Half-Mark: Book 1 of the Aequalitas Series

By K C Hope

Devyn Black and her six friends were living the normal lives of teens in a small town, just as one would expect. But when Devyns batty employer has seven surprise guests show up, normality goes out the window.

In a dimension parallel to theirs, Devyn and her friends have been chosen to fight in a war of good versus evil. When Devyn is transformed, she is challenged by a dark figure with a shady past. Can she defeat her challenger with only half the strength she needs? Can her group fight a war in a place they never knew existed for creatures and people theyve never met?

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: May 22, 2015
• ISBN: 9781504912884

K C Hope

My given name is Kylie Hope, and I am seventeen years old. I was born and raised in sunny California by two loving parents (one of whom is sci-fi/romance author Jay Hope) and, as they say, a village. Not really, of course, I just like to make lame jokes. My favorite pastimes include writing, reading, movies, and working in the garage with my dad on Beasty, my 1973 Chevy Blazer. I have two dogs, three cats, and a pesky little sister. We share a house in the Golden State, where I am periodically at work on my next book or procrastinating while watching Friends reruns. Follow my journey on social media: Instagram: @kc_hope13 Facebook: KC Hope Twitter: @KC_Hope13

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

In the beginning…

Sitting on her hammock on a balcony just off of her room, Devyn Black had her nose in a new book. She’d always loved to read, and this was one she could tell would be an emotional roller-coaster. But like any good bookworm, she loved every page.

Barely hearing the buzz of her phone, she reluctantly tore her attention from the chapter to find her bookmark. Scrambling over shoes and clothes that inhabited the floor around her sitting area, she dug her phone out of the couch and answered it before the last ring.

Hello?

It’s about damn time you pick up your phone! a deep voice shot through the earpiece.

Sorry, I had to dig it out of the couch again, Devyn replied, restoring order to the cushions as she did so.

You were on the balcony reading again. It wasn’t a question. Her ‘non-biological brother’ knew her all too well.

…maybe… she answered him quietly.

Whatever, anyways, we’re all going to Bechlynn tonight. So bookmark it and throw some sneakers on, he ordered.

Fine, I’ll be there in an hour, okay? she answered.

You better! he yelled teasingly into the phone.

After hanging up with him, she grabbed some clothes and headed for a shower, mulling over the chapters she’d read instead of getting a head start on researching colleges. She continued this while changing clothes and all through curling her dark brown hair; she only burnt herself twice in the process.

Her favorite jeans and Vans fit comfortably, and the white tee she’d chosen fit well with the hoodie-jacket combo she’d put together. Bechlynn’s pumpkin patch was chilly at night and one or the other simply would not do. She checked her hair one last time before grabbing her phone, wallet, and keys off of the shelf over her desk.

Rushing down the stairs, she yelled goodbye to her mom who was curled up on the couch with the cat and another book. Her dad was most likely in the shop getting into a project. Emmett, her brother, wasn’t home from his girlfriend’s yet, so she shot him a quick text, notifying him of her whereabouts.

On her way out the door, she texted Garrett, or her ‘non-biological brother,’ saying she was on her way and to meet her at the south entrance as she hopped into her towering vehicle. Garrett Hayden was easily the tallest person in Devyn’s group of friends. He hadn’t completely filled in after his growth spurts, so he was very lean. His light brown hair was never styled, but still stood perfectly due to a cowlick in just the right spot. His skin was darker than the rest of the guys, and made the girls jealous that he maintained a perfect California tan all year round. His maturity level had grown since they first met. He was still a big kid, like most of the guys Devyn had befriended, but he was less of an annoying little punk now that he was older.

She started the engine and clicked her seatbelt. Setting the radio to her favorite station, she backed out of the driveway, windows cracked to let in the early October air.

She loved her Chevy Blazer. It was a project car that took her and her dad about a year to finish, and no other vehicle in town came close to its uniqueness. The matte blue paint hid the home-made rust fixes and any dents she’d acquire in her travels. The roll cage over her had what her family called Oh Shit! handles with stickers that labeled them. That was probably her favorite part of the truck, other than the roar of the engine as she drove.

Being sure to mind the road signs and speed limits, she made her way to Bechlynn’s Pumpkin Patch. The abandoned farm was rumored to be haunted by the Bechlynn family, and was condemned twenty years before. Devyn’s friend circle was the only group brave enough to chance it; especially at night.

Though, it was stupid to think Bechlynn was scary. The barn did look sort of horrific from the outside at night, its splintering and rotted wood poked through the peeling red paint, and the door to the upper level hung open and lopsided on its rusted and creaky hinges. The breeze made it sway and create the spine chilling squeak from a horror movie. But during the full light of the day, it was just an old barn in need of a coat of paint and some TLC.

Devyn’s loud Chevy pulled up to the gate, opened in expectance of her arrival, and she parked with her friends along the side of the old barn. Garrett’s GMC was parked beside Avril’s silver Trans Am. Adam’s Jaguar was parked on the other side of Devyn’s Blazer.

Adam Djaxx rushed out of the barn when he heard the Blazer roll up. He pulled Devyn out of her truck just as she had managed to open the door. His embrace was almost too tight as he swung her around. When he finally set her on the ground, she caught her breath and gave him a proper ‘hello.’ The enthusiastic boy had sandy blond hair that he kept short, and his eyes always sparkled when he smiled. Devyn had met him when they were young, but they were reunited when they shared a ninth grade English class. Devyn was too oblivious to see how much Adam enjoyed her company, but the others could see it as easily as sunshine.

She locked up, and walked around to the big barn doors. She could see a dim light flickering through the opening. Pushing through the doors, and trying to avoid getting a flat tire from Adam, she looked at her friends scattered on the dusty old hay bales that still took up space in the old building.

Devyn!! Louie called as she hopped down from the hay and ran to hug her friend.

Louie Oliver’s first name was actually Louise, after her great, great grandmother, but she’d been happier with it since Devyn’s Louie became her call. She was kind of ditsy, but she was one of Devyn’s original group members. Her blonde hair hung in loose curls over a dark purple scarf, and her gray-blue eyes lit up when Devyn swooped in for a hug. Next to Danielle, Devyn had the most inside jokes and late night ice cream sprees with Louie

Avril Saxly, the other girl in the group, took a little longer to wiggle out of her boyfriend’s embrace. She was the shortest of the bunch, an inch or two below Louie, and even on her tip toes, Devyn had to lean down to hug her. She was second to last to come in to the circle; Jonathon was the last. Avril was a dancer, and her insanely long, dirty-blonde hair was what set her apart from the other girls. She was Devyn’s go-to for advice most of the time, being that she was one of the more mature ones in the group. Her heart was always in the right place, and she could be counted on whenever she was needed. She was a little more ladylike than Devyn and the other girls, but always laughed the hardest when one of them said something shockingly blunt.

Jonathon Bryton, Avril’s boyfriend, was Devyn’s height. But he was the median of the two boys, body wise. He had brown hair that he also kept short. His smile seemed to be the brightest whenever Avril was near, which Devyn admired. He gave her a quick one-armed hug, and grief about her being late because she drove like a 90-year-old woman, before returning to his spot on the hay bale with Avril. The two of them were an inspirational couple for Devyn, and fit together so well, they were practically a two-piece puzzle. He was a little on the blunt side, like the rest of the teens. Although, Avril was too googly-eyed to be bothered by his crudeness.

Devyn perched on the wall of an old stall across from her friends and listened to the chatter of teens discussing their adventures since they last hung out. Being that they weren’t all at the same school anymore, or in the same social group if they did go to the same school, they had catching up to do during these visits.

Where’s Danielle? Devyn said after doing a head-count.

Up here! a voice echoed from the loft above them.

A rope hanging in front of Devyn wiggled as a pair of brown boots appeared below the edge of loft flooring blocking her view. A girl appeared after the boots and landed softly on the hay-covered floor. Danielle Astral was Devyn’s first best friend in high school, and they’d clicked from the get-go. Danielle was half-Hispanic, with beautiful dark brown hair that she recently styled as a pixie cut after having it down to her waist for a long time. She, like all of the other girls in the group, was a few inches shorter than Devyn. Even the two inch heels on her boots didn’t let her see eye-to-eye with her best friend.

So good of you to join us, said Devyn.

Figured I’d grace all of you with my presence, she said teasingly, flipping her hair in mock conceitedness.

Devyn laughed and made a face at her.

So, said Garrett, tearing attention away from them and rubbing his hands together deviously, Who’s up for a game of Patch Tag?

CHAPTER TWO

After everyone was caught up on recent affairs, the group headed out into the pumpkin patch, and played like little kids among its large and twisting vines. Despite being pretty mature for a group of eighteen-and-nineteen-year-olds, they never felt too old for a game of tag, regardless of what others thought.

Devyn ran from Adam, trying not to trip in the barely illuminated setting, and hid behind a cluster of the large orange gourds. It had always befuddled them how an abandoned farm could be so fruitful, but they enjoyed it all the more with the secret liveliness that other townspeople would never be brave enough to discover.

He had lost the Nose-Goes decision of who would be the Tagger, and insisted it would be the fastest game ever due to his Track-star talent. But after watching him trip several times over the vines in the patch, the others decided he wasn’t as big a threat as he claimed to be. He caught the girls first but Devyn and the guys knew how to use his clumsiness to their advantage.

Squatting lower to the dirt and leaves, Devyn’s hand fell on something cold and smooth beneath her. Forgetting about the game, she began to wipe away the dirt from what appeared to be a white stone. It was roughly the size of her hand, and the moonlight made it appear luminescent. It was fairly easy to dig up, so it hadn’t been there long. She turned it over and over in her hands, watching it shimmer. Pocketing the stone, she stood and made her way to where the rest of the group had gathered.

You were the one person I couldn’t find! Adam yelled when Devyn appeared in the light of their cell phones, clearly frustrated.

Louie just laughed and said, Don’t get your panties in a bunch, Djaxx. She’s a sneaky one!

Her comment only irritated Adam more. Shut up. You were the first one caught, he muttered angrily.

Alright, cool it guys, Avril cut in. It’s just a silly game.

What’s that, Dev? Jonathon asked, pointing to the lump in her jacket pocket.

I don’t know. I found it over by the scarecrow, kind of buried. She pulled out the stone, and watched it sparkle in the half-moon ambience. Louie took it, turning it over in her hands and brushing dirt off with her thumb.

Moonstone, Louie said, breaking the silence that fell on the group.

Is that its actual name, or do you just want to call it that? Devyn’s voice displayed both curiosity and sarcasm as she looked from Louie to the stone.

That’s its actual name. Although, it is fitting, isn’t it? she replied, raising her brows at the coincidence.

I wonder what it was doing buried in the patch, Danielle pondered aloud, her warm brown eyes fixed on the light shimmering from the stone in Louie’s hands.

Maybe someone dropped it, Avril offered, shrugging her shoulders beneath the borrowed grey sweatshirt.

Nobody in town is brave enough to walk down the gravel road to this place, much less wander the property itself, Jonathon answered as he leaned on a section of rotting fence. He paid no attention to the loud creaks it made, and he fell to the ground with a dirt-muffled thud. The look on his face as everyone laughed at his unfortunate plight was less than thrilled.

The laughter died down and Avril helped him brush off the dirt. He had a point; the road passing the gravel driveway to the property would be abandoned as well if it wasn’t a road to several different farms. There was only one more farm past this one, and only when it was absolutely necessary did people drive that road.

Maybe someone tried to be brave, got scared shitless, and dropped it on their run for the gate, Garrett brainstormed, smacking on a mouthful of bubblegum.

Who carries a palm-sized moonstone around? Devyn countered.

I dunno, what eighteen year old plays tag with other eighteen year olds in a pumpkin patch on a condemned farm in the middle of the night? Adam asked, sarcasm laced with puzzlement flooding his tone.

A group of six seriously mental teens with kickass reputations as fearless mofos, Garrett stated proudly.

They all laughed as they headed back to the barn. Louie handed Devyn the stone and told her to take it to her boss, Regio. He would know all about this kind of thing. It was what made Devyn want to work for the crazy old guy in the first place. His vast knowledge of all things unusual captivated her, and his practices were a huge bonus to get to watch.

Parting ways in their cars a few hours later, Devyn stole a quick glance at the shimmering stone in her passenger seat. Something about it was odd, and she couldn’t put her finger on it.

Looking back to the unlit road before her, a figure appeared out if nowhere. Panicked, Devyn jerked the wheel in an attempt to avoid the man, and her tall vehicle spun onto a gravel shoulder. When it finally came to a halt, she took a few labored breaths, and forced her shaky hands to unbuckle her seatbelt and open the door. Anxiety making her nearly collapse under her own weight, she walked around to where she could see the road. She hadn’t realized she’d been holding her breath until she released it all at once at the sight of the man facing her, standing unharmed in the road.

Hello? she called out to him with a shaky voice. Are you hurt?

The man didn’t answer. He just turned around and walked off of the road and out of the brake light’s reach before she could say anything more.

Too tired to sort through her thoughts at the moment, Devyn got back into her car, and drove home without so much as blinking.

She parked, and dragged herself up the stairs to her bedroom, and change into pajamas before finally passing out on her bed. Sleep didn’t wait long to overtake her, and what little energy she had left poured into a darkly realistic dream.

Devyn was standing in a forest. Fog rolled along the ground like a movie, but the sky was black. No moon was visible, but there was enough light to see her surroundings. Where it came from, she didn’t have a clue.

A silhouette of a man appeared before her suddenly. He was familiar, and it took Devyn a moment or two to place him. But she remembered he was the man in the road that she nearly hit. She hadn’t seen any distinctive features that night, but the light revealed the face of a young man about her age, maybe a bit older, with hair dark as the night sky above them. His eyes were a piercing blue, and as she got closer, she could see a slightly iridescent ring of amethyst around them. His nose was short and came to a soft point in the middle of his perfectly symmetric face. His lips curved up in a sly smile that could make a woman faint, and Devyn could see his muscles, oddly developed for someone his age, flexing beneath the thin fabric of his tee shirt. He had tattoos; a shocking number of them for someone who was probably underage. His skin was tan, not anywhere near as dark as Garrett, but he had a beach glow. He was a walking fantasy.

So what was he doing in a small town like this?

CHAPTER THREE

Her alarm the next morning willed her awake, but the sound of rain on the roof of her large, second story bedroom lulled her to stay in bed. Fighting the sweet symphony of it and the fresh smell drifting through her open windows, she got up.

Her morning routine crawled by like it always did before she was fully awake. She got her things together for work, and closed her windows and balcony door before heading downstairs to grab breakfast.

Good afternoon, her father chimed over his cup of coffee.

It’s half past seven. Should I be here at six for ‘good morning’? Devyn shot back jokingly, cutting into her piece of coffee cake with the side of her fork.

Smartass, he shot back over his coffee mug with a smirk.

Devyn’s dad, Anthony Black, was taller than most men she’d met. His sense of humor was as big as he was, and he was always joking. Devyn’s friends favored her father for his sense of humor, and spent quite a bit of time at her house over the weekend to enjoy the relaxed and happy environment that he livened with slightly profane jokes and gas. He was one of those guys that could build just about anything in his garage, and from this talent, a successful business was born.

Regio asked me to come in early this morning, so I better take off, Devyn said around her mouthful of the delicious breakfast.

It’s pouring out there, take an umbrella, Jean said, walking in from the hall. She hugged Devyn tightly.

Her mother, Jean Black, was only a few months older than Anthony, and she enjoyed Devyn’s friends just as much. She was usually cooking for them and making them feel at home in her comfortable haven of a house. Devyn got a good amount of traits from her mother, and wherever they would go, someone would stop to tell them how similar they looked. Jean, like Devyn, loved reading and was the cat’s favorite companion in the house.

Saying her goodbyes and dodging the huge drops of water the sky was pelting on her umbrella, Devyn hopped in the huge Blazer. She shivered as the heater made its best efforts to warm her, and headed out to Regio’s.

He was one of the town’s well-known farmers, with a huge property and a big, beautiful plantation house in the front of it. He had a small store at the end of the property closest to town where he sold berries and homemade treats. Devyn usually prepared those, but she rarely worked in the store. He lived alone, so her jobs consisted of some cooking and cleaning, occasionally grooming the animals on the farm. As much as she loved this job, she knew Regio could use a few more hands. Since she had unemployed friends, she could solve his problem in a heartbeat. While doing the morning feedings out in the barn, she pondered how to bring it up. For the next hour or so, she rehearsed it before the chickens in the pen. Though they only seemed interested in the bucket she carried. When she had finished out in the barnyard, she went back up to the house in search for her eccentric employer.

Reg? Devyn called as she took off the borrowed rubber boots at the welcome mat.

In the kitchen, he called back.

That’s never good, she replied, sliding on the wood floor in her socks. When she reached the cooking area, Regio was puzzling over a big book that had seen better days, and his spice cabinets were open with the small shakers thrown haphazardly about the spacious granite countertops.

Regio was a man in his late forties-early fifties. Devyn wasn’t sure which, and Regio never answered when she asked. He had grey eyes that probably matched the hair that he shaved off of his head. His beard reminded her of an old wizard; it was gray and coarse, and it hung down nearly to his belt. He had a big nose that rounded at the end, and his slightly-off nature poked through