Primeval Prelude: Reverse Harem Siren Romance (Spellsinger Book 4)

by Amy Sumida

  “What a moron,” I whispered to myself as I peered over the side and down at the rocky base of the cliff. “Fuck; look at those rocks. I would have cracked my—”

  Then I went tumbling over the side. No; I didn't fall. Someone had snuck up on me and pushed me. Wind whipped past me—flinging hair into my face—as my heart lurched into my throat; strangling the scream that rose within it. I was so high up that I had the precious seconds I needed to form coherent thought and try to save myself.

  I started to sing.

  Thank goodness for the Griffins. Without that flight to the Amber Temple, I wouldn't have had a song lurking in my mind for just such a moment. Granted, I didn't know if it would work, but I was out of options. R. Kelly's “I Believe I Can Fly” even started with the very words I needed. It was theoretically perfect; now for the application.

  The magic burst from me; sped along by my fear. It burned away my inebriation and focused me immediately on my spell. I belted out the powerful song, desperation fueling it and shifting it into reality. The words were perfect just as they were; which helped even more. I didn't sprout wings (how incredible would that have been?) but the longing lyrics—true to the buried desires in my heart as well as my current needs—combined with the steady strength of the melody to give me what I had always wanted. My fall slowed and then stopped entirely. I held my arms out in wonder and laughed as I started to rise. I even did a little Peter Pan somersault. Well, slap my ass and call me a crazy cumulus; the song had worked. I really could fly.

  Movement on the ledge above caught my eye, but it was too dark for me to see who was there. I kept singing, focusing on lifting myself back onto the cliff, and I began to move faster. Still, it wasn't fast enough to catch my assailant. I touched down on solid ground and froze; listening for any movement, but whoever had pushed me was gone.

  The good news was; I didn't have to pee anymore.

  Chapter Twenty

  I ran back to the village; searching the forest for my attacker as I went, but saw no one along the way. Before I went to tell the others what had happened, I made a pit stop at the hut the goblins had provided my men and me with. I needed to change my pants. Call me vain, but it's hard to look serious—or be taken so—with a wet crotch.

  After I had changed my pants, I stopped to check on Eileen. I was worried that she had escaped and that it was she who had pushed me. But the kyanite knights said that Eileen was secure; she had eaten her dinner and then went to sleep. They assured me that they had eyes on her the entire night.

  With my main suspect eliminated, I began to panic. Who else wanted me dead? The barghests had their children back, the Witches had no gripe with me, and I had just done the fairies a solid. It made no sense.

  “Elaria?” Cerberus slurred my name as he used the side of a hut to steer himself in my direction. “You got something wrong with your face.” He scowled. “No; that's not right. I meant to say; you look upset, what's wrong?” He straightened and held his hands out in a concerned manner; tipping some ale out of his mug in the process. “Oh, fucking furies!” He exclaimed as he tried to brush off the ale that had splattered his pants, and nearly fell over.

  “Someone just pushed me off a cliff, Cer,” I said in a low voice.

  “What?” Cerberus roared; flinging out his arms and sending his mug flying into the forest. “What fucking cliff?”

  The music and dancing stopped, and everyone paused to look over at us. When my consorts saw who Cer was shouting at, they came running. Then they saw my expression, and they drew in even closer.

  “What's happened?” Torin asked anxiously.

  “Did Eileen escape?” Declan added.

  “Eileen is secure,” I said first. “But when I wandered off to relieve myself, someone pushed me over a cliff.”

  “Hold on.” Banning held up a hand. “Back this up. You went to take a piss and were pushed off a cliff?”

  “I was drunk.” I waved a hand at the drunken men as if daring those pots to call my kettle black. “I had to pee, and I wandered into the woods. I nearly walked off a cliff, but I stopped myself in time. While I stood there, reeling in my near-death experience, I was pushed from behind.”

  “Are you all right?” Gage asked as his hands roamed my body. “Where are you hurt?”

  “I'm not,” I said with a little smile. “That's the one bit of good news. I sang as I fell and was able to rise back to the top of the cliff.”

  “You flew?” Torin asked in shock.

  “I believed that I could.” I smirked.

  “That song?” Banning chortled.

  The other men scowled at him.

  “It was a popular song,” Ban huffed, “I Believe I Can Fly. Everyone was singing it.”

  “Oh, yeah,” I remember that one,” Cerberus said before he started singing it under his breath.

  Cer gets easily distracted when he's drunk.

  “You were able to fly using magic,” Declan whispered in awe. “That's fortunate.”

  “Yes, it is,” Gage said impatiently. “But who pushed you, El?”

  “Yeah!” Cerberus refocused. “Who the fuck pushed you?”

  “I don't know,” I whispered. “I didn't see them, and by the time I got back to the top of the cliff, they were gone.”

  My gaze wandered past the men to the rest of our group and the goblins. They were all drawing closer; curious looks on their faces.

  “What's going on?” Rentar asked as he walked up with Odin and Reyne.

  “Someone just tried to kill my mate,” Gage growled.

  “What?” Odin snapped. “Someone tried to kill Elaria?Why?”

  “I would love to know the answer to that.” I grimaced. “It wasn't Eileen; she's secure.”

  “We need to get you out of here,” Torin growled. “Now! Facing an adversary is one thing, but defending against an unknown assassin is another.”

  “I agree.” Odin nodded. “Take her out of this realm immediately. I'll make sure the rest of these soldiers get home.”

  “I'll stay with the Griffins and watch over things too,” Rentar added. “Get your mate to safety, Brother.”

  “I can obviously protect myself,” I grumbled.

  They all just stared at me.

  “I flew!”

  They continued to stare.

  “Fine; I'll go,” I huffed. “But I want the rest of our group to leave shortly afterward, and I want Eileen taken straight to a Coven prison cell.”

  “A Coven cell?” Torin growled. “Elaria—”

  “It has to be her accomplices, Torin,” I surmised. “I want Eileen somewhere they can't reach her.”

  Torin blinked, processed, and called over his shoulder, “Sir Hugh!”

  The blond knight rushed over to us. “Yes, Your Majesty?”

  “We need to get Queen Elaria to safety,” Torin said. “There's been an attack.”

  “What?” Hugh gaped at us. “On Her Majesty? But—”

  “Yes, Hugh, keep up,” Torin growled.

  “Yes, Your Majesty!”

  “Prepare the prisoner for transport,” Torin instructed. “And be wary; we think her accomplices are nearby.”

  During the exchange between Torin and Hugh, Banning called over his Blooders and gave one of them his traveling stone with instructions to transport everyone to Crouching Lion—the Kansas home of his gura.

  “My dryads and I will watch over you as you depart,” Reyne promised. “But I believe Odin is right; you need to leave Primeval and let us handle this, Your Majesty. You've done your part, now let us see you safely home.”

  “I'll take Eileen to Coven Cay myself,” Odin promised me. “Just get out of here now, Elaria. If they're after you, they won't give up with that one attempt. You're not just leaving yourself open for attack; you're also putting this village in danger.”

  I looked around at the wide-eyed goblins in surprise. I hadn't considered that my being targeted had put my hosts in jeopardy.

  “Make our goodbyes for
us, please,” I said to Odin.

  “We'll take care of it,” Odin nodded impatiently. “Just get the fuck to safety, Ellie. If you get hurt on my watch, your father will take my other eye.”

  “I'll meet you at Coven Cay.” I pulled out my traveling stone. “You coming with us, Cer?”

  “You're damn straight, I am,” Cerberus growled as he found his traveling stone. “I'm done with this fucking forest.”

  My consorts pulled out their stones as well, and we all journeyed through the Veil and into the Human Realm.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  We stepped out of the Veil and onto Coven Cay; the Coven's island in Canada. The island had been in Witch hands for centuries, and it was where most Witches were buried after they died. We happened to appear on the road before the cemetery, and the sight of the graves made me pause. Not too long ago, I had called the dead Witches from their slumber and animated them to fight a basilisk which was attacking Coven Cay. It had been a terrifying and yet profoundly moving experience. After the battle had been won, the living Witches had lined the lane to the cemetery and bowed their heads in gratitude and respect to their ancestors as they marched back to their graves. It was a sight I'd never forget.

  But now I was there seeking sanctuary. How had our victory changed so quickly to retreat? I scowled as we strode down the road to the main building. The men were quiet as well; we'd all sobered up too quickly, and under the hazy remnants of inebriation the situation seemed even more sinister. There was something bothering me that I couldn't put my finger on. My fuzzy brain just wouldn't focus. Something about Eileen and the Lesser Fey.

  Actually, there was a lot of somethings.

  “Why would Lesser Fey work with a noble sidhe?” I asked Torin.

  “I have no idea,” Torin said. “Eileen must have offered them something they desperately wanted.”

  “But then she poisoned Primeval,” I said. “And we still don't know how or why she would do such a thing. Or what happened to the other fairies she kidnapped.”

  “Perhaps it was plain spite,” Declan said. “She could have planned to kill Primeval, then watch the taint spread slowly to the Jewel Kingdoms before she escaped to another realm. Isn't there a human saying about not wanting anyone else to have something that is beyond your reach?”

  “If I can't have it, no one will,” I whispered in revelation. “Yeah; she's just that kind of bitch. Fuck. I'm sorry, guys, but Shining Ones can be real assholes.”

  Cerberus laughed boisterously. “Preach it!”

  Declan and Torin glared at Cerberus.

  “Hey; that's your woman.” Cer pointed at me. “Take it up with her.”

  “This isn't the first time one of you has tried to destroy your realm,” I said. “It isn't even the second.”

  Declan grimaced. “Fair enough.”

  “If that was Eileen's intentions,” Torin murmured. “Recall, if you will, that Odin said such evil could result from black magic—as a side-effect.”

  “So, what spell was she casting?” I asked. “We need to know what she was after. What was she trying to do in Primeval that nearly killed the entire world?”

  “That's a damn good question,” Gage said.

  It was still daylight in Canada—early afternoon, I was guessing—so there were several Witches wandering the grounds. They nodded respectfully to us as we passed, and I tried to nod back, but I was tired, sober after being sloppy drunk, dirty, and angry. I was pissed in so many ways—and yes that was a reference to peeing my pants. I'm trying to get over it, but pissing yourself as an adult is a deeply humiliating experience, even when no one witnesses it. I was nearly as mad over that as I was over my attempted murder. I mean; how horrible would it have been for them to find me; lying dead over those rocks, smelling of urine. Talk about adding insult to injury.

  “I can't think of any reason why a bunch of Lesser Fey would help a sidhe destroy their home,” I went on. “Even if the taint was a side-effect of a spell, the fairies must have realized what was happening. Why would they continue to help Eileen?”

  “Why does anyone do anything despicable?” Gage asked. “For profit. It must have profited them in some way; be it coin or land or safety. Eileen had something to offer them.”

  “What could a traitor on the run have to offer a bunch of Lesser Fey?” I mused.

  “She was a queen,” Torin said. “She may have had property in other realms. In fact, I'd be surprised if she didn't. If those fairies wanted a new life, Eileen would have been a way out.”

  “Or perhaps they found out about the side effects and deserted her,” Banning said. “It would explain why we found her alone in that clearing.”

  We all made sounds of agreement.

  “I think we've forgotten one important piece of information.” Declan looked around at us as if we would figure it out if he stared long enough. Finally, he huffed and said, “Shining Ones don't cast spells; that's a Witch thing.”

  We all gaped at him.

  “Holy shit,” I whispered. “Why didn't that occur to us sooner?”

  “Because it's not necessarily an issue,” Torin said. “Shining Ones don't cast spells per se, but we are magic users. Eileen could have been using her magic in a way that created the evil taint, or she could have hired someone to teach her spellcraft. We may not be known for it, but it doesn't mean we don't cast spells at all. Anyone with an ounce of magical ability can learn.”

  “Anyone?” Declan asked in surprise.

  “How do you not know that?” Torin asked.

  “How do you know it?” Declan shot back.

  Torin looked meaningfully at Declan.

  “Ah!” Declan's expression shifted into comprehension. “Your mother. But she never knew her Witch father.”

  “When she was young and reckless—before she met my father—Mother went abroad,” Torin said.

  “Abroad?” I asked.

  “She came here, to meet her people.” Torin sighed.

  “And what happened?” Declan asked impatiently.

  “The Witches taught her to be a Witch.” Torin shrugged and then started walking toward the Witch manor again.

  “You never told me that your mother knew witchcraft!” Declan snapped. “Sweet stones! She never told me.”

  “It wasn't your business, Declan,” Torin said in the low tone he reserved for putting people off

  It didn't work on Declan.

  “Did you learn any spells?” Declan asked.

  We all watched the exchange avidly.

  “A few,” Torin admitted.

  “Anything dark?” Declan growled.

  Torin stopped walking and turned to face Declan with a furious glare. “No. And do not take that line of questioning any further, Declan.”

  Declan took a deep, considering breath as he looked over Torin. The two kings eyed each other critically before Declan finally nodded.

  “Okay,” I muttered. “We've established that Shining Ones can learn spellcraft. And that's enough for now. I think I need some sleep. Maybe I'll process this better after some rest.”

  As we stepped into the main hall, Odin appeared with a bound and gagged Eileen. Her eyes were wild, as was her hair, but Odin looked cool, calm, and collected. He winked at me with his one eye.

  “The Blooders are on their way to Kansas,” Odin said to Banning. “The Griffins have used their shells to go home to Torr-Chathair, and the Shining Ones are transporting my Witches—”

  Before he could finish, the Witches walked through the main doors with the Shining One knights; including my kyanite knights. I went over to my knights; realizing that I hadn't told them what was happening. I had just left them for someone else to deal with.

  “I'm sorry, guys,” I said to the three men. “I should have told you that I was leaving.”

  “We understand, Your Majesty,” Sir Nial said. “You were in danger, and we'd rather have you safe than take the time to speak with us.”

  “Thank you,” I said. “And t
hank you for helping to bring the Witches home.”

  “It's no trouble at all, Queen Elaria.” Sir Jin bowed to me.

  “I'd like you three to head home to Kyanite and let Duke Kieran know what's happened,” I said to the third knight: Sir Samuel. “Tell him that we have Eileen and that we've handled another threat to Primeval, but now I'm investigating it further. I'm not sure when I'll be returning to Kyanite.”