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

by Adkins, Heather Marie

  Avrum glanced at Lord Henri, who still wore the same cool reserve.

  “I’m glad you enjoyed it.” He turned to Avrum. “And thank you for seeing that she was safe.”

  Avrum bowed.

  “It is good to know there are still some loyal men in this coven.” Henri switched his cane into his other hand. “Loyalty is one of the greatest gifts to give.”

  Haven’s midnight eyes rolled to the ceiling.

  “I owe you my life,” Avrum said. He cleared his throat, remembering that he had something more tell him. “Er―my lord, when I found Haven, Cornelius and Keagan were there.”

  “Cornelius?”

  Avrum nodded. “He was doing rounds with Keagan, but I found them stalking Haven. They were saying vulgar things, grabbing―”

  “Stop.” Henri’s body rigid, he turned fully toward Avrum. “Why was Cornelius doing the guard rounds with Keagan?”

  Avrum hesitated. Henri didn’t know about Lysander’s deal with Cornelius and the duel. Avrum didn’t want to cause any harm to his friend. “Er―”

  “Speak, boy!” said Henri, his voice rumbling. The space around him radiated with heated power.

  “Cornelius challenged Lysander to a duel and lost. The deal was that Cornelius would take over Lysander’s guard duties for some time.” The words spilled out of his mouth before he could think. Avrum took another step back.

  Lord Henri rolled his shoulders back, lifted his chin, and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, his pupils grew larger. “I never approved of your little duels,” he muttered, “but I suppose everyone is allowed their fun.”

  Avrum didn’t know what to do besides nod.

  “Well,” Henri began, “it’s midmorning, and you need your rest.”

  “I can escort Haven to her room before I go to my own,” said Avrum.

  Henri’s eyes snapped to him. “No,” he said. “You’ve done enough this evening. Thank you.”

  Avrum glanced at Haven, who was standing very still. Unspoken hatred flamed in her stare. Even though he wished he could say more to her, he knew it was his turn to leave. He felt Henri’s invisible push to make him go.

  With his jaw set, Avrum went the opposite way down the hallway where his bedroom waited for him, fighting the urge to look over his shoulder the entire way.

  * * *

  “I am glad you enjoyed your stroll along the grounds,” Henri said once Avrum had left. Haven wished he was still there. She didn’t want to be left alone with Henri.

  “As I said before,” Haven said, “it was too short.”

  “What?” He reached out a ringed finger, and Haven cringed when it came close to her cheek. “Not even a simple thank you?”

  “Thank yous are never simple with you.”

  His hovering finger captured a curl beside her face. She tried to hit it away, but the moment her hand came near his, he snatched it by the wrist and squeezed the bracelets tighter around her raw skin.

  “You are so ungrateful,” Henri purred. “All I want is to help you.”

  “Help me?”

  “For hundreds of years, I have waited for you to return to me. I have never stopped loving you. I want to help you remember how much you love me.”

  Haven’s eyes widened. “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

  “Kiss me,” he said, his dark eyes glowing. “All I want before I sleep is a simple kiss.”

  “Go to hell.”

  Suddenly, the crystal end of Henri’s cane was at her throat, pressing into her skin. He licked his lips. “Everything has to be so difficult with you,” he hissed. “Just one kiss.”

  For a moment, she thought she would. Just a quick peck and maybe he would leave her alone. Her stomach turned.

  Henri’s head turned toward his bedroom door, and her gaze followed. To Haven’s horror, Cornelius and Keagan stood in front of it. Their hungry eyes flashed black as they took their posts as Henri’s personal daytime guards.

  Henri’s hand pressed against her mouth, and she screamed against the cool skin. He leaned down, his face only breaths away from hers. Her distorted, fearful expression stared back at her through his black eyes. She hated to see herself that way. She turned her head.

  “Look at me,” Henri commanded in a harsh whisper.

  She squeezed them closed.

  The hand over her mouth shook her hard. “Look at me!” Her eyes snapped open, and she saw a smirk lift his lips. “Much better.”

  Haven tried to move, but the grip on her face pinned her in her place.

  “Don’t fight me, Haven,” he said as his lips brushed against her cheek. “You know you cannot win.”

  She knew it was true, and she hated it.

  “Now…” He moved his kisses along her jaw line. “Tell me you love me.” His hand lifted from her mouth.

  “Say it.”

  She said nothing.

  “Say it!”

  “Never,” she snapped. “I will never love you.”

  The back of his hand met her face with a hard smack and left her ears ringing. The skin burned, but she didn’t dare move.

  He lifted his ringed finger for her to see. Along the large onyx stone, in the center of the engraved gold band, her blood glistened. She felt a trail of warmth run down her cheek, and she winced, knowing what it was.

  Henri brought the ring to his lips and licked the stone clean. Then, he dipped his head and let his tongue catch the rest of her blood before it dripped onto her dress.

  “Hmmm…” he murmured, a growl vibrating in his throat. “How did I know you weren’t going to listen?” He reached for the front buttons of her bodice.

  Haven’s heart thumped wildly in her chest. She knew what his intentions were. “Please,” she breathed. Her temples pounded with every word, “don’t do this. I’ll tell you anything you want. Just please...”

  Henri paused. His head tilted to the side. His thick brows knitted together, and for a moment, he looked confused.

  She couldn’t help the tears that fell from her eyes.

  “Oh, my love,” he murmured, stepping back. “Don’t cry.” Henri’s hand came up again, and Haven winced at the sight of the ring. This time, he stroked her unmarked cheek.

  Haven’s entire body trembled under his touch.

  Henri looked at her through glazed eyes. “Linna...” he whispered.

  “Who are you talking about? I’m not Linna,” she cried. “I’m Haven. Haven!”

  “Linna, you have to love me.” Was that pain she heard in his voice? He leaned forward again and buried his face in the hollow of her neck. Henri’s hand rested on her shoulder, and she froze.

  “Love me,” he pleaded. “You have to love me, Linna.” As he continued to mutter nonsense into her ear, the grip on her shoulder became tighter. His nails bit into the flesh, sending waves of pain through her arm.

  “You must love me.”

  * * *

  A gentle rap on the door awoke Avrum from his deep sleep. The moment he opened his eyes, the swirling, rushing power of nightfall filled him.

  The knock came again, this time with a little more vigor. Avrum threw off the thick quilt and rose to his feet. The smells of sweat and blood invaded his nose, making his stomach clench.

  Quickly, he dressed into slacks and an ivory shirt. Still fumbling with the buttons of his gray vest, he went to the door. Opening it, he found the little maid he had spoken to about Haven. She stood there with her small fist raised to knock again. Emma, he recalled her name.

  Color touched her cheeks, and she dropped her hand. “I am sorry for disturbing you,” she muttered. “I was sent by the lord to retrieve you.”

  “Is something wrong?” he asked.

  Emma’s eyes drifted to the left and her bottom lip quivered.

  Haven. Avrum’s chest tightened at the thought of her. “Is Haven all right?”

  “I… don’t know,” she replied, but the worry in her face told a different story.

  She’s gone, was Avrum�
��s first thought. She ran off again to the city. He sighed. It must have been the reason Lord Henri wanted to speak to him. Avrum ran a hand through his hair, still mused and untied from sleep. “Thank you for bringing me the message, Emma,” he said as he walked past her and down the hallway.

  Avrum approached Henri’s door to find Keagan and Cornelius standing there, arms crossed and swords resting against their hips. They leered at Avrum’s stunned expression.

  “Look at this,” said Keagan, nudging his friend. “The hound has wandered back home.”

  Cornelius chuckled.

  “The lord sent for me,” Avrum snapped.

  Keagan lifted his pointed nose. “You must feel so damn special.”

  Avrum ground his teeth and took a step forward. “Just let me in,” he said.

  Cornelius put a meaty hand on his shoulder to stop him. “Why should we? Henri has permanently appointed me as one of his guards, and we are the ones who decide who enters and who does not.”

  Stepping to the side, Keagan held out a hand like a gentleman. “Now, now, Cornelius. We should let Avrum through. He was sent for, after all.” The smirk widened on his face, making deep lines appear in the corners of his eyes. “Go on.”

  Avrum shrugged off the bigger man’s grip and waited for Keagan to reach for the handle. When he pushed the door open for him to enter, Keagan repeated the two words, “Go on.”

  Narrowing his eyes at them, Avrum stepped into Henri’s bedroom for the first time. When he closed the door behind him, the two guards’ laughter boomed through the door.

  Avrum’s gaze searched the room. He was alone, it seemed. Henri wasn’t there, but he must have been close by because Avrum could hear the slow, faint drum of a heart. Two stained-glass windows stood in front of him on the opposite wall. The silver light of the moon shined through, creating colored pattern on the dark wooden floors. A four-poster bed took up most of the space, its white sheets still pulled back and disheveled.

  He took another step and paused. His vision blurred as the sweet scent of blood met his senses. His head spun, but his feet moved him across the room, around the bed.

  There, in the corner, a shadowed figure stirred.

  Avrum froze. So he wasn’t alone.

  “Hello?” he whispered, getting closer. Whoever this person was, it wasn’t Lord Henri. No power radiated from it. The heartbeat was low and distant, but the smell of blood got stronger the closer he became. “Hello…”

  The darkness stirred again, but this time, Avrum saw the paleness of a face surrounded by a long mess of brown hair.

  “Haven?”

  Avrum fell to his knees in front of her. He took hold of her arms and pulled her into the light of the window. Colors of rose and indigo touched her face, letting Avrum see the jagged gash across her right cheek bone and the dried blood on her swollen bottom lip. Her head rolled to the side, causing a few strands of tangled hair to fall away from her neck. Her eyes drifted closed. There, on the curve of her shoulder, half-moon wounds marked the already bruised purple flesh. When his eyes moved lower, he saw two more pierce wounds on one of her breasts.

  Avrum swore. He glanced over his shoulder at the door that Keagan and Cornelius protected. Had they done this to her?

  Those bastards! They could have killed her!

  He slid his fingers over the cool skin of her arms. They were dangling in front of her awkwardly, her hands resting on her folded legs. He hesitated when he brushed across something coarse around her wrists. It was a rope, Avrum realized, and it was binding her hands together.

  Body trembling and throat tight, Avrum tried to gain Haven’s attention again. “Haven… Haven, please.” Her eyes fluttered open. “W-Who did this to you?”

  She stared at him, her empty eyes searching his face as if seeing him for the first time.

  He had to get her away from here and cared for. He needed to tell Henri what had been done to her.

  Footsteps vibrated the floor underneath him, making him jump to his feet. The door opened, and Lord Henri stepped through, fiddling with the cuff of his ivory-bib shirt. His coal black hair was slicked back from his handsome face, curling up at the end. When his eyes found Avrum, a smile broke the seriousness of his face.

  He held out his arms as if to welcome him into an embrace. “My dear boy! You’ve come to me.”

  Avrum moved to the front of the bed and bowed. “My lord.”

  Henri turned to the standup mirror beside his study’s door. His reflection watched Avrum with careful eyes as he fixed his other cuff. “I didn’t want to have to wake you, Avrum, but this news could not wait.”

  He glanced over his shoulder to where Haven still lay motionless.

  “I have thought a lot about all you have done for me,” Henri said, lifting his chin. He did the buttons up his shirt and added, “And I am eternally grateful. You are truly a friend in my eyes.”

  “My lord…” His tongue felt heavy in his mouth, but he had to say something about Haven. Surely Henri didn’t know what Keagan and Cornelius had done. He had to tell him. “Ha―”

  “I wanted to find some way to thank you,” he went on. “And so, I think I’ve found that way and brought you here.” There was a pause before he turned to look at Avrum. “I am making you my second-in-command.”

  The words floated in the space between them. He didn’t know how to respond.

  Henri’s eyes narrowed and all emotion drained from his face. “You don’t seem too pleased about this.”

  Avrum held up his hands. “No, no, my lord, forgive me. I am very thankful for your offer―”

  “What is the problem then?” His voice gained volume as he crossed the room to the door leading to the hallway. “Do you not accept?”

  Avrum ran a hand over his face in an attempt to clear his mind. He sighed. “I am sorry, my lord,” he began. “I accept your offer with the utmost humility and gratitude.”

  “Good,” Henri replied. He knocked on the door twice, waited for it to open, and for Keagan and Cornelius to come in before he continued, “As my second, I will be expecting only more from you.”

  “Of…course…” Avrum watched the two guards pass him and walk to the other side of the bed with a pleased gleam in their eyes.

  Henri went back to the mirror. “Many might try to test your loyalty, but I don’t think I will have to worry about you wandering from me.” His reflection’s stare bore into Avrum. “Right?”

  He swallowed. “Yes, my lord.”

  A loud groan came from behind him, making him turn. Cornelius lifted Haven from the dark corner and draped her over his thick arms. Her limbs swung back and forth with his movements. Avrum remembered the cotton dress she had been wearing when he found her by the lake. Now her body was barely covered in shreds of blue cloth.

  With his breathing quick and short, he glanced back at Lord Henri for help. He continued dressing before the mirror. He slipped into a burgundy vest and buttoned it up.

  Cornelius placed Haven on the bed while Keagan began using the ropes already around her wrists to tie her to the headboard.

  Avrum tried to speak, but his voice stayed lodged in his throat. When they had finished securing her to the bed, Keagan made sure to press his lips to her forehead, his eyes never leaving Avrum.

  “Will that be all, my lord?” asked Keagan, drawing out every word.

  Henri said nothing, just adjusted his collar.

  In his silence, Avrum heard the truth. He felt it too―twisting inside him like a dull knife―leaving him weak and unable to move. It had been his lord, his very immortal father, who had done this to Haven. He wasn’t trying to help her. He was using her for his pleasure, drinking from her, and possibly…

  He glanced over his shoulder at Haven lying motionless on the bed.

  No, please. He wouldn’t. No…

  Avrum squeezed his eyes shut until colorful circles danced behind his lids. His stomach lurched.

  How long had this been happening? How could he have not seen i
t?

  Haven had risked all to leave this place. She was a prisoner, and he had been the one to track her down and drag her back to this recurring hell.

  “That is all,” was Henri’s only reply. He waved Keagan and Cornelius away before moving to face Avrum again. When the door closed, Lord Henri seized him by the shoulders and held his gaze.

  “This is a great honor. I would not just give the title to anyone,” he said through clenched teeth.

  Something caught Avrum’s eye. He looked to where Henri’s hand laid. His ring’s black stone caught the room’s little light and gleamed, but on the band, dry crimson liquid dulled the shine. Avrum’s mind flashed back to the gash he saw across Haven’s face.

  Henri was a monster.

  And that meant he was a monster.

  “Avrum, you are like a son to me. I hope you understand what I mean by this.”

  Avrum felt himself nodding.

  “Excellent!” The grin appeared on his face again, and his narrowed gaze roamed Avrum’s face before he let go. Then, Henri patted him on the back. “You may go.”

  Avrum went to the door. As he took hold of the handle, his gaze drifted to the four-poster bed.

  Haven’s glassy, blue eyes watched him, pleading with him not to go. Her lips never moved, but he thought he could hear her voice calling. “Please, Avrum…”

  His heart sank.

  “You may go,” Henri repeated with more force.

  And he did, as quick as he could. Avrum could hear Keagan’s and Cornelius’ mocking laughter behind him as he hurried through the hallway and down the stairs.

  4

  He didn’t know where else to go, so he just let his feet walk for him. They brought him outside, through the courtyard, and to the forest line to where the duels were held. No one seemed to be around now, and he walked on, his mind still whirling with all he had left behind.

  Avrum sucked in as much air as his lungs could hold. A gentle breeze pushed through the moist grass, making brown and gold leaves leap into the air and whirl around in a playful dance. Silver water droplets clung to their faces and shimmered like the many stars above him. The beauty around him did not strike him the same way. It felt like an illusion—a lie.