The Nexis Secret: YA Fantasy Romance (The Nexis Angel Series Book 1)

by Barbara Hartzler

  I plowed through the snow after Cindy, leaving the guys to their luggage duty. She ushered me into the foyer where I shook off snowflakes under a vaulted ceiling.

  As I hung my parka on the coat rack, Brooke rushed up to me, wrapping her arms around my waist.

  “Lucy, I’m so glad you’re here.” She squeezed me tight.

  A lanky girl hovered behind Brooke, unable to hide because she stood a good six inches taller. She fidgeted with her long blonde hair, twirling it around her index finger.

  “Don’t be shy.” Brooke motioned the girl over. “This is my older sister, Abby.”

  “Nice to meet you.” Abby’s face broke into a smile as warm as her mom’s. “You look so much like your brother.”

  “Hello, she’s a girl. That’s not very nice,” Brooke scrunched her forehead at her sister.

  “Oh, that’s not what I meant. I’m sorry. I just . . .” Abby’s blue eyes darted from Brooke back to me as she resumed her hair twirling.

  “Don’t worry about it. I actually think that’s a compliment, especially now.” I shrugged it off, trying not to think about my brother. James was in Europe somewhere, having the time of his life no doubt. More like running from Nexis. Pressure built behind my eyes at all the what-ifs whirring in my brain. But I couldn’t go there. Not right now.

  “I’m sure you miss him a lot.” Abby grabbed my hand, just like Bryan would if he was here. “I know just the thing to cheer you up. You wanna see your room?”

  Without waiting for answer, she squeezed my hand and tugged me across the fluffy entry rug and down a hardwood-lined hallway.

  “Here we are.” She gestured to the perfect little white and oak room. “Maybe later we can talk about your brother, if you’re up for it.”

  “I’d like that.” My lips curved, too. “I love talking with people who knew James.”

  “Great. Maybe tonight after dinner.” She offered me another glimpse at that warm smile. Then she slipped out of the room, her long blond hair swishing in waves behind her.

  She left me all alone in this small but comfortable room, complete with soft white carpet, a white quilted bedspread, and matching oak furniture. I padded over to the window, taking in the snowy scene outside. Tall pines fringed the backyard, almost like the landscape hanging over the bed. The cavernous ceiling was pristine with beautiful rustic beams, but it wasn’t my room. Back home, I’d filled my room with color and random doodles—my own organized mess.

  Out of nowhere, an overwhelming wave of homesickness washed over me. Gnawing my bones with its icy loneliness. This would be the first Christmas I’d ever spent away from home. Even if things weren’t right with my family, they were still my family. And I missed them.

  I reached for the phone to dial my dad’s number, but my finger froze mid-air. What would I say to him if he answered? Hey, Dad. Sorry I don’t wanna come home and face all the drama of my stalker ex-boyfriend and keeping secrets from my sister about the discovery that my brother is really my half-brother. Yeah, I’m sure that’d go over real well.

  Instead, I set the phone on the nightstand in easy reach in case they decided to call and check in.

  Tucking my suitcase under the bed, I curled up in a ball on the giant four-poster bed. In a house full of familiar strangers, I felt so alone. All the emotions I’d held in since the attack churned in my gut, threating to bubble over.

  Sheer anger rose to the surface. My blood boiled as I tried to shove the memories of Jake back into the dark pit they’d come from.

  I couldn’t understand it, couldn’t wrap my brain around it. Flashes of that night played in my head. Jake shaking me, yanking my arm out of its socket. Trying to take me God knows where. If it wasn’t for Angel, my angel, who knows what would’ve happened? To think, I used to date that guy. I shuddered at the thought. Thank God Bryan showed up. He was such a hero that night.

  One question lingered like a neon sign. What happened to Will? Did Jake beat him up too, or were they working together in some kind of Nexis plot to take me to their underground lair?

  Even though he’d called two dozen times since that awful night, I ignored every call. Erased every voicemail. Pressure built behind my eyes. I was too afraid Will was in on the plot. Call it magnetic charm or a latent self-destructive streak, but for some reason I felt drawn to him. No more. I couldn’t let him get any closer. Couldn’t let that night repeat itself. But I couldn’t go there. Not right now.

  If I let my mind wander down the what-if road, I’d be consumed by the shadows of what could’ve happened.

  Before I left Montrose, my trauma counselor told me, “Don’t let the darkness consume you.” And it stayed with me.

  I couldn’t dwell on that horrible night forever. I had to find a way to shove it aside and move on. Or it’d eat me alive.

  Instead, I vowed to focus on the good things in my life—to feed my spirit with much-needed light. Angel, as I had taken to calling him lately, did come to save me when I asked. He helped Bryan rescue me, which brought me to the next step in my journey. Staying with a warm and welcoming family who could protect me and train me to fight my own battles. Probably the safest place I could be right now.

  I unfurled my limbs from my self-made cocoon. The shadows dissipated and a sense of calm enveloped me like a warm blanket. I was safe. And I was stronger than I ever thought I could be. Soon, after Seer training, I’d be even stronger. I smiled at that thought, even as my fingers curled into fists. Seer training was just the next step in my journey. And I was ready.

  Watch for Crossing Nexis, Book 2 in the Nexis Angel series.

  Coming Fall 2019 . . .

  Want a FREE Nexis book? Keep reading for a free sample of The Nexis Awakening, Book 1.5 in the Nexis Angel series all about how James got banished from Montrose Academy.

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  The Nexis Awakening

  By Barbara Hartzler

  JAMES

  Here was the funny thing: I was never that guy. The responsible guy. No, I was the guy who froze his younger sister’s training bra. The guy who paintballed the Guardian floor of Denby Hall for Halloween open dorms.

  Sure, I’ve been on my own for four years of high school living it up at Riverdale, New York’s finest boarding school. And I’m still president of the Nexis Society, for at least another day. Until they find out what I’m about to do.

  Because there I was, sitting on the subway, about to break into a church in Harlem.

  I had told the heir apparent this was his initiation mission. That’s right. I lied to the great Will Stanton, Jr., Golden Adonis of the Nexis Society. The fifteen-year-old boy wonder who’d supposedly usher in the Utopian society Nexis had been engineering for centuries.

  It was easy to lie to this kid, but infinitely harder lying to all of my friends, especially my girlfriend, for two months now.

  Here’s the truth—I was doing the most responsible thing I’d ever done in my life.

  I had a plan to protect my kid sister, Lucy. Even if I had to break into a church to do it. You think the cops would buy it? Yeah, me neither. Let’s pray we don’t get caught.

  Cocking my head, I glanced across the subway bench at the kid who’d soon replace me. Maybe tomorrow, maybe next week. But right now, Will Stanton didn’t know what I knew. He thought this was a Nexis mission like any other.

  The corners of my mouth curled. Good. That’s what I wanted him to think. It was his family against mine. The Stantons vs. the McAllens. And I wouldn’t let them win. If I’m going down, he’s going down with me.

  The brakes squealed as we slowed to a stop. I zipped up my black hoodie and stood up.

  “You ready for this?” I asked as the doors slid open.

  “You bet,” he said with a grin plastered across his
face. “I’m always ready for a secret mission.”

  I fought the urge to roll my eyes. Only a handful of bleary-eyed people walked out with us. Still, every hair on the back of my neck stood up. My blood pumped double-time, but no one seemed to notice two black-clad teenagers on the subway platform. It was midnight on a Thursday, after all. Only in New York.

  We booked it up the steps, two at a time, and made our way out to the street without any more naive freshman comments that might give us away. I led our two-man crew around the corner to the next stoplight.

  Will pressed the button, and we waited our turn. When the Walk sign lit up, we crossed Third Avenue, ducking into the shadows of the residential side of 104th. Distant sirens and the clunk of our footsteps were the only sounds in the night. Almost in the clear now.

  “So, what’s this mission anyway?” he asked, breaking up the silence.

  “You’ll see,” I whispered. We had to sneak past the Harlem projects without being seen. Didn’t he get that?

  The street was darker now. Twenty more feet and we’d be there.

  “C’mon man.” Will was whining now. “Tell me what’s up.”

  Shaking my head, I kept walking. Five more steps, and I stopped. “Here we are.”

  Will backed up. “No way. I can’t break into a church.”

  “Some pampered Nexis president you’ll be, mama’s boy,” I hissed at him. Pivoting around to face the wimp, I glared him down. Think. Make something up. “Listen, man. This is my last mission as Nexis president. And your first. It’s a long-standing tradition to initiate the new guy. But hey, if you can’t handle it, I’m sure they’ll find someone else.” There, that should shut him up.

  Sure enough, his eyes went wide. “Are you serious? I’m the next Nexis president? Awesome. Let’s do this.”

  “Welcome aboard.” I shook his hand, all official-like and everything. See what I mean? Responsible. Turning back to the church, I pulled my lock pick out of my pocket.

  Bing. Bong. Bing. Bong. The church bells dinged as I jimmied the lock. Not helping.

  “St. Lucy’s Church,” Will said slowly, as if he had just learned how to read. “We’re breaking into a church named after the first Seer?”

  My hands quaked. Please God, don’t let him figure it out. Not yet. But I kept working the lock. I had to get those documents. My own Lucy needed protection from the likes of people like him. And she needed that stone.

  “Don’t you have a sister? Her name’s Lucy, right?” Will asked.

  I flinched and hunched my shoulders, refusing to give anything away. “Yeah, so what?”

  “A funny coincidence I guess.” He started whistling to himself.

  “Yeah, funny.” I tuned him out. Thank God he was fifteen and completely clueless. Back to business. I was so close. My palms were sweating now. My heart thumped in my ears. I could feel the lock about to give way. I needed to relax.

  Pop. Like magic, the lock clicked and the door cracked open.

  “You’ve gotta teach me how to do that,” he said as we tiptoed into the dark building.

  “Shh.” I put one finger to my lips.

  Darkness draped the cavernous foyer in eerie silence like it knew we were here—watching our every move.

  My sneakers squeaked across the marble. I slid up against the wall, motioning Will to do the same. He followed my lead as we turned the corner and trekked up a long hallway. Two doors down was the library. I knew because Responsible James had already cased the place.

  At the library door, I jimmied the lock again. This one popped open in only a few twists. These guys needed to up their security, especially in this town.

  “Nice,” Will whispered.

  I opened the door, yanked him by the collar, and dragged him inside. Ever-so-slowly, I closed the door until it clicked. Locking it behind me.

  “Keep your voice down,” I growled at him. “Try to remember we’re on a covert mission.”

  “Sooor-ry.” He hoisted his hands in the air. “What’re we looking for anyway?”

  Gripping his hoodie tighter, I stared him down. “This stays between us, past president to future prez. Can I trust you?”

  His eyes were wide, but he didn’t flinch or look away. “Of course you can trust me. I won’t tell anyone.”

  “You can’t tell a soul. Not Nexis, not even your parents. No one, got it?” I narrowed my eyes at him. “You swear? This is life or death stuff here.”

  “I swear, James.” With one nod he clapped a hand on my shoulder. “I know I’m a Stanton and everything that’s supposed to mean in the Nexis world. But I’m your friend first. You can trust me. Tell me what’s going on.”

  I narrowed my eyes at him, studying every nook and cranny of his face. But I couldn’t find anything. No telltale nervous tick, or rapid-fire blinking. Will just stared back at me, looking me square in the eye. Could he actually mean what he said?

  Will came from a long line of Stantons, the family that had ruled the Nexis Semigod Nations for a century, with no end in sight. But this guy seemed different. I’d watched him all year. He wasn’t like every other Nexis freshman looking to climb the ladder. Maybe Will’s family hadn’t told him about their plans. Maybe he was in the dark like I was once. So I decided to take a chance on this guy.

  Pulling two flashlights from my hoodie pocket, I handed him one. “Here’s the deal. I’m looking for documents on the sacred stones and their current locations. Think you can handle that, rookie?”

  “So that’s what this is about.” A slow grin curled his mouth. “You’re looking for a leg up. Can’t say I blame you, either. If I was next in line to be the Seer I’d want to find the Watcher’s Sapphire, too. So everyone would take me seriously. But I doubt we’ll find a treasure map to their secret hideout in here.”

  “No, that’s not it,” I said, shaking my flashlight. “I don’t want just anyone to be able to see the unseen world of angels and demons. It’s not a gift. It’s an incredible burden.” I had to give this kid credit, though. He knew more than I did at his age. Figures.

  “So what are you looking for?” he asked. “You know where we keep the Nexis Ruby.”

  “Do I seriously have to spell it out for you?” I shook my head at him. “There are only three sacred stones. I’m looking for the Guardian Amethyst.”

  “Whoa.” He sucked in a breath. “You’ve got some balls man. That could start a war, you know.”

  “Maybe,” I said, gnawing on my lip. Now was the time for some major BS. “But not if we do this right. If I shave off a little piece for protection and report its location to Nexis—”

  “Nice,” he said. “That way no one can touch you and you’ll still score some major points.”

  “Exactly.” I shrugged like I could care less. “You’ll get credit, too. For helping and all.”

  “That’ll make me a shoe-in to take your place as president. Say no more. I got your back, buddy. Let’s see what we can find.” He aimed his flashlight at a bookshelf in the far corner and walked over to it, thumbing through the titles.

  Now I was the one following Will’s lead. Ironic. Maybe he’d been on a few covert missions after all. Flashlights in hand, we searched the cedar shelves, pulled out enormous parchment tomes with interesting titles, and stacked them on a mahogany table in the middle of the dark room. We opened the most promising books first.

  Blowing off dust. Poring over yellowed parchment. Page after page after page of nothingness. Pure Nexis propaganda. Outlines for their Utopian world order, aka global domination. Blah, blah, blah. The usual Nexis garbage.

  At last, I’d found the two words I’d been searching for. Sacred stones.

  This section was an overview of the twelve sacred stones of the twelve tribes of Israel. Apparently, the legend of the stones originated from some passage in Exodus. Each gemstone was reported to have its own unique properties—four rubies, four amethysts, and four sapphires. These stones formed the basis for each secret society’s beliefs.

&
nbsp; Nexis started with an obsession to find the rubies because they have the power to give fallen angels human-like bodies. And the ability to mate with the women of earth and create Nephilim. Yeah, crazy stuff.

  This book documented how Nexis found all four rubies by the 13th century. For nine hundred years. they’d been protecting their precious stones and hunting down the other three components of their plan: the Seer, and at least one amethyst and one sapphire.

  A chill slithered down my back. They’d been trying to get the Seer on their side for years. This was the closest they’d ever come. I could feel their grip circling me. Slowly tightening the noose around my neck. Waiting until I turned eighteen to reveal their true plan.

  Tomorrow, Nexis would know the truth. I wasn’t the Seer. I couldn’t be. The truth was almost a relief, actually. Except the part about Mom having an affair and the fact that Dad wasn’t really my biological father. I wasn’t James McAllen after all. A sad story. Pathetic, really.

  Two months ago, I needed a passport for the senior ski trip to Canada. Mom wouldn’t give me my birth certificate. Said she lost it. So I played the responsible card and went through all the red tape to get my passport on my own. Only to find out I wasn’t who I thought I was.

  If I wasn’t the Seer, then Lucy was next in line. I had to protect her, even if she was only my half-sister. Because tomorrow was my eighteenth birthday. The day that everyone would find out the truth. A truth I’d known for a long time. Longer than two months, if I were truly honest.

  I never had the Awakenings, not like the legends say you’re supposed to. I laughed it off when people talked about it. Like it was no big deal. I told myself I’d probably be the Seer’s dad or grandpa or something. Deep down, though, something always felt off.

  I wanted to run, start a new life somewhere. But I couldn’t. Not yet. Not until I knew my sister would be safe. If I wasn’t the Seer, at least I could be the Guardian of the Seer. Has a nice ring to it, right?