Awakened

  The Horsemen Chronicles Book 1

  D.C. Gambel

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  The End

  Also by D.C. Gambel

  About the Author

  Copyright © 2018 by D.C. Gambel

  All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America.

  No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval systems, without prior written permission of the author except where permitted by law.

  Published by

  D.C. Gambel

  Edited by

  Mina Torres

  Cover image from

  Canstockphoto johnnorth, acidgrey, merydolla, coka, rolffimages

  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.

  The author acknowledges the copyrighted or trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction: Twilight, Xbox, Call of Duty, X-Men, Alice in Wonderland, True Blood, Star Trek, Star Trek the Next Generation, Ford, Hyundai, Marvel, Amazon, Assassin’s Creed.

  First Edition March 2018

  ISBN-13: 978-1981137497

  ISBN-10: 1981137491

  Created with Vellum

  Revelations 6:8

  I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth

  Chapter 1

  “Come,” I heard a roar like thunder call.

  The eerie demand was the only thing I remembered from my dream. The rest faded to nonexistence the moment my eyes sprang open. I thought I heard a lingering voice, different from the one I heard in my sleep, hiss quieter than a whisper, “They’re coming.”

  I awoke gasping for breath and drenched in sweat. The dream was a bad one. I’d had many similar ones over the past month—at least I think. I couldn’t remember once I woke in an identical panic. My roommate, Charlotte, even suggested a dream journal when I explained I couldn’t remember the nightmares. But a journal did little to help if I couldn’t even recall what to write.

  With a huff, I threw back the covers and padded across the hall to the bathroom needing to rinse the nightmare from my skin, otherwise there’d be no hope falling back to sleep tonight. I was drenched. The sweat forced my long sleeved shirt and pajama pants to cling to me.

  Starting the water, I guessed the setting. Glancing down at the black gloves I wore on my hands, I fiddled with them nervously. They stretched past my elbows going under the sleeves of my t-shirt. I knew showering meant I’d have to remove them. It was the only time I was without them, that I was fully exposed. Of course everyone was stripped bare in the shower but for me it was an entirely different situation. I hadn’t been touched in almost two years. Charlie thought I was a germaphobe and I let her think that. It was better than the alternative. She’d never believe the real reason behind my gloves. And if she did—God, I couldn’t even think what that would mean.

  The last time I’d been touched didn’t end well for the bestower, like always. It’d been a handsey guy at the bar. He’d been drunk and grabbed me. I tried to dissuade him, but his hand slipped under my shirt barely gliding over my hip. It was his colossal mistake, not that he deserved what happened to him. The moment his skin touched mine, he tensed, becoming rigid with small tremors like he was being electrocuted until he toppled backwards, dead. Everyone assumed he had a brain aneurysm with the way his blood began pouring out of his eyes, but I knew better. He’d touched me. It was what always happened. It still didn’t make the situation easier. That incident drove me to become the hermit I now was.

  Slipping off my clothes, I slid into the shower. The water was warmer than I liked but I didn’t waste time adjusting it. I didn’t like being without my clothes and gloves—without my protection. If there was an Olympic medal given for The Shower Dash, I was sure I could win. My longest shower, including dress time, was five minutes. The only thing I skipped was conditioning my hair.

  “Rogue?” I heard Charlie call. It was her nickname for me. With my black hair and gloves, she named me after the X-men character. If she only knew how close to the truth she truly was. Unlike Rogue, I didn’t steal the person’s essence. I wish it were that. No, my touch brought death no matter how quickly I pulled away. Just a delicate brush of my skin and anyone was a goner. It hadn’t always been this way. When I was younger, I still avoided being touched because touching me was a shocking experience, quite literally. It was worse depending on my emotions. At least that was until I hit eleven and puberty struck. Perhaps it was the hormones triggering my emotional episodes, but since then my gift shifted to severe and was on permanently. No one could touch me without dying. Fear was as natural as breathing for me these days.

  “In the shower,” I announced doing my best to hurry. Having myself completely exposed with Charlie just outside the door had me in a panic, not that I thought she’d come in, but accidents happen and they happened more than I cared to admit. I remembered every person who had lost his or her life to me and I refused to add Charlie to that list.

  “Another nightmare?” she asked through the door. My lack of response was enough of a confirmation. “Still can’t remember?”

  I wanted to tell her about the voice I heard, but I knew it would only raise probing and I had nothing else to offer at the moment.

  “Nope,” I sighed.

  Stepping out I quickly dressed, barely giving myself a moment to dry before forcing my clothes in place. Once I was dressed, with gloves firmly covering my hands, I breathed a sigh of relief. I felt a bit more comfortable. Now the only exposed skin was my face, and trust me, I had tried covering that too. It was partly why I settled so far north. Hats and scarfs weren’t looked at with scrutiny as they had been in Florida. Covering myself from head to toe was perfectly acceptable except this past winter that had had a record breaking high of 72 degrees in January. It made me paranoid. Luckily my job allowed me to work from home as a customer service representative. It wasn’t difficult. I worked twelve-hour shifts and just needed access to a phone and internet. It kept me away from people and that was all I wanted. Decent pay and benefits were just an added bonus, even though I refused to use the benefits. Couldn’t risk a doctor or dentist touching me even though they wore gloves.

  Charlie shuffled back as I opened the door releasing a flourish of steam. She was dressed in a form fitting, black leather mini skirt that looked like it was painted on with how tight it was. Her red halter barely allowed room for the imagination. Her blonde hair was pulled up high on her head, but cast down in chunky pieces from dancing or the style she was going for. Her brown eyes roved over me in my black and pink flamed pajama pants and ratty t-shirt that was probably left here by one of Charlie’s conquests. I didn’t care. It was super comfortable.

  “Maybe you just need something to take your mind off of it,” she announced before disappearing into the kitchen. I heard the clatter of glasses. Choosing to follow her, because I knew she’d just come find me if I didn’t, I made my way to the bar that sat right in front of our tiny kitchen. She set a shot glass in front of me and filled it with whiskey. The girl knew me; I’d give her that.

  Three shots later, Charlie seemed to get up the courage to discuss something I’d been trying to avoid. “I’ve been thinking, Rogue, you only turn twenty-one once.”

  Groaning, I laid my forehead against the counter. I didn’t quite know where this conversation was heading, but I knew it was nowhere good.

  “Oh, come on,” she rebutted. “You never come out with me. I thought it was because the bar’s drinking age but you’ll be legal and you’ve been drinking with me here for years.”

  This was true. Charlie and I had been roommates since I moved to town shortly after the last life that ended because of me. I wasn’t worried that I’d be suspected, but I couldn’t deal with the guilt. Two years ago I moved to the small town of Halcyon, Maine. If I had thrown a dart at a map I couldn’t have chosen a better place. Its neighboring city of Summery was the second largest in the state. If anything strange occurred, living next to a big city, or as big as they got in Maine, came with its advantages of making it seem less conspicuous. After arriving, I learned that Halcyon meant happy and carefree which was what I truly wanted to be. So far the town wasn’t holding up to its name. I saw Charlie’s ad for a roommate. We were opposites, but we worked. Charlie was a classic party girl, but that never stopped her from getting to work the next morning. I didn’t know how she did it. She could stay out all night, sleep for an hour, and then wake up looking refreshed. It was unnerving.

  “Charlie,” I sighed before shooting the shot she placed in front of me. It was just to butter me up. “You know h
ow I feel about crowds.”

  “You mean people in general,” she offered with a smirk. “Trust me, Rogue, I’m not delusional. I know if you could afford a place on your own you’d kick me to the curb. I don’t pretend to understand your germ phobia, but it’s your twenty-first. Just come out. Put your gloves on. I’ll bring the hand sanitizer or even a can of Lysol. We’ll have a few drinks. I won’t even make you dance, but if you choose to I won’t stop you. I promise,” she held up her hand, “nothing bad will happen.”

  I exhaled heavily trying to find a way to tell her no without explaining that it wasn’t me that I was worried about, but her and anyone else who might come into contact with me.

  Reading my mind, she spoke. “You might as well give in now because I’m not taking no for an answer. Who knows, maybe you might even meet a guy you can tolerate.”

  That seemed highly unlikely. I sighed and nodded to end the conversation. I still had a few more days to come up with a valid excuse. Throwing back a final shot, I stood and headed back to bed praying the alcohol would induce a dreamless sleep.

  Chapter 2

  I sat on the edge of my bed pinching the bridge of my nose. It was Saturday and my birthday. This morning I woke to find my keys mysteriously missing along with all my left shoes. I only had two pairs so it was no great feat. Charlie was efficient; I’d give her that. I was surprised she hadn’t locked me in my room, but I suppose she felt confident enough that I wouldn’t leave the apartment. I had no shoes to wear, no car to drive and no way to lock the apartment if I left leaving us open to be robbed.

  Charlie sent me a text after a day of ignoring mine saying she was on her way home and to be ready to go when she arrived. I was honestly shocked she hadn’t laid clothes out for me, but then I might have heard her and soiled her plans.

  I had just stopped fidgeting nervously moments ago. Now I had a headache as I tried to come up with a scenario that would allow me to escape the situation tonight. My plan had been to claim an emergency, but no shoes or keys made that impossible.

  I heard the front door close announcing my annoying roommate’s arrival. I moved into the hall as she headed towards her room. Seeing me like a sentinel, she froze a few feet from me.

  “I know,” she sighed having the courtesy to bow her head bashfully as she offered me my shoes. “But if you can tell me you weren’t going to cancel then I’ll apologize, but I don’t think you will. You wouldn’t be this upset if I hadn’t prevented you from ditching me.”

  I yanked my shoes from her grasp being careful to touch only the shoes even though I wore my gloves. “I don’t want to go,” I groaned.

  “Tough,” Charlie spat back popping her hip out. “You’re going.”

  I scuffed. “You can’t make me.”

  She smirked wickedly. “Wanna bet? If you don’t go get dressed and come with me willingly, I’ll touch you.”

  My face paled and I took a tentative step back. “You wouldn’t.”

  She shrugged looking complacent before paying undue attention to her nails. “It’s your issue, not mine. I do pretty good about leaving you alone, but I swear I’ll make it my life’s mission to drive you and your germaphobe ass insane.”

  “Charlie,” I whispered trying and failing to hide the fear wavering in my voice.

  “I’ll help keep people away from you. We’re going to one of my normal scenes. There’s a new bar opening tonight so The Velvet Lounge will probably be dead. Now get dressed or,” she raised her index finger up. It curved just slightly and I jumped back.

  Joking aside, I couldn’t risk it. Wrong or not, I cared more about her than an unsuspecting stranger who might accidently touch me.

  “You swear you’ll keep people away?” I asked fiddling with the laces on one of the shoes I held.

  She smiled gently and nodded. Sighing reluctantly, I jumped when Charlie squealed realizing she won.

  I chose all black hoping my attire would discourage contact, plus my gloves were black and I preferred they went unnoticed. I didn’t want them to be a conversation starter.

  My long midnight hair cascaded down my shoulders and back since I planned to use it as a shield or curtain if necessary. Lucky my hair didn’t hold the same power as my skin.

  Slipping into my converses, I met Charlie in the living room. Her gaze raked over my attire while her nose wrinkled with distain.

  “That’s what you’re wearing?”

  I rolled my eyes. “My birthday and you’re forcing me out of the apartment. You don’t get a say in my clothes,” I stated grabbing my wallet off the table by the door. It was almost nine by the time we left the apartment, too early to hit the club, but I figured the sooner we arrived the sooner I could go home. Early also meant not crowded. How wrong I was.

  There was a line wrapped around the club. The Velvet Lounge was in Summery, the next town over. Halcyon was too small. To do anything of significance, one had to make the short journey across the town line. Charlie lived her life in Summery, but rented the apartment in Halcyon because rent was much cheaper. Without a backward glance to see if I would follow, she marched right up to the large mocha skinned man with the clipboard.

  “I thought you said it wouldn’t be crowded?” I hissed following her.

  “It’s not. Plus we’ll go to the VIP lounge. Less people. It’ll be fine.” She waved off my concerns before turning her attention to the very muscular man in front of us. He appeared to be one of those men whose life revolved around the gym. “Tony,” she grinned seductively. I didn’t recall Tony being one of Charlie’s conquests, but I could be mistaken. The way his gaze raked over her told me I just might be.

  “Charlotte,” he grinned showing off a large gap between his front teeth. It didn’t take away from his good looks. If anything it added to it. It gave him character to his otherwise perfection. “What can I do for you this fine night?” His voice was pure velvet. It rolled across my skin causing me to relax.

  “Let me in?” she smiled, twirling her hair around her index finger. This man was putty in her hand. I almost felt bad for the guy. “It’s my friend’s birthday. The big two one.”

  “Really?” His cinnamon brown eyes turned to me for the first time. When his gaze swept over me his expression suggested I was lacking, which was fine. I wasn’t looking to garner any attention from anyone. It was how I preferred it. “For you, Charlie? Anything.” He lifted the rope allowing us to pass. “Show your IDs to Claude.”

  I followed Charlie hearing the groans of the crowd chase after us for jumping the line. We moved down the dank hall. I immediately wanted out. The hall was so narrow that only one person could pass at a time. It had to break some kind of fire code. I wasn’t exactly fearful of the condensed space, but it meant there was a high chance that someone could bump me.

  Claude eyeballed me suspiciously as I glanced around to make sure no one was coming from either end of the hall.

  “She’s claustrophobic,” Charlie whispered to explain my behavior.

  “Oh,” Claude breathed. “Well, come on darling before you hyperventilate.” He ushered me forward and scanned my ID. “What’s with the gloves?” he asked. Damn conversation starter.

  “I get cold,” I mumbled.

  Claude shrugged handing me back my ID. Charlie led me into the club that was already rocking for how early it was.

  “See that?” she pointed yelling at me over the music. She tried to lean closer but I placed my gloved hand on her shoulder. One bump from one of the many patrons and Charlie could brush my cheek and I’d lose my friend. My halt at nearness didn’t deter her. “That’s the VIP lounge. We’ll get bottle service and won’t have to deal with the crowd.”