Kindle Edition
Amazon
Category:
Young Adult/Teen
Publisher: CHBB Publishing
ISBN-10: 1939769744
Type: Fiction
Pages: 238
Copyright: January 22, 2016
ISBN-13: 9781939769749
Price: $3.99 (eBook)
Final installment of the Hidden Wings Series.
No one knows of Lucian’s long-held secret—a recently transformed Nephilim daughter. Unfortunately for the Gray house, Lilith believes Emma is the one responsible for killing her father, and her deep-rooted hatred has turned into an envious obsession.
Powerful, with wings as dark as night, revenge consumes Lilith’s every thought, only to be fueled by Lucifer’s lies. Her newly transformed gifts have raised the danger level. Her aim is to strip Emma from everyone she loves, and has Lucifer’s Fallen warriors to aid in her task.
Receiving help from Midway, Emma reconnects with friends of old and new, and hopes it will be enough to keep them all alive.
Excerpt
Chapter 1
“Emma, wake up.” I blinked several times, trying to focus in the darkness, only to find Kade’s distraught eyes hovering close by. “Another nightmare?” he asked.
I nodded, wiping the beads of sweat from my brow and then cuddled close to him, resting my head on his chest. The beating of his heart had a way of calming my anxiety, soothing my every fear.
“Maybe you should talk to Alaine,” he whispered, pressing his lips to the top of my head.
“I’ll talk to her in the morning,” I exhaled.
“You’re shaking.” His hands rubbed down my arms. “Was it about me?”
I could sense a hint of concern in his voice.
“No,” I breathed. “It was about Alaine this time.”
I tried to erase the visions of her scorched and blistered body from my mind, but it was still there. In full color. Terrorizing me. The smell of smoke was still lingering in my nose, and the heat of the flames still felt warm on my skin.
I didn’t want to worry anyone with my troubles, but it was the third time this week I’d woken Kade with these horrifying nightmares. Every night it was a different loved one, and they were getting stronger as they progressed.
What was most unnerving was the shadowy figure with onyx wings present in every one. I could never make out the face but could sense its twisted pleasure as it watched me suffer.
I’d had enough of watching my loved ones endure horrible and painful deaths. Although they were nightmares, the pain was real and lingered for days after. It was something I couldn’t just erase. These dreams ate at my soul, keeping me tight in its cold, indifferent arms, holding on through my waking hours.
I prayed they weren’t premonitions, and I prayed Kade wouldn’t be in any future nightmares. I’d watched him suffer in real life, and it’d shattered my entire being. Now that we were bonded, watching it happen again would kill me.
I glanced over at the clock. It was four in the morning, but I didn’t want to go back to sleep.
“Where are you going?” Kade asked as I slipped from the warmth of his arms.
“To make some coffee and read the book Lia sent me.”
“You sure you don’t want to stay here with me?”
“You know I do, I just don’t want to go back to sleep.”
His hazel eyes swirled with desire. “I didn’t say we had to sleep.”
“Are you seducing me, Mr. Anders?”
A grin played on his lips as he pulled the covers down. “Maybe.”
“Well then,” I exhaled, jumping in next to him. “Coffee can wait.”
*****
Around eight o’clock the next morning, I made my way across the lawn from our cottage to the main house. Alaine had remodeled the cottage as our wedding gift, keeping the design simple, yet elegant. We loved having a place to call our own while being within arm’s reach of family.
Being greeted at the kitchen door by Miss Lily, she pulled me into a hug and offered me breakfast. With my stomach still unsettled from the nightmare, I politely refused and headed into the foyer. The stained glass angel above had been completely reconstructed, along with the chandelier and the tiles underneath. The house was restored back to its pre-Fallen War glory. It felt as if nothing had happened here…which bothered me.
Continuing on my way to Alaine’s office, I paused right before the stairwell and stood in the area where Malachi and James had given their lives. The memory would forever be etched in my mind. It was something I wanted to forget, but I knew I never would. The thought of their untimely deaths released a rush of emotion inside of me, and I found myself fighting to hold back the tears stinging my eyes.
“Emma?” Alaine’s voice startled me. She was standing in the hallway just outside her office.
“Hi,” I answered, wiping a stray tear from my cheek. “Sorry about that. I wanted to see if you were available for a bit?”
“Emma, I’m always available for you, or Kade, day or night.” She smiled and gestured for me to enter her office. “And don’t ever feel like you need to hide your emotions. We’re all still trying to cope with the loss of our dear friends. It’s been rough on all of us. I have troubled memories every time I enter the foyer. But it also makes me appreciate what I have,” she took hold of my hand, “like you and Samuel.”
“Where is he?” I asked.
“Running errands and picking up some floodlights for the perimeter. A few were burned out, and Henry said we’d run out of spares. He should be back soon.”
She made her way behind her desk and sat down. “So, what is it you wanted to talk to me about?”
I sat down in the seat across from her and folded my hands in my lap.
“This past week, I’ve been experiencing vivid nightmares.”
“Nightmares?” Alaine leaned forward, her eyes concerned. “Tell me about them.”
My insides trembled as I thought back. “The first one started with Samuel. The next night was Jeremy and Lia, and last night, it was about you.” I looked deep into her auburn eyes.
“What happened to all of us?” She was very calm which helped my shakiness.
“You all…died.” I paused, taking in a deep breath before continuing. “Samuel was crucified to a tree in a dark forest, and by the time I reached him, it was too late. Jeremy and Lia were encased in a large glass box which was filling with water. I watched them drown and there was nothing I could do to save them.” Tears flowed down my cheeks. “Last night, you died in a fire. I couldn’t save any of you. Even with my power, I was helpless.”
Alaine reached across the table and took my hands into hers.
“It was just a nightmare, Sweetheart. We’re all still here, still alive.”
“But what if it’s not just a dream? I’ve experienced premonitions before, all of which came true.”
“If they are premonitions, they could be warnings telling us we need to tighten up our perimeter and security.”
“Yeah,” I breathed. “But, that’s not all of it.”
Her eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”
“In every dream, someone else was there with me. It was a member of the Fallen because it had long, black wings, but their face was always obscured.” My heart was pounding. “What if it’s him?”
Her eyes narrowed. “Who?”
“Lucifer.”
“It can’t be him. He’s bound to the Underworld,” she said. “So many awful things have happened to you in such a short time. Maybe returning here, where most of it happened, triggered the dreams. We all know Lucifer is plotting his revenge, but the Creator himself bound him. There is no way he will get free. Plus, your grandfather put a stronger barrier around this place, to keep the Fallen out. But still, we should be more attentive. There are Fallen who are able to do his bidding.”
I sighed. “It’s seems never ending.”
“We’ll get through this,” she said, her eyes showing hope and promise.
“Yeah, I’ve been so emotional lately and can’t seem to pull myself out of it. I still can’t walk past parts of this house without crying.”
“Me too,” she breathed. “They were a huge part of our lives, and it’s difficult knowing we’ll never see them again. But their memories will live within us, forever.”
“I’m glad I still have you, Samuel, and Kade.”
She stood and walked around the desk, wrapping me in one of her warm hugs. “It’ll be all right. We’re safe here, and you are much stronger than most of the Fallen out there, especially with Kade by your side.”
After I had left Alaine’s office, I headed back to Kade. He wanted to take me away for a few days, hoping it would be a remedy to the nightmares. Maybe a change of scenery was what I needed.
I agreed, so we packed a small bag, rented a car, and drove south. He wanted to check out an old mining town at Hatcher Pass, to do some hiking and blueberry picking. It was an attempt to blend in with the humans, and try and regain some of my humanity even though it was the smallest part of me.
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