“I will.”
“Are you ready to become one with your sister?”
“I am.”
“Godly mother we ask that you give us a sign that our binding is your wish.”
They sat still and a warm breeze gusted around them. Her permission. The breeze blew harder as the soft whisper of a woman’s gentle voice rose from the zephyr. Aggie and Shauna’s breaths labored then caught, as a blinding light appeared before them.
The soft image of a beautiful woman in a long, flowing, white gown materialized in front of them, a crown of wildflowers accenting her golden hair. “You’ve done well my children, and I am pleased. Worry not about the transgressions of the others against you. Continue to do my will and teach others about the ways of my love. Another is seeking answers to her questions. You’ll find her in Langley Park. Her name is Brandilynne. She’s young and has much to learn, but you will teach her, Agatha.”
The two blood-sisters sat very still as the ethereal woman in white instructed them.
“The time to break away from your first coven has come, Agatha. They’re not a fit for you anymore. Their intentions are not yours. Battles are coming for all of you, but you’ll face them together. You will form a new coven consisting of the two of you, Brandilynne, and a fourth, whom you’ll discover soon. Continue on your paths my children. Worry not about what the others say. I am pleased. Blessed be...” A smile lit the apparition’s face as her image dissipated.
Their paths were clear and their Godly mother’s words affirmed her will. They were now satisfied—Mother’s Mias’s appearance was her blessing. Aggie and Shauna each pricked their fingers, letting the blood drip into the ruby encrusted silver goblet, before pouring in wine.
Aggie handed Shauna the cup first. “Remember the prayer I taught you.”
“I drink the blood of my sister in the hopes that it will bind us together for eternity. I ask that you give me the vision to be purposeful in my life, slow in my tongue and make me swift in the helping of others. I pray your blessing over me and all that I love.” Shauna recited the prayer from memory, drank from the cup and handed it to Aggie.
Aggie recited her own prayer then drank the last of the wine. “I have something for you.” She handed Shauna a black box.
“I didn’t know we were supposed to get gifts.”
“We aren’t, but I wanted you to have this. Open it.”
“A moonstone,” Shauna gasped while the sun flickered off the glittery nugget.
“It belonged to my mother. This stone is that of the goddess Diane. It will strengthen your intuition, help your inner growth and protect you on land and sea.” She glanced at Ascher, giving him a stern look. “I’m assuming you can protect her in the air.”
He chuckled and nodded his head in agreement.
“What about the other sisters?” Shauna asked.
“The minute they rejected you, they turned their backs on me. I’m not sure what will happen, but I’ll not let your path become uncertain while they decide what to do. Your enlightenment is so much more important. Now, you two have other things to do besides sit in a field full of weeds with me. Go and enjoy the day. Don’t be worrying about me. I’ll probably do a couple of spells tonight, read some leaves and then go to bed. I’m very glad that Katy is better. She has potential, I can feel it, but I need to spend more time with her to see what her talents are. Now off with you two, all of this love is messing with my internal rhythms.”
They all laughed.
Aggie gave her a big hug and whispered, “I love you, sister. Blessed be.”
Shauna gave her a huge squeeze back. “I love you, too. Blessed be.”
* * * *
The night was cloudless, crisp, and beautiful. They sat high atop Laurel Pointe, their eyes gazing at Sheridan in the distance. Ascher's arms wrapped around her while his face pressed into her hair. As long as she was with him, his world was complete and nothing could be wrong.
He wrapped the blanket tighter around her. She was silent, her mind reflecting on so many different things that it was hard for him to pinpoint one single thought. Her hair blew in tiny wisps around his face. Under normal circumstances, the silence wouldn’t bother him. In light of the last few weeks, he rather preferred to keep her talking. Communicating her feelings was important to her mental health. He sighed as he contemplated the best way to break the silence. “Are you cold?”
“No, I’m quite warm, thank you.”
“I’m a real jerk.”
She turned, giving him a surprised glare. “What are you talking about, Ascher?”
Ascher realized that his outburst was random, considering the silence that preceded it. “I’ve been imposing my beliefs, my history, and my family’s traditions on you. Not once, did I ask what you wanted. So now, I’m asking—what do you want Shauna?”
Shauna snuggled herself closer to him. “I have everything that I need right here with me.”
“That’s nice to know, but I’m talking about the sealing. I never asked you if you wanted a wedding.”
“No way, I don’t mesh well with weddings. The sealing will be fine by me.”
“Are you sure you don’t want a diamond?”
“This ring is just fine. I love this ring. It means more to me than any diamond ever could.” Pointing to the two baguettes on either side of the round bloodstone, she said, “Besides, I do have diamonds.”
“You’re so amazing.” He kissed her, letting his lips linger on hers as he whispered, “Tu es mon autre moitie.” He gave her a speculative glance before uttering, “Are you sure you don’t want something small? I hear destination weddings are all the rage these days.”
“Ugh, cheesy sand beaches and vows by the seashore,” Shauna groaned.
A light chuckle escaped his lips. “I’ve been thinking about it a lot. You’re human. You’ll seal to me for eternity. Wouldn’t you like to be married, as well?”
“I thought you didn’t believe in the whole institution of marriage.”
“I don’t, but we could do something non-denominational. Seeing you in that white dress today made me think about it. You’ve brought me unbelievably close to being completely human. These days, I'm thinking more like one. Weddings are very human, and I don’t want you to miss out on things because of me.”
“We can seal by a sea shore. Would that work?”
“Maybe we could seal and marry by a sea shore,” he replied.
She frowned.
“I’m sorry, am I upsetting you?”
“No, I was just thinking about Katy.”
“I know it’s hard for you, but you have a house full of doctors, who don’t sleep, caring for her. They’re giving her a serum infusion tomorrow morning. Quinn seems to think it’ll help.”
“Will that turn her?”
“No. Father and Gabriel finally completed the serum. Gabe brought the last piece of the puzzle back with him. They removed the venom and since it’s what initiates the change, she’ll be fine. She’s only getting the medicinal part. They’ve tested it twice.”
“What is this mystery ingredient?”
“There’s a rare flower that can only be found along the hillside of the castle. It’s called the Krakta. Those with the dark gift use it for medicinal purposes. Clive figured out that it was the missing ingredient to finalize the serum. Gabe brought plenty home with him. Ursula may have mistakenly snatched Katy, but they soon realized that she was special. Like you, Katy has gifts. Being in the dark for weeks brought them to the surface, so they planned to change her and use her against us.”
“Aggie said that she had potential.”
“It doesn’t surprise me that Gabe and I got ourselves a pair of gorgeous witch sisters for mates.”
She grinned slightly, but he could sense that she was still upset about something.
“What’s really wrong, Shauna?”
“I can’t help but feel that all of this is my fault.”
He swept the hair away from her face. “
None of this is your fault. You can place the blame squarely upon my shoulders.”
“There’s nothing ordinary about me, Ascher. I’m a freak of nature. The ship for an ordinary life sailed for me long ago. If you were my destiny, then it wouldn't have mattered where I was, you would’ve found me. My home is wherever you are—my heartbeat is yours. We’ve made love and we’ve made life. If the higher power deems it right, we’ll make more life.” She traced her hand down along his pale face. “All I want is you, your love and an eternity to share it.”
“I’m still not sure what you’ll be when you’re changed—”
She silenced him with a kiss. “That doesn’t matter. I’ll still love you no matter what I am. There is plenty of time to think about that, but please, not tonight. I just want to sit here with you, watch the stars and make plans that may or may not ever come true.”
Ascher gave her a speculative glance before loosely pressing his lips to hers.
She steadied herself for a kiss, puckering her lips in anticipation.
“Close your eyes. I’m curious about something.”
* * * *
Shauna nodded as they sat still and quiet. Whirling wind and the rustling of the trees were the only sounds around them. His lips kissed hers in soft flutters as her body melted into him. At first, it was a whisper so soft that it floated on the wind. It grew louder as it repeated, coaxing her ears, stirring her emotions with its deep message. I love you Shauna. I’ll always love you.
“I love you, too,” she whispered.
“I thought so.” A warm hand trailed across her face as he murmured, “Open your eyes.”
Shauna opened her eyes to find Ascher gazing at her, a strange intensity glimmering in his stare. His lips remained closed, but a slight smirk turned up at the edges of his mouth. I love you Shauna. I’ll always love you. She heard it again. Only this time, she realized he was speaking to her, but not with his mouth. “How did you—?”
“You’re a blooded witch now. When Aggie and I were in high school, we’d sit in class and hold whole conversations without ever opening our mouths. I suspected you’d be able to hear me now, and I just wanted to check.”
“Wow, that’s pretty amazing.”
“I have something that I want you to hear.”
She nodded.
“I’ve noticed that you’re partial to love poems. While I’m not into contemporaries, I thought that you might like this one. It’s called Blessed Eternity.” He gazed steadily at her, while reciting the poem from memory.
“I never thought I’d ever hear you reciting poetry. What a beautiful poem.”
“I love poetry. I’m just not crazy about the contemporaries. I have to admit that I really like that one. I think it sums up our predicament, perfectly. Wouldn’t you agree?”
Shauna didn’t say another word. Stunned, she simply stared into his eyes with wild curiosity.
* * * *
Though he might never find redemption for what he was, maybe he might grow to be happy with who he was. While Ascher stared back at her, he saw the only light in his cursed existence. Conflict burned in him as he thought of silencing her light, by asking her to join him in the darkness. Looking into her face, he swept her mind for a small sign that what he was doing was the right thing. Her mind was loud and positive—not a spot of doubt existed. As her thoughts echoed, he soaked it in and felt at peace with his decision. Her brain reverberated I love you Ascher Rousseau, now and for eternity.
Epilogue- Blessed Eternity
Envelop me in the sweet darkness of your burning light
Spin me into a web of your eternal delight
Make me yours for all to see
Cover me in kisses sweet with sinful pleasure
Transform me so that I may be yours forever
Make me yours for all to see
I am not longed for the duties of this world
Nor do I wish to be just an ordinary girl
Make me yours for all to see
One day with you is worth a thousand forevers
If this is the only way for us to be together
My soul is a mere formality
Meet me when the shadows replace the light
In the sweet darkness of the eternal night
Give me blessed eternity
THE END
Acknowledgments
In October of 2010, I began planning a project that I never thought I’d ever actually write. It started with some notes, research about the Salem witch trials and two names—Ascher and Shauna. It grew, thrived and became something that I never would’ve dreamed possible. Mostly a poet and songwriter before now, I never thought myself patient enough to write a novel.
I’d like to thank Novel Concept Publishing, and more specifically J.E. Taylor, for seeing what I always knew existed in the pages of The Progeny. You jumped right in and felt my characters as if they were your own. You’ve pushed me, making me stretch my imagination and really become one with Ascher and Shauna. Thank you for your advice, input but most importantly the chance to bring Ascher and Shauna to the world.
To Lenore Elliott: You are my wicked, awesome “Knightess in Shimmering Armor.” I’m not sure if I would’ve jumped back on the horse, were it not for you. You gave me a moment to lick my wounds then told me to get my butt back up and press on. You’re a damned good author, but an equally wonderful person. There simply aren’t enough words...
To Lisa Shalek: You must have focus of steel. Thanks for fact checking me, giving me quirky bits of trivia, and scolding me when I needed a good lashing.
To my husband, Mark: Thanks for sharing me with my characters and for encouraging me when things looked dim. You’ve been an endless well of support, love and the voice of reason when I almost quit.
To my son, Jerome: You’ve taught me what it is to be truly brave in the face of uncertainty and adversity. I love you.
To my platinum friend, Tabetha “Tabby” Kennedy: I don’t have to talk to you every day to know that you’re with me. You’ve been one of my biggest cheerleaders, and a very bad influence since seventh grade. Blood doesn’t make a sister. Your loyalty has made you mine.
To Mickey Shadd: You’re the brother I never had and one of the nicest and most genuine people I’ve ever known.
To Michael Landers: You are wise. I take from you a wealth of knowledge that both enriches me and teaches me about life. I know paranormal wasn’t really your thing, but you toughed it out and cold read for me. Many thanks for your support.
To my cheer squad in CCR—Sonya, Jolean and Tina: Ya’ll encourage, inspire, and motivate me to keep driving. It gets hard sometimes, but I know that I can always depend on you to drop a nugget of wisdom, tell a funny story, or just plain listen to me whine when I need to.
To Amanda Cochrane: You’ve been there from day one, when Ascher and Shauna were just names and ideas in my head, cheering me on and supporting me. Thanks for reading until your eyes crossed and listening to me whine about all of my characters. Most of all, thanks for understanding my need to write what I do.
To Brandi Kucko: I miss you crazy girl! You’ve been extra ears, eyes and a mind (when I lost mine during The Progeny’s development). Thanks for loving Ascher and Shauna as much as I do. I’m sure I shocked and confused you. Thanks also for introducing me to your sister—the best darn cover artist in existence.
To one of the most talented cover artists, Faleasha Myers: Thanks so much for your expertise and beautiful inspiration. Your artwork breathed an unbelievable life into Ascher and Shauna, helping me to envision them fully.
To Kayden McLeod: You’re ridiculous. How many hats can one person wear, and remain so focused? Thanks for cleaning up the blog—you know it needed it, because it was jacked up—and for the beautiful likenesses of my characters.
To Trent Kinsey: You are a coding and web designing god! Thanks so much for launching the site and being so flexible with the updates. I’m in awe and eternally grateful.
To Shauni fro
m Tea and Book: Thanks for giving me the type of review that shook me to my core, but also inspired me to be better.
To Sharree Taylor: You have the healing touch. My hair and I thank you!
To my readers: This is a revamp of book one and I thank you for the kind emails, the funny comments, and the outpouring of support. You guys are so awesome! This revamping is all about giving you a story that you’ll want to read again and again, for many years to come. I hope you enjoy it and continue along this journey with me. I wish I could hug each of you.
It continues to be an awesome ride!
About ASHLYNNE LAYNNE
Ashlynne Laynne is a wife, full time employee and the mother of one “very special” son. Her laptop in hand, she navigates life, finding inspiration for her novels. Writing gives her a sense of tranquility and solace. She often dreams scenes that become storylines for her characters. Her life- long aspiration is to write full time.
Ashlynne lives in North Carolina with her husband and teenage son
If you liked THE PROGENY, check out the next book in The Progeny series…
BLOOD BONDS:
BLOOD BONDS by Ashlynne Laynne
The ties that bind two hearts are powerful. For Ascher Rousseau and Shauna McCutchin, it’s more than just a blood bond. Their union is that of vampire legend. Their love is a predestined prophecy foretold centuries ago.
It’s a week before Ascher and Shauna's sealing and the couple is making final preparations for their eternity, but Ascher's ex has other plans. Ursula is hell-bent on revenge—revenge fueled by lover's scorn and her father's death—and she begins breeding a fresh army of newborn darklings to do her bidding.
When Ursula finds a new weapon—an ally with the capability to dismantle the Rousseau clan—Ascher and Shauna's bond is tested and they must stand together against Ursula or lose each other for eternity.
The Progeny (The Progeny Series) Page 30