by S. E. Myers
After her visit with Cyrus and his mother, Tristan, Ryleigh, and her father went back to the safe house to recuperate.
***
It only took a couple days before Ryleigh wanted to return to the Sanctum and visit Finar’s ‘office’, a cubby hole littered with paperwork and filing cabinets. They saw the map littered with stick pins showing where Ryleigh lived. Where Tristan and Illeana lived. Where a dozen and more potential Halflings lived. Ryleigh could only imagine how many other children there were in the world who didn’t know who they were.
Tristan, although still battered and bruised, was going through filing cabinets. He found Ryleigh’s file. It was a copy of what was in Vera’s home. Thumbing through it he was not surprised to see pictures of her growing up, her parents, and copies of receipts from the planning of the camping trip.
“You might want to see this,” Tristan called to Ryleigh. There had to have been at least twenty more files with names. “It looks like there were more plans for these kids.”
Tristan turned to Ryleigh, “You know that he isn’t dead.” Ryleigh nodded. When Nissa and Vee went back into the Sanctum, his corpse was gone. “He will be back for us. For you. For them.”
Ryleigh knew. She knew deep inside that she would see him again. And this time, she would be more prepared. But for now, she was content to start her life again with her dad, Tristan, and Nissa.
Table of Contents
1 – A tragedy is how it always starts. 7
2 – Bringing the dead back to life. 18
3 – In dreams are answers. 21
4 – A new life… and new beginning?. 29
5 – Time for a new family. 34
6 – And now for another introduction. 41
7 – New year, new school 48
8 – All those dirty little secrets. 59
9 – The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. 64
10 – Family history in the making. 68
11 – Discovering who you really are. 77
12 – Too late to apologize. 87
13 - Betrayal 91
14 – The death of a twin. 96
15 – Was it really love?. 106
16 – It’s a new day, it’s a new you. 117
17 - Connecting. 124
18 – What is the truth?. 128
19 – To find out for one’s self. 133
20 – The realization of a romance. 144
21 – To become a tracker 149
22 – The journey for lost souls. 158
23 – Whose fault is it really?. 172
24 – A sad reunion. 176
25 – Tom’s Story. 180
26 – The accident 183
27 – Dreams never let you sleep. 186
28 – The moment when all that didn’t matter disappeared. 189
29 - Preparations are a witch. 195
30 – The final battle. 199
31 – Is this really the end?. 213