AIR Series Box Set

by Amanda Booloodian

  I sat down next to the shimmer. It wasn't flowing the way it does when it overlays the world. I closed my eyes.

  "You think you should be doing that now?" Logan asked. He was squatting down next to the new creation.

  My muscles were weak, and I was starting to feel numb. "I know it needs to be done."

  He looked reluctant but didn't voice another objection.

  I closed my eyes again, and stretched out, over the swarms of soul fragments, and into the Path. "It looks the same. Let me try to move it back to its original form."

  It wouldn't budge. When I added more power, the world appeared to shudder and sparks flared in my vision. It was a good thing I was already sitting. When I laid my hands on the solid Path, I could feel it had sprouted tendrils and rooted itself into the ground. Getting out of the Path was a strain, and when I opened my eyes, I was surprised to see that I hadn't fallen over.

  "It's firmly in this world," I said. "I'm not sure what to do with it."

  "We're on MyTH property," Logan said. "I think we can cover it up and leave it here for now."

  "It doesn't belong here," I said. "Are we comfortable with MyTH taking it?"

  "Good to see you thinking it through." Logan looked up at Rider and Vincent. "What do you all think?"

  "I think that we should keep this," Rider said. "We do not know what this could be used for."

  Logan looked to Vincent for his opinion, but Vincent was staring into nothing, looking lost in thought.

  "First thing we'll need to do," Logan said, "is to dig this up. Rider, are you good for a few more hours."

  "I am fine," Rider said.

  "Good, I'll call Jonathan and have him bring us a few shovels. Vincent." Logan spoke a little louder when Vincent didn't respond. "Vincent."

  "Yes, I'm good for a while longer," Vincent said.

  "Good, you can drive Cassie home," Logan said.

  There was no use arguing, I wasn't sure I could stay awake long enough to help. Reaching out, I drew my hand along the creation of the Path. What could this be used for? It was beautiful, but what would we do with it?

  Vincent offered me a hand. "Come on, Cass, I'll take you home."

  I blinked at the hand before deciding I could make it as far as the truck. He helped me to my feet. I swayed briefly before catching my balance.

  "What do we tell work?" I asked.

  "We stick to the truth, but this," Logan indicated the solid Path, "stays out of it. Also, there are no such things as leprechauns." Logan eyed Vincent before continuing. "Also, I think it's better all around if we say Cole wasn't a Walker. He can be an unknown."

  "Thank you," Vincent said.

  "Don't thank me yet," Logan said. "You've both got mandatory psych evaluations coming up."

  "What?" My anger didn't have much chance to rise amid the exhaustion.

  "Nothing I can do about it. After what happened to the two of you, it's protocol. Go home and get some rest. We'll get together soon to debrief."

  I wanted to say something, but I had no idea what was left to say. Vincent tried to lead me away when I remembered.

  "The turtle," I said, "I'll take care of it."

  Logan turned the turtle over in his hands. "I thought we might leave this in the hands of MyTH. Neil seems to know a lot about how this thing works."

  "All the more reason for us to take it," I said.

  Looking reluctant, Logan handed the chunk of carved granite over to me. "For now, but we'll talk more about this later."

  A wave of vertigo rolled over me when I took the turtle. Luckily, I was holding Vincent's arm, so I stayed on my feet. Once the feeling passed, I put the stone in my pocket and walked away with Vincent.

  Chapter 36

  In the truck, it was a struggle to stay awake, but I knew I needed to, at least for a while. It was dark, except for the occasional passing car, and it was quiet except for the rush of the wind.

  Once we were a few miles away, I broke our silence. "I'm sorry about Cole."

  "He wasn't my friend in the end." Vincent's voice was low and tinged with regret.

  "I think he was, though. Deep down."

  Vincent shook his head but didn't say anything.

  I knew if I didn't tell Vincent now, I might never tell him. "We were being sucked in." I tried to be careful with my words, so it came out slower than I intended. "Cole was closer, and he saw you across the clearing. We were holding on to each other, but... I think he thought he was pulling me in, so he let go. I tried to stop him, but he made me let go of him."

  Still, Vincent said nothing.

  "I'm sorry." I wasn't tearing up over the man that had killed so many Lost, but I felt remorse for the loss of the man Cole must have been when he had been friends with Vincent.

  Vincent took some time before replying. It looked like he was digesting that information.

  "Thank you for that," he said.

  For a while, I watched him out of the corner of my eye, looking for signs of mourning, then for any emotion, but he was a blank slate. Dropping any pretense, I twisted in my seat and looked at him directly. Only then, could I see the slightly downturned lips and the creases around eyes that were brighter than normal.

  "I'm not sure what you did out there tonight," Vincent said, "but you have to be tired. Why don't you get some sleep?"

  That was an understatement. "I wanted you to know about Cole, and make sure you were okay."

  Vincent swallowed and looked at me briefly before turning back to the road. "Get some sleep, Cass."

  I watched him for a while, but at some point, my eyelids closed and I was sound asleep.

  When Vincent woke me up, I was more tired than I had been. How could that even happen? When I slid out of the truck, I used the door to steady myself.

  "It's going to be nice to sleep in my own bed again," I said as I wavered on the way to the door.

  "Are you going to make it inside?" Vincent asked. "Maybe I should see you in."

  "What are you talking about?" I asked. "Aren't you staying here?"

  Vincent hovered. "There's a hotel nearby in town. I'll go there for the night."

  "Don't be ridiculous," I snapped, opening the door. "All your stuff is upstairs in your room." In my mind, even if he only lived here a short while, it would always be his room.

  "My room?" He sounded amused by that.

  Still, he locked the door and didn't argue.

  "Help yourself to anything," I said. "Gran will be home tomorrow, now that we know no one is after her."

  "I'm sorry I started all this."

  "You know it's not your fault. We all know that. You are not responsible for what Cole did."

  Vincent kept a close eye on me on the way upstairs, but he didn't say anything.

  At my door, I hesitated. "There's something I wanted to ask."

  He looked wary. "Okay."

  "When Cole tried to pull my soul," I stopped swallowing hard at the thought, "he sensed the void shard coming out and he was scared."

  "Of course he would be," Vincent said. "He knew what it was and what it can do to a person. Taking that in would swallow him from the inside out."

  "Wouldn't he have had to taken it once to put it into the thing Jin used to keep me from the Path?"

  In the dim light of the hall, I could see Vincent trying to think that over. "It couldn't have been him," Vincent said cautiously. "There's no way that a Walker could have taken a part of the void. I didn't think anyone could."

  "So, someone else was helping Jin?"

  "It's possible, but we know Cole was the one killing the Lost. The void isn't a living thing."

  "True." I leaned against the wall next to my door. "We can talk it over with Logan later. Your room is the way you left it. Now that you're home, Gran is sure to want to ask you if she can dust. I think she's been itching to do that."

  "It's your house." Vincent looked at the room down the hall. He looked upset, but my sleep-deprived brain couldn't work out why.

 
I shrugged. "It's your room. Get some sleep. I'm sure Logan will have work for us tomorrow."

  Leaving Vincent in the hall, I shut myself in my room and then kicked off my shoes. Knowing that my clothes were grubby, I threw them off, before falling into bed.

  ***

  "Do you think the tree will be okay at your place?" I asked Rider as he drove me home.

  "It is amazing how much it resembles a tree," Rider said. "Logan agrees that it is the best place for it until we figure out something different."

  When I had spread the Path into the ground to tether me down, it had branched out. Once it was unearthed and flipped over, all those tendrils resembled a tree, and the base that had wrapped around me looked very much like a trunk.

  "Gerald did a good job of painting it," I said.

  "He is talented. I understand that you have plans later today," Rider said.

  "With Ethan, yes," I couldn't keep the enthusiasm out of my voice, “but it's you and me this Sunday."

  "Would you like to bring him with you when we get together?"

  "Really? I thought you didn't like him."

  "He is your friend, but I do not know him."

  I beamed at Rider. "He's not the same kind of friend that you and I are. Maybe we can all get together another time, unless there's someone you want to invite."

  Rider shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "I am still uncertain about how those types of relationships work here. I do not think I am ready."

  "Well, when you are, or if you want to know anything, you can always ask questions. In the meantime, though, Sunday's for us."

  Rider seemed pleased by that. "Have you spoken with Ethan about anything that has happened in the past few weeks?"

  My good mood plummeted. "I haven't talked to him much in the past few days. Besides, our work is confidential."

  "There are things that are not, though. I thought since you have not spoken with anyone, you might talk to Ethan."

  "I've only been seeing Ethan for a few weeks. There's no reason for him to know."

  Rider was quiet and I searched for a way to change the subject. "How's work?" It was a lame question, but it would move us away from talking about me.

  "When you and Vincent return to work, it sounds as though Vincent will be my new partner."

  "That'll be interesting."

  "Does it seem odd to you?"

  "No, you and Vincent have worked together before," I said.

  "Most of the agency is human," Rider said. "Yet, the Lost and those with special abilities are paired together, leaving the humans to themselves."

  "The luck of the draw I guess. Clancy works with everyone."

  "This is true."

  "Oh, Ethan's here early," I said as we drove up. "Gran's not home, but you’re welcome to come in. You can keep Ethan distracted while I run and change."

  "Is Vincent home?" Rider asked.

  "No, he's out looking for an apartment." I slid out of the car when Rider stopped and greeted Ethan at the door. "Sorry that you had to wait." I opened the door to let them both in.

  "It's my fault for getting here so early," Ethan said.

  "Early is good," I said, “and it'll give us more time together. First, though, I need to change. I'll only be a minute.”

  I dashed upstairs but slowed down when I reached my room. Maybe Rider would have a chance to get to know Ethan a little better if I left them alone for a while. I changed into jeans and a T-shirt, but grabbed a long sleeve button up shirt to go over it. It was a warm day, but this time of year, you never knew if that was going to last. After I put on my hiking boots, I took the time to brush my hair.

  It was only when I ran out of things to do that I checked the time. Eight minutes. It would have to do. I bounded down the stairs but slowed when I saw the two men. Rider looked serious, and Ethan looked troubled.

  "Everything okay?" I asked.

  "I believe so," Rider said, as though nothing was out of the ordinary. Only, he didn't look me in the eye. "I am going to visit Logan. Do you mind if I leave my car here?"

  "It's no problem," I said. "I'll see you out."

  "No," Rider said a touch too quickly, "I do not want to hold you two up."

  He left before I could protest. The back door shut and I turned to Ethan. "What happened?"

  Ethan seemed to come out of a reverie. "What? Oh, it was nothing. Guy talk is all."

  I put my hands on my hips. "I didn't think Rider knew what that was."

  "I think it comes naturally. You look nice today," Ethan said, obviously trying to change the subject.

  They obviously didn't want to tell me what happened, so I let it drop. "Thank you."

  "Are you sure you want to go hiking today? We could do something else if you'd rather."

  "No way," I said. "You have no idea how much I need to get out and away from everything."

  "If you're sure," Ethan said.

  He sounded uncertain, which made me worry. "Um, if you don't want to go..."

  Ethan smiled, closed the gap between us, and then took my hand. "I'm looking forward to it."

  Then he kissed me.

  ***

  Continue to Stolen Sight (AIR Series Book 3)

  Back to Main Table of Contents

  ***

  Acknowledgements

  Special thanks to all my family, who are my biggest supporters in my writing. Adria Waters provided excellent feedback. Along with Christina Benedict, she provided support and encouragement along the way, especially when I became hesitant. I’d also like to thank Hadena James, who consistently encourages me to move forward.

  The Columbia Writers Group provided me with different viewpoints which were beneficial throughout the process. The Editing company BubbleCow provided detailed comments that assisted me in making several points of the novel in a new light which I appreciated greatly. Thank you to Frankie Sutton, my editor, for all of her assistance. Deranged Doctor Design provided me with a wonderful cover design and formatting.

  I also want to thank my parents for reminding me I can do anything I set my mind to, and my sister Tamera who is always supportive. Many, many other family, friends, and acquaintances have been incredibly supportive. Thank you all.

  Most of all I must thank my husband for his continued reassurance, inspiration, and assistance in all my writing endeavors.

  Stolen Sight License Notes

  Copyright © 2017 Amanda Booloodian

  Cover Art by Deranged Doctor Design

  Formatting by Deranged Doctor Design

  Published by: Walton INK

  Printed in the United States of America

  ISBN-10:0-9973353-4-3

  ISBN-13:978-0-9973353-4-7

  All rights reserved

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without the express written permission of the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permissions, please contact Walton INK.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events 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.

  Walton INK

  booloodian.com

  Dedicated to silver, even though...

  Interested in information on upcoming releases?

  Sign up for the Hidden World Newsletter to receive information on upcoming releases, news, and more!

  Stolen Sight Table of Contents

  Dedication

  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

  Acknowledgements

  Chapter 1

  "Whose idea was it to relocate a nymph into a sorority house?" I asked as we drove away from Zeta house.

  "I'm pretty sure that was her own idea,” Logan said. “Felicity has a good head on her shoulders, though. Nice girl. Which other Lost do we have on our list for the day?"

  "That's it."

  "We're not seeing the fairies?" He seemed bothered by the idea. As one of the Lost, a being from another dimension, Logan was particularly active in checking up on everyone he could.

  "Usually the changelings take more time." I took out our tablet and looked through today's calendar. "Want to head back to the Farm?"

  "Let's manage the paperwork from home. Washington is in town. I'd like to avoid the bureaucracy."

  "We are the bureaucracy."

  The Agency for Interdimensional Relocation, AIR, had changed in the past few months. At least the office had. Being more high-tech came with the price tag of extra visits from government committees.

  "Who ever heard of a portal review?" Logan asked. "They either work or they don't."

  "They're probably checking the logs. Who's visiting this world, who we're sending back, that sort of thing. I think it's good that someone is stopping by from time to time."

  Logan didn't say anything. Last winter, our previous boss had put me on a hit list so he could maneuver illegal activities with less chance of being caught. That resulted in him being dragged into a dimension of demons and my soul being shattered into countless pieces.

  For Logan, the less government involvement, the better. I still couldn't decide if he was overly paranoid. One of his sons seemed to be following in his footsteps. Maybe elves were just naturally like this.