Awakened Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Awakened (The Oracle Chronicles, #1)

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  CHAPTER 15

  CHAPTER 16

  CHAPTER 17

  CHAPTER 18

  CHAPTER 19

  CHAPTER 20

  CHAPTER 21

  CHAPTER 22

  CHAPTER 23

  CHAPTER 24

  CHAPTER 25

  CHAPTER 26

  CHAPTER 27

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  What Did You Think of Awakened: The Oracle Chronicles?

  About the Author

  Also By Moni Boyce

  Love Snacks Publishing, LLC

  Awakened: The Oracle Chronicles © 2019 Shaquana M. Boyce

  All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions.

  No portion of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permissions contact:

  [email protected] or to Permissions, Love Snacks Publishing, LLC, 5110 Summer Garden Place, Suffolk, VA 23434

  www.lovesnackspublishing.com

  First Edition

  ISBN: 978-0-9980436-4-7

  Book cover design by: Mallory Rock of Rock Solid Book Design

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

  CHAPTER 1

  Willow

  In the seventeen years he’d haunted her dreams, she never knew his name. The flattering, tailor-made, charcoal gray suit he wore accentuated his well-defined body. His dark hair brushed the top of his collar. He had a commanding presence and a regal bearing which seemed fitting since he sat atop a lavish, golden throne. The only thing missing was a crown.

  Upon first glimpse, the smile and the outward man might have fooled many, but her subconscious knew underneath that lurked an abominable darkness that longed to capture her. His intense, cold eyes smiled at her. The green depths held a ferociousness that frightened her. His look was what she envisioned Ted Bundy’s expression must have looked like to his victims right before he changed from a handsome stranger to a murderous butcher. His predatory gaze never left her face.

  Even though he spoke no words, there was something in his face that beckoned her closer. Her brain told her to flee, but her limbs moved like someone else had command of her body. A silent scream raged in her head. She needed to get as far away from this monster as possible.

  Instead, she proceeded as if in a trance. While her stiff legs carried her nearer, she couldn’t fight the intimidation and thrill his mere presence evoked. Just before she was in touching distance, he stood and spoke. The sound of his voice, both enticed and frightened her.

  “Willow.”

  She awoke, floundering, her sweaty limbs tangled in the sheets, afraid the man had ensnared her. Kicking against the constraints, she vowed he wouldn’t take her without a fight. A feral scream erupted from her throat and she continued to struggle. Minutes later, her eyes blinked open. When she realized she was staring up at her bedroom ceiling, she sat up, clutching the sheet to her chest. The hot, damp sheets clung to her fevered skin. Willow’s lungs tried to suck in oxygen. Her heart beat a rapid tattoo against her ribcage.

  After a moment, her breathing under control, she pushed her damp, coily curls back from her face and looked around the room. She half-expected to find the sinister man from her dreams lurking in the shadows or corners waiting to finish the possession he had begun in her dream.

  These nightmares left her feeling like a wrung out dishrag; frayed nerves and unable to return to sleep.

  She exhaled a slow, unsteady breath. Her body still trembled. The dreams had plagued her since she was a child. In all those years, he never aged. He’d also never spoken her name. She’d assumed he didn’t know it, which comforted her. It always seemed like he was trying to possess her body. But now he knew her name, and it felt like he came closer to possessing her soul. The evil gleam in his eyes when he’d whispered her name had her on edge.

  “It’s just a dream. It’s just a dream.” She said, chanting the mantra that usually soothed her. But not this time. Something about it was so real. She looked over at her digital, alarm clock and the glowing numbers showed it was after five in the morning.

  A dull ache began in the back of her head. It could become a full-blown migraine or stay a tolerable headache. She could manage the latter, but the agonizing migraines she often suffered left her debilitated, sometimes for days.

  After a few more reassuring looks around the room, her heart rate returned to normal. Her shaking ceased once her eyes landed on Max, her faithful companion. The Northern Inuit dog had been with her for several years, ever since he’d wandered over to her in the park and claimed her as his own. A fleeting temptation to take him to a shelter passed once she looked into his eyes. She was thankful she’d kept him. Wherever he was she felt safe.

  She leaned across the bed and ran her hand over his soft, black fur. His ears went up in alert at her touch and for the first time since she woke up, she smiled. Max’s right ear, covered in white fur, was the only part of his coat that wasn’t shiny black and she found it adorable.

  He lifted his head and peered at her. Sometimes she was sure he understood her or sensed her moods, but that was more than likely just a fanciful thought.

  “It’s okay boy. Go back to sleep. No sense in both of us getting up at this ungodly hour.” She rubbed his ears and then got out of bed.

  When she entered the bathroom, she turned on the light. In response, a stabbing pain pierced her eyes and temples.

  Bad idea.

  She flipped the light off again. The moonlight streaming through the window had to be enough. Spots now danced behind her eyelids and caused the throbbing in her head to increase. She looked down at her arm and saw it riddled with goosebumps and covered in sweat that glistened against her sepia brown skin. She turned on the faucet and cupped her hands beneath the cool, running water and drank, taking no heed of the overflow that soaked her t-shirt.

  It was three hours before she needed to be ready for work, but sleep was no longer an option. Besides, the thought of another bad dream made her uneasy.

  After a long shower meant to soothe her throbbing head, she headed to her favorite coffee shop. Matty, the owner’s teenage daughter greeted her.

  “Hey Willow! You’re here early.” Without asking what she wanted, the girl turned to make the usual, a caramel macchiato.

  “I could say the same for you. Don’t you have school?” She leaned on the counter.

  “It’s a teacher workday today, so no school. I came in to help Mom.” She finished making the sweet coffee drink and passed the cup to Willow.

  “Good morning!”

  Willow looked up and smiled at the beautiful Hispanic woman that entered from the kitchen.

  “Mor
ning Zora!”

  It was clear Matty inherited her mother’s height and natural beauty. However, Matty’s skin was fairer with pink undertones, Zoriana’s was a tawny beige. Matty had lush, dark brown wavy curls that fell to the middle of her back. Zoriana’s hair was straight and as black as onyx. She often wore it in a long braid. Besides their stature, the other thing that linked the two women was their identical facial features. The pert noses, the arch of their brows and the bow-shaped lips were the same on each woman.

  “You’re early this morning.” Zora watched her with concern.

  “It’s nothing.” Willow looked away and sipped her macchiato. She checked her watch, knowing she had plenty of time before she had to be at work. “I should get going.” There was no rush, but the dream had made her antsy... eager to move on, as if loitering too long would invite the sleep-invading man to breach her waking hours.

  Zora nodded, but the concern never left.

  “See ya later.” Matty waved to her and turned to help another customer.

  Willow felt crappy for lying and blowing off Zora, who’d been nothing but nice to her. If she was honest, she was always uncomfortable when Zora’s probing eyes sought to discern what was wrong. Months ago, she wanted to confide in her. When she tried to tell her about the dreams her pulse raced and her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth. She’d been afraid Zora would think she was crazy or a head case, if she told her there was a man in her dreams that seemed real. Instead, she remained silent about the boogeyman that haunted her in her nightmares.

  Rather than walk into her dead-end job at the collection call center thirty minutes early, she headed to a nearby park where she drank her coffee. From a bench, she watched joggers, moms pushing baby strollers and other pedestrians headed to offices or off to wherever their day was taking them. People watching reminded her of her mother. When she was a child, they would sit in the park and her mom would make up silly stories about the men and women who passed them. The memory elicited a wistful smile. She finished her coffee and tossed the cup before heading to work.

  The job sucked, but it paid decent money and gave her the nights and weekends to pursue a career as a singer. Five years, she’d been in Nashville pursuing her passion for music and many told her that her voice was a nice mixture of country and blues. She was fortunate to play frequent open mic nights, at The Bluebird and Douglas Corner Cafe. But, despite the praise of her sultry rasp, no record producers had come calling yet. Or even responded to the audition tapes she had rained on their offices. Maybe it was time to call it quits and admit a music career wasn’t in the cards for her. Then again, quitters never succeed. She had a gig in a few days. Anything could happen.

  Inside the large room that took up the whole fifth floor, the flickering fluorescent bulbs pounded at her eyeballs. As always, the atmosphere made her feel like it was sucking the life out of her body. She sat and rubbed her throbbing eyes.

  After she put on her headset, and placed her first call, the day dragged on.

  “Hi, I’m calling from Paradigm Financial Solutions for Frank Wilson.”

  The words chipped away another piece of her soul. Most people either didn’t bother to answer, or they just hung up on you. Every now and then, she got a gem who bitched at her because somehow it was her fault they were delinquent on their bill. She sighed and waited to see which delight this customer would be.

  A few hours later, she took a break to stretch and found her gorgeous, but snobby co-worker, Eli Walker, staring. This wasn’t the first time she’d caught him.

  His blue eyes burned into her and he refused to look away. He never spoke to her and didn’t even seem to like her.

  Why is he always watching me with his judgy eyes?

  A year ago, she had approached him in the break room. A simple hello and an attempt to be friendly, met with his fixed attention on his coffee, followed by a stare similar to the one he was giving her now. Without a word, he’d walked off and left her standing by the vending machine like a dorky schoolgirl who had unsuccessfully tried to gain the attention of the coolest guy in class. Her co-worker always seemed to give her a look that said she wasn’t good enough. For what, she didn’t know. Maybe it was just in her head. Ever since his lack of a response that day, she felt animosity towards him because she had liked him and he rejected her.

  She wished again that management had set up cubicle walls that allowed for privacy, but the company was too cheap to do that. Now, was the perfect time for a bathroom break.

  In the last few minutes, her headache had morphed to a full migraine. She stood and stumbled. Her eyes watered and the pain and pressure banged a discordant beat against the inside of her skull. She walked to the restroom without drawing attention to herself and braced herself against the wall. Her vision blurred when she tried to glance around. Even though she was having trouble seeing, she sensed she was the only one in the hallway. She opened her mouth to call for help when a sunburst of pain exploded behind her eyes.

  CHAPTER 2

  Eli

  The others assigned to watch Willow Stevens told Eli she referred to him as The Snob. It was the reason; he tried to keep his distance and avoid looking at her. Sometimes she caught him; like this morning.

  He wouldn’t have acknowledged her leaving for the bathroom, but the text he received from one of the others put him on alert. When he looked at her a few minutes ago, she seemed troubled.

  Was it a migraine?

  She got those often. He could count the days last month that she missed work because of them.

  Previously, he’d simply just watched and followed her around, staying in the shadows. He’d been okay when they told him to keep his distance, only observe and protect, no communication. Over a year ago, his assignment on the mission changed to co-worker. Even though he led the team, it was the Council that made the decision on their roles during the mission. They changed his role, but the no communication rule was still firm. Other members of the team got to interact with her. Not him.

  He didn’t fully understand, he’d sworn the oath the same as the others. Was the Council afraid he wouldn’t honor the commandment? He shoved away the voice that told him they should be worried. There were times he found himself concerned over his growing feelings for her, but then he reminded himself of his duty. He always got back on track.

  Pushing the troubling thought away, he placed his headset on the desk and stepped into the hallway expecting to find it empty. Instead, he found Willow unconscious on the ground. He rushed to her body and felt for a pulse. His touch didn’t rouse her. Her flawless brown skin that was usually vibrant was now ashen. It alarmed him.

  It was against protocol, but he needed to get her to a safe place. Something besides the migraine had caused the blackout. He wasn’t certain, but he had a hunch. He picked her up in his arms and looked at her face once more before they both vanished.

  ELI’S APARTMENT WAS a converted loft that used to be an old industrial space. The interior boasted exposed brick walls, pipes that ran along the ceiling and cement floors. His furnishings and decor were sparse. The minute they appeared in his living room, he took her to his bedroom and laid her on the bed.

  Over the last few years, he watched over her and learned more about her. Despite his attempts not to, he’d fallen...

  Don’t say the word.

  He couldn’t. It was forbidden. Even though that was the case, his eyes never left her. Her natural curls lay across the pillow in a myriad of directions. Her full, plump lips looked like they were aching to be kissed. Color was returning to her high cheekbones.

  He sat on the edge of the bed and caressed her cheek. The pulse beat in her slender neck. His fingers traced over the necklace she always wore. It held a silver pendant of a dangling, slithering Python. On further inspection, the intricate detail of the jewelry showed it may have been an antique. A small whimper escaped her lips, and he jerked his hand away, afraid of being caught. After giving her one last look, he left the bedroom.r />
  In the living room, he paced the floor. He’d broken the rules by bringing her here. The Council had forbidden him to have contact with her unless they gave consent. Every minute, he turned his head toward his bedroom where she rested. There was no way he could keep what he did from the others. They had a right to know. He pulled out his phone and sent a group text.

  Within seconds, a tall dark-skinned black woman with long dreadlocks and a tattoo sleeve up her left arm appeared in his kitchen.

  “Is this true?” She hissed. “She’s here?” Her dreadlocks whipped back and forth while her eyes darted around the loft looking for Willow. “Elias, what are you going to tell her when she wakes up in your apartment? Better yet, what are you going to tell the Council when they ask why you broke the rules?”

  Eli defended himself against Phaedra’s verbal attack. “I didn’t have a choice.”

  Before he had time to elaborate, Zora and Matty appeared in the living room. Both wore concerned expressions. They were about to question him.

  He held up his hand to stop them. “Zoriana, Mathilda, let everyone arrive and then I will explain.”

  Both women shut their mouths and sat on the couch. Phaedra prowled the room in anger.

  A minute later, a petite blonde with a pixie cut appeared in the living room. “There better be a good explanation why Willow is in your apartment. What were you thinking bringing her here?” She folded her arms across her chest.

  “Eli said he would explain when everyone was here. We were waiting for you, Morgana.” Zora spoke to the woman, but her eyes never left Eli.

  He ignored the hostile looks he was receiving, while he awaited another member of the team. “Just give me a few more minutes. We’re expecting one more.”

  “Who?” Morgan looked at Zora and Matty confused. They returned her expression with an equally perplexed one.

  “Max.” Eli and Phaedra said in unison. Both glanced at each other. Zora, Matty and Morgan shared a look.

  “Who is he?”