The Returning Read online

  The darkness continued to laugh toward the sky between Jesse’s blows. It had complete control of Nicolas now, and it hissed words out through his teeth. “Yes, claim your rage.”

  Jesse hit Nicolas again, screeching at the sky.

  “Come home, little boy; come home,” the darkness whispered through Nicolas’s mouth.

  The words finally caused Jesse to pause, which gave Nicolas the perfect opportunity to gain the upper hand. He shifted his weight, rocking Jesse sideways, and thrust him off to the ground. Nicolas rolled away, swinging his leg out and connecting the heel of his boot with Jesse’s face. Jesse’s head snapped back and Nicolas rose to his knees. He reached out for the collar of Jesse’s shirt and yanked him forward far enough to send a hard punch across Jesse’s face, knocking him back to the ground.

  Finish the girl. Burn them all.

  The darkness was buzzing in Nicolas’s ears and he swung his eyes to where Elise was now kneeling, her blood darkening the ground as she tried to remain conscious.

  Finish her!

  Nicolas worked himself to standing and started for Elise.

  Yes! Burn them all.

  A shot snapped through the air, and a tight pinch spread out at the back of Nicolas’s head. The world stilled, and for a moment only his breathing existed, until the pinch expanded into intense, unbearable pain, and his world went black.

  Jesse held the gun in his hand, his arm extended toward Nicolas, his knees ground into the dirt. Smoke floated from the end of the gun as the shot bounced through the air. The bullet landed squarely in the back of Nicolas’s head, and after a pause he crumpled forward, his skull bouncing off the dirt. A tremor shot down Jesse’s spine. He looked at the fallen boy, shame filling his bones, but he pushed it away as thoughts of Elise entered his mind. He turned toward her as she gasped for air and the other Seers gathered around.

  Jesse stood and moved to her without another thought. Her face was pale, her eyes hazy as he dropped to his knees beside her. Others were speaking, but he tuned them all out. He pulled her from them and laid her in his lap. He cupped his hand over the place at her side where Nicolas had stabbed her, trying to put pressure on her wound. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I’m so sorry.” He could feel the sticky heat of her blood squishing between his fingers. She had stepped in front of him. She had taken this wound for him. After everything he had done to her, she had sacrificed herself for him.

  “Hold on, Elise, please.” Tears pooled in his eyes, and then he heard the comforting voice of his newfound love.

  Hear me, son of the Father, perfect and loved.

  Remember who I call you. Remember where you came from.

  Chosen, blameless, perfect son of mine.

  The light filled his mind, blinding him as if the light in Elise hadn’t faded with her fall, and its power began to build under his skin.

  As she is, so are you. I call you to myself, child of the light.

  With faith as small as a seed, you too can move mountains.

  His mind was new and his fear great, but Jesse felt pulled down a path that was covered in light. Could he really walk that path, as he’d seen Elise do? Could he too be filled with such power? He could sense her life draining away with the blood that dripped through his fingers, and he knew there was no time for hesitation.

  He closed his eyes and searched for the light that called him. He let go of his anger, let go of his reservations, let go of his pain, let go of his logic, and fell headfirst into the pool of brilliant light filling him. He swam in it, the light holding him close, and he saw himself so clearly that all previous doubt of who he was vanished. He clutched the newfound truth and harnessed its power. He felt it roll down through his arms and into his fingers. The world around him erupted into brilliant colors, dancing across his vision, pounding with such a furious love that Jesse felt lost in it.

  Tears moistened his face and he completely surrendered to his Father. Joy like a river gushed around him. Waves of peace lapped over him, filling him with childlike wonder. He began to laugh, his voice breaking the sky, his world reshaping, his heart healing. The moment stretched out and then faded, but the awareness of his true nature remained strong within him.

  He opened his eyes and was back in the valley. Elise lay in his arms; others stood around. A young girl who favored Elise and a broad-shouldered boy knelt on her other side, tears in their eyes, wonder on their faces. The other Seers were there too, hundreds of guards standing behind them, all awakened and free from their blindness. He turned his gaze back to Elise and watched as her eyes fluttered open, filled with color and life. He helped her sit up slowly, his hands still trembling with light. She looked around, and then directly at him.

  They said nothing. There was nothing to say. She smiled at him and his heart ballooned with delight. The others pushed in then, and he backed away a bit. The young girl who must have been her sister threw her arms around Elise’s neck, and the handsome young boy kissed her forehead. They encircled her with love, and Jesse moved back even farther to watch from the outside. He heard a male voice he recognized calling Elise’s name and looked up to see Remko Brant rushing toward them, his hands tied behind his back, tears flowing down his face. The whole scene was magic, perfect, as it was supposed to be, and the light was still buzzing between them all, encircling them in love.

  Carrington woke from her delusion, her mind aching with the painful recurrence of memories, her heart mixed with emotions. She blinked through the darkness surrounding her. She heard the grunts and grumbles of others she knew, saw the shadows of bodies shifting through the dim light. Then a soft click, followed by a shrilling creak, and the enclosed space was filled with daylight.

  She squinted at the onslaught of new light and pushed herself off the wall where she had been propped. She steadied herself and took a deep breath. She knew where she was, in an Authority van being transported to the Authority City. She knew Trylin had been taken; she knew Remko wasn’t with her; she knew she’d been given the Genesis Serum; she knew her memories had been stolen; and she knew they had been returned.

  Only moments ago a different kind of light had filled this space. A light Carrington knew well but forgot too often. A light that warmed her heart and broke her free from doubt and called her home. A light that saved her time and time again, that met her where she was, that drew her close, that called her daughter. Even thinking of it now, the remnants of it still lingering in her vision, brought tears to her eyes.

  But something was different this time. The light was deeper and stronger than any she’d experienced before. It sang to her soul and whispered for her to travel toward its source. It beckoned her to follow, and Carrington knew she had to go. She moved with the others as they stepped down from the back of the van onto the valley floor. Forest and mountains stood around them, the sun high in the sky, the air cool with an afternoon breeze. And there was light. Not from the sun but from the Father.

  It danced around and twisted with the wind. It rolled through the air and shuffled across people’s feet. Carrington could see it clear as day, across the entire valley, touching every soul, seeming to encase the world in love. And as her heart called, she followed the light’s streams. Around the side of the van, up to the edge of a decline, down the hill, her feet pulling her faster than her mind thought necessary, as if her body knew what was waiting for her before she’d perceived it.

  Several yards in front of her was a gathering of people. Hundreds strung out, some standing, others pushing themselves off the ground, all encircled with light. And in the center was a man standing beside a girl, dark curly hair surrounding her shoulders, her body buzzing with light, and Carrington’s entire world shifted. Her heart knew the girl as her mind slowly caught up.

  Elise.

  She didn’t stop moving but picked up speed and rushed with desperation and joy. She didn’t slow until she was only a couple of feet from her daughter, pushing though the people gathered around, tears running like streams down he
r face and the voice of her Father speaking truth over her.

  When she is with me, what can stand against her?

  I call her daughter, perfect and chosen.

  Fear not, for I have always held her close.

  Carrington pushed to the front of the crowd and stopped. Elise looked over at her, and the two stared for a long moment. Carrington struggled to breathe, struggled to think clearly. Her legs had stopped working. Her heart thundered so quickly her chest ached. She couldn’t drag her eyes away from the beautiful woman in front of her.

  Then her cruel mind began to remind her of all the time she’d missed with her baby girl. All the hours gone, all the memories they hadn’t shared. All the moments that had been stolen from them. Anger like a wave rose within her and threatened to cast out the light still swimming through her blood. The world had been so unkind to Carrington to keep her sweet daughter from her. But even as the thoughts rummaged through her mind, Elise stepped toward her until she was close enough to reach out and grab Carrington’s hand. Her touch brought on another rush of tears, and Elise used her free hand to reach up and wipe her mother’s cheeks clean.

  “The world may have kept us apart, but the light always drew us together. You have never been without me, and I have never been without you,” Elise said.

  Her words broke Carrington’s heart and reminded her of a truth strong enough to heal the entire world. Her anger vanished as peace filled her soul. The Father had never let Elise out of His sight. The light had been with her all of her moments, as it had always been with Carrington. It had been hard to see that through her grief, but it was clear now. She had never needed to fear or worry, because a love stronger than death had held her sweet Elise close even when Carrington could not.

  Carrington nodded with a proud smile at her daughter’s wisdom and pulled her close. They held each other for a long time. Eventually Remko and Kennedy joined them, and Carrington let the power and grace of the Father remind her of who she was.

  Jesse watched as the moments after healing Elise played out before him. Because that’s what he had done. He had healed her. Or at least he had been the channel. The power of the light had healed her right before his eyes and then he’d stepped back to watch from the outside.

  He watched as the other Seers cried with Elise and held her tightly. He looked on as Elise wrapped Kennedy, her sister, in an embrace, holding her for a long moment. He watched as the boy she had given her heart to pulled her close and kissed her. Jesse was surprised to feel no jealousy or remorse. His feelings had really transformed into something completely different, just as he had.

  He faced Remko for the first time in twenty years, battling with guilt, and then found himself awestruck by the love Remko demonstrated. He watched as Elise encountered the love of her mother for the first time when Carrington came rushing down the hill toward the group. The family he’d broken finally reunited. Then several hundred others joined them, some of whom Jesse recognized, most of whom he didn’t.

  There were more tears and laughter than Jesse had ever experienced, and he found himself stepping farther and farther back to watch it all and give those around him space to reconnect.

  He kept expecting to look at Elise and feel the familiar desire, but it was gone. He’d used her, he realized, as a way to feel something that was now completely satisfied by his Father. It was odd even now, after change had only been with him for a short time, to think that he had ever sought anything other than the true calling of his heart.

  The wind softly comforted him as his mind experienced the roller coaster of doubt and then belief. A constant cycle of remembering and forgetting, and being refilled with joy each time.

  “All of life is that cycle,” someone said beside him, and Jesse turned to see Aaron standing to his left.

  Jesse nodded. “Yes, I’ve heard that before.”

  Aaron placed his hand on Jesse’s shoulder and affectionately squeezed it tight. “I have waited a long time for you to return, brother.”

  Jesse smiled and felt the light warm his chest. “Everything will be different now.”

  Aaron laughed and gave Jesse’s shoulder another squeeze before releasing him. “Yes, the whole world will change.”

  Jesse marveled as he looked back at the large group of people gathered before him. He took a deep breath, felt the perfect love of his Father, and knew that no matter what lay ahead of them, they were all carriers of the light. Created from perfect truth and held in everlasting power.

  Jesse smiled. “May we never again forget who we truly are.”

  EPILOGUE

  SIX MONTHS LATER

  Elise stood facing Willis, her hands clasped in his, his eyes locked on hers. They stood at the front of the large Capitol ballroom, the entire room filled to capacity with people from all over the city. White satin hung around them in flowing trails, and bursting bouquets of yellow and white flowers filled the room with sweet scents. People were dressed in their finest, and the room was humming with such joy that Elise found it hard to keep her laughter contained.

  She wore a crown of small white flowers that perfectly matched the white gown her mother had finished only weeks before. Aaron stood before them, his eyes shining with the significance of this day. Remko stood to his left. The two men looked on with love as Elise and Willis promised themselves to one another.

  The city was changed, the streets filled with a new sense of identity and love. A place once ruled by fearful men hiding from what they didn’t understand was now ruled by light. They were all learning to live differently. To love differently. To forgive differently. They struggled, and they would continue to struggle for as long as they lived. But they were beginning to understand that pain and struggle were not the enemy. In fact, when they operated in light, there was no enemy at all. For who could truly stand against them when they stood with the light?

  “As Willis Lane and Elise Brant have committed their lives completely to the light, so now they commit themselves to each other,” Aaron said to the crowd.

  Willis beamed and Elise fought the urge to kiss him right here in the middle of the ceremony. She could feel her heels bouncing and Willis chuckled at her squirminess.

  “As fellow followers of the truth, as fellow children of the light, we bear witness to their union and join with them in celebrating their love, created by the light and ordained by the Father,” Aaron said.

  Aaron then narrowed his gaze to just Elise and Willis, his voice dropping slightly in volume, and he placed his palm over their joined hands and smiled. “Let what the light has brought together be strong enough to face all troubles. Let no man or darkness break apart what has been joined here. Let your union remind you of the Father’s perfect love, and may it stay with you all of your days.”

  Elise felt tears breaking through her happiness and slipping silently down her cheeks. Willis’s eyes danced with love as he brushed her cheek with his thumb and pulled her close. His lips pressed against hers and the room ignited into cheers. The building shook with the force of it and joy rumbled out into the streets. Elise pressed herself deeper into Willis’s kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck, hoisting herself up onto her toes.

  He smiled through their kiss and she felt herself doing the same. The light swirled around them and through them, setting their souls ablaze with joy. She was his and he was hers. Joined together by choice and chosen by light. Perfect love uniting with perfect love, to spend the rest of their days following the voice of their Father. The future was bright.

  Elise and Willis separated, smiled at each other, and turned to face the rest of the room. Another round of shouts and cheers vibrated the walls, and Elise laughed with glee. Carrington, who had been standing in the front row, rushed forward and pulled Elise into her embrace. Kennedy joined them, tears brimming in her eyes. Remko was next, all of them wrapped together.

  Elise was overwhelmed with the joy of it all. A perfect moment she knew she would never forget as long as she lived. She laugh
ed again and felt the light fill her chest.

  Yes, she thought, the future was very bright indeed.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: writing a novel takes a village. Mine is extremely awesome, the best there is, without whom I would be lost.

  To Tyndale: for all your endless belief and hard work, from marketing to cover creation to letting me take chances, thank you so much for being part of my journey.

  To the Fedd Agency: Esther and Whitney, thank you for always having my back. Standing beside me in the sun and in the fire. Whitney, your constant excitement about my future has been a stunning gift, and it continues to inspire me. Thank you.

  To Katy: I’m running out of ways to say thank you for all the input, all the patience, and all the time you put into each of my novels. You’ve become a key part of my process, and I’d be afraid to face it without you now. (Also, shout out to her awesome husband, Graham, and sweet son, Mac, for all the future hours she’s going to have to sacrifice with them. I’ve got quite a few more books to write! She is lucky to have them, and I am lucky to have her.)

  To the Blue Monkeys: you keep me focused, remind me that I’m not alone, and offer ample hilarious distraction. I love all of you.

  To J.T., Kara, and Chelise: They say you don’t get to pick your family—well, I’m pretty sure you were picked exactly for me. You inspired these novels in so many ways, and I can’t thank you enough for that.

  To Mom and Dad: I’ve known since I was a little girl that things aren’t always what they seem. I was born with a feverish curiosity and an imagination that could transport me to worlds only I saw. Thank you for never dulling those parts of me. Thank you for encouraging me to ask questions and find answers and dream. Thank you for pushing me to read and encouraging me to explore. And thank you for doing the same yourselves. For showing me through your actions—even though I haven’t lived under your roof for twelve years—that chasing after adventure is worth every crazy look you get from the neighbors. You two act more like children all the time, and it is a beautiful thing that I am incredibly grateful for.