Grace Series Book 3 Black Halo

471 Pages·2011·1.74 MB·English

by  S. L. Naeole

Table of Contents
PREFACE
JUST DEAL
PROTECTION
LIFE OR SOMETHING UNLIKE IT
FULLEST
APRIL
VISITOR
A CHOICE
NOT FOR CHILDREN'S EARS
NEPHILIM
UMBRAGE
MELODY
A QUESTION
BIG SISTER
OF DOUBT AND OTHER DUBIOUS THINGS
CIRCUITOUS
INNOMINATE
THE ON/OFF SWITCH
PAROLED
THE WISHING WELL
FULL HOUSE
THE PERFECT FIT
THE MISTAKE
HUMAN NATURE
IN A FOREST FILLED WITH EYES
MELDING
THE ELEGANCE OF EMPTINESS
COMPULSION
THANK YOU, GOOD DOCTOR
GREEN ISN'T EASY
THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS
COLD DAY IN HELL
GIVING IN
OFFER
THE BREAKDOWN OF REASON
CHECK
GRIEVANCES
HEARTSONG
MATE
LEAVING COURSE
HEAR YOU ME
PROMISES KEPT
EPILOGUE: WHAT CAN WAIT FOR TOMORROW WILL
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Black Halo
By: S. L. Naeole
Black Halo
(c) 2010 by S.L. Naeole
All rights reserved.
Published by Crystal Quill Publishing
All of the situations and characters in this novel are fictional. Any similarities to actual people or situations
are completely coincidental and wholly unintentional.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including
information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only
exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.
S.L. Naeole
Visit my website at www.slnaeole.com
Visit the official website for Falling From Grace at www.graceseries.com
Falling From Grace (Book One in the Grace Series)
Bird Song (Book Two in the Grace Series)
For my missies.
"For the heart whose woes are legion
'Tis a peaceful, soothing region-
For the spirit that walks in shadow
'Tis-oh, 'tis an Eldorado!
But the traveller, travelling through it,
May not-dare not openly view it!
Never its mysteries are exposed
To the weak human eye unclosed;
So wills its King, who hath forbid
The uplifting of the fringed lid;
And thus the sad Soul that here passes
Beholds it but through darkened glasses.
By a route obscure and lonely,
Haunted by ill angels only,
Where an Eidolon, named NIGHT,
On a black throne reigns upright,
I have wandered home but newly
From this ultimate dim Thule."

Dreamland - Edgar Alan Poe
PREFACE
The fire in my chest raged, the need for air fighting against my need to
keep running, to not stop until the darkness was behind me. The sounds around
me were mocking, jeering at the pains that shot through my arms and legs. Their
sinister laughter, which echoed behind me hinted at the promise of something
dark and evil that I had knowingly invited, and now ran from.
The trees, under the cover of their starless canopy began to move and sway
with glee at the activity that swirled around them. I cried out as my foot wedged
itself in the small hollow of a curious root, and I tumbled to the ground, the
sound of snapping bone and tearing flesh silencing the sounds around me.
Quiet had never sounded so deadly.
JUST DEAL
The beginning of the final chapter of senior year usually starts off with
incredible excitement--there are only three months left before graduation, then
college and the rest of your life. But the sentiment around my house couldn't
have been any gloomier.
Getting up for that first day back felt like the hardest thing I'd ever had to
do--probably because I hadn't even gone to sleep yet. I looked at the clock on my
dresser and pulled the covers back over my face, not wanting to admit that it was
six in the morning. I hadn't been sleeping well--or at all-- these past few days,
each night spent tossing and turning until I finally gave up and stared holes into
my ceiling until it was time to quit pretending.
A loud knock on my door was followed by a rough shaking of the bed as
my best friend--and now my housemate--Graham Hasselbeck jumped in beside
me.
"Holy cow, your feet are cold!" I shouted, quickly squirming away from
him until I ran out of bed space and fell with a resounding "oomph" onto the
carpeted floor. "Why are you in here so early? And with glaciers for toes?"
"Because I heard your alarm go off. And it's cold downstairs; I think the
heater's busted. Hey, did you know it snowed last night?"
I crawled to the window and stood on my knees to peer over the sill.
Indeed, the street and the houses across it were covered in a nice blanket of pure,
white snow. "That's weird--it hasn't snowed after spring since we were ten."
"I know. I remember that. You slipped on the sidewalk and sprained your
ankle while walking to the bus. I had to carry you back inside and then I slipped
coming back out. We spent the next two days watching old movies and eating
stale popcorn downstairs."
"And the RHPS tradition was born," I laughed before turning around.
"Hey, get out of my bed!"
"I told you, it's cold downstairs!" he cried as he pulled my comforter up to
his chin defiantly. "I'm staying here until you make breakfast, so if you want me
out, you're gonna to have to get cracking."
"Oh, I'll crack something alright," I replied and launched myself onto the
bed. I laughed as he tried to cover his head with the blanket. "That never worked
as kids and it certainly won't work now!"
We wrestled on the bed, each vying for control, before tumbling off and
landing sharply onto the floor in peals of laughter.
"I'm glad the two of you seem to be enjoying yourselves."
I peeked from between the mess of my hair, while Graham pulled back the
comforter from his face to see my dad standing in the doorway, a suitcase in one
hand, a white box in the other.
"Uh...hi, Dad," I managed to get out while Graham stuttered an incoherent
reply.
"Mr. Shelley-Grace-morning-yes-hi."
Dad laughed and shook his head. "It's okay, Graham. I'm not dumb enough
to think that you and Grace were up to no-good."
"Why are you home so early, Dad?" I asked. "And where's Janice?"
Dad walked over to me and handed me the box before pointing to the
suitcase. "She's in the car--she's having contractions and the doctor says that it's
too early, so we're here to drop off this bag and pick up the hospital one before
heading off there."
I handed the white box to Graham who opened it and hooted at the
contents. "Donuts! Thanks, Mr. S!"
"Well, I'm coming, too," I announced.
Dad shook his head vigorously. "No. You're going to school. We don't
know what's going on yet so there's no need for you to miss out on any classes.
If anything does come up, I'll call, alright?"
I nodded reluctantly and stood up to give him a hug. "You tell Janice that
I'm thinking about her, okay?"
"Of course," he replied, returning my hug. "Have you been eating okay?
You seem...thinner."
I nodded with slight agitation and eased away from dad. "I'm fine, Dad."
"Well, I know you left the wedding feeling sick--how are you feeling, by