Marked by Destiny

by C.M. Owens

  Tessa rolled over for the umpteenth time as nausea washed up the back of her throat. Dry heaves wracked her long spine as her body rid itself of the drugs coursing through one arm. She made a feeble attempt to wipe her mouth with the corner of the sheet. All the bedding was going to need to be changed soon. How could anything be left inside?

  "Hey, no more of that," snapped the disgusted voice beside her. "What the hell is wrong with her? None of the others ever puked like her. It's gross."

  She shuddered at the gravelly voice and hard arms that twisted and yanked her around. Why couldn't they leave her alone and let her sink back into nothingness? Huge hands gripped her shoulders and held her head off the side of the bed as she gagged yet again. Cold, exhaustion and drugs had stolen her voice.

  If it weren't for her mixed vampire heritage she'd have been unconscious since the beginning. They obviously didn't know about her and her unique genetics, or they'd have used different drugs. And as much as she'd welcome oblivion, she needed her wits about her.

  Her family had to know she was missing by now.

  Surely, they'd be here soon.

  Whereverherewas…

  ***

  Cody watched, his fists clenched and his spine rigid, as both Tessa's father and his father argued about how to proceed. Time was racing by. Tessa had to have been missing for at least a half hour already. They should be out searching now.

  "Hey, will you two stop it?"

  Rhia, Tessa's mother placed a calming hand on his forearm. "You know this is how they work best."

  "This isn'tworkingat all." Cody shot her a look of outrage. Turning back to the two tall ancient vampires in stark black, he called out, "Hey, elders."

  They ignored him.

  "Serus and Goran?"

  Still he couldn't dent their argument.

  With that, his frustration peaked. He screamed, "Hey, old guys!"

  Silence. Both elders spun on their heels. Shocked and irate, they glared at Cody. Rhia choked back a snicker. Serus frowned at her before turning his icy stare on Cody. Drawing himself up to his full height, the elder looked down his long nose and opened his mouth to speak.

  Cody's father jumped in ahead of him. "Did you just call me old?"

  "Hell, yes. Youareold. You're also wasting time. Tessa has been kidnapped from right under our noses, and once again, you two are more concerned with winning an argument than you are about her fate."

  Rhia gasped.

  Too bad that Cody was long past caring about other peoples' reactions. This war had changed him. It had changed all of them. And it was just gearing up.

  Tessa's mother was a good person, but she was all about her Serus. Goran, Cody's own father, was too protective and focused on him.

  "That's a terrible thing to say." Rage contorted Serus's face.

  "Is it?" Cody asked, his lips curling into a sneer. "I don't mean you don't care, but Tessa was right. You're all talk and no action." Straightening up and putting his hands on his hips, he added, "Now she's the one in trouble, and I can't let you get sidetracked."

  The stuffing went out of Serus with a whomp. His shoulders slumped. His skin sagged, and he seemed to age under Cody's reproachful gaze. "The team will be here in twenty minutes. I can't leave the kids here. Goran, please, take the others. Go find my little girl."

  Rhia gripped Serus's arm. "I'll stay. You go find our daughter."

  "That isn't going to work." He pinched his lips together. "I can't leave you alone in case there are more of these assholes around. I can't leave any of the kids here, either. No. Everyone else go. As much as I wouldn't admit it at any other time, Goran is the best flier, and he'll cover more ground faster."

  "Goran," Rhia's bottom lip trembled. "Please find my daughter. I need to stay here for Jared. He's too sick to travel, and I don't dare leave him. Besides, one adult needs to be here for the others."

  "All right," With a gentleness Cody had rarely seen before, his father wrapped Rhia in a tight hug. "Cody and I'll fly out and see if they've left any trace. There could be another level to this building, too. Maybe split up the others and send half of them to search for Tessa." He turned as if to leave.

  Cody caught him before he'd taken a full step. "There's another place I want to check out. He spun around. "At the time I'd assumed it just led to more storage space, but now..." Glancing back at his father, he added, "Why don't you fly alone and see what you can find? You might see a vehicle. They can't have gone too far. Besides, one flier will attract less attention than a few."

  David walked over. "What are you thinking, Cody?"

  "I'm thinking she's been stashed somewhere close by. I don't think they could've taken her very far in the time we've missed her. It's possible she's still inside this warehouse… or in the mausoleum above ground."

  With a sharp nod, David said, "I agree. Let's break into groups, with one staying here. Another will go up, and the last one will head out to search for lower levels."

  "Good plan." Serus stepped in. "David and Jewel, search the house. Cody, you stay here with Rhia and search with Ian. Goran, if you wouldn't mind doing an air search, and everyone should check back within, say..." he checked his watch, "an hour. That should be enough time to figure out which way they might have taken my daughter."

  Spinning around, Cody nodded to Ian, and then led the way out of the room. Finally, there was some action. But damn it, why hadn't they done this ten minutes ago? Not wanting to waste any more time, he headed toward the door he vaguely remembered seeing.

  "Hey, wait up," Ian called. "Jesus, slow down. Geez, you're as bad as your father. He's always racing around at top speed."

  "I can't." Cody slowed down just long enough for Ian to catch up. "Tessa's running out of time."

  "I know there were a couple of smaller doors we didn't open, but at the time, we assumed they weren't important." At Cody's hard look, he quickly added, "But we will now."

  "Damn straight. Tessa led us here to find Jared. We're not losing her, too." Worry ate at him. Poor Tessa.

  They walked hard and fast toward the room where they had last seen Tessa.

  By keeping his gaze forward, Cody could almost avoid the sight of the hundreds of bodies hanging in their macabre midair dance. All of the victims were blind and mute in the face of their fate – and yet, still alive. He slowed. He sure hoped they had no idea of their fate.

  Ian spoke up, "Funny how this all came about. Look at us. We're fighting a war we didn't even know existed, and all because Tessa went to a friggin' movie where her date got kidnapped."

  As much as Cody hated to dwell on Tessa's date with Jared, he couldn't deny the sequence of events that had set off this mess. Tessa had fought her parentsandthe vampire Council, then went and looked for Jared on her own when she couldn't drum up help. In the process, she'd transformed herself from a naive schoolgirl into a classy vamp.

  He shook his head, remembering how his blood had fired at the first sight of the mysterious vampire who'd walked so confidently through the vampire Council gathering. Christ, she'd been hot. Every male eye had turned her way. He'd followed her out of the house, questioned her, and then let her go. Only something about her had been hauntingly familiar.

  Then he'd seen her signature crab hop up in the trees and had realised the truth. His heart had recognized the true Tessa, but his hormones had been sidelined by her hot new look. His mind hadn't been able to reconcile the two parts. Even now, he was still trying to figure out just who and what she'd become. And he desperately wanted a chance to find out.

  He had to find her.

  Out Now Vampire in Distress!

  Dangerous Designs – book 1 of Design Series

  Drawing is her world...but when her new pencil comes alive, it's his world too.

  Her... Storey Dalton is seventeen and now boyfriendless after being dumped via Facebook. Drawing is her escape. It's like as soon as she gets down one image, a dozen more are pressing in on her. Then she realizes her pictures are almost dra
wing themselves...or is it that her new pencil is alive?

  Him... Eric Jordan is a new Ranger and the only son of the Councilman to his world. He's crossed the veil between dimensions to retrieve a lost stylus. But Storey is already experimenting with her new pencil and what her drawings can do – like open portals.

  It... The stylus is a soul-bound intelligence from Eric's dimension on Earth and uses Storey's unsuspecting mind to seek its way home, giving her an unbelievable power. She unwittingly opens a third dimension, one that held a dangerous predatory species banished from Eric's world centuries ago, releasing these animals into both dimensions.

  Them... Once in Eric's homeland, Storey is blamed for the calamity sentenced to death. When she escapes, Eric is ordered to bring her back or face that same death penalty. With nothing to lose, can they work together across dimensions to save both their worlds?

  Gem Stone

  A juvie kid trying to stay on the right path stumbles into trouble...

  Gemma takes her camera everywhere. From juvie hall to a halfway home, the new hobby gives her a focus she'd never had before and...hope in a future. Until she takes pictures of something that could get her killed.

  And not just her...after she and another juvie girl are chased by a stranger to the halfway home that same night, the other girl goes missing and Gemma knows she needs help. But who can she trust?

  Not the authorities that's for sure. Trusting them is impossible for a girl with her damaged history, and besides, who cares about a troubled kid...especially when trouble just naturally seems to find her.

  In Cassie's Corner

  Faith and loyalty are tested as a young girl learns what it is to believe – in herself, in her friends, and in life after death.

  Cassie's best friend, bad boy Todd, is gone. Gone as in dead. Gone as in ghost. But she doesn't realize that when he wakes her in her bedroom and begs her not to believe what they say about him. It's not until the next day when her parents tell her about the accident that she learns the truth... The police believe Todd was living up to the family name, drinking and driving and coming to a predictable end. It's up to her to find out the truth and clear his name.

  Todd is shocked at his sudden change in circumstances...and angry. He struggles with his new ghostly reality, realizing all he's lost as he watches his brother build a relationship with Cassie as the two pair up to find out what really happened to him. The truth isn't always pretty, and Cassie has to be stronger than ever before.

  Especially when the whole world seems to be against her.

  About the author:

  Dale Mayer is a prolific multi-published writer. She's best known for her Psychic Visions series. Besides her romantic suspense/thrillers, Dale also writes paranormal romance and crossover young adult books in several different genres. To go with her fiction, she also writes nonfiction in many different fields with books available on resume writing, companion gardening and the US mortgage system. She has recently published her Career Essentials Series. All her books are available in digital and print formats.

  Published Young Adult books include:

  Family Blood Ties Series

  Vampire in Denial

  Vampire in Distress

  Vampire in Design

  Vampire in Deceit

  Vampire in Defiance

  Family Blood Ties Trilogy : Books 1-3

  Design series

  Dangerous Designs

  Deadly Designs

  Darkest Designs

  Design Series Trilogy

  Standalone

  In Cassie's Corner

  Gem Stone

  Published Adult Books:

  Psychic Vision Series:

  Tuesday's Child

  Hide'n Go Seek

  Maddy's Floor

  Garden of Sorrow

  Knock, Knock...

  Rare Find - Coming Soon!

  Psychic Visions Set, Books 1-3

  By Death Series

  Touched by Death

  Haunted By Death

  Second Chances...at Love Series

  Second Chances

  Other Books:

  Romance x3: An Anthology

  It's a Dog's Life

  Sian's Solution - a Family Blood Ties short story

  Riana's Revenge - a fantasy short story

  The Coin Collector

  By

  Kristen Middleton

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Copyright ©2012 by Kristen Middleton

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without express written permission of the author.

  “A child should be kept closest to the heart. Do not squander what is innocent to gratify that which is wicked.”

  Chapter One

  “Did you see that, Trent?” whispered my younger brother, Ben, as we stared into the darkness towards the old house across the street. “The weird light coming from his hands?”

  We were kneeling in Brent’s bedroom with the binoculars, trying to get a better glimpse of the short, stocky man who’d just walked out of his garage for the fifth time. Now he was pacing back and forth, talking to himself and looking agitated.

  “No,” I sighed. “And frankly, I’m really getting sick of spying on the neighbor, Ben. This is ridiculous.”

  His eyes narrowed. “You don’t believe me, do you?”

  I snorted. “What? That he’s some kind of goblin or boogieman?”

  “Yes! I saw him disappear and then reappear a few minutes later. He had a black pot, too. I swear to God, there was a stack of bright gold coins inside.”

  I groaned – nine year old boys and their wild imaginations. “Okay, Ben, that’s enough.” I stood up and walked over to the light switch. “You were obviously dreaming.”

  “Wait,” he whispered loudly as he stared through the binoculars again. “Oh, my God, Trent. He did it again!”

  I rushed over to the window. “What?”

  “He vanished into thin air. He’s gone.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, he’s probably in the garage.”

  “Why are the lights off then? Who walks around their garage in total darkness?”

  Deciding to humor him, I grabbed the binoculars and waited. Even though I didn’t believe in Leprechauns, I had to admit that the neighbor across the street certainly looked like the kind in picture books, especially with his red beard, bulbous nose, and short, stubby legs. He also wore a lot of green.

  “See anything?” asked Ben.

  “No.”

  “Just keep watching,” he said.

  Ten minutes later, out of patience and feeling foolish, I stood back up and stretched my legs. “This is ridiculous. I don’t have time for this. In fact, I have a lot of homework that’s due tomorrow. You’re on your own, bud.”

  He turned back towards the window. “Fine, but if something happens and he comes for me…”

  “Ben, nobody is coming for you.”

  The sound of the bedroom door creaking open made us both jump.

  “What’s going on in here?” asked our mother, Mira, flicking on the lights.

  Releasing my breath, I pointed to Ben, who looked like he’d just pissed his pants. “He thinks the neighbor across the street is some kind of Leprechaun or something.”

  She raised her eyebrows. “A Leprechaun? Mr. O’Darby?”

  “Yeah, mom!” he said, rushing to her side. “I saw him disappear into thin air and his hands, they were glowing!”

  “Oh, Ben,” she smiled, putting an arm around him. “You’re letting your imagination run wild, again. You know there are no such things as Leprechauns.”

  He pushed the dark hair out of his eyes. “But…”

  She groaned and shook his shou
lders, playfully. “No buts. It’s getting late and,” she wrinkled her nose, “you could use a shower. And there will be no more television before bedtime either, young man. Obviously some of the crap on television is warping your young, impressionable mind.”

  “Fine. I’ll take a shower but I still think that guy is hiding something.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. By the way, Trent, we need to talk,” she said, turning to me.

  “Why?” I asked, although I already had an idea of what it was. Parent-teacher conferences had been earlier today and I was slipping in both Math and History.

  “In your room,” she said, snapping her fingers.

  “Okay,” I answered.

  She followed me down the hallway to my bedroom and then closed the door behind her. “Listen,” she said, leaning against the door. “We really need to talk.”

  I sighed. “I know. School. I’ll try harder.”

  She rubbed her forehead with the tips of her fingers and shook her head. “It’s not about school, although I’d appreciate it if you would try harder. I wasn’t very happy today. You’re supposed to be graduating this year, have you forgotten?”

  “No. I haven’t, okay?” Why did parents have to be so freaken condescending? “I’ll bust my ass and try to raise my grades. Maybe even do some extra credit.”

  She nodded. “Good.”

  “So, what did you want to talk about?”

  She bit the side of her lip. “I want you to keep an eye on your brother. Especially at night, when I have to work.”

  “No problem. I already do that now.”

  “Well, keep a closer eye on him.”

  “What’s the big deal?” I asked.

  “Listen, don’t repeat this to Ben but there were two missing children reported earlier today, in Barnet. A boy and a girl – both only ten years old.”

  Our mother works in the local Sherriff’s Department as a dispatcher.

  “Who took them?” I asked. Barnet was the next town over, less than five miles away.

  She shrugged. “That’s just it. Nobody really knows what happened. Both of them left school, walking their separate ways, and nobody has heard from either of them since.”

  “Nobody saw anything?”

  She shook her head. “No, unfortunately. Both kids lived within walking distance of the school so they weren’t missed on any bus. The police have been searching the surrounding neighborhoods and wooded areas all evening.”