Once upon a field of snow, I could probably continue with this train of thought had I ever seen one, but in southern California it just isn't something you see. How unfortunate. I'd seen snow in pictures, in books, on television, and even in my dreams but never once had I been in a position where I could actually describe snow. I imagine that maybe it's like sand but even I, (in my ignorance), find that hard to believe. My mother grew up in Washington and told me about building snow men and drinking hot chocolate by the fire on the snow days that had gotten her out of going to school. Now that was certainly a cool thought. She'd tell me how it was next to never the small vehicles you saw in the ditches that lined the roads but the big 4x4 trucks who's driver's were so confidant that they threw caution to the wind and slid right off the road, chained tires and all. That's not so cool a thought but to be honest  that kind of thing happens here when it rains and it isn't just trucks either. People flip the hell out and lose their minds.

     "Holy crap what is that stuff falling from the sky!" They say.

     You laugh...but I am serious, rain is so rare that when it does come down people have to take a minute to remember what rain actually is. But by the time it comes back to them it's too late because now there is a 8 car pile up on south bound I-5. People are crazy! As if driving to Mexico is going to help them escape the stuff falling from the sky. Either way as much as rain fascinates me, the idea of snow has always fascinated me more. One day I am sure that a time will come where I travel to a place and say something like, "Once upon a field of snow" but until then I offer the closest I have come to date, Once upon a snow cone. Yum, cherry please.

                                                        Chapter One Excerpt

Engulfed in a cascade of euphoric emotion, Kaya was alone in her room. At seventeen she’d made a rite of passage, the first kiss. She’d always heard about the first kiss being like fireworks, but that didn’t describe her experience at all. It had felt more like lightening streaking through her body, heated, raw, and with the seamless flow of a rising tide. She’d thought that nothing could steal this moment of happiness but Kaya’s Aunt Di screaming her name in alarm had ripped Kaya out of her happy place. Her eyes flew open and with one look down fear swallowed her whole.

“Di what’s going on? Help me get down!” Kaya screamed.

Kaya found herself floating three feet above her bedroom floor. She didn’t know how she’d gotten into this particular jam but she was very quickly losing her cool. She could feel the panic rising in her faster than sea water fills a sinking ship. She looked to where her aunt stood. Di had regained her composure and was leaning comfortably against the door frame, grinning like a fool.

“This isn’t funny damn it…. squawk, squawk!”

Kaya darted over Di’s head. That had gotten her aunt’s attention! She was staring at Kaya in shock as she flew into wall after wall. Di knew that Kaya would hurt herself seriously if she didn’t do something to help Kaya.

“Kaya you need to calm down.” Diana said to her telepathically.

Kaya knew it was Di talking; only her mouth wasn’t moving. Di was just gazing at her niece in the way she did when using her gift. She held out her arm and Kaya flew over to perch on it.

“Ouch Kay, please loosen the talons, that’s my arm you’re tearing up.”

Di walked to the bed and Kaya hopped onto the comforter. She stared at Kaya in disbelief and wondered how they were going to get out of this peculiar situation. Kaya had somehow turned into a Red tailed hawk. While Di appreciated the bird Kaya had become, with its earthy brown tones and vibrant red tail feathers, she preferred her niece’s natural form.

“Now listen Kay, I’m going to try something. There are no guarantees it’ll work. It’s just a hunch.”

Kaya felt the transformation take hold and was returned to her natural state. Di was gifted with Telepathy, but only with animals. She could hear animal thoughts and they her’s. But her gift didn’t stop there. She could also bend animals to her will, but she rarely ever did. She had an unwavering respect for every living creature.

“Yes it worked! Whatever was going on with you right before I came up here flipped the switch for your gift’s manifestation. The levitating I understand but the transformation is out of my realm of expertise. That is not a gift that’s in our bloodline. You must’ve gotten that from your father’s side.”

“Yea morphing is ability, not a gift. Dad said that only men acquire that ability. I don’t understand how I am able to do it.” Kaya said confused.

“Well you have crossed blood lines and that could change the rules.” Di said thoughtfully.

Kaya couldn’t stand still but her aunt had become amazingly serene about the whole thing. Di had already gone through this stage in her life when she was twelve. So she was fully aware of how Kaya was feeling. Manifestation was something that every natural mystic underwent at some point during their adolescent years. Kaya’s had just come much later than most. So late, in fact, that no one thought she was going to manifest at all. Sometimes children born to natural mystic families didn’t manifest, especially if one of the parents was an, “ordinary” human. But that wasn’t the case with Kaya. Her father had belonged to a tribe of natives in Washington State. They had supernatural abilities that were more directly tied to the Earth but they weren’t natural mystics.

“How can you be so calm about this Di?”

Kaya gestured her hand in a dismissive motion and Di went slamming into the wall on the other side of the bed. She made contact with so much force that it had knocked the breath out of her.

“Aunt Diana, Oh crap, you Ok? I didn’t mean to! I’m so sorry!”

It wasn’t in Kaya’s nature to be aggressive, but then it wasn’t something she’d done intentionally. Still, she couldn’t help the guilt that was creeping over her.

“Kay calm down! This is normal. You just need to learn how to control your powers. If I ever had any questions about you being your mama’s child, well I don’t now! That was one of her gifts you just used, only with an extra kick. Colleen was manipulation gifted but wasn’t able to use it on people or animals. It would appear that you can! There’s no way it’s safe for you to go to school until you get this under control. Especially with you being in an emotional whirlwind like you are.”

Whirlwind was an understatement. What Kaya was going through was more akin to a typhoon. In three short months her parents were murdered, she’d moved from Washington to Oklahoma, and now she’d just manifested powers that she’d thought were never going to come! If all that wasn’t enough, she’d also met a guy that challenged everything she thought she knew about her emotional side. Kenneth spiked a rampage of feelings so strong; she didn’t know what to do about it. She’d told herself that staying friends was best because of her, “Unique” family. But she couldn’t help the powerful attraction they shared. She sat on her bed looking depressed when her aunt Di took a seat next to her.

“Kaya, honey, it’s going to be ok. You’ll get a hold on your powers. I promise. I’ll be here to help you until you have absolute control. It won’t take as long as you may think.”

“That’s not what’s bothering me Aunt Di. I am officially a freak! Kenneth and I just started dating and now I either have to lie to him or break up with him.” Kaya said close to tears.

“Oh I don’t think it is going to go quite the way you think where Kenneth is concerned. While it is endearing that your relationship placed first on your list of priorities it needs to be bumped down to the second order of business. Getting your powers under control has to be top priority.”

It was well into the middle of the night by the time Di and Kaya went to bed. Kaya had gotten an earful of the dos and don’ts. There was significant force behind her manipulation because Di had two nasty, muscle deep bruises from when she had hit the bedroom wall. When Kaya finally fell into bed exhausted she experienced yet another first. She’d spent all her sleeping hours with her father teaching her how to control the morphing ability. It was surreal but she’d felt it was really him and not just a dream. Kaya was changing from form to form with ease and it seemed there were no limits on the type of animal she could become. Kaya was feeling a stronger control over the ability when the phone ringing tore her from the slumbering lessons. She opened her eyes and was blinded by the rays of sun peeking through the blinds. She got out of bed and answered the phone with an irritated tone in her voice. It came out sounding incredibly rude.

“Kays are you ok? I dropped by this morning to pick you up and your aunt said you were sick and couldn’t go to school today. I got the distinct feeling she was not telling me the truth. I’m not going to call your aunt a liar but that’s exactly what she was doing, lying. What’s going on?” Kenneth asked clearly worried.

Kaya let the nick name Kenneth liked using slide. She was starting to see that constantly telling him, “Kays,” wasn’t her name was pointless. She sighed dreading the inevitable.

“I am just under the weather Kenneth.” she lied and instantly felt ashamed.

. “What exactly is it that you’ve got?”

Kenneth definitely knew she was fibbing, but calling her a liar was not an option. To his way of thinking there had to be a good reason why she was being dishonest.

“Well can I see you? Unless you’re contagious, and even then I’m not sure that would be enough to keep me away.”

“I’m sure that isn’t a good idea Kenneth.”

Kaya wanted nothing more than to see him. The pull he had on her emotions was nerve wracking, but she couldn’t help that. She was starting to tell him another day would be better when he cut her off.

“Kays, please, I need to see you. I’m not going to take no for an answer.”

Kaya found it hard to tell him no when he put it like that. She sighed realizing that he wasn’t going to budge until she agreed to see him. So she told him he could come over.

“Great, cause I’m outside right now.” He said.

She peered out the window and there he was, staring up at her. Kaya couldn’t believe how much she already cared about Kenneth. It was irritating. He was getting off his motorcycle and she ran down stairs to meet him at the door. If Kaya had any questions about how much she wanted to be with him she didn’t anymore. That had really hurt her in light of what had happened the night before. Kaya Hunt was no longer an ordinary seventeen year old girl. She opened the door before he could knock. Kenneth pulled her to him and didn’t let go for a long time. He smelled of fresh air from his ride over.

“I missed you Kays.”

She could tell he had worried about her. She snuggled into him, drawing in the comfort he provided. She felt safe like this. He was bigger than other boys his age, by a lot. It wasn’t so much that he was a whole lot taller, he wasn’t. He was just a considerable amount broader. He stepped back from Kaya to look at her and all she could think about was kissing him again. She looked away wondering what the hell was wrong with her!

“By the way, Anissa told me to tell you that she’ll call you tonight. You don’t look sick to me Kays, but there is something different about you.” he said somberly.

Anissa had been the first friend Kaya had made upon arriving in Tangent back in May. They saw a lot of each other because Josh was Anissa’s boyfriend and Kenneth’s best friend. Kenneth and Josh had known each other their whole lives. Where you saw one you usually saw the other.

“I wish I could tell you what’s going on with me but I can’t. You wouldn’t understand, or worse, you wouldn’t believe me.” Kaya said.

“Try me Kays.”

“I can’t Kenneth, I’m sorry.”

“Kays, you can tell me. You can tell me anything! Nothing you say can change how I feel about you.” he said lifting her face to look him in the eye.

She could just barely hear herself questioning the level that he and she had already reached in such a short time. Was it insanity? Definitely; or at least that was what the rational voice in her mind was saying. The rest of her wasn’t pulling any stops though. They definitely had a drawing hold on each other.

“You say that now, but you don’t know what you’re talking about. I have secrets Kenneth. These secrets are new to me, but old to my family.”

“Everyone has secrets Kays, even me. Some secrets are more outrageous than others. I have a really outrageous secret and I’m ready to share it with you. It’s something you need to know if we’re going to be together. You want to be with me right?” he asked uncertainly.

Kaya sighed because he had to know by now that for her, he was more than just a passing infatuation. He was her very first boyfriend after all. That said something, didn’t it?

“You know I do or you wouldn’t be standing here right now.” Kaya told him.

The yellow hue Kaya had seen in his eyes so many times was back. She was starting to realize it only happened when Kenneth was in the heat of an emotion. She’d seen it when he’d been happy, sad, and even mad. But she’d seen it the most when his thoughts toward her were passionate. He looked away sighing in defeat.

“Only very few people can see the yellow. Apparently you’re one of those people. The fact that you can tells me you’re different. I think it is also one of the reasons we’re so drawn to each other. I’ll share mine if you share yours. I’ll even share mine first if it’ll make you feel better.” he said sincerely.

“Ok Kenneth, maybe you’re right.”

“I’ll come back later tonight and pick you up. Make sure it’s ok with your aunt alright? Everything is going to be ok. Whatever is going on with you, we’ll get through it together. See you later Kays.”

He ran his fingertips down the side of her face then left. Kaya wished she knew what was going through his mind; because the way he had looked at her had put her on edge just the slightest bit. She was still standing in the middle of the front landing when Di came through the door looking over her shoulder. Her voice broke Kaya’s deep thoughts.

“Kay how long was Kenneth here?”

“Only a few minutes, he came by to check on me. He wants to see me tonight because there is something he says he needs to share with me. Something I need to know if we’re going to be together.” Kaya told her absently.

“Hmm, you two are getting serious aren’t you? Give me a hand with these groceries will you?” Di said as she brushed past Kaya.

“What makes you say that?” Kaya asked just a little more defensively than she’d intended.

“Kay I just know these things. If that boy wants to share a secret with you then he is as serious as a heart attack.”

“Ok Di, spill it, what do you know and don’t you dare say nothing.” Kaya said resentfully.

“It’s not my place to tell you that boy’s family histories so you are just going to have to wait; and yes you can go with him tonight.”

Kaya looked at her aunt sideways. She hated it when Di got that all knowing, smug, and superior tone in her voice. Didn’t she realize that it was condescending not to mention totally offensive? Kaya felt her metaphoric hackles rise and had to mentally steel herself to keep from flying off the handle. She didn’t have time to worry about her aunt’s self-righteous antics. After all they were on a time schedule. Kaya was in desperate need of getting her powers under control. She couldn’t keep missing school forever.

“Whatever, anyhow my dad came and visited me in my sleep today, or rather last night, and was giving me lessons on my morphing.” Kaya said irritated.

She had said it with complete calm, as if it were the most normal thing in the world. Kaya knew Di would lose her marbles with that statement and she wasn’t terribly far off. She knew it was petty but she felt she’d just evened the score board between herself and her aunt. Di was not the only one that knew how to get a rise out of someone!

“Say what!” Di half squealed.

Kaya chuckled on the inside and for the first time since her manifestation, felt real amusement. Kaya cast a devilish grin at her Aunt. Di gave her a critical look and Kaya laughed.

“I know it sounds crazy Di, but I swear it was really him. I feel like I have a handle on my ability now, but I wanted you here before I tried anything. So do you have a moment?”

“Yea but let’s take this up to your room ok.” Di said looking around at her numerous breakable belongings.

For the second time in less than five minutes, Kaya found herself laughing. It wasn’t every day that her Aunt could be found wearing anything but a smile.

“Alright I’ll meet you upstairs. I’m just grabbing a pot of water.” Kaya said, disappearing through the doorway to the laundry room that was off the kitchen.

“Why on earth do you need that?” Di asked bewildered

“You’ll see in a minute.”

Kaya was thinking a stock pot was about the size. She grabbed one and filled it. It was heavier than she’d thought it would be, so getting up the stairs had been a chore.

“Are you ready Di?” Kaya said as she walked into the bedroom and set the pot down with a thud.

“As ready as I can be.”

“Well here goes nothing!”

Kaya closed the door and turned into a mallard duck. She waddled to the stock pot and jumped in. Di was laughing in Kaya’s mind. Before Kaya could change into her next animal she found herself hopping back out of the stockpot and waddling over to Di.

“What are you doing?” Kaya demanded irately.

That’s what she found herself quacking anyway. No matter, she knew Di understood her. Di laughed at Kaya in her telepathic way.

“Well aren’t you the prettiest duck ever!”

“Stop it Di! I need to make sure I have this right before tonight! Release your hold on me!”

“In a second, I promise.” she said reaching out for Kaya.

“No right now!” Kaya shouted at her.

Kaya changed form and Di was staring at herself. Kaya looked exactly like Di and could tell it unnerved her.

“Oh boy, so you are not just limited to animals.” Di said stunned.

“If you’re done toying with me, can we get back to what we came up here for?” Kaya said still furious.

“Uh, yea Kay, sure thing.”

Kaya turned back into the mallard, waddled to the stockpot and jumped in. A goldfish was her next choice. She swam around happily, turned back into the mallard, hopped out of the pot, and assumed her natural form. It seemed that it really had been her father teaching her.

“Well it looks to me like you got it under control Kaya.”

“Yea I think I do. Can you help me with the manipulation?”

“The best advice I can give you for both of your gifts is to be calm in both your emotions and your thoughts when you try to use them. Give it a shot. Try to move your jewelry box from your dresser to the bed.”

Kaya focused on the jewelry box and tried moving it off the dresser. It moved alright, into her mirrored closet door. She was about to start ranting when Di spoke.

“Kaya you are still upset with me for messing with you. You need to clear that out. Balance your emotions and thoughts. That way your frustration is not the driving force behind your power. Try again with the bowl of beads.”

Kaya took a deep breath and let go of her resentment. She tried again. The bowl shook on the dresser but then lifted off the wood. It floated unsteadily across the room and landed with a plunk in Di’s lap.

“That’s much better. Now try to put it back on the dresser.”

Kaya tried again with the bowl. It rattled around and lifted off Di’s lap. The journey from the bed to the dresser was much smoother.

“That’s the way Kay, just remember practice makes perfect and levitation works the same way.”

Di went down stairs leaving Kaya alone with her thoughts. Kaya’s emotions reflected the absolute sense of accomplishment she felt. She had a strong hold on her powers. Content that she’d succeeded in that arena she turned her thoughts to something much more troubling. Kenneth! It was very possible that she would not get through the upcoming evening and still be able to call him her’s. She couldn’t imagine what she’d do if he walked away from her forever.

Genre: YA Fantasy Realism/Romance

Target Audience: 12 -17 years old

Word Count: 90K

Hook: Two natural mystic’s, a Kunoichi , and a Lycan family set out to hunt down a malicious mythical creature that's bent on killing them all.

Mini Synopsis:

Kaya unexpectedly finds herself as a target of the ancient predator that murdered her parents to steal their magical souls. To preserve her life and ensure her safety, she’s whisked away from her home in Washington State and relocated in the remote Midwestern town of Tangent. In a time when abilities are manifesting, Kaya feels lost and out of touch with the new things her body can do. With a deceiving notion that she is finally safe, Kaya tries to regain some semblance of her old life only to find that she has been tracked to her new home. Her life takes a twist when she starts getting attacked at every turn and narrowly survives each encounter. Kaya feels the absolute need to avenge her parent’s deaths and put an end to her own likely demise. Even so, she finds it exceedingly hard to kill a creature that can change its appearance and disappear without a trace. Kaya receives the support and edge she needs to potentially defeat her foe in her small group of extraordinary friends. Like so many things in this town, they are much more than what they seem. All that stands between Kaya and imminent death are her friends and a mysterious senior named Kenneth.

                                                   Chapter One

                                             The Reality of Things

Some are born with a natural dominant instinct to be cruel while others are exactly the opposite and see the good in everything. Between the good and bad of the ordinary world there are those born to magic and those who die at its hand. Chloe lived her life in both the ordinary and magical realities but had always felt like someone with no friends…no one at all who cared whether she lived or died. No one, that is, except Lydia Nostredame. Lydia had cared about Chloe but it was the kind of caring that a ruthless bully feels toward the unfortunate student they torment. Lydia’s brand of torture was mostly psychological but it still dealt a devastating blow. Most days Chloe wore the misery like a cloak and every so often when she got the nerve to shed that cloak…she’d get burned. The first time, three years ago, had been the worst by far.

“Who can tell me what the two non-human magical societies are?” Grand Dean Alvars had asked as he scanned the room for someone to call on.

As the head of the school Alvars took particular pride in his student’s knowledge of worldly magic. When none of the students in the after school club jumped at the answer he looked the slightest bit surprised by the silence.

“Does no one know? All of you signed up for this esteemed club. Intersociety Magic is based on our awareness of the other racial magics. Surely ONE of you knows the answer.” Alvars said in his carefully annunciated cadence.

His question was met with an uncomfortable silence. Chloe looked around the room and realized she may be the only one that did know the right answer but her shy nature was preventing her from raising her hand. Alvars had not missed Chloe’s wandering eyes and he smiled realizing she was the one with the answer he was seeking. There was always at least one student that didn’t need to sign up for his elite club but did anyway simply because they loved the subject matter. He suspected this first year was that student this year.

“Miss Shipton, do you know the correct answer my dear?” Alvars asked softly.

Chloe shrunk back in her chair as all eyes turned to look at her. She gave the slightest nod of her head, indicating that she did know. She didn’t say a word out loud but the panic attack in her head was rolling like a runaway train.

“Why me, I’m the only first year in the club, why would he call on me? Everyone in this room knows the answer. It was on the test we had to take to join the club in the first place!” She thought to herself as the older students looked at her expectantly.

Chloe wanted to disappear. There was a quiet giggling coming from behind Chloe and when she turned to see its source Lydia gave her a look that said, “Go on and make a fool of yourself little girl.” Chloe knew a gauntlet hand been thrown down and decided to take up the unspoken challenge. Before she could turn around Lydia shot her hand into the air.

“Miss Nostredame, perhaps you have the answer?”

“Yes Grand Dean. The answer is the magi, or mage, and witches.” Lydia said beaming with pride.

Chloe smiled knowing that Lydia had either not heard the question correctly or didn’t know the right answer because she’d answered wrong.

“I’m sorry Miss Nostredame, while those are different magical religions, practices if you will, they are NOT magical societies. Miss Shipton would you like to enlighten us with the correct answer?” The Grand Dean said as he rocked forward with his hands clasped behind his back.

Chloe could have just answered from her chair but she opted to go to the front of the class and look directly at Lydia, as if to drive the point home, when she delivered the correct answer.

“Sir the correct answer is Elves and Faeries. Witches and their male counter parts, Warlocks are an example of magical practice and method, also called magical religion. There are many other magical religions like Wizards and their female counterparts Enchantresses. Then there are Sorcerers and Sorceresses…like us, there are of course more but those are just a few. Elves and Faeries are the only two non-human organized magical societies in the world.” Chloe said with absolute confidence.

“That is correct my dear.” He said and motioned for her to take her seat again.

When Chloe spared a glance in Lydia’s direction she could see the undeniable tempest of hatred’s furry brewing in her eyes. The heat of Lydia’s glare continued to fall on Chloe for the rest of the club meeting. After the meeting concluded Chloe decided to go for a stroll in the Orchard of Purposeful Trees. They were magical tree’s whose fruit incited different sensations of wellbeing; Chloe was looking for the circle of Calming Trees. She hadn’t meant to upset Lydia; she’d thought it was a friendly challenge. She felt terrible about upsetting her club mate.

She was reaching up to pluck the calming pear from the tree when a pain so intense bloomed in the back of her head and she saw stars. The next second she was slammed to the ground by her hair…hair that reached mid-thigh because it had never been cut.

“If you so much as whimper I will set your damn clothes on fire, do you hear me?!” Lydia snarled through her teeth. “I bet you think you’re so damn smart, but let me just tell you, no first year little girl is going to make a fool of me!”

Lydia twisted Chloe’s hair around her hand and pulled it excruciatingly tight. Chloe shrieked in pain and moved to try and lessen the tension on her hair.

“Shut up, I am serious I will set your damn clothes on fire and burn that pretty little face of yours so horribly that no one will recognize you.” Lydia said meanly.

She pulled on the hair so hard that Chloe thought she heard some of it ripping. Chloe realized almost immediately that the sound was not her hair ripping but Lydia cutting through it at the base of her neck. She felt the strain of her hair being pulled lessen with each cut until there was no more pulling. Lydia got to her feet holding a mass of black hair four feet long. At the sight of her hair dangling from Lydia’s hand Chloe started crying at full force.

“That’s right, cry about it little girl. You don’t mess with me and get away with it. So now you know. Don’t cross me again or what I’ll do to you next will make this seem like a beautiful dream.” Lydia threatened.

“You won’t get away with this! I am going to go straight to the Grand Dean. He’ll see that you have cut my hair. You’ll be expelled.” Chloe sobbed as she felt the short hairs at the nape of her neck.

“Oh you mean this?” Lydia said holding the hair up higher in her left hand.

Her right hand started to glow orange and she threw the mass of hair to the ground. Fire spouted from her hand and she torched the discarded hair. It ignited on contact and the flames consumed every last strand. Chloe’s tears fell like rain as Lydia laughed at her with genuine satisfaction. A brisk wind kicked up the few leaves that had already fallen and carried away the ashes of Chloe’s hair.

“Now you have no proof and it is my word against yours. There are no witnesses and you could be mistaken on the identity of your attacker. It’s getting dark after all and I have a perfect record. Who do you think Alvars will believe an established student or a first year vying for attention? I think we both know the answer now don’t we.” She said with confidence and then left Chloe to cry alone in the Orchard of Purposeful Trees.

She had never forgiven Lydia for that act of cruelty all those years ago and she never would. Chloe went out of her way to avoid crossing Lydia’s verbally venomous path. She’d done more than just blend in. She’d all but perfected the art of disappearing into the river of students walking from class to class. Lydia’s bullying and Chloe’s tendency to be a loner didn’t exactly win her a spot in any groups. She wasn’t pretty enough to be in with the popular girls. The outcasts, well she was simply TOO weird… even for them. She was smart, but honors club smart? Let’s just say those types were nice, but viewed Chloe as more of a charity case than a contributing equal. Chloe told herself that this year, her freshman year, was going to be different. Even Grand Dean Alvars couldn’t have predicted just how different Chloe’s Freshman year would be at Grammaire Hall.

                                                         Chapter Two

                                                     The Voice Within

Chloe looked over the books she’d chose very pleased with how the research trip to the library had gone. Taking a deep satisfied breath, she moved toward the librarian’s desk to check the books out. She couldn’t wait to go back to her dorm and get started on her assignment. She was strolling past a table of some particularly mean veined girls when the snickering began. Normally she would just quicken her pace and walk on past but this time she stopped instead. Something had snatched and ruthlessly held Chloe’s attention…something far more serious than snickering. To everyone around her it looked like Chloe had just gone from weird to completely bizarre. She stood there, still as stone listening to seemingly nothing. But it hadn’t been, “nothing”. It had been someone crying for help…someone only she could hear. Chloe shook off the unsettled emotions the cries had left in their wake and started toward the librarian’s desk again completely unnerved. Chloe tried to suppress the feeling of guilt that was rising in her faster than an evening tide and for a short time she was successful. Mrs. Martin checked out the books and Chloe’s guilt over not helping the one who was desperately crying out over took her as she reached the door leading outside. Another breath wiggled its way through her lips, this time as a sigh of resignation. She couldn’t ignore this even if she wanted to, and she really wanted to!

She was going to try to do the right thing. Her moral set demanded it. If someone was calling out for help you tried to help them. That’s what her parents raised her to believe. It didn’t matter that the voice belonged to Lydia Nostredame, her single biggest bane of misery. Chloe’s gut told her not to get involved; to just turn around and leave. Her gut’s pull was strong, but her notion of right and wrong was a force to be reckoned with. The two opposing sides battled it out as she stood there with her hand on the knob. After a few moments of inner turmoil her moral stance won out. Chloe left the door and headed back into the library. Lydia’s cries ricocheted through Chloe’s head like a stray bullet looking for a mark. The cries for help became tortured screams as Chloe hurried in the direction her mind said they were coming from.

“Ms. Shipton, we do not jog through the Library!” Mrs. Martin said sternly.

Chloe slowed her pace to appease Mrs. Martin, but as soon as the stoic librarian’s attention was snagged by a group of snickering girls, Chloe darted forward. Lydia’s screams had grown to a deafening intensity. Like the tolling of church bells, the screams drowned out every other sound. The sharp shrill of them poked at Chloe’s temples like daggers. The pain was excruciating but still she pressed on. Her feet carried her past the familiar parts of the library and into the further reaches that were seldom ever visited.

“Why the hell does it have to be stairs, dark ominous stairs? Seriously this had better not be a prank. If this is some kind of trick, no one will be able to stop me let alone see me ring Lydia’s perfect little cheerleader neck.” Chloe said out loud trying to squash her harried nerves.

She summed it up to she’d just never noticed the stairs before. After all she’d only ventured to this part of the library maybe once before, if even that. The stair’s door was wide open and had it been closed, she would have thought it was a broom closet. The stairs twisted down further into the unknown depths, dimly lit and narrowing by the second. They seemed to spiral on forever until she finally reached a floor of stone. The smell of musty tomes and aged ink filled the stagnant air. There were rows upon rows of shelving, easily fifteen feet high. Layers of dust covered the sheet draped chairs and tables that shared the space. There were cobwebs, also thick with dust, which adorned most everything in this underground library.

“Please stop, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I swear…I don’t know anything!” Lydia pleaded the desperation evident in her voice.

Her tone was drenched in terror and quivering with tears. It echoed through the room, bouncing off the milled stone that was the walls of this well-kept secret. Chloe’s gut was adamantly insisting that she turn back, but she ignored it and continued on. She slinked through the columns of shelved books as sense of danger settled over her skin like static cling on a warm blanket. The further she moved down the rows the thinner the air seemed to get. It was like trying to breathe around a bubble lodged in her throat. Sweet smelling smoke wafted around Chloe in a lazy wisp as she stood at the very edge of a book row looking around. Chloe recognized the scent immediately, it was sweet grass.

Peering around the edge of the book shelves she stole a glance at a scene bathed in the long shadows cast by the flickering flames of a fire. Lydia was huddled into a whimpering ball on the hard stone floor. Her fragile body was battered, bruised, and worn from the torture her tormentor had inflicted. Lydia’s red plaid skirt and a white starched blouse hung loosely on her thin withering frame. The patch of a solitary flame was embroidered to her grey wool cloak which was lying haphazardly on a nearby table. Lydia was part of the Ignis Dormitory Order, the students of fire. Swatches of her wheat blonde hair scattered the floor bloodied at the tips as if parts of her scalp had come away with them. Fear gripped Chloe as she took it all in. She quickly surveyed the area and was preparing to cross the small distance to Lydia when her instincts pinged and she froze. She didn’t dare to even breathe.

The air stirred just the slightest bit but it was enough to make the hair on the floor bend with the slight pressure of it. Chloe shrunk back behind the wall of books as someone else approached and drifted across the floor to stand over Lydia. It was hard to know if this person was male or female since Chloe’s perspective only allowed a view of their back. The hood of their cloak was pulled up so no identifying features could be seen. The figure loomed over Lydia a moment longer before silently heading toward the ornate wooden table where Lydia’s cloak was. While their face was hidden by the fullness of the cloak’s hood the signifying dormitory patch was not. The patch boasted a black hackled cat on a gray background. It belonged to the Dormitory Order of Mortem, the students of mortality.

Like Ignis, Mortem was an order that belonged to the Elementa Edict. Chloe belonged to the Dormitory Order of Cogitari, Students of thought. Cogitari belonged to the Spiritum Edict. The Edicts were the two main factions of magic in the world. Chloe’s order was the smallest at just six members, because even in the magical world hearing other’s thoughts was unusual. Being able to project your thoughts to others was unheard of. For most Cogitari students the hearing of thoughts was the extent of it, but for Chloe it was a two way street. Not only could she hear but she could also be heard if she chose.

Chloe watched with a sense of dread as the cloaked figure retrieved a small silver canister and an ornate ceremonial dagger from the table. Returning to where Lydia lay, the figure opened the canister and threw some of the contents into the fire and then sprinkled Lydia’s body with the remaining amount. The flames in the huge fire place jumped in height and blazed blindingly bright as the figure chanted words Chloe didn’t understand in a monotone voice. Yanking Lydia up by the wrist, the cloaked figure sliced the blade across the palm of Lydia’s hand dripping blood onto the hearth below. Lydia screamed in pain as the blade bit into her flesh. The fire roared into a loud blackish purple inferno and souls of the dead could be seen dancing within the flames. When a soul shrouded in an ominous black glow walked from the flames and stood in the blood on the hearth Lydia opened her mouth to scream. Instead of sound escaping her lips it was her mortal soul. It slowly drifted into the fire’s purple hues. Lydia’s body went limp as her soul disappeared into the flames with a flourish of light resembling a sparkler. The soul of the dead that stood on the hearth took up residence in Lydia’s body.

The flames died down and the figure released Lydia’s wrist. She looked like a wraith with the thinnest layer of pasty ashen skin holding together the limbs of a skeleton. As she stood there in the pale glow of that purple fire her face took on a more lifelike complexion, her skin filled out and expanded back to normal, healthy, teenage proportions. Chloe continued to watch as her pulse thundered in her ears, loud and unrelenting. It was then that the glowing purple orbs that were Lydia’s eyes zeroed in on Chloe. Lydia flew across the room at remarkable speed and knocked Chloe to the cold unforgiving stone floor. The last thing Chloe experienced was Lydia’s angry glowing eyes inches from her face and the breath being squeezed from her lungs.

Genre: YA Fantasy 

Target Audience: 12 - 17 years of age

Word Count:  62K

Hook: Grammaire Hall is fabled to hold an artifact capable of summoning history’s deadliest sorcerer back into existence, but only an unknown descendant of a long dead prophet knows where it’s hidden.

Mini Synopsis:  

     When Chloe Shipton mysteriously goes missing, the rumors at Grammaire School of Sorcery point to murder. Wandering as an unseen apparition among her schoolmates, Chloe must find her body before it dies. As she uncovers clues as to her body’s whereabouts a secret starts to unravel revealing the presence of rogue sorcerers hidden within the school. The rogue sorcerers seek to bring back the third edict of the government that was destroyed long ago for unspeakably, horrific crimes against humanity in both magical and magicless factions. To prevent having her family’s connection to the prophecy revealed Chloe must find a way to reunite body and soul without giving the rogue sorcerers what they need to destroy her world. Failure isn’t an option because dying at fifteen would really suck! 

 Author Name: Lynn Veevers

Short Bio: I am a Business Major with a concentration in Technical Writing. I’m also an avid reader, prolific writer, and mother of wonderfully diverse children. I call Oklahoma home.

I don't write poetry but I definitely try. I am actually a novelist of YA Fantasy Realism and High Fantasy. So with that said, I do believe you have to be the slightest bit ungrounded, at least were the visionary portion of your brain comes in, if you are a fantasy writer. So here is a question for those of you that write poetry and do it so beautifully. Are there any words of wisdom where the mechanics of it is concerned? I do have the imagination and writing has always been an easy pleasure for me. So when I try to write poetry well it is challenging. Any thoughts at all would be very much appreciated.

Meaningful actions masked within words long overdue was his weapon of choice,

Advanced wisdom of love’s lyrical prose, ensures silence of a willing victim’s voice.

Not a physical pain, but yet her tears came and to him, worth their weight in gold,

Innately involved and still, the heart waits for a message a gleaming object will hold.

Pulsating determination calms his soul, in these painfully quiet seconds of decision,

Unwaveringly true is that manipulation through bribing is still an age old tradition.

Lest she suspect his motives are anything but what they are, the real heartfelt truth,

A rite of passage is this testament to well spent time from a chapter of lasting youth.

Timid is her reaction to the question he voices with his heart vulnerable on his sleeve,

In his eyes she saw all her dreams even the one’s she’d only secretly dared to believe.

Only the manipulation of love between two souls can render true love’s “Yes”,

Now he can breathe and let go of the fear that had caused such dreaded stress.

Dear author Thank you for considering me,

That was the first line of the agent's rejection.

By now you'd think that the writer would be numb,

But every decline stings as bad as the very first one.

Days turn into the weeks, weeks into the months, 

This is not the right fit for me but the best of luck.

The road to publication is hard, hurtful, and very relentless,

It is these things that whisper to you, quit, stop this nonsense.

Half the battle is persistence and agents, like all humans, are bias,

So much hangs in the balances of personal tastes and preferences.

So I put on my big girl pants, and walk through this sea of fire,

I travel through my own personal hell with a smile on my face.

But why? Why am I so happy why am I so glad in this dark time,

It's simple, I know that I have the talent and tools to succeed.

How do I know you may ask and most certainly  want to know,

Non bias Beta readers is the answer that I give you today.

It is oh too easy to have those close to you rendering praise,

Have an open heart, an open mind and above all confidence. 

Take a deep breath and give a friend the first three chapters,

That friend gives their friend the chapters and your email.

Let the unbiased magic begin via email express,

Those not known by you will render the truth.

So if you are brave and not all who write are. 

Trusting another to judge is hard to accept. 

But the unknown eyes of my mystery readers are beautiful to me,

For they catch all the things that we as writers are too blind to see.

So rejection from an agent is hard and it hurts the pride, 

But praise from a mystery Beta reader is blissfully sublime.

It was a passion from the start,

a need to set the expression free.

First through the eyes of a distant ancestor,

I scribbled atop wet clay with a tool of bone.

Progression plodded along at a steady pace,

papyrus and reeds crafted my creative words.

Next on sheets of wax with wooden tablets,

the metal stylus etched words to the page.

The Dark ages were of the parchment days,

a true turn but the stylus still held its place.

Parchment survived the darkness and the stylus fell,

modernism had given life to the artistry of the quill.

The quill remains a classic testament to the trade,

but the pencil nudged its way in to take its place.

Bone, soft metals, and inked quills all had their turn,

steel nibs took the spotlight from the lead and wood.

Ah but true innovation was at last known,

in the rise of the fountain pen to the hand.

Ball point pens came into fast existence,

leaving our coveted fountains in the dust.

The ball point had held a very long reign,

but it finally subsided to the felt tip pen.

While traditional writing is still alive and definitely well,

They have given way to the computer, tablet, and phone.

So the implements used have changed through the ages,

yet the point remains the same, Live, Breathe, and Create!

     It was December 22, 1990, 11:30 PM. My mother had woke me from a dead sleep with a frantic cadence in her voice. 

     "Get up, I need you and your brother in the living room now!" 

      I slipped out of bed and on barefeet made my way down the long hall to the livingroom. I was walking past the first flight of stairs as dad came up them bundled tight in his most winter worthy clothes. The snow outside had compiled to a depth of over three feet in just one night. As I walked into the living room I saw that mom was crying.  She held my little brother in her arms.  He was a chunky child always so full of life but at the moment he was vibrating with a hacking cough and red as a christmas stocking. 

     "We need to take your little brother to the hospital in Bremerton. He is weezing and burning with fever."

    Three hours later the call came.

      "Hello... yes I will tell her, are you coming home tonight? Are you serious! Ok mum it's going to be ok." My older brother had said as he hung up the phone.

     "The baby has been admitted he needs help breathing and they've hooked him up to machines. Mom is staying at the hospital with him dad will be back and forth between here and there."

     "What is wrong with him?" I wanted to know.

     "He has croupe, I'm not sure what that is. The baby is going to be hospitalized for at  a couple days. This is serious, if they can't get his lungs clear he could die."

2 days later

     "Sissy, mom called they are coming home tonight, they are discharging the baby. He is going to be home for Christmas." My brother said.

     "I want to let you kids know that this year Christmas might not have presents, we were in the hospital and had no time to shop." My mother told us later.

     "It's ok mom Santa will still come. I am sure that he will understand why there are no family to family gifts this year."

     I still believed in the miracle of Santa Clause then. My mother  locked eyes with my father. My dad walked to the coat closet and retrieved his winter coat, hat, and gloves.

     "I'll be back." He had said before going out into the snowy evening.

     I turned in early that night but woke again around 10:30pm to go to the restroom. As I was leaving the restroom the sound of my parents talking in hushed tones lured me down the hall.  They were sitting on the floor in front of the christmas tree and unwrapped presents littered the floor.

     "Who's this one from?" my father asked mom about a gift he had just wrapped.

     From Santa honey, all of her's are from Santa. Did you know she still believed?" My mom had asked.

     "No, I  assummed she was past that age." He had admitted.      I went to bed with a smile on my face after my session of eves dropping, because even in the face of life and death my parents relised a child's innocence was still intact and had stayed up half the night to ensure that it was preserved. That meant more to the adolecent I had become that night than Santa had meant to the child I was the night before.