Revival (The Variant Series, Book 1) Read online

  Revival

  THE VARIANT SERIES, BOOK 1

  by

  Jena Leigh

  Revival

  Copyright © 2012, Jena Leigh. All rights reserved.

  eBooks are not transferable. All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the author’s permission.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Dedication

  To Carrie.

  For her endless encouragement and her unfailing ability to distinguish apples from pears.

  You’re the best, ma’am.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  — 1 —

  “Alex? What in the world are you doing in there?”

  Alex Parker’s elbow collided with the dressing room wall, resulting in a loud thunk and a spike of pain that radiated through her forearm. She let out a grunt.

  A deceptively lightweight, three-quarter sleeve, eggplant sweater—the very latest in spring fashion according to her best friend Cassie—was currently holding her captive. The fabric had wrapped itself around her neck and shoulders in some strange, cloth imitation of an Amazonian anaconda. The more Alex struggled to pull it off, the tighter its hold became.

  She craned her neck from side to side, hoping to wiggle her head free from the material. No such luck.

  This was why Alex didn’t do shopping.

  This. Right here.

  Alex stopped struggling and let out a sigh of defeat.

  “Cassie?” She turned toward the curtain. At least, she thought she was facing the curtain. The world around her was being filtered through midnight-colored cashmere.

  “Yes?”

  “… Help?”

  Curtain hooks scraped across a dingy metal rod as Cassie pulled aside the canvas partition and slipped inside the tiny dressing room.

  “What in the…” Cassie mumbled. “How did you even…?”

  Alex could feel a gentle tugging at the fabric and tried to hold still as Cassie worked the material loose.

  “Scratch that,” said Cassie, pulling the sweater off of Alex with one final yank. Her expression was wry. “I don’t want to know.”

  A wayward lock of hair fell into Alex’s line of sight and she blew it out of the way. Sweeping her noncompliant curls back up and into a ponytail, she tugged her muted gray tank top back into place.

  With a sigh, Cassie tossed her the man-eating sweater. “So much for bringing a little color back into your wardrobe.” She frowned at the purple material as Alex worked it back onto the hanger. “I understand your desire to be invisible, Lexie, but a little color never hurt anyone.”

  Cassie’s original suggestion had been a pink and white RVCA dress that cost a fortune and barely made it past Alex’s hips. The sweater had been a compromise.

  It’s not that Alex particularly liked the dark colored shirts and jeans that had overtaken her closet in the last few months. They just seemed safer. Less likely to attract attention.

  “Have I earned my lunch yet?” Alex asked, daring to sound hopeful.

  Four months ago, a day of surf, sun and shopping at the boardwalk with her best friend would have sounded like the perfect way to spend the first day of spring break. Now it was just another cruel reminder of how much things had changed.

  “Alright,” said Cassie. “Enough outlet shopping for one morning. When the clothes start fighting back, it’s definitely time for a lunch break.”

  Relieved, Alex reached for her messenger bag and made her escape from the dressing room.

  “Pizza?” Cassie asked, working her way toward the register. Alex trailed a few steps behind her, eyeing a lime-green bikini hanging on one of the mannequins. Her hand traced the three-inch scar that marred her right side.

  If only.

  “I was thinking seafood.” Alex tore her gaze away from the tiny swatches of fabric. “What do you think? In the mood for lunch at The Mainsail?”

  Cassie’s march to the checkout had come to an abrupt halt. She now stood stock-still in the middle of the aisle, staring openly at a guy perusing the men’s section on the opposite side of the store.

  “Hello, gorgeous!” Cassie said under her breath. She snagged Alex by the arm and spun her around so that they were facing each other. “Lexie my love, I think I’ve found your rebound man.”

  Alex fought back the urge to roll her eyes. The grimace, however, wasn’t about to be contained.

  This made the third rebound man Cassie had picked out for her today and it was only lunchtime.

  “I don’t need a rebound man, Cass.”

  “It’s been four months!”

  “And?”

  “And you need to get back in the game! A little bit of romance is exactly what you need to get you out of this ridiculous funk that you’ve been in.”

  “I’m not in a funk!”

  Okay, so she’d been single for a while now and things hadn’t exactly been going her way in the love department. Or, for that matter, in any department.

  That didn’t mean she was depressed.

  “I’m not exactly prime dating material right now, Cassie,” she continued. “Or have you forgotten about my little affliction?”

  Little affliction was putting it kindly. Alex usually referred to it as her one-way ticket to life in a traveling freak show.

  Cassie huffed. “Would you at least look at the fine specimen of masculinity I’ve picked out for you before you start in on all the reasons why it won’t work?”

  Resigned, Alex glanced over her shoulder at the guy in question.

  And, okay, wow.

  There was no questioning Cassie’s taste.

  He was tall, with tousled dirty blonde hair, a couple days worth of stubble, and the most beautiful hazel eyes Alex had ever seen. The gray military-style jacket, dark jeans and motorcycle boots were a bit unwarranted given the 80-degree weather on the beach today, but the look definitely worked for him.

  It obviously worked for Cassie, who couldn’t stop stealing glances at him from over her shoulder.

  He was certainly interesting. And maybe Cassie was right. Maybe interesting was what she needed right now.

  Seeming to sense that he was being observed, he glanced up from the t-shirt he’d been inspecting, fixed his gaze directly on Alex… and smirked.

  “Ack, crap!” Alex whipped back around to face Cassie before he could see the blush creeping into her cheeks. Nothing like getting caught staring to start the blood pumping.

  Alex took a deep breath and worked to calm her nerves. She could feel a charge b
uilding in the air around her and knew that she needed to relax before it built into something more destructive.

  “Well that was embarrassing,” Alex mumbled.

  Cassie didn’t respond. Her attention was fixed on something behind Alex, near the front of the store—something that had caused her eyes to narrow and had twisted the corners of her mouth into an angry scowl.

  Before she could locate the source of her friend’s aggravation, a heavy hand came to rest on Alex’s shoulder.

  “Lexie,” said a familiar voice.

  Alex couldn’t help it… She jumped.

  The tingle of static electricity that had begun seeping into the air of the shop a moment earlier rose quickly to a crescendo.

  No stopping it now.

  Alex cringed.

  Two computers at the register kiosk shorted out with a fizzle and a pop. Alex listened to the salesperson cursing behind her as he attempted to resurrect the fried machines.

  Perfect.

  Alex turned around.

  Her ex-boyfriend, Connor, was staring down at her with an apologetic expression. His gaze traveled between the register and Alex.

  He, of all people, knew better than to sneak up on her like that.

  She risked a glance toward the guy in the military jacket just as the bell attached to the shop’s front door chimed. Her mystery man was already making his way out and onto the boardwalk.

  Great. Well, so much for that.

  Could this morning get any worse?

  Connor’s hand still gripped her shoulder. The heat radiating from his palm had her remembering a time when his touch hadn’t been quite so unwelcome.

  “Connor.” Alex did her best to mimic Cassie’s scowl. “Where’s Jessica?”

  He winced and had the good sense to look abashed.

  As if the mere mention of her arch-nemesis was enough to summon the creature out of the darkness from whence it came, the long-legged, bleached-blonde bombshell sashayed through the front door of the shop. Her bright green eyes locked on the two of them.

  Alex wished she were somewhere else. Anywhere else.

  “We need to talk,” Connor said to her quietly.

  She held tight to her anger and ignored the charge that was once again building in the air. Nothing left to fry… Except maybe the cell phone Connor carried in his pocket. The thought of it going nuclear while still trapped in his shorts almost made her smile.

  Almost.

  Alex sighed. Connor was a jerk. But even he didn’t deserve that. She took another deep breath to calm herself and the static in the air began to dissipate.

  “Please, Lexie…”

  Those big brown eyes of his were not going to suck her in again. He was a jerk. And he certainly didn’t deserve her pity.

  Even if he did somewhat resemble a kicked puppy.

  He took hold of both her shoulders then, and she was loathe to discover that his grip was still as warm and reassuring as it had been back when they were still together.

  “What do you want?” asked Cassie, her voice dripping with venom on Alex’s behalf.

  Still unsure of what to say to him, Alex stole a moment to look him over while Cassie had him distracted.

  He definitely hadn’t waited until spring break to get to work on that tan. And judging from the wet sheen of his jet-black hair, he’d just come from the shore. He’d spent the morning surfing with Jeff and Tyler, no doubt. She tried not to picture the rock hard abs and perfectly toned shoulder muscles lurking beneath Connor’s black t-shirt.

  She tried. And she failed miserably.

  What was it about exes? Why were they always twice as attractive after a break-up?

  Meanwhile, after her run in with the wrap-sweater-of-doom, Alex’s frizzy curls and flushed expression probably had her looking like she’d just finished the Boston marathon on a humid day.

  How was that fair?

  “Please, Alex,” he was saying. “I’ve got to talk to you. Just five minutes… Please.”

  Alex could feel her resolve cracking around the edges.

  What was wrong with her?

  Before she could figure out the reason behind the traitorous emotions, Jessica’s shrill voice cut the air like a knife.

  “Connor! There you are!”

  Connor dropped his hands from Alex’s shoulders.

  That did it. The inexplicable urge to forgive him evaporated as quickly as it had appeared. Her determination suddenly restored, she gave a nod in the direction of the irate girl stalking toward them.

  “If you want someone to talk to, I’d try your girlfriend,” she said.

  “But, Lexie—”

  “Sorry, Connor.” Cassie dropped her would-be purchases onto a nearby display and grabbed Alex by the wrist. “You lost that right when you made the exceptionally bad decision to cheat on my girl here. So you can take whatever it was you wanted to say to her and shove it up your ass. She’s not interested.”

  Alex turned on her heel and followed Cassie out of the store. As they emerged into the bright sunshine of the boardwalk, Alex let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.

  “Ugh!” Cassie led the way down the promenade at a steady clip, her blonde hair whipping around in the breeze. “The nerve of that guy!”

  Alex sucked in a deep breath of the warm salty air, grateful to be walking out onto the pier and away from any more electronic equipment. The last thing she needed right now was to accidentally barbecue another computer.

  She sighed. So much for a peaceful start to their vacation.

  — 2 —

  It hadn’t always been like this.

  Alex hadn’t always possessed the freakish ability to fry a television set from twenty paces. She had been normal once. Just like Cassie. Just like Connor.

  Four months ago she had been relatively popular, making straight A’s, and had her sights set on an Ivy League college. Alex had also been the envy of every girl in their junior class—she’d been dating senior-class hottie, Connor Talbot.

  Her life had been picture perfect.

  And then one day, out of nowhere, Connor went and broke her heart… and everything had changed.

  Alex had since realized that most major, life-altering changes came in one of two varieties.

  The first was the kind of change that you saw coming.

  Take Alex’s beat-up Jeep Wrangler, for example.

  It had taken two summer jobs and months of saving, but three weeks after her sixteenth birthday, Alex had finally pulled together enough cash to afford a new car.

  Well… New-ish, anyway.

  “Dear God,” Connor had said. “You’re not serious about buying this thing, are you, babe? This is a joke, right? You’re joking.”

  “I’ve got to hand it to you, Alex,” Cassie had said. “That is one Grade-A, top-of-the-line, heap you’ve picked out for yourself.”

  “It’s a bucket of rust, Lee-Lee,” her Aunt Cil had argued with a sigh. “Surely we can find you something more suitable than that.”

  It had taken Alex less than thirty seconds to fall in love with that Jeep. And in less than a heartbeat, her boyfriend, her aunt, and her best friend had all ruled it out.

  Undeterred, Alex began listing what she saw as the Jeep’s selling points, ticking them off on her fingers as she went.

  It was jet black (if you overlooked the reddish-brown accents of the slowly oxidizing framework), it had air conditioning (a must if you didn’t want to die of heat stroke during the dog-days of a Florida summer), there was a soft-top that could easily be rolled up on sunny days (it was basically the convertible that she and Cassie had always wanted—only, you know… not), and it got excellent gas mileage for a Jeep its age (which is to say, she’d be able to afford the gas—provided she never had to drive it anywhere that was farther than ten miles away).

  It was perfect.

  And besides that, it was the only car on the lot that was even remotely in her price-range.

  “Are you offering to h
elp pay for a better car, Aunt Cil?” Alex had asked.

  She and her aunt had been over this. Aunt Cil wanted Alex to earn her first car and pay for it with her own money—and Alex would never have dreamed of asking her aunt for the cash, anyway.

  “…No.”

  “Then the rust bucket it is!” Smiling, Alex had turned toward the nearest salesman—a smallish man who smelled vaguely of onions and was wearing a rather unfortunate toupee—and started the negotiations.

  The instant Leo down at Vinny’s Auto World dropped that jangling set of keys into her outstretched palm, Alex had known her life would never be the same again.

  But that had been the point.

  That change was one that she’d worked very hard, over the course of many months, to achieve.

  The second variety of life-altering changes, she’d learned, were the ones that struck you like a bolt from the blue, usually turning your life upside-down in the process.

  Only twice in sixteen years had Alex experienced that sort of upheaval.

  The first had happened when she was four.

  The second had taken place exactly four months, three weeks and one day ago.

  * * *

  It happened on a Tuesday.

  Alex and Cassie had been stuck in the computer lab since school let out, working on a PowerPoint presentation for their economics class. The computer science teacher, Mr. Hanson, had gone home an hour earlier, leaving them alone in the lab to finish their report.

  At least they were alone… until the door opened and a couple of students came stumbling though.

  Alex had been standing by the printer, copies of their PowerPoint slides still warm in her hands, when she noticed them—a rather familiar looking couple, six feet away and frenching the life out of each other. His arms were wrapped tightly around her waist and her mouth seemed to have been permanently adhered to his.

  A full five seconds passed before her brain managed to process what it was she was seeing.

  Jessica and Conner had slipped into the computer lab, assuming it was empty, and were well on their way into a serious make-out session.