Read Here She Rules: The Chronicles of Erla: Book 1 Online
Authors: Kat Brewer
Here She Rules: The Chronicles of Erla: Book 1
HERE SHE RULES
(The Chronicles of Erla: Book 1)
Kat Brewer
Snatched from her life into a different world and time, Cassandra Powell finds herself in a country ruled by women
—
where men live to serve their Mistresses.
Here She Rules
Copyright © 2014 by
Kat Brewer
Second Kindle Edition: 2016
Cover Artist: ACH
Editor: Shannon Steed
Interior Design:
JEM Book Designs
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without permission in writing from the author, excepting brief quotations used in reviews and certain other noncommercial uses as is permitted by copyright law.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, business establishments or actual persons—living or dead—is entirely coincidental.
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ISBN 9781310852770
I
A hot wind was blowing lightly outside the Dojo when Cassandra Powell got into her car and pulled it slowly onto the deserted street. She was heading home after a long karate class and was very much looking forward to a long, hot shower and a glass of wine. She was enjoying the icy air blasting through the vents when she was forced to slam on the brakes as a strange glowing mass materialized before her. Two hours of karate had taken it out of her that night, but she didn’t think she was that far gone—not enough to be hallucinating.
Her mouth dropped open as the strange glow enlarged itself before her eyes, and she squinted at the eerie sight in front of her.
The rift in space was rough and jagged as if someone had used dull scissors to cut into the fabric of the night, and it seemed to be absorbing the light from her headlights—making it glow brighter in the darkness.
Against her better judgment, she swung open the car door, stepped out, and felt the sultry night air hit her like a blow.
As she walked carefully towards the strange light, the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, and a faint feeling of nausea assailed her. She had almost turned back towards the car when she felt a compulsion to move towards the glowing rend in the fabric of the night.
Always too curious for her own good, she reached out towards the anomaly, and just as her hand neared, she felt an electric jolt followed by the sensation of being grasped around the waist (as if she had been grabbed by a giant hand), and then she was sucked into the rift.
The last things she saw as she lost consciousness were stars spinning around her as she was hurtled through space.
Cassie’s eyes fluttered open to bright sunlight filtering through the trees above her, and pain ripped through her skull as she gingerly sat up, realizing it was full daylight and she was no longer in the city.
“What the hell happened?” she asked aloud.
Vaguely feeling like she had been run over by a truck, she rose slowly to her feet, staring in wonder at the verdant tropical foliage around her. The sounds of the forest penetrated the fog in her mind as she tried to grasp what exactly had happened to her.
The memory of the strange glowing light in the street came into focus and she began to wonder if she had been in an accident and merely dreamed the whole strange chain of events.
Perhaps she was still dreaming . . . dreaming of a beautiful forest filled with the songs of birds and the soft breeze that ruffled the hair escaping her ponytail.
Cassie closed her eyes and took a deep breath, releasing it slowly as she opened her eyes again. The same gorgeous green splashed violently with vivid reds, yellows, and oranges.
Setting her feet to the path in front of her, she began walking, certain that—at any moment—she would wake up in the hospital, in the street, or anywhere but where she was.
“This is a hell of a thing,” she said loudly, wondering if the sound of her own voice would be able to wake her from unconsciousness.
The only response was the loud squawking of birds in the nearby trees.
She looked more closely into the foliage and saw small, brightly-colored birds which looked a lot like parakeets as well as a couple of large parrots on higher branches, who didn’t seem to be looking too favorably upon her disruption of their naps.
She walked slowly down the worn path, rubbing her temples with both hands as her headache slowly receded.
She lost track of how long she had wandered down the path when she heard screams and the clashing of metal up ahead.
Instinctively, she ran towards the sounds, skidding to a halt before the edge of the woods which opened onto a larger road. Before her shocked eyes, a bloody battle was taking place.
A large group of women dressed in leather battle apparel were engaged in a very grisly sword fight.
Cassie scanned the perimeter. She was certain she would see one of the multitude of camera crews and all else that went with the movie sets which were springing up all around Atlanta as of late, but no. It was all too real.
Gore and copious amounts of blood poured from the wounds of the women who lay on the ground, either dead or moaning from injuries they had sustained.
Closing her eyes again, she choked back the bile that rose in her throat as she covered her mouth with her hand. Opening her eyes, she looked in awe at the full-fledged battle being waged in front of her.
To her right, she saw a blonde woman being attacked by two large, brutish women. Though the smaller framed woman was presently holding her own, her strength was obviously failing, and Cassie could was see that something was wrong with her shoulder.
Certain she must be going crazy since she didn’t really know who the good guys were or what was going on, she ran to help the stranger.
Approaching the largest woman, she drove a kick into the woman’s back with enough power to make her pitch forward into the grass. The other woman whipped around and immediately threw a roundhouse punch at Cassie’s jaw, which she neatly blocked before kicking her in the stomach. When the woman doubled over, Cassie grabbed her by the hair and slammed her face into her knee, breaking her nose and knocking her out cold.
The first woman bellowed as she rose and lurched towards Cassie, who threw a round kick to the side of her head, dropping her onto the ground next to her compatriot.
Breathing heavily, adrenaline pumping through her body, Cassie turned to check on the blonde woman behind her. She was down on one knee, her sword held loosely in her good arm as she stared at Cassie in astonishment.
The sound of approaching footsteps drew their attention from each other, and Cassie called out to the approaching women.
“I need something to tie them up with before they come around.”
A tall, chestnut-haired woman reached them first.
“There is no need,” she said as she and another warrior quickly dispatched the fallen two as Cassie gaped in shock.
A sound from the blonde woman on the ground got her attention and she moved to help her up, but ceased immediately as she was quickly surrounded by a bevy of tall, strong, and well-armed women—their swords pointed at her heart.
“Easy! I just wanted to see if she was all right; her shoulder is hurt.” Pale-faced, Cassie held up her hands to show she wasn’t armed and took a small step back.
“Your Highness, are you hurt?” the warrior asked, kneeling down beside the woman.
“Yes, Kara . . . but alive . . . thanks to this woman.” The blonde woman’s voice was regal and richly toned.
They all had accents that Cassie just couldn’t place.
Cassie met the eyes of the warrior in front of her and then she looked at the women who still surrounded her with their swords still drawn. She knew that assessing look; they were still unsure whether or not she was a threat to their Queen and were sizing her up as an opponent.
Surreal is most assuredly the theme for today!
Cassie heaved in another deep breath.
“Please tell me who we have the privilege of thanking for saving the life of our Queen,” one of the warriors requested.
“My name is Cassie—uh—Cassandra.” Cassie could feel her head starting to swim and tried to slow her breathing.
In, out. In, out.
“Could someone please tell me where I am and what is going on?” Her vision began to dim, and her head spun wildly, pain coming back in full force with its accompanying nausea.
“Lady,” spoke the Queen, “you are on the borderlands of Erla, my Queendom. Are you lost?” The Queen looked more closely at the stranger with her odd white clothing.
Cassie was definitely having a very bad feeling about all of this as she fought the urge to throw up.
“Erla?” she repeated weakly. “I was on my way home when I saw what looked to be a glowing hole—or maybe a tear—in space appeared out of thin air right in front of me, and the next thing I knew, I had been sucked into it. After that, I saw only a swirling mass of stars before everything went black . . . That’s all I can remember before I woke here in this forest, and I really want to know what is going on!” Cassie’s hands balled into fists, and immediately, the twenty-odd swords which had lowered were once again pointed at her heart.
Hysteria was settling in as she tried to slow her breathing once more. She looked at the dozen or so dead women littering the ground and bit back the crazy urge to laugh.
“Did you say you were brought here by a rift in space?” the Queen asked her.
“I—I think so; it was the last thing I saw before I found myself here . . .”
The warriors’ bearing immediately changed, and they looked at her with something akin to wonder.
“Your Highness, the Portal must have opened again—bringing this woman through it!” a warrior spoke out, excitement tingeing her voice.
The company of warriors looked at Cassie with more curiosity and much less hostility.
“Welcome to Jiva and to Erla, Off-Worlder,” the Queen said. “We have been watching for the signs, but we did not expect you so soon. I thank you, great warrior, for your help in my time of need. My attackers were mighty warriors; yet, you vanquished them with your bare hands. I most certainly would have perished without your assistance against the barbaric Trevian pigs who attacked me.” The woman cradled her arm in her good hand, trying to relieve the pressure on her shoulder.