Regret's Shadow (Sins of Earth Trilogy) (25 page)

Space.

P
ast the moon and the stymied coven of Drejth, past the small, rocky planets that shared the star system with Valia, a shattered hulk drifted. 

It was a massive craft, one that Dramus would recognize
from his vision as a seed ship from Earth.

Its hull had been badly torn, with vast sections completely peeled away.
  Hanging in a cloud around the main bulk was a sparkling field of debris.  The whole thing was gray, dark, and dead.

Huddled within this shell o
f the ship slept a behemoth.  It was larger than a castle, bristling with weaponry and cyber-tech.  Where its blotchy skin was exposed it was covered in hoarfrost.

Drejth came upon the beast as it slept, still feeling the sting of his defeat.  His goblin contingency was still underway, but his pride had gotten the better of him
, and he’d lost the quickest avenue of conquest. 

Rage guided his actions
as he slipped inside the proto-mind of the behemoth…

In the darkness, multiple molten eyes flared to life.  Ice cracked and flaked off as limbs stretched and weapons swiveled.  Slowly the thing turned its massive head, adorned with plasma cannons and flame projectors, toward the bright blue orb that hung in space not so far away.

With a final image - that of millions of humans living in relative peace on Valia - Drejth left its consciousness.  He shot back to the moon to begin the second phase of his plan amongst his disciples. 

In the black behind him, ion drives flared to life as
Renge
lurched toward Valia.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jeff Cram lives in Old Town, Maine with his wife and two children.  A freelance illustrator, in 2004 he graduated from the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art, Inc.

Ever an
avid fantasy and sci-fi fan, he still gets together once a week to play D&D with his old friends.

This is his first novel.