by Debra Kristi
Even though I move with purpose, I hear what Jaden tells Ry, and for someone professing to only pick up on emotions, he sure seems to know a lot.
When their exchange ceases, Ry is suddenly at my side. “Kaia is a part of who and what you are. Whatever you saw, it can be overcome. You won’t lose her.”
“But I already am, Ry. I’m not just blowing things out of proportion. I could see our connection fading.” Blinking rapidly, I fight the burning at the brim of my eyes.
“Then it’s Dreya’s forces at work against us, for sure. We’ll defeat them, I promise.”
Except nothing is reassuring right now.
I’m so focused I hardly feel the jagged rock floor on my battered feet as I move hastily forward. Ry and Jaden are at my heels when the shimmering pool comes into view. My pace quickens. A new inner instinct drives me, and I know what I must do.
“Hold on, Ana,” I hear Ry say, but I’m not really listening to him anymore. “We should talk about how this works and what to expect.”
I move forward without pause, gaining speed, take a deep breath, and leap directly into the center of the pool. Bubbles. Everywhere there are bubbles. Beautiful, gleaming globules. Like I’m sinking in the center of a lemon-lime soda. Effervescence abounds. And then it’s all white, the foam turning to turmoil, until a hand reaches through the milky cloud, taking mine firmly in his own. I know it’s Jaden. No one sends signals through my system the way he does. Another splash, more suds and discord. Ry’s present too. Pointing toward a radiant light, wavering between purple and turquoise, I direct us downward.
Plunging deeper into the luminescence, a tug pulls at my entire being. The deeper we go, the tighter the tug, the more I fight to hold onto Jaden’s hand, to keep from losing him in the blinding foam and light. Ry’s nothing more than a mere glimpse to me now, with all the foam bouncing around us. I focus on regulating my heartbeat as the Toran pulls and pushes at us. It allows me only the occasional glimpse of Jaden’s face. I strengthen the grip between us and dive faster, remembering fear can be controlled.
The water suddenly spirals, spinning us around a tight liquid funnel. I hold onto Jaden with all that I am when the force throws me into him. He wraps his arms around me, pulling my body against his own. We whirl through the plume in a twist, everything tightening around us to an almost unbearable point. We’re squeezed through an unseen opening. It feels impossibly small.
The designs on my body light up, casting a blue aura in the water around us. Part of me slips away as we leave the human world behind. My friends, the life I knew, all of it. Everything’s changing in a twirling, fluid mist. The glow fades, only to be replaced by a turbulent rush of attacking water.
Is this it? Have we crossed over, only to be dumped at the bottom of Niagara Falls?
“Ana. You have come. Remember, you belong to me. You are mine.”
I gulp a mouthful of lake water, and my heart thrums into overtime. I panic—a little. I let my arms slide from Jaden’s hold as I twist in the frenzy, looking, searching for Dohlan. But I can’t see anything, only foam. Even Jaden is gone.
“Welcome home, Puteri.”
Ana Janssen Raine’s adventures will continue in
More by Debra Kristi
FANTASY/PARANORMAL
The Moorigad Dragon: The Age of the Hybrid, Book One
Reap Not the Dragon: The Age of the Hybrid, Book Two
NEW ADULT/HORROR
Dark Perceptions
ANTHOLOGIES
Dark Carnival: An Anthology of Horror
Five Minute Love Stories
Bigfoot Confidential: Finally the Truth Revealed
Open Doors: Fractured Fairy Tales
Meet The Author
Debra Kristi was born and raised a Southern California girl. She still resides in the sunny state with her husband, two kids, and three schizophrenic cats. She is not immortal and her only super power is letting the dishes and laundry pile up. When not busy drumming away at the keyboard spinning new tales, Debra is hanging out creating priceless memories with her family, geeking out to science fiction and fantasy television, and tossing around movie quotes.
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Acknowledgements
Thanks to all the readers, reviewers, and book bloggers. You are the backbone of every book and without your support mine might never have seen the light. You are the best of the best.
Major hugs to my bodacious beta readers and critique partners. You help keep the beat of the muse active. Love and appreciate you all so much: Nicole Breton, Martha Ormande, Leandra Savage, Kristy K. James. Tameri Etherton, you are so much more. You are my lifeline and I couldn’t have made it through this writterly process without you. All the encouragement and inspiration, and the laughs—so many laughs. You are embedded in my heart.
I can’t put this book out without special mention and hugs to Brandee. You’ve been there almost from the beginning and your support and encouragement means the world to me. Deep felt thanks, my friend.
For helping tumble this gem into a sparkling diamond, my forever gratitude to my team of editors. Tiffany Johnson of TJ Writeography. You have a beautifully, skilled way of calming my chaos. Shelly Stinchcomb Tegen and Holly Kammier of Acorn Author Services and Marcy Kennedy, many hugs and smiley faces for helping guide the story earlier on. You guys are amazing! Thanks be to Gaea for my excellent proofreader, Eden Plantz. I appreciate you so much.
To the creator of the beautiful cover and interior formatting, Melinda Vanlone of Book Cover Corner, the brilliant creator of the Balance Bringer Symbol, Carrie Osborne, and the ever talented designer of my website makeover, Laird Sapir, you ladies take my breath away. Thank you doesn’t cover it.
Without the full support of my marvelous husband, Scott, this book might still be flailing to find its way. Thank you, love, for all the critiquing, listening, and willingness to play single parent, time and time again. I couldn’t have done it without you. Love and adoration to my kids, Ryan and Alana, for allowing me computer time (to work, not to play). If they hadn’t done so this story would most likely still be unfinished.
Finally, my forever love and thanks to my always supportive mother, Lynne Freeman, for her endless encouragement and continuous patience. I am so lucky to have you backing me. And to my amazing extended family I’m so lucky to have…there aren’t words for how fabulous you’ve been.
Glossary of Terms
The Balance Bringer Chronicles, Book One
Aubadetruss: Wristband that harnesses the sun.
Aura: The invisible energy radiating from an individual.
Balance Bringer: Chosen individual born to the warrior and Fae races, bringing balance to the realms at the hand of a higher power.
Dream-walk: Living an experience, past, present, or future, in a dream-state.
Era: A measure of time marked by calendar events.
Equinox: Time of year when day and night are of the same duration.
Feline Preservation Center: Home for large, endangered felines.
Fires of Gaurdoone: Eternal flame capable of killing immortals.
Gradnar’s Honor: Hiddenkelian warrior cry honoring the great fallen leader, Gradnar.
Hiddenkel: Homeland from where Anala Janssen Raine originates.
Incubus: A demon who takes on the appearance of a man in order to seek sexual intercourse with women.
Lightning wand: Weapon harnessing light and used against the Tenebrousian.
Lles dei luz: Hiddenkelian for I grant thee light.
Mãnah: Hiddenkelian for mother.
Tenebrousian: Hiddenkelian name for the darks ones or shadows.
Toran: Gateway between worlds.
Toranik: Sto
ne marking a Toran defense area.
Usoda: One of twenty-four warrior tribes spread across the vast lands of Hiddenkel.