Tales of the CAU
Tales
Ten-chapter stories that explore pivotal adventures and untold moments from across the Crimson Alliance Universe.
CAU Tales can take place anywhere in the timeline, from decades before A Demon’s Rebellion to events occurring during or after the main novels. These stories may follow members of the Crimson Alliance or step beyond the core team to give important supporting characters their own time in the spotlight.
Each Tale expands the universe by exploring adventures, relationships, conflicts, and moments that may not fit within the larger ensemble novels.
Each Tale tells a complete story, allowing readers to explore different characters and eras of the CAU.
Coming Soon
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Smuggler's Gambit - Where the Skills End and the Luck Begins
(Adrian and introducing Rafe Juno and Kevan Drailis)
Years before the Crimson Alliance, Adrian Flynn makes his living taking jobs where skill, nerve, and a little luck can mean the difference between getting paid and not coming home. When the Guild offers him a particularly high-risk run, the reward is enough to make the danger worth considering. With old friend Kevan Drailis and Rafe Juno entering the picture, what should be another job quickly becomes something far more complicated. Plans change, risks multiply, and Adrian is reminded why the most profitable jobs are often the ones nobody sensible would take. Sometimes skill gets you only so far. The rest comes down to luck.
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Old Wounds - The One Who Returns
(Grilka and introducing Yariq)
Grilka has walked away from the Hex, leaving behind the fights, the crowds, and the life that made her a champion. But retirement is still new when her former fight manager, Yariq, comes to her with a problem: his star fighter has been injured, and an important match is approaching. He needs someone capable of stepping back into the Hex, and Grilka may be the only fighter he trusts to do it. Accepting means returning to a world she deliberately left behind and discovering whether she can enter the arena again without surrendering the life she has chosen beyond it. For one final fight, the champion may have to return.
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The Tournament of Snowfall - The Evolution of a Princess
(Frigid w/ memories of Freija)
Only weeks after Freija leaves Icelandia to join the Crimson Alliance, Frigid finds herself facing a challenge that once would have belonged to her younger twin. The decennial Tournament of Snowfall has arrived, and someone must represent their noble house before all of Icelandia. With memories of Freija never far away, Frigid steps forward to compete and begins discovering what kind of princess she will become when she is no longer standing beside her sister. The tournament will test far more than her skill with a weapon. For Frigid, it marks the beginning of an evolution all her own.
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A Shadow's Calling - The Price of Darkness
(Kimiko and the K6 – Kyoto 6)
Kimiko has spent her life training in the disciplined traditions of the samurai, but another path has begun calling to her from the shadows. As missions with the K6 test her skills and loyalties, she finds herself increasingly drawn to the stealth, independence, and solitude of the ninja. The deeper she embraces this new identity, the farther she drifts from the friendships, laughter, and love that once surrounded her, forcing Kimiko to discover that following the path meant for her may carry a price she never expected.