[Katoom 02] • Flames of Hope

A suicidal ex-assassin fights for justice and the chance to walk again while pushing aside the one female capable of giving him a reason to live.

500 years ago, two human subspecies, the gold-bearing Crea and the silver-bearing Eli, left their dying planet and took refuge on Earth. Capable of turning into metallic beasts eight times stronger than Earth humans, the Eli and Crea have long aroused fear and prejudice among the planet’s original inhabitants.

After decades of relative peace, a cauldron of hatred has begun to bubble, via a movement called the Pures. The Pures’ ultimate goal—Crea and Eli genocide.

But movements take money, so Pure zealots have begun kidnapping Crea and Eli to “milk” their blood for the precious metals.

Suicidal ex-assassin and paraplegic Xylvar Johansson is contracted by the leader of Katoom’s Eli clan to act as part of a newly married couple in an undercover sting. The fake couple’s task—hunt out Pure supporters and rescue as many kidnapped Eli and Crea as possible.

Only the “wife” turns out to be Jasmine Pembroke, the one woman Xylvar ever loved. But that was a decade ago, long before his soul died and he blew himself into a chair. He wants nothing to do with playing house, especially with her.

But he’ll do anything to walk again, and the fee Kaid’s offering will fund the experimental spinal treatment Xylvar covets.

Jasmine’s experienced her own dark hour, but even though both their lives have changed, one thing’s clear—she loves Xylvar, broken or whole. Can she convince him, whether the spinal treatment works or not, that with love, life is worth living?