Wars & Wings (Enlighten Series Book 3) Read online

  Wars & Wings

  Enlighten Series, Book Three

  USA Today Bestselling Author

  Kristin D. Van Risseghem

  Kasian Publishing LLC

  11923 NE Sumner St, STE 759356

  Portland, OR 97220

  www.KristinVanRisseghem.com

  Copyright © 2018 Kristin D. Van Risseghem

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner.

  Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead,

  or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Cover design by Angela Fristoe, Covered Creatively

  www.CoveredCreatively.com

  Author photograph by Jessica Krueger Photography,

  www.JessicaKruegerPhotography.com

  Formatting by Jaye Cox

  Formatting the Affordable Way

  Edited by Rebecca Jaycox

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN: 978-1-943207-65-7 (Kindle)

  Other works by Kristin D. Van Risseghem:

  Enlighten Series:

  Swords & Stilettos, Book One

  Daggers & Dresses, Book Two

  Wars & Wings, Book Three

  Novellas:

  Fires & Fairies, Sidelle’s Story

  Arrows & Angels, Kieran’s Story

  Short Stories:

  Poisons & Princes, Finn’s Story

  Ninjas & Nephilims, Shay’s Story

  Slayers & Protectors Series:

  Dragon Magic, Prequel

  Dragon Slayers, Book One

  Dragon Wars, Book Two

  Dragon Protectors, Book Three

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  www.KristinVanRisseghem.com

  This final book of Zoe’s adventure is dedicated to all my fans out there, who have supported me in my story telling. Thank you!!

  DEATH. SACRIFICE. A WAR TO END ALL WARS.

  Captured by someone Zoe thought was a friend, she’s imprisoned and tortured. But the worst part is being forced to watch her friends struggle to find her through a magical mirror.

  Zoe knows no one is coming to rescue her. She must save herself.

  A battle is approaching, a war Zoe only has days left to prepare for. Evil is threatening to break through the earth’s protective barriers, and once it does, the world will end.

  Nothing Zoe or her friends can do will be enough. To stop what’s coming, a price must be paid.

  Its cost will be more than Zoe can bear. But she’s not giving up.

  Hope will fight until her last dying breath.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One – Zoe

  Chapter Two – Aiden

  Chapter Three – Zoe

  Chapter Four – Shay

  Chapter Five – Zoe

  Chapter Six – Aiden

  Chapter Seven – Zoe

  Chapter Eight – Zoe

  Chapter Nine – Aiden

  Chapter Ten – Shay

  Chapter Eleven – Zoe

  Chapter Twelve – Aiden

  Chapter Thirteen – Zoe

  Chapter Fourteen – Shay

  Chapter Fifteen – Zoe

  Chapter Sixteen – Aiden

  Chapter Seventeen – Zoe

  Chapter Eighteen – Shay

  Chapter Nineteen – Shay

  Chapter Twenty – Zoe

  Chapter Twenty-One – Aiden

  Chapter Twenty-Two – Zoe

  Chapter Twenty-Three – Shay

  Chapter Twenty-Four – Zoe

  Chapter Twenty-Five – Aiden

  Chapter Twenty-Six – Zoe

  Chapter Twenty-Seven – Aiden

  Chapter Twenty-Eight – Zoe

  Chapter Twenty-Nine – Zoe

  Chapter Thirty – Aiden

  Chapter Thirty-One – Zoe

  Chapter Thirty-Two – Zoe

  Chapter Thirty-Three – Zoe

  Chapter Thirty-Four – Zoe

  Chapter Thirty-Five – Aiden

  Chapter Thirty-Six – Zoe

  Chapter Thirty-Seven – Zoe

  Chapter Thirty-Eight – Zoe

  Chapter Thirty-Nine – Zoe

  Chapter Forty – Zoe

  Chapter Forty-One – Aiden

  Chapter Forty-Two – Zoe

  Chapter Forty-Three – Zoe

  Chapter Forty-Four – Zoe

  Chapter Forty-Five – Aiden

  Chapter Forty-Six – Zoe

  Chapter Forty-Seven – Zoe

  Chapter Forty-Eight – Zoe

  Chapter Forty-Nine – Zoe

  Epilogue

  Letter to Reader

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  Zoe

  MY HEAD THROBS IN TIME with my beating heart. At least there’s that bonus; I still have a heartbeat.

  I must be alive if I can feel my body, or maybe this is what death is like.

  Under my palms is a cottony material. I run my hands along it, trying to find the outer the edge. My back is pressed on top of something soft. A bed? I scrunch my eyes tight, refusing to open them yet.

  There is no sound. No furnace humming. No birds chirping. Only the thump, thump of my heart.

  This must be heaven.

  My thoughts carry me back to the last night I can remember.

  Prom.

  A white dress. Driving to the Mall of America. Dinner. Dancing in the arms of Shay, my boyfriend. Twirling across the gym floor with my best friend, Kieran. Someone cutting in.

  Blackness enveloped me.

  But not before I heard someone whispering in my ear, “Finally. You’re mine.”

  Who was holding me?

  Aiden.

  I bolt straight up, and my eyes fly open.

  I’m in a room without windows or doors. How is that possible? I stare down. I sit on a king-sized bed. To my right is a small love seat and table. To my left is a toilet, sink, and a folded privacy screen. The walls are white, reminiscent of a hospital room. The flooring is gray cement. I deduce that this could be a basement. But where?

  How did Aiden bring me to this room? I have no idea how long I’ve been out. Without the sun or moon to let me know the time of day, my only guess is that it’s Sunday.

  My cellphone!

  I pat the sides of my hips and feel the smooth chiffon. Nothing. Remembering that my dress doesn’t have pockets, I had to use the strap of my bra. Tacky, but it’s a good thing I did. My fingers brush against the slim, metal devise. I clutch my phone and stare at the screen. It’s missing the date, but the time is flashing: 10:34 A.M. That’s not possible.

  I check the battery life, and it’s holding at sixty percent. At least something is going my way.

  I gaze at the bars of service. Nothing. This is bad.

  I dial Shay’s number. The call doesn’t go through. I quickly write a text. The stupid phone says it can’t be delivered. I must not be on Earth. Did my kidnapper take me to Hell? Or to an alternate dimension?

  I am going to kill my neighbor as soon as I see the whites of his eyes. Or, I should say the black of his wings. My fingers curl into tight balls as more memories come crashing in.

  The live band was endi
ng the song Ever the Same by Rob Thomas. I was on the dance floor with Aiden but looking at Shay and Kieran, who were standing off to the side. I twirled in Aiden’s arms as he dipped me low to the floor. My head tilted back, and I watched upside down as Shay leaned into Kieran and said something. Gold Light blasted from Kieran’s angelic body. Shay moved with lightning speed but didn’t reach me in time.

  Black wings wrapped around me.

  The guttural cry of Shay screaming “NO!” still rings in my ears.

  I realize without a doubt that this is Aiden’s doing. Stupid of me for trusting him. That lying, back-stabbing no good being with wings. He’s no angel, that’s for sure, with everything he’s done: friending me, taking my nemesis to prom, and now adding kidnapping to his rap sheet. Oh, no. He’s no angel at all. I can’t bring myself to think of him as anything worse than that. He’s not a Demon Knight or a Marquises Demon. I’d know if he were. Wouldn’t I? He’s in a category all by himself.

  Yes, I would. My demon radar would have gone off at some point. I’ve spent time alone with him on many occasions, and nothing about him seemed out of place. He screams bad-boy and loner but demon? Kieran would have known if Aiden was an angel, though. And Sidelle would’ve known if he was a fairy. I guess I never bothered to ask either one of them, but they didn’t let me know either.

  Although, he could be a Nephilim; he does have wings, black ones to match his heart, if he even has one. I slam my fists against the bed.

  Thankfully, I’m still in my prom dress, so at least Aiden hadn’t undressed me when he locked me into this prison. I wiggle my toes, and my stiletto shoes are not strapped to me feet. A quick scan of the small room informs me that they are not with me. Drats. Remembering I left them in the gym, I recall that during the night I flung them off into the corner. Now, how am I going to make my great escape in bare feet?

  First, I need to figure out where am I and then how to get out of this place that has no doors or windows. Sliding off the side of the bed, I stroll to the couch, but I stop right before I reach it. Like an invisible wall, I can’t penetrate it to sit down. My hands run up and down trying to discover a weakness in the force, but none can be found. Why put furniture there if I can’t use it?

  I pad across the foot of the bed toward the make shift bathroom. My fingers reach out to grab the edge of the screen and wrap around it. I drag it a couple of inches to make sure it moves. Turning toward the sink, I flip the faucet to the hot position, and immediately warm water flows onto my hand and down the drain. But what I find most interesting is that there isn’t any piping running into the floor. It’s as if the liquid empties into nothing. But at least I have running water. Now to check the toilet. While it seems new, I don’t dare want to get sick from unsanitary conditions or anything. I roll out a panel of toilet paper and press the flushing handle. All looks to be in working order, and again, there are no plumbing pipes.

  I edge around the toilet to examine how far the space is around the area and it’s not much. Another invisible wall meets my hand about a foot farther back.

  Returning to the bed, I hop onto the mattress and jump up toward the ceiling. I can’t reach it, so I plop back down and wait.

  Wait for my friends to rescue me.

  Wait for Aiden to come back to answer a few of my questions.

  Wait for me to come up with a plan.

  Wait.

  My tummy growls. Great. There is no sense of having a bathroom if I don’t eat or drink anything. I don’t have my clutch either, because why would I if I’m dancing? Usually, I keep an energy bar or some other snack food in my purse everywhere I go.

  I sigh.

  There is nothing to occupy my mind with. I can’t count ceiling tiles because there aren’t any. I can’t count wall cracks because they are smooth. I can’t count patches on the lavender bed quilt because it’s one large piece of material. The only items worth counting are the two-inch purple yarn ties holding the top and the bottom together; there are 120 of them.

  I worry about how long I’ll be kept here. I wonder if my friends are already out looking for me. I have a gut feeling I’ll be here a long time.

  IT’S HOURS LATER, AND I’m bored out of my mind. This must be the worst way to die. I dismiss that thought because I refuse to acknowledge that this is my end. It’s not. It can’t be.

  It has been prophesized that I save the world by uniting the Orders together to battle against evil. And Aiden, I have decided, is definitely evil. The next time I lay eyes on him, he’s going to wish he were never born. Figure of speech since Nephilims are the only Enlightens who are born. I have yet to determine how I’m going to make him suffer if I’m in here, and he’s out there doing who knows what.

  But still.

  I check my phone for the millionth time again; it’s a little after six. I’ve been captive for maybe less than twenty-four hours. I must have dozed at some point because now I’m beyond famished. It’s still too bright in the room, which reminds me that I never recalled seeing any lights or switches. I crawl off the bed and walk to the sink. Using my hand, I cup water into my mouth. At least I won’t be dehydrated. I’ll need all the strength I can muster if I’m going to kick Aiden’s ass when he steps through the proverbial door.

  I scream from everything that’s been building up in my mind: frustration that I trusted him; anger for getting myself kidnapped by him; depression that I won’t get out of here alive; worry that the world will no longer exist because I have failed in my mission, and Sammael escapes from his prison.

  The non-lights dim, and a silver serving tray bearing an unwrapped turkey sandwich, a bag of FunOnions, a napkin, and a diet strawberry soda can appear on the bed. I note that no utensils are on the tray. At least he’s being cautious and rightfully so. I’d use the spoon to stab him in his scrawny neck.

  Leary to eat anything not commercially wrapped, afraid that Aiden might have tampered with it, I rip open the bag of chips. I inhale and savor the onion fragrance, forcing myself to eat slowly, chewing everything carefully and fully, not knowing when my next meal will be. Plus, now I have something to do.

  Powering down my phone to conserve the battery, my thoughts return to Shay. I know he’s going ballistic searching for me. He’ll leave no stone unturned. He won’t stop looking for me. I bet he’d travel into the depths of Hell for me. Oh wait, he was already there when the demons kidnapped him and tortured him for information about me.

  Since Shay and I are soul mates, could he feel my discomfort? I couldn’t detect him, but over the last few months, we’ve been through a lot and we’ve grown. Maybe a plan is forming. I’ll have to think more on that.

  I toss the empty bag of chips on the floor, and pick up half of the sandwich, wishing for plastic wrap so I could save part of it for later. Carefully lifting the top piece of bread, I smell for anything weird. Nothing. I set it back onto the tray.

  My BFF, Kieran, also will move the heavens to find me. He waited centuries to discover the girl who would save the world. It’s not in his character to stop.

  And Sidelle went into her nemesis’s territory to help me get back home. I know she’ll, too, look into every alternate world known to her to rescue me from Aiden’s clutches.

  A smile stretches across my face, thinking of Sidelle and wondering what she would do in my place. She’d say some snarky comment about not letting this situation dampen any of my training. Of course, she’d probably use her glamour to get her out, and I don’t have that option. Or do I?

  Carefully reaching for the can of pop, I crack the top open and savor my first sip. Just because my sparring partner Cali isn’t here with me, doesn’t mean that I should stop conditioning myself. It will take my mind of my confinement. I move the tray off to the side of the bed.

  I wish I had shoes and a change of clothes, but I make do. Raising my leg onto the bed, I stretch my calf muscles, holding it there for ten seconds and release. Switching legs, I repeat. I reach one arm into the air and grab the elbow with
my other hand, letting the free arm dangle down my back. Rotating my head from ear to ear, until I hear a much-needed pop, then stand in front of the bed, making circle motions with my arms and my legs. After a few lunges I’m ready. In prayer position, I clear my mind and start the fighting dance. With graceful movements that flow like water, my arms and legs lengthen, stretch, and retract. The motions become a cross between yoga, ballet, and karate.

  I’m not sure how long my routine lasts because I won’t make myself turn on my phone to check the time. Sweat beads along my forehead, and the hindrance of my long skirt limits my movements, but I can’t get myself to rip the bottom off. It is my prom dress, after all.

  To cool down, I splash water on my face, and I wish I had a bar of soap to scrub my face clean of makeup. Grabbing one of the pillows, I tug off the cover and use it as a washcloth. Much better. I almost feel like a new girl. Almost.

  I head back to bed and eat the sandwich and finish the can of pop. If Aiden wanted to kill me, I don’t think he’d do it with poison. That’s not his style. With nothing else to do, I lie across the bed, telling myself that every day, no matter what, I will do at least thirty minutes of exercise.

  Eventually, my eyes close, and I dream of an aqua pair staring back.

  Chapter Two

  Aiden

  SATURDAY NIGHT, PROM.

  I COULDN’T HAVE PULLED it off without help from an inside source. During my recon and sorting through the wealth of information on whom would become my neighbor, I uncovered a hidden gem about one of Zoe’s friends.

  Quinn is your typical high school girl. She dates the star basketball player, does extremely well as one of the cheerleading captains, and is a Nephilim. Or at least she will become one. I could smell her mixed blood as soon as I drove onto the school grounds.

  That first encounter with so many students milling about the parking lot, I couldn’t pinpoint who it was. My only thought is that someone is undergoing the change.