It started with an abduction. A broken engagement. A sword that shouldn't have been real... A tale of family, war, love, betrayal, and world-shattering secrets across timelines and galaxies.
(Currently in KU, but when my KU period runs out on October 30, these books will leave KU forever. I am making them permafree. They are now available in digital libraries. I might put them in Kobo+ and Everand, too. However, I will not be charging for them anymore. Print books have now been delisted.)
One minute I was reeling from a breakup, and the next? I was kidnapped by an alien spellcaster and dropped on Zartoto, a post-apocalyptic planet crawling with energy vampires, magic-fueled beasts, and creatures that shift into bears and wolves.
Oh—and humans like me? We’ve apparently got hidden magic that only works off-Earth. Lucky me.
Now I’m training to survive, trying not to die, and falling—fast—for a dangerously powerful alien who sees more in me than anyone ever has. The planet’s at war, and I’m caught in the middle, but he’s willing to fight beside me... and maybe, just maybe, for me.
Magic, danger, and an alien romance hotter than the Zartotian sun. Welcome to your next escape.
While this book series might seem like a sci-fi book series, it is more of a fantasy series.
This book is now in audiobook form! You can find it on Audible! The link is in my social media links. Email me: calliewoodridge@yahoo.com if you'd like a code for a free copy.
I thought we were finally safe.
For thirteen years, Paul and I built a life—one filled with laughter, love, and the kind of peace I didn’t dare dream about back when everything was falling apart. Our children play in a world we helped protect. Our community thrives. And I almost let myself believe the worst was behind us.
I should’ve known better.
Dorothy and Harriet are back. And they’re not just here to settle old scores—they’re here to burn everything down. Again.
Now I’m staring down a threat that’s darker, more dangerous, and more determined than ever. As leaders, parents, and survivors, we’re forced to rally everyone we love for one more fight—one that could cost us the very future we bled for.
They want to remind us that we’re still vulnerable. But I’m about to remind them that I’m not the scared girl I used to be. I’m a mother. A fighter. And I will not let them take this from us. Not again.
We trusted her. We all did.
Rebecca was part of our family—our friend, our protector. We thought the worst was behind us. Dorothy and Harriet were gone. We were rebuilding. Healing. The kids were finally safe to laugh and play again.
And then… she took them.
In the blink of an eye, children vanished—including my little girl. Rebecca didn’t just betray us—she shattered what was left of our peace. Now every moment is a fight not to fall apart. I have to stay strong for my family, for our community, and for the hope that we’ll bring them home.
But this betrayal cuts deeper than anything we’ve faced before. Because it wasn’t a monster who did this. It was someone we loved.
We were just trying to make it to sixteen without blowing anything up.
Magic’s been part of our lives since we could walk, but nothing prepared us for the surge that hit us on our birthday. One moment we’re messing around with pranks and private spells, the next—we’re glowing and wondering what the universe just unlocked inside us.
But the real power? That came with the questions.
Why did Cyrus target our community? What were our grandparents hiding? And why does it feel like the past isn’t finished with us?
With Hayden watching our backs and our younger siblings always in our business, we set out to find answers—but every step we take digs up secrets that should’ve stayed buried.
Everyone keeps telling me I’m “not ready.” Not ready for power. Not ready for love. Not ready for the sword that basically adopted me five years ago. (Which, rude—I didn’t ask for a magical destiny.)
But here’s the thing: aliens are invading our planet. Blood-sucking, chaos-wielding, nightmare-level aliens. My family's scrambling, my annoying little sister’s in trouble again, and I’ve got powers exploding out of me like fireworks with no off switch.
So guess what? Ready or not, I’m stepping up.
Because someone has to. And if it has to be me—the underestimated, journal-writing, trap-spell-evading “good girl” they all forgot to keep an eye on—then so be it.
I may not be perfect. I may not be prepared.
But I’m done waiting for permission.
The end isn’t coming. It’s already here.
We’ve fought off invasions, stared down tyrants, and rewritten the rules of magic—but none of it prepared us for this. The timelines are collapsing, the stars are fracturing, and versions of us—twisted by loss, rage, or desperation—have crossed over.
They want our lives. Our futures. Our children.
If we fail now, everything resets. Every planet. Every person. Every memory we’ve fought to protect—wiped clean like it never existed.
We’re running out of time, out of allies, and out of second chances. Magic is failing. Worlds are unraveling. And in the chaos, it’s Laney—our youngest—who may be the key to holding it all together.
She doesn’t know it yet, but she’s already started to change everything.
We are Tiffany. Paul. Hayden. William. Cameron. Alyssa. Hailey.
We are the front line.
And this time, we’re not just fighting to survive—we’re fighting to keep reality itself from burning to ash.