A Crown of Shadows and Secrets
Sloane Murphy
A Crown of Smoke and Ash
The Shadow Walkers Saga #2
Copyright © 2020 Sloane Murphy
Published by Hudson Indie Ink
www.hudsonindieink.com
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademark status and trademark owners of various products referred to in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorised, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
Crown of Smoke and Ash/Sloane Murphy – 1st ed.
ISBN-13 - 978-1-913769-11-6
Our descent into darkness isn’t what defines us, its how we rise from it.
- Sloane Murphy
Contents
Chapter 1
Remy
Chapter 2
Remy
Chapter 3
Remy
Chapter 4
Fallon
Chapter 5
Remy
Chapter 6
Remy
Chapter 7
Remy
Chapter 8
Colt
Chapter 9
Remy
Chapter 10
Fallon
Chapter 11
Remy
Chapter 12
Colt
Chapter 13
Remy
Chapter 14
Fallon
Chapter 15
Remy
Chapter 16
Colt
Chapter 17
Remy
Chapter 18
Remy
Chapter 19
Colt
Chapter 20
Remy
Chapter 21
Fallon
Chapter 22
Remy
Chapter 23
Fallon
Chapter 24
Colt
Chapter 25
Remy
Chapter 26
Remy
Chapter 27
Remy
Chapter 28
Remy
Chapter 29
Remy
Chapter 30
Remy
Want More??
About the Author
Acknowledgments
Also by Sloane Murphy
Other Works from Hudson Indie Ink
Chapter One
Remy
“What the fuck do you mean Fallon’s been taken?” Colt all but yells down the phone at me. “Fuck this. I’m on my way.”
The line disconnects and I rub my temples. This day has gone from bad to epically worse, and I just need a goddamn minute. Taking a deep breath I look up at my guys who are all watching me like I’m about to implode.
“I’m not going to break. Not anything but Archer’s fucking neck anyway. We need a plan, because I’m going into the Shadow Realm to get her whether you approve or not. She’s my friend, and this is my mess.”
“We wouldn’t dream of stopping you, princess. But you need to think this through,” Roman says softly, which makes me pause. Soft is not something Roman does. I look up to him and I see worry and tension painted all over his features, matched by the others.
“What if you can’t pass back through to here now that you’re not an Angel?” Levi asks, and I take another deep breath.
“We need to find a way,” I say to him, knowing I’ll happily sacrifice myself to save my friends.
“We do, because I’m not staying behind,” Creek says, stepping forward and crouching in front of me. “She’s my friend too, Remy. You’re not in this alone.”
“We should call her mother,” Kain interjects, and I nod, picking my phone back up to dial Marie.
“Let me,” Creek takes the phone from me and moves into the sitting room to speak to Marie, when the front door slams open and the hurricane that is Colt appears.
“Break a few speed limits on your way here big brother?” I smile tightly at him, but he’s practically shaking.
“Don’t start with me Remy. Talk. What the fuck is going on?” He paces in front of me, a hand pulling on his hair, just like he used to when we were younger, and he was stressed.
“Take a seat, Colt,” Levi says calmly, I can see the tension in his shoulders. He hates that we’re here, just when we thought we were almost clear. Getting the factions to work together was a huge feat, but of course we couldn’t revel in our win for even a few days. I also know he hates when anyone talks to me like that, but he’s trying to give Colt a pass because well, it’s Fallon.
“Bauer called me this morning, telling me we needed to talk,” I start and Colt’s eyes bug out, before he crashes into the seat next to me, on high alert. “He told me that Archer has been behind everything. The rogues joining together, the hybrids, all of it. Bauer has been trying to stop it all, since Archer discovered he needed me to open the portal to the Shadow Realm.”
I give him a minute letting it sink in, because Bauer was practically his hero, hell, when we were younger he was mine too. It’s a lot to process.
“Why does he need you?” Colt asks, looking around at us all.
“He needs me, because before I was a Hunter, I was an Angel. A Shadow Walker. Which meant that I could pass between the realms with ease, and I’m the only one who can open the portal for more than a few minutes, because my blood was used to seal the portal the last time it was opened.”
“What the…”
“I know, it’s been a day.” I sigh and keep going. “I got back from speaking to Bauer, explained everything to these guys, and I got a call from Archer. Saying he had Fallon, that she’s in the Shadow Realm, and we won’t get her back unless I help him.”
“You can’t help that ass bag.” He shakes his head, still reeling from the shock of it all.
“I don’t intend to. But I am going into the Shadow Realm, and I am going to get her back. But I don’t know how long that’s going to take. It’s why I called you. I need to make sure all hell doesn’t break loose here when Archer discovers I’ve gone into the Shadow Realm rather than helping him.”
“I don’t… I mean… Holy fucking shit, Remy.” Colt sits back, wide eyed. I get it. It’s a lot.
“I know. I know. But I don’t see another way.”
“Can you even do it? Since you’re not an Angel? I mean, that’s something we need to circle back around to, because what the fuck.”
“Yeah, it’s a long story. I’ll explain that after. After this shit show is sorted, and Archer is dealt with. But whether I can do it or not, I’m going to find a way. There is no way I’m letting her stay down there. Not when it’s my fault she’s there. I don’t even want to think about…”
“It’s not your fault, mon amour,” Kain says softly from where he’s stood against the counter on the opposite side of the room. He’s been quiet through most of this, but I’m not surprised. That’s who he is. I imagine he’s been strategizing the entire time. “The fault is Archer’s. And maybe a little of Bauer’s.”
“Maybe
, maybe not. Regardless, we need to get her back,” I say to them before turning back to Colt. “You also need to check in on Bauer. He was hurt when Archer called me. I don’t care what he had a hand in, he tried to help us, and he warned me, as best he could.”
“I’ll do more than check on him,” Colt says through gritted teeth.
“We should call together the heads of the factions,” Roman says. “Prepare, make sure that everyone is ready here before we leave.”
“You’re all going?” Colt asks looking around the room.
“You didn’t think we’d let her go alone?” Levi asks, eyebrow raised.
“But you’re the faction leaders, who is going to sort things with the factions if you’re not here?” Colt eyes them all in disbelief.
“We have trusted people to help us, just as the Hunters have their Elders, we have people we lean on. I have my Generals, Roman his Alphas. They will do as we ask while we are gone, for however long that may be,” Kain tells him.
“This is insane.” Colt shakes his head.
“You’d rather we sent her to the Shadow Realm alone?” Roman asks him, practically growling. I can see his temper rising, hell, everyone’s tempers are rising. This whole situation is insane.
“Of course not,” Colt answers. “But I know my sister, she’ll get Fallon back with help or not. But what happens up here, with her gone? You guys not being here could make an even bigger difference.”
“This is not up for discussion,” Creek says as he re-enters the room. “If we can all go with her, then we all go with her. Our people here will be able to handle whatever shit Archer has up his sleeve, especially if we can get Bauer out of his grip, because we’ll have some idea of what is going on. Marie is gathering the Witch council. She recommended we get our people here and meet in two days.” I try to interrupt him, but he shakes his head. “She doesn’t like leaving Fallon down there longer than she has to either, but she’s in agreement, we need to make sure that Archer and whatever he has planned can be handled when we’re gone.”
“Okay, well, let’s do that. You guys get in touch with whoever you need to. We’ll have everyone meet here. It’s the most secure place we have to gather that many leaders in one place.” I look to Levi and he nods. “Will the Archangels help?”
“I don’t know.” He bows his head a little. “I will reach out to Serafina and see what I can do.”
“Thank you,” I say as he leans down to kiss the top of my head, then leaves the room to go and do what he needs to do.
“I’ll start contacting the Alphas,” Roman says, and Kain nods, standing.
“And I’ll contact the Generals. We don’t have much time to get everyone here.”
“Marie will open portals if needed,” Creek tells them both, and they nod, leaving the room, kissing me on the cheek in turn as they go.
“I guess I should go and speak to Nasari and the rest of the Elders,” Colt says wearily, standing.
“I’ll come with you, the more people we have to explain, the better. We also still don’t know which Hunters are working with Archer, so we need to tread carefully,” Creek says, standing with him.
“I’ll see what I can find out about the Shadow Realm. Levi said my old journals are here, I can only assume he means all the way back.” I shrug trying not to feel beaten before we already begin. There’s so much to do, and my biggest worry that I dare not speak yet…
What if I can’t bring Fallon back across since I’m not an Angel?
I spent the afternoon training while the others are off doing what they’re doing, getting myself ready for whatever it is that’s to come, to make myself feel even a little useful. I then spent the rest of the day going through my journals that I could find in the library, but as yet, I’ve learned nothing new. I’ve only found journals of my past lives, and while I’ve learned some things about myself, things I hadn’t remembered yet, I’ve not come across anything as far back as Amantara.
I let out a breath and cradle my head in my hands. There is so much going on that I’ve barely had time to focus on the fact that I was an Angel.
A freaking Angel.
And not just any Angel, Levi’s right hand. It explains a lot I guess. If I was that close to the Archangel of War, then my fighting skills probably carry over in some memory. What I can’t wrap my head around is that after he transferred my soul, or essence, or whatever, into a Hunter, it took so long for me to be reborn as Remy.
Maybe that was my punishment for Levi’s actions. For cheating the system. I guess not having those memories is part of that too. I’m pretty sure that in my first life as a Hunter I didn’t know about Amantara, but then, in a first life they don’t do an awakening, so maybe that’s why.
My head hurts thinking about it all, and guilt makes me nauseous for focusing on myself rather than figuring out a way to get Fallon back. Though the two are intertwined, I can’t help but feel selfish. God only knows what’s happening to her down there.
I guess, in human terms, Avalon would be our Heaven, and the Shadow Realm our version of Hell. Except, I’ve never really thought about either place, because being reborn means I don’t have to factor those places in until I choose the final death.
But considering everything, would I even get the choice to go to Avalon? Since I already died as an Angel once?
Oh my god. Focus Remy.
I pick up the journals again, flicking through the hundreds of leather-bound pages, looking for anything that points back to a time that far back, if there even was such a thing then.
“You look stressed,” Levi’s voice makes me jump and I twist in my chair to see him striding across the library to me. “How are you holding up?”
“I’ve been better, I just wish there was more I could do.” I tilt my head up and he leans in and kisses me softly. He pulls back and leans against the giant oak table crossing his arms. “Any luck your end?”
“I’ve asked the question, now I just have to wait and see if they’ll help.” He shrugs, but I can tell he’s not as nonchalant as he seems. “What are you in here looking for?”
“I was trying to see if any of my journals went as far back as Amantara. To see if she had any wisdom on the Shadow Realm, since she could skip between the realms with such ease.” His eyes go wide at my words, but he recovers quickly.
“It is strange, to hear that name said so casually again, and so strange to hear you speak of her as a separate person, but at the same time I understand it. You have no memories of that time, and I’m not completely sure that in restoring your memories that you would get those ones back anyway.”
“I get it. I saw how weak those Hunters got after they got their memories back anyway, we don’t have time for me to be that weak for that long right now.” I smile at him, letting him know I understand.
“Yes, I didn’t realize just how weak it would make them. Luckily, we’ve not had any threats to the Hunters as yet, though I imagine we could make do without their numbers for the next few weeks while they regain their strength.” He runs a hand through his hair, messing it up, but it looks good. He always looks good.
“It can’t be helped. I wonder if the others are back yet.” I stand and stretch, having been curved over these journals for way too many hours.
“Creek’s not, but the other two are, it’s why I came to find you. Everly has prepared dinner, and insisted you come and eat since you haven’t eaten yet today.”
“Fine, I’m coming.” I let out a small sigh, I hate feeling so useless, especially when there’s so much to do.
I let him lead me through the house, our fingers intertwined, to the kitchen, where I paste a smile onto my face for Everly. I guess someone filled her in on what happened, because her eyes are full of sympathy. She hugs me tightly as soon as we enter, and I try not to break. Archer isn’t going to win. I refuse to let that thought even take root.
“I made your favorite, sweetheart.” She takes my face in her hands and squeezes softly before letting m
e go. I watch as she moves around the kitchen and pulls the huge pot of mac and cheese from the oven, along with so many garlic twists I can barely count them. I just wish I had an appetite to match the amazingness in front of me.
“Thank you, Everly. I appreciate it.” I smile at her and take a seat on a stool at the counter. The others aren’t here yet, but there’s enough stools for us all, and I just don’t feel like the formality of the dining table. It feels too nonchalant with everything else that’s going on around us.
I take a bite of the mac and cheese once Everly places my plate in front of me, and I can’t help the groan. I might not have an appetite, but there is no way I couldn’t enjoy the divine taste of her cooking. Not on this earth.
I smile as I clear my plate, and the others filter into the kitchen, we eat in almost silence, just the sound of the radio from where Everly had it playing when she was cooking. Once we’re all finished, I shoo Everly out of the kitchen letting her know we’ll clear up. We potter about quietly until the kitchen is put back together, and the dishes are in the dishwasher.
“So, what’s happening?” I ask Kain and Roman, having already quizzed Levi earlier.
“Exactly what we planned. My Generals will be here tomorrow, ready for our meeting,” Kain says softly.
“My Alphas will be here tomorrow too. Is this place going to be big enough to house everyone?” Roman asks Levi who nods in response.
“We have the staff wing, only Everly stays in there, but I’m sure she won’t mind the extra rooms being filled. We have twelve of them. That should be plenty for your people. The Witches and Hunters I’m sure will sort themselves out,” he tells us, and a little of the weight on my shoulders lifts. I hadn’t realized I’d been worrying about that too.
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