Oracle Rising (4 page)

There was no one else offering to help her.

This was her last chance.

Juliett tried to keep the connection, but it began slipping away. As soon as the laughter faded, the screams began all over again. They were horrible, but this time, they weren’t from the sicko in her head.

This time, they were from his victim.

Juliett could hear her begging.

Pleading.

Dying.

Oh no!

It was about to begin.

“Please come back, Oracle,” she begged, her hands going to her head to ease the pain. Only, it didn't work.

She was trapped in it.

Juliett could smell the scent of gasoline, the sulfur of the match being struck, and then the horrible odor of burning flesh.

It was too late.

He’d done it again!

He’d stolen yet another life.

‘You’re next,
’ he whispered.
‘As soon as I know where you are, you’re going to be mine. Haven’t you learned anything? You can’t escape me. You were meant to be mine.’

She couldn’t hold back the tears. She began weeping. All previous hope was sucked from her. In its place was misery, fear, and hopelessness.

She was going to die.

She was marked.

He was coming.

The voice was wrong.

There was no saving her. It was too late for her.

Juliett Deveraux was a dead woman.

It was only a matter of time.

Chapter ONE

Fire Bay

She saw it all.

In her mind, Avalon could see what was coming. It appeared that they were about to embark on their first mission as a team. The woman, who needed her help, was desperate, and it couldn’t wait any longer. If they didn't leave immediately, they risked her death. That was something she couldn’t live with.

It was time to make their move.

Avalon could feel the urgency.

She couldn’t wait.

The idea of being out there in the world, untethered by the government, filled her with joy. She was free from the shackles of Oracle, and just another woman.

Okay, maybe that wasn’t true.

After all, she could still see into the future, and for her team, it looked bright.

Their unit had come together, forged in her ‘death’. Yes, she had to pretend to die to be free, but it was so worth it. The gilded cage was open, Oracle was dead, sort of, and she was the entity that rose from the ashes.

Now she had a new role.

She was both Oracle and part of the phoenix. From the ashes of her ‘demise’ rose something powerful. They were going to make a difference in so many lives.

How?

Avalon Miller was going to use her gift to help those who needed their assistance.

It was her dream in life. Why not reach out to those who were trapped, a prisoner, and struggling? After all, she’d been there not that long ago. Now that she was free, Avalon wanted to give back.

She wanted to give hope.

The best way she could do it was to reach out into the minds of fellow psychics and offer their assistance. It wasn’t like these individuals could come out and ask for help.

Who would believe them?

Who would they tell?

In the eyes of normal society, she was a freak, and so were they. So, they needed someone to believe in them, and their team would do just that.

What else was she supposed to do with her gift?

After all, she saw everything.

If you needed a question answered, she was your woman. If you needed a glimpse into the future, give her a call but be ready to hear everything.

With her ‘death’ the new team had been formed, and they were only waiting for her to pick their first case. It rode on her shoulders, and Avalon was pretty sure she had the right woman in mind. Of all the voices in her head, she honed in on the most desperate one.

Now, they could make a difference.

They were going to help people, and that was all she wanted in life.

That wasn’t true.

There was one other ‘thing’ she wanted, but it was actually a person. His name was Nathaniel Carter. Her boyfriend, if that’s what you wanted to call him, was a prize. From the black hair, to the icy blue eyes, he was sexy as sin. Granted, he was much older than she was, but that was part of the allure. While Avalon was merely twenty five, and so very innocent, Nathaniel was over forty and wise for his years.

It heated her body every time she thought about him. While she knew there was something fatherly about him, which appealed on some level, there was so much more to their relationship.

From the second she ‘saw’ him, Avalon knew he was the one. There was just something about Nathaniel that made her happy. It was that reassurance, that sweetness, and of course the sexiness of his body that didn't hurt either.

Call her a hussy, but the sex was hot. She loved that he took the time to learn everything about what pleased her. Nathaniel Carter made it his mission, and she was the definite winner there.

All that she was really missing, in their union, was actually seeing him. In her dreams, he was crystal clear, but when she was awake she could only see his aura.

Honestly, it didn't bother her. Avalon had come to adjust to not seeing the people around her. From birth, it had been her disability, but her other senses were amazing.

She could read auras to pick out the person she was ‘looking’ at. It was easy to find Nathaniel in a room. Her nose could detect his scent, her mind could ‘see’ his aura, and she was able to get into his arms.

It’s where she spent most of her time.

Nathaniel was super protective of her, and Avalon didn't mind. If he wanted to wrap himself around her, she was good with that. Why turn down a sexy FBI man?

She was blind.

Not crazy.

So, she let him be bossy and over protective. It was just part of his nature, and while the saying was
‘you can’t teach an old dog new tricks’
, Avalon didn't believe that applied to Nathaniel. He was trying to do everything right in an effort to meet her halfway.

Relationships were about compromise, or that was what Elizabeth Blackhawk had once told her. She believed that they were on the right path.

Besides, in her life, no one had ever wanted to fill that role. For so long, she’d been unloved, unwanted, and all alone. Now, everything had changed. In fact, Nathaniel Carter had filled another first in her life—and it was the most important one.

He was her lover.

Avalon had been a virgin when he took her to bed. She’d been nervous as hell as she tried to seduce him, but Nate had been a gentleman. That day, he made it all about her, and she fell hopelessly in love.

How could she not?

Everything about him made her heart skip in her chest. She loved him and always would. There could be no man but him, and she was glad. Now she was simply waiting to see where their relationship went. They were sharing the cage, locked side by side, and Avalon couldn’t be happier.

She didn't need to see his face to know how he looked at her. Just a few weeks ago, he’d suffered unspeakable torment, believing that she was dead, and now they were beginning their lives together.

They were a team.

And a damn good one.

Elizabeth Blackhawk had gotten her out of the grasp of the government, and now she could use her gift of prophecy, sight, and mind to help those like her.

There were so many out there, and she couldn’t help but want to assist them. They were destroyed, damaged, and afraid. Avalon had been them once, and she swore she’d help those who couldn’t help themselves.

It was her vow.

It was her promise to fate that if she got out, and could spend her life with Nathaniel Carter, she’d pay it forward. So, she was keeping her word.

Avalon was grateful they weren’t alone in their mission. They had a circle of friends and family to call their own. Lucas Mars and his bride were very important to the team. They weren’t only madly in love, but recently married.

Avalon secretly studied Maura Gaines-Mars, trying to emulate everything she did. She needed to learn how to be a woman. For so many years, she was simply a weapon. Truth be told, she had very few social skills. It wasn’t easy coming from the life she led into a brand new one.

Each day was a learning experience, and she was trying to figure it all out. So, she picked a worthy role model. When her friend, and guardian, would tease her husband, Avalon would wonder what it would feel like to be claimed like that.

She imagined it was wonderful.

She’d hear them laughing, joking, and smiling, and she couldn’t help but be envious. What would it be like to have someone love you so much that they’d want you to be their wife? Avalon didn't know if she’d ever find out.

Her heart skipped.

God!

She wanted Nate to propose in the worst way. She craved what her friend had found. It was something so miraculous to her, but Avalon wondered if it would ever happen.

Yes, she could see the future, but there was nothing there to give her a clue. It looked like fate was screwing with her. Her future was a mystery.

Why wasn’t she surprised?

All Avalon knew was that while Maura and Luke were on their honeymoon, she missed them. Granted, they offered to skip it, but she couldn’t let that happen. Besides, they had Jagger as backup, and he was like a platoon of Marines.

The man was always on alert.

They weren’t even sure if a case was coming up. For the longest while, she wasn’t either. As the honeymoon was close to ending, Avalon knew that Nate was so much calmer. He was always worried about when they’d be called out.

Well, it wasn’t like the FBI would be hand delivering a dossier with details of a case.

She’d explained multiple times to him that when she knew, he’d know too. It wasn’t like she had a system. This was all new to her.

Avalon could sense that he was getting antsy, so she opted to try and reach out into the unknown. As she sat on hers and Nate’s bed, she listened to the silence of the house. It helped her focus on what was out there in the world.

She was like their beacon.

Avalon lured the visions to her, hoping to find that one person who desperately needed their help. Each day she tried, and failed. For a while, she began wondering if she was losing her gift. Never before had she had this much trouble trying to find someone.

Then Nate told her to relax. Well, he ordered her to chill out. It was his belief that she was putting too much stress on herself.

Maybe he was right.

So, instead of searching for someone, Avalon let the universe direct fate toward her. She let it seek her out, giving her the clues they needed to find the right one.

As she closed her eyes, she immediately felt it. The horror welled up, nearly stealing her breath. Someone was being hunted by a sick individual.

She was alone.

She was scared.

She was going to die.

There was a woman out there who needed them. Avalon reached deep inside her mind to find out more about this weeping person.

Juliett Deveraux.

Her name flashed through her mind.

Serial killer.

Avalon knew they didn't have much time. She was being tracked to her demise.

Brutal death.

Avalon knew what was coming. This frightened woman was running out of life.

Hopelessness.

It looked like they were going to be getting their first assignment, by way of the universe.

The visions were horrible.

There was pain.

Suffering.

Hate.

Anger.

There was rape and murder.

Avalon grabbed her head, trying to keep the pain and sickness from finding its way into her mind. It was inky and evil, and it wanted nothing more than to overwhelm her. Instead of fighting, she fell back to lie on the bed.

“Juliett, be calm,” she whispered, connecting with the woman. Her mind was a swirl of darkness, and Avalon worked to keep her from succumbing to it.

It wasn’t easy.

Being Oracle never was.

“Shhhhhh,” she whispered, getting the woman to relax. “Talk to me.” Her voice echoed through the silence of the room.

Avalon let the visions come.

They were fast and hard.

They stole her breath.

In the end, there was a weepy voice coming through the pain and hurt. The connection was made.

Juliett spoke.

She let the woman tell her all the deepest darkest secrets she had. In them, Avalon saw the truth. This woman, Juliett, was being chased.

“We’re coming. I see you. Have no fear.”

The answer was a sob of emotions which threatened to pull her under. There was a desperation there which overwhelmed her. It made her heart ache.

This woman was all alone.

There was no one to save her but them.

They needed to move fast.

Avalon battled the darkness, trying to save the innocent woman. It was a hard fought war, and she didn't know if she’d be able to hold back what was trying to break through.

She could feel the pain.

See the blood.

When the woman screamed, Avalon’s body bowed in pain. It filled every inch of her, making her teeth grind together in agony.

There was nothing Avalon could do but ride it out. The man who hunted Juliett was strong. He wasn’t your average psychic. He was twisted by evil, and they would have one hell of a battle on their hands.

As the pain threatened to pull her under, there was only one last resort to keep her grounded in the present. With a shaking hand, she reached for the tattoo on the back of her neck.

The second she found it, Avalon knew what she needed to do. It was too much for her.

She was going under. Into the darkness she’d fall, and if she did, the killer would see her.

They’d all be in danger.

“Nathaniel, I need you,” she whispered to the emptiness of the room. “God! I need your help.”

With that, she focused on the woman in her mind, and the evil chasing her.

She had to.