Revelations (The Revelations Series Book 1) Read online

  Contents

  Dedication

  Revelations Proloque

  Reveations 1

  Revelations 2

  Revelations 3

  Revelations 4

  Revelations 5

  Revelations 6

  Revelations 7

  Revelations 8

  Revelations 9

  Revelations 10

  Revelations 11

  Revelations 12

  Revelations 13

  Revelations 14

  Revelations 15

  Revelations 16

  Revelations 17

  Revelations 18

  Revelations 19

  Revelations 20

  Revelations 21

  Revelations 22

  Revelations 23

  Revelations 24

  Revelations 25

  Revelations 26

  Revelations 27

  Revelations 28

  Revelations 29

  Revelations 30

  Revelations 31

  Revelations 32

  Revelations 33

  Revelations 34

  Revelations 35

  Defiance excerpt

  Coming Soon

  About the Author

  I dedicate this book in memory of my grade school teacher Mrs.Connolly who’s words “Keep on writing” I still hear today. A huge thank you to Maria, Melissa, and Erin, my Spn pen sisters who without their support, encouragement and advice this book would never have been finished.

  To my husband Jim, thank you for supporting me while I followed my dream of becoming an author, even though it meant countless hours locked away in my own little dream world.

  I would also like to thank Angela who helped me navigate the world of self-publishing.

  And last but not least, to my daughter Emily for your 9pm visits every night to see how I was doing. I hope someday you have the joy of seeing your name on the cover of a book. Keep on writing!

  THOMAS’ heart raced as he thrust his fingers through his jet-black hair, fear and anxiety knotting up inside him. I have to find a way to get them to side with me, he thought as he paced back and forth outside the magnificent white French doors. He shook his hands; trying to steady his nerves as a cold hard knot formed in his stomach.

  On the other side of the doors sat the High Council, the very men who would either help him, or ensure her doom. He had come here to beg them to protect her from Lucifer. But now, he was regretting his decision because it meant admitting to her existence. He stopped pacing and took a deep breath to try to calm his already fragile nerves as he eased himself down onto the white marble bench.

  This was the right thing to do, he thought trying to convince himself. He sat back and closed his eyes. He drew in a slow calming breath and slowly released it. Feeling a little more at ease, he prayed his friend Adam could convince the Council to hear him out before they made their decision.

  For now, at least, he knew she was safe. He had shielded her from their detection and had made sure she knew what to do if he failed to return. It wasn’t going to be easy, but it was what needed to be done. If he stayed with her on earth, she would surely be located. Without him, she at least stood a chance. All his fear came back and gripped him as he thought about what may happen. Thomas stood up and started pacing again. He couldn’t allow the Council to intimidate him. I have to make them understand, but how? Thomas rubbed the back of his neck with his hand that contained a solid gold wedding band as he tried to think of what to say that would persuade the Council to see things his way.

  Thomas stopped as the doors slowly opened and formed a picture of her in his mind. For a moment he considered not going through with his confession and returning to earth. But after a brief moment, he thought better of it. They would surely follow him and discover her. No, he couldn’t allow that to happen.

  “You can go in now,” Adam announced, gesturing with his head for Thomas to follow him into the room where he would learn his judgment.

  Thomas followed Adam through the doors into the High Council’s chambers. The room was undecorated except for four tall marble angel statues standing from floor to ceiling in each of the corners. In the center, was a long white marble table around which sat the five Council members. Two of Heaven’s warriors stood guard on either side of the table ready to fulfill their duties at any moment.

  Behind the Council’s table was a long vertical window that seemed to frame the pale pink horizon that extended the vastness of the Heavens. It was nothing less than beautiful. But then everything in the Heavens was beautiful.

  Thomas leaned toward Adam, “Whatever happens, I want to thank you for trying to help,” he whispered. “I wish things could be different, but because the child will be born a girl I must alert them. I pray for their understanding and that they will allow me to go back and keep them both safe.”

  The five holy members each wore a long white silk robe with a gold cross embroidered over their heart. The color of the cross signified their rank as council members in the angelic heavens in which they lived; though there were others: red for Heaven’s warriors, blue (which Adam and Thomas wore) for citizens, and green for those newly arriving.

  The council members conversed quietly as he approached, but ceased when he stopped and bowed from the waist in a courtly, old-fashioned gesture of respect.

  “Citizen Adam has informed us there is an urgent matter you wish to discuss with us,” a tall council member with thin gray hair declared; his voice deep with agitation for being disturbed. “We are listening.”

  Thomas stepped forward, his eyes taking in the powerful presence of the High Council. He cleared his throat struggling to find the right words that may persuade them to side with him on this very urgent matter. “High Councilor, I have come to confess my sin and to beg your forgiveness. I have lain with a human woman.” Thomas’ gaze lowered, as did his voice. “I know I should be ashamed; but I love her and wish to remain by her side.”

  “Is that what you have come here to tell us?” A short, pudgy council member declared. His eyes full of contempt as he glared at Thomas. “Adam has already informed us of your indiscretion; and like those who have sinned against God in this the unholiest of ways, you will be punished.”

  Thomas now knew he was fighting a losing battle as the Council all looked upon him with disgust in their eyes. He hoped they would take leniency on him when he informed them of the rest. Thomas bit his bottom lip, and then continued. “I understand you believe I must be punished,” he pointed out. “But, you don’t understand. She is with child… a girl child.”

  The room grew eerily quiet, the horizon turning from a pale pink to a grey hue that threatened rain on the world below as everyone in the room considered what this could possibly mean.

  One of the council members leaned forward, “Are you sure?” he asked, finally breaking the silence.

  “Yes, I am. It’s essential that I remain with them to raise and guide her,” Thomas replied, an imperceptible note of pleading in his voice.

  “You do know there hasn’t been a girl born to one of our kind for over a hundred years and what the last one did, don’t you?”

  Thomas cleared his throat. “I do. But what you must take into consideration is that the female child had no guidance. Her mother died during childbirth and her father was punished. She had no one who understood who, or what, she was. The girl had no idea what was happening within her, or why she was being pursued. With me to guide my daughter, she will have the knowledge that’s essential to understanding who she is and what she is becoming. My daughter could be a valuable asset to us if a war with the underworld should ever erupt.�
��

  “We’ll take that into consideration,” the heavyset council member said. “Now if you’ll excuse us we need to discuss this in private.”

  “I understand,” Thomas said as he and Adam were escorted out of the room by one of Heaven’s warriors to await the ruling.

  Adam placed a hand on Thomas’s shoulder as the doors closed behind them. “Thomas, there’s still a chance they will allow you to remain with her and raise the child,” he told him. “Don’t give up hope, my friend.”

  “Or they can keep me captive here and insist she not be allowed to be born. Which we both know means they will kill her mother to achieve that goal.” An inner torment began to gnaw at him as he began pacing the off-white marble floor. How could he have been so careless to let this happen? He could tell by their reactions when he’d told them it would be a girl that the outcome wasn’t going to be in his favor. The last female had lost control of her abilities when she had been cornered by angels and she’d nearly destroyed a national forest by burning it down. It was inevitable that a human would lose control when they were harnessed with that much power and received no training on how to control it. He prayed they wouldn’t use what had happened in the past against his unborn child.

  The future looking vague and shadowy Thomas thought of running. There had to be a way he could cloak himself from heaven so he could remain with her. He turned, his leg muscles tightening as he readied himself to flee just as the doors opened once more.

  “They are ready for you,” one of the warriors stated.

  Thomas and Adam both turned and walked back into the room silently.

  Thomas stopped in front of the table; his head hung low in fear.

  “We have reached our decision,” the eldest of the council members announced. “We cannot allow this child to be born.”

  “But…” Thomas pleaded.

  “There is too much at stake,” another council member declared; his voice firm and final. “We cannot allow one to harness the ability she is likely to inherit.”

  Thomas shot forward and slammed his fists on the desk “No! You can’t do this, you have to reconsider.”

  In an instant both warriors rushed forward, each grabbing one of Thomas’s arms and pulling him away from the table. Thomas struggled to break free but the warrior’s grips held him tight.

  “I promise I’ll keep her under control. As long as she has someone to train her she could ensure we win this war against Lucifer.”

  “Could, is not good enough. We can’t be sure she would side with us, even if you were allowed to raise her. If she ever turned against us the ramifications would be disastrous. Now tell us where the mother is.”

  “Never!” Thomas screamed as his hands balled into his fists, his eyes blazing with anger. “I will not hand her over to be murdered. I have shielded her and she will remain hidden until I know it’s safe for her.”

  “Well then, we have no choice. You will be held in the barricades until you change your mind.” The council member waived his hand in a gesture of dismissal and the warriors began to drag him away to endure an eternity of solitude.

  “I’ll never tell you where she is. No matter how long you hold me,” Thomas yelled over his shoulder. He prayed she would use all he had taught her to keep them safe until he could find a way to return to them.

  JENNA Morgan bolted upright, her wavy light brown hair tumbling around her flushed face. Not fully awake and still feeling as though they were with her, she scanned the room for them, but to no avail. As the dull haze of sleep wore off and she came back to reality, her heart sank.

  “Not again,” she moaned as she covered her face with her hands and collapsed back onto her overstuffed pillow. She took a deep breath, trying to calm the frustration that was growing within her, and then slowly released it.

  She reluctantly sat up and pushed her purple comforter off her. She closed her eyes tight and shook her head as she tried once again to make sense of the dream.

  It was always the same. She was on a beach scrunching her toes into the soft grains of sand as she watched the red and orange rays of the setting sun glistening on the vast ocean waters. The warm breeze caressed her delicate skin as it pushed along the almost translucent white clouds that lingered above the red and orange horizon. As she was gazing at the beautiful sunset and listening to the rhythmic rise and fall of the waves rippling toward the shore, she noticed a handsome boy walking towards her. He had short brown hair and wore a white t-shirt that stretched over his broad shoulders and lean muscular arms. His angelic smile seemed to possess a kind of peacefulness that made her feel as if nothing could ever harm her. As she watched him come closer, a sudden desire arose within her that made her want to go with him.

  Then, to her left, a blackened horizon appeared with a dull fog that brought with it a slight chill. It ran through her body and she wrapped her arms around herself to try to chase it away. As she watched the fog drift away, another attractive boy started to move towards her.

  This boy was different, with his short black hair and medium stocky build. He smiled as he sauntered toward her, his hands in the pockets of his worn blue jeans. The devilish grin that played on his lips brought with it a feeling of excitement. With him it was something different that made her want him, like the mystery of the unknown that seemed to call to her.

  Both boys stood just far enough away that she couldn’t make out their faces clearly, but both held out their hands toward her as if inviting her to join them. Neither said a word. They just stood there smiling as if urging her to choose one over the other. She hesitated, torn by conflicting emotions. She desperately wanted to go with both of them. She glanced back and forth between the two trying to force her confusing emotions into order. She had no idea which one to choose, but knew she had no choice but to choose one of them.

  Each night she hoped she would stay asleep a little longer so she could see who she chose, but she never did. Each time she was about to make her decision she would wake up. It wasn’t just the dream that frustrated her; it was the fact that she could swear she was actually on the beach with the two boys. She could feel the gritty sand beneath her feet and smell the salt from the ocean that hung in the humid air. Unlike normal dreams, she wasn’t just envisioning herself in a certain place. The peacefulness that radiated off the brown haired boy made her feel calm. She was content waiting for him to come closer, to sit with him and watch the sunset as it slowly drifted below the horizon.

  Then, when she would look at the black haired boy she felt excited, like the kind of excitement that always leads to trouble. It felt so real that each time she woke up she glanced around her room to assure herself that she was in fact home. Her stomach was in knots as she replayed the scene on the beach each morning desperately trying to decide which boy she should choose. She was torn, because even awake she felt as though she had no choice but to pick one of them.

  She swung her feet over the side of her four-post bed, stretched and yawned. It felt good to be out of bed after being stuck in it sick all week. She made her way over to the window pulling the pale pink curtains aside to see the sun shining brightly. Finally a nice day, she thought as she opened the window to let in the warm breeze. She stood there for a moment basking in the warmth of the sunlight.

  The continuous rain had imprisoned her mother and her for days while she’d been recovering from the flu. The worst thing about it was that it had come on suddenly the day of her seventeenth birthday, so she hadn’t even had the chance to celebrate. It had scared her because it had been the only time she could ever remember being sick. But her mother had assured her it would pass, and then they would have a long talk.

  Jenna stood soaking up the sunlight as she watched her neighbor, Mrs. Franklin, gossip with the mailman. Jenna smiled. She loved Mrs. Johnson, but she would keep you talking for hours if she had the chance.

  “Jenna, honey, are you awake?” her mother asked as she softly knocked on the bedroom door.

  “Yes,
Mom, I’m up. Come on in.” Jenna turned away from the window as her mom, Erin, walked into the room with a basket full of Jenna’s clean clothes.

  “It’s good to see you out of bed,” her mom said pushing one of Jenna’s mystery books aside and setting the basket on the desk. “Are you hungry? I can make some breakfast.”

  “Sounds good to me.” Jenna walked over to the basket and grabbed a pair of shorts and a light blue shirt. “Just let me take a quick shower first.”

  “That’s fine. By the time you’re finished breakfast will be ready. And Jenna, make sure you put these clothes in your drawer.” Jenna’s mom nodded toward the desk. “You know I hate it when you leave them in the basket.”

  Jenna rolled her eyes. “I will, Mom,” she moaned. “I’ll do it later I promise.” Jenna didn’t understand what the big deal was about putting her clothes away. If it were up to her she’d live out of a laundry basket.

  “Don’t forget,” her mom told her as she followed her out of the bedroom and down the hall towards the kitchen while Jenna headed into the bathroom.

  Jenna turned the shower on and waited a moment for the water to warm up before she climbed in. Once in, she braced her hands against the shower wall and let the warm water flow over her, hoping it would help relieve some of the stress of the dream.

  After her mind cleared, she showered quickly and got dressed. She grabbed her blue brush off the counter and ran it through her hair.

  Jenna paused, confused at her reflection. Her shoulder-length frizzy hair now hung in glossy ringlets around her shoulders. Her once acne prone complexion was clear. Not a pimple in sight.

  Two days ago, when she had finally managed to sit up for the first time in a week, she’d felt different somehow. She hadn’t been able to put her finger on what it was, just that her body felt stronger than before she’d gotten sick. But she’d shrugged it off as finally feeling better.

  Her stomach let out a soft pitched growl as the scent of bacon drifted under the bathroom door making her forget about her image in the mirror. She hurried out of the bathroom and down the hall into the small, but cozy, eat-in kitchen.