Part of her wanted him. He smelled good. He felt good. But a larger part of her knew something was wrong. She’d been drugged, that was for sure. The hard, cold ground cut unevenly into her back.
“Wait,” she said, her voice barely a whisper. “Let’s go back to my dorm.”
With his arm still behind her shoulders, he leaned over her, his face hovering with the promise of a kiss. “No, Katrina,” he said. His purple gaze cut the darkness. “I want to talk to you. I want to know all about you. I want to be closer.”
From behind heavy lids, she tried to respond, but she was transfixed by the curve of his lips. She closed her eyes and tipped her chin, an invitation for him to finish what he started.
Nothing.
When she opened her eyes again, Cord was gone. She was lying next to the tree, the glow from the lamppost illuminating an empty walkway at her feet. She sat up, wondering if she’d hallucinated him all together. Man, what was in that drink?
On autopilot, she stood and walked back to her dorm. Her brain felt fuzzy. Exhausted, she let herself into her room and stumbled through the darkness toward her bed.
“Ohmygod, Katrina. I’ve been so worried about you!” Mallory said. Katrina heard a click and the soft glow of her roommate’s lamp made her blink. “First, I couldn’t find you at the party and then you weren’t here when I came home. Where the hell have you been?”
“What time is it?”
“Four in the morning.”
“Four? Really? Shit, I don’t know, Mallory. I think someone slipped something into my drink. I feel weird.”
“Into your drink? What, like a roofie? Are you okay? Do you need me to walk you to health services?”
Katrina thought about it for a minute. “No. I feel okay. I don’t think anything happened. I just need to sleep it off.”
“Well, the good news is it’s officially spring break, so you can sleep as long as you want.”
“Yeah, spring break. I’m supposed to go home to Paris tomorrow … I mean today, later. Hell, I’ve gotta get some sleep.”
Katrina didn’t bother to undress. She slipped beneath the covers of her bed and closed her eyes. She was asleep before Mallory turned off the light.
Continue reading Weaving Destiny…
About the Author
G.P. Ching is the bestselling author of The Soulkeepers Series, The Grounded Trilogy, and Wager's Price. She specializes in cross-genre novels with paranormal elements and surprising twists. G.P.'s idea of the perfect day involves a cup of coffee, the beach, and her laptop. She splits her time between central Illinois and Hilton Head Island with her husband, two children, and a Brittany spaniel named Riptide Jack.
Learn more about G.P. and her books at https://www.gpching.com.
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Acknowledgements
Special thanks to the following people for saving The Soulkeepers from the recycle bin.
First, I have to thank my late father-in-law, Bob Ching, who inspired much of this story. I miss our conversations.
To friends Michelle Moore and Rhonda Kasper, thank you both for believing in my work when nobody else did. Michael Brennan, Jeff Smith, and Robin Ferrier, thank you for providing fresh eyes when mine were very tired.
Thank you to my parents, Yvette and Joe, for supporting my reading habit as a child and my writing as an adult. And Jon Hall, Annette Wirth, Sue Hall, Joe and Monica Pommier, and Aaron for reading early versions of the manuscript and encouraging me with your enthusiasm for the story.
Thanks to fellow authors Dawn Malone, Scotti Cohn, Michelle Sussman, and Karly Kirkpatrick for helping to polish the manuscript to a high gloss.
Thanks to Adam Bedore of Anjin Designs for the amazing cover art. Finally, a big thank you to the #fridayflash community who helped give my writing a voice. All of you are special to me.
Book Club Discussion Questions
1. Do you think forgiveness came easily to the characters in The Soulkeepers? Do you think it would be easy to forgive if similar events happened to you?
2. Are the prejudices of past generations more forgivable or understandable than those of today? For example, do you find it easier to gloss over a racial slur said by a grandparent than a peer?
3. Why do you think the concepts of faith, religion, and spirituality are avoided in most young adult literature?
4. Uncle John asks the question, “Do you think a person is only as good as the worst thing they’ve ever done?” How do you feel about this question? Are there certain actions that define a person’s character permanently?
5. Mysterious biblical history plays a pivotal role in the plot of The Soulkeepers. Are there parts of the bible (or your particular holy text) that you find disturbing or paradoxical? How do you reconcile that with your faith?
6. How do people create their own prisons in their life? Do you think an individual can be his or her own harshest judge and jury?
7. Is there an evil force in this world that can push otherwise good people over the edge?
8. What do you think about the way God is depicted in The Soulkeepers?
9. How do people growing up in rural communities have a different reality than those in urban or suburban settings? Do you think this upbringing effects how they think about moral choices?
10. Do you think our culture is obsessed with our physical appearance, what we wear, and how we smell? Do you think the focus on outside beauty is an attempt to capture something else?
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