Harsh Decisions: Decisions Series, #2

Harsh Decisions (Decisions Series Book II)

© 2013 Casey Harvell

All rights reserved.

This is a work of fiction. All character’s, events, and companies portrayed are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously.

Formatting & Cover by Fancypants Book Formatting

www.fancypantsformatting.com

Acknowledgments

For my readers because without you I’d truly be nowhere, and for those who truly support me—even (and perhaps especially) when they have nothing to gain: I sincerely thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Contents

Acknowledgments

Contents

Faith

Purgatory

Heaven

Hell

Legend

Return

Priorities

Homecoming

Surprise

Volatile

News

Duplicity

Enough

Resolve

Action

About the Author

Other Books by Casey

Author Recommendations

Faith

I’m complete again. Gabe’s arms cradle me tightly and all is right with the world. Nothing else matters. Not demons, not traveling to hell—just Gabe and me together again. I sigh, content. Suddenly I’m jarred back to reality. The speedboat rumbles underneath me as it skips over the wake of another boat.

Everything comes rushing back: when I discovered that I have all of these abilities. That I had to use them for the first time to save poor Lily from killing herself or getting sent back to a drug dealer that would’ve used their unborn son to destroy the world. How I was attacked by a demon (getting struck by lightning sucks by the way.) How Gabe disappears trying to fight that same demon and protect me.

That’s where I am now—on my way to find Gabe. That’s all that matters to me right now. That’s my only goal. Whatever dangers may lurk ahead of me in Vitamartis (basically another name for Heaven and Hell) none of it matters. My own safety’s irrelevant. I will find Gabe.

Purgatory

Though my rest has been interrupted I still sit quietly with my eyes closed. I go over the ritual in my head. Nothing could’ve prepared me for its intensity—although Maddy did try. The ritual (one that’s only been used one other known time in history) was done to force my abilities to reach their full potential. If I hadn’t shut myself down emotionally before it I may not have been able to handle it at all.

Maddy pricks my finger as well as her own and Elias’. She begins to speak quietly to herself. It sounds like gibberish, but I know better. Elias slowly steps back until he’s outside the area Maddy designates me to. I stand still like I was instructed to do, and close my eyes.

Maddy’s voice grows louder and louder until it feels as though she’s screaming inside my head. Screaming everywhere. I fight to keep still—to keep from covering my ears and begging her to stop. Then it happens. It’s hard to describe. I’d say it felt like hitting a wall of energy, but it would be more apt to say it was as though I created the energy. Rather than being hit by it, it’s emanating from within me. It courses through me: this power I only recently discovered now forever amplified.

My thoughts grow too heavy so I open my eyes. The speed boat continues on its way. It’s a beautiful morning. I can tell by the way the sun rises in the ocean, but it does nothing to improve my mood. Not much will until Gabe’s back in my arms and I lift the emotional ban I put on myself.

Not so very long ago I was an average young woman. My focus was solely on my photography business, my fish and my BFF Shay. One night I meet Chase and Gabe. I wouldn’t change it—not for anything because it brought me to Gabe.

After a whole lot of freaky shit I discover that I’m not losing my sanity. I’m different. Very different.

The concept of a world so close yet so separate to the one in which I grew up is hard to accept. The familiar crumbles and in its wake there’s more WTF moments than anything else.

To start they tell me I’m something called a Stimuli. Apparently there’s this never-ending battle between good and evil that regular people are oblivious to. With this battle there’s this stupid balance that must be kept (why I have no idea) and all good must be balanced with evil and vice-versa. Personally I don’t understand the need for pain and suffering. Call me crazy.

Gabe ends up being my everything. Gabe fights for good. Gabe is good. He’s also this badass thing called a Cerberus. They’re about as badass as anything can get. Chase is also a Cerberus...he’s Gabe’s balance. Chase was not good. Then one day Chase did something that hasn’t been done before by a Cerberus. He switched sides. The most awkward part about it? He may have done it because of me...

Now I have two Cerberuses that desire my attention (and the one I want disappears!) Add to that the fact that I’m not actually a Stimuli but some kind of freaky hybrid and poof. Mind. Is. Officially. Blown.

Where are we going? I ask Chase. I’m not thrilled with my father’s choice of companion, but it is practical so I’m just grateful not to be going it alone.

Chase smiles as though enjoying some private joke. To the only place that will bring us to Vitamartis. We’re going to the Bermuda Triangle.

Huh, I guess that makes sense in a really freaky way, How much longer?

Not too much further. He checks some dial on the dashboard. Remember when I give the signal, hold on. This isn’t my favorite journey to take.

I nod. Chase made us batten down the hatches extra tight. I guess now I know why. I could tell him I have the ability to shield us, but decide to let him see for himself. I have the ability to do almost anything now. It’s very odd to have so much power. Especially after being a misfit my whole life. Maddy and Elias don’t even know the extent of it. They know of the potential but not how much I actually have. I wasn’t really up for conversation after the ritual.

Hold on Lettie! Chase yells.

The speed boat slows down a bit, but begins to shudder. I’m not really sure what to expect, but use my projection and imagine an airtight seal covering the top of the speedboat. As the boat begins to spin and water begins to rise above us, I’m happy I did. I tighten my arm and brace the seat as my stomach gets left somewhere behind me. Just when it seems that we can sink no deeper into the abyss, the ocean bottom opens up and swallows us whole. We linger in darkness for a few moments before we propel to the surface. I don’t want to imagine how that trip is to some poor soul that can’t project a water tight barrier. I shudder a little and look around.

It seems dull here...everything’s somewhat muted though still not all that different from the water we were on just moments ago. The colors are a little off—tinged in an almost rust hue. But that’s it. I’m almost disappointed. I expect more.

Chase stares at me with his mouth agape. I guess he doesn’t expect to stay dry. I’d laugh if I wasn’t so darn depressed. He looks quite out of sorts and certainly nowhere near his usual level of cockiness. Too bad I’m in no state to enjoy it.

Chase collects himself. The boat begins to race and bounce across the water again. It doesn’t take long before land dots the horizon. I edge closer to it, to get a good look at what I’m up against. It’s completely drab. Grey buildings stacked mundanely amongst the rusted sky.

I turn to Chase and ask, Where are we?

Per Medias- The In-Between. Everyone arrives here and goes to their intended place. Unless they’re declared to stay for a spell. That happens on occasion, the need to prove themselves worthy.

Huh. I get it. It’s like purgatory. No wonder it’s so blah. Makes sense. I slouch back into the seat of the boat. My thoughts are no longer preoccupied with my surroundings and focus back on Gabe—on finding him.

While Elias and Maddy seem confident in my ability to bring Gabe back, I’m still uneasy. More so, I feel actual physical pain because I miss him so much. Even with my emotional shut-down (something I have to do in order to attempt this rescue) I can’t shut down the pain. It refuses to be ignored.

Chase docks the speedboat at a rather dull looking dock. I sense a theme here as I follow him off the boat.

We have to go Aether first. I just look at him dumbly. I don’t have a clue what he’s saying. We’re going to the better half first—see if we can’t get some insight to where Gabe is and possibly get some reinforcements.

Finally words I can understand. I nod.

Chase peers at me oddly. Lettie, how are you doing—besides the obvious?

Let’s just get this done, Chase. Where to first?

Transportation here is very different to anything I’ve ever seen before. Off the dock, we walk into something resembling an airport terminal, though there’s only three options. The signs are in languages I’m not familiar with...yet even as I follow Chase I catch a different vibe from each path. A pleasant one, and indifferent one and a very not good one. Gee, I wonder which goes where?

We walk down a short hall and through a door when everything changes again. The rust tinge is gone from the landscape. Now it’s the brightness that throws me. So much brightness should hurt my eyes, but oddly it doesn’t bother me a bit.

I follow Chase in silence—too busy staring at the large trees and different foliage as we walk through a seemingly too perfect forest. Don’t get me wrong, it’s very peaceful...too peaceful. No animals skitter about, no birds chirp or bugs that attempt to eat you. Just utter sereneness.

Chase stops at a cross path and turns. I follow with absolutely no sense of direction whatsoever.

As the woods begin to thin out, roofs come into view and Chase stops. We’re almost to Cerdomum, my family’s home...Gabe’s family’s home... His voice trails off.

This information stops me in my tracks. While it makes sense (to seek out their families for help) it unsettles me a bit. Anxiety begins to overcome my self-imposed numbness and I shake it off. I’ll do anything to find Gabe. I take a deep breath and motion for Chase to continue. He gives me another odd look, but complies.

Chase leads me towards a picturesque village. The houses are charming and the landscaping is impeccable. The only oddity is the layout, a main street with two very obvious neighborhoods on each side. Ah, it clicks that perhaps the Cerberus customs dictates earlier than I imagined whether they would choose the path of light or dark—good or evil.

It’s hard to cement my theory though, because the entire village is pleasant and charming. I fight my curiosity and focus on the task at hand. Where do we go first?

Chase looks a little sheepish. We have a few people to talk to here. He averts his eyes, and-is he blushing? That’s very un-Chase like. When my mom heard of my impending trip, well, she insisted we stay with her and my father while we’re here.

My eyebrows shoot up so fast, for a second I worry they might jump off my head. I almost laugh. Almost. Let’s get going then.

Chase seems to study me for a moment before he minutely shakes his head and turns back around. Chase leads the way through the foot paths to a particular house. He pauses at the door as if he is going to say something, but then thinks better of it, and knocks.

Less than a minute later the door is flung open and a beautiful women (who shares Chase’s blond hair and blue eyes) propels herself into Chase’s arms with such force that I have to jump back to avoid getting plowed over by the two of them.

Chase! Welcome home! She gushes into his shoulder and holds him tight. When she pulls back I can see the moisture in her eyes. Not so long next time, you hear me? She suddenly seems to realize my presence. You must be Lettie! Please come inside, I have a room made up for you. It’s so nice to finally put a face to your name.

The woman is like a force of nature. I manage a small smile and try not to think about her having any need to put a face with my name. As if Chase talks about me to his mom. Thanks, um, it’s a pleasure to be here.

She ushers me up the stair to a beautiful room decorated in soft blues and creams. She insists I refresh from our journey and get settled before I join them back downstairs. I have to admit Chase’s mom is kind of a sweetheart.

After I follow her orders I make my way back down the stairs. Chase and his mom greet me in the living room. Mrs. Parson, thank you for all of your hospitality.

Oh, please dear, call me Aurora, Mrs. Parson is my mother in law. She smiles. Would you like some tea? Some food perhaps?

Tea sounds wonderful. My appetite hasn’t been that great, since...

My apparent change in mood doesn’t go unnoticed by Chase and Aurora, but thankfully they’re too polite to say anything about it. Well, Aurora’s too polite, Chase is probably just used to it by now.

A cup of tea coming right up, Aurora rises and moves down a hallway that I can only assume leads to the kitchen.

I try to snap myself out of the impending depression and turn to Chase. What’s our plan?

He shifts in his chair to face me. I thought we would start with Gabe’s family and move forward from there.

The shock of this permeates my numbness momentarily. I expect this, but