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Surviving Serendipity [MultiFormat]
eBook by Jacquelyn Sylvan
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eBook Category: Fantasy/Young Adult
eBook Description: The most that June expected for her 21st birthday was a night of fun with her friends, and maybe some flowers and a CD from her fiancé. She certainly didn't expect to come home to what should have been a dark, empty apartment, to find her destiny waiting for her--wearing bright purple pirate pants. Kidnapped by a sinister stranger and whisked off to a far corner of the galaxy, June discovers that her life on Earth has been a two-decade long lie, and that her true home is the troubled kingdom of Prendawr, on the planet Thallafrith. As if that wasn't enough to chase her back under the covers, June is informed that her duty, as princess and sole surviving member of the royal family, is to use her newly discovered magical abilities to save the planet from impending doom. Accompanied by Halryan, a sorcerer with a questionable agenda, and Koen, Minogan, Errigal, and Feoras, members of a vanishing race of blue warriors, June has no idea that she is about to embark on the journey of a thousand lifetimes, one that will surpass both her wildest dreams and her most terrifying nightmares.
eBook Publisher: Echelon Press/Quake, Published: 2008, 2008
Fictionwise Release Date: March 2008
Available eBook Formats [MultiFormat - What's this?]: Adobe Acrobat (PDF) [1.2 MB], eReader (PDB) [425 KB], Palm Doc (PDB) [429 KB], Rocket/REB1100 (RB) [378 KB], Microsoft Reader (LIT) [340 KB] - PocketPC 1.0+ Compatible, Franklin eBookMan (FUB) [383 KB], hiebook (KML) [937 KB], Sony Reader (LRF) [450 KB], iSilo (PDB) [355 KB], Mobipocket (PRC) [442 KB], Kindle Compatible (MOBI) [491 KB], OEBFF Format (IMP) [572 KB]
Words: 130496
Reading time: 372-521 min.
Microsoft Reader (LIT) Format: Printing DISABLED, Read-Aloud ENABLED
Adobe Acrobat (PDF) Format: Printing DISABLED, Read-Aloud DISABLED
All Other formats: Printing DISABLED, Read-aloud DISABLED
ISBN: 978-1-59080-586-2
 
"June's story is one that is intriguing and mature enough to capture an adult's fancy, yet appeal to older teens as well. Earth myths and alien worlds are effectively blended into an easy to read tale that is both familiar and new."--Amanda Killgore, The Eternal Night UK
~1~ June rushed from the bathroom to the bedroom, narrowly avoiding a high-speed collision with the coffee table. She hurriedly kicked off her slippers (wincing slightly as one flew hard into the wall, leaving a dark smudge) and rummaged through the bottom of her closet, picking through the debris of clothing that had wilted from the hangers onto the floor. At last she came up with not just one, but both, high-heeled boots, which, after a few minutes' struggle and a minor fall, ended up in their proper place on her feet. Panting slightly, June moved in front of the mirror for inspection. Not too shabby. June nodded in approval at her reflection. Kyle's going to be upset he didn't try harder to get out of that little sales conference when he sees pictures of tonight. She fluffed her wavy dark hair, shivering as it tickled the bare skin between her shoulder blades, and did a slow turn, trying to take an objective look. The dark, fitted jeans and sparkly gold top made the most of her figure, showing her curves without making her look chubby. Her dark mascara and eye shadow contrasted sharply with her glacier-blue eyes, so they practically glow, and a dab of blush had given her pale skin just enough color to keep her from looking like the recently departed. The door buzzer went off, startling her, and with a last check to make sure she had nothing hanging out of her nose and hadn't slopped toothpaste on her shirt, she grabbed her purse and hurried out of her apartment. Ashleigh had already gotten back in her little blue VW beetle and sat waiting for June as she dashed out the front door of the building. June leapt into the car, closing the door so quickly she almost caught her long hair in it. "Hi," she said, breathlessly. "Sorry I wasn't out front." Ashleigh snorted. "Like I expected you to be, rather than standing in front of the mirror checking to make sure your ass doesn't look fat," she said, with a knowing smirk, and June made a face as she dug in her purse for her cigarettes. "Thanks for being designated," June said, cracking the window just enough to let the smoke out and not mess up her hair. "Well, you've done it for me for three months now, time I returned the favor," Ashleigh said, tapping out her own cigarette and handing it to June to light for her. "You say that like I had a choice in the matter," June said, handing the lit cigarette back, "considering I haven't been legal." "Whatever," Ashleigh said, "if we start trying to go tit-for-tat here, we'll be at it all night." "Yeah, fifteen years of it, we would be. And add Shannon to the mix..." June made a little pbbt sound with her lips. "Forget it." She sighed, letting her head flop against the headrest, and Ashleigh glanced at her. "Did Kyle call today?" "No, I guess the conference stuff usually goes late, like seven or eight, and they always hang around and b.s. for a while after." June began twisting her engagement ring on her finger, the only piece of jewelry she ever wore. Ashleigh looked at her watch. "And it's what time now?" she asked, pushing her wrist toward June, who raised her eyebrows warningly. "Eight Vegas time, sweetie. We're on Eastern Standard. Quit it." "Whatever," Ashleigh muttered, and June looked at her sharply. "Oy," she said, trying to make a joke out of a very sensitive subject for her. She pointed a finger at her own chest. "Birthday girl! No picking!" Ashleigh gave a long-suffering sigh, blowing her feathery bangs off her forehead, but didn't say another word about Kyle. The subject of Kyle was really the only source of contention between June and her friends. She'd met him about two months after her parents died, and they'd gotten serious quickly; Kyle moved into June's small apartment in a matter of a month or so. He was a great guy, no drug or alcohol problems, no compulsive gambling, no history of womanizing, no question about his sexuality. Lily-white. But not exactly the most doting or appreciative guy. And yes, from time to time it bothered her-today, for instance-but for the most part June could overlook a minor flaw in an otherwise perfect stone. Her friends could not. Shannon sat waiting in a corner booth when June and Ashleigh arrived-she lived two blocks from the bar, and parking was more of a hassle than just walking. As soon as she saw them, Shannon waved exuberantly, and hugged June as she slid into the booth. "T-minus one hour, birthday girl," Shannon said, tossing back her bright red hair, a devilish grin on her freckled face. "God, I can't wait, we are going to get you sooo plastered..." "Like you haven't seen me plastered before," June said, rolling her eyes. "Yes, but this is the first time we get you legally plastered," Ashleigh said, joining them after having stopped to talk to the bartender. "And out in public, too, with more people to point and laugh." "Oooh, remember at Jimmy's party, junior year in high school?" Shannon said, still grinning. "No, actually, I don't," June said, feigning annoyance to cover her embarrassment, "but everyone else does." "How could anyone forget the now infamous panty-dance?" Shannon said, cutting her eyes to Ashleigh, who had been crumpled up with laughter, but now sat upright, eyes wide. "Haha, not only do I remember," Ashleigh said, rummaging in her purse, "I brought the picture!" June made a wild grab for the photo, but missed-Shannon managed to snatch it over June's head. "Hey everyone," Shannon yelled, standing up on the bench (June buried her face in her hands, mortified but shaking with hysterical laughter) "Anybody want to see a picture of a hottie in underpants?" A few rough-looking guys in the next booth looked over and cracked up, catching sight of the picture of June, drunk as a skunk, doing a Rockette-style dance on Jimmy's coffee table with a pair of his mother's voluminous underpants on her head. Satisfied, Shannon plopped back down next to June and handed the photo back to Ashleigh, who tucked it neatly in her purse. "I know where you hide your key, you know," June said, glaring good-naturedly at Ashleigh. "Don't think I won't break into your house and steal that damn photo." "Wouldn't do you any good," Ashleigh said primly. "I have the negatives in my safe-deposit box." "So how's work?" Shannon said, changing the subject before June could retort. "Did they do anything for you for your birthday?" "Yeah, the girls got me a card and a little cake," June said. "Nobody's really in the mood to celebrate, though, since we got that complete jerk Dr. Dence. God, I can't stand her. I'm thinking maybe it's time to look for another job." "But you love that job," said Ashleigh, shocked. "Yeah, I loved that job, until La Femme Hitler arrived on the scene." "Can't you say anything to Dr. Zalzin?" Shannon asked. June shrugged. "It wouldn't do any good. She brought a lot of patients with her, and yeah, I'm a great employee, but medical assistants are a dime a dozen. I'm replaceable. Josephine Stalin, M.D." Not so much." She shrugged again, tucking her hair behind one ear, and her black look made her friends quickly change the subject. The conversation drifted merrily on, aided by Ashleigh's amusing anecdotes about her husband, Jared. They were laughing so hard that they didn't even notice Chuck, the bartender, standing over them with a tray lined with three shots of tequila, three lemon slices, and a shaker of salt. "Compliments of the house," he said, smiling, as he set them out before the girls. "Join us?" asked June, smiling invitingly, without even wincing when Shannon kicked her hard in the ankle. Shannon had a big-time crush on Chuck, who was undeniably crushable. Unfortunately, Shannon's crush robbed her of all capacity for coherent speech, so usually she ended up keeping her mouth shut around him. Chuck looked around at the barroom, which was slow for a Friday night. He pursed his lips as he considered the invitation. "Promise we won't tell your boss," said Ashleigh, smiling. Not only was Chuck the owner of the Merry Widow, but Shannon was too far away to kick her ankle. "Yeah, sure, why not?" he said, and went to the bar to get his own shooter. Shannon glared at June and Ashleigh, whose faces bore the beatific, innocent smiles often found on Virgin Mary statues. Chuck returned with his drink and slid in next to Shannon. June tried hard to keep a straight face as she watched Shannon struggle for composure, and she felt, rather than saw, Ashleigh's amusement next to her. Chuck sprinkled salt on all of their hands, and raised his glass. "To the birthday girl." "Hear, hear," said Ashleigh. Shannon, lips pressed tightly together to avoid embarrassing logorrhea, merely nodded, and held up her glass. They all watched as the second hand of the Budweiser clock above the bar twitched to midnight. June licked the salt, tossed back her shot, sucked the lemon slice fiercely, and slammed her glass down bottom-up as the others did the same. "So, no Kyle tonight?" Chuck asked. June shook her head and put on her best diplomatic smile, trying to keep her face clear of emotion. "No, not tonight, but he promises to make it up to me when he gets back, in a big way." "Well, he'd better," Chuck said, as he got to his feet. "That guy doesn't know what he's got." He smiled quickly then, the smile of someone who realizes they might have put their foot in it. "Another round, ladies?" "No more tequila tonight," June said, letting Chuck's comment pass with another too-sunny smile. "I'll have a beer. What do you guys want?" Ashleigh and Shannon placed their orders, and Chuck walked back to the bar. "He doesn't, you know," Shannon said quietly. "Who doesn't what?" June asked, smiling, already feeling the tingle of the liquor. "Kyle. Doesn't know what he's got." June looked from Ashleigh to Shannon, both of whom wore serious expressions. Her shoulders slumped in exasperation. "Guys, he's working. It's not like he doesn't want to be here." Ashleigh merely nodded, but Shannon made a very unconvinced-sounding hmm noise. June opened her mouth to argue, but Chuck returned with their drinks, and afterward the conversation turned to quiet berating of Shannon over her 'Chucky-love'. As she listened to the back and forth between her friends, her thoughts turned inward, examining the strange feelings the simple movement of the clock hand had awakened in her. She felt suddenly twitchy and restless, like a dog before a thunderstorm. The talk about Kyle had irritated her, as well. You'll see him Monday, she thought, soothing her inner petulant child, currently ranting about the unfairness of having her fiancé halfway across the country on this milestone of birthdays. * * * *Ashleigh dropped June off at her apartment around 2 a.m. "You sure you're alright to get up the stairs on your own?" Ashleigh asked. "You have your keys and everything?" June, more than a little tipsy, jingled her keys. "I've crawled up steeper stairs before," she said, giggling. "Yeah, I know," Ashleigh said. "That's why I asked. You fail to remember that I was behind you most of those times, pushing you up." They laughed, and June waved Ashleigh off as she turned to walk toward the door. She stopped midway, though, and watched Ashleigh drive off, taillights bright in the gloom. It was eerily quiet as she stepped inside her apartment building, especially for a Friday night, and tonight the hallway lights only seemed to darken the shadows by contrast, rather than chase them away. Determined not to let the horror-movie setup creep her out, June squared her shoulders as she turned the key in the lock. The door opened on darkness, pierced only by a small red light, flashing in the gloom. That would be Kyle's message on the answering machine, wishing her a happy birthday. See, he remembered to call, she thought, as she made her way across the room. She'd made it halfway there when her inner alarm system stopped her dead in her tracks, raising every hair on her body with a prickling thrill. Heart racing, her blood pulsing a dull thump thump thump in her ears, she turned to meet the intruder. He stood in the entranceway from the kitchen to the living room, not moving; June would never have known he was there, had some primitive sense not alerted her. Her mind raced. Was he here to rob her? Rape her? Should she run, scream? Should she try to reason with him? As she stared at him, silhouetted by the nightlight above the kitchen sink, he surprised her by reaching over and flipping the wall switch, bathing them both in incandescent light. June blinked in astonishment, then bit back an inappropriate urge to laugh. Well, maybe not entirely inappropriate. He was swarthy-skinned, wearing baggy, bright purple pants tucked into the tops of knee-high black riding boots and held up by a wide black belt, with a vest which matched his pants over a very hairy chest. The biggest surprise, though, was his hat. Looking like a squashy orchid cushion, it boasted a long green feather at least a foot and a half long. Long jet-black hair flowed from under his hat and over his shoulders, the same color as his mustache and goatee. Icy blue eyes stared into hers from under bushy eyebrows. They watched each other for a moment, June still fighting an unreasonable urge to laugh that she was pretty sure had to do with the plume. Finally, unable to stand it any longer, she broke the silence. "I don't know what you're here for, but the television and stuff are right here, and there's a CD player and some spare change in the bedroom. Whatever it is you want, take it, but that's all there is, I swear," she said breathlessly. "I won't say anything, I promise, I'll just stand here, I won't try anything..." June trailed off, feeling that her slowly closing throat wouldn't allow her to talk much longer, anyway. Shakily, she forced herself to take a deep breath, trying with all her might to fight the encroaching panic squeezing her with sharp claws, breaking down her capacity for rational thought. It was also increasing her urge to collapse into hysterical laughter, and she really didn't think it would be a good idea to laugh in the face of a potential maniac. The pirate/genie regarded her quietly for a moment, then spoke. "I am not interested in your possessions." June's desire to laugh dried up instantly. Shivering, she tightened her hand on her purse, feeling the strap give under her grip. All she had in there were her wallet, cell phone, and a couple packs of cigarettes, but if she managed to get a good shot across his nose ... She took a half step backwards, squaring her shoulders. "If it's me you want," she said, voice trembling slightly, "you're going to have a hell of a fight on your hands." June brandished her shiny satin purse as threateningly as possible. The pirate/genie smiled faintly. She didn't like his smile. "Forgive me, please," he said, with a slight bow. "You misunderstand my intentions. I am here for you, but not in the way you th--" He broke off as June whirled on her heel and made a break for the door. Her hand had just grasped the doorknob when-- Suddenly, she found herself racing through blackness at incredible speed. She couldn't even understand how she knew she was moving, since there were no points of reference and no wind, and no up or down, which was fairly nauseating. What frightened her the most, though, was the feeling of endless space, all around her, and the unaccounted-for knowledge that if she got lost here, she would never, ever find her way back out again. After what seemed like hours, but could only have been a few moments, there was a blinding white flash, and June found herself standing knee-deep in reddish grass in the middle of a field, still clutching her purse to her chest. Whirling around, dizzy and disoriented, she found the pirate, smiling his faint, creepy smile. Backing up, she looked wildly around her, searching for-what? Help? A landmark, to let her know where she was? The only things she saw were an imposing forest far to her left, and a small cottage, smoke curling from the chimney, on a hill about a quarter-mile away to her right. June looked from pirate to house and back again. She'd never make it, even in her non-smoking days. Strong as she was, she was never what you'd call a fast runner. And what if the cottage didn't contain help, but someone else who meant to hurt her? What then? She had nowhere to run, and the dusk was deepening around them. The only option currently available to June was fainting, and she took it, gratefully.
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