Forbidden
Shannon Eckrich
Forbidden © copyright 2016 Shannon Eckrich
Copyright notice: All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
About Othala
Many years ago, the Original Sixteen witches were able to contain an outbreak of demon-like creatures from overtaking the earth. But doing so came at a cost. For the human race to survive, the world had to be divided into sixteen sectors, trapping the Ravagers to the Outlands beyond, and trapping the humans in.
The Original Sixteen served as Regents over each of these sectors, and when they died, the strongest of witches took their place, using their own personal enchantment abilities to protect their sector. In the process, communication was lost. The only solace that remains is the knowledge that if another sector fails, their own may still survive.
But what happens when your sector is the one to fail? What happens when the world inside your walls is just as bad as the one outside them? In this collection of sixteen dystopian paranormal romance tales, each and every one of the sixteen sectors is about to find out.
View the entire collection at www.fallensorcery.com
Forbidden
Falling in love isn't supposed to be deadly.
In Sector Twelve, being a Natural isn’t only dangerous, it’s a death sentence. And Layna just happens to be one. If the council were to find out, they would surely kill her, regardless whether her sister is the Regent or not. She had sworn to her mother she would keep her abilities a secret, and she has no intentions of breaking that promise. Then Seth came along.
Seth is also a Natural, and Layna not only finds herself drawn to him and his powers, but the harder she falls for him, the more her past begins to emerge. Memories which were erased to keep her safe. To keep her hidden. And to keep her away from Seth.
According to a prophecy, Layna has the ability to stop her sister and the council from destroying the sector. And only Seth can help her. But there’s one problem. Seth isn’t only her true soul mate, but according to the prophecy, he’s destined to kill her. Unless, she can change the future.
Chapter 1
Ravagers.
Hundreds of them gathering together like blood-sucking leeches. Each grotesque deformity snapped and snarled at one another, each one wanting to be the first to reach me. The force field shook and wobbled from their weight. But I stood there anyway, confident Tiahna’s magic would hold. It had to hold. It was our only means of survival. The only way we could protect our people.
A section directly in front of me suddenly blurred. In and out. In and out. “No. This isn’t possible. There’s no way they can penetrate her magic.” I took a step back, my heart plummeting into the pit of my stomach and my veins pulsing under my tan skin.
And that was when it happened. One head. One body. Then dozens all at once.
“Shit!” I spun on my heels, my bare feet sinking into the cool sand, as I forced my legs to move. Racing over the barren land, thoughts swarmed inside my head. Take them out. Find help. Get the fuck out of here!
The second and third thoughts weren’t an option. I couldn’t lead them back to the Sector’s Capital. If anything, I had to get them as far away from it as possible. But how? My magic couldn’t take out all of them. I’d be lucky if I could take out ten, maybe twenty, if I had time to focus. But hundreds of them were out of my league. Besides, my mother forbade me to use my power. She even took our secret to her grave. I couldn’t afford to slip, even now. If Tiahna or the council found out a Natural lived among them, it could land me in The Cell, get me expelled from this half of Sector Twelve, or worse, it would be the death of me. Naturals were an abomination to all mankind. They had specialized hunters who sought them out, tore them away from their families, and then slaughtered them. The council didn’t care whether they were children or adults. Regardless of age, they were considered a threat to Sector Twelve. And I just happened to be one.
Loud, ear-piercing squeals erupted from behind me, causing me to push myself harder. They were gaining on me, seeking nothing but my blood. My legs ached, my pulse pounded in my ears, but no matter what, I had to keep moving. Ravagers had never broken through the barrier before. Never. But I knew enough about them from the council members to know what they were capable of. They had no thinking capabilities. All they knew was blood. Blood was what they lived for. And they would do anything to get it.
Quickly veering off to my left, I headed toward one of the many oases scattered across Sector Twelve in search of cover, hoping they wouldn’t lose me. If they did, and they made it to the Capital, I was as good as dead. Everyone was.
One job. All you had was one job, Layna, and you managed to screw that up too! I finally made it into the oasis and grabbed the first tree trunk closest to me. I started up, using the branches as a ladder. Climbing higher and higher, the wood began to cut into the soles of my feet, causing little drops of blood to fall to the ground. So much for using this as a secret hiding spot.
Finally as high as I could go, I braced myself against the trunk and narrowed my gaze at the ravagers quickly accumulating at the base of the tree. They lifted their heads in the air. Although they had no eyes, they sensed the source of the blood.
“Glad you little fuckers can’t climb.” I pointed my finger at one of them. Screw Tiahna, the council, and everyone else who was against Naturals. If I didn’t do something now, I’d never make it out of this tree. And once they finished with me, they’d be sure to locate the Capital.
Not even a second later, its head exploded, green slime rising up and out, splattering on the creatures closest to it. “One down, hundreds to go.” This was going to be a long night. I’d definitely need a hot bath when I got home.
As I took out three more, something strange happened. A few of the ravagers extended their sharp, needle-like claws and sunk them into the base of the tree. “Oh, shit!” The branches began to shake, throwing me off balance. The council was wrong. These things could think. They were climbing the tree!
I focused on the ones making it up the tree, but as quickly as I knocked them down, more took their places. They were accumulating faster than I could eliminate them. The tree rocked harder as the little beasts climbed on top of each other. I used one hand to steady myself while the other hand continued to make them crash to the ground, until my foot slipped off the branch.
The air whooshed by me, my life flashing before my eyes, as the ground came closer and closer. A ground infested with ravagers. I quickly spun around in midair, and pushed my hands out in front of me, releasing everything I had, sending a wave of magic toward the little demons. It crashed into them, bodies flying everywhere, and creating a safety net. I hit the ground hard, the force knoc
king the breath out of my chest, and cracking bones in my wrists. I lay there, unable to move as I breathed in the damp soil.
Closing my eyes, I focused on the energy around me. Energy was the source of all the witches’ powers, regardless whether they were a Natural or not. Without it, we would have never survived this long. The Sixteen would have never been able to create the Sectors, manifest their boundaries, and ravagers would have taken over Othala. But unlike the normal witches, I had the power to bring forth the energy without the use of potions or rituals. I could heal myself and others as long as the injuries weren’t too severe. The only downfall was it slowly drained me.
I wiggled my wrists, and the pain was gone. I was fully healed, but not out of the dark yet. The process left me weak and tired. Snarls and snaps echoed around me. They were closing in for the kill. Without thinking, I sat up, pulled my knees into my chest, and created an energy shield around me, hoping I had enough power to hold it until someone found me. I closed my eyes tightly, the warm tears spilling out as bodies slammed into the shield around me. “Please,” I whispered in a shaky voice, “don’t let this be the end. Not like this. Let my magic finally protect me.”
Then everything went silent.
I opened my eyes and slowly looked up, my heart beating rapidly and my breath coming in short, shallow gasps. Nothing. There was absolutely nothing around me except for trees. Where did they go? What happened? They couldn’t possibly have just disappeared. It wasn’t possible.
I glanced around, and then scooted my butt in a circle, surveying the area. They were really gone. But how?
I lowered my shield and stood up, still eyeing the oasis warily. I started walking in between the trees, but constantly glancing around for any sign of them. When I reached the small lake in the center of the oasis, something caught my eye. Something or someone was lying motionless in the sand. It appeared too human to be a Ravager. As silently as I could, I approached the body. I was right. It was a human. More like a man.
I stood over him, studying his features. His dark, shoulder-length hair reflected the light of the moon, causing it to appear as if it were glowing. Dark stubbles invaded his upper lip, either side of his face, and his chin. My gaze drifted further down to his bare chest and sculpted abs, the waist of his black pants resting just below his naval. Oh, my. His upper arms had rings of fire around them in black ink. The heat rushed into my cheeks, and I quickly glanced back up to his face.
“Hello.” I gently nudged him with my hand, wondering if he was even alive. There were no signs of blood or anything else on his body that would suggest he were dead.
Silence.
I took a deep breath and crouched down until I leaned only inches away from him. His scent invaded my senses. The scent of fresh rain. So much different from the sector guards who usually smelled like a keg of beer and body odor.
My heart stumbled in my chest as I held out my trembling hands, debating on whether or not to touch him again. But I needed to find out if he was alive. If he was, I could try to help him. I couldn’t just leave him here in the middle of nowhere. Nobody would ever find him. Besides, what if the ravagers came back? He would surely be their next meal.
I took a deep breath and placed my hands on either side of his face, his warmth absorbing into my palms.
His eyes flashed open and his hands flew up to my wrists, gripping me so tightly it caused me to wince. That was when I noticed the eyes.
Ocean blue.
Things were about to get really, really bad.
Chapter 2
The man flipped over, taking me with him, causing everything around me to blur. He slammed my back against the sand, knocking the breath from my chest, as the pressure on my wrists increased. I lay there, staring up into his blue eyes, completely stunned. Everything happened so fast. I was unprepared. Still trying to make sense out of what just happened.
“Who are you?” he asked in a hard, deep voice.
“La—Layna.” My lips trembled, but it wasn’t because of fear. It was something else. Something about his energy. It was different. Powerful. Captivating. And even though he had me restrained, which normally wasn’t an easy feat for anyone, it caused little tingles to dance across the surface of my skin.
The man leaned closer, so close I swore he was about to kiss me. His warm breath brushed over my lips, and anticipation seized me, causing my body to quiver in his grasp— leaving me breathless and confused.
“Over there!” a husky voice shouted, and a series of footsteps rumbled over the ground. Temple guards. Why were they out here? Did someone sense my magic?
The man’s eyes widened, more than likely matching my own, and his body went rigid as two oceans crashed into me, drowning me in fear, anguish, and…something else. Warmth and recognition? Where the hell did that come from? I didn’t know him. In fact, this was the first time I’d ever seen this man. All of his emotions seemed to override mine. But how? I’d never felt another person’s emotions before.
The thought of getting busted for being a Natural quickly dissipated as I studied him, trying to figure out how any of this was even possible, but everything I picked up on only a few seconds ago was gone. All the emotions…the thoughts. It was like it had never happened.
The man was torn away from me before I could comprehend what was going on. I lay there, in the sand, dazed and completely confused as the stars lit up the night sky above me.
A familiar face appeared over mine, and the next thing I knew, I was being pulled up off the ground. “Layna.” Amun’s voice was consumed with worry as he took my hands. “Are you okay? This scum bag better not have hurt you.”
It took me a moment to remember where I was, to remember who he was. Amun. Leader of Tiahna’s army, protector of the boundary separating our half of Sector Twelve. Not only was he also the commander of the Specialized Hunter Division, but he made it very clear how fond of me he was. On many occasions. What was he doing here? He wasn’t on duty tonight. I was. “No.” I shook my head slowly and quickly pulled my hands out of his grasp. There was always something off about his energy. It made me uncomfortable. “He…he didn’t harm me.”
My gaze darted over to the three guards struggling to keep a hold on the man. I’d heard rumors about the guy with bright blue eyes who trained the rebellion army for the other half of Sector Twelve. He wasn’t just a hunter, he was a savage. A man who would show no mercy. He’d kill anything and anyone without even flinching. But this man…the man who was now being restrained by Amun’s men, couldn’t possibly be him. He didn’t look like a savage. And if he wanted to kill me, he surely would have before Amun and the others showed up. He had plenty of time. Something wasn’t right here.
“Who is he?” I asked, my voice just above a whisper as I continued to study him as he attempted to fight off the guards.
“It’s no concern of yours, Layna,” Amun answered in a hard, uncaring tone. Almost like this wasn’t the first time he had encountered the man.
Amun quickly stepped away from me, and in four long strides, he was in front of the others. He grasped the handle of his staff and slid it out from the scabbard he wore upon his back. In one swift movement, he jabbed the end of the staff into the man’s stomach, sending him to his knees. “Hello, Seth.” He looked down at him with a scowl on his face.
I winced, knowing the power embedded in the staffs. Tiahna had many failed rituals before she finally found one spell that would not only protect us in battle, but evoke a lot of pain to the person it was used on, sometimes making the person freeze. She had taken that energy and instilled it into the wooden staff. After the enemy was immobilized, the army could then use their swords to finish them off.
“I’ll make sure you think twice about giving us anymore trouble.” Amun raised the staff once more, directing it toward the man’s head.
“No!” I rushed over to them and grabbed Amun’s hand, refusing to let him strike this man again. “He’s already down!” I narrowed my gaze at his dark, brown
eyes. “If you hit him again it may kill him. Besides, what could he have possibly done so wrong to deserve this treatment?”
“Layna,” his eyes softened as he looked at me, “he’s the enemy. This man wouldn’t think twice about killing either one of us.” He attempted to take my hands in his again, but I quickly shifted away from him. “He thought he could lead a small group of Zane’s army over the boundary to take over the Capital. Lucky for us, we caught him as he stepped foot on our side. We had him in The Cell, but he escaped.”
“Liar,” the man growled, the muscle tensing in his jaw.
One of the guards struck him in the ribs with their staff, and Seth became motionless. He didn’t even blink.
Amun’s gaze hardened and he shot Seth a look and smirked before returning back to me. “But he failed. The Regent believes she could use him to help her gain control over the other side and finally reunite the entire sector. He trained the rebellion army, so he would know how to take them down. She plans to create an erase spell, which she has been working on the past few days. If she can manage to rid his mind of his current memories, and replace them with new ones which benefit us, it could put us a step ahead of Zane.”
This made me sick. The fighting, the suffering of every person in Sector Twelve. I didn’t see why the entire sector couldn’t unify. We had been at war with one another shortly after Tiahna was Ordained. It had to stop. Starting with this and the rebellion.
I placed my hand on my hip and narrowed my gaze at Amun. “Where are the rest of them?”
Amun drew his eyebrows in. “The rest of who?” He shook his head, clearly confused about my words.
“You said he was leading a small group of Zane’s army. Where are they?”
He turned away from me and directed his attention back to his men, clearly avoiding eye contact. “They retreated back into their half of the sector. Now, if you excuse me, I need to get this man back to The Cell before he causes any more chaos to our sector.”
Forbidden: an Adult Paranormal Witch Romance: Othala Witch Collection (Sector 12) Page 1