Alia Rashad

At 6-years-old, Sela and her family were struck by a tragedy when her older brother went missing, and was said to have died in combat. Seven years later, Sela begins to suspect that not everything was as perfect as it seemed, and that something foul was at play. Sela, along with her loyal companions, decides to leave the village and embark on a long, perilous journey to find out what really happened to her brother all those years ago, with the use of a power she'd kept secret from all but her family her whole life: telepathic abilities, or as she calls them, her Mind Games.  On this journey, Sela faces terrible dangers and dark magic as she prepares to battle an enemy she did not expect, and uncovers a secret she did not foresee.

MIND GAMES

I could see the silhouette of our village on the horizon. My heart raced as the little huts and the long white beach grew nearer. Slowly, I turned to Karl and put my hand on his shoulder. "We're home." I whispered, a tear silently gliding down my cheek. 


Karl looked back at me and smiled sadly, looking at the village, which was getting closer and closer. 


"I can't believe I'm really back," Karl replied, his voice filled with awe, "After all this time, all those years of exile, I'm actually, finally back." 


"Mother and Henry are going to lose it when they see you," I said, grinning widely. 


"I don't even know what I'll say to them," Karl whispered, "Seven years… Everyone probably thinks I'm dead by now…" 


"They will know," I assured him, "They will realize that something's not right, that they've been lied to all these years." 


"I know," He replied, "We can beat him. You can beat him." 


CHAPTER 12: HOME AGAIN