In Another Time Read online

  In Another Time

  The Time Has Come

  Sage Young

  In Another Time

  BY

  SAGE YOUNG

  Published by Sage Young (Author)

  www.asksageyoung.com

  All rights reserved

  COPYRIGHT © 2017 BY SAGE YOUNG

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600, or on the web at www.copyright.com.

  DISCLAIMER

  Any application of the techniques, ideas, and suggestions in this document is at the reader's sole discretion and risk. The author of this document makes no warranty of any kind in regard to the content of this document, including, but not limited to, any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose. The author of this document is not liable or responsible to any person or entity for any errors contained in this document, or for any special, incidental, or consequential damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the information contained within.

  Created with Vellum

  DEDICATION

  This book is dedicated to family and friends who have been there for me over the last year. It was a very trying time and you all were there to support me and my writing, thank you all. A special thank you to my better half David, you are my rock. And to my readers who have been very patient as I work through the emotional rollercoaster that is my life.

  Acknowledgments

  I’d like to acknowledge my family members and special friends who gave endless support and multiple reads. You helped to make my dream a reality. I love you. Thank you so very much for your enthusiasm for my writing. Your exceptional feedback and editing skills have been invaluable.

  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

  ABOUT SAGE YOUNG

  Also by Sage Young

  Chapter 1

  1817 - Jasper Davenne

  Jasper walked into the large ballroom and his presence was felt instantly. At six feet four inches, he was taller than most of the men in the room. His dark wavy hair was in stark contrast to his beautiful sea green eyes. Every woman in the room took notice as he confidently maneuvered through the crowd, greeting guests. One guest, in particular, wanted to monopolize all of his attention, Mary Plauché, but he avoided her as he talked to other guests.

  He still felt irritated about the conversation he had with his parents earlier. The anger he felt towards them was as a result of an agreement to marry him off to Mary, in order to make the Davenne’s family bloodline the strongest of all the families. He cringed at the thought of marrying Mary but decided to put it aside tonight and enjoy the annual party that was now in full swing.

  Jasper had come home to Louisiana from London England, for the sole purpose of attending his parent’s annual soiree, the Sorcerers Ball. This Ball was the most anticipated party for Sorcerers. The goal of this yearly soiree was to welcome new sorcerers into the fold and give families a chance to meet and possibly pair with other sorcerers.

  Most Sorcerers only inherit one form of sorcery. In some rare occasions, they had the ability to access two types. Only on the rarest of circumstances would a sorcerer be able to access three forms of sorcery, and if two sorcerers, possessing three different kinds of sorcery, were able to join forces by marriage, they could create the ultimate power. It had only happened once before in the history of man.

  While Jasper possessed three forms of sorcery, he never cared for these types of functions and was definitely not interested in marriage, especially to Mary. The one thing Jasper did care about was his parents. His mother loved throwing these parties. His father always accommodated her and Jasper was expected to attend. His mother’s celebration was the most anticipated event and sorcerers traveled near and far to attend.

  Some Sorcerers came for the festivities and connections, but many came in search of the perfect mate with one or more of the major forms of sorcery. The hope was to find a mate with powers that differed from their own. Those in search of a mate were given a colored sash to correspond with their abilities.

  The blue sash stood for Alchemy, the ability to turn one thing into another. Attendees possessing Divination, the understanding of deeper truths, wore a yellow sash. The red sash meant Enchantment, being able to influence or control. One of the most sought after powers were Evocation, the capacity to Conjure and banish and they proudly wore the green sash. The black sash signified the power of Illusionism, allowing for the altering of perceptions. The white stood for Necromancy, for the ability to give and take a life. The ones wearing sashes were looking to strengthen their bloodline. Sorcerers without sashes usually had two or more powers and didn’t need to advertise. Jasper was the latter; he had the abilities of divination, enchantment, and necromancy.

  Many attendees were vying for Jasper’s attention. As he turned to face a gentleman trying to get his attention he saw her—the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She seemed to float down the spiral staircase. She held her beautiful yellow dress as she carefully walked down the seemingly unfamiliar stairs, carefully taking step after step while catching the eye of almost every man attending the celebration.

  When she reached the bottom, an older gentleman greeted her. Jasper forgot he was in the middle of a conversation when he began to walk over to meet the beautiful woman.

  “Jasper darling, it appears my drink is empty,” Mary said with a pouty face purposely blocking his path to the mystery woman. Mary Plauché was a strikingly beautiful woman in her own right. Her long red hair hung to her waist and her green eyes almost mirrored his.

  While she was beautiful and most men there would do anything to be with her, Jasper was not interested even though she possessed the other three major abilities, alchemy, evocation, and illusionism. Although she was powerful and beautiful, there was evilness that dwelled within her. Jasper was not interested in making a life commitment to someone like her.

  Mary tried to capture his attention as he looked over her head. He was promised to her and she was not going to allow another woman, especially a dark witch, to take his attention away from her. Like everyone else, Mary also noticed the woman walking down the stairs and her eyes instantly went to Jasper. Mary tried to contain her anger as she watched Jasper’s eyes fixate on the other woman.

  She would have used her powers to take care of this, but it was forbidden to use your abilities during this event. Mary had worked too hard to manipulate both families into creating their agreement of marriage and she was not going to let some dark-skinned foreigner destroy what she worked so hard to accomplish.

  Mary tapped her glass with her nail to refocus Jasper’s attention.

  Jasper looked at Mary's glass then back at the mystery woman. “I’m not going in that direction, but you’re free to help yourself,” he said as he tried to walk away.
/>   Mary continued to block his passage. “It would not be appropriate to fawn over another woman while your fiancée is in the same room,” she said with a faint smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

  Jasper’s jaw tightened as the wrinkle in his forehead protruded. “You are not my fiancée and our parents were premature in formulating that agreement,” he said in a low but stern tone. “Now if you will excuse me…” He then continued to walk in the direction of the woman who was no longer there. He searched feverously for her in the vast ballroom, to no avail. He then headed towards his mother and her friends.

  Mary followed Jasper, making sure she stood close enough to listen in.

  “Mother, do we have a house guest that I am unaware of?” Jasper whispered in his mother’s ear.

  His mother looked at him with amusement in her eyes. “I’m sorry dear, I forgot to tell you that your father invited a childhood friend and his children for the celebration. He has a daughter and a son. Poor fellow, his wife passed away a few years ago and now, his children travel with him and stay by his side. They’re afraid that they’ll lose him too,” his mother said looking concerned for the young woman and her brother. Her mood then seemed to change instantly. “Come,” she said as she began to walk. “I’ll introduce you to the daughter, the son is too young to attend the celebration,” she said as she walked out of the ballroom.

  Mary secretly fumed as she watched Jasper and his mother walk away. His attention should be focused on her only. He was the only one worthy of taking her hand in marriage and no one would ruin her plans.

  Chapter 2

  1817 - Clarissa Trudeau

  Clarissa took a deep breath of fresh air as she walked onto the terrace. She hated these types of affairs and only attended at her father’s urging. While she was probably wealthier than most of the attendees and possessed two abilities, she knew that most thought they were better than her because of her brown skin. She smiled as she thought of her brother and felt thankful that he looked more like their father and would not have to endure what she had to, her entire life.

  Clarissa’s mother was a princess from Africa who met and married her father within a month of meeting each other. Her father loved to tell the story of how he met and fell in love with her mother. He had always proclaimed that he fell in love her the moment he saw her. While his family tried to discourage him from marrying her, he knew she was his soulmate.

  Clarissa often fantasized about finding such love. Instead, she received constant stares and unwanted attention from men that always made her feel uncomfortable. And the women were just as mean, with their looks of disdain when she was in their presence. The thought of it caused anger to rise within her.

  Clarissa traveled with her father and brother to many places, but because of her darker skin, she never felt like she fit in. Many nights, she dreamt of living in a place where the color of her skin was not an issue or to find someone who would love her because of who she was, not because of the wealth she had to offer.

  Clarissa cleared her thoughts as she walked to the edge of the terrace and focused on the full moon. It was so bright and radiant that it lit up the night sky. She closed her eyes and took another deep breath when she heard footsteps behind her. The closeness of the steps startled her. She turned swiftly to see Mrs. Davenne and a handsome gentlemen standing in the doorway.

  Her heart began to skip several beats as she tried not to stare at him, instead focusing her attention on the mistress of the house. She had to admit, from the glances that she stole, she thought he was incredibly handsome. His dark, wavy hair fit his face perfectly as his light green eyes twinkled in the moonlit. She felt an instant attraction to him but figured he was probably not interested in someone like her, so she pushed the feeling away as she smiled.

  Jasper moved forward, so that he stood next to his mother. Standing by herself next to the balcony was the beautiful woman who he just saw walking down the stairs. He was speechless as she turned around to face them. She was more stunning close up as her brown skin glowed under the moonlight. Her big brown doe eyes were now lowered as she did not give him direct eye contact.

  Jasper’s mother smiled as she walked onto the terrace to meet Clarissa. Jasper followed closely behind. “I’m sorry dear, we didn’t mean to startle you,” she said with a smile.

  “It’s okay Mrs. Davenne, my thoughts were elsewhere, and I didn’t hear you approach.” She stepped closer to them.

  Her accent was like music to Jasper’s ears.

  “Miss Clarissa Trudeau, I would like to introduce my son, Jasper Davenne. I think it will be a good idea for you both to be acquainted considering it looks like the Trudeau family will be with us for a while,” she said then waved a hand in the air. “I will leave you two; I have guests that I am sure are looking for me.” She turned and retreated into the house.

  Jasper loved his mother’s free spirit; she did not care that this beautiful woman standing before him skin was darker than anyone attending the party, she felt more concerned with her guests connecting with compatible abilities and wanting everyone to have a good time.

  “It’s so nice to meet you, Miss Trudeau,” Jasper said as he extended his hand.

  “Please call me Clarissa,” she replied in her beautiful French accent. “It is also nice to meet you, Jasper.”

  He looked around then back at her. “May I ask why you’re out here alone?” he asked honestly.

  She gazed into his eyes and could see his honesty and in her soul she felt the genuineness in his question. “To be perfectly honest, I hate large celebrations. I am here because my father insisted,” she hesitated but then continued, “I’m tired of the way people stare when I enter a room. I am almost inevitably the darkest person in the room, other than the servants,” she said, sounding unsure as to why she was confiding in him. She lowered her eyes.

  Jasper could see the insecurity all over her face. “I’m not very fond of large parties myself. I’m only here because my parents expect me to attend.” He looked over at the bench nearby.

  “Come, let’s sit.” He motioned her towards it.

  She followed him, and they continued to talk and laugh for over an hour.

  As Clarissa and Jasper continued to share stories, he remembered that she never went into the ballroom. “There is an amazing selection of food and drink, would you like to go in, or I can get something for us to eat and drink?” She smiled at him, and his heart melted.

  “Yes, I would like something to drink,” she said as her eyes deepened in color.

  “Give me one second; I’ll be right back.” Jasper turned on his heels and walked quickly into the Grand Ballroom to retrieve two drinks and a plate of savouries.

  As he began to walk back to the terrace, Mary approached.

  “Where are you going, Jasper? We haven’t had a chance to talk all evening,” Mary stated while looking disappointed.

  Jasper did not answer, did not want her to know that he was on the terrace with Clarissa. The time he was spending with Clarissa was exclusive and private, he didn’t want to share it with anyone, especially Mary.

  When Jasper did not respond, Mary instantly looked down at the two glasses and a plate of food he was holding.

  He needed to get rid of her. “I’m having a conversation with a friend of the family, give me a few minutes, and I’ll find you when I’m done because we need to talk,” he said knowing that he would have to let her know, he had no intention of marrying her.

  Mary smiled brightly. “Of course, visit with your friend, and I’ll be waiting in the dining area, meet me there when you’re done.” She began to walk away but stopped and turned around.

  “Jasper, don’t be too long, you know I hate waiting,” she said with a smile.

  He did not return a smile to her; his only thoughts were of getting back to the terrace. Jasper refocused his attention on Clarissa as he returned to the terrace with food and drinks.

  Before walking outside, he looked behind him to make
sure he was not being followed before entering the terrace. He handed Clarissa a drink and offered her some food from the small plate.

  She bit into one and enjoyed it. “These hors-d'oeuvres are amazing,” she responded.

  He loved to hear her speak; the sound of her voice had a light sultry tone. “What did you call them?” he said as he looked down at the plate of food.

  She laughed lightly. “Where I come from, we call them hors-d'oeuvres.”

  “Hors-d'oeuvres,” he repeated as he bit into one of the delicate foods. “I want to know all about where you come from and why you have strange names for foods,” he said as they began to laugh.

  Clarissa focused on Jasper and smiled as she took a sip of her drink. After a few minutes, she began to open up to him about her entire life including when she first realized she had abilities. When she finished her story, she gazed directly into his eyes, “Okay, your turn,” she said as she took another sip of her drink.

  He happily obliged as he told her about his travels, business dealings, and life growing up in a huge castle. He also talked about his abilities and trying to balance them when around non-sorcerers. Their conversation flowed so smoothly; it felt like they had only spoken for a few minutes, but they were there over two hours.

  Mary showed up on the terrace and went into a fit of rage when she saw that he was talking to the woman from the staircase. “Jasper, you had me waiting over two hours for you,” she said as she a stared at Clarissa with disdain. “Who is this?” she spat.