Title: Edge of Death: Book Two of the Admiralty Archives
Author: Joni Parker
Genre: Urban Fantasy
In this second installment of The Admiralty Archives, the warrior Lady Alexin, the Keeper of the Keys for the Elf realm of Eledon, finds herself exiled to the harsh world of near-future London. Rendered little more than a political pawn by the Elfin Council of Elders to avoid a war with the Rock Elves, she has little choice but to struggle to find her way in this strange new land. Taken under the protection of kindly mentors, Vice Admiral Malcolm Teller of the British Royal Navy and his wife, Alex brings all her skills to the fore as she uncovers a series of deadly plots.
Admiral Teller while two wizards, resurrected from death, must kill Alex in order to survive. To make matters worse, the Rock Elves dispatch a hundred assassins from Eledon with their sole mission to bring Lady Alexin to the very… Edge of Death.
Author Bio
contributed two stories to the anthology, “Beyond Tucson: Adventures in the Multiverse” with her
writing group. Joni retired from the U.S. Navy and the Department of Homeland Security and currently resides in Tucson, Arizona with her sister.
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An unusual sound caught her attention and she gazed out the sunroof of the black limousine. It was a
helicopter. Or a chopper. A helo—whatever they called it. Alex leaned her head back and sighed.
What was it doing here? It wasn’t part of the motorcade. Over the past few weeks, she’d seen a lot
of them flying in and out of Portsmouth’s Royal Naval Base in southern England. The Royal Marines
had told her about them. This one hovered way too close. The pilots smiled and waved at her, so she
waved back. Friendly, she thought, at first. But why were they wearing sunglasses on a cloudy day?
Her instincts told her something wasn’t right. Who were these men? Assassins? Why were they
waving at me? The hairs on the back of her neck rose as she thought of the worst-case scenario. The
helo was going to attack them.
She nudged Leftenant Nelson of the British Royal Navy—the red-haired, fair-skinned man raised his chin, but his eyes remained fixed on the screen of his mobile. He played a video game to pass the time.
“Wait.” The young officer pushed the buttons with his thumbs and stared intensely at the small screen. The car crashed and the game ended. “Damn it!” He shook his fist and gritted his teeth.
“I can’t get past this level. What in the bloody hell do you want?” He pulled his ear buds out and
turned sharply; his eyes narrowed—his anger still prevailing.
“Sorry, but why is that helicopter flying so low?” Alex pointed up. She had learned one thing
about the mortal world—it could be dangerous here.
“It’s just a traffic helicopter, looking for accidents on the highway.”
“So why are those men wearing sunglasses? It’s cloudy out.”
“They’re pilots—they think it makes them look cool.” He waved his hand dismissively and
went back to his game.
“Good.” Alex felt relieved. Her instincts were wrong. No need to worry. This was normal.
Since that night she was supposed to return home to Eledon, but couldn’t, she wasn’t quite sure
what was normal and what wasn’t here in the mortal world. She relived the scene, repeating in her
head on an endless loop and clenched her jaw. Lord Fissure of the Rock Elves had threatened to kill
her grandfather if she tried to return home—and the sneer on his face told her that he’d won.
Book Excerpt
helicopter. Or a chopper. A helo—whatever they called it. Alex leaned her head back and sighed.
What was it doing here? It wasn’t part of the motorcade. Over the past few weeks, she’d seen a lot
of them flying in and out of Portsmouth’s Royal Naval Base in southern England. The Royal Marines
had told her about them. This one hovered way too close. The pilots smiled and waved at her, so she
waved back. Friendly, she thought, at first. But why were they wearing sunglasses on a cloudy day?
Her instincts told her something wasn’t right. Who were these men? Assassins? Why were they
waving at me? The hairs on the back of her neck rose as she thought of the worst-case scenario. The
helo was going to attack them.
“I can’t get past this level. What in the bloody hell do you want?” He pulled his ear buds out and
turned sharply; his eyes narrowed—his anger still prevailing.
about the mortal world—it could be dangerous here.
“So why are those men wearing sunglasses? It’s cloudy out.”
“They’re pilots—they think it makes them look cool.” He waved his hand dismissively and
went back to his game.
Since that night she was supposed to return home to Eledon, but couldn’t, she wasn’t quite sure
what was normal and what wasn’t here in the mortal world. She relived the scene, repeating in her
head on an endless loop and clenched her jaw. Lord Fissure of the Rock Elves had threatened to kill
her grandfather if she tried to return home—and the sneer on his face told her that he’d won.
~ ~ ~
