Read Online The Bloom Series Box Set: Bloom & Fade by A.P. Kensey - Free Book Online

special
teaching,” said Alistair. “This is a very powerful gift you
have—one that has gone to waste until now. Someone must show you
the true path. I will tell you everything, but not here. You must
come with me.”
    “ I can’t leave. I have a
job and an apartment…and a life ,” said Colton.
    “ Your job will be waiting
for you when you get back, if you still want it. Your apartment,
well…your friend here has no more money, so maybe it’s time to find
something else, yes? And he can come along as well. I insist that
he does, actually. As for your old life, I can assure you it won’t
be missed.”
    “ I’d listen to the guy,
Colt. This could be really big.”
    Colton crossed his arms and kicked at
a small piece of broken concrete on the floor. “Where do we have to
go?” he asked.
    Alistair grinned and showed his
perfect teeth. “Montana.”
    “ Wait, what?” said Reece.
“That might sound good to you, being from overseas or whatever,
but Montana ? I
thought you were going to say Egypt or Switzerland or someplace fun
and, you know, exotic .”
    “ You don’t like Montana? I
must admit, it wasn’t my first choice, either. But it grows on you
after a time. We go where we’re needed, so to speak,” said
Alistair. “And I am paying for everything.”
    “ Oh,” said Reece. “In that
case, where’s the plane?”
    Colton couldn’t force himself to
completely let go of caution long enough to take the chance that
the man was telling him the full truth.
    “ Colton, listen,” said
Alistair. “You have a wonderful gift, and you have the potential to
help a lot of people. I know you’ve been doing it already, haven’t
you? At the homeless shelter. Don’t be modest! Your instincts led
you there because those people needed help. I can show you how to
do so much more.”
    Colton stuffed his hands in his
pockets and shrugged—the choice was made. “So, what’s in Montana?”
he asked.
    Alistair smiled. “More people who are
just like you.”
     

 
     
     
    12
     
    T wo weeks after her house had burned down into nothing more
than a pile of charred wood and debris, Haven went back to try and
find anything that had survived the flames. It took her a few
minutes to work up the courage to step over the blackened wooden
plank that was the only remaining piece of what used to be the
front door.
    As she walked through the grey and
black ruin, her feet kicked up small clouds of fine powder, which
floated into the air and clung to her clothes. She had barely taken
ten steps and it looked as if she had been crawling around in dirty
air vents all afternoon.
    Yellow police tape still encircled the
yard to keep out anyone with more than a passing curiosity about
the unusual fire that had so quickly consumed the Kincaid home. She
had been told that she was allowed to come back anytime she wanted,
as long as she called the local police and informed them of her
visit.
    The fire was classified as “unusual”
because the Fire Scene Investigator could not yet determine what
started the blaze. The authorities suspected arson due to the
strange red color of the flames, so they had been searching for an
accelerant—some type of chemical that started and fed the powerful
fire.
    Haven’s parents had both been in bed
at the time—presumably asleep—and had suffocated on the poisonous
fumes.
    The police could find no sign of Noah.
Haven overheard one of the firemen explaining to a news reporter
that the remains of those who died in a fire were usually very easy
to identify. Sometimes only a bone was left, but it was enough to
run a DNA test and identify the victim. Haven was still unclear as
to whether or not the police intended to classify the fire as an
accident—they told her they couldn’t be sure until they ran more
tests. No one seemed to want to talk to her about the devastating
incident. Whenever she managed to pull someone aside, they simply
said that they were working on it and would have an answer for