The Porcelain Promise by Jordan Reed

The exciting adventure of Zane Vrexon continues in Book 2!

Available at bookstores and online in August 2024.

Pain rushed through Zane’s right arm as the wooden post slammed into it. His legs had been too slow for him to dodge the surprise attack. In front of him stood a half-naked dockhand with long hair and a tan complexion. The dockhand’s hair fell in waves around his face and foam flowed from his mouth. Zane leaned heavily against the wall. “Do you think we can talk about this?”

The dockhand reared back to hit him again, but Zane was prepared this time. Gritting his teeth through searing pain, Zane slammed his cane into the dockhand’s inner thigh. The dockhand slammed into the wall face-first with a wet crunch as his leg gave way.

Zane’s limbs felt as if they were filled with molten lead weighing him down. His breath came in ragged bursts, but his military training took control. The detective took stock of his surroundings. He was in an alleyway just past Dock Ten, two blocks short of the place where he had been caught unawares.

Zane couldn’t see past either end of the alley through the thick fog that rolled in from the ocean. He hoped and prayed that Alyssa would find him soon. Two red eyes peered out from the dockhand’s shadow, and a silky voice whispered in Zane’s head. She is two blocks over with guards in tow, but they are heading to your originally planned location. Zane grunted in acknowledgment of Shadow’s help.

The dockhand righted himself and turned to face Zane. Blood rushed down his nose and joined the foam from his mouth, like a river of blood meeting the sea. Zane saw something in the man’s eyes that made him jealous. He doesn’t feel any pain. The big man again lifted up his wood post and swung it hard at Zane.

The weight behind it was too great to parry or block. Zane lurched back, slamming into the opposite wall. The post passed just inches from his nose. Shadow remained calm. Why don’t you just run your sword through the brute or shoot him with your wand? He didn’t have time to respond as the large man reared back again. Zane lunged to the side, striking the man’s bicep as he passed under his swing. The post went flying out into the smog of the night.

In a hushed voice, the detective answered Shadow’s question.

“I was asked to take him alive.” You need to stay alive first.

The dockhand charged Zane. He caught ahold of the detective’s collar and pressed him into the wall. Zane couldn’t break his grip as the dockhand grabbed his throat, choking him. The detective bashed his attacker with his cane, but the dockhand was unfazed.

The savage gripped his neck tighter as the sound of whistles and running drew close. Help was nearby, but the smog was thick. Zane tried to get their attention, but the air was trapped in his lungs.

Zane dropped his cane and pulled his wand from its brown leather holster. He pointed the wand at the dockhand for a moment, before jerking it away. He pulled the mental trigger and a blast of blue fire erupted from the tip of the wand. Each round slammed into the opposite wall, echoing in a loud thud. Zane fired again and again until all six shots were spent. He started to see black spots as his consciousness faded.

The dockhand slammed the detective into the wall, jarring him awake long enough to bring his legs up. Zane kicked the man hard in the face with all of his remaining strength, knocking him down. Coughing, the detective grabbed his cane and pulled the sword free from within.

Zane was ready to kill the dockhand as the man stood up. Before either moved, Alyssa’s form cleared the smog. She knocked the dockhand off his feet with an eldritch word. From behind her, five imperial guards dressed in black uniforms with red trim and breastplates rushed forward. The guards pinned the dockhand down and arrested him.

Alyssa’s raven-black hair clung in a sweaty clump over her face. Zane clicked his sword back into the cane as she rushed over. She dropped to the ground next to him. “I was so afraid I wasn’t going to find you!”

Zane looked into her eyes. He despised being looked at with concern; it felt too close to pity. He ignored her attempt to help and forced himself to stand using his cane. The pain from his old, injured limbs seeped into his bones and through the rest of his body. He felt it even in his teeth. “What took you so long?”

The hurt on Alyssa’s face was obvious as she turned away; Shadow mocked him. That was rude, detective. She was only trying to help.

Zane sighed, knowing Shadow was right. “I’ll apologize later, after the pain has subsided,” he whispered to his parasite.

Zane shook off his hat, taking a moment to rub the ashy mud away before returning it to his head. He leaned heavily on his cane as he fished out his flask and took a large gulp of the green sappy liquid. Warmth and strength poured into him, but it wasn’t as effective as it once had been.

The imperial guard stepped into the street, a wisp of smog trailing behind him. He was young, and his clean-shaven face made him stand out from the other guards. The star on his breastplate shone brightly in the gas lamps. “Mr. Vrexon, thank you for your assistance. I wasn’t sure we were going to root out the seller.”

The detective nodded. “It’s why you hired us, Lieutenant Kellim, but you must know that this won’t stop the spread of this stuff.”

Kellim directed his men to take the small bag tied to the dockhand’s waist. He opened it up and nodded; inside was a red, sugar-like substance. “Yes, but if an outsider tries to sell this Rush powder, we’ll notice. The last thing we need is more Ragers out and about.”

He pulled the bag’s strings tight and tied it to his own belt. He looked the detective over before handing him several banknotes. “You are a brave man for risking your life to deal with a known Rager, especially after he had started to rage. But a little advice: You won’t live long if you keep doing such things. I’ll be by tomorrow to drop off the payment. Please accept this outside of our agreed amount.”

Zane knew Kellim was right, but he didn’t feel like letting him know. He pushed the notes into his pocket. Alyssa and Zane walked back toward their homes through the foggy night. As the sounds of the guards at work faded behind them, an awkward silence settled over the two like a fine morning dew.