by Quinn Loftis
The Guardian Ceremony was a centuries old tradition that was going to be held at sunset to determine who would be my warrior guardian. The warriors chosen will fight one another for the right to be given the honor. I enjoyed watching them practice, and secretly, against my parent’s knowledge, I did train with my friend, Merrick. They’d be shocked to learn that I was just as skilled in battle as their warriors.
A knock on my door broke me away from my thoughts. My nurse maid, Elvena, entered the room.
“My lady, are you ready for the ceremony?” Her voice was soft and angelic, always soothing, but now she looked at me wide-eyed and gasped.
“Child, you don’t even have your dress on. Your father will skin my hide if I don’t get you ready in time,” she scolded, flapping her hands in the air while frantically running around the room.
I watched her scramble around and grinned. Elvena was half brownie and half elf, and even though she had elf blood in her, she was still a short woman whereas elves were usually tall. Her curly brown hair hit her shoulders and her eyes were the color of amber. When my parents would travel across the lands on business, Elvena was the one who took care of me and my younger siblings. She also happened to be the one who proclaimed the prophecy that had been widely known throughout the land. Apparently, I happened to be a part of that prophecy, but no one—not even myself—knew how I was supposed to change the Land of the Fae.
“Oh, Elvena, Father wouldn’t dare do that to you. You’re one of the most important people in this kingdom, and the most sought out prophetess. Your prophecies have helped save our kingdoms for hundreds of years. I would never let him do anything to you.”
“That may be so, child, but I still have duties and you’re one of them.” She sighed. “Now, let’s hurry. So many of our guests have already started arriving.”
“Who is here?” I asked.
Elvena halted mid-step and narrowed her eyes in contemplation. “Hmm … well, of course you know Aelfric and Rhoswen would be here early, and since Durin couldn’t make it, I did see several of his dwarves coming through the front gate before I came to fetch you. All that’s left now is the Winter Court fae.”
Aelfric and Rhoswen were the leaders of the Elvish Kingdom, and Durin was the leader of the dwarves. Both the elves and the dwarves were powerful allies to the fae, and are our most trusted friends. I’d spent many moons with Aelfric and Rhoswen in their beautiful kingdom, and I looked forward to my next visit with them, which was going to be soon.
“Well, hell, I guess I better hurry then.” I laughed. “I’ve heard Queen Mab doesn’t like to be kept waiting when she arrives for something.”
Rolling her eyes, Elvena shook her head. She’d never approved of my vocabulary, and of course the quip at Queen Mab definitely had her laughing.
“The words you choose to grace your tongue astounds me, child; although, I do have to say that you’ll serve this kingdom well when your time comes. There is no other fae in the land that has the ability to control all of the four elements such as you. Your powers are above anyone’s imagination and you will do great things. Only time will tell what those great things will be.”
Pausing to stare at me, her hazel gaze showed nothing except pure love for me, but then it turned mischievous. What is she up to?
Giggling, she said, “Now let us get you ready for the ceremony. What dress have you picked out for tonight? It needs to be something special so those boys will have something to fight over.”
Narrowing my eyes at her, I gave her a playful scowl. She knew I wasn’t happy about the warriors fighting over me, but I also knew there was nothing I could do about it. After seeing my facial expression, Elvena laughed so hard she snorted and couldn’t stop. I always loved her laugh, and could count on it to bring a smile to my face even in the worst of times.
“Xylia and I travelled to the mortal realm to pick out our dresses for the evening,” I told her. Her laughing abruptly stopped, but before she could interrupt I held up my hands and said, “Merrick was with us if that makes you feel any better. We were well protected, and you know very well that I’m trained in battle. Merrick has been training me for years and I’m an excellent dagger thrower. I’m even better than most of the warriors.”
By her slow growing smile I knew what Elvena was thinking. The only thing she heard of what I just said was that Merrick was with me. Merrick had been my life-long friend and we’d grown very close to one another. Being around him all the time had definitely made my people speculate the seriousness of our relationship. Only Elvena and my best friend, Xylia, knew about my trainings with Merrick.
“I know what you’re thinking, Elvena, and that’s not going to happen. Merrick is my friend, end of story,” I remarked.
Her smirk told me she thought otherwise. “I believe you, child, but I don’t think Merrick will hold up that end of the bargain. Say what you want, but that boy has feelings for you. He watches you when you’re not looking, and his eyes show the longing he has for you.”
Sighing, I muttered, “I care for him as a dear friend, nothing more. Besides, he hasn’t even let on about his feelings toward me. Until he does, I won’t address it.”
Changing the subject, I pointed over at my closet and said, “If you look in my closet over there, Elvena, you’ll see the exquisite emerald dress I picked out for tonight. I fell in love with it and I knew I had to get it.”
Elvena huffed and pursed her lips. She knew what I was doing, but she went over to my closet anyway. With a sly smile on her face, she looked at my dress and chuckled. “Oh yes, Princess, you will cause a mighty stir tonight. You won’t be able to keep any of the young men away from you once they lay their eyes on you.”
She brought the dress over and laid it on my bed. She also pulled a little silver box out of her pocket and handed it to me.
“What do you have there, Elvena?” I asked curiously.
“Open it,” she softly ordered. Opening the beautiful silver box, I saw the most amazing gold encrusted ring with a swirling purple stone set in the center. The stone was a deep amethyst color with an iridescent look to it. I’d never seen a stone like it before. The band had words of the Old Fae language engraved in it, but I couldn’t seem to make out the words.
“Elvena, what do the words say? I’m having trouble translating,” I questioned.
“It says, my child, Mind, heart, body, and soul … I protect thee. It’s beautiful, is it not? This was my ring as a child, and I decided that since I no longer needed it I’d pass it along to you. It happens to be your birthday and tonight is a special night. I thought you deserved a special gift, and it’ll also help protect you when your guardian can’t.”
“It’s beautiful, Elvena. I’ll never take it off.”
Smiling, she took me in her arms and squeezed me tight. “We need to stop dawdling and finish getting you ready.” Elvena quickly pulled back and motioned for me to sit. Her hands moved swiftly through my hair, and in a matter of minutes she arranged it in a beautiful cascade of blonde curls and braids along with a sprinkle of delicate flowers in all shades of color.
“Thank you … for everything,” I whispered.
“Anything for you, child.”
Other Books by L.P. Dover
Betrayals of Spring- Book two, Forever Fae series
Summer of Frost- Book three, Forever Fae series
NA Contemporary Romance
Love’s Second Chance- Book one, Second Chances series
Trusting You- Book two, Second Chances series
NA Romantic Suspense
Love, Lies, and Deception- stand alone
Please enjoy the following excerpt from Jordyn and the Caverns of Gloom by Tiffany King
Jordyn
And the Caverns of Gloom
"In darkness there is light and with light there is darkness. Maintaining vision in both is your challenge. Your strength will be tested and your loyalties will falter. How you choose to live will be defined by each decision you make
. Your faith in others will be shattered, but forgiveness will be your greatest asset when given without pretenses. The power is yours alone. You fail to recognize your significance, but a day will come when your humanity will match that of your gifts. The Light is in you. You are Jordyn."
~Haniel
Chapter 1
Jordyn
I couldn't tell you what day of the week it was, and quite frankly, I didn't care. The days no longer held meaning for me anyway. My time lately consisted of traveling, wandering and pondering the reasons for my existence on Earth. I pout too. I'm well aware of that fact, but I feel it's justified. How would you feel if you found out your life was a lie? That you had no control over your own destiny, but instead you were created for one purpose: to be a weapon. You'd probably be pissed too. I feel like I've gone through every stage of grief with each one passing in its own way. Anger had fueled my fire the longest and kept me from going home. Anger and resentment toward the people I thought I could trust.
After a month of hiding and bouncing around from one place to the next, I was feeling lonely. I decided to visit Anthony in Shanghai, someone who knew me, but didn't know the real me. Honestly, I was surprised that neither Emrys nor Haniel had made an appearance. Emrys, I figured had been fired or whatever the powers that be would do to him for not accomplishing his task, but Haniel's absence confused me. It had never been like him to go longer than a day without one of his pop-ins. It made me wonder what his plans were.
I couldn't remember where Anthony lived, so it took some searching before I was able to locate the building I needed in the busy Shanghai neighborhood. It was a risk to come here considering how close he was with Emrys, but for whatever reason, I didn't care. I rang the bell tentatively, worried about my impulsive decision to drop in, and almost bolted at the last second until Anthony threw open the heavy door to his building.
"Jordyn?" he roared in his booming voice, hauling me in for a crushing hug. "Where you been, chick? My boy E has been on major freak-out mode. He keeps popping in to see if you've come by."
"Really?" I asked, confused. What kind of game Emrys was playing?
"Seriously. Something to do with you pulling a disappearing act or something. I'm surprised he even came here since, you know, you aren't exactly from around these parts," he said. Anthony seemed like the type who was careful enough to never ask any questions he didn't think he was privileged to know, especially with a mysterious friend like Emrys. "When I asked him why he didn't just call you, he said you were out of his range. Whatever the hell that shit is supposed to mean," Anthony continued.
"I've been around," I answered nervously. I tried not to look obvious as I glanced over my shoulder to make sure Emrys wasn't waiting to intercept me. "Has he been here lately?" I asked cautiously as Anthony closed the door behind us. He led us down the pitch-black hallway that had once freaked me out.
"You just missed him. He was here earlier today," he said, pushing the door open to his pristine living space. "Too bad, huh?"
I let out a quiet but relieved breath. "Right," I answered.
"Maybe not too bad after all?" he stated, sinking his hulking framed own onto the couch. "You two have a spat?"
I shrugged. What had happened between Emrys and I had been so much more. Lies, betrayal and a broken heart deserved a stronger word than "spat."
"You here for more ink?" he asked, obviously puzzled at what other reason I would have for a visit.
"Uh, I really didn't give it that much thought. I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd swing by," I said. Of course, what he didn't know is that I arrived in the neighborhood only two minutes after lying on a sandy beach on a small island not too far from Tahiti.
"That's cool. So—maybe you're here to talk about my boy E?" he asked, sitting back against the couch with his hands folded across his wide stomach.
I nodded. Anthony wasn't stupid enough to believe I had just casually stopped by.
"Can't do that, chick. I like you and all, but I owe E. He's had my back for more than half my life," he said, looking at me with wise eyes.
"Do you know what he is?" I asked, figuring we were past pretenses.
"Not exactly, but I've never asked. If Emrys wanted me to know his business, he'd tell me."
"He has secrets," I said bitterly, pacing in front of Anthony. I knew I had made a mistake in coming here. I wasn't going to learn anything new. Anthony's loyalties lay with the soul-sucking trader who had tricked me into believing I meant something.
"Any secrets Emrys has don't concern me."
"And you've never bothered to question why he never ages?" I inquired skeptically.
"I tried once, but he's a man of few words when he wants to be. I figured if he wanted me to know, he'd tell me. If that's why you're here, I can't help you out.
"It's not that. I know what he is," I sighed, perching in a hard white plastic chair. It was actually more comfortable than it looked since it was contoured to the planes of my body.
"Okay, then. Why are you here?"
"I know you feel he deserves your loyalty and you're probably right, but he's done stuff that will no doubt have repercussions," I answered. Emrys had failed to deliver me. Only he knew what kind of trouble that would bring.
"What does that have to do with me?" Anthony asked, studying me with interest.
"I need to know if Emrys has ever come to see you with anyone else. If he's ever mentioned the 'work' he does."
"You're the only person he's ever brought around in the twenty-some-odd years we've been friends. As for his work, the only thing he's ever said is he's a collector."
I laughed harshly at his description. "Collector" was one way to put it. I could think of a few other choice ways to describe it, like "backstabbing asshat leech."
"Is that wrong?" Anthony inquired, looking amused.
"I guess it depends who you're asking."
"What if I'm asking you?" he said.
"I'd say he needs to watch his step," I answered, standing up. "I think I've changed my mind. I do want a tattoo," I said. I felt suddenly inspired.
"Really?" He looked confused by the sudden halt in our conversation.
"Yeah. I want one here," I said, running my hand down my right side.
"I'm guessing by your expression you already have a design in mine?" he asked.
"Yes," I said. I could see the tattoo I wanted clearly in my mind.
"Let's do it then," Anthony said, leading me to his tattoo room.
This time I would get a tattoo where I could see it. One that would remind me of who I was and who I could trust. I climbed up on a padded table that sat against the longest wall of the room.
"You know, you're going to have to take off your shirt and bra for this one," Anthony said.
"Yeah, I uh, figured that, I guess," I answered, looking more embarrassed than he did.
"Chill out, chick," he laughed. "I'm kidding. You do have to lose the shirt, but you can keep the bra. Here, you can cover up with this," he said, throwing me a towel.
"Bastard." I smirked. After explaining what I wanted, Anthony got to work. Two hours later we were both admiring his skills. "It's excellent, Anthony. Thank you."
"No problem. It's interesting, I'll give you that, but hey, our ink says who we are. The butterfly still looks hot too. Damn, I'm good," he said, admiring his previous masterpiece on my shoulder.
"No arguments from me," I answered. "How much do I owe you?"
"You know what, chick? It's on me this time."
"You don't have to do that," I said.
"I want to. I don't know when your birthday is, but consider this an early or late present, whatever. Just remember how I told you to take care of it," he said, smiling.
Anthony led me down the hallway to the alley outside his building. I thanked him one last time, giving him a kiss on the cheek before he closed the heavy door behind me. The visit wasn't a total loss for information. The fact that Emrys didn't know where I was explained a lot. Up
until my visit with Anthony, I assumed it was only a matter of time before Haniel or Emrys came to collect me. Judging by what Anthony said, it would seem my powers had evolved to a new level. Obviously, I must be somehow shielding my whereabouts. This opened up a new world of possibilities. I could continue to travel and avoid detection as long as I wanted. I could start a new life. Problem is, it would be a life filled with loneliness. I didn't like to think about the look on Krista's face when I left her behind. I had been so angry and hurt. Now that I had some time to think things over, I was still upset, but I also knew I would have to see them again eventually.
***
The warm blue-green water at Manuel Antonio beach in Costa Rica could be bottled and sold for medicinal purposes. That's how wonderful your body feels after lying in the perfectly soft sand while the waves gently massage your muscles. Stepping from the ocean in a skimpy swimsuit I purchased from a local street vendor a few days back, I glanced down at the fresh tattoo that ran up my side. Unlike the butterfly on my left shoulder that I couldn't see, this one was hard to miss. I had to hand it to Anthony. Only he could make the words I had chosen to brand myself with this beautiful.
"Nice tattoo," a guy old enough to be my father (well, if I was human, that is) flirted with me as I sank down on the towel I had also snagged.
"Thanks," I said, not glancing his way. Hopefully, he'd take the hint and move on to someone more his type. I sighed when I saw him slowly strutting my way like he was God's gift to women. This is what I get for coming to a public beach. Being alone so long had begun to wear on me. I craved human contact. Not this dickbag's contact, but something that would ease my fear that I would be all alone for the rest of my life. However long that would be.
"Can I get you a drink?" he asked, indicating the beach bar behind us.
