Eternal Fire: A New Adult Urban Fantasy Series (The Urban Fae Series Book 2)

by R. L. Wilson

  Like Andrea mentioned, Prentiss Darby’s photo is in the senior section. With a devilish snarl on his face, he appears equally as evil as he does now. My blood is boiling. I’m confused. Seeing him younger disgusts me. His eyes are similar to mine. My eyes fill with tears I can’t hold back. My crying is not because of weakness, it’s out of rage. How could Momma not tell me?

  “Prentiss wasn’t born here.” She rests her elbows on the desk.

  Meanwhile, I’m uncomfortable, squirming in my chair. “He moved here before the start of ninth grade. “Your mother got pregnant with you in high school. She was concerned about your life. She didn’t feel you were safe.”

  My heart tremors. Why was Momma concerned, was she aware I’d get this curse?

  “Prentiss went to Detroit, and shortly after Jeanette moved to Detroit.” Her face becomes more tense, and wrinkles appear on her forehead. “I never understood why she moved. She had no help in Detroit. I pleaded with your mom to stay here amongst family. She refused. It was like she was under a spell.”

  Prentiss has been a big part of my life long before I started working for the snake. How deep-rooted is the truth? My whole life has been one big lie.

  “I’ve heard stories about Prentiss being dangerous. It’s best you leave it alone. You haven’t learned to use your magic, I see. You are a young witch.” She giggles. “You need a little guidance.”

  “I won’t leave it alone until my mother is safe and at home.”

  She grabs the book. “You are sure about this?” She stuffs the book back in the drawer.

  I shoot her sharp stare. “Never been this sure about anything.”

  “Then, child, you will need some training.”

  Training? I ran his ass out of Detroit. I’ve learned to use my magic a little. Maybe I could learn a few pointers from Andrea. I’m sure she’s been doing this a lot longer than I have.

  Is Prentiss my father? It’s consuming my thoughts. No, my mother would never be with such scum.

  “Before you go unlocking the truth, are you positive you want to know? Some things are better left unsaid.”

  “The only thing I want from Prentiss is my mother.” Finding out if he is my father would explain some things, but not change my life. I’ve made it this far without him being my father; I don’t need him. My father is dead, rest his soul, and no one will ever take his place.

  A thunderous crash rings out, shaking the building like a small earthquake. It causes the chandelier to rattle above my head. I duck. Since when does Louisiana get earthquakes? My heart is now pounding. Shit, where is Morgan?

  “Stay here,” Andrea yells.

  The crash came from the first level. Is she fucking serious? I’m not staying here I’m going to get Morgan.

  I race behind her to the door and down the stairs. Constant screaming and pounding pierced the air. I gasp and nearly trip down the stairs making my way to the main room.

  The gruesome sight makes my stomach shift.

  Chapter 9

  A full-on brawl. There is a pack of werewolves attacking the coven. I’ve had my share of fights, but nothing like this. There’s hair-pulling and claws swinging through the air. I narrow my gaze at a mocha-colored female whose skin fills with thick black fur as her fingernails extend and sharpen into claws. Glad I’m not the witch, on the other side of her paw. She turns into a full-grown werewolf and flings her paw with ease. She slices the face of a small-framed witch. Blood shoots from her face, splattering across the antique furniture.

  “My coven can handle this, Harmony, they’re trained. Stay put.”

  I can’t tell they’ve got it handled. They’re getting their asses kicked if you ask me. I’m not the type to stand and stare in the middle of destruction. There are chairs being thrown and broken across backs. The wolves are outnumbered, but still kicking ass. They must have some deep-rooted issues. These shifters are blazing mad.

  I grab hold of the banister of the stairs as a huge wolf lunges toward a witch knocking her to the ground. The banister shakes. I dart my gaze around the main room in search of Morgan. I clench my teeth at the sight of a werewolf getting close to her. My morning oatmeal bubbles in my stomach.

  “Hey,” I yell.

  The werewolf extends his paw toward Morgan and she jerks back, hitting the wall. I scowl at the face of the silver wolf, feeling my temperature rise. Becoming enraged as the werewolf swats at Morgan scratching her face. She wipes her cheek and glares at the blood smeared on her hand.

  “Wait,” Andrea says.

  I mumble, rushing past her, headed straight for Morgan. Next thing I know I’m square in the werewolf’s face. I don’t play about Morgan. I muster up all the energy within and push him to the ground. Standing in front of Morgan, I dare one of these wolves to come near her. The wolf jumps to his feet. I guess he wants to fight. He takes the first swing and I block the punch with my hand, sending a hot buzz racing up his arm.

  “Shit,” he says snatching his arm back.

  A love tap is all I sent. The next one will be brutal. His green eyes bore into mine. I don’t blink or twitch a muscle. He swings again, this time landing a punch to my face. He hits like a girl. I grab his right palm, and I notice the fire within his soul, the fire in the lamps, in the air. It’s everywhere. A hot bolt shoots through my hand, knocking the werewolf across the room. The flame stopped but smoke continues to float from my hand. What the fuck? I sucked fire out of the atmosphere. What’s going on here? I have no control over my magic. It does whatever it wants. I’ll be one of the best witches if I learn how to operate my magic. I’m a novice, but I’ll be an expert soon.

  The werewolf gives out a long howl of pain. All the werewolves stop and glare at me. I stare back. He fucked with Morgan first. She has nothing to do with this. He needs to learn how to treat a lady.

  Andrea struts over. “Harmony, you need to stop.” Her eyes bulge and she shakes her head. The silver werewolf shifts into a human with curly brown hair and a pointy nose. Funniest thing is he only has on underwear. A pair of blue boxers. Is he going to roam the street in his underwear? His chiseled chest is covered in hair.

  He shifts his gaze from me to Andrea. “This is all your fault,” he says walking closer to Andrea.

  She squints her eyes. “How is this my fault?” she yells.

  “You stepped into my territory.” The veins in his neck bulge and his face flushes pink. “What else was I supposed to do?”

  Damn, you can’t walk anywhere you want around here. I better learn where to walk while I’m visiting.

  Andrea walks close to the werewolf and throws her hands on her hips. “No one tells Andrea what to do. If I want it, I’m damn sure going after it.”

  Everyone else is silent. I’m shocked Andrea would get in this man’s face. He’s a big man, about six five. But she isn’t bowing down.

  “I gave you a reasonable offer you should have taken.” Her tone a low growl. “I will make another offer. Eighty-five thousand, my final offer.” Her stance is defensive, and she doesn’t flinch. She doesn’t back down. Even though he’s nearly twice her size.

  “Hell no.” He pounds his right fist into his left palm. I flinch. The slam of his fist is loud and hard. “Fifteen thousand less than the original offer.” He frowns and his hands ball into fists. I’m frozen. Will he knock her into the kitchen?

  I glance at Morgan as she wipes specks of blood from her face. Seeing them makes me angry again.

  “Derrick, I had to invest too much energy into trying to take over your territory. The price dropped. Take it or leave,” Andrea says. Her eyes flicker between him and the other wolves. Like she’s hoping stupidity flies from his mouth. Then she’ll unleash her wrath without regret.

  I see a slight tremor of his hand as he runs it through his curly hair. “I’m not interested in selling, search elsewhere.” His eyebrows furrow. “You don’t have the luxury of creating any more enemies.”

  A hiss escapes her lips as she tries to remain calm. The pan
ic dances across her face, hard to hide. “Enemies? I don’t have any fucking enemies.”

  “You don’t? You have a big enemy on the loose, I’d say.” He walks closer in her face. “Now, you wouldn’t want me to tell everybody, would you?” An evil sneer appears upon his face, reminding me of a snake. He says this with cockiness. Andrea is a little fidgety, nervous even. What is she hiding?

  “Oh, yeah?” she says as her voice cracks.

  I’m curious, who’s on the loose? He has Andrea trembling, when a minute ago she was the big bad wolf. Now she’s shaking in her tube socks.

  “Yeah, that’s right,” Derrick confirms.

  “Spill the beans already. If I have an enemy, I’ll destroy them with a snap of my fingers.”

  “Why haven’t you done it yet? Bottom line is stay away from my territory, or maybe I’ll pay your enemy a visit.”

  He turns his gaze in my direction. Anxiety engulfs my chest. Shit, I don’t want to know her enemy. I shake my head, keeping my gaze on Derrick. Expecting something vile to come flying from his lips.

  “Prentiss is in town and he’s been making a lot of friends.”

  Chapter 10

  Derrick and his pack race through the broken window, the same way they came in. Is this a message for me? I bite my nails, overthinking this. If Prentiss wants me, no need to send a message. He’s has an open invitation to come himself. I’m ready.

  “This is some crazy shit,” Morgan whispers.

  “What happened?”

  “I’m not sure. There was a huge crash, and they came rushing in,” Morgan whispers while holding her face.

  I eye the crowd as everyone chats about the fight. Andrea has taken a seat in the dining room. She taps her fingers on the table as she smokes a cigarette. I guess I need to find out what this fight is about before I lose my life. Since she is the leader of this group, I have a ton of questions. Something tells me this situation just escalated. And she knows more about Prentiss and his whereabouts.

  I slip in a chair across from Andrea and before I open my mouth, she barks, “It doesn’t involve you.”

  “Bullshit, he scowled at me when he said Prentiss is back in town.”

  “I got this under control” she urges.

  “I’m sure you do.”

  Derrick doesn’t appear to be joking. A mean howl and a sharp stare—he means business.

  “I will take over territories and make everyone safer,” she explains while blowing white puffs of smoke through the air.

  Where have I seen this before? Prentiss was preaching the same bullshit. I’ll keep an eye on her.

  “I’m nothing like Prentiss. If that’s what you're thinking.”

  I didn’t say it, but it certainly crossed my mind.

  “We attended high school together, but I take care of my neighborhoods.”

  Folding my arms, I give her a disbelieving stare. It’s hard to trust someone you met today. Even if we are related.

  Silence hangs between the two of us for several minutes. I squint and exhale deeply.

  “Come on, I’ll show you,” she suggests.

  “This is Derrick’s territory,” Andrea says as we drive over a pothole nearly the size of the Grand Canyon. The neighborhood’s a run-down slum. It reminds me of the projects in Detroit. Where there is no grass and the children run wild without supervision. The chances of someone making it out of those neighborhoods and going to college is slim to none. Violent crimes in the inner city are high. Andrea visualizes a change she can make. I’m not sure why. I don’t foresee change being possible.

  “How do you propose a change in this area?”

  “Derrick is not doing anything for these people. He doesn’t care. He’s been floating dark magic through here for decades. How else would he make his money?” Her eyes are focused on the road, but I still detect the heavy tension in her shoulders.

  The scent of sewer wafts through the air. I scoff, wrinkling my nose. “Something should be done immediately about the rotting odor.”

  “It’s had the pungency of rotting flesh for at least twenty years,” Andrea replies.

  She doesn’t even cover her nose. How did they get accustomed to the odor and the living conditions? It resembles a third world country. I’ve never been to one but I do watch television.

  Abandoned building with missing windows. Dirt for grass, and empty beer bottles laying on the curb. The place needs a facelift. The sight of this place makes me lose my appetite. I’m not sure if I should trust her, but she sounds sincere about transforming this neighborhood. Is her motive financial gain?

  “How long has Derrick controlled this neighborhood?”

  “He’s always controlled this part of town, but now it’s time for a change. I’m going to take you to Oak Creek, the area which mirrored this one before I cleaned it up.”

  We ride for a few miles in Andrea’s Porsche. The headquarters is huge and I imagine her house is nice. She has been able to support herself financially, for sure.

  It appears as if we went to a new city. The streets are clean and free from debris. No giant potholes. Huge Colonial-style houses with large picture-frame windows. It has old-world charm with a modern twist.

  “This neighborhood belonged to another pack before the coven took control. So, I’m making a difference in the communities I control,” she says with confidence.

  She’s right if what she says is true. It is better because she controls the town. I’ve had enough for one day. I need to get back, find Morgan, and continue searching for Momma.

  We zoom back to the coven headquarters. As the sun is setting, the witches are repairing the busted front glass.

  “Did you know Prentiss is in town?” I question. If she is hiding the fact he’s in New Orleans, maybe she knows where he is.

  “I found out with you when Derrick stated it.”

  We get near the front door as the scent of Kato grabs my attention. He’s around here, but how did he find me? I guess he’s always been able to magically appear.

  Entering the front door, I expect Kato to be sitting on the couch. But he’s not. Maybe it’s wishful thinking.

  “Where is Morgan?” I ask the blonde witch sitting on the couch.

  She points toward the kitchen without glancing my way. I hurry toward the kitchen and am nearly knocked to the ground when the door swings open. Morgan and Kato enter the dining room. I knew he was here. Morgan has a bandage on her right cheek from the damn werewolf scratching her.

  “Hello, Kato,” Andrea says.

  Huh, Kato knows Andrea. He gets around. Who hasn’t he met in this town?

  “Long time no see,” Andrea continues. The light flickers off her eyes as they sparkle at the sight of Kato.

  Kato speaks, but he’s resistant, like she’s someone from his past he doesn’t want to associate with. He’s not excited like he was when he saw Jazz.

  “Have a seat, Kato, let’s catch up. I’ve been trying to get Kato to join the coven for a decade.” Andrea takes a seat, glaring at Kato as if she can’t believe he’s standing in front of her. She leans back on the couch and crosses her long legs.

  Is her old ass trying to flirt with Kato?

  “No, Andrea, nice catching up with you, but we got to go,” Kato explains.

  “Well, we didn’t talk much yet. Besides, I might help with whatever you’re searching for.”

  “He’s here to help me find Momma,” I reply.

  She points her finger to me then Kato. “How do you two know each other?”

  I glance at Kato and notice the darkness across his face. He has shut down. Something’s not right.

  “We met in Detroit,” I say.

  “Kato, you know Harmony is my cousin, right?” Andrea blabs.

  His eyes bulge as his warm gaze meets mine. Then he shoots a sharp stare at Andrea. “Really?” he questions in disbelief.

  Morgan takes a seat on the couch and exhales. “I’m tired, Harmony. I want to go rest.”

  “Wait a seco
nd, Morgan,” Andrea says.

  “I tried several times to help you break the curse Matteo cast upon you. The spell was strong—we never did crack the code. How is Matteo?” Andrea prods.

  Kato rolls his eyes as his nostrils flare. “Matteo ain’t here to talk.” He gives her a mean snarl and struts toward the door.

  Morgan mumbles “Goodbye,” as she races for the door.

  “We’ll stay in contact. Come by tomorrow,” Andrea says.

  I don’t understand why Kato is being rude, rushing to leave the headquarters. Especially considering the fact he knows Andrea and she has helped him in the past. There’s something fishy going on here and it stinks.

  I shut the door behind me and rush to the car.

  “What was that all about, Kato?”

  “I know you are in the middle of your family reunion.” He uses air quotes. “But be careful with your long-lost cousin.” He sounds really snappy. Like he has an attitude with me.

  “Why are you upset?”

  “I’m sorry.” He wipes his forehead and exhales. “It’s not directed at you. I’m warning you Andrea is not everything she claims to be.”

  Chapter 11

  “What do you mean?” I snap my head toward Kato. He needs to explain. He’s overprotective, and it reminds me of Momma’s overbearing ways. She’s certain someone is out to get me.

  “You’ve known her all of thirty minutes; I’ve known her since I was a child. Trust me.”

  I stare into those bedroom eyes of his and gave him a smirk. “I trust you.” I shouldn’t have gone to Andrea’s headquarters since I just met her today.

  “The only reason I went is because she had information about Momma.”

  “I got a hit on Jeanette’s location. Let’s go,” Kato says as he fires the engine.

  Horror fills my insides. I’m glad he got a hit on her location. But what if she’s being abused or beaten? My magic has a mind of its own and I can’t control the destruction unleashed upon the kidnappers.