Druid Blood

by M. D. Massey

  Druid Blood

  A Junkyard Druid Prequel Novel

  M.D. Massey

  Modern Digital Publishing

  Austin, Texas

  www.MDMassey.com

  Copyright © 2013-2016 by M.D. Massey.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the address below.

  Modern Digital Publishing

  P.O. Box 682

  Dripping Springs, Texas 78620

  Druid Blood/ M.D. Massey. — 2nd ed.

  Contents

  Preface

  Prologue

  1

  2

  3

  4

  5

  6

  7

  8

  9

  10

  11

  12

  13

  14

  15

  16

  17

  18

  19

  20

  21

  22

  Epilogue

  Preface

  The book you hold in your hands (or digital hands, as it may be) is a sort of prequel to my new adult urban fantasy novel, Junkyard Druid. It features the same protagonist, one Colin McCool, a druid-trained warrior and champion of the human race. It also features other characters from the Junkyard Druid series, including Finn, Maureen, and Colin’s then very much alive girlfriend, Jesse.

  Alas, it is also the very first novel I ever finished, and one I originally wrote for a young adult audience. I was learning as I wrote this novel, and upon editing it for this second edition, I can honestly say that it’s not my best work. However, I also have to say that it’s a favorite of mine among the novels I’ve written thus far.

  Sure, it’s a little rough; it has some issues with tense and point of view, and there are a few minor plot continuity errors that I just couldn’t bring myself to fix (because I’m sentimental like that). But it’s a fun story to read, and if you’re like me and you enjoy reading both YA and adult fantasy fiction, I think you’ll enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

  But, more importantly, this story informs the reader regarding important events in the saga of Colin McCool. It serves as a sort of origin story for him, one that I hope readers who are new to the character will appreciate. And it provides a glimpse into Colin and Jesse’s relationship, long before they suffer tragedy and heartbreak in the worst way imaginable.

  Which brings up an interesting point: one of the reasons why I decided to re-release this novel. This story marks what is mostly a happy and carefree time in young Colin’s life. This is the point where he and Jesse move into that period he describes as “living in a J.K. Rowling novel.” And, because Colin’s story becomes so tragic later on, I just couldn’t bury this singular, mostly happy chapter in his life among the detritus of my own personal slush pile.

  So, I sincerely hope you enjoy this book. And if you’re one of those readers who simply can’t stand YA novels, then by all means feel free to skip this installment in the Colin McCool series. It won’t hurt my feelings one bit if you do—but if that’s your choice, then I do suggest you skip forward to Junkyard Druid for a more adult-oriented treatment of these characters. Which brings me to my final purpose for writing this preface…

  Parents, listen up. I know a lot of younger children read YA novels, and I know plenty of pre-teens bought this book when I first released it to the YA market. However, you should know that if your child previously read this book and you’re expecting them to continue the same profanity-free, “absent of sexual situations” story in the Junkyard Druid series, you will be sadly disappointed. There’s a reason why I chose to relaunch this character in a new adult novel series, and that’s because I wanted the leeway and freedom to explore more mature topics and stories with Colin McCool. So, please think twice before you let your younger kids read the Junkyard Druid novels.

  M.D. Massey

  P.S. I have more free stuff for you on my website at MDMassey.com. Head on over and subscribe to my newsletter for another free book and additional, exclusive content!

  Prologue

  Note to readers:

  I’ve hounded Colin time and again about telling this part of his and Jesse’s story, but he’s been rather pig-headed regarding the whole thing. It’s understandable, considering what he’s been through. Yet, I know that someday he’ll go down in history as a pivotal figure in the Great War to come, and because of that people will want to know how he went from a chubby, snot-nosed kid to the druid-trained warrior he is today.

  For lack of Colin’s willingness to tell his own story, it falls to me to write this tale down for the sake of posterity. I suppose it’s also therapeutic for me to record these events, because doing so will allow me to reflect on somewhat happier times, when Jesse was still around. I do miss that girl. She wasn’t the first, nor the last, pupil I’ve lost to the Eternal War, but she does hold a spot among the nearest and dearest to me… of that, there is no doubt.

  That being said, it’s a sad state of affairs when the tale of a boy being hunted by a two thousand-year-old vampire qualifies as a memory of “happier times.” I just hope I’ll be able to prepare him for what’s to come, because that poor lad has yet to experience his last heartbreak.

  -Finnegas the Seer

  Colin ran through a dark forest. The last rays of daylight peeked through the thick overhead canopy in weak sunbeams that did little to light his way. He heard his pursuers behind him. Their footsteps were a quiet, but insistent, padding—just at the edge of his hearing, barely enough to let him know they were there. But they were there, and Colin had the sense that they were hungry. He dug deep and put on more speed, but his lungs burned, his legs were on fire, and he knew he couldn’t keep this pace much longer.

  And he was terrified. Every direction he looked, he saw eyes peering at him out of the darkness. Round red eyes, slitted yellow eyes, eyes that shone like a fire in the dark, grey-green eyes that glowed with an eerie luminescence, and sick bloodshot eyes that he shouldn’t have even been able to see in the darkness. There were hundreds of them, leering hungrily, as he ran.

  He kept running.

  And as he looked back over his shoulder to gauge whatever meager lead he might have had on his pursuers, Colin tripped and fell over a tree root that he swore hadn’t been there a second ago. Although he wanted to give up, he knew that if he stopped running he was a goner. Keep going, he thought. I just gotta make it home. Spitting out rotten leaves and other forest debris, he jumped to his feet and kept going.

  Looking over his shoulder he saw them, briefly, in the shadows. The things that chased him bounded after him in great huge leaps, and the forerunners were two dark feline shapes that moved like liquid night. He also saw three imp-like creatures with sharp teeth and claws, each wearing caps that dripped with blood, splashing on the leaves and forest floor as they ran. The imps cackled at Colin and called to each other like hyenas on the hunt as they closed in on him.

  Another creature pursued in the shadows behind them. Although it was the smallest, that one was the most menacing by far. There was a palpable evil coming off the thing in waves, and Colin felt sick to his stomach each time he felt its presence.

  The creature was man-like in form, but the shadows and darkness obscured its features, making it all the more terrible to behold. Most frightening of all was the w
ay it moved—just like something Colin had seen in a late night horror film. It would be still for a moment, then the form would flicker and cover ten feet or more in a blink. That scared the boy more than anything he’d seen, so he turned his eyes back to the path ahead and ran for all he was worth.

  A light appeared through the trees ahead, and Colin thanked his lucky stars as he made a beeline for it. However, it quickly vanished from sight and he found himself running blindly in the dark once more. As he leapt over yet another tree limb that seemed to claw at his feet and ankles, he glimpsed the light again. Believing that safety was near, he bounded ahead, heart pounding, in a burst of energy that gave him a slight but welcome lead on his pursuers.

  Without warning, the ground gave way beneath Colin’s feet and he fell into a cave-like opening in the ground. He landed hard after falling a good ten feet to the cavern floor, twisting his ankle badly underneath him. Despite the pain he quickly oriented himself, finding little around him but darkness. For all he knew, it might have ended a few feet away, or it could have gone to infinity.

  Writhing in pain on the ground, holding his injured leg, he gazed at the dim circle of light overhead that represented his only escape. As he looked around frantically, attempting to get his bearings, Colin noticed small points of light flashing into existence in the darkness around him, like fireflies at dusk. But as they materialized, it became apparent that the lights weren’t fireflies, but eyes. Hundreds of them, blinking and staring out at him from the darkness of the cavern.

  Colin looked up again at the opening above, seeking some means of escape, but his way was now blocked by dark shapes who crouched menacingly around the space. Then Colin heard a grating metallic sound, and realized his pursuers were closing the opening and trapping him inside. His only source of light faded as the cavern mouth closed like a huge eye, blinking shut. As the circle of light he stood in drew closer and closer, the eyes that stared all around him began to close in with the encroaching darkness.

  Finally, only a sliver of light remained… and then it was gone. As hundreds of pairs of glowing eyes converged on him, Colin screamed with terror into the blackness.

  1

  The alarm clock went off with a high-pitched scream that matched Colin’s own. He awoke with a start, heart beating out of his chest and his sheets soaked in sweat. Looking around and sighing with relief upon realizing he was in his bedroom at home, Colin flopped his head back down on his pillow, taking deep breaths in an effort to slow his rapidly beating heart. Strangely, he couldn’t recall the dream that had frightened him so badly during his sleep.

  Just another nightmare. He shut off the alarm, noticing the time.

  9:28 am. That meant the alarm had been going off for almost 30 minutes. Thankfully it was Saturday, which meant he could stay in bed a few more minutes. He rested his head on the pillow again, then groaned and sat up with a start.

  Oh crud, the game! Colin jumped out of bed and snatched up some pants and a baseball jersey from a pile beside his bed. Odd that mom hasn’t been on me to put away my stuff, he reflected as he got dressed.

  That stray thought caused him to pause, despite the fact that he was already late. Something nagged at him that was just on the edge of his awareness, like an itch he couldn’t scratch. No sense worrying about it now, he thought. I’m sure it’ll come to me on the way to the game. Shaking off his confusion, he threw on some socks and sneakers, grabbed his cleats and his favorite bat, and flew down the staircase to make a beeline for the front door.

  Just as his fingers hit the doorknob, he heard a stern yet loving voice call from the kitchen. “Wait just a minute, mister. You are not leaving this house without a decent breakfast.”

  Colin turned to see his mother looking sternly at him from the kitchen entrance. She’d already made breakfast for him, set out on the breakfast table like a picture from Martha Stewart Living. There were stacks of perfect, fluffy pancakes drizzled in melted butter and syrup, bacon fried to crisp perfection, and scrambled eggs that he knew were expertly cooked to a light and delicate consistency. The smell was overpowering, and made his stomach growl.

  Seeing the meal his mom had prepared for him, he felt a pang of guilt for trying to leave before checking in with her. It had been just the two of them for a while now, but Colin still felt guilty about leaving his mom alone on Saturday mornings, since Saturday breakfast had always been a family affair when his dad had still been around. Besides that, Colin’s mom had always been the doting sort, and since his dad had died Colin knew she channeled her grief into caring for him.

  Despite the fact that he also missed his dad terribly, lately Colin had found that he preferred distraction over feeling the loss. Beyond any doubt, he and his dad had been very close, but recently he’d been thinking less and less about his father. He kept meaning to pull out their photo album to reminisce, but whenever he started to look for the album he found some excuse to put it off another day. Colin felt guilty about it, and wondered if he was forgetting about his father entirely. He made a mental note to look for the album when he got back from the game, and turned his attention to more immediate matters.

  “Sorry, Mom, but I’m late and I have to leave right now or I’ll miss the first inning. The team is really counting on me to show up.”

  It sounded strange coming out of his mouth, but in fact his team was counting on him. Colin had become the star of his baseball team this season, with an impressive fifteen home runs thus far. In fact, no one was more surprised by his performance than Colin himself. Although he’d experienced quite a growth spurt over the last year, he’d always been a pudgy kid—not very coordinated, picked last on teams. So even he was surprised at his recent home run streak.

  What made it even stranger was the fact that his best friend Jesse had become another team standout of late, taking over as starting pitcher and nudging Bryce Johnson to the team’s relief position. Neither of them had ever been exceptionally gifted at sports, which was one of the reasons they’d become friends; all those years of bench-sitting had provided them with plenty of time to bond. He supposed it was possible they’d both simply begun to realize their latent athletic talent at the same time. Shaking off yet another worrisome thought, he took the pancake, bacon, and egg sandwich that his mom shoved into his hands, scarfing down half of it in a single bite.

  His mom tsked at him and sighed. “Well, I suppose a sandwich will have to do. Hit a home run for me today, okay, champ?” She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek, something that Colin tolerated only when his friends weren’t around.

  “Thanks, Mom—I’ll be home right after the game, unless Jesse’s parents take us out for burgers and shakes.” He zipped out of the house, grabbing the keys to his new 650 supersport motorcycle just before slamming the door behind him.

  As he donned his helmet and hopped on his bike, the fact that his mom was letting him drive a motorcycle nagged at him. It did seem kind of dangerous that he should have a “four-stroke, 636 cc, two-wheeled instrument of awesomeness” (as the guy at the dealership called it) as his first vehicle, but that’s what made it so awesome. The really cool thing was that he didn’t need his mom to drive him around town and to his games anymore.

  Anyway, these days she was way too busy with her art gallery openings to come see him play. It made Colin happy to see her pursuing her dream of being an artist, since she’d had to quit art school and take a job as a legal secretary when his dad had died. Now that her art career was taking off, soon she’d be able to stay home, paint, and follow her dream. All Colin cared about was that it made her happy; she’d been depressed for a very long time after his dad had died.

  Once again, Colin tried to remember what his dad had looked like, but he couldn’t summon a clear memory. Strapping his lucky bat to the bike’s handlebars with a bungee cord, he shrugged it off and revved up the engine, peeling out of his driveway and popping a wheelie on his way down the street.

  Eager to get to the ball field, Colin zoomed down
Main Street at speeds that were most definitely illegal. Zipping in and out of traffic and around cars that were in his way, he ran a red light at 4th and Main. Narrowly avoiding a car coming from the other direction, he gunned it and sped off through the intersection.

  Within moments of running the red light Colin heard sirens behind him, and a quick glance in his mirrors showed a police cruiser on his tail. He pulled over to the curb a half a block later, glancing at his watch for the time. Just ten minutes till the game starts, he thought. Plenty of time.

  The officer walked up, his hand resting on his sidearm. At first he looked really serious, but then a big smile crept across his face. “Late for the big game today, Colin?”

  “Good morning, Officer Haney—sorry about that red light. Yes, sir, I am. The team is really counting on me today and I don’t want to miss the first inning.”

  “Well, we can’t let our star player be late for the big game. Aren’t you supposed to set the home run record again today?”

  “If I get a home run, yes sir. It’ll be the third time this season.” Again, Colin marveled at just how ludicrous it was for him to be the star player on the team. Just last year he’d gotten made fun of for sucking his thumb, and kids in gym class had called him “Colin McBoobs.” Funny how quickly things had turned around for him.

  Office Haney smiled. “Alright, a police escort it is, then. Follow me, and we’ll get you to the field on time.”

  “Thanks, Officer Haney.”

  As the police car took off with lights and sirens blaring, Colin started his bike and peeled out after him. He gunned it and swerved into the right lane, cutting off an old lady in a Lexus—a move that earned him a rude gesture and a horn blast from the old lady. He looked back over his shoulder and waved at her. “Sorry!” he exclaimed, then turned back to follow the police car rapidly leaving him behind.