KADENI was rendered motionless when the unknown gun-man pointed the gun right at my forehead. Beside me Avery’s stance was switching between anger and fear, the same emotions that were flashing across the face of my friends. We couldn’t make a move to disarm him since we were all on the same table; he had us at gunpoint. A wrong move, and my brain would be bursted in shreds. I thought, wondering why I had chosen to eat at this public restaurant today instead of at my personal restaurant. Well, that was because of Storm, no doubt. While we had taken a break from work to get lunch, I had remembered that her stepmother had a restaurant, the avenue through which I had been able to meet her in the first place. Tim, my personal driver, had led us here.My breathing slowed as my mind got swamped with thoughts on how to get out of this situation. I needed a distraction-the man needed to be distracted, but it couldn't be from us, rather it should come from outsiders, the other diners. My mi
STORM I got home around some minutes past five in the evening, to find Miranda being chatty with Doctor Jack in our sitting room. Hope she wasn’t trying to seduce the doctor? He might be middle aged but he was handsome and sturdy in a cute way. He wasn’t married either. I greeted him curtly, deciding not to join in their conversations, but Jack was having none of it. “Storm, how are you feeling now?” he asked me just before I got to the staircase. “I am fine.'' I replied, looking at his smiley face with a smile of my own before turning around and walking upstairs. But when I got to the door, I realized with a jerking speed that Jack’s voice was similar, too similar to the voice of the man that had been in the bedroom with Jess last night. Could Jack be the…”? No, no, that was impossible! But the more I thought about it, the more I believed it and the more dreadful I became. If he really was the one, then he probably had a hand in my father’s death since he was the family doctor. Co
THIRD PERSON POVAt a place, unknown to humans, supernaturals and animals...A middle aged beautiful woman, with no recollection of who she was and how she had gotten to this beautiful mansion, watched the children playing in the large play yard directly across from her little Victorian home. She liked sitting outside on the wide, wrap-around porch where the wind could touch her face. Sometimes, that small touch was the only relief she got from the relentless pain winding through her body every minute of the night and day, pain she had no idea how it had come about. It just possessed her, sometimes heavier at certain intervals, so much that she would want to die.Rain had given the air a clean, fresh scent. The world looked shiny and new, every leaf on the trees a vivid green or silver. Small birds sang to one another, hopping from tree branches to gnarled limbs. They were bright red spots of color, adding to the beauty of the compound. The property was owned by a man the children c
"Swing with us, El," Daniel called. At fifteen, he was tall and gangly, his form just beginning to show the promise of who he would become. Elina knew he had great courage, as well as love for his siblings. He'd kept them together after their parents had died, and when the girls were taken by the monstrous men down in the labyrinth beneath whatever city they were in, he had gone after them. She couldn't help but admire him. "Not right now, but I have a plate full of warm chocolate chip cookies. And, Jane, I also have fresh cranberry and pistachio biscotti dipped in white chocolate."From what she had heard from Jane, Tensel had taken the children in, become a foster parent of sorts, until the adoptions came through, protecting them with his friends and unique security system--just as he protected her. Elina was grateful to him, but she knew she couldn't stay much longer.Daniel raced to the porch first, leaned down and brushed the top of her head with a kiss, scooped up a handful of
Amelia threw herself into the chair across from Elina's. She caught a cookie and leaned forward. "El, you do know if there's anything at all I could do for you, I'd do it."God. She loved the children. They were all so amazing. Every last one of them. She was grateful she'd made the decision to go into that labyrinth, the chambers of utter horror, to get them out. She refused to regret that decision, no matter the price she had to pay--and she was paying it every single minute of the day. She forced a reassuring smile. "I know I look awful, Amelia, but I'm getting better." That was a lie. The pain was getting worse. Pain and fear. She kept a close eye on the sky. Sunset was fast approaching and she'd go immediately into the house once the sun dropped out of the sky."No, you're not," Amelia whispered. "You're not, Elina. Please let Tensel or one of the others help you. A couple of the scariest ones are good healers."Elina couldn't help the automatic withdrawal, the way her body went
Elina nodded, agreeing because it was the truth. She wouldn't. Couldn't. But she agreed because she knew Jane was right. "Tensel and Clarissa tell me that as well. I don't want to relive one moment of it, not ever again, not even to talk about it."The incident. That's how she thought of it, trying to minimize those hours in her mind. Make the entire thing just another moment in her history. She pushed at her tangled hair with trembling fingers. For a moment, she couldn't breathe. The pain in her body increased until she writhed on the chair, a low moan escaping. At once Jane leapt to her feet and came around the small table toward her.Elina held up her hand, palm out, desperate to stop the other woman. "Please. I can do this. I have to do it my way.""Clarissa told me a healer was coming, and would be here any day. He's powerful. Also, Damonq is reputed to be a tremendous healer--" Jane broke off. "Okay, I can't recommend him. Everyone seems nervous around him, including Tensel, and
Elina nodded and watched Jane go back to the play yard. She briefly spoke with Danny, who squinted up at the sun for a couple of seconds and then shook his head. Something about the way he looked up caught Elina's attention. She frowned, trying to think what was eluding her. The tilt of his head reminded her of something she'd seen several times since she had been here. It was important . . ."El!" Liv materialized right in front of her, a mischievous smile on her face. She flung her arms around Elina. "I missed you."Elina's breath exploded from her lungs at the sudden sight of the little girl. Liv had endured terrible things in the underground city and that had bonded the two of them. At ten, she was years older than she should have been, her childhood ripped away from her. Elina closed her eyes for a moment, savoring the feeling of love she had for the little girl. To save her life, the ancients had converted her, bringing her wholly into their world, so technically, she shouldn't
"We'll find a way to keep him out," Liv said. "I hear things. I can learn fast. There's a healer coming, and he's supposed to be really good at what he does. And if he doesn't get here fast enough, I can see if Damonq can help."Elina shook her head. "No ancients. They would know.""Then I'll learn," Liv said staunchly. "I know I can learn healing."Elina found herself smiling. "You can learn anything," she agreed. "Thank you, my sweet girl. I appreciate that you want to help me.""I watch them. I always have. I remember everything, so it's easy to follow the patterns they make or say the words they do."A frisson of alarm crept down Elina’s spine. "Baby, you know you can't just go around repeating what they say. Some of their commands are in mysterious language and you don't understand that yet. You can't know what they're saying."Liv shrugged. "I know the results. Trust me, El.”"Honey, really, you can't just say things without knowing what they mean. It can be dangerous." Elina m