by Leela Ash
Captive to the Chimera
Shifters of the Aegis 4
A Wellspring Chronicles Tale
Tabitha St. George
Leela Ash
Copyright ©2019 by Tabitha St. George & Leela Ash. All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic of mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
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Table of 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.
Burning Falls Shifters Preview
Chapter 1.
One little fact could change the world.
A month ago, Maddie Hunter was a happy, productive member of the Sedona Warren. Few Witch Hares joined such an illustrious organization, one famed throughout the Shifter world. She had friends, colleagues who respected her, and a challenging but fair Witch Queen. What more could a Hare ask?
Then the Shifters of the Four Corners learned about the Darkborn. These were cruel spirits that possessed mortals and Shifters, stealing their forms to commit the vilest of evils. No one could see them. No one was safe from them.
Now they cast a shadow across all of her days: any face, no matter how familiar, could hide an enemy.
No one could be trusted.
Outside of Daniel LePierre’s office, Maddie found herself staring obsessively at the Witch Queen’s secretary. Mrs. Marsh, a woman she’d known for five years. Studying the way she moved. Obsessing over every word, every gesture. Hunting for any mistake, any clue that the woman she knew so well was, in fact, a monster.
Her Shifter soul, a leggy brown Hare, crouched by Maddie’s feet. Ears swiveling, nose twitching. A bundle of nerves and fear.
“The Witch Queen will see you now,” Mrs. Marsh said.
Unexpected, that announcement nearly startled the young Witch out of her skin. Her poor Hare shot across the room, zigzagging wildly, and disappeared behind a cabinet.
Thank goodness Mrs. Marsh was mortal – and couldn’t see that foolishness! Cheeks red, Maddie gathered her papers and headed for the door. Pausing long enough to let her sheepish Hare catch up with her.
Danielle LePierre looked as bad as Maddie felt. Exhaustion lined her Queen face and even the Hare’s flame-red hair seemed dim today. Her blue eyes, normally sparkling, were dull and lined with dark circles.
At the sight of those circles, Maddie’s Hare stomped a frantic warning.
Darkborn! Darkborn!
Sadly, Danielle was a Shifter – and she didn’t miss that outburst. “Hell. Do I look that bad?”
“I am so sorry, majesty!” Maddie swatted at her Hare and sent it scampering off.
“It’s alright. We’re all on edge.”
For good reason. The Darkborn, malevolent spirits from the Other Side, had even infiltrated this Warren. Thanks to a young psychic, Ash Anderson, they’d been driven out. But one senior Hare was dead and another recovering from possession. No one knew when these monsters might return.
Terrible times for Sedona, and the Shifter community as a whole.
“Maybe so, ma’am, but I’d expect my Hare to remember that I am not psychic. If I see the dark circles, they’re signs of fatigue, not possession!”
Danielle’s own Hare stared at hers with huge, terrified eyes. As if it, too, might flee at any moment. The Witch Queen shook her head. “Hares are creatures of speed and instinct – not reason.”
“Which gives us brilliant intuition…” Maddie began.
“…and a tendency to startle and panic.” The warmth of her Queen’s smile washed away the last of Maddie’s nervous energy. Even her silly Hare hopped into the open, sniffing. “So.” With a word, Danielle brought the meeting to order. “First point. Note to self: remember to re-touch makeup immediately after meeting. Second point. How is your research going?”
“Poorly.” A confession Maddie hated to admit. “I haven’t found any legends about the Darkborn. The First Flight ran into something similar up in Wyoming. I did an extensive interview with their representative, Finn Donnelly, and his Mate Bree.”
Danielle skimmed through the pages she offered. “Lovely couple. With a bit more study, that woman will make a fine Witch. And he has to be the most down-to-earth, sensible Dragon I’ve ever met.”
Maddie had liked them, too. “Unfortunately, I’m not sure this information is useful. The creatures they met called themselves ‘Adanai.’ The could enter this world as shadows and possess people, much like the Darkborn. But that’s all they had in common. In general they dislike our world and want to prevent us from ‘polluting’ theirs. They’re certainly not set on conquest like the Darkborn.”
“Different tribes?” the Witch Queen suggested. “With different agendas?”
“Possibly. One option is to try to speak with the Adanai. Finn and Bree were able to step through a gate in Wyoming and confer with them.”
Danielle dismissed that idea at once. “Too dangerous. Donnelly and his Mate barely got out alive. I don’t want to send one of my Hares to the Other Side. Not unless we’re at our wits’ end.”
“What other options do we have, though?”
“Capture a Darkborn and interrogate it.”
Maddie shivered at the very thought. To bring one of these demons here, in the heart of her Warren, and try to bind it… Yet she saw the sense in her leader’s words. Some Shifters mocked Hares for their nerves and ‘weakness.’ They were definitely the least war-like of all Shifter Kinds. But Hares faced dangers no one else could defeat. Magical traps and enemies that could bring down the strongest of Dragons.
Or make a senior Witch Hare hang herself…
As a Hare,
magic was her battlefield. She wouldn’t back down from this danger. She and her sisters would face it and defeat it. If necessary.
That was Danielle’s call, though, not hers.
Silence fell as the Witch Queen considered their meager options. When they came, they arrived with a long, drawn out sigh. “File your report with Mrs. Marsh. She’ll give you a packet with your next assignment and your tickets to London.”
“London?”
What on earth was happening in the British Isles?
“To begin with, yes. It’s a long shot. However the name of the leader of these Darkborn, ‘Nemagorix’, bears some resemblance to names used in early Celtic languages. I want you to investigate this angle. See if there are any references to this creature or something like it.”
“Why would a Celtic spirit appear in the southwest United States?”
“Spirits don’t have nationalities.” The edge in Danielle’s words stung, like the rap of a ruler on a poor student’s knuckles. Maddie swallowed hard and tried not to feel ten years old. “However, they often adopt the names that humans give them. If ancient Celtic tribes summoned this creature, there’s nothing to stop it from appearing here.”
“And using a non-Native name. One that’s actually a clue to its history.”
“Correct.” As rapidly as it arose, the Witch Queen’s annoyance vanished. Washed away by Maddie’s quick understanding. And her obedience. Danielle LePierre was a fair woman, far better than many Witch Queens. Still, she expected the Hares of her Warren to obey, quickly.
Maddie had never given her reason to anger – and she had no intention to start now! “Is there anything else, majesty?”
“No. Ronald has a car outside. He’ll take you to your house and the airport.”
Time enough to grab a few clothes. She could eat at the airport. It was an honor to be trusted with critical research, but a small, traitorous thought bubbled up in Maddie’s mind.
One day, I’d like to just stay put for a while. Have a home of my own, not an apartment. Maybe even a…
Images rose in her mind. Of a husband. Children. Those thoughts she shoved away, hard.
Hell, I’m not home enough to take care of a cat, much less a family!
But if she was…
Forget it. My Queen decides how much I travel, not me. I can’t control that.
No, as a member of the Warren, she did what she was told. She was lucky that a prestigious coven like Sedona took her. A lone Hare was a sad, pathetic thing. Without the defense of a Warren, they tended to disappear. The Fangs of Apophis, a degenerate Shifter ‘gang’, often kidnapped and enslaved them.
So there was no room in her life for common, silly desires like ‘home’ and ‘love’ and ‘family.’ Maddie had work instead. Meaningful, important work that kept other Shifters safe.
What more could she want?
“Is there something else you need, Ms. Hunter?”
Oh goodness, here she was, daydreaming in the Witch Queen’s office. “No! No, Majesty,” she stammered as she bolted to her feet. “I’ll leave at once.”
“Good. If you learn anything of import, contact us immediately.”
Just like that, the audience ended. One swift, polite nod and then Maddie and her Hare scampered out the door.
Mrs. Marsh had her packet in hand. “First Class tickets to Heathrow, madam. I’ve booked accommodations and transport to London. If your studies take you elsewhere, notify me and I’ll make arrangements.”
“Of course.” Nothing but the best for Sedona. If she had to travel a lot, at least she got to stay in posh hotels.
A town car with black-tinted windows awaited. Ronald, the chauffeur, whisked out and swept the door open for her. He was putting on a bit of weight these days. Age did that to people, she guessed. Despite the blazing Arizona sun his jacket and suit remained neat and dry. How, she had no idea! Put her in something like that and she’d drown in her own sweat.
Though with air conditioning, the inside of the car was just a tad less cold than a freezer. Maybe that was the chauffeur’s secret. “Home first, Ronald.”
“Of course ma’am.” He turned on his GPS and began to type in her address.
At the sight, Maddie burst out laughing. “Seriously? After all these years, you need directions to get to my place?”
“Warns you about traffic and construction, ma’am.”
Ah, that made sense. Yet beside her, her Hare shivered.
Ronald still watched her in the rearview mirror. Tense, almost worried. As if he feared that she would…
Would what? What on earth could be wrong?
“Everything okay?”
“Yes ma’am.” In the blink of an eye, the tension vanished. Ronald pulled away from the curb and started towards her home at a stately, safe rate of speed.
Maddie gazed out the window, stealing glances at her driver. What just happened? Had she imagined it?
Maybe I sounded angry and he’s worried he upset me? Ronald is mortal, after all, and, well, sometimes Shifters can be unkind to their ‘lessers.’ Especially Hares. We can be a snooty bunch.
That made sense. Until they turned onto Bryant Avenue – and he got into the wrong lane.
“You want the right lane, Ronald. For the turn.”
“Of course, ma’am.”
Of course. How could he forget that? He took her home at least three times a month!
Fear returned, a swirling wash of icy cold. Was he human? Had her faithful chauffeur been replaced by some Darkborn monstrosity?
But he made the right turn… and the next. No hesitations, no more mistakes until they pulled into the parking lot of her apartment. Ronald hurried out of the car and opened the door for her.
Just like he should. Doubts nibbled at her worry.
Calm down. He almost missed a turn. So what? He’s probably as distracted as I am. Besides, the Sedona Warren now has a psychic that can spot Darkborn. Surely that will keep them away?
More than anything, that thought calmed her. Ronald would have to be a pretty ballsy spirit to waltz up to Sedona’s front door and kidnap a Hare!
A cocky one, too, because he ‘let’ her walk off.
Feeling silly, Maddie shot the man an apologetic smile as she stepped out.
“Will there be baggage, ma’am?”
“Yes. One or two bags.”
“Very good.” He fell into step behind her and followed her into her home.
‘Home.’ As if you could use that word for this sterile, clean, tiny living space. Bland pictures hung on the walls, the same ones that the rental company had put up. She’d never bothered to get paintings she actually liked. Why should she? She was never here.
“I’ll just be a moment, Ronald.”
“Of course, ma’am.”
Her bedroom was equally bare and lonely. One double bed, with a generic cream cover. One bedside table. A copy of Magic in Theory and Practice lay on it.
Great bedtime reading, right?
Rows of stern, conservative dresses lined the closet. Dark, unflattering things. Nothing to draw a man’s eye. Maddie picked out four and turned…
To find Ronald standing behind her.
“Oh! What are you…”
Like a striking serpent, his hand whipped up. A thick cloth pressed against her nose and mouth. Damp, with a sweet, chemical scent she couldn’t recognize.
For one second she froze, stunned by the speed of the attack.
That was all ‘Ronald’ needed. He leaned against her, pinning her to the wall with his weight.
Then her adrenaline kicked in. Maddie squirmed, kicking at him as her Hare tore madly around the room. It was a hopeless battle, like trying to kick over a mountain. With a gentle but irresistible force, he held her. With each gasp she felt that sweet scent fill her lungs. Dulling her senses. Dragging her down into the darkness.
The last thing she saw was his eyes.
Golden orbs, bright and shining, shot through with sparks of light. Nothing at
all like Ronald’s dull brown eyes.
Nothing human, at all.
Chapter 2.
…thump… thump… thump…
Soft jolts woke her. Resisting a crazy urge to leap up and scream, Maddie opened her eyes.
She lay in the backseat of an SUV. An IV drip bag, now empty, had been taped to the headrest. Long tubes ran from it to a patch on her hand. From where she was she couldn’t see outside, but the rattling and bumps warned her she was not on a paved road.
Her Hare crouched beneath the passenger seat, its eyes wide and terrified. The only other person was the driver, a man she didn’t recognize.
One of the Darkborn. Probably taking me to another monster, so it can possess me.
If she let him… which she had no intention of doing. She was a Witch, not some helpless victim.
Slowly she stripped off the tape that held her IV needle in place. It stung as the needle slipped out, and a small dribble of blood trickled down along her fingers. Gritting her teeth, she didn’t even whimper. No sounds, nothing to draw her kidnapper’s attention away from the rutted road that held his full attention. Once she was free, Maddie closed her eyes and plotted.
No one moved fast on a crappy road like this. Fifteen, maybe twenty mph at most? She could jump out of a car at that speed. It would hurt, probably a lot, but she’d survive.
Then run a little ways, drop to the ground, and weave an Obscurement around myself.
Obscurement wasn’t exactly an ‘invisibility spell’. People could see you – they just found you so boring they forgot about you, immediately. So if you did it out of sight… and didn’t move… they’d walk right past you.
If, if, if… Lots of ifs in that plan.
What other option did she have, though? True offensive spells took a lot of time, materials, and elaborate rituals, things her attacker was not going to give her!
So jump, run, and hide.