This is my stop during the blog tour for Destiny of the Queen by Jacqueline Patricks. This blog tour is organized by Lola's Blog Tours. The blog tour runs from 29 May till 11 June. See the tour schedule here.
Destiny of the Queen (The Brajj #3)By Jacqueline Patricks
Genre: Science Fiction Romance
Age category: Adult
Release Date: 6 May, 2017
Blurb:
Can a goddess find redemption? Can a soldier find purpose?
When you think all is lost,
When you believe life is meaningless,
Sometimes your destiny is revealed.
If you’re willing to see the signs,
And brave enough to fight,
Sometimes you can change worlds.
Rejoin Cass, Jeamon, Lewis, and Ta'mat as they deal with the ramifications of Ta'mat's insanity and General Neville's betrayal. The few Brajj remaining with Cass and Jeamon are now under Dr. Saniya's control.
Meanwhile, a world away, Captain Lewis and Ta'mat struggle with their strange bond inside his mind as they unravel the mystery of their new circumstances. Where did Ta'mat's wormhole transport them? Why? Is there some greater destiny unfolding? Where does freewill end and destiny begin?
The stunning conclusion to the Brajj trilogy!
Excerpt:
“You lost him?” Cass jumped from her chair and accidentally hit the round melamine table, tipping her paper cup of coffee on its edge.
“Lewis!” Jeamon smacked the table as he stood, finishing off the cup’s
precarious balance. A river of brown liquid spilled over the edge of the table,
splashing onto the floor.
Lars threw his full cup across the room. Coffee exploded against the
vending machines and the ubiquitous white wall behind it.
Mathews sulked in her chair, arms crossed, and chin to her chest.
“Figures.”
Dr. Saniya sighed and bowed her head. “I understand how distressing this
must be for all of you.”
Lars and Mathews exchanged pissed off looks while Cass sputtered and Jeamon
growled.
Lunging at Dr. Saniya, Lars said, “No, doc, I really don’t think you
do. We’ve been stuck in here for hours, then you come tell us you lost our
captain?”
Cass circled the table, stepping over the puddle of her coffee, her bare
feet padding on the highly-waxed, industrial tile. Sometime during the earlier
conflict, she’d lost the slippers Ta’mat favored and had yet to acquire a new
pair of shoes. Not that she cared about shoes when Lewis’ life was in danger.
Taking a deep breath, she waved the others back and approached Dr. Saniya as a
colleague rather than an enemy.
“Dr. Saniya,” Cass said, “exactly what do you mean when you say, ‘you lost
him’?”
Although Dr. Saniya’s expression eased, her eyes darted around the room. “Well,
Dr. Baros, that’s difficult to say.”
Cass sensed the frustrated energy of her friends and felt, rather than saw,
Jeamon, Lars, and Mathews march from the far side of the break room to stand
next to her. She wrinkled her nose at the pungency of everyone’s clothes
arriving a second before them. Dirt caked Lars and Mathews’ uniforms, Cass’
gauzy blue dress hung in tatters, and Jeamon’s iridescent black Brajj tunic and
pants were torn and ragged. Blood matted his long pale hair, which hung
unbraided and tangled. All of them looked like they’d survived a life and death
fight—an accurate assessment.
Cass feigned a smile. “Try.”
Dr. Saniya adjusted the collar of her lab coat. “Dr. Umi and I were
assessing Captain Lewis and the entity known as Ta’mat within his psyche, when
he became extremely agitated.”
Lars snorted and shuffled his feet. “I bet.”
Dr. Saniya glared at Lars but continued in a dispassionate voice, “He
escaped the exam room and made it into the main passageway. During the
recapture,” she wrung her hands, “he, well…”
“What?” Mathews asked.
“He jumped through a wormhole.”
“My God. What’ve you done?” Cass closed her eyes and covered her mouth with
her hand.
Jeamon wrapped her in a hug. “Lewis is strong. He will survive.”
Cass pressed her face to Jeamon’s chest, shaking her head. “You don’t
understand.”
Dr. Saniya moved closer, one hand reaching out before she stopped and
lowered her arm. “What do you mean?”
“I mean if he was,” she gave Dr. Saniya a pointed look, “extremely agitated
when Ta’mat created the wormhole then there’s no telling where they are, or if
they’re still alive.”
“You can’t be serious!”
“I’m very serious, Sergeant.” Cass slipped from Jeamon’s embrace but
remained at his side, her hand clasped in his. “From what I learned while
Ta’mat was a part of me, dark energy is very unstable when it’s used to
manipulate strings. If Ta’mat was not completely focused at the time, then
likely she was unable to select where the wormhole ended.”
“Hang on.” Mathews massaged her temples and grimaced. “Dark energy?
Strings?”
Dr. Saniya touched Cass’ forearm. “You’re certain of this?”
“Absolutely.”
“What does this mean? Manipulate strings?” Jeamon asked.
Cass squeezed his hand and gave him a gentle look. “She’s able to change
the frequency and vibration of the fabric of the universe, which means, in most
cases, she can change the universe to her desires. Any universe.”
“This is how she became a goddess?” Jeamon asked.
Cass frowned. “She’s not a goddess. She’s what’s left of a twisted human
being. It took a tremendous amount of skill for Ta’mat to gain her powers
because they go against the very nature of the cosmos. She shouldn't be able to
do these things, but she's attained a higher state of non-physical existence.”
“I wondered how she was able to do such amazing feats.” Dr. Saniya’s gaze
intensified. “You must tell me more!”
“No one should possess such power.” Cass crossed her arms and jutted a leg.
“What about you telling us what you’ve done with Jeamon’s people?”
“Now, Dr. Baros...”
Growling, Jeamon moved closer to Dr. Saniya.
“Yeah, doc,” Lars said. “What’s up with them?”
Dr. Saniya moved back. “You don’t have the authority–”
Cass gasped. “Authority?”
“Who the hell do you think you are?” Mathews said.
Lars and Mathews closed ranks with Cass and Jeamon.
“I only meant, that is...” Dr. Saniya pressed something clipped to her
pants’ waistband.
Lars snagged her wrist, twisting it away from her torso. “Whatcha got
there, doc?”
“It’s nothing.” She presented opened palms.
Lars unclipped a black square from her pants. A small red light blinked at
one end. He shared an irritated look with Cass. “Shit.”
Two guards dressed in black fatigues rushed into the break room, weapons
drawn. “Is there a problem, Doctor?”
“Everything is under control.” Dr. Saniya broke her wrist free from Lars’
grip. “Isn’t it, Sergeant Lars?”
Lars turned to Cass, who nodded. “Sure, Doc,” he said as he handed back the
personal alarm then carefully moved out of Dr. Saniya’s space. “Things are
great.”
The guards lowered their weapons and relaxed. “In that case,” one guard
said, “you won’t mind if we stay here.”
“Nope,” Lars waved a hand towards the empty chairs. “Make yourselves
comfy.”
Dr. Saniya’s wooden smile never reached her eyes. “We’d all like to stay
friendly.”
“Friendly?” Cass said. “Is that what you’re calling locking us in here?”
“Dr. Baros,” Dr. Saniya extended her opened hands, “please remember that
all of you insisted on accompanying the captain and the Brajj refugees to my
facility against my wishes.”
Mathews tensed. “Damn right!”
Dr. Saniya continued, “I want to help you any way I can, but as I initially
informed all of you, security measures must be observed.”
Cass pressed further. “But why keep us separated from Jeamon's people?”
“For your safety.”
Lars spread his arms and looked around. “This is safe?”
“You don’t understand.”
“The hell we don’t. You’re experimenting on them!” Mathews said.
“Of course not!” Dr. Saniya shied, pulling her hands inward.
Jeamon stepped forward. “We find your explanations difficult to
believe. What harm could befall us? Why keep us separated?”
“The Brajj need to be quarantined for at least thirty da–”
“Bullshit!”
“Sergeant,” Cass placed a warning hand on his arm, “she’s not wrong about
that.”
“What about Jeamon?” Lars waved at him. “I know he didn’t go through
quarantine. And you, Cass?”
“Excellent question, Dr. Saniya,” Cass said.
“True, while you’ve both been here for nearly a week, mixing with the
general public, without adverse effects, General Neville should’ve initiated
quarantine procedures upon your arrival. Unfortunately, any damage is done, and
I can hardly justify quarantine now other than to keep you confined to a
limited area in my facility.” Dr. Saniya checked her watch then shoved her
hands into her lab coat pockets. “If there’s nothing else…?”
“You’re leaving?” Cass asked.
Dr. Saniya shrugged. “If you’ve nothing further to add than arguments, I’m
afraid I have a full schedule of research awaiting me.” She turned and walked
to the exit, signaling to the guards, who moved closer to the four of them. “Theywill
escort you off site.”
Cass bit her lower lip and exchanged worried looks with Jeamon, Lars, and
Mathews. Jeamon rubbed his fingers together and reached for something at his
hip, then frowned. Cass recalled a vague memory seen through Ta’mat’s mind. His
whip. She destroyed it. Then, feeling suddenly aware of her poverty-striven
state, Cass looked down at her shabby, filthy dress and bare feet. Did her bank
accounts still exist? Did anyone remember her? Did she have anything she could
claim in this version of Earth?
“So that’s it?” Cass asked.
Dr. Saniya paused in the open doorway. “Pardon?”
“Cass?” Jeamon tugged on her hand.
Cass glanced back at him, winked, then slipped from his grasp and
approached Dr. Saniya. “You’ve gotten everything you can from Lewis, so you
kick us out and keep Jeamon’s people?”
“Doctor?” The guards tensed and shifted their weapons upwards again.
“It’s alright, Carson.” Dr. Saniya moved past the guards, waving their
weapons down. “Dr. Baros, did you have something else in mind?”
“You want information.”
“Go on.”
“You want to know more regarding the Brajj and their technology. Correct?”
Dr. Saniya pursed her lips. “You know this to be true.”
“What if,” Cass looked at her friends once again, seeing comprehension dawn
in their eyes before she faced Dr. Saniya again, “what if all of us remained
here in exchange for our cooperation with your research?”
“Your,” the doctor gazed at each one of them, “full cooperation?”
Lars crossed his arms over his chest and grunted. “We need full disclosure
at every step.”
Cass and the others murmured in agreement. “No secrets,” Cass added.
Dr. Saniya nodded. “Yes, of course. I merely wish to gain a broader
understanding of the Brajj and everything you’ve experienced, particularly in
regard to this Ta’mat and her abilities.”
Mathews scowled and backed away from the group. “I don’t know about this.”
Dr. Saniya added, “You’ll be compensated as well as given full access to
the guest facilities.”
Lars rubbed his scalp as he barked out a short laugh. “So, you can keep a
short leash on us.”
Dr. Saniya showed her palms in a gesture of surrender. “Must everything be
suspicious to you?”
“Forgive my friend, Doctor,” Jeamon tilted his head toward Lars, “but we
have dealt with an enormous amount of difficulties.”
“Difficulties?” Mathews fake coughed into her fist.
Jeamon bowed his head at Mathews, who sighed heavily then shrugged and
stared off.
Jeamon continued, “And now you expect us to trust you after telling us of
Lewis’ disappearance while in your custody?”
“I do not expect that,” Dr. Saniya said. “I’m hoping to gain your trust, so
we can discover how to locate Captain Lewis and return him here.”
“So you can experiment on him?” Cass asked.
“I want to help him.”
Cass faced Jeamon while Lars leaned closer and Mathews hovered farther
away. “What do you guys think?” Cass asked.
“I think she’s a fucking liar,” Mathews said in a loud voice as she glared
over Cass’ head at the doctor.
Cass suppressed a sharp laugh and resisted turning around to check Dr.
Saniya’s expression. Surely it showed further displeasure. “Yes, but do you
think it’s worth taking a chance?”
Mathews’ lips twisted. “More than coming here in the first place?”
“Good point, Beth.” Cass ran her hands through her frizzed hair, then
scratched her face. Everything itched. A shower would be nice. When was the
last time Ta’mat bathed while using her body? Not since leaving the Brajj world
at least, and the Brajj didn’t have showers just shallow, freshwater pools. Really
not the same. Cass rolled her head, cracking her neck. “God, what I
wouldn’t do to feel normal again.”
Jeamon rubbed Cass’ neck with one hand until she groaned and her eyes
fluttered shut. “I think we should stay,” he said. “I cannot leave Lewis
behind, no matter how long it takes to find him.”
Eyes snapping open, Cass met Jeamon’s intense sidelong gaze. “I agree.”
“Guess we’re staying at the creepy underground government facility, then.”
Lars said, grinning.
Mathews yawned, her hand barely covering the excited glint in her eyes.
“Looks like.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Liked what you read?
You can find Destiny of the Queen on Goodreads
You can buy Destiny of the Queen here:
- Amazon
- Barnes & Noble
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Earlier books in this series!
Dreams of the Queen (The Brajj #1) by Jacqueline Patricks
Dr. Cass Baros is haunted by dreams of an alien world...
...and will do anything to find it.
Links:
- Goodreads
- Amazon
- B&N
- Kobo
- Smashwords
- Google Play
- iTunes
Dreams of the Queen (The Brajj #1) by Jacqueline Patricks
Dr. Cass Baros is haunted by dreams of an alien world...
...and will do anything to find it.
Links:
- Goodreads
- Amazon
- B&N
- Kobo
- Smashwords
- Google Play
- iTunes
Nightmares of the Queen (The Brajj #2) by Jacqueline Patricks
Their love will be tested by betrayal and deceit.
Links:
- Goodreads
- Amazon
- B&N
- Kobo
- Smashwords
- Google Play
- iTunes
About the Author:Nominated by The Author Show as Top Female Author 2017, PAN member of the Romance Writers Association, a volunteer with Houston’s Writespace, and a winner of the Seal of Good Writing from the IndiePENdents for her first published novel, Dreams of the Queen, Jacqueline Patricks’ passion for writing began early in life. Before she published, however, Jacqueline traveled a winding path through the U.S. Army, college, over twenty years in 911 as a paramedic, professional teaching, and all the exciting adventures in between. She currently resides with her husband and four parrots and hopes to meet Mark Twain someday since he understands parrot people.
“She was not quite what you would call refined. She was not quite what you would call unrefined. She was the kind of person that keeps a parrot.” – Mark Twain
You can find and contact Jacqueline Patricks here:
- Website
- Goodreads
- Amazon
- Newsletter
Giveaway
There is a tour wide giveaway for the blog tour of Destiny of the Queen. One winner will win their choice of an e-copy from one of Jacqueline Patricks's books (INT)
For a chance to win, enter the giveaway below:
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