She Awakens Read online

  Copyright © 2021 by Caitlin Denman

  All rights reserved.

  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.

  Contents

  Prologue

  1. Attina

  2. Attina

  3. Attina

  4. Attina

  5. Attina

  6. James

  7. Attina

  8. Attina

  9. Attina

  10. Attina

  11. Attina

  12. Attina

  13. Attina

  14. Attina

  15. Attina

  16. Attina

  17. Allister

  18. Attina

  19. Allister

  20. Attina

  21. Attina

  22. Attina

  23. Attina

  24. Attina

  25. James

  Epilogue

  Other Books by Caitlin Denman

  About the Author

  Acknowledgments

  I dedicate this book to my parents. Without your love and support this book wouldn't be possible

  Prologue

  Day of Destruction

  Gazing out my office window at Shadow Mountain, I still can’t understand what has all my workers so spooked. It’s only a mountain made out of rock and dirt, like all the other mountains we’ve blasted through to get us to this point.

  I get they’re superstitious, but this is getting ridiculous. What in all of Arealea could possibly cause these men to be so frightened of the boogieman?

  I move from the window and begin pacing my small office. It’s not much, merely a four-post canvas tent. There aren’t even glass windows. Nothing but cut outs in the fabric opening to the world beyond and my men's pop up style camp. Like my office, my men live in canvas tents, which can be easily set up or dismantled as we travel and install new chunks of railroad.

  Tonight, I left my bodyguard Silas to oversee the blasting to the mountain’s core. Usually such a thing wouldn’t be necessary, but lately the men, even my own advisors, have been hysterical so I thought it best. The workers are full of stories of people living in the mountain and of curses and magic—like any of those are real. Then my advisors have the audacity to tell me I should listen to the workers and go around the mountain. Has everyone around me gone mad? But even with everything going on, I don’t think any of my men would do something to sabotage this project. Over the years though, I've learned it’s better to be safe than sorry.

  What am I going to do? If this keeps up, it’s on track to end up costing me more money and I’m already losing money I don’t have.

  Bam!

  Bam!

  Bam!

  The charges are blasting off exactly as they should be. As I walk back to my window, I see the typical shaking of the ground and the puff of dust coming out the entrance we created weeks ago in the mountain face.

  With the blasting over, I turn to walk to my desk. There are bills waiting to be paid, but something catches my eye as I pivot, forcing me to turn back. I see a human sized shadow coming out of the mountain entrance.

  Then another.

  And another.

  Until a mass of people burst out of the mountain, then I hear it. Screaming.

  Men are screaming and running like they’re being chased from the bowels of hell itself.

  More shadows pour out of the hole than should even be possible. There were only a handful of people authorized to be down there during the blasting, only the bare minimum.

  Now from my vantage point 500 feet down the mountain, I can see there has to be a hundred people flooding out of the dark void. Most of those shadows are moving too fast, inhumanly fast.

  As I watch I see man after man swallowed up by this swarm of shadows. One man falls to the ground as a dark wave of figures crashes over their prostrate bodies.

  What’s going on? What’s happening to those men and who are all those extra people?

  Finally, I move.

  I rush over to my desk, pull open my top drawer, and grab my pistol.

  As I race over to the tarpaulin entrance to my office, I check to make sure the pistol’s loaded and walk back over to my canvas door, throwing open the fabric.

  The last thing I would expect to see is what’s in front of me.

  A stunning woman blocks my path.

  As my eyes drift down her curvy, tight body and I see her long brown hair ,which flows down the length of her back all the way down to her butt. Her face is interesting. Her chin and cheeks are angular but her eyes, while being blood red, are deep pools calling to me to follow her to the ends of Arealea. Below her chin, I see a rose necklace poking out atop her ample bosom.

  I am completely captivated by this woman.

  In the edges of my vision, I see the camp where my workers live is on fire and my men are being slaughtered by some kind of creatures. They can't be humans. These beasts, for lack of a better word, are moving too fast for me to see exactly what they are. Their frames are human-like, but their accelerated movements are too precise to be human, but none of it matters, compared to the woman standing in front of me.

  When I refocus on the woman, she has her head cocked to the side. The stare reminds me of when I see an interesting bug I’m about to smash. My eyes drift down, and I notice a beautiful sword by her side, which I didn’t see initially.

  Engraved down the blade are strange dark, glittering black runes, like nothing I’ve ever seen before, and the hand guard is fashioned to give the impression thorns are wrapping around her hand.

  Why would such a stunningly beautiful woman be holding something so deadly? What is she doing here? Did she run out of the mountain? Why am I only now thinking of this? I feel like I’m under some kind of trance.

  My gaze shifts back to her face and I don't even think to raise my gun towards her before I feel that exquisite blade slice through me. I grab for my stomach, trying to staunch the bleeding, and focus on her eyes. I didn’t notice before, but those eyes show a fire dancing in them, pushing to crawl out and consume us both.

  I raise my gun.

  I am about to die, but at least I can take her out with me.

  I pull the trigger, the gun goes off with a loud bang, but as I fall to my knees from blood loss, I realize the woman is gone. She was right in front of me less than a second ago and now she’s disappeared? How did this happen? How did she move so fast? How did she dodge my shot?

  I collapse on the ground and then Silas appears right inside of my tent. I hold my arm out, trying to reach for him, stretching my hand toward help.

  I’m dying. I know I am. There’s only so much blood a human body can lose before death pulls you under. I’ve already lost too much. No one can help me, I know this, but I can’t ignore my body’s survival instinct, so I call out to Silas.

  “Silas, please help me!”

  “Wharton, hang on! I’m coming!” he shouts.

  But before he can make it over to me, everything goes still, silent, and black

  1

  Attina

  High in the treetops, I gaze out over our town. The weight of our task places a heavy burden upon my shoulders, especially today. James and I provide meat for our town, Daruk. No matter what, if we’re getting along or we’re fighting, we head out daily to hunt game.

  Every day, we check traps, which we set the day before. We have ten traps in total, which we check religiously, scattered around the outskirts of town. Our snares are only big enough to catch small game such as rabbits, squirrels, and the like. But it’s not always enough food to provide for the entire town.
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  In the cold hard winters, when critters are scarce, our food stores are what keep the town alive. The good thing is while James and I hunt for meat most of the rest of our townspeople raise anything small enough to not take up much room like pigs, goats, chickens, and geese. While we don’t have to provide food for everyone, I still feel it is my responsibility to keep our food stores brimming with meat. You never know when some sickness will run through our town’s animals.

  Once we check our traps, we invariably end up in the same tree. It’s the tallest one anywhere in or around town. Our routine is simple. After we check all of our snares, we tie up the small game we’ve gathered high in the tree, so no other predators can reach it easily, and then we climb to the tippy top and search for signs of bigger game.

  Even as children, whenever we were out on one of our adventures, James would regularly tell me someday we would marry, and this day is no different. For about the fifteenth time, he quietly glances intensely at me as we ascend the tree. The silence between us is stifling. Usually, there isn’t ever a lull in our conversations, but today things have been off, almost strained for some reason.

  Most days, I would try to figure out what is going on with him, but today I don’t have it in me. For the past week, I haven’t been getting nearly enough sleep. The strangest things have been happening to me. I've been waking to find things floating around my room—my things. I open my eyes and small things like pens, my clock, a brush, and even clothes I left on the floor are floating above my head, circling my bed.

  At first, I thought I was simply having a strange dream because I would wake up once throughout the night, see the objects floating, and immediately fall back asleep. Then each morning I would check around my room, but all my things would be exactly where I left them the night before.

  This morning was different though.

  I didn’t wake up in the middle of the night last night. I slept peacefully throughout the night this time, but when I opened my eyes this morning, all the objects I’d thought I’d dreamt of were soaring around my room over my bed again.

  I screamed and somehow fell out of bed, and as soon as my butt hit the ground all the things which were floating seconds ago fall from the air, scattering all over my room. Not two seconds later, my father was pounding on my door asking what happened. I made up an excuse at the time to appease him and keep him from asking too many questions, but now I’m left with a slew of questions myself.

  What’s happening to me?

  Can I stop whatever this is?

  How do I hide what is happening? No one can know about this. If the townspeople find out I have some sort of magical powers everyone would panic. The only people in Arealea who have powers are the Fae. Even though the townspeople have known me my entire life, their hatred of the Fae and magic is bottomless. I know I would become a pariah if anyone found out about whatever these powers are. Just as I feel myself being dragged down the rabbit hole of anxiety, James finally breaks the silence, “I can’t wait until I can make you my wife.” It isn’t the words that are so shocking, it’s the way he feasts his eyes on me and the conviction in his words. I’ve never heard this kind of cocksureness in his voice before, not once in the twelve years we’ve known each other.

  His declaration shocks me to such an extent, as I reach up to the next branch, I stumble and miss it completely. My body jerks a little as I stabilize myself, but there’s no harm done. James’s intake of breath is the only way I know he saw me slip. James has ceaselessly tried to protect me, oftentimes too much. I can take care of myself. I don’t need to be coddled or protected. This tendency of his has caused many fights over the years.

  When I finally climb to the top of the tree, James is already waiting for me. His eyes are wide, his brows are raised, and a simpering smile is smeared on his expectant face... I shake my head. “Why do you always say you want to marry me?”

  At my question, his mouth drops open. “You have no idea, do you?” I purse my lips. “Attina, you are my best friend. We’ve been friends for as long as I can remember. Our families already love each other, and being with you would be as easy as breathing; and just so you know, I plan to be breathing for the rest of my life.”

  I stare into the distance atop this monstrous tree trying to muster up some courage for what I need to say. My stomach drops knowing this moment could change our lives forever. How do I tell him I’m not ready for this kind of commitment? Will he hate me if I turn him down? Do I even want to turn him down? I mean, I know I love him, but am I in love with him? I’m not sure. The instant these thoughts run through my mind, something extraordinary happens.

  A big, clamoring noise, like tree branches slamming against each other, draws our attention away from the conversation. To the east, a whole flock of ravens swarm up and out of the trees. Ravens are big birds, which aren’t easily spooked, so what in the world could’ve frightened them so thoroughly? I peek at James and simply by the expression on his face, the way his eyebrows are drawn together and by his thinned lips, I know he’s as confused as I am.

  “We have to check it out. Hopefully, it's a deer, we haven’t seen one in about a month, the town could use it”, I say without taking my eyes off the tree line.

  He turns to me. "There's no way that’s a deer. When have you ever seen a deer cause that kind of ruckus?” A wicked grin appears on his face. He wiggles his eyebrows and says, “Unless it’s mating season.”

  I take a deep exasperated breath and release it, annoyed because he’s not taking the situation seriously. “You know very well the mating season for deer isn’t until the fall, so don’t be ridiculous. And if you don’t think it could be a deer, then that’s all the more reason to check it out. Whatever caused that kind of reaction is too close to town already.”

  He rolls his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Let’s go, but whatever you do, stay behind me.” He drops out of the tree, and at first glance it appears like he’s fallen, but then I realize somehow in the last second, he grabbed onto a low hanging branch and propelled himself toward the ground, never losing a step. He’s focused and elegant, and I’ve never been able to be so graceful myself. I’m a klutz, always have been, always will be.

  By the time I make my way down the tree, James is already so far ahead of me I to run to keep within sight of him. As soon as my feet touch dirt, I race past our catch of the day tied up in the tree and keep running, crashing through the forest to gain ground on him. I know it’s the opposite of what James told me to do, but honestly how else am I supposed to keep up with mister long legs McGee?

  After a couple of minutes, he stops, turns around, and waits for me to overtake him. I slowly creep up, nervously grasping onto the necklace my mother left me when she died. It’s nothing fancy, just a chain with a charm of a red rose in bloom. The nervous habit of mine rearing its ugly head as I fidget with it, fondling it between my fingers. I worry at the necklace more than I like to admit. Even the paint on the edges of the rose has rubbed off a little over the years.

  “I thought I said to be quiet,” he hisses.

  I shrug my shoulders. “It’s your fault you left me behind.” James rolls his eyes, turns around, and continues his trek at a slow, stalking walk. Now, since I’ve caught up with him, I’m able to keep right behind him as we move. I put one foot in front of the other, making sure to only step where he steps. After a few minutes, I can tell we’re close to where the commotion was.

  Not paying any attention to what’s going on around me, I run smack dab into his hard muscled back. I take a step back as I rub my forehead and notice the forest has gotten too quiet. My gaze moves all around the forest, scanning for any signs of life. I’m seeking for signs of a bird gliding through the sky, a squirrel crawling up a tree, but I see nothing. I’ve never seen the forest this devoid of life before. I’m shocked. I whisper James’s name and tug on his elbow.

  He ignores me and keeps walking. I follow until he turns his head and mouths “stay here” and I do exactly as he says. He
slowly stalks around a thick gnarly pine tree to our left. As soon as James is out of sight, I hear “Shit!” escape his mouth.

  Without thinking, I take off running after him. I pass the pine tree and slam right into his backside, again. Shaking my head, I peer around him. I begin to ask him what happened, but my mouth closes instantly. I have no idea where to start. What I see before me is too unnerving. The scene in front of me is one, which will stay with me for the rest of my life.

  Ahead of us is a man, if you can call him such a thing, clawing his way towards us on the ground. His fingers are coated in black dirt, and they’re digging into the soft earth. He must’ve been at this for a while because it appears a few of his fingernails are missing from the effort of pulling his body along. His legs are badly broken and parts of his thighs are missing. I assume it's because he's dragged them so long, based on the blood trail he left in his wake. Without putting much thought into it, I push James aside and take a step to help the man, but James grabs me tightly by the waist and pulls me back against his hard, muscular body.

  “Wait, just watch.”

  Shocked, I fight against my instinct to help and listen to James instead. My breath catches when the man’s eyes lock onto mine.

  Gazing down at his face I can tell he must have been a handsome man at one point. He still has stunning blue eyes and what would be a strong jaw line, but it's now broken. One side of it hangs away from his face and his nose is missing completely. As I take in his features fully, a gasp escapes me and a shiver wracks my body.