Beacon
of Sound
The
Noir Dera
Book
1
R.M.
Garry
Genre:
Paranormal Romance
ISBN:
9781310047725
ASIN:
B00LSSP92C
Number
of pages: 247
Word
Count: 86,260
Cover
Artist: Brandi
Doane McCann
Book
Description:
There
is no way to fight desire and destiny. Marie is going to learn that
the only way to win is to give in.
Marie
DeLou has everything a successful counselor could ever want. Her
mental health practice is thriving and she can help most clients
without trying. In addition to a great career, she’s married to a
sexy, doting neurologist. Marie has convinced herself that her
perfect life is quiet and nothing will change it. Little does she
know that a freight train of a man named Patrick Alvang is about to
tear right through her quiet existence and turn the world as she
knows it upside down.
Prince
Patrick Alvang of the Noir Dera has one job to do. His mission is to
reveal the truth to Marie and save her from the danger lurking within
her walls. The plan is simple that is, until he gets to know the
damsel in distress and decides he wants to devour her instead. Saying
that Marie is stubborn would be an understatement, so he’ll have to
play dirty if he wants to save the damsel and claim Marie as his
Na-Ou. Saving a reluctant woman is hard work, but Patrick is sure to
enjoy every last erotic second of his undertaking.
Prologue
Ahmose
Sept Anno held her daughter’s hand close. They were completing a
nightly ritual. Her young daughter Marie loved to take long walks and
they always walked in the park or open field behind the aquatic
complex. The scent of freshly cut grass and nature always left them
feeling peaceful, and her young daughter needed to walk in order to
remain calm. At the age of 12 the child had already shown amazing
power through music.
Marie
could recreate any sound she had ever heard on any instrument. While
she clung to the cello as if it was her very breath, she took every
opportunity to touch all instruments. Ahmose took her to Naples once
a week to play the piano at a studio. From the small, migrant
community of Immokalee in which they called home, the journey usually
took about an hour. It was worth the long drive because the joy and
light in Marie's eyes filled Ahmose with love.
She
had been raising Marie alone since she fled her homeland with her
mother and house sisters. They had all since split in hopes of hiding
from the darkness that was out for their blood and power. Ahmose’s
mother spent hours weaving spells from the wind in order to preempt
any strikes against them. They had both decided that Marie would be
encouraged to pursue her passion for music but would never be allowed
to learn about the significance of her power. As long as Marie did
not open herself to the Ether, no one would know of her existence.
Every time Marie asked about her abilities, they just told her she
was special and loved by all Gods.
No
matter how much she masked her powers, Ahmose knew danger was only a
heartbeat away. She and her mother both felt it, and every day they
felt the dark powers in Immokalee growing. Something had finally
caught up with them. They worked even harder to protect Marie. Ahmose
was not afraid of dying; she was afraid that both her and Gran would
be killed leaving Marie at the mercy of the Dera, and she could never
allow that to happen. Once this walk was over, she would double her
efforts and pull more power from the new God they now served.
After
hiding in Haiti, their powers had been recognized by the Haitian
Vodou Loa Loko. He was the only God that could make an individual a
Hougan or Mambo. He had borne witness to their past and had blessed
them with power, protection, and safe passage to the United States.
They could never reveal their power to others or attempt to reconnect
with their former God the Ether. If they chose to break that vow,
they would be left open to danger and never allowed back into the
fold of power.
For
many reasons, Marie's powers had to be suppressed. They would have to
willingly sacrifice themselves in order to help Marie gain her full
powers. They would have to return to the Ether and leave Marie
behind, and they were not willing to do that. As long as they both
lived, the young, powerful musician that she had given birth to would
be safe and remain alive.
"Mommy,
did you hear me?” Marie's soft voice floated to her ears.
"Yes,
dearest, I heard you. What instrument do you want to play now?”
Ahmose replied.
"I
had a dream about an Erhu. The music was so beautiful and sad, and
the woman playing it had glowing eyes. She looked as though she
wanted to cry but had to hold it in. The Erhu was crying for her and
telling the world of her sadness.”
Ahmose drew in a
sharp breath. The instruments were starting to call Marie, she
thought. They were showing her the future. The Erhu is a Chinese
violin. It had been used for centuries by different ethnic groups in
China and throughout the world to convey emotions through music.
Their neighbor Lan Yi had only played the instrument once in Marie’s
presence but Marie was able to recognize it in a dream.
Before
she could speak, she heard the sound of walking thunder.
The
thunder was not coming from the sky; it was more of a thundering
vibration that was coming towards them. Her heart began to race. They
were here, and they were going to take Marie away. She had to protect
Marie.
"Run
daughter! Do not question me, just run!” Ahmose cried out.
They began to run
and Ahmose called to the Vodou Loa Loko and began to draw on her
powers as a mambo. She called for a spell of protection which
descended upon her as she began to run faster.
Ahmose
had a moment of relief that was immediately shattered as she realized
that Marie was not covered by her protection. Loko would only protect
the Hougans and Mambos, and Marie had not yet been inducted into that
life. She would be protected while the life of her daughter was
drained.
"Manman,
what is that?” asked Marie. “I hear dark music. It is so scary.”
"Hush
my daughter. I will protect you.”
Without
warning, Ahmose and Marie were frozen still. Dark hands wrapped
around Ahmose’s throat and she began to wheeze. The hands squeezed
tighter and tighter. Marie saw the hands and began to cry.
"Rete
w ap toufe l'! Stop, you’re choking her! Mommy, mommy!” screamed
Marie as Ahmose called more power.
The
hands around her throat began to ease. A second pair of hands began
to close around Marie's throat. Ahmose did not think or hesitate.
"Do
not cry daughter. Let the Erhu cry for you!”
Ahmose called
forward her power of Earth. “I call on the power of Earth. Bind
and protect my daughter, Marie Sept Anno. I open myself to the
Ether. May its blessing be upon my daughter, the Beacon.”
There
was a sound of fibers ripping as dark brown waves poured from the Sky
and into Ahmose. She immediately shot her hands forward and ripped
through the dark body strangling Marie. Marie started to wheeze, then
caught her breath. The dark powers began to disappear except for
one. She heard a familiar voice say, "What shall be our payment,
Loko? Your mambo has broken her vow. You must pay the cost of her
treason.” The figure then began to laugh.
Ahmose
was prepared and knew what was coming. In an instant, her protective
shields vanished and the dark hands returned to her throat. "I
shall finally have your power, Beacon of Earth.” Ahmose would never
let her powers be drained; she made her final sacrifice for her
daughter. "Thank you, Loko, for your protection. My family will
never be able to repay you. I take my punishment freely for breaking
my vow.”
She
looked at Marie and whispered, "I love you, Marie, daughter of
my land.”
"Mommy,
what are you saying? Let her go, please let her go!”
Ahmose
looked to the sky as her throat began to close. "I call to the
Ether, return me to your peace. Take Marie, the beacon of my womb, as
my gift and sacrifice. Send my power to your first daughter, my
mother. May it be there when she’s ready to receive your blessings?
Oh great Ether, return me home.”
A
flash of light hit the sky and blue power poured into Marie. Ahmose
took one last breath and died. The dark power left her body in a heap
on the ground as the figure of a woman shrouded by darkness moved
towards Marie with malevolent intent. As she got close, a strong
wind blew her away. The wind wrapped itself around Marie who was
lying on top of her mother's body. "Manman, please wake up! It’s
okay, you can breathe now. The mean lady is gone.” The wind blew in
Marie's ears and whispered "Don't cry daughter; let the Erhu cry
for you.”
Marie
began to shiver as waves of blue light began to flow from her body. A
sad melody filled the air, it was the music of an Erhu. Jia Peng
Fang's “Cherry Blossoms” could be heard throughout the field and
down the block. Marie shook and shivered but she never cried. She
felt the wind return and her body was lifted off of her mother.
Ahmose’s body rose up into the air and began to turn into brown
waves and wind. The waves mixed with the wind and started floating
away as the music grew louder. The brown waves wound themselves
around Marie and lifted her up. After a few minutes, she was place on
the ground and the waves disappeared into the sky. Marie laid down
and did not get up. She waited in that very spot, hoping to wake up
from this nightmare.
Femi
Sept Anno felt the moment her daughter left the mortal plain. She
felt her heart breaking. She put her fist to her mouth and held back
her tears. She called out to the winds, "Find my granddaughter!”
The winds obeyed and took her to Marie. She found Marie lying on the
ground. Ahmose was gone. "Marie! Come to me! Let me take you
home.” It was then that Marie opened her eyes as Femi saw
something that she had prayed to never see in her granddaughter's
eyes. The innocent girl she loved was gone. Sadness, fear, and
hopelessness were the only things left in her brown, almost mortal
eyes. She lifted her granddaughter into her arms and went home. This
was only the beginning. One day she would have to give up the mortal
world in order to protect Marie. Until that time, they would go home.
About
the Author:
R.M.
Garry lives with her three male children a.k.a the wolf pack and her
husband of 12 years.
Writing
allows her to maintain her sanity while juggling her world.
Her
goal is to give readers a brief escape from the realities of their
world.
When
she isn’t writing, R.M. is reading and keeping up with her favorite
authors.
For
updates and book information readers can visit
Twitter:
@authorrmgarry
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