by T J Kelly
"Don't jinx it," I moaned, but then laughed, too.
"Hey, you're the one who practically asked fate for a new assignment."
"Right? But for real, even if it did, we'd find a way to win."
"Exactly," he agreed. He hesitated as we picked our steps carefully, climbing down one of the steeper slopes that led to the field of chocolate lilies. It wasn't the right time of year for them, but we wouldn't have left my uncle's land to view them, anyway. Staying within his borders was an ingrained habit. "It's almost a comfort knowing that we've dealt with all these problems. Even though we have our entire future ahead of us... to deal with an entirely new set of problems." He laughed, eyes sparkling as he teased me.
"I -" My mouth dried up and I couldn't finish my sentence. He was right. Life was a series of challenges to overcome. But every time we did, everything got better. Maybe it was hard sometimes. But it was worth it. No wonder the center ring of the Laurus Wheel of Fortune called out for infinite hope. Every time I stepped into those rings, I had the chance to make the world a better place. "True."
"It would be nice to have a little break, though. Tamp down on the upheavals for a while. I'm finally used to how things are now."
"Do you think I've changed?" I wondered. We turned and walked along the backside of the castle, continuing the circuit.
"Sure. I mean, you have way more control, and that allows you to be who you were meant to be."
"And who is that?"
"Yourself." He laughed when I rolled my eyes at him. "No, listen. You had the weight of the world on your shoulders when we first met. And you were so sad about your parents. But I could still see you somewhere in there, and I've always loved that person. Now other people can see you, too. I'd say that's a change, but a good one."
He was right. I wasn't a different me - I was more of me. Now that I had found my place in the world, I didn't even have to think about it anymore. I wasn't scared I would mess up and destroy the planet. Or hurt the people around me. Freedom from that gave me the ability to look outside of myself and embrace the rest of my destiny.
"Well, I love you, too, Peter Makenna."
The Light flared, giving off a visible glow where our fingers intertwined. "One thing that has definitely never changed. Your thoughtfulness."
"Is that a nice way of saying I think too much?" I joked.
"Not a chance. We could all stand to think about things more. I'm talking about how you put others before yourself. You have more darkness inside of you than any other light magician in the world, yet you have more compassion and empathy than the rest of them, too. Or maybe it's because of your darkness." He stopped walking, tugging me closer to him, slipping his arms around me. "Plus, you're beautiful and you totally kick butt. I mean, how did I get so lucky?"
I grinned, looking into his eyes as I slipped my fingers through the hair at the base of his neck. My magic, my company, the Irregulars, my family. My friends. And Peter. There really wasn't anything more I could ask for. "I'm the lucky one," I replied before giving him a kiss.
And I was.
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About the Author
T.J. Kelly writes Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, and Sci-fi novels. Destiny called on her thirteenth birthday when her mother asked the local bookstore owner to choose thirteen books a girl her age might like. The resulting pile of sci-fi and fantasy novels was her first love. When she can tear herself away from reading and writing, T.J. watches movies, asks countless questions, and bakes treats. Originally from California, T.J. now lives in Texas where she’s hard at work on the companion series novels to the Armageddon’s Ward series.
www.tjkellybooks.com
A message for my readers
Lia inherited the silver rings that made up the Wheel of Fortune and Compass Rose. When I first started this series, I knew I wanted an overarching theme to come through. Those rings became a symbol of that desire, so I sat down and designed the rings myself. I’m no artist - my simple pencil design is rickety and shaky, but it tells a story. I’ve included a digital version on the spine and interior of every print book, and it is on the floor beneath Lia’s feet on the cover of the first book.
The compass shows us our direction. The outer ring displays the symbols for the planets, the heavenly bodies placed all around us. The center holds the Compass Rose, the marks that show our direction. Included are the symbols for the different elements that humans believed throughout history made up everything, including who we are.
The middle ring holds a series of runes: the binding agent in Lia’s spells, and the connection to the outer limits of our universe and inner guiding light. They spell out the words “infinite hope.”
From the first book to the fourth, the one thing that pulled Lia through was hope. Sometimes she didn’t have it for herself. Her family and friends were the ones who gave it to her. Other times, she was the one who gave hope, sometimes because of things she did, and others simply because of who she was.
Magic, the magic in my books, isn’t real. But hope is. And that is the true magic in this world. Just like Armageddon taught Lia, there is always a Plan B. All you need to do is keep going.
Thank you for taking this journey with me. While Lia’s story in the Armageddon’s Ward series is finished, there are other characters waiting for me to write their stories. There are moments that we’ve never seen because Lia wasn’t there, people who lived lives we’ve yet to glimpse. I look forward to sharing them with you soon.
Acknowledgments
Thank you for reading my novels. I truly hope you enjoyed them. But they would not have been possible without the support of many amazing and talented people!
My family sustains me, supports me, and loves me. They motivate and inspire me every day of our lives. I couldn’t have done this without them.
Much thanks goes out to my beta readers. You helped guide Lia’s story with all your questions, impressions, and reality checks. It still amazes me how willing you were to spend your time making my books better.
An amazing editor corrects, suggests, and educates. Guides and encourages. Best of all, you made the world I’ve created better. With all my heart, thank you.
Eagle-eyed proofreaders are the final quality check before the world sees my stories. You have all my gratitude for catching the things I’m too close to see.
I especially want to thank my cover artist. You took everything I’ve dreamed about since the idea for this series came to me and made it so other people could see it, to
o. Amazing.
Cover models don’t always look like the main character in a series, but mine is as close as humanly possible. Strong, beautiful, and shining with an inner light of goodness and concern for others - you, my lovely girl, nailed it.
And for my friends, writers and life-long creatives, new and old. Thank you for being there pretty much 24/7. Wow.