by Ira Robinson
Bart took off his coat and handed it to Sam. "Here, use this," he said, pointing to the girl. He pulled a small pocketknife from his jeans and tossed it her way, as well.
Sam pulled it open and tore the jacket into a few shreds, then worked them to first daub at, then press upon, the bloodiest spots she could find, making soft cooing noises when Tamara came in and out of focus, urged by the irritation of Sam's touch.
While she did that, Bart dug into the pack Tamara brought along with her, and finally stood with a seal-able plastic bag. There was nothing inside, but he pulled it open and walked into the circle.
He put as many of the bits of the hat he could find into the bag and, once satisfied, sealed it anew. He grabbed the book from where it rested on the ground, as well, and trudged to the girls.
"I want that back," Sam demanded, pointing to the book. "Finders keepers."
"No else should see it," he said, putting the baggie into the pack. He hesitated with the journal still in his hand.
"I'll make sure no one does," she stated, "but it's not going to the Society."
"Let her." Tamara's raspy voice broke between the two of them and both turned to her in surprise.
Her eyes watered but the color was starting to return to her face. Sheer exhaustion was in her every movement when she tried to rouse her body into some kind of motion.
Sam pressed her down again before she could stir too much, worried that if Tamara were to try, the wounds she endured would start bleeding again. Some seeped through the fabric of the jacket, though they did seem to be slowing to a stop.
Tamara jolted a bit at Sam's touch but calmed down and settled to the ground. She bowed her head low, taking deep breaths, a few turning ragged. Sam brushed the girl's hair away from her face, tucking it behind her ears so it did not get sucked up into her mouth as she inhaled. She made no move to protest.
"Is there any water in the bag?" Sam asked Bart, who dug into it once more. He pulled a small bottle out and checked it to make sure it was not holding some concoction Tamara might have brought with her before handing it to Sam.
"Here, Tamara," Sam said, encouraging her to look up by pulling on her chin.
She raised her head again and sipped a little of the water when Sam put the bottle to her lips. She perked up when she swallowed, her eyes brightening somewhat. As Sam pulled it away again, Tamara reached out for it and snatched it from her, but did not lift it back to her mouth.
"Are you okay?" Sam asked, watching to make sure the girl did not tip over or spill any water on herself.
It took a moment for Tamara to focus again, but she nodded at Sam. "Drained. The power..."
"Don't try to talk too much," Bart said, putting his own hand on the girl's back. He glanced at his sister. "It always takes her a bit to recover from something like this."
Sam was not shocked at the empathy in his voice, but could not help but feel a little hurt by it. He had understanding for the girl and what she had been through, but so many years of him berating her for thinking outside the box grated her. Especially since he had known about this kind of thing all along.
But she would have to deal with it, as she had to come to terms with everything that had happened over the past days. Whether she could fully grasp it all or not, she was not sure, but, as with the rest of her life, she had to compromise with it and move on.
All things for another day.
After letting Tamara recuperate for a while, Sam expressed her gratefulness to her for what she had done. Without her, she would still be trapped in the clutches of a monster who wanted to see her end.
Tamara nodded, telling Sam the ritual worked, but that she was not sure it was fully over.
"Call it a hunch," she said, as they helped her to her feet. The trek back to their cars would be rough with her so weak, but Sam would make sure she got safe before thinking about her next steps.
She did, however, place her hand to her chest when she heard Tamara's words. Though the creature was gone, and their father was released from his own prison, the darkness that was put into her by the claws of that mad thing haunted her.
Was it truly over? Did it dissipate away when the revenant was destroyed, or had that bit of him remained within her? Was it waiting for a moment of her own weakness to rally and take control?
Still, as she tucked the book into her pants, securing it for the long walk ahead, she thought the night to come might finally give her rest.
Maybe, after all was said and done, she would find a way to sleep.
Black Rose Society File #11-02012, #21-00318
Incident Report filed by 00402
Parties involved: Samantha Miller, Bart Miller, Tamara Smith
Incident Notes: Revenant report file relating #11-01895 and death file #30-00812
[REDACTED INFO: See BRF #30-00812]
Samantha Miller Initiate status refused. Discussed in Council meeting, see ref: Council File #31-09236.
SM decision to remain "outside consultant" with limited access. Permanent permissions to follow pending further BRS interactions.
BM to monitor for further inclusion and issues.
SM still shows activity relating to predictive sensing. Agrees to notify BRS upon new insights and/or visions.
BRS File #11-02012 Status: OPEN PENDING REVIEW
INNOCENCE – Black Rose Files Book 3
RELEASES 02-06-19
SAMPLE CHAPTER EXCERPT
Tamara whirled around to face the room when a scraping met her ears. The door was swinging wide.
She braced herself and ran, her feet crossing the few dozen steps to the other side of the room in a heartbeat, but was stopped shy of the opening by a tall man, buffeted aside before she could touch him.
Her back hit the floor, bouncing twice against the hard wood. Pain flared between her shoulder blades and the breath in her lungs spurted out.
She turned her head toward the door again, though, as she rose to her feet, legs wobbling slightly beneath her.
He stood a few inches taller than she, his brown hair color matching her own, but it was closely cropped to a style only a few inches long. She huffed a few breaths in an effort to alleviate the pain as she watched him come a step closer, his thin frame barely concealing the small paunch.
"Who are you?" she demanded, raising her voice. "Why am I here?"
Was that anger upon his face? Perhaps, but he said nothing as he stared into her eyes, seeming to search for something in her own flaring emotions.
The door behind him was still open, giving her the hope she could break past him and escape from wherever she had been brought to, but when her feet started to move again, he raised his hand and incanted a few words rapidly.
She was, again, thrown backwards, an unseen force raising her from her feet a few inches and tossing her aside.
She kept upright for a moment before crashing down again, wincing as her back side met the mattress of the bed. Her breath escaped her again with the fall, but at least this time she had no pain to go with the landing.
She screamed in fury as she rose once more, words flying from her mouth as she unconsciously intoned a defense spell of her own, readying herself for another attack. There was no outburst of power, her words rendered inert by the magic encapsulating the room.
"Try to do that again, and I will have to hurt you." His voice was deep, much more than she expected with the frame of his body. The anger remained written on his face, but could not match her own.
She ripped her eyes from his face and stared at the open doorway again, but made no more moves to try to make it. He had shown his upper hand and was ready for her.
He watched her until she relaxed her body, telling herself she had to let this play out for the moment, until she could figure out what exactly was going on.
"Who the hell are you and why am I here?" she asked again, her voice echoing in the nearly empty chamber.
She followed his glance to the table with the food and water, before returning to h
im once more. He did not look to be strong, physically, though the dark three-piece suit he wore could have hidden much. Whatever strength he might have in body, however, was nothing compared to the magic this man had at his disposal.
That was very clear. Only a potent magic user could have done what he had so far. This was a man well-trained in the arts.
"Do you understand, girl? I will hurt you if you try anything against me." His voice boomed across the barren walls.
BUY INNOCENCE: Black Rose Files Book 3
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OTHER BOOKS BY IRA ROBINSON
Other Upcoming Releases : The Chronicles of the Hallow series.
AVAILABLE NOW
Black Rose Files | Book 1 – SLIPPED
What would you do if your child was gone?
Tanglewood is a small town, much like any other. There are the families that run the place, people stuck in their day-to-day grind jobs, and spots to be entertained.
But Tanglewood is also where the paranormal is normal and the weird come to live.
Liz owns the bakery. She's proud of what she does, and her place is really popular. She's also mother to Cassie, a little girl she adores, who just happens to be a bit on the precocious side.
When Cassie goes missing, life stops and a desperate search begins.
Was it the father? He's always had his problems, but could he go so far as to steal her child?
Or could it be something much worse?
Those woods are dangerous. There are things moving among the trees people don't like to talk about.
And Cassie could be trapped within it all.
What's a mother to do when her little child is lost, and the one place too horrible to think about is where she might be?
The Black Rose Files is urban fantasy gone wild, a series that tells the story of one small town caught in the crossfire of magic and nightmare, beauty and demons, ghosts that taunt and monsters that are not always what they seem.
The Black Rose Society has everything under control...
Buy SLIPPED - The Black Rose Files Book 1 today and discover the secrets a small town mired in darkness wants kept silent.
Clockwork Heart: Tales of Center
Action! Adventure! Humor! ... Steampunk?
If you were given the chance to live forever, would you take it? What if the offer came from an unlicensed Wizard?
Within the walls of the sprawling metropolis, Center, anything is possible. Need a dragon to do your dirty work? There's one for hire. Want to find your true love? If they're not in Center, one can be created for you.
When a man is given the offer to have his wish come true, and it only comes at the price of a few year's service, he realizes he can't pass it up.
But not everything in Center can be taken at face value...
Magic and machines, fairies and demons, humans and beings of infinite power, all call Center their home. Anything you want can be found, but sometimes what you want isn't what you need.
Penitence
When Christa says no to the man she loves, her nightmare begins. A chilling supernatural tale that will leave you gasping.
The Takiq Series Book 1 - Silent Steps
Tragic devastation drove them underground. Abject desperation brought them back out again.
Their world had changed. Alien creatures greeted them with misery in tow and enslavement in mind.
Into this world a girl was born. Made mute by a mistake of birth, Aylen's ability to communicate with others of her kind was absolute. But natural things - animals, trees, the softly creeping things in the night - were open to her, and had many things to teach her...
... including how to save her world from those beings that held her people in thrall. Aylen's first silent steps are just the beginning...
One More Minute
Every night, the singular and overwhelming Nightmare comes to haunt Sarah.
Every night, without fail, the Nightmare weaves its tendrils into her mind, showing her visions of what is to come, and taunting her with the knowledge that there is nothing she can do about it.
She can feel herself slipping away from reality, obsessed with the meaning of the dream and the implications that it could have on her life.
Her friends and husband do not understand. She can feel their derision as she talks to them, pleads with them, to help her end these horrific visions that have plagued her nights and consumed her days.
However, in her drive to find the truth of it all, she begins to understand how frighteningly real her nightmare is, and knows that everything could change in an instant.