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.

    A Demon Born
    A Demon Born
    A Demon Born
    Ebook100 pages1 hour

    A Demon Born

    By Jae Holt

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    Demons are born of souls filled with rage, despair, or hate. Solus is one such demon who has paid the price to seek revenge - so that he may take back what he lost. Clinging to the shreds of his humanity, Solus struggles to become the powerful demon his master believes him to be without fully losing himself to the darkness. Every day he fights for a dream he is starting to fear will not come true. Filled with the need for revenge, Solus hunts his enemies and searches for the key to reaching his goal - but has he lost what was left of his soul? A sequel to the novel, CIRCLES, discover how Solus becomes a demon, and the conflict he battles within him.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherJae Holt
    Release dateOct 9, 2014
    ISBN9781310173325
    A Demon Born
    Author

    Jae Holt

    I am a writer of contemporary fantasy stories filled with adventure that takes place in our everyday world, where readers discover the extraordinary in an otherwise ordinary life.My own world is filled with memories of sandy beaches and clear blue water crested with foamy white, overlaid with the emerald-green forests and majestic peaks draped in their own white cloaks that now surround me. The days are filled with favorite books and favorite shows. The sounds of family mix with rural whispers, and the occasional commotion of trying to scare deer from our fruit trees.I traveled the world through the books and stories that complemented the people I have come across. Through both, I learned of the power in community, the strength in culture, and the flexibility in family ties.I grew up thinking my life was uneventful. But it turns out it was quite eventful indeed. The many friends, family, and acquaintances I have met enriched my world and influenced who I am today. And the best way I can think of to thank everyone who has entered my life is to write.And so, I write. What stories would you like me to tell?

    Related to A Demon Born

    Related ebooks

    Fantasy For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      How White Supremacists Used Mardi Gras to Enforce Racial Division

      Aug 4, 2020

      The stage is arranged, the Ku-Klux pageant begins. On March 4, 1867, a Monday at 10 am, 2,000 firemen jostle left and right into parade columns on Canal Street, near the levee of the river. Their costume is full dress uniform. Marshals from the Firem

      5 min read

    • Article

      Mrs Simpson Learns A Lesson

      Jul 29, 2021

      Mrs Simpson Learns A Lesson
      4 min read

    • Article

      Scoundrel’s Lair

      Jul 9, 2023

      Scoundrel’s Lair
      5 min read

    • Article

      Centre Of The Racial Divide

      Nov 6, 2022

      Centre Of The Racial Divide
      2 min read

    • Article

      Celebrating The Cycle Of Life

      May 26, 2022

      “Not all the water in the rough rude sea Can wash the balm from the anointed King.” RICHARD II. Not the best king to model the indelibility of kingship, you might think. But Shakespeare uses this line to frame not only his play about the doomed child

      3 min read

    • Article

      Letter From Cincinnati

      Sep 19, 2022

      Letter From Cincinnati
      5 min read

    • Article

      The Waste Land turns 100

      Oct 19, 2022

      The Waste Land turns 100
      5 min read

    • Article

      The Devil’s Dictionary

      Jul 6, 2021

      Select entries from Ambrose Bierce’s lexicon of cynicism, bitterness, and humor, produced over a 30-year period beginning in 1881. APOLOGIZE, v.i. To lay the foundation for a future offence. BARD, n. A person who makes rhymes. The word is one of the

      4 min read

    • Article

      La Otra Historia

      Jun 30, 2022

      La Otra Historia
      14 min read

    • Article

      Francis Spufford Vividly Recreates an 18th-Century New York in ‘Golden Hill’

      Jul 26, 2018

      Dear Reader, envision that Village which grew upon the southern strand of that isle of Manhattoes: a Lenape settlement purchased for 60 guilders and named for Amsterdam, later to be acquired by gunships of King James, and her wooden-legged governor r

      7 min read

    • Article

      The Gall Of Saul

      Nov 30, 2023

      ● I HEAR THINGS ARE PRETTY rocky over in the Middle East, but how infinitely more dreadful had the Cambridge “Uni” production of Handel’s Saul actually gone ahead! Just in time, thank God, they realised how inflammatory it would be to perform this un

      3 min read

    • Article

      Desert Flower

      Aug 5, 2021

      Desert Flower
      2 min read

    • Article

      Spell

      Apr 25, 2018

      Spell
      4 min read

    • Article

      Every Pronoun Must Go

      Apr 30, 2019

      Every Pronoun Must Go
      2 min read

    • Article

      Commonplace Book

      Sep 1, 2021

      If any question why we died, Tell them, because our fathers lied. —Rudyard Kipling, “Epitaphs of the War,” The Years Between, 1919 She consulted me, a glance, and said: “I think not anything off the wagon. It arrives too quickly. Let’s have somethi

      4 min read

    • Article

      Finding Facts In Fiction

      Mar 12, 2021

      Finding Facts In Fiction
      10 min read

    • Article

      Turning Heads

      Jun 17, 2022

      Turning Heads
      4 min read

    • Article

      Stop Hating on Adjectives!

      Jun 12, 2019

      A common admonition in creative writing pedagogy is, “Cut as many adjectives as possible.” I propose that this rule springs from mere prejudice. The post Stop Hating on Adjectives! appeared first on The Millions.

      7 min read

    • Article

      The Devil Strides Our Countryside

      Jan 26, 2023

      TO SEND REVIEW COPIES, CONTACT THE BOOK REVIEWS EDITOR AT DVBARRETT@FORTEANTIMES.COM Jeremy Harte Reaktion Books 2022 Hb, 296pp, £15.99, ISBN 9781789146509 One of the most beloved of Doctor Who stories has long been 1971’s “The Daemons”. Over the cou

      15 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for A Demon Born

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      A Demon Born - Jae Holt

      A Demon Born

      Jae Holt

      This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, places, and events are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

      Copyright © 2014 Jae Holt

      Cover illustration © 2014 by Laura Henion

      Cover Design by Lake Joy Design

      Smashwords Edition

      Smashwords Edition, License Notes

      All rights reserved. This book remains the copyrighted property of the author, and no part of it may be reproduced or redistributed to others for commercial or non-commercial purposes without permission. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage your friends to download their own copy from their favorite authorized retailer. Thank you for your support.

      Dedication

      I would like to dedicate this novella to my wonderful family, for their patience while I juggled writing and daily life. This also goes out to my talented editor and cover designer, without them this work would be nothing but words on a page living on my hard drive.

      Table of Contents

      Chapter 1

      Chapter 2

      Chapter 3

      Chapter 4

      Chapter 5

      Chapter 6

      Chapter 7

      Chapter 8

      Keep Reading: Excerpt from Circles

      About the Author

      Chapter 1

      The bright oranges and reds of the market stalls filled the vast open-air bazaar with fire. Cobbled streets grew warm under the late morning sun, promising that the occasional breeze from the fortified bay would offer little comfort later on. The salty scent of the Aegean Sea wafted into the marketplace, introducing itself to the smells of rich oils and baked delicacies. Shop keepers put out their wares under their blazing canopies while travelling street vendors set up their carts in the middle of the street and enticed customers with ample shade and exotic wonders.

      Solus Kordivos walked through the busy maze of shops and stalls, nervously rubbing the back of one hand. His tanned skin itched from being burned by the sun. He made his way from the harbor to the market, thinking up excuses to give his wife as to why he was late, disgusted that he felt compelled to lie. Katerine would be furious if she ever found out how deep the lies ran.

      Senator Havarold, Katerine’s father, held the position of Treasurer in the senate. He and Solus’s own father, who was the senate’s head military strategist, worked together to strengthen the Atlan army and navy. It was their combined political and financial power that allowed Atlas to have a flourishing military, but enemies within the political sphere were made when the two men announced their intent to take the battle to Mycenae.

      The two men secretly commissioned Solus to build a new war canon that could be easily transported on a ship. Those who were against escalating the war would push to stop any technical advancements the military began, delaying and sometimes halting various projects. It was important that this canon be completed, and so the project began in secret.

      An influential faction of the senate, led by Senator Paretil, pushed for more diplomatic methods to deal with the Mycenaean threat. And fearing the growing acceptance of expanding the military, they were not averse to low-level maneuverings.

      Solus returned his attention to the present as he unconsciously put his hand to his hip. He met with a messenger on his way from the harbor. It was a brief meeting where the messenger handed him a small pouch that contained a short note from Abram, Solus’s mentor and military advisor. It said only, Do not worry. But he did worry because something other than war was afoot. He patted the pouch hidden under the folds of his tunic once more before brushing his hand through his windblown, raven black hair and hurried down the steps that led to the heart of the city.

      The Central Bazaar of Atlas was a sight to behold, and many a tourist lost themselves, and their coin, in the vast collection of shops and stalls. Five main streets led to the center of the open market, connected by wide alleys that formed five rings. At its heart stood the Central Plaza where a grand fountain stood. Three marble deities rose from the center of the pool to preside over the bazaar’s inhabitants.

      Katerine sat at the edge of the pool staring into the shallow water. Her cinnamon curls were tied back in a knot and allowed the sun to touch her tawny neck and shoulders. Solus paused to take in his wife’s beauty. As if sensing his stare, she looked up and turned her eyes toward him. Her face broke into a wide smile as she waved to him. Solus hurried across the plaza to meet her.

      There you are! Katerine scolded playfully. If you had put this much effort into your university studies, perhaps you would not have had to take this exam!

      Solus greeted her with a crooked smile. Yes, I know, paying attention to instructors was not my strong point and now I’m paying for it!

      As far as she was concerned, he was preparing for the military officer entrance exam, not building and testing a war canon. He hated himself for deceiving her.

      Well, she stood up and took his hand. Let’s go shopping! and she led him back into the labyrinth of sellers.

      The island city-state of Atlas prided itself on successful trade, and the bazaar was its showcase. Sellers from all over the Mediterranean plied their colorful textiles, exotic foods, and hand-crafted jewelry. Traders from as far as Babylon and Thebes made the Central Bazaar a destination. Atlas’s own wares were displayed with pride: delicate woven baskets, hand-carved wood items, and copperware. Its greatest trade was in simple mechanisms that told time, dolls that moved, and boxes that played music.

      Absent from the marketplace were the pottery wares of Mycenae. Nearly five years passed since Mycenae traders were welcomed to the Central Bazaar. The general public believed the conflict began with a trade dispute, and in a way it had. Mycenae wanted Atlas’s military technology. But the Atlan government was not keen on having their own innovations turn on them. So Atlas fortified its harbors, hiding its larger inventions from foreign eyes: large catapults capable of firing a succession of volleys, wheeled armored chariots with sophisticated crossbows, and a canon that used the light of the sun and large copper mirrors to set its targets on fire. Trade was cut and Atlas’s borders closed to Mycenae. Then, a year later, Mycenae declared war. The Mycenaean armies tried to conquer Atlas, but their armies were no match for the Atlan weaponry.

      War was an ugly thing that had no place in the festive display of the bazaar. And while war did not appear to dampen the busy spirit of the open market, it did cast a shadow. The senate worked hard to keep the people firm in their belief that they were safe from the invaders, thanks in part to Solus and Katerine’s fathers. But it was not easy to drown out the voice of opposition. People talked in hushed tones about the war, and those involved. Solus feared Katerine might overhear rumors about her father that he was desperately trying to bury.

      Katerine led Solus purposefully through the crowded market, her curls bouncing along her back. She searched each festive stall until she saw a promising vendor of Minoan fashion.

      There! she pointed. I think we’ll find something splendid there.

      Her bracelets jingled lightly as she took Solus’s hand and guided him through the crowd to the brightly colored tunics and cloaks that hung from pins around the shop. Under the colorful shade lay a multi-colored mountain of fabrics piled on short tables. A

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1