Rebels and Realms: A Limited Edition Urban Fantasy Collection

by Heather Marie Adkins

  “There is nothing that may not be looked on.” Alexandria’s voice penetrated and he blinked again as she took the crystal from him and set it on the table.

  Knowledge of her filled him. His gaze met hers, and he knew she knew.

  Ruby was nowhere to be seen.

  “I wanted to forget.” He didn’t mention the last he’d seen, of her shedding her skin to become someone new. Someone who would go unquestioned.

  She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “There are some of us who aren’t allowed to forget.”

  “Ruby. Is she one of us?”

  “Yes, but unaware of it. I protect her as much as I can. Well, Sol and I do. You haven’t met Sol. He’s my rock, and co-owner of this place with me. When I—die, it will go to him. All of it.” Her gaze remained steady.

  “I saw.” Elliott’s throat closed up. “I can’t believe it, but I saw. Who are you?”

  “Did you see everything? Your parents, too?”

  He squeezed his eyes shut, but the image of the burning car wouldn’t go away. “Yes. I assume I can lay that at his doorstep?”

  Alexandria sighed, and sat on the footstool nearby. “I don’t know, Elliott. I can only speculate. There are many sins we can lay at Borgati’s feet, all in the name of progress. Who knows if he was the one, or if it truly was an accident?”

  “What I don’t understand is why he’s determined to save vampire-kind. They’re unnatural anyway. It doesn’t make sense.”

  Alexandria’s eyebrows rose. “He’s a vampire. He doesn’t want to be the last of his kind. What he is doing is actually very human, if you stop to think about it.”

  “He’s not human. He’s a monster. And he’s made other monsters of humans. Those poor children.”

  “Borgati didn’t want to lose you. You came here, though, and every time one of the humans he’s experimented on comes here, there’s a certain energy that gathers. I have protections in place, as strong as I can make them, but inevitably he will find this place.” Her eyes took on a far-away look as she glanced at the weathered building that housed her store. “There is more here than meets the eye,” she murmured.

  “There is more to you than meets the eye. I’m the catalyst, aren’t I?”

  “You are. It has to happen.” Her blue gaze was steady on him. “Sol knows many things, but not this. He has the keeping of most of my secrets, but I need you to keep this one.”

  At his nod, she continued. “I had hoped Sol and I would marry, long ago, but he fell in love with his wife, Rosie. He was also one who got injections early on in his life. For some reason there were always more females than males,” she mused.

  “Breeders.” It turned his stomach to think of it.

  “You may be right.” She studied him for a long moment before nodding. “I’m sending Ruby back out here. She needs a friend.”

  “Not sure I’m the right friend for her.”

  Alexandria stood and smiled down at him. “It won’t hurt either of you, in the long run. Let her talk. You may learn something.” She picked up the crystal, wrapped it again in the scarf. “Thank you for looking. I’ll have Ruby bring tea with her when she comes. It’ll help with the headache.” Alexandria left.

  Elliott sat back and closed his eyes, aware now of the pain gripping the back of his neck and spreading up and over the crown of his head. The pain intensified, as if his taking note of it gave it new life.

  He focused on breathing deeply and relaxing all his muscles. Ruby came out into the courtyard. He could hear her, smell the tea she was carrying. She set it down on the table and moved behind him.

  “It’s a tension headache. Alexandria gets them, too. Let me.” She settled her hands on his neck. Warmth seeped from her and into him, spread up and eased the tight muscles. After a few minutes, she brushed her hands along his shoulders and off, as if whisking the pain away.

  “Feel better?”

  Elliott opened his eyes to find her sitting in front of him. “Much better.” It was true – the pain had dulled and was manageable. “How old did you say you are?”

  She giggled, her face lighting up. “Fourteen.”

  “Fourteen going on twenty-four I think. So, you live around here?”

  “Yeah. But my mom divorced my dad when I was little. We never see him anymore.” She said it all matter-of-factly, as if it wasn’t anything to worry about. “I live with my Grams. Mom joined a women’s commune to become a lesbian or something, out in Santa Monica.” She shrugged. “I don’t like the beach. I prefer it here.”

  Elliott considered her. “The beach is beautiful. The waves are magic. I used to surf when I was your age.”

  “What happened? Why’d you stop?”

  “I got cancer. It took a long time for me to get better. My parents are dead now. At least you still have yours.”

  She sniffed. “Not really. Dad’s a freak show. Big name psychic.” She spat on the ground. “Mom’s forgotten I exist. I come here because Grams has to work during the day, and this is one of the few places I feel I belong, you know?”

  “Yeah.” This place felt like his long-ago childhood, the home where he’d felt safe and loved and took for granted. He could understand why she liked it here.

  “I love Grams, but I feel the most at home here.” She studied him, her gaze intense. “I have these dreams. I mean, they feel real. Like I can fly. Like I’m just bounding through the air, and nothing but sheer will allows me to touch the ground. Have you ever felt that before?”

  “No.” Elliott sat forward. “Maybe you’re a dream walker.”

  Startled speculation showed in her expressive face before she shut him out. “Nah. But the dreams are cool.” She stood. “I gotta go. Drink your tea before it gets cold.”

  Elliott watched her go. She was powerful, different. Made him feel different, hopeful. With a psychic for a dad, plus whatever Borgati pumped into her veins, she was going to have a very interesting life.

  A tasty morsel. I would love to sink my teeth into her. Malachi gave a little wiggle.

  Elliott scrubbed at his arms, as if to rid himself of the filth of his past. We need to talk. How the hell do I get you out of me?

  I don’t know. Why don’t you ask the priestess who forced me into you? You don’t think I like this situation, do you?

  He’d never thought about it before. I don’t know. It’s not like you’ve been asking to leave.

  When you’ve lived as long as I have, you learn to be fatalistic about the present. Nothing I can do to change it, except for watch for opportunities.

  But is there something I can do? Surely you have some idea. I can’t be the first person you’ve been forced into. Exasperated, Elliott did his best to relax as his head pounded again.

  I’m not sure. I’m imprisoned inside you and trust me, if I could get out and walk on my own two legs, fuck with my own cock, and fill my belly with real food, I would. Besides, Malachi added after a bit, you’re the only one I’ve ever been able to communicate with. It’s nice. I don’t feel so alone.

  I haven’t felt alone since you were thrust upon me. Not that I’m overly thrilled with your presence. Elliott rubbed the back of his neck. But at least I know the right place to start looking. There’s a myriad of books in there, and not all of them are new. I think I’ll ask some hard questions. Elliott could feel the demon’s wariness. Unless you don’t want to be free?

  The funny thing about freedom, said Malachi, is that it can so easily be taken away from you. If it’s meant to be, then it is meant.

  Elliott went into the bookstore, the bell tinkling as he entered. The volume of people had thinned down and the music easier to hear. “Alexandria?” Not hearing any answer, he headed toward the front and the cash register.

  A tall, burly black man stood behind the counter, his round face intent, and his head bald as an egg. He looked up from the crystal he was polishing. “You must be Elliott Jones. Welcome to Alexandria’s.” He wiped the oil from his hand and reached across the coun
ter. “I’m Sol.”

  Elliott shook the other man’s hand, watched as a cloud passed over his cheerful face. “Good to meet you. I’m, uh, looking for ways to get rid of an unwanted guest in my house. So to speak.”

  Sol’s eyebrows rose. “The demon inside you?”

  “Yeeaahh.” Elliott shrugged. “Are there any books on the subject?”

  “Not if you’re looking for some sort of weird religious exorcism type thing. We don’t hold with that. It tortures the demon and kills them, you know, and while some demons deserve that, many don’t.” Sol carefully put the crystal inside the display case and locked it up. Put the keys in his pocket and laid his hands flat on the top of the case. “What exactly do you want to do with your, uh, unwanted guest?”

  “Free him, I guess. He didn’t have any more say in sinking into my flayed body than I had. I don’t think he should be tortured or killed. I just want him out of me.”

  Thanks for not wanting to torture or kill me.

  He could feel the demon’s amusement. Shut up, Malachi. I’m trying my best.

  Whatever you say, Boss.

  Sol’s face gentled. “You’ve been through a lot. I can tell.” He lifted his voice. “Ruby? To the front desk, please.” The words resonated through the building.

  Ruby came around the corner, a crumbling book in her hands and an anxious look on her face. “I’m being careful, Sol. I swear it.”

  He shook his head in resignation. “Watch the counter for me. Just lay the book on top and be careful with it,” he admonished. “I’m taking Elliott to the Basement.”

  Her eyes lit up. “Oh, I haven’t been in there for ages.”

  “And you can’t go in now. It’s not the time, and you know it.” He pressed a kiss on the top of her head. “Be a good girl, and you can go get a cupcake from next door when I get back.”

  Elliott watched, amused. She seemed much younger here than she had on the patio. As they turned to leave her behind, he could feel her gaze on his back, just like before.

  “She’s strong, isn’t she?”

  Sol sighed. “And she doesn’t have a clue. Alexandria won’t let us discuss too much with her. She’s afraid the relationship Ruby had with her father has tainted her for any serious understanding or desire for the gifts her blood brings her.”

  “I can understand that. Ruby mentioned a little about her circumstances while we were on the patio.”

  Sol harrumphed. “That’s new. She waited for almost five years before telling us. Not that we didn’t already know, but still. It took her a long time to trust.” He stopped before a door that Elliott didn’t remember seeing before, and unlocked the three deadbolts on it. Before he turned the knob, he gave a quick glance to Elliott.

  “We call this The Basement. Keep your hands to yourself. Try not to bump into anything.”

  They walked into the room. Elliott’s jaw dropped and his eyes widened. The door closed with a sharp click behind them.

  The room was dusty and crammed with glass-fronted bookcases two stories high. The scent here was one of loam, rich soils, and cedar chips with a hint of campfire. The lighting wasn’t electric; gas flames flickered through late 19th century lamps. The woodwork gleamed richly through the dust.

  He turned around in a circle, amazed. “What is this place?”

  “It’s one of learning and cultivation. Finders all over the world have come here and brought the unusual, the unexplained, and the dangerous. Some items are kept under lock and key. Some are locked by spells.”

  Elliott wandered, his hands shoved into his pockets. “There’s so much to see. So much to read, to touch, to take in. How the hell am I supposed to find an answer to my question here?”

  “The room is listening. Can you hear it? This place is alive in a way we can’t quite understand. All you need to do is ask your question. You should be able to find the answer, if the answer is here. But be very careful in how you ask. Be very clear. I’ll leave you now – it works best when you’re alone. The door will be locked from the outside, so no one will disturb you.” Sol turned away.

  “How will I get out?”

  “The room will let you out. One of the greatest protections this place has. If it doesn’t want you to leave, then you won’t.”

  Great. A room that can hold you prisoner. Malachi’s disgust was clear.

  Elliott saw Malachi’s point but refused to answer. “Thank you. And tell Alexandria thank you.”

  “She knows.” Sol let himself out. As soon as the door closed, the locks clattered into place.

  Elliott turned back and headed toward the heart of the room. There was a round seating area, about five feet across and upholstered in a beautiful red and gold brocade. As he looked around, it seemed there was less dust. The light grew a bit brighter. The room expanded a bit.

  Ask.

  A feminine voice, and not inside his head this time. This one was heard on the very air.

  “I have Malachi inside me. He is his own entity. I desire him to have freedom.”

  Are you sure?

  Elliott felt a wave of cold run through him, as if the voice were scanning him. Malachi coiled tight on his back, obviously unhappy.

  “I’m sure.”

  He is of humankind, but not of the Human Plane. He is of demonkind, but not of the Chaos Plane.

  He frowned. “So he’s not one of Satan’s pawns?”

  Malachi is not connected to the human legends. Satan is a human legend. Malachi is Other.

  Elliott wondered. “You find him distasteful?”

  I have no opinion. You wish to get rid of him?

  “I wish for us to separate and return to our own identities, permanently. Separate and complete and whole. Can that be done?”

  Anything can be done. It depends on what price you are willing to pay.

  Elliott sighed. Why did everything always have a price? “Where do I find the information on what can be done and what the price is? I’m assuming it’s in one of the books in here.”

  It is. You can read about it, or I can tell you how to do it. It is up to you.

  “How do I know that what you tell me will be the best way to do it?”

  At that, a thousand different glass panels lifted and a thousand books flew in the air, their pages rippling. These books have pertinent information. The ones that are not quite what you seek will automatically slide back into their case. The ones with information that will work will remain out, and open to the proper page.

  Elliott watched as half of the books returned to their bookcases. Some books dithered, then returned as well. Finally, the books remaining were still, hovering in mid-air, open to an appropriate page. There had to be close to four hundred books.

  Would you like to begin reading? Or would you like me to just tell you what you want to know?

  Holy hell. Elliott sprawled across the hassock. “Tell me what I want to know.”

  4

  “Where did he come from? He’s so handsome, don’t you think?” Ruby leaned on the glass counter and watched as Alexandria shelved books nearby.

  “He’s much too old for you, child.” Alexandria smiled at the pout that appeared on Ruby’s face. She loved the girl so much she ached with it sometimes. Ruby had a hard road ahead of her. Elliott would be a part of her salvation, but just what part she didn’t know.

  “The boys my age are so young. But I wasn’t asking for that reason.” Ruby perched on the stool and crossed her arms over her budding breasts. “Elliott just feels different. Like the way you and Sol feel. Other people don’t, but you guys all feel the same, somehow. Are you related?”

  “In a way. I suppose all humankind are related. I think we should lock up early. What do you think?” She sent a hint of compulsion toward the teen.

  Ruby shot her an astonished look. “On a Saturday? We can’t close early. We always have customers in the evenings.”

  “You should go, though. Spend time with your Grams.” Alexandria brushed the dust from her hands an
d put them on her hips. “I’m not sure what Elliott is going to do, there in the back room. I’m worried.”

  “Oh no. Do you mean he might do something dangerous? Shouldn’t you get out of here too, then?”

  “Oh my dear.” Alexandria moved around the counter then, put her arms around Ruby’s slender body. It was easier to influence Ruby when she was actually touching her. “I’m thinking your Grams really wants you home tonight.”

  Ruby stiffened but put her skinny arms around Alexandria’s ample middle. “Something’s going to happen, isn’t it?”

  Alexandria ran her fingers through Ruby’s thick hair, and her heart ached. “Something’s always going to happen, my child. We can’t get away from that truth. We’re all born, and we all die, and there’s nothing we can do but live, in between times.” She rocked the child gently. “When it’s time for me to go, I shall miss you, very much.”

  “Stop talking like that. You’re not going anywhere.”

  Alexandria eased Ruby away from her, and cupped the strong face in her hands. Looked deep into her eyes. “Ruby, you will always have my love with you, even when you have, momentarily, forgotten about me. There will be a time when remembering this day will no longer cause you pain, and you will remember then why I needed to send you away. You will understand. For now, go to your Grams. Be happy. Dream big dreams.”

  Confusion clouded Ruby’s eyes. She hugged Alexandria and beamed. “Thanks so much for letting me go early. Grams said she was making a special dinner tonight, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to get away. You’re right. She needs me now.” She hopped down from the stool.

  “Wait, child. I want you to have a few things.” Alexandria bent to one of the drawers in the desk and took out a faded red leather pouch. “These are for you. You can carry them, or wear them, or hide them deep in your closet. It won’t matter. They’re all yours. Plus your paycheck is in there,” and she winked. “You are officially the unofficial assistant to Alexandria’s Place, and you’ll be getting a salary.”