The Collide Trilogy, Book Three
Ashley Stambaugh
New Adult Urban Fantasy/Suspense
Clean Reads
October 5, 2016
Amazon | B&N
You have to have the dark to see the light.
Over a month has gone by since Melina won her internal battle
between good and evil. She and the elders have been vigilantly waiting for
Maura and Adelia to enact their plan, but there have been no signs of them
anywhere. Then one day, Melina sees a Noxin demon lurking behind an old
building. As more and more demons start to appear around town, she begins to
worry that their plan may have already been put into play.
While Melina tries to figure out what the demons are up to, she
starts to notice a sudden increase in her negative emotions, which in turn seem
to be amplifying her powers. At first, she likes how strong it makes her feel.
But when she realizes that her newly acquired demon powers are the cause of her
sense of empowerment, she wants nothing to do with it. Even though she has
reversed her demon powers to do good, she still sees them as coming from an
evil source and fears that by using them the evil she fought so hard to
overcome will rise up in her again.
But as the demon activity increases, and the people in her town,
including all the people she cares about the most, start to display strange and
violent behavior, Melina finally understands that if she wants to stop the
demons and help her friends, she must embrace not only the good in her but also
the bad. Because the only way to truly empower herself is by finding a way to
use them together.
Excerpt
She
turned to look at the front of her store and saw that the huge front window had
been completely busted in, allowing the chilly winter air to blow right through
the room. The rest of the store wasn’t in any better shape. Broken glass,
splintered wood, and burnt, ripped up books and paper covered the entire floor.
She felt like she should be having déjà vu, seeing as how her store had been
destroyed by Noxin demons before, but there was a difference this time. She
didn’t have her friends to help her pick up the pieces.
Before she was able to get
teary-eyed again, she heard footsteps coming from behind her. She turned around
and saw that Walter was back, and he had Phinneas, Cecil, and Helene with him.
They all nodded at Henry, who nodded back at them, and then they all returned
their focus to Melina.
“Hi,” Melina said as she gave them
all a slightly confused look. “What are you all doing here?”
“I thought it was necessary to tell
them what’s happening with you,” Walter said.
Melina pulled her robe a little
tighter around her and turned her gaze down to the floor. She wondered if they
were disappointed in her for not telling any of them sooner.
“Melina,” Phinneas said as he took a
step toward her. “None of us blame you for feeling the way you do. The fear you
have of your anger and of your demon powers is completely valid. But it’s
nothing to be afraid of, or ashamed of. I’ve told you before, not everyone is
all good or all bad. We all have good and evil in us.”
“Yes,” Melina said as she nodded her
head. “I remember you saying that. But then you also said that we just have to
choose which one is going to win, and I chose good.”
“And I’m so glad you did,” Phinneas
said. “But just because you chose good and were able to reverse the demon
powers to use them for good, doesn’t mean that the bad aspects of the demon
powers aren’t still a part of you, too.”
“Melina,” Walter said as he took a
step toward her. “To truly embrace all of your powers, you must accept
not only the good aspects of them but also the bad. I can only imagine how
strong it must make you feel when your emotions amplify your powers, but
instead of fighting them and trying to stop them, feel all of those emotions
and use them in a good way. Use them to empower yourself.” He paused for effect
and then continued. “You have become a force to be reckoned with. You just need
to learn to accept them and then control them.”
Melina’s eyes were filled with tears
again. His words reminded her of what Lee had told her—that she needed to
accept all of herself. She knew they were both right, but she still couldn’t
let go of her hesitation and fear.
“But what if it makes me susceptible
to being taken over by evil again?” She bit down on her lip as she stared over
at Walter with eyes full of distress.
He gave her a reassuring smile. “I
know you’re scared, but I also think that you know, deep down, that you’re not
going to be taken over by evil again. This is just how the demon powers are
going to work in you. We all experience negative emotions, Melina. But it's
what we do after the emotions arise that matters. We can act upon those
negative feelings and let them control us, or we can feel them, acknowledge
them, but then choose not to act on them. And instead of letting them
control us, use them as motivation for something good.” He was silent for a
moment then said, “You have to have the dark to see the light.”
Melina sat quietly as his last words
sunk in. She had never thought of it that way, but he was right. She had both
light and dark in her, just like everyone else, but she just needed to make
sure that her light always shone brighter.
Get Book One for 99¢ thru Oct 31
About the Author
Ashley Stambaugh grew up in a small town in Illinois where she and
her two siblings created some of the best memories playing on their family’s
farm. She stayed in the southern region of the state to attend college where
she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree and also met her husband.
Now, she and her husband live in central Illinois and spend their
time creating new memories with their two rambunctious boys. She also enjoys
reading, taking long walks, and finding great bargains. When her sons are a
little bit older, she has a great desire to travel with her family. Oh, and she
also has a slight obsession with chocolate.
When she’s not busy chasing after her two young children or losing
herself in a good book, you can find her curled up on her couch with her
laptop, writing.
Social
media links
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Facebook author page: www.facebook.com/ashleystambaughauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ashleystambaugh
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