Rivulet (36 page)

“Bad news, boys. You’re now stuck in immortality with me.”

They both laughed as they let me go and glanced at Phoenix. I’d never seen so much respect in either of their eyes.

“We can handle that,” Mason said, nodding once to Phoenix.

Not knowing what else to say, I reached for a red rose and thought of the family tomb, the place where my grandmother’s remains were surely resting. After a rush of wind, I found myself there, staring at her name on the wall.

I kept hearing her last words to me, the ones she spoke when we were both in the veil.

“I did what you said…she is gone now,” I whispered as I kissed the rose and let it fall to the ground.

Silence and calm immersed me for countless minutes as I thought of the woman she was, both in this life and the visions I had of her before…I would miss her deeply.

“I’m sorry you missed the last goodbye,” I heard Ben say.

I turned to see him in the doorway of the tomb.

“I didn’t. I saw her, Ben. She told me I won. She told me to get Rasure out.”

“And you did,” he said as he stepped closer to me. “Now, how you did that I have no idea.”

“Some things shouldn’t be questioned, Ben,” I said, raising one eyebrow.

“Like the angels that the patients at the hospital swear saved them? Like the fact that your boyfriend matches one of those descriptions? Or the fact that Rasure has vanished from the face of this Earth? Or are we just talking about the fact that you came back to life, ripped the tubes from your throat and arms, dressed yourself in the clothes you drowned in, and walked through a fire, managing to not even singe your clothes? That the car I was in was no less than twenty miles from the manor one instant, and the next at the front door? The fact that not only did you do that, but Mason and Gavin did as well?”

I let my gaze fall to the stone floor. I could never explain what I went through or what I was to him, and I knew he would never force me to. We were Falcons, perfectly flawed beings that were taught to bend the laws of conformity and find our own path. I just happened to bend the laws of reality as well.

“Yeah, just like that…someone was watching out for us, Ben. Let’s be grateful for that.”

“I am,” he said as he stepped forward and hugged me tightly. “I felt you in that library. I felt you tell me you needed more time. I’m just thankful I was able to play my part, no matter how human that was.”

I smiled against his chest and squeezed him. “Dare I say you are my favorite brother?”

“I’ll take that as compliment,” he said, letting me go. “I want you to know that I am going to keep looking for Cadence and Rasure.”

“Let them go, Ben. Let the non-humans deal with that.”

His eyes questioned me, not sure how much of my wit had truth behind it. Then he reached in the breast of his jacket and pulled out a photo. “She has your mother’s camera and some wooden box, and your old friend Wilder is on her arm. She can keep your ex. As far as I’m concerned, you have upgraded your taste in companions, but that camera is yours, something Mom and Dad wanted you to have. She made this personal. Not me.” With that, he let his head fall and turned to leave, giving me time to finish my goodbyes to our grandmother.

I gripped the image in my hand, feeling rage swell deep inside of me. Cadence literally looked right at the camera as she walked by. She wanted me to know what she had taken. She was blatantly daring me to come after her.

All at once, the image erupted into flames and fear shot through me. In that beat, Phoenix was in front of me. He took the image squashing the flame as he pulled me to him.

My hands were balled into fists. I was full of rage and had no idea why. I just kept seeing that dream, her killing my family—my guardians—without remorse, her freezing me, trapping me for God-only-knows how long, only to stand at my side in this life and dare to call me a sister.

“Breathe, Love,” Phoenix said as he gently let his hands caress my back. “This is the transformation. Whatever emotions you hold right now will be the center point of this existence. You’re too lovely to live a life full of sickening rage.”

“You don’t understand what she did,” I said as his touch began to usher calm into me.

“I do. The boys told me…you give me your anger, let me carry it.”

“I don’t need you to fight my war. I’m not weak. I am not helpless,” I argued.

Within that beat, we were out of that tomb and standing in the observatory against the forevermore burning fire. He gently pinned my arms behind my back. “Listen, Love. One of us has to be of sound mind, and it is not going to be me.”

I was almost afraid of him for an instant, but then I saw a pleading in his eyes, almost a fear. Like he didn’t completely trust that what we had done was meant to be done.

“When I came home, found our home—our life—burning, rage consumed me, despair consumed me. I carried those emotions into the life of Phoenix. That blunt humor that you love so much about me barely made it into this personality. Everything was focused on finding you, seeking vengeance on whoever or whatever took you from me. It was natural for me to feel that way. My energy is as dark as the night. Yours, well yours is the sun, as bright as the first snow. You fall into vengeance, and we fall apart. The balance that gives us love, power, and passion will destroy itself. Cadence is counting on that. She knows you all too well.” He let my arms loose and put his hands around my waist as he pulled me to him. “Do you trust me to carry the weight of your rage? Do you love me enough to believe that I will never hold you back, never stand in the way of what you want, that ‘weakness’ is not a word that I would place next to you?”

I knew he was petrified, terrified that this was far from over, that I would vanish from his arms at any moment. Or worse: disappear slowly before his eyes as rage engulfed me.

I wasn’t going to let either of those things happen. “I love you. Forever.”

With that, his powerful lips met mine and his arms embraced me. I felt passion, life, and victory absorb me. I would relish in this now. I would hand my vengeance over to him, but I would not stand idly by in the war of balance. I would face the coldest evil and send the lost souls home. I would win this war of balance one way or another.

The End for now…

Where To Find Jamie Online:

http://authorjamiemagee.blogspot.com

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Playlist

Florence The Machine – Seven Devils, Heavy In Your Arms, Never Let Me Go

Genevieve – Sugarland

Born to Die – Lana Del Ray

Almost Lover— A Fine Frenzy

The XX – Hot Like Fire

Placebo – I’ll be Yours

Breaking Benjamin – I Will Not Bow

Ellie Goulding – I Know You Care, Anything Could Happen

Imagine Dragons – Radioactive

Katie Costello – Stranger

I am still eternally grateful for every soul that encouraged me to write/ publish my debut novel Insight.... thank you once again.

I also want to thank my husband, Lem, for listening to my random thoughts and ideas as each of these stories came to life, he is not only the love of my life but the man who keeps me sane on this insane adventure. I want thank my children who inspire me to become more than I am today with a simple glance,
and the echo of laughter and joy that surrounds me constantly.

I want to thank all of my wonderful beta readers : Sabrina Wells, Crystal Meyer, Alysia Kurtz, Jamie Love, Jennylynne D’Andrea, Michelle Dain, and Steffini Walker, Mallory Edwards, Carrie Porter, Amber Catlin, Elke Simmons, Elle Bautista, Heather Schad, Jennifer St Onge, Kristen Allen, Laura Shipp, Linds Kasher,
Michelle Farrell, Sabrina Himebauch, Shawna Meekins, Tara Gehler, Theresa Kauffman, Cindy Alexander, and Enrique Rodriguez.

Chelsea Rafferty for suggesting the wonderful name this book is titled

Marek Purzycki has got to be the most patient, talented graphic artist I have every met, thank you for giving my series a face.

GWE along with Todd Barselow for editing my daydreams.

Most of all I want to thank every-single reader for sharing this adventure with me! I love you all and I am eternally grateful for your time and support :)!

About the Author

Jamie Magee has always believed that each of us have a defining gift that sets us apart from the rest of the world, she has always envied those who have known from their first breath what their gift was. Not knowing hers, she began a career in the fast paced world of business. Raising a young family, and competing to rise higher in that field would drive some to the point of insanity, but she always found a moment of escape in a passing daydream. Her imagination would take her to places she’d never been, introduce her to people she’s never known. Insight, her debuting novel, is a result of that powerful imagination. Today, she is grateful that not knowing what defined her, led her on a path of discovery that would always be a part of her.

The fun Bio: I’m an obsessive daydreamer. Lover of loud alternative music. Addicted to Red Bull. I love to laugh until it hurts. Fall is my favorite season. Black is my favorite ‘shade.’ Strong believer in the saying: there is a reason for everything, therefore I search for ‘marked moments’ every moment of everyday...and I find them. Life is beautiful!

SWITCH

By Janelle Stalder

War makes rattling good history; but Peace is poor reading.

THOMAS HARDY,
The Dynasts

PROLOGUE

London, 2035

They were destroying everything.

Feathers floated in the air from the ripped couch cushions. Broken glass littered the floor, cracking beneath the heavy soles of the soldiers’ feet. Charlotte knelt beside her mother, her eyes trained on the floor while she watched them out of her peripheral vision. They had stormed their home, their voices shouting orders as their hands forced them roughly to the ground. Her mother had yet to say a word.

Where was her father? She hadn’t come to expect much from him over the past years, but surely he wouldn’t stand by and watch their home be torn apart in some attempt to find evidence that wouldn’t be there. She could hear the other soldiers outside, raging through the streets, destroying homes. The smell of burning lumber saturated the air. Would there be anything left of Leigh when they were done? Charlotte doubted it. When the New World army came, nothing survived.

“Where is he?” one of the soldiers asked, turning to her mother. Charlotte kept her gaze glued to the scuffed hardwood floors.

“I don’t know,” her mother said firmly. “I’m not my husband’s keeper.”

Charlotte glanced up at the man to see his reaction. He wore the customary uniform of the New World army. Black cargo pants, with tall, heavy black boots, and a tight black, long-sleeve shirt with a thick vest overtop that had a star on it, signifying he was the squad leader. Charlotte could see the definition of the man’s muscles beneath his shirt. Everyone knew that the young men of the army were well trained. This one looked not much older than her sister, Bridgette. His face reflected utter distaste as he glared at her mother.

“If you think you can hide him,” he said slowly, “think again. We know your husband is involved with the rebels. We
will
find proof here, and then you and your family,” he continued, nodding his head at Charlotte, “will be nothing more than dirt under my feet. I can help you and your daughter if you give me your husband’s whereabouts.” He waited, letting his offer lay between them. “I’ll tell Roman you knew nothing of his dealings.”

Rebels? That’s what this was about? Charlotte was well aware of the resistance movement – those who were bent on destroying the New World government and returning the world to its former glory. They were all idiots in her opinion. How could they possibly try to fix something that was so broken it could never be put back together? More than half the world’s population and land had been destroyed. What was there to save?