On Cara Weaver’s first day at her new high school—merely the next in a long line of new schools—she meets two senior boys: James Sable and Crispin Calaway. They’re new too; they’ve been at the school just longer than she has, and they’ve never made an effort to reach out to anyone. Until she comes. When her friends find out, they’re awed. But Cara can’t shake the feeling that there’s more to James and Crispin than the two are telling.
As the days go on, everything at her new home seems to be going better than it has in any of the previous cities she’s lived in. She loves her friends, gets a job at a bookstore, and even starts to spend more time with Crispin and James. She’s happy. But all that begins to change when she comes to realize that the two boys she’s becoming close to are hiding something. It’s then that she knows her unexplainable wariness of them has been justified all along. But she keeps it a secret.
Days later, when a stranger accosts her outside a small shopping center, Crispin and James arrive just in time to help her. But they seem know the attacker. And instead of running him off, Crispin and James take Cara away, for her own protection.
With little explanation, Cara is told that she’s important and that she can’t go home until the boys have sorted some things out. In the meantime, Cara’s world is being turned upside down as she finds out that there is more to her life than she possibly imagined.
Excerpt:
Thaddeus gazed down into the eager face of the young girl in front of him. Her long brown hair was curling out of its two braids, and her cheeks were rosy from the excitement of the day. It was her seventh birthday and, as far as she knew, no day would ever be bigger.
Her brown eyes were wide as she stared at the ring he’d just placed in the palm of her hand. “What’s it for?” she asked in wonder, unable to tear her eyes away from the diamond-surrounded emerald.
Thaddeus chuckled. “It’s for you, my dear.”
“How come?” she asked curiously.
“Because it’s your birthday,” he told her.
That was the perfect answer for her seven-year-old mind. What other possible reason could she need to accept a present?
Amos could only assure that her parents were engaged in other conversations for so long, so Thaddeus knew he had to make this quick. Quicker than he’d like. Quicker than the situation truly called for.
The child in front of him was running a hesitant finger over the gemstones that were set in the golden band. He smiled, knowing she would not be able to read the sadness in the expression. “Those are real, you know,” he said, causing her to look back up and match his smile with one of her own. “That emerald, those diamonds, they’re very real.”
She blinked a few times in disbelief before trying to slide the ring on her finger. It was at least two sizes too big, and he chuckled at her confused face.
“You will grow into it, dear one. Sooner than you think.”
She left it on her finger anyway and held her hand up between them to examine the way the ring caught the light. He repositioned his body so the ring was hidden from her parents.
“Your mommy and daddy probably wouldn’t like it if they knew I was giving this to you. Let’s keep it a secret, okay?” he said. He needed her to agree. He was a stranger to their daughter, giving her an elaborate gift; no parent would be quite comfortable with that.
That’s all the young girl really needed to hear to be convinced to keep quiet. She nodded vigorously, but he needed to be sure. When her gaze was drawn to her new ring once more, Thaddeus took a chance and murmured a small cast under his breath as he stepped away from her. Her eyes grew cloudy for a single moment, and the light bulb in the lamp next to her popped quietly. Not a soul in the room noticed.
Thaddeus made his way across the room, toward the front door to stand next to Amos. “It’s done,” he said softly. Amos did no more than nod. The two of them shook hands with Mr. and Mrs. Weaver who were thanking the guests as they left, and then Thaddeus took one long, last look at the brown-eyed birthday girl. The ring was gone from her hand, hidden away in a pocket, no doubt.
Thaddeus dipped his head to her. “Goodbye, Cara,” he said under his breath. “I wish your life would take you down a different path.” Then he and Amos were out the door and away.
They walked for a time without speaking, as Thaddeus was uncomfortable with Earth’s modes of transportation. Amos finally looked over at his companion. “My niece, Thaddeus?”
This was not the first time Amos had asked the question. “I cannot help the way things are, or the way they are going to be. You know that by now.”
He did, but Thaddeus knew Amos hoped for a different answer. “My niece,” he murmured. It was not a question this time.
“Someday her destiny will make sense,” Thaddeus promised. “She does have magic in her; it is strong, even now. And it will only grow stronger in time. She will have plenty of people to help her along the way. She will never be alone, Amos.”
“You can’t promise that,” Amos said sharply.
“I’ve seen it,” Thaddeus answered calmly.
After everything, Amos was still skeptical of magic. The powers Thaddeus claimed were beyond Amos’ understanding sometimes, but he didn’t refute Thaddeus’ claim. He simply sighed heavily.
“When do you go back?” Amos asked instead.
“Where do you think we’re walking? I’ve done what I came to do. And I must return before questions arise,” Thaddeus told him. “Amos, watch over the girl. She has great things in store, and she won’t know what to do with all she learns. Do not leave her to discover it all alone.”
Thaddeus waited until Amos agreed before he drew to a halt. “Your help was indispensable, my friend. None of this could have been done without you. You’ve played an integral part in the future of my world. And for that I can never thank you enough.”
Amos didn’t have the time to form a response before Thaddeus had bowed to him, backed up two swift steps, and disappeared.
Praise for Rising Calm:
“This was a great read! It’s geared toward young adults but even as an old adult I loved the story and found the characters smart and engaging. I am very much looking forward to the next installment!” – Midge (Amazon)
“Haley Fisher does an amazing job of really bringing the story to life with her words. She is a very talented young author. I can’t wait to read the sequel to this book”. – Patriot (Amazon)
About Haley Fisher:
I’m Haley Fisher, a college student in Kansas, and I’ve just signed a contract with a company called Silver Tongue Press to publish my first book!
For as long as I can remember I’ve been an avid reader and an aspiring writer, but the step toward actually getting a book published is an enormous one for me. This is a big deal. And, as I’ve been told, the next step to being successful is getting the word out that my book exists.
So, though it’s not in print yet—it’s coming out February 14th—I’d love for people to keep an eye out for Rising Calm. It’ll be the first in a series of books about a young girl who finds out her life and her fate are far bigger than she ever realized. At the risk of giving too much away, the most I can tell you for now is that there is magic, prophecy, new worlds, and a cast of characters who I love to write.
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I love the excerpt! It sounds like an amazing fantasy story. I’m sharing!
I’ve read Rising Calm and loved it! I can’t wait for her next work:)
Nice excerpt