Beyond The Veil: A Paranormal & Magical Romance Boxed Set

by Multiple Authors

  They resisted the urge to kick the horses into gallop, instead eating some food and drinking the cool water from the stream they had stopped at the day before. Once the food was packed away again, however, they urged the horses forward at a gallop, and by mid-afternoon, they crossed into the cool shade of a forest. Slowing the horses down to a walk, the pair sat and enjoyed the scenery. Small birds flitted through the treetops, singing to each other. Deer and rabbits fled from the sight of intruders and Persephone even spotted a rare white wolf on the path ahead before it saw them and trotted off, probably back to its pack.

  She missed the forest near Mythosandria and felt at home amongst these new trees, although they were now in a forest of mighty oaks, not slender birch trees. Persephone fought a longing to dismount and run to the nearest tree, just to feel the rough bark against her cheek. Instead, she sat on Gypsy’s back, looking around her with a grin on her face. Glancing at Daniel, she saw he watched her with a peaceful glaze in his eyes. When he finally noticed she was looking at him, his own mouth curved into a gentle smile, as though he were the patient parent of a toddler discovering the joys of the world.

  Her parents had never bothered doting on her like she imagined parents were supposed to, so she treasured the smile on Daniel’s face now. Ever since she could remember, she had found solace in his sturdy presence while she browsed the bookshelves in his store. Being that the rest of the village were pretty ignorant of books, he spent a lot of time teaching her to read, and her interest in books blossomed into a love affair with the written word. The multitude of possible endings to stories with knights’ errant, damsels in distress, and maiden warriors held her spellbound. Most of her fondest memories were spent with this man she now traveled with, and she had grown to think of him as a father figure. Something a lot of the villagers noticed and commented on, she knew. How those villagers loved to gossip, she thought. At one stage, the rumors about Persephone’s real father being a traveling magick man combined with the curiosity over the close relationship between bookshop owner and child, and there was speculation that the traveling magick man had returned disguised as this man who had taken to her like a father should.

  Many nights had been spent dreaming, wishing it were true. Now, she just shook her head at such silly childish nonsense. Her father was a drunkard, her mother a bitter, talentless seamstress, and Daniel was just a dear friend, more like an uncle than anything. It was still nice to pretend, and she recalled the day she had walked into that store and asked Daniel if she could call him Father.

  She didn’t know if he was mad, upset, or if he would laugh at her silly game, but he had made a funny noise and ushered her out of the store. The odd noise that came from the store once the door was locked sounded like a mix of crazy laughter and devastated crying. To this day, Persephone and Daniel hadn’t spoken about it, and she was left to presume he had laughed himself silly, since even he had to have heard the gossip. The townsfolk weren’t exactly subtle when they had a juicy piece of news, real or imagined.

  Persephone pulled Gypsy to a halt as she noticed Daniel had stopped Chiron and dismounted. As she swung down, it occurred to her how quiet the forest now was—a sign that something had frightened the woodland creatures. She urged the mare to stay where she was, but there was no need. The nervous horse was distracted as she also tried to pinpoint the source of the disturbance.

  Persephone squinted into the haze that hid the deeper sections of the forest, and could make out blurred figures approaching. Her heart leapt into her throat, and she feared that somehow the villagers hunting them had passed them to swing around and head them off, or that word had reached another village, and they were now being pursued from both sides.

  When the figures emerged from the haze and were finally distinguishable, she was thankful to see they weren’t angry villagers searching for two dangerous fugitives, but a small family of gypsies. Giddy relief filled her when she saw the smiles on the faces of the people approaching, and she gave a quick grin to Daniel, who returned it without hesitation.

  As the family neared, one of the men waved and shouted out a greeting. “Ho!”

  Persephone and Daniel waved back and returned the greeting.

  “What brings you to these woods, friends?” the man asked of them.

  She wasn’t sure what to say and was grateful when Daniel spoke for them.

  “My daughter and I are traveling to the coast. She hasn’t been yet, and so I’ve finally given in, and am bringing her to see the Great Ocean, maybe buy some coastal goods to sell back home.”

  The gypsy man nodded, seeming to accept Daniel’s statement. “I see,” he replied. “Well the coast is only about a day’s ride further beyond these woods, but you’ll need to spend the night in the village just on the other side. These woods aren’t too wide, but it will take the rest of the day to leave the forest. Just stick to the path and whatever you do, do not leave it! There are spirits who like to lure riders off the path and into traps, never to be seen again.”

  A chill ran down her spine at his ominous words, while Daniel solemnly nodded his understanding. The man then gave a wave and led the family past them. When she turned around to ask them where their caravan was, there was no sign of the small group. She looked back at Daniel and saw that he, too, had turned to speak, only to find no one there.

  “I think it best we ride on and stick to the path,” he suggested.

  Persephone responded by nudging Gypsy to a trot.

  Their trip through the woods passed by fairly uneventful until early afternoon. They chose not to stop to eat. The warning from the gypsy man still rang in her mind, and she noticed Daniel jump at slight sounds. They were both on alert for what they’d been cautioned against. So they ate bowls of cold stew while they remained in their saddles. Not long after Daniel put the rest back into magickal storage, Persephone saw the figure of a young girl to the side of the track, beckoning her to come away from the path. The little girl wore a cotton nightgown that was too cool for the current weather, with her blonde hair tied in ribbons, hanging dank and tangled. Reining in Gypsy, she called to the girl.

  “Are you all right?”

  The girl didn’t speak, only shook her head and wrapped her arms around herself.

  Persephone started to swing down off the horse when Daniel rode back and stopped her.

  “Don’t!” he shouted.

  Persephone glanced up, about to reprimand him. She was a little girl who looked like she needed help. He pointed at the girl, and when Persephone looked back, she noticed the black eyes that spoke of the undead. The little girl hissed, baring teeth all pointed like a demon, before turning and fleeing deeper into the woods.

  Shock rocked through Persephone. The gypsy man—or was he a spirit?—had spoken a warning true, and she had just about fallen into a trap, probably designed to kill. Shaking her head, she turned back to Daniel. “Thank you.”

  He just smiled and shrugged before turning Chiron back on track. They continued on in silence, reaching the village just before dusk.

  Riding through the streets, she couldn’t help but notice how prosperous the town was, and how happy all the people seemed. She sat on horseback gazing around as men and women bustled about, heading home after a hard day working, she assumed. Daniel nudged Chiron to walk on, forcing Persephone to ride on as well or get left behind.

  “There’s a tavern,” he pointed out. Glancing to where he indicated, she noticed a building with a few horses tied up out the front, loud laughter reaching her ears from inside. A sign hung over the doorway, telling her that this was the Ceorl Frog, or Noble Frog in the common tongue. Daniel swung down from Chiron, then tied the stallion to a hitching post and Persephone was quick to do the same, following the older man through the doorway. Few people noticed them enter and they were able to make their way to the bar fairly inconspicuously.

  A barmaid started to swagger over to them, but a burly man directed her to a table of rowdy men calling to her for another round
of drinks. The bear of a man walked over with a cheery greeting.

  “Well hello there. What can I help you with?” He grinned, his voice deep and gruff, but somehow welcoming and almost comforting.

  “We need a room and some food,” Daniel replied as Persephone looked the barman up and down. His size was intimidating but his eyes danced, shining with a joyous light, and she found herself relaxing in his presence.

  “Just the one?”

  Persephone watched a small coin bag appear in Daniel’s hand, which was still behind his back. Even though he had already explained his storage spell, she still found it odd that he could call things in as if out of nowhere. She could almost convince herself that imagined things until he let the bag drop on the counter with a loud thud. Persephone shook her head. She wasn’t sure she could get used to magick.

  “If you have one with two beds, that’d be best. I don’t want my daughter too far, you know?” Daniel winked.

  The barkeep looked over her slim body appreciatively but made no comment. “I sure do. We have one room with two beds, right in back. I’ll show you the way in a minute and chase you up some dinner.” He disappeared through a narrow doorway that didn’t look big enough for him, and she heard raised voices bickering. A few moments later, he returned and threw his chin to their left and started weaving in between the women serving drinks behind the bar. They hurriedly followed him as he led them down a dark hallway to a room in back, just as he had said.

  He opened the door and entered first, lighting the oil lamps to give light to a cozy little room. Two beds rested on one side of the room with a fireplace on the opposite wall. A window adorned half the wall across from the door, a large wardrobe standing next to it, and a small table with two chairs sat in the middle of the floor, on top of a threadbare rug that appeared to have been a moss green at one stage.

  Persephone walked into the room, delighted in the space she would only have to share with one person. She threw her arms out and spun around a couple times before remembering she wasn’t alone. Stopping, she turned back to the two men and smiled sheepishly.

  “Sorry,” she quietly gave.

  “That’s all right, darlin’.” The barkeep chuckled. “If you and your father have been traveling for some time like I think you have, it sure is nice to sleep in a proper bed again.” He stepped forward towards Daniel, stretching out his large, meaty hand. “I’m William. Folks around here call me William the Giant,” he admitted.

  “I’m James, and this is my daughter Elizabeth,” Daniel introduced them. “We’re traveling to the coast from out west.”

  “Anywhere near Mythosandria?” William asked.

  “No, we’re from a bit further north,” Daniel responded. “Family was in Boudreaux by the White Mountains.”

  “I’m not familiar with that area. I only asked because I had family near Mythosandria, and was hoping for some news. Message birds reached here late yesterday about some disturbance in the woods next to the village and I worried about my aunt, Priscilla.”

  Suddenly, Persephone couldn’t breathe. They know. Panic sent her heart pounding as the room began to spin. They know that we are wanted and he’s waiting for us to admit to it before sentencing us to burn like the witches they think we are.

  The men’s’ voices were muted as the world began to grow dim. Hands forced her to sit on the bed, making her lean over with her head between her knees. Out of the muffled quagmire of sounds, a voice pierced through, telling her to take deep, slow breaths.

  A few minutes later, her vision and hearing were all back to normal, and she could hear Daniel making some excuse, claiming she was just exhausted by their long trip.

  “I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you news of your aunt,” she heard him saying as he gently ushered William out the door.

  “All right then,” the large man replied. “I’ll send your dinner in shortly if your daughter is up to eating.”

  “That will be fine, thank you again.” Daniel shut the door quietly before walking over to her. “Are you feeling better?” he softly inquired of her.

  She tried to speak, only to realize her voice came out hoarse. Grateful for the water skin Daniel shoved into her hands, she gulped the last of the cool water they’d collected the previous night. She tried again. “I’m fine, thank you. I was just shocked when he mentioned my mother, that’s all.”

  He kneeled in front of her and nodded. “It caught me off guard, too. It seems Malachi wants to bring you back and will use any means he can. Message birds are rare, I didn’t even know he would have them.”

  “His father keeps about a dozen of them,” she responded. “They usually are just to show off, he told me, but would be used in a case of emergency. Though ‘requesting the help of other villages to return a runaway’ wasn’t one of the emergencies he mentioned.”

  “I don’t think the message talked about a runaway, though I could be wrong. I’ll have to ask William if I can have a look at the message when he brings dinner shortly. In the meantime, why don’t you go wash up? It seems we have a private wash room.”

  Persephone looked forward to having a good wash and happily grabbed one of the dresses Adrian had packed for her. She picked the emerald green dress and slippers—a luxurious combination of silk and velvet that flowed like water as she carried them to the wash room with a hanger from the wardrobe to hang the dress while she washed up.

  A knock on the door made her jump, and she opened it, grateful she hadn’t begun to undress. Two maids were standing there with a large tub of steaming water, so she stood to the side, allowing the women to pour the water into the wooden half barrel used for bathing. She inclined her head to them in thanks as they left her alone to wash.

  Closing the door once more, Persephone stripped the tunic and pants off, and dumped the dirty clothes on the floor. She dipped a hand in the water, grateful it wasn’t too hot. Stepping in and sitting in the large half barrel, she sank low enough so the water rose up to her chin. Her hair floated on the water’s surface, fanning out around her. Grabbing a bar of soap, she lathered up her hands and began to wash her hair, humming as she scrubbed herself clean.

  Once her skin was tingling and clean, Persephone stretched out, arms resting over the edge of the barrel to hold her up. She had never been able to indulge in a long, hot bath, instead having to share the warm water with her siblings once her parents were washed. Now, she took her time.

  Her fingers were starting to wrinkle like a prune by the time she climbed out and dried herself. She diligently dried her hair before brushing it, enjoying how silky it was as it flowed down her back to her waist. Persephone then ran her fingers over the soft materiel of the green dress before slipping it on and tightening the ribbons on the bodice. Slipping her feet into the deep green silk slippers, she delighted in the movements of the long, silk skirt as she shifted from foot to foot. Brushing the materiel until it was smooth and crease free, she finally opened the door back to the room to find Daniel and William sitting at the table, a large jug of ale between them as they discussed the message that had arrived the previous evening.

  Both men glanced up at her, appreciation for her body once again showing in William’s eyes, while Daniel smiled at her with pride like a real father. The scrutiny of the two men made her feel shy and she hesitated to join them until William stood up and waved her over to take his chair.

  “I should make sure your dinner doesn’t burn anyway,” the large man admitted in a soft but rumbling tone. He left the pair after one last sweeping view of appreciation at Persephone’s figure that made her blush.

  She sat down and didn’t look at Daniel for a few moments. When she did dare a peek, she noticed the continued look of pride in his eyes and a gentle smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. Persephone had the feeling he wanted to say something about William, but instead he showed her the note delivered by Malachi’s message bird, his face now quite serious.

  She read it over a few times, relieved that the note didn�
��t give much description of either of them, but her heart still dropped, her mood deflated. Trying to cheer herself up, she commented, “At least they don’t know we’re traveling together.”

  “Something I had forgotten about,” he agreed, relief evident as he let out a large sigh. She handed the letter back to him as she thought over what it had said.

  A magick man of dark powers bewitched one of our young women… It is not believed they are traveling together, but she will seem confused, thinking that she flees from a man wanting to do her harm… The magick man is a wicked soul, as twisted as the magick he wields…

  She shuddered at the thought of what would happen if anyone found out it was them the villagers were being warned of. A loud rapping on the door almost made her shriek. Daniel put a finger to his lips as he made his way to open the door.

  “We will speak of this no more, not while we’re here,” he whispered. “Remember, we’re father and daughter traveling from Boudeaux, north near the White Mountains. I’m taking you to see the Great Ocean, and we know nothing out of the ordinary.” He waited for her to agree, so she nodded her head quickly. “Good. Now try to remain the quiet, timid woman you have been so far. They will be looking for a confused yet outspoken woman, someone bold. Don’t look too confident or draw attention to yourself and we should be fine.” He opened the door, allowing William to enter once more, the tray holding their dinner looking tiny in his enormous hands. Once it was placed on the table, she realized just how big it actually was and she wondered for a moment if they’d be able to eat all that food until her stomach rumbled.

  The scent of the roasted lamb reached her nostrils, and the farm fresh vegetables gave color to the sections of the plate that weren’t smothered in gravy. A small, fresh loaf of bread sat on its own little plate, while a tiny bowl of churned butter waiting to be spread. There also sat a covered plate and she was curious to see what lay underneath, but William’s hand resting on top of the lid prevented her from taking a peek.