They suddenly stormed toward each other, and as they did so I cringed, expecting the worst. Only the worst didn’t come. The moment they met, they spread their arms like the wings of eagles and gripped each other tightly in a fierce embrace. The factions behind them both cheered, the warriors for each opposing team now rejoicing and hugging each other in the aftermath of the battle.
Now, it was safe to approach.
“I can’t thank you enough,” said Edgar George, his arm hanging over Lena’s shoulder in a way that made her look uncomfortable but accepting of his kind nature. “The Ancient is dead, and now we can finally find peace between our three kinds.”
“Three?” I crooked an eyebrow.
“Yes, the Keepers of R’hen were never our favorites, but you showed us we were wrong. This one here,” he pulled Lena closer to him in a firm grip that showed his excitement for the endgame, “she was a strong adversary.”
“Not as strong as your breath,” Lena joked, pushing him away.
All around us, vampires and werewolves were laughing, smiling and shaking hands with their fellow supernatural beings. A sudden warmth filled the air – an uncomfortable heat that made my neck twinge, and the looks on the faces of everyone else suggested that they could feel it too. When I turned back to Edgar, a bright, glowing light made itself stand out in the darkness of the woods.
“Your hands,” I said, pointing.
Edgar glanced down, his eyes widening as he let go of Lena and stepped back. His skin was glowing like tinfoil under the sun, and the light spread thick and fast. It shone through his suit, reaching across his body and up his neck as he began to scream wildly, like a man being tortured. Then, his body lifted three feet into the air, where it looked as though something invisible had a grip around his chest, and the light intensified, burning brightly. I turned to shield my eyes, only to find that the other vampires were now shining too, each one undergoing the same horrific ordeal as their leader.
“It’s the curse,” Lena said, stepping back toward me. “It’s ending.”
Of course. The vampires’ curse had come to a close the moment I’d finished off The Ancient. Now that they were becoming human a small part of me couldn’t help but wonder if Lena might take advantage of that. It wouldn’t be unlike her to seize such an opportunity from a long-term enemy like the vampires. I simply hoped she was a better person than that. After all, a deal was a deal.
The light dimmed and the vampires fell to the ground. I lowered my guarding arm and looked back at Edgar, who now lay on the ground with his suit sagging around him. Coughing and wheezing, he climbed to his feet. When he showed his face, we all gasped.
Edgar’s skin was loose, his cheeks wrinkled and his eyes like that of an old, lost man. Those same eyes wandered as he climbed slowly to his feet, frail and rigid. A younger-looking man came from nowhere and helped him up. It took me some time to realize that he was a vampire too. At least, he had been.
Lena stepped forward slowly. Now towering over the crippled old man who used to be Edgar. I couldn’t read her expression from behind, but her head nodded slowly and I caught sight of the goosebumps forming on her bare arms.
“I will honor our agreement,” she said, flicking her head to move a stray wisp of beautiful auburn hair. “As far as I can see, the vampires are good people. Despite our differences and our unfortunate rivalry, you can rest assured that we will no longer bother you. We will return to the shadows when in wolf form, and try to live as normal people otherwise. The only thing that will change, Edgar George, is that if you ever need anything, you can count on us to be there for you.”
The factions both clapped and cheered, once again throwing their arms around each other and rejoicing at the belated peace. I, on the other hand, used their distraction to take a short walk, letting the pain from the battle wear off as the air returned to normal, cooling my skin. I found the lake again, and enjoyed the tranquility that seeped from it. Was this what peace sounded like? Were my next thirty years as Chicago’s Cardkeeper going to be easier, now that I had achieved the impossible?
Staring across the lake, where the moonlight bounced off and lit up the night, a noise alerted me to a shadow that drifted over the water. Panicking for only a second, I glanced up at the hovering figure to see Link high above me. For a moment we only stared at each other with no words necessary. He had overseen something spectacular, and I was just glad to have him out of harm’s way for once. I wished that the rest of his life would be like that – steering clear of danger and simply enjoying his remaining years.
“Take care, little man,” I whispered.
Link nodded approvingly, grinned, and then turned on his silvery wings, flicking them at blinding speed as they carried him over the lake and into the distance. I would never see him again, and the thought of that made my heart hurt, but at least now he was safe.
Hell, we all were.
CHAPTER THIRTY
Stanley greeted me at the VHS store’s front door, escorting me through to the stock room in a frail and shaky way that reminded me of Edgar George’s new appearance. I wondered how the head of Chicago’s vampires would get on with being just an elderly mortal. If the world was forgiving, he would get the treatment he deserved. After all, he was a hero who had fought for his kind – for all our kinds – to achieve peace.
“Are you ready to go?” asked Stanley, using his fingers to burn a portal into the air in front of me. The Vault loomed in the distance, sat on the canvas of a blue sky between the mountains. “There. You may pass.”
“Thanks, Stanley.”
I patted him on the back and stepped through the portal, hearing it sizzle shut behind me. A mellow wind crept through the air and carried my coat behind me in a long trail. The walk up the dirt path hurt my bare feet, so when I made it through the door of the tower, I slipped on a pair of sandals that were reserved for visitors. For a moment, I even considered donning as robe, but then thought better of it.
Dalton waited for me in the Grand Hall, looking small and insignificant in the enormous room that stretched out for a great distance into the darkness at the back. It reminded me of an ant in a shoebox, barely visible if not for the fires that burned so brightly in front of him, lighting up his smile.
“Sir Jack,” he said, welcoming me. “I watched you through the flames.”
“Then I needn’t explain?”
“Not at all. Congratulations on your victory.”
I smiled back at him, nodding smugly as I thought about what exactly had gone down tonight. Now that I was looking at it from a victor’s standpoint, I really didn’t quite know how we had managed to defeat The Ancient. It was no wonder that Keira had never tried to do it before me. We were lucky to be alive.
“What will you do?” Dalton asked. “Now that you also have the moon’s curse?”
“I haven’t really thought about it.” I examined my hand, turning it in front of my eyes and knowing that I could turn it into a claw at a moment’s notice. “I’m not going to join Lena, if that’s what you’re worried about. I’m all yours.”
Dalton’s smile widened. “Only now you are stronger.”
“Right.” Now that I had the strength of a werewolf, the Sword of Lucada, and the immortality of a Cardkeeper, not much could stand in my way. Even the vampires were gone, which would make the next thirty years a total breeze for me. I even considered using magicards, while still paying attention to Keira’s earlier warnings that the souls inside the cards could consume me. It was something I’d put aside for now, and could later rely on in case of an emergency. Who knew – there could still be something stronger than me out there.
“Do you need to rest?” Dalton said, putting a hand on my back and encouraging me to walk to a nearby door that led to the sleeping quarters. “I can only imagine that it has been a long day, and that sleep could do you well.”
“Actually, I’m kind of pumped,” I said. “I’m going to take a walk around the grounds for a bit, get some air and r
eflect on what’s happened. I might even think about asking Lena out for a drink or two.”
Dalton froze. “I don’t think that would be wise.”
“Ah, that’s because you’re old and cynical,” I joked. “Anyway, I’m going to take a walk and then I’ll sleep. After that, I’ll awaken to a brand new day as your Cardkeeper, and see if I can’t fix more problems.”
“I do have a list of jobs for you, if you’re interested. Some magicards have been located in the south, and I would very much like to see them returned to the Vault.”
“You can count on me.”
Dalton patted me on the back, grinning. “Lady Keira made the right choice, selecting you to follow in her footsteps. Although I was skeptical at first, I must admit that you have already proven yourself to be quite the guardian. There’s just one thing, son…”
I stopped and spun on my heel, witnessing the smile drop from his expression like a foul memory had come back to haunt him. I met his gaze, looking deep into those sparkling blue eyes while I awaited the solemn conclusion to his thoughts.
“Whatever you do,” he finally said, “I beg you, put on a goddamn robe.”
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AUTHOR’S NOTE
Maybe you’ve heard of me, maybe you haven’t. My name is Adam Nicholls and I’ve been writing books for quite some time now. For a couple of years, I was writing crime novels under my real name (those books can be found here). It wasn’t until recently that a friend got in touch and asked why I hadn’t tried my hand at urban fantasy.
Why hadn’t I? Well, to be entirely honest with you, I had no idea that it was even a thing. Of course, I’d seen some TV shows (take ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ and ‘Supernatural’ as two examples) but I’d never really known what category they fell under. With a lot of help from that same friend, I dug in and started to explore the idea of using magic in my stories.
Fast-forward to present day, and the Cardkeeper series is available on Amazon. Crime fiction is behind me, and I’ve decided to give urban fantasy my undivided attention (at least for the time being). Although there are no more Cardkeeper stories left to be told, I do have have a ton of ideas for other novels, starting with a brand new series about one of Death’s daughters. I just can’t wait to share them with you.
My best,
A. C. Nicholls
Want to connect with this author? You can find him at www.adamnicholls.net, email at [email protected], or follow on Facebook at www.facebook.com/authoracnicholls
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I want to offer my sincerest gratitude to the friends who have kept me afloat: Leo (for teaching me everything I needed to know about Chicago), Giles (for listening to my rants about every idea that popped into my head), and most of all to Charlotte, the most caring and supportive girlfriend a guy can ask for. Thanks for being involved.
Of course, all of this would mean nothing without an amazing editorial team. It all starts with Tami Stark, my line editor and friend (her services can be found here). Without her, this book would be an utter mess. I also want to thank my beta readers, who do all they can to make sure these stories work the way they should.
Most of all, I want to thank you, the reader. I hope that you found this book worth your time, and decide to continue the series. It’s great to have you around.
Table of Contents
Copyright
Table of Contents
Stolen Chaos
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
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Lost Souls
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
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Broken Magic
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
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Inner Demons
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
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
New Blood
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
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Subscribe
Author’s Note
Acknowledgments
chive.
The Cardkeeper Chronicles: Books 1-5 (Complete Collection) Page 65