Trinity Found: The Lost Daughter Of Angor Series - Book 1

by Settle Myer

  I sit up with realization. “Is this...”

  Julian nods. “Angor. Welcome home.”

  I hop out of bed then immediately fall to the floor because my balance has been thrown out of whack, likely from sleeping way too long. Julian is by my side, helping me stand. He escorts me to a black velvet curtain and pushes a button on the wall to reveal a set of double doors leading to a balcony. Julian opens one door, and I hold up my hand to block the glaring sun. Once my eyes adjust, a beautiful new world appears before me.

  I step out onto the dark grey limestone balcony until I reach the Balustrade railing. My new home sits at the top of a small hill, surrounded by plush cherry blossom trees robust with bright pink leaves. A garden to my right is packed with bushes of peonies, hydrangeas, and yellow roses. I also see a patch of herbs and inhale the air letting hints of mint, sage, and rosemary fill my nose.

  Past the castle grounds, a winding road that disappears behind bright purple wisteria trees. In the distance, a city fills the sky. Dozens upon dozens of sleek window-filled buildings extend to the stratosphere, taller than One World Trade. It’s too far away to tell, but what appears to be tiny aircraft zip back and forth around the skyline.

  A brisk wind whips my locks around my face, and I close my eyes, letting the breeze envelop my body. Every molecule speaks to my soul, sharing stories of its adventures across the land. This breeze has flown past mountain tops covered in snow. It’s skimmed the waters of oceans as clear as crystal. Filling my head are flashes of smiling and giggling kids playing in piles of leaves swirling in a harmless squall. I see couples walking hand in hand along waterways, pausing on bridges to steal kisses. Families gather at dinner tables to share jokes and talk about their day at work or school.

  I sense Julian by my side. “Isn’t it breathtaking?”

  “It’s everything I ever dreamed it would be and more.” I beam and bring Julian into a hug. He rubs my back as I wipe away tears that escape from my exhausted eyes.

  “Hyde is truly captured?”

  Julian takes my hand and pushes my palm, activating that all-too-familiar button. “He is. He’s awaiting sentencing, and then he’ll be transported to the prison of Hatia. He will have his virtues taken away.”

  Julian and I hold hands and walk back inside. “How do they take away virtues?”

  “Scientists have been researching virtues for centuries. About a hundred years ago, they discovered a medicine that can suppress the brain's parts that allow us to execute our powers. I don’t know much about it. It’s classified information. A highly protected serum. It’s rarely used, mostly on violent and dangerous felons.” Julian frowns. “Though, it’s been used a lot more lately because of the rebels.”

  “I’m surprised Hyde never tried to get his hands on it.”

  “Oh, he’s tried. And failed. Multiple times.”

  A knock on the door interrupts my Angor History 101 class.

  Julian releases my hand to answer. “I believe there is someone anxiously waiting to meet you.”

  King Elijah pokes his head around the door, cautious as if he would be walking in on Julian and me getting nasty. His nervous face lights up with pure delight the moment he spots me standing and not dead. He rushes in, pulling me into the biggest bear hug I think I've ever received. I'm to the point of near suffocation before he releases me. His haunting eyes glazed with tears, but he puts on a strong face and refuses to let those tears fall. He kisses the side of my cheek, letting his beard tickle my skin.

  He’s not in the formal outfit I saw in the video. He wears grey sweats and a black T-shirt with the word The Magiks on the front. It could be a sports team. Maybe a band name. I’m not sure. His beard seems to have grown inches longer since the video just days ago. His eyes are the same color as mine, green with hints of brown speckled throughout.

  We sit on the bed, my father by my side of me. He takes my hand and squeezes. It's no Julian squeeze, but it’s familiar even though this is our first meeting. I realize Julian is no longer in the room, leaving us to our reunion in private. A void coats the pit of my stomach in response to Julian’s absence. This can’t be healthy. I can’t need someone so much that, when they’re gone, a piece of my soul goes with them. Perhaps since we’re new to this whole anima mate thing, that constant yearning for Julian will fade away.

  “I’m so happy you’re finally home,” my father says with a strained voice.

  I frown at the pain and guilt that engulf me. All coming from my father.

  “When you were born, I held you in my arms. It was the best thirty minutes of my life.” He rubs his palms over his face. A face that seems to have gained five more wrinkles in the last few minutes. “Sending you and your mother away... it was a difficult decision, but it had to be done.”

  My parents really did everything they could to keep me safe, yet he still feels it was not enough.

  “I understand.”

  “The team told you I’d searched for you every day for the past eighteen years?”

  “Yes.”

  “I wasn’t even sure if you were alive. But I never gave up. After losing your mother, you were all I had left.” He sighs shakily. “Did you at least have a good life?”

  “I did. The family that adopted me, the Parks, was wonderful. They put a roof over my head, kept my tummy full, clothes on my back, and offered all their love a child could hope for.”

  A hint of relief hits me. My father accepts that my entire life hasn’t been ruined. But barely. I feel he will never truly believe sending my mother to Earth with me was the best decision, especially since she did not survive.

  “Oh! Something I’ve meant to ask. What’s my time of birth? Julian and I believe we’re anima mates.”

  My question catches him off guard. It takes him a few seconds to gather his thoughts. I try to dip in to see what’s plaguing his frown, but he’s built a barrier. Makes sense. A King wouldn’t want just anyone snooping around up there.

  “We named you Trinity because you were born at three. Thirty-three in the morning during the Obscuratus, the triple eclipse,” he says. “And as for Julian being your anima mate... I searched the birth records for any child born at the same time and day as you. If there were a potential anima mate, I would have found them and protected them.”

  My voice is overtaken with shock. “I don’t understand. My bond with Julian is so strong. I was able to give him my virtues during the battle with Hyde.”

  “Perhaps you are a gifter: a person who has the ability to gift a virtue to someone else. There hasn’t been a gifter in Angor in centuries, though.”

  It’s as if a million knives have pierced my heart. My undying connection to Julian is nothing more than a mere crush, and me being able to gift him my virtues? Something isn’t right here.

  There’s a knock at the door, and my father stands to answer. A man in a nice suit, wearing an earpiece like he’s secret service, enters.

  “Your Majesty, the council is ready.”

  King Elijah nods at the man then turns to me. “I’m afraid I have to leave to get dressed for a meeting. Hyde’s sentencing is tomorrow. Will I see you at dinner tonight?”

  “Of course.”

  My father gives me one more kiss on the forehead before leaving.

  I sit in shock at my father’s news that Julian is not my anima mate. It doesn’t make sense. I reach for my neck, and the pit of my stomach drops when my fingers graze bare skin. My necklace. I had stored it away in my belongings during the fight at the portal so I wouldn’t lose it. I glance around the room for the bag, but it’s not there. A glimmer catches my peripheral, and relief takes over the moment I spot the necklace on the bedside table. I put it on and hold it in my clenched fist. I’m about to open the box and replay my mother’s video. It's something I’ve done a dozen times now. Any chance I got to see her face and hear her voice again. But a knock at my door pulls me from my doubts and despair.

  I clear my throat. “Come in.”

 
A petite young woman with short blonde hair walks in, holding a small box.

  “Your Grace,” she says. Her voice sounds like she’s been inhaling helium.

  She hands me the box wrapped in silver paper, completed with a dark red bow. The fae-like woman curtsies at me then rushes out. I tear open the present to reveal a phone. I squeal with delight. Finally!

  I beam ear to ear while opening it. I turn the phone on, and it appears to be already activated. What to do first? Set up social media? Browse the internet? Would it be the same internet as Earth? Does Angor have its own worldwide web? I'll have to ask Julian all these questions. And as if he was listening to my thoughts, a text pops up on the screen. Julian saved his number in my phone under the name: Moody Julian. I gasp. How did he know! Did I dream about Moody Julian while he was by my side over the past twenty-four hours? Did he read my mind while I was sleeping? That little twerp!

  I smile and open the text.

  Go to your picture album

  -MJ

  I roll my eyes at his text signature and find the pictures on the phone. My heart skips a beat. They're from Nashville at the painted wings. He saved every last one; the selfies we took together, the ones of me posing in front of the artwork. I stare at the picture of us kissing. It stirs the butterflies living in my stomach. How could he not be my anima mate? With every smile from Julian, my heart grows a size bigger. With every kiss, my lips melt to his, never wanting to let go. I have never been in love before, but this intense reaction I have in response to that grumpy, handsome protector of mine can’t be merely a crush. I've had crushes before. Ahem, Shiloh. What Julian and I have is deeper. It's intense. I need answers.

  Me: Where are you?

  MJ: I thought you needed time to spend with your father, so I went home.

  Me: I’m coming over. What’s your address?

  Chapter 15

  “There are flying cars in Angor?” I say, wide-eyed at the hovering vehicle in front of me. That must have been what I saw in the distance flying around the city buildings.

  “Yes, ma’am!” a booming voice behind me belts out.

  I whip around to a handsome, midnight-haired man, grinning as big as his strong face will allow. He’s about a foot taller than me and has possibly more muscles than Reed. He's younger than Reed, though. By at least ten years. I’d guess twenty-five.

  He reaches out a hand. “Hi, I’m one of your new bodyguards, Dallas.”

  I accept his greeting. “Dallas? Like the city in Texas on Earth?”

  “That’d be the one,” he says and walks past me. He opens the car door. “My parents met during college here in Angor. Got married and decided to take their honeymoon on Earth. They ended up loving it and move there. There were huge Cowboys fans.”

  I follow him to the car but stop before getting in. “So, you were born on Earth?”

  “No, they returned to Angor to give birth to me. But I've been to Earth to visit a few times. It’s beautiful there. I’d say just as magnificent as Angor.”

  I always imagined Earth to be the lesser version of Angor. Perhaps I’m wrong. Yes, Angor has better technology, cleaner air and water, and advanced medicines. But do they have a better handle on poverty, equality, and social injustices that plague the Earth? I know Angor has its issues. Hyde is a clear example of that.

  I get into the flying car, and Dallas closes the door. He hops into the passenger side next to the driver, and we take off. I hold on for dear life while buckling my seat belt. I’d never been on a pIane before, and this flying car is basically a tiny plane in disguise. The interior looks like any normal car with dark grey seats and tinted windows. It's some type of SUV. I'm not good at name brands. And who knows if Earth brands exist on Angor.

  We exit through heavy metal gates guarded by at least half a dozen men and women. I also spot a team of guards stationed along a massive stone wall, carrying guns and wearing bulletproof vests. I peek behind us and realize there are at least three more vehicles trailing along.

  “Is the princess motorcade really necessary?” I ask.

  Dallas glances over his shoulder from the front seat. “Absolutely.”

  “Seems like it’s painting a target on my back. Anyone who sees us passing is obviously going to know it’s a Royal motorcade. Maybe not a good idea so soon after Hyde’s capture and return."

  Dallas considers my words, realization flashing across his face. “Dallas to base. Can we lose Bravo, Charlie, and Delta? Over.”

  “Roger, that,” a disembodied voice squawks back.

  I look back just in time to see the other three cars pull away. That's when I notice the castle. Oh, my God! I now live in a castle!? Surrounded by that massive stone wall I just saw, the castle sits at the top of a hill. I count at least a dozen towers with dark grey roofs topping a stark white stone exterior. The design combines late Gothic and early Renaissance architectures. This nerd knows her castles. Besides dressing up for Comic-Cons, I also did larping with Chance and Xoe. Live action role playing. We went to renaissance fairs dressed in rented costumes of divine dresses only royalty would wear. How funny that I am living out the real thing. Though, not exactly in those heavy fabrics of silk and brocade royalty once wore.

  I take in the sights as we soar along the roadway. We fly along a line of redwoods on my right with leaves the deepest green I'd ever seen. On my left, the distant city. If there were a cloud hovering above, the tops of buildings would pierce through. I wondered if ancient buildings with haunted histories are tucked in between the modern skyscrapers. Like the ones in New York City. One block, you see a thirty-story tall apartment building will all the amenities. The next, it’s the Flatiron Building with its unique triangle steel frame.

  “Is that city called something, or is everything just Angor?”

  Dallas chuckles. “That is the city of Gora. Named after the ancient language our people once spoke.”

  “Is Gora the capital?”

  Dallas shrugs. “In Earth terms, I suppose. We don’t necessarily have capitals. However, Gora is the most populous city in all of Angor. And it’s where leaders from cities around our realm meet to discuss politics.”

  We turn down a dirt road in the middle of nowhere between rows of pine trees. I roll down the window and take a deep breath, and my body fills with the smells of Christmas. We arrive at a modern, cottage-styled home with stucco walls painted a light blue and three huge bay windows decorating the front. There’s a small porch where Julian sits in a chair, waiting. He stands the moment he hears us pulling up.

  My heart responds to the sight of him. It picks up speed as if that would get me into his arms faster. The moment the car stops, I jump out and run to Julian. He swings me around, planting a passionate kiss on my lips. You'd think we have been parted for years, not merely an hour. I give him a dozen more pecks on his mouth, cheek, nose, and chin before he lets me back down onto the ground.

  Dallas leans against the car, hands in pockets, smiling at our puppy love.

  Julian waves. “Dallas, how are you? How's the wife?”

  “She got a new job at Blake tower handling paperwork for refugee homes. She’s loving it!”

  “That’s good to hear. Nice seeing you again,” Julian says and takes my hand.

  We walk through the front door, and I'm met with beautiful white walls, light wooden frames around doors, and a brick wall in the living room. A light grey couch and recliner fill the room paired with light brown side tables and a glass coffee table. There's a fireplace on another wall with a shelf full of pictures of a young Julian, one picture of I assume to be his mother and his mother younger and pregnant holding hands with an older version of Julian. Definitely his parents.

  “How are you feeling?” he asks, wrapping his arms around me. He peers down my short frame.

  “Better.” I stand on my tiptoes to kiss him. He covers my lips with his, and I sigh against his mouth.

  I open my lips, inviting his tongue in. He accepts eagerly. A small moan escapes m
y mouth, and Julian growls in response. He picks me up, and I wrap my legs around his waist. I hear the wind pick-up outside, and it slams the door shut behind us. We ignore the booming noise as Julian carefully walks us up the stairs. With every step, I find a new spot along his jaw, his neck, his collar bone to kiss.

  This is it. We're finally giving in to the anima mate. The danger is no longer there now that Hyde has been captured.

  Julian gently sets me down on his bed topped with a royal blue blanket, neatly made. My eyes wander around his room. The white plastered walls are relatively empty except for a painting here and there: one of the waterfall he showed me in his memory, another of a mountain range. He has a black dresser that lines a wall and a desk with a massive computer set up on top.

  Julian cups my chin between his thumb and index finger to turn my head around back to him. He smiles wickedly before taking off the black t-shirt. It messes up his hair, sending strands to stand in all directions across his head.

  I stand, tracing his bare chest with my fingertips. His breath hitches at my touch. I trail my nails down his stomach over his sculpted abs until I reach the buckle of his belt. I stop and take off the light purple sundress I wear. Now I stand in nothing but a black bra and panties. Lace panties. Turns out, Chanel had stocked my closet and drawers with clothes upon my return. She left me a note saying King Elijah asked her for help because he was clueless about what a teenage girl would want to wear. Chanel kept the wardrobe relatively conservative, but she did sneak in some naughty outfits and lingerie.

  Julian’s cheeks paint red, his eyes wide as he scans my body. But his sight darts back to my heaving chest, my cleavage surely dancing as my breathing gets heavier. He wraps his hands around my sides and pulls my body against his. His musk invades my nose with clouds of jasmine and citrus.

  Heat fills my stomach the moment his lips crash into mine. They're intense and hungry. Not as hungry as me. I’m starving for more. I lap up every taste of mint. It's always mint. I can’t take it anymore. I need him now. I frantically start undoing his belt. He helps due to my hands shaking, like an addict experiencing withdrawal. Julian is my drug, and it’s time to get my fix.