Jakin's War: Devoted
by Patrinia Johnson
COPYRIGHT 2015 Patrinia Johnson
First Edition
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Table of Contents
Title
Copyright Page
Table of Contents
Story
Preview
About the Author
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Prequel: Jakin's War
I see her leaving Wakelin’s office as I make my delivery and almost speak to her, but then I see Rangdrone and know to stay where I am. I know I need to keep my distance from her for not only her sake, but for mine also. I think back to when I was 11 turns and walking home that day. It had been a great day, maybe one of my best even now, even though it also turned into one of my worst days also, even now.
I can see it clear as day, even though we were playing in the dirt, she insisted on wearing her favorite dress, weather it would get dirty or not. She said she liked how it looked when she spun in circles. I laugh again at the thought of her spinning in circles and then once she becomes dizzy she falls and I move to make sure she hasn’t hurt herself, but when I get to her, she’s laughing with that beautiful reddish hair laid out all around her face. When I offer my hand to help her up, she pulls me down to the ground and I almost land on top of her. Still laughing, she rolls out of my way and is on her feet laughing more. All I can do is lay there and smile at how much her laughs mean to me. She’s my best friend, but with each turn that passes, I feel more and more protective over her.
When I come out of my memories I see her walking to leave the Square and I breathe a sigh of relief she was able to get through the Square without Rangdrone seeing her. She doesn’t even realize what he’s capable of. Looking around I see no one is really paying attention to me, so I carefully follow Aislyn so I can make sure she makes it home safely. I don’t know what I would do if something were to happen, I just need to know she’s safe. Hiding behind a tree just outside her house, I see her sit on her porch and she looks sad and lonely and all I want to do is go to her and wrap my arms around her and tell her it will be okay, I just don’t know if that would be the truth though.
I sneak back through the woods and enter the Square unseen going back to my memories of that day. I feel the anger now building in my chest and know I need to try to calm myself, so I walk to the Ale Drapers Front. Once inside, I take my Ale and head to a table back in the corner so that I am out of the general view. As I sit there I see it must be time for the Goalers to change shifts because Rangdrone and his faithful followers come in and sit at a table a few over from me. I actually think they are scared of him and just follow him because they are afraid of his wrath, which I’m sorely aware of. As I feel the anger building again, I hear his voice sounding low and dangerously menacing.
“Why were you with her today?”
And with that oh so small question, I am thrown back into the memory and start to remember the worst part of that day; I had just about finished walking Aislyn home when she suddenly turned and threw her arms around my neck.
“Thank you Jakin, I had the best fun today. See you tomorrow?”
“Of course.” I answer and feel my face heat from blushing at the feel of her touch and then she is off running the rest of the way to her house where I can see her father waiting for her. Once I see her arrive safely I wave and turn to walk back towards the Square to my home. Just before I reach the fence to enter, I see a blur from the woods move towards me where I am grabbed by the neck and dragged into the tree line away from the view of anyone who may be walking by.
“Why were you with her today?”
“Aislyn? She’s my best friend.”
“I don’t care, why did you spend the whole day with her?”
“We were playing. I told you, she’s my best friend.”
“Well listen, and listen good, you will no longer spend time with her, do you hear me?” He raises his arm and begins to beat me with his baton and then finally runs away.
I’m not sure how long I was laying in the woods before I heard my father calling my name but as I open my eyes I can see it is starting to get dark and I can hear his voice coming closer.
“I’m here dad.” I say as loudly as I can, but it hurts to try to gain the breath I need to actually shout.
“Jakin!” I hear my father scream as he picks me up and begins running with my battered and broken body to our Archiator’s home where he can treat me.
Once I wake up, I see I am in the medical section of Wakelin’s house and my father is sitting next to me with his head in his hands. “Dad.”
“Oh Jakin, what happened son. How did this happen to you?” Once I’ve completed my story, my father stands to walk out, but before he does, I can just barely hear him say, “Then that’s what you’ll do. You won’t go neat her again. Understood?”
When I hear Algernon speak, I am pulled back to the here and now. “Because Wakelin sent me for her. He wanted to meet with her for some reason.”
“What did he want with her? And did she say anything to you?”
“I don’t know Rangdrone, he just said he needed to meet with her, and all she asked was if she was in trouble.”
“Well from now on, if she is sent for, I don’t care if I am on shift or not, you come to me first. All of you, do you understand me?”
Hearing this sends my mind into a mess and I know I need to talk to someone. I need to warn them so we can protect her; I need to tell them he is getting worse. I quietly rise and make my way out without him seeing me; once I am outside I run as fast as I can to the one person I know watches out for her as much as I do. I begin pounding on the door, willing it to hurry and open, but it doesn’t. I continue banging on the door and it feels like my hand is about to break off, when the voice behind me almost gives me a heart attack. “Jakin, what are you doing here. What if he sees you?”
“I’m sorry Garve. I had to tell you. Come on let’s go inside.” Once inside I try to collect my thoughts all the while Garve looking at me as if I have grown a third eye.
“Okay, calm down, please just tell me what’s wrong.”
“He’s getting worse Garve, I was just at the Ale Drapers.”
“Oh no, now what?” He asks in almost desperation.
“For some reason Aislyn was called to Wakelin’s because he wanted to talk to her. And someone went back to Rangdrone and told him that Algernon was the one escorting her to Wakelin’s.”
“So what else happened?”
“I saw Aislyn leaving Wakelin’s and almost talked to her, but I saw Rangdrone as she was walking and stayed back. There was something off about her, don’t ask me what it was, but she looked sad, I had to follow her home and make sure she was okay.”
“Jakin, you know that’s not safe. If he sees you near her, you know what will happen.”
“I know, but I just hated seeing her that way.”
“Trust me I understand, but we can not let him know you are still looking after her. He is somewhat used to me being around her, but you will completely set
him off.”
“Trust me Garve, I know that, but she looked so devastated. I haven’t seen a look on her face like that since her father went missing. I know something is wrong with her and I desperately need to know she is okay.”
“Well I will see what I can find out when I see her tomorrow. But how is this any different from a normal Rangdrone?”
“Because he told them that if she is ever sent for again, to come and get him no matter what.”
“Well, I can see how that is upsetting, but if he is just escorting her to Wakelin’s, we know she should be safe. Plus Aislyn has been getting smarter about staying away from him. She still doesn’t know, but she knows to be frightened of him.”
“You have to swear to me Garve, swear you’ll do all you can to keep her safe. I know I may never be allowed to love her, but it won’t stop me from actually feeling it. No matter who they say I have to tie myself to one day. She will always be the only one I ever love.”
“I know Jakin, I know. Her Aunt and I talk about who they will tie Aislyn to also, and we are just hoping Rangdrone doesn’t find a way to tie himself to her.”
“I’m sorry Garve I panicked, I’ll go out the back.”
“If I find anything out, I will let you know.”
“Thanks Garve.” As I make my way out of the back of Garve’s home and through the woods, I hear a rustling moving towards me. I duck to hide behind some bushes and see a man carrying a rucksack make his way deeper into the woods. I am unable to see his face to know who it is and I know I should report this, but have a feeling I’d be signing someone’s death warrant. Once the stranger has passed, I make it to my home where I wind up my mothers old music box and lay down to try to sleep. But sleep won’t come because my mind is filled with nothing but images of her and the love I have felt for her all these years, and miss, no yearn for her to be a part of my life again.
Here is a sneak peek of Aislyn’s War: Devoted
Preface
I never really thought I would have to go through with the ceremony; I just put it out of my head. I didn’t want to think about being forced to tie myself to someone I had no feelings for, I didn’t want to think about having to leave my home and live with a virtual stranger and I didn’t want to think about leaving those I love and not be able to see them whenever I wanted to. I so desperately wanted to tell someone, even though we were not allowed to until the public ceremony, but at the same time, I didn’t want anyone to know either.
As I walked out of the Square back towards my home I wondered if Garve had also been told who he would be tied to today. I just couldn’t imagine anyone good enough for him. I mean, I know almost everyone in our Sector, but knowing how quite Garve was and how he pretty much kept to himself, I just didn’t see any of the girls in our Sector being the right fit for him. Of course now that I know who I am being forced to tie myself to, I don’t really see that either. To think that someone can tell you who you have to spend the rest of your life with, why did the elders past decide that this was how it should be? Who were they to decide how I should choose my life?
“This is our life in Sector Juriphon.”
About The Author
Patrinia Johnson lives in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma with her fiancé and dog. While she has given a preview of her book series Aislyn's War: Devoted, she is currently finishing the series as a whole. She enjoys spending her time watching her favorite television shows and movies while she is writing and creating the worlds she hopes you will visit.
Contact the Author
You can follow Patrinia at her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Patrinia-Johnson/106615612821966?fref=ts