Novels by Rachel Holt

Jacob read the intercepted message three times, his expression showing none of the anger Anna expected. Instead, something like satisfaction crossed his features as he reviewed details of Marcus Nico's planned assault."One hundred men," Jacob murmured, studying the tactical breakdown Leo had provided. "Heavy weapons, coordinated strike teams, and explosives sufficient to level the temple. Marcus really wants me dead.""This is not funny," Anna said, watching her fiancé analyze the threat like it was an interesting puzzle rather than imminent danger. "We need to postpone the ceremony or change the venue or—""No," Jacob interrupted, looking up with that cold smile she recognized from the Dark Blade. "We do exactly what we planned. We get married at sunset in the Himulan temple, exactly as scheduled.""Are you insane?" Roseline demanded, reading over Anna's shoulder. "Marcus knows the location, the timing, and apparently has enough firepower to overwhelm any reasonable defense. Walking

Marcus Nico stood in his private war room, studying tactical maps of the Himulan Sect temple grounds displayed across multiple screens. His face bore healing bruises from the auction house humiliation weeks ago, constant reminders of how Jacob Krigg had destroyed his reputation in front of Seron's entire elite."The temple has three primary approach routes," his head of security explained, highlighting areas on the map. "The main entrance is heavily guarded, but these service roads on the east and west flanks are vulnerable to coordinated assault.""I want overwhelming force," Marcus said, his voice tight with barely controlled rage. "No subtlety, no stealth. I want Jacob Krigg to watch his wedding turn into a massacre. I want him to see everything he loves burn before I kill him."The lieutenant shifted uncomfortably. "Sir, the intelligence suggests Jacob will have significant security at the ceremony. Former Himulan Sect soldiers, mystical warriors, possibly even diplomatic security

Jacob stared at the news broadcast even after Leo muted it, his mind working through the implications of Bishop's public challenge. The timing was deliberate—announce the gala displaying Krigg artifacts just as Jacob and Anna formalized their commitment to each other."He wants to force our hand," Anna observed, standing beside Jacob with her new engagement ring catching the light. "Make us choose between our wedding and recovering the artifacts.""He does not understand that they are the same choice," Jacob replied. "Our wedding represents building a future beyond revenge. But that future is impossible while my family's killers walk free and hold stolen power."Leo cleared his throat diplomatically. "With respect, sir, perhaps you should consider postponing your ceremony until after we deal with Bishop's trap. Getting married days before walking into obvious danger seems inadvisable.""No," Anna said firmly, surprising both men with her vehemence. "We move forward with the wedding. I

Jacob drove them back to the safe house in silence, his mind working through what he wanted to say. Anna had saved his life today, demonstrating power and determination that confirmed what he had suspected since their first training session—she was his equal in every way that mattered.The debt between them had finally balanced. She pulled him from fire fifteen years ago. He healed her scars and freed her from family cruelty. She just saved him from certain death. They owed each other nothing now, which meant whatever came next was pure choice."You are being very quiet," Anna observed as they pulled into the secure garage. "Are your injuries worse than you are letting on?""My injuries are fine," Jacob replied. "My mystical healing is already repairing the damage. I am just thinking.""About what?""About the fact that we do not owe each other anything anymore," Jacob said. "Our debts are balanced. You could walk away right now and neither of us would have failed any obligation."Ann

The morning after Bishop's failed assault brought deceptive calm to the safe house. Jacob spent hours reviewing damage reports and coordinating with Leo to ensure their security systems had not been compromised. Anna practiced her energy manipulation techniques, pushing herself to master offensive capabilities that might prove crucial in coming battles.By afternoon, basic supplies were running low. The attack had damaged several storage areas, and they needed to restock before the gala in three days."I will handle the supply run," Leo offered, reviewing the shopping list Jacob had compiled. "You two should stay here where defenses are strongest.""No," Jacob decided. "We need to maintain some normalcy, and hiding completely tells our enemies their attack succeeded in making us afraid. Anna and I will go together. You coordinate security upgrades here."Leo looked uncertain but nodded. "At least take the armored vehicle and maintain communication throughout. First sign of trouble, yo

Jacob pulled Anna to her feet as a second explosion rocked the building. "Stay close to me. We move together."They rushed inside from the balcony, Anna's training kicking in automatically as she fell into defensive position beside Jacob. Golden energy already shimmered around her hands, shields forming with the confidence that came from days of intensive practice.Leo burst through the door to the living area, his weapon drawn and tactical gear hastily thrown on. "Twenty confirmed hostiles. Professional team. Military-grade equipment and they know the building layout.""Bishop sent his best," Jacob said grimly, mystical energy crackling around his own hands. "He is testing us before the gala. Wants to see how we fight together.""Then let us show him," Anna said, her voice steady despite the adrenaline flooding her system.They heard footsteps pounding up the stairwell—multiple attackers advancing in coordinated formation. Jacob positioned himself at the doorway while Anna took an an

"You want revenge," Victor said flatly."Yes! I want him to suffer like I've suffered!"Victor turned back to Claire, his expression thoughtful. "This Ethan Cross. He's important to you?"Claire's face remained perfectly composed. "He's a business associate."She couldn't let them go after Ethan. Couldn't let them use her as bait to hurt him.Richard laughed bitterly. "Business associate? Don't lie! He's just some ex-convict you've been helping for some reason!"He turned to Victor. "He was released from prison three days ago. He's nobody. Just a criminal with no money, no power, no connections. But for some reason, she's been protecting him!"Victor's eyes narrowed, studying Claire more carefully now."Is that so?" he asked quietly.Claire said nothing, her jaw tight.Victor smirked, nodded to one of his men. "Bring her phone."The man retrieved Claire's phone from a nearby table—they took it during the kidnapping—and handed it to Victor.Victor unlocked it. Claire's stomach sank. Th

The men didn’t answer.The back door was yanked open.Claire tried to fight, but they were too strong, too fast.They dragged her from the car and into the van.The entire operation took less than thirty seconds.The van's door slammed shut. The vehicle sped away, tires screeching.Claire's driver lay on the pavement, dazed and bleeding from a cut on his forehead. Passersby began to gather, pulling out phones to call for help.But the van was already gone.Inside the van, Claire's hands were yanked behind her back and zip-tied together. A cloth bag was pulled over her head, blocking her vision.She forced herself to stay calm. To think.This was planned. Professional. They knew her route.Someone had been watching her.The van drove for what felt like twenty minutes, though Claire couldn't be sure. When it finally stopped, rough hands grabbed her arms and pulled her out.She was marched across uneven ground—gravel, maybe—then through a doorway. The air changed. Cooler. The sound echoi

"What are you talking about?""Grandfather just showed me his medication. All of it. He never took it, Dad. Not a single dose. He stopped taking it three months ago."James's face went pale."The hospital said his improvement was from the medication," Sophia continued, her voice cracking. "But he never took it. Which means..."She didn't finish.She didn't need to.James lowered the phone slowly. He looked at Ethan with completely new eyes.Eyes that held shock. Respect. And the dawning realization that he had almost made a terrible mistake."You..." James's voice was hoarse. "You really did save him."Ethan nodded calmly.James swallowed hard. His pride warred with necessity. Finally, necessity won."Can you..." He paused, the words difficult. "Can you fix what's wrong with me?”Ethan nodded. "The damage isn't permanent yet. You need to adjust your breathing pattern during the third form of the Iron Dragon technique. And modify the stance in the fifth form. Your right foot should be

Harrison looked at his granddaughter and let out a long, weary sigh.Without another word, he rose from his chair and walked back into his room.Sophia stood frozen, tears threatening to spill over. She thought he was avoiding the issue. Running from it.A moment later, Harrison returned.In his hand was a neatly sealed box—the so-called “special medicine” from the hospital.He tossed it casually onto the floor in front of her.The box slid across the marble tiles and stopped at her feet.Sophia startled. She quickly wiped her tears and bent down, confusion written all over her face. She opened the box.Inside, every vial was untouched.Perfectly arranged. Sealed. Unused.Not a single dose had been taken.Sophia’s breath caught. She slowly looked up at her grandfather, disbelief flooding her eyes.“You… you didn’t take any of it?”Harrison shook his head, his gaze steady.“I grew tired of endless medications long ago,” he said quietly. “For months, I haven’t taken a single dose.”Soph

Ethan left the herbal medicine store with the check folded in his pocket and Harrison Cole's business card in his hand.Behind him, the crowd was still murmuring, phones still recording, whispers still spreading about what they'd just witnessed.He didn't look back.Inside the store, Sophia watched him disappear into the street. Her jaw was tight. Her hands were clenched at her sides."Grandfather," she said quietly. "Please. Let's go to the hospital. Just to be safe."Harrison sighed. "Sophia, I told you—""Please." Her voice cracked slightly. "For me. I need to know you're truly alright."Harrison looked at his granddaughter's pale, worried face. He softened."Alright. If it will give you peace of mind."---Two hours later, they sat in a private examination room at the city's most prestigious medical research institute.The doctor—a renowned specialist in internal medicine—studied the test results on his computer screen. His eyes widened. He scrolled down. Then back up. Then called

"Ethan Cross," he replied simply.Harrison Cole studied him for a long moment. Then, slowly, he pushed himself to his feet.Sophia gasped and rushed to support him. "Grandfather, wait! You shouldn't—""I'm fine," Harrison said, his voice stronger than it had been in years.He stood fully upright, releasing Sophia's arm. He took a deep breath. Then another. His eyes widened with each breath.The crowd watched in stunned silence.Harrison looked down at his hands. He flexed his fingers. Rotated his shoulders. Took several steps forward.No pain.No tightness in his chest.No shortness of breath.For the first time in over twenty years, he felt... whole.His mind reeled. The old injury—the one he'd sustained during his military service, the hidden damage that had plagued him ever since—it was gone. Completely gone.He had consulted the best doctors in the country. Spent millions on treatments. Taken countless medications.Nothing had worked.And yet this young man, this stranger with wor

The observation deck at the top of the crystalline spire had become Jack's favorite place to think. From here, he could see the entire city spread out below—rebuilt stronger and more beautiful than it had ever been, filled with people living lives that would have been impossible without the protection his network provided.But tonight, as the dual moons cast silver light across the transformed skyline, Jack wasn't admiring their achievements. He was remembering where it all began."Hard to believe it started with Charles Oliver's execution," he said aloud, knowing his friends would hear him through their permanent mental link even though they were scattered across different dimensions on various missions."You mean it started with a weak boy nobody wanted," Lucy's voice replied warmly through their connection, her protective instincts wrapping around the memory with fierce affection.Jack smiled, pressing his hand against the medallion that had become part of his chest. The golden sur

The war room deep within the crystalline spire had become the nerve center for the most ambitious defensive project in dimensional history. Holographic displays showed the status of their entire universal cluster—thousands of realities connected by the portal network, each one now monitored by their expanded consciousness.Jack stood at the center of it all, no longer the weak boy who had once struggled to survive in a world that saw him as worthless. The medallion had become so integrated with his being that its golden surface was visible beneath his skin, pulsing with the rhythm of dimensional currents across countless worlds. But unlike the corrupt artifacts that had consumed previous wielders, his medallion was sustained by the bonds that connected him to his friends."Protocol Seven is now fully operational across all monitored dimensions," Sierra reported, her tactical awareness coordinating defensive measures on a scale that would have been incomprehensible months ago. "Early w

Six months after the dimensional crisis, their city bore little resemblance to the place that had nearly been destroyed by Vale's invasion. The rebuilding hadn't simply restored what was lost—it had created something entirely new.Where the old council headquarters had stood, a crystalline spire now reached toward the sky, its faceted surface designed to detect dimensional anomalies from hundreds of miles away. The building served as headquarters for the Dimensional Monitoring Initiative, the organization Jack and his friends had established to prevent future crises."Seventeen minor rifts detected across the northern sectors this week," Sierra reported during their morning briefing, her tactical awareness processing data streams that would have overwhelmed any individual mind. "All within normal parameters, but the frequency is increasing."Jack nodded, his consciousness simultaneously monitoring the reports while maintaining awareness of dimensional currents across their entire real

As the final seconds of his transformation ticked away, Jack felt his consciousness crystallize around a revelation that changed everything. The medallions' power didn't have to choose between perfect guardianship and human connection—it could create something entirely new."What if the burden doesn't have to be mine alone?" he said through their shared mental link, his voice carrying wonder despite his fading physical form. "What if we've been thinking about this wrong from the beginning?"Through their psychic connection, his friends felt his idea taking shape—not one guardian managing impossible responsibilities, but a network of consciousness that could handle the dimensional network's complexity while remaining anchored to humanity."You mean permanent integration?" Sierra breathed, her enhanced understanding immediately grasping the implications. "All of us linked directly to the dimensional network?""The ancient guardians failed because they became isolated from the people the

Jack's consciousness spread like spilled mercury across the dimensional network, his awareness touching worlds he'd never imagined. He could feel the pulse of life on countless planets, sense the delicate balance that held reality together, perceive threats to dimensional stability that existed light-years away.It was overwhelming and magnificent and terrifying all at once.Through his expanded perception, he could see their own world as just one node in an infinite web—small, fragile, but pulsing with the fierce determination of beings who refused to surrender to despair. He could feel Mrs. Sophie organizing relief efforts in the ruined city, Lord Rasmus's surviving soldiers helping with rescue operations despite their old conflicts, even the corrupted treasure hunters slowly recovering their humanity as the dimensional toxins were purged from their systems.But he could also feel himself slipping away from all of it. His connection to individual human concerns was fading as cosmic

The moment Jack's hand closed around Vale's dark medallion, reality screamed.Two opposing forces—one meant to protect, one designed to consume—collided within his consciousness with the fury of colliding stars. Jack felt his sense of self being torn apart and rebuilt simultaneously, his awareness expanding beyond the boundaries of single-dimensional existence.Vale's eyes widened in shock as his dark artifact began resonating with Jack's medallion, the two pieces fighting for dominance within the same host. "What are you doing, you fool? You'll destroy us both!""Maybe," Jack gasped, feeling the competing energies threaten to tear his mind apart. "But at least I'll take you with me."The dark medallion's hunger crashed against Jack's consciousness like a tidal wave of pure malevolence. It whispered promises of power beyond imagination, showed him visions of ruling infinite realities, offered him the ability to reshape existence according to his will. The corruption was overwhelming,