by W. J. May
“He seems pretty fired up.”
“What did he say on the phone?” What am I? An eavesdropping ten year old?
“He was talking to Sally. They were fighting.”
“On the phone? That’s weird. Guess I’d better go see.” I was reluctant. Dealing with Sally had always been a two way street, with Jim it felt more like a one-way with bad construction.
I walked down the stairs and found Jim pacing in the living room.
“Hey. What’s up?”
Jim muttered something under his breath.
All I caught was the word, “disrespectful.” The sharp intake of Grace’s breath told me she’d followed me down the stairs and had heard than I did. Jim’s head shot up when he heard Grace. He gave her a weird smile, then he turned to me.
“Where’s Sally?” I asked before he had a chance to speak.
“Gone. Flew back to Ontario.” He took a swig from the liquor bottle I hadn’t noticed before.
“What?” The word was out before I could stop myself. She left, and didn’t say good-bye? Surely not. “Everything okay in Niagara Falls?” Maybe something had happened to hear family.
Jim snorted. “Figures you’d take her side.” He pointed an accusing finger at me. “You think it’s all a joke. You and her have probably been laughing at me not finding a job.”
Huh? “I—”
“Don’t bother. I can see it in your eyes.” He began pacing the room. “You know what? You’re out. I want you out. Sally was the one who wanted to help your hopeless ass, I only agreed for the crap money. You’re eighteen next month and I’d have booted you out then. Why wait?”
Who would throw a girl with no family out on the street? “I’ve got no where to go!” Sally must have left him. Left us. We weren’t super close, but still. What would make her just up and leave? Unless something had scared her.
Grace stepped in front of Jim, inches from his face.
I blinked. Did she somehow make herself look taller?
Grace spoke quietly but the power behind her voice made me glad she was on my side. “This place is a dump. You should be shot for the care you’ve offered. I’ve seen scum in this world, and you appear to be on the lowest rung. Rouge deserves better than this.”
Startled, Jim shot her a nasty glare. “Shut up!”
Grace didn’t bat an eye. “I never met Sally, but I’m not surprised she left.” She laughed a sound between disbelief and sarcasm. As she stepped back, she grabbed the duffle bag. “You’ve been such an example for Rouge—”
“Of course we have,” he snapped.
“—on what not to do in life,” Grace finished.
“Get out! Both of you and don’t ever come back, Rouge. Ever!” Jim hollered.
Grace pushed me toward the door to the fresh air outside, and led me to the passenger seat. She threw the bag into the back of the car.
“Stay here. I’ll double check if there’s anything else in your room you’re going to need.”
I sat in the car, too dumbfounded to respond.
Life freakin’ sucked. I was officially screwed. Being able to read a weird language as if English and kicked out of the only place I was barely able to call home. What do I do? I leaned my head back onto the seat and closed my eyes. Where was I going to go?
** End of Excerpt **
THE CHRONICLES OF KERRIGAN
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Book Trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gILAwXxx8MU
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BOOK BLURB:
How hard do you have to shake the family tree to find the truth about the past?
Fifteen year-old Rae Kerrigan never really knew her family's history. Her mother and father died when she was young and it is only when she accepts a scholarship to the prestigious Guilder Boarding School in England that a mysterious family secret is revealed.
Will the sins of the father be the sins of the daughter?
As Rae struggles with new friends, a new school and a star-struck forbidden love, she must also face the ultimate challenge: receive a tattoo on her sixteenth birthday with specific powers that may bind her to an unspeakable darkness. It's up to Rae to undo the dark evil in her family's past and have a ray of hope for her future.
RADIUM HALOS – THE SENSELESS SERIES
* * *
Book Blurb:
Everyone needs to be a hero at one point in their life.
The small town of Elliot Lake will never be the same again.
Caught in a sudden thunderstorm, Zoe, a high school senior from Elliot Lake, and five of her friends take shelter in an abandoned uranium mine. Over the next few days, Zoe’s hearing sharpens drastically, beyond what any normal human being can detect. She tells her friends, only to learn that four others have an increased sense as well. Only Kieran, the new boy from Scotland, isn’t affected.
Fashioning themselves into superheroes, the group tries to stop the strange occurrences happening in their little town. Muggings, breakins, disappearances, and murder begin to hit too close to home. It leads the team to think someone knows about their secret – someone who wants them all dead.
An incredulous group of heroes. A traitor in the midst. Some dreams are written in blood.
Shadow of Doubt
Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZK09Fe7kgA
* * *
Book Blurb:
What happens when you fall for the one you are forbidden to love?
Erebus is a bit of a lost soul. He's a guy so he should be out to have fun but unlike the rest of his kind, he is solemn and withdrawn. That is, until he meets Aurora, a law student at Cornell University. His entire world is shaken. Feelings he's never had and urges he’s never understood take over. These strange longings drive him to question everything about himself.
When a jealous ex stalks back into his life, he must decide if he is willing to risk everything to be with Aurora. His desire for her could destroy her, or worse, erase his own existence forever.
COMING SOON:
* * *
Book Blurb:
What if courage was your only option?
When Kallie lands a college interview with the city’s new hot-shot police officer, she has no idea everything in her life is about to change. The detective is young, handsome and seems to have an unnatural ability to stop the increasing local crime rate. Detective Liam’s particular interest in Kallie sends her heart and head stumbling over each other.
When a raging blood feud between vampires spills into her home, Kallie gets caught in the middle. Torn between love and family loyalty she must find the courage to fight what she fears the most and possibly risk everything, even if it means dying for those she loves.
––––––––
Thanks for reading Seventh Mark Part 1
I love to hear from my readers so feel free to let me know what you think!
Website: http://www.wanitamay.yolasite.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-WJ-May-FAN-PAGE/141170442608149
Thanks, W.J. May
* * *
BOOK 3
THE
SHADOW
SOUL
A Dance of Dragons #1
By Kaitlyn Davis
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Copyright 2014 Kaitlyn Davis
Cover Art: Manipulated by Kaitlyn Davis from attribution licensed flickr creative commons photos by Valters Krontals, Saad Akhtar, Zaraut B, and Naval History and Heritage Command, and a DeviantArt brush by XResch.
World Map: Illustrated by Sarah Faith Morris (Sylva Knight)
The right of Kaitlyn Davis to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
This eBook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the author, as allowed under the terms and co
nditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorized distribution or use of this text may be direct infringement of the author's rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.
This is a work of fiction and any resemblances between the characters and persons living or dead is purely coincidental.
––––––––
All Works by Kaitlyn Davis
A Dance of Dragons
The Shadow Soul
The Spirit Heir
The Phoenix Born – Coming Soon!
A Dance of Dragons – The Novellas
The Golden Cage
The Silver Key
Midnight Fire
Ignite
Simmer
Blaze
Scorch
––––––––
To my family for their unconditional love,
my friends for their overwhelming support,
and my fans for their incredible enthusiasm.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
––––––––
Table of Contents
All Works by Kaitlyn Davis
Dedication
Table of Contents
World Map
1. Jinji – Northmore Forest
2. Rhen – Roninhythe
3. Jinji – Northmore Forest
4. Rhen – Northmore Forest
5. Jinji – Roninhythe
6. Rhen – Roninhythe
7. Jinji – Open Ocean
8. Rhen – Open Ocean
9. Jinji – Dueling Sea
10. Rhen – Da'astiku
11. Jinji – Da'astiku
12. Rhen – Da'astiku
13. Jinji – Da'astiku
14. Rhen – Dueling Sea
15. Jinji – White Stone Sea
16. Rhen – Rayfort
17. Jinji – Rayfort
18. Rhen – Rayfort
19. Jinji – Rayfort
20. Rhen – Rayfort
21. Jinji – Rayfort
The Spirit Heir
The Complete Midnight Fire Series
Join The Newsletter
About the Author
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(Back to Table of Contents)
1
Jinji
Northmore Forest
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A shadow was just the absence of light, a spot the sun could not reach. It was empty. But floating below her, drifting and dancing along the landscape, her shadow seemed full—not a reflection, but an impostor.
She pumped her leathery wings. The shadow did too.
She dipped closer to the trees. The shadow condensed, its points sharpening to match the outline of her body.
She arched up, farther into the cloudless sky. The shadow expanded and lost focus, rippling over the pointed trees below.
Enough, she thought, gliding with the wind. Time for food. She focused on the horizon, spotting a deeper blue against the sky. Her mouth watered.
Keeping her eyes on the ground, she watched as forest gave way to rocks that cut deep into the sea, a molten sapphire speckled with white. She swerved left along the shore, focusing on the cerulean expanse of the reef, searching for movement.
There.
The lazy undulation of a fin.
She dove, jaws widening.
A black shape flicked into her peripheral vision. She turned.
Bright white eyes opened in the darkness. Jaws clamped around her neck. She reached out with her claws, sinking razor-sharp nails into the invader's flesh.
They fell as one, smacking into the water, a mass of light and dark, plummeting below the surface. The jaws tightened. Her vision condensed. Air slowed.
They continued to descend deeper and deeper into the shadows, to the part of the world the sun could not penetrate, where the darkness gained a life of its own...
Jinji awoke with a start, gasping for air and clutching her aching chest. Her lungs screamed. Her mind fought to escape the daze. She blinked, but the darkness would not recede, even as her memory ignited.
It was the same dream. A dream she had only had once before but would never forget. A dream that was somehow more.
Another blink and a soft orange light leaked into her vision. She looked up through the smoke circle in the roof, toward the sky.
Dawn.
Jinji stood, throwing her furs to the side and stepping quietly past her mother and father. Soft dirt muted her steps, and her parents didn't stir as she crossed the small expanse of their home. Lifting the pelt aside, she stepped into the morning mist and began to run. Her feet followed the path along the longhouse, past the rest of her sleeping tribe and into the forest beyond. No thought was necessary—she had taken this path too many times before.
Besides, concentration was beyond her. Jinji's thoughts had drifted out of the world and into her memories, all the way back to her brother.
Janu, her heart cried softly, remembering him.
The last time she dreamed that dream had been on the eve of his death—what did it mean that it had happened again, a decade later on the dawn of her joining?
Jinji stopped.
She had reached the clearing, her sacred haven. A place shared only with her closest friend Leoa. Away from the game and too close to the outside world for anyone else in her tribe to discover—this place was their secret. The only place two girls could talk away from the attentive ears of the elders and the only place she could go to truly escape.
Jinji fell to her knees and opened her eyes wide, searching the air for something only she could find. She looked along the ground, over the flecks of dew spotting the grass, along the twining roots, up the rough bark and over her head toward the clouds.
There.
A shimmer. A dull glow. And now that she saw it, the light brightened and Jinji smiled. The spirits were still there for her.
For as long as she could remember, Jinji could see them. Everywhere. In everything. Minute strands of green, red, yellow, and blue, twining together to create the world. Earth, air, water, and fire spirits hidden in plain sight for no one but Jinji to see, and sometimes they tried hiding even from her. But not today. Not when she needed them.
Jinji studied the weaving strands, looking through the intricate patterns she would never begin to understand. And there she saw what she had truly been searching for: the space between the elements, the pure white wisps binding the colorful strands together—the mother spirit, the source of everything.
Jinjiajanu.
That was the name her people gave it. Her brother and she were named for it. But as far as Jinji knew, she was the only one who could manipulate it.
Closing her eyes, Jinji cupped her hands into a ball, envisioning the pearly glow between the strands of air she had trapped.
Jinjiajanu, she thought. The image changed to that of a face that was stolen ten years before.
Jinjiajanu. Bring Janu back to me—bring my other half back.
She opened her hands, facing them out toward the open air, keeping her eyes closed, using her memory to draw a picture in the wind. His tanned skin, the color of freshly exposed bark. His deep brown irises set in wide eyes and framed with full lashes. His smile, always mischievous and often taking over the whole expanse of his face.
She imagined him taller and broader than he had been as a boy, with muscles hardened from long hunts. The frame of a sixteen-year-old man. The frame of her twin as he would be if he were standing with her today.
After a minute, Jinji dropped her hands and let her eyes ease open. No matter how many times she wove the illusion, her heart stopped at the sight and a lump caught in her throat.
Janu. How I miss you.
Jinji rose and standing next to her, vivid as a real man but unnaturally still, was her brother. Her fingers brushed his, passing through his hand, as she knew they would. He was, after all, an illusion made of spirits. But still, she al
ways tried to touch him, hoping to meet resistance just once.
Jinji could manipulate jinjiajanu, but no one could bring the dead back to life.
"Janu," she said softly, pleading. "What are you trying to tell me?"
But there was no answer. She could make his lips move, could make it look as though he were alive, but this wasn't her brother.
Jinji let the illusion fall and, in the blink of an eye, it had disappeared. The elemental spirits snapped back into their proper place, and their subtle glow faded out. She was alone once more with only the trees to keep her company.
A knot hardened in her stomach, a sense of fear she couldn't dislodge.
The last time she dreamed of the shadow, she had woken in a fright and turned to rouse her brother only to find him missing from their shared pallet. Immediately, she shook her father awake. Using his authority as chief, he woke the hunters and charged into the woods. But the minute she had turned to see Janu missing, Jinji knew that he was gone forever. When the hunters returned holding the carcass of a great bear followed by her father cradling a pouch that dripped with blood, she had fallen to the ground—devastated but not surprised. She heard her mother wail and felt the ground rumble as she dropped, but Jinji's eyes saw only a great shadow waiting to swallow her whole.
And now it had returned. On the day she was meant to be joined with Maniuk, to be named the future leaders of their people, the Arpapajo tribe—the last remaining oldworlders.