Shyla Colt - Sorrow's Muse [Amira] (pdf).pdf - Shyla Colt - bugnme5

Sorrow’s Muse

Cover art by Mina Carter © February 2013

This is a work of fiction. All characters and events portrayed in this novel are

reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form.

ISBN: 978-1-937394-83-7

Amira Press, LLC

Charlotte, NC 28227

www.amirapress.com

Dedication

Thank you to all the ladies of NLL who keep me going, inspire, and stick

by my side through the good and bad. My amazing husband and beautiful

girls who keep me pushing myself and moving forward, you mean the world

to me. Julian who I fell in love with from the moment he popped into my

head.

Sorrow’s Muse

Shyla Colt

Chapter One

Colette sighed as she peered into the bronze scrying mirror that took up

an entire wall. Similar to the modern-day projection screen, it showed the

Muses the humans below on Earth, particularly the ones they were assigned

to. She watched Julian’s puckered and scarred face twist into a grimace as

sadness and melancholy took him over. Tears welled up in his hazel eyes as

he glanced out the window of his condominium, taking in the spectacular

view that overlooked the ocean. It was a week out from the anniversary of

the fire that had stolen his family’s lives and ravaged his body and face. He

always grew more withdrawn and emotional this time of year. It never got

easier to watch.

She paced the length of the room. Her white Grecian-style gown brushed

against her legs and trailed along the black marble floor behind her. Mount

Helicon was nothing if not luxurious, but right now it felt like a prison. The

high vaulted ceiling and walls adorned with breathtaking tapestries that

depicted Muses and the humans they inspired, did nothing to move her

today, which was rare.

Colette loved her job as a Muse of music. The creations she inspired had

gone on to positively affect the world and make people remember love and

passion. It was rewarding and satisfying, yet heartbreaking at the same time.

Too many of her humans went on to kill themselves slowly with drinks,

drugs, reckless behavior, or a more direct route, suicide.

Being inspired took a lot out of a person. It was out of the norm to find

one who simply wanted to help make the world a better place with his or her

talent. Her thoughts drifted to John Lennon. He hadn’t been one of hers, but

he’d been a brilliant, beautiful soul nonetheless. Calliope had had the pleasure

of guiding him, and Colette treasured every moment she’d captured glancing

over her shoulder as she studied her big sis at work. What no one had ever

realized was that humans were like their children. Muses nurtured, groomed,

and guided them before sending them out into the world to become famous

and travel a path paved with distraction and tools of destruction. This was

why Julian Sorrow was such a shining star in a sky of inky black. He was

Sorrow’s Muse

Shyla Colt

surrounded by darkness. On the surface he was bitter and snide, but deep

down where it counted, his soul held a purity that was hard to come by.

“He’s like this every year. It’ll pass,” her sister, Calliope, said. Her soft,

melodic voice reached Colette over the chords she played on her harp.

“I know.”

The words “but it’s not fair” and “what if he doesn’t” hung in the air

between them, unsaid . Each year Julian became more removed from the

world and grew a little darker. His saving grace was his music. He poured

every good intention, hope for the future, and anything else positive he could

muster into his work. It was how he coped with all the things that had

happened to him without going insane. Colette couldn’t fault him for hiding

away from the world. Not after all she’d witnessed him survive. As a cousin

to Moirai, Sudice, and Parcae, she knew just how much of a bitch the Fates

could be. She’d seen them weave horrendous futures for many a poor soul,

but this, just like everything else when it came to Julian, felt personal.

The attachment wasn’t good. Still, it was too far gone to change things.

She’d screwed up with him from the very beginning. Colette forced herself to

sit on the chaise lounge across from Calliope, who’d returned to playing her

harp and humming. It was best to pretend everything was okay, or she’d ask

questions. Calliope was like a pit bull with a bone when she wanted to know

something. The soothing notes relaxed Colette as her mind traveled back

thirty years prior.

* * * *

Thirty years earlier

The boy’s breathing was labored. His tiny, frail form heaved with the

effort his body was expending to keep him alive despite the machines

attached to him in every manner possible. Colette’s heart ached. She turned

toward her sister, Calliope, with waterlogged eyes.

“Can we help him?”

“You know I don’t possess that kind of power.”

Sorrow’s Muse

Shyla Colt

Frustrated with the pantheon and its precious checks and balances,

Colette made a decision.

“Fine, then I’ll find someone who can.”

In the blink of an eye, she reappeared in a flower-filled glen. A few yards

away stood a cozy cottage. No matter how much time passed, Asclepius

preferred comfort to decadence, fitting for the goddess of healing. Colette

trudged through the pink, yellow, and red tulips, careful not to smash any.

When she reached the porch, she knocked on the door and rocked back on

her heels. Time was of the essence. The door swung open to reveal a willowy

woman with dark tresses, creamy, caramel-colored skin, large doe-shaped

brown eyes, and a kind face.

“What brings you here, Colette?”

“I need your help.”

A frown marred the regal woman’s thin lips as she peered down at her

with eyes full of pity.

“You know I can’t interfere with fate.”

“This is a small child who’s seen far too much suffering during his three

years on Earth. Zeus himself would not deny aid if he could give it. Julian

was nearly burned to a crisp, and the pain he bears would fell a grown man in

one deft swoop. Still he fights on. I think that deserves a little help, even if

it’s just to ease the path of his passing.”

A heavy weight settled in the pit of Colette’s stomach. She couldn’t lose

him! He was destined to be one of the greats. She could feel it in her very

soul. As the youngest of the Muses, she hadn’t quite learned how to separate

herself from her job. It led to heartache and, in her opinion, to greatness. It

gave her an edge most had lost to the apathy developed over eons and eons

of the same thing.

“You’re right.” Asclepius sighed. “I would never allow a child to suffer

needlessly. Show me the way, and I shall follow you.”

A cry of victory echoed in her head. She’d watched Julian from the

moment he’d been born to Julia and Noah. The Sorrows had always held a

special place in her heart because of their compassion, ability to love, and raw

musical talent. Julia had been a stellar composer, and Noah, a brilliant lyricist.

Shyla Colt - Sorrow's Muse [Amira] (pdf).pdf

Plik z chomika:

Inne pliki z tego folderu:

Inne foldery tego chomika: