I need to tell all of you, and there’s a lot we don’t know yet. So why not have a seat and get this over with? I motioned toward the chairs and sofa. Wherever you are most comfortable is fine by me.

I stood there watching everyone choose their seats. Monty