Magic Underground: The Complete Collection (Magic Underground Anthologies Book 4)

by Melinda Kucsera

  Ariana sighed. “Please get up. I didn’t mean to scare you. I tire of people knowing more about me than I do. I tire of people telling me what and who I am, and not even asking me what I want to be or do. Can you please just get up and tell me why you think I am who you say I am?”

  “Highness, only an heir to Queen Seerana could hold such power. Forgive me for being abrupt earlier. You look so human. But...no, I see it, now. Your hair, your eyes. You are the very look-alike to your mother, the Queen. Despite the lack of wings, of course. Sorry about that, Princess. It’s not your fault you have a mortal father.” The man fumbled with his ascot in discomfort.

  “Nooby…” Ariana started again.

  “Nimby, if it please your Highness.”

  “Sorry. Nimby, can you please start from the beginning? I want to know how you knew I would be here, why you think I am some sort of pixie princess, what this power is that keeps consuming me, and why...why she left me.” The last of her queries she almost whispered. And with that, the power in her subsided, and her knees buckled. She sat on the deck, exhausted.

  Wot waddled over to her with his clicking paws and nudged her with his head. “Hi, Wot,” she cooed, patting him almost as much to calm herself as him.

  Nimby finally stopped prostrating. He raised himself and asked, “Can this unworthy marauder offer the princess some tea in the captain suite?”

  Ariana exhaled patiently. “Please don’t fawn over me. I’m just Ariana. Even if I am your princess, I am not interested in being the type of princess who people fuss over. I would like some tea, though.”

  Nimby smiled. “Come with me, if you please, Princess.”

  “Ariana,” she asserted, standing on tired legs.

  “I cannot call you by your name, Highness, it is not proper,” Nimby answered. A head shorter than her, he seemed to draw in on himself even more as he said it.

  “Fine. I’ll call you the Honorable Marauder Captain Nimby form here on out, if you insist on calling me ‘Highness’ or ‘Princess.’ That way, we shall both bore each other with titles,” Ariana replied, setting her chin stubbornly.

  “You are your Queen mother’s child,” Nimby replied, smiling and standing taller.

  Ariana smiled ruefully. “I will have to take your word for it, Nimby.”

  “Follow me, then.” The stout marauder waved her towards a door set in the deck of the ship, which led to a short flight of stairs. He gestured at the ship, “You know what to do, my lass. Set sail for Pieramu without delay. The Queen awaits us.”

  Ariana looked around for who he could be addressing, but saw no one. She looked askance at Wot, but the fuzzy creature only scratched at his flappy ear with a copper paw before following Nimby down the flight of stairs, his nose in the air sniffing for food. Though she saw no one, the ship began to move over the crystal clear waters of the cave’s lake.

  “Hurry in, if you please, Ariana,” Nimby called to her from the sturdy door leading into the belly of the ship. “Seaira, the ship that is, is beginning our descent.

  Surely enough, the ship began to sink into the lake. Ariana rushed down the stairs, passing Nimby, who secured the heavy door of the cabin with a large, round wheel he twisted to the right, until a loud ‘clunk’ sounded.

  “We are going underwater? In a ship? Won’t it leak? It can’t be airtight!” Ariana grasped the wall behind her as the ship swayed, sinking further.

  “This isn’t just an old, wooden, human-made vessel. Seaira was a gift to the Queen from the Eerie Elven Cove, in thanks for rescuing one of their young royals from the wicked Fieries.”

  “I understand almost nothing of what you just said, Nimby,” Ariana answered, still clutching the walls.

  “Come, Seaira knows what she’s doing. We are safe. I’ll explain all I can over tea.”

  He held out an arm and Ariana placed her hand on his arm, as much to steady herself in the swaying vessel as out of politeness. Nimby led her to a cozy room, paneled in what appeared to be gold varnished wood paneling. There was a large, circular window at the head of the room, in front of which stood a table that seemed to grow out of wood floor. All of the furniture, in fact, seemed to grow out of the ship itself. There were four chairs surrounding the table, the legs of which merged seamlessly with the ship itself. There was a large shelf of books in the back of the cabin and large maps unrolled on the floor of the cabin.

  But Ariana’s eyes were drawn to the window, so that the cozy cabin’s details remained largely unexplored. It was, indeed, hard to look anywhere else with the view she saw through the large, round window. They were, miraculously, steadily floating just above the floor of the cave’s lake. Ghostly pale fish with red eyes scurried past the glowing vessel blindly. The cave floor and sides were illuminated by the passing vessel. Golden flecks speckled on every surface.

  “Is there gold in this cave?” Ariana asked.

  Nimby shrugged. “I suppose so, Princ…, or, rather, Ariana. Aye, there are gems and gold of all sorts in this cave, this forest, our world. They are not deemed as important to our people as they are to humans. We use them, here and there, for decoration, but we do not ruin our land to obtain them. The wood, water and earth nymphs would rebel, and we like to keep them as allies.”

  Ariana nodded. “That makes sense,” she answered. Though, of course, it was all sounded like fairytale nonsense. She was entranced by the length of the lake and the wonders that the light caught upon. She didn’t realize that creatures could live without light. But so many of them floated past her, crawled across the bottom of the cave’s lake, or scrambled up the cave’s walls.

  “It’s beautiful down here, but how is it so big? How does a lake this size exist in a cave? Where does that much water come from?”

  Nimby smiled out of the corner of his mouth. “Very good. Yes, most caves have clear, cold water that comes from rain, filtered through the stones. Usually, only very old caves have large pools of water. This cave is, indeed, very old, but, more than that, it is magically enhanced. It connects with our own body of water on the other side. The water sprites and nymphs are in charge of the connection. Please, have a seat.” He gestured to the table in front of the round window.

  Ariana sat in one of the seats that seemed to grow out of the ship. “Nimby, I’m sorry, but I feel like I’m dreaming, even though I know I cannot be. I think I need you to start from the beginning. Why were you sent for me? Who am I? Where are we going?”

  Nimby crossed over to a cabinet carved with sea life of all varieties. It looked to be a part of the wall itself, but he found the clasp closing that secured it and opened it to reveal a little iron stove, an iron teapot and two sturdy stone teacups. He brought the cups and the pot over.

  “I had this on to brew while I waited for you. I was just in time, actually. The Driode found me not long after I set the tea to brewing.”

  “The what?” Ariana asked.

  “Your friend there.” Nimby gestured to Wot, who curled up on a rug covered in elegantly woven octopi. “He is a Driode. The son to your mother’s Driode, Anubis, actually.” He poured her a cup of steaming tea and set it in front of her. “I don’t have honey, I’m afraid. All out. I’m a bit of a sweet monger.”

  “So, Wot is a Driode, the son of my mother’s pet?”

  Nimby bristled and Wot made an offended little bark from where he sat in front of the iron stove. “Calm down, my boy, the girl can’t know it all,” Nimby threw over his shoulder at Wot.

  “Princess, the Driode are not pets. If they choose a pixie to stay with, they are bound to that pixie for life, and vice versa. They do not choose a master. They choose a comrade, a partner.”

  Wot purred, then trotted over to Ariara, who he nudged with the side of his head. “Wot, did you choose me?” Ariana asked the red fuzz-ball.

  Wot crouched before jumping onto Ariana’s lap. He burrowed into her skirts, his glow warming them and making them smoke again. “Not again!” Ariana murmured, finding Wot’s bag and stuffing it under
him, so that her skirts would not catch.

  “Well, I’ll be buzzed,” Nimby exclaimed under his breath. “Ariana, did you make that little bag there?”

  Ariana nodded. “When he’s happy, Wot gets a little too warm for comfort. I didn’t know I could do it, but, then...I don’t really know the rules to all this magic stuff, so I gave it a try. He really likes to be on me, but I don’t like to be aflame. It seems to do the trick.”

  Nimby nodded, his eyes staring at the little sleeping bag as though it were a trunk full of treasure.

  “Why are you looking at it like that?” She asked the marauder.

  “All pixies have a strength in their power. Some are good with elements: wind, fire, water, air. Some have an affinity for plants, some for animals. Many are talented in the crafts. Your mother, the Queen, is a water pixie. That is, her power is greatest when used in conjunction with water. It does not drain her, like using her power to do anything outside of water magic will. You may have experienced that before?”

  Araina nodded. “That bridge business wore me out. I don’t think I’m an element-type pixie or whatever it’s called.”

  Nimby laughed. “No, I don’t think you are either. I think you, my dear, are a weaver, like your great-great grandfather, Nexis. He was a powerful craftsman, and a fair leader. He wove protections for our pixie fleet in the First Fierie War.”

  Ariana felt a confusing mixture of pride and sadness. “I have a great-great grandfather and you know more about him, his power, my mother and her power and my life than I do.”

  Nimby pushed her tea towards her. “Drink up. I will tell you a story to pass the time. We will not be entering the waters of Endowa, yet. There, I must help Seaira navigate.”

  Ariana sipped her tea. The flavor burst in her mouth like a spring morning: fields of sweet flowers unnamed in the human world vied for attention. They tasted of sweets her tongue had never savored, but knew, all the same. Tears fell from her ice-blue eyes.

  “Home,” she whispered, though she couldn’t say how she knew.

  Nimby’s smile was wide and his eyes sparkled. “Yes, Princess, that brew comes from the fields of organa flowers, just outside of your family’s palace. Are you ready for my story or, should I say, your story?”

  Ariana wiped the tears from her cheek, patted Wot’s little head and nodded. “I’m ready.”

  Ariana faces her most harrowing adventure yet, when she enters the home she has never known in the middle of a strained peace between the Pixie and Fierie kingdoms.. She must not only decide whether or not to stay and claim her place in the pixie kingdom, but also what side she is on. Join Ariana in the third installment in her chronicles featured in Forgotten Magic.

  About the Author

  Washington state author H. M. Jones is an N.I.E.A finalist and B.R.A.G medallion honoree for her debut novel, Monochrome. She writes poetry, new adult, young adult, fantasy, sci-fi, and speculative fiction. In her spare time, she loves to cosplay with her two favorite geeklets, sing to her chickens, and dance haphazardly around the house while talking to characters she hasn’t written yet. Her dog worries for her.

  For more information about the author, please visit: www.hmjones.net. Don’t forget to 1-click the sequel anthology, Forgotten Magic, for more!

  Weather Witch Worries

  A. R. Johnston

  The coven of elders are coming for the new weather witch and they have their own nefarious ideas for her. Sky may be the new weather witch, a reluctant one but what is yet to be determined is if she and Braxton can bring new promise to the age of witches. Can they learn to use this wayward magic?

  AR Johnston

  Fear of execution has Sky more worried about learning control and staying under the radar than making birthday plans with her best friend. Otherwise, the coven might execute her before she even has a chance to learn her potential, which seems to be great. But someone wants her power, wants the balance Braxton has given her, and she has no idea who it is.

  Nefarious plans are brewing and Sky won't have the time to worry about which direction the wind is blowing before time brings a new storm. Will she be able to weather it, or will it tear her apart?

  Prologue

  “Les jeux des enfants ne sont pas des jeux.”

  (The games of children are not games)

  Montaigne

  The Divine has chosen a new weather witch. It has given her a balance for power in the world.

  Sky Stratan is a reluctant recipient of the weather witch powers but manages to find the one man who calms the growing storm within her.

  Braxton Conrad, a powerful witch in his own right, has the power to nullify or dampen the powers of others. He is completely taken by Sky when he meets her, falling fast and deeper than ever. The bonus for both of them is that his powers can help calm Sky’s or enhance them. Something they will have to learn to control.

  Can he help keep her safe in the coming weeks? The coven elders have heard there is a new weather witch and they want her for their own nefarious purposes.

  This is where this part of the story begins …

  Chapter One

  “You’re learning better discipline, curbing the magic to your will.” My father sounded surprised and pleased at the same time.

  Glancing out the window at the old Victorian house we lived in, I smiled. My parents had found a specific area for me to practice in, so I had been learning exactly what my powers could do. It was the carriage house behind the property. At least if I lost control and destroyed this place, we’d still have a home to live in.

  I reached up to clutch the necklace I had on, a lovely wire-wrapped piece consisting of several gemstones known for their calming properties. Celestite was said to blast away chaotic thoughts and was connected to the top three chakras to help with the highest serenity. Black tourmaline was a stone often overlooked, but it was known to ground a person and protect them from others’ negative emotions. And blue lace agate looked like it came from the sea and brought with it an instant sense of calm. The combination made this an enchanted piece of jewelry, the same one my great aunt had used when she was first training to become a weather witch. It was designed to dull my powers, to help teach control.

  Especially when I was sleeping, it protected me. Having a nightmare as a weather witch was not a good thing. I could accidentally bring on world destruction in my sleep. It was not the only thing I used to help control my new developing magic, either. There were many other pieces of jewelry, even some crystals. Because it had become clear almost from the start that my powers as a weather witch made me one of the most powerful, one piece of jewelry just wouldn’t do.

  “She is. It is amazing to watch,” Braxton said from the far corner of the room, his voice filled with pride.

  I glanced over to see him smiling at me from his perch on the settee. My heart skipped a beat and my cheeks heated. Braxton and I had met a little over two weeks ago, but I felt so much more for him in that short time than I had for Nick in all the years we had been together. With that thought, a zing of anxiety pinged through my chest. Maybe we were moving a little too fast.

  Was this the right thing?

  I had no idea if he was right for me, but when he was around peace and tranquility washed over me. Yes, I was terrified of what might happen, sure. Part of me thought maybe I was just using him to steer clear of the coven’s radar, and another part thought maybe my feelings had escalated because I was so angry with Nick. I needed to make sure I wanted to be with him for me, though. I wanted to be with him because I enjoyed his company, not just because of my growing powers. A rush of frustration washed over me. None of these thoughts were good ones to be having, and thinking of Nick made my palms sweat, my breathing come faster, and seething bitterness creep inside me.

  Things in the room shook, my father’s face filling with apprehension. His concerned frown marred his face, making me sad because I’d put it there. My heart ached.

  “I’m sorry, Daddy,” I told him, the
broken plea for forgiveness coming straight from my soul. My chin trembled and tears blurred my vision, threatening to fall.

  His head tilting slightly to the side, the look in his eyes was one of pity, comfort, and love all at the same time. He stepped closer, his hand reaching up to cup my cheek. “Oh, sweetie. There is nothing to be sorry about. I know you’ll get this. You’re a Stratan and you know no other way.” His voice was soft and soothing. I loved listening to my father speak. “Now, stop the rain sweetie. We’re on the coast and don’t need any more water rising. Plus, Braxton here is the only one who knows how to surf.”

  My eyes widened as I sputtered a laugh. Braxton chuckled from the corner. My father’s bright green eyes danced with mischief and I could only grin, my amusement stopping the rain. I stepped closer to my father and hugged him close.

  “I won’t let anything happen to my little girl,” he whispered in my ear. He ran his hand over my hair in a comforting gesture.

  I sighed, my eyes closing at the sense of security he instilled in me.

  “That’s my girl,” Braxton breathed from behind me.

  I grinned, turning my head to see him wink at me. My father’s eyebrows rose at that. He even looked a little embarrassed. He let me go, coughing as his eyes fell on the floor.

  “I’ll just be back at the house helping your mother with supper,” he said, his gaze darting everywhere but on us before he nodded and made his way out of the room.

  Braxton chuckled as he wrapped his arms around me from behind and pulled me against him, both of us watching the retreating figure of my father.

  “Did I just embarrass your father?” he asked, bending close enough to perch his chin on my shoulder and pepper my neck with kisses.

  I sighed in contentment, wrapping my hands tight around his and leaning back into his embrace.