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Chapter 524
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2024-10-29 19:42:56As we get on our way the next morning, thoughts of champagne and junk food are far behind us. Everyone is all business, knowing that today—barring any unforeseen delay—is the day we should finally reach our destination and get our first sight of the fabled island of Alcatraz.
I have mixed feelings about the whole thing. I’m glad our long, difficult journey is nearing its end, but I’m anxious about what we’ll find and what we’ll have to do when we get there. Whatever it is, it’ll be dangerous, for sure, and I’ve still had no indication that I possess any kind of Power. Without a Power of my own, I’m just an eighteen-year-old kid possessed of some moderate skill with a machete, easily the weakest and least accomplished member of our company. I’m also worried that Dad and Kai will be overly watchful of me, and so won’t be able to do whatever needs to be done at their full effectiveness.
There’s nothing I can do about it now, though. I had hoped our dangerous journey mig
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My first view of our destination is nothing like I expected, nothing like the pictures I’d seen in all the books we studied prior to beginning our journey. The Rock itself, as it was often affectionately called, looks as solid as ever. But gone is the stark, solid block building made even more ominous-looking by the knowledge that it served as a maximum-security prison housing the worst of the worst. In its place stands nothing more than a skeleton of the old structure, pieces of exterior wall reaching up to varying heights before crumbling away. In some places the jagged concrete sections seem no more than eight or ten feet tall, while other parts rear up almost three times that. The various outbuildings that surrounded the main prison are now little more than piles of rubble, and the distinctive lighthouse tower has completely crumbled as well. Whether the destruction resulted simply from The Incident or occurred over the years there’s no way of telling. I study th
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We can’t help smiling at him. I can see Radar trying hard to stifle a laugh.Seeing our grins, Sneak suddenly disappears. Kai’s hand flashes out to the spot where Sneak vanished. From the claw-like position of Kai’s hand, I think he’s got Sneak by the arm. Kai’s reaction was so swift Sneak didn’t have a chance to move.“Just a minute,” Kai says. “I almost forgot.”He reaches out with his other hand and tips Dad’s canteen upside down. The water splashes over Sneaks head, outlining his invisible form as the liquid runs over his head and shoulders. Sneak sputters and reappears.“What the...?” he stammers as we Miracles enjoy a laugh. It’s not often the tables get turned on Sneak.“It’s seawater,” Kai tells him. “Like I said, the more you smell like the water, the safer you’ll be.”“Yeah, well, next time warn a guy, huh?&
Last Updated : 2024-10-29Leesa's Advent Chapter 527
When darkness descends, Kai gets ready to leave. I wish I could go down to the bay with him. I’d love to see Selene, Tamika and Colella and thank them for saving my life. Dad is having none of it, though. He’s taking no chances, keeping everyone inside the building, away from any spying eyes. He’s not going to risk divulging our presence until he absolutely has to. My expression of gratitude to my mermaid friends will have to wait one more day.“Be careful,” I tell Kai. “Like my dad said, don’t take any chances over there.”“I won’t,” Kai says, smiling. “I want to make sure I’m around for your birthday.” He leans forward and kisses the top of my forehead. “I think it’s likely to be quite a party.”The touch of his lips against my skin sends a shiver of delight through me. I have no idea what to make of the kiss. Was it just a friendly birthday peck in advance, o
Last Updated : 2024-10-29Leesa's Advent Chapter 528
Happy birthday to me.The long awaited day is here—December 21st. I’m finally eighteen. Unfortunately, I don’t feel any different today than I did yesterday. There was no midnight magic; no Power that miraculously appeared when the clock struck twelve.Yesterday was a completely uneventful day. We all stayed inside, hidden away while we waited. Pairs of Marines took turns watching Alcatraz, replaced every half hour so eyes and attention stayed fresh. No one reported seeing anything move on the island.I can think of at least a thousand things I’d rather be doing here in the early morning hours of my birthday than getting ready to venture across the bay to Alcatraz. But that’s what we’re doing. Everyone has returned their gear to their packs and readied their weapons. The entire company is now gathered in the lobby of the building that has been our home for the past two nights. At least I’ll get to see and thank Selene an
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The force of the flames washes across me like a gale force wind. Surprisingly, I feel very little heat, no more than when the hot Santa Ana winds blow into San Diego from the desert. Wrapped in the plume of fire, I see the world as if looking through orange-tinted glasses. Somehow, without understanding why, I know what I need to do. The feeling is completely new to me, completely foreign to anything in my life before. Knowing without truly knowing is the best I can describe it. It’s as if a voice inside my head is whispering to me, telling me what I must do an instant before I do it. It’s not really a voice, though—it’s more like a feeling that guides me.At last, I’m beginning to understand what it’s like to have a Power.I quickly turn my head toward Kai, who is still clutching my upper arm. He’s staring at me wide-eyed, his face glowing bright orange in the fire.“Don’t let go of me,” I shout, trying to make sure he hears me above the roaring flames. “Whatever you do, DO NOT LET G
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Dad pulls his eyes from the portal and looks around the huge area within the walls.“None of these machines look like they’ve worked in years,” he says. “I doubt they have anything to do with the portal now. It seems to be self-sustaining.” He looks at me and flashes a wry smile. “We could use your mom right about now. Maybe she could figure something out.”I return his smile. If anyone would know what to do here, it would be my brainiac mother. She’s five hundred miles away, though, so it’s up to us.We all move forward until we’re about twenty feet from the portal. From here, I can feel the thing’s immense energy. Nobody seems to want to get any closer, and I don’t blame them.“Maybe I can get inside it,” Lieutenant Gregerson offers. “I might see something from the other side that we can’t see from here.”Kai shakes his head. “You can&rsquo
Last Updated : 2024-10-29Leesa's Advent Chapter 531
STEFANI never wanted to be a vampire. By that, I mean I didn’t wake up one morning and think how cool it would be to be a vampire, nor did I ever daydream about becoming one of the undead. The thought never crossed my mind. In fact, when it occurred, I tried my best to prevent it, but that’s a tale I will get to presently.Make no mistake, I’m thrilled that it happened, and I would never undo it even if given the chance. I love my vampire existence. It’s not perfect—not yet, anyhow, but it’s better than anything else I can imagine. And it is especially preferable to being dead, buried and forgotten.My name is Stefan de Kula, second son of Count Ramon de Kula. I am now well over three hundred years old. I am the last of the de Kula line, and have been for more than two centuries. I do not miss my family at all. I have a new father now—Ricard, the vampire who turned me—and a new family, my coven, here in central Connecticut.How did the second son of an Italian count end up as a vampi
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They scurried away into the barn to collect the other stable hands. I resumed brushing my horse, but I could feel Antonio’s eyes boring into the back of my skull. I wondered what he had in store for me, but I was not about to let him see my concern.The half dozen servants who tended to the horses and the stable gathered in front of my brother.“This is your lucky day,” he told them. “Stefan is going to be cleaning out the stables today. I want you all to watch him, to make sure he does a good job.” Antonio knew I was popular with the servants, so he added, “You are not to help him in any way, mind you, only to watch.”With that, he strode away.I never minded hard work, but shoveling horse manure—especially on such a hot, sticky day, which made the stench inside the barn all the more foul—was beneath even a second son. I had no choice, though, so I spent the better part of the afternoon mucking out th
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Serena awoke to the sound of birds chirping and the smell of fresh coffee brewing. She rolled over lazily, reaching out for Raphael, but the space was empty. With eyes still closed, she frowned. Where is that man? That man had probably been out of bed since the crack of dawn, beside himself with nerves for today’s big event, she thought regretfully. They were to be married today. Their lives intertwined for all of eternity. What man wouldn’t have cold feet at the prospect? And they’d known each other such a short time, too. She opened her eyes and blinked a few times, and frowned again. She had awakened in the safe house. Last night, she’d killed a man in her own home, and knew she could never go back there ever again. She didn’t care how good the Brethren’s cleanup crew could restore her home. It would never erase the vivid memories and horrors of what had happened there. She and Raphael would have to find themselves a new home, together. Until such time, this place would be it, th
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It’s going to be a long day without Raphael, Serena thought, as she washed and dressed. But she carried on. With so many loose ends to tie up, final checks to be made, people and places to coordinate, she scarcely had time to think about anything else. Except for her father. In the quiet moments between the bedlam of planning a wedding, she reflected upon him and her heart ached. She had arranged for a nursing home staffer to drive him and his wheelchair to the Chapel of the Holy Cross for the wedding. They didn’t usually allow weddings there, but somehow, Raphael swayed their decision. Kemuel promised to wheel her father down the aisle beside her, and she loved him instantly for that. But her dream was to have him walk her down that aisle. A sob caught in her throat, and she quickly shook her head to whisk it away. None of that nonsense, Serena. Don’t be greedy. At least he is alive and here to be a part of it all. As the day waxed on to evening, Serena felt unsettled. She hadn’t s
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Raphael spent the next few days cloistered with Serena, away from everyone and everything, like a honeymoon before the wedding. But every morning he made creative excuses to tear himself away from her for a little while and work with Fred. To make sure she didn’t visit her father, he dropped her off at her shop first so she could plan a small wedding with Callie and catch up on the mountains of paperwork.The healing sessions with Serena’s father went spectacularly, and with Raphael’s charisma, he convinced the nursing home staff to keep any improvements secret from her. They thought it romantic that he came to help with his fiancée’s father’s rehabilitation. Everyone there rooted for him, amazed at his miraculous awakening. All of the therapists worked their tails off during his therapy sessions, wanting to see their severely stroke-damaged patient beat the odds and walk his daughter down the aisle.On the morning of the fifth day, Raphael got Fred walking without any assistance.“Co
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Raphael grabbed her hands. “Do it!” he demanded. He placed them on his temples and spoke to her through their bonded connection. She felt every thought he had had of Sirona over the years straight to the present down their threaded connection. She heard every thought he’d had of her, including every word he had spoken while holding her in his arms at Dr. Chappo’s estate. He sent her everything that filled his heart and soul about her, and finally, at last, she knew.She knew. And knowing was everything to her. He gently brought her hands away from his face, kissing her fingertips as he eased them down, and she took a few steps backward, looking at him as if for the first time. No one before had ever felt about her the way he felt about her, let alone express so strongly all he’d expressed when she’d lain dying in his arms.“You’re in love with me.” She gasped, astonished. Tears welled again in her eyes, but this time, for a very different reason.“Yes.” He took a bold step toward her.
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A bundle of nerves, that’s what she’d turned into. Since leaving her father’s, Serena had been nothing but a bundle of nerves, rehearsing over and over again what she would say to Raphael up on the Rock. Looking all around her now, frightening memories kept popping into her mind, making her think that at any moment, Steve or Wheezer were going to jump out and nab her. Unfortunately, she had gotten to the summit way too early, and now paced like a caged bobcat. It had to stop. The bad guys are dead, Serena. Think positive, and let go the past. So, finding a suitable rock to sit on, Serena decided to do a little meditation to soothe her worried heart. “When I see him, I’ll know the right words to say,” she notified the birds. It may sting for a bit, but it’s for the best.****Raphael showed up at the base of the mountain with time to spare, and noticed Serena’s Jeep already parked. Perfect, he thought. He checked his pocket for the millionth time, making sure the ring box hadn’t fallen
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Raphael watched Serena leave the nursing home from behind one of the bushes in the front. She seems in good spirits, he thought. Only when he saw her disappear down the street did he dare to venture out of his hiding place. He walked into the nursing home and headed straight to the reception desk.“Hello, I’m here to see Mr. Sikes.” He smiled amiably at the receptionist.“Wow, two visitors in one day. Fred’s a lucky guy. Sign in right here, please. You’ll sign out before you leave. Take this badge so we know you belong here. Room 103 is down the hall, make a left, and he’s at the end on the left.”He looked at her name tag, and winked. “Thanks so much, Judy.”Walking down the hall, he found himself fidgeting with the badge in his hand. Am I actually nervous? Hell yeah! Raphael, the man, is about to meet the father of the woman he loves. Raphael, the man, is about to ask for this guy’s daugh
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Great! Just great! There’s a leak in my bedroom ceiling. Wait a minute, that’s not right. I’m not in my bedroom. I’m locked away in Dr. Chappo’s house. She remembered more. Being bound to a gurney, her body broken and dying. But I’m not lying on a gurney now, and I actually feel great. How could she be dying and still feel great? And what’s with the rain shower on my face? Slowly her eyes fluttered open, and she gasped.It was raining. Angel’s tears. Raphael’s tears, to be exact.She lay in his arms, and from the way he shuddered and sobbed, she thought maybe he didn’t know she lived. To be honest with herself, she’d only realized this fact just a few moments before. Iridescent wings were outstretched and trembling though no breeze made them flutter so.She gently raised her hand to caress his cheek and whispered softly. “Shh…there now, Raphael, shh. It’s all right. I’m ok
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Raphael noticed a knob on the box. It made sense to dial it to its lowest setting. He followed the tubing to its clamp on Serena’s side and decided to completely clamp it off. Now, no more blood could flow. But he still needed to get the needle out of her arm. He found gauze and tape on the tray stand and proceeded to extrude the catheter from her arm carefully so as not to injure her. He replaced it securely with the gauze and tape. His hands shook. I can’t fall apart like this right now! He quickly shrugged off the threat of paralyzing fear.“Hey, Raphael, this guy says his name is Steve. Isn’t that the name of one of guys who assaulted Serena?” Gabriel asked.“Yes, yes it is,” he said through gnashed teeth. Rage filled him and he clenched his fists, trying to gain some semblance of control. “Bind him, tightly. Make sure he can see Dr. Chappo. I’d like him to see what happens to assholes like him when they choose
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Searing hot pain shot like lightning throughout every inch of Serena’s body. Well, every inch she could feel, which left her very disturbed indeed, because she couldn’t feel anything past her waist. She could barely breathe without severe pain ripping through her chest and back. She knew what that meant—broken ribs. But what about her legs? Where were they? And why did her wrists feel shackled? Oh, dear God! What’s become of me? Her shallow breaths quickened. Her heart raced and fought for freedom behind her aching chest. Tears burst through her closed eyes and flowed untapped down the sides of her face.A voice sliced through the whooshing sound in her ears. A voice she knew all too well, and had come to despise with every molecule in her being.“Uh, Doc, I think she’s coming ’round. What do you want me to do?” Steve asked.“Hmm? Oh, nuffin. Nuffin, Seeve. Jus’ keep watchin’,” Dr. Chappo sl
