adretaRyder

An angel becomes a guardian for a human haunted by a dark curse.*****Azrael, a Seraph, is one of the last of her kind, haunted by a centuries-old curse that turns her people into monstrous Revenants.When she meets Adira, a human targeted by the same evil forces, Azrael's own darkness compels her to protect the young woman from the monsters - and from herself.As Kespen teeters on the brink of chaos, Jupyter agents Lisa Kirova and her vampire partner Roman race against time to unravel the sinister plot of the underground criminal mastermind, The Baron.With the city's fate hanging in the balance, Azrael, Adira, Lisa, and Roman must confront their own demons and forge an unlikely alliance to prevent an irreversible catastrophe.…

adretaRyder

Ambys Winner 2022(Action)Featured on ScienceFiction (Dystopian/Apocalyptic) * * * * *In a future where the world is divided into territories ruled by ruthless dictators, Vivian (codenamed V169) is a top assassin for the Vanguard. With a reputation for getting the job done at any cost, she has never let emotions get in the way of her mission.But when she is tasked with taking down an almost impossible target, Vivian begins to uncover a web of deceit and corruption that goes deeper than she ever imagined. Alongside a rogue clone and a daring journalist who has stolen from the most powerful man on Earth, she sets out to unveil the truth and take down those responsible.As they navigate a dangerous world on the brink of another catastrophic war, Vivian must confront her own past and question the role she has played in perpetuating a cycle of violence and oppression. Will she continue to be a pawn in a larger game, or will she choose to fight for something greater?…

adretaRyder

Three women. Three secrets. Three tangled lives.******In the heart of Kentauri, a city known for its annual celebration of tradition, terror strikes in the form of a blinding flash. Glass shatters, fires rage, and people scream as chaos takes hold. Amidst the carnage, three strangers find their lives intertwined: Dianna Rolf, a skilled security analyst, searches for answers amidst the carnage. She's soon joined by Eleanor Friis, an ambitious doctor with a grim prognosis, and soldier Karina Zelenkov, driven by duty above all else despite her royal blood.Time is short, the stakes are higher than any of them realize, and the battle lines have already been drawn. This is no mere fight for one city's survival - it is the final chapter of an age-old struggle between light and dark with unthinkable consequences should they fail. Kentauri's fate hangs by a thread, and the destiny of two worlds waits to be forged. Can three seemingly ordinary women rise up to become unlikely champions in an eternal war? Or will darkness reign forevermore?…

adretaRyder

Featured by the sciencefiction profile in Nano Bytes - A Collection of Short Stories**When one of NASA's major asteroid redirection satellites is suddenly engulfed by a solar storm, the onboard artificial intelligence sends a cryptic message back home, perceived as a warning of an oncoming catastrophe of astronomical margins. Left with no option, humanity is given an option from the very stars that carry with them mass destruction, in the hopes of finding an opportunity to survive, but at a cost.Lose your freedom, or die.Written for the @sciencefiction profile's November 2022 short story contest.Also contains other short stories written for different contests.…

adretaRyder

Schoolteacher Fiona is on a mission for grandpa - find a missing Zimbabwean artefact, the precious soapstone "Bird of the Gods". Conrad - dodgy archaeologist contracted to the stunning influencer Amanda aka #mandalove - has the same job. When Fiona and Conrad's paths cross, what was supposed to be a straightforward quest turns into a crazy race around the world. With antagonists popping up at every corner - from mountain tops to underground settings like Serbian caves, frozen Canadian crypts, and the silver mines of the old West, Fiona and Conrad have to work together to catch their bird. Mutual respect grows into something more intimate. But not everything is quite as it seems, and they had better watch their backs lest they too end up underground, this time permanently.This is Chapter Seven of Bird of The Gods.…