by Abigail Owen
Ellie shook her head. “We were all going to die unless I did something drastic,” she insisted. “And nothing bad happened to us. You and Griffin… you saved me from myself. And now I can control it.” Her excitement about this new ability was clear.
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely.”
Alex looked deeply in her eyes for another heartbeat. And then, blowing out any remaining fear he’d held inside him in a long breath, he grinned.
“You were pretty bad ass,” he said. “I mean, how many guys can say their girlfriend turns into a frickin’ fire-breathing dragon?”
“Yeah?” Ellie asked. She’d been a little worried about what they would all think of her in that form. The dragon was slightly terrifying after all.
Alex’s eyes glowed with a desire that pulsed through her, letting her see exactly how much he was okay with this part of her. Speaking so only she could hear, he murmured, “It’s seriously sexy, if you really want to know. Jeez, baby, you are so damned incredible. You take my breath away.”
Ellie breathed a ragged sigh of relief, laughing a little. “Oh really?” she practically purred. “I think we might have to explore this a little further when we get home.”
She received a sweet kiss in response.
They turned their attention to the rest of the family, who gathered around hugging one another and laughing. Ellie looked for Griffin but didn’t see him. Looking over her shoulder, she finally found him still standing at the edge of the clearing, still staring off into the woods. Adelaide came to stand beside her, watching Griffin with a concerned expression.
“What did you see, Delia?”
She shook her head. “I don’t usually share the relationships I see unless they’re pretty well solidified. But this time…” She shook her head again and sighed. “Honestly, I’m not entirely sure what I saw. Definitely something I’ve never seen before. There’s definitely a connection there. But it’s all mixed up. Multiple colors fighting for dominance. Lovers. Friends. Enemies.” She looked at Ellie with a helpless shrug. “It’s all jumbled up.”
“Thank you for telling me, Adelaide,” Ellie said quietly.
Ellie walked over to Griffin and silently took his hand.
“She can’t be evil, Ellie,” he murmured.
“I know,” she agreed quietly. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw his head turn.
“What did you see?” he asked, frustrated. “Something was blocking me. I couldn’t follow along.”
“I saw that she was the one removing our powers, not Gideon. His power was the ability to control anyone, make them do exactly what he wanted. Sort of like what I do, only he controlled their minds, forcing them to think they’d made the decision themselves. He was controlling all of the Vyusher…including her. But she was the one in the pack with the ability to turn off a power. As soon as someone uses theirs in her presence, she hones in and takes it away. But she never wanted to. Gideon was forcing her… forcing all of them, all along.”
Ellie felt Griffin’s despair building. “So now she’s left to clean up after her bastard of a brother?” he asked, a bitter edge tainting his words.
Ellie squeezed his hand and made a conscious effort to stay out of his head. Whatever her brother was thinking and feeling right now was private. She wouldn’t violate his trust that way.
“Come on…” She gave his arm a gentle tug. “Let’s go home.”
Griffin seemed to physically shake himself out of his thoughts. Turning to his sister, he was suddenly struck by happiness that they’d managed to survive this ordeal. Together.
Sensing his sentiment, Ellie laughed and flung her arms around his neck in a playful hug. “Me too…” Then more serious, “Thanks for saving me, Griffin.”
“Again,” he reminded her with a wink.
She stuck her tongue out at him.
They joined the rest of the family exchanging more happy embraces. Joining hands, Charlotte teleported them home.
Chapter 37
Ellie was shocked at how quickly life returned to normal. She, Lila, Adelaide, and Nate all returned to school. They spent time with their friends, going to movies and studying in the library. Alex had taken off the full semester of college and continued to work for Hugh in his law firm. Ellie, Adelaide, and Nate would be graduating soon, but Lila still had one more year left.
The Jenners and Pierces moved back into their homes, except for Alex. Her house had never felt so empty. They really didn’t spend much time there anymore. They preferred instead to fly over to the others in the evenings, only returning to their home to sleep and dress. Alex went where Ellie went and vice versa.
In the evenings they would often discuss their plans for the future. Ramsey had decided that with his power now under control, he wanted to try going to school. They decided the best option was for him to start as a senior in high school in the fall, joining Lila. Alex planned to go to college but was considering transferring, and Ellie decided to join him wherever he went.
Griffin seemed to be the only one who didn’t seem to care about making plans. Ellie surreptitiously watched her brother with growing concern. He continually blocked his thoughts from her, which wasn’t like him. Although he tried to behave normally, Ellie could tell something was up. No one else had noticed. They just didn’t know Griffin as well as she did. When questioned about his future, he said simply that he would be quite happy to just stay with Hugh and Lucy since Alex and Ellie would both be away at school.
So Ellie kept her worries to herself. Griffin would talk to her when he was ready.
“Ellie,” Lucy called up the stairs. “Are you ready to go? We don’t want to be late!”
“Coming!”
Taking one last look in the mirror, she patted her hair into place. She grabbed her mortarboard off the vanity and rushed down the stairs, her face aglow.
Today was her high school graduation. She had a role to play for the rest of the world so that she and her Svatura family didn’t have to live as outcasts but could be a part of society. She’d never been through a graduation ceremony before.
They were all waiting down by the living room, and Ellie struck a pose as she reached the bottom of the stairs.
“Oh, very fashionable,” Adelaide said, tongue-in-cheek. They all laughed.
They piled into their cars and headed for the football stadium where the ceremony would be held. The weather dawned clear and bright and glorious for the occasion. Crisp blue skies and the warmth of the sun shining down on them, despite the chill in the air.
Ellie, sitting alphabetically with the other graduates, tried to soak in every part of the event. As she crossed the field to accept her diploma, her family all cheered for her, Griffin and Alex cheering the loudest. And then cheered herself as Adelaide and then Nate received their own diplomas.
Her eyes filled with tears with the love that swelled up in her. And then she whooped wildly with the rest of the students as they all threw their caps into the air. She went around hugging her friends, people she would most likely not see again. She gave especially big hugs to Jill and Brian and Juliette. She’d never had “normal” friends before, but thanks to them she did.
After the ceremony concluded, she rode with Griffin and Alex back to the Jenners’ house, still amped up from her day. They’d decided to have a private celebratory dinner together at home.
As she got out of the car, Alex held her back. “I just wanted one second alone with you because I know we won’t get another chance for the rest of the night.”
She smiled and wrapped her arms up around his neck. Standing on tip toe, she placed a lingering kiss on his mouth.
“I’m so proud of you,” he said when they came up for air.
“For graduating from high school?” she teased.
“For so many things. But tonight, yes, for graduating from high school. You managed to do it while saving my family from a force that should have terrified you. And you saved them bravely and unwaveringly.”
Ellie’s eyes filled with tears. “I did it for love,” she whispered.
Giving her another soft kiss, he grabbed her hand and turned them toward the door. “Come on, graduate. They’re waiting for us.”
Ellie walked in, Alex right behind her. All the lights were off. Frowning slightly, she took a few more tentative steps. She saw hundreds of candles lining the hallway, illuminating a blanket of rose petals scattered along the floor. Simply beautiful.
She glanced uncertainly over her shoulder at Alex, who just shrugged. “Let’s keep going and see what they’re up to,” he said vaguely.
She followed the trail of candles and petals, past the kitchen and dining room and into the living room to the scenic windows. The room was covered in candles and rose petals.
Everyone stood there smiling.
“What’s this all about?”
“Why don’t you turn around and find out,” Griffin suggested, a wide grin breaking across his face.
She turned to see Alex down on one knee before her, a gorgeous diamond ring held in his hand, sparkling in the candlelight.
Ellie gasped, tears rushing to her eyes.
“We are te’sorthene. You are the other half of my soul. I’ve waited more than a century for you and find that I cannot wait another moment longer. Would you do me the great honor of marrying me?” Alex said simply. He might have said more, but he was clearly choking up.
Ellie flung herself into his arms, nearly toppling them both over as she cried, “Yes, of course I will marry you!” She was rewarded with a deep kiss.
Alex slipped the ring over her finger and helped her to stand up. He pulled her back into his arms, expelling a pent up breath.
She gazed at him, love shining clearly in her eyes.
“Were you worried about my answer?” she teased. She pulled back to take both his hands in hers.
“I was only worried that you would think the timing was too soon.” He grinned, letting go of one of her hands to rub the back of his neck.
“It may appear that way to the rest of the world,” she told him softly, recapturing his fingers and then bringing both his hands up to her lips where she lightly kissed them. “But you and I know how long we’ve been in this world. And how rare a thing our finding each other truly is. Why would I want to wait? How could I?”
Alex laughed, utter joy in the sound. He picked her up and spun her around the room. And then they were surrounded by their family, kissing them, congratulating them. Even Griffin looked thrilled, which made Ellie very happy. They’d had only each other for so long.
“Will you give me away?” she asked him softly.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way. Do you even have to ask?” he whispered as a tear gathered in the corner of his eye. He glanced down, blinking.
After enjoying a lovely dinner, they all retreated to the living room to talk and start planning the wedding. Ellie stood back observing the scene. In just a few short months, her entire world had changed in ways she could never have imagined.
She felt Alex’s arms steal around her from behind. “Happy, baby?” he murmured in her ear.
She gave a contentedly blissful sigh. “Happier than I’ve ever been….ever thought I could be. I’m so lucky.”
She turned in his arms and gave him a kiss that spoke of her love, and her happiness, and her hope for their future.
*****
Griffin watched his twin. She glowed with a radiant delight that lit her up from within. And he couldn’t have been more overjoyed for her. At the same time, though, he’d never felt more completely alone than in this moment. Ellie had found her te’sorthene. But what she didn’t know, what none of them knew, was that Griffin had found his as well. A silver-haired angel who’d appeared to him in so many dreams he’d lost count. A Vyusher. One of the Vyusher responsible for killing almost everyone he’d ever loved. And he could never have her. Fate apparently had it in for him. To make the potential source of his greatest happiness also the source of the worst event of his life was just cruel. Bitterness seeped into his being, and darkness threatened to crush his very soul.
Griffin turned away from his tormented thoughts and joined in the celebration, refusing to contemplate the future further. It held no promise for him now.
Dear Reader,
Thank you so much for trying out a self-published author. I loved every second of writing this book, and I hope you enjoyed exploring this little world I created that has been floating around in my head for years. I have many more books and ideas in me and plan to continue to put them out there as fast as I can write them down. If you enjoyed this book, please look for the next installment of this series out in early 2013. If you would like to contact me, feel free to go to any of my author sites. Thanks again!
Sincerely,
Abigail Owen, Author
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Excerpt from Hyacinth - Book #2 of the Svatura Series
Note from the Author: Hyacinth is still a work in progress. I am only on my first draft and have not done any editing yet. Enjoy!
*****
“There’s something else isn’t there?” Ellie asked.
“Together, your families were my best hope of ending Gideon’s power over my family,” Selene said quietly. She looked up with an apology in her eyes. “I have so much to apologize to you for, I don’t even know where to begin,” she continued quietly, “I put you in danger after hiding you all these years. But it was my only option. Or at least the only way I could find.”
Ellie sat quietly for a while, thinking.
“Were you a part of what happened to my family?” she finally asked in a husky voice.
Selene closed her eyes. The question she had dreaded had been asked. “Yes,” she answered honestly. “I wasn’t as controlled in my powers then. I could only stop one person’s powers at a time, not all of them like I can now. Gideon would determine who I should stop, and then force me to stop them. He never fought himself. Just coordinated and controlled all of the rest of us. I never… we, none of us, ever had a choice.”
She didn’t tell Ellie that she was the only one of the pack under Gideon’s control who was aware of it. She suspected because of her specific combination of abilities. Everyone else accepted Gideon’s thoughts and directives as their own. But the pain of living with that knowledge, of knowing the evil they were doing, and her part in that, however unwilling, was something Selene wouldn’t make anyone else live with. Not if she could help it.
She looked up, directly into Ellie’s sober eyes. “I’m so sorry, Ellie.”
Ellie was quiet for a long time. Thinking.
“She’s telling the truth,” Addison’s voice sounded from the back of the room by the entrance to the kitchen.
“I’m sorry for eavesdropping,” Addison said as she came further into the room, “but this does involve me too, in some ways.” She turned to Ellie, taking her hand, letting Ellie take over her power, saying “You can see the truth in her words, but also in her emotions Elle.” Glancing at Selene, Addison prompted her, “Say it again. The end of it.”
Selene repeated her story, and her apology, willing to do or say anything if it helped Ellie.
When she stopped, tears were running down her cheeks. Looking up, she could see that Ellie and Addison were both crying as well.
Ellie stood up, walked over and pulled Selene out of her chair, and then wrapped her arms around her in a tight embrace. “I forgive you,” she whispered.
“What is she doing he
re?” the bitter cold rage in Griffin’s voice rolled over the three ladies, and caused Selene’s heart to sink into her stomach.
Ellie responded first, giving Selene a chance to gather herself. Composed, and with all her guards back up, she turned to face him. No one watching, especially Griffin, would ever guess that her heart was pounding in her chest. Or that she was desperate for him to accept her.
“She’s not dangerous Griffin,” Ellie argued.
“You don’t know that Elle,” he growled, never taking his eyes off Selene, glaring at her as he moved further into the room to stand beside his sister.
“I do,” Ellie replied stubbornly. “Look.” She reached to take his hand, but Griffin twitched out of her grasp.
“Anything you’re seeing about her is probably a lie, Ellie,” Griffin insisted. “Her family killed ours. And she was part of that.” At that point Griffin stopped talking, took his eyes from Selene and stared intently at his sister. Selene could tell that they were using their powers to speak to each other telepathically. After a few minutes of tense silence, Ellie shook her head, with a sigh. Turning to Selene she opened her mouth to speak, but Selene stopped her, raising her hand.
“I think I can see how things are, Ellie,” she spoke softly, taking care not to look at Griffin. “I don’t want to make any trouble in your family. I’ll go now.” Selene dropped her shield just for Ellie, saying into her thoughts, “Griffin can’t hear me Ellie. I’ll let you tell him about where I’m attending college. He seems to need some time to cool down first. And you don’t have to worry. If I see any of you on campus I’ll walk the other way.”
Ellie shook her head vehemently. But Selene couldn’t hear her thoughts. That wasn’t one of her abilities. Gathering her purse, Selene headed out the door. Ellie tried to follow her but was held back by Griffin.
