Exiled - 01 (36 page)

 
Gazing at my mother’s body, I felt my sadness replaced with anger, which turned into regret, and then I felt nothing. All emotions had dissipated and I was shutting myself away from the truth.

Marcus pulled me against his chest and wrapped his arms around me. I realized I was shaking, and I couldn’t help but put my arms around him too.

“What now?” I said, through gasps and sobs.

“We go home,” he said in a voice full of sadness.

“I don’t have a home. She was my home.”

“You will always have a home with us,” Marcus replied.

I wanted to push away from his embrace but I couldn’t find the strength. My whole life had been destroyed in hours. I let him hold me because I wasn’t sure I could stand on my own.

I stayed there while the volcano erupted again, more violently than before. When I was sure I could stand without help, I pulled away and turned to Tiki.

“Can you get us home?” I asked, my voice just above a whisper.

“If the door is unlocked, I can go through it.”

“I think it’s safe to say it’s open.”

I slipped my arms under my mother’s body and picked her up. I looked down at her limp form and cradled her in my arms, feeling like somebody had pulled my insides out. I leaned over and kissed her cold forehead.

Rayna twitched and my eyes went to her. Her body jerked up and her bright green cat eyes opened, then morphed into a strange mixture of gold and blue. “Riley and the Brothers aren’t dead,” she said.

“What?” I said, stumbling as her words nearly brought me to my knees again. My pulse raced in my throat and my stomach turned.

Marcus knelt beside her and put a hand on her shoulder. “Rayna?”

Rayna shook her head, almost robotically. “Riley and the Brothers live. They’ve completed the first step of the invocation and have moved on from this world.”

“Where are they?” I asked. Rayna turned her strange eyes on me but stayed silent. “Rayna, where?” I yelled.

The blue and gold that filled her eyes dissipated and her eyelids fell. Her body went limp and Marcus caught her as she collapsed.

“What the hell was that?” I said.

“I believe that was a type of vision.”

“Since when does Rayna get visions?”

“She doesn’t,” Marcus said.

Marcus took Rayna up in his arms. She seemed to be breathing evenly and her wounds were gone, but her body was limp and she was unconscious. The volcano continued to explode, and Marcus turned to me. “We need to leave.”

Tiki stepped forward. “We must all be touching. If anyone breaks contact, there is no way of knowing where they will end up.”

Marcus and I linked arms and Tiki gripped our shoulders.

“Is there any way to know where we’ll end up?” I asked.

“No guarantee, but if there was a portal opened recently on Earth, I should be able to draw on its energy and reopen it. It’s easier than opening a new portal. Are you ready?”

I adjusted my hold on my mother’s body, and Marcus and I nodded.

“Okay, I will count down from five,” Tiki said.

“Five.” The volcano pumped a darker smoke now. Waves of lava poured over the lip of its mouth and rolled down the sides in a heavy flow of liquid fire.

“Four.” Ashes shot from the top of the volcano and filled the black sky, trickling down over us in a gray snowfall.

“Three.” The lava reached the bottom of the mountain and slid into the lake. The purple water began to steam.

“Two.” The lake turned from dark to light purple and bubbles formed on the surface as the water boiled.

“One.” The light purple faded, overridden by orange and red. The volcano rumbled and streams of liquid fire rained from above as a dark circle opened beneath our feet. The ground gave way and swallowed us. We disappeared into the portal and were gone.

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Epilogue

When we came through the portal, we were in Rayna’s old basement again. We took our time climbing the stairs, and when we got outside we piled into the Jeep. I could see the amazement on Tiki’s face at everything around him, but he refrained from asking any questions.

It was several days before Rayna woke up. Her wounds were healed and she thanked the gods that the warlocks hadn’t used silver. She was disoriented at first, and when she asked about Tessa I had to leave the room. I was thankful that Rayna was alive, but I couldn’t be happy about anything yet. I knew I had to be strong, for everybody, but all I wanted was to be alone.

Tiki had decided to stay with us. He found our world fascinating, and spent most of his time in the library. Most of us left him alone to read and learn about this strange new world, except for Willy. He had been coming by daily, if he’d even left the night before.

Willy had taken a liking to Tiki, and Tiki seemed to do the same, or he was just too polite to say anything. Willy helped Tiki understand what it was like to be a half demon on Earth.

I’d learned that after I went through the portal, Marcus had arrived and requested Willy’s help, and so Willy called Grams. She was strong enough to reopen the portal. Vincent had refused to come help, even for Rayna. He claimed the sunlight in the other world would kill him. Vincent’s actions didn’t surprise me, but fact that Grams was willing to help did. We had her to thank for being alive – at least most of us.

The unusual little bird that had managed to make its way home with us had been given the name Rai, courtesy of Tiki, for her ability to create lightning. She almost never left my shoulder, which was a combination of cute and annoying.

I spent most of the few weeks following our return wondering about all the different ways everything could have turned out had I done things differently. But I knew I could wonder all I wanted and it still wouldn’t bring my mother back.

We didn’t see a trace of Riley or the Dark Brothers. We had yet to confirm whether they had gotten out of the cave alive by some means. Part of me hoped Rayna’s vision was right, that my father was alive, so I could have the satisfaction of killing him myself. The other part hoped she had been wrong and this fight was over for good.

I knew if Riley was alive, I would get my revenge. I knew it wasn’t what my mother would want, but my ego told me I had to do it: for Rayna, Mom, and even Marcus, who I knew was hurting. He hid the pain well, but I knew him well enough now to see beyond the mask. He and Tessa had a deeper relationship than they had let on, and I knew I wasn’t the only one feeling the loss.

With the portals open, the war that had ended thousands of years ago should’ve been starting again. Our world should’ve been overrun with pure blood demons, but it wasn’t. That was unnerving in and of itself, and gave me an eerie feeling.

Marcus contacted the other exiled and rogue hunters, in part to share the bad news, and in part to ask for help. If pure blood demons started walking the streets, we were going to need it.

Today is my birthday and I can’t bear to leave my room. Marcus and Rayna both wished me a happy birthday, but understood that I’m not in the mood to celebrate. Willy brought a small package up to my room that had been delivered to the condo, a small brown box that I opened in private. Inside was a pair of daggers made of pure silver, right down to the handles. Each was engraved with an eagle, accented in yellow gold with red gems for the eyes. The weapons were beautiful, sharp, with perfect weight and balance.

With them came a small white envelope, containing a single piece of paper. I unfolded it and my heart stopped.

Chase,

Happy Birthday! I know our life has been turned upside down lately, but I want you to know, no matter what you do to get out of it, I’m still going to make you celebrate your big day. Eighteen years ago you came into this world and into my life. I’ve loved you more every day since, and I want you know that.

You have a tough time understanding this, but our exile from the Circle was the best thing for us. It gives us a chance to live real lives that don’t involve killing every single day. Things are tough now, between paying the bills and surviving the Underworld’s attacks, but I want you to enjoy your youth. It won’t last forever. Make friends, go to parties, do things normal guys do. One day, you might even wake up and realize all the other troubles are behind you.

You’re skeptical about everything that is happening right now and I understand that, but you must try to be open to Marcus and Rayna. They are good people who have welcomed us into their lives and we need to be thankful for them. Who knows, after a while you may even realize that you and Rayna have some things in common.

Lastly, I want you to do something for me. I want you to push your doubts away and enjoy this day. It’s true you had one hell of a birthday three years ago, but that doesn’t mean they all have to remind you of that. They don’t have to be full of sadness and anger. They can be full of happiness and gratitude to be alive and in good company. Do this for me, just for today.

 
I hope you have an amazing birthday and never forget how much I love you. Congrats on the big 18! I love you and I’m proud to have you as my son. And don’t forget, no matter what happens, I will always be there for you. You and me, always.

Love,

Mom

Tears welled up in my eyes and streamed down my face. When I had started reading the letter, my sorrow came from missing her, but by the time I’d finished, I was shaking, and the sadness had been replaced by rage at Riley. Some of the ink had been smeared by tears, and I carefully wiped them away, not wanting to ruin the last thing my mother would ever give me.

She was the one person who believed in me. When the whole world seemed to be against us, she kept us strong. If Riley is alive, he’ll pay for the pain he caused and for the life he took. Something in my gut tells me he’s out there somewhere, and that’s why we haven’t seen the pure blood demons yet. He’s holding them off for some reason, and I’ll find out why.

I will defend this family: Marcus, Rayna, Willy, Tiki and any others who need us, whether they be hunters, demons, or the oblivious mundane humans. I was chosen to carry the mark of the gods. I will stand up and be what the spirit named me: their protector.

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About The Author

Matthew is a proud father, husband, and pet owner. Exiled is his debut novel and the first in the Protector Series. He’s an avid coffee drinker, music lover, movie buff, and cereal enthusiast, who lives in Red Deer, Alberta with his wife, and two daughters.

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Connect with Matthew

Stay up to date on future books, writing, and life:

Website:
http://www.matthew-merrick.blogspot.com

Turn the page for a sample of SHIFT, Book 2 in The Protector series by M.R. Merrick

Chapter 1

My eyes tore open to the sound of screaming. The drywall rattled and Rayna’s voice raged through the wall. My pulse jumped as panic set in and I leapt from my bed moving straight for the door.

I ran through the archway, pants tangling on my legs as I tried to pull them up. Marcus, Willy, and Tiki were halfway down the hall, their faces owned by fear.
 

Marcus reached the door before me, turned the silver handle, and pushed through. The door creaked and the smell of blood, sweat, and something else seeped from the darkness. Marcus flicked on the light and I saw what I already feared.

Rayna was on her hands and knees. Sweat ran down her face in streams, and her eyes moved to us. A deep growl that belonged to something far more ferocious snarled from her lips.

Marcus and I moved to either side of her, leaving Willy and Tiki to guard the door. This was her beast’s third attempt at a shift this week. I wasn’t chasing a half-naked Rayna down the street. Not again.

The hardwood floor was cold and stuck to my bare feet, and bright green cat eyes followed as I sidestepped around her. Another growl rumbled deep in her throat. A warning.