by Sasha Leigh
That was the real fantasy, to be together and out of danger, spending time together just because we wanted to instead of protecting her or placing her as the subject matter of another task.
I’d drunk the concoction when I’d arrived in Hidden Springs, but even without my gifts at the ready, I saw her shine. It was so much brighter than before, but still so muted. Her eighteenth birthday was months away, but if it were this bright now . . . ? My stomach turned as I remembered what Lachesis said about Darkness seeking Alyssa out.
Don’t think about it.
So I watched.
I stalked around, following Alyssa like paparazzi without the cameras, though if I had one, I’d gratefully become a shutterbug. She was an obsession I couldn’t break, and if a camera could catch one of the rare smiles that shone from her eyes, it would be worth more than all the clouds in the sky.
On the eleventh day, I watched and waited, just out of sight of her front porch. At noon she came out, pausing to look at her car and then decided to walk, which was good. Easy. I hadn’t wanted to drive the car we’d procured, enjoying the sensations I felt in the Mortal Realm without my powers, but every time she drove, I had to run behind, never quite able to keep up. Unless I could guess her destination, I always lost her until she came home.
Walking behind her came with a great view.
I shook my head. Concentrate on her smile . . . No! Not her slender neck! And don’t you dare think of the blue in her eyes!
I almost ran head-first into a pine tree in my haste not to be seen. Pay attention!
Alyssa stopped in front of a run-down building centered in a huge parking lot, the wind blowing her white-blonde hair around her face as she gazed up at the sign. Gus’s Gym. Huh. Ducking behind a tree when she looked around, I counted to ten before peeping my head out to the side, but kept my arms around the thick trunk. She paused like she wanted to do something she wasn’t supposed to do. After a few minutes, she must have determined she was alone, and she took a deep breath before striding into the building.
I looked back to the sign again and smiled. Gus’s Gym.
Good girl.
Alyssa may be forgetting her experiences with Death and the in-between, but something had stuck, and I was happy it was something that related back to me. Prepare. It’s the only thing that would save her, make her strong enough to survive. The last I saw her in the dream I had been yanked out of, I’d told her to prepare—fight, study . . . live.
“Hey! Brother!”
No. Not yet.
“Hel-lo!”
I turned around and opened my eyes, only realizing I’d closed them when all I faced was darkness. It’s too sunny to be dark! My gaze narrowed on the Seventh, the First trailing slowly behind. It hadn’t even been twelve days! And the First looked like he was about to collapse.
“Raffy!” I nodded to the First and scowled. “Why didn’t you wait until he was rested? I specifically said he couldn’t come until he was fit to travel.”
He looked back with a shrug, turned to me with his hands deep in the front pockets of his jeans, and smiled. “We have to go take possession of the arcade you decided to buy us or we’ll lose it. Apparently, Lachesis says there is another interested party offering a lot of money for it, and it’s in the girl’s best interest that they don’t get to purchase.”
Well damn.
“Fine.” I raised my arm so that it was level with my shoulder and waved as I turned. “Follow me and keep up. The arcade is too essential to our plan to lose.”
If either of them thought they would be interacting with humans, we’d have to discuss their behaviour. Soon.
Or else this would be over before it began.
The End
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sasha Leigh is a self-diagnosed dreamer. When she isn't stuck in worlds of her own making, listening to characters squabble for attention in her head, she's immersed in stories created by others. A lover of all things "weird", Sasha's world is considered complete when she has her daughter at her side, her sketchpad, notebook, and something to write with - even if it's just a piece of chalk. Working by day in the insurance industry, she spends her evenings and weekends devouring or writing new tales of magic, mythology, and all things supernatural (except dragons). To find out more, visit her website contact page or blog at www.MythicWords.blogspot.ca for links to social media sites, like Facebook and Twitter.
OTHER BOOKS BY THIS AUTHOR
TWISTED FATE SERIES
(IN READING ORDER)
FATE’S EXCHANGE
PULLED AWAY
FATE’S RETURN
FATE’S DEMAND
FATE’S REVENGE (COMING SOON)
FATE’S DISGUISE (COMING SOON)
FATE’S ESCAPE (COMING SOON)
CAST FROM POWER SERIES
(COMING SOON)
CASTING POWER
CASTING SHADOWS
CASTING LIGHT
FATE’S RETURN
“Something is special about you. I don't know what they know, but you need to prepare. Okay? Can you do that for me?”
David’s words stayed with Alyssa, though she doesn’t remember hearing them, and has forgotten her brush with Death, the in-between, and almost all of her memories of the time that she spent with David. After a year of training, mourning the boy she loved and lost, Alyssa thinks she’s ready for anything. She’s fast, strong, and fearless.
But when strange things begin to happen, Aly thinks she’s lost her mind. How is she supposed to fight something she can’t see? Nothing is as it seems, and she soon realizes everybody has a hidden agenda. The only question is: are they friend or foe?
With new friends and danger lurking in the shadows, Aly doesn’t know who to trust. As her birthday draws near, she needs protection, but feels alone . . . Or is she?
When you can’t trust yourself, who can you turn to?
