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

by Adkins, Heather Marie

  Vicki looked around for the guy she just told to leave. Maybe he would come ask her to play again so she could escape Markos’s questions. “Why are you asking me? You should be interrogating Ember and not me.” She stood to leave.

  “Wait, Vicki! I’m looking for a killer who we suspect has been working with someone from Legacy to drain magic and life force on anyone he wants. Ember’s somehow mixed up in this.”

  Vicki’s eyes narrowed menacingly. “Don’t you dare accuse my best friend of helping a killer! She wouldn’t do that.” Vicki hoped she was speaking the truth. Ember had been acting oddly the last couple of weeks.

  Markos held up two fingers to the bartender, who quickly brought over a couple of Shock Tops. “I’m not accusing her of anything. Yet. Ember shows up at my hotel room in the middle of the night. She claimed to have information about the killer, and then she told me that someone from our past is still alive. She wasn’t being straight with me, so what am I supposed to think?”

  “Why didn’t you ask her?” Vicki wanted to scream in frustration.

  “I did. She’s up to her old tricks.”

  “Obviously not if she came to you.”

  Markos thought about that. “Why does she always have to be so difficult?”

  “She has asked me the same thing about you. You two should actually talk to each other and not always assume the worst. Go back and ask her to tell you what she knows.” Leave me out of your drama, she thought to herself.

  Markos squeezed her shoulder. “Thanks Vic.” He jogged out of the room so he could portal back to his hotel. He hadn’t been gone that long, but he knew she was going to be furious that he left her stuck to the bed.

  He didn’t want to walk directly into his room. She could have been able to grab hold of something to use as a weapon against him. He recited a camouflage spell that would allow him to blend into the background, and he stepped into the hallway. Thankfully, no one was around at this late hour.

  Reaching for his door, he hesitated to go inside. Markos couldn’t hear anything, and he wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing. He pulled out his key card and slipped it into the lock. The click reverberated through the hallway, making it sound louder than it was.

  Opening the door, he moved carefully inside. Markos didn’t think she could escape, but he was not taking any chances. At first, he thought she had gotten away, but she was exactly where he had left her lying on the bed. The sheet was pulled up all around her, and she was glaring at him.

  Markos laughed. “I see you discovered just how thorough I was. I layered the spell.”

  “Ugh! Let me go! You left me here for hours!” Ember was beyond furious. “Where did you go? Why did you leave me here?”

  He didn’t see any reason not to tell her where he went. “I had a chat with Vicki, and I didn’t leave you for hours.” Markos approached her side of the bed, knowing he had kept her there long enough.

  That surprised her. “Why?”

  She was shocked when he muttered the spell to release her. She was freed from the pillow and could now rotate her neck. He needed to say the spell a few times before her entire body could move. Ember came up swinging her fist, but he was ready for her, tackling her onto the bed. He held her hands to her sides, not wanting to hurt her but not wanting her to connect with his face.

  “Stop!” he commanded. “I’m not going to hurt you, and you better not try to hurt me. I’m going to let you up so we can talk. Can I trust you?”

  Ember looked mutinous but nodded her head. “For now.”

  He chuckled. “Fair enough.” He pulled her to a seated position and moved far enough away from her striking zone but close so he could restrain her if necessary.

  She shot up from the bed and headed for the bathroom, needing to go really bad. Ember would deal with him after.

  Markos continued to laugh loudly while she was taking care of her needs.

  She returned a minute later with a glare but came back to sit on the edge of the bed. “Why did you let me up?” she asked but didn’t wait for him to answer. Shrugging one shoulder, she muttered, “Thanks.”

  “Did you think I was going to keep you there all night?” Markos wasn’t sure what her new tactic was. Being nice wasn’t something she did often.

  “You could have.” Ember had a lot of time to think while stuck in bed, and she didn’t feel like fighting with him. She just wanted to give him the information she had and be on her way.

  “What are you up to now, Ember?” he asked, wondering if he should be preparing for something big.

  She pulled her phone from the pouch at her back, put in the passcode, and opened her photo gallery. “Here. You’re going to freak out when you see the photos, but I had a reason for being there. I’ll tell you everything if you promise to listen to the whole thing.”

  “Just show me.” Markos flipped through the photos and stopped at a selfie with Ember and Kallias looking extremely cozy. His eyes raised to find hers staring back at him. “You better have a really good explanation for this.

  * * *

  Levi was dressed in a hunter green warrior outfit, complete with hard leather breastplate and leather pants tucked into knee boots. His long black hair was tied back with a ribbon, and he had a tattoo that peaked out from the top of his collar and ran up the side of his neck. Aria wondered what the prince of the dark elves was doing in a fae village and, more importantly, inside their jail cell.

  Damian was actually happy to see the conceited elf although he would never admit that to anyone. He knew that Levi would take any advantage he could, and it was never a good idea to owe a dark elf. They needed to be very careful. Damian pulled on his chain to shift his position but it was useless. “If you came here for a social call, we’re not receiving guests at this time.”

  Aria shot Damian a heated glare. “Levi, will you please tell them to let us go?”

  Levi was still smirking at Damian, but he turned to look at Aria. “That depends.”

  Aria tried not to show any outward emotion, but she wanted to kick the smirk off his face. “On what?”

  Damian pulled the chains again. “We’re not making a deal with you Levi.”

  Levi raised an eyebrow. “You’re not in a position to make any demands or conditions. You’re at the mercy of the fae and, right now, mine as well.”

  It was Aria’s turn to pull on her chains. She needed to get his attention away from Damian. “What does it depend on, Levi?”

  Aria knew he was stalling to make things more dramatic. Levi made a show of inspecting their cell and even ran his finger along the wall near Aria, pulling it away to see a layer of dirt and dust. “I don’t think they’ve used this cell in years. The fairies are normally not this hostile.”

  “Levi,” Aria said with frustration.

  He turned a dazzling smile on her. “Since you both need me to save you, some compensation is in order.”

  Damian shook his head. “We don’t need your help. We’ll straighten this out in the morning when they come back.”

  “Didn’t you know?” Levi dropped his head back and laughed. “You both are accused of murder. You need me.”

  8

  Aria gasped. “Murder? That’s crazy! Who do they think we killed?”

  Levi’s smirk was gone, and he turned a very serious look on Aria. “The inhabitants of their neighboring village. The one you were staying in.”

  Aria’s jaw dropped. “They think we killed everyone in the whole village?” How is that possible? We didn’t see any bodies or anything. We just got here a couple of hours ago.”

  “They don’t think you killed anyone, but they believe you helped the one responsible.”

  Aria’s eyes grew large. “That’s ridiculous! We’re the ones looking for this guy, not helping him!”

  Damian’s eyes narrowed. “Tell those morons we’re here looking for the same guy.”

  Levi grinned. “Sounds like you need my help.”

  Aria cut Damian off befo
re he could even utter a word. “Levi, you’re starting to get on my nerves. What do you want from us? It’s obvious you want something that you think we can give you. Just tell us so we can get out of here.”

  Damian made a disgusted sound. “Telling the man we want to help us that he’s getting on your nerves was not the best plan Aria.”

  Laughter filled the cave. “I had forgotten how entertaining the two of you are when you’re together.”

  “I’m so glad that we’re keeping you amused,” Damian mumbled grumpily.

  Aria ignore them both and began yelling again. “Someone come in here and talk to us!”

  Levi sighed loudly. “Aria, no one is around to hear you, and all you’ll manage to do is give me a headache.” He paced the small cell. “Since you don’t seem to be in a good mood, I’ll just get to it.” He turned so he could look at them both. “The man you’re after killed a very prominent elf, who was also very powerful. He had a magic staff that was taken when he died. I want it. So in exchange for me getting you released, you will bring me the staff.”

  “What if the killer doesn’t have it?” Aria asked, skeptical.

  “Then you need to find out who has it and get it for me.”

  “Why do you want it?’ Damian asked, not trusting the dark elf prince.

  “That shouldn’t concern you, but I can tell you this… you won’t leave this cell without my help.” Levi grinned, showing his teeth in an evil smile.

  Aria groaned in frustration. “Fine. Get us out of here.”

  Levi looked at Damian. “I need your agreement as well.”

  He exhaled loudly. “You’ll get your staff.”

  “Excellent.” Levi pulled a rusted key from his pocket and moved to unlock the metal cuffs around Aria’s wrists.

  Once she was released she rolled her shoulders and tried to move the stiffness out of them. She needed a massage desperately. “Thanks,” she told the dark elf. He unlocked her legs, and even though the chains had been hooked over her boots, they still bothered her ankles.

  Aria stood up slowly, her body aching. Engaging her healing and pain runes, she hoped they would take her soreness away. A minute later, she started to feel better. She watched Damian closely as Levi unlocked the shackles on his arms. Damian didn’t move a muscle or stretch his body. Knowing Damian, he probably didn’t want to show any kind of weakness.

  Once Damian was released, he stood and walked directly to Aria. She was shocked when he hugged her tightly. “I’m glad you’re okay. I hated seeing you like that.” She felt him tighten his hold on her, and he whispered in her ear, “We’re going to have a little chat about your recklessness when this is done.

  Aria pulled away from him, irritated. “We need to get out of here.”

  “Not yet. You need to speak with the village leaders. Your release is conditional,” Levi told them from the door.

  Damian was considering clobbering the dark elf. “You didn’t tell us there was another stipulation.”

  “Oh? Did I leave that out?” Levi asked with mock innocence. “We should go see them now.”

  Damian leaned close to Aria. “Do you want to knock him out, or should I?”

  * * *

  Ember sat on the bed with her knees bent and her arms around them. Markos was surprised at the defensive and insecure position she was taking. Ember was so self-assured and outgoing. He didn’t like seeing her that way. “Well?”

  “A couple of weeks ago, I was assigned to observe a very powerful teen mystic named Angie. I was posing as an assistant softball coach to keep an eye on her. There had been threats of dark mystics wanting her powers. Legacy also targeted her for a possible guardian.”

  “You’re recruiting now?” Markos was shocked. Ember was usually in more trouble than Markos. It was surprising the Legacy Council would promote her.

  She glared at him for a second before continuing her story. “I wasn’t recruiting her. I was sent to watch and protect. Anyway, Angie didn’t show up for a game, so I went looking for her. I found her completely drained of her magic. I took her to a couple of elder mystics who still practice the old ways. They are still trying to help her. Her life force was almost gone when I found her.” Ember paused and cleared her throat.

  Markos went over to the sink, grabbed a glass, and filled it with water. She was shocked when he handed it to her. Ember took a couple of large sips before holding the cup between her hands.

  He waited for her to continue. So far, she hadn’t told him anything, but he wasn’t going to rush her. She was being more open with him than she ever had been.

  “I learned that Angie wasn’t the first girl that this happened to and that someone was hiding them quickly to help cover things up. These young girls were listed as runaways or missing”

  “Do you know who is helping the killer?” Markos was ready to go arrest someone.

  “No. That was the only thing I didn’t find out.”

  “You’re stalling.” He was starting to get impatient.

  She wrinkled her nose at him but continued. “Her friends told me that Angie had met an older guy who was mysterious.” She stopped again briefly. “I decided to track down this mysterious man.”

  “Why? Why not tell the council?” Markos wanted to understand.

  “I liked Angie, and I wanted to avenge her.”

  “So you went off on your own? You could’ve been killed!” He wiped his hand down his face. Thinking about her in danger didn’t sit well with him, but he wasn’t sure if he was more bothered that she was in danger or that he was upset by it. “How did you find him?” Markos still didn’t think her explanation clarified the cozy photo he just saw.

  “Angie met him at a gym, and they worked out a few times together. I decided to get a trial membership there. It didn’t take long before I met a mystic whose magic was…different. It wasn’t completely dark, but it didn’t feel right. It was sluggish and…”

  “And angry?” Markos provided.

  “Yes! The magic was not fluid. There was also something off about him. I played it up that I was dumb and didn’t notice anything was wrong. I got to know him by pretending to be interested in him. I wasn’t completely sure if he was the one who killed her or not, so I played along.”

  “How did you figure it out?” He had to push back his need to throttle her for putting herself in such danger.

  “I pretended to date him to gather information, and a few days ago, he provided all I needed. He asked me to help him get to you, Aria, and Damian.”

  * * *

  All Aria wanted to do was collapse onto the pile of silks and fall asleep for hours. She had trudged back to the hut with Damian after a long and tedious discussion with the fairy elders.

  Damian and Aria had followed Levi to a large home that was brightly lit on the opposite side of the clearing. Several fae were there waiting for them to come inside. They had been greeted as guests and not prisoners, so Aria was a little confused. Levi made the introductions, reminded Damian and Aria of their promise to retrieve his staff, and left in a swirl of his cloak.

  Aria gave Damian a questioning look, wondering what they should do, when the leader asked them to take a seat in their circle.

  Damian’s hand slipped into hers, and she was grateful for the support. She was a little nervous about what these fae wanted from them.

  “Our neighboring village was smaller than ours, but it was thriving. A year ago, some of our people were disappearing. We searched but never found anyone. That went on for several months until one night, more than a dozen people were murdered. We found them the next morning, completely drained of their magic and life force. After that, no one wanted to remain there, not even the animals. We want to find who did this and bring him to our justice.”

  “We’re looking for this man, too. He has killed on other realms, and we will stop him,” Damian assured the elder.

  “That’s not good enough. We want him brought to us. He has wiped out almost an entire village.” The el
der stood up and motioned to someone who was waiting in the shadows. “We want the one responsible brought down by fairy justice. Braden will accompany you.”

  Aria watched a tall, blond, gorgeous fairy warrior walk into the room. He had amazingly clear blue eyes, large muscles, and a dimple. Holy hotness. She pulled her eyes away from Braden when she heard Damian growl next to her and squeeze her hand. She wanted to laugh at his obvious jealousy, but she didn’t want to rile him up any more than he already was.

  She leaned into his side. “Oh stop. You’re sexier than he is.”

  Damian leaned close to her ear. “Stop checking out another guy.” Damian pulled her up to her feet. He nodded to Braden and the elders. “We’re going back to get some sleep. You can meet us at the other village, and we’ll leave from there tomorrow.” He didn’t give anyone the opportunity to argue; he just led Aria out of the room.

  Damian was now snuggled next to Aria on the silks and in front of a dying fire, and he wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. He kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes. Morning was going to come very soon.

  * * *

  Aedan woke Julie up before sunrise. Something didn’t feel right, and he needed to follow his gut. When he didn’t, bad things happened. He had already made a coffee run and placed a large cup on the nightstand at her side of the bed. The aroma helped to wake her as well as the kiss he placed on her cheek. As soon as she sat up, he put the cup in her hand.

  She smiled up at him and took a large gulp before closing her eyes again to savor the coffee. Julie was not a morning person, and so she welcomed the caffeine and the quiet. Aedan seemed to know that she needed a few minutes to wake up before dealing with anything.

  “Are you awake enough to talk yet?” Aedan asked tentatively.

  Julie smiled. “Yes, but it’s still too early.”

  “I know, but we need to get going.” She looked so cute in the morning. He wanted to climb into bed and snuggle with her again. That was something he would make sure happened when this was all over.