The Irresistible Bundle (158 page)

Willfully Compelled:
Book one of the Unintentional Sacrifices Series

A centuries-old legend foretells of twins who will one day save the earth. Lysandra and Leondra have been raised by their parents with the notion that they could possibly be those destined twins.

A once kaleidoscope-colored land is now brown. Water sources have become nonexistent leaving behind only lethal bodies of water. Animals and people disappear beneath the tempting waters never to resurface.

As the world falls apart the twins become separated. Alone and injured, Lysandra ventures forward trying to locate and reunite with her family. Instead she slips beneath the river's surface discovering a new world where no human has ever survived before.

A prophecy. A dying world. Twins, Leondra and Lysandra are compelled to make the ultimate sacrifice for an entirely new world.

EXCERPT FROM:
WILLFULLY COMPELLED

Brown.... The color used to make her feel different emotions. Brown signified nature, warmth, and home. In another life, Lysandra loved the different shades of brown. Chocolate brown had always been her favorite. The color oozed warmth and deliciousness; desserts, beverages, and candy. Dark brown she held close to her heart because the color reminded her of the eyes of the boy she once loved. Once upon a time she loved the browning leaves, the earth under her feet, and the tall sturdy tree trunks throughout the land.

Brown used to be one of many hues in a kaleidoscope-colored land. Greens and blues were siblings living cohesively, but not anymore. Now... brown ruled the lands. Brown dominated the landscape. Brown suffocated Lysandra and no matter where she turned there was no relief. The barren landscape had long ago overtaken the healthy greens, bright yellows, and deep blues of before. Brown was now a dominating and ruthless tyrant. Now she detested brown.

She wasn't sure what she hated more - the dead land or the unrelenting sun. Both were merciless killers. Both had taken away everything she knew and loved. She looked to the skies praying for a miracle. It had been ages since it'd rained. Cloudless skies were accursed and cool temperatures nonexistent. Even the wind offered no comfort or relief.

~

Lysandra stumbled under the weight of her best friend, Phoebe's, weak and unconscious body. Her scraped and bloody knees couldn't take much more abuse and neither could Phoebe's tattered legs. The river looked closer from the rock formation but now seemed miles away. She used whatever she found to place under Phoebe's still unconscious body. She dragged her friend toward the river hoping that she was still breathing. It was getting dark and there was nowhere to hide. Lysandra fought through her exhaustion. Her friend needed her. They had to get to the river to rehydrate and eat something.

The sun disappeared behind the horizon. Darkness swept over the land. The stars helped guide Lysandra. She trudged forward aware of her surroundings. The nocturnal animals ventured out making it known to all that they were in their element. Lysandra hoped the injured hyena would keep the predators distracted. As the hours passed Phoebe remained unconscious. Lysandra stopped often to check on her friend and to take a break. Her fatigued body couldn't take much more. Her muscles ached and her foggy head refused to clear.

The stars shone too brightly.

The ground teetered toward her far too often.

Phoebe weighed a ton.

Lysandra fell to her knees as the river came into sight. They'd made it! She tried to stand to continue forward but her body refused. She collapsed next to Phoebe falling into unconsciousness.

~

A loud splash sounded close by. Lysandra bolted up still between her dream-memory and her nightmarish reality. She looked longingly at the river as the cobwebs cleared from her mind. She rubbed her chest trying to ease the tightness. It had been almost a week since she'd had one of those memory dreams. Her exhaustion provided her with blessedly dreamless nights, until last night. Lysandra could still feel her boyfriend's embrace. She could still see her father's disapproving stare. She swallowed the small amount of saliva in her mouth as she looked to the river. The sun had just risen past the horizon. Animals crept towards the river's bank.

Lysandra watched in awe as a small herd of water buffalos approached. Her heart accelerated as her skin thrummed in anticipation. Two from the herd boldly stepped forward. Without hesitation the animals dipped their heads and took a quick drink. She gasped as she watched the scene unfold. Nothing snatched them away. The animals were in and out. She trembled with hope. Maybe there was nothing here. Hardly anything roamed this desolate area. Three buffalos moved from the herd heading a little further down. She held her breath as she waited to see what they would do. They also drank water in the same manner as the first two.

In.

Out.

Away.

Lysandra turned looking at Phoebe. Her friend's lips were blue and she was as pale as death. She shook Phoebe hard. She wanted to scream at her best friend to wake up but she couldn't afford to attract attention. Phoebe needed food and water now! She bent down to ensure that Phoebe was still breathing. Her best friend's haggard breaths let her know how bad things were. She choked back the sob as she hoisted Phoebe up. If the animals could do it, so could she. She dragged Phoebe towards the riverbank. The leader of the herd made a large grunting sound. Lysandra froze. She hadn't wanted to attract their attention. Most of the herd followed the leader; away from the two girls.

She sighed in relief and continued toward the river. She needed a miracle. Phoebe never regained consciousness but she didn't feel as heavy as she had during the night. Perhaps she'd needed the rest. The last few yards took no time at all. Just being close to the river gave her a sense of renewed energy and hope. Her skin tingled with anticipation at the clear sparkling water in front of her. Her mouth watered as she stared longingly at the river. She saw fish swimming close to the surface.

Lysandra's sluggish mind raced with possibilities; maybe she could catch a fish and cook it over a fire. There were small trees; she could gather wood and kindle, or perhaps she could dig a hole and cook the fish that way. The less attention they attracted, the better. Food and water was all Phoebe needed to get better.

She gently placed Phoebe down, a few feet away from the bank. A loud splash froze the blood in her veins. Her head snapped in the direction of the noise. Most of the herd had followed the leader but a straggler had attempted to get one last drink. Lysandra just saw its rear end as it disappeared under the water's surface. The water buffalo's legs kicked in desperation as it met its watery death. The other animals scattered as if a lion had approached the river.

She remained frozen with horror. For years she'd heard of the dangers of the water but had never seen it herself. She'd lost friends and pets to mysterious deaths. That buffalo had easily weighed 200 pounds and it was quietly snatched up in seconds. The splash was more from the animal's struggles than from whatever had taken it. She looked around desperately. There was no doubt about it, they were in danger and Phoebe was dying. If the killer was some sort of alligator or crocodile it could easily climb the banks and come after them.

Lysandra gasped in panic as she frantically looked at her surroundings. The mountains were too far away. Her father had repeated the same mantra over and over again.
Stay out of the water. The mountains are safest. Seek refuge there.
She had no one else and she was trapped here with her dying friend. She couldn't retrace their steps. There was nothing back there but death and desolation. The dried up stream bed was a death trap. She couldn't go toward the mountain without crossing over the deadly river. She chewed her bloody lip as she watched the fleeing herd. They headed away from death running parallel to the river.

The harsh wind blew sand in her eyes. She put her chin to her chest and blinked hard. They'd learned the hard way to not rub the sand or debris from their eyes. Lysandra reached out and touched Phoebe's face. Her hand stilled. A sob escaped her lips as her palm touched cold skin. Even the viscous sun and heat couldn't hide death's frigidness.

Desolation blanketed her. She was too late. She couldn't help her best friend. Lysandra leaned over Phoebe listening hopefully for small, haggard breaths. She frantically checked her pulse. Something to hint at Phoebe still living, but she found nothing. There was nothing there but a cold, lifeless body.

She pounded on Phoebe's chest. How could she not have heard Phoebe's last breath? When had her friend passed on? They'd stared death in the face far too often during their journey and had always made it through... Ravenous and crazed animals... Starvation and dehydration... Sleep deprivation...

Lysandra tilted her head back. Her parched throat couldn't let out the scream that resonated within her. Her body shook with tearless sobs. There was nothing left for her in this life. Her family was gone. Her best friend lay dead by her side. The world was a living hell. She jerked her hand away as Phoebe's body moved. A flare of hope quickly died as her addled mind registered what she saw. Phoebe's body disappeared beneath the surface just like the water buffalo's. She was too slow to catch her best friend's body as something dark dragged her underwater.

"Bastards" Lysandra croaked as she lurched forward. There was no way in hell that she was going to allow Phoebe's body to be another countless casualty. It didn't matter if no one lived to resurface; she refused to watch her best friend disappear forever. Her hysterical mind didn't process what little sense this made - Phoebe was already dead. She was gone to the world but Lysandra was still going after her. Phoebe deserved a better ending to her story.

She jumped in not caring if her loud splash attracted unwanted attention. Phoebe's silhouette disappeared into the depths of the river. She frantically kicked to keep up with her friend's body but it was too late. She screamed at the murky depths. The surface was misleading. She couldn't see anything the deeper she got. The sun's rays disappeared and the water felt colder as she descended. Lack of oxygen and despair choked her.

Lysandra lost all hope. Her lungs screamed to get to the surface but her heart sank with sorrow. In her previous life she would've cherished the peacefulness of the silent water world. She might've reveled in its beauty. But now it only represented death.

Sharp talons imbedded in her thigh yanking her down. She gasped in shock and terror before savagely kicking at whatever had hold of her. The talons gripped harder making her scream in pain. Lysandra inhaled deeply hoping to fill her lungs with water. She desperately wanted to drown before being eaten alive. She couldn't see what held onto her and the surface got farther and farther away. Her body tensed as her mind screamed that she was drowning. Her lungs expanded with liquid but didn't burn. She wheezed as terror flowed through her body. She fought the black dots that raced in front of her eyes. She refused to lose consciousness to panic.

The talons loosened around her thigh as she regained some semblance of control over her body. Her mind warred with itself as she fought for reasoning. Was she going mad? Had she blacked out and was only dreaming? How could her lungs take in water and treat it like air? She wasn't some freaking fish with gills! Was this what happened with everything and everyone that was pulled under? They could just magically breathe, only to then be killed.

"Just get it over with" She whispered as she closed her eyes quietly sobbing. A quick and painless death was not meant to be though; whoever or whatever had planned for her to be cognizant throughout. Her eye flashed open as her body jerked to the left. She gasped as the talons dragged her into a cavernous room. She stared in horrified rapture as sunlight filtered through the oversized underwater cave.

"Interesting" a deep voice rumbled. Lysandra stiffened as the talons released its grip from her thigh and shackled her wrist to the rock wall. Like she could go anywhere else! She refused to look in the direction of her captor. Her eyes flitted around absorbing her surroundings. The cave was beautiful. Colorful fish swam by unbothered by its occupants.

"Who grabbed her?" The same voice interrupted the peaceful silence. Lysandra sensed more than one presence in the cavernous room. So her captor was not this bastard with the deep voice.

"Sire" another voice responded. His voice was much closer to Lysandra. She scowled knowing it was this SOB who'd captured her. "She jumped in immediately after one of the sentinels grabbed the cadaver."

Lysandra shuddered at the word
cadaver
and bit her lip knowing they were referring to Phoebe. She swallowed the boulder-size lump in her throat. What had they done with her best friend?