The Cardkeeper Chronicles: Books 1-5 (Complete Collection)

by A. C. Nicholls

  I glanced up at him, my eyes sweeping over Jason in the far corner, still unmoving. The tears came again, moistening my eyes and warming up my cheeks. I wiped them away and tried to picture a life without him. I climbed to my feet then, feeling a faint disappointment that the mage hadn’t ended my physical life since I already felt dead inside. “Fine.”

  Nodding slowly, the chief mage studied me. Most unexpectedly, his hand reached out and patted me on the shoulder – a lazy condolence. “Then you stay out of our way, and we’ll stay out of yours. I hope we understand each other.”

  I said nothing more, only watched them flee from the cave, leaving me alone with Jason’s body. One by one, the glow sticks began to fade, leaving me in complete darkness with the horror of today’s events. I didn’t care much – everyone I loved had been hurt ever since I’d found that damn medallion. I was sick and tired of having anything to do with it. The cursed lump of jewelry had brought me nothing but trouble.

  Nothing could undo that.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  I wasn’t entirely alone. As faithful as ever, Link perched on my shoulder and whispered words of support. Although his skin was bruised like a peach and his wing was badly broken, he still found it within himself to put my emotions as a priority. I just wished I was more selfless – all I could think about was myself, and how I would cope with this awful tragedy.

  Much to our surprise, the sun was out and beaming down fully on the sewage plant. After several attempts at creating a decent portal, I’d finally succeeded and managed to escort Jason’s body back to his original pack. In spite of their own shock and sadness, the wolves had greeted me kindly, taking the body from me and sparing me additional grief.

  Now, we were saying our goodbyes, and nothing had ever hit me so hard.

  The wolves were in human form, standing in a semi-circle with their hands folded in front of them and their heads down. I watched them from afar, studying some of the faces that were red with the threat of tears. Their friend – their family – lay before them on a nest of branches, a torch burning beside him as a young boy read from the bible. The words eluded me. All I could think about was Jason’s sweet face, and how I would never see it again.

  When the prayers were said and done, some of Jason’s pack stepped forward to give speeches, share memories and offer best wishes. I stared numbly at the ground, wishing all of this was over so I could lock myself away and curl up into a tight ball. It was amazing what happened to a person when something was taken from them.

  At the end of the ceremony, Lena, the alpha wolf, snatched up the flaming torch and dipped it onto Jason’s pyre. As the bed of sticks caught ablaze and Jason’s body became ashes on the breeze, the men began to shift into wolves, howling into the cloudless sky, crying for their lost companion. I felt a sudden moral wounding, like I had done wrong by taking him away from his family. Later on, Link would convince me that Jason had chosen to be with me, but for now I was unable to see sense. Not when misery was so easy to find.

  After the funeral, when the fires had dimmed down and the crowd began to scatter, I spotted Lena heading toward me. She was a beautiful red-haired woman with a perfect body and a captivating pout. She wore black, as did the others who had come to say their goodbyes. As she stopped at my side, I gave her the briefest of glances before returning my numb gaze to the ground in front of me. Even Link was hurt and lifeless.

  “Thank you for bringing him back to us,” Lena said, her voice flat.

  “It’s where he belongs, right?”

  “I suppose so.”

  I craned my neck to study her, remembering the times I’d seen her hurt him. This was a violent leader, if ever I met one, but perhaps that was what the pack needed; strength in the woman they admired. “He died protecting the Vault. I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t you ever apologize to me. The fact that we’re still here to talk about him must stand for something.” Lena put a hand on my shoulder, almost knocking Link out of place. “And before you start to blame yourself, think about the good that your relationship has brought. As far as I’m concerned, Keira Poe, you’ve done right by us. The werewolves and Cardkeepers can resume peace, at long last. Don’t you think that’s an achievement?”

  I nodded, stifling my tears as best I could. Hearing that Jason had died for something so right only made it harder for me to accept that he was gone. As for blaming myself, I wasn’t sure about that part. Sure, it was my fault that he’d gotten involved in the first place, but he didn’t have to play the hero. Still, there was a voice in the back of my head that told me none of his would have happened, if only I’d been better at my job – if I’d been a stronger fighter, or in the very least, a smarter one.

  “You take care of yourself,” Lena said, raising my chin up with a crooked finger. She turned away from me then, buttoned up her coat and made her way toward the abandoned sewage plant, to her home. “If you ever need anything, you know where to come.”

  I stood in silence, organizing my thoughts while Link remained quiet on my shoulder. It was like he knew that words couldn’t heal this wound, and that only time could help. That, to me, was the true meaning of friendship. At least I still had him.

  “Come on,” I said, spinning on my heel and trudging my way up the grass verge. It was time to call it a day – to lick my wounds and take the backseat as I learned to live without Jason. It was an adjustment that would be difficult to make, but under the right guidance, maybe I could do it. All I had to do was to pay a quick visit to Dalton, and give him my resignation as Chicago’s Cardkeeper.

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  With the medallion returned to its owner, the creepers eliminated and Jason but a heartfelt memory, I’d had quite enough of my current lifestyle. Even as I ventured into the VHS store, the implications of giving up tortured my thoughts. There would be no more magic and combat for me – only misery, however long that lasted.

  I forged a portal and marched up the mountain path. The Vault was repairing itself as it should have been, a gleam of light running up and down the side of the tower, returning bricks to their rightful places. For a moment, I stopped and wondered if this was the last time I would see it. Whatever happened to me when my duty ended, I hoped that it wouldn’t be something insanely frightening, like old age catching up to me. After all, I’d looked like a thirty-year-old for nearly thirty years now. When the magic ceased and my immortality came to an end, would I grow old in an instant? I shuddered to think, but I knew I couldn’t continue this way.

  I’d lost the enjoyment in the job.

  Link stayed in my pocket until I reached the card room. His wing still broken, it was for the best that he didn’t attempt to take flight. We both knew that he would only stumble and fall, making an idiot of himself and getting hurt in the process. There he stayed, quiet and respectful, until I slid the magicard back into the wall.

  “Are you really going to quit?” he asked me.

  “I’m afraid so.”

  Link cleared his throat. “Is that a good idea?”

  “It’s the only idea. I’m done with this whole guardian thing. All it does is take and take, costing everything I have. It’s only a matter of time until you or I die, and what happens then? The world may keep on turning, but not for us. It seems pointless, and kinda lonely.”

  The bricks of the wall opened up, devouring my magicard before returning to their former state. I felt a sudden loss as the card’s soul departed from my body, giving me a clearer picture of who I was and who I wanted to be. It was like a demon had left my back, but no matter who was in charge now, I still wanted the same thing; peace.

  Unarmed, I made my way to the Grand Hall and found Dalton sitting on a bench to the side of the room. The large pillar beside him made him look miniscule in the grand scheme of things. It only served to remind me that we weren’t that important – not when it came down to it. I headed toward him, whispering to Link to wait for me outside. Kissing me softly on the cheek, he wished me good l
uck and slid down my leg, before scurrying out of the hall and leaving me with my superior – my mentor.

  “Lady Keira.” Dalton started to move slowly, wincing as he did so.

  “Don’t get up.” I parked next to him on the bench and slung my arm around him. “How are those wounds healing up? I see you’re as good as new.”

  “Ah.” Dalton snickered. “New, but still old.”

  “I hear ya.”

  We sat in silence, staring at the great roaring fire in the pit across the room. The flames danced before my eyes, hypnotic, full of warmth and promise like they were begging us to stay. I didn’t mind. Although it hurt my eyes, I was caught in a trance, and besides, it was easier not to look Dalton in the eye when I made my confession.

  “I don’t want to be a Cardkeeper anymore.”

  An elongated silence passed between us. It would have been awkward with someone else and I would have rushed to fill the void, but not with Dalton. We had known each other for too long, and I liked to think that I understood him on a deep level.

  Finally, he sighed and rubbed his wrinkled, pale hands together. “I had a feeling you would say that. Lady Keira, I’m sorry to hear about the loss of your companion. He was a valiant warrior, worthy of a warrior’s death. I suspect it is of little consolation, but he died a hero, surrendering himself for a greater purpose.”

  I suddenly felt my heart pounding, though I knew not whether from anger or upset. “Oh yeah? What purpose is that? To kill the bastards who started this whole thing?” I took a deep breath, gazing deeper into the fire while a tear crept from the corner of my eye. I smudged it away with the sleeve of my robe. “I’m sorry.”

  “Do not apologize to me,” said Dalton.

  “But I must.”

  “Then… if you must.” Dalton cleared his throat. “Lady Keira, as you know, I’ve lived for many, many years. I’ve seen a lot of people come and go – Cardkeepers especially – but there is one thing that all of them had in common.”

  “What’s that?”

  “The heart.”

  “You’ll need to elaborate.”

  Dalton nodded, slipping the robe off his head to reveal his old but kind features to me for only the fifth time ever. “Grief is an absolute certainty in this lifetime. It comes for us all, as does death, doing anything it can to bring us to our knees. But we can’t let it. The others – your predecessors – suffered similar problems. Immortality is only for the outside, whereas your humanity remains intact. You see, it is okay to mourn. It is even expected. What I have yet to see from you, however, is defeat at the hands of your own emotions.”

  “What are you saying? That I shouldn’t turn in my cards?”

  “Yes.”

  I sighed aloud. As I always had, I appreciated Dalton’s attempts to vent some wisdom into me, but I just wasn’t seeing the point. It was foggy somehow, like the person I was had changed, only… not. Was this common in grief? I would soon learn.

  “First and foremost,” Dalton went on, “I want to ensure that you can recover from this. Whatever happens now, whichever path you choose as you move forward, I wish for you to not let your demons bring you down. You’re stronger than that – I’ve seen it.”

  “I understand.” And I did. Dalton cared for me, no matter how few times he’d ventured to say it. Sometimes actions spoke louder than words, but this time the words hit home. I would take my time to mourn Jason, and then I planned to carry on in any way I could, in hope of bouncing back. It seemed that Dalton’s wisdom had pierced my consciousness, but one thing still remained.

  My job was done.

  “Thank you for your kind words,” I said.

  Dalton waved a hand away from him. “Just bear them in mind.”

  “And my resignation–”

  “I do not accept.”

  My heartbeat doubled in speed, making me anxious. “You don’t?”

  “You are hurt, Lady Keira, but you are still my Cardkeeper. If you truly wish to stand down early, then so be it, but I have a request to make of you first. You see, as your time is very naturally coming to an end, it is your responsibility to find a worthy replacement.” Shaking, Dalton pushed himself to his feet, stretching his taut body and making his back click as he stood. “Help me, would you?”

  As a student would for her master, I stood and held out an arm, walking the lengths of the Grand Hall while keeping my posture strong. Dalton leaned into me, struggling to walk as his body clicked and creaked. I wondered how many times we would do this again before my time was up. I hoped it was many – I enjoyed our walks.

  “Sir, I don’t think I have it in me to find a replacement.”

  “Nonsense,” he said. “You have gone far beyond what any other Cardkeeper has managed to do. If you cannot do something so trivial as find somebody to take your place, then what is your true worth?”

  I sighed. “I don’t have a choice, do I?”

  “No, dear one. It must be one more adventure.”

  Glancing down the far end of the Grand Hall, I spotted Link leaning against the open door, picking his teeth with his fingernail. It made me consider how it might benefit the both of us to gain some closure, and if I thought really hard about it, I guessed that training a newbie might give me a reason to go on. By the time I turned back to Dalton, I was persuaded. “One last adventure,” I said, “and then it’s time.”

  “Good. Then we’re in agreement.” Dalton slipped his arm from mine and waved toward the door. “Remember, the true test of a hero lies in what comes from within. Battle those inner demons, Lady Keira, and never lose sight of who you are.”

  I thanked him and made for the door, where Link watched me with hopeful eyes. I wanted to tell him that we could go home now, and perhaps even relax for a bit while talking about the times we’d shared with Jason. Maybe we would – there was always time to remember him, and there was no harm in that. But as long as I could keep a strong image of the man I loved, I could continue on my final adventure with no regrets. All I had to do was find somebody strong and courageous, with a heart of gold and a keen sense of loyalty.

  And I knew just who to ask.

  INNER DEMONS

  THE CARDKEEPER CHRONICLES

  A. C. NICHOLLS

  CHAPTER ONE

  Six vampires surrounded me, their razor-sharp fangs dripping saliva, itching for a taste of blood. My blood. It was me against them; one thirty-year-old woman versus six century-old vampires. The dusty old warehouse made for cramped fighting quarters. I couldn’t help but wonder how I would make it through this, because the odds weren’t in my favor. I tried to assure myself that there was always a way out, no matter how bleak it appeared.

  “Do you really want to do this?” I said, bluffing. Hoping they would retreat, I summoned the magic from the magicard inside my jacket pocket, keeping it armed and ready. The magic swirled around in the palm of my hand. This particular card offered telekinesis, and I was starting to become very proficient with it.

  “Why?” One of the vampires hissed, crouched into an attacking stance. “You scared?”

  “Of course I’m scared. Have you smelled your own breath? I don’t want that mouth anywhere near me.” I smirked as the six of them scowled in offense, but as they drew nearer to me and tightened the circle, my smug grin quickly disappeared.

  “We’ll see who’s laughing when your blood is dripping from our fangs,” said one of the other vampires. “Go get her, boys.”

  I stood frozen in horror as they began their transformation into hideous nocturnal beasts. Although their body shapes remained the same, the color of their skin paled to sheet white, while the texture turned to something thick and leathery. Before I got a chance to bring my hands up to my face, all six of them leaped right at me.

  I could only count on my instincts.

  My hand came down as if by its own choice, aiming straight down at the ground beneath me. The magic shot through my body in a wave, sending a blast of telekinetic energy through my palm and
firing into the floor. The force of the shot carried me up into the air, barely skimming over the heads of the vampires before landing in a safe space behind them. It was a hell of a close call, but at least I managed to stay alive for another few seconds.

  The vampires, now angrier than before, each turned quickly to face me. One by one, they broke from their pack and sprang toward me. Their ambition to strike the finishing blow kept them disorganized and sloppy. That was fine by me; their weakness increased my low odds of success, and I had every intention of exploiting it.

  “What are you waiting for?” I taunted, shooting glances at my surroundings. There wasn’t much I could use as a weapon here, unless a few shelves full of shipping crates counted. Somehow, I didn’t think so.

  As one of the vampires lunged at me, all I could think to do was duck, wrapping my telekinetic grip around a nearby shovel and pulling it toward me. It flew through the air like a projectile before landing safely in my hand. The attacking vampire landed soundlessly behind me, and before it got a chance at a second strike, I swung the end of the shovel around me, taking its head clean off its neck. Say what you want about stakes in the heart, but with the head rolling across the dark room, it was safe to say decapitation was just as effective.

  “One down,” I said, swinging the shovel around and holding it tight, “five to go.”

  I had barely finished speaking before another two came my way. Immortal or not, it took every ounce of my great strength to swing the shovel again. The heavy, metallic end struck the shoulder of one of the vampires, while the other wrapped its arms around me and held me in a forceful bind. While I still could, I shot another blast of energy into the floor, propelling me backward into the far wall with that fanged son of a bitch riding me like Yoda on Luke Skywalker. As its spine connected with the wall and the air left us both, we dropped fifteen feet down to the floor, where I quickly regained my balance and finished the vampire off with the shovel.