Kyoko
M
Genre:
SciFi Romance/Action-Adventure
Date
of Publication: December 23, 2016
Number
of pages: 268
Word
Count: 139, 893
Cover
Artist: Agata Broncel
Book
Description:
After
centuries of being the most dangerous predators on the planet,
dragons were hunted to extinction. That is, until Dr. Rhett “Jack”
Jackson and Dr. Kamala Anjali cracked the code to bring them back.
Through their research at MIT, they resurrected the first dragon
anyone has seen alive since the 15th century. There’s just one
problem.
Someone
stole it.
Caught
between two ruthless yakuza clans who want to clone the dragon, Jack
and Kamala brave the dangerous streets of Tokyo to steal their dragon
back in a race against time before the world is taken over by
mutated, bloodthirsty monsters that will raze it to ashes.
Excerpt:
“They’re gone,”
Jack whispered. “I don’t…I don’t understand. They were right
here, Kam. What did I miss?”
She squeezed his
hand. “Jack, this isn’t your fault. Maybe something went wrong
and their health destabilized while we were out.”
“All that work,”
he said hoarsely. “Years’ worth. Just like that. Gone.”
He shook his head
again. “I shouldn’t have dragged you into this.”
“You didn’t drag
me into anything. I chose this. I chose you.” She caught his chin
and made him face her. Fierce brown eyes blazed at him. “And I’d
do it again in a heartbeat.”
“This kind of
thing can end a career. Let me take the blame. Please.”
“It’s my career
to end. We tell them together. End of story.”
He shut his eyes at
her words, shuddering slightly. “I’m so sorry.”
“We’ll find our
way again. I promise.” She stroked the side of his face before
turning towards the increasingly uneasy spectators around them.
“Ladies and
gentlemen,” Jack said after clearing his throat. “I’m afraid
that something’s happened. Our hatchlings have flat-lined.
They’re…they’re gone.”
A frigid hush fell
over the room. The lead reporter stepped forward. “They’re dead?”
Kamala nodded
grimly. “Stillborn. We’re not sure how, but we’ve tried
everything to resuscitate them and nothing has worked. I’m afraid
we’ve lost them.”
Edie’s hands rose
to her mouth, and her eyes fell on her son. “Oh, honey.”
“You’ve got to
be kidding me,” the reporter moaned. “I got pulled off a hot lead
at the Mayor’s office for this crap and you’re telling me the
whole thing’s off? Get a defibrillator and bring the little
bastards back to life.”
“Watch it,” Jack
said very quietly.
“No, you watch it,
pal. Everyone’s been talking you up like you’re gonna save the
world and yet here we are with nothing to show for it.”
Jack stepped
forward, gritting his teeth. “No one put a gun to your head and
told you to come here. That’s three years of my life lying on that
table over there, dead. Cry me a fucking river.”
Kamala gripped his
arm. “Jack.”
The reporter
snorted, not backing down even though Jack practically towered over
him. “This was just a publicity stunt, wasn’t it? Something to
get MIT some attention, since that’s where all the washed up
scientists go to spin their wheels and pretend like they’re making
a difference. What’s the matter? The real world too much for you?”
“The real world?”
Jack laughed bitterly. “You’re about to find out how real the
world can get.”
“Jack!”
“No, let him go,
sweetheart. This’ll look good on the front page. I can see the
headline now: ‘Failed Scientist Socks Award-Winning Reporter for
Hurting His Feelings.’”
Jack grabbed two
handfuls of the guy’s shirt and a couple of people darted between
them, shouting for them to cool off and separate.
Crack.
Jack froze.
Crrrraaaaaaack.
He craned his neck
slowly towards the table.
The furthest egg to
the left had a fracture running down the length of it.
Crick-crack.
The egg wiggled
once, twice. The fracture widened.
Jack and Kamala
stumbled towards the table together, their eyes transfixed on the
tremors going through the lone egg. A moment later, a tiny green
snout poked through a hole in the top and embryonic fluid oozed
outward.
Jack snatched up a
box of gloves and handed it to Kamala, snapping a pair on, and then
reached a shaking hand towards the creature. He lifted the small
piece of shell that the dragon had stuck on his snout and watched
slack-jawed as it sneezed and pushed its glistening, spindly limbs
out. It was the size of a large gecko. The scales were leafy-green
over most of its body, with paler shades along its belly, and dark
green splotches along its spine. It had four limbs like a normal
lizard, but two thin yellow membrous wings stuck out from its
shoulders. Its head bore similarities to a bird, with a triangular
head with bright eyes, its pupils thin slits like a snake. Each foot
ended in pinpricks of claws and it had a set of needle-like teeth
just barely poking out of its gums.
“Kamala?”
“Yes?”
“You’re seeing
this, right?”
“I am.”
Jack let out a
thready, borderline manic giggle as the young dragon wobbled on its
legs and let out a needy chirp, its yellow eyes focusing on the two
of them after a moment. Jack cupped one hand and brought it forward
slowly, his deep voice soothing.
“Hey there, buddy.
Welcome to the party. Nice timing.”
The dragon chirped a
couple more times and sniffed his fingers one by one. It nipped them,
coughed, and then crawled clumsily into his arms. Kamala handed him a
small towel and cleaned the little reptile off, smiling as it nuzzled
its head against her touch.
“She’s
beautiful, Jack,” she whispered. “What should we call her?”
“Pete.”
She choked on laugh.
“You’re such a sap. Hello, Pete. Welcome to MIT.”
About
the Author:
Kyoko
M is an author, a fangirl, and an avid book reader. Her debut novel,
The Black Parade, has been ranked #5 in Amazon's Bestselling Occult
novels. She has a Bachelor of Arts in English Lit degree from the
University of Georgia, which gave her every valid excuse to devour
book after book with a concentration in Greek mythology and Christian
mythology. When not working feverishly on a manuscript (or two), she
can be found buried under her Dashboard on Tumblr, or chatting with
fellow nerds on Twitter, or curled up with a good Harry Dresden novel
on a warm central Florida night. Like any author, she wants nothing
more than to contribute something great to the best profession in the
world, no matter how small.
Website/Blog:
http://www.shewhowritesmonsters.com
Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/misskyokom
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