Novels by Carlos Sebastían

Cade Merrick looked at the readouts hovering above the heads of the eight men blocking their path.[Name: Blackroot Syndicate Member][Threat level: 375][Intent: Armed assembly, attempting to seize the black-and-gold card from property owner Lila Sinclair.]The Blackroot Syndicate. Cade had heard the name tossed around during his internship, always in a tone that carried weight. They were one of the four major syndicates running Rivermont, and compared to them, the thugs who'd hassled him that morning weren't even worth mentioning.Who was pulling the strings behind this attack, though, Cade still couldn't say for certain."What's going on?" Dana Whitlock climbed out of the car, striding toward Cade with irritation written across her face. The moment she spotted the eight hulking men standing in the road ahead, her voice cracked with alarm. "What... what is this?""Dana, what's happening out there?" Lila called from inside, reaching for the door handle."Lila, stay in the car. I've g

"Thirty million?" Julian ground the words out between clenched teeth."Did I calculate that wrong?" Cade pulled out his phone with a puzzled frown and tapped at the calculator, then turned the screen toward Julian. "I don't think I made a mistake, did I?"Julian lunged for the phone, intending to smash it, but Cade was faster. He yanked it back out of reach and muttered, almost to himself, "The mayor's son can't do basic math."A few guests nearby couldn't hold back their laughter and let out a snort before covering their mouths.Mr. Pike, watching Julian's face darken toward fury, hurried forward to smooth things over."Ms. Sinclair, Julian was only joking!" Pike pressed on. "How about this. I'll offer four million for the jadeite myself. What do you say?"That number was not pulled out of thin air. If the stone cut well, a dozen bangles and some loose pendants could fetch close to six million on the market, but once labor and time were factored in, the deal would barely break even.

Ten times the price?Everyone in earshot did the math in an instant. A single piece of high-quality jadeite could run into the millions. Multiply that by ten and the number climbed toward eight figures. Even for the sharpest players in Rivermont's business world, that was not pocket change.Julian Ashford felt the fresh wave of stares like a physical weight. He looked at the mocking curve of Cade Merrick's mouth and felt blood rush to his head. Before he could stop himself, he wrenched the rough jade from Cade's grip."Ten times the price. Do you honestly think I can't afford it?" Julian lifted the stone higher."You're cutting this open today whether you like it or not. And did you really think every single stone in this hall turns up green inside? If this one comes up empty, you can crawl on your hands and knees and bark like a dog for everyone here. Don't forget that."Cade reached out and caught Lila Sinclair's wrist before she could lunge forward to snatch the stone back. His voi

Beck didn't waste time with words. He called over the two young laborers at his side without hesitation.One of them braced the rough jade in place. The other kept a bucket of water ready. Beck himself took the saw, and the moment the blade whined to life, the scattered guests across the hall turned as one and began drifting toward the table.The party had barely gotten underway, and most people had still been hanging back, sizing up the room. But now the first stone of the night was already under the blade, and that was reason enough to come closer.The saw bit into stone with a steady grinding hiss. A corner fell away in seconds. When the water washed the mud from the fresh cut, a ripple of gasps broke out among the onlookers."No way. It's showing color!""That's real jadeite, and on the very first cut. This batch must be solid.""Look at that tone, so clean. That's water-grade jadeite if I've ever seen it."Julian listened to the murmurs around him and let a slow, satisfied smile

"It was Julian who invited Ms. Sinclair here tonight."Julian Ashford wore a polite smile, but his eyes kept crawling over the pale skin Lila Sinclair left bare at her collar and shoulders. She felt the weight of that gaze settle on her like something physical, and she suppressed a shiver of discomfort, forcing a small nod in his direction."Thank you for the invitation, Julian.""No, thank you for coming." Julian extended his hand toward her, his smile widening. "Whitethorne Manor is brighter just for having you here."Lila reluctantly offered her hand. The moment their fingers touched, Julian closed his grip around hers and let his thumb drift slowly across the back of her hand. Dana Whitlock, catching the lingering touch, stepped in smoothly to break it up."Hello, Julian. I'm Lila's talent agent, Dana Whitlock."Only then did Julian let go, with visible reluctance, turning to exchange pleasantries with Dana while his eyes kept flicking back toward Lila. She used the distraction to

Dawn had barely broken when Cade Merrick took up his post at the security booth.He waited there for what felt like forever, and his patience was finally rewarded when a man showed up trying to sneak into the community to plaster flyers on every wall he could find. Cade chased him off with a grin so wide and so eager that the man actually quickened his pace in alarm, glancing back over his shoulder as if he'd just escaped someone with very strange intentions toward him.The moment the man vanished around the corner, Cade heard the familiar chime of the system. His points had hit 1005. He could barely contain himself."Open it," he thought, practically vibrating with anticipation.[Congratulations, user: you have unlocked a new ability, Telekinesis.][Usable twice per day, upgradeable. Effect: the user may manipulate objects weighing under four ounces within thirty feet. Each use lasts five minutes.]Cade stared at the system's readout, and a wave of giddy disbelief washed over him. Te