Fierce Dawn
Authors: Amber Scott
~
Praise for Fierce Dawn
“
Intensely satisfying!”
-Carolyn McCray, Kindle Bestselling author
“
X-Men action meets True Blood
heat
!”
-Ann Charles, 2010 Daphne winner, Nearly Departed in Deadwood
“
Amber Scott
knows how to masterfully stoke the fires of sexual tension, ratchet up the longing, and finally give us our own release in the hottest and sweetest way.”
-Deena Remiel, “Trinity” author
“
Conspiracy, vampires, changelings? I dare you to try and put this fresh take on the genre one down!”
-ParaYourNormal
“
A stunning premier to a series with huge potential. I’m hooked!”
-Your Need To Read
~ ~ ~
Sadie Graves did not have time for this. But the fear shimmering in her sister Heather’s eyes sent guilt pinging through her. “What did she say?” Sadie asked, setting her backpack on her bed before flopping down next to it.
“
It was bad this time, Sadie,” Heather repeated. “Real bad. It isn’t just end
-
of
-
the
-
world stuff anymore. She’s chanting about her daughters, about angels and vampires.”
Sadie rolled her eyes despite the dread clutching her belly. “I know she’s getting worse, Heather. But I don’t know what to do. You want me to get her committed or something? She’s our mother. I can’t live with that.”
“
What about Aunt Molly?” Heather tugged at her ponytail, worrying the tips of her long hair.
Sadie hated that she didn’t have a better answer. One of them at least deserved a childhood. A sixteen and fifteen year old girl should be worried about boys and driving lessons not self
-
mutilation and social services. “Aunt Molly knows. I told her. She has her hands full already with Jen.” Jen, who was waiting for Sadie as they spoke. “Just make sure she doesn’t get a hold of scissors again. I promise I’ll be back before she wakes up.”
Slinging her backpack over one shoulder, Sadie stood to leave out the window, recognizing the revving engine outside as her cousin’s signal to hurry the hell up. Heather stood as well, her pajama hand me downs too big on her young, slim form. She dug under her pillow and shoved a book into Sadie’s hands.
“
What’s this?”
“
What do you think? It’s Mom’s. She tried burying it in the backyard. I dug it up.”
“
Heather, she does this. She always has. I know it sucks
,
but you have to realize it’s nothing but words scribbled on paper.”
“
Just read it, okay? Read it and tell me it isn’t different this time.”
Sadie glanced at the window
,
but seeing the urgency in Heather’s stance, dropped to her bed once again. Jen and the club would have to wait. Wouldn’t be the first time little sis did whatever she could to stop a good sneak out.
She paged through the journal, pausing at certain passages.
“…
three realms. He will come for my girls. Wings to steal them and use them…”
Alright
,
so the tone of her mother’s written mania had evolved a little.
“…
more than blood that’s a drug. Sorrows and sorrows….Feeding off souls and leaving shells behind….All the stories come true….three becoming two….hide the Book…hide the book….the Book….”
“
She thinks she’s a prophet,” Heather said in a near whisper.
“
And we know she’s not.” The heartache pinched her chest and burned her throat. “I don’t know what you want from me, Heather. I can’t do this. I’m sorry, okay? But in a couple of years we can get jobs and keep her safe and have some kind of life that is normal. Until then, we have to stick it out.” Or go insane as well. “Okay?”
Heather’s sense of betrayal showed in her intense gaze and crossed arms. Sadie knew the look, the same one from every time Sadie had played with someone else as a child or didn’t want to share a toy. Only this was worse. This, she honestly deserved. But Sadie couldn’t stay. If she stayed, she’d go nuts worrying about what to do. And how would that help?
It wouldn’t, she told herself again and again as she eased out the window and sprinted through the shadows to Jen’s car. It wouldn’t help.
Nothing would.
~ ~ ~
A shiver of wariness raced under Elijah Stokes’ skin. The compass’s needle spun erratically, finding no energetic trace of Lyric’s positioning. “Why would Lyric be cloaking?” he asked Holly, who sat to his right pretending to read. “Moreover, who would be helping him cloak?”
Holly put down the horror novel. Elijah ran his thumb over the gold
-
framed face before snapping the contraption shut. It fell with a thud against his chest, its chain jangling in the quiet of the library. He sensed danger coming, but couldn’t be sure his senses were on target.
“
Trust me, if Lyric needs help, cloaking or otherwise, he’ll still know how to get it. Going rogue probably improved his skills.” Holly’s eyebrows furrowed. “And as for why, maybe he doubts how welcome he’ll be?”
“
More like how useful,” Elijah said. Lyric could be the danger. Or Elijah could simply be biased from their past. “And more likely evading Enforcers.”
“
Well, useful, evading or not, he’ll be here. He promised me.”
Elijah glared at Holly. If they weren’t in a public—a mortal—place, Elijah would react to the reminder that she’d contacted Lyric behind his back. But if he unleashed his irritation here, the handful of humans studying nearby would pick up on the violent energy.
If Lyric didn’t have enforcement on his heels, an energy surge could snare some unwelcome immortal attention on its own.
What if the danger he sensed wasn’t related to Lyric at all?
“
Hate me later,” Holly said, crossing her arms, making the plastic chair groan. “After Lyric gets here and proves I’m right about Sadie.”
“
You should have waited to summon him. We agreed to wait.” He inverted his magnetism, along with his wings, again to be certain he and Holly blended in.
Holly took the text Elijah had already scanned, their latest dead end. “We put off summoning Lyric long enough. We’re out of options, Elijah. If I don’t find Crusoe….”
“
Not you, Holly. We.” A girl bent over a medical reference manual two tables away glanced their way, her interest clearly resonating. Elijah exhaled an indrawn breath, keeping his energy even keel. “We’ll find him, Holly. I swear it. We will.”
Holly’s smile didn’t reach her eyes. The worry in her words showed in her dark hair licking blue flames out the tips. Her fingers sparked at every touch. She wasn’t herself. The wear of stress over Crusoe’s disappearance showed.
Crusoe was more than a friend. More than their leader. He was like a brother to Elijah.
“
Sadie’s work shift started two minutes ago. But I haven’t seen her. Can you locate her?” Holly
asked
.
Elijah retrieved his compass, this time focusing on the human girl Holly had honed in on. The dial showed Sadie’s signature energy immediately approaching the building. Elijah concentrated on signs of Lyric again, asking the compass with his own energy. The needle spun aimlessly.
"When did you contact him?" Elijah said, hearing the edge in his voice. His frustration went beyond feeling he’d failed Holly and Crusoe. Working with Lyric again, after what had fallen between them, after the lifestyle the feeder had taken to since, left Elijah cold.
