She turned to leave, but I called out to her. “Where is she?”
Her head whipped around, and a slow, jagged smile spread over her face. “What do I get in return for that information?”
I almost growled in frustration. I had nothing to give her that she would want, and I wasn’t even entirely sure I believed her. But was I willing to bet my mother’s life on that? No. Glancing around, I picked up a large rock, then used my sword to cut my palm open. Blood welled up on my hand. From across the river, the Lamia hissed loudly. I rubbed my palm all over the rock, covering it in my blood.
“You want this?” I asked, holding up the rock.
“Yessss,” she hissed with her eyes locked on the rock in my hand.
“Then tell me where my mother is.”
This made her laugh again. The monster raged inside me. “Clever little Warrior,” she said. “Give me the rock and I’ll tell you.”
I rolled my eyes and pretended like I was going to toss the rock in the river. She hissed again and spoke quickly. “She’ssss in Dangeon.”
My breath caught in my throat. Why would she be there? She hadn’t committed any crime. And if she was in the prison, that meant that the Lamia were not behind what had happened to her. The anger that I always kept so close to me threatened to take over at that moment. But I took a deep breath and tried to regain control over myself.
“Thanks,” I said. Then, I tossed the rock into the river.
Across the river, the Lamia screeched that ear-splitting noise, but I just climbed up the wall and swung my legs over the other side.
Before I hopped down on the other side of the wall, I heard the Lamia call out to me. “Good luck with reaching your mother, Warrior. As ssssoon as you sssstep over thissss river, I’ll kill you, and I’ll drink every last drop of your ssssweet blood.”
I jumped down and rolled my eyes again at her threat, even though she could no longer see me. Making my way back to my dorm room, I mumbled to myself, “Yeah, well, you’ll have to get in line.”
Chapter Sixty-Eight
I stuffed everything I owned—which wasn’t very much—in my backpack and headed out. It was still early, the sun just barely peeking over the horizon. I had a few stops to make before I left, and I wanted to be out of here before the rest of the city woke up.
I made my way to the Wolves’ dorms and checked the directory to find out which room was Jackson’s. When I got there, I took a deep breath and knocked on his door.
I had to knock a few times, but finally, the door swung open, and Jackson stood there, his reddish-brown hair messy from sleep. He wore only a pair of boxers, which had cowboy hats and lassos printed all over them.
“Alexa?” he said. “God, what happened to your face?”
I shrugged off his question. “Can I come in for a second?”
He stepped to the side and gestured for me to enter. “What’s going on?” he asked, once he’d closed the door behind me.
“I’m sorry I woke you up, but I need to ask you for a favor.”
He looked confused, but he nodded. “Anything.”
Taking another deep breath, I said, “I need you to keep Nelly safe while I’m gone.”
“Okay, but, where are you going?”
I sighed, wishing I could tell him, but I had to do this on my own. I wasn’t going to put anyone at risk while I went on a mission that I wasn’t even sure was real. “I have some things I need to take care of, Jack. I need you to trust me. Will you keep Nelly safe for me?”
He nodded and pulled me into a hug. “Of course I will. But, you’ll be coming back, right?”
I pulled back and kissed him on the cheek. “Of course.” At least, I hoped I would.
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. When he spoke, his green eyes were full of affection. “I’ll wait for you, then.”
I smiled, and fought tears that were threatening to surface. “You might be waiting a while.”
He smiled back, but there was hurt behind his eyes. “I’d wait an eternity for you, Alexa.”
I pulled him to me and gave him a long, sweet kiss, and felt what was left of my heart break into pieces. This may be this last time I saw him. When we broke apart, his eyes were glowing Wolf-gold, and I was pretty sure mine were as well. “Thank you so much, Jackson, for everything. You’re the best friend I’ve ever had, and that means more to me than I could ever tell you.”
He smiled again, and this time, it reached his beautiful eyes. I turned to go, but remembered one more favor to ask. Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out the note I had scribbled down in my room before I’d left. “Will you give this to Nelly for me?”
He pulled me into one last hug and kissed my forehead. “Alexa,” he whispered. “I’d kill a bear for you.”
I laughed at that. This was the reason I loved Jackson. He could always manage to make me laugh, no matter what horrible situation I found myself in. I decided then that if I was ever going to tell him, now would be the time to do it, especially since I didn’t know if I would make it back from my trip.
“I love you, Jackson.”
He brushed some hair out of my face and ran his fingers down my cheek. “Alexa…” He sighed. “I’ve always loved you.”
I left then, but I knew with absolute certainty that he really did.
Chapter Sixty-Nine
My next stop was a little farther away, and I ran to get there. I was still feeling pretty strong after drinking Kayden’s blood, but I knew that I would need to eat once I made it outside the walls.
When I reached Tommy’s house, I knocked on the front door, and to my surprise, he answered pretty quickly. He was fully dressed in his usual expensive attire, black dress pants and a blue button-down shirt that matched his eyes. He looked surprised to see me, but he immediately stepped to the side and gestured for me to enter.
“To what do I owe the pleasure, Alexa?”
I was thankful that he didn’t mention my swollen face. But Tommy was a Brocken Vampire, a fighter, so he was probably accustomed to seeing injuries among his friends.
“I need to ask for a favor,” I said, deciding to cut to the chase.
He smiled that easy smile of his. “Ah, and here I thought you just wanted to see me.” He paused, and then asked, “What do you need?”
I swallowed hard. “Your car.”
To my astonishment, he raised both eyebrows and said, “Okay, for how long?”
“I don’t know. A couple of days… or maybe a couple of months.”
He laughed at that. “Okay… Do I get to know where you will be taking it for a couple of months?’
I shook my head. “No.”
He shook his head in return and got up, disappearing into the other room. When he returned, he held out a set of keys to me. Then, he asked, “Do you have money?”
I had about four hundred dollars saved up from my school allowance. “Some,” I said.
He sighed and reached into the pocket of his slacks. Pulling out his wallet, he handed me a stack of hundred dollar bills. “Here,” he said, pushing the bills into my hands.
I hadn’t even really expected him to say yes about the car. I was almost speechless with shock and gratitude. “Um, thank you… Why are you so willing to help me, Tommy? You don’t even know what I’m going to do.”
He shrugged. “You’re my friend, Alexa. And you usually only do things that are meant to help other people, so why wouldn’t I help you?” He paused, and that sly grin appeared on his lips. “Besides, you know how I feel about you.”
I smiled and placed a kiss on his cheek. “Thank you so much, Tommy. I owe you big time, and I won’t forget that.”
He smiled again and pulled me to him, wrapping his arms around me. “Just try to bring the Mercedes back in one piece and we’ll call it even.”
I laughed. “I’ll do my best.”
I turned to go, but he called out to me. “Don’t you want to know where the exit is that will lead you to a road through the forest?”
I turned back and smiled. “Why, yes. Yes, I do.”
Chapter Seventy
I drove through the deserted streets of Two Rivers and headed to the exit in the wall where Tommy had directed me. The city was so quiet this time in the morning, and I glanced around me, taking time to acknowledge how beautiful the place really was. Each structure was unique, and every bit of lawn was manicured to perfection. The flowers and cherry blossom trees seemed to be bidding me farewell with their bright faces turned up to the sun.
Then I had to slam on the brakes, because there was someone standing in the middle of the street.
Well, not someone. Kayden.
He was staring through the windshield at me, as if he had been waiting for me to come. He walked around the side of the car and waited for me to unlock the door. I considered what to do. I could hit the gas and take off, denying him the chance to say whatever he was waiting to tell me. Or, I could unlock the door and hear what he had to say.
I unlocked the door. As much as I was still hurt by what he’d done to me, if I was being honest, I didn’t really want to leave without giving him a chance to explain himself. I supposed I could’ve just rolled down the window, and maybe my not doing so was a more of a subconscious message.
When he opened the door, though, he just folded himself into the passenger seat and sat staring straight ahead. I waited for several moments before saying, “What?”
He didn’t look at me, he just said, “Let’s go.”
I shook my head in confusion. “We’re not going anywhere.”
Kayden looked at me then, and the apology that had been in his eyes last night was still present this morning. To my astonishment he said, “You don’t want to go find your mother?”
I gasped. “What are you talking about?”
He gave me a look that said stupid question. With a sigh, he said, “We’ve shared blood, Alexa, and whether you want to accept it or not, you’re my Warrior. I felt the summons to the gate last night, just as you did.”
I hated that his words made my heart flutter, his Warrior. I rubbed my face with my hands. This could not be happening. “Then, you saw everything?”
He nodded. “And I’m not going to let you do this on your own, so you can either let me come with you, or you can make things difficult and force me to follow you the whole way.”
I stared straight out the windshield. “Get out, Kayden.”
He sat there for so long I almost thought I’d have to tell him again, but finally, he opened the door and stepped back out into the street. As I started forward again, I snuck a glance at him in the rearview mirror. He still stood there, staring at the back of Tommy’s car as I increased the distance between us. As I rounded a corner, out of sight at last, I shoved thoughts of Kayden to the back of my head, right along with everyone else.
Chapter Seventy-One
When I made it to the gate, I discovered it was guarded. I’m not sure why I hadn’t expected this, and I hoped that there wasn’t some rule that prevented citizens from leaving Two Rivers whenever they felt like it. If so, I might not be going anywhere. I could always try and knock the guard unconscious, but then I would have a short time period to figure out how to lower the gate myself to cross the river.
I pulled up to the gate and stopped at the small guard station that was positioned to the side of it. The guard leaned down as I rolled down my window. It was Gavin. I wasn’t sure if this was a good thing or not.
“Giving up already, Warrior?”
I shook my head. “I don’t give up on anything that’s important… but I need you to lower the gate for me. I have some things I have to go take care of.” I hoped that sounded convincing.
To my surprise, Gavin winked. “Will you be coming back?”
“If I’m lucky.”
“Then, good luck, Warrior. I look forward to your return.” Then he lowered the gate.
Before I could pull forward, he said, “Don’t forget what you saw here, Alexa.”
At the sound of my name, I smiled, though I’m sure there was more sadness in it than anything else. “I won’t forget what I left here.”
Gavin gave me a genuine smile then, and though it was a little lopsided due to the scar that ran down the side of his face, it was the first real smile I had seen from anyone in what seemed like weeks.
So, I left. I left Two Rivers. I left everyone behind. Everyone I loved and cared about—to go on what might be a suicide mission. It had occurred to me though, that if my mother really was alive and at Dangeon, then the queen had deliberately lied to me about her death. This made me wonder what else was a lie at Two Rivers. I could only hope that I was the one who would be in danger by leaving, not the people I’d left behind.
The End…. For now.
About H.D. Gordon
H.D. Gordon is the bestselling author of The Alexa Montgomery Saga and a paranormal thriller entitled Joe. She is a lifelong reader and writer, a true lover of words. When she is not reading or writing she is raising her two daughters, playing a little guitar and spending time with her family. She is twenty-four years old and lives in the northeastern United States..
Connect with H.D. Gordon:
Website: http://hdgordon.com/
Twitter: http://bit.ly/1qLHuIW
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RIVULET
By
Jamie Magee
Copyright © 2012 by Jamie Magee
Edited by Todd Barslow
Cover Art Emma Michaels
For the dear friend that showed me how passionate fire signs could be, Chancey Shae Pickard.
And to my baby brother, Joseph Brady, for teaching me to respect fire, for showing me how courageous fireman have to be. Your bravery is unprecedented.
Love is like a friendship caught on fire. In the beginning a flame, very pretty, often hot and fierce, but still only light and flickering. As love grows older, our hearts mature and our love becomes as coals, deep-burning and unquenchable.
Bruce Lee
Other Books by Jamie Magee
All series mingle at some point creating a “web of hearts and souls”
Insight (Book 1)
Embody (Book 2)
Image (Book 3)
Image (Book 3)
Vital (Book 4)
Vindicate (Book 5)
Enflame (Book 6)
Blakeshire
See (Book 1)
Witness (Book 2)
Synergy (Book 3)
Redefined (Book 4)
Derive
Imperial
Where To Find Jamie Online:
http://authorjamiemagee.blogspot.com
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Twitter
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News Letter
Chapter One
When death shadows your path, you only have one viable defense—adrenaline. All the rage, panic, and jealousy coursing through my veins vanished instantly. There was no room for such emotions. There was no choice between fight and flight—I’ve always been a fighter.
The light was blinding, but that was nothing compared to the piercing sound of the train’s whistle that was bellowing through my body. I braced my arms on the dash, knowing there was nowhere to turn, no way to stop.
Out of sheer instinct, Wilder turned the wheel sharply, which rapidly plowed us through the brush that surrounded the frozen lake. The ice carried the wheels of the car so far out onto the lake that turning back was not an option.
Gavin’s truck, which was just behind us, had followed our path onto the ice. The only way to go was straight ahead toward the manor, but that was a foolish mistake.
Seconds later, just before the hood of the car, I saw the darkness spider web across the pristine blue of the ice, and the frozen lake opened wide, swallowing us whole.
The shock of the cold water never registered to me as I struggled to undo my seatbelt.
Once I was free, I reached for Wilder, who was already loose. He leaned back in
his seat and lunged his long legs at the windshield, trying to give us both a way out, but before he could break the glass Gavin’s truck landed on us with a sickening thud.
The added weight caused us to sink faster than before, and now the icy water was seeping over our necks. Wilder was so cold that he couldn’t think—he couldn’t move. I swam over the seat and angled myself so I could kick out the back window. It took me three tries, but finally I forced it open.
Wilder was gone, completely unconscious. I positioned my arm under his shoulders and pulled him with every ounce of my strength. He was almost too broad to fit through the window. The jagged glass scraped his arm—the pain from the gash shocked him awake. I heard him scream under the water as I thrust him forward then followed, finding air with the next beat of my heart.
After a second of thought, I realized that when I swam by Gavin’s truck it was upside down; I knew they were either hurt or trapped because no one had broken through the surface of the frozen lake. I had to go back. I had to save them.
“Indie, no!” Wilder screamed at me, but I didn’t bother to argue or even hesitate.
I dove into the water, pushing through the blocks of ice. Wilder was behind me, swimming faster than I could.
The dark color of crimson was escaping out through the windows of the overturned truck.
Wilder started to kick out the passenger side window as I swam down to the crevasse where our car met theirs. The back window was buckled. It only took one kick to break my way through.
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