Elemental Fate

By Gretchen Dee

Three years after losing her mother, Tera is just trying to survive. With a drunk father constantly disappearing she's on her own. Until Fate steps in. Told she's an Elven Princess with a destiny by a Knight in shining armor her world becomes something new. With a faction out to kill her, a mother now alive, powers to learn to control, and a crush on her Knight, she's not quite sure she's up to the changes Fate thinks she is. But she learns we are never ready for the challenges placed in our paths, and she must embrace the unknown to learn who she was always meant to be.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Gretchen Dee
• Release date: Dec 7, 2015
• ISBN: 9781311448439

Gretchen Dee

I was born in Houston Texas and have spent half my life in Texas and the other half, at different times, in Idaho and Utah. I love to travel and have been lucky enough to go to London and Scotland. The world is a big beautiful place and I would love to be able to see it all one day. I have one dog, he's a black lab, and I love him to bits. I am lucky to have most of my family close by which I love. I also love horses and horseback riding!I have had a lot of different jobs since starting to work at sixteen. I have even had five jobs at once, which I wouldn't recommend! My current job is being a nanny, and working part, part time at a bookstore. I love being a nanny not only because I love "my" kids but it also provides writing time! I am an avid reader and this year alone I have read over 200 books. Reading is so important and I am always trying to encourage people to read more.

Book preview

Copyright © 2015 by Gretchen Hall

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof

may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever

without the express written permission of the publisher

except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Printed in the United States of America

First Printing, 2015

www.gretchendee.com

Elemental Fate

By

Gretchen Dee

To Mallory and Kathryn,

I love you both. This one is yours.

Four years ago

She stared into the icy depths that mirrored her heart, knowing it was time. Like the frozen lake before her, she was cold inside and out. She had been selfish long enough; she knew it, but it didn’t make it any easier. The bench underneath her was just as cold, but the cold couldn’t seep any deeper into her soul. You can’t freeze what is already frozen. The chill from the winter wind froze her tears as they escaped. She turned to her companion, willing the words to stick in her throat, but knowing they wouldn’t, that they couldn’t.

It’s time.

Her companion nodded slowly. Okay, how do you want to do this?

Her words were as cold as her soul. You know how.

Again, her companion nodded. Okay, if you’re sure.

His calm demeanor almost fired her soul with rage. How could he be so calm about this? This was the end of her happiness. She wanted to turn her rage and anger on him, but knew she needed to remain ice. That was the only way she would survive this, and that was all she hoped for—survival.

She turned her ice-filled eyes to him. You will protect her now. She is your responsibility. Do you understand? Your vows begin in earnest now.

"Yes. I will protect her Mo Bhanríon."

They will come for her, I know it. Even after I leave her.

"Yes, Mo Bhanríon. I will watch her. I swear it."

She took comfort in his vow. She is so young. All her fears seemed to press on her soul as she thought of all the things she was leaving. All the things they would never do together.

"Mo Bhanríon, she is strong."

But is she strong enough?

He nodded. She is your daughter.

Chapter 1

Life can change in the moments of indecision and from the shadows that come from inaction. My life changed in one such moment. I had gotten used to my life, as sad as it was. I still missed my mother, but she had been dead for a couple years, so the pain had lessened. I was even used to my drunken, absent father. My life wasn’t great, but I had come to terms with the level of suck that it was. I had never had a boyfriend and I had one friend. Shelly. I wasn’t even sure half the time if she was my friend. We were complete opposites, and I had to wonder why she kept me around. She had been in my life for so long that I had just gotten used to how things were between us. Did I wish for a friendship in the true sense of the word? Absolutely, but with everything else going on in my life, I took what I could get.

In our little town, gossip spread like wildfire; everyone knew everyone else’s business and secrets were just fairytales. I didn’t hate my father, but I wasn’t jaded enough not to understand that my life would be different if he was different. It was difficult being the girl that lost her mother, but I had the added benefit of being the girl with the loser father.

I had been out with Shelly when I got the latest call. My father was arrested again. This was the second time in the last three weeks, and we didn’t have any more money for bail. Since he had been laid off a month ago, he had been drinking non-stop. I wanted to scream my frustration. Why couldn’t he be better? Why couldn’t he actually be my father? I was so tired of being the adult.

When I hung up, Shelly put her arm around me. That is why she was my best friend. I’m sorry, Tera. Again?

Yeah, they said he went quieter this time. That’s good right?

Yeah, Tera, that’s good.

She had been with me the last time too. I don’t know why she stuck around, honestly. I was a joke. Everyone else in town knew it. They avoided me if I was lucky. The kids at school had stopped the taunts for the most part; I think because of her. She was my buffer, and I loved her for it. She was there enough for me when I did need her that I was able to look past the times she was not. I was used to being number two.

C’mon, let’s go, I said. I have to get to work.

Okay.

I worked at the local bookstore, and I loved it. It was my home. It was where I felt I could ignore the world and my place in it, or lack thereof. It was my sanctuary and I guarded it well. I loved books. I loved the smell and the feel of them. I loved knowing that there was another world I could get lost in. A world so different from my own that I could forget my problems. A world where guys talked to me and always said the things I wanted to hear. I do not know what it was about the act of physically holding a book that made my life seem right, but it did. I didn’t understand the obsession with the electronic reading devices. If you wanted to read, why not just pick up a book? People kept trying to get me to get one, but I would never give up my books. The wisp of turning pages was the greatest lullaby for me. Too many times, I had fallen asleep with a book in my lap. Books were my lifeline, and had been even more so since my mom died.

We walked down to the bookstore, Meyer’s Corner, together. It was just a small hole-in-the-wall shop, but that just added to its appeal. It was small and cozy, with just enough room to encourage the desire to read. We had a fireplace that we would start up in the winter months and I loved curling up next to it. I loved everything about my store. It was on the main drag, so we ended up with plenty of business. Of course, we also ended up hearing my classmates being obnoxious, but we take what we get. That’s not saying that our clients were hot guys that would ever notice me, but we did get customers. I had stopped hoping for some hot new stranger to walk in, see me, and take me away from it all. That would never happen. I read fairytales, but I didn’t get to live them. Shelly did not like the bookstore because she said it smelled funny. I never could get Shelly to read much. She always said there could only be one bookworm per friendship.

We said our goodbyes outside. As Shelly turned to leave, she told me, It’s going to be okay, T.

Thanks. I didn’t actually believe her, but I smiled anyway. That’s what I did.

It was a shipment day, my favorite day. It always felt like Christmas on shipment days. I liked being surprised by the books that came to us because I kept up to date on releases, but sometimes I missed something.

I was walking back to the office to start unloading when I saw him. He was standing there, waiting. It almost seemed like he was waiting for me. Which would have been strange, considering I had never seen him before. It was then, in that moment, that my life changed forever. I should have just ignored him, but you do not ignore someone like him. You can’t.

He was the only person in the store, which struck me as kind of odd. I had never seen him around before; I would have remembered. He was gorgeous. Not like a Greek statue or a model, but still breathtaking. He had such fine features, but he still radiated a real strength. He reminded me of all the elves that I had ever seen in movies. His hair was dark, black maybe, and his eyes were so blue, like ice. I couldn’t help the shiver that danced up my spine when his eyes hit mine. He seemed the bad boy type, with his leather jacket and chains, but I wasn’t turned off by the idea of a bad boy. His hair was long enough to cover the tops of his ears, but it wasn’t unkempt. For all the hardness about him, he seemed easy and unworried about the looks he must have been getting in our small town. The crazy thing, though, was that he was staring at me as if I was the only person in the room, on the planet. It was scary, but only because it made my heart skip. No one had ever looked at me like that before. I didn’t want him to stop looking at me. Crazy, I know.

Are you Tera? His voice was low and a little gravelly.

I got chills. Y-y-y-es, I stammered.

He smiled, and my heart stopped. Good, I’ve been waiting for you.

Why? What do you want? Hot or not, it seemed strange for him to be waiting on me.

I heard about your father. I’m sorry.

Thanks, but I don’t know you. I was trying to get my heart rate back to normal while trying to remain calm in front of a potential stalker. Don’t show fear, right?

He smiled again. Damn heart. My name is Cavin, and I’m here to help you.

Help me? With what? I don’t know you!

I’m a friend of your mother’s.

I was trying to keep calm so stalker boy didn’t attack me, but he was really starting to freak me out. My mom has been dead for three years. I was becoming more and more nervous. He was too big, too close, and talking nonsense. He had somehow moved closer without me noticing. Okay…Cavin, is it? Like I said, I don’t know you, and I think you should leave. I started walking up to the front of the store, hoping he would follow me and then leave.

I can’t do that. I’m here to help.

So, no on the leaving. Help with what? What are you talking about? I was about to lose it. They say you’re supposed to humor kidnappers and psychos, so I thought I’d give it a go.

I know you don’t understand, but I need to stay close to you. At my obvious look of alarm, he rushed on. Let me explain, please.

Um... Yeah, I think it’s time for you to leave. I have no idea what you are talking about, and you don’t need to explain anything to anyone if you just leave before the cops come. Okay?

He seemed to get nervous, but it was over so fast I thought I must have imagined it. He took a breath, seeming to gather his courage. Strange that he should feel he needed it. He was the one I would put money on in a fight. He looked me in the eye and told me,

Your mother is not dead. She is the queen of our people, which makes you a princess. And someone is trying to kill you.

Of all the things he could have said—I never thought that would have been it. I just stared. My mother was dead. I had watched her coffin lowered into the cold, hard ground. That was the worst day of my life. Now, here was this hot guy standing in front of me, trying to get me to do—who knew what—by using my mother against me. That was low. I was so mad, but then I started to laugh. I laughed, because if I didn’t, I would have launched myself at the sick bastard. Who uses a dead parent to get what they want? So I laughed.

His eyes widened. He looked surprised that I would react like that. When I could breathe again, I said to him, Well, that is quite the sick joke. Do you tell every girl that has a lost a parent that that parent is still alive?

I’m not joking. Someone is trying to kill you and your mother is still alive.

Yeah, who?

I don’t know for sure. This is serious, though.

Okay, Cavin, you’re hot and all, but this is not funny. You need to leave before I call the police.

I can’t. I’m here to protect you.

Yeah, sure, okay. I have to get working. I think you can show yourself out. I don’t know why I hadn’t called the cops yet, but somehow it felt wrong. I did not want to analyze that.

Aren’t you curious at all? he asked.

No.

I think you are. I know what I’ve said is a shock, but it’s true. I will be around when you’re ready to listen.

With that, he turned and left. Huh, good riddance. Too bad he was nuts, because he was hot.

I spent the rest of the day working in the back. I was checking the books in and making sure they were ready to go out on the floor. I got lost in the feeling and the smell of the books as they came out of the boxes. I didn’t have to worry about some weird, hot stalker guy and the crazy things he was trying to get me to believe. I got to stay in my own little world, at least for a little while, but it didn’t take long before he invaded my thoughts. I tried, but I couldn’t keep him out. He was laying siege to my world, and I couldn’t seem to stop him. It was frustrating. I didn’t even know him! I had never gotten attention from a guy before, at least, not good attention. Maybe that’s what it was! I was starved for attention! Of course, it didn’t hurt that he was good-looking and he claimed to want to protect me. No one had ever wanted to protect me before. What girl wouldn’t go weak in the knees over the idea? He was straight out of a fairytale. I just needed to tell myself that I was not a princess lost in the forest or locked up in a tower. I was just plain, old Tera.

He seemed so sure that my mom was alive. If only. But if she was alive, why wasn’t she home with me? Why would she have left? No. No, she was gone and he was just trying to use me, for some reason. I didn’t know what he was after, but he was nuts. He had to be.

I heard a slight cough behind me and I whirled around, thinking he had come back. The sad part was, I almost wished he would. I took a breath when I realized it was just my boss. She was awesome. She had known my mother when they were younger and had let me come to work for her right after she had died. She was more than just my boss, and I would do almost anything for her. She was the only adult left in my life that I could count on.

I let out my shaky breath and gave her a wan smile. I felt a little wilted, but I quickly pulled myself together. I did not want stalker boy to come back. Really, I didn’t. She saved me from having to contemplate this sickness I was apparently getting by distracting me with thoughts of my father, more awesomeness.

Hey kid, I heard about your father. Are you doing okay?

Yeah, sure. Old news right?

She sighed. Unfortunately, it is, and I’m sorry about that.

It’s okay. That’s life, right? Full of unfortunately.

Why don’t you head out? I can finish up this last order.

Thanks, Ms. Meyer.

I turned to go, but stopped when she asked me, Who was that guy that I saw leave a little while ago?

I stopped breathing. I don’t really know. He just came in looking for someone. I hurried to get my stuff before she asked me anymore.

Shelly wanted to meet up after my shift and grab some dinner. I wasn’t really feeling up for it, but I knew I needed to eat. I started walking toward the diner that we always went to. It was one of the only places in town that would not run the teenagers out when they got a little rowdy. It was a cool place, and the food was good.

I could not decide if I should tell her about Cavin or not. She would probably just think I was nuts. She had been there for my mother’s funeral, and I knew she wouldn’t believe him either.

I walked out of the shop, and I could have sworn someone was watching me. I looked around, but I couldn’t see anyone. Dang Cavin for putting thoughts into my head.

I shrugged it off and continued walking down to the diner. It was dark out and kind of creepy. It wasn’t a long walk to the diner, but with what Cavin told me, I couldn’t help but watch the shadows for movement. I wondered where he had gone. Not that I really cared, of course, but let’s be honest, I just couldn’t shake him. The things he said, aside from being crazy, were things that I was always hoping for, the mom being alive part, at least.

I was almost to the diner when I felt them again—eyes. I could feel them on the back of my neck. It was a feeling deep in my gut. I closed my eyes and tried to pretend they weren’t real, that this feeling wasn’t real. Who would want to follow me? Hurt me? I was no one. I told myself to just keep walking when I suddenly realized I couldn’t move. Literally. It was as if I was standing in tar or glue. I could feel my legs; I just couldn’t move them. I told myself that this was nuts. It was all in my head because Cavin put it there. Jerk. I tried to move again, but got the same results—nothing. I tried to control my breathing. Weird, weird. This cannot be happening. If this was real, and I was inclined at this particular moment to think it was, where was my so-called protector? Can’t leave my side, huh? Yeah, right! I just needed to stay calm. Keep calm and carry on, just like that bookmark said.

Calm, Tera, you are the ocean, the calm, calm ocean. You can move your legs. Huh, I guess I was not one of those people that can access larger portions of their brains, therefore giving them