Sacrifice
Page 30
Raphael’s laughter filtered down. “No.”
Anger filled Will’s eyes before his face softened. “Don’t move until I tell you to. If we shake things around too much this thing might go crashing down.”
“I’ve got to tell you—I’m not a fan of crashing down.”
“Are your feet underneath you now?”
“Yeah.”
“I want you to slowly stand. Slowly is the key word.”
She’d maneuvered her feet into a squat with her last effort. Centering her weight on the balls of her feet, she straightened her legs. The car dropped, her stomach plummeting as her feet slipped off the frame. She dangled out the open window, her sweat-slickened hands slipping on the vinyl passenger headrest. “Will!”
“Don’t move, Emma. Just don’t move.” She heard him grunt in frustration as she struggled to get her feet back in the car. “Can you use your power to get out of there?”
“No, I have no idea what to do. If I lift this car or myself out of here, I might fling one or the both of us down the cliff.”
“Just keep thinking of something, okay?” Terror filled his voice.
Shit. “What is it, Will? Just tell me.”
“The ledge that’s holding this car up is crumbling.”
“Time’s up,” Raphael called down.
“Son of a bitch fucking psycho,” Will growled. “I need more time!”
“Emma’s time is up. Literally.”
***
Will had never wanted to kill someone so badly in his entire life. But losing his temper now wouldn’t help Emma. He needed to focus.
He looked up at Raphael, glowing in his ghastly green light.
Oh, fuck no. “You’re going to lose the book too.”
“I’ll get it at the bottom.” Raphael raised his hand and Will felt energy flowing from the ground into Raphael’s body and out through his hand.
Will instinctively lifted his arm and blocked Raphael’s power.
Raphael’s mouth dropped and formed an O that opened and closed in shock. He dropped his hand and the power flow stopped. “What the hell? How did you…”
“You know exactly how, don’t you Raphael?”
“I suspected but didn’t see how it could be true. Yet Emma said she had a water sign on her back and it was gone after Kramer took you away. It was like the one she got with Jake, the fire symbol. If she was telling the truth, there could be only one reason for her to have the sign of water.”
“So you didn’t want me around her.”
“When I saw you at the warehouse, I didn’t feel any power rolling off of you so I didn’t see how it could be true, but better to play it safe and get rid of you. I hoped to do it the easy way.”
“You mean me just walk away?”
“Yes.”
“You know I’m not going anywhere now, right?”
Raphael waved down to Will’s position on the tree branch. “You’ve made this painfully obvious. Now I need that book more than ever.”
The car groaned again, the metal screeching on the side of the earthen wall.
“Fuck the book.” Emma’s head appeared at the top of the window, the backpack slung over her shoulder.
Will froze. “Emma, stop right there! What are you doing?”
“I’m getting myself out of this death trap, that’s what I’m doing.” She inched across the door toward Will when the car dropped another foot, jerking to a halt. Emma bounced with the car, sliding halfway off the hood. The vehicle slid down, pinning her against the wall. She cried out in pain.
“I need that backpack, Emma.” Raphael called down.
She pushed against the metal, her face straining with the effort. “You need me!”
Raphael glanced at Will with a grin. “No, not anymore.” Raphael sent a blast of energy toward Will, catching him off guard and knocking him off the tree.
Will slid down the earthen side, rocks digging into his back until he landed on top of the sideways car.
“I promise you that I’ll save Jake,” Raphael said. “If you just toss up the backpack.”
“I can’t,” she said through her gasps. “It’s stuck.”
“Then I have no choice but to free it.” Raphael raised his hands.
Will looked down at Emma’s panicked face. It glowed in the fading sunlight. “I know what you plan to do, Raphael. You want to join with me instead of Emma.”
“I always knew you were bright.”
Will slid across the car and grabbed hold of another scrub tree, straddling the sideways trunk. “How is that possible? Isn’t it like a wedding ceremony?”
“There’s another bond, a seal of brotherhood. It’s not as strong, but it will do.”
“No!” Emma shouted, grunting as she leaned her weight into dislodging the car. “Will, for God’s sake, don’t do it.”
Will’s chest tightened. “What about Emma? I want her safe.” He looked up to see Raphael’s answer.
He shook his head.
Without knowing how, Will absorbed power, creating a white glow that surrounded him.
“Emma, do you trust me?”
She paused for less than a second and lifted her chin. Love filled her eyes, replacing her shock. “I trust you with my life.”
“Do you love me enough to spend eternity with me?”
She snorted. “Now isn’t exactly the right time for a marriage proposal, Will.”
The fact that she could joke in a situation like this made him love her even more. “No sense wasting any more time, princess.”
Tears fell down her cheeks. “Yes, I love you more than enough to spend eternity with you.”
He reached his arm across the earthen wall toward her.
Her chin trembled. “I’m stuck, Will. I’m wedged in here and I can’t get out.”
“I know. Just hold my hand. Please.”
She reached her hand toward him, their fingertips barely touching.
“Get away from her!” Raphael called out.
Will leaned farther off the tree branch and laced his fingers around her outstretched hand.
“Do you remember when you told me that words held power?”
“Yes.”
“You were right. But do you know what makes the words more powerful?”
She shook her head.
“Love.”
***
She didn’t know how he was doing this, or how he knew what to do, but she felt his intention simply through their connection.
Staring into his eyes, filled with love and devotion, loyalty and trust, the words leapt into her head. They recited them in unison.
“With echoes from the beginning of time
To the last ray of light from the stars at the end.”
Bursting stars erupted overhead, their light sweeping from the sky, the tendrils swirling around Will and Emma.
“What are you doing?” Raphael screamed.
“I join my heart with yours
onto an endless path that winds through infinity
and sears our souls and power into an unbreakable bond.”
The streams of light wound around their hands, swirling down their arms and around their bodies.
“Through life and death, and all that lies between
I vow to be yours, forever.”
A bright-burning light pierced her heart. White and golden lights burst from their bodies in rays, lighting the sky in an unearthly glow.
“What have you done?” Raphael shouted overhead.
Will’s grip slipped down her hand to her wrist. “Hold on and don’t let go.”
“Never.”
The wall behind her shook, and she searched his face for reassurance. She had no idea how he knew the joining words. Or had powers. How could this happen? But she knew. It happened because she released him. May you have the life you were destined to live. Emma had given him this gift, whatever it was.
The earth behind her shook until something cold and wet seeped into her shirt. Sh
e squirmed in panic, but Will’s grip on her wrist tightened.
The entire side of the rock was now covered in water, a stream of it trickling over the cliff above them, down to the crevice, sweeping down around the car. Emma spit out a mouthful as it drenched her head.
The car moved, now pinching into her abdomen. She cried out in pain.
Will’s fingers bit into her wrist, his face hardening as he concentrated.
The water gushed now, washing over her. She gasped for breath as it poured over her head.
The car dropped several inches, pulling her down with it. Her hold on Will loosened.
“Don’t let go!” he screamed in her head.
She swallowed her panic. They were bound together now. Her power could help him. She filled herself with it and pushed it through her connection to him. If nothing else, maybe she could give it to him to keep if she fell with the car and died.
The torrential water engulfed her, pulling her down, but Will’s hand held tight. Fuzziness filled her head from her lack of oxygen. Her fingers loosened their hold but Will’s grew tighter. She felt the car give, heard metal crunching from the stress. Pulling her with it.
But Will held on and the car finally slipped away, freeing her. She dangled over the cliff with nothing but Will’s grip saving her. The rushing water stopped and she coughed, fighting for breath as he pulled her up onto the tree branch. She laid her head against his chest and gasped for air.
“Are you okay?”
She nodded, holding back her tears of happiness and relief.
“What, no sarcastic retort?” he asked, running his hands over her as he searched for injuries.
She threw her arms around his neck, burying her face into his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around her waist as he scooted back against the cliff.
“I realize being tied to me for eternity is like a death sentence, but no need for hysterics.”
She hit his chest with her fist. “Shut up, Will.”
He tilted her head back, staring into her eyes. “Thank you.”
She had released him to his destiny, yet she didn’t know how he did the things he did. “What about Raphael?”
Will grinned. “He left. Once he realized he was out numbered, he hightailed it out of here.”
“Once he realized who you were.”
His eyes hardened. “Yes.”
“So you are Water.”
Will straightened. “No.”
“But…how?” she looked up at him in confusion.
He cupped her cheek, his eyes filled with love and devotion. “I told you that we could change destiny.”
She shook her head in confusion.
“I’m the son of Water.” His mouth found hers as he finished the seal to their vow.
A slow, methodical clap echoed overhead. Emma’s head jerked up, terrified that Will was wrong and Raphael had returned. Instead, a man she didn’t recognize stood at the edge. “Emma, I hear you’ve been looking for me,” he called over the edge.
Emma’s eyes widened as she glanced from Will back to the man.
“Who are you?”
“I’m Marcus.” A lazy grin spread across his face. “And I’m your worst nightmare.”
About the Marks
Three intertwined symbols are on The Chosen Series covers: a trident, fire and water. All three appeared on Emma’s shoulder blade at various times.
The trident was the symbol that Jake branded on Will’s forearm as proof that Will was The Chosen One, the protector of his mother Emma. That mark was highlighted in Chosen.
In Hunted, the symbol for fire is highlighted on the cover and embedded on the title and chapter heading pages. Fire is the symbol that appeared after Jake was conceived and the symbol on the pendant Emma’s father gave to her mother.
Water was highlighted in Sacrifice because Emma realizes Water has control over Raphael and sets out to find him. Also, Will discovers his birthfather is Marcus, the element water.
The fourth yet untitled book will have a new symbol.
Acknowledgments
Thank you to my children for tolerating Mom’s crazy work schedule and spontaneous, yet embarrassing, dance numbers. At least I don’t do it in public. Yet.
Thank you to my critique partner and friend, Trisha Leigh for keeping me sane and talking me off a ledge when my new developmental editor sent me an email that began with “Sometimes it’s good to start these editorial letters with a big glass of wine.”
Thank you to my new developmental editor, Alison Dasho. I loved her instantly when she encouraged more wine consumption. (Ironically, I did not drink before reading her lengthy editorial letter.) She not only jumped into Will and Emma’s world feet first and running, but was excited to be part of it. Her enthusiasm, encouragement, and fantastic ideas, made Sacrifice a much better book.
Thank you to Bill Cameron, mystery writer extraordinaire, whom I’m lucky to call a friend. Not only has he offered encouragement and advice in a whole variety of publishing subjects, but also introduced me to the wonderful Ms. Dasho. For that alone, I will be eternally grateful.
Thank you to Jim Thomsen and Jill Mueller for line edits, copy editing and proofing.
Thanks to Laura Morrigan for creating another awesome cover!
And finally, thank you to my readers. There are a million books to chose from and you chose to read mine. I’m honored, flattered, and humbled. I cherish every email or comment I get. I do not take you for granted.
Ever.
About the Author
Denise Grover Swank lives in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. She has six children, three dogs, and an overactive imagination. She can be found dancing in her kitchen with her children, reading or writing her next book. You will rarely find her cleaning.
You can find out more about Denise and her other books at www.denisegroverswank.com or email her at denisegroverswank@gmail.com
Contents
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
About the Marks
Acknowledgments
About the Author