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  THE GABRIELLE

  SERIES

  The Complete Gabrielle Series

  Copyright © 2015 Zachary Paul Chopchinski

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher, except where permitted by law. For information address Putrescent Oak Press

  4844 E. Michigan St.

  Orlando, FL 32812

  www.zachchop.com

  The Complete Gabrielle Series /Zachary P. Chopchinski—1st ed.

  Printed in the United States of America.

  October 2017

  Published by Putrescent Oak Press

  Orlando, FL.

  Edited by Plot2Published Editing

  Cover design by Deranged Doctors

  Author photo by Jessica Verge Photography

  Praise For

  The Gabrielle Series

  “One of the coolest things about this series is the writing style…it reads like the period it's set in and that feeling transports you as readily as if you had the ability to time travel yourself.

  —YA Book Madness Blog

  “Intriguing and refreshingly original!”

  —Harlow Kane, Home Is Where The Wine Is, Book Blog

  “There were multiple times I wanted to grab Zach by his (adorable) trademark bow tie and shake the living snot outta him!”

  —Jessica Jesinghaus, Author of Mirror Mirror and Fractured

  “One of the few series that I just didn't want to put down"

  —Amazon Reviewer

  Table of Contents

  The Curious Tale of Gabrielle

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  EPILOGUE

  Curiosity and The Hounds of Arawn

  PROLOGUE

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Curiosity and The

  Sentient’s Oblation

  PROLOGUE

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  EPILOGUE

  Curiosity and Arawn’s Penance

  PROLOGUE

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  The Curious Tale of Gabrielle

  A Gabrielle Novel: Book 1

  CHAPTER ONE

  Gabrielle sprinted down the cobblestone streets of Envisage with her hand clutched in a tight fist so as not to drop the birthday gift she had received from her father.

  The silver coin was smooth in her hand and she nervously rubbed it as she ran. A grin stretched across her young, freckle-spattered face as she kept pace toward her destination. She barely looked aside as she zipped through groups of passersby, almost knocking several over.

  Her long, curly red hair whipped around as she turned to yell apologies over her shoulder in afterthought. Any other day, this behavior would've been out of character for the reserved and quiet young lady, but this was no ordinary day. Fifteenth birthdays are rarely ordinary.

  Ever since their arrival just three months ago, Gabrielle had spent hour upon hour and day upon day exploring her new town. The twists and turns of the narrow streets, the rolling hills of cobblestone flanked with marble steps, and the warm doorways were quickly becoming familiar to her.

  When attempting to convince his young wife, to move to this quiet town, her father had said,

  “On the cobbled streets of Envisage, on a cool, sunny day, one could see the world, if one sought to do so. Envisage is a town that hasn’t been touched by time or burden. All there are happy and all are welcome.”

  This was met with a sigh from her mother, who thought of her husband as a dreamer. Gabrielle was much like her father, Peter Wright. Not only was she a dreamer, but with her pale complexion, green eyes, and fiery red hair, her mother often said she was the image of him.

  And like him, she was fascinated by this new place with its old streets, ancient buildings, and quiet residents. She missed her home in Texas, but moving to the North was a new adventure.

  Her unconfined, curious nature spurred her determination to explore every stone and corner of her new home without fear — except for one building. She couldn’t bring herself to enter the ancient-looking brick shop on the opposite side of town.

  Today, however, was different. Today she would explore the one hidden adventure she had yet to conquer.

  Gabrielle darted between two elderly women conversing about their day — which must not have been too important, as they stopped to yell at her when she inadvertently bumped one of them.

  As she rounded the corner of Bearing Avenue, the shop just at the end of the road came into view. With feet dancing side by side, arms rowing as though she were swimming through the air, and a firm clutch upon her father’s silver coin, Gabrielle mechanically worked her way to the shop.

  She came to a halt in the immense shadow of the grand building towering before her. She stood amidst the building’s entrance, studying the structure from the base of the entrance all the way to
the cracked shingles that hung from the edge of the roof, admiring its size.

  Frost crept around the edges of the large windows. A faint yellow light sifted its way through toys in the window. Gabrielle looked at a small wooden doll in fascination. It's painted on face had faded and one arm was missing. She thought about the little girl that once played with the doll and wondered what other mysteries she would find inside.

  The washed-out sign appeared just as aged as the shop’s contents with its missing lettering and worn paint. It failed to indicate what was sold inside.

  With the adrenaline subsided, the dull ache reemerged from her ankle, and the sting from her lungs swelled. Once the mystery from the shop was solved, there wouldn't be any more adventures in Envisage.

  “Collywobbles!” Gabrielle spoke from the side of her mouth to channel her father and work up the nerve to go inside. It was such a silly word, and she felt a bubble of laughter forming in her stomach.

  With a smirk in the same corner of her mouth as her father’s smirk, she took a deep breath and stepped closer to the door. Reaching out her empty hand, she grasped the large brass knob of the front entrance.

  CHAPTER TWO

  The door handle was warm, almost comforting in the cold autumn day. Its rugged patina and coarse appearance looked to be an illusion cradled in her palm. With another deep breath, she turned the knob, careful not to make a sound.

  The sensation was gritty, and it squealed like an old gate coming to life after months of not being used.

  The door isn’t locked; this must mean they’re open, Gabrielle thought as she put her right shoulder and all her weight against the thick ancient door.

  The door closed heavily behind her with little help, as if to insist the cold air was not welcome. Gabrielle panned her gaze from side to side, examining her new and fascinating surroundings and allowing her eyes to adjust to the faded light.

  Boxes of books filled the entrance and the walls were covered with pictures and shadowboxes.

  Relaxing her stance, Gabrielle took a deep breath and smiled. The room seemed so familiar, like she was coming home after being away for a long time.

  Like dipping her toe in cold water, Gabrielle pressed the ball of her foot on the wood floor ahead of her. To her shock, it didn't make a single groan or creak.

  She strained to hear any signs of life. Nothing. Focusing on the narrow walkway in front of her, Gabrielle stepped into the aisle that stretched out ahead of her and proceeded into the heart of the shop.

  The walkways were narrow, causing even a small girl like Gabrielle to feel claustrophobic as she turned her body sideways to avoid bumping any of the antiques.

  In some areas, the pathway was so small and cluttered she couldn’t see anything on either side of the row, only the staggering height of the items. In other areas, the higher items leaned over her head like they could fall at any moment.

  Each turn brought new curiosities as she ventured down the rows. There were gorgeous statues of women in robes, grand busts of men with funny hair, and beautiful old bureaus and cabinets, most of which — to her disappointment — were empty. She took in the fancy old paintings and elaborate vases; there seemed to be no end to the ancient treasures.

  Despite being careful to not hit or damage anything when she passed, she made a point of running her small, pale fingers over almost every item she could reach. She opened the cabinets, picked up the porcelain dolls, and even petted a stuffed mountain cat.

  Taking a pause and examining her fingers, Gabrielle’s brow furled as she found there was not a trace of dust. Allowing her eyes to drift around the room, she discovered there was not a single speck of dust anywhere. The place looked like it hadn’t seen a customer in years, yet it was immaculate. Someone had to be keeping it clean.

  “Hello? Is anyone there?” A wave of fear brushed over her along with the strange feeling that someone was watching her. She spun around in a circle, examining the surrounding items before she realized how silly she must look.

  She soon came to an opening in what was probably the middle of the shop. All the rows opened to this one area like streams that led to a lake. Gabrielle felt a pulse in the air around her as she stepped out from the cover of the aisle.

  There, in the center, was a circular walkway that spiraled around several large armoires and curiosities in the middle of the floor. As Gabrielle peered around the room, she considered how odd it was that in all her time spent wandering the antique labyrinth she hadn’t been approached by a salesperson.

  Unbeknownst to her, Gabrielle was no more alone than she was uninterested in everything she saw. In fact, she had been watched from the moment she set foot within the walls of the strange maze masked as an antique store.

  Two ancient, sharp green eyes had not lost sight of her as she wound through the aisles and wonders that filled the room. A grin appeared beneath the two old eyes every time the young girl opened a box or peered into a case.

  As Gabrielle circled, admiring the beautiful old pieces, she stopped in front of a small oak secretaire with the front drawer open. Examining it closer, she saw something glimmer in the dim light.

  With a cautious half step toward it, she pulled the drawer open. The desk was filled with old papers. The writing on most of them had faded, and the pages had turned a dark brown. In the dim light, they couldn’t have been read regardless.

  As she shuffled the papers around searching for whatever had glimmered in the light, she reached toward the back of the drawer and pulled out a small silver bracelet.

  Stepping back, she brought the bracelet closer to her eyes to examine it. The thin silver bangle reminded her of a warrior’s cuff more than anything else.

  There were ornate carvings and designs on it, but they didn't look like the modern bracelets she saw in the stores. These designs were crude like they were created long before machines. The bracelet had cuts and dents and

  the layer of tarnish on the bangle gave it the appearance that it could’ve been a hundred years old. As she turned it over in her hands, heat radiated from it as though it was just taken off by its owner and not sitting in the back of an old, dusty drawer.

  “Ah, so that’s where I left it. It’s been some time indeed since I saw it last.”

  Gasping, Gabrielle spun on her heels and fell on her backside, dropping her father’s silver coin.

  CHAPTER THREE

  The sharp clatter of the coin making its way across the hardwood raked through Gabrielle like nails on a chalkboard. Her eyes followed her father’s silver coin across the floor until if found a new home beyond the legs of an end table, lost from sight.

  With a grimace, Gabrielle lifted her right hand and peered down at the bangle, wondering why she was still holding it. Remembering the reason she fell, Gabrielle brought her gaze up and surveyed the room for the source of the voice that had startled her.

  A soft ruffling of fabric was followed by a tapping sound like someone taking a step toward her. Emerald green eyes propelled from the darkness and pierced through Gabrielle as if they were trying to read her soul.

  An old woman emerged from the shadows, smoothing out the invisible wrinkles of her black dress.

  A smile creased her wrinkle-free face, and Gabrielle thought to herself that the woman seemed to be both young and old simultaneously.

  “My dear, are you all right? That was a tough spill you took there. I didn’t mean to frighten you.” The woman’s voice was soft as she reached out a thin hand to help Gabrielle to her feet.

  She smelled of fresh flowers and tea, and even though this was a complete stranger, Gabrielle was overwhelmed with comfort.

  “I-I-I—” Gabrielle began but fell short, and the elderly woman hoisted her to her feet and brushed the dust from her dress with a smile.

  “Gabrielle, my dear, you must be more careful. You could have hit your head when you fell. In my old age, I don’t think I cou—”

  “Sorry,” Gabrielle interrupted, very much out of character. �
��I was just looking around!” Gabrielle fumbled with the edges of her dress, a nervous habit she picked up from her mother.

  “Wait,” Gabrielle’s eyes widened. “How do you know my name?”

  With a smirk, the old woman continued, “That’s all right, my dear. You’re always welcome in here, especially on a day as cold as this.”

  As Gabrielle examined the strange woman before her, trying to figure out if she could trust her or not, she noticed something odd. The old woman was wearing a long black dress like someone would wear to a funeral, but she was also wearing running shoes.

  “I’m fine, thank you,” Gabrielle’s replied just above a whisper. Though Gabrielle was eager to learn more about this woman who had so many curiosities and wore running shoes with a dress, her parents taught her never to talk to strangers.

  What seemed like hours passed before the old woman broke through the deafening stillness, having noticed Gabrielle staring at her shoes.

  “Do you like them, my dear? I suppose you’re thinking it’s strange that I wear tennis shoes with a dress.” The woman smirked and grabbed the skirt of her dress, twisting it in place as a young girl might do.

  “I always wear comfortable shoes for running. You never know when you may find that you need to run!” the old woman continued with a bellowing laugh. Gabrielle found this woman so strange, but she wanted to know more about her.

  I’m not in any danger; this woman is just an old, crazy hoarder.

  “Ah, but where are my manners? Please allow me to introduce myself. My name’s Alexandra. This is my shop and my home: Il Gabinetto di Curiosita. Welcome, Miss Gabrielle.”

  Puzzled, Gabrielle gazed into Alexandra’s eyes, searching for answers to questions she hadn’t even thought up yet.

  “How do you know who I am?” Gabrielle asked, her eyes never leaving Alexandra’s. Something about the woman’s gaze brought a strange calm as if she were in a waking dream.

  “Ah. Well, Miss Gabrielle, one does not reach my age, as subjective as that may be, and not learn a few things.” Alexandra gave a small wink as if she were giving away a secret. If this is an inside joke, I don't know the punch line.