Eyes of Light (Bending Willow Trilogy Book 1) Read online

  Contents

  Title Page

  License

  Acknowledgments

  Dedication

  PART ONE The Old Willow

  Chapter 1 Suvi

  Chapter 2 James

  Chapter 3 Suvi

  Chapter 4 Austan

  Chapter 5 James

  Chapter 6 Austan

  Chapter 7 James

  Chapter 8 Suvi

  Chapter 9 James

  Chapter 10 Suvi

  Chapter 11 James

  Chapter 12 Suvi

  Chapter 13 James

  PART TWO Tangled Webs

  Chapter 14 Suvi

  Chapter 15 James

  Chapter 16 Suvi

  Chapter 17 Austan

  Chapter 18 Suvi

  Chapter 19 Austan

  Chapter 20 Suvi

  Chapter 21 Austan

  Chapter 22 James

  Chapter 23 Suvi

  PART THREE Battle Wounds

  Chapter 24 Austan

  Chapter 25 Suvi

  Chapter 26 Austan

  Chapter 27 James

  Chapter 28 Suvi

  Chapter 29 Austan

  Chapter 30 James

  Chapter 31 Suvi

  PART FOUR The Fight

  Chapter 32 Suvi

  Chapter 33 James

  Chapter 34 Suvi

  Chapter 35 Austan

  Chapter 36 Suvi

  Chapter 37 James

  Chapter 38 Austan

  Chapter 39 James

  Chapter 40 Suvi

  Chapter 41 James

  PART FIVE Concealed Crown

  Chapter 42 James

  Chapter 43 Suvi

  Chapter 44 Austan

  Chapter 45 James

  Chapter 46 Suvi

  Chapter 47 James

  Chapter 48 Suvi

  Chapter 49 Austan

  Chapter 50 James

  Chapter 51 Suvi

  Chapter 52 James

  PART SIX Changing Hearts

  Chapter 53 Suvi

  Chapter 54 James

  Chapter 55 Suvi

  Chapter 56 James

  Chapter 57 Austan

  Chapter 58 James

  Chapter 59 Austan

  Chapter 60 Suvi

  Chapter 61 Austan

  Chapter 62 James

  Chapter 63 Austan

  PART SEVEN Damsels in Distress

  Chapter 64 James

  Chapter 65 Suvi

  Chapter 66 James

  Chapter 67 Austan

  Chapter 68 Suvi

  Chapter 69 James

  Chapter 70 Suvi

  Chapter 71 James

  Chapter 72 Suvi

  Chapter 73 James

  Chapter 74 Suvi

  Chapter 75 James

  Chapter 76 Austan

  PART EIGHT Royalty Reclaimed

  Chapter 77 Suvi

  Chapter 78 James

  Chapter 79 Suvi

  To My Readers

  Secret Keepers - Sneak Peek

  About the Author

  Eyes of Light

  Bending Willow Trilogy Vol. 1

  Charissa Stastny

  Kindle Edition

  © 2012 Charissa Stastny

  2016-3rd Edition

  All Rights Reserved

  Acknowledgments

  Thanks to all who made this book possible: my daughter, Kimberly, who read it first and laughed hysterically at a few cheesy parts I’ve since deleted because I didn’t want the whole world to mock me; my cousin, Tamie, who gave me the most thorough critique and made it easier to rewrite the story to be more believable and true to each character; my daughter, Christina, who redesigned my cover and made me the happiest writer alive; and all the readers of my first version who gave me valuable feedback to help polish this new edition. I give heartfelt gratitude to amazing teachers that helped develop my love for words, starting with Mrs. Meade in elementary school, Mrs. Rosch in junior high, Mrs. Barbara Smith in high school, David Ward in college, and a fun online creative writing professor, Lisa Hale, in recent years. The world needs more teachers like them.

  To Brian,

  the light in my life!

  PART ONE

  The Old Willow

  Notice that the stiffest tree is most easily cracked, while the…willow survives by bending with the wind.

  - Bruce Lee-

  Chapter 1

  Suvi

  Foggy mist swirled in eerie shapes beyond the fence, causing a shudder to creep up her spine. Suvi opened her book and concentrated on casting Ruben from her mind. He cast a gloomy shroud over every thought. Gathering her jacket around her neck, she peeked through wisps of willow to the gloomy forest in the distance before refocusing on her book. Maybe losing herself in the tragedies of favorite personalities from Les Miserables would vanquish her worry. There was the beautiful Fantine, whose short time spent in the arms of a lover doomed her; her child, Cosette, thrown like a bone to the wicked Thernardiers to gnaw on until Valjean rescued her; and Jean Valjean, whose small crime of stealing a loaf of bread to feed his family enslaved him. No matter how much good he did, his past, through the character, Javert, snapped at his heels. Suvi frowned, feeling a bond with him. Her history threatened her as well. How she wished she could meet someone as forgiving as the bishop in the story who would erase her vicious past and give her a new life…a new name…a way to forget.

  Shaking her head, she glanced up and studied a pair of wood ducks in the pond. This alcove in the far reaches of her aunt and uncle’s yard under an ancient willow had become her sanctuary. Here she could sneak out and relax on a boulder, catching glimpses of sky through leaves as she curled up with a book and ignored the cruel world.

  As a cool mist played upon her skin, she closed her eyes and reflected on how this place had become home. When she first arrived in the Seattle area four years ago, she had despised this cloud-covered, rainy metropolis. It was so different from her home in Haifa, Israel, where she’d lived for the previous 14 years with her father.

  She’d only been two when her parents divorced and her mother returned to America. Her father had been devoted to her, giving into her every whim except one—satisfying her curiosity about her mom. On that subject, he remained stubbornly silent. Over the years, she’d ignored her aching heart and squelched her desire for maternal knowledge out of respect for him.

  He repaid her thoughtfulness by abandoning her.

  A scowl marred her delicate features as she recalled boarding the plane in Tel Aviv with her father and flying to Paris four years ago. The memory still left her reeling with confusion and pain. He’d purchased that silly Eiffel Tower necklace in the Paris airport to appease her, but she flushed it down the airplane toilet an hour later, hating and blaming him for the path her life had taken.

  From Paris, they’d flown to New York City, and from there across the entire United States to Seattle, Washington, which seemed drab and dreary in comparison to her bright, sunny home in Haifa. Uncle David and Aunt Mari, her mother’s sister, lived in a secluded estate on the affluent Bainbridge Island, just across the sound from Seattle. When they arrived and Suvi found her room, she gave her dad a glare and escaped his presence. At that point, she hadn’t realized why he had brought her there.

  The next morning he was gone. He’d boarded a return flight as she slept, abandoning her so he could return home unencumbered by a troubled and rebellious teenage daughter.

  She should have been grateful. Hadn’t she screamed and told him dozens of times how much she hated him? Yet, his leaving left her heartsick.

  Suvi had displayed her sorrow by cursing hi
s name as she tore through luggage and destroyed all evidence of him—shredding photos of them smiling on a beach before he ruined everything, and tearing pages from books he’d given her. When her temper abated, she turned a sullen ear to her aunt’s vain consolation.

  “Oh, my dear,” Mari soothed, “don’t be angry. Your dad loves you more than life. Believe me. But he couldn’t bear to wake you to say goodbye. His poor heart was breaking.”

  “I hate him!”

  “Please understand. He’s doing this for you. He hopes things will be better here.”

  “Better for him maybe.” She’d known her aunt was only trying to placate her. Her father didn’t love her. How could he? She didn’t even love herself. He must be ecstatic to be rid of her and was probably picking up on some pretty airline attendant on his flight back to freedom.

  Flipping her hair behind her shoulder, Suvi slumped against her rock as thoughts held her hostage. Her dad’s absence hadn’t been her only surprise that long ago morning. Aunt Mari had led her into a spacious dining room with wood parquet floors to meet a girl with short pigtails, eating a bowl of Fruit Loops.

  “Suvi!” the girl exclaimed when she noticed her.

  As the chipper preteen skipped over and wrapped her chubby arms around her, Suvi recoiled and looked at her aunt for an explanation. She hadn’t thought her aunt and uncle had any children of their own.

  Aunt Mari blinked back tears and covered her mouth. “Oh, how I wish your mom was here to see this day. Suvi, this is Tamara,” she introduced the girl with a death grip around her middle. “She’s your sister.”

  A breeze rustled leaves and swept Suvi back into the confusion she’d felt upon discovering she wasn’t an only child. Why had her father kept such an earth shattering secret?

  Tamara had been in sixth grade; Suvi in eighth. Her sister peppered her with questions about Israel, her father, and what she liked to do. It’d been impossible to hate the bubbly child. Tamara’s enthusiasm actually helped ease the pain of her father’s desertion.

  Over the next week, Suvi slowly warmed to her newfound sister. She grudgingly told Tamara about their dad, and in return, Tam told her what she could remember of their mom, who’d died when she was five years old. Suvi devoured each of her sister’s descriptions, feasting on the knowledge her father had withheld. Her mom had loved flowers and been an avid reader; she’d loved to paint and had decorated Tamara’s room with colorful murals. She’d sung to Tamara and told stories as she tucked her in each night until a brain tumor claimed her. Suvi fell in love with the image of her mom that Tamara called forth and wondered why her father had kept them apart.

  Four years ago, she’d lost her father…but had gained a sister and friend.

  Tamara helped her through the next rough years. Being a foreigner from Israel with an accent and reddish hair had made Suvi stick out like a sore thumb at first. By high school, the oddness of her accent and manners faded, but she still stood out because of her curvy figure and porcelain doll features. Boys loved her; girls seemed to hate her.

  A strong gust of wind threw a temper with the drooping willow branches before fading to a whisper as it raced down the ravine. Suvi frowned as her thoughts circled back to her sister’s new boyfriend.

  Ruben Sanchez had moved here two weeks ago from Tacoma. The first day he sauntered into her AP English Lit class, she’d pegged him for a stupid gang-banger with his pierced ear, surly swagger, and muscles he liked to flex. He was crude and never read books the teacher assigned; he called out dumb answers in class, and flirted atrociously. Last week, to her dismay, he hooked up with Tamara.

  Suvi pushed a strand of hair over her ear. The last thing she wanted was for her sister to get hurt like her. But Tam had been fooled by Tall, Dark and Muscular. For the last week, Suvi had listened to her sighing tales of Ruben with disgust. Her sister thought him to be the most incredible guy ever, but Suvi figured she’d only fallen for him because he was a new face at school...and a senior. That was enough to put stars in any sophomore girl’s eyes.

  However, Suvi knew better.

  When Tam invited Ruben over to the house, Suvi had become alarmed when he flirted with her on the sly. She tried to broach the subject with her sister as tactfully as she could by telling her that Ruben was a jerk, but that upset her. Tam actually accused her of being jealous.

  She rolled her eyes. Ha! Tamara’s brown bobbed hair, freckled face and hazel eyes didn’t compare to her own unique features. Tam made up for what she lacked in beauty with her personality; everyone who knew Tam adored her witty charm. However, Ruben seemed more interested in Suvi’s looks and body than her sister’s fun-loving disposition. Suvi pursed her lips and stared up through feathery branches, wondering if Tamara would ever wise up to him.

  Just last night, Ruben had come onto her again as Tam ran upstairs for money. He’d had the nerve to check her out and raise an eyebrow. “Hey, gorgeous. How’s things goin’ with Austan? You ready for a real man yet.”

  She’d wanted to correct his poor grammar, but flipped him off instead. Why couldn’t Tamara see that he was a no-good loser?

  “Hey, get off my rock.”

  Suvi jumped as Austan’s teasing voice startled her from her musing. She straightened and watched his agile figure approach, dribbling a soccer ball at his feet. He wore a wide grin and his brown eyes laughed at her.

  Shaking her head, she muttered, “You scared me, you idiot.”

  He hopped onto the rock and took her hand. “Ah, you must love me. You didn’t call me a swear word.”

  She stifled a smile. “I wish you would stop sneaking up on me. I’m beginning to regret ever telling you about this place.” She looked in the direction of the house, hidden by giant hemlocks and maples. “No one saw you, did they?”

  “Of course not. I let myself in the back gate. Your uncle should keep it locked.” He waggled an eyebrow. “You never know what shady elements might sneak in unawares.”

  A thrill pulsed through her as he pecked her cheek and snatched the tattered copy of Les Miserables off her lap. “Seriously? You’re reading this relic again?”

  She tried to retrieve her precious book, but he stood and held it out of reach.

  “I like it,” she said, sticking her tongue out at him.

  Austan rifled through a few pages. “What kind of nerd are you? You have the whole book outlined in red like you’re going to be quizzed on it.”

  Once more, she tried to grab the book from him, but he dodged her and read an underlined passage in a high mocking tone.

  “One can no more prevent the mind from returning to an idea than the sea from returning to a shore. In the case of the sailor, this is called the tide; in the case of the guilty, it is called remorse. God upheaves the soul as well as the ocean.”

  “Give it back.”

  “There are other books, you know?”

  She folded her arms. “Yes, I know. I’ve read way more of them than you have.”

  His heavy lidded brown eyes seemed to caress her. She couldn’t hold back a grin as he leaned back and took her hand again. “You probably have. You’re quite nerdy that way.”

  “I’m not nerdy.”

  “Anyone who reads as much as you and gets perfect scores on their AP Calculus test their junior year is as nerdy as they come, babe. All you need are some taped up glasses and a pen hanging out your pocket and you could be poster queen for Nerds R Us.” He winked. “I know I’d pin you up on my wall.”

  She giggled as he moved in to nibble the ticklish spot near her ear. “Austan,” she squealed, squirming away from him. “Don’t.”

  “I’m going to kiss that nerdiness out of you,” he murmured into her neck.

  Escaping his grip, she punched his shoulder.

  “Owww!”

  She laughed and looked into his teasing eyes.

  “I signed you up for indoor, babe.”

  “Are you crazy? I told you no.”

  He draped an arm around her. “Trust me. I
know what I’m doing. You’ve improved a lot…plus I was short a player and desperate.”

  He snickered when she elbowed him and called him a jerk.

  Why was he so stubborn? For weeks, he’d begged her to join an indoor soccer league, but she’d adamantly refused. She’d only kicked a soccer ball for the first time a month ago. Austan had been working with her…but still, she wasn’t ready to play for real.

  He chortled. “You look funny when you act mad.”

  “I’m not acting. Sometimes I really hate you.” She pushed a wispy branch out of her way and stalked over to the pond.

  Austan caught up to her and linked hands. “You’ll be great. I promise. Now let’s play some ball. I have a new move I want to teach you.”

  “You always do. Well,” she sighed, a smile stealing across her face, “go on, Ronaldo. Wow me.”

  He tossed his soccer ball in the air, catching it on his foot and balancing it. “Ronaldo, huh? What happened to Beckham?”

  “I googled soccer players and thought Ronaldo looked way hotter than Beckham.”

  He spun the ball into the air with his toe. “He’s a pretty boy, all right, but also the biggest flopper in the world. That’s not me.”

  She laughed as he made a face. Austan might not flop around on a field like the Portuguese captain, Cristiano Ronaldo, but he definitely had a dreamy face and sexy body like the soccer superstar.

  Chapter 2

  James

  Sweat saturated his body as James traversed the muddy road with his mission companion. Even though it was November, he was dying. Having come from St. George, Utah, where temperatures over 100 degrees were the norm, he was used to heat. What he couldn’t get used to was the humidity here in Guatemala. It didn’t rain much compared to further inland, yet he never felt dry. When it did rain, it poured, cooling him off for a moment, but suffocating him the next with mugginess. Insects also tortured him. His white skin was to blame, he’d decided. His Latin companion, Elder Cinta from El Salvador, didn’t seem bothered by them.

  Kicking a pebble out of his way, he glanced back at tall coconut palms and large-leafed ceibas standing as sentinels above tin roof houses. In the 17 months he’d lived here, he hadn’t tired of the views. This country was so foreign from the red rocks and arid landscape of southern Utah. He’d never experienced thrills such as watching volcanoes erupt or seeing the earth move like a wave during a minor earthquake as he had in Guatemala. Of course, he didn’t laugh and act like a goofy fool anymore when pictures fell off walls or furniture rumbled across the floor. He’d met enough people and heard stories to understand the fear that gripped the locals when the earth trembled. Most knew someone who’d been buried alive in a falling building and had to be dug out.