Shattered: DESIRE Series (A Dystopian Fantasy), #2

By Kailin Gow

From the ALA YALSA Award-winning author and multi-award-winning filmmaker Kailin Gow comes...a fantasy dystopian called the DESIRE Series.

DESCRIPTION

Kama has made her choice, but now the revolution has begun. Book 2 of the international bestselling DESIRE series about a dystopian society touched by magic.

Shattered is Book 2 of the DESIRE Series

Other books in the DESIRE Series

Desire
Summer Wishes (A Desire Novella)
Shattered 
Passion
 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sparklesoup.com
• Release date: Sep 13, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386866091

Kailin Gow

It's official! Read about Kailin and her books being adapted into films and tv series here: https://filmdaily.co/obsessions/kailin-gow-loving-summer/ FIND OUT MORE ABOUT KAILIN GOW AT: https://linktr.ee/KailinGow including how to get a free book from her! Kailin Gow is a million-selling international and USA Today Bestselling author of over 680 published books! She writes in many genres under her name and other pen names. She has been an invited speaker on Book Expo America, appeared on CBS News about writing books with social issues, and the Top 15 National radio regularly on women's issues, women in film and Hollywood, and leadership. She holds a Masters in Management from USC and degrees in Social Ecology, Criminology, and Filmmaking. She is an author influencer on Instagram, owns a podcast network with multiple channels, is a multi-award-winning filmmaker, screenwriter, producer, actress, and host. Her books have been made into games, animated short films, and series. Currently, a number of her book series have been optioned, are in development, or pre-production, including her YA Fantasy Sci Fi Thriller FADE (which has been optioned) and Red Genesis (also optioned) by Netflix producers. Kailin Gow is a regular guest in radio and television on women in Hollywood and filmmaking, naming the top Women Execs to Watch. She is a judge in film festivals, writing contests, and is also a voting member in the Academy Awards. AWARD-WINNING INTERNATIONAL MILLION-SELLING AUTHOR, PRODUCER, AND TV PERSONALITY Kailin Gow is an internationally-recognized multi-award-winning multi-genres USA bestselling Asian American author and woman director/filmmaker who has written and published over 400 books under Kailin Gow and her pen names. She is both traditionally-published as well as indie. Considered a digital publishing pioneer, her books have been downloaded over 10 Million times around the world. She is known as one of the most prolific authors internationally who not only writes novels but screenplays fast, but of world-class quality they win prestigious awards like the ALA YALSA Awards and Los Angeles Film Awards. Besides having gone to law school, she holds a Masters Degree in Communications Management from USC and Drama/Film and Social Ecology Degrees from UC Irvine. She has also been a longtime member of TED Talks. She is the first Asian American author to have sold over 1 million books and to be featured on Amazon.com's homepage as an indie Author Success Story. Her success as an Indie Author and advocate for Indie authors during the early Kindle days has inspired many to take a plunge to become authors. The first Asian American woman who is independently published to appear on Amazon's homepage as an Author Success Story, she also represented Amazon as an author spokesperson during Amazon's Kindle Family Launch press conference in Santa Monica and at Book Expo America where she was an invited speaker. A digital publishing pioneer, she was one of the first authors and publisher to publish digitally back in 2001. Prior to becoming a full-time author and filmmaker, she worked as an Exec in Legal and Production at Walt Disney Company, a writer/producer for Cable Television, an Exec at high tech start ups, and Exec at Fortune 100 Hotel and Travel Corporations where she has managed and trained hundreds of employees on world-class service and operations. She has also been a professional model, a tour director, journalist, re-organization consultant, a secret mystery shopper/consultant for top brands, and professional speaker who has been an invited speaker at Book Expo America, Girl Scouts, Asian America Heritage Week, and more! FUTURIST AND SOCIAL INFLUENCER A social influencer, she has over millions of views on her YouTube channel and her Vimeo channel with over 1.5 million views on her Bitter Frost trailer and award-winning animated short film alone. She is a judge on writing contests for writing incubator social sites, has been a member of TED Talks, and is one of the most quoted modern living authors today. She has also been regularly published as a contributor on Fast Company magazine on articles about publishing, leadership, business, and social issues. https://www.fastcompany.com/1800256/social-media-and-future-publishing-industry

Book preview

DEDICATION

"H ere's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes... the ones who see things differently—they're not fond of rules... You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can't do is ignore them because they change things... they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do." - Steve Jobs

Prologue

Arcadia, Earth – Year 3010

I saw Liam, Sarah, my mother and even Pim, all in quick succession. They were wrapped in fog, distant and silent, and the more I struggled to approach them, the further away they appeared.

My mother came beside me suddenly, a fidgety but happy baby in her arms. Her scent, fragrant with baby oil, baby lotion, and baby powder, came to me and the baby Kama in me felt content and secure. In her arms I wanted to remain, always. The warmth and loving attention she gave me was endless and I greedily ate it up.

My thumb found its way to my mouth. I cooed, gurgled and looked into my mother’s loving eyes. She brought me to my room, the perfect little princess room.

A flash of pink. A flash of lavender. The cradle was gone and a canopy hung over the single bed. She set me on the floor and I ran to my bed, a five year old princess determined to protect my castle.

Stay and help me fend off the king’s knights, Mommy. I grabbed the magic wand, my constant companion.

Setting her housework aside, she joined in the game. We set up for battle, a fierce battle that would send the knights running back to their king, but suddenly Miss Harper set up at the black board and chalked out the day’s lesson; sixth grade math. Sarah sat in front of me, her ponytail shining under the bright yellow ribbon that held her hair up. She shook her head back and forth, making the ponytail swing with exuberance.  I already looked forward to running out to play with her; hopscotch was our favorite.

I glanced down at my notebook. Beside the perfectly formed numbers I’d patiently added, multiplied and divided were a series of hearts. Some were colored in, some were pierced with an arrow and all had the same name printed inside.

Liam.

And there he was, sitting beside me. In ways I’d never imagined, he captivated my attention. He was so adorable and I couldn’t resist the way he made me laugh.  I longed to hold his hand. He winked and in an instant we were at his impressive home; the governor’s mansion.

Here I truly felt like a princess and instead of fending off the king’s knights as I had done as a child in my castle, we danced, laughed and sang. His playroom could easily take up more than half my whole house and it was filled with every game and toy imaginable, but the toys were quickly set aside as we discovered one another.

Always friends, always close, our relationship left the innocence of childhood behind and forged a strong alliance based on love, respect and deep admiration for one another. We’d become inseparable.  Sometimes I wondered if I could breathe without him.

I was at his side as he opened his Life’s Plan.  He was to marry a girl he’d always known. Our eyes met. We’d always known we be together, grow old together. Now the fulfillment of that dream was close at hand. We celebrated, threw confetti, blew horns, clapped our hands, jumped and screamed our excitement. Our lives were becoming more intertwined with every day. We kiss, so deep and so passionate, I wanted to weep for the sensations it left me with.

A flash of blinding light brought us to the day I received my Life’s Plan. Sobs racked my chest as I read and read again.  It couldn’t be right.

There has to be a mistake, Liam said. He stared at the page, seeking, as I had, some hidden message, some encrypted information.  There had to be something in the Plan that indicated we should be together.

Multiple flashes of light, more blinding than lightning, left me with the same result.  I turned away, shaking my head to clear the image of the blank and empty Life’s Plan only to find it blank time and again.

We’ll get it fixed, he said.

I melted into his arms, wanting to forget the horrible Life’s Plan. We would ignore it and be together, no matter what it said.

The bright light shifted to display roaring red flames that brought us all back to the diner, our favorite afternoon hang out. Sarah was too cheerful for me to endure, her laughter so joyous and excited, it made my pain all the more unbearable.

Sixth grade math.  My princess room.  Liam’s stately mansion.  My mother’s arms.  Liam’s Life’s Plan.  Sarah’s joyous laughter.  Liam’s love.  My childhood, my life had been a fairy tale... my Life’s Plan a nightmare.

As my life unfolded before me, I looked across the table to Sarah and back to Liam, feeling a loss of control.

Then came Torrid. Magnificent and beautiful, he stood across the street, his brilliant blue eyes boring into me, delving in deep.  He drew me to him in a way Liam never had. I left the diner to go to him only to find myself alone; only to leave Liam with too many questions.

The flashing lights, the blazing flame, they all dimmed and faded and the childhood memories crumbled and disappeared. I tried to open my eyes, to face the reality of where I now lay. My mind refused to accept it and briefly reverted to the loving memories of the past, but a sharp stabbing pain was insistent, persistent in its desire to tear me from bliss of sleep and drop me in the nightmare I knew I’d face if I opened my eyes.

Kama, Liam said. His voice was soft, but determined to shake me out of the fog I had taken refuge in.

Kama, wake up.

I opened my eyes to meet his, and for a moment, I was filled with a sense of relief and not the nightmare I’d expected.  We’d made it.  We’d escaped and were free.

Sitting up, however, I was immediately confronted with the truth. We weren’t free, the heavy metal bars on the window made that fact all too clear.

And the biggest reminder of what had happened was wrapped around my wrist... the leather band Pim had placed there stuck to me like a second skin. I was a captive.

Chapter 1

L iam, I muttered, trying to get my bearings.  Are we in jail?

He held me close, his hand gentle as it swept through my hair. I don’t think so.

I looked more closely at the walls around us.  Peeling wallpaper hung on the upper half of the walls while the bottom was bare, scoffed and scratched.  Minimal furniture was pushed into a corner; an old desk, a battered filing cabinet and a three legged chair.  It was an old office that no longer served a purpose.

I think we’ve been sent to someone’s funny version of a dungeon. He forced a smile, but his eyes were filled with concern.

The windows were high and shallow. It’s a basement.

Liam stood and looked out the window.  Looks like we’re right under the Committee conference room.

I was slow in getting to my feet, partially searching for any possible injuries and partially to allow my head to stop spinning.  Once up, I swayed, found my balance and headed for the door.  Eager for a taste of fresh air, I grabbed the knob and twisted, but it wouldn’t budge.  They locked us in.  I glanced at Liam, trying to keep the accusation out of my eyes, but finding it impossible to keep it from my next statement.  Your father had us locked up.

No, he said.  He crossed the room and tried the door himself.  He wouldn’t do that.

You know Pim as your father, loving and caring, but as governor of Arcadia... as the creator of this perfect world, I think he may be a whole different person.

He shook his head and laid his hand on the heavy reinforced door. He just wants to teach me a lesson.  You’ll see.  He’ll let us out, it won’t be long.

Don’t you get it, Liam? Your father’s not what you think he is.  He didn’t send us down here to teach us a lesson.  He’s restraining us.

Pulling me into his arms, he let out a resigned sigh. We’ll get out, Kama. I’ll get you out. He kissed my temple and stroked the tender skin at the base of my neck.

I’m sorry, I said, knowing how difficult it must be to learn what kind of person a trusted parent really was.  This can’t be easy.  I pulled away and my fingers automatically worked their way to the band on my wrist.  ‘He put this on me, remember?"

Liam glanced at the band and nodded.  I knew how tortured he was by all this.  Torn between the love he’d known for his father and the anger he now had, he brought his fist into the air, prepared to hit the wall then turned away, his eyes filled with tears of pain.  I can’t believe he’d do this.  He loved me.  He reached out to take my hand.  For crying out loud, Kama, he loved you.  He loved your mother.  How could he do this to us?

I didn’t know what to say.  My own memories of Pim had been shattered as I’d learned of his past... of his present.  Liam, you saw what he did, I finally said.  You saw the sky.  The world your father has created has been shattered.

He stared blankly at the wall.

It took me months to understand it all, Liam.  My whole life has been built on the vision of my perfect life in Arcadia... my life with you. Learning about the Magical Ones, everything that happened with the Committee and my Life’s Plan, my own capabilities... and Torrid.

He cringed and made no attempt to hide it.  Do you really have to bring him up?

Like it or not, he’s a part of this change that’s coming to Arcadia, to all our lives. It may take you some time to come to terms with all this, but don’t linger too long. Don’t fight the inevitable.  Our lives might depend on it.

His lips parted to comment or question, but his words were halted on his tongue as the doorknob suddenly rattled.

I gripped his arm and turned to face the intruder.  If we had to fight our way out, I wanted to be prepared. Ready? I said, though I had no idea what we were about to face.

Yeah, Liam grunted.

A guard, no doubt one of Pim’s men, threw the door open and stood, his imposing figure blocking the way.  The heavy steel door clanged against the wall, leaving a metallic echo hanging in the small room.  The sheer force needed to push the door back so easily was impressive and made the option of rushing him too daunting.

We backed away, staring at the huge man with awe and fear as he entered the small room.

Shielded in golden armor, his glow was far less menacing than his strength implied.  His skin had an appealing sheen and his eyes danced with joy and relief, not anger and vengeance.  A thick mane of black hair played in sharp contrast to the golden skin and pale eyes.

A magical one, I whispered.  I stared at the tall figure, trying to figure out who he truly was.  The little girl in me secretly wished it was my father, General Adar.  Had he come to rescue me?  Had he come to deliver me from the hell Arcadia was now facing?

He smiled, a paternal grin that quickly turned sour.  His lips played on the grin, one moment loving and desirous of trust, the next wicked, almost demonic.  A streak of cold air rushed down my back and the taste of fear filled my throat.

Stepping in beside him, Dr. Sanz took in our fear with relish. I wanted to scream at the sight of him, jump him and beat the smirk off his ratty little face, but I stood immobile, uncertain of what I should do.

How nice to see you again, Kama, the doctor said, a sardonic grin pasted to his face. "And Liam; I see you’ve taken good care of her. I’m happy to announce that Pim is being kept quite occupied, what with the fighting off of this