by Gina LaManna
I swallowed, taking a minute before I trusted myself to speak. “An accident?”
“That’s what they say.”
“What who says?”
“There’s more to the story, Lily.” Trinket bowed her head. “He’s alive, I know it. Your mother knew it. He leads The Faction.”
“No.”
“It might sound unrealistic, but it’s not—The Faction is sharp. Many people don’t believe he’s still alive. Think about it. Who better to lead their team than someone who died twenty-six years ago? He’s impossible to find. A ghost.”
“You’re saying he faked his death?”
“Yes. He made a deal with The Faction and staged the fire. Then, The Faction took him under their wing and groomed him for leadership.”
I sat in silence. The scent of the roses—once sweet—had turned almost dizzying. “How do you know?”
“Your mother.”
“What?”
“She came exactly one time in her life to confide in me, and it was the night after the funeral.” Trinket blinked several times before I realized she was crying. She glanced at the locket around my neck before continuing. “That night she told me he wasn’t dead. That something darker had claimed him.”
“Did she have proof?”
“Enough for me to believe her.”
“But what about me?” I stood up, my voice entering shrieking territory. “I need proof, too! You can’t tell me all of these things, and then—”
“I didn’t send the lilies—I lied about it. I took credit for it because you weren’t ready to know who sent them.”
“Was it him?” I couldn’t help the anger rising. I jabbed a finger at the now fully bloomed lily. “Did he do this?”
Trinket gave a succinct nod. “I believe so.”
“Why?”
“I believe he’s going to pay you a visit,” Trinket said, her voice next to a whisper. “I was trying to protect you from this as long as I could, but I can’t anymore. You need to be prepared. I don’t know how he knows about you, I don’t know why he’s doing this, but—”
“You don’t need to protect me,” I snarled. “It’s my history. It was wrong of you to hide it from me.”
“I’m sorry.” Trinket’s voice was so frail, so thin that I couldn’t find it in me to argue with her anymore.
I sat down, watching as the lily fluttered in the breeze. Trinket stood over me silent, waiting.
“What does this mean for me?” I asked quietly. “For The Isle?”
“I don’t know,” Trinket said finally.
“So you think…” I stood up to face her. “Do you think it’s a part of me? Whatever it was that turned him to The Faction?”
Trinket shook her head, the curve of her lips too sad, too tender to be called a smile. “No. You’re very, very good, and that is the one fact of which I am certain.”
“But—”
“I don’t know the answers.” She stepped away from me, turning to leave. “And you don’t have to know them all either. The only thing you have to figure out is who you are and who you want to be. Everything else will follow.”
“I don’t know how to do that.”
“You’re not him,” she said. “You don’t have to be him, and you never will be. But you will have to be ready because there will come a day, Lily, when you will have to choose between him… and us. And when that day comes, nobody can make the choice except you.”
And then Trinket was gone, and I was left alone.
With one perfect, blooming lily.
THE END
AUTHOR’S NOTE
Thank you for reading, Islanders! Your enthusiasm for this book means everything to me. I hope you enjoyed the story!
Love,
Gina
P.S. If you are curious to see what our good friend Ainsley Shaw has been up to since Lily left for the island… you’re in luck! Coming New Year’s Day—January 1, 2017—you can read her adventure here. The book is called The Undercover Witch, and it is available to order now on Amazon!
Link: http://bit.ly/TheUndercoverWitch!
For news on upcoming releases, sales, and events coming soon, please sign up to my newsletter at www.ginalamanna.com.
** **
Now for a thank you…
To all my readers, especially those of you who have stuck with me from the beginning.
By now, I’m sure you all know how important reviews are for Indie authors, so if you have a moment and enjoyed the story, please consider leaving an honest review on Amazon or Goodreads. I know you are all very busy people and writing a review takes time out of your day—but just know that I appreciate every single one I receive. Reviews help make promotions possible, help with visibility on large retailers and most importantly, help other potential readers decide if they would like to try the book.
I wouldn’t be here without all of you, so once again—thank you.
Thanks again for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the story!
See other books by Gina here:
List of Gina's Books!
Table of Contents
Jinx & Tonic
Acknowledgements
Table of Contents
Synopsis
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Epilogue
The End
Author’s Note
