The Illusions of Innocence (Titans of Terranea #2)
Prologue
MORGAN AQUINO
TWENTY YEARS PRIOR
“ M organ, I’m serious. I need you to listen.” One of my best friends, Sybil Blackwood, insists I give her all of my attention. Girls’ Night with our other besties is calling us, though. I link my arm in her elbow, dragging her along the beach. When we finally approach our other friends, Isabella and Stacy, I finally slow down.
“Fine, go ahead. I’ll listen. I figured it would be better for them to hear, anyway; you would have just had to repeat it,” I say as I sink onto the warm sand. Small waves crash into the shore mere feet from where we relax, and the warmth of the setting suns refreshes me like none other.
Sybil huffs before plopping down on the other side of the girls. “Morgan, I had a vision this morning. I know you’ve already married Hudson, and he seems lovely…”
“Spit it out, Syb,” Stacy sighs.
“Rough times are ahead. I can’t see what’s coming; I only know that you are going to struggle for a long time. Don’t get me wrong, there will be times of peace, but it’s only the calm before the storm. I can sense that it’s somewhere on the horizon, but I just don’t know when it will begin. Morgan, you have to prepare yourself.”
Unease rolls through my body as my friends all stare. When Sybil brings something up, she doesn’t do so lightly. The four of us have been friends for nearly a decade, and when Sybil matured into a mystic mage, we all knew. Her first prophecy was immediately recorded, and since then, anything she’s told us from one of her visions has come true. This news doesn’t settle well in my soul, but I know my friends will stand behind me and support me.
“Well, I guess that means I’ll prepare,” I say. Turning to Isabella, I smile, hoping she understands. “Bell, I know you’d do anything for me, but with Kanaan being so young, I know you’ve got your hands full. I trust you with my life, but I only have two tokens I need protected, and I don’t want to burden you.” Her grin as I speak conveys so much, especially since the newborn baby begins to wail as I finish.
“No worries, girl,” she says, adjusting her young son in her lap to nurse him.
“Stacy, Sybil,” I say as I face them, “Please care for these for me.” I reach around my neck, carefully lifting the long chain up and out from under the mass of curls hanging down my back. As I raise the chain, the pendant that sparkles with syren scales arranged into a swirl, blooming like the Aqua Belle, Thalassia’s native flower. These scales are special, though. Most syren have an ombre color variation in their scales, but never have I seen scales that are purple at the root. The dark hue at the center of the bloom provides a stark contrast to the bright blue and light teal as the scales develop.
I then reach for the wrap I have around my shoulders and gently unhook the brooch I use to secure the wrap. This brooch is larger, about four inches across, and my friends have often asked about it, but I’ve evaded answering until now. It’s simplistic, yet elaborate at the same time. The red gem that takes up the entire piece is a nine-pointed star, and it’s wrapped intricately with thin gold wire. Mother didn’t tell me much about these pieces, only that they were family heirlooms. Knowing she trusted me with them meant the world to me at the time and even more so, now.
“My mother gave these to me; the pendant as a maturity gift, and the brooch when I was married. If trouble is on the horizon for me, I don’t want any harm coming to these pieces. If something happens, and I can’t retrieve them, I grant you permission to use them and pass them on to your children. I wish I could ensure my future children inherit them, but if what you say, Sybil, is in my future, I don’t want to risk them lost, or worse, destroyed.”
I hand Stacy the pendant, clasping her hand around it and looking deep into her eyes. She nods, holding back tears as she silently promises to keep it safe. Sybil steps up when I release Stacy’s hand, wraps her arms around me, and pulls me into a tight hug.
“You know I’ll keep this safe. I’m here for you, always,” she whispers into my ear. I pull back and place the brooch in her hand. As I start to back away, she grasps hold again.
“Morgan, I figured I’d need this today.” She slips a beautiful bracelet onto my wrist. It’s exquisite, and I’m about to refuse when she stops me. “No, it’s meant to be. I’ve infused the smoky quartz with my power of sight, to boost its protective properties. And, well, the amethyst is just pretty.” Her grin is contagious, and I nod while returning her smile.
“I know it’s not much, but I have something for you too,” Isabella says from behind me. I turn to face her as she slides her ring off her finger. “This ring is one my family has passed down to me, as well. It also has protection properties, which is why I believe it’s destined to protect you right now.” She takes the same hand Sybil placed her bracelet around, sliding the ring onto my middle finger. The ring wraps around my finger in a spiral, with nuggets of black tourmaline and carnelian embedded into the ends of the band. “The carnelian is for seduction, which you can’t use, but the black tourmaline will shield you from negativity.”
I quickly embrace her, barely able to hold back tears. Stepping back a step, I grab my other two friends and pull them into a group hug.
“Thank you,” I breathe as my heart overflows with their love. “Thank you all for being the best friends. I’m so glad you’re in my life, and I’m never letting you go.”