Calico Cove Novels & Stories

He pressed his nose to the water as if he could push through. “Careful,” Mallory snapped without looking up. “Break the surface and you pay the price twice.” I stepped back one half step and made my breathing behave. The image pulled back—street grid faintly superimposed. Calder. Third. North bend. A finger of river. Maw of a cul-de-sac that used to be houses and now is stories about feral cats and the siren that doesn’t work anymore. A block where the city forgot to show up for two decades.

The car crested a steep hill, and the vast, gray-blue expanse of the Pacific Ocean exploded into view, its violent white waves crashing rhythmically against jagged black cliffs. Jillian drove down into the small village of Oakhaven Cove. It was a quiet, weathered town—a handful of cedar-shingled storefronts, a small fishing marina, and a local diner with steam rising from its roof. Following Adonis' coordinates, Jillian bypassed the main strip, driving up a narrow, gravel path that led toward a collection of small, isolated coastal cottages overlooking the water. Jillian parked the car near a weathered wooden fence covered in wild sea grass. Leaving the engine to cool with a soft metallic ti

"I hope you own tactical gear that matches my eyes. We have a heist to plan." Aziel took a bite of his pizza, turning his attention to the screen. Displayed on the monitor were the blueprints for a huge structure sitting right on the edge of the city's eastern coastline. "The coastal telecom node," Aziel read the header, raising an eyebrow. "I assume this has something to do with the fact that Athena is playing mermaid with a submarine cable?"

The captain drove entirely by memory and analog compass, completely bypassing any digital navigation systems that could broadcast their position. ​Gradually, the violent crashing of the open ocean began to subside. ​The skiff rounded a massive, jagged cliff face that jutted out of the dark water. They entered a completely hidden, natural rock cove. The sheer stone walls entirely blocked the howling winter wind, leaving the water inside the cove eerily calm and perfectly silent. ​"Look," Elena whispered, pointing her good hand toward the center of the dark water. ​Moored silently in the hidden cove was a masterpiece of modern engineering.

" He put the logbook back in the drawer and slid it shut. "We should leave this here," Cale said. "It belongs to the tower. It is part of the skeleton." "Okay." "Elion?" "Yeah?" "The view," Cale said. He walked out onto the walkway again. He gripped the railing—testing it first, always checking—and leaned out. "Look." Elion stood next to him. The coast stretched out for miles. White foam crashing on black rock. Green trees clinging to the cliffs. "It is vast," Cale said.

“We have anchored.” Sitting up, I looked around, taking in the sights. The cove was beautiful; the water a clear blue color and it was so calm considering I could see the waves further out in the ocean. The cove was surrounded by rock formations on three sides, making it a secluded location. I stood up and moved to the end of the boat, admiring the clear water. Jake approached and handed me a glass of wine.

I insulted myself, shaking my head. Dylan wasn’t waiting for me at Angie’s, but Camilla was. My worry for Dylan was soon overshadowed by the dread that the coven leader might decide to make a scene as she waved me over to her booth. With a quick prayer to any god that would listen, I made my way over and sat across from her. “Hello again,” I said and then gave her a tight-lipped smile. “Hello,” she replied. Her voice was ice cold and dead-sounding, and it scared the living hell out of me.

Dax asked, completely unfazed. "Worse," I said, my fingers flying over my keyboard as I decrypted a fresh packet of data pouring in from the coastal sensors. "The Ark in the Mariana Trench isn't an aerial fortress like Neo-Angeles. It's designated as Abyssal-One. It's a high-pressure, deep-sea manufacturing hub. And they aren't sending drop-ships." I hit a key, throwing the coastal radar onto the main holographic projector. The western coastline only thirty miles from our grounded crater was lighting up like a Christmas tree. But the signatures weren't in the sky. They were emerging from the ocean.

I heard from in the hallway after a few minutes. Ridge moved to reveal a couple, holding hands. “Henry, Gwen,” Ridge said, nodding. “Our daughter is here, she mind-linked us, but the patrol won’t let us go near her, please can we see her,” Henry said, practically begging. I rolled my eyes. “Do you know somewhere her and her mate can go, they can’t stay here,” Ridge said. Gwen audibly gasped and looked like she was going to cry. “We lost everything when Blood Claw was gutted, this pack is all we have,” Gwen said, wiping her eyes.

COLE "A beach?" Dominic asked, raising an eyebrow. "Cole, we live in the middle of a mountain range. The nearest ocean is a five-hour drive through enemy territory." "I’m not talking about the ocean, Alpha," I said, leaning against the map table. "I’m talking about Hidden Lake. The south shore has white sand, and the water is deep. It’s private, it’s safe, and Raven needs a break before she loses her mind." Dominic looked at Raven, who was staring at a stack of supply reports with a look of pure misery. He sighed and nodded. "Take the armored SUV. And take Jax."