Talons: The Idol Demons, #2

By Sazora Stone

A shy, luckless wallflower

A wild, gorgeous K-pop idol

And a very naughty bird.

Hapless recluse Melanie nearly dies of shame when she allows her father's best bird of prey to escape and fly onto the set of a music video.

When she attempts to retrieve the raptor, she encounters Raven, the lead dancer of idol super-group Sasin, and her favorite member of the band.

Later that day, she receives an offer she can't refuse and agrees to participate in a test of a new virtual reality system. Not having a clue what to expect, Melanie is thrown headlong into a wild, medieval adventure based on a book she used to love.

The experience brings her out of her shell and leads to the promise of everything she desires, including the affections of the man of her dreams.

When hearts take flight, magical things can happen.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sazora Stone
• Release date: Apr 13, 2024
• ISBN: 9780645997231

Sazora Stone

Sazora is a huge fan of paranormal fantasies and romance, often immersing herself in worlds of imagination. Her writing is influenced by a wide range of authors including Jane Austen, J.R.R. Tolkien, Anne McCaffrey, Isaac Asimov, Terry Pratchett and many others. She's a big fan of K-pop and decided to combine it with her passion for writing, developing the concept for a paranormal series based around this subject. It took her over two years to create the complex storyline for her paranormal romance and fantasy adventure saga 'The Idol Demons' which will span several books. Her adult tales are designed to be punchy and fun, so expect a lot of twists and turns as the characters progress through the over-arching story. Sazora creates all the artwork for her books and social media, as it inspires all kinds of wonderful ideas which she can then integrate into her stories. When she isn't writing or doing something related to it, this witchy creature enjoys dabbling in the occult, playing PC games, watching movies, or attempting to do some craft while she listens to music. You can find out more about Sazora, her books or just chat with her via any of her social media accounts. The easiest way to stay up to date with new releases and novels is to sign up to her newsletter or follow her on your favorite platform.

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Copyright

Talons by Sazora Stone

© 2024 Sazora Stone

ISBN: 978-0-6459972-3-1

All rights reserved . No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except as permitted by copyright law. For permissions contact Sazora Stone through her website.

Cover art, interior art & Map by Sazora Stone. © 2024 Sazora Stone. All images created by the author, with select elements used under license (paid and Creative Commons). 

No AI software has been used in the creation of this story.

Disclaimer

This is a completely fictional story. The names, characters and incidents portrayed have been created by the writer. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, and products is intended or should be inferred.

Content Warnings

Please be aware this tale contains mature themes and language. References to demons and paranormal happenings are also present.

The Idol Demons series is intended for adult readers. Full details of all content warnings are available on Sazora Stone’s website.  

Introduction

This time its luckless recluse Melanie’s turn to enter the mysterious Dreamgate.

Tired and distracted after seeing Sasin perform live, the shy blonde makes a fateful mistake which changes the course of her life. When she ends up on the set of a music video, it leads to an encounter with Raven, the group’s infamous lead dancer. Afterwards, she receives an offer she can’t refuse and agrees to participate in a test of a new virtual reality system.

Not having a clue what to expect, Melanie is thrown headlong into a wild, medieval adventure based on a book she used to love. The experience brings her out of her shell and leads to the promise of everything she desires, including the man of her dreams.

The Idol Demons is a set of paranormal fantasy romances about the adventures of five friends who become involved with an enigmatic new Korean idol group called Sasin. The underlying story is an absorbing, tangled mystery that will keep you guessing right till the end.

In the first stage of the series, each of the characters enters the mysterious ‘Dreamgate’ for an incredibly realistic virtual date with their favorite member of the group. They embark on extraordinary adventures where romance blossoms against the backdrop of their personal fantasy worlds.

It soon becomes clear nothing is what it seems, as they are drawn into intrigues which will eventually lead them back to the little town where they grew up. As they unearth the truth about Sasin, they learn many things about themselves and find unexpected love. Some of it is sweet, some is scorching hot. None of it will be forgettable.

Want to keep up to date on the series? Follow me on social media or join my newsletter via my website for information about book releases, discounts, giveaways and more!

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In this series, Nevari Island is the fictitious place where most of the stories occur. It is a location within our world which wasn’t discovered until recently.

Chapter 1 - Birds of a Feather

It was a brand new day, full of promise, hope, and the anticipation of wonderful things.

What a shame Melanie was greeting it with all the enthusiasm of a lethargic turtle.

Releasing a groan, she turned over in bed and pulled the sheets over her head as she settled back down to sleep. She had been at a huge concert the night before, and was so exhausted she could barely open her eyes, let alone face the day.

Melanie had just seen Sasin, the latest K-pop sensation, in what had to be one of the most amazing spectacles ever created on a stage. The group’s show had blown her mind, making her scream and yell like she was a boisterous teenager again.  

From the moment the band appeared through a huge glowing portal, she couldn’t tear her eyes away from them. When she spotted Raven, her favorite member of the group, she went into a catatonic state and nearly fainted from lack of air.

She was still finding it hard to believe she had actually seen him in the flesh.

In fact, Melanie was pretty amazed she had made it to the concert at all, as she absolutely loathed huge public events. Despite her fears, she had trusted in the company of her friends, knowing they would help to ease her crippling social anxiety. When she felt the infectious excitement emanating from them, she was able to face the immense crowd of thirty thousand people.

Ultimately, the concert had proven to be well worth her sufferances.

Sasin lived up to their reputation of delivering high-powered, raunchy performances, and Melanie was so exhausted by the end she could barely stand. After three hours of watching them onstage, she felt like she had been thoroughly ravished by an enthusiastic lover.

Fortunately, she didn't have to endure the arduous two-hour journey back to her home after the show had concluded. Maeve, her sister, had accompanied Melanie to the show and provided her with a place to stay overnight. Her older sibling owned a townhouse conveniently located just a few blocks from the stadium, allowing them to get there by foot.

This had been the biggest outing Melanie had been on in years, and she was surprised to find she enjoyed staying over in Maeve’s palatial four-story home. Her old friend Catlin was currently living there too, so she also got the chance to spend some quality time with her and her two young sons.

After Sasin’s concert, the three women were still buzzing with excitement when they returned to Maeve’s abode. They stayed up late, raving about the performance until their exhilaration finally ebbed away in the early hours.

Maeve had insisted they have a nightcap, which quickly extended into a series of delicious, intoxicating drinks. After the third Brandy Alexander, Melanie’s voice was distinctly slurred as she babbled on about Raven, the group’s principal dancer.

In the end, she lost count of how many drinks she had before staggering upstairs to the guest bedroom.

No wonder she was completely trashed today.

Cursing her older sibling’s ability to mix an amazing cocktail, Melanie released a tremendous groan as she rolled over in bed. She knew it was probably time to rise, but the effort was going to take every ounce of strength she possessed. Reaching out to collect her phone, she discovered it wasn’t on the bedside table where she could’ve sworn she left it last night.  

It was on the floor.

Several feet away.

Forced to leave the bed, she grunted and grumbled as she flopped onto the carpet and crawled over to her phone. After numerous attempts, she picked it up and touched its screen before gazing blearily through the yellow haze of her messed-up hair.

There was a string of incoming calls and messages filling the display, all of them from her dad.

Crap, Melanie muttered, slowly sitting up and pushing her hair back from her face.

Her father knew how to compose a brief text, so she could see he was telling her about a last-minute booking he had received today. She went into a panic, and immediately returned his call, then had to suffer through the resulting exchange.

Hello sweetheart! her dad said cheerily.

Attempting to respond, all that came out of Melanie’s mouth was a grunt.

Are you okay?

I just woke up, she rasped.

I’m sorry to bother you after your big night out. I just got a really big booking and I’m going to need your help. Can you be ready in an hour?

Yeah, sure.

Alright. I’m already on the road, so I’ll pick you up soon, he said before hanging up.

Melanie turned over onto her back, releasing a huge sigh as she summoned up the strength to get to her feet.

Her father, Robert Benning, kept a collection of birds on the family’s expansive property in the highlands of Nevari Island. He was an experienced falconer and turned his hobby into a small business when he retired from military service. In recent times, he had raised a handful of raptors with the right kind of temperament for appearing at public events.

Melanie had been working with him for several years, applying what she had learned whilst she was studying veterinary science. The quiet blonde loved using her knowledge to help her dad, and was grateful that she got to do it from the comfort of her home.

These days, she rarely left her abode, especially to travel to the island’s capital down on the coast. She had never been fond of Howland city, not in the least because the humidity could get so high it would feel like an enormous sauna.

She was perfectly content to stay in the little hamlet where she was born, as it was much cooler in the elevated interior of the island. Now twenty-six, it seemed like this was the place where Melanie was meant to live out the rest of her days in peaceful solitude.

Occasionally, she would be forced to leave the sanctuary of her home when her father received a booking for one of his birds. Melanie knew he was likely to select a raptor which loved to be the center of attention, but it was also the most mischievous creature he owned. 

Once she had managed to rise from the floor, she headed straight downstairs to get a coffee, wearing just a long t-shirt and knickers. The guest bedroom was located in a converted attic, so she had to navigate a few flights of stairs to reach the ground floor kitchen.

After surviving the descent, Melanie was nearly undone by some obstacles scattered around the floor. She gasped in shock when she barely avoided going head-first over a plastic tricycle sitting in the middle of the hall.

Immediately cursing the two young boys who lived here, she then remembered they weren’t the ones responsible for the misplaced toys. Wincing, she recalled the children’s sleepy glares as they watched the three women attempting to ride their little bikes in the wee hours of the night.

Melanie slapped a hand to her forehead, knowing there wasn’t enough ice cream in the world to make up for what she had done. Trying not to dwell on her shame, she moved the tricycle under the stairs before shuffling into the kitchen to brew up a strong coffee.

It