"She wanted to help others. I had to do this for her." Kenton pulled back and linked his arm into hers. "Come on, Dad's been driving me nuts asking when you're getting here."
Valerie climbed the steps and wrapped Peter in an embrace.
"You're looking good," she said.
"You too. Particularly as you're meant to be dead."
Valerie curtseyed. "Maybe I discovered the secret to immortality."
"How long are you staying with us? We could do with a beautiful face around here."
"As long as you'll have me."
"Well, if you manage to get the sullen look off his face—" he gestured at Kenton, "then you can stay as long as you please."
Kenton balanced his drink on the railing and looked towards the wedge of pink the sunset had left. He'd spent the last two hours reading emails; his inbox overflowing with interview and comment requests, the usual emails thanking him for all he's done, and the inevitable threats. He wasn't sure which made him feel worse. He could only see himself as a failure. He had failed Amie, and that had become the only thing that mattered. She had died alone and terrified in her prison.
Valerie joined him, placing her hand over his.
"Where's Dad?" he asked her.
"Lying down. He's so proud of you, you know."
Kenton nodded.
She squeezed his hand. "What will it take for you to be proud of yourself?"
"The harbinger of war." He laughed. "What are you going to do now?"
She thought for a moment. "I honestly don't know. It will soon become public knowledge that I wasn't the one that died in that explosion, and I guess I'll have to face the music then. The police have kept good on their promise; they've kept me hidden in return for my testimonies. But Eugenisence are bound to put all this on me. There's going to be a lot more questions to answer yet."
"And then what?"
She shrugged. "Who can possibly know? Right now, we don't know what tomorrow will look like, let alone next month, or next year. We're at the heart of it all. Who can possibly predict what the future will be like for us?"
"I guess."
"You didn't think you could fade back into oblivion, did you? Become another face on the street again?"
"Maybe part of me hoped for that."
"Oh Kenton." She looked out over the lake. "Being here, this is just a temporary reprise. This is a fairy tale. A place that we can pretend none of this ever happened. But the world's still turning, and when we return to it, things will never be the same ever again. How can they be?" She tugged on his sleeve. "Come inside, it's freezing out here."
Kenton dug in his pocket and pulled out his pen. He tipped it back and forth, watching the woman strip and redress. He smiled, pulled back his arm, and tossed the pen into the lake.
Word of mouth is crucial to any author. If you enjoyed Cutting the Bloodline, please consider leaving a review at Amazon or Goodreads, even if it's only a line or two. It would make all the difference and would be very much appreciated.
About the Author
Angeline Trevena was born and bred in a rural corner of Devon, but now lives among the breweries and canals of central England with her husband, son, and a rather neurotic cat. She is a horror and fantasy writer, poet and journalist.
In 2003 she graduated from Edge Hill University, Lancashire, with a BA Hons Degree in Drama and Writing. During this time she decided that her future lay in writing words rather than performing them.
Some years ago she worked at an antique auction house and religiously checked every wardrobe that came in to see if Narnia was in the back of it. She's still not given up looking for it.
Cutting the Bloodline is Angeline's debut novella, but her short stories have been published in several anthologies and magazines.
Find out more at www.angelinetrevena.co.uk
Also by Angeline Trevena
If you'd like to be notified of future releases from Angeline Trevena, you can sign up to her mailing list at www.angelinetrevena.co.uk/newsletter. Your email address will never be shared, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
All subscribers will exclusively receive a Kindle copy of The Vincent Orphanage.
The Vincent Orphanage
The Vincent Orphanage is a spin-off short story, set in the same world as Cutting the Bloodline.
Kenton takes Amie back to the orphanage in which she lived as a child. She faces the ghosts of her past, and Kenton finds himself facing one or two of them himself.
Acknowledgements
I want to thank my family for their support and endless patience. My long suffering husband who listens to my complaints and excited ramblings with amazingly good humour, our son who makes me laugh every day, and even the cat, whose constant disapproval pushes me to be better. My very talented brother, Ben, who knows me well enough to smash the design brief first time, and produce a cover I am immeasurably proud of. My wonderful beta readers; Anthony Redden, Tony Benson, Louise Yoxall, and Julia Beskeen; for their time, their kind words, and their critical eyes. Their encouragement and honesty was vital to making this book what it is. My fellow writers who have supported and championed me, and given me endless amounts of their time and knowledge. Everyone who has believed in me, and supported me on this journey, even in ways they don't realise. This wouldn't have been possible without them.
Copyright © 2015 Angeline Trevena
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be copied or transmitted in any form, electronic or otherwise, without express written consent of the publisher or author.
Cover art: Ben Farrow
Cover art copyright © 2015 Ben Farrow
www.estragonhelmer.com
Published by Bogus Caller Press
www.boguscallerpress.co.uk
Publisher's Note:
Cutting the Bloodline is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are the product of the author's imagination, used in fictitious manner. Any resemblances to actual persons, places, locales, events, etc. are purely coincidental.
Table of Contents
About Cutting the Bloodline
Title Page
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
Epilogue
About the Author
Also by Angeline Trevena
Acknowledgements
Copyright
Cutting the Bloodline Page 8
