Dylan's Choice

By Pamela Swyers

The third installment of The Tryta Chronicles: Dylan's Choice. In Dylan's Choice Dylan comes of age and into his own. He begins to take charge of his life, eventually deciding whether he will choose to follow the life of his father (a powerful demon) or the way of the angels like his mother, Diana. Dylan's father (Dwyn) does all he can to get Dylan to fight by his side and share the enchanting life of powerful demons who have everything they ever wanted. Will he choose to stay with his angelic love? Will he fight on the side of the angels? Dylan soon makes his choice...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pamela Swyers
• Release date: Jan 5, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301415281

Pamela Swyers

Pam lives with her husband Bill in Gwinnett County, Georgia. She is the mother of three grown children and has dabbled in creative writing since she could hold a pen. Pam has written poetry, children’s stories and dramatic scripts but her passion and calling is penning fictional novels. Pam currently writes full time and has seven books in print, with more on the way. She can often be found toodling around NE Atlanta, doing book-signings and making appearances when she’s not working hard on her computer. Pam is a professional member of the Georgia Writers Association.

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This book is dedicated to Bill, the man who gave me wings.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental.

Dylan’s Choice

Copyright 2013 by Pamela Swyers

www.pamelaswyers.com

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

Published by Swyers Publishing at Smashwords

January 2013

Smashwords Edition

This book is available in print.

ISBN (for hardback edition only):  978-0-9888466-0-9

www.swyerspublishing.com

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not bere-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Also by Pamela Swyers

Dylan’s Cause

Dylan’s Muse

Rebound

Boys with Cars

Married with Children

Playing with Fire

Dream Dweller

Excerpted From Dylan’s Muse:

Dwyn arranged for a group of angelics to be at the beach just down a few miles from Dylan’s home at a certain time, luring them there with a promise of some intel on the battles that were being waged around the world. Three or so should show up at first, then five minutes later, several more. He’d placed enough false information around to gather a crowd of interested angelics. They were not, of course, expecting to see Dwyn. That bit was a surprise.

Dwyn would call to Dylan and ask him for help, and he would come. Just before Dylan arrived, Dwyn would pick a fight with the angelics and it would seem to Dylan that they were attacking Dwyn. He would step in and help and the other angelics would arrive to find Dylan once again fighting alongside his father. They would have no choice but to believe he had made his choice and had changed sides.

The time came and Dwyn popped over to the beach, chuckling to himself. He’d brought his favorite sword with him. He’d dressed for battle; stretchy but fashionable black slacks, a black T-shirt, black Italian leather boots and his favorite black jacket. He plopped a black hat on his head to try and disguise who he was as long as possible. He felt good. He was ready.

At the appointed time, three figures appeared.

Dwyn approached them and began to chat about some totally make believe information, spouting rumors of war in the area, making some things up on the spot.

The angelics took it all in, fervor and excitement on their faces.

Dwyn thought of Dylan; his mind cried out to him. He continued to talk to the others, drawing his stories out and embellishing on them.

He sensed Dylan’s arrival in just under a minute.

Go time.

Dwyn ripped the hat off of his head. Say good bye ’cause you’re dead, boys. He swung his sword and lightly grazed the wing of one of the angelics, purposely starting out slow. He didn’t want any dead bodies when Dylan showed up.

Shock registered on their faces: Dwyn!

They all began to fight, processing through the sudden change. Swords clashed and Dwyn allowed the largest of the pack to hit him hard with the sword, because he knew… Dylan had arrived.

Dwyn hid a grin. All according to plan.

Tryta Chronicles III

Dylan’s Choice

By Pamela Swyers

The Creator paced in front of a large, wall-sized window. It looked as though He were looking out at a beautiful, sandy beach in the South Pacific, but He was up in the Heavenly Realm… the throne room, to be exact. His view changed according to His whim and was as likely to be a mountain range as a pebbled shoreline. This day, the ocean’s waves were soothing to Him.

He thought about Dwyn and the different forms of evil that had come to power to oppose Himself over the centuries. Dwyn was one of the most powerful He had ever encountered. To think that He, Himself had created Dwyn, and that he had been a good angelic, law-abiding citizen and by all accounts a fine family man. But evil had entered his heart somewhere along the way. Evil was like a cloud of smoke that traveled throughout time and space, choosing its inhabitants seemingly at will. When it found a heart open and willing to embrace it, it swooped in and took up residence.

Dwyn. What to do about Dwyn.

And Dylan. The boy. He was something else again. Something truly special. Never before had there been such a creature with such sharp edges, such a defined rift inside his own spirit. The desire to please both his father and his mother were strongly at war inside him and threatened to tear him apart. His father, Dwyn, the most powerful influence for evil on planet earth, and Diana, the angelic mother: beautiful, eccentric, talented, faithful… all things good and true.

The Creator mused about how things had gotten to this point. Dwyn and Diana living together, the perfect happy life in the region of Tryta in the Heavenly Realm. So in love. Then Dwyn began to change, the darkness began to creep in and overtake his soul, and soon the changes in him could not be denied. Diana, heavy with child, realizing what her beloved was becoming. The journey she’d taken so far—the lengths she’d gone to, to protect her child Dylan—were truly amazing… the very portrait of a mother’s love for her child.

And Reverend Marshal Estes, Diana’s friend, mentor and confidante. The Creator had designed that they should meet. Theirs was a friendship forged in destiny itself. Rev, a retired minister… lonely and with a heart full of love still yet to give. Their friendship became a bond much like a father and daughter as Rev helped Diana on her quest to save little Dylan and keep him from evil until the child was old enough, strong enough to stand on his own and choose how he would live his life. Rachel, Rev’s lifetime love… once they were reunited, the Creator knew their union would last forever.

So what was a loving deity to do about someone like Dylan? He loved allowing the humans and the angelics alike to struggle through a thing and find strength they never knew they had, to learn and grow… but there was a point when one must get involved. Had Dylan truly made his choice? Had he turned evil or simply once again found himself in the middle of a hot mess? It was time the Creator got involved and found out where Dylan’s truest heart dwelled.

1

Tabitha? Is that you? Dylan asked. His phone had been acting screwy all day.

Dylan! Where are you? What’s happened? She sounded frantic.

Dylan took a few minutes to try to explain the life-altering events that had taken place recently. He’d simply answered the call of his father and shown up to help him and now he found himself well and truly screwed. For Dylan to have been fighting against angelics once, well, he had explained that one away, but now twice? He knew it would be harder—if not impossible—to explain this to the Creator’s satisfaction, let alone anyone else’s. Or perhaps, if the Creator truly knew all and read all hearts, He would understand, but it was not likely anyone else would.

It’s over for me, Tab. For us. I cannot ask you to come with me. I will be hunted and despised by all of Tryta, by all angelics. Looks like they have made a choice for me… one that should have been mine alone.

What? What are you saying? Dwyn tricked you! He made the choice for you. He knew that you would come to fight alongside him if he called you. Surely everyone can understand that. Anyone who knows you knows you would not make the decision to fight for evil.

Dylan choked back tears. He had a plan. He wanted to marry Tabitha and join the resistance fighters all over the world. The two could fight evil side-by-side, one day have a family… but now it was all lost. No one would ever believe he was pure of heart. Many had been watching him, waiting for him to mess up, and he did not disappoint. It’s no use, Tab. I’ve lost it. I’ve lost everything.

No, you haven’t. You haven’t lost me!

Tab, I love you too much to ask you to stay with me. Your folks… they will not allow it. Tabitha started to interrupt but Dylan continued, No, it has to be this way, he whispered. He could barely speak when he said, I will always love you. Goodbye. He hung up and threw his phone into the ocean.

2

Diana had passed inconsolable and gone directly to a state of catatonia. Once she learned of the fight on the beach and how her ex-husband Dwyn (the most powerful demon on the planet) had lured their son Dylan into battle alongside him, she completely shut down. She went into her room and wouldn’t come out for two days. The tears were constant. If she wasn’t crying she was praying, and oftentimes, she was doing both.

Dane (an elf and the new love in her life) tried hard to console her, but she could not be comforted.

Rev was fighting mad. He had practically raised Dylan and to see him so used by his demon-father angered him beyond belief. Rachel didn’t know what to do, so she kept a stream of food and drinks coming from the kitchen as she tried to help in whatever way she could.

We just need to take Dwyn out, that’s all, raged Agnes, the leader of the angelic resistance movement and Diana’s sister. She and her band of soldiers fought against the uprising of evil all around the world.

Agreed! shouted Rev. That’s the most sensible thing I’ve heard all day. The problem is, how? He has more lives than any dozen cats, apparently. He’s been zapped numerous times, stabbed, shot, punched and dropped several hundred feet into the ocean… if that didn’t do it, what will?

Exactly. We almost need to go nuclear on him. The Creator won’t let us do that, though. Agnes rubbed her chin and thought.

The Creator! Agnes! You have to go to Him and ask for His help! He is our only hope. Diana had come out of her trance long enough to add this last bit.

Tabitha packed her bags quickly, more resolved than she had ever been. Frank and Anna (her parents) came in as she was finishing up.

Tab, what are you doing? Anna asked. Frank, come in here, she added.

I’m leaving. I’m sorry Mom, Dad, she looked up as her father walked in the room, I’m leaving. I know you don’t understand, but I have to go to Dylan. I have to try to help him.

What?! Why, that’s out of the question. He has made his choices, and now he can deal with them. It doesn’t concern you. Frank’s face turned bright red as his anger grew.

"I’m going, Dad. I’m sorry if I’m hurting you, but I am of age now and have to make my own choices."

Honey, wait! We love you and we just have your best interest at heart. This from Anna.

No, you do not. Don’t say that. If you knew me at all, you would know that being with Dylan is in my best interest. It’s my only interest. Now, move aside. Tabitha had a large pack on her back and carried another bag, strap flung over her shoulder.

Anna, say something! Frank shouted as Tabitha shoved between them, out the bedroom and out the front door of their home. Anna ran to Frank and hugged him, at a loss.

Dylan, you have to stop moping around here like bad news. You’re bringing me down. Dwyn had grown tired of Dylan’s melancholy mood and was sick to death of hearing him talk about Tabitha and Rev and Diana and even that damned dog he seemed to miss so much. Snap out of it. Let’s go meet some girls, that’ll cheer you up. You know we have a way with the ladies." Dwyn was extraordinarily good-looking and he knew it. He had a magical charisma about him, possibly from