Shadow Contract

Blood doesn’t lie. Neither do laser burns.

In a universe where ancient prophecies fuel galactic wars and bounty hunters enforce humanity’s sprawling empire, Vesuvius is a living legend – the man who burned New Rome III to ashes. But when a contract leads him to a twelve-year-old slave with emerald eyes that see the impossible, he discovers some fires can’t be extinguished with plasma rounds and perfect aim.

The boy shouldn’t exist. His mind reaches across space itself, his DNA is worth planetary ransoms, and two fanatical religions believe he’s humanity’s last hope. As dimensional ships converge and bounty hunters flood the stars, Vesuvius faces an impossible choice: deliver the child to religious zealots who’ll worship him as a savior, or protect him from the alien war machine awakening beneath humanity’s feet.

But when his estranged daughter is caught in the crossfire, Vesuvius must confront the truth he’s spent five years hiding from: sometimes the only path to redemption requires burning everything you love.

In the cold void between stars, even legends can bleed. And in a universe painted only in shades of gray, salvation may demand the blackest sin of all.

Can a man who’s spent his life dealing death become the boy’s only chance at survival? Or will Vesuvius’s desperate attempt at redemption doom humanity’s last hope?