“Rolling it back.” Her eyebrows knitted.
Over the river, large slabs of cement and asphalt jumped out of the water into the air, joining and reconnecting the banks of Oregon City to those of West Linn. The arches swung out of the river, rising like wings preparing to take flight.
The obelisks began to glow and thrum.
“Mara, you have to stop. You’re beginning to flicker.”
“No. I want them back.”
“The woman you bring back will not be your mother.” He stepped in front of her, grabbed her arms. “You have to consider the consequences. You cannot let her loose in this realm, even if we lose your mother and Sam.”
Keeping her eyes closed, Mara shook her head. Ping’s grip on her arms now passed through her.
“Mara, stop this. You are fading away, I can see through you. Please stop.”
Light spread across the roadway. Ping turned to find its source. His eyes widened, and he said, “Mara, look at the obelisk, its glowing. It’s her talisman, her power. You are letting that loose again. You have to stop.”
She placed her hands on the sides of her head; strain creased her features.
The translucent blue bubble exploded from the arch, engulfed the center of the bridge. Ping gasped, then turned back to Mara.
She was gone.
“Mara, you cannot leave it like this!” Ping swirled around, his arms held out to his sides, talking into the sky. “You are condemning your mother to the same fate as me, to a life trapped in a body with another consciousness that doesn’t belong. You have to come back and stop this. For her and for all of us.”
A faint figure coalesced in front of him. “No,” Mara said.
“This is wrong, and you know it.”
Her shoulders sagged. Her head dropped to her chest.
The bubble collapsed.
The bridge did not.
The obelisks faded to cold stone.
Now more opaque, Mara opened her eyes, tried to blink away tears. “I don’t think I can live like this, without my mother, knowing I could have done something to help her.”
Ping put an arm around her. “You did help her. Remember Mrs. Sandoval? She let her husband go for his sake even though she would never see him again. We have to do the same. If not—”
“We would have to live with the consequences, I know.”
They stood in silence for several minutes not wanting to stay, but unwilling to admit it was time to go.
“Why don’t I take you home to get some rest?” Ping asked, brushing singed hair from her face. “You’re exhausted and freezing.”
He eased her around, guided her to the sidewalk on Main.
“Mara!” The yell came from over their shoulders. They turned to the road rising to the darkened arch at the center of the bridge.
Sam hobbled out of the shadows of the arch into the morning twilight, waving an arm, clumsily jogging and limping, trying to catch up to them. Though dried blood caked the side of his face and soot covered the rest of his body, he smiled.
“Sam!”
He stopped short in the middle of the road, his smile fell away. His posture stiffened. He turned back to the arch.
Diana jogged out of the darkness, directly at him, holding her arms wide. He cringed as she caught up, placed her hands on his shoulders and held him at arm’s length, beaming. He stared back wide-eyed, noticed the missing serpent tattoo and tears streaming down her face. She pulled him to her. A moment later, he raised his arms and returned the embrace.
Mara and Ping stood at the end of the bridge, watching. She wiped a tear from her eye and leaned against him.
“It’s remarkable your mother recognizes him,” Ping said.
“Of course, she recognizes him,” Mara said. “He’s my brother.”
Author’s Note
Thanks so much for taking the time to read Broken Realms. I hope you enjoyed it. If you find yourself with a few free minutes, please consider writing a short, honest review of the book on Amazon. It not only helps other readers discover the book, but gives visibility to a new writer.
Thanks again.
_______
The Chronicles of Mara Lantern on Amazon:
Broken Realms (Book 1)
Broken Souls (Book 2)
Broken Dragon (Book 3 – Coming Soon)
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Table of Contents
TITLE PAGE
COPYRIGHT
QUOTE
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
CHAPTER 37
CHAPTER 38
CHAPTER 39
CHAPTER 40
CHAPTER 41
CHAPTER 42
CHAPTER 43
CHAPTER 44
CHAPTER 45
CHAPTER 46
CHAPTER 47
CHAPTER 48
CHAPTER 49
CHAPTER 50
CHAPTER 51
CHAPTER 52
CHAPTER 53
CHAPTER 54
CHAPTER 55
CHAPTER 56
CHAPTER 57
CHAPTER 58
CHAPTER 59
CHAPTER 60
CHAPTER 61
CHAPTER 62
CHAPTER 63
CHAPTER 64
CHAPTER 65
CHAPTER 66
CHAPTER 67
CHAPTER 68
Author’s Note
Broken Realms (The Chronicles of Mara Lantern, Book 1) Page 37