Waning moon, p.21
Waning Moon, page 21
I recoiled at the thought of taking the life of someone I loved...I had to try to save Zeph. I would find a way to free him, to convince him to come home, to work with me again on taming the fire that burned inside of him. I knew how all-consuming his power could be. If I could only teach him to control it...if he would only let me try.
My doubts ate away at me as I made my final preparations to leave. Maggie and Nora came to see us off, and Will waited with the Rover parked out front. Maggie hugged me tightly.
“You take good care of yourself, young lady.” Tears filled her eyes as she looked me over from head to toe as if memorizing me.
“I will. Please don’t worry.” I forced a confident smile, “I got your cannabis butter delivered and traded, didn’t I?” I didn’t add that it was Rudy who’d done all the wheeling and dealing, not to mention that he’d filled all the orders while I was out subverting the authorities.
“I’m so proud of you, Lily.” She hugged me again and stepped back, allowing Nora to step forward and engulf me in a sturdy embrace.
“Don’t worry about your uncle. I’ll take good care of him.” Her expression grew serious. “And if Sam has to leave this place, I’ll be sure he’s well on the mend and that I know exactly where he is. You just make your way back home here, is that clear?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Will was shaking Sam’s hand and the two were exchanging final words which I couldn’t hear but probably sounded something like, “If you let anything happen to my niece, I will hunt you to the ends of the earth and cut your heart out and feed it to the wolves.”
Will retreated to the Rover, closing the back hatch and insuring that our fuel supply was secure along with enough food for a few weeks. If all went well, we would be back in that amount of time, but there was no telling what obstacles we might encounter.
Sam shook his head sadly. “I can’t believe I’m allowing you to leave.”
“You couldn’t stop me, Sam. This way,” I waved at the vehicle, fully stocked and loaded with every provision, “at least I’m as prepared as I can be.”
“Drive carefully. There are maps in case the GPS isn’t working. You’ll only get a signal occasionally, but route eighty is well-marked. Following the northern route might take a day longer but my sources say it’s safer. Make sure you have plenty of water stocked up. Once you hit the drought states in the Midwest, clean water will be scarce.”
“I know, I know...stop worrying...I’ll be fine. You’ve taught me everything, Sam. I’m not a little kid anymore.”
I buried my face in his shoulder and soaked in the warmth of his arms around me. His heart beat strong against my cheek. If the medicine did its job, Sam would live to fight another day, spread his message of freedom, and help rebuild this world. Or if he had his way, he would create the technology to travel to other planets before this one burned up or turned into a frozen ball hurtling through space.
I smiled through teary eyes. “I’ll be back. I promise.”
We let go and I climbed into the driver’s seat. Sam had been giving me lessons all week and I was ready. I slammed the heavy door shut and rolled down my window. The sun was well past the Zenith and the steamy air and heavy clouds promised a shower not far off.
I waved at Nora, Maggie, and my uncle, all sad-faced and yet smiling. If they had any faith in me at all, it showed in those smiles, and I would remember this moment forever—the moment I went from being a girl with the gift of healing to a young woman on a quest.
Will wore that handsome dimpled grin that made my stomach quiver. “You ready?” he asked.
I hit the gas and we lurched forward, heading for the narrow road that led down the timber trail. “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.” I looked in the rearview mirror, my eyes stinging as Sam’s worried expression faded in a cloud of dust.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to drive?” Will gripped the dashboard as we hit a bump.
“Just put your seatbelt on.” I gave him a wry smile, “And don’t think this means that I trust you completely.
“You’d be crazy to even consider it.” He sat back, smiling, his wolfish grey-blue eyes sparkling with mischief. In the distance I heard the baying of the wolves and wondered what other secrets Will Callahan might be hiding.
THE END
OF BOOK ONE
The story continues with Book Two, WESTERN DESERT, and concludes with Book Three, HEALING WATERS, now available!
Read SOUL REDEMPTION
(A Short Story Prequel FREE on Smashwords)
Read on for an excerpt from WESTERN DESERT
WESTERN DESERT
(Book 2 in the Chronicles of Lily Carmichael Trilogy)
Chapter 1
June 2057
“Are you trying to get us killed already? We haven’t even left Stanton yet.” Will gripped the dashboard as the Rover skidded to a stop in front of Higgins Market.
“I’ll get the hang of it. Stop making me nervous.” I jammed the shifter into park and turned to my shaggy blonde passenger. “It’s not like you could do better.”
“It doesn’t look that hard, you’re just...” His voice trailed off as we both swung our heads toward the tall, dark-skinned boy coming out of the butcher shop down the street. Josh Johnson stalked our way. With the tinted windows in the Land Rover, he probably couldn’t see us, but the nasty smirk on his face said he knew we were inside. Will shook his head. “Just what we need.”
Will Callahan and Josh Johnson had faced off more than once, often on account of me, and the last time the face-off ended in Will taking a bullet that almost cost him his life. I shuddered at the memory of nearly losing him only weeks before. Even with my genetic enhancements that gave me the ability to heal people, I had limitations—most of which I was still figuring out. I’d had to make the decision whether to heal Will and his bullet wound, or use my ability to heal Josh’s father, the local constable who’d had his head smashed in by an Industry agent. Joe Johnson had failed to keep the agents from taking his youngest son Tyler and my brother Zephron to Industry Headquarters in the Western Desert.
Will, much to my frustration and Josh’s surprise, had insisted that I use my ability to heal Mr. Johnson, knowing full well I might not have enough power left in me to save him too. Josh owed me—and Will—but I had low expectations of whether he’d keep that in mind. The firearm strapped to Josh’s side gave me reason to doubt. He disappeared into the store.
“I’ll go in alone. We only need a few more supplies and there’s no need to have you start up with Josh again.” I opened my door, but before I had my feet on the ground, Will was climbing out his side of the Rover.
“I can deal with Josh. You aren’t going in alone.”
This was going to be a long trip. “You are the most stubborn...”
Will didn’t let me finish. “Old news, Lily.” His lips curved into a smile, the dimple in one cheek causing my jaw to drop and my argument to flee. He rounded the vehicle, stepped up beside me on the porch, and rested a hand on my lower back as he escorted me into the store. The subtle contact made my brain fuzzy and sent my thoughts scrambling.
Josh’s head popped up when we walked in, his dark eyes glaring daggers from Will to me. I brushed off the sense that he was about to implode and went straight to the counter where Mrs. Higgins met me with a broad, round-faced grin.
“Hi, Lily. I’ve got the supplies you asked for.” She hefted a box onto the counter, her short, graying brown hair well suited to her sturdy demeanor. I had given her a list the day before and was glad she’d filled the order without question. “How is Sam doing?”
“Much better, thanks,” I smiled appreciatively. “The drugs I brought back from Albany seem to be working.” My uncle’s cancer had been in remission the past few weeks, a relief beyond words since all of my efforts to heal him had failed.
“I’m so glad he’s feeling better. I don’t know what we would do without him around here.” An undeniable expression of affection shadowed Mrs. Higgins’s deep brown eyes. She rummaged through the box, taking a last-minute inventory of food items we would need for a trip that would hopefully only take a couple of weeks. “There’s plenty of dried fruit in here. I took the liberty of packing you a dozen of my chocolate donuts since I know how much you and your friend enjoy them.” Her eyes held a sparkle when she glanced from me to Will, sending an unexpected rush of warmth to my cheeks. I could feel Josh’s glare at my back. My belly squirmed. Mrs. Higgins added with a sympathetic nod, “Sam is going to miss you—especially with Zephron gone.”
“Maggie and Nora will look in on him while I’m away.” The McKinley sisters lived a mile or so beyond our farmhouse into the Northeast Hills, but Nora would travel by foot daily to see that Sam was well taken care of. I smiled inwardly at her fondness for him and wondered if he would ever get a clue. From the way he looked at her, it seemed the feelings were mutual, but whether he felt that acting on them was somehow a betrayal to my Aunt Beth, who’d died nearly a decade ago, or that he was simply afraid of taking a chance in such an unpredictable world, he wasn’t saying.
“I’m surprised Sam would even let you go,” she said, her expression turning serious. “Are you certain you should be driving all the way across the country, Lily? It’s not safe for a young lady out on the road. There are all sorts of criminals and thieves just waiting to take advantage.” Mrs. Higgins darted a glance at Josh who was filling a carriage with fresh vegetables from the bin, pretending not to listen to every word of the conversation.
“I didn’t give him much choice,” I said, recalling how many arguments it took to finally get Sam to agree. “I have to get Zeph back. He doesn’t belong in some Industry facility.” It was no secret in town that my brother had given himself and Tyler up to the Industry agents. What they didn’t understand was that he’d done it to save everyone in the town ...and me. No one but me could understand how hard Zeph worked at hiding his ability to take life—any life, human or animal—with just a touch...or how guilty he felt for the time he’d once used that power before he understood it himself. Whether Sam approved of my mission or not, nothing was going to stop me from saving my brother. I squared my shoulders. “I couldn’t turn my back on my brother any more than I could on Sam when he needed me.”
“I admire your devotion, Lily, but don’t you think this kind of...endeavor would be best suited to some young men in the county?” She eyed Josh, her words insinuating that he was a better candidate to find Zeph and Tyler and that he should go west instead of me.
Josh dumped the handful of potatoes into his cart and turned on her. “In case you weren’t aware of it, my father isn’t quite up to doing his job—thanks to Lily’s monster of a brother. If I wasn’t set in charge of the law in my daddy’s place, I’d have left weeks ago to get my own brother back.” The muscles in his neck bulged and he made a point of touching the pistol grip on the government-issued Glock holstered at his side. He let it go, huffed out a breath, and parked the cart in front of the counter. Mrs. Higgins looked ready to give him a good piece of her mind but remained silent as Josh continued. “If you could just mind your own business and put these items on our bill, I’ll be going,” he sniped. Then he turned to me, his lips a tight line. “If you think you’ll survive making it to the desert, good luck getting through the Industry defenses. I’ve heard they have armed Guardians surrounding the place. Fat chance you’ll come back alive, let alone be able to rescue anyone.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence, man.” Will took a not-so-subtle step in front of me, and the tension ratcheted up another notch.
Eyes narrowed and jaw clenched, Josh responded. “Look, I don’t want any trouble with you, grifter. Lily saved my father’s life and I’m grateful for that, but I don’t owe you anything.” He stared into Will’s face, a spark of challenge in his dark eyes. “If you want to take this outside, I’d be happy to knock the teeth out from that wiseass grin of yours, but if you’re not up for it, I’ll be on my way.” He took the crate of goods that Mrs. Higgins pushed in front of him and bumped shoulders with Will on his way by. “Watch yourself, Lily. I wouldn’t trust a grifter with two cents, let alone my life.”
Josh’s warning hit home. Will had pushed his limits in the trust department more than once with me. I cleared my throat and turned back to Mrs. Higgins as the screen door slammed shut behind Stanton’s new acting constable.
“Sam will settle up with you when he comes to town tomorrow to help Rudy fix the wind turbine at the butcher shop.”
Sam’s engineering skills allowed for most of the town to enjoy the benefits of electricity, a rarity for most outsiders who didn’t choose to live in the cities and lose their freedom. In order to have access to food, medicine, clothing, or anything else they might need to survive, people within the cities had agreed to be encoded, allowing themselves and their every movement to be tracked. The New Government had made sure that living in safety and having all you needed would come at a very high price. The protection of solar barriers that kept the sun’s deadly radiation at bay was worth the cost to some, but Sam and others who still believed in democracy and held to the Constitution would rather take their chances and try to work together to find new ways to survive and thrive in the harsh conditions.
“If I can’t convince you not to go, let me at least wish you well and send you off with a hug.” Mrs. Higgins came around the counter and wrapped her arms around me unexpectedly. She squeezed me tight and then drew back, taking my face between her hands. “We need you here, Lily. You make sure you get back home safely.” She released me and turned her attention to Will, her expression cool. “And you, young man...take care of our Lily. If I find out that you, in any way, took advantage of her, you will have me to deal with. Is that understood?” Five-foot-ten inches of robust womanhood gave Will a fierce look that sent a shiver across my skin.
“Yes, ma’am.” Will took the box of food and thanked Mrs. Higgins who followed us to the door. When we got outside, he stuffed the box into the backseat of the Rover and glanced from Mrs. Higgins to Josh Johnson across the street where he stood, one hand on his weapon and his glare fixed on us. “Why do I feel like no matter what happens on this trip, someone isn’t going to be happy to see me come back alive?”
Read on for an excerpt from SOUL REDEMPTION, the short story prequel to WANING MOON. Learn Zeph’s side of the story. From the point of view of a thirteen-year-old boy, having the power of life and death in your touch is both a curse, and an overwhelming compulsion that can make being a teenager that much more challenging. To understand his gift, you have to ask yourself, “What would I do?”
Soul Redemption
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Chapter 1
“Lighten up with your hands around my throat.” Lily gasped as she struggled to escape my grip.
“Sorry. I guess I don’t know my own strength.” I let go, unaware that I was crushing her wind pipe.
As soon as I loosened my hold, Lily shot her hands straight up into the air, breaking the hold. She spun around and locked my arms under hers. Then, with a wide step back and a sweep of her leg, she slammed me to the ground. The wind gushed out of my lungs as she landed on top of me and jammed her elbow into my stomach.
Before I could recover and grab her, she rolled away and was on her feet, a broad grin in place. “I can’t believe you fell for that.”
I dragged myself to standing, dusted off the dirt, and picked straw out of my hair before it got lost in the thick, dark curls. I glared at my sister. “That wasn’t fair. You used mercy as a weapon.”
“No, I used my brains as a weapon.”
I wanted to wipe the smug look off her face, but she had squarely beaten me. I let a smile curve my lips. “I hope you didn’t strain anything.”
“Ha ha, very funny.” We stalked around each other again.
“Don’t think I’ll fall for that twice. It’s not like you wouldn’t heal if I happened to...say...break your arm...” I grabbed for her wrist and twisted it behind her back, pulling her in close and wrapping a forearm around her neck in a choke hold.
I had her up on her toes as she gave out a yelp. Then I heard a pop and immediately let go. She dropped to her knees.
“I’m sorry!” I yelled over her screaming. “I didn’t mean to...”
But she was already manipulating her arm into the socket and working her way to stand, her face going from pale to crimson in a matter of seconds as she relocated her shoulder and shrugged off the pain. “That’s exactly what I’m talking about! You have no self-control!”
“I said I was sorry.” I stared at my feet, tucking my hands behind my back as if they might do more damage if left to their own devices. Controlling my strength, my temper, and worst of all, my life-taking abilities was becoming increasingly difficult. With each passing day, the urges became stronger, the temptation greater.
Lily approached cautiously, which only served to make me feel worse. “I realize this is challenging, but you have to try harder to control yourself. If that was anyone else, you could have done permanent damage.”
What she meant to say was that I might have killed them. These training exercises were pointless. I didn’t need to learn how to fight off an attacker. If anyone so much as laid a hand on me, I had the power to siphon their life’s energy off in a matter of seconds, leaving them gasping for air until the light drained from their eyes. At least that’s how I imagined it happening. I’d used my gift, as Lily insisted on calling it, to save her life from a mountain lion and to kill wounded animals to stop their suffering. But human life had a certain intense...flavor—one that was hard to forget and even harder to resist. More than once I’d siphoned off bits of energy from strangers and townspeople who continued on their way, fatigued and nauseous, but unsuspecting. Vague memories haunted my dreams, telling me I’d done worse.
