Courage (Mark of Nexus) Read online

  And that’s going to be my brother-in-law.

  Gabby snorted. “Twin’s got a screw loose.”

  “Sorry, prego,” he called over his shoulder. “I can’t be distracted by your flattery. I’m tryin’ to reel in a ginger.”

  Her brows knit. “How did you…?”

  “Don’t question it.”

  She shot him a look, but he remained oblivious, as usual.

  “I hate to be the buzz kill here,” Corynn cut in, taking a step toward us. “But do we have a solid plan yet? This student visa will only last me so long. I need to know what I’m doing.”

  Cole bunched his shoulders as he rejoined the group, his hands stuffed into his pockets. “I say infiltrate and detonate. Go, team, go.”

  “A direct assault won’t work with ERA.” She made a dismissive gesture, and then pointed behind her. “The Underground is a fortified labyrinth. You pose a threat, you don’t make it out alive.”

  Wallace’s expression hardened. “What about finding a weakness in the organization? If we can gain her trust—”

  “You think they got where they are by trusting people?” Corynn put her hands on her hips. “She and her husband have spent decades building this kingdom. He’s old money. Secret societies and shit. They’ve got connections all over.”

  Gabby scrunched up her nose. “You guys sure you want to get caught up in this?”

  “We don’t have a choice,” Wallace told her, leaning back against the house. “You’ve seen for yourself. Evil wins when good does nothing.”

  I reached over and squeezed his hand. He was right. We’d gone over these scenarios all weekend, and only one option had any merit—my latent Augari abilities. If Faye honed them, as promised, two important pieces of the puzzle would fit into place this summer.

  One, we could rest assured, knowing I wouldn’t accidentally overpower my fiancé. And two… “You know the best way to overthrow a kingdom like this, Corynn?”

  She raised one brow, and all eyes turned to me.

  I took a deep breath, lifted my chin, and uttered the three words I knew would christen our resistance. “Kill the queen.”

  ♥ ♥ ♥

  GLOSSARY - END OF BOOK 2

  Aiden Ross—modified human/SAGE; Rena and Gabby’s best friend; Josh’s former roommate; Wallace’s former suitemate

  André “Jinx” Jenkins—human; Maverick’s former roommate; Gabby’s fill-in date

  Augari—a bloodline of individuals who augment Dynari abilities; origin unknown

  Brittani Harcourt—human; Drew’s fiancée

  Clara Lawrence—Dynari; gifted with empathy and persuasion; Wallace and Cole’s grandmother; Faye’s sister; Elise's aunt; Gail’s great-aunt

  Clayhaven, Ohio—Rena’s rural hometown

  Cleveland, Ohio—the location of RSTL’s free clinic and ERA’s headquarters

  Corynn Catley—Nullari; former ERA intern

  Dan Lewis—human; security guard; a character we’re unlikely to see again

  Drew Collins—Augari; Glen and Judy’s son; Rena’s brother; Brittani’s fiancé

  Dynari—a bloodline of individuals with various supernatural abilities; origin unknown

  Edwin Lawrence—Dynari; gifted with power sensing and locating; Clara, Henry, and Faye’s father; Elise’s grandfather; Wallace, Cole, and Gail’s great-grandfather

  Elise Frasier—Dynari; gifted with microscopic manipulation and disease immunity; Gail’s mother; Faye’s daughter; Wallace and Cole’s cousin; Henry and Clara’s niece; Edwin’s granddaughter

  ERA—(Evolution Requires Action) Faye’s project to forcibly evolve humans

  Faye Tobler—Dynari; gifted with searing and rejuvenating smoke; Edwin’s daughter; Henry and Clara’s sister; Elise’s mother; Gail’s grandmother; Wallace and Cole’s great-aunt

  Foster Hall—the dormitory where Jinx and Corynn live

  Gabriela “Gabby” Hernandez—human; pregnant; Rena and Aiden’s best friend; Rena’s former roommate; Maverick’s fling

  Gail Frasier—Dynari; gifted with visions and mental manipulation; Elise’s daughter; Faye’s granddaughter; Clara and Henry’s great-niece; Wallace and Cole’s cousin; Edwin’s great-granddaughter; Maverick’s girlfriend

  Glen Collins—human; Judy’s husband; Rena and Drew’s father

  Henry Lawrence—Dynari; gifted with ailment sensing; Edwin’s son; Clara and Faye’s brother; Elise’s uncle; Wallace, Cole, and Gail’s great-uncle

  Jackie Simmons—Dynari; gifted with weather manipulation; belongs to a different branch of the bloodline

  (Johan) Maverick—human working for ERA; Gail’s boyfriend; Gabby’s fling; Jinx’s former roommate

  Josh Noll—human; Aiden’s former roommate; Wallace’s former suitemate

  Judy Collins—Augari; Glen’s wife; Rena and Drew’s mother

  Lexie Moretti—human; waitress at Sam’s Diner; Sam’s niece

  Mark of Nexus—a tattoo once thought to be legend, signifying the rarest and most powerful of alliances; a symbol of a Dynari and Augari’s bond

  Nicholas “Cole” Blake—Dynari; gifted with super speed and health regeneration; Wallace’s twin brother; Clara’s grandson; Faye and Henry’s great-nephew; Gail and Elise’s cousin; Edwin’s great-grandson

  Nullari—a bloodline of individuals who nullify Dynari abilities; origin unknown

  Pastor Mark—human; pastor of Campus Fellowship

  Rachel Ranford—human; Wallace and Rena’s friend; Cole’s newest conquest (or so he thinks)

  Reid Hall—the dormitory where Rena, Gabby, Aiden, Josh, and Wallace lived

  Rena Collins—heroine; Augari; Wallace’s fiancée; Glen and Judy’s daughter; Drew’s sister; Gabby and Aiden’s best friend; Gabby’s former roommate

  RSTL—(Rudolph Sebastian Tobler Laboratories) the pharmaceutical company where Faye, Elise, Gail, and Maverick work

  SAGE—(Somatically Advanced Genetic Experiments) a modified human

  Sam Moretti—human; owner of Sam’s Diner; Lexie’s uncle

  Scion, Ohio—Wallace’s suburban hometown

  Wallace Blake—hero; Dynari; gifted with super strength and empathy; Rena’s fiancé, Cole’s twin brother; Clara’s grandson; Faye and Henry’s great-nephew; Gail and Elise’s cousin; Edwin’s great-grandson; Aiden and Josh’s former suitemate

  Wilcox, Ohio—a small town in the snowbelt; home to Wilcox College

  EXTRA INFORMATION

  Series Order:

  Strength (Mark of Nexus #1)

  Courage (Mark of Nexus #2)

  Honesty: Cole's Story (Mark of Nexus #2.5)

  Loyalty (Mark of Nexus #3)

  Website:

  www.carrieabutler.com

  Writing Blog:

  www.soyoureawriter.blogspot.com

  Group Blog:

  www.naalley.com

  Twitter:

  @CarrieAButler

  Facebook:

  www.facebook.com/CarrieAButler

  Pinterest:

  www.pinterest.com/writer

  Goodreads:

  www.goodreads.com/CarrieAButler