Transcending the Legacy (33 page)

Marietta, Georgia - 3 years later.

I walk along the sidewalk; golden, orange, and red leaves race along ahead of me as I watch Tessa and Xander walk hand and hand. Shiva is padding along beside me, then she decides to trot ahead to catch up with Tessa.

Shiva turned up the day after the purification.
She was covered in dried dirt and blood, but no injuries. The only thing we could think was that she hid.

Xander looks back at me, light knowing smile pulls at his lips. “Tessa, let’s go visit Elisha,”
he says.

Tessa’s voice instantly animates, “At the book store? Will Nick be there today?”

Xander nods at Tessa, then looks back at me. “See you in a bit?” he asks.

I nod at him and watch after them as they cross the road.

Other people, mothers, fathers, children, are walking along the sidewalks carrying on with life. A few cars pass beside me as I walk along. I see a man bending down to pick up something a woman dropped seconds before, a scarf. A young woman and man pass me, walking hand and hand smiling. Feeling the warmth from the sky, I look up at the amber glow of the sun shaded behind thin wispy clouds as I continue to walk at a slow pace.

It’s been three years since the day humankind was given a second chance on the Earth. We have not had a climatic shift, but Sebastian, Balthazar, and Caleb are working hard to make sure that if it does happen, we will be prepared.

The
night of the purification, many died. Nate’s parents were among the ones that fought to keep the compound from being breached. I like to think that Nate found them beyond the veil as soon as his spirit rose from the Earth.

It took a long time
to find myself after Nate died, Xander too. He found his comfort in research. Sebastian and he both did actually. Now that the legacy had been fulfilled, Sebastian wanted to learn more about the Creek Indian tribe and the soldiers that helped them. Sebastian and Xander spent day after day rummaging through records at city hall, at the library, at the Etowah Museum of Archeology, anywhere they could find out more about the originals of this legacy.

Onawah was a Creek Indian princess after all. Her father, the chief of the tribe, was murdered during battle, leaving her mother to raise her. Record
s show she had married an Onoch, Robert Onoch, an explorer. I was surprised because I had suspected she had married one of the brothers, the soldiers.

Xander and Sebastian discovered the names of the soldiers among the tribe.
It was tedious, but they found the brothers. Strangely enough, they were twins. Xander happened upon the birth date, thinking it was strange that two names recorded had the exact same birth date. Putting two and two together, literally, they found them. Beside the birth date was their dates of death; both died; one two years before the other. It left Xander with many questions as he continued to seek out his ancestral line since it seemed to reach a roadblock.

Sebastian told him that the soldiers could have very well had families of their own back home, children to carry on their bloodline. This encouraged Xander to keep looking, researching, seeking for answers. I think it helped him cope with Nate’s death too.

My coping took a while. I had lost Ezra as well as Nate. It was a blessing that I had inherited a six year old girl that needed to be raised. She helped me cope more than she could ever know.

Every day I woke and told myself to live, be alive, just like Nate told me in the kiva.
At first, I didn’t completely understand how his sacrifice worked. With much discussion with Ms. Olivia and remembering my mother’s last contact with me when she told me that there are many forms of sacrifice, I came to realize that in a way Nate’s sacrifice of life was a sacrifice for me. Just as Onawah lived because one of the brother’s died in her place, I am alive because of Nate. He had figured it out before all of us.

Roan, Delilah, and Bethany survived the battle. They decided to move back to our house here in Marietta. Xander, Tessa, and I moved into a vacant
house a few blocks away from them to be close to each other. After a year, with no one returning to reclaim their house, we started fixing it up; making it our home.

Balthazar,
his son Marcus, Caleb, Sebastian, Caleb’s wife Eve, and their little girl Emelie all survived as well. A year after the purification, Sebastian pleaded that they all return with him to the Onoch Estate. He said he wanted the house to be filled with family and happiness, something it never really had. He pleaded with me too, since I was an Onoch, but I couldn’t bring myself to leave now that I was home.

With the global grid returning to larger cities, communications and travel slowly returning to our world, it has made communicating with Sebastian and the rest of the Onoch clan easier now that they are back in Colorado.

The guardians, Elisha, Nick, Corinna, Sam, Siobhan, Jake, Luke, Daniel, and Ms. Olivia, decided to stay here with us in Marietta as well.

Two children run passed me laughing suddenly, briefly pulling me from my thoughts.

A week after the purification, Ira, Seth, Cale, and Lathan left our world and returned to theirs. Ira refused to say goodbye. I was torn by that sentiment, happy that we might see him again, but weary for it might be under similar circumstances.

I stop walking as I see the sign hanging above, “Margot’s Deli”.

The cow bell suddenly rings and a woman comes out with a bag in hand. The smell of fresh bread wafts from the door before it shuts and the woman continues down the sidewalk ahead of me.
As the wind blows my hair from my face, I hear it carry the sound of the clock tower chiming on the hour.

The university re-opened last year. The guardians made it happen. The re-opening was in honor of Ezra.
Elisha, Nick, Corinna, Sam, Siobhan, Jake, Luke, Daniel, Isabel, and Ms. Olivia took up on campus residency and positions. Elisha and Nick took over Benson’s book store too. Elisha decided to make some renovations to appeal to the youth. Tessa makes it a mission for us to take her in at least twice a week for Lisha time.

As I pull the door open, the cow bell rings announcing my entrance. The tables are mostly empty, with a couple in the far back table. I walk along the booths and slide into ours.

“How are you feeling today?” asks the waitress.

I smile and look down at my swollen belly tenderly. “Better.”

“Same? Rueben and peach cobbler?”

I nod and smile at her. “Yes please, and water.”

She winks, clicks her pen on her notepad and turns on her heels.

I haven’t heard Ana or Ezra since the purification. I thought it was tempor
ary, but the longer I don’t hear them, the more I think that they have parted from our veil just like Nate. I find peace in knowing that Ana and Ezra’s souls will never be apart again now that they have reconnected.

I look at the silver napkin dispenser in the center of the table. I pull a napkin from it gently and set it in front of me. I take one edge of the napkin and fold it over to touch the opposite corner remembering the day that Ezra changed my view of a napkin and my reality.

I stare at
the folded napkin, laying flat on the linoleum table and whisper, “Always connected. Time nor space can separate us.”

We are all keepers and guardians of our reborn world.
This reality is just one in a sea of many realities, many illusive veils. Today, the human race is safe, holding the awareness of the threats fresh on their hearts and minds. Like human nature has evolved, the fresh wounds will heal and the desire to expand, discover, explore, and seek will return; another fold will be pierced. I look down at my growing abdomen and rest my palm over the risen crest. Until then, we will live.

The End

Acknowledgments

First and foremost, thanks to God for blessing me with family, friends, and mentors that have encouraged me and supported my dreams throughout my life. They have come at various stages of my childhood and adulthood. The timing of their intervention was always miraculous. Those
“angels” need to know that the wisdom they passed on stuck with me persistently and would not let me quit. It was that wisdom that encouraged me to hit “Publish”.

Husband, thank you for understanding the need for take-out on more occasions than not
, due to my need to finish writing, “one more chapter, honey.” I love you.

To my three blessings, my children. Thank you for telling mommy to
never give up! It not only has given me strength, but has helped me realize that I have taught you the true meaning of never giving up through my example. Win for mommy!

To the book blogging and book reviewing community that embraces, supports, and promotes authors for no other reason except their love of books! You keep the reading community alive by spreading the word about books daily! Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

To my publishing house, Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly, along side of Hot Ink Press and Vamptasy Press; One House United! What an amazing family of authors! You have welcomed me into this family with open arms and I am so honored and proud to be a part of our house.

To the fans of the Piercing the Fold series for loving the characters and wanting more! Much, much love to you! Writing this story for you has been a pure joy. You will
never know how much your Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, YouTube, and Goodreads comments, messages, and reviews have meant to me. It still amazes me that this series has moved some of you to create your own Pinterest boards, graphics, dream casts, and jewelry. I am truly humbled by the inspirations this story has stirred within you.

Make sure and keep up with my projects, events, giveaways, upcoming releases, and book signings on my social network pages
and website. I LOVE hearing from the readers and fans, so please stop by to say hi!

Website:
www.venessakimball.net

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About the Author

Having always been passionate about the written word, in 2010 Venessa Kimball embarked on writing her debut novel, Piercing the Fold: Book 1.
July 2, 2012, Venessa Kimball independently published the first book in what became known as the Piercing the Fold series. Book 2, Surfacing the Rim, independently released March 14, 2013
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In August of 2013, Venessa joined the publishing house, Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly (CHBB). The Piercing the Fold series re-released the first two books in the series under their press; Piercing the Fold: Book 1 on September 3, 2013 and Surfacing the Rim: Book 2 on September 22, 2013.
Ascending the Veil: Book 3 released for the first time with CHBB on November 5, 2013. Transcending the Legacy: Book 4 will release with CHBB on May 13, 2014. Transcending the Legacy: Book 4 is the final book in the Piercing the Fold series.

As for the future, Venessa is filling her Work-In-Progress folder with new characters and storylines. Spanning multiple genres in the Young Adult, New Adult, and Adult genres, her projects will reflect her diversity as a writer. Will there be more Paranormal/Sci-Fi projects? Yes, there will be!

When Venessa is not writing, she is keeping active with her husband and three children, chauffeuring said children to extracurricular activities, catching movie dates with her hubby, and staying up way too late reading and writing.