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

by Adkins, Heather Marie

  “Ivan, bro, get your head out of your ass. I’m right. The only person who was chewing old Abe out was Lucian. He was right too. I agree with him completely.”

  A vampire agreeing with a werewolf was cause for some sort of holiday observance because even though we sat around that table all in union with each other, vampires still had a thing against werewolves and vice versa.

  The man was right though. Damn right.

  “You really think Lucian was right?” Ivan sighed and gave me his full attention.

  I nodded. “Oh yes. Let’s think about it. Who is Caleb?”

  Virgil shook his head. “I don’t even know. Until today I didn’t know him, or that he existed.”

  “Dragon shifters don’t tend to mix with anybody except humans. They aren’t part of the constitution.”

  After the big war centuries ago, they went their separate ways. Most of their guardians however continued to guard magical beings. It was what they did.

  “Exactly, so we have this Caleb person and he suddenly gets someone to create an etherstone so he can claim his kingdom and be king. Come on guys?”

  They were starting to see my point. “It makes no sense.”

  “Oh, it makes sense alright, just not the type of senses Abe’s making it out to be or what we’re thinking. Sure I agree that Caleb showed his use of the etherstone was personal to him, but I think it was just something he did on the side. I think it was part of a bigger plan. Pandir was for him, but he was working for someone else. For a different cause.”

  They both looked at each other then back to me.

  Ivan stood up. “What are you saying Tristan?”

  “Smells like Razul’s followers to me.”

  They both tensed.

  I was surprised no one had suggested that at the council meeting. It was the first thing I’d thought after Abram told us what happened. I thought it was almost obvious. No one mentioned it though, and I was too fascinated with my new toy to continue an argument that would go nowhere.

  Abram put the cards on the table and I knew how things worked. If he thought the stone should go to the Shadowlands, he’d make sure the votes went that way.

  I didn’t fail to notice how he just adjourned the meeting without asking if we had any questions first.

  Again, if I wasn’t so fascinated with my new toy I would have said a thing or two about that.

  “Razul?” Ivan asked tensing his jaw. “What made you think that?”

  I hopped off the window bay. Ivan was so noble. Looking at him I could tell he thought it too. Maybe not as obvious as it was to me but it passed through his mind.

  “It’s obvious Ivan.”

  Razul was a hell god who’d wanted to take over all the realms. He wanted unlimited power and to rule over everything and everyone.

  The war centuries ago sent him to the deepest corner of the underworld. A world deep in the chasms of the darkest realm of hell. It was a place where there was no return. Yet his acolytes resurfaced every once in a while with all their attempts to free him.

  “The last attempt was nearly successful,” Virgil offered.

  “damn near.” I smirked.

  The whole thing happened before anyone could really get involved, and if anyone had they wouldn’t have had the power to do anything.

  It took a wraith possessed sentinel and a syph to stop the necromancer and the sorceress who were trying to free Razul.

  Dante, the wraith possessed sentinel was a fallen angel. The kind of guy I could get on with because we shared the same sort of characteristics, and had that abhorrence for authority. The syph, who was now his fiancé was something I never knew existed. She had the ability to copy any power she chose.

  The necromancer and the sorceress Balmora were going to use the Syph to steal power from a star that could unlock Razul from wherever the hell he’d been placed in hell.

  Dante stopped that from happening but he also rewrote history by changing Balmora’s path. It took the flaming swords from the Garden of Eden, the help of Dante’s brother Malachi, who was a sentinel too, and all the power in the world to stop that from happening.

  Beings like that didn’t just come around often. And, not in the same place or the same time.

  It looked like Razul’s one shot.

  Unless someone else found another way.

  “What now brother? If you suspect it’s Razul’s followers we have to say something. Can’t leave it to the wolves. They didn’t guess that.”

  “They will, it will be become obvious when people think about it. I’m just not sure who will make the point and stand up to Abram’s idea.”

  “We will.” Ivan nodded. “We fucking will. This isn’t about changing some law or something random like that. There’s more to this and it needs checking out.”

  “Fine. Let me know when you want to talk more about it.” I was done with this for today. I had some research to do before tonight. Research on Gabrielle.

  Ivan frowned and gave me a look of pure disapproval. “We’re talking now Tristan.”

  “No, I’m done. I gave my piece.” I headed toward the door.

  “Leave the witch alone Tristan.” Ivan called out stopping me in my tracks.

  I turned to face him and smiled. “What makes you think I’m going after the witch?”

  “Really?” Ivan tilted his head to the side, allowing his blonde locks to drift over his shoulders.

  “I haven’t said.”

  “You were staring at her through the whole meeting. You’re lucky Prudence didn’t try to kill you.”

  “You’re right by saying try. She could try and she would fail.” Pru and I had a sort of love, hate relationship. More on the hate side. She thought I was an asshole who had no regards for the laws, and made it his duty to tempt young witches into breaking the rules.

  She was right. To some extent.

  “She could give you a run Tristan.” Virgil laughed.

  “Sounds like you want a run with the witch, brother. Prudence needs to get laid, have sex with someone other than herself. A pretty girl like that locked up in a castle with all those rules and laws will make you too pent up and lack social skills. Do her a favor and set her free.”

  Poor Virgil, he tried to be serious, he really did but he couldn’t always do it and keep a serious face on with some of the things I said.

  “Stop distracting him.” Ivan raised his brows. “The new girl, Tristan. Stay away from her. she’s a witch from the Coven of Shadows. You know what that means. You know it. do not venture down that path.”

  “Yes sire,” I teased, bowing my head, and turned to go on my merry way.

  Ivan could be such a prick sometimes. Who the fuck did he think he was talking to. He thought just because he was older and in charge he had some advantage over me. Like everything else he told me to do, I was just going to ignore him.

  Asshole, he was the one who needed to get laid.

  I didn’t need a reminder of the law. It didn’t apply to me in this instance.

  Nope, it did not.

  The little witch and I had a secret, but that wasn’t why we were both exempt from the law.

  She could travel the dream plane, that meant she could also walk the ghost roads. And the astral planes. Any kind of plane where the soul could be separated from the body.

  Witches could not do that.

  Witches, vampires, werewolves, dragon shifters and some fae folk all had some element of human characteristics between them. However, of the bunch, witches didn’t have that element of control over their souls. They couldn’t separate the body from the soul. Had to do with the magic. The magic was tied to their souls.

  My brothers and I weren’t undead like the other types of vampires. So, we had souls, could have children, when we died we didn’t fade away to ashes and we could walk around in the sunlight.

  Different, just like her. My dearest Gabrielle who was no mere witch.

  She was something else entirely.

  Sh
e was something else, and right now it looked like I was the only person who had the privilege of knowing that.

  It was a good feeling.

  Books first. Very few things made me head to the library for anything. She made me curious to find out more about her.

  I sensed something more at work with her. Same as I knew that stone was just a piece of the puzzle. Part of the bigger picture.

  So, library first then fun later.

  4

  Gabrielle

  It was getting late and I was getting more tired by the minute.

  My bed was screaming for me to jump in it but I couldn’t do it.

  Earlier when I went to sleep I couldn’t wait to see him. I’d been going for naps a few times a day since I’d been here and telling everyone I was still suffering from the effects of the ordeal three weeks ago.

  Nothing was further from the truth.

  While Pru put it down to the effects of being sucked into a portal and recommended as much bed rest as possible until I felt better, I’d rejoiced for the alone time I got. A few times I called Ariyah. But, I spent more time asleep getting nasty with Tristan.

  My God, I couldn’t believe it was all real.

  I was really with him. sure not my physical body but my soul, or possibly my astral self.

  That was what the books said it could be.

  I was in the library looking through a number of reference books and journals on astral projection and soul separation. I’d been reading and reading but hadn’t come across any witches who could do it. There were a few creatures however who could.

  Vampires were one. Vampires from the order of Raphael. Vampires like Tristan.

  I didn’t even know there were different types of vampires.

  I didn’t read much about it because I was so eager to find out more about my power.

  “Hey you.” Pru smiled when she popped her head in and looked up at me on the upper deck with a mountain of books on the table.

  She came inside holding two mugs of what I knew was hot chocolate

  She brought some to me last night.

  I relaxed a little just seeing her.

  “Hey, thanks for this. I really appreciate it.” I gave her a warm smile.

  She sat down and set the cups on the table. “I know you do. Sorry I didn’t come check on you before. I had some stuff to sort out at the school.”

  Pru was a teacher at the magic school. She taught potions and magical cures. It sounded interesting and there was talk of me joining in on some of her classes. I was looking forward to that.

  “Was everything okay?”

  “Yes. Teenagers, God. I can’t remember being any kind of trouble when I was one. Not like some of these.”

  “What happened?”

  Pru laughed and ran a hand through her hair messing it up. “Really, you want to know about that? You don’t want to talk about Mr. Asshole staring you down in the meeting earlier?”

  My shoulders slumped. If only she knew, or maybe it was best that she didn’t.

  “Well, I just figured since I was new … um he wondered who I was.” I couldn’t even get the words out properly before Pru started laughing.

  “Gabrielle, we’re close to the same age right? I’m thirty. You’re twenty eight. We know how men work. Vampires are worse than the men that you’re used to, and you have to know how to deal with them.”

  “What do you mean? How much worse can they be?”

  “Back in the human realm did you ever come across a guy who would just look at you in such a obviously scandalous, sexual way in front of everyone, and think that was okay?”

  “No, but there are some guys who would do that I’m sure. Maybe.”

  “Oh please. The guy who did that would be asking for an argument at the least. I know if I saw someone looking at me like that I’d want to call the police or someone like that if I were in the human realm. Here, I’d just hit him with a fire ball.

  “Pru, I don’t know what to think.”

  “Just avoid them and if you see him again don’t speak to him. Seriously, he’s not worth the hassle.”

  I doubted it was that easy. I’d already jumped straight into the fire from this afternoon. What the hell would she have thought if she saw us together in my room?

  Avoidance though was exactly my plan. That’s why I was doing my best to stay awake. No sleep for me tonight and if I didn’t fall asleep I wouldn’t get sucked in to temptation in my dreams.

  “Maybe I shouldn’t be at the meeting.” Best to cover all bases, especially until I knew a little more about my powers. ‘There’s no need for me to join you guys at the next one. Right?”

  “It’s not normally that bad, but I hear you. Father just wanted to introduce you and show you to everyone. He has a thing about being upfront.”

  “They don’t trust him?”

  “I fear so, and they aren’t exactly the friendliest bunch.”

  “Those vampires certainly had their opinions. The head of the werewolves too.” I thought I’d jump back to the subject. Reading was great and gave great knowledge that I could use, but hearing her opinion was worth a lot more.

  “They’re always like that. Today they were more vocal I guess, and with reason. If your worried about the asshole don’t be, he’s just rude and obnoxious.”

  “What’s their story? Their different right?”

  “Yes, completely. Forget everything you’ve read about Vampires. These guys are a whole other race of immortal beings. I don’t even fully understand their power and I suspect they want to keep it that way.”

  “They can separate their souls?”

  She looked impressed. “Wow girl, you have been reading. Did he freak you out that much?”

  “I just wanted to know more.”

  Curiosity lit up her bright blue eyes. “Translation, you thought he was hot.”

  “No.” I would have sounded more convincing if I’d kept the tremor out of my voice.

  “Again, you don’t have to lie to me. Lie to my mom, definitely to my Father. Not to me though. With Juliana, watch your back.”

  “She doesn’t like me does she?”

  “No.”

  “I didn’t do anything,” I huffed and shook my head.

  “It’s the attention. I love my sister but she has a way of jumping straight to jealousy. She wants the attention to be all on her. anyone who steals it is a no in her book. I’m sure she wouldn’t have liked that Tristan was staring at you the way he was.”

  God, like I could help that.

  “Let me guess she likes him.”

  “She likes all of them. Look at them Gabrielle. Don’t tell me you didn’t think they were the most beautiful men you’d ever seen in your life.” She giggled.

  I smiled. “They were exactly that.” There was no point denying it.

  “Ivan, the leader is the eldest, he’s two hundred. Virgil the balancer is a hundred and fifty, and Tristan the wild child, your asshole, is a hundred.”

  I couldn’t restrain the surprise I felt. “They’re all in their hundreds?”

  “Uh huhh. You’re dealing with a different category of people here. Or beings. Older than what you’re used to. Titania, the queen of the Fae folk is four thousand, she’s the oldest of the humanoids. Father next, then Lucian at seven hundred years old. The Vampires however are probably the most resilient. The oldest member of their clan is so old no one knows his age.”

  “It’s all so new to me. Have you ever… you know, been with any of them?” Maybe it was too personal a question to ask. Too late though, I asked before thinking properly.

  She shook her head. “We can’t. It’s against our laws.”

  I didn’t know that. I never even thought about that. “Really? Why?” I narrowed my eyes.

  “For us, it’s our duty to preserve the purity of our magic. It’s as simple as that. Them too, specifically them. We can’t … mate –for lack of a better word – with them. I think it’s harsh and to be honest against
me but it’s Coven of Shadow laws.”

  Wow, I hope they didn’t take into account previous transgressions. Then again I didn’t care and I wasn’t so sure I wanted to be a part of something that set down laws like that. It sounded very prejudice to me.

  “So we can’t go there with Vampires?”

  “Nope, it’s a big no. And, if we could I wouldn’t go there. They’re too much for me. If I had my pick on any of the council it would be the werewolf.”

  “Lucian?” I chuckled.

  She pressed her finger to her lips. “Shhh. We can’t go there with them either, but I would definitely consider breaking the rules with him.”

  I was laughing, actually laughing. It felt like me.

  “Pru, you are so funny.”

  “I’m serious, did you see his lips, and that hair, and those eyes. Also I read that during sex it’s the men who choose if the women get pregnant. They can control their sperm. So you could have endless sex with out birth control.”

  I was listening and she most assuredly had my attention. “Witches still need birth control? I thought maybe there’d be some magical control.”

  “No, unfortunately, not. But if you’re with a wolf, which you can’t be, you don’t. Or a vampire, which you most definitely mustn’t be with. You could imagine it though. Lots of skin to skin sex with seriously hot guys.”

  She shook her head and smiled.

  “Pru, I can honestly say you have managed to distract me.”

  “Gabrielle,” the seriousness returned to her face. “You focus on what you need to focus on. And don’t concern yourself with the stone. I hope you weren’t offended when Lucian suggested it being strange that you and it came about at the same time.”

  “I wasn’t. Honestly, I wondered that myself. I couldn’t see the relation though. It all simply happened. I was in danger of the worst kind and my guardians protected me.”

  “Have you ever tried any spells?” She rested her arm on the table. “You said days ago that you wished you were a witch and now it happened.”

  “I did, but I don’t think my spells worked.”

  “Spells are tricky. They’re like balancing chemicals. You have to get the right balance at all times and have the right formula. All the elements in harmony with each other working in tandem. It doesn’t just happen overnight. Sometimes though, when you know your stuff you can create spells right off the top of your head.”