Smoke & Ash
Wardens Series Book Two
Heather D. Glidewell
Fire Warden Press
Copyright © 2019 Heather D. Glidewell
All rights reserved
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
ISBN: 9781797909653
Imprint: Independently published
Cover design by: Melony Paradise
www.paradisecoverdesign.com
For Stephanie
Thank you for being there through this wonderful journey I have been truly blessed to have you in my life.
6th Grade - Forever
Prologue
“Dawn, look at me,” a voice whispered. “Please open your eyes.”
“Who are you?” I asked, blinking in the darkness.
I could sense the cool ground beneath my bare feet, and the chilly air was brushing against my flesh. I had no idea where I was, only that I had never been here before. It was so dark and unfamiliar; it was frightening. I could feel a cold sweat beginning to bead on my flesh. My eyes darted in all directions, searching for the source of the voice.
“It’s me,” the voice said softly.
I saw a glimmer of white light, and a girl appeared.
“Krista!” I exclaimed, stepping towards her as she took on solid form.
She was exquisite in appearance, far more beautiful than I had imagined from her apparition. Her hair was blonde and fell in soft waves to her shoulder-blades. Her eyes were as blue as the sky, and they sparkled brightly. When she smiled at me, it was so brilliant my heart skipped a beat. I was mesmerized, lost in her beauty. I could finally see why John was so enamored with her. Even years after he had ended her life, he was still left breathless in her presence.
“Nice to see you again, Dawn. It’s been a while.” She shimmered for a second, then turned solid again. “Please excuse my appearance. I cannot always maintain a concrete form when I am on this plane.”
“Why am I here?” I asked, looking around the blackness.
We were the only two there. I couldn’t sense any other beings in the vicinity. I looked back at her. She was determined, fighting the flickering of her spirit to remain solid.
“Something’s coming.” The smile fell from her lips and was replaced by an expression of concern. “It’s not good either.”
“Then what is it?” I asked, feeling out of place in this mysterious world. I knew she must have her reasons for bringing me here. Did she have some secret she needed to share? Something that only the two of us should ever know?
“The angels and demons are talking. I can’t tell you more. I just have… a feeling.” Her voice was filled with dread like she had just communicated to me that the world was ending. Honestly, it could be for all I knew.
I looked at her blankly. “Can you give me any additional information?”
I had noticed that people often assumed that I could sense things, that I always knew what I was supposed to do in this spiritual realm. The truth was, I had minimal experience of life in this strange world that I was still getting to know.
She shook her head.
“How can we decide what to do if we don’t know what’s going on?” I could feel the adrenaline starting to flow through my body.
“I merely wanted to warn you that things may be about to get out of hand.” She gave me a sad look. I caved in, and silence settled between us.
We did not speak for several minutes. Instead, we just contemplated each other, each of us hoping that one of us might have a sudden revelation.
Suddenly she clapped my hands in hers, making me jump. “To change the subject,” she exclaimed, “I’ve been told that because of my selfless nature I will be given a second chance at life. Isn’t that just wonderful?”
Then she looked around her like she had lost something. Her erratic mood changes were starting to give me a headache. There was a sadness in her eyes that I couldn’t place. It was as if something had ripped her heart out.
“I’m sorry. I can’t keep a hold of John for much longer. He grows weary and needs to answer the call of his maker.” The sparkle in her eyes dimmed.
“I understand,” I responded softly, trying to conceal the fear that shot through me. When he was free from her, what was he going to do to me?
“With what is coming I need to remain focused,” she told me, her blue eyes widening. “I may not always be able to help you.”
“But what is coming?”
I had the distinct feeling she did not want to talk about John. The thought of losing him for a second time only broke her heart all over again. I wasn’t sure that she could handle going through all that once more. Even as a spirit she seemed so fragile. I still couldn’t understand how she could love someone who had taken her life. Then again, how could I love someone who had run off with a redheaded demon hybrid?
“I don’t know,” she answered, frowning. “I cannot see the future, but I can feel the change in the air. Midvale is about to become a battlefield.” She began to shimmer again, her solid form turning transparent. “I don’t have much time. My power grows weak. Let me just tell you this…” She paused and folded her hands delicately together. “Everything you have never understood is about to take form. You will think that it will answer all your questions, but instead, it will only create more.
