The 13th: Ineluctable Fate

By Ela Lond

This is a 45 pages (15,000 words) long paranormal romance set in Victorian London.

As the Awakener, Ashton Godwill eased ghosts’ passage into the other world and obliterated Soul Eaters – ghosts who have lost their auras and feed on the spirit energy of others. When the number of Soul Eaters suddenly increases, Ashton’s guardian employs the help of the Reaper. Unfortunately, the Reaper is the boy who broke Ashton’s heart, the boy Ashton would rather never see again.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ela Lond
• Release date: Nov 18, 2012
• ISBN: 9781301399802

Ela Lond

Ela Lond writes paranormal and fantasy aimed primarily at young adults. A lover of adventure and intrigue herself, she has long enjoyed exploring supernatural beings and the worlds they inhabit along with her adventurous heroes and heroines.

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The 13th: Ineluctable Fate

by

Ela Lond

SMASHWORDS EDITION

Copyright © 2012 Ela Lond

https://sites.google.com/site/elalond

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The 13th: Ineluctable Fate

Ashton Godwin stood at the entrance of Lady Belmont’s villa, a light-grey building with pillars and large widows.

Nanael, Ashton’s guardian passed a calling card to the footman and demanded to see his mistress.

The footman refused.

Ashton had been right a few minutes before when, anticipating trouble, she had insisted on using the back door rather than climbing the stairs that led to the large hall. Of course, in the end, Nanael would manage to persuade the footman to let them in, but it would have been easier if Nanael had, for once, listened to her. Ashton's eyes moved to the door, standing slightly ajar, at the left of the main entrance, where two gas lamps -- the privilege of the rich -- mounted on the flower-patterned walls cast circles of light on the pink-grey marble. She had expected the house to be more brightly lit, especially since the lady was hosting a small social gathering. Of course, the purpose of the assembly might have something to do with the lack of light, since most of the people saw 'ghost calling' as a dark and ominous affair and assumed that it needed complete darkness and silence.

The door on the left opened and the lady of the house emerged. At the sight of Ashton and Nanael, a small smile graced her lips and she clasped her hands together and hurried to them, the fabric of her blue silk gown and petticoats rustling as she moved. She welcomed them, gushing how delighted she was that they had decided to accept her invitation, before instructing the footman to take their coats.

How can we refuse, Nanael said as handed her overcoat and leghorn straw hat to the man's outstretched hand. When you have been so generous to us?

Generous to us? That meant that Belmont had paid them. Later, Ashton would have to inquire about her share. But for now... Ashton took off her warm brown coat and her bonnet and gave them to the footman, then she followed the two women into the parlour where, in the far corner by a window draped in heavy curtains, people sat at a round table. Among the ladies Ashton noticed a voluptuous matron, ‘Miss Ghost,’ as Nanael named her.

They passed the fireplace, which kept away the chill of London's spring evening, and then a set of blue damask sofas.

Ladies, Lady Belmont said as they stopped by the mahogany table. This is Mrs. Godwin and her daughter, the ladies I was telling you about.

They all nodded greetings to each other before Ashton and Nanael occupied the two armchairs set by the curtained window, just as Nanael had requested.

Ashton laced her hands in her lap, her gaze sliding over the carved wood of the cabinets and tables and the blue damask of the curtains, chairs and sofas, visible in the weak light coming from the fireplace and the small candelabra set by the table.

A half-year ago the door of Lady Belmont's house would have been closed to them, and Ashton doubted that even Nanael's impressive powers of persuasion would have been able to open them. But then, with the growing interest of the nobility and upper middle class in spiritualism, just a whispered word from their previous client, whose haunted house they had purged, brought them calling cards and more invitations than they could accept. The interest had been brought to England with news from America about the public séances of the Fox sisters, the so-called mediums, who communicated with ghosts by rapping sounds. Nonsense, Ashton thought. Restless spirits only followed people who could see them or hear them and if they ever resorted to knocking, they would never have done it in public. It was a fraud, she was sure of it, and so was Nanael.

The ladies around the table took each other’s hands and rested them on the embroidered linen covering the wooden surface.

Miss Ghost started first to hum and then to softly call the lady's brother by name, urging him to come forward.

Ashton silently sighed; that was nonsense too, and a waste of time. Despite