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

by Melinda Kucsera

  Fallon sat up and got to her feet next to him.

  “How long ’til I can go back home?”

  He grunted. “You’re always going on about that. What about my feelings? I made a promise to keep you safe, and safe I’ve kept you. When was the last time you said thank you?”

  Fallon took a step back from the man who was now several heads taller than her. “Antoline?”

  “He’s just shaken,” Pip said in a soft voice. “He’s upset that you’re leaving so soon.”

  Fallon gazed at the large man, who resembled nothing of her prince who’d she loved back in her world. “How long until I get back, I demand that you tell me! Whether you made a promise or not!”

  The large man seemed to lessen in stature then. “Only days,” he said sulkily, “I don’t want to be alone again for ten years. Last time was so hard on me… I don’t want to do it again.”

  Ten years? Is he planning on me coming back?

  “Listen,” she said. “I appreciate everything you’ve done while I’ve been here. But when I’m gone, I’m going to be gone. We can say goodbye now as my mother, the queen, has found a way to keep me safe when I go back. We’ll have all these fond memories to remember. But I’m going back to my world, where I belong.”

  “I know,” the hulking giant said softly with hunched shoulders.

  “You have Pip,” she said. “She’s a remarkable friend. And you live in the beauty of the Fae, what else could you want?”

  His raised his head. “You can stay here, you know. You don’t have to go back. You can be happy here… forever…”

  Fallon’s brow furrowed. “What? Why would I do that? How?”

  “There’s a spell,” he said. “But it must be cast from you, and you can stay with us. And I can keep you safe.”

  “A spell? I’m no wizard, what is he talking about, Pip?”

  “He mentioned it to me the other day,” the fairy said shyly. “Supposedly it will keep your body and soul in the Fae—forever.”

  “Pip?” Fallon said with a raised eyebrow. “Why are you mentioning this now? And you don’t seem yourself…”

  “I—” Pip said as she looked shyly up at Antoline, who glowered at her with his darkening eyes.

  “Pip? What?” the princess asked.

  “I don’t want you to stay!” Pip lashed out. “You need to go home!”

  “Pip!” Antoline lashed out. “She can stay with us. We don’t have to lose her!”

  “No,” the fairy cried out with a commanding voice that echoed throughout the woods around them. “It’s up to her! She’d have to be the one to say the words. Listen to her. She wants to go back to her world, to her real family!”

  “Her family might be dead!” he said.

  “How dare you,” Fallon pointed up at him with her finger extended. “You’re supposed to be my protector. You say you want to be my family? Family would never say something like that. How dare you! Who do you think you are?”

  “I—I’m sorry, I—”

  “No,” the princess said. “I don’t care if you’re sorry. I’m not staying here. I don’t even like it here. Pip, I care for you deeply. You’re a true friend I will miss, but I’m going home—and I’m never coming back.”

  “Don’t say that,” Antoline said. “You’re the brightest star in the sky here. You’re the most wonderfully cut stone; the doe that glides through the glade like the wind, you’re…”

  “I’m what?” Fallon said in an angry voice. “You think showering me with praise is going to get me to stay? My mother needs me back home. I’m no beacon of shining light here, I’m a prisoner. Shadine cast this curse upon me. I don’t want this. I don’t want any of this!”

  The ground shook under her feet as she spoke those words, and Antoline cowered backward. Even Pip fluttered away behind a tree.

  “I will not be caged! I will not be manipulated! I will not be told what to do ever again!”

  She found herself with her fists balled up and her teeth clenched towering over a cowering Antoline beneath her.

  “I just wanted you to stay,” he cried. “I just wanted my friend to be safe…”

  “No, you’re being a selfish man,” she said. “You want me to stay so you can control me. You say you wanted me to see how beautiful it is here. You said you wanted to protect me, but you just want me. That’s it? Isn’t it? You’re too cowardly to tell me you’re in love with me.”

  Antoline sobbed in his hands as he lay on the ground.

  A sudden urge swelled up in her then. It was a rage that possessed her. She wanted to hurt him. She wanted to kick him hard in the side. She wanted him to feel a fraction of her pain and misery. But, she withheld her rage. Taking a deep breath, she felt herself returning back to the ground. Antoline continued to cry, and Pip was nowhere to be seen.

  “I’m so sorry,” he cried with his head tucked behind his arms. “I am selfish. It’s so lonely here when you’re gone. But I understand. You can go now. Just know that I’m going to miss you so dearly.”

  It was night then, with a gloomy, cloud-filled sky overhead and bats were scuttling in the trees. Fallon looked around, unsure of where she was. Antoline was gone, and Pip too. She was alone. There was a barren, cracked ground under her feet.

  “Where am I?” she whispered.

  A crashing noise resounded from behind her as trees broke and the bats flew away. She turned in shock as the sound grew and the ground shook violently. She soon saw the dark, marble-like eyes of Antoline as he broke through the trees at a heavy pace. His strong horns broke the trees easily as he ran.

  “There you are!” he said between heavy breaths. “I know what you think about me, but you can’t go back. It’s not about me or how I feel—but I can’t let you go back.” He lurched forward to grab her by the hands with his eyes wild with worry.

  She pulled away quickly, and that same rose-red rage exploded in her. “Don’t you touch me,” she said.

  “Listen,” he said, seeming much smaller than before. “We’ve only minutes. I need to tell you something. And you’ve got to listen to me carefully. Something’s changed. It’s different now. I’m not worried for you safety on the other side now… I’ve had a vision. Let me do this one thing… let me cast a spell to slow time for you. You won’t stay here forever; it’ll only give us enough time to figure this all out.”

  “Stay away from me,” she said. “My father is dead because of me. My prince left me. My mother is aging, and all I have to show for it is that I’m growing in misery here. I’m older. I’m angry. And I’m stuck with you. It makes me… it makes me want to lash out. I don’t even know who I am anymore!”

  “That’s what I’m trying to say,” Antoline said with his palms shown. “We need time to talk about this. We need time. I’m not going to cast the spell unless you allow me. I’m not trying to control you. I’m trying to help. I just get wrapped up in my loneliness. I need you to listen to what I have to say. There’s danger when you go back. But I can help. I know I can.”

  She shook her head. “I’m going home. You can’t stop me. This isn’t my home. In my world… I’ll be a queen… here, I’m just an insect. I’m going to show that invading army what an angry queen can do… I’m going to—”

  “No!” Antoline yelled. “You can’t go back… You can’t…”

  It was then the Fae faded away in a black fog like fading off into a deep slumber.

  Mother, I’m coming home to you. I’m coming home…

  She twirled through the darkness end over end, falling down a deep hole of black. For a moment, the princess thought she was dying, hurtling toward the dark afterlife.

  But when she opened her eyes, she found herself in her room back in Norwinder Castle. Her bed was the same, the obelisk still sat in the corner of the room, and a calm night sky hung out of her window. She rushed out to find no army outside of the castle gates.

  Tears of joy erupted within her then, and she dropped to her knees, sobbing.

&nbs
p; “You’ve done it, Mother. You did it. I’m home.”

  Once she’d collected herself, wiping the tears away, she walked toward her door, but something stopped her abruptly. Walking through her room she caught a glimpse of something unexpected—something startling even— She saw her reflection in her mirror at the side of the room, causing her to take slow steps backward to see the reflection again.

  Her eyes were wide as she approached it. She’d aged. She’d spent a full twenty years in the Fae. She should’ve been married to a handsome prince by that time. Little children should’ve been making messes in the castle for maids to clean up by then. Her hair was long with coarse, gray hairs intermittently scattered throughout. She plucked one, examining it as it looked like a shaggy sheep’s hair than her own.

  The princess saw the wrinkles cracking out of the corners of her eyes, and the age on the backs of her hands.

  “At least I’m home. I’m finally back home…”

  She crouched down with her hands reaching up to the sides of her face. Her fingers glided up through her hair, wrapping themselves around the two sturdy, white horns on the top of her own head. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she saw that what once had been small stubs had grown to be curling, foot-long spikes protruding from her.

  Her mouth hung open at the sight. It was then that she heard the scream from out in the castle.

  “No,” she gasped. “I know that voice!”

  The princess is finally back home— again, but who was that screaming? Why have her horns grown in the real world? And why has this been happening to her?

  Find out in the thrilling, magic-filled conclusion, “Parallel Princess: The Wizard and the Demon” in Forgotten Magic!

  Get the conclusion of the “Parallel Princess” stories in Forgotten Magic now!

  About the Author

  Having grown up in the suburbs of Kansas, but never having seen a full tornado or a yellow brick road, C. K. Rieke (pronounced Ricky) has been told more than their fair share of times while traveling, ‘You’re not in Kansas anymore.’ They just respond, ‘Never heard that one,’ with a smile.

  Early in the ’burbs, they found their passion for reading fantasy stories. Reading books with elves, orcs, and monsters took their young imagination to different worlds they wanted to live in.

  Now, they create their own worlds. Not so much in the elves and orc vein, but more in the heroes versus dragons one— there’s a difference, right? Yes, they grew up with The Lord of the Rings and tons of R.A. Salvatore books on their shelves, along with some cookbooks, comics, and a lot of video games, too.

  Other passions are coffee, good beer, and hanging around the gym. To find out more, please visit CKRieke.com. Don't forget to grab your copy of next anthology, Forgotten Magic.

  The Mouth of The Dragon

  Rules

  Devorah Fox

  When his ship goes off course, King Bewilliam and his knights venture into an unknown land in hopes of gaining practical guidance to reach their destination port. Instead, the people they encounter have heard only of the mysterious fabled land of Perooc and its magnificent treasure rumored to satisfy every desire.

  Even those who refute Perooc’s existence live lives shaped by its denial. Others devote themselves to the attainment of its treasure. Yet no one admits to knowing its location and how to reach it. An empiricist, the king wants nothing to do with magic. In pursuit of his own ends, however, he finds himself breaching the gates and plumbing the hidden passages said to lead to Perooc and the acquisition of its secret power.

  I drew inspiration for the three stories of “The Mouth of the Dragon” from “The Parable of the Palace,” a chapter in The Guide to the Perplexed: a masterwork of religious philosophy by Moses ben Maimon (aka Maimonides), a medieval rabbi who seeks to resolve the conflict between metaphysical and secular knowledge.

  Devorah Fox

  Lost while sailing to the port of Hewnstone with food for the famine-stricken Chalklands, King Bewilliam and his knights traverse an uncharted land, hoping to find people who can put them back on course. The king’s realm and the destination port prove to be as mythical as the fabled land of Perooc of which everyone has heard but to which no one has been.

  Guarded by a dragon, Perooc’s magnificent treasure is reputed to satisfy every desire. One by one, the king’s knights fall by the wayside as they confront the menacing citizens of Near and the enraptured denizens of Nowhere who are committed to guarding their secret knowledge of Perooc and its treasure.

  Chapter One

  Robin peered into the conduit's pitch-black depths. He hesitated to enter not out of fear but rather a moment of self-doubt. A hidden conduit suggested there was something to hide, but exploring further meant yet another detour. Would this passage through the wall lead to the answers they sought? Or was he going forward out of idle curiosity?

  When his knights pressed to take the ship’s boat from the Emperor’s Fancy to an unknown shore, Robin suspected they had ulterior motives. They all professed to understand the charge: to bury the remains of their peculiar passenger then return to the ship to resume their voyage to Hewnstone. Robin was their ruler and his knights would do as their King Bewilliam commanded. Yet no sooner had they interred the alleged wizard than the knights pressed to investigate the nearby settlement. Robin acceded, telling himself he hoped for information that would guide them to port. But now he questioned his motives. Could his decision be driven by a latent thrill-seeking side? Did he thirst to find the rumored Perooc and its alleged treasure as much as his knights did?

  The villagers of the settlement called Here had provided no help. Robin and his troop had strayed far from their landing on the beach and had been absent from the Emperor’s Fancy much longer than anticipated. Had Helmsman Tychor held the ship at anchor? Or had he despaired of their return and set sail without them?

  “Sire, I will go scout the interior,” said Dame Deidre.

  Robin wondered if she misinterpreted his hesitation. Before he could reply, something skittered across his boot, a lizard or bug, and hot on its tail, Meeyoo. With a high-pitched whine, the cat followed her prey into the impenetrable gloom. “Oh, no, Meeyoo!” Robin sputtered.

  “I will go after her, Your Majesty,” said Sir Maxwell.

  “No, she is our responsibility. We will.” No one suggested it was foolhardy for a king to venture into an unplumbed dark hole to retrieve a cat. They knew she had intervened on his behalf several times.

  Her hand on her sword, Dame Deidre said, “We will be at your shoulder, Your Majesty.”

  “Stay back until we give the all-clear.”

  “If only we had a torch,” said Sir Maxwell. “There's no shortage of tinder here. I didn't bring a flint, did you, Dame Deidre?”

  The two knights tugged on the cleverly-disguised masonry door to open it to its widest angle. The wash of light revealed a narrow passageway with gray plastered walls receding into blackness. At its depth, two yellow beacons glowed. As Robin’s eyes adjusted to the dimness, he made out a squat shape. Surely it was Meeyoo. Or was this a conduit to the mythical Perooc guarded by a dragon which now hunkered low, poised to defend the treasure? Should Robin call out to his cat or would that rouse the beast? Too late to worry about that now; the dragon could see him framed in the passage's entrance.

  His muscles tightened and his heart beat faster. Robin sniffed for a dragon's signature fetor or the odor of rotten corpses. The tunnel had a dank smell. Unlike the air outside, the conduit was clammy. Holding his breath, he drew his sword. “Meeyoo?”

  The two beacons rose as the shape shifted. The bright spots dimmed then brightened. Did the dragon blink? Robin raised his weapon. “Meeyoo, come here.”

  The shape lowered to a crouch.

  Was it his cat being stubborn or the dragon preparing to charge? Robin checked behind, ensuring his path was clear should he have to flee dragon fire. Sidestepping to present a narrow target and keep one foot aimed to retreat, he inched forward.
He kept a firm grip on his sword, ready to impale the beast should it hurl itself at him.

  The shape moved and drew closer. The king exhaled the breath he had held and grabbed the cat by her scruff. She went limp. He had seen her tote her kittens around that way when she had her litter. Meeyoo was no kitten, so he supported her weight with his other hand under her rump. He tucked her into the rucksack and pulled the drawstring firmly. “You rascal, now you stay put.” He told the knights, “We have Meeyoo. The way is clear. We will take the lead moving forward. Stay close, stay wary.”

  Their weapons in hand, the knights followed in his footsteps.

  Still on guard, Robin put one foot before the other. His spirits sank when he reached a wall. “We’ve reached a dead end. Furibund ratsbane,” he cursed. “Maybe it never was a conduit, merely a hollow. The people of There led us to believe this would lead to Perooc. We were sold a lice-covered butt wipe.”

  “Should we go back the way we came, then?”

  “Yes.” Their exploration had yielded no further information about Hewnstone's whereabouts, and they tarried too long. Perhaps Sir Albert had learned something in There or Sir Alan in Here. Left to explore the beach, James might have worked out their location.

  “Sire, this tunnel, it appears to curve.”

  Robin advanced a couple of steps. “Right you are. Now, this spot, truly this is the end.” He blinked, trying to see clearly. “We believe we detect the outline of another door.” He felt along the wall, brushing away dust and cobwebs.

  “I can feel what I think are side plates.”

  “It must open out then. Is there a handle?”

  “I haven't found one. What if we push …?”

  They threw their weight against the section of wall and it creaked open.