by E G Bateman
“Sorry,” said a little voice from the back of the hallway.
She grinned. “Nice shot. I need to check on the guys.” She translocated and appeared next to Scott.
He jumped. “Jesus, can you not do that? Announce yourself.”
Her chuckle drew one in response. She looked along the hallway filled with elderly men and turned to him. “Good to go?”
A grumpy voice down the hall shouted, “Just hurry up. I need to pee.”
Scott’s cell appeared in his hand and he sent a text.
The fae door appeared and Dolores walked through.
“Are you sure this will work?” Lexi whispered.
Her boss opened her hand to reveal the talisman.” This will get us into Vegas but the wards are up again. Dick’s rented a bus to take us out of town for the journey back.” She turned to the men. “Okay, let’s move.”
As they filed through the fae door, Lexi vanished and returned to the ladies. “All right, girls, our ride’s coming.”
Dolores appeared with the door and the women chattered excitedly as they walked through.
Lexi looked at Stuart who was still asleep on the floor but now, he was covered in grass and daisies. It was very pretty. She and Dolores walked through the portal to New York, New York in Las Vegas. The vampire and Marcel waited for them beside Albin. Dick cut his gaze to the historian and back to her and wiggled his eyebrows. He looked like the cat that got the cream.
“Where’s Scott?” she asked.
He glanced around. “I don’t know. He came through. I saw him.”
She wandered around the casino floor for a while and smiled at Albert, who had filled his pockets with quarters. “Keep your pants on, Albert, or you’ll lose your money.”
When she couldn’t locate her friend visually, she took her silver teardrop pendant out and held it tightly in her hand. “Come on, where is he?”
Its gentle pull guided her through the building and the Big Apple Arcade to where Scott waited in a line for the rollercoaster.
He grinned. “Great! Are you all coming on?”
Lexi turned. She seemed to have unwittingly led the whole group to the arcade. “Not me.” She held her hands up. “Maybe later.” She pulled her cell out and sent a text.
Phyllis, Anne, and Patrick joined the line behind him while the others crowded around the arcade games.
When his turn finally came, Scott scrambled excitedly into the car and secured himself. He seemed barely able to move an inch.
Anne Lown, seated beside him, frowned. “I’m sorry. This will end badly for you.”
Patrick turned in the seat in front. “Don’t be such a Debbie Downer.” He was spun and wrenched into his seat by a young woman who secured him. “I’m beginning to regret this myself.”
“Don’t be scared, Patrick. I’ll protect you.” Phyllis squeezed his knee.
A whistle blew and Lexi chuckled at the barrier as they all flinched visibly at the sound. The car jerked to a start on the roller coaster and the moment was forgotten. Scott’s dimple-popping grin appeared. He still looks like a twelve-year-old. She smiled.
She sensed rather than saw the woman approach.
Alicia leaned on the barrier next to her. “Bryan will be disappointed to have missed this.”
“Oh?” She raised an eyebrow. “Where is he?”
“It’s the first night of the full moon. He’s in the bayou with Geraldine’s pack. They’re looking after him as he hasn’t physically shifted for five years.”
She looked at her sister’s face. “You’ve hidden your scars.”
Alicia touched her cheek. “They’re gone now. I let him take them away.”
Lexi pushed away from the barrier “Why did you wait so long to do that?”
“I was punishing him.” The woman shrugged.
She raised an eyebrow. “For five years?”
“I was angry.”
“For five years?” She raised both eyebrows.
Alicia laughed, then frowned. “I could feel his emotions through the link. He didn’t seem bothered by what he’d done. I could have forgiven him for doing it but not for not caring. Of course, I know now that he’d imprisoned the wolf and his emotions along with it.”
Lexi nodded. “How are you coping with the enhanced legacy abilities?”
“I feel fine now. Everything seems to have settled, but that’s why I wanted to see you. If you want to try to take some of it back, you’re welcome to.” She held her hand out.
“I don’t need to.” She shook her head firmly. “I’m dealing with more than enough right now learning how to use and control this new ability.”
Alicia bit her lip, then took a deep breath. “I’d feel happier if you tried. You’re my sister and I want to know if it’s safe to hug you.”
She nodded, held her hand above her companion’s, then lowered it and took her sister’s hand. They looked pensively into each other’s eyes.
“Anything?” Lexi asked.
Her twin drew the corners of her mouth down and shook her head. “Nope, you?”
With a small smile, she shook her head. “Not a thing.”
Alicia laughed. “I guess that’s it, then. You have what you were supposed to have, and I have what I was supposed to have.” She narrowed her eyes. “It’s so weird sensing the dark sorcery within you. It’s similar to sensing a demon but not quite. I’ve never known anything like it.”
“None of us have. Scott says there hasn’t been a dark sorcerer for hundreds of years.”
The woman slowly twirled a display carousel of Las Vegas magnets and keyrings. “Do you think you’ll come back? To Kindred?”
She shook her head. “I don’t think so. I still have too many unanswered questions.”
“Bryan told me about the little boy, the sorcerer who was placed with your family.”
Lexi sighed. She turned and they looked at the rollercoaster. “There’s that, but there are other things. Someone’s been taking the wards down here in Vegas to commit crimes. Dolores says they’re kept in place by joint spells between Kindred and the Fae Elders. Neither one can bring them down without the knowledge and support of the other. I guess it could have been Caleb’s doing as head of the council, but he performed forbidden magic in a cabal of thirteen. That could have been the Kindred council themselves.”
Alicia shrugged. “The Kindred council has denied any knowledge of his activities. They couldn’t distance themselves from Emmersley fast enough. And they’ve started an investigation into some of the aliases he used. How will you know what’s going on in Kindred if you avoid us?”
“And finally, there’s our parents—our real parents.” Lexi turned to her sister. “I want to know who they were or are. Do you know anything about them?”
“My earliest memories are of New Orleans. I don’t remember having any other parents. I’ve been in Bryan’s dimensional pocket. That’s something else. He’s shown me how to protect and conceal my memories.”
Lexi felt embarrassed, knowing there were memories of her in there. She wondered if Alicia would have seen the memories she had seen, the posters and the books, but decided she wouldn’t ask. It wasn’t her business what he shared with his wife.
“Thank you for what you did for us. You saved our lives. So, I’ll give you that hug now. I’m merely a Kindred-legacy-killing-machine sharing a hug with her ex-Kindred-legacy-killing-machine-turned-dark-sorcerer sister. There’s nothing weird about that.”
Her laugh was spontaneous. “When you put it like that, it all seems perfectly normal.”
They hugged and while it did feel weird, it was a good weird.
When they drew apart, they stood side by side while she searched the screens for Scott’s face on the roller coaster. As her eyes searched each frame, she continued the conversation. “I’m in touch with my unit now. They tell me Warren, Scott’s rejected blood match, is still harassing them. He tried to force them to submit to Eric for a memory extraction so he could find out wh
at they know. He seems to have found a soulmate in Eric and he’s moved to Colorado to join his unit.”
Alicia’s jaw dropped. “I hope the council said no to that request.”
“For now. But Caleb’s gone and Eric’s ambitious. There’s an opening on the council and apparently, he’s trying to slide into it.”
Lexi smiled as her eyes found a hilarious photograph of Scott. There he is.
She stepped up to the counter and paid for the picture.
The door opened and he walked through, dripping wet and covered in a pink substance from his neck to his shoes. “Who takes a milkshake onto a rollercoaster? Seriously, who? And why does this always happen to me?”
Anne walked past. “I tried to warn you.”
Lexi and Alicia laughed.
Dick and Albin walked Marcel along Las Vegas Boulevard. They watched the fountains at the Bellagio for a while, then continued to walk until they turned off the Strip to walk the few blocks to the condo.
The historian smiled. “So you’re going to be staying for a while.”
“Kindred will be all over Palm Springs for some time. I think it’s best I stay out of the way. And I have the place here so why not?”
“Why not indeed.”
“I won’t be here all the time,” he continued. “We’ll still go wherever the work takes us, but it’ll be nice to have a base here.”
They stepped aside to allow a group of young men walking a rottweiler to pass.
One of them pointed at Marcel and laughed. “Titus could eat that little rat. Couldn’t you, Titus?”
His friends began to mutter encouragement. “Sic him.”
Albin raised an eyebrow. “I wouldn’t threaten Marcel in front of him.”
They looked at Dick. “What will you do about it?”
The vampire smoothed an eyebrow. “He’s not talking about me. He means him.”
A black cat with impossibly large, amber, saucer-like eyes slunk out from the shadows and meowed. Its mouth seemed disquietingly wide with teeth that looked much too long. It strode forward in a not very cat-like fashion, stood between Marcel and Titus, and hissed. The large dog squealed and bolted down the street, dragging his owner behind him. The others followed.
Dick grinned. “Good boy, Limpet. Who’s going to get a nice raw steak?”
The next morning, Lexi and Scott sat outside their condo. She gazed, mesmerized, into the sparkling depths of her unhealing scar. When she felt him looking at her, she glanced at him and smiled.
“Do you still need me as a partner?” he asked,
She had guessed the question would come. “Do you still need me? I don’t know if I’m even a legacy anymore. Aren’t I a sorcerer now?”
He shrugged. “If your sorcerer abilities did come through the legacy bloodline, then you’re a legacy who favors that ability.”
“But I thought sorcery wasn’t genetic.” She took a sip of her coffee.
“So did I. Maybe dark sorcery is different.”
“Maybe I should go back to Kindred and train to be a mage.”
Scott frowned. “I’ve thought about that.”
“I was kidding.”
“No, not about going back to Kindred. I’ve thought about what might happen if they find out what you are. I’ve read the history books. I don’t think the dark sorcerers died off. They were killed off.”
“Are you saying I’ll have a price on my head?”
He shrugged and looked away, his expression uncertain. “Where does this leave us?
Lexi turned toward him. “I don’t know whether we’re still matched or not, but unless you have somewhere else you need to be, I hope you won’t leave. I mean…I understand if you’ve decided—”
“No, I haven’t. I want us to keep working together. You need to learn how to use your magic now.” Scott dug in his bag and retrieved her pendant.
She narrowed her eyes. “How do you always get that back?”
He held the silver teardrop in his hand.
“Are you going to make me jewelry again? I’ll be honest, I don’t mind when you do that.”
“I’m not. We are.”
After a moment, she opened her hand and he dropped the teardrop into her palm. He held his hand over hers and closed his eyes. She felt his intention immediately. Her eyes snapped open. “Is our link back?”
Scott turned his mouth down. “No, this is how I learned to do some of my spells. A teacher and pupil aren’t matched but there is a connection, a flow of understanding between them.
Lexi grinned. She’d missed her connection with Scott and this alternative might be enough. Pleased, she closed her eyes again. He showed her how to change the form of the metal and she decided on a shape. Her palm tickled as the metal shifted within it. He removed his hand and she looked at the metal that had darkened again to look like a shiny, dark metal oval-shaped hoop.
He picked it up. “Nice work.” He stepped behind her and clicked the clasp closed.
Dick walked outside to where they sat drinking coffee.
“Good morning,” he said cheerfully and sat.
She took a sip of coffee then turned her face to him. “We know. Thin walls remember?”
“Oops.” Albin stepped out and stood behind the chair. He kissed the vampire on top of his head and sat beside him. “Did your friends get home safely?”
Scott nodded. “All present and correct.”
Dick picked an envelope up and turned it in his hands. “This looks interesting.”
Lexi slid her gaze to the side and smirked.
He opened the large envelope with Dick written on the front and pulled out a sheet of paper and a smaller envelope. “Oh, it’s from Dolores.” He unfolded the sheet and read the short note.
“Dear Dick, please find enclosed your new ID and associated documents.” He looked at Albin. “How odd. I haven’t decided on a new name yet.” He looked at the note and continued. “The documents contain your new name as chosen by Lexi.” He stared at her with a look of pure horror on his face. “Oh, dear God, not again. What now?”
Scott looked at her. “You didn’t.”
Her lip twitched.
The vampire tore the smaller envelope and retrieved the passport. “Dick Erwin.” He looked at her. “I don’t get it.” He tried it slowly “Dick-Er-win.” Then, still puzzled, he tried it fast. “Dickerwin.”
Albin picked the new driving license up. “I think that’s a German name.”
Dick grabbed his cell phone and began to type furiously, then read out loud, “Eric, Ernst…here we are, Erwin in German means…” He looked at Lexi, who studied her nails.
Scott leaned forward. “Well?”
He swallowed. “Erwin…honored or trusted friend.”
The sorcerer blew a sharp breath of relief. He looked at him. “Are you crying?”
“No. I’m allergic to…to… Oh, come here.” The vampire hauled her out of her seat and hugged her.
She patted his back. “Stop that. You’ll ruin my reputation as a kickass dark sorcerer.”
The Fugitive Legacy
Sign up for E.G. Bateman’s email list and receive your free copy of The Fugitive Legacy, the exciting prequel to the Legacy of the Shadow’s Blood series.
With faulty powers and a vampire attack, can Lexi do what's right?
Lexi has worked extra hard to compensate for her faulty paranormal abilities and prove she deserves her place among the supernatural protectors, Kindred.
The aftermath of a vampire attack leaves her questioning her loyalties.
Can she hide her secret? Or will she be forced to flee from the only family she has ever known?
But Kindred don’t just let you leave...
Get your free copy here.
Author Notes - E.G. Bateman
April 8, 2020
Once upon a time, I went to Bali. And that’s where my life began.
There were many reasons to go; the awesome people, the incredible conference sessions, and holy shit
, it’s Bali! But I went there with a ridiculous, overly ambitious, presumptive goal. And the day I pushed a few chapters of a manuscript into Michael Anderle’s hand, that goal was achieved. It could have gone horribly wrong. I knew he didn't usually accept unsolicited manuscripts at big conferences like Vegas, but Bali was an intimate gathering. I hoped the fact I’d thrown my life savings into an event that had been designed for authors who were way more successful than I was, would show I was serious. It was a massive gamble.
The whole experience was mortifying. After a conference session, I found him and Ell Leigh Clarke talking. I stood there with the chapters shaking a little in my hand. People were filing out of the room and I kind of assumed these two would stop talking and move like everyone else. Nope. Pretty soon, there were three people in the room. Two of them were (it was now abundantly clear) having a MEETING, and me. I stood 2ft away, watching like it was Centre Court at Wimbledon. Then, just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse, they started ranting at each other.
Oh, dear God. They’re having an argument.
I know what you’re thinking. Elaine, why didn’t you just turn and leave? I know, I was being all kinds of rude. But there comes a point when turning and walking away (through the large, echoing room) looks as weird as staying put. Also, I might never get the nerve to do it again. Also, I don’t think my feet would move.
So, there I stood, thinking, come on Michael, just flick your eyes in my direction and I’ll shove these pages at you and run.
Nope!
After I finally realized that ranting, wailing and gesticulating wildly was in fact their preferred method of communication, the meeting was over and Michael addressed the elephant in the room, me. I was surprised he didn’t call me out for being so rude. But he was very kind, he took the sheets, and I bolted.
I was mortified by the barefaced cheek I’d shown. For the next day or so, I actively hid from Michael, to the point that I actually waded, fully clothed through the swimming pool to avoid passing him on a walkway. Okay, the water was only up to my knees, but still. Then, I got a grip of myself. I knew he wasn’t going to read it until after Bali, so I stopped hiding and enjoyed the conference, the socializing, and the sun.