Resistor: An Eerden Novel by C. E. Clayton + GIVEAWAY

 

**Resistor by C. E. Clayton**

Good Morning, Everyone! So thrilled to see you all today! We have another new-to-me author and book! Please allow me to feature on the blog C. E. Clayton and her latest release, RESISTOR … Plus, a GIVEAWAY!

**C. E. CLAYTON**

**BIO**

C. E. Clayton was born and raised in the greater Los Angeles area. After going the traditional career route and becoming restless, she went back to her first love--writing--and hasn't stopped. She is the author of young adult fantasy series, "The Monster of Selkirk", the creator of the cyberpunk Eerden Novels, and her horror short stories have appeared in anthologies across the country. When she's not writing you can find her treating her fur-babies like humans, constantly drinking tea, and trying to convince her husband to go to more concerts. And reading. She does read quite a bit. More about C.E. Clayton, including her blog, book reviews, social media presence, and newsletter, can be found on her website.

To find out more about Ms. Clayton, please visit:

 

 

 

 

**RESISTOR**

Publication date: October 1^st, 2020

Series: An Eerden Novel (Eerden 1, Ellinor, 1)

Genres:  New Adult, Cyberpunk, Fantasy

**BLURB**

Ellinor Rask has wanted one thing for the past eight years: vengeance. But when Ellinor is captured, she finds herself dragged back into the world she walked away from, entangled once more with friends she would rather forget.

As if that weren’t humiliating enough, Ellinor learns first hand that her magic can be stripped away by a piece of bio-tech—and her ex-boss is happy to leash her with the technology in order to get what he wants. If Ellinor behaves, the device will be removed. All she has to do is deliver a package. One containing a creature created from raw magical energy and discarded technology. Simple, right?

But when her goals start getting people murdered, Ellinor has to decide if the year’s planning, her honor, and even her own magic, are worth the lives it’s costing. Dodging ruthless gangsters, she finds herself on the run with a creature of immeasurable magical abilities alongside her one-time friends. Now, Ellinor must relearn to trust the people she once abandoned. She must put her faith in technology, and her life in the hands of independent contractors, all while racing to deliver the package before it gets taken by force, or worse, the creature decides to make an appearance itself.

**EXCERPT**

THIS WAS not the first time Ellinor Olysha Rask found herself bound and chained, and she very much doubted it would be her last. This was the longest she had ever been incarcerated, however.

Ellinor leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes, though it made no difference in the pitch black. She wiggled against the rough wall, never getting comfortable. The restraints clamped over her wrists chaffed at her skin. She lost count of the days she’d been locked in the rank cell, but she supposed it didn’t actually matter how long she’d been there, only how much longer she’d be staying.

She sighed loudly, her patience long gone. Not that she had been blessed with an abundance of composure to begin with, but her restraint had diminished considerably since Misho’s death.

Heaviness settled on her chest and shoulders as she imagined Misho’s disapproving tsk at her current predicament, and her chin started to quiver. Gritting her teeth, she knocked her head against the bumpy wall to focus her thoughts. She always lost control when she thought about Misho Shimizu, and she didn’t want to lose what little control she had left. She needed to conserve her energy.

For what? There’s no telling how long I’ve been here, or who took me. Time to stop waiting.

She hadn’t recognized who grabbed her, or how they had gotten the drop on her. She had been drinking, of course, but no more than usual. One minute, Ellinor was meeting with a contact who had information about the Ashlings she was hunting. Ashlings who needed to answer for what was done to Misho. The next? She couldn’t remember. The air—her own power!—had betrayed her. Everything went white and hazy, and a fog rolled over her memories.

She sat up straighter against the wall, breathing deeply, ignoring the aches and pains of her cramped muscles. Whatever had happened, poisoning or a knock over the head, had left her weak. Concentrating had been a chore, let alone summoning her magic. She knew she wasn’t at full strength, but better to do something than continue to wait around for whoever had nabbed her to remember they had her locked away.

Ellinor had heard of humani, beings like her, who were strong enough in air magic to blow apart buildings, and who had the skill to dismantle the most intricate of machines without destroying any of the delicate parts. Ellinor had never been that strong, nor that finessed with her talents. She had enough of the talent to make her someone most would shy away from, and it had been more than enough for her job. Using the air, she could turn otherwise fatal blows from knives or projectiles away, and coupled with her own abilities for creating mayhem, her magic had served her well, or well enough, until Misho died.

Then her power turned her into someone, something, most didn’t want to talk about. Someone the remainder of her family distanced themselves from. She lived only to avenge Misho.

The seersha, though . . . now they would have no trouble using wind to blow apart this cell, no matter how far underground they’d have to pull the air. They’d be able to use that same current to wrap themselves in an impenetrable force field then simply sail away like some cocky bird.

That didn’t mean she couldn’t cause some trouble, though.

“Do you see why I just had to have you back, Elli dear?” Cosmin said, disrupting her thoughts. “You and our dearly departed Misho were the only ones in my employ who could command air or water magic. The rest of your kind prefer to be noble pricks with ‘legitimate’ occupations. Damn near incorruptible, too. Such a shame we lost Misho. He was always the more agreeable one of you two. Wouldn’t you agree, Kai?”

Kai preened and opened his mouth, but Cosmin gave him a dismissive wave. “No need to answer; we all know it’s true.”

Cosmin glanced at one of the service bots against the wall and gave a barely discernible nod, and the machine rolled from the room. “The problem with dreeocht is they need to bond to the magic they’re best suited to, or they cease to be useful. This is where you come in, so pay attention. I may not be able to use this treasure, but a friend of mine—well, I say friend, she’s more of a pain in my neck . . . but I suppose she’s better than most people I deal with. Anyway, she can use my treasure and is willing to trade some absolutely fantastic devices in return. Combat-tech and war automaton far beyond my mechanics’ abilities, and without the stupid things turning into Ashlings and tearing my home apart.

“In exchange for all those goodies, I give her the unconscious dreeocht, and we become even better friends. Friends in your debt are lovely. I can call in that favor whenever I need it, no questions asked. It’s win-win! Well, as close to win-win as I can get, given the circumstances.” He spared her another cool glance. “You and a retinue of my people will leave for the city of Anzor tomorrow and deliver my package to Zabel Dirix directly.

“Anzor is a bit farther than I’d like from Euria, but there’s nothing I can do about that. If I used my earth abilities to move the city closer, I might crack Erhard in half! And that wouldn’t be much fun, now would it?”

Making a show of crossing his legs, Cosmin waited, looking at her expectantly. Ellinor blinked a few times before registering he was waiting on her. “Oh, you’re done? Sorry, wasn’t sure. You practiced that speech a few times before I got here, didn’t you?”

“Obvious, was it?” Cosmin pouted. “I felt the delivery was a little forced. But I so loved it; I just couldn’t miss this opportunity. Oh well, it’s done now.”

This time, Ellinor did roll her eyes. “So, what. You captured me so I could play escort to the prize you can’t keep? What makes you think I’d help you? Especially after what happened—what you allowed to happen—to Misho? This is a hard nope for me. Find or capture another mule.”

Cosmin tossed his head back, hair rippling as he forced a laugh. “You seem to think you have a choice in this, my dear. You do not. This is happening. You’re going.”

“You can’t make me.” Ellinor flinched at how petulant the words sounded. “You can ship me out with your prize and your best men, but you can’t make me behave. You know they aren’t going to be enough to handle me. Not even Kai. No offense, Kai.”

“Oh, I know, my dear,” Cosmin said with a shrug. At a gesture, the service android rolled back into the room and headed for Kai, who stooped to pick something up from the tray atop its head.

“You were always such a fearsome humani. A shame, really, that you couldn’t be tempted to my bed, like so many other fearsome women. No matter,” Cosmin said, fidgeting with his robe. “You see, you weren’t my first choice, either. But the fact is, you’re still one of the most useful tools I’ve ever had the pleasure of utilizing, and the only one I can get my hands on without rousing suspicion from our new governor. So, as much as it pains me, I simply must make use of you again. And you will have no choice but to do as I command.”

At those words, Kai snapped a metal collar around her neck. It was a thin silver ring, and, once closed, welded shut. Ellinor could not remove it.

The faint, cool thrumming of power in her veins that surged with her magic was suddenly gone. She could no longer feel it. Her body began to tremble, eyes wide in sudden panic as her pulse started to race.

Nonono!

Even with the cuffs on her wrists, she could feel her magic; she could summon it if need be, but this was different. Now there was an emptiness, a weightlessness in her core. Like a piece of her soul and heart had suddenly vanished.

Ellinor sputtered, her breath hitching as if her chest were caving in. Desperately, she scrabbled to claw the collar off, her nails leaving angry red lines down her neck.

“What did you do, Kai? What the fuck, Cosmin!” Ellinor screeched, trying to force the collar over her head, to no avail.

“Isn’t it obvious? I took away your magic, Elli dear. If you ever want to cast again, you will do as I say.”

She gasped; her heart tripped over itself at seeing her belongings. It was like seeing a beloved friend after an extended absence. Rushing to Kai’s side, Ellinor’s fingers danced over her combat armor, reverently fluttering over the familiar worn edges; she pulled it close to her face and inhaled.

The armor Misho had gifted her hadn’t been lost.

She closed her eyes and saw Misho smiling back at her, his bright amber eyes flashing in delight as he watched her put the armor on. She could feel his long, graceful fingers trailing her curves as he appreciated how the fine craftsmanship hugged her body. She saw him lean down to kiss her, his full lips just a breath away—

Kai gruffly cleared his throat, and Ellinor’s eyes snapped open.

“You need a minute alone with it, Ell? Bit of privacy maybe?” Kai said, wiggling his bushy red eyebrows at her.

Ellinor frowned and cradled the gear to her chest. “Don’t be absurd. And what did I say about calling me Ell?”

“You said not to.”

“Damn right! Traitors who collar me with despicable and inhumane technology aren’t allowed to call me Ell. We’re not friends, Kai. Not anymore.”

Her heart twisted further. She didn’t want to push Kai away, not really, not again. But how was she supposed to forgive him?

“Ah, c’mon, it ain’t that bad! How can it be? It’s just a blasted piece of magic bio-tech. Just means you can’t cast is all. You don’t need abilities to kick ass. Besides, I done told you it ain’t personal. Don’t mean we can’t be friends, or friendly with each other, anyways. We were thick, you and me, not that long ago. Nothing’s gotta change unless you want it to.”

But everything had changed. Nothing felt or even tasted the same anymore, thanks to Cosmin. And Kai helped him.

Ellinor growled, “Don’t talk about things you know nothing about!”

Cosmin’s profession was in smuggling and selling illegal magitech and weapons. They harnessed natural magic and, when combined in a bullet or shackle like Ellinor’s, had devastating effects. Such items were highly regulated by the politicians and police, making them a hot commodity in the ground level markets. Cosmin was well versed in the effect his device had on Ellinor, it was his specialty.

She jabbed her finger in Kai’s chest, the bouncer bots buzzing a warning at his side. “You have no idea what this is like. What this feels like. What this does to a caster. This isn’t like those shit cuffs you had me in. I could still feel my magic. I could still summon it. This? It would be like me taking your hands away. There would just be a dead, empty space where your hands used to be. There wouldn’t even be phantom pains reminding you that your hands were once a part of you. Only a gap of where something vital to you once was.”

She took a step back, stuffing her hands under her arms, clutching her armor tight to her chest, as the automatons continued to buzz. “I can understand why you wouldn’t recognize the hole you’ve left me to fester in without my abilities, but Cosmin sure as shit does. He knows exactly the kind of hollow emptiness that comes with neutering a caster. Of how it makes you feel like you aren’t even a person anymore. So don’t you dare pretend that it’s just business because you’re hoping Cosmin will let you into his bed one day. It’s never happening, Kai!

“Once this job is done, I never want to see you again.” She shuddered reflexively. “If I do, abilities or not, my face will be the last thing you ever see. You got that?”

His shoulders drooped, and he took a step back. Kai was not magically inclined. He had no idea what it felt like to be cut off from a piece of himself so completely he couldn’t even feel a whisper of it anywhere.

Kai wouldn’t meet her eyes. His chin sagged to his chest, and he jerked his thumb back toward the door. “You just come out when you’re ready. Be quick, though. Cosmin’s expecting us to shove off soon.”

 

 

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**GIVEAWAY**

Blitz-wide Giveaway (US ONLY)

2 lucky winners will receive the complete character art pack for Resistor, which includes 5 exclusive pieces! The art pack includes a scene from the early chapters of the book done by Arz, a character bookmark by Dominique Wesson, and 3 character playing cards by Golden Rose.

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Thanks so much for joining us today!

HAPPY READING!!!