Authors: Jamie Magee
Preston had left, and Zander was at the door. He glanced back at me. “The path behind you was not nearly as troubled as the one before you. You will not survive it, you will not be the solution you were created to be, unless you feel that emotion, unless you have enough emotion to pull her from the shadowed existence that has cradled her for so long.”
He turned the lock on the door, then pulled the door closed.
The lights in the room dimmed, grew bright, then turned off all at once. I felt my hair brush across my forehead with an uncalled for breeze.
I squinted my eyes closed. I could not let this vision slip from my mind. I pushed all the other revelations I had found out of my mind, all the twisted and confused lives, and saw them only as a dream, a path of understanding I had to take, and focused on the beginning.
I relieved those short days in slow motion. I felt every emotion come alive within me. When it was over, there were only two emotions in my soul: one of unconditional love, and the grief of the loss of that love.
I turned slowly, not knowing what I was supposed to do but assuming, with only a trace of doubt, that I was going to have to end my life to find it again.
Even though I thought of my father, Nana, my twin, Charlie, and Madison, how they would feel if I left them, that ache could not compare to the thought of not having her.
Grief. I owned that emotion.
I turned slowly and dared to open my eyes.
I had to be hallucinating. Nothing ever came to me this easily, no desire.
She was standing in that ring of flowers and candles. The silk gown I so vividly remembered removing from her body was gone. She was wearing skin tight leather pants and a dark purple corset that shaped her every curve. Her lavender hair was just as beautiful as I remembered. The violin I had given her was just barely dangling from her fingertips.
The glow of her blue eyes was gone; they had turned to gray and tears were streaming down her cheeks. The grief I felt was consuming her breathtaking image.
She slowly set the violin down and moved from the ring that was created by Preston on the floor.
“Do you remember me?” Her whisper was full of agony.
I fell to my knees, staring forward into nothing as I basked in the memories that were mine again. The memories where she was innocent and gave that innocence to me.
I didn’t answer. Maybe I should have because I saw her body tremble as if it were silently crying.
I reached for her calf, hating this leather that was separating her skin from my touch. She sighed as my hands moved up her long legs, my stare rose to meet hers. I saw the rivulets of tears falling from her gray eyes. I leaned forward and let my lips touch her navel, breathing in that scent of ivory as my kiss pulled her skin ever so gently to me. The moan she let out was enough to make me want to stand up and throw her on that bed, but I had to prove to her that I remembered, that I
knew
she was mine.
I pulled the string that was holding her corset in place, pushing it away from what it was shielding me from. My hands explored every part of her as my lips eased closer and closer to her lips. Her hands balanced on my shoulders as they had before, as if I had robbed her of the strength to stand with this aching, slow dance of seduction.
When I was standing before her, towering over her small frame, I pulled her lips to mine. My tongue did not wait for an invitation; I had opened her mouth with the flesh of my lips, then groaned when I felt her kissing me back with the same reverent passion.
I pulled away when I felt her tremble, when I felt her tears spilling on my hands which were framing her face.
I leaned my forehead to hers, knowing exactly what I wanted to say, feeling as if I had said the words just yesterday. “This is real. Tell me you know that—tell me that you know that even if I passed you on the street without the visions I witnessed that you understand I would still have felt this pull to you. That I would still know that we are made of one.”
A gaping smile came to her.
“I love you, Skylynn. I never stopped. I know I didn’t.”
Her lips found mine. I reached down and grabbed her legs, wrapping them around me as she fisted her fingers through my hair.
I only vaguely made sure that I dodged those candles that were placed on the floor as I laid her across my bed, finally realizing why it had always felt so empty, so cold. It felt right now. It felt right because she was lying across it.
My hands reached down to her calves and slowly eased them up her body, never breaking eye contact with her.
I had eased my body over hers and had her hands laced in mine, just over her head. I smiled into the kiss I was giving her. The mark of a musician was on her tender hands now, and those marks aligned perfectly with mine.
“I missed you,” she breathed against my lips. I dipped my head and let my lips rest on her chest.
“I was right here. I always want to be right here.” My lips brushed against her skin. “You’re mine. No test of time could ever come between two that are made of one.”
She pulled my face to hers, and we lost ourselves in the passion.
I didn’t understand why she felt so broken, what Zander meant when he said our last battle would begin. I didn’t know how to get her home, or even if I wanted to leave this world. I just knew I loved her, and one way or another we would always be one.
She was my everything.
Special note to the reader:
The Imperial series is part of the “Web of Hearts and Souls,” where all of my series combine into one large story. All series can be read independently or as one. The reading order for the Insight and See series combined is: Insight, Embody, Image, See (See series), Witness (See series), Vital (Insight series), Vindicate (Insight series), Synergy (See series), Enflame (Insight series), Redefined (See series), at this point the first book in the third series comes into play: Rivulet (published on10/7/13), Imperial (1/14/14), Blakeshire, 2/10/14)
Playlist
Blue October: Debris, Breathe, It
’ Over, Angles in Everything, Things We Don’t Know, Things We Do At Night, Not Broken Anymore.
Adel: Don
’t you Remember
Chevelle Hats Off to the Bull
Andrew Belle: In My Veins
Kings of Leon: Closer
Plumb: Cut
Rihanna: Diamonds
I am still eternally grateful for every soul that encouraged me to write/ publish my debut novel Insight.... thank you once again.
I also want to thank my husband, Lem, for listening to my random thoughts and ideas as each of these stories came to life, he is not only the love of my life but the man who keeps me sane on this insane adventure. I want thank my children who inspire me to become more than I am today with a simple glance, and the echo of laughter and joy that surrounds me constantly.
I want to thank all of my wonderful beta readers: Sabrina Wells, Alysia Kurtz, Jamie Love, Jennylynne D’Andrea, Michelle Dain, and Steffini Walker, and Jan Galloway.
GWE along with Todd Barselow for editing my daydreams.
Most of all I want to thank every-single reader for sharing this adventure with me! I love you all and I am eternally grateful for your time and support :)!
About the Author
Jamie Magee has always believed that each of us have a defining gift that sets us apart from the rest of the world, she has always envied those who have known from their first breath what their gift was. Not knowing hers, she began a career in the fast paced world of business. Raising a young family, and competing to rise higher in that field would drive some to the point of insanity, but she always found a moment of escape in a passing daydream. Her imagination would take her to places she’d never been, introduce her to people she’s never known. Insight, her debuting novel, is a result of that powerful imagination. Today, she is grateful that not knowing what defined her, led her on a path of discovery that would always be a part of her.
The fun Bio: I
’m an obsessive daydreamer. Lover of loud alternative music. Addicted to Red Bull. I love to laugh until it hurts. Fall is my favorite season. Black is my favorite ‘shade.’ Strong believer in the saying: there is a reason for everything, therefore I search for ‘marked moments’ every moment of everyday...and I find them. Life is beautiful!