READ THE FIRST TWO CHAPTERS: To Reap the Spirit (Dead Dreamer Series, #3) by Sarah Lampkin
Updated: Oct 12, 2020
Thrice the Pain
Thrice the Dead
It Began with Three
Continue the story of Brenna Whit as she continues to fight against the Gatekeepers and uncovers the mysteries of the Fade in this, the third installment of Sarah Lampkin's Dead Dreamer trilogy.
To Reap the Spirit opens with a bang as Brenna encounters a malicious fae that kills an innocent man somehow has the ability to harm her. Take a glimpse into this harrowing encounter with this exclusive preview into the first two chapters below. To Reap the Spirit by Sarah Lampkin is out TUESDAY!
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CHAPTER ONE
We found you
-Guardians of the Keepers
The words echoed every day and every night. The Guardians were very specific in their message to me. They had found me. Only the Gatekeeper faction in Nephesburg had been searching for me, and
not for very long.
With questions lingering, I shouldn’t have been surprised that I had been discovered. I traced my fingers along the pentagram tattooed on my neck as my tongue ring clicked against my teeth. Last year I was reckless. I didn’t even hesitate to reveal myself. I wanted them to know it was me who was fighting back. Now what?
I theorized the letter had to have come from Lara’s father. Although she did her best to remain cryptic in her threats to me, she did reveal that her father was the leader of the entire cultic society. It was possible that her twin brother, Leon, had divulged the information. But considering his mental capacity, it didn’t seem likely—not to mention his inability to see clearly into the Fade. Leon could sense spirits and know their location, but he could not identify us individually.
My instincts told me it would have been smart to lay low and not reveal my presence to the world. But my gut told me it was impossible to fix their mistakes and stay hidden simultaneously. No matter what, they would have discovered who I was. It was only a matter of time.
When the letter fell into my lap that day, I immediately reached for the four-leaf clover in my pocket. To my dismay, it didn’t give me the comfort I was searching for. So, I glanced over to see Marie’s letter, waiting for me to open it. Wanting to get it over with, I tore the envelope open.
To my surprise, Marie’s letter was her explanation. Her reason for being a part of the Gatekeepers...everything. I was shocked to learn her mother was part of the faction. Not only that, but Marie admitted that she was sensitive to the Fade. Although she was unable to actually see spirits, she could still feel them. And she always felt me when I was around—outside of my body.
Marie wanted to know what being a Dead Dreamer meant. She wanted to get my perspective of the Fade and everything within it. Although her gift terrified her, she needed to know. So her idea was to request an on-campus apartment for our junior year, listing myself and Aeria as potential roommates. She listed one other girl whose name I recognized: Gwen. I was curious if it were the same girl I had seen around campus last year.
Having Marie in close proximity could work for my benefit. If she were telling the truth, it sounded as though she was uncomfortable with what the Gatekeepers were doing. But because her family was involved, she was involved. However, if she were still a member, I could squeeze information out of her.
“Are you sure you want to live in an apartment?” Dad asked, pulling me from my thoughts.
Dropping my hand from the tattoo, I forced a smile. “I think so. I know all of these girls, so at least it’s not with some random strangers.”
His eyebrow rose as he glanced quickly at Mom before looking at me. “That’s true. It’s just surprising. You went from trying to apply for a single dorm room to an apartment with three other girls.”
Since Sam was home for the weekend, she jumped to my defense at the dinner table. “Maybe she made some more friends. Shocking as that may be, it can happen.”
Ignoring her insult, I pushed the green beans on my plate with my fork. Sighing, I said, “It’ll be fine. Besides, with this apartment, we get our own bedrooms. And I’ll only be sharing a bathroom with four girls instead of an entire hall of them. That’s a huge plus.”
Mom nodded. “Those are nice things to have while in college, but are you sure you’ll get along fine with your roommates?”
I gently chewed on my tongue ring at the question. From my high school days, Mom knew I had a hard time making friends, let alone keeping them. “Even if we don’t get along, it’ll probably be fine.”
Taking a bit of his grease-soaked green beans, Dad nodded.
“She’ll be fine. Besides, with all of those animal attacks near your campus, I’d prefer it if you lived with as many people as possible.”
“Don’t walk around campus by yourself. It’s too dangerous. Even if it sounds ridiculous, drive to class. It’s not a long walk from the apartments, but it just isn’t safe,” Mom said in agreement.
Internally, I rolled my eyes. But it made sense for them to be worried.
Because I knew it wasn’t animals that were attacking people. What was interesting was that the attacks were now on the outskirts of town. They weren’t as close to campus as they used to be. That only meant one thing: there were sealed demon doors farther out than I had anticipated.
Before the silence at the table could linger any longer, my phone dinged with a new message. Sam noticed it immediately. “Who is it?”