As promised (though a little late) here is the first chapter of
Uprising (Children of the Gods #2). Consider this a bribe in exchange for your forgiveness. For those of you who don't know, the original February release was pushed to May 28th. I've been busy with my sweet little baby, who is amazingly 6 weeks old already! It has been so fun, and I'm so glad I chose not to combine new baby craziness with book release business. I can't imagine how hard that would have been. Thanks for your understanding. ENJOY! :)
~PROLOGUE~
Mac led us to a cabin in the thickest part of the woods. It wasn’t old,
but it had been lived in, and I wondered how many other visitors had taken
refuge there. The kitchen stovetop was stained from overuse, and the futon that
sat against the wall sagged in the center where people had slept. As I looked
around I breathed in the earthy scent of the forest that had seeped in from
outdoors. Aside from the common area, which was both the kitchen and living
room in one, there was only a bathroom and a single bedroom.
“Sorry if I gave you two a scare
back there,” Mac said, collapsing heavily into a seat at the multi-purpose
table in the center of the room. “Can never be too sure these days.” He leaned
back in the wooden chair, his brawny body testing its strength.
I raised my eyebrows at his casual
brush-off. Oh, sorry for shoving my loaded shotgun in your face.
Maybe it was smart though. Having me heal proved I was who I was—the last
healer. Still, poisoning a deer was a little dramatic.
“Well, someone could have at least
warned us you’d be armed and dangerous,” William said, his voice cutting
through the quiet cabin. He took my hand and led me to the futon.
“It’s best you just assume that
from here on out,” Mac laughed back at him. I didn’t find it as funny. It
wasn’t that he frightened me, or that I felt too uncomfortable in this strange
place, I just had too many thoughts in my head to process those insignificant
feelings. I still hadn’t gotten my bearings. So much had happened in the last
twenty-four hours or more. I wasn’t sure how long it had been.
“You guys must be hungry,” Mac
said, breaking the silence.
Starving, I thought. When had I last eaten? My body had
moved past hunger pains and was simply ignoring my need for food, at least
until it was mentioned.
“I think my stomach is eating
itself.” William cracked a smile for the first time since the gun incident.
Mac stood up, his heavy weight
dragging the chair loudly across the old wood floor. He was built like he was
made for the military, like he could pick a guy up by his throat or bust a door
down with a swift kick. It was strange seeing such a burly man in a dainty
kitchen, but he seemed to feel well enough at home. He pulled two plates from
the fridge, which he had already prepared for us.
“I’m not the best cook, but it
should do the job.”
I didn’t care if it was mashed
celery. I would have eaten anything.
“The zucchinis grow out back, and
the meat is quail,” he said tentatively, his guttural voice not matching his
kind words. “Sorry it’s cold. I could heat the beans up on the stove if you
want.”
I moved a little too quickly to the
table. “It’s fine, thanks,” I said with gratitude. I could see he wasn’t a
cruel man, just protective. After all, he did have the power of safety in his
blood. Could you blame the guy for being a little overly cautious?
He picked up his shotgun and
examined it, making sure it was loaded. As if someone could have stolen the
shells without him knowing. William and I watched with curiosity as we inhaled
our meal, every cold, delicious bite.
“Anything else you need?” he asked
as we finished, plates nearly licked clean. “We have to talk about what’s going
to happen here.”
“I could use a shower,” I answered
honestly. I wanted time to think. I wasn’t ready for more.
“Sure,” he said, placing his gun to
the right of the door. “You guys will have the room, so I put your clothes in
the dresser in there. Towels are under the sink.”
“Okay thanks,” I answered,
wondering how my clothes had ended up here in the first place.
The solitude was nice, so I didn’t
bother to be quick. I caught a glimpse of myself in the bathroom mirror and
smiled at how unkempt I looked. Tired, chestnut eyes stared back at me. My dark
brown hair was greasy and tangled, and my clothes were dirty from trekking
through the woods. I looked like a ragdoll that had been dragged around the
playground by a five-year-old.
I gazed back into my reflection,
trying to convince myself that everything was all right, that I had no reason
to worry. But was it true? I stripped down and stepped in the shower, letting
the steaming water wash away layers of salt and sweat as I ran through the
facts, every stepping stone in the path that had led me here.
It wasn’t that long ago that I’d
considered myself alone. The only one cursed with long life while those around
me died. Then, only two others shared my secret, my burden—Anna and her
daughter. They were more than friends; they were family, despite the fact that
they weren’t Descendants. Things were so different now, like that reality was a
lifetime ago. I’d dreamt that there were others, hoped it in the deepest parts
of me, but I never imagined it would be so complicated. The world of
Descendants, my people, with their supernatural abilities and secret lives, The
Council, the laws, the prophecy, none of it had turned out how I’d hoped.
Things were backwards, uncivil, and unfair in this new world. I shouldn’t have
had to risk my life to heal my best friend, but it had come to that. If it
weren’t for Kara, who’d once considered me an enemy, maybe I would be dead. I
shook that thought from my head. It didn’t matter.
All that mattered was that Anna and
Chloe would be okay. Their safety was at the forefront of my mind. Kara had
taken care of them, and they’d be here soon. Thanks to William, Ryder was gone.
I could let go of that worry, but there were still things unsettled. There was
Iosif. The memory of his scream made my stomach turn, and I hoped he would be
all right. Obviously The Council believed we were dead, so what more could they
use him for? And what had come of William’s family? Were they questioned?
Tortured? Did the Council members get involved? I would have to ask Mac if he
knew anything.
As for the prophecy, apparently
everything had gone as predicted, despite the fact that I was kept in the dark
about the true way it would play out. What was it Iosif had said? You survived because you were meant to—to fulfill the
prophecy. Your sacrifice set things in motion. Now it’s only a matter of time. But what did that mean, that I was supposed to
start a war against The Council? Free the Descendants from their oppressive
reign? Even as I thought the words, I didn’t believe them. How was I supposed
to do that? Especially stuck here with most everyone thinking I was dead.
Only one thing comforted me as I
mulled over everything: There was nothing I could do about any of it. Not right
now at least. If I thought of it any other way, it all might come toppling in
on me like an imploding building. Today, all I could do was talk to Mac. He was
the only resource I had. I just hoped he knew what was supposed to happen next,
and that I would be up for it.
I changed into my favorite old
Levis and a long sleeve black shirt. When I opened the bedroom door, I caught
them sitting at the table, talking with their heads close together like I
wasn’t supposed to hear their conversation. It seemed odd, but Mac addressed me
like it was nothing.
“Better?” he asked, his strong
brown eyes too cheery for his rough face.
“Much,” I responded casually, but I
knew better than to believe they weren’t keeping something from me.
“Did you see this?” William asked, trying to steer the subject.
He held out a hand-carved blow dart gun, the one Mac had used to poison
the deer.
“Yeah, I’ve seen it.”
“Up close?” he continued. “Mac made
it himself.” He thrust it toward me, and I took it.
It was handcrafted, with intricate
designs and beveled edges despite its long, narrow shape. The finger grip was
made of dried reeds woven into a tightly knit pattern, and it had a sight for
aiming that was so thin and precise it must have taken ages to carve. Although
it was an amazing work of art, I cringed as I held it. It was lethal. A weapon,
meant to kill.
“It’s beautiful,” I said, trying to
be polite.
“Glad you like it,” Mac answered
with a wide grin. “I made it for you.”
I was confused.
“Why?” I reacted without thinking.
Nearly ninety years of avoiding interaction with strangers didn’t exactly make
me the best in social situations. I should have just said thank you, but he
didn’t seem to take my question personally. Instead he considered it carefully,
glancing at William in between thoughts.
“It will protect you,” William
spoke for him. He had that desperate look he always got when he wanted me to
see things his way, a mix between pleading and insistence.
“We’re in a safe haven,” I reminded
him, handing back the weapon. “I don’t think I’ll need it.”
“You will,” Mac added, staring hard
at me. “I’ll start training you tomorrow.”
My eyes moved back and forth
between them, trying to pick up on what it was they were getting at. I didn’t
like where things were going, and I wasn’t sure why they were pushing it on me.
Without responding, I headed back for the bedroom.
“Wait.” William sighed. “There’s
someone outside for you.”
If it had been anybody else, I may
not have picked up on it, but I could read him so easily now, the crease in his
brow, the pulse of his cheek muscle as he clenched his teeth—something had
happened.
“Who is it?” I asked, trying to get
more out of them before I faced what was out there, but they both remained
tight lipped, unable to answer.
I listened for a hint of sound, but
everything was so quiet here, eerily quiet. I eyed the dart gun and tucked my
wet hair behind my ears. Without much of a choice, I walked almost unwillingly
toward the front door, looking back at William for strength.
It was still light outside,
brighter than I’d expected. Judging by how exhausted I felt, I thought it
should be night. I had lost all sense of time. The thick trees blew lightly in
the breeze, rattling their dry leaves like nature’s wind chime as I stepped out
into the forest.
“Elyse,” a voice called from behind
me, and I spun around with a gasp.
“Oracle,” I mumbled with surprise.
She laughed, the corners of her
soft eyes wrinkling as she smiled. It made me uneasy the way she looked at me,
like she had known me my whole life.
“It’s Florence, actually.”
Her loose linen clothing matched the
color of the surrounding trees, like she was a part of the forest, and her hair
tied up into an elegant bun had slipped slightly, letting pieces fall against
her face. She looked too normal to have such brilliant power.
“Hello,” I managed, my timid voice
wary as I waited to hear the reason for her visit.
“Will you walk with me?”
I nodded and began picking my
cuticles as I took up beside her, mimicking her slow, graceful steps.
“You’ve had to give up a lot,” she
began, her voice low and calm. “I understand how hard it’s been for you.”
She looked over at me as we walked,
but I couldn’t look back. I was afraid to meet her eyes. Though they were kind,
they’d seen things I knew I wasn’t ready to face.
“It’s not going to get easier,
Elyse,” she said, her tone dipping with remorse. “The road ahead will be
difficult. Not everyone will survive.”
My eyes reacted on their own,
searching for any uncertainty in her expression. There was none.
“I’m here to tell you that you have
a choice. You can always decide to take a different path.” She clasped her
hands behind her back. “But you won’t. You are good. Selfless. That’s why you
are who you are. You will lead them. Not because you have no other choice, but
because it is right.”
I wondered how she could be so
sure. If she asked me right now if I knew what to do, if I knew what was right,
I wouldn’t have an answer. She had such confidence in me, everyone did, but
they were wrong.
“Elyse,” she said, stopping
abruptly. “The war has started, and they have made the first move.”
Her face was so intense it scared
me, her motherly eyes afraid to give me bad news.
“They found Anna and Chloe—” she
began.
I stepped away from her. “No,” I
said, not wanting to hear the rest.
“Elyse,” she continued. “Kara tried
her best, but Christoph took them.”
The words felt heavy, like gravity
pulling me down.
“Are
they dead?” As I asked the question, my voice shook, and everything started to
break into pieces. I couldn’t look at her. I couldn’t breathe.
“No,”
she answered, her hand settling on my shoulder, “not yet, but they will be if
you don’t go after them.”
“How?”
I asked, my heart desperate. “How am I supposed to do that?” The fear shook me
from the inside, making me frantic and reckless. “If you just tell me how,
tell me what to do, I’ll do it. I’ll go now if I need to, if you tell me where
they are—”
“Listen,” she said louder than I
expected. It grabbed my attention. “This is what they want. They don’t believe
you’re dead, and they’re trying to lure you out of hiding. They’re waiting for
you, and they want you to come panicked and unprepared. Elyse?” She waited for
me to look up. “You must not go until the last night of February.”
“Three months? That’s so long.” I
shook my head. “It’s too long. I can’t.”
“If you go before then, you will
fail, and they will die. Do you understand?”
I nodded and bit my bottom lip.
“But where do I go? How am I supposed to save them? I can’t do it on my own.”
“You can.”
My shaking hands clenched into
tight, steady fists. “I need more than that. Give me something to go on,” I
pleaded on the verge of anger.
“I can only say so much without
altering the future, Elyse.” She leaned forward to kiss my cheek, but I hardly
noticed. “I must go before I say more. I won’t see you again after this. Good
luck,” she said, before turning to leave. I watched her walk away, too stunned
to move.
“Wait,” I called after her. “Where
are they?”
“Where you’ll expect them to be,”
she yelled without looking back.
“Where is that?” I shouted.
When she didn’t respond I took off
after her, running as fast as I could, but I was too late. She disappeared
beyond the boundaries of the safe haven, through an invisible wall I knew I
wouldn’t be allowed to cross.
I leaned back against a nearby
tree, too devastated and angry to move on. It all seemed clear to me as I stood
alone in the forest. There was only one path ahead of me. I could choose to
walk away, but I wouldn’t. She was right. They were all right. Maybe this would be
my war.
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