Liberty Awakened - Isle of Fangs Book 1

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Liberty sat next to her mother in the airport. For the past week, they'd argued off and on, cried, and given one another the silent treatment. Nothing had really been resolved, other than Liberty had decided she had to go.  

"Are you sure? I wish I could convince you I'm not lying. These people are phonies." Her mother's teary voice was starting to wear on Liberty. At times, it made her feel guilty. Others, just annoyed. 

Liberty took her hand. "Mom, I love you more than anything. I know you only lied to protect me. That you're still not telling me the truth, because you don't want me to go." 

Danielle shook her head. "I'm so afraid for you, but I swear, I'm telling the truth." 

Liberty gritted her teeth and hissed out a breath. "Please. My flight leaves soon. Let's not spend these last minutes going over the same thing we've been over a hundred times." 

Her mother nodded, tears hovering in her brown eyes. 

Bottom line, nothing could stop Liberty from traveling to this mysterious, captivating place. Three of the people she trusted most had betrayed her-even though she was aware her mother did it for what she thought was best for Liberty. She couldn't breathe in her home town any longer. Besides...your destiny awaits...  

How could she resist a line like that? 

****

Liberty was so blown away by the beauty of the island, she didn't even care that much that she was homesick and terrified to meet this stranger who was supposedly her father.  

She pressed her face to the taxi window so she wouldn't miss a thing. The water of the South Pacific was a crystal clear blue-green. She could actually make out movement of fish below the surface when the taxi slowed to take a sharp turn. Tall slender palm trees bordered the road, stretching like ballerinas toward the vivid blue of the sky. It was late afternoon, and the sun shimmered like molten gold. 

She lifted the garland of pink-tipped petals to her nose, inhaling the fragrant scent of the plumeria lei a pretty Polynesian girl had placed around her neck when she stepped off the plane. She hadn't been here an hour and was already receiving the entire island experience. She would feel as though she'd landed in paradise if her reasons for coming were a little less troubling. 

Her mouth dropped open when they passed a row of huts suspended above the ocean on stilts. "What are those?" she blurted.  

"They're bungalows. The owners rent them out, mostly to tourists. Tourists eat that shit up." 

She'd almost forgotten about the cab driver-he'd introduced himself as Ryan Kelly-until he answered her. He was a few years older than she was and had dark hair and sort of squinty brown eyes that looked like he was smiling, even when he wasn't. He was Australian-or at least that's what his accent sounded like. He was pretty hot-she'd noticed him even before he offered her a ride. But once the scenery captivated her attention, even a sexy Australian guy faded into oblivion. 

"I bet they do. That's awesome." She craned her neck so she could keep looking at the bungalows until they were no longer in sight. 

"So how long are you here for?" Ryan asked. 

"I'm not sure. Probably a while."  

"Are you a friend of Victor Van Helsing?" 

He was looking at her intently in the rear view mirror. All she could see was his eyes, so she wasn't sure if he was smiling, but he was definitely being nosy.  

She considered how to answer, then settled on, "My parents knew him." 

There. Vague and somewhat honest. She wasn't about to share her life history with a stranger in a strange new place. Of course, everyone here was a stranger to her. Even her father.