by Shea Berkley
The wind calms. The terrified screams are gone. A heavy silence fills the arena, and at the point where the vortex disappeared, Baun’s body lies still. Under his hand, a rock pulsates a bright blue as it collects all the power of Baun’s magic. Kera takes a hesitant step forward, but I hold her back. Reggie goes and squats by the body. He feels for a pulse, then looks my way and shakes his head.
The Lost King is lost again. This time for good.
There’s no joy in the moment. My body gives way, and I slump to the ground, sitting cross-legged, my head in my hands. Kera kneels; her knees digging into the soft earth as she wraps her arms around me. She places her head on my shoulder and whispers words of comfort in my ear.
“He killed my mother,” I rasp after a long, silent moment. “He tried to kill you. He killed people I will never know, but who deserved to live. He was a monster.” I turn my head and look deeply into her violet eyes. “So why does my heart feel”—I search for a word I’ll never find, and settle for one that barely begins to describe what I feel—“heavy?”
“He was your father.”
There’s a lump in my throat I swallow past. “I never want to see him again.”
“You won’t. None of us will.”
I pull her across my lap and nuzzle the soft skin of her neck, taking comfort in the realness of her, of us. “Good.”
But it’s a lie. I wish things were different. I wish he’d wake up and be the man I’ve always dreamed he would be.
I wish…
Kisses Make It All Better
Lying on my back staring up at the workings of the motorcycle Grandpa gave me, I glance up as Leo approaches. He squats near my back and even though he’s holding a glass of iced tea, he uses that hand to point to a loose bolt on the motorcycle he’s helping me to refurbish. “Missed one.”
As I retighten all the bolts, the fire alarm in my grandparents’ house begins to wail. I look toward the screen door of the kitchen and see smoke billowing out and hear Grandpa shout for Grandma. It’s funny how everything has changed, yet nothing’s changed. “What’s going on in there?”
Leo’s eyebrows spike downward like a worried hound dog. “Lucinda is learning how to cook.”
That’s unexpected. “What’s she making?”
Leo lifts his other hand to show a blackened square I’m pretty sure is supposed to be edible. “Grilled cheese sandwiches.” He takes a bite, chews, and forces himself to swallow. “It’s not going well. Her talents aren’t really suited to domestic duties, but my dad says she has to earn her keep besides keeping the barn mouse-free.”
He wobbles a bit, and I’m instantly sitting up and grabbing his elbow to steady him. I point to the lawn chair. “Sit. You nearly died, and Grandma will yell at me if she finds you doing too much.”
“Yes, your majesty.”
“Funny.” He knows I come to the human world to forget about my responsibilities in Teag, and he’s a jerk for reminding me.
He thinks he’s hilarious and throws himself in the chair before pushing back his wild black hair and grinning. “Ever since her dragon adventure your grandma’s become one bold woman.”
“Adventurous,” I correct him.
He sighs. “I wish I could have seen it.”
“Grandpa wishes you’d stop talking about it. I think he had a stroke when she and Blaze swooped out of the sky and started their game of whack-a-Rodarian.”
“He’s got our problem.”
I don’t follow. “Which is?”
“Girl power.”
Now I do. “There are worse things in life.”
“Like?” he asks and takes a sip of tea.
“Not having a girl at all.”
“Bro, you are so on-the-money with that.”
Grandpa opens the kitchen door and without stepping outside, plops a full trash bag on the porch. “Dylan?” he yells over at me. “Come take out the trash.” He leans out of the kitchen, glaring at me until I give him my full attention. “Today,” he emphasizes before disappearing back inside the house.
I hear low snickering coming from a pair of my personal bodyguards. Hadrain, being the head of Teag’s council, insists they go wherever I go.
“I’m a king, and I take out the trash,” I mutter. I’ve tried to explain to my grandparents I shouldn’t have to deal with such menial chores. They don’t agree.
“Yes, sir,” I call back louder, ignoring my personal guards’ humor.
The sound of yelling has us craning our necks toward the forest, and puts my guards on high alert until we see Reece running out of the woods and Halim racing alongside him on the new BMX bike Reece bought him. The kid does a wheelie, and pops up on the back of Grandpa’s open truck bed and then down. He jumps off and spins the bike on its back tire before setting it on the ground.
It reminds me I want to take my board out later today—after I take out the trash and muck out the barn. “Showing off, are ya?”
He just got the bike three days ago. No one knew it had been his birthday in the middle of all the excitement in Teag, and when we all found out, we went nuts on gift giving, pizza eating, and arcade gaming.
His cheeks are red and he’s out of breath and he looks happy. Really happy. “Just having fun.”
Leo sips his iced tea and squints over at the pair. “The kid’s crazy athletic.”
“It’s the first in him,” Reece says matter-of-factly, and throws himself into the chair next to Leo.
A bright speck of light hovers close to Halim’s ear and Leo’s eyes grow huge. He jumps up and steps back, pointing. “What is that?”
We all look at Halim. He glances around until he figures out what’s scared Leo. “What, her? She’s a pux.”
He pats his shoulder and the little female lands where he motions. “She got separated from her tribe during the fight. Don’t worry. I’m training her to be nice.”
“Sit down, Leo,” Reece says in the voice he uses to instruct the men of Teag to fight without using their magic. He then grabs Halim by the arm and shoves him toward the house. “Go get me a beer, son.”
“Sure.” Halim trots inside the house, eliciting a yelp from Grandma when she sees the pux.
“Son?” Both Leo and I say and raise our eyebrows at him.
Reece shrugs his broad shoulders. “He won’t leave me alone so I figured, might as well keep him.”
“He’s not a pet,” Leo says.
“You would know all about that,” Reece mutters with a smile.
If he wants to get Leo all riled up, he’s done it.
“We’ve had the talk.” Leo’s voice is loud and insistent. “She’s starting to come around.” At Reece’s doubtful look, he sits straighter. “She allowed Dylan to make a Keeper of Life for her.” He points to the house. “She’s in there right now burning food like every other female we know.”
I hoot at his daring. “Better not let Grandma hear you say that or she’ll smack the devil out of you.”
Reece folds his hands together and tucks them behind his head. “You got me there, but correct me if I’m wrong, the magic only stays in her collar while she’s in the human realm. As soon as she crosses into Teag, you’re back to batshit crazy cat girl.”
“That’s not fair, Reece.” A mock frown settles on my face. “She’s crazy here, too.”
We both break out laughing and Leo looks between us. “Oh, that’s messed up.”
I cut him some slack. “Okay, okay…I agree with you. She’s doing great. Much better than I ever expected.”
“Oh hey.” Reece digs into the pocket of his shorts and pulls out a rock and hands it to me. “Good luck.”
I rub the smooth surface with my thumb. “Thanks.” I put it in my pocket. “Kera needs what’s in here. She just doesn’t know it yet.”
“Aren’t you a tiny bit worried?” Leo asks. There’s real concern on his face.
“Nope.” I stand up and wipe the grease from my hands on an old kitchen towel and throw it on the ground. “Check
my work, will you? I’ll be right back.” And I head to the house.
I get inside and four pairs of female eyes turn to me.
Lucinda looks lost, a condition I’ve never seen her in. She points to the stove. “It’s the pan. It’s defective.”
Signe’s freckles are bright with her annoyance. “She said that about the saucepan when the soup burned in the bottom.”
Grandma turns an optimistic glance on me. “Don’t mind them. It’s normal to get frustrated when learning a new skill.” Clapping her hands together, she refocuses their attention. “Cooking takes patience, girls. Let’s all take a deep breath and start again.”
Kera looks ready to find another activity, and readily pops out of her seat. “Did you need something?”
“Yeah, can we talk?”
“It sounds serious. Is it about Teag?” The hope in Kera’s voice is almost laughable.
I nod. “It is. Do you have a minute?”
She tosses Grandma an apologetic look, grabs my arm, and pulls me into the hall. “I always have time for Teag.”
She leads me into my room and closes and locks the door. Before I can say a word, she’s in my arms and her lips press against mine. For longer than I care to admit, I forget about what I want to say and enjoy the moment.
She runs her hands up under my T-shirt, and I shiver against her touch. The halter top she’s wearing exposes her back and I skim my fingers over her warm skin. The scent of summer fills the room. No one smells as good as Kera. She gets closer and her hip smacks against the rock in my pocket. Pulling away, she frowns. “What’s in your pocket?”
I press her onto my bed, where she tucks her feet cross-legged beneath her, and I sit down opposite her. I dig out the rock that glows a soft blue and set it on the bed between us.
She instantly stiffens. “No.”
“It’s time.”
“I can’t.”
“You can.” I slip my hands behind her neck and unlatch Mom’s amber necklace. Kera has adopted it as her own and wears it to remember my mother. I place the necklace on top of the rock and put her hand over them both. “It’s the last to leave. All the magic Baun stole is back with their rightful owners. What’s left can’t stay in the rock. It’s too unstable. I could transfer it to myself, but we both know it’s too much for one person to hold.”
“That doesn’t mean it wants me to claim it.”
“It’s your magic, Kera. You’re still alive and it wants to be with you.”
Tears well up in her eyes. She tries to take her hand away, but I won’t let her. “We’ll make a proper Keeper of Life this time. Take it slow. You don’t even have to wear the necklace every day.”
“But I like wearing it.”
“It’s ugly.”
Distress wells up in her eyes. “I could have one of our artisans remount the stone.”
I drag my thumb through a tear rolling down her cheek. “The magic wants you and only you.”
The terror that simple fact causes catches me by surprise, and she says, “What if I try to hurt you again?”
And here I thought she was worried it would hurt her. “You won’t, and do you know how I know that?”
She shakes her head, but leans forward needing to hear.
“Someone filled with an amazing capacity to love told me that goodness will always triumph over evil.”
“When did I say that?”
“You didn’t. I think it was one of the fairy godmothers from Sleeping Beauty, but it doesn’t matter who said it. Whoever it was, the voice-over actor was right.” I place my hand over hers. “I won’t let you or anyone else hurt me. I promise.”
She bites her bottom lip, and her hand trembles under mine. “Never make a promise you can’t keep.”
I tip her face up until she looks into my eyes. With as much passion as I can muster, I say, “I can’t rule Teag alone. I need you. Not the broken person you’ve decided you should be, but the strong, amazing one I know you can be. I won’t let you hurt me. I promise.”
Though I’ve said basically the same thing since we realized all the magic Baun had taken from his people had been transferred into the rock when he’d died, for some reason, this time it clicks.
I lift my hand off hers. When she doesn’t move, I press my fingers to the rock and command the magic within to transfer into the amber. The rock glows an electric blue until I can see the delicate bones of Kera’s hand beneath her skin. The room grows unnaturally dark, and when the transfer is complete, everything slowly returns to normal.
She eases her hand away and lifts the amber from the rock that’s now a boring shade of brown and puts the necklace back on.
“How do you feel?” I ask.
“Like…me. How do I look?”
It really is the ugliest Keeper of Life, but she makes it look good. I throw her my best come-and-get-me look. “Like you want me to kiss you.”
She laughs and throws herself into my arms. “You read my mind. That’s convenient.”
I pour all of my love and hope and dreams into the kiss, and for once in my life, I know exactly where I belong. To Teag. To my family. To Kera.
I’ll never be alone again.
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Acknowledgements
I’ve had a crazy-wild, painful, exhilarating, exhausting, yet total blast writing the Keeper’s of Life trilogy. None of it would have happened without the large, obnoxious group of people who call themselves my friends. For these stories, I stole some of their names. I stole some of their occupations. I even stole a tiny bit of their personalities because some of them are really weird and they make me laugh. Like…a lot. But they all have my heart, and I have their backs. Always.
God bless them all. And I mean that.
It would be remiss of me not to thank my family. They put up with me talking about people who don’t exist as if they do, murders that never happen, monsters that live in my head and magic that is impossible. I am an undersized adult who has the privilege to play make-believe all day, and they support my delusions…most of the time unless they’re really hungry or the laundry is leaking into the family room.
A special thank you goes out to Robin Perini. I don’t know if I’ve said this before, so forgive me if I’m being repetitive, but my family is loud and can’t seem to function a whole day without me. I love them, but writing requires alone time that is a difficult concept for them to grasp. So…I wrote a huge bulk of this book at Robin’s house. Our writing weekends are awesome, and I’m very grateful that she had the grace, the compassion, and frankly the resilience, to invite me over for uninterrupted writing time. She is a saint and the smartest and most talented person I know. I’m not just being kind. It’s the truth.
Once again, I have to thank my UFC dudes who keep me from shriveling into a ball of jelly. Being a writer is a stagnant job, and more times than not, I force myself to get up and get moving when I’d rather just lie there daydreaming up stories. Shockingly, after five years, I haven’t run off the group of hard-working men who are overconfident in my physical abilities to lift, run and box. And for the record: I’M HITTING THE BAG AS HARD AS I CAN. (ahem…sorry) In short, they are the reason my body still functions. I love, yet hate them all. It’s a complicated relationship.
I’d like to thank my editors, Stacy Abrams and Kaleen Harding, for sharing their talents and pulling out the best in me and my stories. Also, I need to thank my publisher, Liz Pelletier, who has read every one of my books and made awesome suggestions and has supported me through this process. I couldn’t have done it without her.
Lastly, I need to thank my readers. Yep, you all are awesome. I’m honored you decided to join me on this adventure. Your support, reviews and word of mouth mean the world to me. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I wish I could hug you all. Seriously. I’m a hugger. So watch out.
About the Author
Shea Berkley has a fondness for characters, whether in real lif
e or those she makes up in her head while she’s tending to the multitude of mundane tasks she’s forced to do in order to survive. Writing gives her purpose (truthfully, it keeps her out of trouble…mostly), and she can’t imagine herself doing anything else. (Maybe being a zombie for the television series The Walking Dead, but who doesn’t want to do that?) Since she leans toward the pubescent, she fits right in with the Young Adult book crowd. To find out more about her, go to www.sheaberkley.com or Facebook.
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Also by Shea Berkley
The Fallen Prince
Dylan finally feels like he has it all. He’s back home in the human realm with his beautiful girlfriend, loving grandparents, and some crazy powers over the elements. But Dylan’s temper is climbing out of control, and along with the bursts of rage come new powers he wasn’t expecting.
Kera has these new powers, too. She’s seen them before and knows what they can do if kept unchecked…and it’s not pretty. Plus, going back to her home realm, Teag, would hasten the process. Kera is determined to keep her one true love, Dylan, safe on Earth, but when the barrier between the human realm and Teag weakens, allowing monster-like creatures to pass over, Kera becomes desperate to protect her home.