***Warning, if you have not read any of the first 3 books in the #Divinity Saga yet, DO NOT RUIN IT FOR YOURSELF by reading this #teaser no matter how tempting it may seem!! :D ***
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As promised, here is an exclusive (not yet completely edited) sneak peek at Divinity: Realm of Annihilation: Book Four!! Read and enjoy it here:
Prologue
The
one Universal Law that kept any of us from destroying Morning Star no longer
applied, thanks to me.
I had
broken it and he had intended for it to happen.
Morning
Star knew that if he had Starling, let alone both Edanai and Starling that I
would not hesitate to come for him.
Though
I should have been angry with myself considering what it all meant now, I
wasn’t in the least.
Nothing
was off limits in both realms anymore but at the same time, neither was
interference by the Angels.
In
fact, it wouldn’t be long before His son would emerge, turning all that is into
an all-out war against darkness on a grand scale that no man or beast has ever
seen or experienced before.
“Cam, please answer me!”
Hearing
Starling’s voice in my head meant that she was alright but I couldn’t be
distracted by her right now no matter what.
“I’m alright, get to safety! I’ll come
for you soon!”
Hysteria
was prominent even in her mental voice. “I’m
with Ry . . . but I don’t know if Rahab and Edanai are okay. I need to check on
the others and my friend, China . . .”
“Get yourself to safety first, don’t
worry about anyone else. When I get to you, we can both check on everyone
together.”
I
could hear her begin to sob and it pained me.
Damn!
This
was why I didn’t want to answer her in the first place but I couldn’t let her
think I was hurt or worse. Ry had already informed me that he had Starling when
he caught her.
“Ry, please get Starling to safety
quickly. I’ll find you all soon. I cannot afford to be distracted right now.” I
called out to Ry.
“Safety? Where do you want me to take
her? There’s shit going on everywhere right now, nothing major but soon.”
“Take her back to her apartment if it’s
safe and then have some of the others meet you there if they are able. If not, then
take her back to my place and please don’t leave her alone. Do not tell her
anything . . . it’s going to take me a little bit before I can find and join any
of you.”
“Are you hurt badly?”
“Let’s just say that I won’t be able to
fly or ghost anywhere for a while.”
There
was a long pause before he finally responded. “Damn you, Cam! Let me come help you!” He raged.
“No. Protect Starling for me. I’ve got
this.” Starling’s voice was a sudden, pleading whisper.
“I love you, Cam. Please come back to
me, to us.”
She
was killing me.
I may
have been jumping the gun but setting everything into motion was my doing.
I had
to finish this for her and my children.
I was
going to kill Morning Star once and for all.
“I will, I promise.”
Part
I
I.
Starling:
My
heart was filled with both fear and anxiety but it had nothing to do with being
scared or nervous about what was starting to happen.
Strangely,
I wasn’t afraid of what was happening now at all.
I was
fearful because I was missing and worried about Cam —and I
felt guilty for leaving the others with no way of getting in touch with me. I couldn’t
have prevented or predicted any of this though. I never imagined that Cam would
be the one to flip the ‘on’ switch for the chain of events that would quickly lead
to the end of the world. Ever since I woke up in the spirit realm, I’ve always
had this bizarre feeling that I was going to be the one responsible for causing
the destruction of the world.
Well,
close enough . . . I was definitely a big part of the launch.
I thought about everyone from China, to my
divine warrior friends, and even the other warriors and elders that I would
never come to know personally. Then, I thought about Lira and Spencer. Wherever
they were, I prayed that we would find them soon and that they weren’t
suffering or being tortured.
Though
it couldn’t be seen by mortal eyes yet, the dark crimson coating that was slowly
oozing across the surface of the luminous moon made my skin crawl with an eerie
sadness of a weird, distant memory.
The
sky arks that Durien told me about were soaring in and out of the atmosphere in
masses, like shimmering cumulonimbus clouds in all sizes.
Who were
the beings inside? Actual aliens, some other advanced species of humans, or
assistants to the Angels?
Shadows
and various dark forms streaked across the sky, disappearing into the nearly indistinguishable
barrier of both the spirit realm and the human realm.
Hearing
Cam promise to come back to me should have been reassuring enough but deep
down, it wasn’t.
I had
to get back to the apartment and make sure that China was alright first. Then, I’ll
need to contact the others to find out where they are right now and if they’re
ok.
“Son
of a bitch!” Ry growled.
All at
once, he simultaneously drew his sword in his free hand while clutching me
tighter against his body, and securing his legs around mine.
My
heart began to hammer wildly as if it could beat any harder and faster than it
already had been. I lifted my head to get a glimpse up ahead of whatever it was
that had provoked his sudden exclamation.
An
entire gang of Fallen were heading straight towards us and they didn’t appear
to be friends of his.
Ry
slowed and finally stopped altogether, choosing to hover while assessing the
situation and his options . . . though I could tell that he really wanted to
fight.
He
wouldn’t be able to fight well while balancing me in one arm though, and he
surely couldn’t take all of them on by himself. Even if he could, I wouldn’t
let him. Abruptly, the pack dispersed, moving to form a circle and surround us in
order to block any option of retreat or changing of direction on our part. There had to be at least twenty of them and they all had either a weapon drawn or
flickering magic ready to be thrown.
I
suppose I could get ready to throw some hallowed fire too but Ry might get hurt
or worse in the process.
I
glanced downward. We were way too high up and the ground below reminded me of a
patchwork quilt of geometric lines, greens, browns, and yellows.
I felt
Ry slowly start to descend inconspicuously.
Did he
plan on just dropping me? I wondered.
“Ry,
what are you doing?” I whispered.
“Stay
still and silent. They’re wondering if I’ve captured you myself and what I plan
to do with you. They want to make a deal if I’m interested. You’re extremely
valuable if you didn’t already know.” He hoarsely replied.
Pursing
my lips, I frowned up at him even though he wasn’t looking down to see me do it.
Even if he were, I couldn’t tell behind the dark tint of the sunglasses he was
still wearing.
It was
his signature accessory.
I
assumed that Ry was still engaging in some brief telepathic conversation with
one or more of the other Fallen right now. He seemed mentally occupied.
“There’s
too many of them . . . you’re gonna have to drop me.” I suggested with
insistence.
“Are
you insane? Don’t try to play martyr or heroine right now!” He reproached.
My
breath hitched as the gap of distance between us and all of them began to
shrink quickly. Every muscle in my body went rigid with tension and
anticipation of the worst.
Yeah,
they definitely planned to strike first without hesitation, which meant Ry must
have told them to screw off or something after all.
“Take
my sunglasses off for me and shut your eyes. Do not open them once they’re off
until I tell you to, got it?” He instructed firmly.
I
wanted to ask why but there was clearly no time for that.
Freaked
out by his statement, I quickly reached up over my head, grasping for his
sunglasses and pulling them off while pinching my eyes shut. Despite being
morbidly curious, I kept them closed. Wanting to gawk at whatever it was that
he was going to do drove me crazy though.
“What
are you doing?” I decided to ask anyway.
“Buying
a few minutes.”
Suddenly,
high-pitched shrieking and cursing echoed all around us and we began to descend
superfast this time.
Ry curled his wings around me for added protection
and my stomach lurched into my throat.
Curiosity
about what he’d done and what was happening now was killing me, so I
disobediently peeked.
A
flaming, neon-red, sheer curtain of light surrounded us in the form of a giant cylinder
and the Fallen on the other side of it appeared to be temporarily blinded,
scrambling to attack us only to end up flying into each other clumsily.
The
brilliance of the stinging red color hurt and my eyes immediately began to burn
and water. I shut them quickly but not before a sharp pain began to radiate in
between my eyes, burrowing through my brain, and finally settling in the form
of a pounding ache in the back of my skull.
I
winced.
That’s
what I get for being hard-headed.
“Damn,
they’re still coming!” Ry cursed.
“It’s
me that they’re after but I don’t think they’re gonna hurt me this time. I
think I’m beginning to understand why they all want me.” I informed him and
then clenched my teeth against the slowly subsiding throbbing in my head.
I didn’t tell Ry anything but my guess
included everything that Morning Star said to me back at the apartment just
before this happened. It made me angry as hell all over again.
“Don’t
count on that. Universal Law is dead now. It’s every demon for himself and I’m not
gonna have the loss of two lives on my hands. I can’t ghost out with you in tow
because I have no idea what effect it’ll have on you.”
I was genuinely
touched by his concern.
“Cam
did it before. He created and used a portal though.”
“Do
not mention him by name at all out here. It doesn’t matter anyway. If something
happened . . . I’m just not gonna risk it. I can handle this a lot easier once
we’re on solid ground.”
Crap,
I forgot all about doing that especially in this situation. Even though Cam`ael
wasn’t his true name, it was enough to let the other Fallen know who I was
soul-bound to and whose children I was possibly carrying as well.
Cam
told me what his true God-given name was when he essentially proposed to become
soul-bound to me. He gave me a gorgeous, custom created ring to seal the deal
and I accepted it and his offering, giving him mine in return.
Technically,
I guess we’re considered to be married . . . at least by spirit realm standards.
I would
protect his trust at any and all cost.
I vigorously
rubbed my eyes and then with much trepidation, I opened them slowly. I made sure
to keep them narrowed in an attempt to temper another full-on exposure to the eyeball-
melting red film of a wall that was surrounding us.
To my
complete shock . . . all I saw was flat gray.
Oh my
God! I rapidly blinked, furiously rubbing my eyes one more time, only to open
them to the same endless gray screen.
“Ry, I
. . . I can’t see . . . I’m blind, I can’t see anything!” I shrieked, flailing
in panic as if there was something I could physically do to try and force my
vision to return.
I felt
him inhale and exhale deeply, signaling a heavy sigh that vibrated against my
back, coming from his chest.
“Stop
squirming and relax. You looked when I told you not to, didn’t you?” His tone
was abrasive.
“No.”
I weakly lied, barely loud enough to hear myself.
“No?
Really, Starling?”
“Alright,
I barely peeked and it was just for a second.” I quickly admitted though my
response was timid with shame. I was still hysterical with the thought of being
permanently blind. He laughed briefly.
“You’ll
be fine in about five minutes. For future reference, stop being so headstrong. Unlike
your man, I have zero patience. I tend to get aggravated and pissed very easily,
got it?”
Even
though he came across as harsh I didn’t believe that entirely. Ry was just as
caring about humans as Cam and the rest of the Fallen in his circle were. I
would probably never know Ry as much as I’ve come to know Cam and some of the
others, but he was definitely one that I wanted on my side in this new state of
the world. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t
apologize just stop doing it. We’re gonna have to find someplace safe to hang
out until your sight returns because it looks like we’re gonna have to do some
fighting.”
The
thought of that possibility awakened something powerful deep within me. It was
the same energy that took over when I thought I’d pass out after having been
thrown through the portal and into the Dark Lands.
All of it had happened not long after Devlin
returned to the Hall. I helped her and for that I was reprimanded and basically
given the only option of being shunned. I had accepted shunning but it was for
a completely different reason than risking myself to save her.
I
would have had to leave the hall eventually anyway because Cam was a Fallen— and
I was both in love with him and pregnant with his children.
“Too
damned bad. I may not belong to the Divine Hall anymore but in my heart and
soul, I’m still a Divine Warrior. My brandings are still silver, Hallowed Fire
is still my essence, and I can still wield my Deific blades. I will fight and continue
to protect all people, especially my friends, until I absolutely can’t fight
anymore. That includes you guys too, Ry, even if you never consider me or us as
your friends.”
“Applause-worthy
speech. We’ll see how long that lasts now that the Earth is spiraling straight
into an abyssal shit hole.” Ry quipped.
“It
doesn’t have to. It will if we give up and let it though. Even an army of one
can make a difference somewhere that could spark a domino effect.” I defended.
He didn’t
respond, choosing to remain silent for whatever reason.
Daring
to open my eyes again and test my vision, I decided to wait and keep them
closed until I finally felt solid ground beneath my feet.
The air
was crisp and the earthy smell of wet leaves, ragweed, grass, wildflowers, and
water hit my nose all at once. It was a little chilly but not cold.
I
didn’t need to see to know that we were probably in a meadow or the woods.
I
couldn’t wait any longer.
Five
minutes or not, I had to know if I was still temporarily blind.
I slowly
opened my eyes. Though my vision was a bit hazy at first, I could see again!
The environment around us had completely verified what my senses were acutely
relaying to me.
We were in a clearing next to a forest of
large trees in the midst of losing their orange and brown leaves. A light layer
of fog hung in the air about a foot above the ground, giving the landscape a
somewhat haunting look even in the daytime.
A
narrow, running stream wound endlessly through a bank of smaller bent trees and
it seemed to go on for miles. Somewhere in the distance, sheep were bleating. This
peaceful, desolate area of nature in the human world hadn’t been reached or
touched by darkness —yet.
However,
it wouldn’t be long before the leaders of the free world would begin to panic, not
knowing what to do when their man-made weapons fail against the armies of
darkness. They’ll end up making decisions that will further throw the entire
world into more deadly and destructive turmoil.
I
didn’t need to be a psychic, a seer, or a scribe to predict all of that. It was
exactly what those armies and Morning Star wanted. As humans, we would end up
doing the majority of their work for them ourselves.
Ry quickly
ushered me behind the trunk of a gargantuan, old tree. Continuing to use his
wings to help protect and conceal me, he now held a deadly sword in each hand.
The
sound of the babbling water, the unseen sheep, and a few woodland birds were
the only things that could be heard. I didn’t want to speak or move, wondering
if he were doing more than just listening and watching.
After
about five minutes of silence, and without looking at me, he finally spoke. “For
the sake of being heard, all I’m gonna say is that I wouldn’t have risked
catching you back there if I didn’t think you were pretty cool for a warrior.”
I
smiled.
Then,
he laughed and chose to turn his head slightly and glance over his shoulder. I
could only catch sight of his profile when I tilted my head back to look up at
him.
“You jumped
blindly and chose him over your own destiny as a warrior. Not a wise use of
your free will but you could’ve chosen worse. You’ve got defiant balls and
spunk though, so you definitely have my respect.”
I
guess that was a compliment coming from Ry and I appreciated it.
“My
destiny as a warrior is still the same for me. I don’t believe that things
can’t be changed or made better.”
“Well,
you’re several steps ahead of the rest of us then.” Ry replied cynically.
I
wondered what he meant by that at first but then I understood. Sympathetically,
I thought back to the things that Cam told me about being branded a demon
forever, and that would never change for them no matter what they did for
repentence.
Sudden
thrashing came from the other side of the stream, shaking the trees and bushes
and sloshing through the water. I quickly wielded both of my blades and infused
white flames into the inscribed, razor-sharp edges of each one.
We
both anticipated being rushed and attacked by that gang of Fallen. Defensively,
Ry’s wings quickly snapped out and curled around us again, but this time his
black and white feathers transformed into a full layer of solid, metal plates right
before my eyes.
Before
I could even marvel at or ask how, he pulled me close to him and hunkered down
over me to make sure that I was covered entirely from head to toe. A deluge of
tiny solid objects were hailing against his newly armored wings at lightning
speed.
I gasped,
more worried about Ry using himself as a shield to protect me than anything
else. I pressed myself against him, feeling helpless for the duration.
Once he
was sure that the brief assault had ceased, he straightened and quickly began
to look me over.
“Are
you hit?” He asked gruffly.
“No. I
don’t think so.” I replied, glancing down at my thighs and calf-length,
combat-style boots for any damage.
“You’d
know it, trust me.”
“What
were they shooting at us?”
“Hell-thorn
coated needles and Grethlor claws. The smaller the form, the more difficult it
is to see and dodge until it’s too late.”
“Holy
shit. What about you?” I anxiously asked.
“Don’t
worry about me, I’m fine. Still think they care about not hurting you?” He
breathed.
I bit
my lip and sighed.
The
ground began to rumble and then it started to undulate and move like rolling
waves on the ocean’s surface. I imagined there being something dangerously
hideous and alive right under the Earth and it was trying to break free. This
was unreal and I didn’t know how to react or what to do initially, especially
when it threatened to topple me over and make me lose my balance.
Then
the air began to hum all around us with a palpable thrumming and it was getting
louder and closer.
“Grab
onto me!” Ry ordered. He still held a sword in each hand and his feathers had
returned to their normal pitch black and sparse white coloring. His large wings
snapped outward and he began to ascend.
Before
I could even get my arms fully around his lean torso, a sonic blast of power
exploded between us. Its intent was obviously to separate me from him, and it
sent me flying as if I were nothing more than a tumbling leaf caught in a
strong breeze.
Divinity: Realm of Annihilation: Book Four is Copyrighted© 2015 by Susan Reid
