by Sarah Noffke
Table of Contents
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CONTENTS
Oriceran
Dedication
Legal
Oriceran US Map
Oriceran Map
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Epilogue
Author Notes - Sarah
Acknowledgements - Sarah
Author Notes - Martha
Publisher Notes - Michael
Social Links
About - Sarah
Martha Carr Series List
Other LMBPN Books
LANCOTHY
Soul Stone Mage Book Six
By Sarah Noffke and Martha Carr
A part of
The Revelations of Oriceran Universe
Written and Created
by Michael Anderle & Martha Carr
The Oriceran Universe
(and what happens within / characters / situations / worlds) are
Copyright (c) 2017-2018 by Martha Carr and LMPBN Publishing.
DEDICATION
From Sarah
For my daughter, Lydia.
You are the real magic in my life.
From Martha
To everyone who still believes in magic and all the possibilities that holds.
To all the readers who make this entire ride so much fun.
And to all the dreamers just like me who create wonder, big and small, every day.
Lancothy Team
JIT Beta Readers
Micky Cocker
Kelly O’Donnell
Larry Omans
Paul Westman
Edward Rosenfeld
James Caplan
Thomas Ogden
Alex Wilson
John Ashmore
Timothy Bischoff
Alex Wilson
If we missed anyone, please let us know!
Editor
Lynne Stiegler
Lancothy (this book) is a work of fiction.
All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Sometimes both.
This book Copyright © 2018 Sarah Noffke, Martha Carr and Michael Anderle
Cover copyright © LMBPN Publishing
LMBPN Publishing supports the right to free expression and the value of copyright. The purpose of copyright is to encourage writers and artists to produce the creative works that enrich our culture.
The distribution of this book without permission is a theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like permission to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), please contact [email protected]. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.
LMBPN Publishing
PMB 196, 2540 South Maryland Pkwy
Las Vegas, NV 89109
First US edition, February 2018
The Oriceran (and what happens within / characters / situations / worlds) are Copyright (c) 2017-2018 by Martha Carr and LMPBN Publishing.
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PROLOGUE
Loud ticking echoed through the rustic foyer of the abandoned boarding school. At one time the building had been full of laughter and the bustling feet of precocious pupils. Still, even with the fine layer of dust covering the stone banister and tile floor, its original charm seeped through.
“The realtor who showed it to me said the building is haunted.” Cordelia said, turning to face Hamilton. He didn’t look impressed as he ran his finger over a large vase sitting on the floor by the entry way. Hamilton was wearing his usual suit and the scowl made him look quite cute, but that was only because Cordelia found the more hostile emotions attractive. A smile made his green eyes light up, but a grimace made his power flow from his gaze.
“Haunted, huh?” Hamilton asked. “We’re vampires…the thing of nightmares. Aren’t we the ones who haunt?”
“We both know ghosts aren’t real,” Cordelia said, looking at the large grandfather clock against the wall that was responsible for the loud ticking sound. It was nearly morning. They’d have to take refuge in the basement, since proper curtains hadn’t yet been installed over the floor-to-ceiling windows. The center atrium was also a gigantic problem with its huge skylight. Humans loved their sun, Cordelia thought with major irritation.
“Are any of the old students of this boarding school still roaming the grounds?” Hamilton asked, not looking amused. “I’m hungry.”
“We’ll feed in a bit,” Cordelia said, striding over to Hamilton. Today she wore one of her favorite red dresses. All her dresses were red. Why would she wear anything but? This one had a heart-shaped neckline, and ruffles that spilled all the way to the floor. It was heavy, but that wasn’t a problem for Cordelia with her incredible strength. She ran her fingernail down Hamilton’s lapel. “Do you like the house?”
Hamilton eyed the dusty foyer, disgust making his lip curl. His gaze softened when it landed on Cordelia. “No, not really. But I like you, and you picked it.”
“It’s not our forever home,” Cordelia explained. “It’s just a base of operations for the brood until we find something better.”
Hamilton sniffed. The air in the old boarding school was stale, and laced with what Cordelia had hidden in the closet—a sort of housewarming present for her love. “You know I don’t mean any offense to your efforts. I’m just picky.”
Cordelia leaned into Hamilton and her lips grazed the side of his neck. Her fangs instinctively emerged, her desire for blood linked to her lust for the man before her. “I enjoy that you’re selective. You picked me, didn’t you?”
Hamilton’s hands gripped Cordelia’s hips, and he pulled her in close. “I would have no other.”
A cough sliced the air, interrupting the couple, and Cordelia pulled back but didn’t turn away. “Yes, Ata?” she asked, her tone impatient.
“Using the tracking spell,
I think I’ve located a page from the Book of Dead,” Ata said.
This stole Cordelia’s attention. She turned to look up at the wizard, who stood at the halfway point on the long staircase. He was dressed in the traditional robes of the New Egypt coven, and held his crook lightly in his fingers. Since the disturbance with the queen of Virgo, Azure, he’d been a bit more difficult to control. A wizard, even one as powerful as he, couldn’t resist the vampires’ mind control entirely, but he could fight it. Cordelia worried that he’d find a way of breaking it.
More importantly, she worried that the pages of the Book of the Dead would surface. Centuries ago the earliest founder vampires had stolen the pages that detailed how to eradicate vampires or cure vampirism. They couldn’t be destroyed, but they could be lost—and they had been for a long time. With vampirism now spreading in the homeland of New Egypt, it was crucial that the pages be found and kept away from Chibale and his coven.
“Do tell,” Cordelia said, her eyebrow arched in curiosity.
“The queen of Virgo has it,” Ata stated, his voice neutral. He appeared almost like a statue with his black hair pulled back in a ponytail and his jaw firm. The swirling tattoos that covered his legs, arms, and face were less visible in the darkened house.
“What? When did she get it?” Hamilton asked, stepping forward.
“My spell doesn’t tell me when, only that she’s in possession of one of the pages,” Ata said.
Cordelia gritted her teeth and stomped her black heel on the stone floor. “Damn that witch. She escaped from us, and now has a page that could spell our demise.”
“I knew she was going to be trouble,” Hamilton said, his eyes steaming with fury.
“She won’t be a problem when we turn everyone in her kingdom into vampires,” Cordelia said. “She’ll be begging us to turn her then.”
“And we won’t,” Hamilton said. “That will be her punishment.”
“You’re so cruel, my love.” A wicked smile sprang to Cordelia’s face. “I happen to think that she’d make a fine founder, and I could use a formidable female companion.”
Hamilton gawked at Cordelia, his eyebrows knitted together. “You have me. Why do you need another companion?”
Cordelia brushed a hand over Hamilton’s firm jaw. “You’re wonderful, but every woman needs another female who can relate to her. I’ve yet to find one intriguing enough to turn into a founder.”
“Yes, and soon we will have a population of bats. We need to decide how to use them,” Hamilton stated. Lux and Devo had already set out for Lancothy to retrieve as many bats as they could so that the mission to create founder vampires could be completed successfully. Hamilton and Cordelia had only created a handful of follower vampires to date, and they’d need to expand their efforts to ensure their brood thrived. Vampires were truly powerful in numbers, and taking over New Egypt was their ultimate goal.
“I guess,” Hamilton said, a look of disapproval on his face.
Cordelia’s heart was lightened by Hamilton’s jealousy. Proudly she turned back to Ata. “I want you to try another tracking spell. We must find those other pages. How many are there?”
“I’m not certain…maybe three or four?” Ata said.
“We need all of them. But we can’t touch the queen, so instead I want you to create something that can go after her,” Cordelia ordered.
“Yes,” Ata said with a bit of hesitation in his eyes.
“Yes, what?” Cordelia asked.
“Yes, Master,” he said, his voice sounding dead.
“That’s better. Off you go.” Cordelia returned her attention to Hamilton. “Now, I say that we christen this house the right way.”
A heated look crossed Hamilton’s face. “What do you have in mind?”
Cordelia peeled away from her lover and crossed the foyer to the closet door. The handle was rusted, but could still be turned with a bit of effort. When she pulled back the door, there was a man standing in the empty space. His gaze was dull, and his mouth hung open like he was in a trance.
“The realtor didn’t just help us find this location, but is also going to be our first meal in the place,” Cordelia told Hamilton. “Come forward,” she commanded the man.
Moving like a robot, the man marched out of the closet where she’d made him stay, using the slightest bit of effort with her mind control.
“Halt,” she said when he stood between Hamilton and her. Cordelia brushed the side of the man’s neck and a moment later found that Hamilton had joined her on the other side, using his super-speed.
“What a great idea you had. I always enjoy feeding with you, my love,” Hamilton said.
“Yes, I know.” Cordelia reared her head back and her fangs slid into place, then she sank them into the realtor’s neck. Hamilton did the same on his side, and the two drank until they were full and the man was dead.
CHAPTER ONE
“Would you like a date?” Ever asked. He was sitting on the long sofa next to Azure.
She looked up, distracted. In his fingers, Ever was holding a shriveled date he’d picked up from the bowl on the side table, and Azure grimaced with disgust at the fruit. “Hell, no. Those things are disgusting. They should be outlawed.”
Ever smiled and popped it into his mouth, chewing. “They’re definitely not chocolate cake, but they suffice when hunger strikes.”
“When are we going to dinner?” Monet asked. He was lying on the couch opposite them and tossing a red foam ball into the air.
“Soon,” Azure said, stirring the contents of the scrying bowl. “We need to get back before it’s dark.”
“So the evil bloodthirsty zombies plaguing the streets of New Egypt don’t eat us,” Monet added.
“They aren’t zombies, they are vampires,” Azure said. “And it’s so they don’t bite one of you. I’ll be fine.”
Monet caught the ball just before it careened into his face. He paused for a moment to eye the ruby she now wore to protect her from vampires before he threw it into the air again. “Yeah, I’m glad soul stones aren’t red. It would totally clash with my hair.”
“You’d look very Christmas-y,” Ever said, pointing to the lavender amethyst Monet wore on a leather band around his wrist.
Monet’s face scrunched in curiosity. “What’s ‘Christmas?’”
Ever laughed. “It’s a thing on Earth—a celebration where you exchange presents. I’ll take you sometime. You’ll like eggnog.
“Presents!” Monet exclaimed. “I’m game. Let’s bring this holiday over to Oriceran. What’s it all about?”
“There was this man named Jesus—”
Azure waved Ever off. “Earth lessons later. I’ve finally gotten the bowl to work, so Gran should be coming through soon.”
Everyone inside the large carriage fell silent except Laurel, who was cuddled into a ball in a neighboring armchair. She hadn’t been sleeping well, so she had been taking catnaps lately. The werecat hadn’t appreciated the expression, but had merely frowned when it was mentioned.
Monet picked up his wand from the side of the couch and pointed it at the werecat, who was snoring and purring slightly. When a brief gust of wind hit Laurel she awakened with a start and looked around in confusion, wondering what had woken her. Monet resumed throwing the ball and tried to look innocent.
“Gran, are you there?” Azure asked.
Gran’s wrinkled face swam into view on the surface of the scrying liquid. “Child, excuse my French, but what in Merlin’s beard are you thinking? For the love of shriveled pig’s liver, get the troll’s head out of New Egypt.”
“What’s ‘French?’” Monet asked, holding the red ball just above his head. “And Sari, that’s what you’re calling cursing these days?”
“Shut the hell up, Monet,” Gran fired back.
Azure smiled, nostalgia blossoming in her chest for Virgo and her family. “I miss you too, Gran.”
The old woman shook her head of lavender hair and her scowl deepened. “This
is not about missing you. Gillian tells me there are vampires in New Egypt. You’re not safe!”
“Did Gillian also tell you that Mage Lenore gave me a necklace that protects me from vampires?” Azure asked.
Gran narrowed her eyes, focusing on the ruby hanging around Azure’s neck. “Yes, and that’s very curious. That old bat is sneaky as hell. Do you know if it really works?”
Monet laughed. “Sari, you calling anyone ‘old and sneaky’ is ironic.”
Ever nodded. “She’s right, though.”
“Yeah, those two women are made from the same yarn,” Monet said, continuing to toss the red ball up. Laurel was instantly entranced, watching the ball fly up and then drop.
Azure shook her head, trying to focus despite the many distractions. “The necklace does work. These founder vampires tried to turn me, but couldn’t because of the protection. And they couldn’t get it off me, either.”
“Muddy frog’s feet!” Gran screamed. “Child, I can’t believe you’ve been playing with vampires. Do you have no sense at all?”
“I wasn’t playing with them,” Azure explained. “They abducted me.”
Gran threw both her hands to her cheeks and took in a few ragged breaths. “Are you trying to kill an old witch?”
“No, not at all, Gran,” Azure said, suddenly feeling guilty for causing her grandmother any distress. It was rare for the old witch to show concern like this, which just proved how dangerous the vampire epidemic was. “You don’t have to worry. I’m safe.”
“What about Monet and Ever?” she asked.
“Thanks for the concern,” Finswick said, hopping onto the table and peering into the scrying bowl. His white-tipped black tail jerked violently.