Edgar Aeternum, Book 1: Tales of Aeternal Love (38 page)

The two men stared at each other, lost in
emotion, for a few moments more before Maddi snuffled and, voice
cracking, said, "Pull up a chair?"

Edgar squeezed Maddi's hand once before
releasing it and taking a seat. Once he sat, he took Maddi's hand
again. "Evans, the man who led the rescue mission, gave it to me
about an hour ago. That's why I'm here, Maddi." He looked down at
the floor. "Campbell - Jarvis to you - has been handled. I did it
myself; trust me, she paid for what she did to you. She paid with
her life."

"Good," Maddi said, his steely tone causing
Edgar to look up in surprise. "The fucking bitch deserved it. I
hope she suffered a lot before she croaked."

Edgar stared at Maddi, shocked at the young
man's ruthlessness. He finally answered, "She did. I carved her up
like a roasted chicken, Maddi. I did terrible things to her before
I slit her throat. I was convinced you were right about me and how
I treated others; convinced that you'd be better off with me out of
your life. That's when Evans told me what you said."

It was Maddi's turn to squeeze Edgar's hand.
"It wasn't easy," he said. "I'm still surprised at myself,
honestly. I never thought I'd feel the way I do; it goes against
everything I've ever believed. Mad dogs get put down, though, and
Jarvis - Campbell - whoever, was one seriously mad dog."

"No argument from me there," Edgar said. "I
hear that you actually made a move of your own before Evans' team
got there."

"Yeah," Maddi smiled, feeling a bit proud of
his efforts. "It didn't work quite the way I planned, but it got
the job done. In a way, I'm glad the air embolism didn't kill her;
it would've been too quick. What, Edgar?" he asked in response to
the shock on Edgar's face.

"Don't get me wrong, Maddi, I'm happy as hell
you're okay with everything, but after our last conversation, I've
gotta catch up," Edgar answered.

Maddi chuckled and squeezed Edgar's hand
again. "No worries. If you'll have me, you'll have a lot of time to
do it."

Edgar stood and leaned over Maddi's bed,
brushing the back of his hand down Maddi's face. "If you'll have
me," he said, "I'll spend my life learning everything about
you."

Maddi looked up at Edgar, tears once again
welling in his eyes. "Of course, I'll have you, smartass! Now get
down here!" he said as he pulled Edgar to him.

Just before their lips met, Edgar said, "No,
just well-trained."

Neither man noticed Evans gazing at them from
the doorway, hours later. The two men were holding hands and
laughing. Evans smiled, knowing that all was right again. He went
to the nurses' station and left word that he was leaving the
hospital. "Tell them I'll send a transport when they're ready to go
home. I've a feeling you'll need to put a temp bed in there,
too."

The nurse smiled assuring him things would be
managed, so Evans took his leave.

Well past midnight, long after the extra bed
was delivered, Edgar still sat, holding Maddi's hand and watching
his young love sleep. For the first time in a long time, he felt no
fear at the thought of sharing his life with someone. He felt only
a deep sense of peace and happiness. Whatever the future may bring,
he'd face it with Maddi by his side.

###

I hope you liked reading Edgar Aeternum as much as I enjoyed
writing him. Sci-Fi is fun to write because nothing is truly
impossible. I get to invent the worlds in which my characters live
and love. That said, it's doubly fun with a character like Edgar.
His outlook on life sometimes surprises me and I created him!

If you enjoyed the book would you please
consider giving me a review? It's helpful to me as an author and to
other readers. I'd really appreciate your opinions!

You can also follow me on Twitter,
@JayWBelleIsle
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Visit my
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Sex &
Laundry: Authorial Musings between Loads
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Synthesis
– A trip inside the VR landscape favored by
Edgar's best friend, Wizzer. Join the journey to ultimate pleasure,
and possible death, in this novella scheduled for release in
September, 2014.

Edgar Aeternum and the Ch'oran Crisis,
Book 2: Tales of Aeternal Love (working title)
– Edgar and
Maddi's love continues to grow as they explore each other's lives.
Will attending an unusual wedding give Maddi ideas? How will
Edgar's secret impact the outcome?

Meanwhile, the feline Ch'oran race faces a
difficult choice: Destroy their Queen and their capital city or
attempt a risky cure that, if it fails, spells the end of their
entire species. This full-length novel is scheduled for release in
November, 2014.

I've always had an active imagination. So, I
finally decided to take the stories out of my head and put them on
the page. My debut novel, "Edgar Aeternum", is the first
full-length "mind transfer" I've done. Given how much fun I had
bringing Edgar to life, I expect there will be many more adventures
in his (and my) future.

Out in the "real world", I'm a non-practicing
attorney and a recently downsized employee. At 47, I've concluded
that the rat race can get along fine without me and I consider
myself on "early retirement". Things happen when they happen; if
this had occurred a year ago, I'd be a wreck. Now, though? All I
can say is that I've never been happier!

Like Edgar, I'm a huge foodie; sadly, I don't
have his incredible metabolism. I do, however, take great joy in
eating vicariously through him. Hey, a guy can dream! I also enjoy
reading (duh, right?), a highly eclectic mix of music, the
occasional night on the town and dreaming up new and exciting ways
to entertain my smokin' hot readers. You know who you are! ;)