Seeking Charlotte (Hearts of Fire, Book Three)

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An Excerpt From: SEEKING CHARLOTTE

Copyright © N.J. WALTERS, 2010

All Rights Reserved, Ellora's Cave Publishing, Inc.

Prologue

Charlotte slipped past the large wooden door, shutting it softly behind her. She closed her eyes, inhaling the quiet, the sheer tranquility of the chapel. She loved it here and often came just to sit and absorb the serenity. The calming scent of the sandalwood incense enveloped her, settling her jittery nerves. Her eighteenth birthday was only a few hours away. This was her last night at the orphanage she´d called home for most of her life.

She opened her eyes, trying not to think about her packed suitcases or the way the lump in the pit of her stomach grew larger with each passing hour. Instead she looked around the chapel. Three tall ivory candles sat on a table in front of the altar. Their light flickered, illuminating the beautiful colors in the stained-glass windows. If Charlotte had her way, she´d stay here forever.

From as far back as she could remember, she knew she was different. Being around other people was difficult for her. No, not just difficult. Painful. Emotions of all kinds, but especially the negative ones, bombarded her constantly, making it incredibly hard for her to function on a daily basis.

Empathy. That´s what Angela Raguel, the headmistress of The Gideon House, had called it. Charlotte called it a curse. Over the years she´d gained some measure of control, which allowed her to function on a daily basis. But it was still a challenge.

She didn´t remember her parents. They´d died in a car accident when she was still a baby. She´d had several sets of foster parents as a child, but no one wanted to keep the child who cringed away from their touch, a child who would rather be alone.

She wasn´t sad that she´d ended up at the orphanage. It was here she´d met her very best friends in the world-Memory Wells, De´alla Isaacs and McKenna Fulton. They were sisters without sharing blood. Like her they were different. They understood what it was to feel like a misfit, to not belong.

Memory was the oldest. She had what Charlotte thought of as the "magic eye". Memory could picture something in her mind and have it appear on the film in a camera or a piece of paper. She´d been the first of them to leave the orphanage and was already making a name for herself in the world of photography with her compelling pictures.

Then there was De´alla, or Dee as they all called her. She was smart and confident, everything Charlotte wasn´t. Her sister had the ability to communicate with the forces of nature and could actually control water. Dee knew exactly what she wanted out of life-college overseas, followed by a high-paying job with plenty of travel. With her focus and drive, there was no doubt that Dee would get exactly what she wanted.

Kenna was the youngest, although she seemed much older. Like Charlotte, Kenna loved the darkness, the stillness of the night when most other people were asleep in their beds. But unlike Charlotte, Kenna was a fighter. She´d trained in all manner of martial arts since she was a child. Her talent for psychokinesis enabled her to manipulate and direct energies with her mind and release them through her body, thus making her a formidable and highly skilled fighter.

They all kept in touch with one another but it hadn´t been the same since Memory and Dee had left. And now it was her turn to leave.

"Come here, Charlotte."

She jumped, her heart skipping a beat before it began a quick tap tap in her chest. The headmistress of the orphanage was waiting patiently in front of the altar. As always, Angela looked serene, her pale blonde hair curled around her face. Her eyes were her most striking feature. They were a clear, brilliant blue, surrounded by thick, pale lashes. There was an otherworldly quality about the woman that was disconcerting at times. Charlotte always felt there was much more to Angela than any of them could ever know. She was also one of the few people from whom Charlotte couldn´t pick up any emotions or thoughts.

Charlotte hurried up the aisle, suddenly wishing she were wearing something nicer than jeans and a T-shirt, but it was too late to change now. She´d spent the last few hours wandering in the garden, saying goodbye to her beloved plants. She felt a deep connection to the earth and found solace in nature. For the past five years, she´d been in charge of the kitchen gardens. It hurt that the job now belonged to someone else.

She almost hadn´t come here tonight, but Angela had been so good to her all these years, there was no way she could refuse the older woman.

Angela smiled and held out her hand. "Happy birthday, child."

"Thank you," she murmured, ducking her head so that Angela wouldn´t see the tears in her eyes.

"Look at me." Angela´s voice was firm but kind. Sighing, Charlotte raised her head and met the older woman´s direct stare. "This is your last night here and I have a gift for you." She held out a long silver chain with a crystal dangling from the end.

The light reflected off the sides, refracting through the crystal itself, sending a rainbow of colors dancing, cascading over her palm. Charlotte leaned closer and could see the point on one end of the crystal and the slightly jagged end on the other, as though it had been ripped from the earth that had created it. "A quartz crystal." The stone seemed to shimmer like a star. It reminded her of the night sky. So many mysteries. So much beauty.

Angela smiled as she slipped the silver chain over Charlotte´s head. "Yes. It will help you strengthen your intuition and powers. It will also help soothe and calm you when you are around others."

Charlotte wrapped her fingers around the pendant and felt a jolt of heat and power race up her arm and down through her body, overwhelming her senses. She tried to release the crystal, but her fingers wouldn´t cooperate.

"Just breathe, child."

She heard Angela´s voice as if from a great distance. Concentrating on her breathing, she inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. Images flashed through her mind, pictures of an amazing world filled with crystals and light. Charlotte knew all the people who lived there were in danger, but there was nothing she could do to stop the impending disaster. Nothing anyone could do.

"The world sees you as an outcast, a misfit." Angela´s voice was little more than a whisper in Charlotte´s mind. It brought her back to reality with a solid thump. The words were true, but they still hurt. A lone tear trickled down her cheek.

"But you are special," Angela continued. "You have a unique gift, as do your three sisters. You are one of the Chosen."

"Chosen?" That didn´t sound good to Charlotte. She didn´t want to be different. All she´d ever wanted was to feel normal. The crystal pulsed in her hand, wrapping her in its comforting glow.

"Yes, Charlotte." Angela sighed as if tired. Charlotte forced her attention from the crystal but still couldn´t make herself release it. "Everything in the universe must have balance. Without dark, light cannot exist. Good must counteract evil. Male and female energies complement one another."

"I understand, but what does that have to do with me being one of the Chosen?" It felt silly to even call herself that.

"The ancients foresaw the death and rebirth of their world. In an attempt to keep the balance of life, they created the Heart of Fire. Born of the elements of earth, air, fire, water and spirit, it is the primordial spark, which contains all the knowledge and power of the lost civilization of Atlantis."

Charlotte swallowed hard, her fingers gripping the crystal tight. She was very much afraid that Angela was speaking of the world she´d seen in her head, even though such a thing couldn´t be possible.

"The crystal was actually created out of eight separate pieces, each one balancing the other. Alone, they enhance the gifts of the bearer. When combined into four pairs, they contain great strength. When joined as one, their power is infinite."

That sounded way too scary for Charlotte. She forced herself to release the crystal. It bounced against her chest before nestling between her breasts. It was such a small thing to have such a huge legend attached to it. "This can´t be true." She needed it not to be anything more than an entertaining story, much like the bedtime tales of ancient worlds that Angela had told them as children.

"It´s very true. There is a stone for each of your sisters and out there in the world there exists a counterpart."

This didn´t sound good. If there had to be balance, then- "A man?" Charlotte blurted out. She hadn´t even had her first kiss yet. It was difficult to get close to a cute guy when you were bombarded by every emotion he had, lust being the most prominent one.

Angela offered her a reassuring smile. "Yes, a man. You have to find him, as your sisters will have to find their other halves. The crystal will help you. It will resonate with the right man. The crystal wants to find its other half." The smile fell from Angela´s face.

A shiver crept down Charlotte´s spine. Whatever was coming wouldn´t be good.

"The crystal will also help you detect your enemy."

"Enemy? I didn´t ask for any of this." Charlotte tried to remove the necklace, but her fingers refused to cooperate. "Why won´t it come off?" Panic swamped her. Her vision dimmed and, for a moment, she was afraid she´d pass out.

Angela wrapped her strong arm around Charlotte´s shoulders and guided her to the front pew. Charlotte leaned back and drew in a deep breath, concentrating on the soothing surroundings rather than the cacophony of thoughts in her head.

"The crystal belongs with you, to you. It will not willingly leave."

"I don´t want to be part of this," she gasped.

Angela shook her head. "It was decided you would be one of the Chosen long before you were ever born. It is your destiny."

There was so much to think about, but time was running out. In only hours Charlotte was scheduled to leave here to start working at a greenhouse halfway across the country. If she wanted details, now was the time to get them. "Who is the enemy?"

"His name is Asmodeus and he is a demon, one of the princes of hell. His domain is lust. He twists it to gain his own ends. And he wants all the pieces of the Heart of Fire and the power that comes with it."

Charlotte swallowed hard. She had a difficult enough time just going to the grocery store. How in the heck was she going to defeat a demon? It was impossible.

Angela continued and Charlotte forced herself to pay attention. "Asmodeus will attempt to trick you, seduce you into believing he is your counterpart. He lives off the life energy of others, especially the darker emotions, and will drain you if you do not protect yourself. The crystal will help you defend against that, even as it leads you to your counterpart."

"This can´t be true." She desperately wanted this entire thing to be nothing but fantasy. One look in Angela´s eyes dispelled that hope. Charlotte could see the truth there.

Shaking her head, she stood. "I don´t want this."

"You are one of the eight. Nothing can change that."

Crystals, lost worlds, demons-it was all too much to think about. And she didn´t even want to imagine having to find the male with the other part of her crystal. Wasn´t going to happen.

Charlotte was going to work in the nursery, grow flowers and plants and have a quiet life. She was nobody´s idea of a hero, least of all her own. Her sisters could save the world. "I´m sorry, Angela." She turned and hurried out of the chapel, not looking back. Her life here at The Gideon House was over.

"I´m sorry too," Angela whispered just before the door closed behind Charlotte.