by C. R. Jane
Forgotten Specters
The Fated Wings Series Book 2
C. R. Jane
Forgotten Specters by C. R. Jane
Copyright © 2018 by C. R. Jane
All rights reserved.
No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review, and except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.
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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Table of Contents
Prologue
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
Epilogue
Author's Note
Dedications and Acknowledgments
For Willia.
"Some of the most beautiful things worth having in your life come wrapped in a crown of thorns."
― Shannon L. Alder
"The little queen's mother and father had said that she would live on, for a long time, and that her tears would magnify the life around her forever more, but they had not explained how she should go about going on."
― Meia Geddes , The Little Queen
"Do we not each dream of dreams? Do we not dance on the notes of lost memories? Then are we not each dreamers of tomorrow and yesterday, since dreams play when time is askew? Are we not all adrift in the constant sea of trial and when all is done, do we not all yearn for ships to carry us home?"
― Nathan Reese Maher
Prologue
(Eva)
I was striding through the haunting, beautiful landscape again. I looked around for the child that had accompanied me before, but I was completely alone. There was a chill in the air, the balmy breezes from previous visits nowhere to be found. This time when I looked out in the distance, I didn't see just rolling hills covered in lush trees. This time, I saw a sparkling white structure, castle like in its design and enormity, standing tall in the distance. It called to me, feeling more like home than anywhere else I had been. I felt a longing in my heart for it. I could feel it beckoning to me, asking me to return to its depths. I began to walk quickly towards the building, my tentative steps turning to a full run as the castle seemed to get farther and farther away as I tried desperately to approach it.
I stumbled, falling to the ground and scraping my knee, losing sight of the building momentarily. When I stood up, the white building had disappeared, replaced by the ash strewn landscape that always replaced my paradise in the end. I let out a wail of sorrow, knowing intrinsically that I had lost something irreplaceable to my heart, something that I would never be able to find again. I watched a drop of blood slowly collect in my scrape before it dropped into the grey powder that covered the ground. A flash of light almost blinded me.
And then I woke up.
Chapter 1
(Eva)
My senses came alive as wintergreen and leather enveloped me. A calloused hand swept some of the hair off my face. My eyes slowly opened. Mason's twinkling indigo eyes stared back at me looking concerned. "What happened?" I asked.
"I'm not sure," he replied. "I was about to introduce you to Beckham, and you just fainted," he said worriedly.
I sat up. Mason had moved me off to the side of the room, behind some plants to give me more privacy. Where was Beckham? He had said something, something important, but I couldn't remember what it was.
"Where did Beckham go?" I asked Mason.
"He and Vanessa went to go see if they could find a doctor for you," he replied. "We were all worried about you."
I grimaced. "Can you please text him or something and tell him I'm fine?" I asked in dismay. The last thing I wanted was to ruin the night with being taken to the hospital.
"Are you feeling okay? Should we leave?" Mason asked.
I pushed myself up and stood very ungracefully, smoothing down my dress and making sure nothing had torn. I looked up at Mason and smiled.
"I'm fine. I promise. I just haven't eaten very much today so my blood sugar is probably low," I told him.
"Well let's go fix that. There's enough stars fucking starving themselves tonight to leave plenty of food for us," he said laughing, the gravelling richness floating over me.
Mason grabbed my hand and led me towards another room where service stations with stacks of every kind of food imaginable were set up all around.
"Did Beckham say anything strange?" I asked, still struggling to grasp what had happened.
"Not that I saw," said Mason. "I don't think he actually had the chance to formally introduce himself since you fainted."
Mason was interrupted by an excited voice calling my name. I turned around and saw Lexi. She was dragging a relaxed looking Lane behind her.
"I'm so glad you're here!" she squealed. "Isn't this just the coolest thing ever? I can't believe it. Selena is going to shit her pants when she finds out we got to go to the Grammy's and she didn't!"
Mason was laughing at Lexi's enthusiasm.
"You and Lane hit it off last night didn't you?" he smirked.
Lexi's enthusiasm seemed to ramp up a notch if that was possible.
"Oh my gosh. Lane is the absolute sweetest!" she squealed louder.
Lane appeared to be out of it at this point, smiling goofily at nothing in particular. Lexi let go of Lane and grabbed my arm.
"Let's get food! Everything looks so amazing!" she cried.
Mason smiled at me indulgently and released my other arm. "Don't go too far," he laughed. "The show is going to start any minute."
Lexi started piling everything on her plate at once. I was a little more circumspect in my choices as there were a lot of things I hadn't heard of before. I hadn't lied to Mason though, I really hadn't eaten, and I was starving. Maybe I had fainted because of that. I hoped we would see Beckham again. I wanted to see if he said anything when he saw me this time. I wondered if I was losing my mind and imagining things since Mason hasn't seemed to notice anything strange. The feeling that I was forgetting something was heavy on my mind.
Lexi was chattering about the night before. Evidently she had made quite the impression on Lane, having "screwed his brains" out in a bathroom at Covet. I laughed, while also blushing profusely, as she described an older woman walking in and her reaction to seeing Lexi mid-thrust, her bare butt hanging out for all to see. I was laughing at something else Lexi was saying when Mason found me again.
"Are you ready to go in?" he asked.
I swallo
wed the bite of chocolate tart I had been stuffing in my mouth and nodded, taking his hand when he offered it.
The auditorium was massive and filled to the brim with gorgeous, richly dressed people. Mason led me to the row of seats right in front of the stage, where the rest of the band was waiting. Lexi and Lane had followed us to the row. I sat down, my mouth gaping at the spectacle everywhere. Stars and camera crews were everywhere. Mason turned to me.
"You have to cheer for me when we perform tonight even though you just saw me in concert."
"You're performing tonight?" I asked. He looked at me quizzically.
"Have you never watched the Grammy's before?" he asked. I froze. I had gotten better at hiding how out of touch I was with everything, but this had been a slip-up. I laughed awkwardly.
"Not for awhile," I said. "I must have forgotten how it works." He stared at me for a second, seeming to be able to see right through me, before deciding to let it go.
The show started. I was entranced by all the performances. I had always loved music, and it had been one of the hardest things about living with the Andersons that no music was allowed. I soaked up the symphony of sounds around me. Mason had just left to get ready to perform, kissing me quickly on the lips before he left. My fingers traced my lips, melting inside at such a sweet gesture. The Riot had already won a few awards for "Best Song" and "Record of the Year", from the whispers around me it was expected Mason would win "Artist of the Year" as well. Just then someone slid into Mason's seat, catching me by surprise.
"I'm used to girls fainting at the sight of me, but I have to say that was a first," came a voice that reminded me of chocolate. It was smooth and warm, almost like it was wrapping me up in a big hug. I turned to look at the newcomer. It was Beckham. A sigh involuntarily left me at the sight of him. He was examining me as well, wearing a small grin. Beckham Stone was a heartbreaker if there ever was one.
Supremely gorgeous, more Greek god than anything else, he radiated a golden light from his every pore. Like with Damon and Mason, I immediately felt a rush of belonging, like he was someone that was already mine, and had been for quite some time.
"Well I do try to please," I answered, smiling, pleasantly surprised at how steady my voice came out.
"I don't believe we've actually met," he said. "I'm Beckham...and you are Eva I presume?"
"Yes," I said, my voice squeaking despite my attempts to play it cool. He had just touched my hand and the same tingles I felt whenever Mason or Damon were near had spread all over me.
"Why in the world are you spending time with such an ugly fellow?" teased Beckham. "You must feel sorry for him or something to be seen with a guy as hard on the eyes as Mase."
Beckham now had a big grin on his face, like the whole world was a joke. I could feel Lexi swooning beside me as she listened in.
"Did you lose your date?" I flirted back. "Or did she find something better?"
"You know, Eva. Your mama must not have taught you manners because it isn't polite to be mean to people you just met," he answered, smiling even bigger now.
Despite his teasing a little tinge of sadness ran through me. I wished I had a "mama" that had taught me those manners. I must have had a look in my face because Beckham's smile faded.
"Hey," he said, lightly touching my hand. "Did I go too far?" I shook my head, determined to get over myself.
"Nope. I was just feeling sorry for myself. Nothing that you did." He tilted his head, about to ask more when Mason's voice sounded up on the stage in front of us. He was looking down at Beckham and I with a troubled look on his face.
"This goes out to Eva," he announced to the crowd suddenly, who went crazy at his pronouncement.
Mason launched into a song I hadn't heard the night before and once again everything was forgotten around me. His voice enveloped me, soaring me to new heights. There was a feeling of magic in the air, like everything you had ever wished for was within reach. The whole auditorium hung on his every word. I had been listening to other bands all night and none of the other singers had made me feel like this. Was it because I was biased towards Mason, or was he really just that amazing of an artist?
The last notes of the song ended, and I found myself letting out a breath I didn't realize I had been holding. I turned to Beckham, wondering what his reaction to Mason's music had been. Beckham had an amused smile on his face. I saw him casually salute Mason and laugh to himself. I looked back at Mason who was grinning down at me. I watched Mason and the rest of the band exit off the stage. Mason had told me they would be doing a few interviews after the performance before he would be able to return to his seat.
I turned my attention back to Beckham who had been looking at me intensely, much to my surprise. I began to play with my hair self-consciously. The once jovial Beckham looked like he had something on his mind. He went to say something, and was interrupted by Mason, who for some reason seemed to have rushed back to his seat instead of doing interviews.
"Everything okay here?" Mason said, noticing the intensity that was rippling between Beckham and me.
"Everything is fine Mase," laughed Beckham, resuming the breezy attitude he had before. "Just getting to know Eva a little bit better," he continued, standing up from Mason's seat so that Mason could replace him. Mason's face gentled as he looked at me.
"She's amazing isn't she?" he said smiling.
"Yes, she is," whispered Beckham, so softly that I wasn't sure Mason heard him. "Well, I better head back to my date," said Beckham. "Let's ride together to the after-parties though Mase," continued Beckham, clapping Mason on the shoulder before departing.
"Sounds good Beck," Mason said distractedly, his attention turning towards the act starting up on stage. Beckham began to walk away, peering back over his shoulder with a look that promised we weren't done yet. A chorus of sighs sounded from woman around me as he walked off, the delicious suit he was wearing showing off his fine form.
I settled back into my seat, my mind musing over my interaction with Beckham. Mason reached out and grasped my hand, his thumb moving up and down to the beat of the song that was starting. I smiled and sighed. These boys were going to be the death of me.
Chapter 2
(Beckham)
There have been a lot of moments in my life. Moments of joy, moments of despair. So many moments. But I knew intrinsically that meeting Eva tonight would go down as the most important moment so far in my long life. It was a struggle to keep my emotions from bleeding out onto my face as we approached Mason and Eva. I doubted either Vanessa or Mason would be comfortable at the way I wanted to throw myself at her feet and beg her to keep me forever.
She looked indescribable, like everything I had ever wanted wrapped in one glowing package. She radiated this light that reflected out into the room, attracting everyone's attention. Her ebony dress clung to a frame that the gods must have been envious over. Perfect curves from head to toe. Her hair hung in gold waves down her back, and her eyes stared intensely back at me, sucking me in with their clear depths. In the instance before she had fainted, when Mason had introduced me, I had seen a look on her face of recognition and possession, like I belonged to her. As I had approached, a strand of thought had strayed across my mind, feeling like an actual memory more than anything else, of the two of us in a different time.
Eva had been dressed in a glimmering cream dress, and I had reached a black gloved hand to stroke her face, calling her "My Queen" as I did so.
I was sure I hadn't ever met Eva though, and was confused at where such a thought had come from or why I had been calling her that. As the thought faded from my mind, Eva's eyes had rolled back, and she began to collapse. Mason grabbed her before she hit the ground.
My hands clenched, desperate to hold her. From the possessive way Mason was holding Eva, and the warm look he had been giving her as we approached, I knew my friend wa
s in deep. The only problem was, I felt that I could be in deep with Eva as well. Again, that feeling of awareness rushed over me, whispering to my heart that I had in fact always felt this way about Eva, despite the fact that my brain knew we were just meeting.
Mason had sent me a text telling me Eva was fine while I was looking for a doctor to look at her. Vanessa, upon reading the text over my shoulder, had immediately delightedly dragged me to socialize with various industry people. I was frustrated, I wanted to make sure that Eva was all right in person.
I was distracted as Vanessa chattered with some singer whose name I couldn't remember. Seeing Eva had seemed to open up a sieve inside of me. Flashes of strange scenes kept floating through my memory, feeling so real that I could reach out and touch them. Every single scene featured Eva at its center. In some she was laughing, her head thrown back with delight at something I had said to her. In others we were riding palominos in an open lush field, the wind pulling her streaming gold hair behind her as we raced to some unknown destination. In others we were lying in a lacey, white bed, gauzy curtains cocooning us in a space that was all our own.
My cock involuntarily stirred as I remembered the smooth feel of her skin, the way that her lips tasted as I pressed them to mine, my tongue pushing to enter and lick the sweet taste of her mouth.
"Honey," Vanessa's voice stirred me from what had seemed more like reminiscing than figments of my raging libido's imagination. A taste of sugar and honey lay heavy on my tongue, so real that I felt sorrow that Eva's lips weren't on mine at that moment.
"Sorry, what were you saying," I said hurriedly, staring down with what I hoped looked like interest at Vanessa.
Vanessa and I had been friends since I first decided to try my hand at Hollywood. I had never hooked up with her, despite the longing I saw in her eyes when she looked at me, determined not to use her for something I couldn't follow through with. I had actually, finally been going to tell her we could try and date tonight. I had grown so tired of dating people I couldn't trust and Vanessa had been there for me for years. But that thought had been before I met Eva tonight.
