Rebirth: The Awakening Of A Witch

  REBIRTH

  Jessica S. Quinn

  Multiple Streams Publishing

  Copyright ©2012 by Multiple Streams Marketing, LLC

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media and incidents are either the product of the author's creative imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication and use of these trademarks are not authorized, sponsored nor associated with the trademark owners.

  Cover Design Copyright © 2012

  REBIRTH

  Table of Contents

  Table of Contents

  Dedication 5

  Prologue 7

  Chapter 1 - Silver-Grey Eyes 10

  Chapter 2 - Disturbing Presence 32

  Chapter 3 - Volleyball and Humiliation 54

  Chapter 4 - Suspicious Plans and A Nightmare 79

  Chapter 5 - Upsetting Behaviors 105

  Chapter 6 - His Arrival and My Doubts 129

  Chapter 7 - Question and Avoidance 152

  Chapter 8 - Saturday Night 172

  Chapter 9 - Shocking Revelations 195

  Chapter 10 - My Guardian 219

  Chapter 11 - First Attempt 243

  Chapter 12 - Cornered 265

  Chapter 15 - Wrath 315

  Chapter 16 - Aftermath 319

  Epilogue 336

  Dedication

  This book is dedicated to my amazing lover who has given me the strength and support I so desperately needed to make this dream come true. You are the wind that allows me to soar. Thank you!

  Prologue

  I was running as fast as I could, never looking back for fear of what was to come when a ray of fire suddenly dashed above my head and landed—no, crashed—before me. My feet felt like they had a mind of their own. I wanted to move, to keep running away, but they kept me still, dumbstruck at what was before me—a girl with jet-black hair, much like the color of a raven’s.

  She was kneeling before me, head bowed down with her long hair flowing around her. Lifting her face, she finally looked at me, her golden cat-like eyes flinging shots of venomous hatred and rage.

  I didn’t know what to think when she suddenly stood up and stretched her arms out at me, spurting jets of fire from her hands. I screamed, feeling totally helpless and resolved to covering my face with my arms, my last pitiful attempt to save myself. Right then, I expected death to come quick. I didn’t want to feel the pain of burning. I didn’t want to feel anguish.

  “Stay down, Sky!” A strained voice ordered me. I glanced up to see a boy with long, dark-brown hair before me. His eyes, which were now filled with intense concentration, were the richest color of silver-grey.

  What is he doing? He’s going to get himself killed to save me? Wait. Why isn’t he dead? Why am I still alive?

  A million of questions ran through my head. I shook them off, trying to concentrate on what was happening. You’ll hurt yourself! I tried to say to him, but no words were coming out of my mouth. He was going to die because of me, and I couldn’t do anything to stop it from happening.

  “No, save yourself.” I managed to say in a tiny hoarse voice that sounded like I’ve been chewing gravel for far too long. He didn’t leave. He just stood there, arms outstretched outward, forming a dark-blue beam of lightning before us, like he was creating some sort of a barrier. After what seemed like hours, perhaps pleased with his work, he turned to me, concern and dread clearly etched in his features. His beautiful eyes presented complete worry.

  Chapter 1 - Silver-Grey Eyes

  I woke up to that, feeling the boy’s piercing silver eyes looking back at me as I stared through the darkness of my bedroom. I couldn’t take his eyes off of my head. It’s like he branded me with them. I frowned. That had to be the strangest dream ever. Shaking my head like I was trying to chase the image of his eyes out of it, I glanced at my alarm clock on the bedside table. The metal device stared back at me. 10:12 PM.

  Great. I slept way too early. It was a school night after all, and this day has been one of the most tiring days—for me, anyway. I always like to keep myself busy, which was totally unnecessary, because the things that keep me occupied were my friend’s clubs, which were more hectic than my own Arts club. After helping out Anne and Nick, I went home late, tired, and completely drained. I didn’t even get to change my clothes, satisfied by just collapsing on my bed. Sighing, I clicked my bedside lamp on and got out of bed, aiming straight for the bathroom that was adjoined to my room.

  After freshening up, I opened my drawer chest and looked for my oversized shirt. I momentarily gave in to the pleasure of feeling the soft material sliding down my body as I put it on. I loved sleeping with this on. It was one of my dad’s shirts, and I smiled at that memory.

  I went straight to my bed and snuck up under its covers, stretching before eventually turning off my bedside lamp. I was about to close my eyes when I saw a pair of strong grey eyes gazing directly at me. It was a long time before I was finally able to go back to sleep.

  It was pitch black. I couldn’t see anything in front of me, even my hands. I floated around aimlessly. Wait… floated? Then it hit me. I wasn’t floating. I was flying, flying towards something… and nothing, the wind just passing by me in slow, subtle movements. I couldn’t see a thing, but I still kept going straight ahead.

  That’s when I heard a loud clashing sound far to my right, followed by a jagged line of light aiming in a zigzag fashion to the ground below—lightning. It was going to rain soon, but I didn’t mind that. My body still didn’t stop gliding through the blackness, and I just kept flying forward. Suddenly, I stopped. I looked around, trying to find the reason why I didn’t continue moving forward. I still couldn’t see anything because of the dark.

  Several bolts of lightning struck again in a distance, performing a magnificent light show that no one was watching. It instantly lit up the entire surrounding. This time I could clearly see the massive cliff ahead of me, the black angry waves of the sea crashing against the large rocks below, and the dark figure a few feet from me. I gasped. I was shocked to find someone there. It was as if he appeared out of nowhere.

  Lightning struck again as I moved closer to him, using the light to my advantage. The hooded figure was completely dressed in black clothing. He just stood still, clearly absorbed in something. When I was near enough, I instantly regretted shortening the distance between us. Chills ran down my spine, and I shuddered as I gazed back at a pair of golden-yellow eyes, fully cloaked with hatred and anger that matched well with the scornful smile on his lips.

  I blinked several times, groaning when realization hit me. Ugh! What was that? That had to be the scariest nightmare I’ve had in years. I pulled on my bed sheets so that it covered my entire face, trying to calm my still rapid heartbeat. I risked a peek to my bedside clock. 7 AM. I sighed, and slid back under the sheets. I was already starting to calm down when the covers were suddenly yanked away from me. I glanced to that side of the bed, to the direction where my sheets went. It was Andrea, holding a cake with a candle-like firework on top of it. The corners of my lips curved upward when she started singing a Happy Birthday song.

  My Nana was the kindest, sweetest, and most adorab
le grandmother ever. I couldn’t have asked for a better guardian when my parents died. She always did try her best to keep up with me, trying to fill the gaping hole in my heart when Nicholas and Celine Matthews passed away. And I loved every bit about this buoyant person in front of me. She looked exquisite in the morning. Her short, blonde cropped hairstyle suited her bubbly and youthful personality well. My grandma has always had a passion for fashion, constantly buying me things, reasoning that she had too much free time on her hands. This was also the reason why my best friends adored her to bits. Nick and Anne loved hanging out at my place simply because Nana was there.

  I hugged her tightly when she finally finished singing. “Thanks, Nana. I love you,” I said while I turned my head to plant a kiss on her cheek.

  “I love you, too, Dear. Happy 18th!” She chirped in a singsong voice. I let go of her and smiled broadly as I looked at the cake she was still holding. Blueberry cheesecake was my ultimate favorite. She wouldn’t make anything else on my day. I turned back to her, planning on thanking her again when she cupped my face with both her hands.

  “Oh, they would be so proud of how you’ve grown. You’re simply stunning every time I look at you, Child. You remind me so much of your mother,” She said softly while she stared intently at every corner of my face. I felt my eyes well up in tears at the thought of my mom.

  That was our current position when a knock came on my bedroom door. We both turned at the same time to see Anne on the door. “Oops! Did I come in at a bad time?” She grinned sheepishly as she placed a hand on the back of her head and started stroking her hair, an unconscious gesture she does whenever she feels uneasy. She was leaning on my now completely opened bedroom door, her long auburn hair tied up in a neat but slightly loose bun with some curls slipping on the sides. She beamed at us, her azure eyes somewhat shining brightly because of the slight pink tinge on her freckled cheeks.

  “Nonsense, Anne. Come in. I’ll just bring this cake down and slice it up,” Nana smiled warmly at her. Turning back to me, she kissed the top of my head before grabbing the cake and headed out the door. “Be sure to hurry up, girls.” She called out to us.

  “Happy Birthday, Skylar!” Anne said, skipping her way to my bed to give me a hug.

  “Thanks Anne,” I hugged her back. Anna Marie Perry was the sister I never had. I treated her more than a best friend.

  “Where’s Nick?” I asked, glancing out the door, expecting him to come up to my room, too.

  “Oh, he’s probably struggling with the present.” She replied. Just then, a fluffy brown-headed creature peered at my door. I frowned, looking at it. Anne turned, following the direction of my gaze. We both laughed when the oversized bear finally managed to show itself through my door, almost covering its entire frame. A pair of arms was holding it by its neck.

  “Happy Birthday, Sky!” Nick craned his head to the side, making sure to have a clear view of me while he was giving out the greeting. I smiled as he slowly set the overly large bear on my bed, catching some of the rays streaming in my room on his blonde, wavy hair. He returned my smile with one of his beaming ones, crinkling the sides of his warm, hazel brown eyes and displaying his dimples on either side of the cheeks. My smile widened when I saw him smile like that. Like Anne, Dominic Adams was like family. He was the brother I never had. I treated them like siblings since I don’t have any of my own.

  “Oh my gosh, you guys. Thank you!” I exclaimed. I stood up and hugged them both. “Just give me thirty minutes.” They hugged me back before I loosened my hold on them and planted kisses on their cheeks. These two were so awesome.

  After they left, I headed to the bathroom for a quick shower. When I came out, the excessively huge bear occupying my bed already had a few friends with him. I saw a dark-brown leather jacket and a midnight blue tank top arranged neatly on my bed. My Nana’s doing, no doubt. I smiled as I gazed lovingly at the gifts she laid out. Yep, my Nana was cool. I hurriedly dressed and looked around my room for my leather brown ankle boots.

  My room was simple, just the way I like it. The walls were painted off-white, giving the room a positive and vibrant feel to it. It was an average-sized room. My bed was right across the room from my bedroom door, comfortably resting on a wall between two double-hung windows with dark brown wooden frames. The curtains on these windows were of mossy green, sporting gold prints of stars. This printed pattern completely matches those of my bed sheets.

  Two matching bedside tables were resting right below each window, one on each side of the bed. A five-drawer wooden chest was directly across the bed, leaning against the wall, and carrying an array of picture frames and two small-potted plants on top of it. A walnut-colored standing mirror was exactly beside it. My sturdy, wooden study table was located a few feet from the right side of my bed with a swivel chair situated on the space below the table. My small walk-in closet was directly across my study table, a few feet from the left side of my bed. Right beside it was my own bathroom.

  I felt proud of this room, but I’m particularly proud of the art piece that was securely plastered on the wall directly behind my bed, just above its headboard. It was a wood carving of a unique tree. I painted it in a collage of dark blue and lime green, making it look like it’s made of marble instead of wood. I didn’t know what kind of tree it was when I made it, but I loved each of its intricate details. The inspiration just came to me in a dream.

  Taking my eyes off the piece of art, I turned to look at my bedroom door. There. Right beside it were the ankle boots I was looking for. I immediately grabbed them and put them on, going to the standing mirror to give myself a chance to check on my appearance.

  People have always found me pretty. It’s probably because I remind them of my mom, and Celine Matthews was beyond pretty. She was gorgeous. Even so, the truth is, I don’t see myself as pretty. All I see is a girl with waist-length, dark-brown hair, side swept bangs, and slim built. I scanned my face, and I was immediately staring back at my own reflection. I have to say that my eyes were my best feature, because they were the same color as my mom’s, but hers were a shade lighter than the deep blue-green orbs that were gazing back at me. All my life I’ve never met anyone with the same eye color as ours.

  I gave a small nod, pleased again at my Nana’s choice of stylish clothes. I swear she’s even better at picking out clothes than I was. I hurriedly grabbed my bag from the study table and was rummaging through its contents for my phone, checking for messages. By the time I got to the dining area, Anne and Nick were already halfway through their slices of my birthday cake.

  I glanced at them both and smiled. The three of us were a weird clique. I mean, in normal high schools, a jock, a nerd, and an average girl would never be friends with each other. We got past that, though. We never really believed in the classic hierarchy that involved high school.

  Nick is your average popular guy—good looks, great body, friendly, smart, and is a football player. You wouldn’t expect golden boy to be part of the AV club, though. But he is. Nick didn’t care what people think. He loves being behind the camera and in command of the sound and video systems at school events as much as he loves the adrenaline rush he gets in the middle of a game on a football field.

  Unlike Nick, Anne fits the mental description of nerd to a tee—straight-A student, and absolute Science and Math genius. If you didn’t know her, you would think she’s just one of those average girls, but she has these dark-rimmed glasses always resting on her nose, giving the nerd aura away. She has an enthusiasm for poetry and is currently the president of the school’s Literary Club.

  Me, I’m just an average girl who has a passion for art. Like Nick and Anne, ranks don’t bother me at all. I feel that they’re just bothersome, and I wouldn’t want to do anything with them. I was relatively friendly to everyone at school. Maybe that’s the reason why they treated me the same way. Likewise, it was probably the exact reason why Nick and Anne have always been my best friends since the ninth grade. We just didn’t giv
e a damn about brands and categories.

  I sat on my seat at the dining table and had Nana happily serve me plates of food. After finishing up, we all made our way to school, fully satisfied with Nana’s home-cooked meal…as always. The whole day seemed to blur past me. Everything happened as usual. Except for a few birthday greetings from friends who knew of my birthday, nothing out of the ordinary happened.

  Before I knew it, it was already three in the afternoon, and school was done for the day. I waved my friends goodbye, making them promise to head to La Bella’s this evening for a small birthday dinner. As for me, I was now on my way to make a quick stop at Terence Hill Cemetery. It was a short, five-block walk from the school, and it took me less than ten minutes to get there.

  I loved visiting my parents. Somehow I felt that each visit brought me closer to them. I tried making this a ritual, visiting them once or twice a week for the past four years. Most of the time I would talk to them for hours, but there were times when I just visit their grave to give them flowers, promising to spend more time with them the next time I came over. I knew they were sad every time I made a quick visit, but I also knew that they would understand. If it wasn’t for school work and social responsibilities, I would’ve visited them every single day, but they wouldn’t want that from me. They would’ve wanted me to go on with my life as normal as I possibly can. So I’m doing just that.