Book of Love (41 page)

“
Avery, stop teasing!” He
looked to the canopy above him, his sharp nocturnal eyes catching
what little light the moon cast across the forest.

A branch rustled overhead, and Avery fell to
the ground before him. Her knees bent with expert ease, accepting
her weight. Avery slowly stood, adjusting the quiver on her back.
Her silver-blue eyes never left his, her pale skin and long blonde
hair glowing in the light of the moon.

Avery had a sassy grin on
her face. “Long time no see,
Greg.”

Greg stood his ground, finding trickery was
already written across her face. He held the arrow toward her. “You
missed.”

Avery laughed.
“Missed?”
She reached
forward, touching Greg’s ear. When she drew back, his blood stained
the tip of her finger. She wiped the blood on her silk tunic. “I
never
miss
, dear
Greg.”

“
You didn’t kill me.” He
challenged.

Avery grinned and looked at the ground.
“Killing you would defeat my purpose.”

Greg lifted one brow. “Your purpose?”

Avery finally took her arrow from Greg’s
still outstretched hand.

“
Are you saying you’ve
finally seen my side of things?”

Avery’s eyes met Greg’s. “Maybe I have.” Her
lips were pursed, giving no tell to her intentions.

Greg put his hands on his hips. “Max won’t
like that news.”

Avery laughed. “Max? You think I still care
about him after what he did to me?”

Greg shrugged.

“
Besides, the point is that
Max doesn’t need to know.” She eyed Greg, telling him with the
confidence of her pose that her plans were deceitful. What Greg
couldn’t decide was to whom they would benefit—him or
Max.

“
So, you’re saying you want
to trick him?”

Avery didn’t move. Her eyes locked on
Greg.

“
Have you even seen him
since he’s been back, Avery?”

Avery looked down at her
nails, inspecting their flawless beauty. “Unfortunately I have seen
him, but only from a distance.” She rolled her eyes. “Seems Max has
found a new
pet.
I wonder how long that will last.” She gave Greg a look of
contempt.

Greg snorted. “He thinks
he
loves
her.”

They both laughed for a moment.

Avery exhaled. “A Seoul?
He loves a
Seoul?
Classic.”

“
So, then your on my side,”
Greg pressed again.

Avery smiled. “We need to
get rid of that little brat. She’ll stain his honor,
my
honor.” Her face was
solid.

Greg laughed. “Jealous are we?”

Avery glared, a pinkish hue lighting her
cheeks.

He nodded. “Finally, someone get’s it.”

* * *

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About The Author

Abra Ebner lives in Washington State with
her husband and two cats. She writes everyday, unable to find
anything else that brings her as much joy, other than love.

Her travels to England, Scotland,
Switzerland and Germany, as well as her studies abroad in Australia
have granted her a life full of wonder and excitement. She
graduated from Washington State University with a degree in Fine
Art.

Special Thanks

Kenny and Amber

Brenda

Heather

Tessa

Mom

Dad

&

My Husband Erik

* * *

The Feather Book Series

Book One

Feather

Preface

The Gods once created a being far greater
than anything in existence. These beings, the highest form of human
life, were closer to the Gods than even the Angels, and their
beauty far more appealing than any earthly creation.

The Gods, upon seeing such a beautiful
creation, grew jealous. The being needed no love, longed for no
power, and hungered for no nourishment of either mind or soul.
Their flawless creation was angelically perfect, and therefore
appallingly wrong, for nothing could be more perfect than the Gods
themselves.

As the being flourished, troubled by
nothing, the Gods grew dark and vindictive. Fueled by their hatred,
they plotted, and the plan they constructed was horrid, inhumane,
and dark. They chose to split the perfect soul for eternity, fore
the Gods thought themselves ultimately endangered by their
creations’ power and strength. In one swift movement, they ripped
the being apart, creating two hearts; both sharing one soul.

One half was the creator, the life and
energy of the Earth, and the mother of man. The other half was the
power and protection, a warrior of worlds. In this, they created
Male and Female.

As the Gods schemed in their eternal greed,
they chose to make their creation a game, no more than mere pawns
for their enjoyment. As punishment, they scattered the beings among
the humans of Earth, both halves separated and eternally locked in
hunger and longing for the love of their shared soul.

The female half was the holder of their
life, the emotion and beauty of the soul. In her, she protected
this delicate power, never abusing its energy, and forever giving
to the Earth and nature. Despite her possessions, she was lonely
and lost in love - weak, sad, and alone.

The male half, the powerful half, was left
lifeless and drained of the energy only the soul could give him. In
the male’s life on Earth, he searched for his strength, the female,
and the power he could ultimately gain from it. Their lethal lust
for that soul was so great, that it drove them into madness, anger,
and despair.

Upon meeting their soul mate, the male half
was found hungry and vicious, murdering his other half in his
greed, and ultimately leading to their demise. But despite their
vicious love, many survived long enough to understand their power,
and in finding each other, they unlocked the secret to their
lives.

Together, the two halves created a whole, a
life force greater and more powerful than anything on Earth. Though
eternally tormented by jealously and hunger, they were better
together than apart, the ultimate test of eternal love.

A New Day

“
Estella, take
this.”

Heidi thrust a thick envelope toward me as
tears of sadness filled her eyes. Her hand was trembling and weak
as it floated in the air between us.

I looked at the envelope with caution.

“
Oh, no!” I shook my head,
my face contorted into a sad frown. “Heidi, no, I couldn’t.” I
squeezed my eyes shut, unable and unwilling to accept the
gift.

“
Please, Estella.” She
paused, her voice breaking. “I just want to see you happy. I am old
and tired. My life is ending and yours is just
beginning.”

Heidi walked toward me with a determined
look on her face. The envelope was still stubbornly held out in
front of her. Her eyes pierced mine, and I could see she loved me
like her own.

I grabbed the small, manila package between
my trembling fingers, treating it with delicate care. The contents
were beyond what I could ever deserve, but the needs reflected in
Heidi’s eyes ran deep, and I found myself unable to say no.

“
Thank you.” I looked at
the ground as a familiar sadness pierced my heart.

Heidi leaned in and hugged me, her thin arms
squeezing the breath from my lungs.

“
I’m sorry I couldn’t have
been more of a mother to you,” she whispered, her breath hot as it
fell across my ear. She sounded responsible, as though the fact of
my absent parents was her fault.

She was crying now, and I felt her tears
seeping into the shoulder of my blouse.

“
Heidi, you are the closest
thing to a mother I’ve ever known. Don’t think any less of
yourself.” I put my arm around her frail shoulders as she trembled
against my chest, the guilt in me rising as I forced back my desire
to stay, to save her from her lonely life.

She pulled away, a determined look now
filling her tear-stained face. She was strong, I knew this, but she
hated to say goodbye.

“
You go, make me proud,”
she said bravely. “And find your happiness.” Heidi patted both of
my shoulders with surprising strength, her nails digging into my
skin.

“
I promise I will come back
as soon as I can.” I tried to smile as I bent to pick up my last
bag, but try as I might, I couldn’t summon the action.

Heidi followed me to the car in her
housecoat and slippers as I threw the last bag in the back seat of
the old, rusty, green Datsun. I was finally able to afford the car
after my summer working at the Market downtown. I did everything I
could to scrape enough money together, to make my escape from the
city.

Heidi’s eyes had dried and I looked at her
with nostalgic love and admiration as I climbed into the car. The
old vinyl seats yawned against my sweaty skin, and I winced at
their searing heat. I squeaked the door shut, slamming it with as
much force as I could muster before putting my hands on the plastic
wood grain steering wheel. She waved to me with hopeless vigor as I
coaxed the vehicle to life and forced it into reverse.

“
I will visit soon!” I
yelled out the window as I drove off. “The college is not too
far.”

Heidi took a small step forward as she waved
goodbye one last time. I would miss my foster mother, but this was
my time to make something of my sad life. The upbringing she had
given me was more than I could have hoped for, but something inside
me was driving me away, pushing me to another place.

As I drove down the crowded streets, the
shadows cast by the towering buildings of downtown Seattle always
left me somewhat disappointed. The tiny house where I had been
placed when I was ten glared at me in my rearview mirror as it
disappeared between the apartment complexes of the west side.

I took a deep breath, exhaling with a heavy
heart. I had decided the city was not for me. After years of
adoption and rejection, I couldn’t stand its cold cement and moist,
dirty air any longer. Why the city had let me down I was unsure,
but as the depression in me grew deeper over the years, it had
become a sort of cancer. There was death here, and everyone took
their happiness for granted. I would have given anything to feel a
smile, to muster out a happy laugh.

I rolled my windows up, closing out this
world as I headed north toward the Cascades. As the hills of
Seattle whizzed by, each growing less crowded with houses, I felt a
sort of liberation. The stern grip I’d had on the steering wheel
slowly eased, and soon I was casually driving with one hand. My
lonely life had never granted me the experience that was ahead of
me, the chance to be with nature as my heart had so longed.

The college brochure had promised a tranquil
and secluded experience, and that was just the thing I was hoping
my dark heart needed. College had always been a goal for me, and
despite my graduation from high school with a bachelor’s degree
that I had earned taking night courses, it still didn’t satisfy my
insatiable need to learn.

The sun shone onto the serene valleys of
northern Puget Sound, filling the basin with energy and warmth. As
I crept further north, the dense forest began to creep ever closer
to the road. Like always, I felt a strange pull from the plants
that sat there, each bowing toward the concrete as though longing
to escape to the other side. The cement was like a wall, much like
the invisible wall in my heart that was refusing to allow me
happiness. Despite the confines of the road, I still envied their
freedom. They had a life of simple happiness, and the ability to
adapt and grow. I, on the other hand, had never belonged, and
despite how hard I tried, I always stood out in a negative way. The
world hopelessly saddened me, as though somewhere in my past life,
it had let me down, my soul now darkened by my mere existence. I
felt like a mistake, and I felt like God had forgotten me, as
though he were too ashamed to grant me a fair life.

I reached into my bag as I drove, retrieving
a bottle of medication that seemed like my only lifeline. Keeping
one hand on the wheel, I popped a small pill into my mouth, as I
habitually did every day for the past twelve years. Each clouded
thought was further stifled by the power of Prozac. I allowed
myself a brief second to close my eyes as I once again opened my
windows, so that the wind could whip through my white-blonde hair.
As the sun touched my pale skin, it felt warm and soothing, like a
bath of heavenly light. Opening my eyes, I felt discouraged that
even a moment like this could not muster a smile.

Even as a baby I had never laughed, never
let out even so much as a delighted coo. Smiling was something I
did because I had to, in order to fit in. I learned what was funny
from my peers, and practiced for hours in front of the mirror, my
facial muscles stretching with pain in a way that came so naturally
to everyone else. Tears never came, either. Though I knew what I
felt was sadness, I never experienced that emotion in the true
sense of the feeling. It was as though someone had taken my heart
and stashed it away, someplace I could never find it.