“Good God,” Kylie exclaims, squeezing my hand tight. “Is there anyone who isn’t after Tori?”
“It’s been building to this moment in time for centuries,” Beck says. “Nothing that has happened is entirely unexpected.”
“What is expected of me?” My gaze dances between all of them. “What is it you all want from me?”
Cooper flits to my side, sinking to his knees in front of me. “You think you need us to protect you, and you do to a point—that’s why we were chosen for this life, why our gifts were bestowed on us at birth—but it’s about way more than that. We need you more than you need us.”
Dane looms over us. “You’re the only one who can save us, Alinthia, who can save the galaxy. Without you, we are all doomed. Without you, there is nothing or no one to stop General Arantu. You’re our lost savior, Alinthia. You are the one destined to save all of us.”
“But I’m only a girl,” I squeak out.
Maddox stands up. “You have never been just a girl. You’re the last descendant of the original Nantor Royal Family and the focus of the prophecy that people have spoken about for generations. We are here to prepare you for awakening and to support you through the change. We are here to see you achieve a mission that has been set in the stars for centuries. A mission that hinges solely on you. Our goal is to keep enemy forces away from you until you assume Godlike power, and then you will lead our armies. You will lead the forces of good against the forces of evil in the ultimate battle for the galaxy.”
“You will return to Verron and lead our people out of captivity,” Beck says, as if I’ve agreed to this madness. “We’ll be able to go home.”
Butterflies flutter manically around my chest, and my heart is pounding wildly behind my ribcage. A sour taste floods my mouth. “What if you’re wrong? What if it’s not me? What if Dane has been right all along and I’m not who I’m supposed to be? What if you have the wrong girl?”
“I’m sorry I doubted you,” Dane voluntarily offers up. “I never should have, and if I’m the cause of your own self-doubt, I apologize.”
Beck frowns, Maddox scowls at Dane, and Cooper reaches out, flipping my wrist over. “We don’t have the wrong girl. Look.” My eyes dart to the previously unmarked skin on the underside of my wrist, and I gasp. A shadowy tattoo is just visible underneath the surface of my skin. The cut lines of the pentagon shape are clearly outlined even if it’s hazy. “This is the mark of the prophecy, and it was foretold that the savior and her protectors would be stamped with their birthright as babies. We believe ours appeared after the ceremony of light.”
Beck speaks up again. “And that whatever measures your parents took to protect you, to send you away from Arantu’s clutches, also hid the mark. We’ve been waiting for it to reappear.” Beck kneels in front of me, and in some unspoken agreement, Dane and Maddox sink to the floor too.
I watch my four protectors lined up at my feet, their faces alight with hope and awe and a million other emotions. One by one, they clamp their hands over their hearts, staring up at me, willing me to be okay with this. Dane’s voice is thick with emotion when he speaks. “You’re our only hope, Alinthia. We’re all looking to you.”
A heavy weight presses down on my chest as the vision from the night of the barn attack resurrects in my mind.
I’m in a vast, ornate temple of some kind with thick gold-encrusted panels lining the walls. Ancient text is scrawled across the golden walls, and there’s an ominous ghostly chanting filtering through the dimly lit room. I’m standing on an altar of sorts, covered head to toe in black. The only color on me is the luxurious green velvet robe falling over my shoulders. My eyes are two red orbs in my otherwise pale face. The man at my side is smug with arrogance, his eyes dancing in celebration. General Arantu speaks in a commanding voice, planting his hand on my shoulder. “The time has arrived. Fulfill your destiny, Daughter of Darkness.”
I raise my palms, fiery flames flickering from the tips of my fingers. I concentrate on the four protectors kneeling at my feet, and I move my hands closer to them, the fire burning more brightly, primed and ready to take action as soon as I let it loose. Their hands are clasped behind their backs, their faces bloodied and bruised. But it’s the look of despair in their eyes that causes my entire body to shudder uncontrollably. Dane, Maddox, Cooper, and Beckett plead with their eyes, begging me to reconsider.
I snap out of my head, the vision evaporating like a puff of smoke, and a strangled sob rips from my soul.
They think I’m the lost savior—that I’m going to save them and the galaxy.
But what if I’m not their savior?
What if I’m their destroyer?
TO BE CONTINUED.
The story continues in The Secret Heir, available to preorder now.
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THE SECRET HEIR (ALINTHIA #2)
Continue the story in The Secret Heir. The second book in the Alinthia series is releasing on March 26th 2018.
Pre-order The Secret Heir on Amazon.
SAVEN DECEPTION (The Saven Series Book One)
A girl with a hidden past. An alien prince. Their unlikely attraction could save two worlds… or doom them all…
Sadie Owens desperately needed a do-over. When she’s chosen for a six-month residency in a government-run undersea city, she willingly drops everything to participate. After all, the experiment could be a huge step forward for her overcrowded planet and her life. She also doesn’t mind living next door to a hot alien with ocean-blue eyes…
Logan Chandler has kept a lot of secrets for his species. If humans knew the real reason the Saven were on Earth, then their coexistence would be anything but peaceful. But he can’t help falling for the different and beautiful Sadie. Unfortunately, protecting the girl of his destiny could destroy his own kind…
As Logan gives Sadie mixed signals, the mystery of the Saven starts to unravel. Now that she finally understands what’s at stake, is it too late for Sadie to save her heart and the human race?
Saven Deception is the first book in a pulse-pounding YA sci-fi romance series. If you like mind-bending paranormal mysteries, swoon-worthy love stories, and sexy aliens, then you’ll love Siobhan Davis’ out-of-this-world tale.
“Amazing plot, and the love story between Sadie and Logan is right up there with Twilight, Mortal Instruments, Iron Fey, and Black Mage.” Michelle Madow, USA Today bestselling author of the Dark World and Elementals series’.
This is a completed series and it’s FREE to read in Kindle Unlimited.
Download Saven Deception here.
Save 40% and purchase the Saven Series Box Set Collection here.
Scroll forward to read a sample from this book.
SAMPLE – SAVEN DECEPTION
Prologue
Dr. Evana Taylor locked her office door and walked briskly out of the building. Tugging the collar of her brown cashmere coat up over the nape of her neck, she strode across the empty parking lot, the wind whipping her long copper-colored hair in a mass of tangles all over her face.
Though it wasn’t yet November, the cold weather had arrived with a bang. The icy layer snaking through the dark night air slapped her skin as brutally as a punch to the face. Wincing, she picked up speed and walked with renewed vigor, desperate for the warmth and safety of her car.
Her thoughts flipped to her husband and she sighed. Her recurring tardiness angered him. It was becoming more of a regular occurrence as her client list grew, and she sensed his mounting frustration. Since she had rec
eived the coveted NextGen Psychologist Award, she was in high demand. Her research on cognitive behavioral therapy continued to win her numerous accolades, and she was cresting a wave she’d only ever dreamed about.
This was her once-in-a-lifetime chance to develop the type of career she’d always desired and an opportunity to build a nest egg that would secure her family’s future. Although it required personal sacrifices—most of which she was willing to make—she deplored missing her son’s bedtime. Peeking at her watch, she sighed loudly. She would have to wait until morning now to see her little Glenn.
An ominous sense of foreboding swept over Evana and she instinctually glanced over her shoulder. The Psychiatric Facility was bathed in eerie darkness; the only visible light a dim glow from the small security desk in the front lobby. Shaking off her paranoia, she picked up her pace and strode with purpose toward her car.
A monstrous gust of wind swept the length of the lot, and tiny hairs rose to attention on the back of her neck. Inexplicable fear sent her heart rate skyrocketing as blood stampeded through her veins. In her haste to reach her car, Evana tripped over her feet and took a tumble. Silently cursing, she pushed off her hands as a blinding ray of light immersed her form on the ground.
Shielding her eyes, she looked up and froze. An icy tremor ripped up and down her spine as her body became weightless, and she began to float off the ground. She tried resisting the pull, but her muscles stubbornly refused to cooperate. She opened her mouth to scream, but her vocal cords were paralyzed, and the scream lay dying on her tongue. Trapped within herself, she had no way to release her panic.
As she ascended, she fought the urge to close her eyes. But her lids grew heavy and cumbersome, and eventually darkness swooped in and laid claim to her.
Heat radiated underneath Evana’s body, and she was cocooned in a heady sensation that feathered skin deep. A steady thrumming sound reverberated around her, and the gentle swaying motion of her surroundings, combined with the pleasurable warmth, enveloped her in a heavenly blanket. A satisfied moan escaped her lips.
“She is conscious,” a voice said in a lilting, heavily accented tone. Evana’s heart slammed against her ribcage as renewed panic set in. Parking lot. Lights. Body floating upward. Too afraid to open her eyes and confront reality, Evana prayed, as she’d never prayed before in her life.
“Dr. Taylor,” a strange voice said, “open your eyes.” Her eyes fluttered open upon his command despite her reluctance and fear.
A man and woman loomed over her, scrutinizing her as if she was a mutant insect or a science experiment gone wrong. Anxiety prickled underneath the surface of her skin, but she was immediately drawn to the man, and she couldn’t tear her eyes away.
He was tall—well over six foot—and in his early forties, if she had to hazard a guess. His jet-black hair was graying at the temples, and fine silver lines weaved an artistic path across his head. It gave him a distinguished look, a regal presence, as if he was a member of old royalty or some lauded dynasty. The curve of his taut jawline and the smooth even lines of his skin revealed a face that was remarkably well preserved for a man of his years. Frowning, she wondered if her initial assessment of his age was wide of the mark.
One thing she was sure of: He was the most beautiful man she’d ever met. Mesmerized, she couldn’t look away.
That assessment held until she zeroed in on his eyes, which were a startling azure blue at first glance. Upon closer inspection, she spotted the cold, harsh, inhumane glare lying underneath. His eyes scanned the line of her body with barely contained disgust, and she shivered despite the warm blanket of air encasing her on all sides. When his eyes fixed on hers, she drew in a sharp gasp at the blatant hostility reflected in his stare.
Outwardly, he may look like a man, but she knew, deep down inside, he wasn’t human.
Terror spiked inside her, yet strangely, she found herself taking his offered hand and swinging her legs off the elevated bed.
“We’re so glad you could join us, Doctor,” he said in that weird intonation, his words clearly at odds with his chilling facial expression. He made it sound like she’d accepted a formal dinner invite when this was a clinical case of alien abduction. Fear battled with acceptance in her mind as she placed one foot in front of the other.
She walked alongside him, the woman trailing at their heels. He led her down a sleek passageway and brought her into a huge room, which appeared to be a personal chamber of sorts. Only then did Evana heed her surroundings.
Large tinted glass windows rimmed the perimeter of the room on all sides, granting her a breath-stealing front row seat. Earth was clearly visible in the frame, like a gigantic circular blue ball with sporadic green and white streaks crisscrossing the circumference. Stars twinkled and sparkled against the inky black backdrop of outer space.
She stumbled clumsily as the reality of the situation hit her full force. The man slung an arm around her waist and steadied her. “Take a seat.”
She slumped down on the narrow couch.
The woman moved her hand in a graceful sweeping motion, and a holographic screen materialized in the space in front of them. Evana tried to swallow her fear at the displayed image of her husband and son. Failing, she let out a strangled cry.
“Cooperate and they will come to no harm. Refuse and you will never see them again.” The woman spoke without any trace of emotion, any hint of hesitation.
“What do you want from me?” Evana asked in a shaky voice.
“We require your psychological expertise,” the man responded.
“For what purpose?” Wrapping her arms around herself, Evana fought to stave off the violent trembling taking hold of her.
“We need you to train us how to behave like humans. How to emulate their actions and thought processes.”
“Why?” Evana asked the question though she dreaded the reply.
“Because, when the time comes, we want to blend in without detection.”
A messy ball of emotion pressed down on Evana’s chest as his words sunk in. Staring at the image of her husband and son, a single tear slid down her cheek. An amused grin tugged up the corners of his mouth.
“I don’t have a choice, do I?”
He shook his head.
She paused considerably before responding. Knowing she was making a deal with the devil, she also understood she was damned no matter what choice she made. “Okay.”
“Perfect.” He rose to his full height. “Leave us, Leandra.” He dismissed the woman with a disrespectful wave of his hand.
“My king.” She bowed at the waist.
As she walked out of the room, she threw a scathing look at Evana. It was a look loaded with vengeful promise. Evana’s whole body shuddered as repressed fear surged into every cell, every tissue, every nerve ending.
“This way,” the king said, gesturing with his hand. “Let me introduce you to your students.”
CHAPTER 1
The stench of stale sweat, unwashed skin, and rancid body odor assaults my nostrils and I gag. The temperature in the carriage must be pushing ninety degrees, and a steady line of sweat coasts down my spine, gluing my shirt to my back. A craving to crawl out of my skin hits me like a bullet to the chest.
It’s not a new sentiment. It’s an urge I feel at least once every hour.
A potent desire to be anyone but myself.
To live any life but this one.
Heat rolls off the large body behind me, and the man grunts. The desire to shed my skin accelerates, and I shudder uncontrollably. Everywhere I look, I’m confronted by a sea of grimy bodies in dirty, sweat-encrusted work clothes. Being short sucks almost all the time, but being stuck in the middle of an overcrowded, bursting-at-the-seams subway carriage, during one of the hottest heat waves New York has known, sucks butt on a stratospheric level, and has me cursing the genes that stalled my growth at five feet one.
Claustrophobia swoops in, surrounding me in an anxiety-laced cloud. I know I’ve reaching my tippin
g point.
I can’t bear this a second longer.
With my lungs screaming for air, I push my way forward and fling myself out onto the platform in the nick of time. The train eases out of the station as my legs make a break for freedom. I bound up the stairs two at a time, my entire being straining for release.
Bursting out of the station gate, I slow my pace, and my breathing returns to normal. I set out in a westerly direction. The setting sun leaves a dull orangey-red trail in its wake as it rapidly falls in the advancing nighttime sky. Nevertheless, it’s still hot as hell.
My eye flits to the holographic Commi-Reel projected in the sky against the backdrop of the fading day, and I shriek when I spot the time. Dammit! I’m going to be late. If I breach curfew again, that will make it three times this month.
My parents will literally kill me.
My body clearly understands the criticality of the situation as my legs move of their own accord, and I start pounding the pavement.
High-rise residential blocks encroach on all sides as I run. The tall, gray concrete slab constructions fill the skies as far as my eyes can see. Intermittent, drab storefronts are the only break in the monotony of my surroundings. Each Sector mirrors the previous one. Dense, thick smog fills the air and I splutter at regular intervals as my lungs claw for something clean and fresh to inhale.
There isn’t a sinner in sight.
Of course, there isn’t.
Most of them are already crammed into their boxy apartments or en route home via the sweaty death trap they call a subway. A rapid-transit high-velocity transportation system has been in operation in the Core and Midi Circles since before my birth, but here in the Outer Circle, we have to resort to using the old New York subway system despite the safety risks and considerable concerns.
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