Magic Below Paris Complete Series Boxed Set (Books 1 - 8): Trading Into Shadow, Trading Into Darkness, Trading Close to Light, Trading By Firelight, Trading by Shroomlight, plus 3 more

by C. M. Simpson

“We’re done here,” he’d said, and led the boy away.

  Their departure had not stopped either of them from hearing the uncle’s parting words.

  “Don’t come back until they’re gone.”

  Marsh saw that it had been the first time Tamlin had ever seen his father cry. The boy hadn’t meant to share that last thought, but it had slipped through as he ended the memory.

  “You can get out of my head now,” he told Roeglin. “Take her with you.”

  Marsh hadn’t wanted to leave. She hadn’t wanted to stay either, but she’d caught the sadness threatening to overwhelm the boy and didn’t want him to have to face it alone. Roeglin dragged her out anyway, but he couldn’t stop her from kneeling to wrap her arms around the boy and hug him tight.

  Tamlin let her hold him for several heartbeats, then shrugged her away.

  “I’ll be fine,” he said, catching Aisha’s wide-eyed look.

  “Dat was a very bad man,” she declared before turning to Marsh. “We not go dere.”

  Marsh hugged her too.

  “No,” she agreed. “We won’t go there...will we, Roeglin?”

  “No,” he confirmed. “We won’t. We’ll go straight to Ariella’s instead, okay?”

  “What’s this?” Master Envermet’s voice made them all jump, and Marsh wished she could put a bell on the man.

  Several bells, if that was what it took to stop him from sneaking up on them.

  “We’re not going to the uncle’s farm,” Marsh told him. “It wouldn’t be good for the children.”

  If he was upset that she was giving him orders again, he didn’t show it. Instead, he looked at Roeglin.

  “I trust you can explain.”

  Roeglin caught Tamlin’s eye, and the boy nodded.

  “I can show you,” he said, but Master Envermet raised his hand.

  “Get them fed first,” he said, and almost smiled. “I know a certain young lady who is horrible if she doesn’t eat first thing in the morning.”

  “Am not!” Aisha argued before Marsh had time to wonder who he meant.

  Funny, Roeglin muttered, so do I.

  He led the way into the common room before she could respond, and Brigitte and Gustav waved at them from a table next to one of the walls. Marsh headed toward the pair, saying nothing as Roeglin drew Master Envermet aside, his eyes turning white as he shared what Tamlin had shown them.

  “You stay here while we get food,” Gustav told her as soon as she had the children settled.

  Marsh might have argued but Tamlin was tugging on her sleeve, so she nodded taking a seat beside him.

  “You still need to get them,” he told her. “When you go and get my parents, you still have to try and get my aunt and my cousins. My uncle too, if he’s there.”

  That last bit was added reluctantly, but Marsh understood.

  “I will try,” she promised, hoping it was one she could keep.

  Gustav and Brigitte returned as Roeglin joined them at the table. He didn’t sit down, but returned to the servery with the other two to bring the last of their meals. Breakfast was a silent affair, and they finished quickly.

  “The others will have the mules ready,” Gustav said when he saw they were done. “They ate early.”

  “And the family?”

  “Was up before I was,” the captain answered, sounding disgusted with himself, “and they didn’t wake me.”

  He sounded so put out that Marsh almost laughed. They left the room together, discovering that the team hadn’t let Gustav down and that Mina and her family were already mounted. Henri and Izmay came over leading three mules apiece, and Marsh couldn’t help but notice that the two of them seemed comfortable together...more comfortable than just as comrades in arms.

  Master Envermet appeared from the direction of the stables as they were preparing to ride out and Gustav stopped beside him.

  “Yes, sir?”

  “The order stands, Gustav. I just came to say goodbye.” His gaze traveled over the children and he nodded to Brigitte. “I’ll miss these two.”

  “Bye. Miss you, too.” Aisha’s little voice drew the shadow captain’s attention, and he paused to smile at her.

  “Why, thank you, Apprentice. Be good for Brigitte and your guardian, won’t you?”

  “Yes, Master Ennermet.”

  “And you, boy.”

  “Yes, Master Envermet.” Tamlin’s tone was solemn as he replied.

  The shadow captain stepped back, letting Gustav lead them through the gate, but he had one more thing to say.

  “Try to keep out of trouble, Leclerc.”

  Marsh rolled her eyes, relieved she had ridden past and he wouldn’t see.

  “Yes, Master Envermet.”

  Roeglin snorted, and Marsh was very glad to leave the inn behind. She was gladder still when they reached the outskirts of town and the calla shrooms rose in dense clusters around them. It was good to be on the road again.

  What made it better was the fact Tamlin and Aisha were riding to one side of her and Roeglin was riding on the other. While the shadow mage’s presence was nothing unusual, it felt right to have him there. The children just made their family complete.

  That thought stopped her, even if the mule kept moving. Family? The children, yes, but since when had she started thinking of Roeglin as family?

  When he didn’t respond to that, Marsh breathed a silent breath of relief. She needed to sort that out—and what he was, since she didn’t think of him as a brother.

  Yeah. She pushed the thought away to deal with later. Much later. First, they had to get to Ariella’s, then to the Deeps Monastery. After that... She glanced at Tamlin, unexpectedly catching his eye. The boy smiled, happiness lighting his face. Marsh returned it, then surveyed the cavern around them, her smile slowly fading.

  As good as it was to be with them, she still had work to do.

  “You got the lead?” she asked, and Roeglin held up the rope he’d attached to the mule’s bridle.

  “Ready when you are.”

  Marsh took a deep breath, focusing on the shadows and trying to feel what they touched while seeking the hidden things to which they were connected. As soon as she was aware of the spaces they linked, she called on the natural magic of the world around her, using it to show her what lived and lurked among the shrooms and rocks and blending the results of both magics together.

  It was easy, and she realized just how much stronger she’d become in the past few weeks. She knew she could probably open her eyes and not lose the sense of what surrounded them but didn’t want to risk it...She wasn’t that confident yet. Even so, she was able to keep hold of that sense as her mind drifted to just how good it was to have her family with her, even if it wasn’t her “natural” family, but one she’d chosen for herself.

  What made it better was the idea that she was helping another family reunite. Mina, Felix, and Elise deserved to be with their relatives too. The thought made her sigh. It would be good to get them safely to Ariella’s Grotto and see them with the ones they loved.

  Roeglin snorted.

  And the chocolate has nothing to do with it, right?

  Chocolate? Marsh had forgotten the chocolate. Now she remembered. Ariella’s was where they grew the cocoa beans that made up her favorite drink. How could she have forgotten the chocolate?

  You know? she told Roeglin as her mouth watered. I hadn’t even thought about the chocolate.

  He made a sound of disbelief.

  You? Forget chocolate? Not a hope in all the Deeps.

  Marsh rolled her eyes. Trust him not to believe her. The chocolate was important, sure, but having a family? Nothing could compare.

  She forced herself to refocus on her scan, pushing Roeglin to the back of her mind so she didn’t lose her awareness of the life around them. Family was important.

  She almost couldn’t wait to be done delivering Mina and her mother and father and making sure the Grotto would stand. Not just because she could then adopt Tamlin
and Aisha for real, but because she could also begin the search for where the raiders had taken their parents and her own.

  She didn’t fear losing either of them if she succeeded but looked forward to making her little family larger. After all, keeping Roeglin in line was a full-time job.

  Hey!

  Author Notes - CM Simpson

  April 10, 2019

  Well, the end of Book 4 is here, even if the last ten thousand words came hard and slow, and I thought they would never get written. THANK YOU for coming on this journey with me. It has been one of the bright points in a fairly tough twelve months.

  You see, what I didn’t know, when I first answered Amy’s call for submissions, was that my mum had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. I found out shortly after Amy gave me the news my submission had been accepted.

  Being told I could write Marsh’s journey was exciting and wonderful...and the news from home was its exact opposite. At that stage, mum wasn’t expected to make Christmas, let alone be around for the end of this book—and she certainly wasn’t meant to be there to be happy when you guys decided to make Trading into Shadow a best seller. The fact she was has just made this journey so much more memorable.

  As I type this, Trading Close to Light is about to launch, I’ve just passed a bi-annual rental inspection, am preparing the application for full-time homeschooling registration, and learned that the chemo mum had, which was meant to be a last-ditch extension of a few months, now means she has two more years she wouldn’t have had.

  It’s been a long nine months, with a lot of change, and 2019 is almost a quarter over, but my mum is still around, and feeling a lot better than she has in a long time, and that is a memory that, for me, will forever be entwined with the memories of writing Marsh’s adventures.

  I have been told that books provide readers an escape from the real world and the things that trouble them there, and I hope this one has been a good place for at least some of you to escape to—I know it was for me... even at its most difficult to write.

  Now, with the fourth book of this series at an end, I find I will miss you guys... and I will miss my characters, too, for however long I am away from them. Their adventures continue, albeit without me looking over their shoulders—and I hope you have enjoyed reading this part of their journey, as much as I have enjoyed writing it.

  I look forward to seeing you in the future, whether it’s to travel with Marsh for a little while longer, or to adventure with another character in another world. Peace be with you – and all your families – wherever you may be.

  Author Notes - Michael Anderle

  April 17, 2019

  THANK YOU for not only reading this story but these Author Notes as well.

  (I think I’ve been good with always opening with “thank you.” If not, I need to edit the other Author Notes!)

  RANDOM (sometimes) THOUGHTS?

  Fans are (effectively) what everything is about for us as writers, and business people. Many of us are older - in our 30’s to 50’s (a couple higher, maybe one or two lower) and the fact that readers love us enough to spend their time, money and support investing in our characters means a LOT.

  The first fans that supporting Death Becomes Her, encouraged me that I had ‘something there… now get it edited!’ and went on Facebook and encouraged me with kind words started something that has touched tens of thousands of lives.

  And I’m not even bringing in the hundreds of thousands of readers - I’m just talking authors and those who are in the Indie Publishing business.

  How did you do that?

  By supporting our books. From there we support more authors coming into the business by providing encouragement, wisdom, and support.

  EVERYTHING started with fans - so thank you from the bottom of my heart for being the catalysts for what we do.

  NEW FEATURE - FAN NOTES!

  Suicune - Woden, Texas - Over 30,000 books in his lifetime (damn dude!)

  (Why? Note my comments from above - because Fans are the BEST!) - Here are the questions and his answers.

  His favorite series or character (apparently, I need to ask about an order or preference) are:

  The Kurtherian Gambit, Protected by the Damned, War of the Damned, War of the Angels

  If you made up an LMBPN Character, what would be three attributes you would use? (For Example, Bethany Anne is Justice, Family (including friends), and Coca Cola. Brownstone is Keeping it Simple - Respect - and BBQ):

  Honesty, fulfilling promises, willing to take responsibility.

  Tell us a few short sentences about yourself, and your reading hobby (When did you start reading, why, how much do you read and preferred genre's etc. (as ideas)):

  As soon as I wake up and after my breaks to play games and I now like Sci-FI and urban fantasies.

  You can have my before you can have my reading time?

  Car (Holy Shit! - Mike.)

  Place you have loved to read the most in your life - best memories (mine was as a teenager at my grandparent’s house under the featherbed on cold days.)

  Any place that I have power for or can get my hands on a book.

  AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS

  One of the interesting (at least to me) aspects of my life is the ability to work from anywhere and at any time. In the future, I hope to re-read my own Author Notes and remember my life as a diary entry.

  Cabin in the Sky(™) Las Vegas, Nv USA

  I’m banging away at my keyboard wrapping these notes up for tomorrow’s release wondering if any of you fans would like to have a word or two in the back of these books? We typically write between 350 to 600 words about ourselves, what we are thinking or what we are doing.

  —- I finished up these notes in the Pizza Bar (Five50 - Aria Hotel)

  FAN PRICING

  $0.99 Saturdays (new LMBPN stuff) and $0.99 Wednesday (both LMBPN books and friends of LMBPN books.) Get great stuff from us and others at tantalizing prices.

  Go ahead, I bet you can’t read just one.

  Sign up here: http://lmbpn.com/email/.

  HOW TO MARKET FOR BOOKS YOU LOVE

  Review them so others have your thoughts, tell friends and the dogs of your enemies (because who wants to talk with enemies?)… Enough said ;-)

  Ad Aeternitatem,

  Michael Anderle

  Trading By Shroomlight

  The Magic Below Paris™ Book Five

  1

  It’s all in the Head

  Shadows wove and danced between the calla shrooms, damping the glow coming from beneath the callas’ caps. Darkness seeped down from the ceiling spreading like a blanket across the tall, pale fungi until it was hard to see the path between them.

  Gustav raised his hand, his voice almost sibilant in the growing black.

  “Stop.”

  The soft thump of the mules’ hooves ceased and the shadows lifted, swirling back to the ceiling and the tunnel walls from which they had been called. Marsh smiled, feeling Roeglin’s satisfaction echoing on the very edges of her mind, but she remained quiet, letting the day’s instructor give her assessment.

  “Nicely done, Tamlin,” Shadow Master Brigitte commented, smiling at the boy riding beside her. “I don’t think Master Leclerc could do anywhere near as well.”

  Recognizing the challenge for what it was, Marsh freed one hand from her reins, twirling her fingers through the air to summon the shadows from their corners. It was no surprise when they refused her call, sliding from her grasp when she tried to bend them to her will.

  “Well?” Gustav asked from the head of the column. “Are you done yet?”

  Marsh frowned, feeling for the shadows again and trying to draw them to her. She was all too aware of the restless shifting of the mules as their riders held them steady on the trail.

  With a day of travel behind them already, today would be their last night on the trail before they reached Ariella’s Grotto, and to delay meant arriving later the next day. Everyone was tired of travel,
with some wanting a hot tub, others a soft bed, and everyone craving a warm meal.

  Feeling their impatience, Marsh tried to coax the shadows out of their hiding places, only to feel the darkness coil deeper in the crevices and hollows that were their home. She tried again, but they shrank and fled from her fingers.

  “Any time now, Leclerc,” Gustav urged, and Marsh gave a grunt of effort as the shadow still refused to come.

  Tamlin snickered, and Marsh wondered what was going through the boy’s head...oh, the boy’s head...

  Well, there was more than one way to peel a shroom. She continued to try to grasp the shadows while reaching out to touch Tamlin’s mind. It took her a moment to find it, and she almost slid into Roeglin’s instead.

  That would have been easy. She’d been there once before, saving him from a raider’s mind mage. Now she could only hope she hadn’t alerted him to what she was doing and given him any ideas of his own. Tamlin’s mind, when she found it, was focused and alive with mischief.

  The little rat was enjoying keeping the shadows out of her control. It almost made her smile, but she went in and gave him a mental poke. His concentration faltered.

  What?

  It was only for a moment, but then he realized what she was doing and tried to focus once more.

  A moment was all she needed, however, and she pulled the shadows out of his control, swirling them down onto the path, over the shrooms, and over the mules and their riders. Tamlin gave a cry of dismay, but it was lost amidst the startled cries of the rest of the group. Several mules snorted nervously, their hooves clattering in an uncertain dance.

  That’s cheating, Marsh. That accusation came in two voices, and Marsh realized she’d let down her own mental guards. Roeglin had, indeed, noticed her when her mind had brushed his looking for Tamlin. Let’s even this up.