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

by Melinda Kucsera

When Augustina saw his blank expression, she imagined that at any moment he would invoke the protection of the spells laid around the shop and consume her where she stood.

  Instead, he opened his mouth to speak. “Why did you come here under false pretenses?”

  “Isn’t it obvious?” She motioned toward his pocket that concealed the obedience charm. “I didn’t know who you were or if I could trust you, and I only now guessed what this was all for.”

  “Then what are you seeking, Lady d’Hura?”

  “A map,” she said hesitantly, “that will lead me to an important artifact.”

  “If the Lord Deh’anin needed it, he would have sent for it.”

  “I speak for the Lady Deh’anin. She wishes me to retrieve the Bla— the special item, because she is the one who is returning to Boathe to rebuild Temple Dehawk.”

  Hanwel studied her for a moment. “That does make sense…it would belong in the Temple, not here in Rhinland where the shamans can get their hands on it.”

  A surge of triumph rose in Augustina’s chest at these words. “If you have the map, or anything that will help me find it, then give it to me. My Lady expects me back soon, and she is not one to cross.”

  “I don’t know if I can do that,” he said. “I was never told to hand the map to anyone.”

  “But you were never told not to deny it to anyone who had good reason to obtain it,” she argued.

  “Well,” he sighed, “I suppose one Deh’anin is as good as the other. But as a sign of good faith, let me bind you with the charm, and if in ten days I hear nothing from you, I will use it on you. If I receive confirmation that you have achieved your goal on the Lady’s behalf, I will destroy the charm.”

  She frowned. “How do I know I can trust you? What protection do I have?”

  “You have the protection of your Lady, and I don’t give a damn if you trust me or not. This is my shop, and it’s my map that you want. If you think you can find a copy anywhere else—and believe me, you won’t—then I’ll bid you good day. Otherwise, open up that pretty hand of yours.”

  Augustina bit back a curse and stretched out her hand, turning her palm upward. Hanwel wasted no time in pulling the obedience charm from his pocket and carving a small cut into her palm with the sharp edge of the crystal as he recited an incantation. A flash of light shot through the charm as the crystal took on its blood-red hue, indicating that the binding was completed. Augustina quickly withdrew her hand and shuddered, feeling queasy and apprehensive.

  “Don’t worry, my dear,” Hanwel grinned. “I’ll keep my word. You have ten days to find it.”

  “Just give me the map!” she growled.

  The old man pulled the key ring from the keyhole of the scroll chest and went over to another chest and unlocked it. He rummaged through its contents until he found a rolled parchment, darkened with age. Carefully unrolling the parchment, Hanwel gazed up at Augustina with another one of his annoying grins.

  “The map, Lady d’Hura, to the whereabouts of the Black Rod. I presume it is the Black Rod you’re searching for?”

  “Yes,” she breathed anxiously.

  “Then I wish you good hunting.”

  She hadn’t felt such a thrill of anticipation since she was a girl and had first learned to control her powers. Now she was on the verge of obtaining one of the greatest conduits of magic that had been hidden for 2,000 years. If Hanwel thought he was going to have the satisfaction of using the obedience charm on her, then he was a fool.

  “Thank you,” she told him with a smile. “And don’t worry, you will have your confirmation within ten days.” She approached him and firmly took the map from his grasp.

  She carefully folded the parchment and headed for the stairs but paused when Hanwel called out to her with a warning. “Lady d’Hura, if you should find the Rod, do not try to wield it yourself.”

  “Why?” she turned to face him.

  “If you heed my warning, then you won’t have to know why.”

  As soon as Augustina set foot into the tiny house, she went to the kitchen, lit the fire in the small brick oven, and began preparing tea. She readied her ingredients and quickly poured water into the kettle. She nearly dropped the kettle with a startled reaction when Mylen’s silky voice greeted her.

  “Do you grow less fearful of being captured?”

  Augustina blinked and looked askance. “My Lady, I’m not sure what you mean.”

  “I’ve noticed that each day you have gone out on errands that you’d return later than the previous day. I’m curious as to why.”

  Mylen seemed calm and collected, and her tone implied neither suspicion nor accusation. But was it time to tell her? Would her mistress allow her to continue this quest if it interfered with their greater mission? Augustina had learned early on that when the truth wasn’t readily available, that a half-truth always was.

  “I’ve been visiting apothecaries. I was once told that those with the blackbird engravings would welcome mages like me.”

  Mylen’s dark eyes pierced her like a knife. It made Augustina recant her decision to explain only part of the truth until she saw her mistress shake her head.

  “I must say I am disappointed in the so-called Dark Lords who’ve trained you. You don’t need to visit any of those places, Augustina. If there is something you wish to learn, if there is anything you need, please don’t hesitate to ask me.”

  Augustina curtsied and murmured a “Yes, Mistress,” before rushing over to finish prepping the tea. It dawned on her that Mylen might have felt contempt for the petty shopkeepers who claimed to possess arcane magic and magical remedies. Mylen was a Deh’anin, a priestess of Temple Dehawk. Through her and the other Deh’anin would come the power and knowledge of the Dark, and any attempt to exploit or peddle it was no less than blasphemy in Mylen’s eyes.

  “Mistress, I was thinking,” Augustina began as she bustled about the kitchen, “when will this dark mage act against the king?”

  “Soon. In fact, I must meet with one of his servants within the hour, someone from d’Eveka Palace, to finalize some plans.”

  Augustina poured a cup of steaming tea from the kettle. “That is good news. How may I help?”

  “I may need you to go north to the Oralendy territory to meet with—”

  “The Wild Ones?” Augustina finished her sentence as she handed Mylen the cup of tea on a saucer.

  “They have no desire to keep peace with Evien d’Eveka, and the clan lord Nahalo is a mage who’s sympathetic to our cause.”

  “Ah, I see.” Augustina joined her at the small kitchen table. “You will use the northern people as a distraction if not a weapon against the king’s army and storm the palace yourselves when ready. When the Wild Ones have outlived their use, you will dispose of them.”

  Mylen took a sip of tea and cleared her throat. “Why would I dishonor the pact I made with them and turn on them? I will be true to my word if they do the same.”

  The corner of Augustina’s mouth twitched slightly. It took a tremendous effort not to double over in laughter. She wondered how Mylen could have ever survived all these years without securing her own interests first and cutting loose any unwanted baggage.

  “Just think, Augustina,” she continued with an animated look, “the northern people will be the first of many nations to pledge fealty to Dehawk and support the rebirth of the Great Lord’s Temple in Boathe. They will send their sons and daughters as acolytes to the Temple, and they will be blessed.”

  “Forgive me, Mistress,” Augustina said, still incredulous. “Sometimes I still don’t understand your ways.”

  “In time, you will come to believe as I believe. Soon, the Dark Council will take its place beneath the feet of the true Clerics, and you will be a Deh’anin. This is why I chose you, Augustina—we are the Great Return.”

  “Yes Mistress Mylen,” she said. “I believe you when you say Temple Dehawk will rise from its ruins.” And Augustina intended to rise along with it, and take her sea
t of power.

  With dark magic on the horizon, what will happen next? Grab your copy of the next book of this anthology, Forgotten Magic, to see what happens!

  About the Author

  Alesha Escobar writes fantasy to support her chocolate habit. She enjoys reading everything from Tolkien and the Dresden Files, to the Hellblazer comics and classic literature. She’s the author of the bestselling Gray Tower Trilogy, an action-packed supernatural thriller set in an alternate World War II. The trilogy hit the bestsellers lists at Amazon (Top 60 in the entire Kindle store), as well as iBooks, Kobo, Barnes & Noble online, and Amazon UK. Alesha is also the co-author of the bestselling Aria Knight Chronicles and the Immortal Brotherhood series.

  Besides being a loving warrior mom to her six children, she enjoys crafts, consuming more coffee than is necessary, and spending time with her husband, Luis, a 20-year art veteran for The Simpsons™ television show.

  For more information about the author, please visit: https://www.aleshaescobar.com

  Don't forget to grab your copy of sequel in Forgotten Magic, My Book.

  Parallel Princess

  Return to the Fae

  C. K. Rieke

  Princess Fallon was forced to escape for ten long years to the land of the Fae for her own safety. But once she finally got back home… it wasn’t exactly the happily ever after ending she expected— she’d returned to the real world to find she’d grown small white horns on the top of her head.

  I wrote this part to thrust the story, (and the princess) further into the chaos of her life, and bring about the magical entities that will change her life forever— and grow the mystery of what is happening to Princess Fallon.

  C.K. Rieke

  Everything she thought she knew about reality is about to turn upside down . . . Princess Fallon’s life in the castle has been dreamy, but now her castle lay under siege by an army and she must make a choice: Should she stay at her home to face the encroaching army or use a spell that will sweep her off to another world?

  There’s a catch though… why is there always a catch…? In this dark fairy tale, things aren’t always as they seem— especially when magic is involved.

  Chapter One

  They rushed out of the room, and with fresh legs and a heart yearning to see her mother she hadn’t seen in too many years, Fallon ran past her handmaiden, Celeste. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her, holding her dress up as she glided up the long staircase leading to the queen’s room. It had been so long since she’d set foot in Norwinder Castle—her home—but there was no time for nostalgia as the sound of the battle outside was growing, and she heard the loud thud of a battering ram upon the castle’s gates.

  Princess Fallon burst through the door with a thunderous clap of the doors upon the walls.

  She erupted into tears at the sight of her mother.

  The princess had spent the last ten years in the realm of the Fae to escape a siege upon this same castle. She’d only just returned home, and she was desperate to see her family once again.

  “F—Fallon?” her mother sobbed as she ran to her with outstretched, loving arms. “My baby is back home.”

  They embraced with the kind of love they had dreamt about every day for ten years, and finally were able to feed that empty hole in their hearts. Fallon dipped her head after their long hug ended. Holding the sides of her head with her fingers wrapped in the princess' long blond hair, the queen kissed her forehead three times.

  "What...what is this?" the queen asked, running her fingers up to the small, white horns perched upon her daughter's head. She moved away slightly. “I—I don’t know…”

  The queen’s hands moved to Fallon’s rosy cheeks as the worn age on her mother was made clear with noticeable folds and wrinkles that weren’t there when Fallon had to use the magic of the wizard Shadine to escape to the Fae world when the last siege upon the castle happened.

  “I’m just so overwhelmed that you’re finally home…” the queen said, her eyes were wet with joyful tears, yet there was a sort of hesitation locked deep within.

  Another explosion rocked the castle’s western wall, shaking the ground beneath their feet.

  Fallon looked around frantically. She saw Celeste rush into the room, short of breath, and she saw the guards at the entrance to the room. But there was no one else…

  “Mother,” she said in a reluctant tone. “Where’s Father?”

  The tears in her mother’s eyes streamed down her cheeks as her eyelids clasped closed tightly.

  “You’ve been away for so, so long,” she cried.

  “Mother, what happened to the king?”

  “It wasn’t your fault…” the queen said, looking deeply into Fallon’s eyes, trying to calm herself.

  “What do you mean?” Fallon said, as the sheer dread crept into her.

  “Your father,” the queen said. “He passed, only two years after you left. He’s gone.”

  Fallon gasped as another explosion boomed, and the loud yells of soldiers flooded the kingdom. “He… he’s gone?”

  “I’m so sorry,” Celeste said, laying her gentle hands upon the princess’ shoulders.

  “I—I don’t know what to say… I…”

  The queen and Celeste looked at each other as if unsure of what to say.

  “How did he pass?” Fallon asked.

  “He was so distraught by you being gone, he…” the queen said, but looked back out the window to the city below.

  “Mother…?”

  The queen sighed. “He couldn’t keep the sorrow within him. He was the one who’d bade Shadine to give you the magic to escape danger like he did. But the unfortunate effect of the length of time you’d have to be gone, and the worry that came with it about you being alone in such a place—it wore on his mind.”

  “He didn’t…”

  Celeste rubbed her hands down the princess’ arms with a sigh.

  “One day he couldn’t take it any longer…” the queen said, looking back to the arching window. “He leapt…”

  Fallon gasped, with her heart beating like a wild drum. She nearly fainted, with the handmaiden catching her.

  My father… the king… is dead? He couldn’t have. It only feels as if I’ve been away days. But he suffered. He suffered because of me… I wish he was here right now so I could hold him and tell him I’m sorry.

  He can’t be dead. This can’t all be happening… This can’t be real.

  “Listen to me,” the queen said, clutching her daughter’s cheeks again. “It wasn’t your fault, and because of the gift you were given, you’re still alive… You’re still alive!”

  The sounds clashing swords, barking out loud orders, and the screams of those injured rang up from the city below. In the depths of twilight, the siege was well-planned out one, and Fallon could already tell the soldiers of the enemy had penetrated the castle.

  “What—what happened that night after I escaped into the Fae? How did they not kill you? They were in the room with you, with both of you.”

  The queen feigned a smile. “They—they left.”

  “They left?”

  That all was too much for Fallon to grasp. “They… left?”

  The queen and Celeste nodded.

  All Fallon wanted upon returning to her home was to celebrate her return and reunite with her family. She wanted a day, even just one single night where they could laugh, be merry, and rejoice together. But there she was, at the beginning of another siege, and she’d found she’d lost her loving father.

  “Your highness,” one the soldiers said. “Pardon my interruption. The western wall has been compromised and the front gate won’t hold much longer. The queen nodded in affirmation, and the soldier went back to his post at the front door.

  “Now, Fallon,” her mother cried. “We’ve got to get you back to your room.” She cleared her throat and took a deep breath—wiping the tears from her face. “It’s so good to see your loving face. It’s so good to have you home… but w
e’ve got to get you out of here, and to safety.”

  “What about you?” Fallon cried. “I don’t want to be away from you anymore. I don’t think I can do it again out in the Fae. It’s too hard, and something about it isn’t quite right.”

  “But you’re still alive,” the queen said.

  “What sort of life is this?” Fallon asked. “And the prince, where is he? Is he still in his same room? I must see him, how I’ve missed him as well.”

  “We really must get you to your room,” the queen said, skirting her out of the room. “There’s no time…”

  Fallon fought, pushing herself away.

  “He’s not here, is he?”

  The queen shook her head.

  “He did wait. He did,” she said. “But after four and a half years, he said he needed to find a mother that could give him a son, and he couldn’t wait any further. He’s gone, yes…”

  Fallon threw her arms up in the air. “What else could make this worse? This is the single worst night of my life. And now I have to go back to the Fae. I don’t want to. I want to stay here with you. Let’s escape. There’s got to be a way out of the castle. We could start a new life, or just hide long enough until the invasion is passed, and they think I’ve gone away. We could live happy lives together. I’ll hide. I’ll hide for as long as it takes. Why are they even here for me anyway? What have I done that caused them to come back this night? Why this night?”

  “Fallon,” Celeste said with wise eyes. “They know. They know about your gift.”

  “Gift? This is a curse! I don’t want it. Why are they after me like this? What have I ever done to anyone?”

  “Let’s get you back to your room where we can talk,” the queen said.

  Fallon was so overtaken with grief, she didn’t fight. She sulked along, holding her mother’s hand tightly as they went back down the winding staircase.

  They entered back into the empty room with the black obelisk statuette standing ominously by the back window.