by Mary Ting
Jack, Brody, Milani, Vanessa, Cayden, Kohl, and other supernatural teens from Hilo High School were all dressed up and greeted us under a balloon archway. After the greeting, Uncle Davin helped serve drinks.
“Wow. This is beautiful. How? Who?” I rambled with incoherent questions.
“It was Eli’s idea,” Milani answered. “He told me he wished he could have taken you to his senior prom. So he spoke to your uncle, and your uncle thought it was a great idea to begin our new life with a party.”
Eli squeezed our joined hands and kissed my cheek. “I need to talk to Cayden. I’ll be right back.”
I watched Eli walk away and turned to Milani. “I’m so happy Ikelia and your mom are alive.”
“Yeah, me too.” She dipped her chin and then met my eyes. “It was pretty lonely, but thankfully Eli and I had each other. He loves you very much. I’ve never seen him so alive. I know you feel the same for him, but don’t break his heart, okay?” She furrowed her brow. A warning indeed.
“Don’t worry. I don’t intend to. My parents are being cool about it. They have accepted him.”
She nodded. “Cool.”
“Can I steal Lucia for a second?” Jack brushed his arm next to mine.
“Sure.” Milani smiled and strolled toward Brody.
Jack grabbed my waist, and we began to slow dance. “I wanted one dance with my best friend before Eli gets you for the rest of the night.”
I squeezed tighter. “I’ll always have time for you, Jack.”
“I know.” He spun me around and brought me back to his chest. “It feels strange, doesn’t it? We’ve been through hell with Cyrus, and here we are as if nothing happened. And I can’t believe I’m going to be on your team.”
“You know, you’re the first and only human in the world to join our team.”
Jack lifted his chin with a goofy grin. “I know. I’m so cool.” He chuckled.
“Do you feel any different? I mean, you drank your father’s blood.”
“Nothing so far, except I don’t need to wear my glasses anymore.
“Jack!” I gasped. “I thought you were wearing contact lenses.”
“Crazy, right? I hope I get some cool powers.”
“Will your father stay with you? I mean, he’s…you know.”
Jack glanced at the stars, considering my question. “We talked about it. We’re going to tell my mom the truth when they come back in two weeks. Lana and Gustavo already know, so it’s only fair my mother knows too, but she’s going to freak out. It’ll take time for her to adjust to the supernatural world. And then I’m going to have to tell her I’ve joined a demon-hunting team. That’s going to make her day.” He flashed a goofy grin.
I laughed a full belly laugh.
Jack joined me, and then he became serious. “Do you know what happened to Harper and Hugo?”
“I sure do,” I said enthusiastically, happy we no longer had to deal with them. “Uncle Davin tracked down Lilith and made sure she returned their parents. Once that was done, he went looking for Clarissa. He found her at her parents’ house, but she never made contact with them. When she spotted Uncle Davin, she took off.”
“Maybe she thought she was in trouble? I don’t blame her for taking off. She’s done some unforgivable things.”
I shrugged. “She did give me the true cross dagger, though.”
We swayed silently for a heartbeat, and when the song neared the end, Jack spoke again.
“I’m happy for you, Lucia. Eli is a good guy. He turned out to be okay. You bring out the best in him.”
“Thanks, Jack.” I kissed his cheek and stole a glance at our friends. Uncle Davin was eating his favorite—chips and salsa. Everyone else had a mini plate of appetizers and was chatting away.
“One day you’ll find her,” I said, as we swayed to the music. “She’s out there somewhere waiting for you.”
Jack kissed my forehead tenderly. “I hope she turns out to be just like you.” He offered me a small smile, his lips pressed together. When the sparkle in his eyes dimmed, my heart squeezed with a light stab. Then he spun me out of his arms to the man who stole my heart.
“I almost cut in to claim you as mine,” Eli said, giving a thank-you nod to Jack.
“I’m always yours.” I draped my arms around his shoulders as we swayed to the music.
“Music to my ears.” His nose rubbed against mine.
“We were talking about you,” I said.
“Oh. What about?”
“It’s a secret.” I snorted.
Eli’s hands on my waist went higher, and a tingling sensation shot through my nerve endings.
“I’m surprised your mother approved of you joining the Venators.” I changed the topic to something serious. Eli’s hands on me distracted me way too much, and I knew from the motions of his wandering hands he wanted to kiss me.
His shoulder bopped once. “She fought me about it, but in the end, she knew she couldn’t control my life. And it’s not like I would be gone forever. I’ll be living with her but doing my own things. Your uncle, under Katherine’s order, met with us individually to get our response. I was in shock at first, but I jumped at the chance to be with you.”
I smiled. “Well, I’m glad you took the offer.”
Zach tapped my shoulder. “Uncle Davin wants us to sit down in our assigned seats.”
Our round table consisted of Brody, Milani, Jack, Eli, Zach, Uncle Davin, and me.
When we settled in our seats, Uncle Davin began his speech. “Cyrus tried to take your home, but you fought back. You saved your home together. No one will know how bravely you’ve fought. No one will know your loss. But you know. We know. Tonight, we celebrate us and our fallen friends.”
Everyone at my table shifted their attention to the empty seat next to Eli. One glass of soda and a plate of food were filled for Abel, as if he were there. You will never be forgotten.
A moment of silence sliced through the air. As I glanced about the tables and all the supernatural friends, I saw how much we had grown in our hearts and minds. I was certain when school went back to session, there would be no discrimination between Lamia, Elementum, and demons. I could picture them sitting together in the cafeteria, chatting about the war.
Eli squeezed my hand under the table, and I squeezed back. His sadness traveled to me, and I felt his pain as if it were mine. The pain was still fresh, so raw, that it hurt every time I thought of Abel.
“We celebrate new life, new hopes and dreams, and a better future,” Uncle Davin finished at last.
Cheers and wolf whistles blew with the soft night breeze.
“That was a perfect speech, if I say so myself.” Uncle Davin chuckled, and then his expression grew serious. “For the Chosen Knights, Katherine has given us our first mission. I’ll be getting more details tomorrow. So party up guys, enjoy tonight. Once I get the details, I’ll let you know.”
After dinner was over, people mingled and danced. Eli took me to a quiet area and kissed me, ever so tender, on the lips.
“Do you want to go somewhere quiet, just you and me?” He sounded hesitant. “Do you think your uncle would mind? That is if you want to come.”
“Where?” I bit my bottom lip, contemplating.
Eli gazed at the stars. “Far away from here.”
“Okay,” I said, sure of my decision. “Let me tell Zach.” Zach, Eli and I will be back soon. Tell Uncle Davin we went to look at the stars. “Done.”
“Good.” He gave me that sexy, melting-my-bones kind of grin. Taking a step back, he rolled his shoulders. His jacket began to stretch, buttons popped off, and the material ripped from the back to release black feathers. They poked out and grew and grew, stretching and expanding. Then he was shirtless, exposing his ripped muscles and the full size of his massive wings.
“Fly with me,” he said.
An offer I couldn’t resist.
I fanned my wings out to match his. We began to gravitate to the sky, taking our time
. White and black melding as one.
“I love you, Lucia.” His words melted me to my core, and then we shot up like a rocket to the stars.
The Snow Queen’s Knights 2018
NEW book by Mary Ting coming May 1, 2018
Publisher: Vesuvian Books PRE-ORDER links below
ISAN-International Sensory Assassin Network
THE WORLD HAS CHANGED.
SCIENTISTS WARNED IT WOULD HAPPEN.
Meteors devastated the Earth. World Governments developed plans to help surviving citizens. The United States disbanded and salvageable land was divided into four quadrants—North, South, East, and West—governed by The Remnant Council.
Struggling to survive, seventeen-year-old Ava ends up in juvenile detention, until she is selected for a new life—with a catch. She must be injected with an experimental serum. The results will be life changing. The serum will make her better. To receive the serum, Ava agrees to join a program controlled by ISAN, the International Sensory Assassin Network.
While on a training mission, she is abducted by a rebel group led by Rhett and told that not only does she have a history with him, but her entire past is a lie perpetuated by ISAN to ensure her compliance. Unsure of who to trust, Ava must decide if her strangely familiar and handsome captor is her enemy or her savior—and time is running out.
PRE-ORDER links: https://books2read.com/ISAN
Amazon ebook coming soon. Paperback link: http://amzn.to/2hItmFD
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New Adult Books by Mary Ting/M. Clarke
(Sold worldwide)
Something Great Series
Something Great
Something Wonderful
Something Forever
Something Amazing
Something Precious
‘Twas the Knight Before Christmas
Sexiest Man Alive
Sexiest Couple Alive
Sexiest Dad Alive
Stand Alones
My Clarity (Kindle Unlimited)
My Serenity (Kindle Unlimited)
Young Adult Books by Mary Ting
Crossroads Saga (Kindle Unlimited)
Crossroads
Between
Beyond
Eternity
Halo City
Descendant Prophecies (Kindle Unlimited)
From Gods
From Deities
From Origins
From Titans
International Bestselling, Award-Winning, Author Mary Ting resides in Southern California with her husband and two children. She enjoys oil painting and making jewelry. Writing her first novel, Crossroads Saga, happened by chance. It was a way to grieve the death of her beloved grandmother, and she became inspired by a dream she once had as a young girl. When she started reading new adult novels, she fell in love with the genre. It was the reason she had to write one—Something Great.
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