Overworld Chronicles Books 1-2: Sweet Blood of Mine & Dark Light of Mine (80 page)

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Authors: John Corwin

Tags: #Children's Books, #Science Fiction & Fantasy, #Fantasy & Magic, #Literature & Fiction, #Fantasy, #Paranormal & Urban, #Children's eBooks, #Science Fiction; Fantasy & Scary Stories

BOOK: Overworld Chronicles Books 1-2: Sweet Blood of Mine & Dark Light of Mine

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Elyssa pressed my hand to her heart. I looked into her eyes and felt the pain and anger melt away. The tight band of pressure across my chest eased. I drew in a breath and squeezed back. No words were necessary in that perfect moment. I knew she wasn't just standing next to me. Elyssa was
with
me, a part of me I could count on more than anyone else in the world.

The love I felt for her right then swelled in my chest until I thought I would burst. I hugged her and buried my face in the soft strands of her black hair. I drew in her soft sweet scent, the smell of leather and oil and something else. Maybe it was just the shampoo she'd used that morning, but it made me think of her.

"What do you want to do now?" Elyssa said, pulling back and regarding me with a soft expression. "Your father is free and clear and it doesn't look like the good old boys will be blackmailing you anymore."

That was a really good question. Dad would want to go after Ivy and Mom. But there was a lot on the proverbial plate. What Underborn had said about Thunder Rock and about the instability of the Conclave struck a nerve with me for some reason. I wondered if getting to the bottom of Thunder Rock would clear up relations between Elyssa's father and me, or if it was just wishful thinking. But how could I possibly hope to solve something that happened before I was born?

No matter what Mom said, I had to find her and Ivy no matter the consequences. It was time to plan. Thunder Rock could wait. Mr. Gray awaited somewhere. Probably right in this very city. Dad might know where the mansion in my memory was. He and I would confront the evil bastard and find out why he was sending his puppet minions after me. I gazed at Underborn. He probably knew exactly where I could find this man. But his price was too steep. Maximus deserved a painful death, but I wasn't the one to do it. Let the master assassin handle it. I'd find Mr. Gray without his help.

I let my gaze drift toward the crowd of students. "Mom doesn't want me coming after her, so you know what that means."

Elyssa returned a knowing smile. "Naturally you want to go after her. Maybe the mansion from your memory is a hint. Maybe she really wants you to find her."

I nodded and felt hope gain a firm hold on the cliff of doom. "One hopeless quest down, a million more to go."

"I'm in." She pursed her lips. "But remember what you promised about planning."

"I haven't forgotten."

She tilted her head slightly and stared deep into my eyes. "My god, you've changed."

I quirked an eyebrow. "Miss the bottle-bottom glasses?"

A smile brightened the serious look on her face. "Sometimes. I still remember the shorter chubbier version of you, thick glasses and all." She pressed her hand against my surprisingly firm stomach. "But don't worry, I won't stop liking you even with all these disgusting muscles you've put on."

I laughed. "Give me a few tubs of ice cream. Maybe I can get rid of them."

Her hand felt hot against my skin, even through the shirt. She pressed it flat and ran it up to my chest, her violet eyes searching mine. "How do you feel?"

"Oh, I have a little indigestion, probably from all the gore. Nothing a little Pepto-Bismol won't clear up."

She raised an eyebrow. "I'm being serious, Justin. You killed someone."

"I did what I had to do. He tried to kill your mom. He took a shot at you." My entire body tensed. "Yeah, I feel conflicted about it. But I had no choice."

"You're a lot more confident than you were. But you seem to think you're indestructible sometimes. With Katie and the truck, giving so much blood to save Stacey, and then taking a bullet for me." She touched the bullet hole in my shirt. "A few inches difference and it would have been a head shot. You could have died."

When she put it that way, I sounded like Rambo. Hell, maybe there was a part of me that acted on pure instinct. But I had learned one thing about myself. I would do anything for the people I loved. And Heaven help anyone who got in my way.

"If I have a chance to save someone I care about, I'll take it," I told her. "But especially for you." I caressed her cheek. "I'd do anything for you. If that means killing someone—" The image of Sherriff Skinner's crushed body, the way his eyes, wide and accusing, stared at me after I'd slammed him into that wall lingered at the front of my mind. I felt sick even if the monster deserved it.

"I can take care of myself, Justin." She said it without anger, without scolding me.

I nodded. "I know. But I want to be there for you even if you are my ninja girl." I pressed a hand to the small of her back and pulled her tight. Kissed her hard on the lips. "Are you ready to ride a white horse into the sunset now?"

She grinned and looked at the noon sun. "It's a little early for sunset."

"Who cares? I just want to find a nice safe place where we can be alone together."

"Oh, Mr. Slade? You planning to seek out my inner goddess?"

"Is that what it's called?"

She raised an eyebrow in a very sultry way and said, "Why don't I let you find out yourself?"

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Appendix A

MEET THE AUTHOR