El Lago Azul: El Despertar Novels & Stories

The copper taste of betrayal on my tongue as the sky over Boston turned to ink. "She’s awake! Doctor, she’s opening her eyes!" The voice hit me like a physical blow. It was Lurii. But her voice was wrong, it was higher, thinner, vibrating with a youthful, frantic energy untouched by the years of bourbon and bitterness I’d heard on that rooftop. I blinked, my vision swimming through a haze of tears and the stinging glare of the overhead lights. As the shapes solidified, I saw them. Standing on either side of my bed were the two architects of my ruin. Marcus and Lurii.

I crawled at the rope with bound my hands, fought against the burning in chest and when the black spots started to appear in my vision, I knew I had no more fight left. Vibrant reds, blush pinks with soft purple undertones and calm light blues all gathered together to bask in the sun's golden glory. The sheer beauty of it brought tears to my eyes, it was the most beautiful sun rise I'd ever seen. The glorious dawn that chased away the night's shadows. The last sunrise of my life. Not a bad view at all!

“Awakening.” --- As the sigil glows brighter, Alexander realizes Project Rebirth has only just begun and Elena’s awakening might not be something he can stop.

present. --- 【Luna's Morning】 She woke to the sound of even breathing. It wasn't a rude awakening, but a slow surfacing from sleep, like snow on the Northern Ice Plains melting in spring, starting from the edges and turning to water, bit by bit. She opened her eyes and saw the water stain on the ceiling, left by yesterday's rain. Pale yellow, like an old map. She shifted her gaze to the left.

It would ruin everything. The rooms I had made for myself down here were perfect for what I needed. No one could enter them unless I wanted them to, as they couldn’t find them without me; that’s the beauty of living in the in-between. Flicking my hair over my shoulder, the swirling tattoos that covered my arms were moving; something was up. They were always the first indication something was going on, and I knew never to ignore them. I knew today would be different from when I woke up. Elves never slept much, and it was not for long when we did.

Jordyn woke up to a mindlink from Jake. ‘Leon is ready for you.’ She was a little annoyed at the abrupt awakening, but knew it came with being Alpha, even if she just wanted to sleep in a little while longer. ‘He wants us all to have breakfast with him.’ ‘Fine, we will be down in a few minutes.’ She linked him back then turned over to wake Jayce up.

Elora released her hand from Caspian’s grip and immediately got out of it. Along the way, Elora thought about what had happened to her. For a moment, she knew she was saying something, but she couldn’t remember. It felt like something was taking control of her body. Or was it just a memory that popped up suddenly, and Elora said it unconsciously? Elora parked her car at a golf resort in the Jackson’s Point area about half an hour later. No sign of the Dreamcatcher crew here yet. Did Elora come too early? Elora took her cell phone from her bag and cursed as she read Javier’s message.

Liam The lake house is quiet. I stand on the porch, watching the sun rise over the water. The sky is the colour of a bruise – purple and gold and grey. The mist rises from the lake like smoke from a dying fire. Zoe is still asleep. She has not slept in days. Neither have I. The file is on the kitchen table. Every name. Every account. Every secret that has been festering in the dark for twenty years.

“You’re here. You’re finally here.” Elena’s fingers twitched in his grasp. Her eyelids fluttered, struggling to open. A faint glow of dark magic pulsed between them — Matteo’s essence, I realized with a sickening jolt. It was flowing into her, anchoring her soul to this newly awakened body. The realization snapped something inside me. “No!” I screamed, lunging forward despite my exhaustion. Silver energy coalesced into a blazing spear in my right hand. “You will not take him from me!”

Luca’s POV The lagoon is the color of pale jade this morning—soft, almost translucent, the way it looks when the sky is clear and the wind has slept all night. I wake before the others, as I have for the last few years. The bed is warm where Dante and Rocco still breathe slow and even beside me. Their hands rest across my chest like they’ve done every night since we were young men running from shadows. I don’t move yet. I listen.