Fates Altered

by Jules Barnard

  Adelmar could set things on fire—with deadly precision. If he wanted, he could burn each person in the room and not touch a single piece of furniture.

  Instinctively, Theda reached for the satchel at her waist, but it wasn’t there. Neither was her dagger. She’d stopped wearing them a year ago when she thought she was safe with her new family. “Why?” she asked, unable to hold back the desperation in her voice.

  He leaned forward, his long, light brown hair sliding over his handsome forehead. “Because you made me look like a fool,” he growled.

  “Is that what you want? To marry me? Because—”

  “That opportunity has passed,” he said sharply. “There will be no marriage for you. Not anytime soon. And not with me. I seek a woman of quality. Not this”—he sniffed, his face twisted in disgust—“disgrace of a female.”

  “Then why must I return?”

  “Because the king, your father, wishes it. Don’t make me wait, and don’t make me angry, Theda. I just might kill all of these people for the pleasure of it.” His pale blue gaze wandered lustfully over the crowd.

  Theda swallowed and took a deep breath. She didn’t dare look at her husband and child for fear Adelmar would target them. “I will—go with you,” she managed to get out. “Will that make you happy?”

  He looked down, emotionless. “No. But it will do for now.”

  “On one condition.”

  He chuckled darkly. “You truly believe you are in a position to make demands?”

  “They”—she turned her head slightly, indicating the crowd behind her—“must not know where I’ve gone. I don’t want them to try to find me.”

  “Of course not.” He huffed. “Humans must never know of our presence. But have you kept it a secret? Are you certain no one knows who you are?”

  Theda’s mind flashed to her daughter and the potential powers she might possess one day. Even if Theda’s ability was considered weak, her daughter’s could be powerful. Everyone in the Rainer family line had a powerful ability except for Theda.

  Adelmar hadn’t mentioned the child. Not once. Which meant he didn’t know about her. Or, at least, she prayed he didn’t. Fae had been procreating with humans for centuries, but it was difficult for her people to conceive. No one would suspect she’d had a child in such a short amount of time.

  “They don’t know,” she said, her voice strong and clear.

  Her past was the one secret Theda had kept from Alex. And now she must leave him, and he would never understand.

  Her throat turned thick with emotion. She had to do this. It was the only way to keep them safe.

  “Good.” Adelmar tipped his head to the side. “Go to the back bedroom. My men have created a portal on the outside wall. I’ll meet you there.”

  Theda nodded but held the door partway open, blocking the view of her guests. “How did you find me?”

  He smirked. “I made friends with an Oldlander in the Earth realm. She was very accommodating. She helped me find all Fae within a five-hundred-mile radius, which was how I learned of the tracker who’d passed through here. We found his body, by the way.” He shook his head. “A shallow grave? So disrespectful. It didn’t take long to find you after that.” He glanced down at her bracelet. “I’m assuming you thought the magical jewelry would keep you safe? Even your muted energy level couldn’t hide you once we were close enough.”

  It had kept her safe—long enough for her to know true happiness.

  “We’ll find whoever helped you murder the tracker and kill them, you can depend on it.”

  Her mind raced to Alex. “How could a human kill one of us? I stabbed the tracker.”

  He scanned her briefly, a glint of admiration in his eyes. “I didn’t think you had it in you. If so, his death will be one more item you must atone for. Go back now, and don’t hesitate; the portal will not last forever. You know what will happen if you make me angry.” He glanced suggestively over her shoulder at her family and friends.

  She nodded and closed the door, slowly turning to the crowd. Alex was staring at her, a frown on his face as he made his way over.

  He slipped his arms around her waist. “Who was that? You look upset.”

  It was a testament to how she’d changed since arriving in the Earth realm, and how well Alex knew her, that he could tell her feelings so clearly.

  She smiled. “I’m fine.” And she would be once she knew her family was safe. “It was only a man wishing to show me his magic tricks.”

  “Magic tricks? Like a traveling carnie? Here?”

  “Something like that. I sent him away.”

  A sharp pain speared her chest, her stomach roiling. The notion of leaving her husband and daughter was nearly unbearable. But if Adelmar knew of them…he’d have them killed in front of her.

  If she could save Alex and Elena, living without them would be worth it.

  She leaned up and kissed her husband with all her love, all her passion for him.

  His arms tightened on her waist. “After we put the baby to bed—” His brow quirked suggestively.

  She smiled in spite of the tears welling behind her eyes. She blinked and shook them off. How could she leave him? “Later,” she whispered.

  And in her mind, she intended to keep that promise. She would stop at nothing to make sure her family was safe and to return to them.

  Theda glanced past Alex. She hadn’t much time. “Where’s the baby?”

  “Charming Tony.”

  She squeezed Alex’s hand and stepped toward their beautiful child, with the dark curls and light eyes that were a mix of her and Alex.

  She pulled Elena from the arms of her uncle, who appeared put out that she’d taken the child while they were having their fun.

  They would protect Elena. Alex, yes, but his family too. Even little Mateo cared for the baby and made funny faces to make her laugh. If Theda had to leave, at least she’d be leaving her child where she was loved. Protected.

  To have been given this beautiful family was more than Theda had ever wished for. That she had them for such a short time…

  Her hands shook and her body grew even colder. No, she’d return. They would be together again—she had to believe that.

  Theda nuzzled Elena close, breathing in her baby scent. “I love you,” she whispered. “More than you will ever know.”

  She quickly wiped a tear that had escaped before she handed the baby back to Tony, who had Mateo in one arm and was waiting for Elena to fill the other. Alex had been stopped by Leti, and they were talking animatedly about whether Old Bob would begin paying Alex’s father’s pension. Legal documents had been drawn up and it sounded like it would happen in the coming year, and then her family’s financial future would be safe too.

  Theda swallowed and allowed herself one last look at each of them: Tony, Leti, Mateo, and her precious Elena. Her husband she saved for last.

  He glanced up, his face still holding signs of concern. But Theda smiled away the worry and walked toward the back bedroom, knowing Alex would soon follow—that he’d seen through her fake smile.

  She closed and locked the door behind her.

  He couldn’t come inside. Not until she’d gone.

  She glanced at the exterior wall. A shimmer was present, a sign that the portal had been created—and would not likely last long, since it was only temporary.

  Her hands shook, her heart nearly tearing from her chest. She had to do it. Had to. She couldn’t remain and keep her family safe. But stepping forward drained every ounce of essence she possessed. To leave Alex and Elena might kill her. But this wasn’t about her. This was about saving them.

  She unclasped her amethyst necklace, the one her mother had given her. The only sentimental piece of her past she’d taken on her way from Tirnan. She set it gently on the nightstand for Elena until she could return. For that was the only thing moving her feet forward—the belief she’d be back.

  Grabbing a piece of paper and pencil from the nightstand dr
awer, she wrote a quick message to her husband.

  Alex,

  They’ve come for me. Believe me when I say I never could have told you where I come from. It was too dangerous, and now I fear I’ve brought danger to our home. For the love of our child and what we share, do not try to find me. I will come to you when it is safe. Burn this message and tell no one the little I’ve shared.

  I love you with all I have, all I know, and all that I am,

  Theda

  She kissed the note, her throat tightening, and set it on Alex’s pillow before crossing the room to her sock drawer, where she grabbed her pouch of allon powder. She hadn’t dared use it after she’d signaled the tracker last time, but she’d use it now.

  Taking out a pinch, she whispered a command to Lucho and blew the magical powder into the air. A second later, she heard the dog—so well behaved since she’d arrived—howling in the living room.

  A commotion arose outside her bedroom door, and then the telltale sound of the back door closing as Tony or Alex took the dog into the backyard.

  “Goodbye, Lucho,” she whispered to the sweet dog who’d become her friend, and who’d provided a lifesaving distraction.

  Just as the portal began to fade, Theda grabbed one of Alex’s sketches of their infant daughter.

  The sound of pounding came from the bedroom door, the knob rattling. “Theda!” Alex called.

  She squeezed her eyes tight against the urge to go to him, hid the sketch beneath her clothing, and leapt through the portal.

  Afterword

  Dear Reader,

  I hope you enjoyed this Halven Rising Prequel, Fates Altered, the story of how Theda and Alex set a course that would forever change the Fae and Earth realms.

  Read on for an excerpt of Fates Divided (Halven Rising, Book 1), a full-length novel about Elena Rosales, Alex and Theda’s daughter. Elena is the first Halven to become a part of the Fae world. In Fates Divided, she attempts to find her mother and help the Fae, but in the process, she falls in love with the one guy whose family wants her destroyed.

  Grab your copy of Fates Divided now, or read on for a sneak peek!

  Cheers,

  Jules

  Fates Divided

  Halven Rising, Book 1

  Elena’s goals are simple: 1) be the first in her family to graduate from college, and 2) become a kick-butt chemist.

  Until she comes into her half-Fae powers from the mother she never knew.

  The Fae are willing to harm the last of Elena’s loved ones if she doesn’t use her power over the elements to cure their people of a deadly disease.

  Her brooding neighbor, Derek, isn’t the friendliest guy, but he has access to an off-hours lab and is willing to help Elena create the antivirus. He has his own secrets to keep, and this business Elena is mixed up in could ruin everything.

  But when Elena and Derek get together, more than chemicals spark fire—and they soon discover just how complicated attraction can get when they find themselves on the other side of the portal, fighting for survival.

  Lives collide, and allegiance and love are tested, in Fates Divided.

  Preview of Fates Divided

  Elena’s hands shook as she burst through the front door and scanned the apartment for her roommate. “Reese!”

  No answer.

  Reese must still be on campus.

  Elena raced into the kitchen and slammed open cupboard doors until she found what she was looking for. She grabbed a metal pot, filled it with water, and placed it on the tile counter across from the fridge—clear away from any potential heat source, like the stove.

  It was ridiculous to stare at a pot of water, but to run a true test she needed to repeat what she’d done in class forty-five minutes ago.

  A few seconds passed, and then she felt it. The tingling beneath her skin erupted like before, which wasn’t reassuring, though she supposed it was good for experimental purposes. She thought about how water molecules reacted when heated, just as she’d thought about the solution’s properties in class. By instinct—the way she’d done with the class chemicals—she ran her hand over the pot.

  The water boiled. With nothing to warm it.

  Elena flinched as steam billowed up. Not again. What the hell? She eased back until she bumped into the fridge, her pulse racing. What was happening?

  After a second, she grabbed the handle and tossed the pot into the stainless steel sink before it scorched the tile. Or did something else it wasn’t supposed to do.

  Leaning forward, she carefully held the back of her hand over the place where the pot had been and sensed the warmth there. She curled her palms around the edge of the counter and gripped hard.

  “It’s okay.” She sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Everything is going to be okay.”

  She’d gone straight home to collect her thoughts after her solution had boiled over in class without heat, but she couldn’t run an experiment in her kitchen. Something wonky must have gone on with the chemicals in class. Maybe a leftover residue had been stuck to the bottom of the beaker. That didn’t explain the water boiling just now, but there had to be a logical reason.

  Hurrying into her bedroom, Elena grabbed her laptop. She needed to return to ground zero where the liquid anomalies had begun—in a campus lab. There she could access the right equipment for measuring and calculating every step, every nuance, to determine what was making the liquids boil.

  Reese stormed into the room, startling Elena, and plopped down on the bed. “Guess what?”

  “Where’d you come from?” Elena said as she continued scrolling through the online campus map for an open lab, but it was no use. All of them were closed, except during class hours.

  How the hell was she going to experiment if she couldn’t get inside a lab? Her next class was a week from now, and what if the chemicals did something weird again? She’d managed to hide it from her classmates today. The chances of that a second time were slim.

  “I just got home, but listen to this.” The bed squeaked as though Reese had shifted closer. “You’re going to have to cook me meals for the rest of the school year after what I scored for us.”

  Reese’s words cut through the fog of Elena’s distress. She glanced over incredulously. “How is me cooking for you everyday any different from what I do now?”

  “You know I’m not domestic.”

  “And I am?”

  The off-campus dorm they lived in offered meal plans on campus, but that required a two-block trek she and Reese rarely managed without strong motivation.

  “At least your aunt taught you how to cook,” Reese said. “My mom paid people to do that stuff. How was I supposed to learn?”

  Reese had grown up a rich kid in Los Angeles with chefs and cleaning people—Elena wasn’t exactly sure about the extent of their domestic help. Despite the obvious differences in their backgrounds, Elena got lucky in the roommate lottery. Reese had become one of her closest friends in the two months since they’d started their freshman year at Dawson University.

  “Fine, you made your point.” Elena might joke about Reese not lifting a finger in the kitchen, but she secretly didn’t mind cooking. Much like creating solutions in her chemistry labs, fussing around with food and experimenting with spices calmed her. Only today’s lab hadn’t calmed her. It had turned her into a frazzled mess. “I’m kind of busy, Reese. What’s up?”

  Reese stared at her shiny, cobalt-painted nails. “Oh, nothing. Just that you might want to toss in laundry duty along with meal prep after what I’ve arranged.”

  “Don’t get your hopes up.” Elena quit the online map and rifled through her backpack for the piece of paper she’d scribbled her professor’s email address on. She hated going to one of the professors, but who else could get her inside a chemistry lab? “I’m in a rush, Reese. Tell me what it is already.”

  Her roommate rose quickly off the bed, excitement pouring off her as she paced the room. “Let’s just say if everything works out, we
won’t have any problem getting into bars.”

  “The bouncers might disagree. We’re underage.”

  “Not if we have IDs that say we’re twenty-one. You said you didn’t like partying at the fraternity houses. This solves the problem.”

  Elena shook her head. It really didn’t solve the problem because going to bars wasn’t high on her list either, but that was beside the point. “I’m not even going to ask how you managed to get us fake IDs.”

  Reese winked and walked toward the door.

  “Wait,” Elena called out. “Before you go, can you help me with something? I need a lab. One that’s open after classes. I…screwed up an experiment today. I have to work it out before the exam or my grade will take a beating.” Which was partially true. Elena was on scholarship; grades mattered. But mostly she needed to make sure she wasn’t losing her ever-lovin’ mind.

  Liquids boiling without heat? Not possible. Yet it had happened. Twice.

  Reese had crafty ways of getting what she needed on campus—case in point, the fake IDs—and it often involved something not altogether legal. But Elena was past caring about stuff like that. This was an emergency.

  Reese rested her hand on the doorknob. “Try our neighbor. He’s a chem geek like you, only way better looking than the students you hang out with.”

  Elena rolled her eyes. She and her chemistry friends might be geeks, but Reese was one of the biggest geeks she knew—just in a pretty, less socially awkward package. She was a double major in political science and philosophy. Elena had learned the first week of school to never debate with Reese unless she wanted her ass handed to her.

  “He seems connected in the department,” Reese continued. “He could be a good resource.”