Magic and Shadows: A Collection of YA Fantasy and Paranormal Romances

by T. M. Franklin

  The glance he sent her way was filled with deep intensity and an odd appeal. A shiver spiked along her spine in reaction. So, this was what it felt like to have him look directly at her. Her stomach fluttered and heat rose up her cheeks. Of their own accord, her bare toes curled on the sheepskin rug.

  Tamara noted all these reactions with a sense of dismay. All of Thyel’s love talk and kisses had never stirred her like this. Jarrod had done it with one glance? How? He was a tedious young man who was in love with her sister.

  She enjoyed having a sexual impact on him, but her reaction was unacceptable. She took a few breaths to slow the blood rushing through her veins like a flooding river and to quiet that odd music ringing in her ears. “Jarrod,” the word came out breathless. She cleared her throat and adjusted her next words to sound coy, instead of captivated, “How do you travel from place to place?”

  He went back to looking at his tome. “We’re born with the ability, princess. Now I must find your sister. There’s no reference to where she might have gone. Unusual. All royal events should be recorded here and that includes Saira’s movements. She was due to return to the castle this evening. Even stranger that I cannot sense her presence anywhere.”

  “She’ll be back soon,” Tamara said. “While travelling, can you take someone with you?”

  He shook his head, his soft black curls swinging. “I don’t have time to explain. Where could Saira have gone?”

  “If you agree to take me, I can guide you to where Saira is.” A lie, but it might get her transported out of the castle. She moved closer and leaned in to pick up one of his long strands of hair. It felt as silky and light as she’d always imagined. He smelled faintly of ink, parchment and fresh air. Odd that such ordinary scents could seem so alluring.

  He stepped back until she released her hold. “Tell me where she’s gone and I’ll find her myself.”

  “Take me with you, or you may wait here for her return.” She gave him an inviting smile, twirling her own hair and watched with hidden triumph as his gaze followed the movement. “I believe she said she might be several hours.”

  He ignored her and turned a page.

  Her annoyance peaked. With Bevan’s life on the line, she didn’t have time for this. She slammed the tome closed. “Stop looking at that ridiculous book.”

  His finger barely escaped, uninjured.

  “Your choices are simple, Jarrod. If you wish to see Saira, allow me to guide you.” Already regretting her show of temper, she soothed her face into a teasing smile. She raised her chest, and while his gaze went there, she reached back unobtrusively and loosened the cords at her back. A dropped shoulder and her gown obligingly slid to reveal what her mother would consider a shocking amount of bare flesh. “Or we can wait here for Saira, together.”

  In great distress, Jarrod couldn’t tear his gaze from Tamara’s pale smooth bare shoulder. His hands holding Falcon’s Tome turned clammy. His heart pounded as if someone knocked with great urgency inside his chest.

  His thoughts slowed and his logical reasoning became as sluggish as walking through quicksand. Think! Could Tamara truly know where Saira was? If so, why was she being so difficult? “We only ever transport apprentices,” he said at last, deciding to humor her. “To teach them the ways of our magic. They are always fellow Erovians.”

  “But you could take me, if you wanted.”

  He sighed, breathed deep and kept his gaze anywhere in the dimly lit room but on her. She was so young. Barely eighteen. Yet, she had the kind of beauty that made men want to please her. Already his mind played with ways he could grant her wish.

  “You are going to take me!" she said.

  He glanced flew back to her in surprise. He hadn’t projected that thought. Had he?

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and then wilted. He instinctively supported her. "What’s the matter?"

  "Nothing." She sounded cross, and pushed away. “Now, hurry. We haven’t a moment to lose.”

  Why the rush? “Where do we go?”

  “To the docks, to find a man named Thyel.”

  “He knows where Saira is?”

  “He can help us.” She sounded evasive.

  Jarrod’s suspicions ballooned but he squelched them. At the moment, finding Saira overrode all other concerns. If helping Tamara aided his cause, how could that be bad? If nothing came of this, he could always return Tamara here and seek out the queen to ask for her help in finding Saira.

  So, with Falcon’s Tome tucked to his side, he drew Tamara closer. Her scent invaded his body like a heated, mind-numbing, floral infusion. Instinctively, his arm tightened its hold on her. He wove his travel spell. “Close your eyes.”

  She obeyed, lifting her face up expectantly. With her golden lashes fanning her cheeks, she looked more vulnerable than ever. He took a moment to study the most difficult of the Rycan princesses. This was the softer, delicate side of herself that Tamara hid from the world.

  Seeing her like this, reminded him why he normally avoided her company. Already, with her pliant in his arms, without a struggle, his defenses against her charms crumbled. He straightened her gown, tightened his hold around her slender waist, and breathing deeply of her lovely scent, was about to transport them both to where he sensed this man Thyel was when someone knocked on the door.

  “Ignore that,” Tamara ordered.

  The rap-rap-rap now sounded urgent. “Aunt Tamara, are you in there?” Skye’s voice. She was Tamara’s niece, Bevan’s sister. A ball of light popped into the room, hovered in front of them and then popped back out the door.

  “I know you’re in there,” Skye said. “Please let me in. I need your help.”

  Jarrod released Tamara.

  She silently cried out, No! The word rocked him. Beneath it, he sensed a terrible sense of guilt within Tamara. What had she done to Skye?

  “I’ll speak to this Thyel while you attend to your niece,” he said and transported himself from the room. He heard her shout his name and his spell wavered. Afraid he might accidentally trap himself in the between places, he focused hard, willing himself to move through time and space.

  In a blink, the world re-righted itself and he gave a profound sigh of relief. That was close. The spell should not have taken such a turn. Was his magic feeling the effect of whatever was harming his people? Or merely the result of him being so distracted by the princess?

  He’d never transported anyone but another Erovian and couldn’t believe he’d almost attempted it, and with Tamara of all people. What a disaster that would have been if his spell had failed while she was with him. Her greatest fear was being trapped and he might have done exactly that.

  On board the vessel, a lone watchman looked in his direction and said. “Who goes there?”

  The sailor had been sorting through a pile of reef fish, squirming eels, and squids scooped aboard in a net. He stopped what he was doing and came over. The closer he approached, the more he reeked of a strong, fishy odor.

  “Teacher,” the sailor said, referring to an Erovians’ most common role on Ryca. “How may I serve you?”

  “I’m looking for a man named Thyel.”

  “The prisoner below deck?” the sailor asked.

  “Prisoner?” Unease stole over Jarrod. What had Tamara not told him?

  Tamara took a deep breath and shut her eyes as she leaned against the wall. She couldn’t do it. Ignore Skye’s call for help after she’d let her brother down so badly. She opened the door and found her niece on the other side with her hand raised as if she’d meant to pound on the door again. “What is it?”

  “Have you heard what’s happened?” Skye asked.

  “Yes. Mother’s sent Saira in search of your brother. He’s sure to return soon.” She went to shut the door and Skye blocked the action.

  “What are you doing in Saira’s room?” At thirteen summers, Skye was young enough to go without a head veil, so her unbound hair fell forward as she leaned in to look into the room. “Aunt Tamar
a, do you really think we’ll find my brother?”

  “Don’t give up.” Tamara spotted the guard who had been following her loitering in the corridor, so she reluctantly stepped aside to allow her niece to enter. Then she shut the door with a defeated sigh.

  If she couldn’t get out of the castle, it might have been nice to at least head for the parapets. Even that wasn’t allowed her now. She enjoyed being in the open and up high. Sometimes, when she felt really low, she liked to look down and picture herself climbing up and jumping.

  It would put a quick end to her sorry life. What use was she anyway to her family? Just another encumbrance. Right at this moment, ending it all sounded like the best alternative to being married off to greedy Gideon.

  “Why are you in Aunt Saira’s room?” Skye asked again. interrupting Tamara’s downward spiral.

  “Why are you here?” she countered.

  “I sent my Light ball to seek you out and it led me here.”

  Ah, explained how the guard found Tamara. Skye had brought him straight to her. She eyed her niece with displeasure and walking over to Saira’s bed, flopped down. With Jarrod gone, she’d lost her last best hope of getting out of this castle.

  “Did Bevan seek you out yesterday?” Skye asked, following her to the bed

  Tamara cringed. How to answer? Yes, he did but I wouldn’t listen, and now I can’t remember what he said.

  “Um…did he speak to you about your dreams?” Skye asked, sounding cautious.

  Tamara’s roving gaze returned to the young girl with startled interest. She sat up straight. “Why would Bevan want to speak to me about my dreams?”

  “He told me a beast’s been bothering you at night.”

  Tamara’s heart pounded in shock. “Bothering me?”

  “Yes. Isn’t that what we’re talking about?”

  Was she losing track of her conversations now, along with her memory? “Skye, what exactly did Bevan say to you?”

  “He said, ‘A beast’s visiting Aunt Tamara at night through her dreams. It’s in dire trouble and only able to reach her to call for help.’ He said he’d tried to contact it, himself, but couldn’t, so he was going to talk to you, even though you hate him.”

  “I don’t hate him.” Tamara’s defensive response came out automatically, but Skye had reminded her of her recent vivid nightmares. A frightening creature, larger than anything she’d ever encountered had been haunting Tamara’s dreams.

  She couldn’t see all of it, just felt the flap of leathery wings brush her side. Then she would hear a horrendous, mournful howl filled with abject helplessness and fear. A surprising match to her own feelings these days.

  She usually woke up, eyes snapping open, to find herself already on her feet ready to defend the beast from whatever tormented it. Dripping in a cold sweat, her arms would be raised and her bare feet planted in a fighter’s stance on her cold stone bedroom floor.

  She shivered thinking about those nightly visitations. She pushed her hair behind her ears and realized the fingers trembled. She clenched her hands into fists and then hid her arms behind her back.

  She hadn’t spoken about her strange nightmares to anyone, afraid those tormented years trapped in the time spell were finally unraveling her mind. How could Bevan have found out about them?

  She stood and, skirting Skye, she strolled around the room. “Did Bevan tell you what kind of beast this was?”

  “A dragon,” Skye said from behind her.

  The answer settled within Tamara like a missing puzzle piece. Yes. That’s what visited her each night. Why would a powerful dragon seek her for help?

  If she weren’t so confused, she’d laugh at the idea. Her, defend something that wild and ferocious? And with what? Against whom? She shook her head at her absurd dreams.

  What truly intrigued Tamara was the question, could her strange dreams be connected to Bevan’s disappearance?

  Skye now slumped down on Saira’s bed looking defeated. “Aunt Tamara, what are we going to do about Bevan?”

  She turned to her niece with resignation. “I don’t know. Have you told the queen any of this?”

  Skye nodded.

  Of course. The queen doted on Skye, so she would have listened to her. Tamara shelved her resentment. Think! Dragons. What did that remind her of? The towers! “Skye, there’s an abandoned temple in Tibor. That might give us some answers.”

  “What temple?”

  “You know, in the center of the city with its tall, crumbling twin towers overgrown by vegetation.”

  Skye sat up on her elbows. “The Quinlin Temple?”

  “Yes, that one. It used to belong to a dragon sect. Father said that…never mind.” Nothing he said mattered anymore. “Could Bevan have gone there to see if the temple was related in any way to my dreams? In fact, that could be where mother sent Saira.”

  “I’ll ask.” Skye jumped up and ran for the door.

  “No.” Tamara caught up to her and pulled her back. “Mother’s probably busy and wouldn’t want to be disturbed with triviality. We don’t really know anything yet.”

  “Then I’m going to the temple to find out more,” Skye said.

  “How? Did you notice the guard outside? I doubt either of us will be allowed to go anywhere or do anything useful.”

  Skye took Tamara’s hand. “Please, will you help me? I’m afraid for Bevan’s life.”

  Tamara sighed. “There is a secret way out of the castle.”

  “Tell me where this passageway is and I’ll go.”

  Great. Sending Skye off to a forsaken temple in the dead of night looking for her brother would probably get Tamara married to Gideon by morning’s light. “You can’t go to that temple alone.”

  “If you came with me, I wouldn’t be alone,” Skye suggested tentatively.

  Tamara shook her head. Enter those cramped hidden corridors again? Never. She pulled out of Skye’s hold. “No.”

  “Please.” Tears flooded Skye’s big blue eyes, and all her fears surfaced in the look she gave Tamara. “I don’t care if you don’t like Bevan or me. Please help me find him.”

  The comment annoyed Tamara as much as Skye’s obvious emotional plea. “When have I ever said I didn’t like you or Bevan? Never mind. My advice is to let Saira find your brother. This is the type of rescue she’s famous for. Now good night.”

  Tamara opened the door but Skye slammed it shut and stared at Tamara with a mutinous expression. “With or without your help, I’m going to find my brother. I don’t care what danger it puts me in.”

  “I do,” Tamara replied. “Just let this go.”

  “Tell me the way to leave the castle,” Skye said. “I’ll be fine on my own.”

  If Skye stopped to think about it, she’d realize her Light balls that she used to find things could probably lead her to the passageway without Tamara’s help. Yet, how could she, in good conscience, allow Skye to go off into danger alone?

  “All right, all right, I’ll help,” Tamara said. “But we’ll have to find another way to leave the castle unobserved.” Wasn’t this where she started this night? Life was spinning in circles.

  “All the doors are guarded. The secret passageway sounds like the best route.”

  “No.”

  “Why not?”

  “It’s confining in those corridors.”

  “Oh! I didn’t know you were afraid of closed-in places. I could help,” Skye gently suggested.

  “How?” Tamara asked with suspicion.

  “I could lead you through, if you tell me where to go.”

  Tamara shook her head. She wasn’t going into that confined passageway ever again.

  “You could shut your eyes,” her niece said in earnest, “and pretend you’re outside.” She took Tamara’s hand again. “Trust me and I will lead you safely through.”

  Tamara shook off the hold. “No!”

  “Aunt Tamara, please.”

  “How can I guide you with my eyes shut?”

  “I�
�ll use my talent,” Skye said. “Oh, I should have thought of that. I can cast a spell to find a way out.”

  And there it was. Too late to back out now.

  3

  “You can’t go alone to that temple,” Tamara said to Skye, stalling for time. Then an intriguing thought popped into her head. Could she solve two problems at once? If Thyel helped to rescue Bevan, would her mother see the wisdom of Tamara choosing him?

  “Skye, maybe we should take Thyel with us. It would be good to have a man accompany us, for protection.”

  “All right. Where is he?”

  “Locked aboard a vessel by the docks.”

  Skye nodded, seemingly not surprised by that news. “I wondered where mother sent him after she found you in his bed.” Gossip traveled faster than mice inside a castle. “Let’s go free him.”

  Tamara’s conscience nudged that she was about to get Skye into trouble. Her niece had realized her finding spell could lead her outside without Tamara’s help, so what choice did she have? She couldn’t let Skye go off by herself into danger. She’d already put Bevan in trouble’s way by not listening. There was strength in numbers. That still left the problem of using the passageways.

  She shuddered thinking about it. Yet, this plan could garner her a greater prize later, for a little discomfort now.

  Skye put her arms around her and whispered, “I won’t let you go, I promise,”

  Tamara clenched her jaws. I have to do this. For Bevan. For Skye, and for myself.

  “I want to change out of this gown first.” She broke free of Skye’s hold and hurried to Saira’s cupboards. If they were going into that corridor again, eyes shut or not, she wanted clothing that wouldn’t drag on the floor or impede her progress. She also wanted a solid weapon.

  Tom’s tunic, trousers, chainmaille and sword immediately caught her attention. Thyel would get a good laugh if she showed up in that attire.

  Jarrod arrived in the throne room for an audience with Queen Mamosia deeply troubled by Tamara’s state of mind. After his visit to the vessel where she had sent him in search of Saira, he discovered not only was Saira not there, but the prisoner Thyel knew nothing of Saira’s whereabouts.