Vision in Faith (Legends of the North Book 3)
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Authors: Liz Bower
Vision in Faith - Copyright
Copyright © 2016 Liz Bower
All rights reserved. With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the author, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or real persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.
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First Edition: August 2016
ISBN: B01H0LOUMU
This work is registered with the UK Copyright Service: Registration No:284705934
Book cover design: PremadeEbookCoverShop.com
Editing: Hot Tree Editing
Proofreading: Proofing Style, Inc
Also by Liz Bower
The Legends of the North series. Each book in this series follows a different couple but should be read in order.
Vision in Love - Book 1
Vision in Trust - Book 2
Vision in Faith - Book 3
Obsession - A standalone romantic suspense novel releasing Winter 2016
To anyone who has ever been brave enough to follow their dream.
Prologue
Lancashire, England—1700s
As the tortured cry died on the contorted lips of the man, William's own lips twitched as the realisation he was safe sank in. His
soul
was safe. His family would be rich, an integral part of the village. Revered, even. His struggles would not be for naught.
The man turned to face William as an unnatural light surrounded them, casting him in shadow. It was too early for twilight, yet the sun seemed to have fled. The only noise he could hear was the babble of the river as it steadily flowed past his feet.
William took a step back from the man. Evil emanated from his every pore, his mouth a gaping hole that gave rise to the stench of rotten eggs as he let out a crazed laugh. The man leaned towards William.
"Your soul may be safe, but you never bargained for those of your family." The man's lips pulled across his face in a gruesome manner, which William imagined was supposed to be a grin.
He shivered as a cloud of vapour rose from the river, the white mist wrapping itself around his legs, the cold of it seeping through his clothes. "What do you mean? This was
our
deal."
The man tilted his head towards William, his eyes boring into his. "I never said that.
You
never said that." The man pointed a bony finger in William's direction before he carried on, "
You
were the one who wished for their repute.
You
made their souls part of this deal. Your soul may be safe and mine may be bound to yonder oak tree," he explained as he flung his arm suddenly to the side. William flinched in response. "But those of your family? Those are anything but safe from me."
The man threw back his head and cackled, the noise echoing as the man took another step closer to William, jabbing a gnarled finger to his chest with every word he spoke. "Every child of yours. Every child of your child will be marked until I make three Altenbury souls my own. Their souls will be my salvation. The power of three." He threw his head back and raised his hands to the sky. "The magic of three will set me free. Thy hath been warned."
William staggered back, his hand pressed against his chest.
Dear Lord, what have I done?
Chapter 1
Vicky was sitting in Jess's living room. She could hear Emma's voice, but not the words that sounded like they were travelling through a tunnel. In fact, Emma seemed to be in another place too as her face became blurred, her outline fading, until all Vicky could see was blackness.
She blinked and glanced around the unfamiliar room. It was dark and dingy, and so cold she could see her breath in front of her face, a white plume escaping from her lips.
"Don't just stand there. Get on with the bloody fire."
Vicky jumped at the sound of the unfamiliar voice and turned towards it, but all she saw was a figure walking away from the doorway. From the sway of the heavy skirts, she guessed it was a woman since she couldn't tell by the bark of the voice. When she turned back to the room, her gaze landed on the huge stone fireplace. It was easily big enough for her to stand inside she realised as she took a step closer to it.
As she did, the grate erupted in flames, throwing shadows and sparks towards her. Flames burned yellow and orange as they danced and licked at the log, sending more sparks flying, the crackling echoing around the fireplace.
Jumping back when the heat hit her, she suddenly found her fingers curled around an old-fashioned candleholder.
I'm trapped in a Jane Austen book!
Vicky turned as the flame guttered then blew out, plunging her back into darkness.
The first thing she heard was Emma's concerned voice.
"Vicky? Are you okay?"
As she blinked, she saw Emma kneeling in front of her. How was she supposed to answer that? What was she supposed to say? It had felt so real. She could still feel the heat of the fire, smell the musty room and the smoke. Quickly, Vicky stood up but swayed on her feet. Emma grabbed her.
"Vicky?"
"I'm sorry, Emma. I have to go." Vicky hurried out of Jess's house, slamming the front door behind her. When she heard the door shut, a sob escaped her. Lifting her hands to her face, she noticed how much they were shaking and when she turned them over, there was a layer of black soot covering them.
If it hadn't been real, then where had that come from?
***
Emma stared at the closed door then down at the black streak of something smeared across the sofa.
"I should go after her," she said, turning to face Jess, but Jess just shook her head. Staring back at the sofa, Emma bent down, hesitantly, to touch the black powder.
It looks like ash
. She rubbed it between her fingers before jerking her head up towards where Jess still stood.
"Vicky just had a vision. I need to go after her."
They both jumped at the sound of someone banging on the front door. Jess quickly made her way over to it, yanking it open.
"Oh, I thought you were Vicky. I wasn't expecting you."
"Can we come in?" Matt asked. Jess stepped back, pulling the door open wider to let them in. James gave her a half grin, and when Rob stopped to press his lips briefly against hers, she sagged against his hard chest. Closing the door behind them, she followed Rob back into the living room to find Matt with his arms around Emma.
"We saw Vicky run out of here and wanted to check you were okay. I tried to stop her, but she wouldn't listen. Did you tell her?"
Emma nodded. "That's not why she ran off though." She stepped out of his embrace and looked towards Jess. "I think she just had her first vision."
"What makes you say that?" James asked as he moved to stand right in front of her, leaning over her.
Emma looked up at Matt. "I told Vicky and Jess about you popping the question, and it was like she was somewhere else. Her eyes were glazed, and well…" She pointed at the sofa cushion, and the three men crowded round to look at it. "I should go after her," she said again, as she moved towards where she had left her jacket.
"No. I'll go," James said, and he felt all their gazes land on him.
Emma's forehead furrowed as she tried to find a polite way of saying that James would be the last person Vicky would want to see. She was pretty sure Vicky hated him. "I don't think she'd want to see you, James." When she felt Matt's hand on her arm, she looked up at him and saw him shake his head ever so slightly. Did he know something she didn't? Her eyebrows scrunched up at that thought and her lips twisted together.
"That's exactly why I
should
go. It will give her something else to think about other than the vision." James turned on his heel and headed out the door without another word.
Emma took a step after him, but Matt still gripped her arm. "Leave him to it, Emma."
She turned to glare at him. "But why?"
"Because I think James is right. Maybe this is something they need to work out together."
"Has James said something to you?" she asked.
Matt's gaze flicked to Rob then back to Emma. He lifted one shoulder in a shrug and said, "Not really."
She narrowed her eyes as she tilted her head towards Matt. "Not really?"
But Matt just twisted his lips into a half smile mixed with a half apology. At that, Emma knew he wasn't going to tell her anything more, and she let out a frustrated sigh.
***
James flicked the collar of his jacket up; it might have been June, but there was still a chill in the air. Checking the road, he crossed and headed for Stydon. He knew where Vicky lived, considering Matt had told him—
numerous
times. Sort of in no man's land, neither Altenbury nor Stydon, but between the two.
It would only take a few minutes to walk there, so he slowed his pace, needing the time to think. Offering to go after Vicky probably wasn't one of his better ideas now that he thought about it. Emma was being kind by saying Vicky wouldn't want to see him because he actually thought she hated him. And that pissed him off because she had no reason to hate him. She didn't even know him.
But, like so many others, the Altenbury name was enough to make a judgement on him. Admittedly, it was normally a judgement in the opposite direction to Vicky's.
Pinching the bridge of his nose tightly before rubbing his hand over his forehead and dragging it through his short hair, he decided this was all Matt's fault. James had mistakenly told him about his recurring dream, which was how he knew Vicky lived in one of the flats that faced the old house he had seen over and over in his dreams.
James knew the old house—everyone in Altenchester and Stydon did. It must have been beautiful in its heyday, but he'd had no idea Vicky lived so close to it.
Turning his back on the old place, he faced Vicky's home and squared his shoulders. Her flat was on the ground floor; the window lit up brown as the light shone through the thin curtains. But he hadn't come here to stare at her window, so he forced his feet to move. As he rang the bell, he just hoped she would let him in, or at least talk to him.
Chapter 2
After she had fled Jess's house, Vicky had just kept running, although she wasn't sure why. It wasn't like anyone was following her; she had checked. But the need to put some distance between what she'd seen at Jess's and herself had spurred her feet on. She only slowed to a walk when she saw the sign telling her she was leaving Altenchester and her feet were no longer on Altenbury land.