Excerpt of The Awakening by Mary Abshire

Silence passed between us. Jonas drove along the streets, turning every couple of miles. We were outside the city in a more suburban part of town. Still, nothing jogged my memory.

"I counted at least four breeds back at the dump," Jonas said, ending the silence. "Why would so many breeds meet in one place?"

"We need to check for any clan or council meetings when we get back. I don't recall one in this area, but it's worth investigating."

"Thirty, Boss? Wouldn't they just send one member from their clan?"

"What's a clan?" I asked.

"They're communities of breeds. Werewolves. Demons. Fae. Shifters. Warlocks ..."

More supernatural creatures in my strange world? Great. I should've known demons and vampires weren't the only freaks walking around.

"Any ideas who killed the people at the dump?" I asked as I leaned closer to the gap between the seats.

Boss twisted around and glared at me. "Maybe you did."

"You honestly don't believe she could have, do you?" Jonas questioned.

I stared at Boss with a relentless gaze. "I don't kill people. I know it in my heart. I didn't hurt any of them."

Boss turned away, and I leaned back against the seat.

"I don't have a clue who destroyed them. However, since there were multiple breeds, it could suggest more than one person was involved with her memory loss," Boss said.

"Do you think it could be someone powerful? An ancient perhaps?" Jonas asked.

"Maybe. Search the groups and find out who has gone missing from clans recently. Check for leaders who may have disappeared too. Their roles will have to be replaced by someone."

"Should I make a posting about her?"

"No. Someone else might be looking for her. I don't want to draw attention," Boss replied in a firm tone.

I drew in a hesitant breath. "What if I have family searching for me? Is there a way you can check?"

They both paused and glanced at each other. Surely, someone knew me. Family, a friend, or a boyfriend perhaps. Maybe they were trying to find me now.

"Search the databases for anyone missing with her description," Boss said.

"Shall I contact the council?" Jonas asked.

"Contact them. Let them know what we found at the dump, but leave her out of it."

Jonas glanced at Boss. "You...don't want me to mention anything about her?"

"Not yet. There's a reason she was left alive and I want to find out what it is."

Yeah, I did too. "What is the council?" I asked.

Jonas met my gaze in his mirror. "We work for an organization, and part of what we do is monitor activities over clans. We report our findings to the council within the organization."

"Were you monitoring activity at the dump?"

Boss looked at me from over his shoulder. "I sensed strong power coming from the dump. After we arrived, we found the bodies, and you."

I inhaled a deep breath and felt another tight cramp in my stomach. I glided my hand over my abdomen. Near my hip, a slight bulge in my skirt grabbed my attention. I slid my hand under my blouse and found a pocket with things in it.

I withdrew two small pieces of paper, and held them in my hand. Hello clues.