Angels of Moirai (Book One) (22 page)

“Wake up, Lila. You need to wake up now!” James screamed.

I felt dizzy and disorientated when I opened my eyes. James was looking down at me, his hand still on my head.

I remembered what had just happened and quickly shot up, looking for any sign of Noah.

“Easy,” James cautioned, “I’ve healed you, but it will take some time to recover fully.”

My head spun as I caught his arm for balance.

“He’s gone,” James reassured. “I should have known… I’m sorry, Lila. I can sense them, I don’t know why I couldn’t sense that Noah had been possessed.”

“Is he… Is he dead?”

“He is wounded. It’s unclear if it is fatal though.”

“I was scared, James. So scared.”

“I know, and I’m sorry for that, I didn’t acknowledge-” James cut himself off.

I caught his eye and knew straight away something wasn’t right. The lines on his brow were pushed together, and then his face went pale… like death.

I turned into him. “What is it? What’s wrong?” I demanded, pulling him towards me.

He didn’t respond, his face frozen in the look of despair.

“James! You’re scaring me!”

I’d never seen James like this before. He wasn’t the kind of guy to wear his expressions, but the look on him now frightened me. He knew something, and whatever that something was, it wasn’t good.

“I’m so sorry, Lila, truly.”

“For what? What’s happened? Tell me!”

“I didn’t know, Lila. I swear-”

“Know what?”

He hesitated. “This wasn’t meant to happen, I didn’t know until just now what your destiny was… what your sister’s destiny was-”

“My sister?”

My blood ran cold and I felt my stomach drop.

The time before he responded, felt like a hundred years. I wait with bated breath at the horrifying news I was about to be told.

“Your sister is going to die.”

I stood up on my feet and stumbled backwards. The world around me began to spin, I felt a sickness bury within in me. I felt cold…
I
felt like death.

“Wh…When?” I barely breathed the words.

James didn’t speak and the unease within me began to rise.

“When?” I repeated, breathing quickly and heavily.

Silence.

Anger rose within me as I screamed at James, “When?!!”

“Now.” James’s eyes looked behind me.

I sucked in a breath and turned in fear. I raced towards the edge of the forest where I’d entered. My eyes searched desperately for a sign of Hayley. I hadn’t seen her all night, so I wasn’t even sure if she was at the party.

I ran out further into the party until I finally saw her. She was carefree and happy, as always, standing across the road laughing with Poppy. I moved my legs as fast as I could towards her in desperation. I wasn’t going to let her die.

I reached the side of the road and watched her stumble onto the path of the incoming car, completely unaware it was coming straight towards her, as she giggled at Poppy.

“Hayley!” I screamed until my lungs nearly gave out.

In that moment, it was as if time slowed. I remember very clearly the sound of the screeching tyres, the headlights on the car lighting my face as I ran across the road pushing Hayley with all the strength I had in me.

In that spilt second, I had made a decision. The decision I knew would change everything. I couldn’t just stand by and watch her die. She was my sister… she was everything to me. So I did the only thing that I knew was right. I took her place.

I didn’t feel the impact of the car against my body. I didn’t feel it crush the life right out of me and send me flying into the air until I hit the road, my spine snapping on impact.

I stood over my lifeless body. I watched on in horror as Hayley touched my face, screaming for someone to call for an ambulance. There was so much blood…

“Lila.”

I looked up to see James as an angel. It was only then that I realised I was in The Shadows, only this time it wasn’t because I was dreaming, and it wasn’t because of Noah… It was because I was dead.

“You weren’t meant to take her place. That wasn’t your fate. If I had known you were going to do that… I would have stopped you…I… I can’t heal you, Lila… I can’t heal the dead…”

I looked down at my body, a crowd of crying people circled me, Jacob pounding my chest as he attempted CPR.

It was like something you’d see in the movies; the desperation and heartache etched on every single persons face.

I quietly said, more to myself than James, “I couldn’t stand by and watch her die… I couldn’t live with myself knowing I could have stopped it.”

A high pitch squeal pierced my ears, I covered them to block out the deafening sound. I watched on as a shadow moved against the ground and trees surrounding us until it filled the skies.

James looked at me, no emotion on his face. “I broke the rules.”

I stepped forward, but the shadow pulled against James and he was lifted into the air. The shadow formed into decrepit hands and into faces that screamed against James until they surrounded him. The demons I feared had come for James.

The wings that held high above him burst into flames, ash falling all around me. It was so thick… Feathers that once formed his beautiful wings burned to the ground.

“I will never be sorry for loving you,” James said proudly before looking up at the sky in surrender.

“James!”

I ran for him but it was too late. The demons gripped hold of him tightly and he didn’t resist. He was hurtled into the black skies above before my eyes and I could do nothing but watch.

“James!” I cried out, but it was too late… he was gone.

To be continued…

Their story continues in book two of the Angels of Moirai series…

When Lila wakes from an induced coma, her memories of the last four weeks are gone. With no memory of James, she has no choice but to continue on with her life.

Healing from her injuries is easy, but healing from her past proves to be more difficult. No matter how hard she tries to move on with her life, she is plagued by a feeling of loss.

Deep within The Shadows, James remains a captive. No longer an Angel of Moirai and burdened with Lila’s death, he slips further into the darkness that consumes him. His own fate seems sealed, that is, until a vision overcomes him, one that shows him something he didn’t think possible… Lila was alive. 

Torn between living her life in the here and now, Lila faces her biggest challenge. Will she accept the fate given to her, or will she fight; fight for a love she has no memory of, and in turn, unearth secrets that lead her to a battle only an angel could survive.

Every novel I write, I let readers know of the playlist that inspired me while I spent endless hours writing.

Keaton Henson stole my heart for this novel... x

I have always been a hopeless romantic. At the early age of fifteen, I met my now husband, Darby. Together with our two daughters, Evelyn and Harper, we live in the beautiful state of Queensland, Australia.

I write because I love it, believe me, I would never do anything I didn’t want to do! ;)

I love all things related to the sun, sand, and surf. I’m a country girl at heart, but a soft spot for the beautiful oceans surrounding my gorgeous city.

To keep up to date with my author journey, and to discover more of my work, head to:

www.nicolesalmond.blogspot.com

You can also find me on Twitter, Goodreads & Facebook!

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