The Crystal Heist
by Joanna White
Genre: Fantasy
Alyra is a thief desperately trying to survive in the slums of Lower Kryston. Every day is a constant struggle for survival, but no one will trust her because of her Thief Mark. After she ends up in prison, Alyra meets a mysterious stranger who soon changes her life. Makai protects her and together, they pull off a few scams that earn them a bit of money.
Yet it's still not enough.
Together, Alyra and Makai gather a ragtag team of thieves to pull off the greatest heist Kryston has ever seen. If they pull it off and steal the Sky Orb, the social classes will be destroyed and Kryston will be changed forever. But several members of their team have their own ideas of what to do with the Sky Orb...
Can they pull off the Crystal Heist to change Kryston forever or will their team's selfish goals stand in their way?
The Crystal Heist is a character-driven, fantasy adventure with characters that will stay with you long after the story is over.
**Only .99 cents!**
Book Trailer:
Excerpt 1:
Makai took her hands in his. “This is your chance to be free, Alyra.”
Alyra squeezed his hands but sighed and shook her head, blowing her black hair out of her face. “I don’t want to be free, Makai! I get fed in here, plus I have you! Out there, I’m all alone. No food or shelter. Never knowing when I’ll get my next meal or if I’ll survive another night. Gangs…”
Makai pursed his lips.
“He said you could come too.” Hope made Alyra’s heart flutter in her chest.
Makai narrowed his eyes on the iron bars. “Only if we found a way for me to get there. I don’t have a work detail, remember? The only time I’m let out is for our meal in the mess hall.”
“So we’ll have to find a way to get you from the mess hall to the tunnel on the day of the escape.” Alyra had hope in her voice and in her heart, hope that she could escape with Makai, somehow, someway.
She couldn’t lose another friend after Gyran. This would be different of course, but she cared for Makai. He was the first person to try to protect her since she arrived on the streets, the first one to show her such kindness in this cruel, harsh reality, after Gyran’s betrayal. There was no way she would leave without him.
No, if Makai couldn’t escape, then neither would she.
Of course, she didn’t tell him that.
Excerpt 2:
Once again, Alyra hid behind the group of crates as Makai snuck over to the cages. Bolag and the other dogs barked loud enough to make her ears ring, so she kept a frantic, desperate gaze to the staircase, hoping and praying Norik didn’t come back. If he did, all of this would have been for nothing.
Suddenly, Makai cried out in pain.
Alyra didn’t hesitate as she sprinted over to the cage. Makai had slipped the herbs into Bolag’s bowl but the dog had clamped down on Makai’s right arm. The beast jerked and pulled on it and Alyra’s stomach twisted. It wouldn’t take much for him to rip it off.
She yanked out her dagger, but Makai shook his head. “No, don’t—“ His sentence cut off with another scream as Bolag furiously shook him. Heart pounding, Alyra had to think fast; how to free Makai without hurting Bolag?
Excerpt 3:
“I’m also worried. I mean, everyone helping us has a different reason. The Black Mask and the Thief King are going to be waiting for us to give them the Orb, right?” Alyra asked.
Makai shrugged and she felt his shoulders move against hers. “I don’t know. The Thief King did say there isn’t a fence who would buy it.”
“Yeah, but they aren’t just going to let it go either. Both of them are going to want it for the sake of having it for themselves.”
Makai nodded and slowly turned Alyra around to meet his silver eyes. Gently, he kissed her forehead. “We’ll meet everyone else at the house and use the Sky Orb to take us away. We’ll be gone before the Black Mask and the Thief King can find us. Everything’s going to work out, Alyra. You’ll see.”
Despite his words, Alyra couldn’t shake the feeling that something was going to go terribly wrong.
Makai took her hands in his. “This is your chance to be free, Alyra.”
Alyra squeezed his hands but sighed and shook her head, blowing her black hair out of her face. “I don’t want to be free, Makai! I get fed in here, plus I have you! Out there, I’m all alone. No food or shelter. Never knowing when I’ll get my next meal or if I’ll survive another night. Gangs…”
Makai pursed his lips.
“He said you could come too.” Hope made Alyra’s heart flutter in her chest.
Makai narrowed his eyes on the iron bars. “Only if we found a way for me to get there. I don’t have a work detail, remember? The only time I’m let out is for our meal in the mess hall.”
“So we’ll have to find a way to get you from the mess hall to the tunnel on the day of the escape.” Alyra had hope in her voice and in her heart, hope that she could escape with Makai, somehow, someway.
She couldn’t lose another friend after Gyran. This would be different of course, but she cared for Makai. He was the first person to try to protect her since she arrived on the streets, the first one to show her such kindness in this cruel, harsh reality, after Gyran’s betrayal. There was no way she would leave without him.
No, if Makai couldn’t escape, then neither would she.
Of course, she didn’t tell him that.
Excerpt 2:
Once again, Alyra hid behind the group of crates as Makai snuck over to the cages. Bolag and the other dogs barked loud enough to make her ears ring, so she kept a frantic, desperate gaze to the staircase, hoping and praying Norik didn’t come back. If he did, all of this would have been for nothing.
Suddenly, Makai cried out in pain.
Alyra didn’t hesitate as she sprinted over to the cage. Makai had slipped the herbs into Bolag’s bowl but the dog had clamped down on Makai’s right arm. The beast jerked and pulled on it and Alyra’s stomach twisted. It wouldn’t take much for him to rip it off.
She yanked out her dagger, but Makai shook his head. “No, don’t—“ His sentence cut off with another scream as Bolag furiously shook him. Heart pounding, Alyra had to think fast; how to free Makai without hurting Bolag?
Excerpt 3:
“I’m also worried. I mean, everyone helping us has a different reason. The Black Mask and the Thief King are going to be waiting for us to give them the Orb, right?” Alyra asked.
Makai shrugged and she felt his shoulders move against hers. “I don’t know. The Thief King did say there isn’t a fence who would buy it.”
“Yeah, but they aren’t just going to let it go either. Both of them are going to want it for the sake of having it for themselves.”
Makai nodded and slowly turned Alyra around to meet his silver eyes. Gently, he kissed her forehead. “We’ll meet everyone else at the house and use the Sky Orb to take us away. We’ll be gone before the Black Mask and the Thief King can find us. Everything’s going to work out, Alyra. You’ll see.”
Despite his words, Alyra couldn’t shake the feeling that something was going to go terribly wrong.
Joanna White is a Christian Author and fangirl. Hunter and Shifter are the first two books in her debut series, called the Valiant Series, published by Christian publisher Ambassador International and there are more to come. In December 2019, one of her short stories was featured in Once Upon A Yuletide, a Christmas fairy tale anthology by Divination Publishing. Her newest release, Dark Magi, just came out in November 2019.
She graduated from Full Sail University with a BFA in Creative Writing For Entertainment. Ever since she was ten years old, she's been writing stories and has a deep passion for writing and creating stories, worlds, characters, and plots that readers can immerse themselves in. In 2019, she reached her personal goal of writing a million words in a year. Most of all, Joanna loves God, her family, staying at home, and being a total nerd.
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