by RJ Crayton
I looked at the copper vase on the floor, its shiny, hammered surface reflecting the light from the room’s many windows. It was like the vase was taunting me. It wasn’t even that heavy. It was empty, and I could easily have lifted it with one hand. I focused on it with all my concentration, trying to feel it through the air the way Akilah had suggested. Like I had invisible hands connected to my mind, ones that could feel it and lift it and exert the power of my mind on this physical object.
It wasn’t working. The vase stayed still, no matter how hard I envisioned it rising.
“Kady,” Akilah said after a minute more of my staring competition with the vase. I hated that the vase was winning.
I looked up at her, thankful for her use of my name. She was the one person here who actually called me my proper name on a consistent basis. When I was a baby, I lived here with my mother. Back then, I was called Dirah. Pylum, the man who runs this place, has been calling me Dirah. Whenever it happened, he’d say it was a mistake, old habit, but it had happened so often that I no longer believed it was accidental.
“I’m really concentrating, Akilah,” I assured her. “Just give me another minute.”
Akilah shook her head, and her braids, tied into a ponytail, swayed fluidly.
I reconsidered my contention that it would be better if she weren’t so understanding.
“You’re pushing yourself too hard,” she said. “I think we should take a break and do something fun.”
Something fun. It was my turn to shake my head. “I need to get this figured out, Akilah. My aunt is depending on me.”
My aunt had been kidnapped by Zygam, the evil mage who had murdered my mother. Even though I was a mage, even though Pylum had shown me memories of a toddler me performing magic, I was not raised as a mage. My aunt hid my powers deep inside me, trapped them in order to keep Zygam from finding me. And now my powers seemed to want to stay trapped. A few of my powers had escaped, but that had been right after my aunt disappeared. In the week I had been here at the Temple of Light, my mage powers continued to stay locked inside. The problem was, I needed them out if I was to help rescue my aunt. Pylum said I needed to be proficient in magic for us to attempt to rescue my aunt, so I was pushing myself hard. It just didn’t seem to be working.
Akilah exhaled and folded her arms. “I think going out will help you. I think it will relax you and maybe help you focus.”
I looked at the vase, the visual symbol of my failure to focus, and then turned to her. “Alright, where would you want to go?”
Akilah, with her dark skin and amber eyes, smiled big. “Where else? The Halcyon market.”
* * *
Pylum had been reluctant to let us go to the market. “Zygam is looking for her,” he’d said.
“Surely, he would know you wouldn’t want her in the market, Master Pylum,” Akilah had said, all sweetness, light, and reason. “So, he’d never imagine you’d let her go. He assumes you have her strapped down here learning spells.”
Pylum, a dwarf covered in glyph tattoos, had raised an eyebrow at that explanation. “And that is what she should be doing.”
“But it’s not working,” Akilah said. “She needs to relax. She needs the magic to flow again.”
The words of a fifteen-year-old were not enough to convince Pylum. However, one of Pylum’s magical gifts was being able to read the Seas of Time. Since being here, I’ve learned it’s a magical current that has all of time in it — past, present and future. I wasn’t entirely sure how his power worked, but the how seemed less important than his belief in his ability. Pylum was up for any plan, even that proposed by a couple of teenagers, if he foresaw no danger based on his reading of the Seas of Time.
He searched, we waited, and finally he nodded that we could go.
Akilah created a magical portal so we could go to the market. The portals looked pretty cool — all glowy, silvery light that sort of rippled like water. Unfortunately, going inside one was like being thrown into a cyclone. You twisted, twirled and whirled until finally being spit out at your destination. If I hadn’t really wanted to get out of the temple, I might even have eschewed portal travel. But Akilah was right. I needed out.
We emerged from the portal in an alley off to the side of the market. Akilah carried a shoulder satchel with supplies like a water flask and some snacks. We were both dressed not to be seen. We were covered from head to toe in white tunics and headscarves. An opening for our eyes allowed us to see, but not really be seen. It wasn’t uncommon in this desert land to cover oneself from head to heel. The sun could be deadly, browning skin to a crisp, causing unbearable thirst and wearying your soul. At least, that’s what Auntie at always said.
I grimaced, glad my face was mostly covered. I’d been trying not to think of Auntie. Every time I did, I wanted to cry. She was gone. Captured trying to protect me, and it hurt my heart. I felt guilty, and it was made worse by the fact that I couldn’t figure out how to access my magic. I’d used it a bit before Pylum had taken me to Hakari Ahet, the proper name for the Temple of Light. I hadn’t known I had powers back then, but in my time of need, they had emerged. Now that I knew I had powers, they wanted to hide in the shadows.
“Come on,” Akilah said, walking, a bit faster than me, toward the thickest area of the market, filled with tents and shops selling wares. Her long legs allowed her to move smoothly and swiftly with little effort, while I felt like I was running just to keep up with her. I’d expected a leisurely stroll through the marketplace, relaxing, enjoying the sights, sounds and smells of the busy outdoor bizarre. Instead, she seemed to have purpose, her head turning to scan everything. She wasn’t just seeing sights, she was looking for something. Or someone.
“Akilah,” I said, and she stopped and turned to me. I unhooked part of the cloth shrouding my face so she could see I was serious. “Who are you looking for?”
She didn’t uncover her face, but from the way her eyes lifted I could tell she was smiling when she said, “Nigel. He’s been on my mind.”
Apparently, this wasn’t a visit to help me relax. I frowned, feeling used. “And how is that supposed to relax me?”
She shook her head and uncovered her face this time. “Finding Nigel isn’t supposed to relax you. Going back to your old house is going to do that.”
END PREVIEW. To order Prophecy of Light - Unleashed or find out more about it, go to http://rjcrayton.com/books/prophecy-of-light-series/2-unleashed/.
Also By RJ Crayton
PROPHECY OF LIGHT – UNLEASHED
This is book two in the Prophecy of Light series.
Kady must learn to unleash the magic trapped inside her if she is to help the mage Pylum rescue her aunt.
As Kady learns her way around the Temple of Light and takes classes to help her understand magic, she makes new friends like Jasper and learns more about the mysterious mage who helped her in book one: Akilah.
Will Kady be able to unleash her power, and what else might she find when her bonds are broken?
SCENTED
Scented is powerful tale about life, death and love, woven through the tapestry of characters with unique abilities. If you enjoy stirring, supernatural tales with love at their center, you'll adore Scented.
Sixteen-year-old Bryan Harper has felt alone since the day eight years ago that a sickening, unfamiliar scent wafted from his mother. When he realized too late the new odor was a prelude announcing death, he knew his new sense of smell is a gift, not a curse.
At a young age Lauraline Reese escaped death, yet its specter still haunts her. Unable to let go of the feeling that death has not forgotten her, Lauraline finds it hard to find peace with the storm that almost took her life.
When Lauraline walks into his life, Bryan knows instantly that she is different from the others. He doesn’t know why she appeared, but there is one thing he is sure of: his life is about to change. He just doesn’t know how.
As the two grow close, Lauraline helps Bryan discover a vital message,
and Bryan finds himself in a race against death to set things right.
Can Bryan live a normal life despite his talent in scenting death? Or will he be forever marred by the curse of knowing when someone will die next?
Grab it FREE when you Subscribe to the Mailing list or Order it on Amazon.
CONCEALED
(Virus Series, Part 1)
They said we were safe. They were wrong.
When pandemics destroy the world above, the safety promised underground proves elusive. Start this page-turning series today.
Seventeen-year-old Elaan Woodson was supposed to be one of the lucky ones. She got one of the few spots in the subterranean protection unit designed to keep select families safe from the deadly virus ravaging the world above.
She's found happiness in the routine underground, and even a budding a romance with a boy who's also down below.
But, as Elaan hears snippets of conversations from those closest to her and those in charge, she's beginning to think things aren't as safe as she thought. While Elaan has heard that what you don't know can't hurt you, she's beginning to think otherwise.
The truth may be the only thing that can keep Elaan safe. But, can she discover it in time?
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(FREE for Kindle Unlimited Subscribers)
EXPOSED
(Virus Series, Part 2)
She is their chance for safety. Now they must find her.
The safety of the underground bunker is left behind. Elaan and her friends are out in the open, exposed to the world above. Exposed to a world that has been ravished by the virus. Can they make it to the one person they’ve been told can provide them safety?
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(FREE for Kindle Unlimited Subscribers)
CONTAINED
(Virus Series, Part 3)
No place is Safe.
Elaan, Lijah and Josh have been searching for safety ever since they left the Scientist Protection Unit.
As they're forced to leave their latest home, they find old friends in new places. Just as they think things are finally coming under control, the ground shifts beneath them.
In this exciting final book, our leads search for the solutions that have evaded them thus far, in hopes of reaching a happy ending for themselves and the world in peril.
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LIFE FIRST
"I was completely intrigued by this book from the very first page. There were fairly few characters in-keeping with the story, but they were all extremely well thought out. I really think RJ Crayton should be expecting calls for film rights because this played out in my mind as I read it like a really great film.... It gripped you like King Kong and would not let go until you had finished the book."
- BestChickLit.com
Strong-willed Kelsey Reed must escape tonight or tomorrow her government will take her kidney and give it to someone else.
In this future forged by survivors of pandemics that wiped out 80 percent of the world's population, life is valued above all else. The mentally ill are sterilized, abortions are illegal and those who refuse to donate an organ when told are sentenced to death.
Determined not to give up her kidney or die, Kelsey enlists the help of her boyfriend Luke and a dodgy doctor to escape. The trio must disable the tracking chip in her arm for her to flee undetected. If they fail, Kelsey will be stripped of everything.
FREE from Amazon.
SECOND LIFE
“This thriller based on government conspiracies and lives that are twisted around is captivating! I just can’t give the twists away but you will be sat on the edge of your seat.”
-Amazon Customer Review
Susan Harper is being held captive by her government. As the normally feisty Susan's hopes of freedom dwindle, a mysterious stranger sneaks into her room and promises to help.
Susan and mystery man Rob grow close as he tries to orchestrate her escape. When the duo discovers the truth behind Susan's captivity, they realize they must act quickly if they're to save her. Susan and Rob will need more than passion for each other and their wits to succeed. They will need help from old friends, including Kelsey Reed.
In the previous book, Life First, Susan gave Kelsey a chance at a second life. But now will she get her own?
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Third Life: Taken
"This was the best book of the series and the perfect conclusion to the story. It was a stomach churning, tension filled rollercoaster of emotions as you followed the two distinct but intertwined plots."
-Chuckles Book Cave
When Kelsey Reed fled her country to escape a forced kidney transplant, she was sure she’d never return. However, when her brother-in-law shows up on her doorstep, he commits an act of betrayal that changes everything.
Forced to head back to the nation that tried to kill her, Kelsey will need the help of her husband Luke, and friends Susan and Rob to escape with her life.
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Life First Boxed Set
Step into a society that values humanity over individual humans, where your body is important because it might be able to save others. This box set includes the three books in the thrilling dystopian Life First series.
Includes:
Life First
Second Life
Third Life: Taken
Four Mothers
Four stories. Four mothers. Four crises. One great read.
Our notions of motherhood run the gamut from the mythical Super Mom to the dreaded Mommy Dearest. None is entirely true, as a mother's love is always unique, and all mothers are both perfect and flawed. Four mothers tells four sagas of mothers who each face a crisis, either real or perceived, in their parenting life. Change the way you see motherhood.
In The Beads, Iram is a mother coping with crisis -- a child in a coma after nearly choking to death — when something happens that affects her entire outlook.
In Almost Perfect, we see our Mommy Dearest end of the spectrum with Bitsy. She wants her grandson, whom she is raising to be perfect, and with Bitsy, we are reminded, it's not just stepmothers who are wicked.
Tilda, the mother we meet in As Luck Would Have It, exudes luck from every pore. She would love to be the super mom who saves the day for her family, but she has one problem - her daughter’s seeming lack of luck. In fact, Tilda’s luck fails whenever her daughter is around. Tilda's solution to this problem could prove problematic.
Felicity is relishing her overbearing husband's absence on a business trip, when her Two-Day Break suddenly turns into a nightmare.
Also included in the collection is a bonus story, Lynch Party, about a mother who has a different perspective on what makes a great party activity.
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About RJ Crayton
RJ Crayton is the author of the Virus and the Life First series. The Virus series includes Concealed, Exposed, and Contained. The fast-paced dystopian Life First series include Life First, Second Life and Third Life:Taken. She's also author of the paranormal novel Scented and the short-story collection Four Mothers. Prior to becoming an author, Crayton was a journalist. She reported for several publications, including The Kansas City Star and Education Technology News. Crayton lives in Maryland with her husband and two children. When she's not writing, she enjoys eating cupcakes, walking, reading, sewing or watching TV (she's partial to Star Trek, super hero flicks and gripping dramas). To find out more about her, visit her website, www.rjcrayton.com.
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