by Liz Bower
CONTENTS
Copyright
Dedication
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Chapter Forty-Four
Excerpt from Vision in Faith
About the author
Acknowledgements
Vision in Trust - Copyright
Copyright © 2016 Liz Bower
All rights reserved. With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the author, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or real persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people, except by agreement with the vendor of the book. If you would like to share this book with another person, please use the proper avenues. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
First Edition: May 2016
ISBN: B01EVVS0UU
This work is registered with the UK Copyright Service: Registration No:284703231
Book cover design: PremadeEbookCoverShop.com
Editing: Hot Tree Editing
Proofreading: Proofing Style, Inc
Dedication
To every single person who took a chance on reading Vision in Love, thank you! I hope you enjoy this one.
Prologue
Lancashire, England -1700s
William leaned his forearm against his flail and wiped the other across his forehead, smearing a streak of earth and sweat in its wake. The harvest had his back aching and his fingers blistered. He surveyed his field, sprawled out in front of him, and almost groaned at the amount of work he had left to do.
As he bent to lift the flail, he caught sight of the shadowy figure he'd spoken to not even a week prior. As the figure made his way towards William, an unnatural quiet descended. The leaves rustled in the trees as the birds took off in flight and even the slight breeze had dropped. The man inclined his head towards William as he stopped in front of him.
"Your final wish is ready." He lifted his arm and pointed towards the river with his clawed hand. William dropped his flail and started off in the direction the man had pointed.
"Thy shalt have wealth, as thee wished for. Your family will be of great repute and with this …" The man lifted a gnarled hand and William's gaze followed where he pointed. "Your final wish. Thy hast a bridge built by my own fair hand and the reeds of the river Alten."
William gasped at the sight before him, never believing this man could make his wish come true. Panic gripped his chest as the implications of that bridge hit him.
"You remember the deal, don't you," the man whispered as he moved closer to William. His foul breath blew across William’s face, reminding him of spoiled meat, before he continued, "Time to surrender your soul."
William spun on his heel to face the man and put some space between them. "Wait!" William needed to buy himself some time because there was no way he was risking the chance that this man could take his soul. William moved closer to the bridge and hesitantly lifted his leg. But before he stepped onto the bridge the water lapped at the foot still on solid ground. The tide is rising.
"Thy knew the deal. Thy agreed to the terms."
William faced the man, taking in the bony eyebrows and hollow cheeks. His flesh hung loosely, as though it might slip off at any moment. William repressed a shudder at the sight. "I know the deal but I want to cross the bridge at high tide. Then you will have met my final wish." The man's flat black eyes bored into Williams before he inclined his head slightly in agreement.
And so they waited in silence, only the sound of the river between them. As the waters slowly rose it began to cover the reeds. They began to sag under the weight of the water until they were carried away with the flow downstream. The man beside him let out a wail as the last reed was washed away.
My soul is mine.
CHAPTER ONE
Present day
Jess jumped at the creak of the door, running towards it when the light began to fade as it swung shut. She slapped her hand against it futilely as it closed, locking her inside the burial vault. She screamed and hammered her fists against the door, but who would hear her? Who would be in the graveyard at that time of night? In fact, what was she doing there? She couldn't remember how she even got there. She turned to lean against the door then slid down to the floor, wrapping her arms around her bent knees. Her eyes burned as the memory of being locked in there as a child by her eldest brother, James, came back to her.
Oh, God, James. Was that why she was there? She raised her head and looked towards the raised stone plinth. That was when she saw the beam of the torch. Had her brother, Matt, left it in there earlier when he had brought her and Emma in there? Slowly, she stood and made her way to the torch. Picking it up, with her back against the wall, she swung it around the vault. There was nothing but cobwebs and stone walls. She lit up the stone plinth and crept towards it.
Her chest started to hurt, and the tears finally fell as she saw James laid out flat. The skin around his neck was red and raised, reminding her of Matt after he had been attacked not so long ago. James's shirt was ripped, revealing deep, ragged scratch marks. She moved the torch down to where the cloth was missing completely over his heart. Shimmering in the beam were four puncture marks, blood red against his pale skin. Tentatively, she reached out and gently touched his cheek. She gasped at the iciness of his skin, and a sob tore from her throat. What the hell did this to him? And why? She dropped her gaze, unable to look at him through her tear-filled eyes. But she jerked her head up when she felt him move beneath her hand. A scream echoed around the vault—hers, she quickly realised.
"It's okay, Jess. I will always protect you."
She screamed again at the sound of Rob's voice. It was Rob's cheek underneath her fingers as
she snatched her hand back. She took a step back as he sat up, reaching for her.
"Jess?"
She could hear the concern in his voice, but she couldn't help it—she turned and ran.
Her legs kicked as she tried to flee, but became tangled in the bedsheets. Jess sat up straight, her scream dying on her lips as her eyes adjusted to the darkness and she recognised the familiar sight of her bedroom. She dragged in a shaky breath and leaned over to switch on her bedside lamp, jumping as the bedroom door was flung open. Pulling her hand back, she twisted it into the covers to try to stop it from shaking.
"Are you okay?" Emma asked. She was standing in the doorway, Matt peering over her shoulder.
Jess turned to look at Emma and said, "It was just a dream."
Emma glanced over her shoulder at Matt. "Why don't you put the kettle on? We'll be down in a minute." Matt checked her over then nodded before Jess heard his footsteps on the creaky stairs. Emma made her way into the room, almost closing the door behind her. Jess looked up at her and saw Emma's forehead creased with worry.
Jess gave her an attempt at a smile and said again, "It was just a dream."
Emma sat on the edge of the bed. "If it was just a dream, how did these get here?"
Jess looked at her hair, Emma having gathered it in her hand against Jess’s shoulder. Several cobwebs laced through it, a stark contrast of white against her dark locks. Glancing back up at Emma, her eyes wide, she shrugged. She didn't know what to say.
Emma dropped Jess's hair and rested her warm palm against her friend’s cold arm. "And do you always sleep with a torch switched on and under your covers?" Jess tensed, and Emma rubbed her hand up and down Jess's arm. "It's okay."
Jess stared at the torch, then at Emma's hand, moving slowly across her skin. Quietly, Jess said, "It was in my dream. The torch. There were cobwebs there too."
Emma kept rubbing Jess's arm and whispered, "I don't think it was a dream, Jess. I think you had a vision."
Jess lifted her head at Emma's words then sucked in a loud breath. "But ..."
"Can you tell me about it?"
Jess nodded. "I was back in the burial vault." She returned her attention to Emma's soothing touch and told Emma the rest of her vision. When she had finished, Jess got out of bed and pulled on her dressing gown. When Emma moved towards the door, Jess grabbed her arm before she could leave.
Emma turned to look at Jess over her shoulder. "What is it?"
Jess looked at the half-open door and then back to Emma. "Please, don't mention the part about Rob to Matt."
Emma turned fully so she could face Jess. "Why?"
Jess belted the dressing gown, pulling the ends tight around her waist. "I just ... He ... You know what he can be like."
Emma pressed her lips together. "He just wants to look out for you, Jess. You're his little sister."
"I know. But sometimes he forgets that I'm a grown woman, and I don't want him and Rob to fall out."
"Why would they fall out?"
"I don't know. He might read too much into it, and think he needs to protect me from Rob," Jess said, as she picked at a thread on the end of the belt.
"Why would he need to protect you from Rob?"
Jess dropped the belt and glared at Emma. "That's what I'm saying. He doesn't need to. There's nothing going on between Rob and me."
Emma said nothing, just stared at Jess as she fidgeted. "You don't sound sure. Who are you trying to convince, me or you?"
"Nobody. I don't have to convince anybody because there's nothing going on," Jess said, as she pushed past Emma towards the stairs.
***
Matt turned and handed Jess a steaming cup of coffee when she walked into the kitchen. "You okay?"
She nodded and took a seat at the table, wrapping her hands around the hot cup.
"What happened?" he asked, taking a seat next to her.
"It was just a dream. I dreamt I was back in the vault, with James."
He reached across the table to take her hand. "Well, that's understandable. We were all ... upset after that."
"Jess," Emma chimed in as she walked into the kitchen.
"What?"
Emma crossed her arms over her chest. "Tell him the rest. This isn't just about you, Jess. Matt and I are both involved already."
Jess let out a deep breath, raising her gaze to the ceiling before she dropped her head against the back of the chair. "It wasn't just a dream. Emma found cobwebs in my hair."
"And?" Emma urged.
Jess turned to stare at her but knew Emma was right. Matt and Emma had been willing to fight whatever was behind the attacks; the least she owed them was the truth. "It wasn't just James in the vault. When I-I touched his cheek ... I don't know ... He turned into Rob."
"Rob?" Matt repeated as he abruptly stood. "What the hell has Rob got to do with this?"
"I don't know," Jess said. She stood too, facing him, and trying to stop her tears from falling.
Emma rested her hand on Matt's chest to get his attention. When he looked at her, she shook her head. "Calm down, Matt, please. I also dreamt about James, remember? We don't know what it means yet."
Jess watched as his chest rose and then sank as he let out his breath with a nod. "You're right, Ems. I'm sorry, Jess. It's just ... how many more people are going to be involved in this that I care about?"
Jess raised both shoulders and slowly dropped them. She didn't know the answer. None of them did.
"Maybe we should go back there. Maybe Jess was right, that we shouldn't just leave James in there."
Jess shook her head. "I don't want to go back there. I won't. I can't see James like that again."
Matt moved in front of Jess and squatted in front of the chair she was sitting in. "We're all in this together, Jess. We all need to agree, but it has to mean something that the first vision you had was about James."
She stared into her brother's—her only brother now, she realised—hazel eyes, such a contrast to her deep brown ones—the light to her dark. She glanced up at Emma as she stood behind Matt, her hands on his shoulders. Emma, her soon-to-be sister-in-law, if Jess had her way. They were a team, in this together, so she nodded her agreement.
She would go back with them.
CHAPTER TWO
Rob stood at the bar and stared at the blonde draped over his chest, one of her hands clutching his shoulder.
She looked up at him and said, "Take me home, sexy."
At least, that's what the words slurred together sounded like. He pried her fingers from his shoulder and wrapped his hands around the tops of her arms. Gently, he stood her upright, easing her off his chest. She wobbled, and he set her hands on the bar, helping her to stand on her own.
"Sorry, but I have to go, love," Rob said, as he downed the last dregs of his pint. He grabbed his jacket off the back of his stool and shoved his arms inside. As he walked out into the chilly March night, he zipped it up. He looked up at the stars, bright against the black sky, and let out a loud, deep breath. "What the hell am I doing?" he asked the world in general. He shoved his hands deep into his jacket pockets and let out a weary laugh when he received no answer. What had he expected? Head down against the wind, he walked briskly towards home.
He let himself in, throwing his keys on the table before slamming the front door behind him. Tossing his wallet next to his keys, he shrugged out of his jacket and hung it on the hook. He grabbed himself a beer from the fridge and sprawled on the sofa, feet up on the coffee table. Taking a long swig of the beer, he rested his head against the back of the sofa, closing his eyes. What was wrong with him? The blonde was just his type. Normally, he'd have her laid out on the sofa with him, tasting her lips, her tongue. Not be drinking a beer, alone.
But ever since that night? He rubbed his fingers through the short hair at the back of his neck and sighed again. There was nothing wrong with him; he just couldn't get her out of his head. Couldn’t forget their kiss, even though he knew it couldn't happen again
. I should just go to bed. Instead, he took another sip of his beer and switched the TV on, absently flicking through the channels.
***
Rob jumped at the loud ringing right in his ear. He moved his head away from the noise, groaning as his head throbbed in response to the movement. The ringing started again, and he dug his mobile phone out from between the cushions. Squinting at the glow coming from the screen, he slid his finger across it. He had two new messages, both from Matt. A none-too-happy Matt, who was on his way to Rob's home right then. He stood, rubbing the back of his neck as he made his way to the kitchen. Stretching his back, it protested at the movement, reminding him he was thirty-one and not eighteen anymore. Too old to spend the night on the sofa. Filling a glass with water, he swallowed two painkillers, then headed for the shower.
He pulled a T-shirt over his head as he made his way downstairs, towards the banging on the front door. He pulled the door open, knowing it would be Matt. "Hi," Rob said.
"What the hell did you do to my sister?"
Shit, what had Jess said to Matt? Rob would have thought he’d be the last person she would have said something to. He certainly wasn't going to tell him anything. It didn't matter how good a friend Matt was. It simply wasn't any of his business. And nothing had happened anyway, not really. "I didn't do anything to your sister. Why, what has she said I've done?"
Matt stopped pacing at his question and stared at him. "So there's nothing going on between you and Jess?"
Rob shook his head. "She's your sister, Matt. We're friends, and I will always look out for her, but that's all." Not actually a lie, just not the whole truth. Hell, he didn't want to know the whole truth, so why would he tell it to anybody else?
Matt dropped onto the sofa; his head propped up on his hands. "She had a dream about you."