by Amy Sumida
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Chapter Forty-Four
Chapter Forty-Five
Chapter Forty-Six
Chapter Forty-Seven
Chapter Forty-Eight
Chapter Forty-Nine
Chapter Fifty
Chapter Fifty-One
Chapter Fifty-Two
Chapter Fifty-Three
Chapter Fifty-Four
Chapter Fifty-Five
Chapter Fifty-Six
Chapter Fifty-Seven
Chapter Fifty-Eight
Chapter Fifty-Nine
Chapter Sixty
Chapter Sixty-One
Chapter Sixty-Two
Chapter Sixty-Three
Chapter Sixty-Four
Chapter Sixty-Five
Epilogue
Chapter One
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Primeval Prelude
Amy Sumida
Copyright © 2018 Amy Sumida
All rights reserved.
ISBN-10: 198431095X
ISBN-13: 978-1984310958
Legal Notice
This book is copyright protected. It is only for personal use. You cannot amend, distribute, sell, use, quote, or paraphrase any part of the content within this book without the consent of the author or copyright owner. Legal action will be pursued if this is breached.
More Books by Amy Sumida
The Godhunter Series(in order)
Godhunter
Of Gods and Wolves
Oathbreaker
Marked by Death
Green Tea and Black Death
A Taste for Blood
The Tainted Web
Series Split:
These books can be read together or separately
Harvest of the Gods & A Fey Harvest
Into the Void & Out of the Darkness
Perchance to Die
Tracing Thunder
Light as a Feather
Rain or Monkeyshine
Blood Bound
Eye of Re
My Soul to Take
As the Crow Flies
Cry Werewolf
Pride Before a Fall
Monsoons and Monsters
Beyond the Godhunter
A Darker Element
Out of the Blue
The Twilight Court Series
Fairy-Struck
Pixie-Led
Raven-Mocking
Here there be Dragons
Witchbane
Elf-Shot
Fairy Rings and Dragon Kings
Black-Market Magic
The Spellsinger Series
The Last Lullaby
A Symphony of Sirens
A Harmony of Hearts
(Primeval Prelude)
Fairy Tales
Happily Harem After
The Four Clever Brothers
Beauty and the Beasts
Pan's Promise
Wild Wonderland
The Little Glass Slipper
Codename: Goldilocks
White as Snow
Other Books
The Magic of Fabric
Feeding the Lwas: A Vodou Cookbook
There's a Goddess Too
The Vampire-Werewolf Complex
Enchantress
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Dedication
For Grandma Sumida. I miss you every day. The last song in this book: “Over the Rainbow,” is for you and Mom. I hope you're somewhere over that rainbow; smiling as you sing it to Grandpa, with Dexter in your lap.
Pronunciation Guide in the back of book.
Chapter One
“It's just a forest,” I muttered to myself. “It's not going to eat you, Elaria.”
“It might,” Torin—King of Onyx and one of my four consorts—stood beside me, staring grimly ahead. His sapphire eyes darkened to indigo as he brushed an errant lock of ebony hair away from them. His stance was wide—his thickly muscled body tense—as if he were bracing himself against what we were about to face. “Best be on your guard.”
We were lined up in front of Primeval—the ancient forest that surrounded the Jewel Kingdoms of Tír na nÓg—with a force of Shining Ones, Witches, Blooders, and Griffins at our back; all of us intent on finding one woman who had attacked us. And all because her husband was an asshole who had made magic grenades. I couldn't even justify the reasons we were going through so much trouble for one woman who was probably already dead. But, Eileen had been a Shining One queen, and she had a better chance of surviving the forest than others. And we wanted to be sure the bitch was dead.
“Never leave your enemies breathing,” I whispered.
“Harsh,” Declan—King of Alexandrite and another of my consorts—noted.
“It was something my Aunt Adelaid used to say.”
“Ah.” Declan nodded in understanding.
He had met Aunt Addy, so he knew firsthand how typical it was of her. But we Spellsingers had a tendency toward viciousness. Even I had killed using my ability to sing songs into spells. A lot. It was partially why I was standing before a frightening forest, contemplating what had led me to it.
The one race I hadn't invited to the party was the Spellsingers. There was such a thing as overkill, and when more than one Spellsinger came to a battle, things weren't just killed, they were decimated. I didn't want to destroy Primeval. It wasn't the Lesser Fey's fault that Eileen had chosen their home as her hideout.
I looked at my consorts (that's what my boyfriends make me call them) and then to my best friend, Cerberus. The ex-Hound of Hades smirked at me and waggled his brows; he loved a good hunt. And Cer was right; it was time to get started; no more dithering about the edge of the forest. I stepped forward, and the men went with me; including Odin; Witch elder and a close friend of mine. He was there to lead the group of Witches. Gage, my griffin mate, led the Griffins, while Banning, my Blooder (aka vampire) boyfriend led his gura (vampire clan), and Declan, Torin, and I led our Shining Ones. I'm not a Shining One, I'm a Spellsinger, but by chance and a little twist of fate, I had become the queen of a Shining One Jewel Kingdom: Kyanite.
Forget what you know about fairi
es. Real fairies prefer to be called Shining Ones. They live in a realm called Tír na nÓg—one of many realms connected to our world by a magical boundary called the Veil. Tír na nÓg is both the name of the realm (universe) and it's only habitable planet; as is the case with several realms that only have one planet capable of hosting life. The planet of Tír na nÓg is divided into Jewel Kingdoms that are inhabited by the sidhe (the fairies who look the most human), and the Primeval Forest; inhabited by the Lesser Fey (a general term for all of the other fey races).
Sidhe Shining Ones have magic aligned with gemstones; each fairy is born connected to a specific gem. They use precious and semi-precious stones to focus, direct, and amplify their magic. The greater their magic, the more revered they are in their kingdoms; with kings and queens being the ultimate magic wielders. There are usually only one queen and one king born per gemstone, but when more than one were born—or if the king and queen didn't end up married—a fight would determine who ruled the kingdom of their jewel. Declan was King of Alexandrite, Torin was King of Onyx, and now I had claimed Kyanite. We were the ultimate, Shining One, power thruple.
Magic was different for the Lesser Fey. They weren't limited by jewels but by their race. Each race had its own special abilities. The Fauns, for example, had fertility magic. Simply rubbing their velvety horns could make you fertile. But finding a faun, much less getting he or she to allow you to rub their horns, was a difficult prospect. Fauns were known to be skittish.
Our troops fell into line behind us. We hadn't brought horses, not even for the trip to the forest's edge. This was for two reasons; Kyanite Castle was close enough to walk the distance, and Primeval wasn't horse-friendly. We'd get further, much faster, on foot.
Even though my group was in front, we had scouts who ran ahead of us; Shining Ones who knew Primeval better than the rest of us. These were daring men and women who had wandered the woods alone—after seeking permission to enter. We had also asked for permission; a long process that involved several signals being placed out prominently before the treeline. Three lesser fairies had answered our petitions, and—after negotiating terms—had granted us access.
However, that access didn't come with information or a guide. The leaders we had spoken to called themselves the Trinity of Strength; Physical Strength represented by the redcap leader—Caorall, Mental Strength was a dryad named Eimhir, and Spiritual Strength was a leanan-sidhe called Ceanag. They were standoffish but respectful and had outright refused to answer our questions concerning Eileen. They had also limited us to bringing only fifteen soldiers from each race with us, which meant that Torin, Declan, and I could only bring thirteen knights total. Fifteen Shining Ones, fifteen Griffins, fifteen Blooders, fifteen Witches, one Spellsinger, and one God. Our entire force was only sixty-two strong.
I didn't know my kyanite Shining Ones well enough to trust them as Declan and Torin did their knights, and I almost told my consorts to use my entire allowance toward their number. But then I had a few volunteers, and I thought to myself; What better way is there to get closer to my kyanite knights than to take them with me into the scariest place on Tír na nÓg? If they were brave enough to volunteer, then they were the type of fairies I wanted to bring with me. So, I took three knights, and let Declan and Torin each bring five.
The Lesser Fey leaders weren't there to meet us today—their permission didn't include protection either—but at least we wouldn't be attacked as soon as we stepped foot past their boundaries... we hoped.
Yes; the first few steps into the Primeval were the most stressful, even with our scouts waving us forward. The sun was shining brightly over the Kyanite Kingdom, as it was over Primeval, but it barely penetrated the thick leaf-cover of the forest. Think redwoods times ten. I've never seen such gigantic trees.
And they talked.
Not in the way that people talk, but the creaks and clicks that you would normally hear in a forest were much too rhythmic and patterned in Primeval to be random. It was code; Primeval's version of sonar, or maybe Morse. And it was fucking creepy. I started humming, as I do when I get nervous, and the little piece of kyanite that the Witch Relic had left in my throat pulsed with magic in response. I took a deep breath and calmed myself. They were just trees. Trees can't hurt you.
And that was when they grabbed me.
Chapter Two
I barely had time to suck in a breath as I was hauled into the air. Leaves and branches sped past my face, everything becoming a green blur. Something was wrapped tightly around my ankle; a rope or vine perhaps. Whatever it was, it yanked me upside-down into the treetops and then flung me over them like an arcing whip. I spun—Primeval stretching out before me—and then started to fall. With my stomach launching itself into my throat, and my arms flailing about me, I finally got enough breath to scream. But then I was being pulled upward again.
This rollercoaster ride through the trees kept going, with the vines around my ankles trading off intermittently. I felt like Jane in the hands of Tarzan, or maybe Mowgli being tossed around by monkeys. I couldn't think of anything to sing that would help the situation, and even if I could, the constant up and down was not conducive to musical endeavors. It was more vomit-inducing than song.
I managed to hold onto my breakfast, and finally, the wild ride stopped. I was deposited on a wooden platform, high in the trees. I fell to my knees on impact, and it took a few moments for my vision to stop spinning. When it did, I lifted my head to see that I was surrounded by Lesser Fey. I got to my feet slowly, using the time to prepare a song. My gaze darted about; I was on a platform that connected to other platforms via walkways. We were so high up in the trees that sunlight shined brightly upon us, and there was no view of the ground below. There were perhaps eighty fairies there, but that included pixies; flying about like surreal butterflies. There were a few different races represented, but the majority of the fairies seemed to be dryads.
“Be at peace, Queen Elaria,” a male dryad said as he strode forward. “We only wish to speak with you.”
He was an oakman; a subclass of dryad. Thick bark covered his body in corded strips, and oak leaves framed his face and pale green eyes. His voice was a deep with creaking undertones, and the features of his face were like lines in an old tree. He wore simple, cotton clothing, and no shoes. His feet were long—the toes root-like—and they unfurled over the platform as I watched.
“Why grab me like that?” I finally asked.
“We don't trust easily,” he said. “We decided to take a chance on you—and you alone—before we spoke with the others. Will you listen?”
“Who are you?” I countered.
“My name is Reyne,” he said with a smile. “These are my friends and family. We welcome you to the Canopy.”
“This is where you live?” I asked.
“This is one of our homes,” he amended. “Dryads live on every level of the forest. This is the highest—the best for clandestine meetings.”
“We're having a clandestine meeting?” I asked with a smirk.
“If you will listen to what we have to say.”
“All right”—I looked around at the somber faces—“I'm listening.”
“Your Majesty, we know that you have not lived in Tír na nÓg long, so it's not likely that you've noticed this, but your kingdom is shrinking,” Reyne announced.
“My kingdom is shrinking?” I lifted a brow.
“All of them are.” He nodded. “It is minutely, and has happened so slowly—with every kingdom shrinking by degrees to make up for the encroachment—but it is happening.”
“You're going to have to be more specific than that,” I said.
“She won't understand,” one of the pixies chirped. “She's not even fey.”
“That is precisely why she will understand,” Reyne said patiently to the pixie. Then he refocused on me. “Queen—”
“Call me Elaria,” I interrupted. “Or just El.”
The fairies gaped at me.
“I know
,” I huffed, “The title is hard-won and priceless; I should insist that people use it. But it's just us here, and you seem like some down to earth folks.” I chuckled as I cast a pointed look over the edge. “In a manner of speaking.”
Some of the fairies laughed, and even Reyne smiled.
“As you wish, Elaria.” Reyne gave me a bow. “And to answer you more specifically; Primeval has been growing.”
“Ah.” I nodded thoughtfully. “The trees are reaching out into the Jewel Kingdoms.”
“Yes.” Reyne beamed. “That's what I'm trying to say. The Jewel Kingdoms have had to constrict to make up for this.”
“Well, Nature will have her way,” I noted. “I'm not about to start chopping down trees if that's what you're suggesting.”
The dryads gasped.
“I didn't think so.” I laughed. “So, why are you telling me this?”
“There are other signs that have led to horrifying suspicions, Elaria,” Reyne said. “The trees deeper within Primeval have begun to bleed.”
“Bleed?” I asked skeptically.
“Black sap,” he added. “The sap is toxic and has caused the soil to fester. It's as if the forest is infected—diseased.”
“That doesn't sound good,” I noted dryly.
“And then there are the most distressing incidents of all,” Reyne went on, “fairies have begun to go missing.”
“So, let me sum this up.” I held up my hands. “You have trees popping up on the borders of Primeval, then—further in—trees are being poisoned, and lastly, people have gone missing?”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Reyne said. “I mean; Elaria.”
“What does the Trinity of Strength say about this?” I asked.
The fairies looked at each other warily.
“They have had several reactions,” Reyne said carefully. “First, they expressed concern and promised to discover the source of the infection as well as the cause of the disappearances. Then they told us that it was nothing; just the forest going through a growth spurt which was having strange repercussions and causing fairies to wander off. Finally, they grew angry with our questions, and have threatened several of us with physical harm should we continue to ask them.”