THE MANTLE

After learning of a mysterious alien artifact that has the ability to impart superpowers to the person it bonds with, Superspy Victoria Tyne has spent a year maneuvering herself into a position to have access to The Mantle. Her new boss, Director Poe, is reluctant to give that much power to anyone, but Victoria persuades him to go along with the Intelligence Agency's plan to plan to merge the alien with a military war hero, creating the world's first superhero. Deceptive, calculating, and resolute, Victoria manipulates her way through a deadly game of espionage, treachery, and seduction as her ambitions push her down a path that could lead to either unmatched power or unspeakable peril. Will her cunning be enough to outplay everyone, or will her obsession with The Mantle be her undoing?

Complete story.