Soul of Seven (Book 1 in Cole's Series)

By Lori Meyer

It’s only the second week of school, yet Cole Turner has found himself in the principal’s office for the fourth time – almost destroying the chemistry lab this time. It seems he has the tendency to lose control of his abilities.
To protect the family’s secrets, his parents claim his abilities – being able to move objects and explode situations by manipulating the air around him – are psychic. In reality they are connected to an immense power that is hidden away in a cave. It is a power Cole had a taste of when he was younger and now he craves it constantly.
However, when the new girl at school, Tenna Wulfe, who is hiding secrets of her own, finds her life in danger, Cole vows to protect her no matter the cost – even if it leads him to the all consuming power he knows he must avoid.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lori Meyer
• Release date: Feb 23, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301179367

Lori Meyer

My name is Lori Meyer. I am a mother of two and an elementary teacher. During the 2008 – 2009 school year, through the enthusiastic encouragement of my classroom full of fourth graders and my own two daughters, I decided to create a story from a dream I had had one night. And from that dream a series grew and then a spin off.From the day I started on that journey of creating a story from a dream, I found I couldn’t help but become hooked. They say once you are bitten by the writing bug it becomes a part of you. I found that to be true and have been writing ever since.I have always been an avid reader, with my favorite stories involving sexy vampires and fierce shape-shifters. But now I find even more enjoyment in creating my own characters and stories.I currently have three short stories and nine novels available as e-books and at amazon you can get them in paperback as well.The novels in Cedar's Series are entitled DISCOVERING CEDAR, BREAKING CEDAR, BEYOND CEDAR, and RESCUING CEDAR. My spin off series (Cole's series) has three novels entitled SOUL OF SEVEN, SEVEN DEGREES STRONGER, and SEVEN'S END . The Worth Duet has two novels, WORTH THE RISK, which is currently available, and WORTH THE SACRIFICE will be published in August.

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Soul of Seven

Soul of Seven

By

Lori Meyer

Soul of Seven

Lori Meyer

Copyright © 2013 Lori Meyer

Smashwords Edition

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-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 recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

For my loyal readers, thank you for breathing life into my characters. Without you, they would just be words on countless pages.

And a special thank you to Terri Valentine who professionally edited Cole’s story.

Chapter One

If I had to listen to one more minute of Principal Edwards droning on about how if I didn’t finally straighten out my act this year I was heading for a life of crime, my head was going to explode. Or more alarmingly, his was going to and unfortunately I wasn’t sure if I meant that figuratively or not. You see, I actually possessed the ability to do something like that – which was part of the reason I had managed to get myself planted in his office routinely since entering high school. But it wasn’t that I was a violent person or anything, I just happened to inherit some amazing abilities thanks to my gene pool.

Now that might sound pretty cool. And trust me, many times I thought that was the case, but with this awesomeness came huge responsibilities. My family and I masked the fact that I had these incredible abilities by claiming we were psychic – much easier for people to accept. In reality, I could move objects at will, and with a tremendous force. Also, about seven years ago, I learned that I could blow things up without the use of explosives – all just by manipulating the energy around me. The latter talent was one I tended to hide more often, for obvious reasons.

Before I was born and even for years afterwards, my family was relentlessly pursued for a spell and knowledge about a cave holding immense power – well, only my mom was at first and that’s how she met my dad. Then the two of them passed this legacy down to me and my twin sister, Jade. But that story’s too long and complicated to get into right now. Back to me and the flip side to this awesomeness I seemed to possess. We couldn’t just allow the spell to get into the wrong hands and unleash that power. I had a taste of what lurked inside that cave – and it wasn’t something to be messed with.

When I was seven, I held all that power in my hands for a few brief moments, almost wiping out a half dozen people at once and probably would have destroyed myself as well. Thankfully, I only ended up destroying the two who were trying to annihilate my entire family. The power I had discovered had the potential for mass destruction and death. After that encounter, my abilities strengthened and changed. Unfortunately, a shadow of that power remained with me even after we managed to seal it back up within those cave walls.

Even though I was grateful to have had that experience because it helped save us that night and then my mom later on when she was taken from us, I still have a craving for it and worry that I might get drawn back in. Wow, the hell I’d been through in my short sixteen years of life was more than any normal person would expect in a lifetime. But I guess that was the key, huh? Normal. I was not normal. My whole family wasn’t normal. We struggled with our abilities and trusted that we were strong enough to prevent anyone else from unleashing what existed within those cave walls while keeping me from going back.

Cole Turner, have you listened to one word I’ve said to you in the last five minutes?

Before I could plunge too deeply into what should be unsavory territory, Principal Edwards’ question interrupted my ‘pleasant’ trip down memory lane, bringing me back to why I was in the hot seat once again and staring blankly at a very red faced and considerably ticked off man.

You know I have seen you in this office four times already and we have only been in school for two weeks. I thought maybe this year would be different. He pinned me with a frustrated look. You know you only have two more years of high school remaining to get yourself on the right track? Is this how you are going to spend them? In my office? His eyes were ready to completely bug out and his words barely squeezed through his gritted teeth.

For once in my life – okay maybe twice – I refrained from what I really wanted to say. It would have been too easy to tell him that I loved what he had done with the place – crème colored walls to hold his flashy degrees stating he had the brains to deal with a teenager and his problems. His dark polished, neatly arranged desk was positioned to keep him a safe distance from said problem teenager. Tucked in the corner, a tall metallic file cabinet stood, consisting of at least one jammed pack file on – once again – said problem teenager. And who could ignore the two incredibly comfy brown chairs for delinquents like myself to lounge in while he tried to reach out to – you guessed it – said problem teenager? Ending my musings, I would have then told him I just couldn’t quite keep myself away. But instead I thought before my response.

No, sir, and I completely agree with you and will work harder on being more tolerant and restrained when in class. I appreciate your concern for my well-being and growth into a respectable young man. Can I be on my way then?

Of course, there would be no escaping the phone call to my parents and possible detention, along with Principal Edwards’ shrinking faith in my ever turning out okay. Hey, some days I wasn’t so sure of that last one myself.

Not so fast, young man. Principal Edwards gave me the funniest look I’d ever seen on any principal – amusement at me.

I never did anything they found remotely funny. Now to me and my classmates, it was usually pretty damn hilarious.

I will see you after school today in Mr. Prido’s chemistry classroom where you will be cleaning up the disaster you left in the wake of your mind tricks so that the janitors will not have to waste their time in there.

What did he just say and how did I manage to miss that? So it wasn’t the same lecture as usual or if it was there was a freakishly cruel added bonus.

I…I… have to…

He didn’t let me finish but cracked a smile I was convinced was going to shatter his face, because Principal Edwards never smiled. I didn’t think you heard one word I said. It’s amazing your psychic ability can help you move things and destroy things, but can’t help you comprehend . . . normal things. With that, he waved his hand dismissively toward his office door.

I stood to exit, trying to recover from the shock of Principal Edwards’ words.

Crap. I really didn’t want to spend my afternoon cleaning up the chemistry lab. I’d probably be there until tomorrow morning, and that was if I was lucky. Man, stuff went everywhere. I was so tired of Phillip Macken III and his ‘I always do my experiments perfect and the rest of you need to follow my example’ attitude. So I demonstrated very vividly how perfect his experiment was assembled – all over him and the room. Most of the other students managed to see it coming and were able to duck out of the way in time. They may have gotten hit with a little bit of splatter but Phillip got the bulk of it. I don’t remember what he was mixing – he’s always doing some sort of extra credit thing – but the substances were harmless. He was only wearing safety goggles, no skin protection. I made the contents of his three beakers foam and start to glow while thoroughly enjoying the expression on his face as he wondered what he had done wrong; I doubted he was expecting that result.

But, of course, I couldn’t let it go at that. I needed a grand finale; so I caused the contents in the beakers to then explode, one right after the other. Yah, it was no secret it was me and of course I’d get in trouble but it was worth it to irritate the hell out of Phillip. He was lucky that was all that happened. I really wanted to handle it physically instead. Things could have turned out a lot worse for him. Although, I doubted Principal Edwards would have agreed with my logic.

I was so caught up in my frustrations, I didn’t realize Rand Knepcic was standing outside the office door and practically ran right into him. My best friend or as my sister Jade liked to describe him – a towering, muscular, dreamy, chocolate brown eyed, wavy sandy blonde hair to his shoulders, yummy treat. Girls, especially sisters. I cringed at the memory of accidentally overhearing her describe him to one of her friends while on the phone. Many figured he was a football player. But nope, he was soccer player and one fierce goalie at that. Me? No sports, it wouldn’t be fair. With my special abilities, which at times I couldn’t or didn’t want to control, would put my team at an advantage. Something my parents would no way tolerate.

But he wasn’t the only chick magnet. Even though I was several inches shorter than Rand, my dark black hair – that hit right above my shoulders and I wore slightly unkempt – and eyes to match seemed to draw the girls like nobody’s business. I was that dangerous bad boy image from all the television shows and movies that made the girls gush, I guess. At this school, only my sister and best friend knew that I really could be that rather dangerous bad boy. Now don’t get me wrong; I thoroughly enjoyed being what girls considered ‘yummy’ and never had to worry about having a date when groups would go out. However, at times I did actually want to have a cute girl who was also like a buddy and was fun to hang around. Did someone like that even exist?

So Principal Edwards didn’t find your science display amusing like the rest of us? Rand picked right up on my mood and he didn’t even have any psychic abilities. All the while, he was failing miserably at hiding his own approval of the chemistry explosion. He looked like he was ready to erupt into hysterics again.

The man has no sense of humor. No one was injured. Besides if I don’t get Phillip to knock off his ‘I’m better than everyone’ attitude someone else is going to and my way kept him injury free. So what if he got a little messy.

I’m surprised he let you leave his office. I figured a suspension was coming. When we stopped at Rand’s locker, he switched his books then turned back to me.

For a few seconds, I actually had forgotten about my punishment. My face tightened into a scowl. Rand saw it too.

I could have lived with that punishment. I have to stay after school and clean up the chemistry lab, I said with a sigh of frustration.

Man, that’s cold. You could be there until sometime next week.

Dude! So not helping. I stole a quick glance out one of the side windows, envying everyone else who, at two twenty this afternoon, would be out there enjoying the southern Oregon sunshine and warm Pacific breezes that inhabited my hometown of West Haven.

Sorry, man. You know I’d offer to help but I have soccer practice after school.

Shaking my head, I watched as something drew Rand’s attention.

Hey, but that might help. Curling his hands firmly around my upper arms, he turned me. Among the slamming of lockers, chattering of students, and pounding of feet down the long grey tiled, slightly paper littered, hall, I spied what caught his eyes – a beautiful girl fumbling at her locker. Never saw her before because I would have definitely introduced myself to that sweet thing. Jet black, curly hair to the middle of her back, probably only three inches shorter than me – but I never liked it when the top of the girl’s head barely came to my chin – and a slender build.

So caught up in drinking her in, I didn’t realize Rand was leading me down the hall toward her until it was too late.

I’m really not in the mood to hit on the new girl right now, I mumbled.

Rand’s eyes lit up and a lazy smile slid across his face. "Whatever. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to hit on the new girl."

Before I could stop him, Rand had his forearm pressed at the locker beside her and was dipping his head down to her level – he towered a good six inches over me so to her I’m sure he looked like a giant. Seriously, the dude was built like a tank. Shaking my head, I had to stifle a chuckle.

Hey there. I’m Rand. Haven’t seen you before. Since you’re new, I can show you around. His lazy smile was still drifting across his face.

Startled, she jumped, narrowly missing cracking her head on the small shelf in her locker. Turning, she looked up at Rand, eyed him like she was trying to process whether he was friend or foe, and took a big step back, closing the metal door. Sorry. Not interested in dating anyone here.

Of course, I needed to see if I could one up my best friend, even though I really was not in the mood, so I took a crack at it. Sliding in between Rand and her, I met her gaze. Maybe that’s because you haven’t met the right one yet. Excuse Rand here… I touched her arm and a tingle of electricity jolted through me.

She felt it too because her gorgeous turquoise eyes locked on mine. Fear radiated from those stunning eyes, burning me with their intensity, but I didn’t get a chance to say another word. She took off down the hall in a blur of slender legs and gorgeous hair. I had never seen anyone run so fast, not even on the playing field.

Rand erupted into gut bursting laughter. Tried to one up me, huh? When will you learn? Well, she may have rejected me but at least she didn’t run away from me screaming.

Now