by Kimbra Swain
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Kimbra Swain
First Flame, Stories of Frost and Fire, Book One, November 2019
ASIN: B0812D6K22
Kimbra Swain / Crimson Sun Press, LLC
[email protected]
[email protected]
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author / publisher.
Ebook Cover by: Kostis Ept
Full Wrap by: Kostis Ept and Crimson Sun Graphics
Formatting by: Crimson Sun Graphics
Editing by Carol Tietsworth: https://www.facebook.com/Editing-by-Carol-Tietsworth-328303247526664/
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
The Trailerverse Expands!
Acknowledgments
Teaser Chapter
For Moragan
May your fire shine beyond this world and into the next, but above all, I hope you rise.
The water on the docks reflected the light of the only working streetlight. Light rain disturbed the pool, sending ripples that made the light seem to wobble. I pulled the mask that Nick had given me up around my nose. It made me look like a common criminal. The alcove I’d chosen for my watch sat across from the Orefeo.
We had tracked the container ship’s movements through the world using my Uncle Levi’s network which was built by a former mob boss. We, being agents of the Otherworld’s version of law enforcement.
The Fairy Bureau of Immigration.
I told Nick, my boss, and my mom, my other boss, that it was a stupid name. I was pretty sure that the F.B.I. as an organization was already taken. However, they believed it would give us a good cover if there were ever any questions. We had even gone so far as to have badges made just in case we ran across the human authorities. Nick claimed he’d seen it work on a television show as if that were really going to work for us.
Movement at the end of the dock caught my eye. Another shadow moved in the darkness along the edges of the containers stacked beside the river. I hoped it was one of us. Nick had ordered a high-tech communication system to use with little pods to wear in our ears. Boys and their toys.
Two men walked along the edges of the boat. I couldn’t see their guns, but I knew they were armed. Our intelligence indicated that the crew of the ship would be moving a shipment of fairy slaves through the port tonight.
After months of tracking their movements, we finally had our chance to catch them in the act. They had proven to be difficult to track, and we had other outside interference. We weren’t the only things hunting the fairy traffickers.
A group of Sanhedrin controlled the streets in Steelshore. Their leader, whom I’d met once in a dark alley, was the granddaughter of Caiaphas. He once led the faction of the Sanhedrin that had hunted my mother, Grace Ann Bryant, Queen of the Exiles and the Winter Realm. They had reconciled before his death.
Unfortunately, his great power passed to his heir, Reyna Havlin. The kicker? Caiaphas’ name in the old world was Merlin, the great wizard of Arthur. To complicate things further, King Arthur became King Oberon of the Winter Otherworld and my mom’s father. It was a twisted and complicated story which had no relevance for the moment.
I hoped we had gotten to this information before Reyna’s crew did. I’d hate to have to show her my power again.
Moving down the edge of the building, I ducked into an alley between it and the containers and bumped into a body. I spun around lifting my hand with a ball of purple fire. Kyrie slapped his hand against mine, dousing the fire.
“Watch it there, Wildfire,” he grinned in the darkness. His eyes glittered like starlight. We’d discovered that his magic counteracted mine in strange ways. Kyrie Babineau hailed from the city of New Orleans which in many ways was a lot like Steelshore. It was steeped in ancient culture, surrounded by swamps, and contained a large shipping industry.
Kyrie and I had grown up together, and I liked him. However, we managed to get into a heap of trouble from an early age. But I knew one thing for sure, Kyrie accepted me for what I was.
I was Wynonna Jones Riggs, daughter of Dylan Riggs. I’d inherited his Phoenix when he died. He’d given his life up to save mine. The power passed even though I was his adopted daughter thanks to a little concoction made by my adopted mother to turn me into a fairy. I’d gotten a touch of her Winter power in the process which wreaked havoc on my fire.
A black cat ran across the alley behind Kyrie. He turned to look at it. Its bright yellow eyes stared at us from the shadows, then darted away. When it did, I saw another cat jump from a container to join it.
“Cat,” he said.
“Let’s just hope it was a cat and not an omen.”
“Or a fairy,” he added.
“Sometimes both.”
“You look sexy in your robber mask,” he said, referencing the mask that Nick had given us to keep us anonymous from any human surveillance systems.
I slapped him on the arm. “We are working. And it’s a stupid mask, but it’s warm,” I huffed. Peeking around the corner, I looked to see if there had been any movement on the ship. Kyrie took the opportunity to wrap his arms around my waist and pull me closer to him.
“I’ll keep you warm.”
“Phoenix,” I muttered.
“With a side of Winter,” he added.
“Don’t throw my shortcomings at me right now. They are moving,” I said, nodding to the gangplank leading up to the ship. Two men carried a long wooden box. Two other men flanked behind them. A dark form darted behind them on the ship.
Dominick Meyers, our leader, was a wolf shifter. A particularly deadly one, and a pain in my ass. He saw himself as my Uncle Levi’s cosmic brother, which meant he was kind of an uncle to me, too. He “looked out” for me per my mother. I had too many keepers. Even this far from home, I was constantly watched.
“We gotta take them before they get in the vehicle,” Kyrie said, switching to his business tone. He was a flirt, but he knew our job. Sometimes he took it seriously. I think he did it to make me happy. I was thankful to have him here, because he was always on my side. No matter what.
A howl pierced the air. Nick’s signal for us to move in. Kyrie swooped up into the clouds above me, and I stalked around the corner in the darkness toward the figures. Sucking in as much of the warmth around me, which was a task in itself, I built up my fire to strike.
Nick dashed down the plank to the men, hitting the rear one the left, knocking him to the ground. The second man rounded on them with a gun, but
he was knocked to the ground by Kyrie who had dropped out of the sky.
I darted toward the two carrying the box. They had picked up speed but found it difficult to run with the large crate. I threw a blazing fireball at the rear carriers’ feet. He squealed like a girl and picked up the pace. I threw more fireballs, hoping he would eventually drop the box.
Running after them, I looked back to see Nick and Kyrie holding their own. The box carriers stopped when another figure appeared at the end of the alleyway.
“Leave the box, and we won’t harm you.” The male held his hand up to show a crackling ball of lightning. My brother, Aydan, had inherited our father’s Thunderbird side.
The men looked around for help, but it wasn’t coming. Kyrie stepped up next to me. His twinkling aura surrounded him. Nick ran up, too. His lips curled back showing his canines. The low growls rolling from his throat filled the alleyway.
The men took their chance with Aydan which turned out to be an electrifying experience for them both. Aydan unleashed his lightning, striking them both simultaneously. Their bodies shook, but my brother, being the good person that he was, released them. The jolt knocked them out but didn’t kill them. I ran up to the box and pulled on the lid.
“It’s nailed shut!” I exclaimed.
The others ran up with me. Nick had shifted back to his human form, and he was promptly met with a cloak to cover his naked ass. Wolf shifters. I’d had my fill of them. He was given the cloak by our final two participants, Malphas and Echo, a pair of ravens who had sworn allegiance to my mother and her throne.
Echo walked next to me and signed for me to move. He was mute, selectively. If he wanted to speak, he would do it in your head, which was pretty freaky. I moved out of his way as he stuck his hands between the gap of the lid and the box. His talons outstretched, cutting a way through. He loosened the lid enough for us all to get our fingers in-between the pieces of wood. With an effort, we lifted the lid.
Tiny winged fairies flew out into the night. Brownies and pixies.
“Wait! We need to talk to you,” I said, but none of them listened.
“Um, boss, that blanket moved,” Aydan said, looking down into the mostly empty crate. The blanket shook as the creature under it cowered in fear.
I lifted the blanket to reveal the deep-set eyes of a very young girl. She shivered with cold and fear. Her clothes were threadbare, and she muttered nonsense. I pulled the mask down so that she wouldn’t be afraid of me.
“Hey, I’m Winnie. What’s your name?” I asked softly.
“We need to get out of this alley,” Kyrie hissed.
“I agree,” Nick said.
Echo reached down to pick her up, but she whimpered and moved away.
“Just give her a minute,” I huffed. I stepped into the box with her. “May I sit with you?”
She didn’t speak, but she didn’t shy away.
“Nope. I’m not carrying the box,” Aydan said.
“Pick up the damn box,” I hissed. Kyrie chuckled and bent down to grab one end. Echo and Malphas picked a spot. Finally, after a bit of eye-rolling which I’m sure he got from our mother, Aydan filled the last spot.
“I’ll lead. You guys follow.” Nick hurried along the alley to where we had parked our surveillance van. My four escorts grunted carrying the box, but I think most of it was horseplay. I wasn’t heavy, and this girl couldn’t weigh more than a leaf. She looked hungry and tired.
I laid down next to the girl. She kept her eyes on me but didn’t seem afraid. I reached out to push strands of hair out of her face. Her eyes widened and flicked from black to green. She was definitely fairy, of some sort.
“You are warm,” she whispered.
“I’m the Phoenix, and I’m going to help you,” I replied. The smile that flirted along the edges of her mouth warmed even me.
Much to my protest, we dropped the girl off at the office. Soraya was there, and the girl had taken to her as she did me. We’d been watching the boat for days, and I’d had very little sleep.
Kyrie walked with me back to my apartment. He didn’t speak until we stepped inside the lowest floor.
“You okay?” he asked.
“I’m fine. I’m glad we freed them, but I know there are more. There are probably more on that ship,” I said.
He smiled, then reached up to touch my hair. Today it was a golden brown with purple highlights.
“You can save them all. Just not all at once. We did good tonight, and I consider it a victory. I know you do, too,” he said. I kept waiting for him to tell me how to feel, but he didn’t.
“Goodnight, Kyrie,” I said, walking toward the steps. The elevator had a sign on it that said “Closed for Repairs.” It had been that way since I moved into the old place.
“I could walk you upstairs,” he offered.
He knew how to make me smile. I reiterated my words with a little force. “Goodnight, Kyrie.”
“Goodnight, Sunshine.” He didn’t hesitate. He just turned on his heel and walked out like I hadn’t shot him down for the hundredth time.
My feet slogged up the stairs to my third-floor apartment. The building featured leaky faucets, wood paneled walls, and floral wallpaper. It was also protected by some of the strongest wards I’d ever seen. Everything was quiet in the hallway as I dug out my keys. I almost fumbled them.
“Geez, I’m tired.”
“Hey!”
I jumped out of my skin. Spinning around, I barely held back my fire that wanted to jump to my aid.
A young man stood in his flannel pajama pants and washboard abs. He scratched his unruly hair, but his eyes were bright blue and his smile genuine.
“Oh, hey,” I responded.
“Sorry, I thought I heard someone talking. It’s my first night here and I’m a little jumpy,” he said.
“Jumpy?” This place was the safest in Steelshore. My mother had seen to it.
“Yeah. Not the best neighborhood.” I opened my sight as my mother had taught me. I saw no flashing aura or any indication of fairy blood. He was human which puzzled me, because this apartment complex housed supernatural beings of all sorts. What was a human doing here?
“It’s very safe. I’m Wynonna,” I said.
“Oh, sorry. I’m being rude.” He crossed the hallway and offered his hand to me. I shook it. “I’m Colton Walker. I just moved here to go to college. I’m transferring in from a community college in my hometown.”
“Where is home?” I asked.
“Willow Ridge. It’s near that old abandoned town, Shady Grove. Ever heard of it?” he asked.
“I think I have,” I responded. A human who knew about Shady Grove. Who lived just beyond the doorstep between the human world and the Otherworld? I doubted it was a coincidence now. Shady Grove was a crossroads and the town I grew up in. It was far from abandoned, but the human population thought it had been quarantined years ago.
“Well, sorry to frighten you. Maybe I’ll see you again,” he said, releasing my hand.
“I’m sure, since I live across the hall,” I said.
He blushed a little, then shook his head in embarrassment. “Yeah, of course.” He ran face first into his door which had closed behind him when he came out. “Shit,” he muttered, then slipped inside his room.
I walked into the dark of my apartment. Flicking my hand, several candles lit around the room. I took my coffee mug out of the sink, rinsed it, then set it under the spout for tomorrow. It was already well past midnight, and I felt exhausted. I waved my hand again, extinguishing the lights in the living area. Then, I lit a few in the bedroom.
A young man sat on the end of my bed. I’d had enough men for the rest of the week, but I knew I couldn’t turn this one out.
He lifted his eyes to me, already asking for forgiveness for coming into my room.
“Mark, is everything okay?” I asked.
The Alpha wolf of the Shady Grove pack was my best friend. He had been since we were kids. I’d known him longer than K
yrie, and he was in love with me. He’d stayed behind in Shady Grove to lead his pack while I left to help with the Task Force in Steelshore.
“Not really. I just needed to talk to my friend,” he said.
I sat down next to him and placed my hand in his. “We freed some fairies tonight. A whole crate full of pixies and brownies, plus one small girl.”
“That’s awesome. Have you figured out who is behind it all yet?” he asked.
“No, not yet, but we will,” I replied. “What’s going on with you?”
“Pack stuff.”
“I thought Mom fixed all of the problems you had with the pack,” I said. My mother had made a huge deal about Mark’s authority in the pack. She’d done it in the most backward way, but it had settled those who dared to challenge Mark’s place. He was a young, new Alpha. It was only normal for the pack to challenge him.
“They aren’t fighting against me. I shouldn’t have come.” He darted up off the bed.
“Mark, tell me what’s wrong.”
“It’s nothing. You look good, Wynonna. Call me later, okay?”
“Yeah, sure.” I responded. I heard him slip out of the room. Something was definitely bothering him. It wasn’t like him to not tell me. He generally told me more than I needed to know.
I was too tired to think about it. I changed clothes, then crawled into bed. I drifted off to sleep very quickly.
After dragging myself out of bed, I took a long shower. I heard my phone ringing in the other room, but it could wait until I was clean. Using magic didn’t exhaust me like it did other users. It also didn’t work right. Ever.