Discovery: Altera Realm Trilogy
Read Discovery: Altera Realm Trilogy Online
Authors: Jennifer Collins
Discovery
ALTERA REALM TRILOGY
JENNIFER COLLINS
Copyright © 2013 Jennifer Collins
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 1482590948
ISBN 13: 9781482590944
Library of Congress Control Number: 2013903537
CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
North Charleston, South Carolina
Acknowledgement
I never would have been able to write this book without the help and encouragement of so many people. First and foremost, I would like to thank my family who are the most supportive people in the world. Mom and Dad: I hope I make you proud. Nancy: No one could ask for a better big sister and test reader. Robert: This is the best birthday present ever (even beating the house) and I love you so much. Thank you for being my forever cheerleader! Becky and Jim: Thank you for giving me my amazing husband and being supportive through this whole process. Jess: Thank you for letting me talk for hours about my characters and plot while giving me encouragement and support. Erin: Your imput and reactions were always helpful and pushed me to keep on writing, even when I was almost sick of Altera. To all of my English and Writing teachers over the years: thank you for always pushing me to be better and find my inner artist's voice. PAAAS staff: I couldn't ask for more supportive co-workers. I love each and every one of you for just recognizing this labor of love with your words of excitement and encouragement. My "wachovia" family: This book started while I was with all of you as you all encouraged me to keep on going and never give up. To everyone at Createspace: Thank you for helping me make my dream reality. Everyone on my editing and design team were so helpful and made the process as easy as could be. A special thanks to Angela for her kind and encouraging words while she was editing my manuscript. Anthony: Thank you so much for creating me such an amazing cover. You are so talented and I hope the world sees that now. To all of my students past and present: Thank you for all of your encouragement and support. You are all amazing and super talented. I only wish you all will see your dreams become reality as mine are with this book!
Journal of Princess Faye of House Blocadrian
Journal of Princess Faye of House Blocadrian
Amelia
Amelia knew her daughter was destined for greatness. The moment her daughter was born, she had the vision—her baby girl all grown up, standing in the center of the Great Hall, speaking of the future, a future more distant than Amelia even could imagine. And that was what troubled her, what scared her the most. Her daughter was meant for great things, just not now.
Amelia looked deep into her daughter's violet eyes, the family trademark, and sighed. She had given up and risked so much to bring this child, this savior, into the world, and now she must give her up.
She placed the baby in her bed and tucked the purple blanket tightly around her. She pulled her necklace off and placed it to her lips for a moment before curling it around her daughter's fingers. The amulet on the necklace caught the candlelight, and the purple gemstones shone in the light. The child would need the amulet to find her way home.
"And you will find your way. I promise," she whispered, tears filling her eyes, "my sweet baby girl."
Amelia laid one last kiss upon her cheek before beginning her chant.
Accipe in loco
.
Alicubi quando illa opus est maxime
.
Ab omnibus tueatur consilium malum
.
Et experientis amor sustentet eam itineri eius domum
.
A bright white light enveloped the baby, causing Amelia to close her eyes. When she looked back, her daughter was gone.
"Please, let me have done the right thing!" she cried to the empty room, before collapsing to the floor in sobs.
Syney
Syney Andrews was always up for an adventure. She blamed her sense of excitement on her parents. They had raised her to see every day as a chance to do something she never had done before. Which is why she was now waiting on line with her best friend, Jessica, to see Madam Racksha, psychic extraordinaire, at the town carnival. Seeing Madam Racksha was Jess's idea actually, but Syney stopped and realized no one ever had told her future before, so why not now? And it only cost five bucks.
"So what are you hoping for? Six kids or three husbands?" Jess joked, her smile lighting up her caramel-colored face. Jess had an exotic beauty to her, which Syney envied at times. Jess had curves and flawless dark skin, while Syney was straight from the hips down and had pale skin, made even paler by her auburn hair. The only exotic thing about her was her violet eyes, which she had covered with brown contact lenses since the second grade, when her fellow students had begun to call her a witch.
"Um...eight kids and Brad Pitt as a husband," Syney decided. "I could take Angelina."
The two girls laughed as the pink-and-gold curtain moved, revealing Brigit Nolan, a fellow senior at Middleton High School.
"So?" Jess asked Brigit.
"Oh, my god. She's amazing! She totally guessed, like, everything and told me Bobby Williams was going to ask me out!" Brigit squealed.
Jess and Syney exchanged looks. Bobby Williams was the hottest guy in school. He dated a different girl every week, including Jess last year.
"You guys are going to love her!" Brigit said, before heading off into the carnival crowd.
The curtain moved again, and this time Madam Racksha herself appeared dressed, just as Syney had imagined, in a long, flowing, gypsy-like dress. Her eyes were heavily outlined in black, and her blood-red lips matched her dress exactly. Syney stared at her eyeliner, wondering, not for the first time, how anyone could get the exact thickness and straightness for it to look just right. Makeup, in general, never had been her thing.
"Who's next?" Madam Racksha asked, her voice laced with a thick New York accent.
"Wasn't expecting that," Jess leaned over and whispered to Syney.
Syney stifled a laugh and shot her gaze to the ground.
"Well?" the psychic asked, balancing an impatient hand on her hip.
Jess nudged Syney's arm. "You go." She smiled slyly. "See if Brad's in your future."
Syney looked over at her best friend and and sighed. "OK." She stepped forward and followed Madam Racksha into the large cloth tent.
The inside was dark, the only illumination coming from a few scattered candles. The air was thick with musky incense, and the psychic sat down at a small wooden table covered in tarot cards and a crystal ball. She began to blow on the cards and the ball. Syney glanced around, unsure of what to do. She opted for the seat across from the psychic and waited patiently as the woman continued to blow.
"Need to clean the instruments," Madam Racksha explained, as she looked up at Syney.
Syney nodded, not really understanding but not wanting to ask.
"So what would you like?"
"Um, I'm not sure," Syney said. "What's...best?"
"Nothing is best, honey. It's all about what you want to know. The cards aren't very specific—more about roads you have taken and ones you could take. The crystal ball can give me exact things, but only if your mind is tuned to it."
"OK, well, I guess we can do the crystal ball."
Madam Racksha nodded, not seeming to really care one way or another. "Rub your hands together, and think of a question you want answered."
Syney did as told but took a moment to choose her question carefully. There is so much a girl her age would want to know. When would she get married? How many kids would she have? Would she get the job she'd dreamed about for years? But those were all questions Syney would joke about, even though deep
down she always believed that what is meant to be will be, and why know about it now? Not that she even believed in psychics. So she settled on something that seemed right for her—
What's the biggest adventure I'm going to take
?
"Ready?"
Syney nodded.
"OK, place your hands on the ball, and repeat the question in your head."
Syney took a deep breath and placed her hands on the crystal ball. The second she did, the clear ball began to glow a deep purple. The color grew in intensity every moment her hands remained. She pulled her gaze from the light show to look at Madam Racksha, expecting this to be nothing out of the ordinary. But the older woman's face gave away all of her surprise.
"Is this...OK?" Syney asked, feeling a little uncomfortable.