Myths and Magic: An Epic Fantasy and Speculative Fiction Boxed Set

by K.N. Lee

  A trickle of blood dripped from his mouth. Her heart lurched.

  Still swinging, trying to beat back the Drascatu, she let her wings unfurl. She shoved her sword out of sight and crouched. Tenderly, she pushed her arms underneath Ace’s limp form. Gently lifting him, she ran a few yards and took off into the air.

  The Drascatu streamed behind her.

  Her wings beat faster, out-flying them. She soared over city lights, hoping no one looked up. When she got to the Sisters of Mercy, she searched for a place to land, away from prying eyes. Landing as lightly as she could in the trees lining the parking lot, she tucked her wings away and strode toward the doors of the emergency room.

  Ace lay pale in her arms. Blood continued to seep from his lips. Stretched in languid repose, he looked like Michelangelo’s Pieta—a gorgeous fallen male, held in the arms of the Madonna. Only he was no Jesus and she was no Madonna. Far from it.

  She planted a soft kiss on his forehead before entering the hospital.

  When the doors swung open, she said, in a loud, clear voice. “My friend is dying.”

  For a moment, it seemed like the entire hospital staff turned to stare at her. Some stood with gaping mouths. Some blinked rapidly.

  She spun around, hoping no wings, or flaming sword showed. “What?”

  “You’re…you’re so tall!” one of them said.

  “And beautiful,” a male staff said. “As well as strong. I’d be huffing if I had to lift my wife.”

  She relaxed. They’re only commenting on my human form.

  Ace groaned, breaking the spell.

  That’s when they launched into action.

  “Get a gurney, stat.”

  “Check his vitals. Sir? Sir?” A nurse shook his shoulder. “He’s unresponsive. Get the defib. Let’s go.”

  The male nurse put his hand out when she started to follow. “I’m sorry, miss. Hospital personnel only past this point.”

  “You mean I have to wait?”

  He held up his arm and pointed toward a place marked Waiting Room, snapping his fingers. Then, he rolled Ace away, through double doors, leaving her to wonder if he’d live, or if this were the end of her assignment as well as her life.

  10

  One hour passed at the Sisters of Mercy hospital, with Kara trapped in the sanitized absurdity of a waiting room, hoping the guy being chased by demons didn’t die. She didn’t know where to go, what to do, except wait for word of Ace’s surgery. Her thoughts drifted to her newly awakened Valkyrie status and her failure at knowing how to deal with Drascatu. You’d think the Valkyrie education would be more thorough. Like a 101 on conquering rogue Drascatu might be at the top of the curriculum.

  Another hour passed. Kara sat slumped, her head leaning against the green wall, a heavy weight of emotion pressing against her chest.

  At the sound of footsteps, she snapped to attention.

  A nurse approached, her attention zeroed in on Kara.

  The closer the short nurse got, the more Kara’s heart banged around in her chest, like a caged bird fluttering to free itself.

  The nurse, dressed in green surgical scrubs, gave her a cold, hard, no-nonsense stare. “Ms. Falko?”

  “Yes, that’s me.” Kara lurched to her feet.

  “I’m here to give you an update. Your friend’s in bad shape. He’s lost a lot of blood. The doctor has performed a thoracotomy to stop the bleeding around his heart and lungs. We’re also trying to determine the level of head trauma. There’s a shunt in his skull to relieve the pressure. Is he allergic to any kind of medication you know of?”

  “I don’t know. I... We haven’t known each other long.”

  “I see.” The nurse frowned, deep lines making grooves in her caramel colored skin. “So, you don’t know if he’s taking any blood thinners or other prescription drugs, then, right?”

  “That’s right. I don’t know. But I doubt it. He seemed healthy to me. He didn’t strike me as someone who takes blood thinner.”

  Her frown deepened. “Is there anyone we can contact? He had no ID.”

  Kara’s face reddened. “His last name is Diamanté. I doubt there are many of those in Boston. I could always fl...” She stopped short of saying “Fly back to the place where we wrecked so I can scour the ground for his wallet.” Instead, she said, “I think I know where I can find out.”

  The nurse cocked her head, then nodded. “We’ve done necessary blood tests and a complete urine analysis, so I think we’re good, but…please let someone know if you find out. In the meantime, sit tight. He’ll be in surgery for another hour, then, we’ll have him in the recovery unit—room 1107. I’ll come and get you when he’s out.”

  “Thank you,” Kara said. Inwardly, she repeated the room number a couple of times, committing it to memory.

  The nurse pivoted on her heel and strode away.

  Relieved to have a shred of information on Ace, Kara decided it safe enough to leave to see how her ‘other self‘ fared. She found the elevator and took it to the 5th floor. The brightly lit halls were empty now of night. She headed toward room 501, her footsteps clattering like gunshots on the white linoleum. She kept her attention alert, listening for signs of Jaidon or her parents. Taking a deep breath, she peeked around the door to room 501. Gah! This is beyond bizarre. Frail and limp, laying on the bed, kept alive by life support, the silvery cord she’d seen at the beginning of this whole nightmare, stretched tightly between them. The cord seemed too fragile…like a filament from a spider’s web. How is it I’m connected to my dream self, or my doppelgänger by such a delicate thread? It looks like it could snap at any second. This thought caused a shiver to tickle the back of her neck. She took a few tentative steps into the room.

  It was so strange to be standing at the foot of the bed in one body, staring at another body which was supposedly hers. Her hands curled around the railing.

  “I look so helpless,” she said in a frayed whisper. Her thoughts drifted to the night that set all this in motion—the night of the sting.

  The sweet-looking, boyish face of evil mastermind Cee-El floated through her brain.

  “That rat bastard’s going down if I have anything to do with it. If I survive, I’m going to hunt him like a Hell Hound and feed him to the Drascatu.” She chuckled. “Wait a minute. I’m going to hunt him like a Valkyrie.” She straightened at the thought, thinking of her flaming sword and her true aim with a crossbow. “And maybe I can use a little human help.” Turning toward the tiny closet, she rooted through her things, searching for her FBI badge. Finding it, she tucked it into her pants pocket.

  Footsteps and male voices echoed down the hall.

  “Shit,” she whispered. “It’s Jaidon.”

  Her head whipped back and forth as she searched for cover. Maybe I can slip out in the opposite direction before they get here. She pivoted. Too late.

  Jaidon and Konner appeared in the doorway, stopping abruptly when they saw her. They both stood still, mouths gaping, eyebrows lifted high. In almost comical unison, their mouths snapped shut. Then, they stepped into the room like the trained FBI agents they were.

  “Who are you?” Jaidon asked, giving her a cool, assessing sweep of his gaze. “Kara never mentioned a sister to me. You look so much like her. It’s uncanny.”

  “I’m, uh, not her sister,” Kara said, following his lead. “I’m a cousin.”

  “Close likeness,” Konner said, studying her like she was a circus freak.

  “What side of the family? I’ve been to lots of family gatherings with Kara and I’ve never seen you.”

  Kara’s mind raced. “I’m her Uncle Daniel’s offspring.”

  “Oh, him. That makes sense.” Jaidon nodded, his posture relaxing somewhat. “Kara always told me Daniel’s kind of a black sheep.”

  “That’s my dad,” she lied. “I’ve been traveling. In the mountains. I got back recently and heard what happened. It’s all over the news. Kara’s always meant a lot to me. She’s got a huge heart. She’s h
elped me over the years.” A knot formed in her tummy as she spoke about herself. This is so weird.

  “Yeah? Why hasn’t she ever spoken about you?” Jaidon’s brow stitched together.

  “No idea.” Kara quickly redirected. “So... how’s she doing?”

  She inclined her head toward the Kara laying on the bed.

  “Not so good,” Jaidon said, his voice cracking.

  Konner patted him on the shoulder.

  The two men stepped to the side of the bed. They stood shoulder to shoulder, gazing down at the red-haired figure.

  Jaidon picked up her hand—the hand with the engagement ring. Pressing his lips together, he took a deep breath. His chest shook like he held back a sob.

  A strange feeling overtook her. I’ve already moved on. The “her” lying on the bed would want to rush to his side and throw her arms around him, soothing him. This new her had already developed feelings for a dying man upstairs. A guy I met, what…yesterday? Confused by her shifting alliances, she gripped the railing.

  “Easy, man,” Konner said. He sniffed, then swiped his eyes with the back of his hand.

  “We met with her doctors.” Jaidon cleared his throat. “They...they want me to...” His words faltered. He blinked back tears.

  Konner patted his shoulder again, looking awkward and wooden as he did it. “It’s okay,” he said. “Take your time.” His arms crossed tightly.

  Kara’s heart galloped in her chest. She squeezed the railing so hard she wondered if she might break it. “What do they want you to do?”

  Jaidon stiffened like a rod had been jammed up his spine. “They suggested I take her off life support. There’s nothing they can do. When she wakes up...if she wakes up...she’ll likely be a vegetable.”

  Small stars swam in Kara’s vision. She squeezed the metal railing.

  “Oh, no, you can’t do that. There’s got to be another way.” I’m so close to getting my life back. Then, she thought of Ace. She began to pace. “That’s not a good idea. Give her a chance. We can’t simply toss her life away as if it’s nothing.”

  Jaidon whirled to face her, his face a bruised, dark mask. “You know nothing about us—about her. She’s my life. I’d give anything to save her. It should be me on that bed, not her.” Spittle flew from his mouth as he spat out the words.

  Kara took a step back. “I’m sorry.”

  Konner took up the pat, pat, pat thing on Jaidon’s shoulder. “Easy, man,” he said again. “She’s not to blame.”

  Jaidon shoved his hand away. “This is killing me. It’s killing me!”

  A soft knock interrupted. “Mr. Wright?”

  Kara turned toward the knock.

  A somber-faced doctor stood in the doorway.

  “Yeah?” Jaidon dragged his hand through his hair.

  “Are you ready? It’s time to take her off life support.”

  11

  Kara rushed to the door of the hospital room, shoving the mousy looking doctor into the hall. “Give us a moment. He’s not ready to decide.” She grabbed the handle of the door and slammed it shut, before the doctor could re-enter.

  After the door ticked shut, she whirled to face Jaidon.

  A dark scowl covered his handsome face. He looked ready to lunge for her. “Who the hell are you?”

  Konner put his hand on Jaidon’s chest. “Don’t, Jaidon. Take a breath.”

  “Like hell.” He peered around Konner, his blue eyes dark. “Who are you? This is none of your business.”

  Kara’s mind raced. “I know this isn’t what she would want. Give her a chance. She’s a fighter.”

  “How well do you think you know her? She’s my fiancé, and I say what goes on in this room.”

  Konner kept his stance steady between Jaidon and Kara, his palm planted on Jaidon’s chest.

  “We were like this,” Kara said, crossing one finger over the other.

  “Then why have I never heard of you? Or seen you?” Jaidon shoved Konner out of his way and stormed to where Kara stood. He faced her, nose to nose.

  “I told you, I’ve been in the mountains.” Her excuse sounded lame, even to her own ears. “Traveling, I mean.”

  “Traveling...” he said, his voice a challenge. “Right.”

  “We were close when we were younger and then when Uncle Daniel...my dad...” She shook her head, not knowing what to tag on the end of that sentence. As estranged as her mom and Uncle Daniel had become over the years, she—the woman lying in the bed next to her, dying—would have told Jaidon about any cousin. They shared everything.

  “Who are you?” he said once more, softer this time.

  “I’m her...I’m...” I don’t know anymore. Tears pricked her eyes. Jaidon, her Jaidon, stood inches from her and there was nothing she could do or say to convince him who she was.

  The tears seemed to make Jaidon soften. “Oh, man, I’m sorry.” He frowned as he studied her face. “This whole thing is a... it’s a fucking mess. It never should have gone down this way. And I’m not sure I can make the decision to unplug her yet.” His head cocked and he studied her. “You look familiar. Doesn’t she, Konner?”

  “Yeah,” Konner said, his forehead furrowed. “She does.”

  Jaidon’s head lifted and he took a few sniffs, like he was scenting her. “You smell like her. You smell exactly like my wife-to-be. I always love the way she smells.”

  Tell him. Tell him the truth. You could always share the truth with him, even when it was difficult.

  “Jaidon,” she said.

  His eyes widened. “Don’t talk to me like you know me.” He took a step back from her. “You...you even sound like her. I’m dreaming, right? This is some sick dream I’m having.”

  She took a step toward him and put her hand on his arm. “No, you’re not dreaming, no more than I am.” She took a long deep breath, preparing herself to spill her secret. She glanced at Konner.

  He stood poised, like he might reach for his gun at any second.

  “Jaidon, you’re not going to believe this but I need you to listen.”

  A deep rumble came from the hall.

  Kara frowned and eyed the door. When she turned back, Jaidon and Konner stared at her, as if they hadn’t heard the noise.

  She said, “Jaidon, I’m your...”

  The rumble came again, shaking the walls.

  Kara let out a shriek.

  Jaidon and Konner stood stark still.

  Konner’s hand stayed curved in the ‘one wrong move and I’m getting my gun out‘ position.

  Jaidon’s face frozen into a bewildered grimace.

  Fraya marched into the room, her black wings vibrating with crackles of electricity.

  Kara’s heart pounded in her chest, the sound thundering in her ears. “What? What is it? What did you do to them?” She pointed to the frozen forms of Jaidon and Konner.

  “I froze time. We need to talk.”

  “Froze time?” Kara’s face bunched in confusion.

  “Ancient Valkyrie skill.” Fraya waved her hand dismissively.

  Bork followed, his white wings beating softly as if trying to soothe the air. “Be nice, Fray,” he said, reaching for her arm.

  Fraya jerked her arm away. “Don’t even say it,” she snapped. “I will not be nice. Not in my job description, not even close.” She stormed up to Kara and pointed her finger at her face. “Do you know what you almost did?”

  “Yes, I saved myself from being yanked off life support, that’s what.” Kara waved her hand toward the body in the bed.

  “You almost told him who you are. Didn’t you learn anything in the academy?” Fraya’s eyes began to glow white-hot.

  Kara blinked, taking a step back. Straightening her shoulders, she spat back, “I sure didn’t learn how to deal with Drascatu.”

  “Experience is a far better teacher than doing practice drills,” Fraya said, looming over her. She jabbed her finger into Kara’s chest. “You almost got us killed.”

  “I, what?” Kara bli
nked again.

  “She didn’t hear what I said,” Fraya said in a mocking tone. “Maybe if you say it, she’ll hear it.” She inclined her head toward Bork.

  “She’s right.” Bork stepped closer, reaching for one of her hands. “You almost did, lass. You almost killed us all.”

  Holding his hand brought a strange sensation, like holding the lit end of a sparkler. She pulled away from him.

  “What did I do?” She searched her brain for anything containing a clue.

  “You can’t tell anyone who or what you are,” Bork said gently. “No human, anyway. It’s a breach.”

  “A breach of what?” Kara asked.

  “The sacred code of Valkyries,” Fraya said, through gritted teeth, her lip poised in a snarl. Corded veins stood out on her neck like she was this close to losing it. “Why do you think you’ve never noticed us until now?”

  “Because you’re...we’re, I mean...we’re fictitious, and we existed a long, long time ago?” Kara said. She glanced at Konner and Jaidon, still frozen in place. Then, she turned back to Fraya.

  “Because we’re a secret,” Fraya said, snaking a finger along Kara’s cheek. “We’ve existed throughout time, not only in ancient history.”

  Her touch lingered like she’d drawn a red-hot brand across her face. Kara wanted to hold an ice cube to her skin.

  “And secrets need to be kept. Humans would find a way to hunt us if they knew we existed. They’d find a way to extinguish us.” Slowly, she turned and stalked toward Jaidon.

  Kara stiffened. Don’t hurt him.

  Fraya dragged her fingertip along Jaidon’s unmoving lips. “What, exactly, do you think he’d do if you told him what you are?” She patted his perfectly still face. “Do you think he’d say, cool beans, my hot mama, now we can do our job?”

  Kara winced. “I don’t know. We’ve always managed before,” she stuttered. Her impulse was to leap to Jaidon’s side and protect him. But she seemed glued to the floor in some rabbit-like fear of Fraya.

  “You managed because he thought you were one of his kind. He thought you were simply that slab of meat there.” She pointed toward the hospital bed.