Flames of truth the lost.., p.1
Flames of Truth (The Lost Fae Book 1), page 1
FLAMES OF TRUTH
THE LOST FAE SERIES
~ BOOK ONE ~
A.C. PONTONE
Copyright © 2018 by Angela Camilla Pontone
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 writer, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permissions contact: acpontone@gmail.com
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.
Authored By: Angela Camilla Pontone
Covert Art Design: Olivia Pro Design
Edited and Proofread by: Lcrose and Navywriter
Published by: Angela Camilla Pontone
First Edition: October 2018
Second Edition: November 2018
ISBN: 9781729330692
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Chapter Forty-Four
Chapter Forty-Five
Epilogue
ACNOWLEDGMENTS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
To Mattia, always in my mind, forever in my heart.
Chapter One
Emma
The muggy heat suffocated me. Sweat was pouring down my neck and spine. I pulled my hair back in a messy bun, stray strands escaping and sticking to the side of my face and forehead. It was so hot I could fry an egg on the floor under my feet.
I rubbed my nose with filthy, dirty hands.
Stupid engine grease — it would take more than just a shower to get rid of it.
Breathing deeply, I closed my eyes. The smell of kerosene and gasoline permeated the air. Fresh and old oil stains covered the floor. Slight hissing and rustling threatened the silence of my solitude. The room resounded with dry, quick noises as I worked with my tools on the car’s engine.
I worked on it for over six hours.
Stupid car. Stupid, expensive, pink car.
Why?! Why buy a shocking-pink car? Or, Barbie-pink...
I clenched my jaw, grinding my teeth as soon as I heard the clicking of a woman’s high heels approaching. Suddenly, a chemical mixture hid the smell of gasoline. Female perfume. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her approaching. I didn’t need to turn around. Thanks to my anti-bitch radar, I knew exactly who she was.
Barbie’s here.
I took a deep breath, put a fake smile on my face, and turned to look at her.
“Good morning, Serena.”
She sized me up from head to toe. Her gaze lingered for a few seconds on my worn shorts, then went up to my filthy, white tank, wet with sweat. When she finally put her eyes on my face, I saw her lips curling up in disgust.
Bitch.
“You have dirt here,” she said, pointing to the side of my nose.
I put a hand on my face, trying to clean myself, but I forgot my hands were filthy. Grease got into my eyes, making them water.
What a bitch!
“Wait.” A baritone voice echoed in my bones, as big, callused fingers brushed against my cheek. “Use this,” the voice continued. It was low and comforting. So foreign, and yet familiar. He put something in my hands. A handkerchief? It felt like silk, soft and smooth in stark contrast to his hard and rough skin. I grabbed the piece of cloth and rubbed my eyes. The relief was immediate, and I was able to open my eyes again. I saw it blurrily, and yet I could figure out that the two green eyes were looking at me with concern.
An unknown heat spread through my body and I openly winced when I focused on the shape of my mysterious savior.
“I’m James Drakon, nice to meet you.” He flashed me a smile.
He had dimples!
I was pretty sure he was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.
Big eyes, green as leaves. They were the color of hope, of the quiet after a rainy day. And while he was looking at me, my rage and humiliation slipped away, lighting my soul.
His hair was short on the sides, but longer on the top, with dark blond waves glowing in the sun’s rays that penetrated through a window.
He looked in his mid-twenties and was at least eight inches taller than my five feet and six inches, with a well-defined body showing under the thin fabric of his white shirt.
I chewed my cheek as I pictured his arms around me.
Emma, stop letting your imagination run wild! I yelled in my mind.
Damn! In moments like that one, I wanted to be more girlish. My skin was shiny and my face was flushed. My uncombed hair needed a wash. Sweat soaked me and glued my tank top to my skin, and I was sure it revealed a glimpse of my pink bra with little pigs.
How come I don’t have sexy underwear?
Someone cleared their throat, bringing me back to reality.
Barbie was still here. Yeah, I knew, it sucked.
I sighed.
“What?” I blurted out.
She raised an eyebrow. “Do you always treat your best customer’s daughter like this?”
I swallowed.
Keep calm, Emma.
I clenched my hands hard into fists, but put a fake smile on my face.
“May I help you, Serena?” I asked in the calmest and most polite tone of voice I could get.
She returned my smile with a grin.
“James needed to find a mechanic, so I accompanied him, as I had to pick up my car,” she said, pointing to the shocking-pink car I had worked on all morning. Yeah, I should have known.
“Huh, it’s not ready yet, Serena. I believe my father told you I needed a few days to repair it.”
She raised an eyebrow and pursed her lips. “Are you telling me I’ve come here for nothing? I can’t waste my time with you. It’s very unprofessional, Emma.” My name was hissed as if it were an insult. “I also thought I was doing you a favor by bringing a new client, but it seems clear you are too lazy to take your job seriously!”
“I’m sorry,” I muttered, “I need only a few more hours.”
My father used to manage the garage, but in the last two years, after his illness got worse, I had to roll up my sleeves, put on my big-girl pants, and help him. He continued handling the clients, while I did mechanical jobs, but sometimes he got confused and...
“My father won’t be pleased when he learns about it.”
I lowered my chin, keeping my gaze down. My cheeks were going on fire. It was easy for me to understand the threat in Serena’s words. Her father wasn’t only one of our best customers, but the fucking mayor of this stupid town, too.
“Please, give me another hour. I promise your car will be as good as new by then,” I prayed, grinding my teeth, “and it’ll all be at the expense of the house.”
Barbie’s face lighted up and finally, her smile was sincere.
She had won, again.
“All right,” she rejoiced. “James, I’m so sorry for wasting your time, but I’m sure we can find another mechanic for your car.”
Serena’s comment pierced me like a dagger. I needed to work, damn it.
“It doesn’t matter,” he said. “I can come back later.”
He looked at me and my heart gave a somersault. Or I was about to have a heart attack, I didn’t know which. I smiled faintly, making a gesture of consent with my head.
Serena had noticed our exchange. “James,” she whispered in a sensual voice, putting a hand on his arm, “would you take me home, please? I’ll send someone later to get my car.”
James looked confused. He met my eyes with his. There was pity in them. Blushing, I stayed silent as I looked away from the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.
I thought he was about to say something when, instead, he nodded his head to Serena.
“It was nice to meet you, Emma,” he whispered, before turning and heading for the exit.
I watched him walk away, admiring his p erfect buttocks and the muscles of his back that flexed under his shirt.
I sighed.
“Yuck! It’s gross!”
I turned around in surprise to Serena.
What the hell have I done now?
“Emma, it’s so wrong! Don’t you know it’s against the law to be in a relationship with a teacher?”
She was mocking me. Why?
“Um?” I raised a questioning eyebrow.
She looked at me with a mischievous grin on her face.
“James and his brothers just moved into town,” she said, “and my father helped them find a job and a house to live in. They bought the manor in front of mine and James will teach at the Blackport High School. It’s amazing, isn’t it?”
I swallowed loudly. The school year had yet to start, and I had already humiliated myself in front of my new teacher.
Serena waved one hand as she turned and went toward the exit. I heard her laughing, and I wanted to hit her with a punch in the face, but I couldn’t.
I spent the last six hours working and I wouldn’t be paid, I had just embarrassed myself in front of the most beautiful man I had ever seen, and my teacher, and Serena Erickson was ready to ruin my senior year.
And that was even before school had even started.
How much worse could it get?
Chapter Two
Emma
Another hour had passed.
I’m done for today.
James’ handkerchief was resting on one of the tool shelves. I should have given it back to him, but to be honest, his presence overwhelmed me. I grabbed it and took it to my face. It smelled so familiar, yet I didn’t know why.
It reminded me of the smell of fresh-cut grass, but there was something else, something my mind was desperately trying to understand.
I shrugged and put the handkerchief into my pants pocket. I’d wash it and give it back to him.
An excuse to talk to him again. I was looking too eager even to myself.
I shook my head, thinking back to Serena’s words.
Crap. I shouldn’t have a crush on one of my teachers. I had to stay as far as possible from him.
Although, there was something about James that attracted me. Being close to him was like drowning. His presence overwhelmed me, like cold water stole the air. I could even learn how to swim for him.
I sighed.
I was tired, yet I didn’t have time to rest. I left the garage next to the house, stopping for a moment to look around. Though the summer was almost over, today was one of the last sunny days before the typical Oregon rains.
Blackport Beach wasn’t a big city. A main road, a few stores, and a mall. I wished I could get out of here. Sometimes I imagined what it’d be like to go to college, moving away, trying to build a different future from what awaited me. But those were just dreams. Since Parkinson’s had hit my father, my life had changed.
Within the house, my father was on the sofa. His eyes were closed. He was always tired these days. I took off his glasses from his face and put them on the coffee table, along with the newspaper, then I ran to my room to get cleaned up.
It took me over an hour to get rid of all the engine grease from my body.
I went downstairs and headed to the kitchen. I opened the fridge, but it was empty, as was the cupboard.
After leaving a note to my father, I grabbed the car keys and went out for grocery shopping.
I could see the looks of the men staring at me. They always made me feel uncomfortable. I didn’t know what they thought. Maybe they assumed I was an easy girl due to the part of town I lived in.
I tried to hide my hair and my face under the hood of the sweatshirt. Even in the heat, I tried to avoid going out without a sweatshirt that could somehow cover my shape. I had to look ridiculous, but I didn’t want to attract any unwanted attention.
When I arrived at the cash desk, the usual cashier stared at me as if he wanted to eat me.
I tried to ignore him, not listening to the compliments he gave me. I paid and went out of the store with my head down.
Two hours later, I was back from the supermarket.
I put a pan of frozen, precooked lasagna into the microwave and went back to my room to get my bag.
“Daddy,” I called as I approached the couch where my father was resting. “I’m going out with Rory and Leslie. Dinner’s in the microwave.”
“Don’t you have school tomorrow?”
I rolled my eyes. “It’s Saturday, Dad. School doesn’t start until Monday.”
He smiled at me. “All right then. Don’t be late, pumpkin.” And he got up to kiss me on the cheek.
I hated lying to my father, but I saw no other way.
Things were different and easier two years ago. We had many customers, but then he got sick, and they left. Not all of them, but even so, we were basically living paycheck to paycheck. Because of the treatments and medications, we could no longer pay the bills or refuel food. The first year, we used my college fund to cope with expenses. After that, things got worse.
The incomes weren’t enough to pay the bills, so I found a second job. A night club hired me off the books to serve the tables. It was not a nice place, but tips were good.
I had to sneak out in the middle of the night to go to work, but lucky for me, my father slept heavily after taking his pills and he didn’t notice my absence.
He was so proud of me. He thought I was the perfect daughter who had excellent grades and never got into trouble. I was also good with cars and could manage working in the garage even without him, but it’d break his heart to see me right now.
I had just arrived at the Sin Club. Nobody stopped me as I headed to the locker room for the employees. The uniform I had to wear showed too much skin to make me feel comfortable.
Looking at myself in the mirror, I applied some make-up. I knew nobody could see my face well in the dark of the club, but my boss, Richard, told me to hide my seventeen years.
With a little make-up, a skirt so short as to glimpse my panties, and a low-cut black top, I was able to pass for a twenty-one-year-old woman... or a lady of the night.
Sighing, I threw my bag with the clothes I wore in my locker.
As I opened the door, the music assailed me. My eyes took a few seconds to get used to the darkness, but eventually, I could go ahead between the tables. The Club built up a regular clientele of well-dressed men with too much money to spend. Women, instead, were almost as undressed as me, or worse.
“Emma, wait!” A shrill little voice stopped me before I could reach my sector to take the orders.
I turned to look at Holly. She was thirty, but looked ten years younger with all the make-up and the waiter’s outfit. Her skinny body was devoid of curves, unlike mine. She was always nice, but I couldn’t consider her a friend.
“The boss wants you to replace Jenna tonight. She’s sick again.” She winked at me and curled her lips.
Jenna was not sick, she was just pregnant. But here, in this place, waiting for a child wasn’t a blessing. I knew as soon as Richard found out, he would have to fire her.
I nodded with my head. “No problem,” I muttered.
She handed me a strip of black lace and walked away, saying nothing else.
I headed for the stage. Here, the dancers wore leather clothes, but I had none of this. Richard made me dance with the waitress’ uniform, since that would still show my ladies' parts on stage.
I tied the strip of lace around my eyes. The only concession I had to disguise my identity.
I got on the stage and approached the pole. The spotlights kept me from seeing the faces of the men sitting at the tables in front of me and, when my song started, I stopped hearing the whistles and dirty jokes. There was no one. Nothing left. It was just me and my body. My heart beat hard as I shook my hips and head. I was not Emma anymore. No longer the seventeen-year-old who everyone avoided. There were no bullies to annoy me. No Barbie dolls to make me feel uncomfortable or not good enough. It was just me, and everything else didn’t matter.
For a moment, I could pretend to be free.
And, maybe, I was.
Music took over, bringing me to a different world. A world without pain.
My movements were smooth and graceful and I knew every person in the room had his eyes fixed on me. Though, none of them saw the tears, getting caught up in the lace, when the music stopped and I was forced to return to the present.
