Novels by Rachel Holt

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,

"Jacob!" Anna's scream cut through the ringing in Jacob's ears as consciousness flickered back.He opened his eyes to find Anna kneeling beside him, her hands pressed against his bleeding shoulder trying to stem the flow. Emily's chair had been knocked over during the fight, and the girl was crying but appeared physically unharmed."Stay awake," Anna commanded, her voice shaking. "You are not allowed to die after everything we just went through. Do you hear me?"Jacob tried to speak but only managed a weak cough. His vision swam as he looked past Anna to where The Butcher lay motionless. The armored giant's chest still rose and fell shallowly—alive but defeated."Carl!" Anna shouted toward the doorway. "We need medical assistance now!"Footsteps thundered as Carl's team rushed back into the room. One soldier immediately began working on Jacob's wounds while two others moved to free Emily from her restraints."Uncle Jacob saved me," Emily sobbed as they cut through the ropes. Despite b

The Butcher stood motionless behind Emily's chair, the massive sword resting casually on his armored shoulder. Emily's tear-streaked face turned toward Anna, hope and terror warring in her young eyes."Anna!" Emily tried to stand but restraints held her firmly to the chair. "Please help me! I want to go home!""It is okay, sweetheart," Anna said, keeping her voice calm despite the fear clawing at her chest. "We are going to get you out of here.""No," The Butcher's distorted voice rumbled through his helmet. "You are not. The child stays until Dark Blade proves he is worthy of facing Marcus Nico. Until then, she is leverage."Jacob stepped forward slowly, his body language shifting into combat readiness despite his exhaustion from the battle upstairs. "Your fight is with me. Let the girl go and I will give you what you want.""What I want is to test myself against the legendary warrior who has never been defeated," The Butcher replied. He gestured with his sword toward the open space

The warehouse lights blazed to life with blinding intensity. Jacob shielded his eyes reflexively as the empty factory floor transformed into a killing zone filled with armed men emerging from concealment.Not twenty-five. Not thirty. Fifty soldiers, all in tactical gear, all with weapons trained on Jacob's position. They had walked directly into Marcus Nico's carefully prepared ambush."Welcome, Jacob Krigg!" Marcus's voice boomed through speakers mounted throughout the factory. "Did you really think I would make this easy? That I would leave openings in my defenses for you to exploit?"Jacob's mind raced through tactical options. Carl's team was pinned down at the north entrance by heavy fire. Roseline's position had been compromised—he could hear explosions as Marcus's forces targeted her rooftop. And he was standing in the open with Anna beside him, surrounded by fifty trained killers."Everyone down!" Jacob shouted into his radio. "Defensive positions! Do not engage unless you hav

Jacob looked at Anna's determined face and felt something shift inside him. She had every reason to stay away, to let him handle this alone as she had demanded. Yet here she was, refusing to let him face danger without her."If you come, you follow my orders exactly," Jacob said firmly. "No improvisation, no heroics, no deviating from the plan. One mistake in this situation gets people killed.""I understand," Anna agreed immediately.Jacob turned to Leo. "Contact the Tate family. Tell them we need to meet within the hour. If we are doing this, we need every resource available.""The Tates?" Carl questioned. "Sir, Ben Tate betrayed us to Keaton. How can we trust—""We cannot," Jacob interrupted. "But Emily is their blood. They will cooperate to save her even if they would prefer to see me dead. Sometimes shared goals matter more than trust."Within ninety minutes, the entire Tate family leadership had assembled at Ben's estate. Elizabeth, Kelvin, Marcus Tate, and several other relativ

Anna arrived at Jacob's safe house within thirty minutes of seeing the ransom demand. She had not called ahead, had not asked permission, had simply told her grandfather's driver to take her there immediately.The building's security recognized her and let her through without question. She took the stairs two at a time, her heart pounding with a mixture of fear for Emily and desperate need to see Jacob.She found him in the main room, surrounded by tactical equipment spread across a large table. Leo stood beside him reviewing building schematics on a laptop. Carl was checking weapons with the methodical efficiency of a career soldier. Roseline sat in a chair with her injured leg elevated, speaking rapidly into a phone in a language Anna did not recognize.Jacob looked up when Anna entered, surprise and concern flashing across his face. "Anna, you should not be here. I told you to stay at your grandfather's—""They took Emily," Anna interrupted, her voice shaking. "They took a twelve-y

Anna spent the rest of the day in her grandfather's study, using his computer to search for information about the Dark Blade. Roseline's visit had planted seeds of doubt about the narrative Henry Keaton had fed her, and Anna needed to find the truth for herself.The first search results were military records—heavily redacted but containing enough information to establish a timeline. Jacob had joined the Himulan Sect at age twelve, trained for five years, then began active service at seventeen. His rise through the ranks was unprecedented.Anna found news articles from international sources that painted a very different picture from what Henry had shown her. The headlines told stories of heroism rather than mindless violence:"Mysterious General Saves Refugee Camp from Massacre""Dark Blade Prevents Biological Weapon Attack on Civilian Population""Legendary Warrior Rescues Forty-Eight Kidnapped Women"Each article described missions where Jacob had accomplished the impossible, usually