The Crystal Crux Series tale unfolds in ten days over five books.
Betrayal
Blue Grotto
Cold Knight
Shimmer
Beautiful

Today, August 16, 2026
is exactly 828 years after the fourth day in my book series.
The year was 1198.

I decided early on to begin each day of the series with a scripture I felt sort of captured the essence of something major happening in the story on that day.

On DAY FOUR, Pero is trapped inside his thoughts and nightmares. His mind is invaded by a disembodied voice that keeps telling him, “My servants never rest. My servants never die.”
Already at war with his Creator, Pero doesn’t think he’s anybody’s servant anymore, and if he is dead, he wants to be left dead.
The voice, as well as snakes of golden light, have other plans for him. They destroy Pero’s dark illusions and thrust him into dream state he can’t control. He is reminded of the past, of climbing mountains, his deceased father, and an eagle’s nest. The crown of Ariadne.
The reader doesn’t read anything about Anthea on Day Four. All we know is that at the end of Day Three, before Rugerius rides off to hunt down Pero on Eagles Pass, he orders Sinibaldus, the magician, to take Anthea back to Parthenope until he returns. He plans to wed Anthea once he has Pero’s head and Anthea’s desires are turned by the magic crystal towards him – something the magician was incapable of doing in the Blue Grotto.
Sinibaldus, however, is fascinated by Anthea’s unexpected healing in the Blue Grotto, which Rugerius missed. Sinibaldus has been trying for decades to resurrect his dead mother/wife Claire. He suspects that the power to resurrect the dead may be locked up somewhere in Anthea’s mind. There’s a powerful spirit in her that he has never encountered before.
Francis, meanwhile, with Guidus at his side, makes his way across Italy to Mondragone in search of his former squire Merle.

I am counting down all ten days in a row this week and offering up one of my favorite passages from each day.
The excerpt below is about Viridian embarking on a quest of her own. Rugerius cousin and consort, who he has recently spurned, hired smugglers to smuggle her at night to Port Hell which is nothing more than an abandoned dock in the middle of nowhere. An imp-like creature arrived on her balcony and invited her to meet with his powerful and wealthy lord. Viridian, addicted to drugs and suicidal, has no real concerns for her safety and decides to accept this quest into the dark unknown. What’s the worst that could happen?

The presence of something invisible began to creep over her and on her. It was a powerful form of magic, a pulsating breath of air like that of a thousand hearts.
“Those are drums,” she told herself. “And pipes.” She smiled. “And there’s music and singing. And yet, I hear nothing. Not in my ears. But where is it coming from?”
The trees of the forest began to warble, and an enormous bubble of dark colors manifested itself from thin air, blocking her path. Snakes of black and gold light pushed through the warble, piercing the darkness, peeling apart the woods. The giant boughs over her bent and eerie branches twisted. The sky turned inside out.
Viridian thought to turn and run but it was already too late. The bubble caught hold of her and wouldn’t let go. The energy sucked her forward and her long black hair flew over her face. She was blind to all that was happening. The forest dragged her body in a direction she didn’t want to go. She tried to scream but there was no air and no sound. She couldn’t even breathe.
Viridian really stepped in it this time.
Excerpt – Cold Knight

I’ll be back to post something about DAY FIVE tomorrow.
Until then, stay inspired and keep reading!