Trinity Found: The Lost Daughter Of Angor Series - Book 1

by Settle Myer

  “All right, everyone,” Chanel announces. “I’m making a supply run. There’s a small town about thirty minutes away. I have a list started. Write down what you need.”

  The group of guards rush over to the kitchen island and wait in line to add their items to the list. I could use some more clothes and bathroom supplies. I should go find Julian to see if he needs anything.

  “Oh, and tonight we’re holding a vigil for Falon, Lucian, and Calum. I'll make sure to get booze and junk food,” Chanel adds.

  “I’ll go with you to help,” Chad offers. He shoots her a sly smile, but Chanel returns an uneasy smirk. If only Chad knew he was barking up the wrong tree.

  “I’ll get the fire pit out back ready, find more logs to sit on,” Reed says.

  After making my list of supplies for Chanel, I leave the protectors to prepare for the vigil. My body craves a night of letting loose and forgetting about killer uncles. My nerves have been on edge since the moment that damn mugger pointed a gun in my face.

  I find Julian lying on the cot, reading one of the Game of Thrones books. At least he’s partaking in some sort of entertainment. He admitted not watching TV Shows or movies because he was too busy studying or training for the guard. I can’t imagine never seeing the Star Wars films. Does he realize how much he’s missing out on? I predict a binge session in our future. You know, when we’re not running for our lives.

  “If you like those books, don’t ever watch the TV series. The ending will infuriate you.”

  He sets the book down on his chest, one arm behind his head. He looks so young at this very moment. To think he’s always lived a life of studying and training. It hurts my soul. Just wait until Hyde is dead, and we’re able to come out of hiding. I’m going to show this boy how to be stupid and irresponsible.

  “This author is so cruel. He's killing characters left and right. Not just insignificant characters, but main ones,” Julian says, serious. Always so formal.

  I sit on the cot next to Julian, and he scootches over to make room for me.

  “Do you need any supplies? Chanel is making a run.”

  “I’ll text her my list.”

  “You have a phone?!”

  “Of course. Trinity, we’ve gone over this,” he says, closing the book and tucking it under his pillow.

  I lower my head and pick at the leftover red polish on my thumbnail. It's not that I needed a phone. Part of me just wanted to feel normal again. Or as normal as simply scrolling through Tik Tok videos and posting stupid memes on my social media accounts. It was the only joy I used to get out of my boring life. Not as boring as Julian’s, but still. At least I smile and laugh. Mr. Moody Pants over here needs to lighten up.

  I do have an idea, though.

  “Come with me.”

  I stand and pull at Julian’s hand to bring him with me. He turns into a wet noodle, fighting my attempt to whisk him away. Like a child told ‘no,’ turning lifeless on the ground.

  “Don’t make me use my Royal virtues on you!”

  He rolls his eyes, but a lapse of amusement flashes across his face. I tug on his arm once more, and he finally gets up.

  I take us down the trail to the bluffs overlooking a river where I found Julian sulking earlier today. I managed to sneak us past Skyler and the other guards, assuring we had complete privacy this time. We reach the bluff, and I carefully peer over to the edge to see how far the water is below. My guess would be about ten feet. Perfect.

  I start taking off my jean shorts, followed by my light pink New York Yankees t-shirt. Julian’s eyes widen.

  “What are you doing?” he squeals, his voice an octave higher.

  “We’re going swimming. Strip.” I throw my clothes to a pile, left wearing just my bra and panties. Thankfully, they were cute and covered in rainbows and not the granny panties I wear when it’s laundry day.

  I glance over my shoulder at Julian who, while unsure, begins peeling off his clothes until all he’s left wearing is blue and yellow plaid boxers. Wow. I always call Julian a nerd, but underneath he’s hiding an athlete’s body. Muscles on body parts I never knew had muscles. My eyes are drawn to his six-pack, which glistens with sweat on this sweltering late-spring day.

  I let out a sharp breath and fight the urge to walk over there and let my hands explore Julian’s body. Sounds like something the anima mate would want me to do. And, well, we know where that will lead us. I turn to the edge of the bluff, close my eyes and seek out the water molecules from the river, lifting them like a tidal wave to gauge how deep the base is. I can’t believe I just did that. I guess Reed was right about my training. Practice makes perfect.

  Satisfied that I won’t break any legs in shallow water, I take a few steps back on the bluff and start running. The wind skims over me the moment I soar off the edge, tossing my hair like fire shooting out of a jet plane’s engine. I lift out my arms, flapping frantically moments before splashing feet first into the water. I hold my breath as I sink to the bottom, opening my eyes to explore the aquatic creatures and the homes that I just rudely invaded. A few silver fish float by, not even bothered. The water is surprisingly clear, and in the distance along the bed of the river, I see a turtle thrusting its little arms, trying to catch a minnow-like fish for dinner.

  I realize I'd been underwater for a while now, at least a minute. My practice holding my breath during bath time over the past eighteen years of my life has really built up my lung capacity. I'm about to swim up to the surface when a pair of strong arms wrap around my waist. Julian clutches on to me as he pulls me to safety.

  I gasp for breath above water and wipe the strands of soaked hair out of my face. Julian does the same, slicking back his blonde locks.

  “What the hell, Trinity? I thought you hit your head on a rock or something and were drowning.”

  Water drips down his tanned face. He looks like a different person. I can actually see his gorgeous blue eyes, which are always hiding behind his swooped bangs. I swim up to him, he’s kicking and flapping his arms to keep afloat.

  “Follow me,” I say, grabbing a mouth full of water and spitting it out in his face. I laugh like an evil villain and swim off to the base of the waterfall. I glance over my shoulder and see Julian attempt to conceal a smile. And he fails. Finally, he’s having fun.

  Behind the waterfall’s base is a small cubby hole. I climb the rocks to my right to access the hideaway. Julian is at my heels. Once at the top, I hold out my hand for him to take, and we carefully walk the slippery path until we’re behind the waterfall.

  I skim my fingers across the curtain of water. It's beautiful and loud and romantic. Julian wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me to him.

  “I thought you said we couldn’t.”

  “What do I know?”

  Time stops the moment his lips crash into mine. The water frozen like a picture snapped to remember the instant spark igniting between us. The spark that never goes away, that stays lit and waits for our connection to fuel its charge. The insects, the birds at home in the woods no longer chirp or sing us their songs. Silence envelopes us, and the only sound I hear is the fast beats of Julian’s heart. Or perhaps it’s my heart attempting to break a record of the most beats per minute.

  Julian lifts me, and I wrap my legs around his waist. His muscle-ridden arms hold me tight as he lowers me to the hard rock floor. He trails his kisses down my cheek, my neck, and along my collar bone. It captures my breath, and I arch to him, begging for more.

  My need for him hurts. Or perhaps that’s the golf ball-sized stone digging into my back. That constant pain rips me away from the passion-induced make-out session. Time resumes. The waterfall is back in motion, and the birds and bugs play their sweet music for us.

  “What’s wrong?” Julian asks, out of breath.

  “Every part of my body wants this. Believe me. But I’m pretty sure Chanel will kill us if we let the anima mate win. We’re stronger than that.”

  Julian smiles, brushing a stran
d of wet hair off my cheek. “Your restraint is impressive. Because I’m pretty sure I am NOT stronger than the anima mate.”

  I sit up and lean back into Julian’s chest. He kisses the top of my head as we watch the clear cascade of water unite with the river below.

  He laughs and caresses my arm.

  “What is it?”

  “My mother always told me when I'm overwhelmed or in need of a reboot to find a waterfall. She said waterfalls are ever-changing, constantly renewing and representing power.” Julian grabs my hand and holds it to his chest. “Let me show you.”

  My vision blurs white as if I'm flying high through the clouds. Gradually, a field of shamrock brighter than emerald materializes before me. The setting sun casts rays of purple, orange, and red across the sky. At the end of the field, a line of trees leads to a mighty river with rough rapids creating pearls of foam along the shores. I'm taken along the river for miles until water disappears over the edge of a majestic waterfall, greater than Niagara Falls. A sign off to my right reads: The Falls of Light. The night has descended, so I turn on a flashlight and take a set of steep stairs down one side, arriving at a platform a mile below.

  “Have you ever wanted to touch the stars?” Julian whispers.

  The flashlight shuts off, submerging me into darkness. Then, one-by-one, glimmering diamonds appear, illuminating the cascading waters. The platform unexpectedly begins moving, extending out over the void. I reach out my hand, now close enough to skim the powerful rapids with my fingertips. I was expecting the force to hurt but, instead, the water is soft like silk. My hand extends past the falls and locates a dazzling jewel imbedded into a rock wall. My fingers graze the smooth icy surface, captivating me with its beauty. I lift my hand and realize the gem has turned bright purple. I find another, and it too changes by my touch from white to sapphire. This jewel sparkles chaotically as if trying to hypnotize me. It worked because I never want to let go.

  “Do not linger. The gems are living, and they will throw up their defenses.”

  But it’s too late. The sapphire must have felt threatened by my touch and burns my fingertips. I jerk my hand back. My heart begins racing faster than a freight train.

  Julian must have known I was reaching my mind-melding capacity and ends our journey. His captivating smile welcomes me back to reality.

  “That was amazing. This was one of your memories?”

  Julian nods.

  “Thank you for sharing it with me.”

  He kisses me with raw emotion, and I curl my fingers around his arm. His lips are eager against my own and light a fire deep within my stomach. We were gearing up to finish what we started, but destiny had other plans. A faint voice pierces through the loud waterfall barrier.

  “Your Grace? Are you down here?” Skyler yells, somewhat frantic.

  I turn to Julian and give him one final peck on the lips. I stand and peek my head around the waterfall.

  “Hey! Everything okay?” I say, smiling like a fool.

  “Your Grace...” Skyler responds from the top of the bluff, relieved. Then he spots Julian, who appears from behind me. “Oh, Julian, you’re here as well.” Skyler’s clear disappointment plagues his face. Poor fella knew his crush on Julian could only be that and nothing more. Yet, he’s still upset to see us together. Despite knowing we are anima mates. Or suspected anima mates.

  “What is it, Skyler?” Julian commands.

  “They have him. The retrieval squad has caught Hyde.”

  Chapter 8

  The flames from the fire pit illuminate the faces of my protectors. Most of those faces are now drunk or on their way to be wasted. We sit around the warmth on logs. Our vigil to remember the fallen has turned into a celebration of Hyde’s capture.

  “Okay, so Reed is invincible, Chanel can transport, and Rosie, you’re some sort of shield, right? And Skyler, you’re a fire bender?” I ask, taking a sip of wine.

  “Yep!” Skyler says proudly. He scoops up a palm of flames from the fire pit and twists it around with both hands, forming all sorts of shapes; a running horse, the New York City skyline, and a bouquet of roses, which he hands to me. The flames full of orange, red, and yellow, fiery flowers hover above my palm, never touching my skin. With a snap of Skyler’s fingers, the blaze disappears.

  “Awesome!” I beam.

  “You can probably do this as well, your Grace,” Skyler adds. “You are able to manipulate the elements, which includes fire. Remind me to show you when we’re not all happy on booze.”

  “You got it!” I say, excited to learn more about my virtues. “What about you, Chad?”

  Chad sits on the ground, his back to the log. He's working his way through his fifth beer, at least. Perhaps more if I lost count. I found out the drinking age on Angor is eighteen. But, technically, since we’re still on Earth... me, Julian and Skyler shouldn’t be chugging down beers and wine. You know what? Screw that. I'm heir to the throne of the mystical world of Angor. I no longer live by Earth’s laws. Well, to a point. I’m not going to do anything to expose our kind. Our race? I still don’t know if I'm an alien.

  “I’m what they call a sympathizer,” Chad says, finishing off the rest of his craft brew. “I can imitate anyone’s virtue.”

  “That sounds like a very useful virtue to have.”

  Chad shrugs and cracks open another beer. “It depends. I can only handle one at a time, and I can’t switch back and forth between virtues. Once I mimic one, it takes several minutes before I’m able to take on another. And if I switch too much during a certain amount of time, I become too weak.”

  I gulp down the last of my wine, and Julian, who shares a log with me, leans in. “Would you like some more?”

  I shake my head. “I shouldn’t. I don’t want to get drunk and my powers start going haywire.”

  “Good point,” Julian laughs. He kisses the side of my cheek, and a collective ‘aweee’ sings from the group.

  “You guys don’t have to do that every time,” I say, rolling my eyes. This group has come to be somewhat of a family to me, and they’re quick to joke and prod at the few PDA moments between Julian and me. Up until now, Julian has been hesitant to hug me and kiss me. Possibly to avoid glares from Chanel, who’s convinced we’re going to give in to the anima mate. I mean, we almost did. But she doesn’t have to know that.

  “Guys, check this out,” Skyler announces, holding up his iPad.

  He presses play, and on the screen – a regal man sits on a throne, his hands clasped together. He's young, perhaps in his forties. My heart skips a beat. That’s him. My birth father. I finally get to see the man behind the voice from the phone call just a few days before. King Elijah de Reux is rugged with a perfectly groomed beard, light brown and peppered with silver hairs. He wears a fitted suit, designer, I’m sure, and his crown is massive with jewels lining the brim. He appears to be at least the size of Reed, possibly bigger. Or maybe it’s just the camera angle. All I know is, I can see how any person in his presence would be intimidated.

  I smile inward. For some reason, I always imagined he'd wear an outfit from the Renaissance period. Which is dumb. Angor is supposed to be an Earth extension. A word set in the here and now. They have nearly identical lands, entertainment, and technology. However, Angor took a different path when it comes to politics and societal expectations. Angor is what Earth could have been had evil not lead the way through history. But I’m sure Angor has its problems, too. Hence, Hyde.

  “To my dear citizens of Angor. I am thrilled to share the news with you this fine evening that Hyde has been captured. He was taken into custody in Roanoke, Virginia a few hours ago by the Royal retrieval squad,” the King begins, his voice deep and commanding.

  I raise my eyebrows and glance at Julian. “Roanoke, how close is that to where we are?”

  Julian’s jaw clenches. “An hour, at least.”

  “Hyde will soon be returned to Angor to face trial,” King Elijah continues. “His terror over our world and his tim
e on Earth is coming to an end. Over the past few months, our soldiers have been scouring Angor for remaining rebel cells, and we are confident all have been identified and eradicated. As for the rebels still on earth. A warning. Turn yourself in now and receive a clean sweep, or be captured and rot in jail alongside my brother.”

  “A clean sweep?” I ask the group.

  Rosie answers. “The rebels who turn themselves in will get their memories erased and replaced with a new life. They'll likely be sent to work at farms or factories where they can be monitored for any relapses, which rarely happens, but just to be cautious.”

  Rosie clutches her wine glass like her life depends on it. Despite Hyde being caught, the tension in the air remains. Normally, that tension and fear would creep into my veins, but Reed’s training has proven successful. I'm able to distract my mind from clinging on to wayward emotions.

  “I will continue to rule Angor as a peaceful world. And we continue to accept refugees from neighboring nations to provide them with a safe haven and a new start at life. Any rebel who disagrees will be banished to the dark lands. Your hate has no place here.”

  “Dark lands?” Oh, my God. I have so many questions.

  “It’s an area of Angor confined by a magical barrier that will trap you inside,” Julian explains. “Once you enter, you can never return. We send lost souls there. The ones who can’t be treated with memory wipes or are too violent to be kept in our prisons.”

  Well, that’s terrifying.

  The King goes on. “I am giving you twenty-four hours to turn yourself in. Any rebel captured after that will be sent to the prison of Hatia for the rest of their lives. And to the Angorians of Earth, be vigilant, be wise, be safe. Hyde’s army has dwindled, but the remaining rebels who refuse to turn themselves in will do anything to escape arrest.”

  My father smiles, but it’s full of uncertainty. He's scared.

  “I wish you goodnight and, as always, Mala Tzu Fein.”

  The video ends.

  “What does Mala Tzu Fein mean?”