by Liv Olteano
She nodded and smiled, the small, sad smile I loved. The sight of it pained and thrilled me all at once.
“If that’s what you want to do, of course.”
“It’s my home. I miss it. I enjoyed the short stay here with you, and you’re always welcome in my home,” I said, looking up. “I’d love to have you over as soon as we move back, in fact. You might even move there for a while, if you feel like getting away from some of these ghosts.”
She smiled. “Thank you. We’ll have a lot of work to do in New Bayou. But we’ll take this one day at a time. Things will be all right as long as we stick together. We will stick together, yes?” she asked, looking hopeful but also rather afraid.
“I’m not running away from you, Nikola,” I whispered and reached for her hand.
She grabbed it, caressing me with her fingertips. “I was so scared I’d lose you,” she muttered.
“Would you have made me a golem if I’d died?”
She blinked, seeming startled. “You haven’t said you’d want me to, so I wouldn’t have. But I would have done anything, anything within my power and beyond to keep you alive.”
I smiled and nodded. When Nana finally brought our teas, I lifted my cup to Nikola.
“To our future.”
She smiled back, some of the creases on her forehead relaxing. “To our future.”
First thing tomorrow morning, I’d move back home. I supposed our potionism classes would start sometime soon. I was looking forward to learning that, and I was sure Nikola would be a fantastic teacher. To be honest I was also excited about spending that time with her, getting to know each other better. Though glancing into her eyes right now made me uneasy, being in her presence still made my heart throb. Of course I didn’t dare say that out loud, but my heart didn’t need me speaking the words to beat faster for her.
In the meantime I was the resident alkemist’s apprentice. I’d done my part for New Bayou and kept my promise to kill the reaper. Jean and the marauders were going to get the harvesters under control, I hoped, and the town would finally be free—or as free as it could be. I was responsible for thirteen mercies and three kills: my mother, a harvester, and the reaper Edgar Verner.
I was determined to make it up to my mother by releasing her spirit somehow. Even if it meant losing my abilities, I would find a way to give her peace. And New Bayou would get a chance at a new life, a better one. I’d gotten everything I wanted. At least for now.
LIV OLTEANO is a voracious reader, music lover, and coffee addict extraordinaire. And occasional geek. Okay, more than occasional.
She believes stories are the best kind of magic there is. And life would be horrible without magic. Her hobbies include losing herself in the minds and souls of characters, giving up countless nights of sleep to get to know said characters, and trying to introduce them to the world. Sometimes they appreciate her efforts. The process would probably go quicker if they’d bring her a cup of coffee now and then when stopping by. Characters—what can you do, right?
Liv has a penchant for quirky stories and is a reverent lover of diversity. She can be found loitering around the Internet at odd hours and being generally awkward and goofy at all times.
Stop by her website for the latest news or visit her blog for occasional rants. She also regularly spamificates Twitter and Facebook. For The Win.
Be afraid. Be very afraid.
Website: liv.liviaolteano.com
Blog: blog.liviaolteano.com
Twitter: @LiviaOlteano
Facebook: www.facebook.com/LiviaOlteano
By Liv Olteano
Thirteen Mercies, Three Kills
Published by HARMONY INK PRESS
www.harmonyinkpress.com
Published by
HARMONY INK PRESS
5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886 USA
[email protected] • harmonyinkpress.com
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of author imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Thirteen Mercies, Three Kills
© 2017 Liv Olteano.
Cover Art
© 2017 Catt Ford.
Cover content is for illustrative purposes only and any person depicted on the cover is a model.
All rights reserved. This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of international copyright law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines, and/or imprisonment. Any eBook format cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Harmony Ink Press, 5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886, USA, or [email protected].
ISBN: 978-1-63533-418-0
Digital ISBN: 978-1-63533-419-7
Library of Congress Control Number: 2016916830
Published June 2017
v. 1.0
Printed in the United States of America