Awaken (The Lilituria Prophecy Book 1) Read online

  Published by Grace White

  First eBook Edition

  Copyright © Grace White 2016

  All rights reserved.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and events are the product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons or events is purely coincidental.

  No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without the written permission of the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages for review purposes only.

  If you are reading a copy of this book that has not been purchased from a licensed retailer, please destroy it. Thank you for your support.

  Edited by Jenny Carlsrud Sims of Editing4Indies

  Cover designed by The Graphics Shed

  Images: Licensed from Shutterstock

  Formatted by Shanoff Formats

  Titles by Grace White

  The Lilituria Prophecy

  AWAKEN

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  Title Page

  Copyright

  Titles by Grace White

  Contents

  Dedication

  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

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Get Updates

  Awaken Playlist

  About the Author

  Acknowledgements

  Gravity by A. B. Bloom

  Dedication

  For my sister.

  I blame all those late night TV binges watching Most Haunted, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Twilight marathons.

  I couldn’t even look at her.

  But my sister didn’t care.

  She never did.

  Three towns in the last four years, and I was just supposed to put on a smile and fake excitement at arriving in yet another new place.

  “You could at least get out of the car.”

  I folded my arms over my chest and pushed further back into the leather of our sister’s Jeep, refusing to meet her glare.

  “Daiya, you’re acting like a child.”

  Silence.

  It was more than she deserved. Besides, maybe if I ignored her for long enough, she would disappear.

  A girl could hope.

  “Demi, will you deal with this? I want to unpack and check out the local scene. See where all the hot guys hang out.”

  My head whipped around to meet Devlin’s smirk, and she laughed. She actually laughed.

  “Are you serious right now? We’ve been here five minutes, and you’re already talking about guys? What the hell is wrong with you?”

  The smirk morphed into a snarl, and a low growl formed in her throat. “Tread very carefully, little sister. You wouldn’t want to ruin your first day tomorrow, would you?” Her eyes glowered at me, and I unbuckled my belt and hopped out of the Jeep just as Demi’s voice warned, “Devlin.”

  “What?” Her sickly sweet tone caused chills to run down my spine. “I’m only messing with her. Besides, I wouldn’t want to break a nail.”

  I brushed past Demi, ignoring the look of pity on her face, and headed inside the house. The place was empty—but I hadn’t expected anything less. Demi always picked somewhere low-key. Our sparse belongings packed in the back of the Jeep wouldn’t even make a dent in the modest house, but by the end of the week, the rooms would be furnished with everything we needed. I didn’t ask for details; I just knew that Demi would take care of it. She always did.

  “Are you okay?” My sister’s voice filtered in the room, and I glanced over my shoulder, nodding curtly.

  I wasn’t, not really. Not since I turned eighteen three weeks ago, but Demi already knew that.

  “She’s just being Devlin. She doesn’t know how to deal any other way.”

  “Yeah, right.”

  “It’ll be different this time, Day.”

  “How can you say that? After Richmond, she promised and then look what happened in Baltimore. She’s out of control, Demi. We need to—”

  A slender arm slid over my shoulders, and Demi rounded me, drawing me to her. “Shh, you don’t want to say those words, Day. Never say those words. This time will be different; it has to be. Why don’t you go check out your room, and I’ll order pizza?”

  I hugged her tighter, the way I had as a child. “Okay.” The word was muffled by my reluctance to leave the comfort of her sweater. When I finally pulled away, Demi was staring at me, concern shining in her dark eyes.

  “Are you going to be okay tomorrow?”

  “What’s another high school, right?”

  “Daiya.” She reached for me, brushing a stray hair away from my face. “It’s senior year. It’s important. She’d want …” Her voice trailed off the way it did whenever she mentioned our mother, so I saved her the pain.

  “I’m fine. It’s all fine. One more year.”

  And then I was getting the hell out of here.

  Wherever here was.

  Turned out, here was a small town on the outskirts of Philadelphia. Of course, I’d known the name of the place when Demi had made the last-minute arrangements for us to leave Baltimore, but I hadn’t wanted to know any details. I was too pissed at Devlin for screwing up again. This time would be different, though.

  No friends.

  No ties.

  And definitely no guys.

  Not that the last one was ever an issue for me.

  I retrieved my few belongings from the Jeep and went in search of my room. I chose the smallest of the three bedrooms—I always did. It wasn’t as if I needed the space. Besides, something about feeling the walls closed in around me made me feel safer somehow. Or maybe Devlin was right, and in the confines of a small space, it was easier to pretend. To ignore what was staring me in the face every time I looked in the mirror.

  The room was a perfect rectangle with high ceilings and a bay window complete with window seat. I smiled to myself as I imagined sitting there wrapped in my favorite blanket, the one Mom had knitted for me as a child, and writing in my journal or escaping between the pages of a good book. When your life was as unbalanced as mine was, you had to take comfort in the little things. Hands planted on my hips, I turned slowly, taking in the rest of the room. It wasn’t much, but it was mine, and for now, that would be enough.

  It had to be.

  “Day, pizza’s here.” My sister’s voice carried upstairs.

  Unpacking could wait; three bags and one box wouldn’t take long to organize.

  I found Demi and Devlin sitting in the middle of the living room on scattered cushions with two pizza boxes between them.

  “God, I’m starving.” Devlin groaned, and Demi and I shared a look before training our frowns on our sister. Helping herself to a slice of pizza, she paused and said, “What? I am. It’s been forever since we ate pizza.”

  At the reminder, my stomach growled, and we all laughed. Demi lit some candles and started into the pizza.

  A new town.

  A new house.

  Tomorrow, a new school.

  But right here, right now, was all I needed.

  Even if I wanted to strangle the living daylights out of Devlin sometimes—okay, most of the time—she was still my sister.

  My blood.

  And that meant something to me.

  Because in the end, it was all I had.

  As I entered the kitchen, Devlin shoved a protein bar at me. “It’s the best I could do,” she grumbled. I was surprised she even spoke, seeing as it was before nine and we had no coffee in the house yet.

  Unwrapping the bar, I leaned against the counter and took a bite. My whole body ached from sleeping on the floor in just a sleeping bag placed on top of a thin mat, but when you had to up and leave town in a hurry, there wasn’t much time to order furniture.

  Demi breezed into the room, looking more awake than the two of us put together. “Morning,” she mouthed with her cell phone to her ear.

  I smiled while still chewing the protein bar, and Devlin waved her hand limply while helping herself to a cup of water before hopping onto the counter. Even in her tired state, she still looked every bit the runway model. Long legs, covered today in skintight pants, and wearing a blouse that revealed more than it should, she had a figure that most girls would die for; Devlin was devastatingly beautiful.

  My friends—if you could call them that—back in Baltimore had asked me more than once how I lived with two older sisters who could give the likes of Cara Delevingne and Adriana Lima a run for their money, but it didn’t bother me anymore. It wasn’t as if I was ugly. I had a good figure, and although I was shorter than my sisters were, I still stood around five-foot-six. But where
Devlin and Demi exuded sexual confidence with their dark, mysterious looks, I was more girl next door, preferring jeans and a tee. Much to Devlin’s disappointment.

  “Okay,” Demi’s perky voice snapped me from my thoughts. “We should have the bare minimum by the end of the day. Couch, beds, kitchen essentials. The rest we can buy as we go.”

  “No fucking way. I need cable, Demi. You promised.”

  Demi swung around to face Devlin, who had jumped down from her position on the counter, and sighed. “I told you. No luxuries until we’re settled.”

  Devlin stepped up to her, squaring her shoulders. Demi had an inch on Devlin, but what Devlin lacked in height, she made up for in venom.

  “And I told you, it’s handled. I’ve got it under control.”

  Demi’s eyes shuttered, and I could see her fighting the urge to pull rank. It didn’t happen often—she preferred the mantle of peacekeeper to leader—but if Devlin stepped too far out of line, Demi wouldn’t hesitate to do whatever was necessary.

  “Do you? Because you said that in Baltimore.”

  “That was different, Demi, and you know it.”

  Demi’s eyes softened a fraction, and she reached for Devlin, laying a hand on her shoulder. “I know. But we need to make it work here. It’s Daiya’s senior year. It’s important she has roots.”

  Roots.

  Given my life over the last few years, the idea seemed ridiculous, not to mention pointless.

  Devlin’s gaze flickered over to me, and I blanched, feeling her rage. She wanted to argue—to point out that not everything was about me and that there were three of us to consider. But to my surprise, she dropped her shoulders in defeat and said, “Okay. No luxuries until we’re settled, but can I at least request coffee?”

  “As if I’d ever forget.” Demi smiled revealing a mouth of pearly white teeth. “Are you okay finding your own way there today? Late registration is tomorrow, but I need to take care of some things in town.”

  “Sure.”

  Demi nodded before turning to me. “And you?”

  “I’m pretty sure I can find my way there.”

  “Okay. Straight back here after school’s out and we’ll all go into town and explore tonight.”

  It wasn’t a question. This was the protector in Demi. We both nodded. We knew the drill by now.

  “Please say we can hit a bar? She’s eighteen now.”

  “Devlin.”

  “It’s fine,” I said, picking my bag off the counter. “We can go explore and hit a bar or two. I might as well at least try to get to know the place.”

  A strange expression flashed over Demi’s face, unlike Devlin who grinned wider than the Cheshire cat. Bounding over to me, she slung an arm around my neck. “See, little sis, I knew there was a party girl in there somewhere. I have the perfect bar-cherry-popping outfit you can borrow.”

  I let Devlin drag me out of the house, chatting excitedly about all the possibilities the night held.

  I didn’t reply.

  I didn’t protest.

  Because it was easier that way.

  Because one way or another, Devlin would get her way.

  All I had to do was go along for the ride … and survive.

  Decker County High looked like every other high school I'd attended. I guess after a while, they all blurred together.

  Last year, I'd attended school with Devlin, but now, she was a freshman about to start Temple University. The jury was still out on whether going stag was a good or bad thing. Although back then, I would have preferred to have Demi looking out for me, it had still been nice to know at least one person every time I started a new school.

  "Oops, sorry," a voice said as I was shoved hard against the row of lockers, but they didn't stop to ask if I was okay. I sighed, rubbing a hand over my elbow.

  Some welcome.

  The bell rang and the crowded hallways emptied until I was the only person left. At least now, I could navigate the halls without the risk of being mowed down.

  Eventually, I found the office and handed my transcripts to the receptionist. Glasses balanced on the end of her nose, she glanced them over and smiled. "Welcome, Daiya Cattiva. Oh my, how exotic. Is that Greek?"

  "Italian."

  "How wonderful, dear. Well, take a seat, and Principal Juniper will be with you shortly."

  Five minutes later, I discovered that Principal Juniper was a middle-aged, auburn-haired woman who was as wide as she was tall. She extended a clammy hand and smiled. "And you must be our new transfer. How wonderful. Come through, dear.”

  Wiping my hands down my jeans, I followed her into the office and took a seat.

  "Now, you transferred from Woodlands High School, Baltimore, am I correct?"

  "Yes, we just arrived in town."

  Sliding thick-rimmed glasses over her eyes, she glanced down at the paper in her hand. "I see you have a love of literature. Excellent. We have a good program here at Decker County. And college? Have you thought about your options?"

  "Not really."

  "With a GPA this high, schools will be lining up for you."

  "I'll speak to the guidance counselor."

  "Excellent."

  There had been a time when college was all I’d thought about. I wanted to study literature and spend my days lost in the words of some of history’s most famous writers. But over the last couple of years, that dream seemed to move further and further out of reach. Now, I wondered what the point in making plans was when everything was going to change this year? I was eighteen now. It was only a matter of time before I'd start to become the thing I'd spent my whole life hating.

  Because I was a Cattiva.

  And my destiny was already decided.

  "Okay, I have your schedule here, and here's your lunch card. You're in math first period. We’re already four weeks into the semester, but I'm sure Mr. Polman will make you feel right at home." Mrs. Juniper handed me a sheet of paper and the card and smiled expectantly.

  "Okay, thanks."

  "I'm sure you'll fit right in, Daiya."

  If only she knew.

  When I arrived outside math, the room was quiet. Gripping the door handle, I inhaled deeply before slipping inside. So much for a stealthy entrance. Every single head whipped up in my direction, and shrinking under the spotlight, I stuttered, "Umm, hi."

  Low snickers filled the silence until the teacher's voice said, "Ahhh, you must be the transfer?"

  "Guess so," I replied trying to sound more enthusiastic than I felt.

  Refusing to let the twenty-plus sets of eyes intimidate me, my gaze wandered over my new classmates. Most looked away. Some narrowed their eyes, filled with judgment. Until my eyes landed on a dark-haired guy and, unlike everyone else, he smiled in my direction. It caught me off guard, and I immediately dropped my eyes, ignoring the way my stomach flip-flopped. Just for a second.

  I didn't need any further complications this year.

  Groaning silently, I stared at my feet. Maybe school wasn't such a good idea—not this year, not with everything. But Demi wouldn't hear of it. She insisted that we'd handle my transition together, as a family. Insisted that I deserved to graduate. She believed I could do it, so I needed to as well.

  "Miss Cattiva, please find a seat. Here's the textbook we are working from." He handed me a thick book and motioned over my shoulder. And just like that, I was dismissed, thankful he didn't make me do the whole I'm-the-new-girl speech like my last school did.

  Scanning the room quickly, I headed for the nearest empty seat immediately realizing my error. The seat beside it was occupied by none other than Cute Guy. It was too late to change course, so I dragged out the seat and dropped into it, angling myself away from him. He had other ideas. Shuffling to the edge of his desk, he handed me his open textbook, whispering, "Here, I'll take yours."

  I'd met guys like this before. They usually fell in one of two categories: genuine, kind good guy or the knight-in-shining-get-in-your-panties bad boy.

  I had absolutely no interest in either.

  "I'm Kai." He flashed me a quick smile before facing the front again where the teacher was explaining the problem.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed he hadn't moved his chair back. His arm rested on his desk, elbow hanging over the edge almost touching me. I discreetly scooted to the far side of my chair, feeling uncomfortable with his proximity.