Shadows and Sorcery: A Collection of Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance Novels

by Adkins, Heather Marie

  “Please,” he rolls his eyes. “You and I both know she’s off limits.”

  “You don’t know that.” Tonk gives me a sideways glance. “You don’t have a boyfriend, do you?”

  My cheeks had gradually warmed during their discussion, but now they are on fire. I struggle to speak, but Tonk’s lingering look forces me to swallow the knot in my throat. “No, I don’t have a boyfriend.”

  “Ha!” Tonk hits the table again. Again, I jump.

  “Ha, nothing,” Richie speaks evenly, sounding like someone who knows he’s already won the argument, “Not even you’re dumb enough to really believe she’s not claimed.”

  “There’s no mark.” Tonk leans towards me, and I am left in no doubt that he actually smells me this time. It takes all of my self-control not to jump out of my seat and run across the bar. I really wish Pascale would have given me a heads up about this whole thing. I begin to compile a list of questions I will be throwing at her once we’re back at our apartment. For one, what is this business about protecting me? And two, what’s this ‘claimed’ nonsense, and why does Tonk keep sniffing me?

  “I don’t see what he sees in her,” Aerie delivers the insult in a low voice, bringing my focus back to the creatures around me.

  “Then you’re blind, Aerie,” Richie replies with hardly any bite.

  My head spins. My hands lie flat against the seat of my chair, and I press my fingernails into the wood. Is this how creatures interact with one another?

  They seem normal, aside from the fact they keep saying things about me which make no sense. Why would Richie think I’m off limits? And why is Aerie talking like there is someone already interested in me? Someone she thinks is better than me…

  “Are you guys friends with Andy?” He’s the only person who’s ever shown me even a semblance of interest. I haven’t spoken to him since our study session yesterday morning, and he wasn’t in class today, despite saying he’d save me a seat the last time we spoke, but I didn’t think anything of his absence. At least half the football team skipped class today, a small reprieve from their odious post-workout aroma. I start to analyze our previous interactions, wondering if I happened to miss a sign that Andy might not be human.

  The bell above the front door dings. I’m on my feet in an instant, grateful for an excuse to leave the awkward table. “Be right with you.” I spin around and take one step before every muscle in my body goes rigid. Icy fear courses through my veins, leaving me shivering in its wake.

  The two glowing men stand in the doorway. They wear the same golden armor from yesterday. With less than twenty feet between us, I finally grasp the enormity of their size. The pair looks to be nearly seven feet tall, and their arms are corded with thick muscle.

  “Sera, you need to get out of here.” Pascale appears in front of me. Tonk and Richie flank her. Even Aerie positions herself between me and the newcomers. If I wasn’t already afraid, I would be now. My instincts had been right, these guys are clearly bad news, and they only have eyes for me.

  “Why?”

  Pascale’s wings pop out behind her, twitching under the bar’s dim light. “Because I said so. Now, go.”

  I have half a mind to demand she explain herself, but then one of the guards withdraws his sword and points the thick blade directly at the center of my chest.

  “Serafina Richards,” even his voice sounds like it has a depth of power. One word, and he could steal the breath right out of your lungs. “You’ve been summoned to Seelie Court. Come willingly, and there will be no violence.”

  My heart stops beating in my chest.

  Oh, shit.

  5

  Seelie Court? He can’t be serious.

  Why in the world would I be summoned to the Fae Realm? I’ve never even met a Fae before, but I’ve heard stories. The magically gifted creatures are formidable, and they rarely venture to the human world. Not by choice, but because the creatures of Earth banned together and demanded the beings stay in their own world, leaving ours in peace. At least, that’s what Pascale’s told me.

  I could never understand why Fae would agree to such an arrangement., but I really wasn’t one to question the information my friend shared. I simply took all I learned and internalized it, grateful I had someone able to educate me in the first place.

  But the question remains, why are the Fae here, now? And what do they want from me?

  Pascale and company maintain their battle-ready stances. The Fae lowers his sword, but he keeps it in his hand, and I know he is ready to use it at a moment’s notice.

  “Sera. Leave.” Pascale hisses. I’ve never seen my friend like this. I gasp as her nails grow into lengthy daggers. Tonk’s do the same. Richie and Aerie don’t undergo an unnerving transformation, but they are both as focused on the Fae as the pixies, and I can see the promise of violence teeming just below the surface of their skin. Their skin ripples with it.

  “Come with us, Sera, and we promise to leave your friends unharmed.” The second Fae speaks. He sounds reasonable. I get the impression he truly does not want there to be violence. There is a kindness in his stare.

  “She’s not going anywhere.” Richie slashes his arm across his chest and a blurry film settles in the space between the Fae and our group.

  The first Fae, once again, lifts his sword. Unlike his friend, he doesn’t seem reasonable. I only see violence and anger in his eyes. “Do you truly expect your barrier to stop us? We will have the girl, even if we need to gut every single one of you from navel to throat.”

  My knees wobble. I have no idea why Pascale and her friends are protecting me. If I were them, I’d be running for my life, not risking my neck to help a girl I just met.

  “Sera!” Pascale shouts. “Get. Out. Now!”

  I stumble back from the force of her words and fall to the ground as Richie does another swipe of his arm and a loud boom rocks the bar.

  “What the hell?” Roger says from the back room. I scramble to my feet and rush toward the source of his voice. I can’t let him come out here. He has no idea the danger he’s in. I don’t even know if he’d be able to see the creatures if he walked out of here. No, I need to get him out of here. Fast.

  I don’t look back as I hear shouts and furniture crashing to the floor. The back of my neck tingles, and I duck just as the wall to my left cracks. I land on my hands and knees and crawl the rest of the way.

  I’m in the back hallway before I get to my feet. Running like a rapid pack of dogs are biting on my heels, I head towards the office. “Roger! Where are you? We’ve got to get out of here!”

  I round the corner and collide with a broad chest. Strong hands wrap around my arms. If it weren’t for the familiar tingles coursing over my skin, I would be freaking out and trying to get away.

  “Bass.” My palms press against his chest to steady myself. I stare into dark eyes and swallow thickly. Now’s not the time to get emotional. “Where’s Roger?”

  “I sent him outside.”

  I nod. Good. Outside is good. “We need to get out of here.”

  Bass continues to hold onto me, and I continue to lean into him. I inhale the scent of sandalwood and fresh cut violets. It’s a strange combination, but it’s perfect on him.

  “You go ahead. I’m going to check on the bar.”

  I snap out of my daze. “What? No. You can’t.”

  Bass turns us so he stands between me and the door where I came from. “I’ll be fine, Sera. Trust me. Go outside to Roger. He knows where to take you.”

  My body rebels against the idea. I can’t leave him alone. “No. You don’t understand. It’s dangerous in there.”

  Bass sighs, staring at the ceiling as if asking for divine intervention. I second the idea. We could really use some help from whatever deity might be willing to defeat Fae on our behalf.

  Bass reaches out and laces my fingers with his. I know it’s ridiculous given our situation, but the gesture makes me lose my breath. The tingling between our skin is amplifi
ed, and my entire body sings with happiness. I want to press my skin against his and stay there forever, eager to feel this sensation over every inch of my body.

  Bass dips down until his eyes are level with mine. The dark brown color I’d grown so used to grows cloudy. A deep, bright purple takes its place, and I find myself entranced by the stunning color.

  “Bass?” I exhale, not sure how to ask about the sudden change in eye color.

  His irises begin to swirl, and my muscles lock up. With horror, I realize I can’t speak anymore. I try to move my arm, but it, too, doesn’t function. I am near panic when Bass’ melodic voice soothes me.

  “Relax, little rose. You’re safe.”

  Instantly, my fear disappears. In fact, I was ridiculous to be afraid in the first place. Bass is here. He’ll never let anything bad happen to me. I smile at him with nothing short of adoration.

  Bass’s expression is serious. “You need to find Roger. He will take you somewhere safe. I will come find you when everything is okay. Understand?”

  My voice returns, “Of course.” I’ll do whatever Bass asks. He cares about me. I’m safe with him.

  “Good.” Bass leans forward and presses a quick kiss against my forehead. He steps back, and I mourn the loss of contact. I want to close the distance between us and wrap my arms around him, but that’s not what he told me to do. I know I need to listen to him. It’s for my own good.

  I’m walking away from him without another word, or even a glance back.

  A security light illuminates the damp, narrow alley. The heavy metal door closes behind me. “Roger?”

  No response.

  I frown. Bass said Roger would be here. He wouldn’t lie. I know I can trust him.

  A noise at the end of the alley, beside the main road, catches my attention. A shadow moves. I walk that direction. “Roger?”

  But Roger isn’t the person at the end of the alley.

  A third Fae steps into the glow of the security light. “You didn’t think they came alone, did you?”

  I stop walking, and my stomach drops to the filthy gravel. I’m trapped. There’s no way I can outrun this guy. “What do you want?”

  “You’ve been summoned to Seelie,” he repeats what his companion said in the bar. “You must come with us.”

  Whatever calming effect Bass’s gaze gave me disappears. Anxiety takes its place.

  “But why? I have no ties to the Fae. What have I done?”

  “It is not for me to question the orders of our queen.”

  Confusion, mixed with nervousness, makes me say, “I thought Fae honor their kings.”

  “There is much you do not know, human,” he spits the word out as if it tastes like a rotten piece of food.

  I shuffle back a step. Maybe I can reach the door to the bar if I keep him talking. It’s unlikely, but it’s the only shot I have. I need to distract him.

  “Fae hate humans. Why bother bringing me back to your home world? What’s the point?”

  Even with the darkness surrounding us, I see his sneer. “I grow tired of your disrespect.”

  “I’m not trying to disrespect you. I only want answers.”

  “Seelie are not required to give answers to servant.”

  Oh, shit.

  I’ve heard the stories. Fae keep humans as servants, forcing them to work in their towns and villages as free labor. I hadn’t truly believed it. I mean, it’s the twenty-first century. What group of people would actually think it’s okay to treat others as property?

  But Fae aren’t people.

  I realize I have no idea what the backward race of creatures is capable of. I curse under my breath. I’ll be damned if I let this monster take me without a fight.

  “I’m not a servant.”

  The Fae takes a broad step, closing twice the distance one of my steps puts between us. “Not yet,” he says ominously, “but soon.”

  Metal cracks against stone as the door leading to the bar crashes open. I jump away from the sound. A blur of pink hair catches my attention right before a cloud of shimmering needles flies past me, straight toward the Fae. I hear him cry out in agony. Before I can look to see the damage, Pascale grabs my hand and drags me down the alley, away from the injured Fae.

  “Come on!” She shouts, pulling me with a strength deceptive of her small size.

  She doesn’t need to tell me twice.

  We race out of the alley and onto West 85th street. We keep running, crossing street after street without waiting for the little green man to give us the go ahead. Thank god it’s late at night, otherwise I’m sure we would’ve angered many more drivers with our hazardous pedestrian antics.

  Central Park looms in front of us, and I know that’s where Pascale is headed. Pixies love nature, and my friend spends a lot of time roaming around the immaculate gardens and tree groves in the world-famous park. We take a sharp right onto the West Drive path, then I lose track of where we are as Pascale tugs me down a variety of twisting and intersecting paths. We continue deeper and deeper into the park. By the time we stop at Bow Bridge, I am panting for air. I lean over and rest my hands on my knees, sucking in ragged breathes.

  “DAMN!” Pascale curses in a low voice, but there is no missing her anger. “Where is that damn troll?”

  I look up, and a bead of sweat rolls down my temple. “Troll?” Did we really run away from dangerous Fae only to encounter a violent troll?

  Pascale flings a frustrated arm toward the bridge. “He’s supposed to be right here.”

  I straighten, still struggling to catch my breath. “Why… are we… looking for a troll?”

  “Because he can hide us.” Pascale scans the surrounding tree line, her eyes on high alert. Her body jolts.

  I follow her gaze and see two glowing figures right as she says, “We’ve got to go.”

  We take off again. Only, this time, I hear the footsteps of our pursuers. My chest tightens when I consider what their arrival means. I can only hope Bass, Roger, and the others are alright. Maybe the Fae didn’t consider them a threat and decided not to kill them.

  A whimper escapes my lips. I hope no one dies because of me.

  Pascale, hearing the sound, is quick to reassure me. “It’s going to be okay, Sera. I promise.”

  If I weren’t running with my life depending on it, I would chastise the empty promise. Nothing about this situation is okay, and there is no way she can guarantee it will end up okay. I don’t know why the Fae want me, but unless I can outrun them, I’m bound to find out.

  We reach the Bethesda Terrace and rush up the stone steps two at a time. A beam of golden light collides with the step my right foot is on, and I leap forward to keep from falling when the stone gives way.

  Pascale yanks my arm and helps me up.

  They’re freaking shooting at us!

  We continue climbing. This time, zigging and zagging our way up, making ourselves harder to hit.

  I scream when we reach the landing and I see a Fae waiting for us. I spin around and confirm two Fae are still behind us. Their pace has slowed. They know their companion has us trapped up here.

  Pascale steps in front of me, and I see her entire body illuminate with dormant power. “Let us pass.”

  “I cannot do that, little one.” The words themselves are not belittling, but his tone is.

  “You cannot have her. She is under our protection.”

  “Your protection does not extend to us. You know that.” The Fae gives her a tired, bored look. “Give me the girl and walk away.”

  “No.”

  He sighs. “So be it.” Quick as lightening, a golden light, shaped as an arrow, flies into my friend’s gut. She bowls over but doesn’t make a sound.

  “Pascale!” I leap forward to catch her before she hits the ground, but a strong arm wraps around my waist. I kick and thrash my arms, trying to dislodge the glowing extremity, cursing myself for not hearing my captor’s approach. I cannot let the Fae take me. I cannot leave Pascale like this.
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  Blue blood gushes from her abdominal wound. Pixies are more durable than humans, but they can still die. She needs a hospital, or at least someone to stop the bleeding.

  “Let me go!” I scratch at the muscular forearm, leaving behind red gashes, but the Fae’s hold remains firm. My scream pierces the night—a mix of anger and sadness. There has to be someone in the park who can hear me. A homeless person, maybe? I don’t expect them to try and help me, but maybe they will go get the police or something.

  With that thought in mind, I continue to scream my head off, refusing the stop thrashing and trying to escape even when the Fae turns and begins to descend the stairs with me still in his grasp.

  “NO!” I can’t let them take me out of the park. “Let me go!” My elbow finds freedom and I ram it into the Fae.

  But I forgot about his gold armor.

  The bone shatters from the force of contact with the impenetrable metal. I scream as the blinding pain consumes me.

  “For the love of all that is Seelie,” the Fae walking beside my captor growls. I can barely hear him above the roaring pain in my ears. “Shut her up, Morty.”

  The chest behind me vibrates with frustration. I don’t know if it’s directed at me or the Fae who gave the command.

  A calloused hand covers my mouth, smothering my cries. I try to throw my body around, hoping for one last chance to escape, but every movement sends a swift jolt of agony through my injured arm.

  This is it…

  I’ve lost.

  These monsters are going to take me to the Fae Realm, and I won’t be able to escape. No one knows how Fae enter our world, but even if they did, only Fae can transport from their world to ours. Their magic is unlike any of the creatures on Earth, and the Fae have taken great lengths to ensure their home magic remains untouched by ours.

  I whimper, and my body sags in defeat.

  The image of Uncle Eric and Aunt Julie flashes in my mind. I see myself hiding in the trees, giggling as I hear my aunt and uncle traipse across the park, pretending to search for me even though they know where I am. I must’ve been six. Hide and seek had been a favorite game until I started to fear the creatures I could see. Being on my own, hiding from my loved ones who would protect me, suddenly became much less fun.