by Angel Lawson
“What?” I asked leaning forward. I knew what that stipulation had been.
Grace.
“Grace doesn’t belong to you, dear. She’s my sister’s property.”
Fiona nodded as if she cared. I suspected she didn’t. I looked behind me and found Grace waiting on the hilltop with the others. “Grace is my friend. I gave her sanctuary at my kingdom.”
“You really have no choice. You do not get to interfere with the ways of our people. She is a traitor and must be punished.” Eleanor flashed me a condescending grin. I hated her. “Unless you have something of equal value to trade for her life?”
I turned to Liam seeking advice, a suggestion—anything. He shook his head. “There has to be something.”
“There’s not, and Eleanor’s right. She’s from Solar. We have no right to keep her.”
“Liam! She helped save your life!”
“So did Fiona,” he whispered, as though he didn’t want to remind them. As if they’d forgotten. “I need to go get her.”
“No, I’ll go,” I said.
I walked away from the others. Away from the snarky grins on the Queens’ faces. The frown on Liam’s. I walked back up the hill, thankful for my jeans and boots. Halfway there Grace caught my eye and ran to meet me.
From her expression she’d already guessed. “They want me.”
“They do.”
“It’s okay, Nadya. You’ve been so good to me.”
“It’s not okay.”
“Yes it is. Please let me go. It’s for the best.”
“But they’ll hurt you,” I said, fighting back tears.
Her blue eyes sparkled. “They may, but I’ve got some fight in me.”
I flung my arms around her and squeezed tight. I felt the thin lines in her back from her wings and wished she’d just fly away. “No,” she said, following my train of thought. “I will not be the reason to break this treaty that hasn’t even started yet. You’re going to do great things. Let me be part of that.”
I nodded, unable to speak. Hand in hand we walked back to the tree.
Grace wiped a tear from her eye and faced the guard that wrapped chains around her wrists and across her back so she couldn’t unfurl her wings. Liam stood by my side and the bond ebbed between us. He felt my sorrow. I used his strength.
“There,” Eleanor said, amending the portion about Grace. She signed her name in black ink and sealing it with a hot stamp of wax. Fiona picked up the same pen and signed her name in loopy gold ink. Freaking magic. She handed me the pen I looked at the tip, glinting with silver ink.
“Your turn, Your Highness,” Eleanor said, voice thick with amusement. Her tone made it click—the fact she didn’t respect me. This was all another move in the game.
It was time for me to make my play.
I bent to sign the paper but turned fast, stabbing the pen clear through the pale flesh of Eleanor’s hand, nailing her to the table. She screeched and Fiona jumped up, a second too late. Liam had her from behind, bronze sword at her neck.
“Little girl,” my black haired aunt declared, “You have no idea what you’ve unleashed.”
The pen was nothing for a woman of Eleanor’s strength; she muttered words and the metal dissolved into dust. I unsheathed the blade attached to my thigh and she held a long black, jewel encrusted scepter in her hand.
“Take me on,” I said. “I dare you to without your magic.”
“You want a cat-fight? Hair pulling and slaps across the face?” she sneered.
I shrugged. “I just want to punch you in the face.”
She pulled the end of the scepter out and revealed a long blade that glinted in the afternoon light. “Take your best shot.”
I charged her, making the first move. It was risky, something Colleen had warned me about many times but the rage and fury under my skin had pushed me to the brink.
She blocked me easily, our blades clinking with a fiery spark. I dug into my wheel-house, fighting like I’d been taught. Knees, elbows and fists. Eleanor’s style was graceful, but not enough to escape a debilitating jab to the gut.
“Oof,” she exhaled, distracted, and I kicked her sword out of reach. She went for my face, tearing at my skin with her claw-like nails. Leg out, I swept her ankles, pushing her back with my palms. She landed face first in the dirt, rolling over quick, dress tearing at the hem.
My feet tangled in the fabric and I stumbled, her ribs breaking my fall. Crack! Her elbow slammed into my jaw. Dazed, I swung. My fist grazed her eye. She pulled at my hair, yanking me off. When I pressed a thumb to her still healing hand, she screamed painfully.
I rushed to my feet and grabbed her sword and my blade. I held the point to her throat.
“A flick of my wrist you’ll be bound to that tree.”
I took a deep breath, allowing my essence to flow from my limbs. Blades of grass moved as though the wind blew, the roots from the ancient tree quaked and the leaves rustled, trembling under my command. Vines wove around Eleanor’s ankles and wrists and birds screeched from the treetop.
“That tree answers to me,” I said. “This land heeds my call. I will use it against you if you break the treaty—the original one.”
“The traitor belongs to my sister.”
My eyes flick to Fiona, still held by Liam.
“I’ve spared Fiona because she’s saved Liam’s life.” I said to my fair-haired aunt. “Give me the girl. I will keep her close and she’ll never enter your kingdom again.”
“If she does, the payment will be fierce,” Fiona replied.
I nodded to Liam and he released her. Eleanor waved her hand and the chains dropped from Grace’s body with a loud clink.
“Three years,” Liam said, handing me the clean contract. Grace’s addendum had been scratched through. He offered me the wax to stamp with my own seal.
“Three years,” Eleanor agreed. “Until then, make your presence infrequent.”
“I will not abandon my people,” I said. “But I have obligations in the human world. I will not interfere with your kingdoms.”
A chill passed over my spine as Eleanor and Fiona held my eye. Peace was tenuous. Liam gently pulled me away, both of us aware the battle was far from over.
***
Entering the human world’s atmosphere was almost as exciting as Otherworld’s. The plane was a little less dramatic than flying in the arms of a dying fairy, but at least we didn’t have someone chasing us. In fact, if I had to guess, I’d say the majority of people were happy to see us go. I’d brought as many problems into their world as solutions, and Liam? Well, they were just afraid of him. Rightly so.
Liam marked Grace with a rune, binding her to his home. She gave us both hugs and flew into the sunlight, crossing the portal on her own. Once on the other side she would report to his estate. We hoped she would be an ally, not a prisoner, but only time would tell.
As we landed, I caught sight of my father, small and human on the tarmac. I nearly tripped on my way out of the plane’s tiny door in excitement. Pop’s hands trembled when he caught me. He pulled me into a swift, tight hug. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, Pop. Promise.”
He looked me over and I couldn’t help but notice the extra gray hairs and lines around his eyes. “Don’t do that to me again. I thought I’d lost you. Just like your mother.”
“I won’t.” I hugged him again, so tight he squeaked. I loosened my grip. “I’m doing a lot of the things mom would have wanted me to do. A lot of things that help preserve her memory.”
He finally let go and his eyes shifted to Liam standing next to me. I’ve seen many expressions on Liam’s face. Confident, angry, lustful, but based on the tension in his jaw and the obvious attempt he made to appear calm, I assumed he was freaking out. I held back a laugh. Liam Caldwell, Guardian and God, was afraid of my father.
“Sir,” Liam said, formal like. He offered his hand. My father eyed him warily. Did he know? Does a father know when a man has claimed hi
s daughter? From the way they squared off with one another, I’d say yes.
“You brought her back,” Pop said.
“I gave you my word.”
Pop shifted his eyes to me, glancing down to see our hands entwined. “You sure this is the route you want to take? Your mother left that life behind.”
I nodded, fighting back tears. My mother had left to spare her life and in turn had stifled mine. She knew she couldn’t run from her destiny and eventually it caught up to her. The same had happened to me, I just wanted better results. “It’s not going to be easy, but I’m determined to make this work.” I squeezed him once more. “Now, show me everything I’ve missed. I’m sure the whole place fell apart without me.”
Liam left me at the airport. I needed time to spend with my father and he needed to go home.
“What’s this?” I asked, pointing to my work counter. A stack of folded papers were piled high.
“I saved them for you,” he said. I looked closer and saw they were all of the horoscopes I’d missed. The one for today was on top. “This may be a frenzied day for you, Pisces, but it’s likely to settle down as evening sets in. It will be a tender night in which you should stick close to home.” They sure got the first part of that right.
Pop stuck close the rest of the day and that night made me dinner, which was a first. Maybe I should go away more often. It wasn’t until I cleaned up, washing off the dust and grime of Otherworld, and buried myself under the covers on the bed I’d had since I was sixteen that I allowed myself to think about the fact I now had two homes. Two very different homes. Sure it was familiar and known, but I considered, taking a survey of my room, incredibly small. This home had always felt like a noose around my neck—tying me to the sadness of my mother’s death. Otherworld provided me with something else—another life.
I’d nearly fallen asleep when I felt the buzz of energy. The mattress sunk and a very warm, very naked man slipped under the sheets next to me. It was only a matter of seconds before his lips were on my neck and his arms wrapped around my waist.
“I recall a specific conversation between the two of us about you needing an invitation to come to my room.”
“I vaguely remember something like that.”
“So what? You think previous agreements don’t apply?”
“You think that after you’ve let me into your bed I’m not coming back? You’re crazier than I ever suspected.”
I twisted around until our noses touched. “Did you just call me crazy?”
“Never,” he lied. “Anyway, it’s just the Sidhe running through your veins. We’re all a little “off.””
He kissed me and I kissed him back. The faint light shimmered between us. “My father will catch you,” I warned, but he’d already removed my shirt and shorts. I pressed myself against him.
“He will have to get used to it.”
“Doubtful,” I said. “It will be hard balancing both worlds.”
“This is who you are now. You’re part Sidhe. A Queen. You’ll fulfil your destiny.” He lifted my chin so our eyes met. “But most of all, you’re mine.”
He found my hand in the dark, a faint blue glowing between us. I felt the ring before I saw it, slipped carefully down my finger.
“What’s this?” The question half-lodged in my throat. I held my hand up to see. A glittery diamond sparkled in the pale light. “It’s from the case in your room.”
“Made for you—centuries ago. This ring was handed through the family line, given to me when the story of my future was told.”
“Your future.”
Me. Us. Together.
With his mouth in my ear and his body glued naked and warm next to mine, he asked, “Will you marry me?”
I saw the mark on his chest, the one that matched the one on my hip—the one that made us immortal, a shade lower than Gods. I craved that life with him. I wanted to share it all with him and then one day, when we were ready, we could ascend higher. Bound for eternity.
“Yes,” I said, breathing the word in his mouth. Energy flared between us, twin souls, shared minds. He kissed me, hard and heated. I sunk into his flesh.
Together we would claim our destiny and rule the Lost Kingdom.
Readers! Two things! Go to the next page to read a sample of book one in the Creature of Habit Series: A Vampire’s Soul. But don’t forget that if you’d like to receive updates about my books and special deals please join my mailing list.Also, you can find me on twitter @theangellawson or on Facebook at Angel Lawson or Angel Lawson Author. Come say hi. I do have cookies but they’re gluten free.
Prologue
He killed again.
Vicious and grotesque, he left the remains where I would find them, like breadcrumbs trailing through the forest. One here, another there. Random enough to confuse the police, but not me. We thought alike, our skills comparable, but at the end of the game our objectives are infinitely different. I was the Hunter and he, the Predator.
Working my way through the dark forest I paused to inhale, pinpointing his exact trail. I caught a hint of blood and sweat mixed with decay from the forest floor. Moving closer, the scent grew stronger, fresher. The kill was recent, but the killer was long gone.
To be safe, I scaled the nearest tree and surveyed the scene below. Blood soaked the damp ground, seeping into the dirt and leaves. A woman’s body laid on top, her flesh torn to shreds. She wore athletic clothing and the type of shoes for running. I jumped to the ground for a closer look, the earth tremoring under my feet upon my landing.
Mud covered her exposed knees; she’d kneeled at one point, most likely begging for her life. I bent over her body, sniffing at her hands, at the marks on her neck, the cuts on her wrists. Two others had helped the Predator, and while his scent lingered in the area, it was not on the victim. For some reason, he never touched them himself. That was one of the many questions I had about these deaths. Why murder these women if he didn’t join in the kill? Surely he needed to feed?
I scanned the area, searching for a message or a clue—anything from the Predator. As usual, he’d left nothing but destruction and death. The kill itself was his message. He wanted to taunt me on my own territory. Murder people under my watch.
It was something he would soon regret.
Chapter 1
Amelia
The boxy, four-story building sat on the edge of town, jutting from the asphalt-lined streets. I double-checked the address on the unimpressive building, comparing it to the slip of paper in my hand. The numbers matched, confirming that this was indeed the location for my appointment. My job interview, actually.
Frowning, I looked down the street, empty other than the cars parked along it. The address was right. The appointment was today. I had little choice but to put my game face on. I needed this job—immediately. Why did it matter if I couldn’t figure out how a multi-million dollar foundation operated out of the building in front of me? Sure, the building looked to be in good condition, although it was probably close to a century old. Truthfully, I expected something a little more modern. But who was I to judge the quirks of the rich? What did I know? Clearly not much, since I had two weeks before I had little choice but to pack my bags and move back home if I didn’t secure some sort of job.
I climbed the steps to the second floor entrance. Nothing identified it as an office building, but there was an intercom on the wall outside the door. I pressed the black, plastic buzzer with my thumb. A woman answered.
“Palmer Residence.”
“Hi,” I said, searching for a camera. None were visible. “Hello, this is Amelia Chase. I have an appointment at nine?”
“One moment, please,” replied the voice on the other side of the intercom.
The door swung open and I was met by an attractive woman who looked to be in her late thirties. Eyeing her drastic, raven-black hair with blunt bangs and blood-red lipstick, I secretly wished I could pull off either and not look like a hooker.
“Amelia,” she
said. “Nice to meet you. I’m Genevieve, Mr. Palmer’s current assistant.”
That was the job I was applying for. The one that, hopefully, would keep me in Asheville with my best friend Drew.
“Please come in,” she suggested, ushering me past the sparsely decorated foyer. I followed her to a sitting area, our feet crossing from hardwood to a finely woven rug. She gestured for me to sit. “Thank you for coming in on such short notice.”
I smiled. Short notice wasn’t a problem for someone close to being jobless.
“Mr. Hudson had many wonderful things to say about you,” she said.
“Mr. Hudson has been a wonderful supervisor at the library,” I said, looking around the room, still a little confused. “So this is the Foundation’s office?”
“Oh, no. This is Mr. Palmer’s home office.”
“Home?”
“He lives on the upper floors. The corporate offices for The Palmer Foundation are in Raleigh.”
“That’s a three hour drive.”
“Yes, which means Mr. Palmer works here sometimes but often spends time out of town. As his assistant, you’ll manage household affairs and the home office.”
Manage the house? That wasn’t how Mr. Hudson had described the job. I assumed I would work at the actual foundation offices. Two phrases came quickly to mind: ‘beggars can’t be choosers’, and the always lovely, ‘to assume makes an ass out of u and me’.
“So, if I got the job, I would work here?” I said, taking everything in. Paintings and artwork lined the walls. The room had an elegant feel, and I definitely suspected that the couch I sat on was an antique. Although, it could have been fake or a reproduction. I had never been in a home with such expensive and tasteful décor. But then again, I had never known anyone who had a personal assistant or was the CEO of a multi-million dollar foundation, either.
“Primarily.” Genevieve sat down in the seat across from mine and smiled. “Mr. Hudson and I met when we worked together on the fundraising campaign for the art history collection at the University several years ago. When Mr. Palmer was seeking a new assistant, he came to mind for a referral."