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Wasted Potential

Blurb:

Lina Volkova has spent her entire life serving her country, a small, secretive nation that taught her, and others like her, how to use their supernatural abilities as weapons of the state. Ruberia also taught them exactly who the enemy was. Up until now, Lina has never had any reason to question her loyalty to her people. That is, until a mission to Australia goes catastrophically wrong. Captured by a covert organisation who is protecting the very people she was sent to find, Lina begins to discover that the truth is far more complicated than anything she's been taught to believe. Finding herself at the mercy of Callum Hayes and his maddening refusal to treat her like the enemy she insists she is, Lina must decide how much she is willing to sacrifice for a cause she no longer understands. And whether the greatest act of bravery is to follow her conscience and think for herself.

Excerpt:

Her hand drifted towards her knife. His eyes dropped immediately. “Don’t.” There was a firmness to his voice now. A seriousness that had washed over him. “I don’t know who you are,” she said slowly. “But I would like to go home now.” He raised both palms to face her. “I just want to ask you a few questions. Nobody has to get hurt.” “You think I believe that?” “I’d really like you to.” Something about his sincerity irritated her. “Move.” He exhaled slowly. “I can’t do that.” Lina’s fingers hovered beside the handle. She didn’t want to cause a scene. Perhaps it would be easier to cooperate. On the other hand, she didn’t know who this was or what he wanted, and she didn’t like the questions he was asking. “Look, we can do this the easy way,” the man said. Lina almost laughed. “Or?” He pursed his lips. “Please don’t make me say it.” She stared at him. He looked faintly exasperated. Another pause. “Just- Take your hand away from the knife.” “And then what?” “You come with me, we ask you some questions-“ “Why can you not just ask your questions here?” “Okay.” His eyes met hers, his expression soul-piercing. “What are you doing all the way out here by yourself?” Lina’s hand closed around the knife. The man’s expression fell. “Oh, come on,” he muttered. She unsheathed it. He immediately stepped backwards, hands rising in an act of surrender. “I’m not going to hurt you.” “Then this will be easy.” “Put. It. Down.” Lina lunged. He moved surprisingly fast. He twisted to the side and her blade cut through the empty air. Then his hand closed around her wrist, and for a heartbeat, the blade trembled between them - Lina forcing the knife towards him while he fought to turn it away. He caught her other arm. She twisted violently and drove her elbow straight towards him, aiming for the diaphragm, but he turned, catching the blow against his side. A soft grunt escaped him as she made contact, but his grip only tightened. “Drop. It.” He said through gritted teeth. Lina stamped on his foot. He barely flinched. “Drop. The. Knife.” He forced her wrist higher. Not towards her, but up to the side and away from both of them. She drove her knee upwards, trying to go for the groin, but he shifted again, intercepting the blow with his thigh. He really doesn’t want to hurt me. Every movement he made was defensive. Control the wrist, redirect the blade, keep her arms away from his body. No punches. No kicks. No attempt to break her arm. He was merely trying to restrain her. She could work with that. She stopped fighting his grip and let her body slacken. He pushed her arm up and out, as far as her reach would allow. Lina kept her eye contact steady, then smiled. His eyes narrowed.

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