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

by Adkins, Heather Marie

  “So why didn’t you say something when you first came to my car. I don’t know something like hey I know your mother can I help you?”

  Stepping back, I reached in through the open window and snatched the phone off the car top dash. I woke it up by swiping the screen and hit the contact button to call my mother.

  “Paige? Paige dear, what’s wrong?” Her voice raised in both volume and pitch, loud enough for him to hear. “Aren’t you at home yet?”

  “Sherry? It’s Devlin.” The was a hesitant note to his voice as he talked to my mother through the speaker. A tone of affection in his deep voice.

  “Dev? Um. What’s wrong? Why are you there?” If I knew my mother,​ she was scratching her head​ with a hand pressed to her forehead as she tried to sort everything out in her head.

  “Sher. It’s okay. I was walking by and I saw Paige having trouble starting her car, so I stopped to help. You remember Caine, right? Well he has a starter that will fit in her car. Huh. Yes. You know I will. Luv you too.” I must have been standing with my mouth hanging open because he took a finger and after placing it under my chin, closed my mouth.

  I had heard Mom’s responses to him but still couldn't believe I had never heard about or met him before.

  “You know my mother?” I cleared my throat at the harsh tone that came out of it. “How?”

  I was almost inarticulate with the words that wouldn’t release. Sher? Luv you?

  “Um...honey? We’ll have to talk later. After I get home. What about Ben? He’s all alone.” I could hear the worried note in her voice.

  “It’s okay,​ Sher. I’ve got someone over there. You remember Caine? His daughter Amy is there with​ Ben right now. Yes, I know. She has that book store over on fifth. Yes, that one. She has a very maternal and yet fun-loving personality and will take great care of him.” His voice was low and soothing and really pissed me off. I wanted to grab him but with his size I was sure I wouldn’t be able to move him one iota.

  “Okay. I’ve had enough of this shit. Who the hell are you and how do you know my mother?”

  It was heartbreaking to me that he knew my mother and Ben so well but not me. I know I was gone a lot with school and work but still. They must have been avoiding me and not letting me in on their little adventures. Childish much? But I still couldn’t help my they’re keeping things away from me thoughts.

  The pain from my clenched jaw and the grinding of my back teeth made me realize I needed to calm down a bit. Before I did something I’d regret later. Maybe. I wasn’t hurt at all.

  “Later tonight Paige, we’ll all get together and tell you everything so you’ll know. Okay honey?” Of course I had to agree. My mother had enough with raising both of us. It was easier now that I was an adult and able to help with Ben.

  “Of course Mom. Later will be fine. I’ll make a nice dinner for all of us, including…Devlin?” My voice was slightly garbled as I was still talking through clenched back teeth. I stalked back and forth in front of my car, one hand holding my phone and the other gesturing wildly.

  “Yes, I’ll come for dinner. Thanks for asking and we’ll be able to talk. We’ll tell you everything then, Paige.” His words came out slow as if he were considering each one carefully. As if he were afraid to say too much right now. His hands spread in front of him in a placating gesture.

  “I’ll talk to you later, Mom. Gotta find some way to get home to Ben.” My brows furrowed as I​ thought about my younger brother.

  Slowly turning, I faced Devlin. “So,​ Dev.”

  He inclined his head slightly in acknowledgement. “Dinner tonight? And who is with my brother?”

  “A friend of mine and Sher’s.” I could tell he was ignoring my sarcasm.

  “Here,​ let me take you home to make sure your brother is safe from my evil friends. Then I’ll borrow a​ car to take you to my other friends to get your car fixed. He also has tow trucks so he can take your car to his place.”

  Devlin let down my hood with a loud slam as if exclaiming his point before leading me to a huge black and chrome Harley Davidson bike parked on the street. The loud noise of morning traffic almost overwhelming. I gaped at the machine in consternation before turning my stare onto him.

  “Yes, Paige, this is my ride. Get on.”

  “First Devlin, Lucifer wants to know why he hasn’t seen you or Caine for a while.”

  We turned at the sound of the voice to see a man leaning against an oak tree.

  “Asmodeus, what are you doing here.”

  “Is this her? You better watch that little bird before she’s snatched away.” Asmodeus leaned down picking a long blade of grass and studied it for a moment. Picking up one of his feet he place the shiny expensive looking shoe on a stump and rested his forearm on his thigh. His eyes studied the grains of seeds before sticking it in his mouth. His eyes settled on me again but the gaze was intense, passionate. He gave Devlin a sideways look with a smirk, “Y​ou can’t hide her in a cage forever, Devlin. She’s going to​ have to be allowed to fly free.” He paused, moving away from the stump to stand before us. “ Lucifer wants her, you know. He thinks your daughter will have your powers and he wants those for his use. You can’t beat him.” Asmodeus’ eyes rested directly on me.

  But what caught my attention were the two words your daughter​. Shock hit me full in the face.

  “This is my father?!”

  As I asked the question my body involuntarily turned in Devlin’s direction, but his attention was placed squarely on Asmodeus.

  He stepped around the front of his ride to confront the other man, his large body blocking me from his sight.

  I didn’t like the way Asmodeus was looking at me, with hunger displayed on his face​,​ when he opened his mouth to run his tongue over pointed, shark like teeth.

  Devlin leaned toward Asmodeus threat in every part of his demeanor.

  “Stay away from her or you and Lucifer will regret it!”

  2

  I couldn’t see past the bulk of Devlin’s back but I didn’t need to. The laugh I heard in response was enough to send chills down my spine.

  “Don’t threaten us, Fallen. We can squash you and yours like the bugs you are. We’ll be back. See you soon.” The voice was deep and sounded like boulders grinding together.

  I peered around Devlin to find...nothing. He was gone. Just like the... Demon.

  Grabbing Devlin by his bicep, I turned him toward me. There was no way I could have moved him without him letting me.

  The expression on his face was fierce. His lips drawn back away from him teeth in a grimace, his eyes narrowed and the whites red.

  “What’s going on? Lucifer? Asmodeus? Did his parents name him after the King of Hell or the King of Demons? And dad? Is this a game because I don’t think it’s funny at all.”

  “We’ll talk about it when your mother comes home, now get on the bike.”

  I opened my mouth to protest but the glimmer of anger still in his eyes made me change my mind. I could hold off for now.

  “Does my mother know you associate with men called Lucifer and Asmodeus? Are they nicknames for mob bosses or gang leaders?”

  “Yes, she knows about my ex associates. Get on the bike. I’m not telling you again.”

  I opened my mouth to give him a piece of my mind when briefly I saw his face fall as he rubbed at his eyes with his head lowered.

  I stared at what I considered a monstrosity, my head shook in denial of getting on the metal beast.

  He stood beside the motorcycle with one hand on a high handlebar, looking impatient with his fingers drumming against the glossed chrome handlebar.

  His pointer finger moved in a come here gesture. “Get on.”

  As he swung his leg over and hit the kickstand with the other foot standing the bike up straight.

  With both feet planted firm on the ground, he waited with a raised eyebrow, Devlin jerked his head come on​.

  I shook my head no.

  In
his hands was a black helmet that must have been resting on the handlebar’s moments before, but I didn’t remember seeing it. He held it out to me, and I reluctantly took it from him while still refusing to get on the monster bike.

  He gave a deep sigh as his chin lowered to his chest as he thought and I considered him. He looked to be about thirty, how could he be my father?

  I nodded, grinding my teeth at his wide grin of triumph. But I went ahead and swung my leg over the monster to settle my rear as comfortably as I could, considering how terrified of the bike I was feeling at the moment.

  I wrapped my arms around his chest, before he wrapped his fingers around the high handlebars he reached down and placed my hands on his waist, placing each hand on each side of his waist so that I would have to leave slight space between us.

  After pressing a button that turned the engine on, he revved the transmission until it gave a loud roar and then we took off with a clatter of flying gravel.

  As we flew down the highway at a high rate of speed, I still felt an exhilaration I had never felt before. Even from underneath the helmet my hair flew haphazardly in the wind. My heart raced almost as fast as the bike raced down the highway.

  We made good time to my home and after jumping off the bike before it had fully stopped, I yelled, “Thanks!” Before running to the house, my feet slipping and sliding on the dirt and gravel driveway, hoping he would just leave so I wouldn’t have to deal anymore with him.

  Throwing open the front door, I frantically stood still trying to control my pounding heart so I could maybe hear where Ben was. He was so quiet most of the time, it was hard to tell where he could be at times.

  I was surprised to hear quiet voices from the kitchen--one of them feminine and definitely NOT my mother. I crept toward the sound not wanting to be seen until I knew who was with my brother.

  There sat at our old, scuffed kitchen table Ben with a tattooed young girl with bright purple short hair. She was talking animatedly, with much waving of arms. On the table beside her was a book. What kind or what it said, I had no idea. But Ben stared intently at it, want plastered on his face, with his bottom lip clenched tightly between his teeth. I expected to see blood dripping from his lip.

  “Bennie, I’m home,” I announced.

  It took a moment for my voice to register but his head whipped around, his face lifting with joy taking over from the longing I had seen moments before.

  He jumped up muttering excitedly to himself as he wrapped his arms around me tightly and my breath released in a huff. I hadn’t realized how strong he had gotten at only ten.

  I choked out, “Ben, I can’t breathe.”

  Scowling deeply at him, I spared a glance at the girl who had been watching the proceedings with a wary eye.

  Stepping back, my hands on my hips, I tapped my booted foot against the grayish and cracked linoleum as I waited for his answer.

  “Paige.” My jaw dropped at my brother’s word so clear. He never spoke so succinctly.

  I shuffled my booted feet the few steps it took me to make it over to Ben. My eyes shifted up and down over him not really knowing what to expect. He looked the same except somehow, he was changing.

  My hands gripped his in a hard grip as I asked, “Bennie?” I needed an answer.

  I loved Ben so much my heart hurt at times it was so overwhelming, even though it was so hard to take care of him. He was the sweetest boy possible. He went out of his way to be gentle to little creatures.

  “Dad. Our dad.”

  Damn those tears again, but this time they were tears of happiness for Ben. I could sense him standing behind me and I pivoted to give him my best glare.

  “I don’t understand this at all. If you’re our dad and you live here in town, how come I’ve never met you before. Obviously, you see Ben all the time.” I choked out the last sentence, running my hands through my hair, scrapping my fingernails along my scalp my head moving back and forth.

  “Honey…” Devlin started.

  “Don’t call me honey. You don’t deserve that right,” I shot out bitterly, placing a hand on a stomach that suddenly became nauseous. I took a couple of steps over to the sink, worried I would vomit for a minute as a sour taste moved up toward my mouth. Swallowing heavily, I pushed the feeling aside to concentrate on more important matters.

  “You know my younger brother but not me. How is that possible?” I raised a hand to stop him when he opened his mouth to protest. No right to protest. I spun away from him and the girl was in my space. Mere inches away from me.

  “And this is your girlfriend?” My eyebrow raised at the question. I expected an answer whether he wanted to give me one or not.

  If she stepped forward one more step that girl would be in pain.

  “No,” he answered, a scowl now on his face.

  “And what is she to you?” I asked as delicately as possible.

  “Amy…is a daughter of…a friend.” He seemed relieved by his answer as he gave a slight exhale of air through his nose.

  I happened to catch one word. “Amy?”

  Devlin grimaced. “He has…many daughters.” Again, with the hesitation. What wasn’t he telling me? Why was this like pulling teeth?

  I had a new thought. “And how many daughters do you have?”

  A bird like trill of laughter sounded beside me. “She’s got you there, Dev. Listen girl. My dad. A man slut. Your dad. Only loves your mother.”

  Turning to look Amy in her amber eyes I saw the honesty in them clear as a bell.

  “Next question.” I asked, “How come I’m the only one that hasn’t met you before.”

  He shrugged, but his eyes slid away from mine. Huh. Okay.

  Moving away from Amy I made my stand right in front of him intending to wait him out on the answer. My hands on my hips I stared into his beautiful face that was turned away from me. It was unfair. That a man that had the face of an angel was my father. How could he be? He looked my age.

  I still stood before him but this time tapping my foot against the graying linoleum. We really needed a new floor. But since we rented for a pittance the landlord wouldn’t put the money out.

  “Dev. She needs that answer.” Amy decided to be in my court, I guess.

  “I need your mother to be here, Paige.” Devlin explained, or thought he had. “Sher needs to help me explain.”

  “Why?” Simple question needed a simple answer. “And another question. You want your children to live like this? Things have been hard.”

  My hand waved to encompass the entire falling apart kitchen as well as the unseen rest of the house.

  His gaze had settled on a spot behind my shoulder. Guilt plastered on his face. Ben settled the question for us by getting up from the table where he had been munching on milk and oatmeal raisin cookies. He stood up and after walking the couple of steps over to his father, he stared at him for a minute, before taking the man’s hand in his. Ben was tall for a ten-year-old. He looked more like a twelve or thirteen-year-old to me I always thought.

  Ben reached his arms around Devlin’s waist and hugged him close.

  Ben’s imaginary language had a soothing tone to it so Devlin’s eyes focused, the more Ben mumbled to him and roughly patted his back, the guilt slipping away from his eyes. Murmuring back in the imaginary language, or what I had always thought was imaginary, a smile began to touch Devlin’s lips.

  He gently stroked his son’s back, in the hug, his eyes lighting up with joy whenever Devlin looked at him.

  I had never known we had a father, my mother only saying he wasn’t around. I didn’t know that might have only not the house.

  Again, tears burned against the back of my eyes, and I gave a loud sniff as I mumbled about allergies.​ I needed answers, and I wanted them soon.

  Turning my head away, the plate Ben had been using wavered before me as a of dizziness almost overcame me and I reached for it like it was a lifeline. Crumbs lined the plate from his cookies and lifted the plate in my hands
they fell littering the floor like specs of sand. That was when the front door opened to my mother’s voice. “I’m home!”

  3

  You seek, and there she appears.

  Holding the plate beside me with one hand tightly, my clenched fingers grinded into the hard glaze. Little bright specks danced from underneath my suddenly closed eyes as dizziness tried to grip me in its demon claws.

  I peered around the kitchen doorway, blinking rapidly to make the feeling go away. To see Ben hugging our mother enthusiastically and chattering away at a million miles an hour while she looked on indulgently.

  Needing to confront her about Devlin, I stepped forward but that was when he appeared from behind me. She blinked rapidly, and she bit at a corner of her lip as she stared at the two of us standing side by side.

  “Mom. We need to talk. The three of us.”

  The back of my teeth ground together audibly, I turned to the sink crashing the plate into the sink so hard it splintered into pieces. Staring into the chipped white porcelain tub, I watched as a tiny spiral of blood from a cut on my hand drained further away. I could only hear the conversation around me.

  “But not with Ben here,” Devlin said adamantly.

  I don’t want him around right now, either. He wouldn’t understand if we started yelling. Well, me.

  “We’ll go to the park, “Amy said. “Play on the swings and…ice cream. Ice cream, right, Ben? Yum.”

  Amy clapped her hands so enthusiastically, Ben got into the excitement of it and started clapping his hands while jumping up and down shouting, “Ice cream! Ice cream! Yeah!”

  The more he was around Devlin, his speech patterns and behavior got better and better. It was as if there was some vibe or energy from Devlin that transferred to Ben that made him better. I didn’t know. Something else I needed to find out about.

  Amy herded Ben out the door to a little, red electric Honda I hadn’t noticed when I first got here. She had tried to be considerate by parking on the only patch of dirt on the gravel and dirt driveway.

  After they had left, I turned to my parents - it is so weird to think that - suddenly at a loss for words.