Unhinged (24 page)

Mr. Lane paces beside his desk, too agitated
to sit. He’s wearing his usual crisp black suit with a bleached
white shirt and matching black tie. His suit is immaculate with a
distinct absence of wrinkles in the fabric. A soft lamp barely
illuminates his office. Principal Lane finally stops pacing, folds
his arms in front of him, and faces Brett, awaiting his report.
Brett wastes no time filling him in with the latest
development.

“She has ascended, Father,” Brett states,
revealing no emotions through his voice. Lane doesn’t seem
surprised by this, but it’s hard to tell since his face betrays
nothing of what he is feeling. A slight twitch of his right eye is
the only indication that he even heard Brett at all. Principal Lane
turns and rounds his desk, sits regally into his large brown
leather chair, and runs his hands over his face, the only outward
sign he allows to vent his frustration.

“Such a travesty,” Lane begins. “Your brother
went off the rails and screwed up all of our plans. But there's
nothing we can do about that now,” he says, his voice practically
dripping with disappointment. “She's as powerful as you are now,
Brett. That's very disappointing, but not unexpected. As you’re
aware, I’ve planned for this scenario, just in case, but I’m afraid
it’s up to you now to make this right. You must succeed where your
brother has failed.”

Brett bows his head slightly to his father in
both respect and deference. His father notes the show of respect
and continues, feeling the need to further explain the dangers of
the situation confronting them. “You're the half that makes her
whole, Brett. Your soul is as bound to hers as light is bound to
darkness. Her ascension complicates things, but the goal is the
same—she must turn dark, or all is lost. We can’t afford any more
mistakes.”

“I understand, Father,” replies Brett. “She
won't be able to deny me—she can't,” he finishes, his voice
conveying a confidence well beyond his years. Lane’s dark grey eyes
probe Brett's blue ones. Brett is used to this and doesn’t blink,
doesn’t dare falter in his confidence, lest his father notice and
chide him for his weakness.

“You must not let your love for her get in
the way like it did last time, Brett. I will not tolerate
disobedience. If you disappoint me again, the consequences will be
severe.”

“Understood,” states Brett, again bowing his
head in deference. He turns and slowly leaves his father’s office.
There is no evidence of the rage he harbors, save his hands balled
into tight fists, his fingers white from lack of blood flow. He
must hold his emotions in check, a lesson he learned from a
lifetime of obeying his father. The consequence for disobedience is
swift and harsh. Just look at what father’s past punishments did to
David—they sent him completely over the edge, inducing delusions of
grandeur, mixed with a heavy dose of craziness.

As Brett opens the side door and walks back
outside into the dark of night, Aimee consumes his thoughts. He
must get to her. He must convince her to join him before it’s too
late. She has no idea what she’s capable of now, what power she
harbors within the recesses of her mind. If left unchecked, all
hell could break loose. And Brett has had enough of hell to last
him ten lifetimes. Whether she is ready for it or not, it’s time
for the world as she knows it, to end.

Coming Soon

Unleashed

The Haunting of Secrets
#3

About the
Author

Shelley Pickens is a Spanish teacher by day
and a novelist by night. She's been in love with everything
paranormal since she can remember. After years of teaching high
school students, she decided to take her firsthand knowledge of
young adults and apply it to her passion for creative writing and
fantasy. When not teaching or writing, Shelley likes to spend time
with her husband and two beautiful children in Atlanta, Ga. Her
escape from reality is her love of complex thriller and science
fiction TV series like Supernatural and Sleepy Hollow. In her spare
time she is an avid watcher of little league baseball.

Facebook:
www.facebook.com/shelleypickensauthor

Blog:
shelleypickens.wordpress.com/

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