Slipped Vison (Sapphire Wings Book IV)
Slipped Vision
****Book 4 of the Sapphire Wings Series**** Two years after the events of Sapphire Flame, Yuki Renaldi has moved out on his own. Still living with deep regrets over the past, he wishes to remain aloof towards others in order to protect them from the dark power called Nightmare that often attempts to consume him. However, his life is forever changed when he meets Peyton Martell, a runaway Nephilim from another of the families. Gorgeous and charming, Peyton draws Yuki to him like a moth to a flame, pulling him into a whirlwind romance. But Peyton's rash actions, along with his strange and dangerous heritage, may be hiding a dark secret, one that could tear him and Yuki apart forever. Does Peyton truly love Yuki, or is he using him to escape his own pain? **Available on Inkitt**
Excerpt
At that, I decided to ask him a few questions. Maybe now I could find out how he’d gotten there and what he’d been up to. “How’d you manage to get here without them finding out before now? No one’s elaborated on it, and I’ve been curious.” “It was a last-minute thing. I didn’t want to stay in England, so I bought a plane ticket and came over here to check out the states for a while.” Peyton responded. I had to admit that I was impressed at this impulsiveness that he apparently had. But thinking about that, I realized that this might be the time to find out why he’d done all of this too. “Makes sense I guess, though I’m gonna say that you’re extremely lucky to even find a place to stay around here right now. But why suddenly decide to do this? Was it that bad back in England?” Peyton looked down, and I could tell that he was hesitating, though he did answer me. “It was more like an escape for a while. I guess you know some things about me, right?” “Yeah, they told me that you’re mixed with a Lamia and my sister said that it was really bad circumstances.” “It was,” Peyton confirmed, “I was born because my father raped my mother.” Now I was shocked. I couldn’t believe that such a thing had happened. “Not to sound awful or anything, but how does that even happen? I mean, your mother’s a Nephilim, isn't she?” I managed. Peyton nodded, “Yes, Kira’s a Nephilim and she has her wings, but my father suddenly attacked her one night when she was alone, and she couldn’t defend herself against him. Kinsley’s been after him with my uncle and cousins ever since, but he ran back to the other side of the Veil and hid in the oceans there, so they’ve never been able to kill him.” he explained. “I get that. It’s not like any of us could search the oceans on that side. It would probably get them killed.” I could imagine the things that lived in that water on the other side of the Veil. They were probably ten times worse than anything I could create. “But you know, I’m nothing like him either. They all know that too. At least for the most part. Sometimes the twins get worried because I can do some of the stuff that the Lamias can. But I’d never hurt anyone. It’s just part of who I am that I can do those things.” Peyton went on. “I get that, and I believe you. You definitely don’t strike me as the type to want to hurt anyone.” Peyton sighed, sitting back a little. “I’m really not. I did want to thank you for all of this too. I appreciate that you’re letting me stay here.” “Don’t worry about it. It’s just me here, so it wouldn’t be too bad to have company at times.” I really did mean that when I said it to him, even though a piece of me felt like I was also making exceptions for him. It wasn’t that I particularly disliked others. I just didn’t let anyone get too close. Even my father and sister were kept at arm’s length at times when I felt like I was unstable. That was part of the reason that I’d never invited Hayden to stay here with me for a weekend. Even if I was okay when she came, I worried about whether I would feel the darkness trying to coil up again. While a tiny piece of me was concerned about Peyton with that, I also felt like he stood more of a chance in defending himself. But just in case, I did decide to mention all of this to him later that night. “You really do have that Nightmare ability?” Peyton asked as the two of us sat out on the balcony swing. We were enjoying the cool ocean breeze that had picked up. It was a welcome relief from the oppressive summer heat. “That’s what Malakai called it,” I replied, “How did you hear about it?” “Kinsley told me about it once. He did it because I was feeling so down about some of the things I could do, and he said that I wasn’t the only one with abilities that were darker. But it sounds frightening. Are you sure you’re okay with it?” “I manage it, but it can be hard at times. That’s part of what I wanted to warn you about. Sometimes it manages to get out a little and things might appear.” Peyton didn’t seem scared, “That’s all right. I can handle that if it happens and maybe I can help you call it back.” he offered. “Maybe, but you should still play it safe if anything happens. Harming whatever comes up won’t hurt me, so feel free to do it if you need to.” I told him. “Okay.” Peyton agreed, looking back out towards the ocean. He seemed at ease, even with what I’d told him. I wasn’t sure of what to make of that. Was he really this brave or was he underestimating what I was telling him? I had to ask him about it, “So you’re really not worried about any of this?” “Not at all. You forget what I am. I’ve faced down a few things too.” Peyton replied. I returned his smile, “Yeah, I guess you probably have.” Peyton stood up and leaned on the railing so that he could look down at the traffic. “This place is always so busy. I couldn’t believe it when I got here. Where I came from is nothing like this.” he went on. I noted that he’d effectively changed the subject, but decided to go ahead and bite. It wasn’t like I wanted to talk that much about Nightmare. It might stir up trouble. “You said that earlier. What was it like? I haven’t been out of the States yet.” I got up and stood beside him. The traffic on the road below was again gridlocked both ways. But it was nine at night and people were both going out and coming in for the nightlife. Like I said, this is a city that really doesn’t sleep. “I guess you could say that it was pretty quiet most of the time. I came from a small fishing village right off of the ocean called Polperro. I’d been to other places around Great Britain before, and I’ve even been to London a few times, but I really liked it there. I guess it was easier for me to be by the ocean. But this is nice too. It’s busy, but I do feel at ease here.” Peyton explained. I listened to him as I watched the traffic, taking in what he said. No, I hadn’t heard of Polperro before. I made a mental note to look it up later. Maybe it would help me learn more about Peyton. “Sounds interesting. Maybe I can see it some time.” “Really? I’d love to show it to you if we ever have the chance.” “Maybe one day you can.” I actually did mean that, even if I had no clue of when I’d be able to do it. As strange as it sounds, I was feeling pretty good standing there with him like this. It was nice to talk to someone so freely outside of my family, and I had the distinct feeling that Peyton and I had a lot in common. Maybe more than I was anticipating. “You know Yuki, I hope that Kinsley will let me stay longer. I wanted to get to know you too.” Peyton spoke up. “Why’s that?” I didn’t really get that one. Why would anyone want to know me? Peyton leaned back a little, holding onto the railing, “I know it sounds weird, but ever since Kinsley told me a little bit about you, I’ve felt like I needed to meet you. I really didn’t know that you were living around here though. He told me that you lived in Virginia.” “I did for a while with my dad and sister, but I moved here last year.” “I see,” Peyton nodded, “But I’m still glad that I’ve gotten a chance to meet you, even if it wasn’t for the best of reasons. Maybe we can get to know each other better if Kinsley lets me stay.” At the time, I couldn’t deny that I wanted the same thing. I wanted to know Peyton, no matter how strange some of this sounded. He was a lot like me; different from everyone else, even our own families. What I wasn’t counting on was just how much this would affect both of us, and how his wanting to meet me was more fateful than either of us could have ever imagined.
