Read Online The Reverence of One: Book Three of the Shadow Series by J.M. Pierce - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: J.M. Pierce
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remind me of my own mother.”
Maggie giggled. “That’s ironic, now isn’t it?”
Sitting up in her chair, Lauren asked. “How’s that?”
“Because you remind me a lot of my son.”
Lauren turned in her chair, her left arm resting on its back. The two of the m stared at each other for a moment , soaking in the silence of the room.
“ I know that none of this can be easy for you,” said Maggie, placing a hand gently on Lauren’s forearm. “I want you to know how much I appreciate you helping Test. I know he wouldn’t be alive right now if it weren’t for you.”
Lauren stared at Maggie’s hand with tears welling in her eyes. As she looked up, a single tear fell softly down her cheek.
“Mrs. Davis,” began Lauren, but Maggie cut her short.
“Call me Maggie, hon.”
“Maggie—I don’t know if I have saved him.” Lauren’s tears began to flow more heavily. “Every moment of every day from here on out is going to be a struggle. Every day will be a test.”
Maggie pursed her lips for a moment and stared at the ceiling, searching for the right words. “Lauren, I can’t pretend to know the life that you’ve had to live, or my son’s for that matter. What I do know is that life, whether you’re a Shadow or not, is a struggle. Ultimately, the decision has to be made as to whether or not we are strong enough to live the life we’ve been given.
“I know you think that you’re an evil person, and I know you’ve done some horrific things. But I don’t think that’s who you are. You were forced to live that life in order to survive. You were deceived into thinking that it was the only way.”
Pulling her arm away from Maggie’s touch, Lauren stood and walked to the dresser in the opposite corner of the room. With her back to Maggie, she wip ed the tears from her cheeks. “I appreciate that, Maggie, but…”
“But nothing. If you are the monster that you think you are, then why did you not kill my son when you first had the chance? It would have been easy for you?”
Lauren turned, roll ing her eyes , and replied. “Yeah, but instead of coming back to Lincoln when he needed me, I ran and hid like a coward.”
“But you came back when he really needed it , didn’t you?” asked Maggie. “No one can blame you for protecting yourself, Lauren. The important thing is that you came back, risking your own life to save his. No one asked you to, you did that on your own. Would a monster do something so selfless?”
Burying her hands in her face, Lauren began to sob heavily as Maggie stood from the bed . Standing in front of the distraught woman, Maggie parted Lauren’s hands and lovingly brushed her hair from her face.
In a soft voice, Maggie spoke. “You have got to forgive yourself for the past that was forced upon you. In my eyes, you are an angel. Maybe a little brash at times,” Maggie winked , a corner of her lip lifting with a smile, “ but I think you’ve earned the right to be that way.”
Lauren smiled back . It was the deepest, truest, most heartfelt smile that she’d ever had in her life. As if hugging her own mother, she wrapped her arms around Maggie and held her tightly. Laying her head on the woman’s shoulder, she took a deep and cleansing breath.
“Thank you, Maggie.”
The tenderness of the moment was shattered when a man’s voice caused them both to jump.
“Ladies, we have a problem.”
Lauren lifted her head from Maggie’s shoulder and could see Cliff, slightly transparent, standing in the doorway to her room . As the two women released each other, he walked closer and became more solid with each step. Her mind was quick to come up with a smart ass reply, but she forced her mouth to filter it.
“What’s wrong?” she asked as she folded her arms to her chest.
Cliff briefly glanced to Maggie and gave her a nod. Looking back to Lauren, he replied. “It’s a long story, but I think the Reapers are trying to set a trap for Test.”
Lauren straightened
Maggie giggled. “That’s ironic, now isn’t it?”
Sitting up in her chair, Lauren asked. “How’s that?”
“Because you remind me a lot of my son.”
Lauren turned in her chair, her left arm resting on its back. The two of the m stared at each other for a moment , soaking in the silence of the room.
“ I know that none of this can be easy for you,” said Maggie, placing a hand gently on Lauren’s forearm. “I want you to know how much I appreciate you helping Test. I know he wouldn’t be alive right now if it weren’t for you.”
Lauren stared at Maggie’s hand with tears welling in her eyes. As she looked up, a single tear fell softly down her cheek.
“Mrs. Davis,” began Lauren, but Maggie cut her short.
“Call me Maggie, hon.”
“Maggie—I don’t know if I have saved him.” Lauren’s tears began to flow more heavily. “Every moment of every day from here on out is going to be a struggle. Every day will be a test.”
Maggie pursed her lips for a moment and stared at the ceiling, searching for the right words. “Lauren, I can’t pretend to know the life that you’ve had to live, or my son’s for that matter. What I do know is that life, whether you’re a Shadow or not, is a struggle. Ultimately, the decision has to be made as to whether or not we are strong enough to live the life we’ve been given.
“I know you think that you’re an evil person, and I know you’ve done some horrific things. But I don’t think that’s who you are. You were forced to live that life in order to survive. You were deceived into thinking that it was the only way.”
Pulling her arm away from Maggie’s touch, Lauren stood and walked to the dresser in the opposite corner of the room. With her back to Maggie, she wip ed the tears from her cheeks. “I appreciate that, Maggie, but…”
“But nothing. If you are the monster that you think you are, then why did you not kill my son when you first had the chance? It would have been easy for you?”
Lauren turned, roll ing her eyes , and replied. “Yeah, but instead of coming back to Lincoln when he needed me, I ran and hid like a coward.”
“But you came back when he really needed it , didn’t you?” asked Maggie. “No one can blame you for protecting yourself, Lauren. The important thing is that you came back, risking your own life to save his. No one asked you to, you did that on your own. Would a monster do something so selfless?”
Burying her hands in her face, Lauren began to sob heavily as Maggie stood from the bed . Standing in front of the distraught woman, Maggie parted Lauren’s hands and lovingly brushed her hair from her face.
In a soft voice, Maggie spoke. “You have got to forgive yourself for the past that was forced upon you. In my eyes, you are an angel. Maybe a little brash at times,” Maggie winked , a corner of her lip lifting with a smile, “ but I think you’ve earned the right to be that way.”
Lauren smiled back . It was the deepest, truest, most heartfelt smile that she’d ever had in her life. As if hugging her own mother, she wrapped her arms around Maggie and held her tightly. Laying her head on the woman’s shoulder, she took a deep and cleansing breath.
“Thank you, Maggie.”
The tenderness of the moment was shattered when a man’s voice caused them both to jump.
“Ladies, we have a problem.”
Lauren lifted her head from Maggie’s shoulder and could see Cliff, slightly transparent, standing in the doorway to her room . As the two women released each other, he walked closer and became more solid with each step. Her mind was quick to come up with a smart ass reply, but she forced her mouth to filter it.
“What’s wrong?” she asked as she folded her arms to her chest.
Cliff briefly glanced to Maggie and gave her a nod. Looking back to Lauren, he replied. “It’s a long story, but I think the Reapers are trying to set a trap for Test.”
Lauren straightened
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