Copyright © 2019 Tamara Geraeds
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Cover design by Deranged Doctor Design
Editing by Samantha and Rachel, Proofreading By The Page & Ambition Editing LLC
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 …
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
CHAPTER 32
CHAPTER 33
CHAPTER 34
CHAPTER 35
CHAPTER 36
CHAPTER 37
CHAPTER 38
What’s next?
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CHAPTER 1 Book 3
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
PREVIOUSLY, IN CARDS OF DEATH
A lot has happened up till now, and in case you forgot or didn’t read it, here’s a quick recap of the most important stuff.
I am Dante Banner, sixteen years old and living in Blackford, Idaho. My mother has been suffering from mysterious fits for years and five years ago my father went missing.
A couple of days ago, my mother was suddenly fine again. On that same day, I got word that my father had passed away and left me a mansion: Darkwood Manor. When I went there to explore, I found a ramshackle house with five ghosts in it: D’Maeo, Maël, Jeep, Taylar, and the stunning Vicky. It turns out I am their master. They are my Shield and will do anything to protect me. They cannot leave the house, unless they come with me, and if we get separated, they automatically return to Darkwood Manor after a while.
I was told that I’m a Mage, which is pretty much the same as a wizard, but without the pointy hat and ridiculous robes. I have the power of premonition, which is pretty nice, but not very useful in a fight.
A battle between good and evil seems to be raging and I’m suddenly caught in the middle of it. It turns out I’m the only one that can save the soul that keeps the Devil in Hell. I’m not sure how that works yet. All I know is, I received two demon cards, called the Cards of Death, that showed symbols pointing to the person I was supposed to save, a Mr. Timson. We had to keep him from committing a crime and stop him from getting killed. Although some of my so-called friends, Paul and Simon, made this job difficult for me and my Shield, we saved Mr. Timson. You’d say that means we’re fine now, but I have a bad feeling about this whole thing. Maël was captured by a magical tree in the Shadow World and I’m not sure she’s fully recovered. And there’s so much I don’t know. How can an inexperienced Mage like me keep the whole world safe from the Devil?
CHAPTER 1
I steer my Dodge Phoenix through the woods slowly, with the windows rolled down, so I can breathe in all the earthly smells. It feels peaceful after the giant battle we just had. My leg hurts, but I pay no attention to it. We defeated the demons and saved Mr. Timson. We did what we were supposed to do. We saved the world. We still don’t know why the Devil needed Mr. Timson’s soul to escape Hell, but we made sure he didn’t get it.
After dropping off my Shield at Darkwood Manor, I don’t feel like stopping yet, so I drive straight ahead, through the center of Blackford and into the forest on the other side. The wind in my hair blows away all the questions tumbling through my head. Questions about Dad’s powers and his disappearance, about Hell, demons, angels and people who betray their friends.
After a ten minute drive, I park Phoenix at the side of the road and kill the engine. For a while I just listen to the absence of sound. Everyone is asleep, even the animals in the forest. All the madness I’ve seen in the past days suddenly seems far away.
Cheerful chirping wakes me. When I try to roll into a more comfortable position, my knee bumps against the steering wheel. Phoenix groans in protest and the bird on her hood flies away.
I yawn, stick my head out of the window and breathe in the fresh scent of a new morning. A squirrel rushes past and I smile. “Yes, it’s a new day. Good morning.”
I start the car and drive back to Blackford’s city center. I take a right, past the police station and look at the familiar houses. I’m not sure why, but it eases my nerves to see that everything here is still as boring as it has always been.
Mom calls just as I pass Rodney’s DIY shop.
“How’s the floor?” she asks.
Oh, right. The flooding. I forgot all about that. I was a little busy sending a bunch of demons back to their hellhole. “It’s drying.” That’s probably true.
“Someone is coming this morning to put in a new one, so I’ll be home after breakfast.”
“Okay, Mom.”
“How was your day? Have you been able to entertain yourself?”
I almost chuckle. “Sure, it was fine. How about you? No fits?”
“None at all.” She sounds as cheerful as I feel.
“I can’t tell you how happy I am about that.”
“That makes two of us, honey. So what did you do all day? Boy stuff?”
I’m just trying to come up with an answer, when I see a flicker in the corner of my eye. My head swerves right and I gasp.
“Dante? Are you still there? I can’t hear you.”
I hit the brake and Phoenix comes to a grinding halt. “My phone is almost dead, Mom. So I’ll see you to-“
I hang up and blink at the patch of grass between the two houses on my right. There was another house there just now. It was vague, but it was there. I could even see light behind one of the windows.
I drop my head on the steering wheel and sigh. All the crazy things I’ve seen in the last couple of days are getting to me. I should go home and get some more sleep.
I rub my face and look up.
“No way.” Instead of just a house here and there, there are complete blocks on both sides of the road. Someone steps out of a doorway that shouldn’t be there.
“Charlie!” It takes me only a second to recognize my best friend.
As soon as his blond head turns in my direction, I fumble for the door handle.
I jump out of my car and flinch when I put weight on my wounded leg. I almost forgot about the gash that demon gave me. “Hey,” I pant. “What’s going on here?”
There’s no answer. Charlie is gone. So are the houses I saw.
“I need rest,” I tell myself.
I turn back to Phoenix, ready to get back in and drive home.
A car passes me in the middle of the road.
“Hey, you’re not allowed to drive on the grass strip!” I yell out of habit. But the
n my gaze is pulled towards the tarmac. Dark grey tarmac. No grass.
I blink rapidly. The asphalt disappears, making way for familiar green.
I take a step back, bumping into Phoenix. My vision blurs. No wait, not my whole vision, just part of it. The houses that I’ve always known are crystal clear. Next to them, blurry buildings appear and vanish with every heartbeat. Strips of color move past me. Sounds fade in and out.
Then I see him again. “Charlie!” He must have crossed the street while I was looking around.
The street returns to normal when I blink. There’s a loud panting in my ears and I whirl around. “What’s going on?” I hold my breath. The panting stops. “Oh, that was me.”
I scan the street and every patch of green in between. I’m alone.
When I pinch myself, it hurts. “No dream,” I whisper. “Maybe a premonition?”
A glance into the future, where building permits are finally granted? But why is Charlie in it?
Determined to find out, I cross the street. A weird sensation floods through me when I set foot on the grass strip in the middle of the road. For a moment, I see a pick-up truck coming towards me. Instinctively I step back onto the tarmac. A strong draft pulls at my body. It passes quickly and I shake my head. Just another figment of my imagination. Or a warning, who knows.
I reach the spot where I saw Charlie and turn in every direction, taking in every detail of what I see. “Charlie?” I call out. “Are you here?”
He disappeared very suddenly, so maybe he went into one of these houses? Or around them?
I take a step towards the grass between the houses, when another flash hits me.
I almost bump into the door of the building that has appeared in front of me. It doesn’t look real somehow, so I touch the wood. Instantly I pull back. The house reminds me of the ghosts in my Shield; transparent, yet very solid. For a second it vanishes again, only to come back clearer.
I push the door before I lose my nerve. Three people are sitting at a table. One of them is Charlie. When he sees me, his eyes grow wide.
“What are you doing?” I ask, stepping forward. “Where are…?”
I halt when the house and the people in it dissolve again. Under my shoes, the grass rustles softly. A door slams, but there’s no one here. Footsteps approach and I walk backwards as quickly as I can.
“Watch out!” Charlie’s voice says, and an invisible force grabs me and pulls me back onto the sidewalk. I yell when a sharp pain shoots through my leg.
Although I’m pretty sure nothing can hurt me in a premonition, I struggle to free myself.
My best friend blinks in and out of view. One moment the bright yellow of his flowery shirt blinds me, the next I see only grass.
“Charlie? Are you there?”
I hear voices mumbling.
“Just let me talk to him,” Charlie says. “Before he hurts himself.”
“Fine,” an irritated voice answers. “But he’s not ready yet.”
I roll my eyes. “Here we go again, with the not ready thing.”
Close to me I hear the creaking of a door. I follow the sound with my eyes, but there’s nothing there. Everything has turned back to normal.
Until a blond head manifests itself.
I cross my arms over my chest. “There you are. Finally.” I nod at the empty space under his head. “You don’t look so good.”
He follows my gaze. “Oh crap.” The rest of his body appears, wrapped in familiar flower patterns and shorts. “Sorry about that. I’m still getting used to this zapping thing.” He scrutinizes me. “You don’t seem scared.”
I shrug. “I think there’s a glitch in my premonition. Besides, I’ve seen worse.”
“Oh, right.” He scratches his head. “The demons. Yes, those were pretty nasty.”
“Demons, ghosts, the devil, nothing surprises me anymore.”
He’s still scratching. “Okay, let’s sit down for a minute. I have to tell you something.” He puts his arm around me and guides me back to Phoenix.
For a second, I see all the extra houses light up again, but I ignore them and drop into the driver’s seat. “Shoot.”
He takes a deep breath. “You’ve seen some crazy stuff lately, right?”
I look him straight in the eye. “You could say that. But I’ve dealt with most of them. My lying friends are probably next.”
He raises his hand. “We’ll get to that later.”
I clench my teeth. “I can’t wait.”
CHAPTER 2
There’s a shout outside and our heads swerve to the left. The house we just left is still visible, but not so peaceful anymore. I blink when a girl with bright red hair flies through the front door. She’s probably a product of my imagination, like the blinking houses. But she doesn’t disappear and I duck when I realize she’s going to hit the car.
It’s a good thing my window isn’t fully closed yet, because Charlie raises his hands and a slick substance shoots past my face. It looks like melted caramel, but when it hits the ground, it forms a solid wall.
Just in time. The girl slams into it, and bounces back unhurt.
I move my gaze back to Charlie, who smiles apologetically.
“Wow,” is all I can say.
I take the keys out of the ignition and step onto the street. The girl is bent over, panting. I reach out my hand to her. “Are you okay?”
She grins and I meet her glowing yellow eyes. With a cry of surprise, I jump back.
She touches her face. “What? Do I have blood on my nose or something?” She looks down at her red catsuit.
I fumble for the car door.
Charlie appears at my side. He puts a hand on my shoulder. “It’s not you, Gisella. Dante’s veil is lifting.”
I frown at the gibberish coming out of his mouth. I know I’m dreaming. But this is not a premonition, like the ones I had before. It must be my mind trying to process everything that has happened. Only minutes ago I was in the middle of a supernatural fight. Days ago, I didn’t know magic was real. I didn’t know I was a Mage. A lot has changed lately.
“Oh.” The girl drops her hands and smiles. “I remember that. It can be frightening.” She steps closer to Charlie, which makes me flinch beside him, and brings her head towards his. It looks like she’s about to kiss him, but at the last moment she pulls back and winks at me. “It’s nice to meet you, Dante. Let me know if you have any questions.” With a whoosh, she turns around and walks away.
“Oh, Gisella! Wait!” Charlie yells after her.
She stops.
“Dante is hurt. Would you mind helping him out?”
She cocks her head and looks me up and down. Slowly she walks back to us, her hips swaying. “Okay, but only because he’s your friend.”
Her hands move along my body, almost touching me, but not quite. They stop at my lower leg. “You’ll have to remove the bandage.”
I gulp.
“Don’t worry, you can trust her,” Charlie says.
“Yeah? I’ve had some disappointments in that department recently, so I’m not so sure.”
“Look,” Gisella says firmly. Her yellow eyes glow. “I can heal you, or you can keep stumbling around and catch an infection. It’s your choice.”
She sounds sincere, so I lower myself back into the car and unwrap the bandage.
Her hands tickle my skin. I expect warmth to flow through my leg, but instead, it’s as if a hundred ants run over it. It stings and tickles at the same time. I feel the need to pull back, but Gisella holds on tightly. “Keep still.”
I close my eyes and wait for the feeling to subside. When it does, I look down… and let out a shriek. My leg has disappeared.
“What did you do?” I want to push her aside and scramble backwards at the same time.
Charlie grabs my arm. “Wait, she’s not done yet.”
“But-“
“Shh,” Gisella says. Her face turns as yel
low as her eyes and she bends forward.
Fear immobilizes me. Is she going to eat me?
She sticks out her tongue, which is long and black. It glides slowly over the spot where my leg should be. A tingling feeling shoots through me and my whole body trembles. Bit by bit, my leg becomes visible again. The wound is gone.
I draw in a sharp breath. “Wow.”
Charlie slaps me on my good leg. “I know. She’s awesome, right?”
“I… I’m sorry. I just… Thank you.”
She straightens the shiny fabric of her catsuit. “No problem. See you later.”
She walks back into the house, that blinks out of view again.
I turn to face Charlie. “Well, this is the craziest dream I’ve ever had.”
He shakes his head. “You’re not dreaming. Like I said, I have a lot to tell you.”
I look at the greasy wall, slowly melting and disappearing into the tarmac. “Should I park somewhere else, in case more people come flying?”
“Probably. Can we go to your house?”
“Sure.”
We get into the car and drive in silence.
I try to ignore the extra roads popping up in the middle of the streets and the houses that were never there before. It’s hard, because sometimes there are also people walking in and out and cars zooming by out of nowhere.
A loud honking almost makes me drive off the road. Luckily Charlie grabs the wheel.
“Thanks,” I mutter, still not sure whether I should trust him or not.
I turn left and a minute later I park in front of my house. Charlie follows me inside and flops onto the couch. “Okay, tell me what you already know about magic.”
“Why don’t you just tell me everything?”
He chuckles. “Because we’d be sitting here for a week.”
“Fine.” I put all my annoyance into my gaze as I sit down in the chair opposite him. I start counting on my fingers. “Ghosts are real. So are demons, the devil, Hell and, hopefully, also heaven. There might be angels, too, but I’m not sure yet.” I’m not ready to tell him about the voice, so I’m skipping that detail. “Apparently I’m a Mage and so was my father. And at least two of my friends told me they were on vacation, while they weren’t and they were fighting each other.”
The Second Premonition Page 1