Kristie Cook - Purpose

“And if there’s not? Dorian can’t rule the Amadis?” I asked.

“We are a matriarchal society, Alexis.” Her tone was firm, as if that were answer enough. As if it could never be changed.

“What if he has a daughter? Can we skip a generation?”

Now they all—including Tristan—sighed heavily, it seemed with despair. I looked at him in surprise, thinking he would support this thought. He pursed his lips and just barely shook his head.

“Read your book, Alexis,” Rina said, “and you will understand.”

I flipped through the pages of the book again. My story, starting with my conception and ending with my travels to the Amadis Island today, used only a few pages, compared to the number of blank ones.

“Well, I will either have a very long or a very full life.”

“I believe you will have both,” Rina said, smiling now. “But the pages cannot be counted—the number is protected by the Angels and they can add more or take some away, so we have no idea how long you will actually live.”

She placed the other book on the table. “Tristan, we have yours, too. We did not include any history. You probably do not mind, no?”

“Absolutely not,” he said, picking up the book with his Amadis name on it.

“Good. It starts when you saved Sophia, your first step in becoming Amadis.”

I looked at him in surprise again. “You saved Mom? I thought she saved you.”

“He saved me first,” Mom answered for him. “Once I had him convinced there was enough good in him, he fought Lucas, who tried to kill me. Actually, I was unknowingly already pregnant, so he saved both of us.”

I inhaled sharply. Even then we needed each other. I pushed the thought into Tristan’s head. He smiled at me.

“We always have,” he thought. “Maybe I somehow knew you were in there and we already had that connection.”

I like that thought. I smiled back at him. You and me together forever.

He thumbed through the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of blank pages in his book—about as many as there were in my own. “Forever.”

I love you, my sweet Tristan.

He placed his book back on the table, then wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close to him. He kissed the top of my head. “I love you, ma lykita.”

Mom and Rina left the room so Tristan and I could read the Amadis history. I curled my legs under me and snuggled into him, opening my book between us to the family vine. I traced my fingers up the branch as I scanned the names and then searched for the meaning of the brown leaves and asterisks. Small print in the corner provided the explanation.

“Oh, no!” I gasped, tears springing to my eyes. “All the males!”

Tristan squeezed me closer and his voice filled with sorrow. “I know, my love. That is why Dorian cannot rule or even produce an Amadis daughter.”

No, no, no! Not my son!

For the first time since the Ang’dora, tears flowed freely. I clutched at my chest, forgetting again that the pendant—my life saver—was gone. Not my Dorian! Not my son!

“Is there anything we can do for him?” I cried aloud.

Tristan leaned his head against mine. “We will do everything we can, my love. Everything in our power.”

We’d already won so much. We’d fought our personal demons to be together—the ones we created in ourselves, such as the inabilities to trust or to love and be loved; and those implanted into our DNA and by our enemies. Our love was strong enough to overcome those obstacles. Good had won over evil.

But is Owen right? Does good always win? And is our love strong enough to overcome all the obstacles still ahead of us? There are so many battles still to fight…for us, for our son, for the Amadis…for all humankind. How do we face it all?

I hadn’t realized my mind was still connected to Tristan’s and I shared these desperate thoughts with him until he responded. I could hear the confidence—almost cockiness—even in his thoughts.

“We fight together, ma lykita, side by side, hand in hand, souls bound as one. The ultimate warrior and the fierce protector.” I looked up at him and he grinned. “Bring it on!”

Then he winked and I smiled through the daze.

Yeah. Who can beat us, right?

It was a question with an answer only God knew…and only time would reveal as our purposes unfolded before us.

Kristie Cook is a lifelong, award-winning writer in various genres, from marketing communications to fantasy fiction. Besides writing, she enjoys reading, cooking, traveling and riding on the back of a motorcycle. She has lived in ten states, but currently calls Southwest Florida home with her husband, three teenage sons, a beagle and a puggle. She can be found at www.KristieCook.com.

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“…Promise is an exciting and fascinating fantasy of demons and angels, highly recommended.”

– Midwest Book Review

“…Promise becomes a page-turner that keeps the reader spell-bound to the end, eager to discover what comes next…”

– The Charlotte Sun

“…Promise shocked me…I truly didn’t expect to be up all night reading it and to be completely blown away…the writing is outstanding…full of intriguing characters, romance, suspense, and mystery, with a little sexiness thrown in…an alluring adventure that you can’t help but want to explore…”

– Confessions of a Bookaholic

“…thrilling, action packed, with rich and endearing characters, mystery and a love story unlike most others…all the key ingredients and then some to quickly become the book everyone wants to read…descriptive writing, strong characters that were easy to cheer for and a love story to leave your heart tingling…with an ending that’ll leave you wanting more…”

– A Life Bound by Books

“...Promise is intense – in the best way possible – it shook me to my very core…an amazing world, full of the little details…characters that took my breath away…it encapsulated me, spun a web that became impenetrable…a beautiful escape, with rich details…”

– Book Crazy

“…I started reading Promise the day I received it and I honestly read it cover to cover in one day…suspenseful, action-packed, original, fast-paced and well written…I am on pins and needles waiting for the next installment titled Purpose…one of the best books I have read in a while…”

– Extreme Reader Book Reviews

“…from the very first chapter, I was tossed in the sea of emotions that Promise brought…left nothing out, detailing everything perfectly…Did this book have Promise? It sure as hell did…”

– Books With Bite

“…I loved every moment of Promise…the book flowed smoothly with unexpected twists that kept me turning pages long into the night…heart-wrenching and heart-warming journey…incredible writing…”

– A Simple Love of Reading

“…Promise is a fantastic love story…the paranormal Romeo and Juliet…better than Twilight!!”

– Ex Libris Book Reviews