Fate's Cry

  FATE’S CRY

  Jalpa Williby

  This edition published by Jalpa Williby via Amazon KDP

  Text © Jalpa Williby 2016

  ASIN #B01GFB2HYE

  This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or person, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. In accordance with U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher constitute unlawful piracy and theft of the author's intellectual property. If you would like to use material from this book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher. Thank you for your support of the author's rights.

  Cover Art by: Amanda Walker

  Edited and Formatted by: Angie Martin

  To learn more about author Jalpa Williby,

  please visit her website at jalpawilliby.com.

  This work of fiction contains adult situations that may not be suitable for children under eighteen years of age. Recommended for mature audiences only.

  Books by Jalpa Williby

  My Perfect Imperfections

  “An uplifting tale about a woman who voices her desires and transcends her limitations, shedding a revealing and flattering light on the private lives of the disabled.” –Kirkus Reviews

  “It's a story of love, strength, determination and, most of all, hope and will strike a chord within the hearts of readers.” –Readers' Favorite Review #1

  “Story is exceptionally well told and very authentic. Most highly recommended.” –Readers' Favorite Review #2

  “It will pull at your heart strings...I cried, laughed, and cried again. Very hard to put down.” –Readers' Favorite Review #3

  Loving You Hurts So Good

  “The writing is smooth and flawless and each story is incredibly sweet and touching. A highly recommended read.” –Amazon Customer

  “Jalpa Williby has written yet again an emotionally charged book.” –Amazon Customer

  “The author takes us on several different journeys of love, hurt and hope.” –Amazon Customer

  The Chaysing Trilogy

  Chaysing Dreams (Book 1)

  “The juxtaposition of the incredible with the everyday is beautifully done; Ms. Williby definitely knows her stuff. Intrigue? Absolutely. Mystery? More than I expected.” –Readers’ Favorite Review

  “The premise, the mystery and suspense and a touch of romance played a big part in keeping me engaged.” –LAS Reviews

  Chaysing Memories (Book 2)

  “I was blown away at just how incredibly good it was…this story unfolds in one heart-racing scene after another.” –Readers’ Favorite

  “I loved every part of this, from the beginning to the end...It made me cry and hope for more of this story to come. Those who love an epic love story should check this series out.” –LAS Reviews

  Chaysing Destiny (Book 3)

  “Excitement, danger, intrigue and deep emotions keep Chaysing Destiny moving quickly! A hard book to put down, it is the perfect conclusion.” –Readers’ Favorite Review #1

  “Never has any book dragged me through so many emotions…I was gripped with suspense from the first line.” –Readers’ Favorite Review #2

  Coming Soon

  Fate’s Roar (Book 2 in Fate Series)

  Girl Behind the Veil

  Touch of the Untouchables

  Dedication

  Dedicated to all who lose themselves in

  the imaginary world of books.

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Time To Die

  One

  Two

  Three

  Four

  Five

  Six

  Time To Live

  Seven

  Eight

  Nine

  Ten

  Eleven

  Twelve

  Thirteen

  Fourteen

  Fifteen

  Sixteen

  Seventeen

  Eighteen

  Nineteen

  Twenty

  Twenty-one

  Twenty-two

  Twenty-three

  Twenty-four

  Twenty-five

  Twenty-six

  Twenty-seven

  Twenty-eight

  Twenty-nine

  Time To Kill

  Thirty

  Thirty-one

  Thirty-two

  Thirty-three

  Thirty-four

  Thirty-five

  Thirty-six

  Thirty-seven

  Thirty-eight

  FATE’S ROAR (sneak preview)

  One

  About the Author

  A Few Words From The Author

  Prologue

  Applying the dark, red lipstick one more time, Kelsey Taylor was pleased at her reflection. She couldn’t wait to get out of there and party with her friends. Maybe “friends” was too strong of a word, but they knew how to have a good time. The Halloween parties were a blast; somebody was always good for bringing the right drugs there. She’d been dying for a fix for the last couple of days.

  “You’re going to wear that, Kelsey?” Ryan asked when he walked into the bathroom. “I can see your butt.”

  Kelsey rolled her eyes, turning around to see her backside in the mirror. She was wearing a tight, black, cat costume. Yes, it was a little skimpy, but it was sexy. There would be some hotties there tonight. She’d learned very quickly the sexier she looked, the more the guys would hook her up with some free stuff the entire night.

  “Shut up, Ryan. You’re too young to understand anything.” She pulled her eyeliner out of her purse again to make sure she was satisfied with her “cat eyes.”

  “Why do you always have to go out? Can’t you just stay home tonight?” Ryan begged her with his wide, green eyes.

  “Okay, you need to stop talking to me. I’m trying to hurry up and get out of here. I don’t wanna be late.”

  “Please, Kelsey,” Ryan said. “You never play with us anymore. We’ll have fun.” He was seven years old, full of life and mischief.

  Tori, her eleven-year-old sister, walked into the bathroom and chimed in. “Yeah, Kelsey. We hardly see you anymore. We used to have so much fun when we hung out together. Can’t you just stay one night?”

  Kelsey brushed her reddish-brown hair one more time and frowned down at her siblings. “Sorry, I got plans. I’m not wasting my Friday night playing cards.” She purposefully ignored the disappointed looks in their eyes.

  As she was leaving, her mom followed her to the door in her wheelchair. “Kelsey, please don’t go. We really miss you around here. Besides, I could use some more help from you.”

  Kelsey shrugged her shoulders and flipped her hair back while she kept walking. “Look, Mom, it’s Halloween. That means there are lots of Halloween parties. I’m sorry you got diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. I’m sorry your husband died. There’s nothing I can do about it. Just because you’re now confined to your wheelchair, doesn’t mean I have to stop my life. I’m only eighteen years old, and I don’t need this shit. I’ll see you later.”

  Those were her last words to her mother before she slammed the apartment door behind her. Sure, since her dad’s passing away from the dreadful cancer about five years ago, her mother had worked hard every single day to help provide for her children. Her multiple sclerosis was progressing quickly, though, so they’d been struggling financially since she could no longer work.

  As Kelsey sprinted down the stairs, guilt crep
t up on her for a brief second. She quickly shook it off. She simply didn’t want to deal with that depressing apartment and needed to just get away from it all to have a good time. After all, she was too young to have all those responsibilities.

  Kelsey saw Jake’s car already waiting for her as she reached downstairs. When he roared his engine, she smiled. Yes, she was ready for tonight. She had only known Jake for a few months, but she liked hanging with him because she could always count on him for a good time.

  The party was at some guy’s house. She didn’t even know his name, but it didn’t really matter. Normally, the same crowd showed up at the parties, and most of the time, nobody really remembered anything anyway. Everybody just did their thing.

  As soon as they entered the house, Kelsey began drinking. Soon, Jake brought her some pot to smoke. Feeling pretty good, she swayed to the beat of the music.

  “Hey, kitty kitty.” Some guy came up to her and pinched her butt.

  “Hey, yourself,” Kelsey said, losing herself in his ocean, blue eyes. The guy was wearing a vampire costume, and from what she could gather, he made a pretty hot vampire.

  “So, has the cat woman ever hooked up with a vampire?” he asked.

  “I don’t think so,” she flirted back, pouting her lips. “But, there’s always a first time for everything.”

  The vampire laughed and leaned down to kiss her. His tongue immediately found hers, and Kelsey closed her eyes as he pulled her against his body.

  “Are you with that guy you came with?” He stopped the kiss and frowned down at her.

  “Jake? Nah, we’re just buddies.” By then, she was drunk and high, so Kelsey was having difficulty focusing.

  “Cool. You wanna go upstairs with me so I can really show you how to party? I got the good stuff.”

  Not the one to refuse the “good stuff,” Kelsey placed her arm around his and followed him upstairs into a bedroom. The rest of the night was a blur. Kelsey only remembered being in her own world and escaping into the abyss.

  After the party, Kelsey headed home with some guy. She had no idea if it was the same guy who took her to the bedroom or if it was Jake. Everything was still spinning, but at least she wasn’t passed out somewhere. She was just hoping her mom wouldn’t start with her lectures as soon as she got home.

  Somehow, her mind registered the bright lights of the emergency vehicles as they got closer to the apartment building. Still not understanding exactly what was happening around her, Kelsey was in a trance as she watched the flames hissing and spitting wildly.

  “Shit! That building is on fire!” The guy driving the car came to a halt. “Wow, that’s badass.”

  She blinked a few times, forcing her mind to think. She knew something bad was happening right before her eyes as she exited the vehicle. Like a moth to a flame, she was drawn to the fire as it summoned her. In a daze, she was mesmerized by the violent flames as they hungrily ate through the building.

  “Miss! You can’t go there!” Somebody grabbed her, holding her back.

  When she saw the fireman yelling at her to get back, her mind snapped into reality. Knowing instantly that her family was in that fire, Kelsey turned and raced toward the building. She couldn’t get too far, though, because another fireman grabbed her.

  “Let me go! That’s my home! Where’s my family?” Kelsey pulled, pushed, and shook viciously, trying to get loose.

  “Please, let us do our job. We’re doing the best we can to help them.”

  “They can’t get out! They’re stuck! Let me go!” She tried to kick him, anything to get to her family. She already knew in her heart that there was no way they could get out on their own. “Mom! I’m here, Mom! Ryan, Tori! Hang on! I’m here!” she screamed.

  The flames roared louder, taunting her. She helplessly watched the smoke swirl in long wisps and become its own monstrous entity. As the building was completely swallowed by the angry inferno, Kelsey’s legs collapsed from under her. Sobbing hysterically, she rocked back and forth, hugging her body.

  “I’m sorry. I’m here now,” she choked in between her sobs.

  In that moment in time, Kelsey’s world ended.

  Time

  To

  Die

  One

  What she wouldn’t do to end the pain. Once and for all. Sure, she had kept herself busy all these years and even forced herself to go out with people. On most days, she was able to pull it off. She was eating, sleeping, holding a job, and hell, even paying her bills on time.

  It had been almost five years since Kelsey Taylor had lost her family. She remembered that night clearly—especially since it haunted her every single moment.

  At the age of eighteen, she was a rebel. Even when her mom would beg her not to hang out at night, she normally didn’t come back home until three in the morning. She was carefree, had no desire to go to college, and was heavy into drugs.

  The guilt ate her up all these years. Maybe if she were home that night, she could have saved them. Ryan and Tori were so young…too young. They were good kids, always helping their mom. They did what Kelsey didn’t do. Where Kelsey had failed, they had shined.

  Now, standing on the ledge, she shuddered, not sure if it was from the chill of the night or the horrific memories. She stared down below, the ground a few hundred feet away. Instead of being afraid, a sense of peace encased her. It would be so easy to end it now. All of the pain would go away, and maybe she could find her family again.

  She didn’t deserve to live. They all had begged her to stay home that night, but she was selfish. She had wanted to have her fun, and her last words to them were cruel. It would have been impossible for her mother to help them. How could she? She was dependent on her wheelchair. But that didn’t mean she didn’t try. Knowing her mom, she would have done everything in her power to save her babies. If Kelsey had been there, maybe she could have brought them to safety. If nothing else, at least she would have been with them to hold them in her arms.

  Their bodies were discovered in a corner of Ryan’s room. They were all together, probably holding each other. Somehow, Mom and Tori had found a way to reach Ryan so he wouldn’t be alone and scared.

  As the memories tortured her, Kelsey took a deep, shaky breath, and the tears streamed down her face. It was a wonder she found the strength to keep going. She’d cleaned herself up and even attended the community college. Her history professor at the time had encouraged her to apply at the art museum for a job. Luckily, with his reference, Kelsey had landed a part-time job and earned her associate degree.

  In the last five years at her job, Kelsey moved up to management level. One of the perks was having the keys to the museum to come and go as she pleased. On nights that were especially tough, Kelsey found herself on the rooftop of the museum, sitting on the ledge. Here, in some strange way, she found peace on occasion.

  Kelsey wiped her tears and leaned back to rest on the statue of the gargoyle. Instead of feeling a cold, hard stone, for a brief second, Kelsey felt a warm, strong body. Startled, she whirled around to find the stone gargoyle staring back at her. On impulse, Kelsey tapped on the statue. Shaking her head, she chuckled under her breath.

  “I must really be losing my mind,” she mumbled.

  Kelsey stood back up and hugged her jacket close to her. It seemed winter had come early this year. The wind was really picking up, and since it was snowing harder, she knew she should start heading home.

  She had contemplated jumping off the ledge many times, but never had the courage to go through with it. Putting that thought away, she strolled toward the stairs. Tom, her kitty, was probably hungry. At times, Kelsey truly believed if it weren’t for the fact that Tom needed her, she probably would have ended her life long ago.

  Tom had snuck into her life soon after the loss of her family. When she was walking home from college, the black and white stray simply followed her to her apartment. No matter how much Kelsey had tried to shoo him away, he insisted she took him home with her. Si
nce it was especially cold that evening, Kelsey didn’t have the heart to turn him away. Tom had become her best buddy for the last five years.

  Kelsey wrapped the jacket tighter and headed down the narrow staircase. It was already past midnight, and tomorrow was another day. She needed to wake up to get to work by six in the morning. From her calculation, that meant she would get about four hours of sleep. This was nothing new for Kelsey. In a way, she preferred it, especially since her nights were filled with terrifying screams of her family while the fire consumed them.

  Shivering, Kelsey quickened her pace when she reached the street. Since she lived only six blocks away, she always walked home. Walking in the pitch dark didn’t scare her. As a matter of fact, she welcomed it, preferring the solitude of the night.

  But with the chill of the wind slicing her face, Kelsey moved faster. She wasn’t particularly fond of the bitter cold temperature, and by then, she just wanted to get home. Annoyed she still had her work shoes on, she cursed herself for not wearing her snow boots.

  Kelsey knew she was in trouble when her foot slipped. She was unable to stop the fall and landed hard on the icy sidewalk. Because her arms were extended to try to break the fall, she instantly heard the crack in her right wrist.

  “Damn it!” she screamed as the sharp pain radiated up her arm. Not only did she hurt her wrist, she knew she messed up her ankle as well. Her right ankle twisted as she was on her way down, and she could already feel the excruciating pain. Taking deep breaths to ignore it and to calm her nerves, Kelsey tried to move her ankle. She moaned in agony and realized it was useless.

  When she was able to finally think somewhat rationally, she knew she couldn’t just sit on this remote street in the middle of the night. She needed to call for help. Kelsey bit her lower lip in frustration when she remembered she had left her cell phone back in her apartment. She had a death wish, and she purposefully made reckless choices like these without even realizing.