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CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR
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2023-07-27 20:04:03
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Marked (Mortal, Book Four) CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE
Winter"There's nothing happening." I set my end of the sled in the snow and inspect the old farmhouse.In the sled, Damon lets out a low moan. He's been in his wolf form the entire trip to Hawthorn, which included two hitched rides in the back of people's trucks.Thank God those drivers seemed to buy our story that he was our German Shepard, injured after a run-in with a car.Alec crouches and studies the farmhouse. "I'm not picking up on anyone inside, but that could be because of a protective spell. One cast to make it seem like there's no one there."I suck in a breath. This is the safe house Damon received a text about. Let's just hope it's still technically safe and not overrun with Silver Hunters."I'll check it out." I take a step forward. Predictably, Alec stops me with a hand to my shoulder."It's too dangerous." He frowns.I try not to smile. The trip back to Hawthorn was hard and uncomfortable, especially seeing Damon in pain. And losing the Golden Coin makes me
Last Updated : 2023-07-27Marked (Mortal, Book Four) EPILOGUE
Tyr"Back so soon?" John Grace doesn't even bother to look at me as I stride into the room in my high-rise apartment that houses his cell.I smirk. He's always so cocky, so sure of himself, even though he's been my captive for weeks now."I have some happy news I would like to share with you," I say.He stiffens, and I can nearly read his thoughts. He's worried that this is about his daughter."I did run into Winter," I say, "if that's what you're wondering. She's alive, though. For now."He glares daggers at me and I laugh. For the first time in years, I feel like I'm walking on air."Look what I found." I pull the Golden Coin from my pocket and hold it up for him to see. His eyes widen in shock."Where did you get that?" he breathes."Off your daughter," I say, drawing the words out, enjoying how much the news is tormenting him. "And there's more, too. I figured out how to activate the coin."His eyes narrow. "No one alive knows how to activate it.""But you were hopin
Last Updated : 2023-07-27Marked (Mortal, Book Four) PROLOGUE
Winter"Alec," I try to say, but the word only comes out as a gasp. I reach my hand toward him, but he's so far away.I can't get there fast enough. I'm about to lose him.He reaches for the Golden Coin, his gaze locked on mine. It doesn't have to be this way! Why is he doing this?Finally, I gather some breath. "Alec!"I'm too late, though. He touches the coin, and a moment later he's gone.I collapse, falling to my knees on the hard platform, the wail that flies from my throat thunderous.He's gone.Forever."Winter!" Someone shakes my shoulder.I go to swat them away, but they only shake harder. Suddenly, my eyes snap open.I'm in the ocean!Wait. No. I'm in the small motorboat that Alec and I searched Nova Scotia's islands with. And Damon is here, the boat bobbing in the water, the motor off.He stops shaking my shoulder and sits back. "You were dreaming."I sit up, the blanket falling off my chest. "I was? When did I fall asleep?""Maybe an hour ago." He looks l
Last Updated : 2023-07-27Marked (Mortal, Book Four) CHAPTER ONE
AlecDarkness engulfs me, but it's not the type of darkness that accompanies the absence of light. It's a different kind, a darkness that envelops me in a pool of sensation. I float in it, suspended in an abyss.My eyes close and I feel a rush of vertigo. I'm spinning, spinning faster and faster.Finally, a burst of light overwhelms me, and I land on a soft surface. I open my eyes and take in my surroundings. I'm in a room with stone walls. The ceiling is high, and there are torches hanging from it. The flickering flames cast eerie shadows across the room, and on the other side of the room is a wooden door.I get up, my muscles aching from the fall, and survey my environment. Besides the torches, there is nothing in the room. No furniture, no windows. Nothing that suggests this place is anything but a prison.I try to remember how I got here, but it's hard to think straight. All I remember is a small, golden coin. I reached out for it, and then... I ended up here.My footste
Last Updated : 2023-07-27Marked (Mortal, Book Four) CHAPTER TWO
Winter"Look!" Damon points. "Is that land?"I lean forward, squinting through the mist.We’ve been in this small boat for hours, with no water and no food. I’m so thirsty that it feels like there’s a thin coat of sawdust in my mouth.I don’t want to get my hopes up, but I really, really hope it’s land.The distinct shape of trees emerges, and I sigh in relief. “It’s land.”Still, I hold my breath. We aren't sure we're headed in the right direction. This could be another island and not the mainland.Then again, anything is better than endless water and getting lost at sea. Even if it is an uninhabited island, maybe a fishing boat or something will come by and spot us. And maybe there’s a water source somewhere.The mist gets thinner, and the shore comes into better view. There's a dock with small boats, and buildings peek out through the trees.My chest tightens. "I know this island. Alec and I came here."It's the one that we went to the farmer's market on, after I accid
Last Updated : 2023-07-27Marked (Mortal, Book Four) CHAPTER THREE
Heather"So? What's the plan?" I cross my arms and stare Professor Stills down.We've been at this new safe house for almost twelve hours, students packed into a small cottage with our one teacher. It's ridiculous that we haven't made a move yet.Especially since we just saw the Silver Hunters take Winter's Aunt Nora. Are we seriously going to sit around waiting for them to do who-knows-what next?My teacher blinks at me. "The plan is to stay put. Stay quiet. Stay out of trouble."I drop my arms. "Are you kidding me?""Why would I do that?" He returns to his phone and makes another call.Again, no one picks up.He spent the night calling numbers and having no one answer. Each time he doesn't get a response, his frown deepens.I can’t believe this. Nora and Professor Stills and those other teachers risked their lives to save me and these other students when the Silver Hunters were tracking us down. And then Nora put herself on the line so that the rest of us could escape th
Last Updated : 2023-07-27Marked (Mortal, Book Four) CHAPTER FOUR
WinterThe wind slices through my clothes as I navigate the little motorboat over the water, but I almost don't care. The cold means nothing compared to every other hard thing I've been through.Damon sleeps on the other end of the boat, curled up under the blanket. He offered to guide the boat back to the mainland, but I insisted, already knowing I wouldn't be able to sleep tonight.Lifting my face to the sky, I watch the stars. I'm still shaking from the run-in with the Silver Hunters.I've felt anger before, but nothing like that. It was as if I were a volcano ready to explode.I didn't like it. It scared me.Sighing, I look back over the water. What would Alec say if he were still here?Probably that I'm stronger than I know. That I can control myself.Funny. He was always worried about not being able to control his vampire side, worried that he would lose his hold and drink blood from someone he didn't want to--like me.And in the end, that thing he was worried about
Last Updated : 2023-07-27Marked (Mortal, Book Four) CHAPTER FIVE
WinterClimbing off the boat, I tether the rope to the dock. Damon climbs out behind me, and we take in the town. It's early morning, gray and with a light mist."Come on." I hurry down the pier. We need to find a place to hide. Who knows how many Silver Hunters are still in this area.Damon hustles to keep up. "I still can't believe this. I mean, it's amazing. Alec is alive.""Something like alive." I touch his necklace hanging around my throat. "Remember, my dad said he's not alive, and he's not dead."Damon is quiet, his brow knitting in that way that suggests he's deep in thought."What?" I ask.He stops at the street and turns to face me. "Your dad said that you can use the coin to save Alec.""Yeah." I sigh in frustration. "Problem is, I have no clue how to do that.""Can I see it for a second?"I hesitate, but then realize how silly that is. I can trust Damon. He put himself on the line for me and Alec in that pocket dimension, and even though he also went in there
Last Updated : 2023-07-27
Latest chapter
Marked (Mortal, Book Four) EPILOGUE
Tyr"Back so soon?" John Grace doesn't even bother to look at me as I stride into the room in my high-rise apartment that houses his cell.I smirk. He's always so cocky, so sure of himself, even though he's been my captive for weeks now."I have some happy news I would like to share with you," I say.He stiffens, and I can nearly read his thoughts. He's worried that this is about his daughter."I did run into Winter," I say, "if that's what you're wondering. She's alive, though. For now."He glares daggers at me and I laugh. For the first time in years, I feel like I'm walking on air."Look what I found." I pull the Golden Coin from my pocket and hold it up for him to see. His eyes widen in shock."Where did you get that?" he breathes."Off your daughter," I say, drawing the words out, enjoying how much the news is tormenting him. "And there's more, too. I figured out how to activate the coin."His eyes narrow. "No one alive knows how to activate it.""But you were hopin
Marked (Mortal, Book Four) CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE
Winter"There's nothing happening." I set my end of the sled in the snow and inspect the old farmhouse.In the sled, Damon lets out a low moan. He's been in his wolf form the entire trip to Hawthorn, which included two hitched rides in the back of people's trucks.Thank God those drivers seemed to buy our story that he was our German Shepard, injured after a run-in with a car.Alec crouches and studies the farmhouse. "I'm not picking up on anyone inside, but that could be because of a protective spell. One cast to make it seem like there's no one there."I suck in a breath. This is the safe house Damon received a text about. Let's just hope it's still technically safe and not overrun with Silver Hunters."I'll check it out." I take a step forward. Predictably, Alec stops me with a hand to my shoulder."It's too dangerous." He frowns.I try not to smile. The trip back to Hawthorn was hard and uncomfortable, especially seeing Damon in pain. And losing the Golden Coin makes me
Marked (Mortal, Book Four) CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR
WinterWe're standing in complete darkness, the only sound the beating of our hearts."Where are we?" Alec asks, his voice barely above a whisper."I don't know," I reply, trying to make sense of our surroundings. "But I think we did it. I think we defeated the wisps."As I speak, the darkness begins to lift. We're standing on the edge of the river, right in front of the dock.The ferryman and his boat are there, a lamp bobbing at its bow."Welcome back," the ferryman says, his voice gruff. "I've been expecting you. You did well. You discovered and used the greatest force. Earth is fortunate to have you two on it."“Love,” I breathe with realization. “The greatest force is love.”"How did we get here?" Alec asks, still dazed from the battle. “Love… sent us here?”"The Golden Coin sent you here," the ferryman replies, gesturing to the coin in Alec's hand. "It has the power to transport you wherever you need to go. And it seems like you needed to come back here."I look at
Marked (Mortal, Book Four) CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
TyrI stop on the quiet, dark street and listen. The Silver Hunters were supposed to meet me here thirty minutes ago.I've given up working with higher ups in the Silver Hunter community. Since Gray Finnegan failed at her mission to retrieve the Golden Coin from the pocket dimension, I've decided that I have no problem just picking and choosing Silver Hunters to work as mercenaries for me.Like the two I hired this morning to track down Winter and the Golden Coin. They may pretend to be loyal to their organization, but it was easy to win them over using a wad of cash."Where are you idiots?" I whisper into the night.Footsteps sound on the sidewalk, and I whirl around to see the two Silver Hunters and their dogs. From the looks on their faces, I can already tell they weren't successful."You didn't get it, did you?" I snap.They share a quick look."We found a werewolf," one of them says. "It got away, though.""A werewolf?" I frown. Could this werewolf have any connection
Marked (Mortal, Book Four) CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
Nora"What's that?" Charlie asks.I cock my head and listen to the bumps outside of the room. It's hard to say since the doors at Hawthorn are so thick.Instead of responding, I go back to my work. After Jared was killed, my resolve to get myself and the other captives out of this hellhole doubled. I refuse to see anyone else murdered.It took a lot of practice, but finally I got that spell right. The old, almost-forgotten one that's said to work on even the strongest magicked cages and locks.Taking a deep breath, I hold my hands against the bars of my cage and recite the incantation--or what I can remember of it. This is probably my hundredth attempt, and I just pray to God that I'll get it right eventually.Suddenly, I feel a warmth emanating from my hands. Sparks fly, and the bars of the cage begin to warp and weaken. My heart races with hope as I continue to pour all of my energy into the spell."Everyone, wake up!" I yell to the other captives in nearby cages. "Get rea
Marked (Mortal, Book Four) CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
AlecThe girl in front of me stands tall, facing the monsters. She told me to run, but I'm frozen. I can't just leave her.I don't even know what's going on.Why can't I remember anything?"Go!" She turns and looks at me, tears in her eyes. She's sacrificing herself for me.And, just like that, in the blink of an eye, it all comes back.Her name is Winter. She came to the underworld to retrieve me after I sacrificed myself so she could take the Golden Coin and use it to save our school, Hawthorn, from the Silver Hunters.And my name is Alec.And I love her to a degree I didn't know was possible.Now here she is, sacrificing herself for me. Showing that she has the biggest, bravest heart. Showing that she's a hero.No way in hell will I let her do that. Winter Grace is something special--a gift to the world. I'm the one that needs to be protecting her.Popping my fangs, I jump in front of her."What are you doing?" she screeches."Protecting you!" I roar back, my eyes s
Marked (Mortal, Book Four) CHAPTER TWENTY
WinterI stare at the creatures, their long hooded cloaks barely skimming the ground, fear filling my every cell.We need to run.We need to hide.I know these things are dangerous. What it is they do, I don't know. Maybe I did at some point, but it's like information is slipping right out of my brain."Run!" I point at a break between two wisps, and Alec and I duck through it.We take off, our feet pounding against the spongy earth. We sprint through the mist, our hearts racing and our breath coming in short gasps. I can hear the wisps behind us, their eerie whispers filling the air. I glance back and see them getting closer."We need to find somewhere to hide," I say, looking around frantically.But there's nowhere to go. The landscape is barren, with only twisted trees and gnarled roots around us. I can feel the wisps closing in, can feel their cold breath on the back of my neck."Alec!" I shout, my voice quivering with fear. "What do we do?""I don't know!" he yells b
Marked (Mortal, Book Four) CHAPTER NINETEEN
HeatherWe make our way towards the boiler room. My heart is pounding, and my mind is racing with all sorts of terrible scenarios that could happen. What if the passageway is blocked off? What if the Silver Hunters catch us before I even get there?But then I remember why I'm doing this. Nora needs my help. She was a total badass taking on all those Silver Hunters herself, and honestly kind of my hero. I'm not backing out now, and I'm not letting her down.We manage to cross the bridge and get onto the island where the school is, probably thanks to the cover of dusk. With the light barely there, we press our shoulders against the main building and run around its exterior.The boiler room is a short distance from the main building, right next to the river. As we approach, I can hear the hum of the boiler and the sound of rushing water. But I can also hear something else. Footsteps. Coming from inside the room.I signal for the others to stop, and we press ourselves against the
Marked (Mortal, Book Four) CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
WinterAs we approach the dock, I can see a small wooden boat tied up to it and a figure standing on the decaying boards.It's a man, dressed in a cloak, with a hood covering his face. He holds a long pole that he uses to guide the ferry across the river.I gulp. Will the man just give us a ride across the river if we ask?I doubt it’s that simple. He’ll probably want a toll of some kind.Alec slows the hellhound to a stop as we reach the dock. The man looks up, his eyes meeting mine. For a moment, we stare at each other."Are you the ferryman?" I ask, breaking the silence.The man nods. "I am.""We need to get back to the other side," I tell him.He studies us--still sitting on the hellhound--for a long moment. "Many come here asking to go to the other side. It does not work that way, though. I ferry souls from Earth to here. This is the underworld, children. Once you arrive here you do not leave until you are ready to ascend."My heart sinks at his words. I don't want t
