Urban Mythic: Thirteen Novels of Adventure and Romance, featuring Norse and Greek Gods, Demons and Djinn, Angels, Fairies, Vampires, and Werewolves in the Modern World

by C. Gockel

  “You mean Drake?” I shook my head at the absurdity. “But, I love him.”

  “I know, Camille. But do you love him enough to save him?”

  “Save him from what?”

  “No one is safe with you right now. The Lost Herd seeks you. I had to give up Kyle for the same reason, it was the only chance he had at life. They still found me.”

  I’d never gotten a straight answer from Gretchen and I wasn’t able to ask my father. Mom might be the only one I could ask right now. “Brent says we’re part of the Lost Herd. Are we?”

  “Trust yourself, Camille. Know that you and you alone can find what you seek. If you love Drake, do not put him in danger. Do not allow him in your life.”

  “Mom, I can’t...I can’t give him up.” I looked at him sleeping peacefully beside me, muttering more to myself, “I almost didn’t make it without him.”

  “I know it’s hard, Camille. But if you love him, you’ll send him away. Take the fight to your enemies and give them nothing to hold over you. Drake is your only weakness. They will exploit him and you will fail.”

  “But you never fought your enemies: you went into hiding. Gage told me all about it.”

  “You’re right, if I had it to do over again, I would have fought. I did not see what would happen to you. You, too, will have a son and daughter one day. You need to make the choice now, before it’s made for you. The Lost Herd will find you. When they do, you and your descendants will never be free.”

  I could see pain welling up through her eyes. “Your father...” Her lips moved but her words were muted. I saw her figure fading into the background.

  “Mom! I can’t hear you! Mom!” I reached out to where she had been sitting and felt nothing but air. Everything seemed to be in slow motion. “Mom, don’t leave!” The sound of my own voice startled me. I awoke to the dark bedroom, trying to figure out if she had been there or if I’d just dreamed her. I took in a large whiff hoping to catch even a faint hint of her perfume – but I smelled nothing. She wasn’t there.

  I struggled to go back to my dream, but I didn’t have any luck. All I found was a dreamless sleep. I awoke hours later to Drake’s arms still around me. I didn’t want to flinch because it still felt a little euphoric to be there with him. My mind began to wander. Did I really have a twin brother somewhere in the world? Mom said I’d have a son and daughter; Zandra must have been telling the truth about twins. What would Zandra do if she saw me again? How would we know Bianca and Gage were okay? Did my mom really appear in a dream or was it my imagination? Why couldn’t I see or hear my mom? What did I have to fear from the Lost Herd? What did Drake mean when he said we needed to find our own magic? Could I share any of this with Daniel?

  All these questions were sailing through my mind when I heard Drake murmuring in his sleep: the lullaby that broke down my defenses at Zandra’s, “Choose me, Camille. Choose me.” I snuggled in closer to him, pushing the questions to the back of my mind. I’d worry about all of that later. For now, I would live in the present – savor the love of a man I thought I’d lost forever. Mom’s warning was probably just a dream; after everything we’d gone through, my mind wanted to believe that real happiness was finally mine.

  ~FIN~

  The second book in the Touched series, Centaur Legacy, is available at your favorite retailer.

  Learn more on the author’s website.

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