MADNESS: Book One of The Shadow-Keepers Series Read online

  Book One of The Shadow-Keepers Series

  MADNESS

  By Jas T. Ward

  Dead Bound Publishing®

  Ohio ∞ Texas

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  MADNESS (The Shadow-Keepers Series, #1)

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three | Humans are Boring

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five | Damn You Hero Stuff

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven | It’s a Bad Bad thing

  Chapter Eight | You Can’t Do That!

  Chapter Nine | Fruit Punch is Red

  Chapter Ten | Grey or Black? Or Grey? Or Black?

  Chapter Eleven | The Second Night is Sooo Much

  Chapter Twelve | What’s Your Name?

  Chapter Thirteen | Don’t Bounce Me

  Chapter Fourteen | Go or No Go

  Chapter Fifteen | Family Night

  Chapter Sixteen | Safe in the Arms

  Chapter Seventeen | Ah Love

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen | Charm versus Nananana

  Chapter Twenty | Awakening

  Chapter Twenty-One | Promise?

  Chapter Twenty-Three | Always Something

  Chapter Twenty-Four | Black Nightmare

  Chapter Twenty-Five | A Lie

  Chapter Twenty-Six | And It All Just Goes Bad

  PART TWO

  Chapter Twenty-Eight | Regret and Wishes

  Chapter Twenty-Nine | Chicken Nuggets

  Chapter Thirty | A Glimpse of Home

  Chapter Thirty-One | I Can Help You

  Chapter Thirty-Two | Lessons Don’t Always Teach

  Chapter Thirty-Three | The Plan Must Be Done

  Chapter Thirty-Four | Lost

  Chapter Thirty-Five | Just a Pawn, Nothing Personal

  Chapter Thirty-Six | Good-bye Candyman

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight | A Body From Where?

  Chapter Thirty-Nine | The Sound of WTF

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Forty-One | I’m a What?

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Chapter Forty-Four | Changes and Choices

  Chapter Forty-Five | I Choose You

  What is the Grid?

  Sign up for Jas T. Ward's Mailing List

  Also By Jas T. Ward

  Bits and Pieces: Tales and Sonnets

  Love’s Bitter Harvest

  Shadow-Keeper Series

  Reading Order

  Stories from the Grid:

  Before the Madness: Candyman (Novella)

  MADNESS: Book One of the Shadow-Keepers Series

  Stories from the Grid: BOUNCE (Novella)

  BOOK ONE OF THE SHADOW-KEEPERS SERIES:

  MADNESS

  COPYRIGHT © 2013 BY

  JAS T. WARD

  No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the written permission except in the case of brief quotations in critical articles or reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  References to the animated feature film “Beauty and the Beast” used by permission from The Walt Disney Company.

  All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted In any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written agreement of the publisher.

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  For Information, address:

  Dead Bound Publishing

  P.O. Box 8134

  Lumberton, TX 77657 – 0134

  www.DeadBoundPublishing.com

  Cover Design: Ariel LeAnn

  ISBN (Paperback): 978-0-9892738-3-1

  First Edition: December 2013

  Second Edition: September 2014

  What Published Authors Are Saying about

  MADNESS

  ...I loved the writing and I was sucked into the story from the beginning. I laughed, and found myself on the edge of my seat. I felt the sexual tension between the mains. I found myself really trying to read forward, to help me understand why they were separated in the first place. I found myself with my mouth open trying to help them kiss. The conflict was good. I felt the pain, I didn't get things until they were revealed. I may be the only person on the planet that didn't like harry potter because that world was just too complicated. Ward handled it well..It's a rare book that can accomplish for me.

  - Published Best Selling Author Kindle Alexander

  Double Full

  A Nice Guys Novel

  ...a good book resonates and leaves you a bit sad when you realize it's over and you're forced to return to the "real" world. A great book, however, leaves you looking around and wondering how the hells the world around you is ever going to be the same again after all you just lived through, thanks to the author. "Madness" is that book. And it's coming soon.

  Prepare for change and forget all you know. Or think you know.

  -Published Author: Torie James

  Timeless Night

  New Camelot Series

  ...I like being shown not just the strengths of a character but their weaknesses too. To be able to care, feel, and see both sides to witness something that is more than just words on a page. The main character’s intense passion for all things winds you up as a reader. You can almost feel the sugar rush, the chaotic vibration of raw, barely contained anger, and the pull of good versus evil. Overall, I found this to be a very interesting and entertaining read and I can’t wait for the next installment. I look forward to collecting this series.

  -Published Author Mel Favreaux

  Walker’s Run

  A Sanctuary Novel

  ...Now, at first glance you'd never think that this was a love story. But it is. The good guy thinks he's bad because that's what he was made for, only, he was made for more things than even he could imagine. I loved the fight he had within himself and the doubt he held. I loved how love always, ALWAYS finds a way. Once you start reading you DON'T wanna stop. It pulls you in because you have all the elements

  -Published Author Lauren Tisdale

  Circle of Secrets

  To the fans through the years who have been the most fantastic, encouraging foundation a struggling author could ask for. Without them, this book you hold in your hands would not have been written. They demanded its main character, Reno Sundown have his own life. His own book and now, they get their wish. Thank you so much for that. This book and Reno’s world were amazing to create. Now, I give it to you – for you.

  To my friends and family who have stayed around to listen (even if I drove you to insanity with constantly babbling about it) thank you for that. I know, I get a bit obsessed in the creative process and this book was no different. Know that without your support, I wouldn’t be the free thinking creative person you have come to love so much (Note the small chuckle when saying that).

  To the staff at Dead Bound Publishing: My proofer and editor - Thank you both for your honesty and sincerity. To my graphic artist - Thank you for your patience and
not cussing me to my face (there’s a reason back’s don’t have ears). To the business partners - It’s not time for a new car quite yet. But we’re getting there! (Hush, we so are.)

  To my children: How I ever successfully raised such wonderful and independent adults is far beyond my ability to comprehend. To Adam, Michael and Teia- you inspire me without even knowing it. And no, I won’t buy you a car either (Not yet anyway...). To the future generation of Lily, Trent and new baby Skylar – Dream for it runs in your blood. Never let it down.

  To my muses: Angela, Deja, Amanda and of course- my Kittra. There are no words other than thank you. And blood only doesn’t make family, heart does too.

  And no thank you would be complete without the last two:

  To Author Dog Pumkin- I know it hasn’t been easy for you to listen to me talk to myself night after night. To act out scenes that made you hide under the table. If you could read, you could see what all that amounted to. But alas, you’re a smart dog, but you’re not that smart.

  To Writer Kitty Orleans- You are new to the process, but you have learned the space in front of me at the desk is author area and not kitty area. That or you think it’s natural to fly – with my help.

  To everyone else...

  Thank you so much. And take care of each other.

  And yourself.

  -JTW

  PART ONE

  THE BREAKER, A COWBOY

  AND A WITCH

  Chapter One

  Breaker and Ooze

  One second later and Reno would have been adding his blood to the Eater goo that slicked the pavement. Bowing his back as the blade sliced forward, he grabbed the wrist of the nasty thing trying to slice and dice him to use its momentum to pull it forward. He then brought his elbow down hard at the base of its skull, shattering bone, muscle and sending it into the pool of foul smelling ooze.

  Spinning around, bleeding from a half dozen cuts and slices, he was disappointed to find that the fun was over.

  So far he didn’t hear any sirens so that was always a good thing as he took in the dark and dank Reno, Nevada alley. The dark space between the buildings was now decorated with a dozen demonic piles turning into thick gruesome puddles that were once Energy Eaters. Once killed, these demons straight out of Hell were no longer able to maintain their human form and since they weren’t able to survive long in their true forms outside Hell, they turned into well... liquefied bad, smelly jelly looking stuff. It smelled bad. It felt bad. And it tasted ten times worse than the other two combined. What could he say? Reno was really messy when he had fun.

  Reaching into his back pocket to pull out a Twizzler he then slapped it on his tongue. He crinkled up his face as he tried not to smell the stench or look too close at the slaughtered bodies as they melted away.

  It wasn’t pretty. At all. It was like that ooze at the bottom of a forgotten dumpster that had sat in the sun way too long.

  Some of the other Breakers had Relays who could come in and clean up the mess left behind from dispatching the Energy Eaters or, sadly, any bodies of human fatalities the demons left behind.

  Their usual victims were women and sometimes children, the weak that scared easily. The higher the level of fear and panic of the victim the more empowered their spark would glow. It became more supercharged than pop rock candy with adrenaline and endorphins to fuel the fear.

  The stronger the spark, the longer the demons could exist in the human world. Feeding on that allowed the Eaters to exist here topside, because Hell wasn’t exactly known as a party place. So their sole goal was living here among the humans on earth. He had heard they weren’t very welcome in Hell at all.

  But, as he watched the mess transform into a water-like substance, he wasn’t one of those lucky Breakers. He was still ‘on probation’ with the god who created as well as managed the Breakers. That god was called Bounce. It was Bounce who waited at the gates of Hell, and paid for each of their souls.

  Why Hell? Well, each Breaker had been a bad, very bad, or the worst kind of human, and if Bounce bought them they in turn got a second chance to redeem themselves and, if they were lucky, get a chance to live again by doing it right. It’s not like a soul had many options—it was being a Breaker or burning up forever in the Hell fire.

  It wasn’t without its price however. Because it also meant your soul was basically collateral to Hell and Bounce was like the lien-holder to make sure you made your payments. Only he could decide when the debt was paid, but it had some cool bonuses as well.

  Breakers were ten times stronger than any human could hope to be, faster too. They healed super fast and were immortal, which meant they couldn’t die from natural causes. Only beheading or bleeding out could kill them. Along with that, being a Breaker paid really well, so, all in all? A Breaker was a total bad-ass.

  A Breaker’s sole purpose was to wipe the Energy Eaters off the realm of mankind. But how the Energy Eaters walked the Earth and why was the stuff of legend. Like a really dark and scary fairy tale with the happy ending seeming very far away.

  Being a Breaker wasn’t without its risks and downfalls. There was the whole beheading and dying thing for one. Another was being tied to Hell, you couldn’t walk in the light of day.

  Then there was the point system - for each human they failed to save it was like points against the Breaker. Too many points or not following the rules would mean Bounce would live up to his nickname and bounce your soul right back to Hell to burn for eternity. Second chance done and over.

  All served the Grid and Reno knew even less about the logistics of it all. He had never really asked and just that it kept mankind’s energy strong and served to keep everything balanced until the Great Light could wipe out darkness and restore faith to mankind to be good for all time.

  No one, he didn’t think, knew what the Great Light was. Many were beginning to think it was a false prophecy and was never going to happen.

  Reno had never really asked about how the war had started but he had heard that the demons were made to feed on the light of mankind and destroy it. To eventually wipe out the species and make a very nasty Hell on Earth. Some said that Lucifer’s own son was driven mad with revenge and created them.

  The demons fed on mankind like a starving dude in an all-you-can-eat buffet and only left behind an empty shell with no chance for the person who owned it to have redemption or be judged by Heaven.

  Because Earth was a lot more fun than Hell, where they were treated like freaks and strays. The demons really wanted to claim the Earth realm as their new home so they wouldn’t have to go back to their own. Feeding off humans was their extended stay ticket to do that.

  Reno didn’t care about all that. He just did his job even though he wasn’t really sure who was winning the war because it had been going on as long as there had been a Heaven and Hell, but he didn’t mind. In fact, he never really complained or took anything for granted.

  He was, after all, only three years old.

  It seemed like much longer than that. But it wasn’t. Three years ago he had been just a split personality of one of the most heroic and honorable Breakers by the name of Jess Bailey. The same insanity that had caused Jess’ personality to split for survival was the same one that drove the hero insane. It had been Reno’s job to make sure that didn’t happen to Jess by controlling the insanity, by being a buffer between it and the hero to handle all the bad that the hero couldn’t deal with.

  He had to take all the pain and violence, all the bad that had started when Jess was just a little boy of seven years old.

  He had never complained about that either...well okay, maybe every once in awhile. But it was his only purpose and the only reason for his existence, so he rarely questioned it.

  Until her.

  Emma.

  His Witch.

  Then all bets were off on what he would do or not do, with the latter being the problem. He had refused to help Jess any longer and that insanity all but destroyed the hero. He had suffered to
o as they both declined and deteriorated into insanity. But it was bound to happen.

  Imagine watching the man who he had come to hate, after more than a century of letting him out only to handle the bad and kept him in a place they both called ‘the Hole’, be with the one woman they both loved?

  The Hole was black, windy and cold; all designed to put him in his place and purge evil urges inside of Jess’ very strong telepathic mind. And Reno hated it. But he hated it more after Jess became involved with Emma because Jess decided the best torture of all was to make Reno watch their relationship.

  Every. Single. Thing.

  Yes, even their sex life.

  All from inside of Jess’ head.

  By design, Reno was never supposed to have positive feelings or emotions of being good and right. The things that made life worth fighting for like compassion, love, kindness and made someone want to be good. Emotions Reno had never felt, developed or gave a damn about because he thought they made a person weak. His job was to be ruthless and strong.

  But Emma had changed all that in one night.

  He never knew what or who had helped him out that night to be able to drive and be in control of the body he and Jess shared, but he really hoped he got a chance to thank them.

  That one night of passion with Emma had changed him and he knew there was no going back.

  He had never been kissed by a woman before, nor touched. He had never had sex and she had been his first and his only.

  He had never been allowed those things before because they were good things and only Jess was allowed those. He was only allowed the bad.

  From that one night, those foreign but good emotions took root and grew and sealed the pain that would cause his and Jess split to rip wide open.

  But Emma never knew it was Reno she had shared that first night with and not Jess because of their shared body.

  Jess had then used that to have a relationship that had lasted for months. With the woman his split dark-side had fallen completely and totally in love with. Maybe from the first moment Reno had seen her.