Black Atonement

Published by Evernight Teen ® at Smashwords

www.evernightteen.com

Copyright© 2014 Sasha Hibbs

ISBN: 978-1-77233-009-0

Cover Artist: Sour Cherry Designs

Editor: JS Cook

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

DEDICATION

For my brother, Jeffrey R. Harris. You are missed. You are loved.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Writing a novel isn’t the project of one mind, but many. It’s the collaboration of a dream, a creative process embraced with enthusiasm and nurtured by the best beta readers an author could ever have. Thanks to all my wonderful beta gals: Tiffany Phillips, Jill Phillips, Sasheena Kovar, Claudette Harris, and Pamela Leonard. Your time, feedback, and passion for the Vulcan Legacies series reflect in each word I’ve written. I’ll never be able to thank you enough for traveling on this journey with me and my characters. They and I love you all. And Pam, without your tech-savvy ninja skills, I would be lost, staring at my keyboard clueless. In between hotel rooms, flights, and state lines, I’m not sure how you do it and can never thank you enough for putting up with my demands. A huge thank you to my publisher, Evernight Teen, for taking my dream and turning it into a reality. And lastly, thank you to my wonderful family, my girls, Aeliza and Ava, and my husband, Tim. With you all by my side, I can do anything.

BLACK ATONEMENT

The Vulcan Legacies, 3

Sasha Hibbs

Copyright © 2014

Chapter One

Before Brandi rested against the headboard, she turned to look at Dave. His back was towards her, his sleep tormented no doubt by the night of hell he’d just gone through. Brandi could still see the flaming black arrow protruding from Lucy’s chest, her frozen look cased in death as her lifeless eyes stared up to the sky. And Dave’s own father, Ragnar, pack leader of the Hell Hounds, had been the one to cut Dave’s soul mate’s life short.

Brandi and Dave were on the run now. Brandi eased herself down on the mattress and closed her eyes. She rubbed her temples in circular motions as if that would assuage the ache. Brandi forced Dave to leave the Nosferatu Nation. In his condition, Dave really wasn’t much of a fight for Brandi. She knew that part of him was still to come. After losing what should have been your bonded mate in life, Brandi knew that somehow she was still going to have to watch Dave go through all the motions: denial, anger, bargaining, and at some point, acceptance. She just didn’t know in which order and how severe. Brandi would have to weather the storm with him. The moment she used her sacred Seraph blood to revive him and cheat death back at the Ravenscraft plantation, David Howels became her responsibility.

Closing her eyes, Brandi thought back to a conversation she and her sister, Laurel, the Seraph of Faith, had a very long time ago, a time when Brandi was a different person, a time when she could still love.

"Laurel, who will he be? What’ll he be like? Brandi asked. Her eyes were bright and filled with the promise of a good future. Come on! You have the gift of foresight. Tell me!"

"Brandi…" Laurel started but was cut off by an overexcited Brandi.

"Oh, don’t start with your whole some-things-are-better-left-for-you-to-discover crap," Brandi said, giving her sister a playful shove.

Brandi was the Seraph of Love, surely her love story would be the greatest of them all. But when she noticed her sister’s face, the lines around her mouth, the look of sadness etched into her eyes, Brandi’s happiness soon diminished.

"What is it, Laurel? What’s wrong? Brandi asked, her voice barely above a whisper. What aren’t you telling me?"

Laurel turned towards her, her eyes downcast, her posture weighed down by whatever it was she was withholding.

"Tell me, Laurel. What do you know?" Brandi insisted, her heart racing.

Laurel finally looked up to Brandi, her eyes no less sad. In time, it will all make sense.

"What are you talking about? What will make sense?" Brandi asked.

"Brandi, I really think it’s better to let this one go," Laurel said.

"How could I, especially now? I want you to tell me what’s wrong. I’m the Seraph of Love. How bad could he be? Tell me something!" Brandi said, her tone sharper than she intended.

"Love has many faces, Brandi. I need you to understand that you will find the one, your true love, but he’ll be damaged," Laurel said, letting out a long sigh.

"Damaged?" Brandi repeated, arching a single brow.

"Yes. He will belong to another, in the true sense of a soul mate…."

"What are you saying? That my soul mate will be my soul mate, but he has another soul mate that isn’t…me?" Brandi asked, shocked.

Laurel nodded and said, Yes.

"Are you kidding me? How is that possible?"

"Brandi, it’s not what you think. It’s complicated," Laurel said, her tone soft.

"Complicated? Are you sure you know what you’re talking about?" Brandi said. She knew better. Brandi had no doubt Laurel was precisely right. She had never been wrong. A gift from the Authority wasn’t faulty, it was accurate every time. But just this once, Brandi clung onto the hope that maybe Laurel didn’t know how to interpret what she saw.

"Brandi, he’ll be damaged because his soul mate dies, and yet he will live on," Laurel said.

Brandi sat down, the weight of her sister’s words closing in on her. That’s not…right. Brandi looked up to Laurel and said, So you’re telling me that my soul mate belongs to another, she will die, and I’ll be the runner up prize?

"It’s not quite like that, Brandi. There is a reason behind everything, and there will be a reason behind why things must unfold this way for you, for all those involved," Laurel said, squaring her shoulders. Brandi knew her sister and knew there were some key elements she was silencing.

"Unbelievable, Brandi said under her breath. Shaking her head, Brandi said, So, wow…what else will you tell me about him?"

"Brandi, you’re the Seraph of Love. You know better than anyone that love can come from the most unexpected places. Keep your eyes and your heart open. Don’t miss the forest for the trees," Laurel said.

Brandi rolled her eyes and stood up. I just don’t understand why or how…my soul mate will actually belong to another who will die. How do I compete with that? How do I fix that? Why would something that cruel fall in my lap? I’m the right hand of the Authority. I should have a soul mate designed just for me. It’s not fair.

"Brandi, you will save him. His soul mate’s death serves a purpose, and you must help him find it. When all else fails love remains, and that’s where you come in. It’s going to be hard on you Brandi, but you cannot give up on love and you cannot give up on him, Laurel said. She gathered Brandi’s hands into her own. Laurel’s gaze was troubled, Brandi?"

"Yes?"

"No matter what happens, please know that I love you," Laurel said. She grabbed Brandi and hugged her like she’d never have the opportunity to again.

Brandi knew in the pit of her stomach there were terrible things that Laurel knew, things still to come. Brandi didn’t know how much of that related to her, and how much of it related to Laurel, but Brandi could see the resolve in Laurel’s eyes, the determination to keep some things quiet.

Brandi simply hugged her back. I love you too, Laurel.

Brandi came back to the present, her eyes flying open. It still hurt to remember that conversation with her sister. She stared up at the motel room ceiling, her mind racing in a million different directions.

Brandi remembered when she first met Edgar, the first generation son of Vulcan. His soul mate Freyda died. Brandi truly thought herself in love with him and thought that love was reciprocated. She remembered her sister’s words well, thought it all made sense. Brandi was the Seraph of Love. Edgar was a strong blaxxmith, offspring of Vulcan who was once the Seraph Samyaza. At the time, it made perfect sense to