Rebels and Realms: A Limited Edition Urban Fantasy Collection

by Heather Marie Adkins

  Pleased surprise broke over the girl’s face and she hugged the pouch to her chest. “Thank you so much!” She gave Alexandria a hug. “I love you. I love it here. My biggest hope is that nothing ever happens to this place.” She pressed a quick kiss on Alexandria’s cheek and reached under the desk for her backpack. “Gotta run now. Grams is waiting.”

  Ruby left, practically dancing out the door.

  Alexandria leaned against the wall, drained. Using that much focused and directive magick left her worn out, but she had to protect the child. She shook her head. Ruby was quickly growing into a young woman. Soon a boy who was much more a man would turn her head, and both their lives would change forever.

  She sighed and straightened as Sol came toward her.

  “What’s wrong? You’re pale.”

  “To you, everyone’s pale.” She waved away the look of concern on his round face. “I’m fine. Needed to protect Ruby. She’s headed home, and won’t be coming back for a few days.”

  Suspicion flared in his eyes. “Why?”

  Alexandria turned away from his far-seeing gaze. “Which reminds me, she’s an employee now. Part time. A dollar over minimum wage, but make sure she works for it. She’s already gotten a check from me for last month.”

  A bellow from deep within the bowels of the building shook them, rattled the glass in the room. Sol growled. “Damn it. What’s he doing in there?”

  Time was running out, and everything was about to change. “Quickly Sol, lock the front door.”

  “And not give it a way out? Forget it.”

  “Stupid man. The back door is open. I don’t want whatever it is flying out of here and killing the first person it sees.”

  Sol hurried to lock the door. “Are you sure it will? Kill the first person it sees, I mean?”

  “No. But Malachi will go a little mad, I’m guessing, once he realizes he’s free. He hasn’t been his own master for too many millennia. He’ll need time to adjust.” Plus if she played her cards right, she’d get enough of Malachi to replenish her strength, and allow Lexi to have a turn again, because if she didn’t, Alexandria and Lexi both would cease to exist…and that wasn’t an option, not now. Not when they were so close.

  “That doesn’t mean we have to give him that time,” Sol protested. “Can’t we just kill him and have done with it?”

  Alexandria frowned. “He wasn’t your Companion, nor mine. You know the rules. Only the human to whom the Companion is bonded can determine the fate of the Companion.” They pulled the shades down on the windows. The noise from the back room grew louder.

  “I have a bad feeling about this. I don’t like it.” He caught her hand. “You’re keeping something from me.”

  “We don’t have to like it. We just have to learn to live with it.” She kissed the back of his hand. “Thank you, my friend, for everything.”

  It started small. A tremor in the earth, deep below, seemingly directly under the building. It grew then, and the shelves began to shake and rattle. Books fell from their spots. Alexandria recognized the danger.

  “Come. To the hallway.”

  The hallway that led to the stairway and her rooms. The hallway that led to the courtyard. The hallway that led to the Basement, the door most everyone overlooked. The shaking grew stronger.

  Alexandria pushed mentally at Sol. “Quickly, go upstairs. Check on things up there for me, and wait in the stairwell. I’ll meet you there.”

  Sol did as he was bid. Alexandria locked the door to the upstairs behind him and placed a quick-lock spell on it. By the time it wore off, the worst would have happened.

  The building felt like it was on a rollercoaster, a ripple that moved from one side to the other, up and down. Alexandria fell to her hands and knees and felt every day of this body’s one-hundred-thirty-nine years. She straightened but stayed on her knees and prayed.

  The door burst open and a vapor came out, a roiling mass of black and gray. It hung in the air. She spread her arms wide.

  “Come to me. Take me, nourish me, give me what I need. When you leave, remember your time with humanity. Be of service to them or die, if you can. I willingly make this sacrifice of the old.”

  The vapor reached her, enveloped her, and her body stiffened.

  “No!” Elliott burst out of the Basement, ran right through the vapor. He wrapped his arms around Alexandria, and the vapor pulled back a few feet. Elliott released her and turned to face the entity that had been Malachi. “You do not get to take her.” His anger had the electricity in the building flickering.

  The shadow writhed. An inhuman sound tore the air and it advanced. Elliott put both arms out, electricity crackling between his hands. The shadow cloud engulfed him and Elliott screamed his throat raw. When the shadow released him, he fell.

  The cloud pulsed red, gathered, and flowed out the open back door.

  Quiet settled around the bookstore known as Alexandria’s.

  Elliott rose to his feet, blinded by blood and sweat; the blood hot on his back, the lashes striping him that had once invited Malachi in had opened again as if for the first time. His muscles seized up and he fell again, his hands curling to his chest. His breath came hot and fast.

  Alexandria came to his side, knelt there. “Close your eyes, Elliott, and let me take some of your pain.”

  “He linked with me before he left.” Elliott gasped for air, his lungs burning. What the hell is he? Not of humanity, not of the Chaos Plane…”

  “Shh. Hush now.”

  He blinked and looked at the woman bent over him. The gray hair was gone; in its place, curls of a rich chocolate brown fell to her shoulders. The eyes were the same steady blue, but this woman couldn’t be older than thirty.

  “You aren’t Alexandria, are you.” It wasn’t a question.

  “My name is Lexi, if you must know. Now close your eyes, Elliott.” Lexi put a hand over his eyes and he closed them.

  “I’m fading.”

  “You aren’t.

  “I…” pain radiated from his chest throughout his body, seized his joints. His mouth opened wide, but no sound came out.

  The door to the stairway burst open and Sol filled the hallway. “What the hell happened? Who are you? Elliott. Gods, man. You don’t look so good.”

  Elliott gasped and clutched his chest.

  “He’s having a heart attack. Call an ambulance. Now. Go!”

  Elliott felt Lexi’s hands on his chest. “Stay with me, Elliott. Damn it. Stay with me.”

  Warmth seeped from her hands down into his body, around his heart, touching where no one could touch. He struggled to stay alert.

  “Let go. I am your anchor. I’m here. Let go, Elliott. I won’t let you die. I swear.”

  With a sigh, he did as she requested and released his hold on the here and now. Blessed blackness rolled over him even as he realized the pain immobilizing him had lessened.

  When he came to, he was back in the guestroom, and Sol was standing at the foot of his bed.

  “What…” Elliott sat up, realized he only had boxers on, and only one eye worked. His body ached as if he’d been in a prizefight and lost after ten brutal rounds. He touched the closed eye, and found a patch over it. “Shit. Sol. What happened?”

  “You tell me.” The big man had his arms folded, and his gaze narrowed down in an accusatory fashion. “What happened?”

  He rubbed his face. “I released Malachi. It was like ripping off a full body bandage. Every scar I had opened up and I bled like a stuck pig. He raced out of the Basement, and I raced after him. Got in front of Alexandria, who looked like she was going to embrace him. It took me, instead.” He looked at his hands, remembered the agony of the link. “I was using electricity.”

  “That accounts for all the blood in the Basement. Where’s Alexandria?”

  A knock on the open door, and Lexi came into the room. “How are you doing, Elliott?”

  “Better. Thanks. Where’s Alexandria?”

  Lexi sighed. “I�
��m not sure. I came in just after the earthquake began. I saw her, and then I saw you, Elliott, rush to save her. Then this fog, or something, went right out the back door and when I turned back, you were on the ground and Alexandria was just…gone.”

  Elliott sifted through her words. They made sense. “I thought you were Alexandria.” He looked at her, but she merely stared back, listening. “I felt her kneel beside me and I closed my eyes. When I opened them again, you were there, and Alexandria was nowhere to be seen. Who are you?”

  “Good damn question,” Sol growled.

  “Which I’ve answered, several times,” she snapped back. Grief lived in her eyes. “I don’t know where my Grandmother is. If I knew, I would tell you. Don’t you think I wouldn’t?”

  Elliott stilled. “One of the things I learned, while trying to give Malachi his freedom, is that everything comes with a price.” His gaze flitted from one face to the other. “I paid a price to let him go, and even though I was in agony, I followed. He would have drained Alexandria if I had let him. I protected her, so he drained me, or tried to.”

  “Maybe he did take Alexandria. Drain her.” Lexi’s eyes grew anxious. “Or maybe he hijacked her body.”

  “I don’t think he could have. He was a part of me as a living tattoo. He had his personality, I had mine. There was no overt takeover of my body.”

  “But she’s gone, and there is no trace of her anywhere.” Sol’s grief hung in the air. “I don’t think she’s coming back. I spoke with Ruby. Alexandria gave Ruby a leather pouch with some precious things inside, just before she sent her back to her Grandma’s. She wouldn’t have done that unless she knew everything was going to change.”

  Elliott frowned. “How long was I out? Did I really have a heart attack?”

  “Three days. No ambulance came, as the earthquake roiled the city and the emergency response team was too busy with search and rescues, putting out fires, that sort of thing. Twenty-five people died.” Lexi shook her head. “I monitored you. Once you gave up control, your body started healing naturally on its own.”

  Elliott glanced up at Sol. “Is she one of us?”

  “A Borgati kid?” She gave a dry chuckle. “Is that all it takes to be a part of the in crowd these days? Have a madman stick needles in you?”

  “Elliott here is getting his memory back. He hasn’t been with us very long.”

  Elliott’s head pounded. “I just need to find someone. A friend. Then I’ll have a place to move to, and I’ll get out of your hair.”

  “No rush. We’ve had volunteers here, cleaning up the place. Someone spread a rumor that Alexandria died, and there’s a memorial set up out front for her. When she comes walking back in, she’ll be so touched.” Sol’s voice broke, and he left the room.

  Elliott met Lexi’s gaze. “She’s not coming back.”

  Lexi shook her head. “I really don’t think so. Which makes me mad. If only I had come back in the spring, like I had originally planned. Or January. I would have had some time with her, at least.”

  The morning after Elliott woke up, it seemed like everyone who had ever walked into Alexandria’s was there, anxious to put the store to rights. Lexi and Elliott gave people jobs to do while Sol and his wife acted as chief mourners. Outside the shop, flowers and balloons and messages to Alexandria became an impromptu memorial. News vans had pulled up, and Sol gave an interview while Elliott, Lexi, and Ruby stayed inside and away from the cameras.

  Ruby was pale and drawn, and her tongue sharp enough to cut through steel as she directed people in tasks. She absolutely refused to speak to Lexi. At one point in the long day, Elliott walked into the courtyard to shake a rug free of herbs that had crashed down, only to find Ruby in a corner, sobbing into her hands.

  He set the rug down and said her name.

  She turned and flew to his arms. He held her as she cried, her tears soaking into his shirt and onto his skin. A bit of the blackness he’d always felt on his soul lifted as they stood there in the sun, taking and receiving comfort from each other.

  Where her tears soaked in, he felt – cleansed. There was no other word for it. If he could have bathed in them, he would have. But her youth and her natural gawkiness came to his rescue.

  She pulled away, embarrassed. “I haven’t cried like that in a long time.”

  “You needed it. I can’t remember the last time I cried.”

  Ruby wiped her nose on her sleeve. “It’s important to cry. It cleanses the soul.”

  Yeah. He’d noticed that. She seemed to glow now, and not in a red-nosed way. He lifted a shoulder. “I’ve been through too much to cry.”

  “That’s bullshit, but whatever.” She sat on the footstool and folded the tissue she’d used to blow her nose. She glanced about forlornly. “It’s not the same.”

  Elliott humored her and sat in the chair. “What’s not the same?”

  Ruby gestured. “This place. I was here when Alexandria held Sabbat rituals. Well, I was only invited the year I turned thirteen, but still. I was a part of it. Now it’s, well, it’ll never be the same, will it?” An odd wisdom lurked in her eyes. “Are we sure she’s dead? I mean, we don’t have a body to put to rest.”

  Elliott took a breath. “Sol told you not to expect her back, yeah?”

  She nodded and sniffed.

  “Then you should believe him. Alexandria’s spirit is still with you. She loved you, very much. I could see that, and I barely knew her.”

  “Sol will take over now. That’s what Alexandria wanted. Lexi, she doesn’t belong here. She’ll go away soon.” She bit her fingernails, thinking. “Do you think he’ll hold Sabbat ritual?”

  “Yeah, I do. He’s a Sabbat kind of guy.” He waited a beat, then asked. “What’s a Sabbat?”

  Ruby stared, astonished, before breaking into peals of laughter. “You got me! You totally got me. For a minute there I totally believed you didn’t know a thing about Sabbats.”

  Elliott gave her a half smile. He wasn’t about to reveal he had no idea what she was talking about.

  Ruby giggled again. “Alexandria’s right. Men are, for the most part, clueless. It’s okay. We love you anyway.” She blew her nose into the ratty tissue once more and stood. “I’ve still got work to do.” She headed to the door, looked back with an arched eyebrow. “Are you coming?”

  What a kid. “In a minute.” Elliott sank back into the chair and watched as she disappeared into the open doorway.

  Sabbats. Witches. He sighed. He knew, and yet he didn’t really want to know that Alexandria, and perhaps Sol, were witches. But that was a whole ‘nother Oprah, as his mother used to say.

  The trick was figuring out what to do next. Sol seemed to have things well in hand here. Lexi, and what he knew about her, made him nervous.

  It was time to leave.

  After all, he’d escaped from Borgati. He’d liberated himself from Malachi, though that was more of an itchy thing than a good thing. He missed the demon, bloodsucker though he was. Alexandria, Lexi, or whatever he was supposed to call her, wasn’t a part of his future. But once he’d stood across the street and she’d invited him in, the pattern had been set.

  He heaved another sigh and stood. There was still so much cleanup to do. So many books to put back, so many crystals to properly dispose of.

  The Basement didn’t escape the damage as Elliott had thought. When Sol did a quick check, he’d found some aisles littered with crystals, burned beyond usefulness and yet still holding a shard or two of power. Elliott had agreed to be the one to dispose of them. It was a dangerous job; it should fall to him, rather than to one who had lost so much since he’d come upon the scene.

  As he entered Alexandria’s, a wind blew through the building with a soft sigh. The Santa Anas were blowing. It was rare that this part of the Valley got hit and Elliott frowned, wondering if it were still a part of what he’d caused to happen, or something entirely different.

  When she walked in through the front door, he realized it was somet
hing entirely different.

  Molly. She’d come for him.

  She came right up to him. “You decided to create a revolution, right here in the Valley? Not smart.” Anger gave her words an ugly edge.

  His heart lurched as her scent, long remembered, filled his head. “Hello to you, too, Molly.”

  She shook her head impatiently. “Molly is what Borgati named me. My real name is Phoenix. Phoenix Raine. Call me Phee, if you want. You’d better come with me, and leave these people alone.”

  He crossed his arms, intrigued. “You can change your name, but you can’t run from your background. These people are our people. Or didn’t you know? And if you didn’t, I don’t believe you.”

  She took a few more steps toward him. “Yes, they are our people. And no, they aren’t. Some here are far too young to be around any other than Sol. He’s the Caretaker. It’s part of why Alexandria went into business with him. She knew he’d do what needed to be done, for both the business and those who showed up. But you? You don’t belong here. You’re still too…shiny.”

  He lifted a brow. “Shiny?”

  “Too new to this world. It’s nothing like the one we left, and for that I am damned grateful. You need to get out of here, sunshine.”

  Ruby’s voice could be heard directing others in the background. Elliott looked around, but couldn’t see her. He couldn’t leave. Not now.

  “Yes, now. You must leave now. Ruby has her own path to walk and I’m sure we’ll be a part of it at some point, but we need to get the hell out of here. Now. Don’t make me ask you a third time.”

  Sol came up behind Phoenix. “Hey, baby. I wondered if I’d see you here.”

  Her face changed, lit up, and she whirled around. “Sol! It’s so good to see you. I’m so sorry about Alexandria,” she added, swallowed up in his embrace. “But maybe she’ll come back.”

  “She’s gone. On to her next adventure.” Sol kissed the top of her head and set her aside. “Are you getting this one out of my hair?” He jerked a thumb at Elliott.