Table of Contents
The Fighter
Copyright
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
Table of Contents
The Fighter
Copyright
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
Copyright © 2016 Jessica McCrory
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, businesses and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, places, or actual events is entirely coincidental.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Cover by Pink Ink Designs
Interior design by Cover Me Darling
Formatting by Athena Interior Book Design
She wasn’t sure how long she had been in the dark. Hours had blended into days and days into weeks. She couldn’t even remember what it felt like to stand in the sunshine, and what did a breeze feel like as it brushed her hair back?
The dampness of the room had seeped into her bones, and the chill had made it so she couldn’t even feel the warmth of her blood. Anastasia wasn’t even sure she was alive anymore. On some level she hoped she wasn’t.
They had stripped her clothing from her, allowing her only the bra and underwear she had been wearing when they had taken her. They wanted to break her, she knew that much, but her stubbornness pushed through for her.
Her mouth was dry and her lips cracked from the lack of water. Her stomach burned with hunger that she knew would never be sated. At least it was a feeling, she told herself. That must have meant she was still alive, but was that a good thing?
Was her heart aching for Dakota? Did she have a heart any longer? Or was it only an empty cavity in her chest now? She knew that what she had done to Mitch had been horrible, and she wasn’t sure it was anything she could ever recover from. Maybe she was dead, and this was hell. Was she being punished for what she had done?
The door to her prison opened and she bit back a scream, not willing to show any emotion. They had come for her again just as she had known they would. Was it possible that this was the end?
They pulled her to her feet, the fingers on their large hands biting into her sensitive skin. She knew they enjoyed causing her pain. So far she had been able to push through it, but one question stood out in her mind as they pulled her down the hallway now: would she survive it this time?
It had been a month and they still had no leads. Not one fucking shred of evidence as to what happened to Anastasia. Where was she? Had she been captured? Was she even alive? Ever since Anastasia gave herself over to her magic to save him, Dakota had only had his mind on rescuing her. Then again, even if the circumstances had been different, he supposed it probably would have still been the same. He needed her, and he’d be damned if he lost her this time.
He knew that although they hadn’t given up hope that they would locate her, some didn’t believe she could be rescued even if they did find her. Rumors that The Phoenix, as they called her, had gone dark were floating throughout the village.
“It’s going to take time, Dakota,” Carmen assured him as he continued pacing the floor in the small cottage.
“It’s been almost a month,” he repeated his thoughts, “why can’t we find her?”
“Vincent is blocking her. Although his magic is strong, it is not nearly as practiced as mine. He will slip up, and when he does, you will be the first to know.” Carmen lightly touched his shoulder.
He looked down at the aging woman and smiled lightly. Anastasia looked so much like her grandmother. He could see the strength in her face and the resolution in her eyes. There was no doubt in her mind that they would find and rescue Ana, and when they did, they could start putting an end to this war.
“Dakota, we need you.” Tony, the head of the Fighters of Terrenia, opened the door to the small cottage and peered inside.
“Coming. Let me know if you find anything.”
“You know I will.” Carmen smiled softly at him.
“How is the tracking going?” Tony asked him as soon as they were outside. If you didn’t know how gentle he could be, Tony would intimidate even the brawniest of men. He stood at least three inches taller than Dakota and had twice the muscle mass he could have ever even hoped for, but Dakota knew that deep down he was just as scared that they may never find Anastasia. She had been like a daughter to Tony ever since she had been taken to Terrenia as a teenager.
“Nothing yet.” He shook his head as they walked the short distance back to the village. “Why hasn’t she opened another portal and come home?” he whispered loudly to Tony. If the other villagers knew she possessed that ability and still hadn’t come back, the rumors would get worse, and those who still believed would begin to lose hope. Dakota knew that once that happened, they wouldn’t stand a chance.
“Carmen said that Vincent is blocking her, correct?”
Dakota nodded.
“Then he may have her somewhere she can’t use her magic. Be blocking her powers just the same as he is keeping us from tracking her.”
Tony’s reply did little to soothe the growing fear in Dakota’s chest. Deep in his bones he knew they had to find her soon, or they may never get her back, and that was something he knew he wouldn’t survive. None of them would. Without Ana, they didn’t stand a chance against Vincent. She had been the one who had been prophesized to bring his demise. Without her, no one else held the power that would be needed t
o end this war, not even Carmen.
They walked into Tony’s cottage, which had become the new headquarters for the war. Maps hung on the walls tracking where the Brutes were moving in this dimension as well as where they had been in Seattle. They were continuing to bring more weapons through, and it seemed as though the more Brutes they took down, the more they continued to just pour into Terrenia.
“There’s been an attack at one of our outposts.” Brady came through the door directly behind them. He was covered in dirt and bruises, and Dakota gave him a look-over to make sure there were no serious wounds.
Brady was one of Anastasia’s closest friends, and he knew that when it came time to bring her back, they needed all the familiar faces they could find, not to mention the fact that Anastasia would kill him if he let anything happen to Brady. He had also grown to respect the boy who had been forced to grow into a man much too soon. Brady reminded him of himself, being that they had both lost their fathers as kids. Granted, Dakota had been much older than the five-year-old Brady.
“Shit,” Tony cursed, and turned to the map of Terrenia. “Where?”
Brady stepped past him and pointed to a spot just east of the village. “The scouts must have not even seen it coming. When we arrived to get the activity report, there was no one left. We ran into a few Brutes on our way out, but none of our people were there.”
“Shit,” Dakota repeated after Tony. “We have to find a way for some advance warning. Man, what I would give for an alarm system and some electricity right about now.”
“Alarm system?” Tony asked.
“Back where I come from, people can install alarms in their houses so if anyone enters who isn’t supposed to be there, it goes off, alerting anyone who might be in the house and can even be set up to alert the police.”
“That would definitely be helpful,” Tony agreed.
Terrenia had no power or running water, which had been an adjustment at first, but now Dakota found that he had grown accustomed to and rather enjoyed the silence that surrounded the village. There were no bright lights that drowned out the light from the stars, no traffic noise or horns blaring from the cars of angry drivers. Children here played outside with each other, rather than locking themselves in the house with video games.
“I’ve got it!” Robbie burst into the house, a large smile on his aging face. Robbie, along with his family and neighbors, had been sent through a portal from Seattle when Brutes had attacked their safe house. Anastasia had used the last portal vial they had in order to save them, and Robbie had made it his own personal mission to see that the village survived long enough for her to come back and finish the war. He had been a structural engineer back in Seattle, and had proven himself to be a valuable asset. Thanks to him, they had managed to beef up the structure of the wall and the outlying guard buildings.
“Got what?” Brady asked him.
“Platinum-coated stakes!” he said, and looked around the room waiting for everyone to catch up with him. When no one responded, he continued, “The Brutes have been blowing past our barriers, right? As if they aren’t even there. Even if the stakes manage to wound them, they don’t take any significant damage. But if we coat the tips in even just a small amount of platinum, then we may be able to slow them enough that we can either get our people out or put them down permanently.”
The simple nature of the plan was so brilliant that Dakota wondered why they hadn’t considered it before. Platinum was much easier to come by in Terrenia than it was back home, so he knew it was completely doable.
“That’s a fantastic idea Robbie!” Tony patted him on the back. Robbie looked up at him and smiled cautiously, and Dakota could see he was completely aware that Tony could break him if he wasn’t careful.
“It is a great idea, Robbie,” Brady agreed. “The only issue I see is making it to the mountains to get more platinum. We could also use the extra to coat the new weapons that Wade has been forging.”
“Is the way blocked by Brute camps?” Dakota asked Brady.
Brady nodded and walked to the map to begin searching it for a clear path. “The only way I see that it would be possible is here.” He pointed and traced his finger along the road. “There are two Brute camps here and here, but it is by far the most manageable. We won’t make it anywhere close to the mountains any other way.”
“Then that’s the way we will go,” Dakota said, and stood staring at the map for a moment. “How many Fighters do we have available?”
“We have thirty that are not currently tasked on something else,” Tony responded.
“We will take eight. Then the rest can stay here.”
“Eight?” Brady asked, surprised. “Why only eight?”
“If we take a smaller group, we may be able to sneak past the camps. Less risk that way,” Dakota answered, studying the map.
“But if we can’t sneak past?” Brady asked, worried.
“Then we engage. There will be ten of us including Dakota and I.” Tony pointed towards the map. “It’s a much better idea to go on a stealth mission rather than a full attack. We don’t have the manpower if they decide they want to counterattack the village.”
Brady nodded. “Want me to stay behind?”
“Yes.” Dakota turned to face him. “I know you’re skilled, Brady, and you’ve been in Terrenia a whole hell of a lot longer than me, but that’s why I need you to stay behind.”
“All right. Mom will be happy I’m staying behind on this one.” Brady laughed. “I feel like I haven’t seen her in weeks.”
“Go rest up, son, we will see you in a bit to talk about our plan.” Tony patted Brady on the shoulder and watched as he walked out. “Kid grew up too fast,” Tony said, echoing Dakota’s earlier thoughts.
Dakota nodded and then rubbed his hands over his face. The last couple of months had begun to feel more like years, and he couldn’t wait for the day he got to hold Ana in his arms again.
Anastasia rolled over and opened her eyes. Sunlight shone through the windows, and she squinted as she sat up. She was surprised when her muscles didn’t scream in protest; last she remembered she had been the owner of multiple broken bones, and yet she didn’t feel any pain as she moved.
She didn’t recognize the room, but as she looked around, she saw pictures of her and Dakota. Pictures that they couldn’t possibly have taken.
Butterflies filled her stomach as she stood slowly and lifted a picture of the two of them off the dresser. They were smiling, and she was wearing a wedding dress. “What in the world?” she mumbled, setting it gently down on the dresser. She moved to the window and gasped when she recognized her old neighborhood. She was in Dakota’s parents’ house.
She looked down at her feet and saw that she was wearing her favorite pair of pajama pants. Ones that he had gotten her for Christmas when they were in high school.
“Momma!”
Anastasia turned just in time to catch a little girl who had flung herself at her. The small child gripped her leg, and Anastasia knelt.
“I'm so glad you’re awake, Momma.” Her bright face smiled, and Anastasia saw herself in the little girl’s eyes, Dakota in her goofy grin. “Daddy said that we could have pancakes this morning! Come on, he is making them now!”
Slowly and disbelievingly, Anastasia followed the small girl down the stairs. She passed pictures of the three of them smiling. Her head was spinning. Was this it? Had she died and this was her Heaven? Maybe she wasn’t being punished after all—this seemed like a pretty great place so far.
“There are my girls.” Dakota, wearing plaid pajama pants and a dark T-shirt, turned to face them. “I was wondering when you were going to get up, sleeping beauty.
“Annabelle, go and make your bed. Breakfast will be done soon.” He kissed the little girl on the cheek loudly and she turned to run off to her room.
Anastasia stood staring at Dakota. His face was clean-shaven, unlike it had been when she had seen him last. His hair was cut shorter than she rememb
ered it, more like he had worn it when they had been in school.
She wrapped her arms around him. Even if this wasn’t real, and she really was dead, at least she got to hold him again. His arms came around her and he kissed the top of her head. She breathed deeply—he smelled like pine-scented aftershave.
After a moment she pulled away, tears filling her eyes.
“What is going on?” It was the first thing she had been able to say. Her heart ached, and her brain was insisting that none of it was real.
“What do you mean? Are you all right?” Dakota’s face grew alarmingly serious, and he set down the mixing bowl he had picked up.
“This can’t be real.”
“Ana, what’s not real?”
Her eyes filled with tears. “This, Dakota, all of this!” She gestured to the house and the pictures that hung on the walls in the kitchen.
“Honey, what’s wrong?”
“I don’t know. Last night I was in a dark, cold cave. I was injured and not even sure I was alive anymore, and then this morning, I wake up here. With you, and her.” She gestured towards where Annabelle had run off to. “It can’t be real.”
Dakota shook his head slowly. “You had the nightmare again. Ana I keep telling you, if they scare you then don’t write about them. Making them come to life like that is only going to make things worse for you.” He wrapped his arms around her again and lightly kissed her forehead.
“Write about them? You mean the Brutes?” She pushed away and backed towards the wall.
“Yes, in the book you are writing.”
“No, it all happened. It’s real,” she insisted.
“No it didn’t. Come here, baby, I’ll show you.” He reached for her, and she cautiously took his hand and followed him down a hall and into a small office.
“Oh my God.” Anastasia stepped into the room and turned. The walls were littered with sketches of Brutes and of Kaley. A timeline covered an entire wall, sticky notes with different events mapped out. She leaned in closer.
“MC sacrifices herself for 2nd MC. She is captured and tortured” was written on an orange sticky note next to a sketch of a woman who looked alarmingly like Anastasia.
The Fighter (Prophecy Series Book 2) Page 1