The Summer Solstice ~ Enchanted (18 page)

Back at
Summer Estates, Rose and I sit facing each other in the great room. Charlotte
has gone to grab tea. Rose isn’t looking or speaking to me. A look of deep
concentration is evident in her features.

My
heartbeat escalates as I replay the last couple of hours over in my mind like a
broken record.
What have I done? What will my punishment be?

I look
to
Rose
, considering the fact that she is disappointed
with me. A sinking in my chest tells me that I don’t want her disappointment.

Charlotte
enters the room moments later with a tray and three full cups of tea. Steam
rises from the top reminding me of the smoke from the billowing flames. I
shudder.

It’s in
this moment that I recall the very first dream I had while driving to Apollo
Beach.

“My
dream.” I say this out loud and look up wildly between Rose and Charlotte.
Panic rises to my chest. “I dreamt that this would happen.”

Charlotte
sits beside me now. Rose looks at me for the first time but says nothing.

“Something
was preventing me from escaping the sand. When I finally got out I was trapped
in a cloud of smoke – just like a dream I had.” I am close to tears. They
aren’t speaking to me and I feel as alone as I did when I first moved here.

A
million thoughts race through my mind. “Am I going to be punished for what I
did?” My voice is weak – scared of whatever consequences I face.

Rose
looks at me, her eyes sharp as blades. “Punished for what, dear?”

Every
thought I’ve had recently is halted by these words. Rose doesn’t think I should
be punished?

“I
caused all of this. I was angry. The wind got out of control and took the fire
with it. I couldn’t stop it. I tried but I couldn’t control my own powers. The
Law Book says that punishment is worst than death.”

Charlotte
places a hand on my leg. “Kat, listen to what you’re saying. You couldn’t
control that fire because you didn’t create it.”

My
thoughts slow to a canter. “But – I pushed her into the fire.”

Rose
narrows her eyes at me. “You pushed her towards the fire – which you
shouldn’t have done. But you didn’t cause the fire to get out of control. You
didn’t cause the wind.”

Again,
I replay the events, only this time, I think of Charlotte’s words.
You
couldn’t control that fire because you didn’t create it.
She’s right.

“I can
only control the powers I create.” I’m reciting the Law Book now. And although
I should be elated at the fact that I didn’t cause the raging fire, I’m struck
now with a flood of new questions.

“Then
how did that fire get so out of control? I swear that thing had arms and legs.
And it was aiming for Alec and Iris.”

Rose
and Charlotte look at each other, a look of fear crosses their line of vision.
It’s as if they are determining who should deliver the news to me. “Kat,
remember the stories of
Astina
Somer
?
And her evil counterparts?” Rose speaks up.

I nod,
remembering the stories vividly. “The gods and goddesses who were envious of
her power and tried to throw her ranks.”

Rose
nods carefully. “That evil still exists today.”

I
remember this too. “In what form?”

Charlotte
is squeezing my knee now, as if bracing me for what comes next.

“The
Equinox.”

I shake
my head, not getting it. I haven’t come across that name in any of the books
I’ve read. “What is The Equinox?” Just saying the words send a trickle of cold
air down my backbone.

“The
Equinox fights our seasons and creates havoc for our world and our people. They
are the reason we have settlements all over the world. It was the Equinox that
caused a war in Ancient Greece to overthrow us. Loved ones were torn apart and
that’s why our bloodlines have been compromised.” Rose’s brows furrow and her
eyes darken. “An Equinox is among us. I can feel it.” Rose is shaking her head
vigorously. “I haven’t crossed paths with one in quite some time. But I
remember the signs…”

I’m not
sure I can take any more. “But why hurt innocent people? If they are out to get
Enchanters, then why hurt Iris?”

“Because
whoever caused this knows that Enchanters live here. They are trying to
identify us by causing harm to innocent people. In their opposite they find who
they hunt. They look to those who do as an Enchanter would – and we heal.”

Her
eyes pierce through mine and I’m taken back to Rose, Charlotte, and I on the
beach healing Iris. I gasp. “So the fire was a trap?” My heartbeat quickens.
“But why are they hunting us? What will they do when they find us?” My voice is
shrill. I already know the answer.

In true
dramatic fashion, Rose pauses before answering. “An Equinox only hunts for one
reason – to kill.”

N
ext…

IN THE SUMMER SOLSTICE SERIES

The
E
quinox

Forcing my eyes away from his is
my only hope in this moment, but even without my eyes on his tortured face, I
sense him searching me for any signs of hope. I feel his love for me and a hole
begins to burn straight through my heart.

How did it happen to be that the
love of my life would turn out to be the one I’m meant to kill?

A
BOUT
THE
A
UTHOR

K.K.
Allen is the Young Adult Author of the Summer Solstice Series. Her debut novel,
The Summer Solstice: Enchanted, is now available on Kindle. Ms. Allen was born
in Honolulu, Hawaii and raised in Seattle, Washington. She lived in the Seattle
area up until 2008 when she made the bold leap to move to Florida. Ms. Allen
now resides in Clermont, FL. She has always had a passion for reading and
writing and has done so every day since the young age of 12. Writing has even
transitioned into her professional career in the Media Industry as copywriter
for websites and scriptwriter for video productions. “There’s just
something about telling a story that drives me in everything that I do. Whether
I’m creating a content outline for a website, or pulling together assets to
write to, or even putting together a video production, it’s all about the
storytelling.” Ms. Allen is proud to say that she’s worked with stellar
professionals who have only provided her with additional opportunities to grow
into the writer that she now is.

You’re Invited…to

CONNECT

with K.K. ALLEN

www.KK-Allen.com

Facebook.com/AuthorKKAllen

Twitter.com/KKAllenAuthor