Passion

Passion (Desire Series #3)

Published by THE EDGE

THE EDGE is an imprint of
Sparklesoup Inc.

Copyright © 2012 Kailin Gow

All Rights Reserved. No part of
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First Edition.

Printed in the United States of
America.

ISBN:
978-1-59748-030-7

To my little girl, who recently overcame ASD.

To my mother, who overcame cancer.

Your strength at age 6 or 60, helped me
believe in miracles and hope. 

Prologue

Arcadia, Earth – Year 3010

M
y life had fallen into a whirlpool of turmoil,
and I felt helpless to change any of it.  My destiny was out of my hands.  It
seemed like just yesterday I could stroll away from the modest home I shared
with my mother in the Amethyst District as I headed to school.  The sidewalks
were pristine, the lawns immaculate, the streets clean, and the sky clear and
bright.

Every
house I passed was in good repair, painted a cheerful color and trimmed with
colorful flowers and charming shutters.  The air was fragrant with apple
blossoms, the sun was warm on my face and my life was as perfect as could be.

So
was the Life Plan I’d come up for myself.  Life with Liam, life in the
Governor’s Mansion, life in Arcadia.  I had my future all plotted out, and
nothing could take that way from me.  But the unimaginable happened.

My
Life’s Plan… that’s what happened.  A Life’s Plan that didn’t make sense.  A
Life’s Plan that prevented me from being with Liam.  A Life’s Plan I couldn’t
possibly agree with and abide by.

Had
all this… this ugliness, this blood, this death… been brought on because I
disagreed with my Life’s Plan?

I
looked out at the crowd that filled the Coliseum, thousands of Magical Ones who
salivated at the prospect of my death.  Their eyes wide in anticipation as
hungry dogs rushed to me.

This
is what my life had become – running through the dungeons of the Coliseum;
Arcadia’s ugly little secret.  My heart filled with pain and heartache for the
men and women I’d seen imprisoned in the dark and dank cells, waiting in
miserable and inhuman conditions for an end that promised to be bloody, gory and
excruciatingly slow.

And
now, as I stood with my eminent death just moments away, I saw all that my life
should have been, all the dreams I’d grown up with, all the fantasies,
daydreams and fanciful imaginings.

I
also saw the dogs that were relentless in their approach.

Then
why did they stop so suddenly?  Their snarls were replaced by whimpers; their
dark eyes with clear happy eyes.

Just
as the dogs came to me, gentle, peaceful and loving, the sadistic eyes of anger
and blood lust of the Magical Ones opened wide with disbelief.

They
would not see blood – not mine.

Their
shouts of fury and frustration echoed up to the roof which trembled, but as
dust, crumbs of mortal and finally chunks of the roof began to fall onto the
Coliseum floor, I realized it was falling apart.  Enormous shards of glass
accompanied the first chunks of cement, crashing to the dirt floor of the arena
and spraying glass fragments in every direction.

Had
I just been saved from feral dogs only to be crushed by a shattering roof?  I
looked up to see cracks and increasingly larger pieces of the heavy roof
falling around me, yet other than a sprinkling of dust and crumbs I was spared
the painful blows of concrete and glass.

Shouts
and angry calls sounded over the crashing rumble and shattering glass; shouts
from Magical Ones who’d been cheated out of a spectacle.  They raised their
fists and demanded blood, demanded satisfaction, but it was to be their own
blood they would see first as many were injured by glass; others knocked
unconscious by cement.

The
calm and peaceful dogs at my feet began to snarl again.  I wanted to believe it
was aimed at the Magical Ones – at the angry shouts, but the dogs rose and
slowly circled me.

The
shouts of anger were replaced with shouts of glee.

“Blood! 
Blood!  Tear her guts out!” one enthusiastic spectator called out.

His
demand was echoed by those closest to him and soon the chant circled the
Coliseum.  Despite the crumbling structure around them, their bloodlust won
over.

I
prayed the hungry dogs would resume their calm stance, but feared this could be
the end for me.

The
crumbling roof opened a small hole and made the violet sky outside visible. 
Was the sun coming up or going down?  Would I ever see the sun again?  The hole
quickly grew and violet, lavender and crimson took the place of the old grey
stones that fell around me.

Outside
of the Coliseum the sky promised a beautiful day, a beautiful life, but the
dogs crouched in preparation of pouncing on me.  Drool dripped from their
tongues, their fangs were prominent as they snarled and the tips of their paws
dug lightly into the dirt in anticipation.

I
gazed to the sky, hoping to find an answer, hoping to find a way out of what
seemed the end.  In the violet sky, high above, a speck of gold caught my eye
and my heart responded with a strong and powerful pounding of anticipation.

A
speck of hope lit the dusty gloom of the Coliseum.

Chapter 1

F
ar and almost imperceptible at first, it
quickly grew, becoming clear and distinguishable.

Armor,
shining with promise, covered broad shoulders and protected the breadth of a
warrior’s chest.  As it came closer dismay rang out from the crowd.

“Adar,”
one shouted.  “It’s General Adar.”

I
stared at the ever growing speck of gold and smiled at the incoming djinn.  Of
course… it made perfect sense.  It explained the pounding of my heart and the
great sense of hope I’d felt on seeing the faraway speck of gold.

He
swept down closer and closer, his face now clear, his determination even more
so.  Larger than I’d imagined, he dwarfed the average man.  Sword in hand he
swooped over the best seats in the Coliseum and sent several spectators into
the arena where they scrambled in an attempt to resume their seats.

But
their awkward and futile attempts caught the attention of several dogs who
quickly left me and ran toward the new meat.

The
remaining dogs around me cowered and backed away as General Adar approached,
but one took the opportunity to pounce at me.  I dodged him, but he turned and
snapped his teeth at my calf, grazing the skin and getting a good grip on my
pants.

The
tenacious dog pulled me one way while General Adar swooped down and swept me
into the air.  The dog held its grip, snarling with anger as we rose higher and
higher.  It snapped its jaw for a better grip and managed to get a painful hold
of my ankle.

“It’s
not letting go,” I said to General Adar.

I
felt the bitter sting of my skin being torn open and tried to keep from crying
out.  Despite the pain I kicked as hard as I could, trying to get free.  After
holding on a few more moments, the dog’s teeth slid down to my heel, where it got
a hold of my shoe which easily slipped off my foot.  With my shoe held tightly
in its jaw, the dog fell to the dirt floor several hundred feet below.

It
landed with a sickly thud and die upon impact. 

“I
have to say, this is not quite the first encounter I’d anticipated,” said
General Adar.

 I
smiled and wrapped my arms around his neck.  “I think this is the perfect
encounter,” I said.  “Your timing is impeccable.”

His
golden hair fell to his shoulders, and despite the warrior helmet that lay low
over his forehead, it was easy to see he was a handsome man, though in a
rugged, almost intimidating way.  He exuded strength and power, not only in his
physical size, but also in his person.  Intelligence flickered in his warm eyes
and despite the circumstances that surrounded us his lips were curved into a
loving and amused grin.

“You
certainly are my daughter all right.”

“And
I can see why my mother fell in love with you.”

Landing
as gently as a feather, General Adar settled in a high and vacant balcony, and
set me down.

“You're
my father,” I said, feeling silly and sentimental as the words came off my
tongue.

“That
I am,” he said with pride.

Below
us, the growls of hungry dogs, angry Magical Ones and the fearful cries of the
few who were left to face the painful death they’d so anticipated watching,
reached up to the high balcony.

“They
can’t take what they dish out,” General Adar said with a disapproving shake of
his head.

Two
dogs set their jaws on each ankle of a smaller Magical One and prepared to tear
him apart.  Disgusted by the spectacle I turned away and grimaced.

“Not
as pretty as the perfect Arcadia you imagined, is it?” General Adar said.

“Far
from it.  Turning eighteen has certainly been an eye opener.”  I looked into
his eyes, my head filled with questions and my heart filled with longing to get
to know him, to catch up on lost time.

“There’ll
be time to get better acquainted later,” he said with a wink.  “For now we need
to find a way to help your friends.”

“Yes. 
You're right.  But there are also so many people down there, below the arena;
innocent citizens of Arcadia who’ve been imprisoned for nothing – for the blood
joy of these maniacs who get their kicks off others’ pain.  There are dozens of
tiny and filthy cells hidden below the Coliseum.”

He
set a patient and paternal hand to my shoulder.  “I’ve long suspected the
activities of this Coliseum.  Sanz did a good job of covering it up, of keeping
this torture den well hidden, but I knew he was up to no good.  I’ve come
prepared.”  He gazed at the clear sky above the Coliseum.

Hundreds
of gold specks filled the sky, some large and recognizable as warriors, others
still tiny dots in the distance.

“I
brought reinforcement.  We should be able to find and free every last one of
the wrongly imprisoned citizens of Arcadia.”

Mesmerized
and awed, I gazed at the sky as the hundreds of golden djinns descended over
the Coliseum.  One of them, brighter and larger than the others, drifted toward
the balcony.

Just
before he landed at General Adar’s side I recognized him.

“Prince
Rowan,” I said as I nodded as noble a greeting as I could conjure for Torrid’s
older brother.

“Lady
Kama.”  Rowan glanced at General Adar and back at me.  He took my hand and
kissed it with reverence.  “What a pleasure.  Seeing the two of you side by
side is quite an amazing sight.  You share the same golden coloring and the
identical intelligent eyes.”

Though
I’d often received flattering comments about my hair, complexion and eyes, I
couldn’t remember ever feeling so privileged and proud of a compliment.  To be
compared to my father…

With
combat in his eyes, Rowan turned to his general.  “We’ve seized the entrance
and several men are already on their way to the prison cells.  Others have
begun rounding up the Rogue Magical Ones.”  He turned his eyes to me, soft yet
proud.  “We didn’t find Torrid in any cell.  We believe he may never have been
captured or he managed to escape.”

My
heart skipped a beat at the sound of Torrid’s name.  Through the past moments
of panic, relief, resumed fear and meeting my father I’d had forgotten about Torrid. 
My heart sank as my mind began thinking of what could have happened to him.

Now,
my fear for him gripped me, choking my breath in my throat.  “We lost sight of
one another.  We wanted to stay together, but…”