Sentinel's Rise: Book 1 - The Watcher and the Sentinel Series Read online

  Sentinel’s Rise

  Book 1

  The Watcher and the Sentinel Series

  Copyright © 2019 by Yvette Bostic

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Acknowledgement

  I’d like to start by saying, while there are some references to places and events, any similarities to specific people are purely coincidental.

  I hope you enjoy the Council of Light’s continuing saga. If you haven’t read the Light in the Darkness Series, I certainly recommend it. The first series explains how they arrived in their current predicament; a tale you don’t want to miss.

  I want to say thank you to the people who’ve helped me throughout this process. My husband has been my encouragement, as well as the perfect sounding board and first-draft proof reader. I could not have done it without his positive attitude and patience. Thank you to my wonderful editor, Hannah at Between the Lines Editorial (www.btleditorial.com). She is an extremely talented young woman who’s also a joy to work with. I take full responsibility for any grammar errors, as they are a result of changes I’ve made after her hours of work. And thank you to Aleksandra Klepacka (https://www.facebook.com/AlissandraArt/), the very gifted young artist who created my cover art. Thank you to my very gracious beta readers. Your comments and opinions about the characters, events and time lines make all the difference!

  And last but not least, thank you to my readers! You’re the reason I continue to write.

  The Light in the Darkness Series:

  Light’s Dawn: A Novella https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07C1WNLJ8

  Light’s Rise-Book 1 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0762Q52DP

  Light’s Eyes-Book 2 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079GHC3CD

  Light’s Fall-Book 3 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CV5QQMY

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  Chapter 51

  Chapter 52

  Chapter 53

  Chapter 54

  Chapter 55

  Chapter 56

  Chapter 57

  Chapter 58

  Chapter 59

  Chapter 60

  Prologue

  University of Virginia, 1989

  “I’m tired of waiting. Let’s just grab her already!” Saul’s partner exclaimed, pushing a lock of hair off his forehead. “We’ve been watching her for weeks now. If it’s the wrong girl, we’ll just kill her and dump her in the river.”

  “Shut up, Eddie!”

  Eddie’s upper lip curled. “Oh, sure, act like you don’t feel the same way. The almighty Saul couldn’t possibly get impatient or irritable.” He kicked a loose piece of gravel at his feet and watched it skip down the sidewalk.

  The pair stood in the shade of the university’s library, watching their target as she and a friend sat at one of the outside tables. It was the first nice day since Mother Nature closed her doors on Old Man Winter, and the students took advantage of the sunshine.

  Saul turned to Eddie, eyes narrowing. “I prefer patience over punishment, you idiot. If you don’t share my opinion, then by all means, go get her.” He waved his hand towards the dozens of tables full of college students.

  “If she were the one, we would know it by now,” Eddie snorted. “We’ve watched her shop, eat, party, and study for exams. Not one time has she used magic.” He kicked another pebble, then leaned back against the red brick and crossed his ankles. “If she were the one, we would’ve seen the Watcher. He wouldn’t leave her unguarded.”

  “You better hope you never see the Watcher, or it will be the last thing you see,” Saul muttered, folding his arms across his chest.

  “You don’t really believe that nonsense about him, do you?” Eddie lifted his eyebrows. “No one can just disappear.”

  “You’re a fool to ignore your training,” Saul replied. “Just because we haven’t fought the Council in ages, doesn’t diminish their power.”

  “Whatever…” Eddie mumbled. “Looks like the girls are done studying.”

  They both wore the latest style of baggy jeans and layered shirts. The brunette stood, adjusting her long, curly ponytail as she stretched. She towered over her friend whose straight blond locks were in total contrast and hung loosely over her shoulders. The girls gathered up the books before heading in the library’s direction.

  Saul pulled Eddie further into the shadow as the two girls walked by, completely unaware of their stalkers.

  “What do you mean he isn’t my type, Eva? He’s gorgeous!” the brunette exclaimed.

  “Sara, we’ve already been through this. You can’t possibly like a man who spends his summers surfing and smoking weed, regardless of how much he enjoys showing off his tanned chest,” the blonde argued. “Besides, he’s what, three inches shorter than you are?”

  “Maybe I can convince him there are better things to do with his time,” Sara suggested, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. “And everyone is shorter than I am, so it hardly matters.”

  Saul took another step back as the girls continued down the path.

  “Okay, so what is my type?” Sara stopped in the middle of the sidewalk only a few yards from the men.

  “I think he would be very tall with sandy, brown hair and deep blue eyes. He would also be a gentleman,” Eva replied. She paused and looked at Eddie, making Saul nervous. He smiled and nodded at the blonde, but she didn’t acknowledge him.

  Sara continued talking, seeming not to notice her friend’s distracted gaze.

  “It sounds like you’re describing your type. Boring,” Sara said, grabbing her friend’s arm and dragging her forward. They turned around the corner of next building, still chatting about Sara’s crush.

  “What was blondie looking at?” Eddie asked quietly, following the girls’ progress with his eyes as their voices faded.

  “I’m not sure,” Saul replied, a shiver running down his spine despite the bright sun and warm spring day.

  “Let me clear the uncertainty for you,” a deep voice rumbled from behind them as large, strong fingers grasped the sensitive area between their neck and collar bone.

  The last thi
ng Saul saw was a set of deep blue eyes full of hatred.

  Chapter 1

  Eva

  Chicago, Illinois, 2017

  Eva’s cell phone buzzed in her pocket, eliciting a frown from Darian. She knew the slight movement of his head meant she better silence it quickly, so Eva pulled it from the front pocket of her new jeans, frantically pushing the volume button to silence. The display glowed with a name she hoped he hadn’t seen. He rolled his eyes dramatically. Apparently, he had.

  She pocketed her phone as a middle-aged woman entered the alley. Her whispered voice echoed against the tall brick buildings, soaring into the night’s sky around them. Eva and Darian hid behind a full dumpster that threatened the meager contents in Eva’s stomach. It also prevented a full view of their surroundings.

  “Were you followed?” a harsh, guttural voice asked.

  “No, master,” came the soft, feminine reply.

  Eva glanced over at Darian, who returned her surprised look. He tapped her shoulder, then pulled his hand over his face. She knew what he wanted. They needed to disappear so they could sneak up on the participants of this conversation. She closed her eyes and drew on the shadows around her, feeling the inky darkness wrap around her body and conceal her presence completely. She opened her eyes and saw Darian’s silhouetted profile, only visible to those with their ability. To everyone else, they simply vanished. The pair slipped out from behind the dumpster, totally unseen, and moved towards the clandestine meeting.

  “Are you certain?” the harsh voice asked again. “I feel something familiar,” it continued, enunciating the last few words as if thinking about them before speaking.

  The stranger’s familiar voice tugged at Eva’s memory, and she hoped it was wrong. But Darian stopped next to her, then truly vanished, confirming her suspicions.

  The owner of that harsh voice sensed Darian’s presence, forcing him to leave. She bit back the curse on her lips.

  “I’m positive, master,” the woman replied, her voice trembling.

  “No matter,” the master said. “It’s gone now. Tell me you were successful.”

  “Yes! The last one has been sent,” she said eagerly, her speech becoming more confident. “Our informant says the targeted governments will receive their final threat within twenty-four hours.”

  Eva tip-toed her way amongst the trash littering the alley, trying to position herself so she could see the duo. Resignation settled in her gut when she recognized the exceptionally tall, lean frame of one of the last remaining Overlords. A hooded cloak covered most of his features, but she had full view of the demon’s pointed chin and burning red eyes. Eva could only see the back of the woman’s business suit and thick, dark hair pulled tightly into a bun at the base of her neck.

  “Very good,” the Overlord hissed. “I’ll summon you again in two weeks.” He looked up and down the alley, then turned back to the woman. “I’ll inform you of the location before then. I think this one is compromised.”

  “Yes, master.”

  The woman walked past the Overlord and disappeared around the corner. The demon looked around again, then followed his informant, pulling his hood further down over his features. Eva trailed after him. He ducked into a waiting SUV that sped away as soon as the door closed.

  Shaking her head, Eva dropped her concealment. Darian’s vehicle was parked two blocks away, where she assumed he would be. She broke into a jog, covering the distance within a couple minutes.

  His black Range Rover idled quietly as she approached. The dark tinted windows concealed the presence of anyone inside. She pulled open the passenger side door and slid into the leather seat.

  “That was Zar’Asur wasn’t it?” she asked, closing the door.

  “Yes.” Darian pulled out into traffic. “What did he say?”

  “Thank you, Eva, for sticking around since your boss wasn’t able to,” she replied, knowing he rolled his eyes at her even though she couldn’t see him. He was the master of eye rolls, having a different one for each occasion that irritated him. She never thought it possible, but he demonstrated it on her frequently. She probably encouraged him. “Apparently, they’ve sent out some kind of threat. The woman’s informant seems to think the warning will be shared with targeted foreign governments.”

  “She didn’t say what the information was about?” he asked.

  Eva looked at his profile as the street lights zipped by. His focus remained on the road in front of him, but his furrowed brow and pursed lips gave away his anxiety.

  “No,” she replied. “Their conversation was brief. He said he would meet her again in two weeks, but it would be a different location. A black SUV similar to yours picked up the Overlord after the woman left.”

  “Who texted you?”

  The sudden change of subject startled her and she paused to catch up with him.

  “Sara.”

  “What did she want?”

  “I thought you didn’t want to know.” She squinted into the darkness surrounding his features, waiting for another eye roll. The last time the two women had an extended texting conversation, he’d left the room in a huff. But she knew better; he wanted to know everything that happened in Sara’s life, regardless of what he said.

  “Really?” he asked, his voice low and grating.

  She couldn’t miss his sarcasm or his eyebrows meeting in the middle.

  “Her daughter is getting married this fall,” Eva said.

  He glanced her way, his brow still furrowed. “Are you going to the wedding?”

  “I wish. You know I can’t,” she replied, rolling her eyes. “Sara and I have known each other since her college days, remember? How many years ago was that?” She started counting her fingers dramatically.

  “Twenty-eight,” Darian replied curtly. “You don’t have to remind me.”

  “Then why would you ask if I were going?” Eva shot back. “We keep in touch through letters and now texting, but she’s nearly fifty and I’m…well, I’m still twenty-five.”

  Darian grunted, frowning.

  “You know we’ll go anyway,” Eva said, pulling her cell phone from her pocket.

  “Yes, I’ll be there, but she won’t see me,” he mumbled. “As always.”

  Eva hated when he moped like this. The longer he sat on the sideline of Sara’s life, the worse it got. They should’ve recruited her years ago, and then Eva wouldn’t be enduring his brooding now. She scrolled through her texts, replying to her longtime friend. Sara was also Darian’s Sentinel, only she didn’t know it. He was reluctant to tear Sara away from her life and join their battle against the demon-summoning cultists that searched for her. Instead, he chose to protect Sara from the Csökkent. And on days like today, he sulked about the distance he couldn’t close between them.

  Darian remained silent until they reached a four-story office building on Chicago’s north side. He pulled into the parking garage, maneuvering the SUV in line with two others just like it. She opened her door and got out before Darian made it halfway around the vehicle. It was a game to them, one they’d played for years. Ever the gentleman, he insisted on opening her door, and she demanded that he not. She grinned and marched towards the private elevator that would take them to the top floor and their sprawling office. She placed her palm on the surface of the scanner, and it blinked from red to green. The elevator doors swished open.

  “Age before beauty,” she quipped, trying to lighten his brooding.

  Darian scowled, but his eyes twinkled as he walked past her.

  When they reached the office, Eva’s twin brother, Claud, met them at the door.

  “Have you seen the news?” he asked, leading them into the reception area where a Breaking News story flashed across the 42-inch TV screen hanging on the wall.

  A thin woman with straight, blond hair faced the camera. “We’re standing by at the White House for a special news conference. We have no more information than that.”

  Then, the Press Secretary’s voice sounded fr
om behind the reporter. “Ladies and gentlemen of the press, my fellow Americans.” The camera panned back to the podium back-dropped by the United States flag. “For the last sixty days, our intelligence community has been in an intellectual battle with an unknown group. The first few threats were investigated, but little was found to substantiate any real danger. Unfortunately, each day we received another, more damning piece of evidence. Today, the unknown group ordered our President to surrender the United States within ten days.”

  An uproar of questions erupted from the audience, and the camera panned towards the group of reporters waving their hands in the air.

  “Mr. Secretary, why are we taking this threat seriously? I was under the impression that the FBI and NSA receive them daily.”

  “I cannot provide details of the communications we received, Mr. Brown, but I assure you we would not be making this announcement without cause.”

  “What is the cause, Mr. Secretary?” another reporter asked. “Our sources say that the President isn’t the only one to receive this threat. Is that true?”

  The camera zoomed in on the Press Secretary as he drew his lips together. “We’re aware of several European nations who have received the same types of communication that we have,” he replied. “We’re pooling our resources with theirs to try to confirm the validity of these messages.”

  “What type of communications have you received? Surely you can tell us something that would shed light on this situation.”

  “I cannot share that information, Mr. Brown.”

  “That’s a shame.” The camera panned back to the audience and focused on a middle-aged man with sand-colored hair, small eyes, and a pointed nose. “My sources say that this unknown individual has schematics and blueprints of all our federal buildings and military posts. I’ve also been told that he or she has taken pictures of the first lady in her shower at the White House. How does that happen?”

  The camera switched back to the podium.

  “I will not confirm your source’s information,” the Press Secretary responded. “I would also advise that you do not spread unsubstantiated data to the public.”

  “Ah, but you didn’t deny it either. So, is it true that this individual also has the same level of information about our European allies? If so, his intelligence network is much better than any of ours.”