“They left fast.” I sat down and propped my foot up.
Logan shrugged. “They got what they needed.”
“Have they tracked down all the Lost yet?”
“There's one or two we’re still working on, but we'll find them.” Logan pulled at the collar of his shirt.
“What aren't you telling me?” I asked.
“This is the hard part. We've been placed under a gag order. No one inside the agency, outside of those already in the know, can find out about Barry.”
I sneered. “What's that supposed to mean?”
“The rest of the agency is being told he died while trying to protect people from the sordis attack. Barry is being touted as a hero. Idea is that it helps with moral.”
I gritted my teeth. “Someone who tried to kill me is being praised for saving our lives?”
“Seems like the real information has already been destroyed. Redacted down to nonsense.”
Logan let me fume for a minute before pressing on. “Kyrian is in charge for now. That little lady is determined to drag us into the twenty first century. When you get back to the office, there's plenty of scanning and shredding to do. We're going digital.”
“Gran says I'm going to work today.”
“Well, I wasn't sure you should go, but Travis seemed to think he needs you. If you’re up for it, we need to head over to the Sanctuary today.”
“That's better than going into the office.”
I grabbed my crutches and Logan drove me to the Sanctuary.
Travis and James met us in the parking lot and we rode out together in the ATVs. We took the trail slowly to accommodate my leg. It was aching fiercely when I got off the machine.
We went past the cave entrance and stepped into the woods.
I frowned and looked around. “Looks a lot different from when we dropped the troll off.”
“Everything's dying,” Logan said.
The leaves should have been a riot of color. Instead, they had already stripped themselves from the trees.
“The trees are starting to rot. What's worse, it's spreading.” Travis pointed out toward trees at the edge of the dead ones. “The grass and bramble are dying out and the trees are starting to look sickly.”
I shifted uncomfortably on my crutches. “I fed that creature's energy into the ground here.”
“I invited James along. He has some ideas on how to fix the area,” Travis said.
James walked slowly around the area, making sure not to step in the area where plants were dying. “They are only theories at this point. I think we need to know exactly what we're dealing with before we start.”
Logan tapped his head. “See anything useful?”
I looked around at the bleak landscape once more before closing my eyes and opening the Path. It was getting easier to push back the raging flow, but it threatened to overwhelm me if I dropped my guard.
The Path in the dead ground seemed to boil up and come in my direction. “Oh, crap.” I pushed the energy back using the Path.
“What is it?” Logan shifted his stance as though ready to attack.
“It startled me. The energy jumped out and wanted to join with my own Path.” Pushing more firmly. “It's actually settling back into the ground with surprising ease.”
Logan relaxed.
“It's energy then?” James asked. “Nothing sentient?”
I watched the nameless mass as it sunk tendrils around another tree and dragged on its Path. “It's dark and volatile, but in the end, it's energy without direction.”
James smiled. “That, we can deal with.”
Travis, James, and I discussed cleansing methods and came up with a plan. James lit a smudge stick and walked the outside of the area, chanting as he went. He couldn’t see where the darkness started and stopped, but he must sense its edge. He never went beyond and never strayed into the muck. When he was finished, the area around the oily pool flexed. The ritual would keep the dark energy from spreading further into the woods. Before letting go of the Path, I probed the area gently. It was locked down.
We made the trek back out of the woods. We made a plan for follow up treatments, said our goodbyes, and went home.
The trip wore me out, but Halloween was around the corner and I needed a costume. With that in mind, I went out with Gran and Susan the next day and picked out a costume. Super Girl was out. Super Girl could not have a broken leg and I felt very un-Super Girlish. Instead, I chose a generic witch costume. It was long enough to work with a broken leg without showing anything I didn't want to show.
Morgan and Gran presented themselves on Halloween. They looked fantastic as the Frankenstein and his bride. They headed out to a party with Logan, dressed in his cowboy gear.
I stayed back at the house and Rider joined me to pass out candy.
We sat in the living room and I introduced Rider to the world of scary movies.
“You are looking for him, are you not?” Rider asked.
“What do you mean?”
“You have looked up at the stairs several times now.”
I blinked at Rider. “I didn't even notice that I was doing it.”
“He will be back. I did not know Vincent well, but I saw the two of you together several times. He will be back.”
I shrugged and reflected back on Vincent. A piece of me was missing; the piece of my soul that Vincent had tucked away inside. Would I know if that piece of me had died?
Work was evolving. Under Kyrian’s reign, improvements were being made. I was even thinking of taking some classes in forensics in the spring. Forging forward was the key.
***
Continue to Broken Paths (AIR Series Book 2)
Back to Main Table of Contents
***
Acknowledgements
While working on AIR: Shattered Soul, I’ve had amazing support from family and friends. Special thanks to Adria Waters. She sat next to me when I typed the first words in this novel, gave me feedback on multiple drafts, and has walked through the entire process next to me. She is a constant well of encouragement and lends a sympathetic ear when needed. I’d also like to thank Hadena James, who gave valuable feedback and consistently encouraged me to move forward and Christina Benedict, who made sure I didn’t stay discouraged when I fell.
Finding a home with multiple writers’ groups allowed me to receive constructive feedback from a wide variety of viewpoints. The Columbia Missouri Novelists group and the Writers In Robs Living Room have given me valuable insight. Members of Bacon provided me with support and information along the way. Leigh Michaels provided detailed comments that assisted me seeing the novel in a new light. Thank you to Frankie Sutton, my editor, for all of her assistance. Deranged Doctor Design provided me with a wonderful cover design and formatting.
I also want to thank my parents for reading everything that I put under their noses throughout my life. My sister Tamera was supportive and very understanding when I couldn’t talk because I was typing away. Other thanks need to be extended to Kathie Booloodian for reading an early draft and providing feedback while encouraging me to get moving on AIR II. Also to Sharon Booloodian for providing feedback and encouragement. Also to my beta readers, Oliver and Erica Jones, and Angel Whitaker, I appreciated your help. Many, many other family, friends, and acquaintances have been incredibly supportive. Thank you all.
Most of all I must thank my husband for his continued reassurance, inspiration, and assistance in all my writing endeavors.
Broken Paths License Notes
Copyright © 2016 Amanda Booloodian
Cover Art by Deranged Doctor Design
Formatting by Deranged Doctor Design
Published by: Walton INK
Printed in the United States of America
ISBN-10: 0-9973353-2-7
ISBN-13: 978-0-9973353-2-3
All rights reserved
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without the express written permission of the
publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permissions, please contact Walton INK.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Walton INK
booloodian.com
Dedicated to silver for supporting and encouraging my dreams.
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Broken Paths Table of Contents
Dedication
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
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Acknowledgements
Chapter 1
I hate having a gun pointed at me. Having two aimed in my direction made me downright cranky. The man in front of me shifted his aim to Rider, and that pissed me off.
Sure, as a werewolf, he'd likely survive a bullet or two without a problem, but he was my partner and my best friend, so I never wanted that theory tested. Lucky for me, as a Reader, I could arm myself without anyone else knowing. My control was shaky, but when guns were involved, I had to chance it.
"You're on private property." The woman who spoke was human and short in stature, but there was nothing like a weapon in the hand to make a girl loom over others.
Mentally, I stretched out and grabbed the Path. Everything in this world left its mark and with the Path roaring around me, I could read that residual energy.
I made sure my voice was clear. "We're from the Treasury Department. Drop your weapons."
The man's eyes flickered to me, then back to his target. "Let's see your ID."
"Rider, show him," I said.
With my eyes on the guns, I molded the turbulent Path into a more solid line, shielding Rider and me from the strangers. The effort of keeping air solid burned through my strength fast.
The woman craned her neck to glance at Rider's credentials. "I'm putting away my weapon. We didn't recognize you."
I kept things formal. "And you are?" They put the guns away, but I was tense and didn't drop my guard.
"I'm Sable, and this gentleman is Doctor Wes Taylor. We're with the Mythological and Terrestrial Humanitarians. We own this property."
The Path peeled apart the wall that I had created once I stopped pouring energy into it. While working for the Agency for Interdimensional Regulation, the organization known as MyTH had come up a few times.
The Path showed the myriad of colors that swirled around Sable, indicating emotional upheaval, but she appeared to be trying to rein herself in.
"No one at the office mentioned this was MyTH property," I said. "Can I see your ID? Both of you?"
While Doctor Taylor got out his ID, I dragged myself out of the Path. It wasn't easy. I'd ripped open the Path, and my mind wasn't ready to let it go.
When I dropped myself back into the natural world, I took his credentials. Looking it over gave me an excuse to hide a few deep, steadying breaths, as the world grew dull around me.
There was some unwritten rule that badges and licenses must have horrible pictures. Dr. Taylor was one of the rare exceptions to that rule. His pale brown skin, rounded teardrop eyes, and short, stark black hair, looked almost as good in the picture as in person. He looked like he wanted to ask something, but I nodded and handed him back the piece of plastic.
"I'm Cassie Heidrich with AIR." I extended my hand to Doctor Taylor and then to Sable. "This is Rider. I think my usual partner Logan Seale may have worked with you in the past."
"Logan, yes." Sable smiled but didn't look at ease. "Is the old elf here?"
"He's back at home today," I said.
"And what brings AIR out to the woods?" Sable asked.
I realized that while Sable was talking, the doctor was sizing us up.
"We received word that there was a disturbance," I said.
"With the gnomes?" Sable asked.
"Yes. Doctor Taylor, is everything okay?" He'd been peering at me for far too long, which was starting to get unsettling.
"Please, call me Taylor," he said. "Sorry, I was trying to place you. There's something off, and I can't put my finger on it."
People always thought there was something off when they met me, but very few openly spoke about the feeling. Still, it was better than some reactions.
Sable shot a look at Taylor. "The gnomes have had a death in their family."
"It appears to be natural causes," Taylor said.
Things in my job were rarely clear-cut. "What do you mean appears to be?"
"There are no signs of trauma," Taylor said, "but the gnomes are insisting that the death wasn't natural."
"So you've examined the body?" AIR maintains a working relationship with MyTH, but I wasn't sure where medical examination falls in our lines of communication.
"Yes," Sable said, "but they have refused to allow me to take her back to the lab. I took blood and tissue samples to check for toxins and poisons," Taylor said.
Death wasn't what I had expected to find out here, and I was sure if the office expected it, they would have sent someone else. I'd only been in the field about a year, and technically, Rider was in training.
"I'll have to call this in," I said, "but first, can you lead us to where the death took place?"
"Certainly." Sable's tension was noticeable as Rider and I followed the pair.
Her reaction made me wonder if MyTH would have called AIR about this type of incident, or maybe, like Taylor, she was put off by meeting me.
The trees had begun to put out buds, but brown was the dominant color until we arrived near the gnome hollow. The holes were nearly indistinguishable from the rest of the environment. However, as we moved closer, the air became more vibrant.
A tiny blur came from the direction we moved. It circled us and went back the way it came. Soon there were more. It was like being surrounded by an indistinguishable swarm.
We stopped. How do you avoid stepping on one of these little guys?
"Nord," Sable called.
A blur came to a stop in front of her. It was hard to tell if the gnome was male or female. Despite their speed, they were plump little creatures that never reached a foot tall.
"This is Nord, who speaks for the family," Sable said. "Nord, this is Cassie and Rider with AIR. They would like to see Am."
Nord peered up at us from the ground for a few moments before nodding curtly and disappearing.
"This way." Sable moved deeper into the woods.
Moss clung to rocks, and the trees were becoming noticeably greener. The air smelled of moist soil.
Whistling rang out around us as we approached the home of the gnomes. It sounded like a flock of birds, only most of the chittering was at ground level. Every now and again, a tiny person would come to an abrupt stop and look at us before moving on.
"You won't step on them," Taylor said. "They don't get underfoot, and if they did, they are fast enough to move."
Look
ing back, I saw that Rider had fallen behind and was watching the ground closely as shapes swirled around him.
Sable fell back, and Taylor led me to where a tiny body lay on the ground. "This is Am." Taylor knelt on the ground next to the unmoving shape.
My heart felt squeezed when I bent down next to Taylor and looked at the body of Am. She looked fragile, and her skin was as pale as chalk. Trying to keep my mind focused on the job, I took in the surroundings. A long slit in a rock shelf had many eyes peering out of it, which made me assume the gnome tunnels opened there. They probably had burrows below us, but there was no telling how many.
I cleared my throat twice before I trusted my voice not to break. "Was this where the gnomes found Am?"
Taylor kept his focus on the tiny figure. "This is where Nord led us. They said they didn't move her since it wasn't a natural death."
"And you think it was natural?" I asked.
Taylor looked uncomfortable. "I can't be certain without an autopsy, but they've refused to let me take her."
Gnomes held a very strict set of beliefs that said the dead must remain in contact with the ground of the hollow. From what little I knew, it was difficult to work around.
"But you're taking an educated guess?" I asked.
"From a cursory examination of the remains, it appears that she suffered a heart attack."
I paused to think that over. "That's a normal death for us, is it normal for a gnome?"
"It is," Taylor said, "although they don't know that's what it's called."
Nodding, I leaned back. "Have you worked with anyone besides Nord?" I asked.
"Nord speaks for the whole family," Taylor said.
"Nord?" I blinked in surprise when the small man appeared beside me. He must have been close by and listening. "What about Am's death makes you think it was unnatural?"
Nord cocked his head and looked at me. So far, the gnomes hadn't taken the usual aggressive stance against me. "Am died in an unnatural way. There was no age, no illness, no famine, and no fight."
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