Ashley Stoyanoff's Blog, page 11
February 15, 2013
Meet Mitchell Lang and Giveaway!
Hey Everyone!
With the upcoming release of The Soul’s Mark: BROKEN , I thought I would do some Meet a Character from The Soul’s Mark posts. It’s just a quick questionnaire that will introduce the character. Over the next few weeks, you’ll get to meet different characters and with each post there will also be a giveaway so make sure not to miss them. :)
Before meeting Mitchell, I would like to say congrats to the winners of the Meet Amelia Caldwell Giveaway!
Crystal N won the $10.00 Amazon eGift Card
Liz L won the eBook Set of The Soul’s Mark: FOUND and The Soul’s Mark: HUNTED
It’s Question Time…
The Basics
Full Name: Mitchell David Lang
Birthday: May 5
Age: 819
Zodiac Sign: Taurus
High School: I didn’t go to high school.
College: I didn't go to college either.
Job: Well, I own most of Willowberg so I don’t really have just one job.
Boyfriend/Girlfriend: Amelia, except she is more than just a girlfriend.
Best Friend: Amelia, although I’m sure she would not agree. *sighs and smiles* She said Eric, didn’t she?
Physical Attributes
Height: 6'4"
Hair: Light brown, short and wavy
Eye Color: Blue
Piercing/Tattoos: No
Favorites
Favorite Person: I couldn’t pick just one. There is no way to choose between all the incredible people in my life, but my family is my favorite group of people.
Favorite Food: I’ve always loved Pizza.
Favorite Books: Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
Favorite Place: Anywhere Amelia is.
Favorite Movie: Hmmm… It would have to be Scarface.
Favorite Beverage: Um… *shifts awkwardly* …blood.
It’s Giveaway Time!
This week I got a little creative. I saw this awesome Book Pillow in a store a couple years ago and loved it. It’s such a cute idea. When you’re reading you can use the pillow and when you’re not, your book can. :)
Anyway, I decided to make one myself, and I must say it turned out great.
So, for this giveaway, 1 lucky winner will receive this super comfy Book Pillow with a signed copy of The Soul's Mark: FOUND.
Just login to the Rafflecopter widget below to find out how to enter. Good Luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
With the upcoming release of The Soul’s Mark: BROKEN , I thought I would do some Meet a Character from The Soul’s Mark posts. It’s just a quick questionnaire that will introduce the character. Over the next few weeks, you’ll get to meet different characters and with each post there will also be a giveaway so make sure not to miss them. :)
Before meeting Mitchell, I would like to say congrats to the winners of the Meet Amelia Caldwell Giveaway!
Crystal N won the $10.00 Amazon eGift Card
Liz L won the eBook Set of The Soul’s Mark: FOUND and The Soul’s Mark: HUNTED
It’s Question Time…
The Basics
Full Name: Mitchell David Lang
Birthday: May 5
Age: 819
Zodiac Sign: Taurus
High School: I didn’t go to high school.
College: I didn't go to college either.
Job: Well, I own most of Willowberg so I don’t really have just one job.
Boyfriend/Girlfriend: Amelia, except she is more than just a girlfriend.
Best Friend: Amelia, although I’m sure she would not agree. *sighs and smiles* She said Eric, didn’t she?
Physical Attributes
Height: 6'4"
Hair: Light brown, short and wavy
Eye Color: Blue
Piercing/Tattoos: No
Favorites
Favorite Person: I couldn’t pick just one. There is no way to choose between all the incredible people in my life, but my family is my favorite group of people.
Favorite Food: I’ve always loved Pizza.
Favorite Books: Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
Favorite Place: Anywhere Amelia is.
Favorite Movie: Hmmm… It would have to be Scarface.
Favorite Beverage: Um… *shifts awkwardly* …blood.
It’s Giveaway Time!
This week I got a little creative. I saw this awesome Book Pillow in a store a couple years ago and loved it. It’s such a cute idea. When you’re reading you can use the pillow and when you’re not, your book can. :)
Anyway, I decided to make one myself, and I must say it turned out great.
So, for this giveaway, 1 lucky winner will receive this super comfy Book Pillow with a signed copy of The Soul's Mark: FOUND.
Just login to the Rafflecopter widget below to find out how to enter. Good Luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The Soul’s Mark: FOUND Blog Tour
Beginning on March 25th, I’m taking my award winning debut novel The Soul’s Mark: FOUND on a blog tour with Black Lion Tours. During the tour, you'll get to read some excerpts and reviews, and there will also be a tour wide giveaway, so make sure not to miss it. :)
The Giveaway Prizes Include:
3 paperback copies of The Soul's Mark: FOUND
1 $25 e-gift card for Amazon
1 $25 e-gift card for GelaSkins
Once the tour starts, I’ll keep you guys updated every day on where I’ll be, so without anymore preamble from me here is the schedule so far…
March 25: Black Lion Tours Blog
March 26: MK McClintock Blog
March 28: Tina's Book Reviews
March 29: Clean Romance Reviews
March 30: Vanilla Moon Blog
April 1: Marked by Books
April 2: Laurie's Paranormal Review
April 3: Kimberly Lewis
April 4: Bookworm Lisa
April 5: A Dream within a Dream
April 10: My Serynity
April 14: Makayla's Book Reviews
April 15: Chapter by Chapter
April 16: Deal Sharing Aunt
April 18: Le Vanity Victorienne
April 19: Black Lion Tours Blog
February 11, 2013
The Soul's Mark: BROKEN Excerpt
As promised, here is the excerpt from The Soul's Mark: BROKEN. I hope you all enjoy it. :)
Happy Reading!
The Soul’s Mark: BROKEN
Book 3 of The Soul’s Mark Series
by Ashley Stoyanoff
CHAPTER 1
The steam curled around him, fogging the frosted glass shower enclosure. The hot water poured over Mitchell, soothing his taut muscles and washing away the tension and stress from earlier that evening. He let out a deep sigh before he turned the taps again, letting the water run even hotter. He knew Amelia liked it to be blistering, and he wanted to make sure it was perfect. She needed perfect. Deserved it.
Amelia. Just the sound of her name floating through his head made him smile and his skin buzz with anticipation. He couldn’t believe how amazing she had been tonight. How strong. The way she had fought. The way she had confronted that skeleton freak hunter. It was a little mind-blowing. Wasn’t it just yesterday that she had found out he was a vampire and accidently locked herself in her bedroom?
Mitchell let his mind wander; counting the days since she had arrived. Eight months? No, that couldn’t be right. He counted again, and then again, just to be sure.
Mitchell reached for the bottle of shampoo. He had already shampooed his hair three times while he waited for Amelia, but he figured that if he stalled long enough, she would come in. He lathered up, rinsed, and waited. And waited. And waited.
His stomach was in knots, his nerves shot. And as he waited, all the what ifs began to eat away at him. What if she had a change of heart? What if she didn’t find him appealing anymore? What if she wanted to move on?
Mitchell was just about to search through the bond when he heard the bathroom door squeak open. His heart jumped around in his chest like a rabbit running a marathon, and he flung the glass door open so quickly he was close to ripping it off the hinges.
“Dude,” Eric yelled. “Cover up, would you?” He shielded his eyes and turned his head away.
“Get out, Eric,” Mitchell said. He tried to sound annoyed, but he failed miserably, as an awkward laugh fell out. He flushed, and grabbed the shower stall door, pulling it closed.
Through the frosted glass, Mitchell saw Eric’s shuffling form, facing the bathroom door, his hands still shielding his eyes. “I’m just looking for Meg,” he said, his voice squeaking over the words.
Mitchell glanced at the waterfall that sprang from the showerhead, and sighed before turning it off. He reached out for a towel, and wrapped it snuggly around his waist. “In my bathroom?” he asked.
“Are you decent yet?” Eric asked, shuffling back and forth uncomfortably.
Mitchell laughed, and he felt his skin flush again, red with embarrassment. “Yeah,” he replied, his voice a little strained.
Eric turned around slowly, his hands still covering his eyes. He spread his fingers to peek, as if he wasn’t entirely sure if he should look or not, and then sighed in relief when he saw the towel and dropped his hands. “I thought maybe she was in here with Millie.”
Mitchell wanted to point out how ridiculous that sounded but held back. Instead, he said, “Did you try looking for her?”
“Isn’t that obvious?” Eric said. He waved his arms around him and rolled his eyes. He fiddled anxiously, wringing his hands together and shifting his weight from one foot to the other.
“I meant through the bond.” Mitchell eyed Eric, taking in his gray jogging pants and hoodie, which was on backwards, the hood pushing against his chin. There was a pinprick of red flaring in the center of his panicked green eyes, and his hair wasn’t in the usual perfect mess—it was just plain messy. Mitchell’s stomach sank.
The pinprick of red grew to the size of a darning needle. “Oh, uh, yeah,” Eric said, and scrubbed at his face. He couldn’t seem to stand still, shifting his weight from one foot to the other and the dot of red in his eyes kept spreading, washing the normal vibrate green with crimson. “It’s like she’s sleeping. I can’t pinpoint a location.” He looked Mitchell full in the face. “Where’s Millie?”
“She’s supposed to be here,” Mitchell replied, his voice cracking on the words. He searched the bond frantically, and his stomach sank further. The hum of an unconscious brain was the only trace of Amelia he could find. His chest tightened, caving in, and all the air rushed from his lungs.
“You don’t think that they left us, do you?” Eric asked. The panic he had been trying to cover showed itself with a slight tremor in his voice, and he rang his hands together again.
All the what ifs came back with a vengeance, and suddenly Mitchell couldn’t breathe. He felt cold; a chill rushed over his skin, and his heart felt as if it had exploded within his chest. “Go get Luke,” he whispered, gripping at the pain in his chest.
“Dad.” Eric took a step towards him. He looked so lost, so scared. His blazing eyes were wide as saucers and glistening with tears. Mitchell wanted to comfort him, tell him everything was okay—the girls were okay—but he couldn’t. The words were there, he could taste them in his mouth, and they tasted like dirty lies. Mitchell knew Amelia might leave, but Megan, not a chance. He was certain of it. She was love struck, totally smitten for Eric. And knowing that made his stomach twist into painfully tight knots, because if Megan was gone, he was certain that it was not by choice.
Heat rushed over his body and his muscles tensed. “Go!” Mitchell bellowed, and just like that, Eric was gone.
Mitchell ran to the closet, and quickly began searching for his clothes, which was no easy task. Where did she put my stuff? he thought as he spun around inside the huge walk-in closet. With every beat of his heart, it shattered again, like shards of glass pulsing under his skin. Tears snaked down his cheeks and burned at his eyes. He dug through the racks upon racks of dresses, blouses, skirts, women’s jeans… before finally stumbling upon a shelf of his clothes at the back of the closet. He grabbed the first things that touched his fingers, shed his towel, and began pulling on a t-shirt.
“What’s going on?” Luke asked groggily from behind him, just as Mitchell buttoned up his jeans. He wore a pair of red and green checkered pajama pants, no shirt, and he looked dazed, as if Eric had woken him from a deep sleep.
“We can’t find the girls,” Mitchell said. He spun around and emerged from the closet.
Luke narrowed his hazel eyes, looking him over, and the color slowly drained from his face. “Did you check the media room?” he asked after a moment, looking towards the ceiling. “The television’s on.”
“That was me,” Eric said. “Meg and I were going to watch a movie. She said she needed Advil and went to the kitchen but never came back.”
“Amelia needed Advil,” Mitchell murmured. His chest squeezed. He tried to tell himself it was just a coincidence. The girls probably got a few bruises during the fight. But his subconscious wouldn’t have it. She left, he thought. And somehow she had convinced Megan to go with her. He knew it was only a matter of time before she would. He had never believed for a second that she would stay with him, but he’d be lying if he said he hadn’t hoped she would.
“They wouldn’t leave, so stop thinking it,” Luke said firmly, but Mitchell didn’t miss the doubt in his voice. Luke had never believed that Amelia would stick around and he had never kept his thoughts a secret, at least, not from Mitchell.
Mitchell closed his eyes. Amelia? he called, desperately through the bond. Amelia, love, please talk to me. Tell me you’re okay.
The only response was the buzz of a sleeping brain. But that didn’t make an ounce of sense. It was in that moment that a new, gut wrenching, fear rushed through him and for a split second, his brain actually started to work. If Amelia had left, she wouldn’t have stopped to sleep. Not this soon. She’d be running, putting as much distance between them as possible.
Mitchell’s eyes snapped open and stretched his senses to their outer limits, listening for anything out of the ordinary. He took in a lungful of air and caught a scent. His fangs extended, sharp as knifes. “Do you smell that?”
Luke cleared his throat, and Mitchell cut him a look. Luke paled under his gaze. “Um, Lola and I…” Luke said, wiping at his mouth and looking uncomfortable, “Err…We had um…company.”
“You what?” Mitchell growled, and then physically shook himself, trying to get of rid the disgust that was flooding over him. He scrubbed at his burning eyes, and wiped his dampened cheeks and focused on the scent again. Floral with an underlying sweetness. “It’s Amelia’s.”
Mitchell was already running before the words completely left his mouth. He couldn’t think. The only thing that ran thought his mind was the scent of blood—her blood—and if he thought about it… He pushed the idea out of him mind as quickly as he could, but it wasn’t fast enough. Before he could banish it away, an image of Amelia lying motionless on the ground flooded his vision.
He ran through the house, trying to find the source of the scent. It became stronger as he reached the foyer. He stopped, spun around in circles, and breathed it in.
His heart was racing. A cold sweat beaded along his forehead, and his back became damper by the second.
“Out here,” Eric called. The motion light flicked on, and Mitchell bolted for the door.
The blood drop was the size of a penny, just a tiny drop. The three of them hovered over it, staring down at the glistening scarlet droplet as if they were hypnotized, not able to look away.
Luke was the first to speak, asking the question that shouldn’t have needed to be asked. “Did the girls put the protection shield back up?”
Mitchell and Eric locked crimson eyes and in unison replied, “No.”
CHAPTER 2
The first thing that Amelia saw when she opened her eyes was her body lying in a crumpled heap below her. “Crap,” she breathed, as she scrutinized herself. “No, no, no,” she whispered, shaking her head violently from side to side. “I can’t be dead. I just can’t be.” And if I’m dead then Mitchell… she couldn’t finish that thought, just couldn’t.
Her body rolled, seemingly on its own, smacking against a metal wall with a thud that reverberated around her.
“Cole!” Josh’s voice growled from somewhere nearby, but Amelia couldn’t pull her eyes away from her lifeless looking form on the ground. “Secure them!”
“Amelia, what’s happening?” Megan’s small, scared voice smothered Amelia, suffocating her, and it felt as if she was drowning in the sound. “Are we dead? Did they kill us?”
Amelia couldn’t make her mouth work. She wanted to reassure Megan. She wanted so much to tell her that they were okay, but she just couldn’t. There were no words, no thoughts, nothing that could make this okay.
Cole materialized in Amelia’s line of vision, and he began straightening her legs, and moving her body around until she was lying flat on her back. For a fleeting moment, he was gone, but then there he was again, lying Megan down beside her. He rolled what appeared to be an old wool blanket up and lifted their heads, placing the bundle underneath them as a makeshift pillow. He wrapped them snuggly together in another itchy looking blanket before whispering, “I’m so sorry, Megs.” He bent and brushed his lips against her cheek and then vanished again.
Why would Josh care if we rolled around? Amelia wondered. If we’re dead…
Megan stepped beside her, threading her arm through Amelia’s, which to her utter surprise felt strong and stable and solid. She narrowed her eyes further, studying their bodies closely. She fixed her eyes on their chests, waiting forever (or at least that’s how it felt) for them to rise and fill with air, but it didn’t come.
“You’ll both be fine,” a lilting voice reassured from behind Amelia. “Sorry about the dramatics, but this is the safest way to talk to you.”
The sound of a familiar voice filled her with an agonizing mix of fear and delight all at once. “Madame Crystal?” Amelia spun around to see the clairvoyant witch, who had helped her—and came close to ruining her life—not so long ago, floating a short distance away from her face. Her knee-length jet-black hair swayed around her as if there was a breeze that only reached her. Tiny laugh lines littered the corners of her almost completely black eyes that held just a touch of violet around the pupils.
“Hi, Amelia,” she said with a big white smile. “It’s nice to see you again.”
Amelia gaped at her for a moment before she lunged forwards and threw her arms around the psychic, crushing Madame Crystal in a fierce hug. Madame Crystal laughed, a singsong kind of sound, and squeezed her back just as fiercely.
Megan cleared her throat loudly. “Sorry to break up this little reunion, but seriously, I think the whole us being dead thing is a bit more important here.” Her voice squeaked, a high-pitched squeal, on the last word that sounded like nails on a chalkboard.
Amelia’s eyes flitted over her lifeless body again and then she buried her face in Madame Crystal’s shoulder. This can’t be happening, she thought over and over. We can’t be dead. Because if they were dead then that meant Madame Crystal was dead, and most likely her entire family was dead, and that was something that Amelia couldn’t believe—wouldn’t consider.
“You’re not dead, dear,” Madame Crystal said. She gave Amelia another squeeze and then stepped back, grinning widely. “As I said, this was the safest way to talk to you guys.”
Amelia’s jaw dropped and her forehead scrunched. Not dead? She opened her mouth to demand an explanation, because seriously, their spirits were floating over their bodies and they looked…dead. Megan made a frustrated sound somewhere between a grunt and a growl, stopping Amelia’s before she couldn’t blurt out her questions. Megan’s lips were a thin line of annoyance, and she glared daggers at Madame Crystal. She drummed her fingers on her hips, and her eyes narrowed to little slits.
“Meg, stop it,” Amelia said, watching her cousin’s reaction. “She’s a psychic and a witch, and she is my friend.” Amelia held the glare until Megan backed down, and then she turned back to Madame Crystal. The psychic was grinning widely. It seemed so out of place and wrong. But the grin sparked Amelia’s curiosity. “How are you doing this?” she asked.
“Magic,” she replied with a twinkle in her eyes. “And with a little help from your mother.” The twinkle fizzled away as if a candle had suddenly been put out, and her face darkened. “There’s someone working with the hunters. He’s manipulating them, working them like puppets.” She raised her hands, her fingers dancing through the air as if she was working the strings of a marionette.
“Who?” Amelia asked. Or maybe the better question was what. The hunters, Cole and Josh specifically, were strong. They had easily squashed her attempts at using magic against them and the thought that someone, or something, was actually controlling them sent shivers rushing over her skin.
“I don’t know,” Madame Crystal said with a small shake of her head. “My visions only stretch so far, and he is masking my attempts. It’s like he knows someone is watching.” A small shiver visibly ran through her, and her eyes hardened. “I’ve almost reached Mitchell. I’m going to lead him to you, so be ready. That is, if I can tell him where you are before he kills me for helping you the last time.”
“What do you mean ‘the last time?’” Megan asked, but it came out as more of a challenge than a question. And with a sideways glance, Amelia quickly noticed Megan’s tense and freaked out stance.
“It’s kind of a long story, Meg, but she helped me block Mitchell’s connection to me when I first met him,” Amelia said, dismissively hoping Megan would relax a bit as she tried to work through what was going on. A thought dawned on her then. “Wait a minute,” Amelia said, as her eyes widened and her heart tightened. “My mother is helping you? You know my mother?”
“Amelia, focus,” Madame Crystal said, clasping her face in her hands, forcing her to pay attention and listen. “The one that is behind all of this is waiting for you. You need to be prepared. Whatever you do, do not harm the hybrids. You need their alliance to save the ones you love.”
Amelia knew she was talking. She could see her lips moving, she could even hear the soft lilting notes of her voice, but the only thing her brain registered was ‘a little help from your mother.’ It wasn’t often that Amelia was left speechless, but right now she was. It wasn’t that she didn’t have words she wanted to say. She did. The problem was they were all fighting to get out at once, getting all jumbled up together and lodged in her mouth.
“They want to kill the ones we love!” Megan shouted, snapping Amelia out of her stupor.
Madame Crystal let her hands fall from Amelia’s cheeks. She smiled and shrugged, just a small lift of the shoulders. “True, but in time they will see that you all share a common enemy.”
“I see you still like to talk in stupid riddles,” Amelia said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She crossed her arms over her chest, trying to look annoyed, but she was pretty sure she wasn’t fooling anyone.
“I have a message from your mother,” Madame Crystal said, choosing to ignore Amelia’s saucy tone. Her smile vanished, replaced by a look that Amelia thought was far too serious and for a second, her heart stopped beating. “Your choices from your past lifetimes are coming to a head. It is now time to pick which path of destiny you will follow. Choose wisely because your choice in this lifetime can end the cycle.”
“What are you talking about?” Amelia scoffed and began nervously twisting a long curl of her hair around her finger. “What cycle? What choices?” And why can’t you just speak like a normal person?
“You already know,” Madame Crystal said, her voice floating through the air as her body began to flicker.
“Wait! Why does Josh think my destiny is to be with him?” Amelia asked frantically, but the psychic was already gone.
Megan’s jaw dropped, literally, and Amelia was sure her own expression looked just as stunned. What was all of that supposed to mean? her nagging brain questioned. And what does my mother have to do with this?
“Was that supposed to be helpful?” Megan asked. “And how are we supposed to get back into…” Megan’s words fell short, and were replaced by a gasping screech.
Suddenly, Amelia felt as if she was being sucked up by a vacuum. It started slow, a small pull at her toes, and she watched her floating frame stretch towards her body. As soon as her virtual toes touched her real ones, the suction increased, pulling at her from all sides as it tried to make her one with herself.
The twisting and distortion seemed to last for hours, and when the last pull came, it was jarring enough to snap her spirit back in place. Megan groaned beside her and whispered, “That was so not cool.”
“Really?” Amelia whispered, shifting slightly so she could see Megan beside her, because honestly, she thought it was awesome, and whatever Madame Crystal had done was now close to the top of her list of witchy things she wanted to learn. Megan rolled her eyes.
Amelia had been right. The blanket was horribly itchy, and Cole had tucked them together so tightly that she could hardly move. She began squirming around, trying to loosen the blanket and wiggled her way out of the cocoon of skin-crawling, itchy wool.
Once she was out, she ripped the blanket off Megan while surveying their situation under the dim fluorescent lighting. They were in some kind of commercial van. There was a small closed door at the front that led to the cab, and she could hear the muted voices of Cole and Josh from behind it.
Amelia turned around; looking for anything they could use to get out. It was empty, aside from them, a few blankets, and a small stack of weaponry. She went straight for the weapons, and was sadly disappointed. Arrows with no bows, guns with no bullets.
“Maybe we could use the arrows like knives?” Megan asked in a hushed tone.
“Maybe,” Amelia agreed, and then her voice quivered as she noticed the silence in her mind. There was no hum, no thoughts, no vibrations. Just deafening silence. “Meg, I can’t feel Mitchell.”
“He’s fine, Millie,” Megan said in a reassuring tone. She ran her fingers along the metallic wall of the van. Sparks ignited everywhere she touched. “They’ve spelled the vehicle. They’re trying to block the connection. He’s fine.” The conviction in her voice didn’t help as much as Amelia would have liked.
Tears pricked at her eyelids and Amelia squeezed her eyes shut. Every breath she took hurt. It was as if the air had sprouted knives as it entered her throat and they sliced gashes all the way down to her lungs. Megan touched her shoulder, just a soft, tentative hand, but it was enough, and Amelia shook off all the questions and fears that were flooding through her body and trying to drown her.
“Let’s try to blast off the door,” Amelia said. She didn’t miss the uncertainty in her own voice but she tried to ignored it, rolling to her feet and inspecting the back doors of the van. There were no levers to open it from the inside and no windows. She was trapped in a box, and it felt as if the walls were closing in, the air was getting thicker and thicker, and her chest began to squeeze tight.
“Wait. Who was that women? And how did she do all that?” Megan looked scared, confused, and small, and Amelia didn’t really know what to say. She didn’t have the answers. She didn’t know, and right now, the only things she could think about were the closing walls and the tight air and…
“It’s a long story, Meg,” Amelia said, her voice raspy, and she tried to picture herself in a wide-open field with lots of air and no walls. It wasn’t working. The claustrophobia threatened to consume her. “Just help me,” she blurted, ready to start clawing at the walls. “I’ll explain later. We have to get back before she gets there.”
“Why?” Megan snapped, frustrated. As soon as the question was out of her mouth, her cheeks flared and she quickly rushed on. “Not that I don’t want to go home but…”
“She won’t be welcome,” Amelia said between gasps of the horribly thick and suffocating air.
Thankfully, Megan nodded and bit her tongue, but Amelia could clearly see the questions burning in her eyes—questions that she knew she didn’t have answers to. She forced those questions out of her mind, and she called upon her magic. It sparked up, licking at her fingertips like a happy little puppy overjoyed to get attention.
Megan stepped beside her, releasing a sigh. Amelia grinned. She knew exactly what Megan was feeling—ecstasy. The magic heated their veins, warmed their flesh, and swirled around them in a delirious heart-racing kind of sensation.
“I’m ready when you are,” Megan breathed, her voice raspy.
“Be ready to jump as soon as it’s open,” Amelia said. She gathered up every ounce of power she had into the palm of her hand. She pulled her arm back, readying herself to throw the bolt like a baseball. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Megan mimic her motion. “On three,” she said, and Megan nodded her understanding. “One, two, three.”
They launched their spheres on three, and for a second, it was mind-blowing. The magic raced through the air like fireworks, lighting the dimly lit van in a glorious burst of lights and colors.
Amelia was tossed back. She smashed her head against the small door at the front of the van with breath-taking force. White light shot at her from all directions—blinding and scolding. Megan crashed into her with a shriek.
The van lurched to a tire squealing stop, and the back doors screeched as they were ripped open. Shadows emerged from the blinding light and steam that was clouding the van, and then suddenly, a strong set of arms was lifting Amelia, cradling her against a muscled chest.
She tried to struggle and kick, but it was useless. She glared up into the laughing gray eyes that gazed down at her. “Put me down, Josh.”
Josh’s grin widened to a cocky looking smile. He hopped down to the ground and set her on her feet outside the smoking van. She stumbled, and dizziness rushed over her in waves of hot and cold. She grabbed onto Josh’s arm out of instinct, trying to keep herself standing. He took a firm hold on her arm, keeping her upright, and then he winked and said, “Look who’s getting all grabby this time.”
Amelia couldn’t come up with a clever comeback, so instead she just glared at him, and he laughed. Cole emerged from the cloud of smoky steam with Megan in tow, who was growling something unintelligible while struggling to get out of his grip.
“Megs, you blew up my van,” Cole yelled as he swung her around to face him. “Do you really hate me this much? I’m not going to hurt you.”
Megan spat in his face. “No, you’ll just kill my soulmate.”
In a lightning fast motion, Cole raised his hand as if he was going to strike Megan. Amelia didn’t think, she just reacted, conjuring her energy, and launching everything she had at him. It hit him square on, and he stumbled back; unfortunately, he held Megan so firmly that she stumbled with him.
Josh spun on Amelia, grabbed her by the shoulders, and pinned her against a tree at the side of the road. “Do that again, and I’ll keep you subdued. Is that what you want?” he asked with a lethal undertone that made her bones quiver.
“He was going to hit her,” Amelia said meekly, averting her eyes to the ground. His skin was beginning to shudder and change and her body trembled even more. This close to him, it was hard to hide the nerves that were jumping all over her skin, and her knees began to shake.
Josh took a long and loud breath. He dropped a hand from her shoulder and tipped her chin up to meet his eyes. “I can’t keep you safe if you’re going to freak out and attack him.”
“You keep me safe?” Amelia asked, stunned. The idea was ludicrous. It broke through her fear, and she couldn’t hold in the snarky tone that coated her next words. “News flash, you’re the one that’s putting me in danger.”
“I’m trying to save you!” he shouted, shaking her as if he thought it would knock some sense into her.
The motion only fueled Amelia’s anger. “You kidnapped me!”
He narrowed his eyes, and another shudder rushed over his skin. His voice was barely audible when he spoke, and it held a nerve-racking intensity. “I have orders to bring you in. Not her. You. So if you want her to make it, you’d better not do anything like that again.”
Amelia opened her mouth to blurt out a bunch of questions, but he quickly clamped his hand over it, silencing her. He called over his shoulder for Cole to follow. Cole nodded and scooped Megan, who was clawing frantically at his feet, up from the ground, and placed a hand on her forehead. Then, just like that, she went out cold. Cole slung her over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry. Josh gave Amelia a long warning look and then began dragging her through the trees.
Josh was the leader. Amelia was dragged along behind him for a good twenty minutes, and the whole way she hoped that Mitchell was watching and tracking her movements, because, well, her brain had turned to mush, and she couldn’t figure out how she was going to get out of this mess. Somehow, Cole managed to keep Megan out as he carried her, keeping up with Josh.
As soon as they had stepped out of the van, the hum of Mitchell’s thoughts had surfaced in her mind, and with every moment that passed, they got stronger. She continued to call to him, but so far, she had received no response. It felt as if she was trying to call through a force field that deteriorated the sound of her voice before it could reach him.
When they stepped into a well-lit backyard, Amelia blinked against the light. As her eyes adjusted from the dark forest, her blood ran cold. She dug her feet into the ground and yanked on Josh’s wrists with all her might until he stopped. She was sure her eyes were wide with panic when Josh turned to her. “I can’t go in there,” Amelia said with a tremor in her voice.
Josh’s hard expression softened and he loosened up on her arm by a small fraction. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”
“Who gave you orders?” Amelia asked. She didn’t need to, she already knew, but something in her needed to hear that her suspicion was correct. All of a sudden things were starting to make sense. Someone’s manipulating them, Madame Crystal had said, and right at that moment, Amelia knew exactly who that someone was.
“He’s a friend of yours,” Josh answered, his eyes clouding in confusion, and a small v-shaped frown began to form between his eyes.
“Who, Josh,” Amelia pleaded, and tried to pry his fingers from her arm, but he wouldn’t let go.
“Have you forgotten me already?” Amelia froze at the sound of his voice. She tried to puff out her chest and glare at him, but she must have looked as small and scared as she felt, because he just laughed.
Happy Reading!
The Soul’s Mark: BROKENBook 3 of The Soul’s Mark Series
by Ashley Stoyanoff
CHAPTER 1
The steam curled around him, fogging the frosted glass shower enclosure. The hot water poured over Mitchell, soothing his taut muscles and washing away the tension and stress from earlier that evening. He let out a deep sigh before he turned the taps again, letting the water run even hotter. He knew Amelia liked it to be blistering, and he wanted to make sure it was perfect. She needed perfect. Deserved it.
Amelia. Just the sound of her name floating through his head made him smile and his skin buzz with anticipation. He couldn’t believe how amazing she had been tonight. How strong. The way she had fought. The way she had confronted that skeleton freak hunter. It was a little mind-blowing. Wasn’t it just yesterday that she had found out he was a vampire and accidently locked herself in her bedroom?
Mitchell let his mind wander; counting the days since she had arrived. Eight months? No, that couldn’t be right. He counted again, and then again, just to be sure.
Mitchell reached for the bottle of shampoo. He had already shampooed his hair three times while he waited for Amelia, but he figured that if he stalled long enough, she would come in. He lathered up, rinsed, and waited. And waited. And waited.
His stomach was in knots, his nerves shot. And as he waited, all the what ifs began to eat away at him. What if she had a change of heart? What if she didn’t find him appealing anymore? What if she wanted to move on?
Mitchell was just about to search through the bond when he heard the bathroom door squeak open. His heart jumped around in his chest like a rabbit running a marathon, and he flung the glass door open so quickly he was close to ripping it off the hinges.
“Dude,” Eric yelled. “Cover up, would you?” He shielded his eyes and turned his head away.
“Get out, Eric,” Mitchell said. He tried to sound annoyed, but he failed miserably, as an awkward laugh fell out. He flushed, and grabbed the shower stall door, pulling it closed.
Through the frosted glass, Mitchell saw Eric’s shuffling form, facing the bathroom door, his hands still shielding his eyes. “I’m just looking for Meg,” he said, his voice squeaking over the words.
Mitchell glanced at the waterfall that sprang from the showerhead, and sighed before turning it off. He reached out for a towel, and wrapped it snuggly around his waist. “In my bathroom?” he asked.
“Are you decent yet?” Eric asked, shuffling back and forth uncomfortably.
Mitchell laughed, and he felt his skin flush again, red with embarrassment. “Yeah,” he replied, his voice a little strained.
Eric turned around slowly, his hands still covering his eyes. He spread his fingers to peek, as if he wasn’t entirely sure if he should look or not, and then sighed in relief when he saw the towel and dropped his hands. “I thought maybe she was in here with Millie.”
Mitchell wanted to point out how ridiculous that sounded but held back. Instead, he said, “Did you try looking for her?”
“Isn’t that obvious?” Eric said. He waved his arms around him and rolled his eyes. He fiddled anxiously, wringing his hands together and shifting his weight from one foot to the other.
“I meant through the bond.” Mitchell eyed Eric, taking in his gray jogging pants and hoodie, which was on backwards, the hood pushing against his chin. There was a pinprick of red flaring in the center of his panicked green eyes, and his hair wasn’t in the usual perfect mess—it was just plain messy. Mitchell’s stomach sank.
The pinprick of red grew to the size of a darning needle. “Oh, uh, yeah,” Eric said, and scrubbed at his face. He couldn’t seem to stand still, shifting his weight from one foot to the other and the dot of red in his eyes kept spreading, washing the normal vibrate green with crimson. “It’s like she’s sleeping. I can’t pinpoint a location.” He looked Mitchell full in the face. “Where’s Millie?”
“She’s supposed to be here,” Mitchell replied, his voice cracking on the words. He searched the bond frantically, and his stomach sank further. The hum of an unconscious brain was the only trace of Amelia he could find. His chest tightened, caving in, and all the air rushed from his lungs.
“You don’t think that they left us, do you?” Eric asked. The panic he had been trying to cover showed itself with a slight tremor in his voice, and he rang his hands together again.
All the what ifs came back with a vengeance, and suddenly Mitchell couldn’t breathe. He felt cold; a chill rushed over his skin, and his heart felt as if it had exploded within his chest. “Go get Luke,” he whispered, gripping at the pain in his chest.
“Dad.” Eric took a step towards him. He looked so lost, so scared. His blazing eyes were wide as saucers and glistening with tears. Mitchell wanted to comfort him, tell him everything was okay—the girls were okay—but he couldn’t. The words were there, he could taste them in his mouth, and they tasted like dirty lies. Mitchell knew Amelia might leave, but Megan, not a chance. He was certain of it. She was love struck, totally smitten for Eric. And knowing that made his stomach twist into painfully tight knots, because if Megan was gone, he was certain that it was not by choice.
Heat rushed over his body and his muscles tensed. “Go!” Mitchell bellowed, and just like that, Eric was gone.
Mitchell ran to the closet, and quickly began searching for his clothes, which was no easy task. Where did she put my stuff? he thought as he spun around inside the huge walk-in closet. With every beat of his heart, it shattered again, like shards of glass pulsing under his skin. Tears snaked down his cheeks and burned at his eyes. He dug through the racks upon racks of dresses, blouses, skirts, women’s jeans… before finally stumbling upon a shelf of his clothes at the back of the closet. He grabbed the first things that touched his fingers, shed his towel, and began pulling on a t-shirt.
“What’s going on?” Luke asked groggily from behind him, just as Mitchell buttoned up his jeans. He wore a pair of red and green checkered pajama pants, no shirt, and he looked dazed, as if Eric had woken him from a deep sleep.
“We can’t find the girls,” Mitchell said. He spun around and emerged from the closet.
Luke narrowed his hazel eyes, looking him over, and the color slowly drained from his face. “Did you check the media room?” he asked after a moment, looking towards the ceiling. “The television’s on.”
“That was me,” Eric said. “Meg and I were going to watch a movie. She said she needed Advil and went to the kitchen but never came back.”
“Amelia needed Advil,” Mitchell murmured. His chest squeezed. He tried to tell himself it was just a coincidence. The girls probably got a few bruises during the fight. But his subconscious wouldn’t have it. She left, he thought. And somehow she had convinced Megan to go with her. He knew it was only a matter of time before she would. He had never believed for a second that she would stay with him, but he’d be lying if he said he hadn’t hoped she would.
“They wouldn’t leave, so stop thinking it,” Luke said firmly, but Mitchell didn’t miss the doubt in his voice. Luke had never believed that Amelia would stick around and he had never kept his thoughts a secret, at least, not from Mitchell.
Mitchell closed his eyes. Amelia? he called, desperately through the bond. Amelia, love, please talk to me. Tell me you’re okay.
The only response was the buzz of a sleeping brain. But that didn’t make an ounce of sense. It was in that moment that a new, gut wrenching, fear rushed through him and for a split second, his brain actually started to work. If Amelia had left, she wouldn’t have stopped to sleep. Not this soon. She’d be running, putting as much distance between them as possible.
Mitchell’s eyes snapped open and stretched his senses to their outer limits, listening for anything out of the ordinary. He took in a lungful of air and caught a scent. His fangs extended, sharp as knifes. “Do you smell that?”
Luke cleared his throat, and Mitchell cut him a look. Luke paled under his gaze. “Um, Lola and I…” Luke said, wiping at his mouth and looking uncomfortable, “Err…We had um…company.”
“You what?” Mitchell growled, and then physically shook himself, trying to get of rid the disgust that was flooding over him. He scrubbed at his burning eyes, and wiped his dampened cheeks and focused on the scent again. Floral with an underlying sweetness. “It’s Amelia’s.”
Mitchell was already running before the words completely left his mouth. He couldn’t think. The only thing that ran thought his mind was the scent of blood—her blood—and if he thought about it… He pushed the idea out of him mind as quickly as he could, but it wasn’t fast enough. Before he could banish it away, an image of Amelia lying motionless on the ground flooded his vision.
He ran through the house, trying to find the source of the scent. It became stronger as he reached the foyer. He stopped, spun around in circles, and breathed it in.
His heart was racing. A cold sweat beaded along his forehead, and his back became damper by the second.
“Out here,” Eric called. The motion light flicked on, and Mitchell bolted for the door.
The blood drop was the size of a penny, just a tiny drop. The three of them hovered over it, staring down at the glistening scarlet droplet as if they were hypnotized, not able to look away.
Luke was the first to speak, asking the question that shouldn’t have needed to be asked. “Did the girls put the protection shield back up?”
Mitchell and Eric locked crimson eyes and in unison replied, “No.”
CHAPTER 2
The first thing that Amelia saw when she opened her eyes was her body lying in a crumpled heap below her. “Crap,” she breathed, as she scrutinized herself. “No, no, no,” she whispered, shaking her head violently from side to side. “I can’t be dead. I just can’t be.” And if I’m dead then Mitchell… she couldn’t finish that thought, just couldn’t.
Her body rolled, seemingly on its own, smacking against a metal wall with a thud that reverberated around her.
“Cole!” Josh’s voice growled from somewhere nearby, but Amelia couldn’t pull her eyes away from her lifeless looking form on the ground. “Secure them!”
“Amelia, what’s happening?” Megan’s small, scared voice smothered Amelia, suffocating her, and it felt as if she was drowning in the sound. “Are we dead? Did they kill us?”
Amelia couldn’t make her mouth work. She wanted to reassure Megan. She wanted so much to tell her that they were okay, but she just couldn’t. There were no words, no thoughts, nothing that could make this okay.
Cole materialized in Amelia’s line of vision, and he began straightening her legs, and moving her body around until she was lying flat on her back. For a fleeting moment, he was gone, but then there he was again, lying Megan down beside her. He rolled what appeared to be an old wool blanket up and lifted their heads, placing the bundle underneath them as a makeshift pillow. He wrapped them snuggly together in another itchy looking blanket before whispering, “I’m so sorry, Megs.” He bent and brushed his lips against her cheek and then vanished again.
Why would Josh care if we rolled around? Amelia wondered. If we’re dead…
Megan stepped beside her, threading her arm through Amelia’s, which to her utter surprise felt strong and stable and solid. She narrowed her eyes further, studying their bodies closely. She fixed her eyes on their chests, waiting forever (or at least that’s how it felt) for them to rise and fill with air, but it didn’t come.
“You’ll both be fine,” a lilting voice reassured from behind Amelia. “Sorry about the dramatics, but this is the safest way to talk to you.”
The sound of a familiar voice filled her with an agonizing mix of fear and delight all at once. “Madame Crystal?” Amelia spun around to see the clairvoyant witch, who had helped her—and came close to ruining her life—not so long ago, floating a short distance away from her face. Her knee-length jet-black hair swayed around her as if there was a breeze that only reached her. Tiny laugh lines littered the corners of her almost completely black eyes that held just a touch of violet around the pupils.
“Hi, Amelia,” she said with a big white smile. “It’s nice to see you again.”
Amelia gaped at her for a moment before she lunged forwards and threw her arms around the psychic, crushing Madame Crystal in a fierce hug. Madame Crystal laughed, a singsong kind of sound, and squeezed her back just as fiercely.
Megan cleared her throat loudly. “Sorry to break up this little reunion, but seriously, I think the whole us being dead thing is a bit more important here.” Her voice squeaked, a high-pitched squeal, on the last word that sounded like nails on a chalkboard.
Amelia’s eyes flitted over her lifeless body again and then she buried her face in Madame Crystal’s shoulder. This can’t be happening, she thought over and over. We can’t be dead. Because if they were dead then that meant Madame Crystal was dead, and most likely her entire family was dead, and that was something that Amelia couldn’t believe—wouldn’t consider.
“You’re not dead, dear,” Madame Crystal said. She gave Amelia another squeeze and then stepped back, grinning widely. “As I said, this was the safest way to talk to you guys.”
Amelia’s jaw dropped and her forehead scrunched. Not dead? She opened her mouth to demand an explanation, because seriously, their spirits were floating over their bodies and they looked…dead. Megan made a frustrated sound somewhere between a grunt and a growl, stopping Amelia’s before she couldn’t blurt out her questions. Megan’s lips were a thin line of annoyance, and she glared daggers at Madame Crystal. She drummed her fingers on her hips, and her eyes narrowed to little slits.
“Meg, stop it,” Amelia said, watching her cousin’s reaction. “She’s a psychic and a witch, and she is my friend.” Amelia held the glare until Megan backed down, and then she turned back to Madame Crystal. The psychic was grinning widely. It seemed so out of place and wrong. But the grin sparked Amelia’s curiosity. “How are you doing this?” she asked.
“Magic,” she replied with a twinkle in her eyes. “And with a little help from your mother.” The twinkle fizzled away as if a candle had suddenly been put out, and her face darkened. “There’s someone working with the hunters. He’s manipulating them, working them like puppets.” She raised her hands, her fingers dancing through the air as if she was working the strings of a marionette.
“Who?” Amelia asked. Or maybe the better question was what. The hunters, Cole and Josh specifically, were strong. They had easily squashed her attempts at using magic against them and the thought that someone, or something, was actually controlling them sent shivers rushing over her skin.
“I don’t know,” Madame Crystal said with a small shake of her head. “My visions only stretch so far, and he is masking my attempts. It’s like he knows someone is watching.” A small shiver visibly ran through her, and her eyes hardened. “I’ve almost reached Mitchell. I’m going to lead him to you, so be ready. That is, if I can tell him where you are before he kills me for helping you the last time.”
“What do you mean ‘the last time?’” Megan asked, but it came out as more of a challenge than a question. And with a sideways glance, Amelia quickly noticed Megan’s tense and freaked out stance.
“It’s kind of a long story, Meg, but she helped me block Mitchell’s connection to me when I first met him,” Amelia said, dismissively hoping Megan would relax a bit as she tried to work through what was going on. A thought dawned on her then. “Wait a minute,” Amelia said, as her eyes widened and her heart tightened. “My mother is helping you? You know my mother?”
“Amelia, focus,” Madame Crystal said, clasping her face in her hands, forcing her to pay attention and listen. “The one that is behind all of this is waiting for you. You need to be prepared. Whatever you do, do not harm the hybrids. You need their alliance to save the ones you love.”
Amelia knew she was talking. She could see her lips moving, she could even hear the soft lilting notes of her voice, but the only thing her brain registered was ‘a little help from your mother.’ It wasn’t often that Amelia was left speechless, but right now she was. It wasn’t that she didn’t have words she wanted to say. She did. The problem was they were all fighting to get out at once, getting all jumbled up together and lodged in her mouth.
“They want to kill the ones we love!” Megan shouted, snapping Amelia out of her stupor.
Madame Crystal let her hands fall from Amelia’s cheeks. She smiled and shrugged, just a small lift of the shoulders. “True, but in time they will see that you all share a common enemy.”
“I see you still like to talk in stupid riddles,” Amelia said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She crossed her arms over her chest, trying to look annoyed, but she was pretty sure she wasn’t fooling anyone.
“I have a message from your mother,” Madame Crystal said, choosing to ignore Amelia’s saucy tone. Her smile vanished, replaced by a look that Amelia thought was far too serious and for a second, her heart stopped beating. “Your choices from your past lifetimes are coming to a head. It is now time to pick which path of destiny you will follow. Choose wisely because your choice in this lifetime can end the cycle.”
“What are you talking about?” Amelia scoffed and began nervously twisting a long curl of her hair around her finger. “What cycle? What choices?” And why can’t you just speak like a normal person?
“You already know,” Madame Crystal said, her voice floating through the air as her body began to flicker.
“Wait! Why does Josh think my destiny is to be with him?” Amelia asked frantically, but the psychic was already gone.
Megan’s jaw dropped, literally, and Amelia was sure her own expression looked just as stunned. What was all of that supposed to mean? her nagging brain questioned. And what does my mother have to do with this?
“Was that supposed to be helpful?” Megan asked. “And how are we supposed to get back into…” Megan’s words fell short, and were replaced by a gasping screech.
Suddenly, Amelia felt as if she was being sucked up by a vacuum. It started slow, a small pull at her toes, and she watched her floating frame stretch towards her body. As soon as her virtual toes touched her real ones, the suction increased, pulling at her from all sides as it tried to make her one with herself.
The twisting and distortion seemed to last for hours, and when the last pull came, it was jarring enough to snap her spirit back in place. Megan groaned beside her and whispered, “That was so not cool.”
“Really?” Amelia whispered, shifting slightly so she could see Megan beside her, because honestly, she thought it was awesome, and whatever Madame Crystal had done was now close to the top of her list of witchy things she wanted to learn. Megan rolled her eyes.
Amelia had been right. The blanket was horribly itchy, and Cole had tucked them together so tightly that she could hardly move. She began squirming around, trying to loosen the blanket and wiggled her way out of the cocoon of skin-crawling, itchy wool.
Once she was out, she ripped the blanket off Megan while surveying their situation under the dim fluorescent lighting. They were in some kind of commercial van. There was a small closed door at the front that led to the cab, and she could hear the muted voices of Cole and Josh from behind it.
Amelia turned around; looking for anything they could use to get out. It was empty, aside from them, a few blankets, and a small stack of weaponry. She went straight for the weapons, and was sadly disappointed. Arrows with no bows, guns with no bullets.
“Maybe we could use the arrows like knives?” Megan asked in a hushed tone.
“Maybe,” Amelia agreed, and then her voice quivered as she noticed the silence in her mind. There was no hum, no thoughts, no vibrations. Just deafening silence. “Meg, I can’t feel Mitchell.”
“He’s fine, Millie,” Megan said in a reassuring tone. She ran her fingers along the metallic wall of the van. Sparks ignited everywhere she touched. “They’ve spelled the vehicle. They’re trying to block the connection. He’s fine.” The conviction in her voice didn’t help as much as Amelia would have liked.
Tears pricked at her eyelids and Amelia squeezed her eyes shut. Every breath she took hurt. It was as if the air had sprouted knives as it entered her throat and they sliced gashes all the way down to her lungs. Megan touched her shoulder, just a soft, tentative hand, but it was enough, and Amelia shook off all the questions and fears that were flooding through her body and trying to drown her.
“Let’s try to blast off the door,” Amelia said. She didn’t miss the uncertainty in her own voice but she tried to ignored it, rolling to her feet and inspecting the back doors of the van. There were no levers to open it from the inside and no windows. She was trapped in a box, and it felt as if the walls were closing in, the air was getting thicker and thicker, and her chest began to squeeze tight.
“Wait. Who was that women? And how did she do all that?” Megan looked scared, confused, and small, and Amelia didn’t really know what to say. She didn’t have the answers. She didn’t know, and right now, the only things she could think about were the closing walls and the tight air and…
“It’s a long story, Meg,” Amelia said, her voice raspy, and she tried to picture herself in a wide-open field with lots of air and no walls. It wasn’t working. The claustrophobia threatened to consume her. “Just help me,” she blurted, ready to start clawing at the walls. “I’ll explain later. We have to get back before she gets there.”
“Why?” Megan snapped, frustrated. As soon as the question was out of her mouth, her cheeks flared and she quickly rushed on. “Not that I don’t want to go home but…”
“She won’t be welcome,” Amelia said between gasps of the horribly thick and suffocating air.
Thankfully, Megan nodded and bit her tongue, but Amelia could clearly see the questions burning in her eyes—questions that she knew she didn’t have answers to. She forced those questions out of her mind, and she called upon her magic. It sparked up, licking at her fingertips like a happy little puppy overjoyed to get attention.
Megan stepped beside her, releasing a sigh. Amelia grinned. She knew exactly what Megan was feeling—ecstasy. The magic heated their veins, warmed their flesh, and swirled around them in a delirious heart-racing kind of sensation.
“I’m ready when you are,” Megan breathed, her voice raspy.
“Be ready to jump as soon as it’s open,” Amelia said. She gathered up every ounce of power she had into the palm of her hand. She pulled her arm back, readying herself to throw the bolt like a baseball. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Megan mimic her motion. “On three,” she said, and Megan nodded her understanding. “One, two, three.”
They launched their spheres on three, and for a second, it was mind-blowing. The magic raced through the air like fireworks, lighting the dimly lit van in a glorious burst of lights and colors.
Amelia was tossed back. She smashed her head against the small door at the front of the van with breath-taking force. White light shot at her from all directions—blinding and scolding. Megan crashed into her with a shriek.
The van lurched to a tire squealing stop, and the back doors screeched as they were ripped open. Shadows emerged from the blinding light and steam that was clouding the van, and then suddenly, a strong set of arms was lifting Amelia, cradling her against a muscled chest.
She tried to struggle and kick, but it was useless. She glared up into the laughing gray eyes that gazed down at her. “Put me down, Josh.”
Josh’s grin widened to a cocky looking smile. He hopped down to the ground and set her on her feet outside the smoking van. She stumbled, and dizziness rushed over her in waves of hot and cold. She grabbed onto Josh’s arm out of instinct, trying to keep herself standing. He took a firm hold on her arm, keeping her upright, and then he winked and said, “Look who’s getting all grabby this time.”
Amelia couldn’t come up with a clever comeback, so instead she just glared at him, and he laughed. Cole emerged from the cloud of smoky steam with Megan in tow, who was growling something unintelligible while struggling to get out of his grip.
“Megs, you blew up my van,” Cole yelled as he swung her around to face him. “Do you really hate me this much? I’m not going to hurt you.”
Megan spat in his face. “No, you’ll just kill my soulmate.”
In a lightning fast motion, Cole raised his hand as if he was going to strike Megan. Amelia didn’t think, she just reacted, conjuring her energy, and launching everything she had at him. It hit him square on, and he stumbled back; unfortunately, he held Megan so firmly that she stumbled with him.
Josh spun on Amelia, grabbed her by the shoulders, and pinned her against a tree at the side of the road. “Do that again, and I’ll keep you subdued. Is that what you want?” he asked with a lethal undertone that made her bones quiver.
“He was going to hit her,” Amelia said meekly, averting her eyes to the ground. His skin was beginning to shudder and change and her body trembled even more. This close to him, it was hard to hide the nerves that were jumping all over her skin, and her knees began to shake.
Josh took a long and loud breath. He dropped a hand from her shoulder and tipped her chin up to meet his eyes. “I can’t keep you safe if you’re going to freak out and attack him.”
“You keep me safe?” Amelia asked, stunned. The idea was ludicrous. It broke through her fear, and she couldn’t hold in the snarky tone that coated her next words. “News flash, you’re the one that’s putting me in danger.”
“I’m trying to save you!” he shouted, shaking her as if he thought it would knock some sense into her.
The motion only fueled Amelia’s anger. “You kidnapped me!”
He narrowed his eyes, and another shudder rushed over his skin. His voice was barely audible when he spoke, and it held a nerve-racking intensity. “I have orders to bring you in. Not her. You. So if you want her to make it, you’d better not do anything like that again.”
Amelia opened her mouth to blurt out a bunch of questions, but he quickly clamped his hand over it, silencing her. He called over his shoulder for Cole to follow. Cole nodded and scooped Megan, who was clawing frantically at his feet, up from the ground, and placed a hand on her forehead. Then, just like that, she went out cold. Cole slung her over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry. Josh gave Amelia a long warning look and then began dragging her through the trees.
Josh was the leader. Amelia was dragged along behind him for a good twenty minutes, and the whole way she hoped that Mitchell was watching and tracking her movements, because, well, her brain had turned to mush, and she couldn’t figure out how she was going to get out of this mess. Somehow, Cole managed to keep Megan out as he carried her, keeping up with Josh.
As soon as they had stepped out of the van, the hum of Mitchell’s thoughts had surfaced in her mind, and with every moment that passed, they got stronger. She continued to call to him, but so far, she had received no response. It felt as if she was trying to call through a force field that deteriorated the sound of her voice before it could reach him.
When they stepped into a well-lit backyard, Amelia blinked against the light. As her eyes adjusted from the dark forest, her blood ran cold. She dug her feet into the ground and yanked on Josh’s wrists with all her might until he stopped. She was sure her eyes were wide with panic when Josh turned to her. “I can’t go in there,” Amelia said with a tremor in her voice.
Josh’s hard expression softened and he loosened up on her arm by a small fraction. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”
“Who gave you orders?” Amelia asked. She didn’t need to, she already knew, but something in her needed to hear that her suspicion was correct. All of a sudden things were starting to make sense. Someone’s manipulating them, Madame Crystal had said, and right at that moment, Amelia knew exactly who that someone was.
“He’s a friend of yours,” Josh answered, his eyes clouding in confusion, and a small v-shaped frown began to form between his eyes.
“Who, Josh,” Amelia pleaded, and tried to pry his fingers from her arm, but he wouldn’t let go.
“Have you forgotten me already?” Amelia froze at the sound of his voice. She tried to puff out her chest and glare at him, but she must have looked as small and scared as she felt, because he just laughed.
February 9, 2013
Stacking the Shelves (3)
Stacking the Shelves, a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews, is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This mean you can include books you buy in a physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course, ebooks.
Note: All title's link back to goodreads.
This week was all about Indie books. Thank you to all my wonderful Goodreads friends for the recommendations!
Here's what I got this week:
I bought
Katie's Hellion (Book I, Rhyn Trilogy) by Lizzy Ford
Katie's Hope (Book II, Rhyn Trilogy) by Lizzy Ford
Rhyn's Redemption (Book III, Rhyn Trilogy) by Lizzy Ford
The Plantation by Stella Samiotou Fitzsimons
Lyrics of the Heart by Alexandra Lanc
What did you get this week?
Don’t forget to stop by the Meet Amelia Caldwell and Giveaway post for your chance to win a $10.00 Amazon eGift Card or an eBook Set of The Soul’s Mark: FOUND and The Soul’s Mark: HUNTED! The Giveaway ends on Feb 15, 2013.
February 7, 2013
Meet Amelia Caldwell and Giveaway
Hey Everyone!
With the upcoming release of The Soul’s Mark: BROKEN , I thought I would do some Meet a Character from The Soul’s Mark posts. It’s just a quick questionnaire that will introduce the character. Over the next few weeks, you’ll get to meet different characters and with each post there will also be a giveaway so make sure not to miss them. :)
The Basics
Full Name: Amelia Lynn Caldwell
Birthday: August 9
Age: 18
Zodiac Sign: Leo
High School: Too many to count.
College: University of Willowberg
Job: Does keeping a bunch of vampires in line count?
Boyfriend/Girlfriend: Yeah, I guess you could call Mitch my boyfriend.
Best Friend: Eric, but don’t tell Mitch.
Physical Attributes
Height: 5'4"
Hair: Chocolate brown and curly
Eye Color: Blue-gray
Piercing/Tattoos: It’s not a tattoo, it’s a birthmark! And it’s on my neck.
Favorites
Favorite Person: Mitch, no wait, Eric, um… Angelle? Wait, do vampires even count as people?
Favorite Food: Oh that’s an easy one, Fettuccini Alfredo
Favorite Books: Oh, um, my Calculus 1 textbook
Favorite Place: The library
Favorite Movie: A Walk to Remember
Favorite Beverage: Root Beer
It’s giveaway time!
There will be two lucky winners for this giveaway. Just login to the Rafflecopter widget below to find out how to enter. Good Luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Note: Prize will be awarded as per the order listed above. (First winner picked will receive the eGift card and second picked winner will receive the eBook set)
With the upcoming release of The Soul’s Mark: BROKEN , I thought I would do some Meet a Character from The Soul’s Mark posts. It’s just a quick questionnaire that will introduce the character. Over the next few weeks, you’ll get to meet different characters and with each post there will also be a giveaway so make sure not to miss them. :)
The Basics
Full Name: Amelia Lynn Caldwell
Birthday: August 9
Age: 18
Zodiac Sign: Leo
High School: Too many to count.
College: University of Willowberg
Job: Does keeping a bunch of vampires in line count?
Boyfriend/Girlfriend: Yeah, I guess you could call Mitch my boyfriend.
Best Friend: Eric, but don’t tell Mitch.
Physical Attributes
Height: 5'4"
Hair: Chocolate brown and curly
Eye Color: Blue-gray
Piercing/Tattoos: It’s not a tattoo, it’s a birthmark! And it’s on my neck.
Favorites
Favorite Person: Mitch, no wait, Eric, um… Angelle? Wait, do vampires even count as people?
Favorite Food: Oh that’s an easy one, Fettuccini Alfredo
Favorite Books: Oh, um, my Calculus 1 textbook
Favorite Place: The library
Favorite Movie: A Walk to Remember
Favorite Beverage: Root Beer
It’s giveaway time!
There will be two lucky winners for this giveaway. Just login to the Rafflecopter widget below to find out how to enter. Good Luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Note: Prize will be awarded as per the order listed above. (First winner picked will receive the eGift card and second picked winner will receive the eBook set)
February 5, 2013
Updates and New Stuff
Updates
Okay, so I know you’ve all been patiently waiting for the Sneak Peek of The Soul’s Mark: BROKEN . Good news, I’ve just received my first round of edits back and I’m working away to get you the excerpt. I expect to have it ready for you guys next week, so stay tuned. :)
New Stuff
So, I’ve been working on a new project and I have some good news and some bad news for you guys.
The Good News: I’m so excited! (Yes, yes, I know. I’m always excited about something.) But I think you all will like this one. While I was waiting for the edits on The Soul’s Mark: BROKEN , I started working on a novella; a little side story for The Soul’s Mark Series.
There are two exciting things about this novella that I wanted to share.
#1: The eBook will be FREE for at least SIX months.
#2: The star of this novella is…
Wait for it…
ERIC CARTER
See, this is why I’m so excited!
The Bad News: I’m having a blast writing Eric’s story and I just had to tell you guys. I bet you’re wondering why this is the bad news. Well, here’s the thing…at this point this is all I can share. But I promise I will update you all as soon as I can. :)
Okay, so I know you’ve all been patiently waiting for the Sneak Peek of The Soul’s Mark: BROKEN . Good news, I’ve just received my first round of edits back and I’m working away to get you the excerpt. I expect to have it ready for you guys next week, so stay tuned. :)
New Stuff
So, I’ve been working on a new project and I have some good news and some bad news for you guys.
The Good News: I’m so excited! (Yes, yes, I know. I’m always excited about something.) But I think you all will like this one. While I was waiting for the edits on The Soul’s Mark: BROKEN , I started working on a novella; a little side story for The Soul’s Mark Series.
There are two exciting things about this novella that I wanted to share.
#1: The eBook will be FREE for at least SIX months.
#2: The star of this novella is…
Wait for it…
ERIC CARTER
See, this is why I’m so excited!
The Bad News: I’m having a blast writing Eric’s story and I just had to tell you guys. I bet you’re wondering why this is the bad news. Well, here’s the thing…at this point this is all I can share. But I promise I will update you all as soon as I can. :)
February 2, 2013
Stacking the Shelves (2)
Stacking the Shelves, a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews, is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This mean you can include books you buy in a physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course, ebooks.
Note: All title's link back to goodreads.
Here's what I got this week:
I bought
The Friday Society by Adrienne Kress
Girl of Nightmares (Anna #2) by Kendare Blake
What did you get this week?
January 29, 2013
If you could have any three superpowers, what would they be?
Okay, it’s time to come clean. At some point in your life you’ve wondered what it would be like to have superpowers. Maybe it was during your last paranormal read, or it could have been when you were watching Superman. Not to worry. It happens. There’s just something so fascinating about crazy powers that captures the imagination.
While writing The Soul’s Mark Series, I spent many hours thinking about superpowers, and I have to admit, it was fun imagining how life would be if I developed my own set of superpowers. It took awhile, but I’ve finally narrowed it down to my top three.
Superhuman Speed
Picture never being late again. I’m always running late so being super fast would definitely be on my list, although I bet it wouldn’t help. I’d probably procrastinate and still end up late.
Persuasion
With the power of mind control, basically, you could do anything you wanted. You could persuade your teachers to give you straight A’s, get your dream job, get out of that speeding ticket. The possibilities are endless. It would be awesome. I’m pretty sure I would use it to get my husband to do all the cooking and cleaning.
Super Healing
What if you had the power to heal? You could get rid of all those little injuries like paper cuts, because, well, they hurt! (I can’t even begin to count how many I got while writing these books.) But you could also help ease the pain of others. Picture being able to cure cancer or Alzheimer’s. Now that would be amazing.
What would you guys choose?
While writing The Soul’s Mark Series, I spent many hours thinking about superpowers, and I have to admit, it was fun imagining how life would be if I developed my own set of superpowers. It took awhile, but I’ve finally narrowed it down to my top three.
Superhuman Speed
Picture never being late again. I’m always running late so being super fast would definitely be on my list, although I bet it wouldn’t help. I’d probably procrastinate and still end up late.
Persuasion
With the power of mind control, basically, you could do anything you wanted. You could persuade your teachers to give you straight A’s, get your dream job, get out of that speeding ticket. The possibilities are endless. It would be awesome. I’m pretty sure I would use it to get my husband to do all the cooking and cleaning.
Super Healing
What if you had the power to heal? You could get rid of all those little injuries like paper cuts, because, well, they hurt! (I can’t even begin to count how many I got while writing these books.) But you could also help ease the pain of others. Picture being able to cure cancer or Alzheimer’s. Now that would be amazing.
What would you guys choose?
January 26, 2013
Stacking the Shelves (1)
Stacking the Shelves, a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews, is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This mean you can include books you buy in a physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course, ebooks.
Note: All title's link back to goodreads.
This week I bought
I picked up two more books for my 2013 Indie/Small Press Reading Challenge. I'm so excited to read both! It feels like I've been waiting forever to find out what will happen next.
Luathara (The Otherworld Trilogy #3) by Jenna Elizabeth Johnson
The Detective Inspectors (The Doorknob Society #4) by M.J. Fletcher
I also couldn't resist going back to Chapters, and of course, I couldn't leave without buying a few. :) I picked up these while I was there.
Anna Dressed in Blood (Anna #1) by Kendare Blake
Days of Blood & Starlight (Daughter of Smoke and Bone #2) by Laini Taylor
What did you get this week?
January 23, 2013
Liebster Blog Award
I would like to send a HUGE thank you to Mandy at Lace Vintage Book Reviews for nominating me for the Liebster Blog Award.What is the Liebster Blog Award?
The Liebster Blog Award is given to up and coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers. “Liebster” is German for “favorite” so, this award is the “favorite blog award”.
Rules of the Liebster Blog Award:
- Tell 11 things about yourself.
- Answer 11 questions from the blogger who nominated you.
- Post 11 questions for those who will be nominated by you.
- Nominate 11 bloggers with less than 200 followers.
- Get in contact with those 11 bloggers in order to inform them that you nominated them.
11 Random Things About Me
1-My favorite color is purple.
2-I really do not like feet.
3-I have a purse buying addiction.
4-Chocolate chip cookies are my favorite food.
5-I love the rain.
6-I detest the cold.
7-I never leave my house without a notepad and a book.
8-Aside from writing, my favorite thing to do is curl up in bed with a good book.
9-I want to grow a vegetable garden.
10-I'm scared of heights.
11-Apples smeared in peanut butter is my go to comfort food.
Q & A Time
1-What was the last book that left you speechless?
This one is easy. It was Daughter of Smoke and Bones. It was amazing!
2-What's your favorite quote?
“Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.” ― Oscar Wilde
3-Your favorite book has been turned into a movie, do you see it? why?, why not?
I would definitely see it, but only because I need to know if the movie is just as good.
4-Do you have a genre you just can't stand?
Not really. I’ll read anything, but my favorite is YA Paranormal.
5-Five things you can't leave the house without?
Hmmmm… eReader, wallet, lip balm, pen and notepad
6-What’s your Favorite Band/Artist?
Bruno Mars
7-What's most likely to make put a book on your TBR shelf? is it the Cover, Synopsis, Title, Hype. etc?
Honestly, I rarely read the synopsis. Usually it’s the title or the book has been recommended to me. My favorite way to find a books is by using the “Other’s Looked At” feature on Amazon and if I like the title then I pick it up.
8-If you could write a novel (if you haven't already) what would it be about?
Well, my first novel was a paranormal romance and it’s part of a series.
9-If you could move to anywhere in the world where would it be?
Anywhere hot. It’s freezing here right now. :)
10-Favorite Fictional Crush?
This is a though one, but I’ll have to go with Peter from Amanda Hockings My Blood Approves Series.
11-Who inspires you and why?
My mother because she is the most amazing person I know.
My Nominee's Are
1-Pure Jonel
2-Josie’s Haven
3-Accepted Wisdom
4-Christina Smith Books
5-Bookaddict Bieke
6-Busy Moms Book Reviews
7-Craves The Angst
8-Up All Night Reviews
9-Reading 24X7
10-Bookssesed
11-Story for Dessert
Their Questions
1-What is your all time favorite book?
2-Do you have a favorite place to read? If yes, where?
3-If you could go on a vacation anywhere in the world, where would you go?
4-What is your greatest achievement so far and why?
5-What is your favorite season and why?
6-What is the most exciting thing you’ve ever done?
7-Would you pick a book just on its cover?
8-What’s the best thing you ever ate?
9-What is your favorite genre?
10-What are the best five words that would describe you?
11- Do you prefer Hardcover, paperback, or ebooks?
