by K. C. Neal
I sank to the beach next to Mason, imitating his cross-legged posture, my heart thudding hard in my chest. He didn’t acknowledge me, his eyes still locked on the flames, but I could hear the background noise of his thoughts.
“Mason?” I whispered, almost afraid to disrupt him. “Are you really here, or am I dreaming?”
We’re both dreaming, he said through our link. But we’re both really here, too.
A chill washed through me and I hunched closer to the fire. I tried to ignore the seeds of panic that began to expand inside me.
Why won’t you look at me? I asked.
The fire … His distress and terror swelled through our link and hit me like an air horn, echoing heavily in the space behind my eyes.
I looked more closely at his face and noticed a tear leak from his eye and track down his cheek. As I watched, tears came faster, and his face pinched into a mask of pain. His breath became ragged, and I reached out to lay a hand on his arm.
Please, tell me what’s going on. What are you looking at?
The fire, he repeated, and he shrank away from my touch.
Fear joined panic and tightened every fiber in my body. I wanted to stand and run, but instead, I followed Mason’s gaze and looked into the fire.
The flames expanded, filling my field of vision with painful yellow-white light. I squinted against the brightness and allowed my eyes to blur and follow the random, dancing patterns of light. Just as I started to think this was a waste of time and that I should try to snap Mason out of his trance, I began to make out shapes, familiar forms.
I saw a bed in a pale, sparse room. A person lay there, still, eyes closed. I moved closer, or rather the image moved closer to me, as though I worked the zoom on a camera. I saw dark hair, the color of my own. My brother.
“Bradley?” I said, my voice trembling.
He remained still. As the image zoomed closer to his face, I noticed a haze of smoke hanging in the air around his head. And then I smelled it. The burned, rotten smell.
The black fog.
Bradley’s eyes opened slowly, as if moving his eyelids was a huge effort, and he turned his eyes toward me. He said something, but I couldn’t hear his words. I could only see black fog puff from his mouth as his lips moved.
I pushed my horror aside and tried to make out his words, a phrase repeated over and over.
Help me.
But all I could do was watch.
I woke with a sob, my head jerking to the side and arms thrashing. I shuddered and felt Mason move beside me. I turned to look at him, and as in the dream, tears flowed over his cheeks. His eyes reflected my dread and horror, and I knew he’d seen his own nightmare in the fire. He inhaled slowly, trying to calm his hitching breath.
His eyes locked on mine with sharp intensity. We have to stop it.
END
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Mimi Hayes and Richard Copsey: You’ve been my personal cheering section since the day I was born. Thank you for your limitless confidence in me.
Dustin Neal: Thank you for your unconditional support, everything you do for me, and your innate understanding of the creative life. This book never would have happened without you.
Camille Koehler and Ryan Powers: Sincere thanks for your time, generosity, and excellent feedback. You helped make this story what it is.
Aaron Patterson: Thank you for reaching out to me and instantly becoming my friend, and for helping me with everything from writing to cover art to publishing. I couldn’t have asked to meet a better example of success and vision.
Claudia of Phatpuppy Art, Tiffany Mize-Carter, and Riley: Thank you for teaming up to create such a beautiful book cover. It truly is a work of art.
Angeline Kace (Yin): I never expected that writing a book would lead me to meet someone like you. Your encouragement, empathy, advice, and friendship smoothed so many large and small bumps in the road. Thank you for being exactly the friend I needed.
Natasha Larry, Matthew Merrick, and the BNFFs: I am so lucky to have found all of you. I so appreciate all the kindness, laughs, and support.
Book bloggers extraordinaire Haley (YA-aholic), Emma (Belle Books), Kayleigh (K-Books), and Tezza (Spades High Reads): Deepest gratitude for helping me introduce my book to the world with such excitement and dedication. I am so fortunate to be able to work with great people like you.
Book bloggers everywhere: Thank you for working so hard to bring new books to readers!
Watch for ...
ALIGHT: THE PERIL
(Book 2 in the Pyxis series.)
Coming Spring 2012.
When Corinne learns who the second Guardian is, she begins to doubt she can fulfill her role as Pyxis. As she struggles with her pyramidal union, chaos and crime begin to permeate Tapestry, mirroring the tragic events of 1915. Children and teenagers fall ill one-by-one with a disease no one can diagnose, and when Bradley’s cancer returns Corinne knows she must find a way to stop the swell of evil. As her duties weigh more heavily upon her, she secretly escapes to the dream world, where she finds some peace. During one of her dream walks, she meets Zane, an Australian guy with a hot accent and a biting sense of humor. He makes a startling revelation: Corinne is not the only Pyxis, and hers is not the only pyramidal union. The more she learns about the other pyramidal unions, the more obvious it becomes that her own is sorely unprepared for what they must face. Can she find it within herself to overcome her past wounds and present fears, grow into her destiny as Pyxis, and bring her pyramidal union to coalescence?
For more information about Alight, visit kcneal.blogspot.com.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
K.C. Neal lives in Idaho with her husband and their maltipoo, Oscar. She holds degrees in Chemistry and Health Sciences, and has worked as an analytical chemist, biotech researcher, and medical writer. She’s a competitive vegetable gardener, occasional surfer, avid reader, and enthusiastic cupcake eater.
Connect with K.C. Neal:
Blog kcneal.blogspot.com
Twitter @KCNealTweets
Facebook www.facebook.com/KCNealFanPage
Goodreads www.goodreads.com/author/show/5163997.K_C_Neal
Copyright ©2011 by K.C. Neal
All rights reserved as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976. 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 permission of the publisher.
StoneHouse Ink 2011
StoneHouse Ink
Boise ID 83713
http://www.stonehouseink.net
First eBook Edition: 2011
First Paperback Edition: 2011
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to a real person, living or dead is coincidental and not intended by the author.
Cover design by © Claudia McKinney - phatpuppyart.com
Published in the United States of America
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
Chapter 32
Acknowledgements
Coming soon ...
About the Author
Copyright Info
> 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
Chapter 32
Acknowledgements
Coming soon ...
About the Author
Copyright Info