Fallen Shroud: An Urban Fantasy Novel: (Twisted Curse Series Book 1)

by D. J. Dalton

  “Our lives together will be extraordinary.”

  She put her hand on his chest, pushing away just far enough so she had room to maneuver. Her finger ran down the chain holding the Amplification Disk. Please, she thought, let me have enough energy for this one last thing.

  She closed her eyes, imaging her weightless body floating in a pool of water. A calm flowed over her as she felt tapping in her solar plexus. While taking deep breaths, she let that pulse grow into a ball of energy, waiting to be set free. The pulse moved up her neck. She clutched the Amplification Disk, pulling it over Quinlin’s head as she pushed him backward. The pulse moved to her eyes and a burst of light exploded around her. Then she tossed the artifact into the air.

  With a roar, the cursed wolf started its assault on Perfect Potions. Its flames tore down the fairy protection spells. With the next blast, it would incinerate everyone on the balcony.

  Keren dropped to her knees while clenching her fists under her chin as she used all her strength to summon her creatures. They appeared in a circle around her.

  Quinlin ran under the artifact, reaching up to catch it. Just before his fingertips were within reach, Two jumped, using its horns to punt it back into the air.

  Keren watched the cursed wolf inhale, getting ready to send the killing wave of fire over the Perfect Potion. Her muscles trembled as she pushed every ounce of strength she had into her creatures.

  Three, as if playing basketball, tipped the Amplification Disk over to Four who used a water jet to shoot it to One. As One wrapped its wings around the artifact, Keren’s strength gave out. She released her magic, falling onto her side next to Briggs. All her creatures turned to mist and dissipated into the air, along with the Amplification Disk.

  Her heart broke as she watched the cursed wolf exhale. But instead of fire, it let out a pitiful noise, then fell to the ground. The arcanum handlers looked confused. While taking advantage of the moment, the warrior pack’s retaliation attack overpowered the remaining arcanum.

  “What have you done?” shouted Quinlin.

  She felt his fingers wrap around her neck. As she struggled for air, she looked into his contorted face, her body too weak to fight back. She closed her eyes, thinking of Briggs. Even after his death, his memory had helped her win against Quinlin and his cursed creatures.

  Then she heard a click as something tore Quinlin’s hands from her throat. She gasped, trying to drag air into her lungs. When she opened her eyes, she saw Briggs standing over her, one arm bent at an odd angle and the other holding Quinlin in a choke-hold.

  While staring into Briggs’ lavender eyes, she tried to work out his feelings. She had never seen that look before. They showed a combination of physical pain, rage, and sadness all at the same time. Then she heard her mom’s voice.

  “Keren!”

  She heard her mom fall to her knees next to her, then she saw her beautiful face lean over into view. Keren cried big heavy sobs that shook her entire body. Her mom lifted her to a sitting position, wrapping her arms around her.

  “Are you alright?”

  She couldn’t answer. All the pain, fear, and anguish from the last week poured out of her. As she looked over her mom’s shoulder, she saw a horse-eared figure approaching. She blinked, trying to clear her vision. Then she croaked out, “Ordell?”

  His face was filthy, and his clothes were torn, but it was Ordell. Her mom released her, letting Ordell join them.

  “Hey there.” He looked into her eyes. “You did it.” He gave her a brief hug.

  “But Quinlin shot you down.”

  Ordell frowned, shaking his head. “No, I’ve been with your mom ever since Briggs helped her escape.”

  Then who did Quinlin shoot down? She gasped, reaching her arms out to her mom.

  “Help me up.”

  “Are you sure, shouldn’t you…”

  But Keren cut her off. “Help me up now.”

  Barely able to hold her own weight, Keren directed her mom to the shrubbery where the raven fell. Ordell stepped forward, pushing the pushes aside. Then he let out a heart-wrenching scream. In the bushes, she saw Papa Murphy with a black hole scorched into his chest.

  “Papa!” Ordell flung himself onto his father.

  Keren buried her face in her mom’s shoulder. Everything blurred around her and moved in slow motion. She heard sounds, but they were muffled as if underwater.

  Dozens of inquisitors streamed onto Church Street. Medics fanned out behind them. Keren watched as an inquisitor tore Ordell off Papa Murphy so a medic could move the body to a gurney. The medic pulled a sheet over Papa Murphy’s head before wheeling the gurney away. Ordell broke away from the inquisitor, running after the medic and Papa Murphy.

  She saw Tabitha being wheeled out on a gurney with an IV attached to her arm. Two inquisitors marched Quinlin down Church Street. As he passed, he glanced over at Keren, sending a chill down her spine. His brown eyes looked calm and calculating. She hoped they locked him up for life.

  A medic ran up to her, taking her from her mom’s arms and placing her on a gurney. The last thing she remembered was seeing the clear Florida sky and wondering why she was still alive.

  Chapter Forty-Nine

  Keren

  Keren stood between Mrs. Murphy and Ordell, greeting people she didn’t know. So many people had attended Papa Murphy’s memorial service it ended up being standing room only. All his co-workers and friends, both magical and human races, came to pay their respects to one of the most kindhearted individuals Keren had ever known. Although her heart ached, she hadn’t shed a tear. She had cried every day at first, then when the tears stopped, she existed as an empty husk going through the movements of life.

  Once the crowd dwindled to a number Keren thought Ordell and Mrs. Murphy could handle, she gave them both a hug and a kiss, then walked down the street to a city park. She took a seat under a large oak tree she and Nadria had named Old Bill. After school, they would come here to do their homework and gossip about boys. But now that seemed like another person’s story.

  While resting her head back on the tree, she thought about all the memorial services she had attended. She’d been to the Magic Underground for the shifters murdered by the Dark Guild and the military service for the warrior pack members who had lost their lives protecting the magic community.

  She had attended the inquisitors’ memorial service yesterday, hoping to get a chance to talk to Briggs. Although he had attended, just like he had attended all the other services, he had avoided talking with her. Officer Jordon had attended the service. He had said after a couple of days in the hospital monitoring his heart; the doctor cleared him to return to duty. Nadria’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

  “I thought I might find you here with Old Bill.”

  Nadria sat down next to her, taking her hand. She had also been at Papa Murphy’s memorial service. When Keren looked over, the breeze pushed Nadria’s white hair off her forehead, revealing the ugly wound Quinlin had inflicted with the fire extinguisher. The doctor had said Nadria might have a permanent scar. Quinlin had left Keren with permanent internal scars.

  “Are you thinking about your mom?”

  Keren’s relationship with her mom had been strained since the Church Street battle. So many lies had been told, and honestly, her emotions were too raw to deal with it right now.

  “Yeah, she’s holding up well. The lawyer Briggs recommended is doing a great job with her defense.”

  “I’m so glad to hear that.” She shifted around so she faced Keren. “I have exciting news.” Nadria bubbled with anticipation. “Madam Windsburrow has agreed to let me apprentice with her.”

  One of Nadria’s dreams had been to delve into complex magic. Madam Windsburrow made an excellent choice selecting Nadria as her apprentice.

  “That’s wonderful.” Keren gave Nadria a hug. “You’ll be impressing the café customers with sophisticated water magic in no time.”

  Nadria bit her lip. “Well, I q
uit the café this morning. I’ll be living in the underground while I study. She said it could be a year or two.”

  Keren rubbed the back of her neck. “Oh, well, that’s great.”

  “Ms. Oakdove told me she’d teach me about potions, too.” Nadria’s face lit up.

  Nadria’s dreams were coming true. While she should be happy for her, Keren felt only more loss and emptiness. She squeezed Nadria’s hand.

  “I’m so excited for you. You’ll be the best apprentice Madam Windsburrow ever had. Maybe I can visit when I go to the underground.”

  “That would be nice.” Nadria gave her another quick hug. “Well, I have an appointment with Madam Windsburrow’s assistant to discuss everything in more detail. So, I’ll catch you later?”

  “Yes, catch you later.” Keren smiled and waved as Nadria walked away.

  Once Nadria was out of sight, Keren stood up. A wave of nausea washed over her, and she had to use the tree to steady herself. Ever since Church Street, she had felt weak. Azalea had said, ‘It might take time to recover from the ordeal.’ She had wrapped up all the pain, bloodshed, torture, and near-death experiences into this convenient word ordeal.

  But there hadn’t been even incremental improvements. She was getting worse. No amount of food or rest dissuaded the queasiness and persistent headache throbbing in her temples.

  Even her imaginary friends suffered from this mysterious illness. They would appear from time to time, but none of them showed an interest in extreme tag or any of the other games they used to play. When they showed up, they simply sat with her, not expecting anything, which she appreciated since she had nothing more to give.

  She headed back to the memorial service. By now, the guests should have left and Ordell and Mrs. Murphy would be ready to head home. They had asked Keren to stay with them since the golem had destroyed her house and her mom was in jail without bond until her trial was over.

  As she walked down the street, Tabitha approached from the other direction. She moved faster on crutches than most people did with two healthy legs.

  When they met, Tabitha looked down to Keren’s feet, then back up to her face.

  “You look terrible.”

  “Thanks, I love you, too.”

  “No, really. You’re wasting away, and your eyes look like they’re swimming in a tar pit.”

  Keren sighed, shifting from foot to foot. “I’m just tired. Did you see Briggs?”

  Tabitha’s face softened. “Yeah, I just spoke with him.” She paused, looking at the ground. Then she looked into Keren’s eyes. “He’s hurt. He heard what you said to Quinlin.”

  Keren felt her heart crack. “I lied to get close enough to take the artifact.”

  “I think he knows that. But it doesn’t stop the words from hurting. Give him time, he’ll come around.”

  Keren wiped her hands over her face and nodded.

  “You never told me. How did you know sending the Amplifier Disk away with your creatures would destroy the cursed wolf?”

  Keren shrugged. “I didn’t know. I guessed, and I hoped.” She sighed. “It was just some things Quinlin had said about the spell being permanent as long as the artifact existed. I thought it was worth a shot.”

  “Well, it was. Worth a shot, that is. No one can create cursed creatures anymore.”

  “What about the Book of Shadows?” Keren asked.

  “Since the book is indestructible, as proven by Briggs when he used it to block an energy blast, we have locked it in a magic-secured evidence room.”

  “That’s good. If you want, we can drop you off at your place. I’m sure Mrs. Murphy won’t mind.”

  “No, thanks. My husband is meeting me for coffee. It’s just a few blocks away, and I need the exercise.”

  “Alright, then I’ll see you later.”

  “Alright,” Tabitha moved around Keren, “and get something to eat.”

  As Keren watched Tabitha walk away, she smiled. It had been so long since she had smiled she had almost forgotten how.

  Once back at the memorial service, she waited by the car while Mrs. Murphy and Ordell finished speaking with the guests. She was playing a game on her phone when someone spoke to her.

  “Keren Stewart?”

  She looked up, seeing a well-dressed, middle-aged man. Since Church Street, reporters had plagued her trying to get an interview. She had hoped they would leave her alone at Papa Murphy’s memorial service.

  “No interviews.” She looked back down at her phone.

  “I’m not a reporter.”

  She looked at him again. His neat clothes and perfect hair reminded her of Quinlin’s lieutenant.

  “If you’re an arcanum and you’ve come to kill me, get it over with.” She glared into his eyes.

  “Keren, may I call you Keren?” When she didn’t respond, he continued. “I’m from the Las Vegas faction of sorcerers.” Then he held up his hands. “I’m not associated with the Dark Guild. You are in possession of something Quinlin Turner had stolen from us.”

  The only sorcerers she had ever encountered were arcanum, so in her mind, all sorcerers were evil. He was probably looking for Marcus’s Book of Shadows.

  She narrowed her eyes. “What do you think I have?”

  “The Amplification Disk artifact.”

  Keren blinked, pulling her chin back. Why was this sorcerer interested in the Amplification Disk?

  “It’s gone.”

  “No, it’s somewhere in the elemental realm with your creatures. We need to bring it back to the Earth realm. Our faction’s elder can help retrieve it.”

  She didn’t have the strength or desire to summon her magic and have One bring the artifact back. Besides, she would never hand an artifact over to a sorcerer. While shaking her head, she went back to playing her game.

  “It’s important, Keren, to control the dragons and prevent another war.”

  Keren’s head snapped up. “Did you say dragons?”

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  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  On a crisp Michigan day after a snowstorm, I watched a snowplow bury my car just moments after shoveling a way clear to leave for work. By the end of that year, I had arranged a work transfer to our Florida office. Leaving my winter coat and mittens behind, I arrived in Florida the week between Christmas and New Year. I settled in central Florida where I live today with my family.

  I enjoy being active and am always looking for the next glorious adventure. From Tae Kwon Do to dancing, or tumbling around in an adult gymnastics class, I look for physical and mental challenges to grow and enrich my life.

  As a booklover, I read everything from classics, to thrillers, or historical fiction, but fantasy is my favorite genre. You might find me online playing video games or enjoying a relaxing afternoon playing a board game with my family.