Eleos (Book two in The Empaths series)

Chapter One

Authors Note - Hello my lovely readers! If you've completed The Empaths and have decided to keep on reading - welcome back and thank you for coming on this journey with me and my characters!! I do hope you enjoy this story as much as I'm enjoying writing it!! If you feel it's worth it, please drop a vote at the end of each chapter - I would really appreciate it, and please, feel free to comment along the way. I welcome all constructive feedback and I'd love love love to hear from you! :-D

Thank you again and happy reading! 

"The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are, and not be questioned." – Maya Angelou.

A warm breeze brushed across Lucy's face as she stood with her eyes closed, taking in the sounds and the smells of the world around her.

When she opened her eyes, a single tear slid down her cheek. She knew this place well. She had been here before, in her dreams. The only difference now was that her mother was not standing here with her.

The meadow was exactly as she remembered. Long, green grass, tickling her legs. Thousands of brilliantly coloured flowers, scattered across the open land. A forest of giant fig trees swayed peacefully in the wind; their graceful melody heard only in the song of the birds.

This place had been perfectly preserved. Kept alive in this world by its last and only living resident.

Smiling, Lucy turned to look back over her shoulder at a cottage, nestled snugly against the edge of a river, a trail of smoke issuing from its charming stone chimney.

Their first day in Eleos and already it was full of surprises. Lucy felt as though she'd barely had a moment to take it all in. She thought back to the moment they broke through – the gates bursting apart and crumbling into millions of pieces.

"What do you see, Lucy?" Riley had called to her.

"Home," she responded. "I see home."

Their families had erupted into cheers, laughing, crying and embracing one another.

Stepping through the broken-down gates, Lucy felt the rush of power run through her body, reacting to this new world, to her home. An overwhelming sense of love and joy like nothing she had ever experienced almost knocked her off her feet.

"Wait for us!" Her friends and family cried as they ran to catch up.

She listened to the sound of their laughter as they leapt over the old pieces of stone, crossing the border into Eleos and feeling their power grow.

"We did it," Rachel sobbed. "We actually did it."

They were standing on a wide, raised, stone platform surrounded by a wild and breathtaking forest- cut right through the middle by a bubbling river. Far off in the distance, mountains as tall as the sky stood like weathered old women, water cascading down their backs like long, billowing, white hair. Brilliant sunshine beamed down from above, slowly making its way across a bright, blue sky.

"It's still stunning," Scarlett whispered as she stepped up lightly beside Lucy, her cheeks glistening with tears.

Lucy wrapped her arm around her aunt and rested her head against Scarlett's. "It's more beautiful than I ever could have imagined," she whispered back.

"I thought it would all be gone," Eden spoke through choked sobs, her husband holding her tight. "I can't believe it."

"But how?" Poppy asked, open-mouthed. "How is this even possible?"