Magic After Dark: A Collection of Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance Novels

by Margo Bond Collins

  Pheonix

  What happens when the balance is disrupted?

  Gemma holds the magic of the Phoenix. Charged with the duty of keeping the balance in the world of Hollows Ground. A place where all magic wielders are safe to be themselves and from the dangers of others.

  Join USA Today and International Bestselling author J.A. Culican on a fantasy adventure novella that is sure to keep you wanting more.

  Chapter 1

  “The heart in man signified the heat or the element of fire, and it is also the heat; for the heat in the whole body hath its original in the heart.”

  ~ Jakob Bohm

  Energy zipped around me as I swiped my finger over the scanner. Kane whirled his hand over my meal with a gush of wind, extinguishing the flame that enveloped my breakfast. With a wink, he dropped the wrapped sandwich on the glass counter just as he did every day.

  “Gemma girl, the day you order something different is the day I know the end is near.” Chuckling, Kane turned to start on the next order.

  With a shake of my head and a tilt of my lips, I grabbed the foil wrapper and scooched through the waiting crowd shouting their orders. The Shades of Hollows Ground were up and ready for their day. I joined them as they hustled through the streets, turning Kane’s words over in my head as I found the familiar path that would lead me to work. Today wasn’t any different, that much was true; today was special, but it was not the end. Today was just the beginning.

  Dark purple swirled through the sky as the moon woke. The magic in the air was at war and I was one of only four beings that knew what was going on. My heart fluttered at the thought of the inevitable. The hard cement of the city sidewalk turned to dirt and the busy bustle of the morning rush was left behind as I entered the peacefulness of the outskirts. Old pine trees surrounded me, securing me on my path. The purple lights in the sky bled into blue the farther I walked. By the time I reached my destination all that remained above was an eerie violet haze.

  Around the last bend in the path, large cliffs came into view. I stepped up and rested my hands on either side of a boulder that sat at the mountain’s base. The scanner buzzed and unlocked the cave that only I was allowed to enter. The boulder that sat between my hands quickly disappeared allowing me entrance. Caves like this resided all over Hollows Ground, many old and unused. The residents walked by daily without a thought, unaware of just how special the caves were.

  Sulfur greeted me as I dropped my breakfast by the mouth of the cave. My bag fell from my shoulder and joined my breakfast. It hit the ground with a thud causing dirt to wisp around my ankles. Most found the smell rancid but to me, it was the smell of home, comfort, and security. Even though I was issued a house within the city, this was where I spent my time, where I found my peace. Bright pink and blue crystals met me as I took a seat on the biggest and brightest of the bunch. This particular crystal was my first, my present to the city of Hollows Ground on my thirteenth birthday. The heart of my phoenix lived within it. From that day forward I was a servant to the gems around me, the only one able to control the magic that lived here. The magic that kept our city beating. Each day I visited my cave and each day I created a new crystal.

  My eyes shut as my magic flowed through me. The fire in my veins expanded and exploded from me to form a new crystal. The small hairs on my arms stood on end as energy made its way around me, seeking a home. Sighing, my eyes opened and darted around my cave, searching for my new treasure. With trembling legs, I headed over to my daily toll. My hand glided over the smooth gem as my eyes took in its odd color. Today was not the day for an anomaly. Today of all days I needed to keep my element in check.

  Lights twinkled around the cavern as I squatted, coming eye level with the bright red crystal. Red. Never in my time as a phoenix had I created a gem of this color. A harsh breath left my lips as my dark pink hair fell across my eyes. Red. The implications of an unknown could be catastrophic. The magic in this cave kept Hollows Ground alive. Everything that existed here was because of the phoenixes. Without our magic, we would be forced to live with the others, forever in danger. Hollows Ground was our safe haven, the only place where one with magic could truly be free.

  My charge was fire, the element I inherited from the last fire phoenix. Even so, my crystals were always a shade of pink or blue as was every other crystal ever created. It was believed to be the color of our souls, or so we were told.

  My hand stroked the stone one last time before I stood, dread creeping into my thoughts as I considered the implications. With a shudder, I turned my back on the bloody gem and returned to the entrance. I plopped myself to the ground with a sigh and picked up my breakfast. Usually, I was ravenous after my magic stabilized, but today the idea of eating anything made my stomach twist. The foil crinkled in my hand as I forced myself to eat the sandwich. I needed my strength for the ceremony later. Today of all days I needed to be at my strongest.

  My eyes caught the glint of my new crystal from across the cavern. What would the others think? How would I explain it to them? Was it an omen of what would come? I shook away the thought. Today was the day of beginnings. A day we would say goodbye to one phoenix and welcome a new. A Shade would come into their magic today and what a magic it was. The magic of creation and balance.

  A balance I prayed to the Goddess I didn’t just screw up.

  Chapter 2

  “The sky broke like an egg into full sunset and the water caught fire.”

  ~ Pamela Hansford Johnson

  I inhaled and exhaled slowly as I attempted to center myself. The air was saturated with magic. It wasn't often all four phoenixes were in such close proximity to each other. We tended to stay in our designated quadrants where our caves resided.

  My footsteps echoed through the temple. Three sets of bright blue eyes turned my way as I found the last empty seat. The four of us sat in a circle around a small fire that represented our phoenixes and their journey into the next life.

  Each phoenix was responsible for keeping the balance of one element—earth, water, wind or fire. Our foursome consisted of two males and two females. Always in balance, that was our motto. Everything we did was to keep each other in check.

  Today we would say goodbye to our water phoenix. Stella had been a phoenix for the past eighty-five years. At the ripe age of ninety-eight, she was ready to set her wings free and transfer her energy to another. For the past few months she had struggled with her daily tolls, producing smaller crystals every day.

  “Thank you all for gathering today.” Stella met each of our eyes before continuing. “I have sacrificed my life to the promise of the phoenix. To making Hollows Ground a place where all magic wielders can feel safe, where no harm will come to any of our kind.” Her voice cracked as she took a second to compose herself. “Today, a new water phoenix will be born. I know with my whole heart that you all will open your arms to her and guide her through this transition. For that reason, I will rest easy tonight.”

  Stella wore her pink and silver hair pulled back in a bun. Her oversized blue gown gave off the impression she was swimming in a vast ocean. Her eyes glistened as a small smile graced her lips. She was ready to move on.

  This was the first transfer ceremony I would be part of since I was the youngest phoenix. I knew the basics of what would happen today, but the others told me the rest was hard to explain. I would need to experience it to truly understand. My stomach ached from nerves and sweat beaded on my forehead. Today would be a part of Hollows Ground history. The red crystal flashed in my mind and I wondered if I should bring it up. We were all here, in one place for once. My eyes glanced between the other two. Arrum and Jaiden were roughly the same age, around ten years older than me. Neither looked my way as they stared into the fire. My eyebrows scrunched at the heavy silence. I followed their gazes to the fire.

  The orange in the fire began to swirl. Slowly at first and then a bit faster until it was a tornado sucking in the other colors around it. Fire flew from the pit, crashin
g against the ceiling. No one moved or took their eyes from the growing tornado between us. My legs trembled in fear as sweat rolled down my face in rivulets. My fingers dug into the seat beneath me as the fire above inched its way around us, encasing us in a dome of fire.

  Stella slipped from her chair and fell to her knees with her hands crossed over her body. She threw her head back and closed her eyes. Her hair had fallen from its bun and it now floated behind her.

  Light formed at her knees as she rocked to the movement of the fire in front of her. The light crept up her sides in a cocoon-like embrace until concealing her.

  The fire flashed red and orange as it continued to feed and grow. No smoke broke our fire barrier, reminding me that it was the work of the magic that lived within Stella’s phoenix. Fear that had consumed me mere seconds ago dissipated as the realization sank in. Everything around me was magic and no magic here could hurt me, thanks to the balance amongst the phoenixes.

  Sparks rained from the ceiling in white stars, extinguishing as they hit the ground. The whirling fire emitted a humming sound, a melody I’d never heard before that grew louder the faster the fire raced.

  A flash blinded me as my hands flew to cover my eyes. Slowly, I cracked my fingers open. Darkness. The funnel of fire was gone as was the bright light that had enveloped Stella. My hands fell to my lap. Silence brought my fear back to the forefront as time seemed to stand still.

  A sudden explosion blew from the floor in front of me causing me to jump and tip my chair backward. I scrambled off the floor and righted my chair, then stood facing the now calm fire. It was as if nothing had happened. As if it had been just a slip of consciousness. I tilted my head towards Arrum who still sat to my right. He kept his head bowed and his hands clasped on his knees. Jaiden was in a similar pose on my left. My eyes fell on Stella’s chair. It was empty. There was no sign that Stella had ever been here.

  Chapter 3

  “When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.”

  ~ Henry Ford

  “Now we wait.” Arrum’s voice pierced the silence that threatened to strangle me.

  “Wait?” my voice cracked.

  “Surely you remember what happens now?” Jaiden piped in as he lifted his hands from his knees and sat back in his chair.

  How could I forget? The day I became a Phoenix may have been over ten years ago, but it still felt like yesterday. I sighed as the memory of that day flashed in front of me.

  I had just laid down on my bed, wallowing in my worry. A Shade always received their gift of magic when they turned thirteen. But not me. Nothing had changed. My parents acted like it was no big deal, that it would come. Maybe I was just a late bloomer. But I had never heard of anyone getting their magic late. I either had it or I didn’t. Everyone was tense, trying to ignore what it meant if I had none.

  If I was just typical, a plain mortal, I would be forced to leave Hollows Ground and live above ground with the non-magic folk when I turned eighteen. I would be alone, with no family and no magic. Never having left Hollows Ground, I had no idea how to live in a world with no magic.

  I lay there cursing myself, wondering what I had done in a previous life to be born without magic in this one. Why me? But then I was pulled out of my misery by a humming that seemed to come from within me. A tug in my chest pulled me from my bed and out of the house, then through the dark streets of Hollows Ground. I wasn’t scared, but at peace. I knew that whatever was happening was supposed to be happening. The tug dragged me all the way to this very temple. To the very room I sat in now where Stella, Arrum, and Jaiden had been waiting. They opened their arms to me and since that day they were my family. It was a family I hardly saw, but a family none the less.

  A bang from the front of the temple pulled me from my thoughts. Twisting in my chair, I turned as each pew tipped forward in a clashing barrage of noise. The three of us jumped from our seats and huddled on the other side of the fire. Arrum and Jaiden pushed me behind them in a show of courage, as if they could do anything to stop whatever was coming.

  I peeked over their shoulders but saw only dust being kicked up from the ground. Just as I was getting used to the noise it stopped and an unnerving stillness enclosed us. The feel of both Arrum and Jaiden trembling in front of me made my pulse accelerate.

  “What was that?” Jaiden whispered.

  Arrum and I were silent. Neither of us had any clue what was going on Stella might have known, having devoted her entire life to being a phoenix, but she was gone. While the three of us who remained were also dedicated, none of us had studied the history of magic like she had. I found many of the stories boring with little point to them. Not to mention our ancestors liked to write everything down so there were thousands of years of history to read up on. . I always told myself that when I got older I would invest more of my time in reading the old books. I was definitely kicking myself now for putting it off, and by the looks on Arrum and Jaiden’s faces, they were too.

  “Maybe we should leave.” I shrugged. It didn’t seem safe for us to stay, with falling pews and all.

  “We can’t. We have to wait for the new water phoenix,” Arrum answered as he stepped away from us.

  “Arrum’s right. She’ll be scared, especially if she arrives and no one is here,” Jaiden added as he followed Arrum around the fire.

  Arrum picked up his chair that had tipped over during whatever had just happened and sat. With one last glance at the fallen pews in front of me I grabbed my own chair, righted it and plopped down. My knee began to bounce instantly.

  “What do you think all that was?” Jaiden asked as he paced around the fire, foregoing his chair.

  “No idea,” Arrum mumbled as he raked his fingers through his hair.

  Jaiden stopped pacing and looked past us to the front of the temple. His dark pink hair looked brighter than normal as the firelight bounced off of it. He rested his hands on his hips, his face scrunched in thought.

  “Something strange happened to me today,” I blurted out.

  “What’s that?” Jaiden shifted his gaze to meet mine.

  “Your crystal was red,” Arrum answered for me.

  My head tilted in his direction. “How did you know?” My eyebrows scrunched in confusion.

  “Mine was too.”

  Chapter 4

  “Life is the fire that burns and the sun that gives light. Life is the wind and the rain and the thunder in the sky. Life is matter and is earth, what is and what is not, and what beyond is in Eternity.”

  ~ Lucius Annaeus Seneca

  “So was mine,” Jaiden said as he resumed pacing.

  “Have either of you ever created a red crystal before?” I asked.

  “I don’t think anyone has. Not until today,” Arrum answered with a shrug.

  I dropped my head into my hands as blood rushed through my ears. No way could this be good. All our elements had acted up today. I should have said something earlier; Stella would have had an answer for us. But now she was gone. Her phoenix had passed and was currently being reborn inside our new water phoenix. If only our memories stayed with our phoenix, that would make all this so much easier.

  “There’s nothing we can do about it. It’s why I didn’t say something earlier. Even our ancestors know little of our magic. A gift from the Goddess at the start of time,” Arrum said, repeating a statement I’d heard a million times since becoming a phoenix.

  “He’s right. Let’s just focus on our new phoenix. No need to worry about something we can’t do anything about,” Jaiden added as he finally found his chair and sat.

  “Who do you think it will be?” I asked in an attempt to squash my nerves over three red gems.

  “Some thirteen-year-old girl.” Jaiden dropped his head back. “At least we had Stella when you arrived. I know nothing about kids.”

  “Or girls,” Arrum added with a chuckle.

  Jaiden’s head snapped back up and he glared
at Arrum. “Yeah, you’re right,” he said with a laugh of his own.

  A small smile spread across my face as the guys continued to jab at each other. They were always close, both knowing each other before becoming phoenixes. It was rare to have two so close in age, but Jaiden’s predecessor had passed unexpectedly. No one knew the whole story, just that the other Phoenixes hadn’t been prepared to welcome a new Earth Phoenix. Within a matter of weeks, they had two brand new phoenixes. I couldn’t imagine the two of them as teenagers with the fate of all Hollows Ground on their shoulders. Somehow, we made it through them going through puberty at the same time. Surely we could make it through whatever was happening now.

  A gust of wind blew the front doors open with a bang. The three of us jumped from our seats once again and faced the open double doors. There wasn’t much to see with just the light from the fire and the night outside, but the three of us stood motionless, staring at the inky blackness. This must be it. Any minute we would meet our new Water Phoenix.

  A small shadow came into view, blocking the few stars we could see through the doorway. As the shadow came closer, its figure became clearer. My eyes scrunched as I shook my head. I knew this kid. This must be wrong.

  “I don’t understand.” Arrum walked toward the door.

  “This can’t be right.” Jaiden followed Arrum.

  “It can’t happen. The balance must always be maintained,” Arrum said as he stopped in front of the boy.

  Declan, turned thirteen a few weeks ago. The boy and his family had lived next door to my parents for forever. It was only yesterday that my mother was telling me how sad it was that he had been born with no magic. How his parents were having a really hard time accepting it. It seemed they would have nothing to worry about now.