Gates Of Dilemma: Paranormal Romance (Princess Anastasia's Tales Book 2)

by Martha Woods

  “My King. We have succeeded at destroying the pits, but their armies march on us. They are right behind us,” a warrior explains as he approaches us. I look around and try to find sector two’s leadership, but I don’t see any of the generals that had been sent to the north.

  “Get through the gate!” my father commands as he turns and start walking towards the burning gate. I stand for a moment, trying to see if the last of our warriors have made it from the north. Then I see them in the sky. A fleet of dragons beating their wings against the sky as they rocket to our location. If I could feel my heart, it would be thumping in my chest as the sight hypnotizes me. Never could I have imagined what the demon army truly looks like.

  I shake myself as warriors continue to fill the space. If they don’t hurry, the army will be on us in just moments. I rush forward and mentally collect the last of my powers as I raise my hands towards the sky and unleash my powers in a fiery rage. I concentrate on every angry memory as I recall the years spent away from my family because of my powers. I think how I never get to see my father because of this war. I remember the years of training for this moment, to face these demons on the battlefield, causing my anger, rage, and powers to grow. Then I remember the first time I ever unleashed my powers. I hear the screams of my uncle as I blaze everything around me, keeping the army from our position so the final warriors can pass through.

  Relief fills me knowing my people have made it through, so I turn and start sprinting towards the crumbling gate. My powers fail me as I run exposed without my fire to burn around me. I see a section of the gate fall before me as I will my legs to move forward, but as I finally get close enough to pass through, the walls of the gates collapse and I run straight into the rubble.

  My vision jumbles as I try to stand quickly, but that only causes the world to spin around me. Massive creatures fall from the sky around me, some burning while others push their way forward to approach me. My legs and arms don’t seem to be responding as I kneel on the burnt ground and take in the horrific scene around me as the dragons tear at each other to reach me amongst the burning buildings.

  “Bring her to our master!” one says as it’s claws reaches me, forcing me to the side to avoid the attack.

  “Feed her to our master!” another one yells as I’m plucked from the ground and suspended in air as I’m forced to look at the creatures that surround me. Two demons step forth as they bind my hands and legs together in thick metal chains. I can see victory in their faces as I’m tied to the back of a blood red dragon and rocketed into the air, headed for the north.

  Chapter Ten

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  “God help me,” I say weakly as the dragon army descends from the smoky skies and land on a large golden platform. In the center is a tall golden pillar that stretches into the sky and reflects of into the distance. My gaze moves down as I’m deposited before a towering beast, a large blue creature with claws for hands and thick dark fur that covers its entire body. The monster rotates forward on short legs so that its bright, red eyes can focus on me better. The demon towers over the dragon army, making me and them feel small in comparison.

  “We bring you the blue spirit, Master,” the dragon that has carried me speaks up as they slowly start to back away. They all looked scared in the presence of their master and I can’t help but feel the same as I stare back into the red eyes.

  The monster smiles, causing fangs to peek out from the mouth of the creature. I can’t help but wonder if this creature really plans to eat me. I try to think how I can kill myself before I can be eaten, but I don’t even know what would kill me here besides being attacked by a demon. At least I won’t be able to feel anything, I think as I force myself to look down. I try to summon my hell fire, but every attempt fails as I begin to pull at the chains that bind me.

  “You have nowhere left to go, spirit warrior. The metal binds you both physically and spiritually. You want be able to escape me,” the monster says, it’s voice a loud grumble that seems to shake the platform. The dragons jump back at the sound and quickly start putting distance between themselves and their master.

  “I’m not afraid of you, master of the supernatural realm. The gates are destroyed and your kind will never plague my world again,” I call up at the creature. But the demon isn’t effected by my words as it tilts back its head and laughs deeply. The sound is like thunder that comes from the ground and I try to steady my footing.

  Anastasia, can you hear me Princess? A voice forcefully enters my mind and I instinctively turn to see who is speaking to me. Thank the gods I have found you.

  Gabriella? I think as I turn my focus back on the monster as it turns its gaze back on me, a wide smile on its face to show several rows of sharp teeth.

  Princess follow the sound of my voice. Focus on my words and return home, she says. I can actually feel the call of her words as my body instinctively wants to fly into the air as though I have wings. But I can’t free myself from the chains as I once again try to burn them away. Still my powers don’t respond.

  I can’t get free, Gabriella. My powers won’t respond to my command, I tell her as the monster leans its head down close to me, as though a mountain is trying to listen to what I have to say.

  “Your kind may have destroyed the gates with your blue fire, but there are other ways to move from this realm without the need of gates. Surely you understand that by now,” the monster says softly, but a forceful wind still presses against me as the demon speaks. “In response to the destruction and constant chaos your kind has caused me since the time the first of you arrived, I will now send my armies to your world by possessing the other beings that don’t contain your fire.”

  “I will stop you!” I shout as I struggle to straighten my stance and face the creature like a true warrior. But the weight of the chains hold me down as I slouch over with my hands dangling in front of me.

  “With your death, there will be no one left to stop me,” the creature speaks. I can hear the dragons around me whining as I glance around me. They look terrified as I look back and watch as the monster begins to open its mouth. My eyes widen as I look past the rows of sharp teeth and see a bright, blue flame burning within. I don’t know what to do as I simply stare and try to mentally prepare for my death.

  I see blue fire rise along my arms, and at first I think the demon has begun its attack till I notice the familiar way the fire runs along my arms and to my hands. Realizing my powers have returned, I let my powers erupt as I force all my weight behind me so I can fall down the stairs and away from the monster. Wild commotion happens around me as the chains fall from my body and I’m able to dash away from the platform as the first wave of blue fire passes beside me.

  Come home, Princess, I hear again as Gabriella’s calling is able to take hold of me and carry me from the ground into the sky. I hear roaring behind me but I don’t bother to look back as blue fire burns around me and into the sky. I scream as my fire fights against the demon’s attack.

  I continue to thrash and fight against the intrusion till I feel two soft hands grab my arms. I focus my eyes again as sensation floods my body and I realize that Elizabeth is in the blue flames too.

  “Calm yourself, Anna. Your safe now,” Elizabeth calls through the fire. I look past her and can see the Assembly Hall around me as I force myself to calm, taking deep breaths that I can now feel in my chest. As the fire dies away, I can start to see what is around me. The cots that are around me have been severely burned, but thankfully they are all empty. Standing on the outside of our inferno I can see my family, along with several other warriors, and even Darien and John. I then turn my focus back on Elizabeth who still grips my arms.

  “What has happened?” I ask her as tears to start to form in my eyes.

  “Everyone returned several days ago, when you didn’t wake up, we were brought here to say our goodbyes. But when I got close to you, blue fire blazed between us…and then you woke up,�
�� Elizabeth explained as those around us finally moved forward.

  My mother was the first to reach me as she leans down and wraps both arms around me. I watch as Elizabeth stands and steps back where Darien places an arm around her shoulders. I can’t help but place my focus on him, enjoying the sight of my lover when a few moments ago I had prepared for my death. Eventually, my father helps my mother to stand so Mich can kneel next to me and finish removing the needles that still stick in my body. I almost enjoy the pain just so I know that I’m really here and not imagining everything that I’m seeing.

  “Where is Gabriella? I need to thank her,” I ask when Mich hands me a glass of water. I quickly drink the entire glass, causing my stomach to spasm at the flood of water. I ignore it so I can focus on what happening around me.

  “Gabriella didn’t survive the spell she attempted to cast for you when you didn’t return. She passed away last night,” Mich explains as he steps away so Marcus can take his spot.

  “I don’t understand. Gabriella’s spell worked. If it wasn’t for her then I would have never gotten back,” I hastily say, unable to process what Mich said.

  “Don’t worry about that now. Just try to relax. You’ve been unconscious for too long and Mich explained your body wasn’t going to handle you gone for much longer…Anastasia we all thought you’d be died by now,” Marcus explains as he rests his hand on my shoulder. I take a moment to look at everyone around me. I can see the concern on their faces as I realize what it must have been like to watch me slowly dying. “But having Ms. Mathews here seemed to help bring you back as well.”

  I look back over at Elizabeth and can still see my blue hell fire dancing behind her eyes. I can speculate what helped me ignite my powers in the spirit world, but I wasn’t ready to start thinking about that yet. In this moment, I just wanted to enjoy being alive.

  “Anastasia, what happened after I went through the gate? I thought you would be right behind me?” my father spoke up as he knelt beside me. He looked older than the last time I saw him, more than likely from many sleepless nights.

  “I’m sorry, Father. I couldn’t go through knowing our people were still coming from the north. I used my powers to protect them but wasn’t able to make it through the gate before it collapsed. I was taken to their master…” I try to catch my breath and force the tears back as the face of the monster rises in my thoughts. Even now, the gruesome creature causes me to panic. I take a moment to breath before I turn back to my father. “The creature explained that he would invade our world without the use of gates as a result of our attack. He said he would send his army to possess the others of our kind.”

  I watch as my father looks away from me and over at my mother. I can tell everyone is trying to think what this could possibly mean and how we would be able to fight off such an invasion. I am having a hard time thinking about anything else other than the sight of the monster as I look down at my hands that have started to tremble. Then my legs start to shake as I wonder what is happening to my body.

  “Mich!” Marcus calls from my side as my muscles begin to spasm and I’m worried I’m going to be sick.

  “Hold her still!” Mich demands as I lean back down onto the cot as my entire body starts to shake. “She’s going into shock. We need to stabilize her.” I feel several needles enter my arms and legs as I just try to focus on breathing and staying awake.

  I can’t go to sleep, I think over and over in my head, terrified of the idea of falling asleep and waking up back in the supernatural realm.

  I feel someone grab my hand and squeeze, and as though I have been grounded back in place, the shaking stops and I can breathe easier. I look down at my left hand and realize Darien has boldly stepped forward to help me. I pull him closer, no longer caring what anyone else thinks or does, as I lean up and wrap both my arms around him. I feel warm against his body as I finally let myself cry. I let every emotion that I have kept at bay spring forth as I sob against his chest and grip tighter onto his body.

  I feel his hands run through my hair and down my back as he tries to calm me. I relish in the feeling of his hands against my body as I keep reminding myself that this is real and that I am safe once more.

  “Pull yourself together, Anastasia. People are watching,” I hear Marcus say beside me. I pull away for a moment so I can look my brother in the eye.

  “Then tell them to leave,” I say in a low voice as I pull Darien down onto the cot with me. I place my legs over his lap as I cuddle beside him. I lean my head against his shoulders and place both arms around him. I can hear the shuffling of feet as the room clears out. I can hear furniture scrapping on the ground as a few undamaged cots are pulled next to mine as the burned ones are cleared away. I can see my parents sitting across from me out of the corner of my eye, but I’m not ready to face them yet. I’m not sure what to say, besides the truth.

  “It’s okay, Anastasia,” I hear my mother speak. I finally look at her, and she seems to be content instead of angry like I had expected.

  “Really?” I respond as I continue to cling to Darien. He seems to be patient with me as I hold him tight against me. His arms are strong around me and I am thankful I choose him to be bonded too.

  “I told you it would be a good idea to be bonded before you left. I think you can thank the Mathews family for your safe return, but you should also consider thanking Gabriella’s coven when you are feeling better,” my mother says as she grabs my father’s hand and slides her fingers with his. They both exchange a knowing smile before they look back at me.

  “How many others have died?” I ask softly. I look around again and see John and Elizabeth sitting a few cots away, ideally chatting with each other. Marcus and Mich stand on the far side of the room, waiting to see what my parents will do about my situation.

  “Most of sector two didn’t make it back, but those who did make it to the gate were able to pass through, thanks to your sacrifice. Tomorrow we’ll hold the funeral services for these warriors so their spirits may be able to pass on in peace,” my father explains. I cringe at the thought of their spirits being trapped in the supernatural realm, even now.

  “Father, we need to do something more. We need to meet with the leaders of the races and discuss how we can magical prevent the supernatural realm from invading our world. I fear if the demons find a way to possess those in our world, it will be complete chaos,” I speak up, my mind starting to function again as I keep thinking about what the demon ruler had said.

  “We will find a way, Anastasia. We always do. But for now, we must recoup our strength. And that includes making sure you are healthy enough for the next challenge,” my father says as he offers his hand to me. I finally let go of Darien as I sweep my legs over the cot and grip onto my father. He helps me to stand and both my mother and Darien are at my side to help me stand.

  “Yes, Father. There will be another battle. But this time we’ll be fighting the demons from Earth.”

  The Vampire’s Desire

  (Book 1 of the Fatal Allure Series)

  Martha Woods

  © Martha Woods

  All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

  Chapter 1

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  I am sitting at home sipping my glass of Shiraz and nibbling on cheese and crackers. I roll my eyes as the credits roll to a romantic comedy that ended with a stereotypical happily ever after. I scoff. I don’t know why I watched it. I knew the ending would be made up of a predictable plot where the characters’ love is the most important thing in this world and completely outweighed any rational logic for what would happen after the credits stopped rolling.

  “Happily ever after.” I smirk. I know that there is no such thing. At least not when it came to romance. Why did a woman need a man to make her life complete?

  What happened to self-esteem? To knowing
that actually, you don’t need the stereotypical bad boy to change overnight and run off into the sunset with you? I always thought these movies would have a happier ending if right at the end, when the man had “changed,” the woman laughed and told him it was only ever about sex, and walked off into the sunset on her own.

  Cara, my best friend, would describe me as cynical. She would say it’s a defense mechanism – if I don’t believe in love and romance, then I don’t have to admit that it’s just never happened for me.

  I would describe myself as a realist. I just don’t think we’re programmed for monogamy, at least not long term. I have to agree with Cara on one point, though. It probably will never happen for me.

  I’m a twenty-seven-year-old forensic scientist working for the LAPD. I am smart. I can hold my own in situations that would turn most people’s stomachs. Yet, here’s the kicker: whenever I find myself with a man who I find attractive, I turn into a clumsy thirteen-year-old who can’t string together a sentence. I’m the one who will trip up, knock something over, or say something really awkward.

  One of my least disastrous recent dates, in fact, featured me getting so flustered when the guy had bought me a bouquet that I managed to knock over the entire display of flowers, causing who knows how many dollars of damage. There went that week’s pay. Needless to say, I declined a second date.

  Maybe that’s part of the reason why I’m a cynic. Sorry, a realist.

  But I’m not heartbroken about it or anything. I have Bella, my adorable and loyal puppy, and right now, she’s the only housemate I want or need. She’s been my constant companion since the day I picked her up from the pound. With my crazy work schedule, she’s really the best partner I could ask for, and she doesn’t mind a good long run. I reach out and run my hand over Bella’s soft fur. She wags her tail and snuggles closer to my side.