Novels by Rachel Holt

The Noble Council meeting descended into shouting matches and accusations that threatened to become physical violence. Jacob's security team moved to extract Anna before the situation deteriorated further, but the political damage was already done. Half the council believed her evidence, half thought she was lying, and that division meant neither side could take unified action against Bishop."That went poorly," Anna said with bitter understatement as they escaped through a side entrance while council members continued arguing."You got half of them," Jacob replied, trying to find the positive angle. "That is more support than we had before. Some of those families control significant resources that can help us."But Anna knew the real result of her public revelation. She had forced Bishop's hand without achieving the overwhelming support needed to stop him. Now the conspiracy would accelerate its timeline while she had fewer allies than hoped.Back at their operations center, Roseline

The sealed doors trapped Jacob's team in the maintenance corridor for seventeen minutes before Carl managed to breach one using a shaped charge from their demo supplies. They escaped through smoke and chaos, but the close call made one thing brutally clear—Bishop was anticipating their tactics and setting counters."We cannot keep fighting this way," Anna said during the emergency debrief after they returned to base. "Every raid we attempt, he is one step ahead. We are losing people and accomplishing nothing."Jacob knew she was right. Two more operatives had been killed during the escape from Bishop's trap, bringing their casualties to ten in just three days. At this rate, they would run out of fighters before the invasion even began."We need a different approach," Jacob admitted, studying the intelligence reports that showed Bishop's network remained largely intact despite their best efforts. "Military action alone will not stop this conspiracy. We need to attack it politically."A

Seventy-two hours. Three days until Argo's invasion force launched its attack on a city that had no idea what was coming. Jacob stared at the maps spread across the operations table, his mind racing through scenarios that all ended badly."We cannot fight a conventional war," Jacob said, addressing the assembled group of Carl's surviving warriors, Leo's intelligence operatives, and Anna's growing network of contacts. "Argo has superior numbers, better equipment, and internal support from compromised officials. Meeting them head-on means annihilation.""So we do not meet them head-on," Roseline said from where she leaned against the wall, cleaning her weapons with the casual efficiency of someone who had killed more people than most soldiers even met. "We hit them where they are vulnerable. Make them afraid of the shadows."Carl nodded agreement despite his injuries. "Small unit tactics. Strike and fade. Target their logistics and command structure rather than engaging their main force

The Eastern Defense Force's commitment to send troops gave Jacob and Anna their first real hope since learning about the conspiracy's scope. Captain Chen Wei promised two battalions—approximately eight hundred soldiers—could reach Seron within five days. It was not the army they needed, but it was something."Five days," Jacob muttered, studying deployment maps. "That gives us three days before the invasion to integrate them into defensive positions. Assuming Bishop does not accelerate his timeline when he learns we have reinforcements coming."Anna was still processing the revelation about her family connection to the Eastern Defense Force's command structure. "Captain Chen Wei said my mother's family were founding members of their alliance. Why did no one ever tell me this?""Your mother probably did not know herself," Leo suggested. "Guardian families often hid their heritage to protect their children from being targeted. Better to appear as ordinary civilians than advertise mystic

The words hung in the air like a death sentence. The Himulan Sect was under attack. Jacob's entire strategy had depended on those warriors arriving to bolster Seron's defenses, and now they were fighting for their own survival against an Argo assault that had been carefully timed to eliminate his most powerful allies before the invasion even began."Casualties?" Jacob asked, his voice tight with controlled emotion.Leo relayed the question to Carl, then listened to the response with growing despair. "Heavy fighting at the main temple compound. Multiple breaches in the outer defenses. Carl estimates at least two battalions of Argo regulars supported by armor and air cover. The Sect is holding but cannot disengage to come to our aid."Jacob slammed his fist on the table, the tactical maps jumping from the impact. Verons Heis had outmaneuvered them completely. While Jacob had been planning to summon reinforcements, Argo had already moved to neutralize those reinforcements before they cou

Jacob spent the next three hours composing the message that would summon the Himulan Sect to Seron. The words needed to convey urgency without causing panic, explain the scope of the threat without overwhelming recipients with information, and make clear that this was not a request but a calling of debts owed to a brother who had bled for them countless times."How many will actually come?" Anna asked, reading over his shoulder as he typed on the encrypted communication system that connected him to his former military network."All of them," Jacob replied with certainty. "The Sect does not abandon its own. When one calls for aid, the others answer. It is the foundation of everything we built together."He sent the message through multiple channels, ensuring it would reach every member of the Himulan Sect regardless of their current location. Some were still at the main temple compound. Others had retired to civilian life across the continent. A few worked as private military contracto

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,

Detective Shaw stared at Richard for a long moment after the name left his lips.Donovan Pierce.Shaw had been a detective for twenty-three years. He'd worked organized crime, white-collar fraud, corruption cases that stretched into the highest levels of city government. He knew the names that mattered in this city. The families that controlled industries, influenced politicians, moved billions of dollars with a single phone call.And Donovan Pierce was one of those names."I see," Shaw said carefully, keeping his expression neutral. "And what exactly is Mr. Pierce's involvement in all of this?"Richard's smile widened. "That's not something I'm going to discuss with you.""You just told me his name.""Because I wanted you to understand," Richard said, leaning forward slightly despite the handcuffs. "You can charge me with whatever you want. You can parade me in front of cameras, make examples, write reports. But it won't matter. Donovan Pierce doesn't let his people rot in jail."Sha

Vivian grabbed her jacket and phone, rushing out of the apartment. Marcus was staying in a dingy motel on the other side of town—the only place they could afford now that the Ashford family had cut him off completely. His father had made it clear: until Marcus cleaned up the mess he'd created, he was on his own. Vivian knocked on the door rapidly, not caring that it was barely eight in the morning. "What?" Marcus's voice came through, muffled and irritated. "Open the door. Now." A moment later, the door swung open. Marcus stood there in wrinkled clothes, his hair a mess, his eyes bloodshot. He looked like he hadn't slept in days. "What's so important that you—" Vivian shoved her phone in his face. "Look at this." Marcus squinted at the cracked screen, reading the headline. His frown deepened. "So? General Cole rescued some CEO. What does this have to do with—" He stopped mid-sentence, his eyes widening slightly. "Wait. Claire Sterling. That's the woman from the club." "Exact

James held the reporter's gaze for a moment, then straightened his shoulders and spoke clearly into the microphones."Yes. I led this rescue operation personally when we learned that Claire Sterling, CEO of Sterling Global Corporation, had been kidnapped."The reporters erupted with questions, voices overlapping in a chaotic rush."How did you know where to find her?""Were the kidnappers armed?""Is Miss Sterling injured?"James raised his hand again, commanding silence with nothing more than his presence. The crowd quieted, though cameras continued flashing."We received intelligence about Miss Sterling's location approximately thirty minutes ago," James said, his voice steady and authoritative. "I immediately mobilized a tactical team and we moved to secure the area. The suspects were apprehended without incident. Miss Sterling is safe and receiving medical attention.""Were there casualties?" someone shouted from the back."No casualties. Several suspects are in custody and will f

The soldier helped Ethan to his feet, though Ethan didn't really need the assistance.He stood slowly, brushing dust from his pants, his expression unchanged. As if kneeling on a factory floor surrounded by armed gang members was just another Tuesday evening.Around them, the cleanup was already underway.Soldiers were hauling gang members to their feet, checking them for concealed weapons, reading them their rights. Police had arrived—regular city police, not military—and were taking statements, photographing the scene, bagging evidence.Victor Kane was being led out in handcuffs, his massive frame flanked by four soldiers who looked small next to him. He didn't resist. Didn't say a word. Just walked with his head down, his face blank.Richard was different.He was screaming."This is a mistake! I'm a victim here! That man—" he pointed at Ethan with his zip-tied hands "—he's the one you should be arresting! He attacked us! He broke into this building!"Nobody paid attention.Two poli

The sirens were deafening now.Then came the sound of engines. Heavy vehicles moving fast. Too fast for civilian traffic.Military.Victor's face went from white to gray. He looked around at his men, all of whom had frozen in place, their eyes darting toward the exits."Boss, what do we—" one of them started.The factory gates exploded inward.Not literally. But the force with which they were rammed open made it sound like an explosion. Metal screeched against metal. The chains that had secured them snapped like string.Through the opening poured a convoy of military vehicles—armored trucks, tactical vans, all of them painted in dark colors with no visible markings except for small military insignias.The vehicles screeched to a halt in a semicircle around the factory entrance, their headlights flooding the interior with blinding white light.Doors flew open.Soldiers poured out.Not regular soldiers. Special forces. You could tell by the way they moved—fast, coordinated, weapons up a

Ethan didn't move.His eyes locked on Victor's blade, calculating the distance between them. Fifteen feet. Maybe sixteen. Too far to close before Victor could drag the knife across Claire's throat.And Victor knew it.The gang leader's smile widened, triumphant. "That's right. Stay exactly where you are."Ethan's mind worked rapidly, running through scenarios. Every possible angle of attack. Every way this could play out.None of them ended well.If he rushed forward, Claire died.If he tried to negotiate, Victor would stall until his men returned from the perimeter. Then Ethan would be outnumbered again, and any chance of getting Claire out alive would vanish.There had to be another option.But right now, with that blade pressed against Claire's throat, Ethan couldn't see it."Smart boy," Victor said, his voice low and pleased. "I can see you thinking. Running through all your little plans. But here's the thing—there's no move you can make that doesn't end with her blood on this flo