Read Online Fury Rising (Fury Unbound Book 1) by Yasmine Galenorn - Free Book Online

store dangerous magical tools. Last night, someone broke into the building and took something that could have a significant effect on the future. Today, the Fates invested me with retrieving it and finding out who was behind the theft. I’m assigning you to help.”
    I had never been asked to retrieve stolen items before. This all sounded very strange and mysterious. And she still hadn’t told me what went missing. “What was stolen?”
    “A silver disk, about the size of a bread-and-butter plate. There’s a soft sheen to it, almost like brushed silver. The center is raised, like a dome, and it looks like polished chrome. A ring of red lights surrounds the very edge of it. It’s an artifact from the Weather Wars, it’s known as the Thunderstrike, and it can be used to amplify and control weather.” She fell silent, waiting for me to digest the information.
    I stared at her, then my jaw slowly dropped open as Queet suddenly appeared, misty but in full view. An artifact from the Weather Wars?
    “Does the World Regency Corporation know that you know?” I asked.
    She nodded. “Not yet, but you know what this means.”
    My stomach flipped. Weather magic was illegal. All the Corp-Rats knew that—Gaia had laid down the law when she opened up the World Tree. Humans weren’t allowed to use any form of weather magic, and neither was anybody else. It had almost destroyed the planet, and Gaia was so over the vast gales and storms that had rocked her body.
    Hecate continued. “It’s my belief they’ll simply say they found it and were trying to keep it safe. But you and I both know how likely that is. For one thing, any artifacts of that nature are to be turned over to Lightning Strikes immediately upon discovery.”
    “Yeah, that’s going to be one hell of a shit storm when word leaks out.”
    “Oh, they’re going to pay a steep price for it. Even possession of this disk without immediately reporting it is a capital crime. I called Lightning Strikes early this morning. The World Regency Corporation is in line for a royal smackdown and I doubt if they’ll survive this. But worse, somebody out there in the city is now in possession of the device.” Hecate leaned back in her chair, a grim look on her face.
    I processed the information. The ramifications were enormous. The World Regency Corp. would be better off facing Zeus. On a good day, Zeus might have some mercy. Lightning Strikes wouldn’t be so compassionate.
    Lightning Strikes was a worldwide organization directly under Gaia’s authority. Dedicated to preventing the use of weather magic, the organization was given authority over any country or magical guild when it came to manipulation of the weather. They were above any government on the planet and they were policed by the Greenlings—Gaia’s henchmen. Even the Devani couldn’t touch them. While Lightning Strikes couldn’t monitor every magus or witch, they were extraordinarily thorough.
    “What’s really frightening is that such an artifact still exists. And it’s now in the hands of rogue magicians? Scary times two.” I leaned back in my seat, pushing the chocolates aside. “What next? How do I fit into all of this?”
    Hecate tapped one perfectly manicured red-taloned nail on the desk, folded her hands together beneath her chin and, elbows resting on her desk, leaned forward. “The Fates say this matter is likely to throw the world out of balance. And if it gets that far, who knows what Gaia might do? Perhaps obliterate all life? Start over completely? Nobody knows because she’s the Great Mother. In the end, even if we were to band together, all the gods could not—and would not—stop her. She is the heart and soul of the world. But for now, the Fates say we still have a chance to salvage the situation. We must find the Thunderstrike and destroy it, and we have to find out who stole it and prosecute them as well.”
    Queet suddenly piped up. “Just how powerful is the artifact?”
    “Very,