Enlightenment (Children of Ankh series Book 2)
Enlightenment
Kim Cormack
Contents
Letter to my Readers
Acknowledgments
Prologue
1. Beautiful Goodbyes and Warm Welcomes
2. The Moments We Take for Granted
3. The Simplest of Things
4. Stand Back Up
5. Sweet Dreams of You
6. Burgers, Shakes and a Side Order of Phobias
7. The Secrets We Keep
8. Just a Song
9. To Stalk and Protect
10. Playing With Fire
11. Learning to be Your Own Hero
12. Only a Fool Isn’t a Little Afraid of the Unknown
13. Rabid Little Angels
14. Awkward Days and Field Vermin
15. To Catch a Phobia
16. Invasion of the Body Snatchers
17. Diabolically Evil fish
18. Slaying Dragons
19. Focus
20. Long Overdue Introductions
21. Unpacking the Baggage
22. This is Not a Fairytale
23. Rise and Shine Princess
24. The Sweet Sleep Redo’s
25. Kayn’s Redo
26. Clarity
27. Vampires, Dragons, Zombies and Oracles
28. Being the Lion
29. The Brothers of Prophecy
30. Kevin’s Game
31. A Thorne in Melody’s side
32. Bad Ideas
33. The Land of the Awakened
34. Remember Me
35. Strange Sensations
36. One For All and All For One
37. If You Lick Toads You Can Time Travel
38. Until We Meet Again
39. Lambs to the Slaughter
40. Love me or Let me go
41. Anything You Fear Will Be Used Against You
42. The Lion
43. Weapons of Mass Destruction
44. Punch Drunk
45. Unavoidable Demises
46. Demons and Monarch Butterflies
47. The Other Ankh
48. Clowns and Confessionals
49. The Escape Clause
About the Author
Also by Kim Cormack
Copyright © 2016 by Kim Cormack
For more information
http://www.kimcormack.com
http://kimcormack.blogspot.ca/
Mythomedia Press 2754 10th Ave
V9Y2N9 Port Alberni B.C Canada
ISBN 978-0-9952305-4-5
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Letter to my Readers
You keep me going when life becomes difficult. It’s quite easy to feel overwhelmed with the challenges I’m facing in life but your motivation and love makes me see the purpose of this series quite clearly. Stand back up when you fall…Always.
Acknowledgments
I would like to acknowledge my children Jenna and Cam along with my family and friends for being the light at the end of the tunnel for me always.
I would like to give an extra thank you to Haley and Leanne for being my awesome series editing crew. XO
Prologue
Kayn of Ankh
The silken texture of the grass beneath her body, along with the warmth of the sunlight that seductively caressed the length of her bare legs felt magical. She lay next to him in the meadow as they quietly observed the sky above. His hand always seemed to be just out of reach. She wanted to hold it so badly, it was torturous. His fingers brushed a path across her fingertips as if to say in the exquisite beauty of the moment, “I will always be right here.” She would open her eyes long enough to know it was not reality and then close them again, willing herself to live in that moment with him…Forever. She would always try to attempt to slip back into the dream, even though she knew in her heart, it was hopeless.
Kevin’s loss to Triad had been unbearable. She’d never been without his constant companionship. Her best friend had been lost to her just as their feelings had evolved into something more. They hadn’t had the time to bask in the glorious joy of first love, before they’d been pulled in opposite directions by fate’s twisted and as she’d discovered, sick sense of humor. The weight of the devastation was too much for her mind to carry. Her heart fought to accept the loss of her remaining family members and that of that one person on this earth that she’d always assumed she could never lose ...Kevin.
The days that passed had begun to melt together into weeks and months, creating a twisted mosaic of memories in her mind.
As her dreams continued to travel a tortuous path between what had actually happened and what could have been, Frost remained close by. She’d catch him staring at her, knowing he was searching for a hint of Chloe.
Kayn had become part of a trio of newcomers. Melody had been taken from Trinity. Zach had been left behind by Triad. They were to become the sails on her ship of salvation. The three would need to carry each other through the impending storm of the Testing, towards Enlightenment.
Kevin of Triad
During his Sweet Sleep, there was an angelic creature and in her eyes a look of joyous elation that filled Kevin’s mind with anticipation of her possible existence in the real world. This freckle-faced vision with her wild mane of untamed blonde curls left an unexplainable ache in his soul. In his dreams, she would appear to him as a mirage of hope. He could feel the love in her heart, for it seeped through her very essence into the air between them. She lay next to him in the grass as they quietly observed the sky above. Her hand seemed to be always just out of his reach. Kevin wanted to hold her hand so badly it was torturous. Her hand was just about touching his but not quite. Then her fingers brushed a path across his fingertips as if to say in the exquisite beauty of the moment, “I will always be right here.” This mystery girl haunted Kevin with her laughter during his countless restless nights of unrest. Was this girl simply a figment of his imagination? He could never seem to remember her name during the daylight hours. It was as though her memory would fade upon arrival of the sun. In those very first moments after he opened his eyes each morning, the girl that haunted his dreams was all he could think about. Then she would fade into a place in his mind where she would remain hidden until the next time he dreamt of her.
His memory had been erased. He knew this because he didn’t remember anything before Triad. Maybe, she was someone that he used to know? All Kevin of Triad knew was that he looked forward to sleep because when he went to sleep he could see her. He would wake up knowing that as long as he was capable of having such beautiful dreams, a part of him must still be good.
Beautiful Goodbyes and Warm Welcomes
With their unspoken words of love still echoing in her ears and aching in her heart, Kayn knew she had to be brave. He was gone. This was where their roads separated, right at the beginning. It wasn’t fair. It felt like she’d said goodbye to Kevin only moments earlier. One last kiss, a final embrace and he was gone. Kayn stared at the concerned faces that hovered around the tomb she’d been healed in. She noticed a few unfamiliar ones. There was a dark featured boy and a girl. She knew her. It was that girl from Trinity who’d joined her energy with Kevin’s, so they could find each other in the in-between. She’d given them the opportunity for one last goodbye.
Kayn sat up in the tomb. She looked at the girl with the shoulder length, wavy, chestnut colored hair and sweetly said, “Thank you.”
She replied, “My name’s Melod
y.”
Kayn felt an immediate connection with this girl. Melody extended her hand in a kind gesture. Then she grinned, giving Kayn a gentle tug, she helped her to her feet. Kayn looked around. What in the hell? The tombs were laid out in a line in the back of what appeared to be an empty storage container. Where was she?
Lexy gave her a hug and then Lily. Frost stared at her for a second. Their eyes met and then he walked away. He felt empathy for her. She’d seen it flash across his pained expression. They each gave her their apologies for the loss of Kevin. She followed the group down a ramp and into a large dusty parking lot. Where was she? She turned around to look back and saw that they’d been in the back of a big rig. A light breeze danced across her skin. He was really gone.
Markus walked around the corner and startled her. He pulled her into a fatherly embrace and whispered in her ear, “I’m sorry Kayn. There was nothing we could do. They knew about him. Triad has Kevin, his mother and brother from what I hear.”
She understood why Kevin felt he had to go with Triad. She wasn’t sure if it had been a choice or if he had been taken. It made no difference. He was gone. He would have wanted to have some sort of control over what would happen to his family. Her mind could comprehend his logic, if it had in fact been a choice. Her heart couldn’t fathom the fact that she would have to do this without him. Kayn closed her eyes, allowing the embrace to carry on. She needed it. After a few moments of calm, Kayn pulled away from Markus. She needed to know everything, the whole sordid tale. She had to yank the band aid off of her heart, while it was still raw.
Kayn stared into Markus’s solemn eyes and said, “I know my brother and Jenkins are dead. I need to know how they died.”
Melody was the one to speak first, “Your brother was higher than a kite and covered with toothpaste... Right?”
Kayn replied, “That would have been him. He was grazed by a drugged arrow. He got out of the room. Jenkins convinced me to stay. I knew Matt would have wanted me to stay.”
Melody added, “He was a funny guy and an incredibly brave one. A bunch of Triad attacked us. He died trying to save us.”
Kayn smiled as she thought of Matt attacking a group of Triad to save complete strangers. He had given his life in a final heroic gesture. She was proud of him. Her eyes glazed over with tears as she asked the question that her heart needed to know, “Did he suffer?”
Melody’s eyes softened as she answered, “He jumped on one of the Triad’s backs to stop him from strangling my friend and he was thrown against the wall. His neck was broken on impact. His death was instant. He didn’t feel a thing. Your brother was very brave.”
Kayn nodded as she smiled through the tears that glistened in her eyes, as she looked at the group and questioned, “What about Jenkins? Does anyone know what happened to him?”
Markus stepped forward and said, “I did it myself. I had to… They would have sent a Correction for him. I know you thought you were helping him by telling him to hide in the attic, but if I hadn’t found him he would have died as violently as the rest of your family did. I explained the situation and when I told Jenkins his daughter was there with him, his whole demeanor changed. I told him that she was waiting for him and that they would be able to leave together. He agreed to go with her, without hesitation. She was wrapped in his arms as they left. It was a beautiful goodbye.”
Kayn began to tear up but her tears had not been created by sadness. She was overcome with joy. She’d heard a little girl at the hospital but she had disappeared. Kayn hoped she’d moved on. She’d been able to hear Jenkins’ thoughts and most of them, even after ten years, were of the child he’d lost. His daughter had drowned and he’d never been able to forgive himself. He had never been able to move past that day in his heart. They’d been together once more in his final moments. It was the most beautiful goodbye, a perfect release from life for Jenkins. It was exactly what she would have wanted for him. She nodded and said, “Thank you Markus.” He smiled at her and appeared to be relieved that she understood. Kayn understood so many things now. Her mind felt like it had expanded to ten times its size over the last couple months. She knew she would see her brother and Jenkins again someday and prayed their next life would be a happy one. Her eyes were drawn to the only person she didn’t know. A dark featured boy that appeared to be about her age was standing solemnly beside Lily, staring at her.
Markus grinned as he announced, “Ladies, meet Zach. He used to be Triad. We now have our three new clan members for the Testing. We only have one year to train you. Ideally, it would be three or four years but that’s not how it worked out this time. We’re going to have to run with you three, until you are eighteen. That means there’s going to be many tedious long days of driving ahead of us. You will have to be trained while we’re on the move because we can’t risk running into the other clans and losing one of you. It’s important that the three of you attach to each other. You’re going to be together all of the time. We have to leave now. The other clans won’t be far behind us. Everybody wants Miss Brighton.”
Lexy had a handful of rose quartz stones as she exited the now empty big rig. She chucked one at Frost and then another at Lily. They caught them in midair. Lexy exclaimed, “I’ll hold onto Grey’s until he’s back with the gassed-up motorhome.”
Kayn thought, Motorhome? They were going to be traveling in an RV? That was strange. Kayn asked, “Are we just going to leave that big rig in the parking lot?”
Lily squeezed her shoulder and whispered, “It’s not ours. Let’s just say I borrowed it from a friend. We had to heal and escape at the same time and we needed somewhere to house the tombs. Don’t worry…The owner will find it here in perfect condition.” Just as she finished the sentence, a huge RV approached, crackling through the parking lot with a cloud of dust trailing behind it. Lily beamed as she announced, “There’s our ride now.”
The door opened and Grey hollered, “Let’s put some serious miles between us and them.”
Kayn walked up the few steps into the enormous pimped out motorhome. Grey directed her towards the table. She shimmied into the corner on the bench to make room. Melody shifted herself into the seat beside her and then Zach slid in.
Grey opened the cupboard above their heads and pointed as though he were an immortal tour guide, “Board games, drawing material, etc. are up here. Video games are in the drawer over there. The bunks are in the back. We take turns sleeping and driving. That black dual cab truck outside is also ours. There are six laptops, a larger television set and more video games. Those are in the open room with pillows all over the floor at the very back just past the bathroom. We took the bed out of that room, it just wasn’t fair and we fought over it. We all sleep in bunks or on the floor in that back room. There are snacks in the fridge and in those cupboards around the stove. No need to freak out over the sleeping arrangements. The bunks are really comfortable but we stop at motels every third or fourth day while we’re on the road. Be quick in the bathroom. There is only one.” Everyone had found a place to sit or stand and the motorhome began to move.
Markus cleared his throat and everyone’s eyes gravitated towards him as he spoke, “I only have a few minutes with you guys because I’m leaving with the other half of our group. If you have anything to say, now is the time.”
Melody looked at Markus and stated, “Thorne will come after me.”
Markus replied, “Healers are a precious commodity. Does Trinity have more than three new recruits left, excluding you of course?”
Melody knit her brow as she responded, “Yes… They do.”
Markus looked directly at her and replied, “I’ve known Thorne a long time. We may not have to worry. He knows there’s only a year before the next scheduled Testing. He may opt to keep his people out of sight.”
Zach had been sitting in silence. He was visibly upset. What would he have to be upset about? Wasn’t leaving Triad for Ankh supposed to be a good thing?
Zach looked at Markus and said, �
�Triad has six. Well, six of them before I was left behind. Why would Tiberius leave me behind?”
Markus gave the new boy a fatherly smile as he reached across the table and placed his hand protectively on top of Zach’s. He explained, “Son, if he has six recruits already, he’s running low on tombs. One of those tombs will have to store the bodies of Kevin’s mother and his brother Clay. Once they’ve been placed in a tomb for the purpose of storage, that tomb has to be taken out of commission. They can’t be removed until after the next Testing. If they are healed and removed before that time, they have to go into the Testing with the group that Triad has already been preparing. Tiberius would never risk having even one weak link in his group. It sounds like he has a large group and it’s important that all six are able to attach on a spiritual level. If they’re not compatible they won’t be able to survive in the Testing. If he left you behind, it was probably because he wanted you to have a chance to survive. He must have known you wouldn’t with Triad, if you were incapable of being as dark as you needed to be. You might have taken out the whole group in the Testing.”
Zach looked at Kayn and asked, “Was Kevin dark enough to be in Triad?”
They had to stop saying his name. The mere mention of his name made her heart ache. Kayn took a deep breath and replied, “No. He wasn’t.” She was having a difficult time keeping it together, so she stared at the wooden table beneath her fingertips.
Markus’s voice piped in, “Tiberius will wipe Kevin’s memory. He has an entire year to brainwash his grandson. That makes his odds of survival much higher than yours.”
Kayn raised her eyes to meet the others as she listened to the conversation numbly. This wasn’t happening.
Zach questioned, “Why didn’t he just wipe my memory?”
Markus smiled as he answered, “The reason is obvious. You liked him Zach. He must have liked you. Tiberius doesn’t have a lot of people that actually like him. He did you a giant favor. Aren’t you happy to be here?”