Mind Over Magical Matters: Paranormal women's Fiction (Midlife Witchery Book 2)

by Brenda Trim

  They each had a bow stung across their shoulder with a quiver of arrows over one side. Two had long hair with the front braided out of their eyes and gave me a perfect view of their pointed ears while the third had short hair that was long on the top and falling over his forehead.

  They had to be some of the evil King’s soldiers. And they were checking out the dead Fae. I covered my mouth with my hand and took shallow breaths. Last thing I needed was for them to hear me as I whimpered and fought the urge to run.

  I needed to get home. Ben and Bailey were missing and there was a sadistic killer hunting innocent Fae. I came through the portal here, so it made sense that this was where I would find it to return home.

  Lowering myself to the ground, I used the tall shrubs to help hide my location. I scanned the entire clearing, looking for any indication the passage was there. There had to be something like a shimmer in the air.

  One of the Fae said something in that foreign language I didn’t understand. Whatever he said sent my magic tingling and bubbling up from my chest. I shook my palms when they started itching and sparks flew from my fingertips. Not now.

  My pleas seemed to go unanswered, so I forced myself to take deep breaths and slow my racing heart. If I didn’t get this shit to stop, I would be discovered, and God only knew what would happen then.

  Dark green light surrounded the dead Fae. Two of the Fae there turned the body while the third scanned the tree line. Instinctively, I ducked while whispering a spell to hide me. It was the first time my magic reacted without me prompting it. I felt the power coursing through me. For a split second the sparks were back.

  Fear kicked in when his head shifted my way and the magic in my hands vanished before it was seen. I flattened myself on the ground and watched the Fae from there. Few looked up or down when searching for danger, so I hoped my position provided enough cover.

  The one that was scanning the trees shifted positions and bent to the ground a couple feet from the body. He called out to his cohorts and pointed at something on the grass. I couldn’t see anything from my position, but I was guessing it couldn’t be good.

  For a second I wondered if it was the portal. Like I said not many looked up or down. Unwilling to risk being seen, I closed my eyes and opened my senses. Surely, I would recognize the elements of home if they were present.

  Something tickled my senses, but it disappeared before I could grasp if it was the portal or not. The energy from Earth was there. I was sure of it, but I couldn’t quite grasp hold of it. As the Guardian, I should be connected to the damn thing. I couldn’t stay here in Eidothea. Violet and Ben and Bailey needed me. So did Grams and Sebastian.

  The ground beneath me vibrated, making me squeak in surprise. Something big was approaching. My mind immediately conjured images of a T-Rex stomping chasing a Jeep. Please don’t let there be man-eating beasts here.

  The three in the clearing straightened from their crouch and all stood together facing the same direction. It was then that I caught sight of a dirt path in the trees on that side. The vegetation wasn’t as thick in that direction which was why I didn’t head there to begin with, but I hadn’t seen the road.

  Dust preceded at least twenty men on horses. Only these were not normal horses. Their eyes were dark red and their hair was various shades from white to black and everything in between. They also seemed to be foaming at the mouth. It could be that they’d been run hard, but I somehow doubted that. They exuded danger and aggression.

  The most significant trait was the fact that they stood six or seven feet tall. Of course, it could be my vantage point that skewed my opinion. The new arrivals with their snarling beasts made every cell in my body scream for me to get up and take off into the woods. I was toast if they found me lying there.

  You got this Fi. Just stay hidden for now.

  I was glad my inner badass was confident because I was literally shaking in my boots. And, my back was screaming at me, making it next to impossible to stay still much longer. I didn’t think this through, and I should have before plastering myself to the ground. I knew better than to put my creaky joints to the test like this.

  The leader of the new arrivals jumped from his horse next to the body. “Do we know who this is?”

  One of the original Fae shook his head side to side. “No, sir. I can’t get an identity, but there is something you should see.”

  The leader’s eyes narrowed. “What’s that?”

  The Fae that had spotted something a couple feet from the body pointed to whatever he found. “There’s the blood of a hybrid here.”

  Everyone in the group turned and looked at him, including the leader. “A hybrid? Is it the one the Queen was after?”

  The guy that pointed out my blood lowered his head and I could see his throat work when he swallowed. “I can’t tell. Initially it seemed as if it held the power that she seeks for King Vodor, but then it was gone, so…I can’t be sure of what I saw.”

  “Spread out. Find the hybrid. Don’t return to Midshield without her in tow.” The leader took two steps then launched himself into the air and landed on the back of his horse.

  The soldiers started talking and shifting and I took advantage of the momentary chaos. I wasn’t going to stand around and wait to be discovered. I might as well jump out and give myself up.

  I ran for several feet before I realized I was making a crap ton of noise. Veering to the right, I changed directions and slowed to a walk. My muscles jumped and I bounced with each step, but I refused to allow myself to run again.

  Sweat trickled from my brow as I made my way through the area. Wiping it with the back of my hand, I noticed it wasn’t sweat at all, but was blood. Crap. Stopping in my tracks, I glanced back to make sure I didn’t leave a trail behind me.

  I caught red on some leaves and cursed under my breath. Can’t leave those breadcrumbs to be found. “Collectum sanguinis,” I muttered. Energy trickled from me and floated along the path I’d just run.

  Please work, please work. A second later the drops of red floated toward me and pooled in a circle in front of me. That needed to be buried deep beneath the soil. I wasn’t sure where that came from, but I learned to trust my instincts, so I grabbed a broken branch and started digging.

  When I reached four feet down, I stopped and wondered how I was going to get it into the hole. I reached out and tried to grab hold, but it wouldn’t budge. Next, I sprinkled dirt over the top of the sphere. Still nothing.

  Hands on my hips, I stared at it and tried to estimate how far to the bottom. It was at least eight feet, and it wasn’t moving. “‘C’mon. Get in the freaking ground already.” I blew my breath through my lips making a ‘phbt’ noise. A second later the blood glowed and dropped into the grave I’d dug.

  “Thank you, sweet baby Jesus,” I whispered and pushed the pile of dirt back on top of the buried blood.

  After adding the largest rock I could lift to the dirt on top, I took off once again. My heart clenched the farther I got from the portal and my ability to return home. My mind went to Ben and Bailey.

  “I will find you,” I vowed. Energy sizzle throughout my body as I raced through the trees and shrubs in search of a place to hide so I could regroup and get home.

  Chapter 7

  After what felt like forever running, I stopped and leaned against a tree. I was a sweaty mess, my legs were cramping, my bad knee was threatening to give out entirely, and I could barely breathe.

  When I tilted my head back to gauge the sun something grabbed hold of my hair. I yelped and jumped at the same time I tried to turn around. My heart raced so fast it made me dizzy. Or it could have been my attempt at Tae Kwon Do. I had never been all that athletic. The only thing missing when I ran was a massive hump on my back. I was the spitting image of Quasimodo the Hunchback of Notre Dame. Only I likely embarrassed him.

  Clutching my chest, I scanned the area for a soldier, certain I had been followed and was stupid to let my guard down. There was nothing but
trees surrounding me. It wasn’t until I lowered my gaze to check the ground that movement caught my eye.

  A sigh left me when I saw a woman that looked like Theamise. “You scared the crap out of me.” Her stick-like arms shook along with the rest of her body.

  I held up my hands. “It’s okay. I won’t harm you. You’re a wood nymph, right? DO you know Theamise? That’s a stupid question. She lives at Pymm’s Pondside with me.”

  “Thea? She’s well?” Her body stopped quaking and she stood up straight. She was just as tall and thin as Theamise. She had pretty green eyes, too and a wide smile.

  My head bobbed up and down as my heart slowed. I was no longer wondering if I’d suddenly developed vasovagal syncope, but I still couldn’t quite catch my breath. “She’s wonderful. Keeps my trees healthy all year round, despite the cold weather during winter. I’m Fiona. What’s your name?”

  She stared at the hand I held out to her then lifted her gaze. “I’m Danalise. Are you the hybrid the King is searching for?”

  “What do you know about that?” My gut twisted into a knot.

  “His guard is roaming the countryside searching for you. He wants to get his hands on you before Queen Thelvienne does. She’s after your power isn’t, she?”

  My jaw dropped and I wondered if Danalise was someone I could trust after all. Just because she looked and sounded like Theamise didn’t mean she was. “I’m not sure why she would want anything from me. I’m nothing more than a weak hybrid.”

  Danalise closed some of the distance between us while twisting her hands together. “You’re anything but weak. You can’t let them capture you. The King will do far worse than the Queen. This realm will not survive if they gain any more power. Many families are already gone.”

  “They’ve moved to Earth?”

  Her head shook back and forth. “Some fled the realm, but most didn’t get the chance. They were killed. There are so few of the upper-class families left anymore.”

  “The Queen is killing them? For their power?” I disliked this realm more and more every second.

  “King Vodor is the one that has been systematically gathering families and taking them to the dungeons. Of course, he doesn’t admit to draining them. False charges are brought against them and they are never heard from again. Within days everyone across the realm feels the drain.”

  “Because you’re each connected to the realm and it’s health.” I recalled reading something in Grams’ grimoire about the intimate connection between the realm and its inhabitants. “Why would he do something that would threaten his planet? He’d eventually be King of nothing.”

  Danalise laughed and the sound was more like leaves rustling in the wind. It had to be the oddest noise I’d ever heard from anyone. “He’s insane. He got his position by stealing power and he can’t maintain it without consuming as many Fae as he can. It’s made him unstoppable. We’ve lost hope that there will ever be anyone to set us free. Especially when the Queen is following in his footsteps.”

  I clenched my fists and channeled my anger into my determination. “I won’t let that happen. I have to return home, but I will not stand by while your realm is destroyed little by little.”

  Danalise’s lower lip quivered and her eyes filled with tears that never fell. “You’re the one the elders have been whispering about.”

  “Ummm,” I drew out as I tried to stop the panic before it bubbled over and out of control. Just because I would do everything in my power to ensure they weren’t killed didn’t mean I wanted the weight of their world on my shoulders. That was too freakin much pressure. I was all about rest and relaxation in my new life.

  At least that was the plan when I decided to leave my job at the hospital and move across the globe to England. I’d had a lifetime of lives hanging in the balance with me being key to their survival. I was done with that. Wasn’t I?

  “I’m not so sure about being that person, but I promise I will help make sure your situation here is better. But first I need to get back home. My friend’s children are missing. I think the Queen kidnapped them. Can you tell me where I am?”

  She tilted her head and stared at me. “You’re close to Cragpost.”

  Well that didn’t help me at all. “Right. Cragpost. But where is that? Is that where the King lives?”

  Danalise grabbed my hand and tugged me to our left. “He lives near Midshield. Cragpost is a small town. Most that live there are brownies, but there are dragon’s, Fae and some ogres, as well.”

  “You said I was being hunted. How does anyone know I’m even here?”

  She chuckled. I thought so anyway. Her shoulders shook gently, and I heard leaves rustling in the breeze again, only this time it was faint. “Like you said. We’re all connected to Gaia here. You sent out ripples of energy when you came through the portal. Our kind will be flocking to the clearing in the next day to try and catch a glimpse of you.”

  I gasped as my hand flew to my mouth. “I won’t be able to get through if the clearing is being watched and I have to get home. There are children counting on me. And other supernaturals too. The queen is killing our kind back on Earth.”

  “The Queen? How is she killing when she’s been here for seven or more months and hasn’t left?”

  I stopped walking and because Danalise was still holding my arm she was jerked to a halt, too. “How can that be? I fought her myself not that long ago. I haven’t even been the Guardian that long.”

  Danalise smiled wide, showing off her straight white teeth and let go of my arm. “That’s why she was burned over three quarters of her body and hasn’t left the castle since she returned. I knew you were the one. Although, her return tipped the King off to your existence.”

  Shaking my head, I stifled the urge to scream. She hadn’t heard a word I said. I wasn’t there many months ago and there was no way Grams had been in a position to battle a Fae as powerful as the queen. “That could not have been me. I didn’t live in Cottlehill Wilds until a few months ago. Grams was still alive seven months ago.”

  “Oh! It’s hard to remember you know nothing about our realm. You’re powerful and feel like one of us. Time moves differently here than where you’re from. How much it differs fluctuates depending on the time of the year, but times passes much more quickly here compared to Earth.”

  I bobbed my head and started walking again. “So we’re near a town. Is it safe for me to be there?”

  “Yes! ‘C’mon. I have someone I want you to meet.” She was dancing out from between the trees and crossing a dirt road in no time.

  I hurried to catch up. My feet stopped at the edge of the forest and I looked both ways. I felt like a kid again. When I was five years old, I was terrified of crossing a street because my mom warned me about how dangerous cars were. It wasn’t vehicles that had me frightened at the moment. I had no desire to be caught by those soldiers.

  I raced across to where Danalise had paused to wait for me. The trees weren’t as thick here and I felt far too exposed. The wood nymph talked about us being just in time for dinner. I barely heard what she was saying.

  I was too busy taking in what I assumed was Cragpost. There were small rounded huts, toadstools with doors and windows, and trees made into homes like Tunsall’s. There were also large homes made of stone. Several had actual thatched roofs while others were similar to the roof on my home at Pymm’s Pondside that only looked like it was covered in thatch but was actually shingles made of stone.

  “Where exactly are you taking me?”

  Danalise pointed to the biggest house in the area. It was made of dark blue stones. “To see Argiess. He’s the leader of the Insurrection. He’ll want to meet you.”

  “Does he lead something like a rebellion against the King?” I asked as she paused in front of the black front door.

  The panel swung open and the tallest guy I’d ever seen stood there glowering at me with blue eyes and messy brown hair. “That’s precisely what it means.” His voice was a menacing growl
and it caused shivers to race up and down my spine. “Who have you brought Danalise?”

  “This is Fiona. She’s the one that will help remove the tyranny and save us all.”

  I grabbed Danalise’s arm and cleared my throat to stop her from making promises about me I wasn’t sure I could live up to. “I’m not so sure about all that, but I will help in any way I can. After I return to Earth and help save Ben and Bailey.”

  Argiess held his door open with one hand and gestured inside with the other. “You’d better get in here. You never know who’s listening in.”

  I scanned the area, not seeing anything. “There’s no one here.”

  He grabbed my arm and yanked me into his house. Were all the sexy Fae broody assholes? Danalise walked through next and the door slammed after her.

  His scowl lessened and he became even more handsome. “Watch yourself. The King has spies everywhere. The last thing any of us wants is for you to be discovered. Dana wouldn’t say anything unless she was certain you were the one.”

  I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at that. I hated the idea of a prophesy that one individual was going to save the world. There wasn’t a being alive that could do it alone. “I’m not the subject of some prophecy, so you can continue your search.”

  Argiess stalked down a hall that was paved with stone tiles in light greys. We passed a room that looked like a family room with sofas, a chair and low table. The walls were light brown and the wood furniture matched. The furniture looked like it was covered in leather with plush cushions.

  On the other side of the hall was what looked like a library. Three of the walls had floor to ceiling bookshelves, but only one set had any books. The rest were filled with treasure of all kinds. I’d never seen anything like it outside the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland. I loved shiny gold and jewels, but books talked to my soul. Thus, the reason I had to fight the urge to run inside, grab a book and take it to the family room so I could relax in front of the fireplace.