Synopsis

The Virus started in 2047.

The Americans thought it was a biological terrorist attack. Religious communities believed God was punishing the world for moral transgressions. Naturalists claimed the virus was caused by chemical pollutants. Some people assumed cross species infection was to blame. 

Everyone watched the news intently, waiting to see where the virus would spread and what was being done. For a long time people held onto the hope that progress was being made towards a cure, but one was never found.

When science couldn’t give people a reason or a cure, some turned to God. When God refused to alleviate their suffering, drug use spiked. Civilization started to crumble and no one could predict where all of this would lead.  

The virus quickly killed the old and the young, eventually annihilating most of the female population. When the mania subsided, a quiet, emptiness fell over the earth more terrifying than the screams.

A small fraction of women recovered or were immune. Estimates placed the ratio of women to men at 1:10,000. For the women who remained, a frightening new reality emerged.  

Izelle Hunter Aeron lives with the fear that at any moment she will be discovered. Orphaned and left to struggle, every day becomes a battle to remain free in a place where women are sold as slaves. 

Every man she encounters is a potential threat, but Izelle needs men to help her survive. Some men aren’t what they seem, others are more than she expects. Most make their objectives clear from the start, which is why she carries a gun.

While looting an abandoned house Izelle finds a child in a secret basement room. Ellie becomes a close friend and ally until they are captured and sold at auction. She promises to rescue Ellie, but is having trouble saving herself.

Izelle is determined to kill the man who created the slave trade. Cyprian Kivel is responsible for her suffering as well as the misery of countless other females. A pivotal event propels her close to the man she hates. Close enough to kill.

Izelle hides and waits for the right moment to end Kivel’s life, then crosses paths with the only man who can protect her. Ryzar Ellis is the governor of the most powerful city-state in the world. City-states are the only places where civility and modern conveniences still exist, but it is only a matter of time before they fall.

Reckless, impulsive and haunted by painful memories, Izelle is like a tornado destroying everyone in her path. Ryzar shows her a better way to live, but is she too far gone? Izelle is forced to choose between her hatred of one man and love of another, but her deepest desire is to be free.

More than anything Izelle wants to create a life where she doesn’t have to depend upon men. Where she can walk the streets without fear and be whatever she can dream. No place like that exists in the known world. The hope she feels is rooted in nothing more than the whisperings in her heart.

Izelle hears voices, often senses when something bad is about to happen and has dreams that reveal hidden information. These strange occurrences have helped in her darkest moments. There is a force beyond her understanding watching and waiting.             

She is prompted by whisperings to follow a shadowy path. The journey takes her all over the world and ultimately makes her a stronger person. Izelle is going to need every bit of that strength to complete a task that could save the human race.