Torn (27 page)

“You bitch!” The pitch and tone of his voice shattered the stained glass windows above and crumbled the foundation of the room. I beat my wings again and Sebastian fell with a generous crash that would have killed a mortal. Blood spilled from his head, though I could already see him beginning to heal. Walls cracked and a chasm opened in the middle of the floor. Animal-like, Sebastian crawled, wings spread out for cover, over to Lucas with the box securely in his hands. Ethan and I stood, now side by side, watching him crawl away. He dragged Lucas’s limp body across the floor toward the rupture. Ethan moved to stop him but I held out my hand gently to hold him back. He didn’t question me, instead he held his sword at his side,
his
eyes fixed on his brother.

“Let him go, Ethan.”

“Will he ever come back to us?” he asked quietly.

“No. He’s gone, for now. He’ll be back and
I fear, he’ll be stronger
. Sebastian will make it so. Until then, let him go.”

The roof began to cave bit by bit but still we stood, watching and waiting for Sebastian to take Lucas away. At the edge of the split, Sebastian looked at us with turbulent madness.

“I will kill you both.” In a hazy mist of shadow, Lucas, Sebastian and the Box of Hope fell into the darkness.

EPILOGUE

Torn, damaged and weary, Ethan and I returned to the house that once belonged to Jesse. The idea that it was our home now wasn’t lost on me. This was where we would now eat our meals, rest our heads, heal, and plan for the future. The others—Christian, Mara, Branna, Cal and Noah—were waiting for us when we walked through the door. Branna rushed over and hugged Ethan.

“I am so sorry Ethan. None of us had any idea about Lucas. Is it true he now follows Sebastian?”

Stepping away from her, he nodded. “It’s true.” His reply was hoarse and filled with sadness. “He has been for a while now. He’s the one who gave Sebastian James’ location.”

“No! I don’t believe it!” Cal growled. “He loved James as much as any of us. He stood in for him to train her and now he follows the Exiled?”

He pointed his finger at me, and I instantly bristled. Once again my anger vibrated through the air around me, but I was able to tamp it down even when dark tears slid down my face. “I don’t want to believe it either. I’ve known him my whole life. Sebastian has twisted his head.
Brainwashed him, if you will.
I’m not sure he can be saved, but I intend to try.”

“But look at you! Shadows live within you. Just look at your eyes, your skin. You’ve changed.”

“This is who I am. I am the balance between light and dark. And I wasn’t able to do much damage to Sebastian until I let the darkness all the way in and used it against him.”

Noah stepped forward and asked the question I knew was on everyone’s mind. “Why didn’t you kill Sebastian?”

“I couldn’t.”

“Why? And why didn’t he kill Ethan?
Or Lucas?
Or you for that matter?” He threw his hands up in exasperation.

“I don’t know all the answers and the ones I do have can wait. For now, Ethan and I —all of us, need to rest. This isn’t over. Sebastian made that very clear. He still has the Box of Hope and I still have the pendant. I’m going to need you, all of you.”

Noah sat with his head in his hands. “Where else am I going to go?”

Mara stood. “I’ll stand with you, Samantha.”

They seemed able to put past distrust aside and stand with me. Together, we mourned the death of our friends and loved ones as well as the betrayal of a friend and brother. Together, we waited for Sebastian and planned for his return.

None of them had ever confronted Sebastian. Ethan and I were the only ones who had not only stood before him, but had lived long enough to tell about it. It was what kept the others close to me. The youngest and, by far, the least familiar with all of this, I became their leader. The one they looked to for guidance and training. They knew we would meet with Sebastian again. And I knew Lucas would be standing at his side. I would do what I could to shield them from the wrath that was sure to come but they had to be prepared if I was unable to do so.

The memory of that day followed us relentlessly—Lucas’ betrayal, Jesse’s death, Sebastian’s vow to return. My father’s cryptic messages had dropped me into the path of my fate. I did not know why I was chosen and I still mourned my blue eyes, wingless back, best friend, and normalcy. That, however, was no longer a life for me. Everything I once held dear, everything I once took for granted, had vanished into mere remembrance. Thoughts and memories that were once rigid and firm became pliable, moldable. Snapshots of who I once was would eventually fade into nothing. Until then, I kept them close.

Ethan had taken his place beside me to ensure I remained balanced. Whereas I was filled with darkness, he was filled with light. When I was overcome with thoughts of despair, he counteracted with faith and hope. When he could not handle the pain and suffering, I took it from him. And that pain usually came to him at night, in his dreams. The betrayal of his brother was too much for him to take, though it did not push him toward the ways of the Exiled. In fact, if anything, he held onto the Faithful with a tighter grip.

The bond between us deepened. What lay ahead for us was still a mystery. Could he and I, in spite of all that had
happened,
make something of our feelings for each other? And even more important, should we? Those questions remained to be answered so for now, I tightened my grip around the lingering shadow of his kiss and the warmth of his touch.

The balance between light and dark, hope and despair rested on my shoulders. What began as training exercises designed to keep me from falling into Sebastian’s grasp turned into my
metamorphosis.
Instead of rejecting darkness, I allowed it to consume me. With it and the light of hope, I would walk the line between both worlds. This was a burden my father hoped would not fall to me. I was the personification of legend and myth; a whispered story passed from Faithful to Faithful and from Exiled to Exiled. Both stood with the knowledge that there could not be hope without despair, light without dark, life without death. They looked to me, for better or worse. Here on earth, the fallen angels have been charged to me. And I must try to save them all.

Even Lucas.

THE END OF BOOK 1

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This book wouldn’t have been possible without few wonderful people. First, I would like to thank my husband for his constant love and support. His confidence in me gave me to boost I needed to start this journey. I love you very much, Jim. Additionally, my family has been so supportive of this endeavor. Each and every one of you gets a huge “thank you” for believing in me, especially my two boys.

Next, I’d like to thank Cyn Balog for her encouragement. Thanks for showing me how to be an “I did.” I’d also like to thank Lauri Wellington and everyone at Black Opal Books for believing in this story as much as I do. A big “thank you” goes out to all the beta readers for this book including Katherine Hughes who was the first person to read the book in its entirety.

Thank you to Bonnie Hearn Hill for the amazing conversation we had when I first signed. You helped me realize I was making a great decision. A giant thank you to jay Sabo of JS Designs for my fabulous cover! You are a genius! And finally, I’d like to thank the other authors at Black Opal Books. I am happy to call you my new friends.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A former Army brat, Christine Hughes moved quite often. She spent much of her time losing herself in books and creating stories about many of the people she’d met. Falling in love with literature was easy for her and she majored in English while attending college in New Jersey.

Not sure where her love of reading and writing fit, she became a middle school English teacher. After nine years of teaching others to appreciate literature, she decided to take the plunge and write her first novel. Now at home focusing on making writing her new career, she spends her time creating characters and plot points instead of grading papers.

Music has become an integral part of her writing process and without the proper
playlist,
Hughes finds the words don’t flow. At least a few times a week she can be found at the local Barnes & Noble with her mac and headphones working on her next novel.

Genre: YA/PARANORMAL THRILLER

This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, businesses, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental. All trademarks, service marks, registered trademarks, and registered service marks are the property of their respective owners and are used herein for identification purposes only. The publisher does not have any control over or assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their contents.

TORN

Copyright © 2012 by Christine Hughes

Cover Design by Jay Sabo

All cover art copyright © 2012

All Rights Reserved

EBOOK ISBN: 978-1-937329-50-1

First Publication: JUNE 9, 2012

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