Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Firebird Manor
    Firebird Manor
    Firebird Manor
    Ebook70 pages55 minutes

    Firebird Manor

    By Orren Merton

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    Alex and her friends unwittingly awaken a murderous eldritch horror in a beachside manor. They must defeat the monster before it kills again.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherOrren Merton
    Release dateApr 2, 2015
    ISBN9780990693628
    Firebird Manor
    Author

    Orren Merton

    Orren Merton started writing fantasy and science fiction at an embarrassingly young age. In high school, he picked up guitar and start playing up and down California in a few bands. During that time, magazines, developers, and corporations began to pay him to write and edit music software related articles, manuals, and books. Since then he has written the urban fantasy novel The Deviant and the science fiction novel Skye Entity before working on his current series of YA novels. He lives in Southern California with his family, pets, collection of sci-fi/fantasy memorabilia, and curiously large stuffed animal collection.

    Read more from Orren Merton

    Related to Firebird Manor

    Related ebooks

    YA Fantasy For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    Related categories

    Reviews for Firebird Manor

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      Firebird Manor - Orren Merton

      cover.jpg

      A Sedumen Chronicles Novelette

      Firebird Manor

      Orren Merton

      ISBN-13: 978-0-9906936-2-8

      BISAC: JUV037000 (Fantasy and Magic)

      © 2015 Darkling Books. All rights reserved

      Cover by Jools

      Internal Design by Orren Merton

      Special thanks to Simon Cann, Shula Merton, and Barry Wood

      1st Printing.

      This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any living person, demon, eldritch horror, or events is purely coincidental.

      For everyone who’s been afraid of the thing in the closet

      I

      Thirteen-point-six million dollars? Rachel’s already large eyes bulge out even further.

      Martha Cullingsworth, our real estate agent, nods with exaggerated sympathy. And that’s not even in the upper ranges of prices for a five-plus bedroom house with seclusion and an ocean view here in Corona Del Mar.

      Rachel shoots me an are-you-sure-about-this wide-eyed glance, then exhales dramatically. Wearing a slight grin, Steve Kelley, her foster father, puts his arm gently on her shoulder.

      This house is really beautiful, I begin, glancing around the modern looking, two story stucco-and-glass structure. The view is amazing, as is the private gate down to the ocean.

      And don’t forget the three car garage! Ms. Cullingsworth says. That’s a real find around here.

      But my sister is right, I continue, pretending to not notice she interrupted me. This is over our budget.

      Ms. Cullingsworth looks at Mr. Kelley.

      I’m the one buying, I tell her politely, but pointedly.

      Oh, our agent says, her well-rehearsed smile not quite hiding her surprise that a just-turned nineteen year old girl is in the market for a multi-million dollar beach house. Please forgive me, Steve didn’t mention he was calling for a…relative?

      Steve and I aren’t related—but Rachel and I are, in a way. Her Sedu father is the brother of my Sedu brother, making both of us Sedumen of the House of Keroz, and Rachel my thirteen-year-old niece through our Sedu parentage. We usually just tell people we’re sisters.

      Uncle Steve knows I like to keep a low profile, I answer.

      And I do. I cover my short, dark-brown hair with a black baseball cap, and I hide my blue eyes behind black wraparound sunglasses, in case someone might recognize me.

      I see, Ms. Cullingsworth says. Are you…famous?

      I don’t want to reveal myself just yet. So I tell her the truth, while avoiding her question. I’m from old money.

      Oh, of course, Ms. Cullingsworth agrees. I can’t tell if she believes me, but clearly she wants to remain on my good side.

      It’s still early, and this house is only the first you’ve looked at, she says, her smile returning. I have some others picked out to show you as well, most of which are under ten million, but I’m afraid the view isn’t as spectacular.

      This one looks pretty amazing, Jake holds out his phone to me. It’s right off Little Corona beach, just past the corner of Poppy Avenue and Ocean Boulevard, so no seclusion, unfortunately. Google Street View shows there’s lots of foot traffic going by. That might be a deal killer. But this house has a private gate right next to the beach, and even though it’s really close to other houses, it’s separated by a tall shrub-covered wall, for even more privacy. And check it out—it’s selling for six-point-seven million, less than half the cost of the place we’re in now.

      Ooh, that’s nice, I say, taking Jake’s phone and scrolling through the pictures.

      Rachel and Jake’s fourteen-year-old brother, Josh, huddle next to me so that they can also see the photos on Jake’s phone.

      I love the architecture, Rachel says. Not just pretty, but the stonework makes it look like it could be a real extension of our House.

      Our real estate agent looks puzzled, but I know exactly what Rachel means. Our noble House in the spirit world of Sediin resembles an ancient stone castle. Buying one here that resembled a medieval manor did have a nice symmetry to it.

      It’s supposed to have six bedrooms, Jake adds. And a two car garage accessible from a shared alleyway in back.

      From the ten pictures in the online gallery it’s clear that the property has more space than any other house located on the same block as the beach. But I can’t help notice there aren’t any photos of the inside.

      Is this house on your list? I ask Ms. Cullingsworth.

      That’s not a public listing…I’m not sure how you…I hadn’t… she stammers.

      Trust me, if information is available anywhere online, Jake can access it, I say with a wry and proud smile toward Jake.

      "Hey, it

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1