Twins and Losses — Michael C. Bailey

After nearly a year on the road, the company returns to Ambride to take a well-deserved and long overdue respite from adventuring. No exploring ancient ruins, no fighting for their lives against bloodthirsty monsters, just a few weeks of rest and relaxation.David, however, cannot wait to return to his duties with the Ambride Academy of Magic, but he finds things have changed in his absence - and not for the better. Armed guards now wander the halls to protect the resident scholars - the academy's response to a violent invasion by the assassins known as the Summerland sisters.When word of the Summerlands' capture in distant Fanli reaches the academy's dean, Orvil Dovetail, he sets out to personally bring the women back to face justice - and he hires none other than Derek, Felix, Erika, and Winifred to guard the prisoners on the return trip.It should go without saying that nothing works out as planned. There wouldn't be much of a story if it did.While his friends head out to retrieve the Summerlands, David finds himself pressed into service investigating the Deadgate - an ancient vault hidden deep in the bowels of the academy. If David's learned nothing else during his time on the adventurer's path, it's that nothing good could possibly come from opening something called a Deadgate, and oh, how right he is.The Adventures of Strongarm & Lightfoot - Twins and Losses is the sixth book in the award-winning* humorous fantasy series by Michael C. Bailey (Action Figures, Well-Behaved Women). Hold on tight, because it's going to be another bumpy ride for our hard-luck heroes as they face drama, intrigue, betrayal, secrets, revelations, redemption, comeuppance, and a generous dose of violence to keep things lively.Twins and Losses also features a bonus short story, The Going Rate for Penance, originally published in The Final Summons - An Anthology of the New England Speculative Writers.(* = The 2016 Bella Online Ebook Awards, gold medal in fantasy fiction)