Oblivion (Book 2 of The Awakener Series)

By R.E.S. Tidmore

Darron held Tabitha tight, not wanting to let go. He would never let her go. He called forth the bond.
A bolt of lightning shot from his chest and pierced Tabitha’s heart. Her heavy eyes snapped open and she gazed at the energy passing between them. Darron’s body rattled violently when the power reached through time and anchored his soul to hers. The glow expanded until the room was filled, then it exploded into thousands of shimmering, radiant flakes of light. The flakes landed on their skin and were absorbed. His body hummed with new life.
Who would have thought at their first meeting, when she stabbed him in the arm trying to protect the Seer and he broke her nose, that Darron and Tabitha would become a bonded couple for all eternity?
Through all his lifetimes, Darron had never thought of bonding. But now that he’d found his mother, the Seer, and brought her to his sister, the Awakener, maybe, just maybe, he could have a normal life.
The visions his mother was having though did not bode well for humanity. The baby his sister was carrying would be known as the Time Eraser. The moment she was born, there was a good chance she would simply erase time for all eternity, plunging the universe into nothingness.
There was one chance they had to stop this from happening, but it would mean betraying his sister and handing the infant over to Marcus, the Time Keeper, a madman intent on killing Darron and his family in every lifetime they’d had. He was also the man Tabitha had been given to by her father. Marcus would be even less willing to help them after discovering his promised one had bonded with another.
The bonding of Darron and Tabitha would strengthen each of their powers, and they would need this for the upcoming bloodbond ritual; her power as a Soul Hunter and Influencer, and his as a Soul Hunter and...Death.

• Language: English
• Publisher: R.E.S. Tidmore
• Release date: Mar 9, 2015
• ISBN: 9780989524377

R.E.S. Tidmore

R.E.S. Tidmore is a defective writer who writes. She has a BA and MFA in creative writing. Being dyslexic, she never thought she could make a living from writing. Writing isn’t only about dotting your i’s and crossing your t’s. It’s about storytelling, and doing it in all the best ways. She loves Jane Austen, tattoos, sarcasm, quick wit, gardening, all things Harry Potter, being a writing coach, and a happy ever after.Check out my other adult romance series: The Awakener series and the Managing Mayhem series.

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Oblivion

Book Two of The Awakener Series

By R.E.S. Tidmore

Oblivion: Book 2 (The Awakener Series)

Copyright © 2015 by R.E.S. Tidmore

All rights reserved.

Ruthless Writers Publishing

First Edition

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior permission of the Author. This book is a work of fiction. Names, Characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

Print ISBN-13:9780989524360

Ebook ISBN-13:9780989524377

Book formatting by Ruthless Writers Publishing

Other Titles by R.E.S. Tidmore

The Awakener Series

Awaken

Torn

The Verbecks of Idaho

Midnight’s Dream

Delicate Dream

Unbroken Dream

Managing Mayhem

Bliss

Coming Soon

D is for Defective

Dedication

To Joni Shepherd, Elizabeth Williams, and Connie Rochelle, thank you for all your support and enthusiasm while waiting on this next book of the Awakener series. It means a lot to me to have fans like you to spur me on.

Thank You

Chapter One

Tabitha’s calf-length boot hit against the hospital wall as she sat on the cold windowsill across from the Seer’s hospital room. Tap. Tap. Tap. Her eyes were fixed on the white metal door that kept the Seer locked inside a padded room. A small, square viewing window was the Seer’s only link to the outside world.

Tabitha popped her chewing gum and tried to block out the chaotic, broken thoughts coming from the patients in the hospital. It stimulated her ability as a Soul Hunter and made her feel edgy. She was one of only two Soul Hunters who could sense the brokenness of a soul that needed to be awakened to their life’s purpose. The constant bombardment of broken thoughts and emotions were threatening to pull Tabitha from reality. She was growing weary of this place.

Bored, she ran her fingers through her chin-length hair and lifted a few strands to see them. She admired her new aqua-blue and black streaks. Her gaze returned to the door as she let the strands fall. The Seer’s fractured thoughts and broken emotions crowded every square inch of the corridor. Tabitha found it helpful to stay close to her. With the Seer’s strong energy saturating this corner of the hospital, Tabitha found some relief from the tumultuous cries of the other patients.

In the dim, flickering neon light, she checked her watch: twenty-eight days, twenty-three hours, fifty-two minutes, and five seconds. Awesome, just awesome. She was going to die in this horrible place, she just knew it.

She peered out the window and into the dark sky. She’d traded one hell for another. She would have killed herself long ago if she’d known that she would be dumped in this institution after spending years of brutal training and confinement in the Cavern of Souls.

A rumbling sound escaped her throat and she leaped off the windowsill, her leather pants cracking. Her blood boiled and her mind rebelled. Many emotions tried to suffocate one another.

Tabitha flexed her tight muscles. She couldn’t stay here and watch the Seer for much longer. Every time she roamed the hallways, she felt as if she were walking through the static of a radio. This place was charged, and all of her senses were responding. She could feel all the souls that were struggling to stay within the light. Soon, many of them would be lost to the darkness of a meaningless life.

Yet no soul was as close to the edge as the Seer. Where the hell is Marcus? He should have been here to take the Seer by now. Marcus had vanished off her radar. A few days ago, he just disappeared; she was unable to sense him to the north.

An image of her father, Stephen, tall, formidable, with dark, emotionless eyes, rooted in her mind. One day he would pay for giving her to Marcus. But now wasn’t the time to challenge her father. She sat on the windowsill once more. She knew if she left and disobeyed Marcus, her life’s blood would be the payment due.

Just then, Tabitha heard the sound of footsteps approaching. She sprang up and retreated around the corner from the Seer’s room. The footsteps grew louder and then stopped.

She spied Dr. Altice, who was dressed in gray scrubs. Could he have picked a more depressing color in the most depressing place? Lights flickered overhead as he bent forward and peered through the small porthole window of the Seer’s door. A chill rushed over Tabitha’s skin.

Something about Dr. Altice made Tabitha want to shudder and inch away. He stood unnaturally still, like the bones of the dead shackled to a chamber wall. His gaunt cheeks and bulging eyes added to his eerie presence. She noticed dark circles around his glazed eyes. Patiently chewing her bubble gum, she waited for Dr. Altice to leave.

Dr. Altice lingered at the door, his hand hovering over the handle but not touching it. Tabitha frowned, eyes narrowing at the odd behavior. What was the deal?

Out of nowhere, an electric charge rippled through the atmosphere around her. The energy collided with her own, popping and crackling over her skin. She ran a hand over her arm and neck and sniffed the air with her heightened senses. The familiar scent of fear pervaded her nostrils. Her eyes drifted to Dr. Altice. Was he the cause of the energy surge? She almost snorted. No, he couldn’t be the source of something so powerful.

She focused on the energy signature, tracing its origin. It was strong, coated in arrogance and despair. Tabitha glanced at the window where she’d been sitting. The energy source seemed to be coming from outside, which didn’t make it an immediate concern of hers.

Shifting her attention back to the doctor, she dismissed the unusual disturbance. As she scrutinized the man, she thought of how fun it would be to feed Dr. Altice’s fear, if only to pass the time. After all, she was bored. It had been a while since she’d had any fun.

Tabitha pulled her knife from her hip sheath. She reached high above her head and ran the blade down the wall, causing a grating sound to reverberate down the hallway. The sudden sound caused Dr. Altice to tremble; the remaining color vanished from his face as he scanned the hall. The scent of his fear grew thick around him. Awesome. She’d gotten his attention in all the right ways.

In her mind, she conjured an image of the tall, Amazon-like nurse, Amy, who didn’t talk to anyone but the patients. Once the image was anchored firmly in her mind’s eye, she shifted the energy surrounding her to take the form of the nurse. Then she stepped out into the hall.

Being able to project an image at will had its advantages. Her ability allowed her to disguise herself by projecting an image of her choosing into her aura. It was a useful ability, one her father had made certain was well developed, unlike controlling her soul-hunting ability. It needed development; but how do you develop tracking souls in a cave surrounded by immortals?

Dr. Altice stared at her with displeasure, thinking she was the nurse. She sensed a hint of desperation mixing with the fear that was thickening around him. Fascinating reaction.

Casing the hospital for weeks while waiting for Marcus to show up to kidnap the Seer had given Tabitha time to learn many intriguing things about the staff. She knew the doctor didn’t like Nurse Amy because she was better at her job than he was. The nurse had calmed more patients in a single day just by talking to them than the doctor had done in weeks using drugs. Tabitha felt the nurse was on her right path in this world and would not need a Soul Hunter to take her to the Awakener anytime soon.

Did you hear that? Dr. Altice asked her, his voice cracking as he lifted his chin.

Tabitha took on the characteristics of the nurse. She merely stared hard and cocked a brow. He pressed his lips in displeasure and glanced back at the Seer. Then he shoved past Tabitha and disappeared down another hall.

Dr. Altice was up to something with the Seer, but she didn’t know what. He had other patients who were less disturbed than she was.

A smile tipped her lips and she resumed chewing her gum. Tabitha released the image of the nurse and became herself again. It was almost too easy to chase him off.

Tabitha flipped the knife around as she pondered the strange incident with the doctor. She was filled with a sense of menace, but she couldn’t pinpoint the cause. She was alone again in the static-filled hall.

Shoving her knife back into its sheath, she checked on the Seer. There was a lone bed in the room. The Seer was in a tight, compact ball with her arms tucked close to her chest and her knees up to her chin. Her face was hidden behind long, sandy-blonde hair. If Tabitha hadn’t been able to read the Seer’s incomplete thoughts, she wouldn’t have guessed that one of the most powerful women on Earth was locked in this hospital room.

Tabitha pushed her energy toward the Seer to get a better read on her dysfunctional energy levels and to see how she was faring this evening. The moment her energy touched the Seer’s skin, angry stabs of pain ripped down Tabitha’s spine. She closed her eyes tight to stifle a scream. The feeling was intense and new to her.

Trained to overcome physical pain, she methodically pulled every thread of it from her body into a box inside her mind. The power to control her pain was an edge over all of her adversaries.

Once in control, Tabitha opened her eyes to find the Seer staring at her. Caught by surprise, Tabitha stumbled back, her heart tripping over itself several times. The Seer’s eyes were black orbs.

Not good. Black eyes were never good. The Seer felt threatened by Tabitha’s presence or sensed her ability, her energy.

She caught herself before she lost balance and a sharp pain shot through her arm. Stupid, stupid.

Tabitha’s gaze flicked up to the porthole window. A pair of black eyes observed her.

The Seer’s hollow voice filled Tabitha’s ears. Serena. Help me, please. Get me out of here before he comes back.

Who is Serena? she wondered.

The Seer’s eyes were no longer black but a dark mocha. This was the first time Tabitha had seen the Seer’s face, mother to the Awakener.

You’re afraid of the doctor? she asked, studying the Seer.

He knows that I see things. The Seer stepped back from the door and disappeared from Tabitha’s sight.

Tabitha took a step toward the window. Visions of his future? she asked.

The Seer shook her head vehemently, causing her hair to sway back and forth.

What’re you talking about? Tabitha prodded.

The Seer fisted her hands and banged them against her head. The Light is coming for me.

The Seer’s arms were covered in thick scabs. She banged her fists harder. The scabs split open and blood oozed from them. Tabitha ran a hand through her hair, feeling helpless. What the hell was she supposed to do? It wasn’t like there was a book on how to handle a Seer’s awakening.

Agony was etched on the Seer’s face. Was the need to be awakened painful? This was Tabitha’s first life. She didn’t know what it was like to awaken. It was clear the Seer was having trouble tapping into her power. Were the Seer’s past lives so painful that her growing power couldn’t overcome them to awaken her on her own accord? It was a disheartening thought. Would Tabitha be forced to endure such agony in her next life, to awaken and remember all she would learn in this life? Tabitha swallowed hard, imagining the unimaginable.

The Seer screamed and scratched at her arms, driving her nails up and through the remaining scabs. Blood coated her fingertips.

Tabitha glanced around. No one was coming. The staff had grown accustomed to her screams.

Seer, that’s enough. Don’t fight the pain. Embrace it. Pull it into yourself. Allow it to fill you up. It’ll make you stronger if you can control it. Tabitha didn’t know why she was telling the Seer this. She was only supposed to keep an eye on her. She couldn’t disobey Marcus. Obedience was imperative or he would take her back to her father, and as shitty as this job was, she didn’t want to go back to the Cavern of Souls.

She slapped the glass. Seer, Rachel, listen . . .

The Seer’s screams echoed through Tabitha’s mind. She shuddered at the Seer’s pain, and a desperate need to help her anchored in her chest.

Then, the Seer stopped. Her head hung low, her hair a curtain over her face, her chest heaving. The skin on her arms were pieces of tattered flesh. Blood traveled down her arms and dripped from her fingertips to the floor.

Tabitha thought she had reached the Seer somewhere inside her disjointed thoughts. Then the Seer lifted her chin and when she blinked, her eyes were black once more. Her voice was weak.

Serena, you must go, the Seer said. She scurried back to her corner and assumed the fetal position. Bloody, mangled arms were hidden behind her knees, a perfect statue.

Tabitha drew her blade and moved away from the door. Silently, she slipped around the corner. A moment later, Dr. Altice emerged and stood in front of Rachel’s door again.

Tabitha stared, unbelieving. The Seer could sense Dr. Altice’s approach. Only the Council of Souls and the Advisors to the Awakener could sense each other’s approach. That meant one thing: Dr. Altice wasn’t who he seemed to be.

Awesome. Just awesome. Where is Marcus?

Dr. Altice placed the key into the lock of the Seer’s door and opened it. He scanned the area several times before entering her room. Tabitha scowled as she watched the doctor from her hiding place. She extended her energy out toward the doctor, and to no surprise, she felt nothing when her energy connected with him. He was an empty void.

She cursed under her breath. Her father was the high priest of the Council of Souls; she knew many of the Council members and their energy signatures. Yet when they possessed the body of a weak soul, no energy could be read. She shuddered at the memory of training and fighting to the death with the members’ vigilant eyes on her, devouring her body as though she could yield them unexpected pleasures. Alarm bells sounded abruptly in her mind. Shit. Who was possessing Dr. Altice?

The doctor emerged from the room seconds later, his brows pulled down tight. Tabitha yanked her power back and held her breath. Did he know she was there? No. Keep it together. You’ve been here a month and he has never given any sign that he could sense you.

A muffled squeaking sound came from the room and then he was pulling the Seer out. He had dressed her in a strange vest that hid her arms and a silver strip covered her mouth. He yanked her toward a dimly lit hall that led to an unused wing of the hospital. Tabitha followed them, staying out of sight.

As soon as they vanished around a corner at the end of the hall, Tabitha lengthened her strides, eating up the distance between her and the Seer. The flickering fluorescent lights cast eerie shadows. The scent of despair filled her nostrils and her mind crackled and popped as she moved down the hall that was crowded with patients’ fragmented thoughts. If nothing else, the Seer’s hijacking was getting her the hell out of there.

Tabitha spit out her gum and moved with lethal grace. Red droplets of blood left a trail on the floor. Concern rushed into her chest. The Seer had to have sustained a large wound in order to leave a trail of blood.

A snarl escaped from her throat. That fucker hurt her.

Once more, she called up Nurse Amy’s image in her mind and adapted her form just as the doctor shoved Rachel toward the stairwell. Tabitha broke into a dead run. She barreled down the hall, through the door, and down the stairs, not caring who she was going to face. From one flight of stairs above the Seer, Tabitha watched in horror as the doctor bashed the Seer in the face, knocking her unconscious. He tossed her over his shoulder, revealing much more strength than his appearance conveyed. Panic radiated down Tabitha’s spine, spurring her to call out.

Stop! What’re you doing with her?

The doctor glanced up. An ugly smile pulled at one corner of his mouth. His eyes were black marbles. Tabitha’s jaw dropped. Only Council members and Advisors could do that. She prepared to reveal herself to the doctor by releasing the image of the nurse. She saw him for what he was, and would show him just who he was messing with. In a lightning-quick move, she pulled the blade free from her hip and flung it at the doctor’s head.

Cartwheeling through the air, the knife grazed the doctor’s temple, hitting the wall behind him and clattering to the floor.

Shit. She opened and closed her palm, testing her wrist. The injury she had sustain months ago in the Cavern left her damaged.

Startled, the doctor bolted and disappeared through a door that looked like the entrance to a parking garage.

Tabitha dashed down the last few steps and as she stooped down to retrieve her knife, she felt an electric charge rippling toward her, covering her, raising the hairs on her skin.

Chapter Two

Darron drove into the first level of the gray concrete five-story parking structure as it began to rain. He studied the space, the number of cars, types of cars, and the entrances and exits as he traveled closer to the hospital. He clenched and unclenched his jaw, hands tightly gripping the steering wheel as his left leg twitched uncontrollably. Something was making Darron’s skin itch like poison oak and he couldn’t help but scratch his arms.

He felt his heart rate climbing, and heat radiated from his body. He inhaled deeply and exhaled with exasperation. The last thing he needed was black ink to mist around his aura.

He pulled into a parking spot and turned off the vehicle. Looking around, he wondered if he should have made Chad come with him rather than letting him leave for the Cavern of Souls to retrieve something he said they needed. For Chad not to have come to help Rachel, Darron knew it was important.

He closed his eyes, pulled in all his chaotic energy into his center and then pushed it down his legs and into the earth, grounding himself. There were nearly a hundred electric cords yanking him toward the psychiatric hospital. His ability as a Soul Hunter for Leora, his purpose, was to find souls that needed Leora’s help. Many of the souls in this place were on the edge of becoming lost to their purpose. Some of the cords called to Death. A part of himself that he never unleashed. To call forth Death was to end life. It was a part of himself he hid from everyone. Even his family.

He blew out a breath and shook his head. How Leora worked here for years and didn’t spark her awakening sooner was beyond him.

An image of Leora’s small, round belly surfaced. Imagine a woman who could see into the fragmenting, disorganized images of your past lives and, with a single touch, decipher them and give clarity to your purpose in life. Then couple her with a man who could drain your energy to nothing but a heartbeat while also pumping your energy up so high that your heart could burst. What kind of ability would a child of such a union possess?

Darron shuddered. Sure, he had seen her pregnant many times in the past, but tragedy always prevented the birth of her child. He didn’t know what was to come. He prayed that the Creator had a plan because he sure as hell didn’t. He didn’t have the foresight like his mother, but he could feel the balance of energy shifting away from Leora as her belly grew larger by the day.

It all felt so unbelievable. Less than a week ago he had been scrambling to carry his sister Leora down a mountainside, while having Gavin yank her back from within her mind from awakening outside the Sacred Circle of bloodstones. A circle of bloodstones that masked her awakening from the Council of Souls that were meant to be the angels of this world but had become corrupted.

He had gotten Leora within the circle in time for her awakening to her past lives and she took the Council’s power from them. It had been weird to be inside the circle where their home had once been. Seeing the cabin burned and falling apart had brought back memories of his mother’s death. Her screams, the Hound hunting them all. It was almost too much to even recall.

But they had gotten through it. Leora had her power, and Gavin and she restored their coupling bond. They had found their father. This life was looking up. And now he was here alone to retrieve his reincarnated mother. He should have made the prego come with him. But it was probably for the best; where Leora went, Gavin followed. Gavin would have just scared everyone with that ugly, scarred face of his. Darron shrugged to himself and climbed out of the vehicle.

Steadily, he made his way along the inside of the parking garage heading toward the hospital when a side door was flung open, forcing him to jump back. Footsteps pounded the pavement from the other side. As the door closed a