Life's Paradox Venues Converge: TDU Series, #12

By Jyn West

Paradox: inconsistency, absurdity, irony, contradiction, enigma, impossibility.

Venue: site, place, location, scene, setting, spot.

Converge: meet, join, touch, unite, congregate, and come together.

We hope you enjoyed Raven's story. She will be working hard in the coming year to master her abilities and some surprises are coming her way. Her past and future will converge just when she thinks she has learned her lessons well. Come meet Aurora and see where the fates would have their stories come together and why.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jyn West
• Release date: Oct 23, 2019
• ISBN: 9781393345909

Book preview

Copyright Page

Copyright ©2019 Jyn West All Rights Reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the Author. You must not circulate the book in any format. Thank you for respecting the rights of the Author. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.

Dedication & Acknowledgements

Thank you to my family and friends who continue to encourage me and hold me accountable. For believing that I could do this and succeed. I could not have done it without you. Your patience and love carried me through the rough spots, and you rejoiced with me as hurdles were cleared. Thanks to Mom and Dad who were even willing to read outside their normal genre to support me, you are the best.

A special thanks to all my beta readers and their willingness to take me on as a new author and to share your views while the work was in progress. For helping me identify slang terms that not all regions would interpret the same. LOL Thanks for seeing it through. Georgianna Jonson and Dee B. you guys are the best interactive sounding boards ever. I am honored to have had you with me through the process. Justin, thanks so much for the books you were able to read for me before your move. Maureen and Gloria I hope you are enjoying the beginning of the series as much as you did the later books you read for me.

My family, friends and beta readers have heard this disclaimer many times but here it is for all you new readers too.

This series is a work of fiction. If details about locations are accurate, I may have passed through or I may have gotten lucky with my description. No need to correct perceived errors in the description, this is fiction. Some facts or observations are woven through the stories but for the majority of the series, this is fiction. *laugh* I hope you enjoy the books. I hope they do inspire you to explore places you have not been, but please don’t try to find places described except just for fun, because its fiction. May the wanderlust take you to places unknown by road or by reading. Encourage our youth to learn the joy and fun of reading, a vacation for our mind that can last minutes or hours as time allows. Thanks for checking us out. The TDU Series currently has 12 books with a 13th in progress and each will be released as it goes through final editing and touchups.

About: TDU - The Series

Tactical (strategic, planned, psychological, calculated, intentional)

Development (expansion, progress, advancement, training, education)

Unit (entity, division, group, company, organization)

The number of paranormal entities in the world are increasing and intermarrying with humans. Those humans and their friends and families are now aware of them and word is spreading. Who will help with peacekeeping and law enforcement as knowledge of their existence spreads. Who will help train local law enforcement agencies how to deal with these groups, who have until now been self-policed. With the increased numbers and expansion beyond the voluntary group boundaries of the past, an integrated human and paranormal force will be needed for the future. The Tactical Development Unit (TDU) is that force.

Paradox: inconsistency, absurdity, irony, contradiction, enigma, impossibility.

Venue: site, place, location, scene, setting, spot.

Converge: meet, join, touch, unite, congregate, and come together.

We hope you enjoyed Raven’s story. She will be working hard in the coming year to master her abilities and some surprises are coming her way. Her past and future will converge just when she thinks she has learned her lessons well. Come meet Aurora and see where the fates would have their stories come together and why.

Table of Contents

Contents

Copyright Page

Dedication & Acknowledgements

About: TDU - The Series

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 - Aurora

Chapter 2 – The Shift

Chapter 3 - Connections

Chapter 4 - Serendipity

Chapter 5 - Graduation

Chapter 7 - Aegis

Chapter 8 – Meeting Parents

Chapter 9 – Wedding Events

Chapter 10 – Helping Hands

Chapter 11 – The Council

About the Author

Chapter 1 - Aurora

Aurora B.due North:

My mother left this earth before Karma could pay her back for the cruel naming of her only child. That would be me. Why do parents think they have to give their children unique names? My mother named me Aurora B.due North. Yes you read that right, as in – Aurora Borealis due North. Sigh.

That was 18 years ago today. After naming me that, without regard for the teasing and hazing I would go through in school over the years, my mother left for the store one day and never returned. I was six years old and had been homeschooled by her until that point. The neighbor she had asked to watch me while she ran to the store finally called the police four hours later to report her missing and to see if there had been an accident or something.

The police found no sign of her, or her car, and had child services pick me up for emergency foster care. When they went into my room to pack some clothes, they found my bag already packed with an envelope sitting on top of it containing my birth certificate, trust fund information and copies of my homeschool records. The letter indicated that for my safety she had to disappear and would not be returning. Her only request was that they place me with someone nice who would keep my name the same. She included permission for adoption but with the same stipulation, that the name remain the same and just add the new last name at the end. The letter was notarized and witnessed by the bank employees where the trust was set up.

The authorities tried several times over the years to locate her after she abandoned me but finally had her listed as missing, presumed dead. I remained in the foster care system for those six years. At the age of 12 my third set of foster parents adopted me. As fate would have it, my adoptive parent’s last name was West. So on official documents my name didn’t improve much. I am now Aurora B.due North West.

My parents tell me there is a God and that he has a great sense of humor. I will take their word for it. They were able to talk the public school system into allowing me to be known as Aurora West on the school records with a letter from my therapist. For this I am eternally grateful. It made Jr. High and High School much easier than elementary school. There have been a few teachers that insisted on knowing a middle initial and I told them B. and they allowed me to leave it at that.

I am average height, 5’7" and about 120 lbs dripping wet. My black hair is short to medium length, hitting just below my chin. My eyes are emerald green. I don’t tan and I sunburn easily with pale skin. A slim size 10. I love to run and participate in track. They describe my shape as being a runner’s body. I would like to be a little curvier, but my adoptive mom tells me to enjoy slim while I can because it doesn’t last, and the padding will come.

The trust fund set up for me was not touchable until my 18th birthday. It allowed a moderate one-time payment toward a used car and the balance in monthly payments to help cover expenses should I decide to attend college and if not then to help with expenses as I find myself according to the trust documents. I received a notice from the trust officer that I also needed to make an appointment with him, to receive the contents of a safety deposit box that was being held by the trust for me, and that the appointment could be anytime up to and including my 19th birthday. After that the contents would no longer be of any value to me.

I was born on April 1st, yea I know, April fool’s Day, as if the name wasn’t enough, right? So here we are, April fool’s Day and I am officially 18. I have an appointment with the trustee at the bank after school. Then two months until graduation. I have applied at several colleges and with my grades and SAT scores, should be able to get in at the ones I want. The determining factor will be the best scholarship offer.

Mom and Dad suggested keeping the car money in savings for now until we see what college because weather may be a huge factor in vehicle choice. I am thankful every day that Edward and Janice West adopted me. They have only been my foster parents for two years and my adoptive parents for six years, but they have shown me 18 years of love and taught me so much. From the first day I walked into their house I felt at home. They already had a son two years older than me and another son two years younger. Sam and Jack. I couldn’t have asked for better brothers.

Sam was just starting junior high school and loved sports. He liked having a sister to protect and watch over and being able to teach Jack how to treat girls like his new sister. It wouldn’t feel like nagging or butting in if he could say he hoped Aurora would find a boyfriend that treated her as good as her brothers treat her. *wink* Sam was pretty smart. I loved having both of them treat me so well and look after me. It made me feel loved and cared for. I enjoyed supporting each of them in their pursuit of sports and other interests too.

Sam is away at college this year, so it is just Jack and me at home. Next year Jack will begin two years of being an only child in his final two years of high school. I feel badly that he will not have Sam and I both here to cheer him on at his sporting and music events though. If I get a scholarship to the college here in state, then I could at least support him for some of the weekend events. There is the bell for the end of study hall. I took it as my last period this year so that if I had a project that needed more time I could stay longer if needed. I am off to the bank appointment now. Mom and Dad offered to come with me if I wanted the backup, but I told them this will be good practice for adult-ing. They laughed but understood. I know they will be anxious to see what it was all about though.

The trustee assigned to me is Mr. Barnes. He is an older gentleman with gray hair. He has been with the bank for over 20 years and is very knowledgeable. It is obvious that he cares for his customers and tries to always make them feel welcome and comfortable asking questions if they do not understand something. Not like some of the younger bankers who make you feel stupid when you ask questions. I am glad he was assigned as my trustee.

I had only been waiting about five minutes when he came out to get me and escorted me to the safety deposit box area of the vault. He told me that it was paid for through my 19th birthday so anything inside it that I want to keep there for a time is okay. We get the box and take it into his office to review the contents along with a letter that will explain what some of the items are. First he explains the trust in detail including a receipt for the funds released for a vehicle and deposited into my checking account as we had discussed when I called to make the appointment for today.

Nearly an hour later, we have covered the trust in great detail. I know how much it will payout over the coming 10 years and in what increments and for what purposes. At the end of the ten year period, there will be a two year waiting period with no payouts and then on my 30th birthday any balance remaining will be paid out in a lump sum. It is set up to carry me through most degree programs, to help with living expenses and auto repairs, if needed. Then at 30 to help with a down payment for a home if needed.

Then things really got weird. It was time to open the safety deposit box. Mr. Barnes prefaced this event by saying: Aurora, I have read the letter that goes with the items in the box and I have to tell you, it does not give me much confidence in the sanity of your birth mother. I don’t want you to be disappointed, because she did set up the trust which will be a great benefit to you over the next ten years. I guess my advice to you would be to accept the items with humor and gratitude for the comic relief it will provide at times when you may feel down, because bless her heart she did the best she could for you and you were blessed to have the West’s come into your life at the most critical time, before your teen years. Instead of spending them caring for your birth mother and being a teen adult, you were able to just be a teen, a blessing indeed. I had to agree with him. His comments were making me even more curious about the box contents though.

Okay, he said, here we go. He carefully unfolded the letter and began to read: Dear Aurora, if you are hearing this letter you are now 18 years of age and my leaving to keep you safe from those who would harm you has worked. Please know that my leaving you was out of love and to protect you, not because I didn’t care. By now you have heard the terms of the trust I set up and are ready to receive the personal items I have left in the bank’s care for you to use in the future as needed. I chose Mr. Barnes as your trustee because I felt he would be the most understanding and supportive of you these next ten years. He is a good man, compassionate and loyal. I realize that he may not believe what he has read in this letter and there is a good chance that you will not either, at least initially, but please keep an open mind. After the 18th birthday until the 19th birthday, our kind come into our full powers.

Over the next year you will find that you have supernatural or paranormal abilities that humans do not have or do not have significant amounts of. These powers will open to you gradually and strengthen and expand as you use them. During your first six years of life, while I homeschooled you, you were being taught the basics of many of these abilities and as they open to you the memory of that training will return to you. I have included in this box a small diary for each ability with details on how to use it safely. I have included other items to provide protection and strength during your learning process. Each little diary also has a recommended reading list. Most of the books recommended are fiction but the closest I could find to truth to help you on your way.

By now you are probably thinking I have lost my mind and if I haven’t, then what are we, if not human? I am glad you asked. We are known as Coalescerian’s. We are a nearly extinct species, used for centuries to keep the balance of power in other non-human groups as directed by a council over all paranormal groups, such as; witches, warlocks, shifters, vampires, incubus, succubus, and more. At one time in history our species was plentiful and lived in peace and harmony with these others. We are a peace loving group and if left to ourselves choose to live in peace and helping others. We have the ability of holding unlimited power from our own and other paranormals without being tempted to use that power over others. We naturally do not want to lead or rule others.

As other species found ways to gain more power than they were capable of using wisely, or ways to steal power from others through dark magic, we were commissioned by the council in a peacekeeping position that had us removing all or portions of their power. In the case of those who committed crimes with that power, punishable by death, we were the assigned executioner’s from the council, causing their death by complete removal of all power including their life sustaining powers. Executions that were without pain or trauma, more civilized than beheading or burning. Though we didn’t like being executioners, we preferred being an instrument of humane ends over the brutal alternatives.

Of course there were still those who feared the power we were able to hold within us and they worried themselves into believing that we could be tempted to use that power against them, because they knew they would be if it were them. To attempt to keep the fear mongers pacified, the council imposed restrictions on our species. (This was obviously after my sister and I were born, or I would not have been allowed to live.) They decreed that our females could only produce one offspring in our lifetime (we are immortal by the way, though not eternal) and that we would be sterilized immediately after giving birth. In the case of multiple offspring in one pregnancy, the first born would be allowed to live and the siblings would be euthanized/killed.

Over time this saw the decline of our species as violent deaths overtook birthrates. The death rates were perpetuated by the growing group who feared our potential power and our ability to remove theirs. As of the time I am writing this to you there are only 3 known Coalescerian’s still in existence and 2 unknown for a total of 5 living. My sister and her husband had twins, the first born died at age 3 along with her grandparents I was told, their one living daughter who was in hiding and not known by the council. I am the fourth and you, who have been hidden and are not known by the council or even by my sister and her husband, are the fifth.

We three adults, by the time you get this, will be in hiding (I am sure) and awaiting the council’s decision on whether we will be allowed to live as a species and if so, whether or not I will be allowed to procreate or if I will be sterilized. Leaving, as far as the council knows, 3 adult Coalescerian’s to do their bidding for as long as they are protected and living. That will leave the survival of our species up to you and your cousin who is about a year older than you. Her mother and I look almost like twins and it is possible that you and her daughter will look much like each other as well. The women in our family have always had a strong resemblance to each other and do not appear to age after we reach 20-25 years in human terms.

Now as to the objects you will find in this box, in addition to the small journals. You have a talisman for protection, as long as you are wearing it, if someone approaches you with intent to harm you, it will heat against your skin in warning. The charm bracelet is designed to cover your natural scent so that any shifters or other paranormal beings who can identify by scent will only perceive you as human. There are several weapons for personal protection with instructions on how to use them, but any good MMA studio will be able to offer you classes as well and I strongly recommend you begin training for self-protection immediately.

When you come into your powers which you should have either today or tomorrow, you will have one animal that you are able to shift into. It is different for each of us. You will find that to save money on clothing, you need to disrobe before shifting to avoid shredding your clothing. You will also want to set up several emergency caches of clothing to put on when you shift back to human if you are not able to return to your home right away. There is a small pouch that can be attached to