Fugitive Kin-sha warrior Cidra Faulkner and honor-bound intergalactic treasure hunter Grey Stone are thrown together to uncover a betrayal of catastrophic proportions. The universe will never be the same.
“One of the very best Science Fiction Romances I have ever read” —Detra Fitch, Huntress ReviewsOrder ebook on Amazon
Single Title Futuristic Romance E-book
She’ll risk everything to clear her family’s name… including everything he has.
Cidra Faulkner saw her family murdered and her people condemned for a crime they didn’t commit. Now a skilled Kin-Sha warrior, she vows to track down the true culprit and exact justice, both for her family and all the Kin-Sha.
Intergalactic treasure hunter Grey Stone had no intention of helping Cidra until his old mentor tricked him into it. Now he’s trapped into helping the daughter of the man who brought about the downfall of his people — a woman whose very presence jeopardizes all he’s worked for.
But honor won’t let him say no. And love won’t let him turn back.
Prologue
It was a scream that woke her. In sleepy confusion, Cidra sat up in bed and blinked into the darkness of her bedroom. All lights were dead on the control panel by the door.
Another scream—her mother’s. Never in all her fifteen years had Cidra heard such a terrifying sound. The last remnants of sleep disappeared with the unmistakable crackle of laser gunfire from the far end of the house. Chains of panic squeezed at her throat. Heart pounding, she swung her feet to the floor and crossed the dark room to her closed door. Her hand was on the opener when another barrage of laser blasts and the shouts of strangers rang out, this time much closer.
She hit the alarm on the control panel to warn the rest of her family, initiating a drill her military father insisted they all learn in case of emergency.
As footsteps thundered through her beloved home amid crashing doors and shattering windows, she stared at the lifeless alarm. No power. No alarm.
The smell of smoke finally jerked her out of dazed horror. She dropped to her knees and with trembling hands pried open one of the floor panels that concealed a small opening. Intruders moved down the hall outside her door.
Without looking back, she dropped into the pitch black void of the secret tunnel that ran under her house. Once in the tunnel, she closed the tile door over her head and locked it down. It was then she remembered her light stick. In her bedroom. But the mistake was quickly forgotten with the vibrations of footsteps overhead.
Who were they? These people who were destroying her life?
Silent tears burned a trail down her face as she listened to the pillaging above. There would be nothing left of her room, her home. She knew that. But it could be worse. She only hoped her parents and brothers had already escaped ahead of her through their own hidden floor panels.
In absolute and unrelenting darkness, the tunnel lay empty and quiet but for her own ragged breathing. Stagnant air filled the low, narrow passageway. The dirt floor was cold and alien beneath her bare feet.
Placing a hand against each wall for guidance, she began a blind journey toward the safe house as her father had instructed, fingers groping for what she could not see. The tunnel seemed so much longer than she remembered in their practice runs, endless and terrifying. Something scurried by her foot. Her heartbeat became unbearably loud in her ears. With each small step forward, she fought back the paralyzing grip of utter darkness.
An abrupt incline signaled the end of the tunnel. With whole-hearted relief, Cidra felt around for the door latch and stumbled through the doorway into the deserted old house.
Avion’s giant moon cast a ghostly glow through silent rooms as Cidra searched for her parents and her younger brothers. Empty. She must be the first one. Exhausted, she slumped down a wall to the floor facing the tunnel’s door. They would be here any minute. She wrapped the filthy nightgown around her legs and waited for her family to arrive.
A gentle hand shook her awake. Cidra squinted at a familiar face bathed in brilliant daylight. Slowly, blue eyes and white hair came into focus.
“Syrus,” she said, her voice raw.
The old man gave her a weak smile. “Cidra.”
She stared at him, wondering why her father’s old friend was here with her, why she had slept against a wall, why her eyes burned. Reality invaded in a sickening rush.
She looked frantically around the room. “Where are they?”
The old man worked his mouth for a few seconds before he finally spoke. “They didn’t make it. I’m sorry.”
Tears rimmed Syrus’ eyes as he took her hand in his. “There’s serious trouble, love. You had better come with me.”
“A fun, action-packed futuristic romance, UNCHAINED by C.J. Barry is sure to please not only fans of this new author, but those who love this genre!” —Courtney Bowden, Romance Reviews Today
“It is no wonder to me that this story was a 2002 PRISM Award finalist or that it won the RIO Award! In fact, this has got to be one of the very best Science Fiction Romances I have ever read. The story hooked me in the very first sentence, when young Cidra wakes up in the middle of her family’s slaughter. The ending is just as climatic. Oh, and don’t expect to breath easy anywhere in between those two areas. This tale is non-stop action and romance. If you enjoyed watching Han Solo and Princess Leia click and clash in the original Star Wars trilogy, then you are going to LOVE this one! Highly recommending!” —Detra Fitch, Huntress Reviews, Five stars
“Unchained is a truly delightful and very suspenseful futuristic that leaves you wanting more. All-in-all, Unchained is one book you can’t afford to miss.” —Rose, Romance at Heart
“I recommend C.J. Barry to all futuristic lovers everywhere.” —Chere Gruver, The Road To Romance
“UNCHAINED is a thrill-ride from start to finish. Don’t miss this compelling debut novel!” —Denise Powers, Sensual Romance Reviews
“UNCHAINED was a entertaining and romantic read with just the right mix of action.” —Shirley Gibson Coleman, Science Fiction Romance
