Scorpion Read online

  Scorpion

  lBookThreel

  Marked like Me Series

  o

  Cyndi Goodgame

  Also by Cyndi Goodgame

  (Fey Court Trilogy)

  Deception

  Tainted

  Betrayal

  Guardian (Companion to Deception)

  (Goblin’s Kiss Series)

  Denial

  Yield

  (Marked Like Me Series)

  Orion

  Son of Ra

  Scorpion

  Daughter of Anat

  Shadow Queen

  Protector (Companion Novella to Son of Ra)

  (Under Cover Series)

  Under Cover

  Over Darkness

  (Siphon Chronicles)

  Siphon

  ***

  Mary Never Had a Lamb, She Was the Lamb (Twisted Paranormal Nursery Rhymes)

  Gargoyle (Hyde Chronicles)

  © July 2013 Cyndi Goodgame

  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 prior written permission of the publisher. This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. Acknowledgements go to the various authors of classic fiction who wrote so eloquently that their words have become easy to quote in today’s written word.

  ISBN:

  [1. Supernatural-Fiction. 2. Vampires. 3. Werewolves. 4. War. 5. Prophecies. 6. Gods and Goddesses. 7. Constellations. 8. Destiny.9. Valkyrie 10. Orion]

  Email Cyndi at [email protected]

  You can reach Cyndi on Twitter at www.twitter.com/scgoodgame

  You can reach Cyndi at her website/blog at http://goodgamebooks.wordpress.com

  Follow Cyndi Goodgame on www.goodreads.com where she blogs weekly and reads as much as she writes.

  Follow Cyndi on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cyndigoodgameauthor

  Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/scgoodgame/

  Google+: http://gplus.to/cyndigoodgame

  Acknowledgements

  Thanks to my quote worthy writers and just plain worth quoting people of yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Evel Knievel, Mark Twain, Oscar Wilde, Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, Victor Hugo, Charlotte, Bronte (put too dots over e), William Shakespeare, John Keats, Abraham Lincoln, Robert Frost, Winston Churchfield and George Washington.

  Summary:

  Changing the world is never easy!

  Destiny leads Stace to Cas and on to rule all of the factions as the gods would deem necessary. That destiny is playing it out, but bumps keep setting them back along the way. And she has yet to meet the final faction leader, Cord Ryan, also known as Scorpion.

  Leader of the Were faction, Ryan intends to make himself as intertwined in Stace’s life as the other marked ones. He’s stayed silent for far too long.

  Borgon’s motives are becoming clearer. When the ex Hunter fails to enslave the Elves if they don’t do his bidding because they want more, he is forced to offer them more. Equal control over the factions for destroying Anastacia Anat Hathown the rumored Shadow Queen will suffice, but he doesn’t count on other factors at work. When his strange attempts to capture always fail, Borgon picks up new alliances that are meant to weaken their forces. And he has a weapon designed specifically to take out the gods. What Borgon didn’t count on was the power the five Marked Ones will hold when all of them can harness what they can accomplish if they work together. It’s a superhero team made by the gods to take back what belongs to the strong and honorably brave supernatural leaders of our world.

  Appendix A:

  End of second book analysis of characters and copy of letters to the Marked Ones from their respected godly parental units.

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Watch your words, for they become actions. Actions become habits. Habits become character. Watch your character, for it becomes...

  Chapter Two

  ...your destiny.

  Chapter Three

  I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow...

  Chapter Four

  ...than a man swears he loves me.

  Chapter Five

  A house divided against itself…

  Chapter Six

  …cannot stand.

  Chapter Seven

  It was the worst of times...

  Chapter Eight

  ...it was the best of times.

  Chapter Nine

  Two wolves battle inside of all of us. One is good and the other is evil...

  Chapter Ten

  ...the one that wins depends on the one we feed.

  Chapter Eleven

  Everyone is a moon, and has a dark side...

  Chapter Twelve

  ...which he never shows to anybody.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Two minds meet and do not understand each other in time enough to prevent any shock...

  Chapter Fourteen

  ...of surprise at the conduct of either party.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Training is everything...

  Chapter Sixteen

  ...the peach was once a bitter almond.

  Chapter Seventeen

  The worst loneliness is...

  Chapter Eighteen

  ...not to be comfortable with yourself.

  Chapter Nineteen

  I would challenge you to a battle of wits...

  Chapter Twenty

  ...but I can see you are unarmed.

  Epilogue

  Appendix One

  Marked Ones

  MARKED ONES LETTERS

  Questionable Villains

  Characters in Limbo

  Faction Symbols

  “The windows of my soul I throw wide open to the sun.” –John Greenleaf Whittier

  Prologue

  Trouble finds me, I do not search for it. I didn’t choose this life. Just recently, I found out my entire existence was planned out by the mothers. The mothers who say they are the goddesses and gods of the skies above. Gods and goddesses, who only come to me in my dreams, but came to earth and “acted” like they were in love with men. I couldn’t disprove their ill-fated predictions over my people, but there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t wonder if I’m doing the right thing.

  I also can’t die. Mostly. Morosely speaking, my head could technically be removed. Anyway, there are five of us “picked” out that were sent from the gods to restore the supernatural factions back to order. Me, and the four male counterparts as I call them. Calum, the Hunter. Cas, the Vampire. Cord, the Were. Szar, the Valkyrie. And me, Stace, the Valkyrie head chick in charge of all what I loosely term the Fab Five. Sometimes the nickname changes depending on how pissed I am with them on a given day. But I’m getting ahead of myself for I haven't met Cord Ryan, the Were leader yet. I’ve only heard he’s to be the new leader of the faction though he didn’t want it.

  I used to be this “never say die” girl who felt invincible, turned heads, and for the most part, stayed locked up in the castle tower hidden from danger. What I didn’t know one hundred percent was that I was indeed immortal, not as invincible as I thought in the emotions department,and a daughter of a goddess who thought she had my whole life planned out. Guess again.

  I’ve recently made some changes.

  The sarcastic, determined, take no prisoners girl was still inside, but other things have changed. I was now more aware of how my ice princess attitude affects those I care about. I don’t always get what I wan
t and that’s okay (mostly). I’ve never really had someone I cared about this much or been cared about in a loving kind of way.

  This was most definitely the reason I fell for Cas so fast. No one had ever given me the attention or tenderness like he did. Yes, Calum was attentive as a first boyfriend, but not caring. He had an agenda.

  Now I don’t mean that he was uncaring, just...I know he wasn’t the one for me.

  Cas was...devoted, loving. I embraced it and was learning to be the same. I still seemed to be naturally “icy” to others. I vowed to try to fix that. TRY!

  I have also reached a pinnacle of what must be ahead for me. At one conclusion I have surmised that the brewing war between the supernatural in my world is not all black and white. The other conclusion...I have no choice but to enter it. Solution number one at this point...go with the flow and tweak as I go. Solution number two...take the bull by the horns and string him (Borgon, i.e. scoundrel who wants me dead so he can take over the factions) up by his ears.

  Borgon had plans. He schemed a takeover of all the factions with the specially hidden plans of taking me to the Elves in the process. It worsened when he didn't retrieve me. The Elves killed his wife and child. Now he has no remorse. No sense of moral left. My father was wise to his first agenda and led him to believe he would help him if it meant saving his children. Borgon agreed to kidnap my brother with the aid of the Elves and have the other factions hire a bodyguard to “protect” me with the assumption I’d be easy to trap. Borgon let my father believe that his plan was to scoop up the Weres faction and straighten out the Elves, but my father had friends in low places that told him otherwise and helped him with his own agenda. No one would hurt his children or the prophecies that were to become. You see, he knew all this would come to pass. His wife, my mother, was the goddess who told him.

  Szar agreed to be “kidnapped” and I was left in the dark for my own safety. That was brilliant on their part since I was so apt at saving my brother. Who else knows more than me? Don’t answer that.

  So...Borgon thinks the Vamp, Were, and Hunter factions are at his mercy because my father acts the part of scared Valkyrie leader and aid to him. Really, my father has it all planned out and Borgon’s the dupe. All that’s about to stop. Cas, the Vampire leader will harbor me in safety. Szar will soon take father’s place. Calum will take his father’s place as the Hunter leader. And Cord Ryan will be the leader of the Were faction whom I am told will comply to our every whim as long as I am involved though no one will tell me why that is.

  With all that almost in place, Borgon will think that he has the factions breeched and then will be surprised when he attacks with the enslaved Elves in tow. No, the Elves don’t have a powerful enough leader to help them govern their own faction and haven’t for many years, but that’s not to say they might not be able to start now. They trusted the wrong man. And what about the other creatures in our world that don’t have the governing power to stabilize a faction or themselves? Humans have let corruption take them by the hand. Everyone else can see. Can’t they rise above too?

  I was sent by the mothers of the sky to bring peace. Now, with all this war upon us, how do I achieve this goal? I’ve been schooled in the ways of war, but learning about it and living it are two different things.

  So, that brings me back to Cas and the others. We are intertwined in some weird plotted way to end up together (I think) and save the supernatural world from destroying itself. The human world has no idea and probably never will. The gods made up this awesome (to them) plan to make five (yes, I said five—you’ll see) babies marked alike and with super powers to change the recent volatile choices made by the factions that make up our hidden world.

  Now that we, the Fab Five, or the Marked Ones, or whatever...know what we are here for and what we must do, we still have no clue. Every faction knows of us though the details are shrouded in mostly fiction. Which works well for the validity of rumors since the majority of them involve superpowers like invisibility and causing earthquakes.

  Maybe the gods will let us in on the next step in solving their problems. Either way, here is what happened next.

  Chapter One

  Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Watch your words, for they become actions. Actions become habits. Habits become character. Watch your character, for it becomes...

  CASSIUS RATHORTH CROSS, i.e. Vampire Leader and part of my illustrious Fab Five, i.e. The Marked Ones.

  He has many names when I think about it. He was my RESCUER, my BOYFRIEND, and above all my HEART. He’s also a VAMPIRE. And that...is what has circled around the edge of my mind for days now.

  I collected a list of what I do know he is capable of:

  1. (Most pertinent to mention) drinks blood for nourishment

  2. eats human food for enjoyment

  3. has sharper than average canine teeth, but not razor sharp or anything (just perfectly straight and chiseled)

  4. can fly (soooo love that skill)

  5. can read my mind( but no one else...hmmm)

  6. can read all of my emotions (born Valkyrie-not sure if this is because of me or not)

  7. Very, VERY strong Vampire strong (I’m stronger)

  8. can enter my dreams

  9. buys me clothes (Oh, this is skillful, trust me)

  Cas asked me weeks ago if I counted him as more than just a friend. A boyfriend. It seemed almost like I was too old for that, but even older people called it that too. Yet, this six foot three dark angel was not the hardcore heartless lord of the Vampires I’d made him out to be all these years but I at least thought he was older. I’m still wrapping my brain around the idea of him being in charge of this court since he’s so young. I’d wanted to ask then if his father died and that’s why he was in charge at such a young age? And if he will age.

  One day I will get some more answers when I have the courage to ask or he feels comfortable to tell. For now, we’ve eased into getting to know each other. With pending doom always on the doorstep, I think sometimes we are both reluctant to let completely go with ourselves. Or at least on my end. I’ve learned a lot about myself along the way, but getting to know Cas has been a thrill all to itself.

  Cas took me to the edge of the nearly summer covered woods near the jagged moss covered rock formation that reminded me of a giant lemon. Even the birds were preparing for the heat. Feathers seemed to be shedding everywhere like it was raining sheets of them. I enjoyed the simplicity of it until I looked over my shoulder at my escort. He had such reluctance in his eyes. His normal dark prince swagger was quick footed and clipped with something anxious. His hands normally on my arms, hips, neck or back were in his pockets like when I’d met him. Cas seemed to ooze fear and sadness for what I was about to do. But I had to be here. I needed more information and this was the way to do it. He could have me at night, but by day, I would find answers. Be the person I was bred for.

  The Hunter school was dark with shadows it couldn’t contain. Cas’ fiery gaze landed on my face, eyes full of the same feeling I held, only much stronger and way more controlled. At least, he appeared so. I, on the other hand, was a total goner. I was still staring when he reached behind my back and grabbed my waist. Excitement moved through me. I inched over to give him a small amount of what he needed to get closer to me, but it wasn’t the kind of pull it usually was when he wanted me closer. It was the kind that meant something wicked comes this way and we were specials of the day on the soon to be dead menu.

  “Get behind me,” he lifted his nose to the air, the deep cadence of his voice lost in fear.

  His eyes went into a frenzied search, his Vampiric sense in overdrive.

  Suddenly Cas, the Vampire, pulled me back into the trees, stilled the air with our lack of movement, and made us one with a huge towering oak. Now when I say hid, I mean he covered me with the front of his body flush against the front of mine, hiding me from danger. I couldn’t see outside my Cas barred cage and knew this was his predator-possessive ape
man control issues, but I could defend and handle myself if he would just trust me.

  Cas, what is it?

  Something pounded the tree beside me. Cas’ fist.

  Elves.

  Where? I tried to look around him.

  Twenty yards to your left.

  And you intend to stand here and cover me with your hot rod Vamp body until what...they pass on by? They are here for a reason. Let’s find out.

  “NO!” he chanced a whisper.

  I spewed hot air to his neck. I even tried growling low enough he could hear. No go!

  Cas, this is admitting defeat. I won’t be afraid.

  Just then a body slammed into the back of Cas. My body lurched forward a touch leaning into his as he thrust back and with illegal grace made into a lithe movement that equaled a gymnast for such a rugged shady prince of darkness. That’s where it ended though. His next move was lethal in another way. His fist connected with the long-eared, far from elegant (like the books say) enemy hidden by the shadows with his own dark clothes to hide him in darkness. I sensed no fear and that unnerved me. I’d never fought an Elf.

  Cas was magnificent. Deadly, but awe inspiring in the defense department. I was brought out of my oddly inappropriate gawking of fighting abilities and felt the wind knock out of me as I was slammed breathless against the same tree. Mr. Pointy Ears bared his maliciously sharp smile while he breathed his vile repulsive breath on my face. His quick hit to the side of my head would leave a bruise, but I was angrier that he tore the cuff off my shirt.

  I kneed him where it counts and stepped out of his clutches to assist Cas, for my extra amount of strength makes the family jewels evaporate (not really, but close). Cas was still twisting around on the ground with Pointy’s friend. I could only be sure of one thing at this stage of the fight—Cas had his Vampire face on. I was terrified on several different levels but I’d never let it show. I tried not to think about it.