True Fate

by Varadeaux, Shayna

  True Fate

  by

  Shayna Varadeaux

  Copyright 2014 Shayna Varadeaux Books

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written consent from the author.

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Amazon.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for your respecting the hard work of this author.

  This book is a work of fiction. Any similarities to persons, places or situations are merely coincidental. Any real places used in the book were used in a fictitious manner and is in no way affiliated with the businesses nor cities used. Any and all song names, artists and or lyrics mentioned do not belong to the author. All rights to songs and or lyrics belong to the original writer(s) of the music. The book playlist has songs on it that belong to the songwriters and groups and or musician that perform them. I DO NOT own any rights to any music or lyrics here within.

  True Fate (True Fate #1)

  Copyright 2014 Shayna Varadeaux Books

  Kindle Edition

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Preface

  Chapter 0.5

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgements

  About The Author

  Dedication

  This book is dedicated to my husband and my three beautiful children.

  Thanks for believing in me and being patient. Also to the ever supportive authors who I have found are very helpful for welcoming me into their ranks.

  To the readers, thank you for the opportunity to share True Fate with all of you, I hope you enjoy.

  Happy Reading

  -S.V.

  Preface

  Nia sat as silent as she possibly could, tucked under the jagged embankment. Icy wind chilled her skin and caused only a portion of her shivering. She was already shivering from the fear that gripped her and the adrenaline that had taken her over when everything began to go wrong.

  He had said to wait there, he was just going to check on the others, he'd be right back, but that was over twenty minutes ago. The silence was nerve racking and she was going to lose it if he didn't come back soon. She gripped Rhea's hand as tightly as Rhea gripped hers.

  Nia just knew it was a bad idea for them to stop again after what had happened at the last stop. They had one wounded and they'd had to leave without two of their friends. Nia couldn't believe it had gotten so bad, so fast. She pried her hand from a reluctant Rhea who whimpered when she was finally free. 'I'm just going to peek and see if we can move, keep the pressure on your arm like he said okay?’ she explained to her in their silent way.

  Rhea shook her head violently and began to protest, her skin crawled at the prospect of being left alone in the dark. Nia clamped a hand over Rhea’s mouth to stop her from giving away their position. She looked into Rhea's eyes and made sure that she understood the need to be quiet, it could mean life or death for the both of them. Rhea nodded slowly as a tear slid down her cheek. Nia wiped it away and checked on Rhea’s arm. The bleeding had stopped for now but she still tore off a piece of her shirt and tied it around Rhea’s wound tighter.

  Slowly removing her hand Nia crept out into the shallow stream hushing the water beneath her with each step. She waved her hands by her side beckoning the water to lift her slow and steady. Remembering to thank Savannah for helping her perfect that move in their training, though it would have to be later.

  Nia was raised high enough to see that there was no movement anywhere, just their vehicle with all the doors wide open. No one was around at all so she lowered herself and went back to Rhea.

  "I don't see anyone up there but we have to be careful, we're going to stick low to the ground. I can put up a camouflage, I'm just not sure how long I can hold it. Nice and slow, alright?" Nia whispered to her. Rhea nodded and took a deep breath crouching as low as she could as Nia used the water once more to get them to the top.

  Shaking uncontrollably Rhea was unsteady and Nia thought maybe she was in shock. So she grabbed her hand just in case she had to help her along. They moved quiet and slow stopping to listen to their surroundings more than once. Nia was sure Rhea was going to hyperventilate by her quick breaths and she tried to calm her but it wasn't working.

  They made it to the Suburban and checked inside, nothing. Rhea climbed inside glad the keys were still in the ignition. Nia quietly closed all the doors, got in the driver seat and hit the locks. Quickly sending out a mental message to her entire group then took a second to breathe.

  'We are in the car I'm going to move so we aren't spotted. Someone answer please. I don't know what to do."

  The car was stuck in the mud so Nia summoned her elemental connection with earth, elated that it worked and they were now free. She drove further down the road as clumps of mud banged against the wheel wells of the vehicle. Ten minutes later she spotted an abandoned warehouse, she had no intention of going inside but it would make for decent cover. Cautiously she approached it with the headlights off, they both looked around scanning for any movement. Seeing more nothing she drove around back and turned her phone to vibrate just in case she got any communication. Her and Rhea sunk low in their seats ready to run or fight.

  Rhea caught her breath and then reached behind Nia's seat and grabbed the sword she'd been given earlier and thought she wouldn't need. Nia met her eyes and they both knew they would do whatever it takes to find their friends and get to safety.

  "How long do we wait?” Rhea asked quietly.

  "I don't know,” Nia responded biting her lip.

  Nia hoped it didn't come to that decision, she wasn't sure she could go anywhere without him. She may not know who she was but any doubt of her importance flew out the window with what they'd endured so far. She wouldn't take any of this lightly again and she wouldn't take her time with him for granted if she got him back.

  Now all that the girls could do was wait until someone contacted them to let them know where to go or if they were okay. ‘Please let them be okay.’ She thought sending up the silent prayer. Nia wasn't sure how she'd react to losing anyone right now.

  ‘Nia.’, she felt him press into her mind before she saw him, "Eric.", she sighed in minor relief, but she was still worried because he seemed to be alone. He opened the door and ushered her to the backseat without a word. She just went along with it and put her seat belt on in a hurry.

  "Is everyone okay? Is it just you?” Nia asked unable to help herself from blurting. She hated to bombard him with questions after what they had just been through. Eric didn’t answer he just put the car in drive and sped out onto the road. He drove with no headlights on for around a mile or so then took a few turns. Nia could only see the flurry of dust as they sped down the dark roads.

 
Eric sighed and pulled into what had to be a long driveway his knuckles were white from his grip on the wheel. They pulled all the way up to a large house. Nia guessed the safe house they had been looking for The Ranch was what they had called it. It was shadowed by huge trees on both sides and had no outside lights. There wasn’t enough light to see it well.

  Opening Nia’s door Eric glanced around fully alert. She got out nervous and wondering why he hadn't answered her. He proceeded to look her over and grabbed her shoulders, "Are you hurt?” he asked as roughly, his eyes squinted and his lips twitched. She looked at him puzzled barely coherent. "Are you hurt?” he asked again shaking her out of her stupor the heat of his fingers digging into her shoulders was enough to snap her back to reality.

  Standing there shaking her head no was all she could do with relief and confusion flooding her. He was obviously just as relieved to see her. Rhea got out and quickly checked her arm, she had applied pressure like Aaron had told her and Nia’s shirt was catching any blood but it needed to be cleaned.

  Eric looked at Rhea's arm but it was too much of a mess for him to see how big the gash was, Rhea grimaced, it stung pretty badly. She had gotten caught on the embankment where they were hiding when she lost her footing and snagged it on a root.

  Walking them to the front door Eric stopped with the moonlight shining just enough to see his jaw clenching and unclenching. His unwillingness to answer her simple questions had Nia on edge. He opened his mouth as if to say something then decided otherwise.

  "Inside, now.” Eric finally said as he unlocked the door. The house was dark from the outside and Nia wondered where they were headed and if there was even anyone inside yet. Eric opened the door and the house was dark inside too, except for the yellowish light coming from under the doorway they were heading towards. The moonlight shone in the windows showing the covered furniture. Nia guessed this safe house hadn’t been used in a while.

  When he opened the door he reached for Nia's hand, "Don't freak out, it’ll be okay, I promise," he said squeezing her hand and sending as much calm her way as he could.

  Nia had no idea what was going on and why after avoiding her questions this was what he had said to her. At first glance in the room she noticed lots of bloody rags in a waste basket. The scent of iron and antiseptic made Nia’s stomach roll and she gagged.

  Rhea's breath caught when she noticed the blood too and she shakily lowered herself into a chair holding her injured arm. She turned to Nia with a worried look in her eyes.

  Time stood still for Nia as she saw his hand first, the unmistakable markings were a dead giveaway.

  ‘It can’t be.’

  The scent of the blood clung to her senses making her stomach clench as Avery stepped out of the way giving her a clear shot to her worst nightmare.

  The tightening in her chest made her feel dizzy and feeling like she would hurl, her focus went hazy,

  "No," she whispered.

  She took a shaky step closer and her legs buckled beneath her. Eric reached for her just as her world gratefully faded to black.

  Chapter 0.5

  After graduation Nia and her best friend Rhea made a pact to take a couple years to play and work before they started college. Neither had much social status in high school, but were honors students and Nia even graduated Magna Cum Laude. They tutored their peers and stuck together like glue. It was easy to disappear into the masses in most schools in Houston.

  The girls had known each other forever. Their fathers worked side by side at the port all while they were babies and into their toddler years. When Nia's dad, Vincent De La Garza or Vince started his own shipping company, Delgar Shipping International, he naturally took his best friend, Albert Mitchell, with him. The girls have been through pretty much everything together.

  From first steps and all of those milestones to adolescence kicking in early for Rhea and not for Nia. Meanwhile Delgar was quickly climbing the ranks as one of the top five shipping companies in the U.S.

  When the girls were ten Rhea's mom Eve was diagnosed with breast cancer. Rhea spent so much time at Nia's house, they went "pink for the cure" crazy. Their bond only strengthened over those years of uncertainty and pain. It was up and down with Rhea emotionally but they did everything they could possibly do that involved a fight for the cure.

  Her mom had good days and bad. Towards the end was when Rhea came to stay with the De La Garza's. It was killing her to see her mother's light diminishing in hospice. Although she never stopped going to visit. It was difficult seeing her mom that way and agonizing to see her father looking almost worse.

  After two years battling the cancer Evelyn passed away. Rhea moved in for a whole year after that. It was so hard on Albert, he really tried to be there for her. The pain was just too much and he knew she'd be safe with Margie and Vince. He just couldn't shake his depression, she was his high school sweetheart. He was withering away, he wouldn't eat, and he couldn't sleep.

  Vince had finally had enough though. He gave his best friend a year to pull himself out of the depression over Eve's death. He basically had a one man intervention for Al. He went and got him and dropped him somewhere to get better only telling the two demanding teen girls he was safe.

  The girls never did find out where he was for those six months but he came back a changed man. He told Rhea he would never leave her again. He would always be there for her no matter what. His job was waiting for him of course and he took Rhea back to live with him. After that things were as good as they could be. Sorrows behind them, but definitely not forgotten the girls were steadily inseparable.

  Nia's mother, Margie, was super woman! Well not literally of course, but she juggled life with grace. She has her own successful interior design company, Du Monte House of Interior Design. She was always there for all of the girls, Nia, Rhea and Nia's sisters Amarie and Magdalena. There was always a hot meal or a freshly ordered one. She made sure they had all they needed and that they all spent quality time together. Needless to say Rhea and Al were family.

  When the girls hatched operation, "Give my brain a Break", Vince, Margie and Al were quick to say no. The girls were plenty prepared for this and laid out their plan in great detail. The inclusion of slides and graphs was the kicker. They were after all, eighteen at the time and legally able to decide on their own but being who they are they wanted to make sure their parents wouldn’t be upset.

  The girls didn't opt for working for Margie though. After they spent the summer doing nothing but driving down the Texas coastline. Hitting the clearest water they could find, that is. (The further away from Galveston the better! If you've been there you know why. It really is a sad looking beach nowadays.)

  Come fall the girls got jobs waiting tables to see if that was something they would be good at. But that lasted all of two months before Nia decided she was better off not trying to carry a tray packed with drinks. She found out the hard way how disastrous it could be. Rhea being the friend she was, quit right along with her. Two weeks later they were at the Port of Houston talking to Nia's dad about office jobs. They were great at scheduling and doing spreadsheets, filing and everything that office needed to run. It's safe to say when it was time for them to go to college, Vince would be sad to see them go.

  They take time off every now and again for mini vacays. The last drive was cross country to Disney World. Florida was super-hot but they had loads of fun! The girls were opting for cooler weather this time. Their destination, The Great Lakes and in October no less. With the prediction of cold weather and unusual storms building up there, the girls were going to have to prepare for anything and any weather. That's a week away from now and the excitement for the trip is definitely brewing but for the shopping, at least on Nia's part, not so much.

  Through everything they have been through together it’s the secrets they keep for each other that are their biggest bond. Ever since they were little they have both known that Nia was different. She could calm a savage beast very literally.
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  When they were seven and walking down the street two houses from Rhea's to Nia's a Great Dane charged them. Rhea screamed but Nia stopped and stared. When she locked eyes with the growling dog the vicious snapping stopped. Rhea cowered behind a bush while an eerily calm Nia held her palm out to the dog. He whimpered and crawled to her feet like a scolded puppy. She pet the dog and sent him on his way and the girls never had to worry about that sort of thing again. That is only one of more than several examples of Nia's uniqueness.

  When they were thirteen they were walking across the street at the end of their road on their way to Travis Baker's house to help him with his homework. They were right in the middle of the intersection when a truck came barreling fast down the street. They both swear on their lives it was coming straight for them when Nia screamed "No!" and the wind pushed them hard. It was so hard it knocked them off their feet but out of harm’s way. They were sitting on the road breathing heavy when Travis came out to see if they were okay and ushered them inside to call their parents. The girls made a promise to each other that day to not question the extraordinary things that happened to them throughout the years.