by AR Colbert
“Really? You tried to kill me, and you have no explanation for it? You just expect me to accept your apology?”
“I do have an explanation.” He ran a hand through his hair. It had fully dried in all kinds of odd angles, and he looked more down to earth with the messy locks of a normal dude rather than the finely styled hair of a star. “I just can’t share it with you.”
“Because Tate told you not to?”
He gawked at me.
“Yeah, I heard you guys. Did he really ask you to try and kill me?” I swallowed the lump in my throat, unsure if I really wanted to know the answer. It was no secret that Tate was after my soul, but to think that he would ask his friends to help bring me down just… well, it kind of hurt my feelings. Which was ridiculous, I know.
“Not exactly. It’s complicated. But no. I wasn’t trying to kill you. And neither is he. We just… never mind.”
“Nope. You can’t just never mind the end of that thought. If you are genuinely asking for my forgiveness, you’re gonna have to explain.”
“I can’t. But you know that sometimes a big emotional event can trigger your powers to kick into play, right?”
“I do now.”
He smiled. “Well, I’ll leave it at that. But I wanted to make sure you know that I’m done. I have nothing to do with whatever happens in the future. And I’m sorry for toying with you over the last week. But you did look good in that bikini.” He winked. “Soo, truce?”
I shook my head. “I don’t think so. Not yet. But I appreciate your apology.”
“Well, I’m headed back to LA this weekend. The movie was canceled. If we run into each other again, I hope we can be on good terms, or at least start fresh. But if not… well, I appreciate you letting me get that off my chest, anyway. Take care of yourself, Everly.”
“Thanks. You do the same.”
He offered another genuine smile, then rolled the window back up and drove away. Once his red tail lights had rounded the corner ahead, I turned around to find myself alone on the sidewalk. Dom really knew nothing was going to happen to me. She must have coaxed Sean and Gayla back inside. I took a moment to breathe in the cool night air as Clayton’s words swireld through my mind.
Tate couldn’t take my soul until he had proof that it was fractured. And he wouldn’t get that proof until my powers appeared. But what if I beat him to the punch? What if I could somehow induce my own emotional event that could bring them forth?
I thought through different scenarios as I made my way back up to the apartment. My friends were all gathered in the living room, anxiously awaiting my return. They’d probably been staring out the window at me, if I knew Sean.
“Everything okay?” Dom asked, though she already knew exactly what Clayton’s intentions were.
“It will be.” I sighed. “I’m gonna go get showered up and hit the hay. It’s been a long week.”
I disappeared into my room, draping Tate’s jacket over my desk chair. My mom getting kidnapped was pretty traumatic, and that didn’t trigger my powers. Tate caused an explosion in the gallery and almost drowned me on Gayla’s boat, then Clayton almost ran me over and drowned me again for good measure. Nothing had caused my powers to appear.
Was there really anything I could do that would?
I picked up my vitamin bottle, shaking the very last pill into my palm. I looked at it, thinking of my mom. Don’t worry. I’ll get my powers somehow and find you if it’s the last thing I ever do. I swallowed the vitamin and turned toward my bathroom, stopping for just a moment to eye the books still stacked on my desk.
If I couldn’t trigger my own powers or practice dark magic on my own, I wondered if there was someone else who could lend a hand in that department. Osborne said there was another fractured soul on campus. What if I found them first? What if they could somehow lead me to this Rasputin guy and he could help me dream waltz to my mom?
Or better yet, what if he could help me trigger my own powers?
There was only one way to find out…
To be continued…
Want to see what happens when Everly tries to dabble in dark magic? Order Episode 5: Unraveling, now! Or sign up for AR Colbert’s newsletter and be the first to know when each new episode is released.
A DEEPER LOOK
Saint Anthony’s Hall: While described as a literary fraternity, the St. A’s chapter at Columbia is the original and perhaps most mysterious chapter of this collegiate society in existence. This elite, and extremely exclusive frat has seen its fair share of scandal and controversy over the years, but one thing is certain: only the wealthiest of the wealthy will ever know what secrets truly lie within the walls of Saint Anthony’s Hall.
ABOUT THE SERIES
The Lost Keepers is an ongoing series following the adventures of Everly Gordon and the powerful beings in her world. Each installment is a fun-sized short novel, similar to an hour long episode of your favorite TV show. The installments are released rapidly - one month apart (or faster!) so you never have to wait long for the next book.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
AR Colbert is a wife, mother of two, and life-long daydreamer from central Oklahoma. She believes in the magic of a good story and would love nothing more than to spend the rest of her days getting lost in books. Her other hobbies include baking, cheering on the Oklahoma State Cowboys, and obsessively scrolling through Zillow.
You can follow her online on Goodreads, Facebook, or Bookbub to learn about new releases.
Other books by AR Colbert:
The Ember Society Series
From the Dust
From the Earth
From the Embers
From the Flames