Shadows and Sorcery: A Collection of Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance Novels

by Adkins, Heather Marie

  I hold my head up high. “The way I see it, there was no easy road. We don’t have to do this, Xavier. You can let me go.”

  His hollow laugh sends chills over my body. “Never. I warned you, Sage. You leave me no choice but to kill those close to you.”

  I hold my hands out in front of me. “Not if I kill you first.”

  “Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. Trying to kill me before we even have a chance to live together. Who should I start with first?” His index finger taps on his lips as he heads closer to us, weaving through the headstones.

  We all wait for the right moment to attack.

  Gathering my magic in my center, I focus on my hand, forming an energy ball. I lift my hand up beside my face.

  Xavier stops halfway from closing the distance, an evil smile gracing his mouth. “I wouldn’t do that, if I were you.”

  I tilt my head to the side. “And why not?”

  He moves his hands in some intricate pattern. “I’d hate for you to be the one responsible for your best friend’s death.”

  What the hell is he talking about? Willow is… I swing my head around, not finding her red hair anywhere. “What did you do to her?”

  Ezra steps closer to me, his wolf’s claws retracting from his human hands.

  Xavier narrows his gaze on him. “Nothing… yet. I’ll take care of you next, mutt.”

  With glowing eyes, he cracks his knuckles. “Looking forward to it.”

  The sorcerer chuckles and Willow appears out of thin air, floating above the ground.

  Her eyelids flutter, body stiffening as her angry gaze turns to Xavier. Her mouth is moving, but whatever he has her surrounded with is soundproof.

  He reaches out, caressing the air around her. “Ah, it was fun, Red, but alas, our time has come to an end. Did you not think I knew what you were up to?” He turns his head back to me. “I must thank you for using her as a distraction. She has been quite the… diversion.”

  Bile rises in my throat at the implication. “Let her go.”

  Xavier paces. “I gave you options to save them already. You chose him. Now, I have to teach you a lesson before you come with me. I can’t have such disrespect from my wife.”

  The wolves creep in closer on the enemies while we talk.

  I feel the power of my coven growing stronger behind me.

  A sacrificial knife appears in his hand. The blade is as black as his soul and the handle dark carved wood.

  My heart pounds and my palms sweat, an energy ball forming once more.

  Willow’s scared, wide gaze locks with mine.

  I draw my hand back again, this time releasing the magic toward Xavier.

  He plunges the knife through the barrier, slicing her neck as if she’s nothing more than cattle.

  “No!” I scream.

  Her body falls to the ground at his feet, blood seeping into the ground of the already deceased.

  Wolves and witches attack from all angles, working together to disarm the hooded figures before taking them down.

  Power electrifies the air.

  Screams and warrior calls from men and women drown out the sobbing screams retching from inside of me.

  I hurl ball after ball of power at him. Nothing is getting through the barrier he’s erected in front of him.

  Tears stream down my face. I feel empty inside. What was I thinking putting Willow in that position? I knew I shouldn’t have gone along with that stupid plan.

  Guilt. Fear. Pain. Heartbreak runs on a continuous loop through my body. How will I ever recover from something like this?

  Hands slide under the bends of my arms, lifting me from the damp ground. I wasn’t even aware that I had fallen down.

  Ezra stands me up. “The battle is not over, Sage. Get up. Fight back. Avenge her death, love. It won’t make the pain go away, but it will help.”

  His words empower me.

  I can’t let her death be in vain. Tucking the feelings deep within, I stand to my full height. “Quit being a coward, Xavier. Come out from behind your magic.”

  His gaze rakes over my body as he disengages the magic around him. “It doesn’t have to be like this. Look at all the dead bodies. This could have all been avoided. This is on you.”

  He’s right. This is my fault. But I won’t let him live another day. He doesn’t deserve to breathe the same air.

  I take a deep breath, consuming as much power around me as possible. The gray hue reaches out to me. My subconscious recoils from the thought of using necromancy. I’ve never attempted to connect with it. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

  I reach out with my energy, grabbing a hold of it. Power from the deceased shifters and fallen coven members surrounding us floods me.

  My body feels rejuvenated. Nothing can touch me now. No pain, no feelings, no remorse.

  Breathing in through my nose, I hold my arms stretched out above my head and bring them down in an arc to my sides.

  Xavier smiles, taking a step closer. “I didn’t think you could be any more beautiful. I was wrong. You really are perfect.” He holds a hand out to me.

  I walk closer to him.

  Ezra grabs my hand, stopping me. “What are you doing, love?”

  When my gaze locks on his, his eyes widen. “I’m going to take care of Xavier.”

  His hand drops mine and he watches with hurt as I step close to the other man.

  The sorcerer grabs my hand, pulling me into his body and wrapping a hand around my waist. “I knew you’d come to your senses.”

  The corners of my mouth lift up.

  “I don’t know what I was thinking, denying you.” I place my hands on the sides of his face and lean in.

  His lips pucker for a kiss then go lax, mouth opening and closing but no sound comes out. Blood trickles from the corners of his eyes, nostrils, and ears.

  My hands press harder into his face before letting go, and his body crumples to the ground. Similar to how Willow’s body collapsed.

  “How does it feel to be betrayed?” I ask his prone body as I walk around it, knowing he won’t be answering my question. It still needed to be said out loud.

  Bodies litter the cemetery, many of my coven members and faces I don’t recognize from Ezra’s pack.

  I come across a dead blonde-haired guy that looks familiar. Where do I know him from?

  It’s Clarke from Sewanee University. Such a young life wasted. I expect to feel guilt or remorse, anything that would be my normal reaction, but there’s nothing inside of me that cares.

  People are picking up bodies and carrying them back to the house to figure out how many casualties and so families can identify them.

  I walk around until I get to Willow’s body. Reaching down, I roll her over to her back and brush her red hair out of her face. My best friend since childhood is gone. Shouldn’t I feel grief? I remember what that felt like, but I just don’t have any of those emotions to give.

  It’s intoxicating, this feeling of power still flowing through my veins. I feel like I can take on the world right now.

  A hand touches my shoulder, and I stand to face Ezra. I don’t even feel my love for him like I did before.

  Worry emanates from his gaze, and lines crease his forehead. “Are you okay, love? You don’t seem like yourself.”

  Shrugging, I study Willow’s face once more. “I’m fine.”

  He steps closer and wraps his arms around me, pressing my body into his. “You’re not fine. You need to let the death magic go. Then you’ll be yourself again and can mourn the loss of your friend.”

  12

  6 Months Later

  There is a chill still in the air even though spring is peeking through. My feet are cold against the ground but the earth is connected to me, its comforting warmth syncing with the power purring inside me. I try to walk barefoot around here as much as possible now. It helps keep the demons at bay.

  I’m still uncomfortable with how death still calls to me. However, I’m beginning to make my peace w
ith it. It was touch and go there for a long while after killing Xavier. I now understand what Willow was asking that morning at the house. That type of raw power from the dead does something to you. It changes you and bends you into something it wants you to become. I shiver at the memories and the regrets I have with my one encounter with it.

  Since then, I’ve trained with others that know of its infinity being around Xavier. I still don’t use it but know how to respect and shield myself if I ever need to bend it again. I hope to the goddess above I never need to use it again.

  A wind blows, and the sweet scent of flowers fills the air. I walk over and find a few tulip bulbs beginning to bloom.

  Tears sting my eyes at the sight. These were some of Willow’s favorites. She said that’s when you knew spring was about to be here.

  My heart rips into pieces as I picture my best friend dead on the ground as well as all the other people who died protecting me. That should never have had to happen. It was my place to serve them, not the other way around.

  “Hey,” Ezra walks out of the house and comes over to me. His hair is messy, and his eyes are droopy. “What are you doing out here so early?”

  I stand on my tiptoes and kiss his cheek. His five o’clock shadow tickles my lips. “I couldn’t sleep. I wasn’t trying to worry you.”

  He raises an eyebrow. “Anytime I wake up without you by my side, I’m going to worry.”

  “Oh, please.” I shake my head. “You’d know if I were in trouble.” There hasn’t been much trouble at all since the night we dealt with Xavier.

  After he pauses a moment, he nods. “I guess that’s true. You can handle yourself.” He winks at me and tugs me toward him where my back is against his chest. Then he wraps his arms around me. “What’s going on?”

  “Just needed some air.” I don’t want to talk about it. He knows this.

  “You’re going to have to forgive yourself.” He rubs his hands over my belly. “You didn’t do anything wrong. We were all forced into a corner. We all did the best we could.”

  Everything he said is true, but for some reason, it haunts me. “I feel responsible.”

  He kisses the back of my head. “We’re leaders, love. We make the best decisions we can at the time. No matter what we do at times, lives are going to be lost and things are going to be risked. However, you and I both put our people at the front of our minds. If we hadn’t done what we did, he would have attacked us all anyways and more lives would have been lost. You have to let it go. For our whole family.”

  At the mention of family, the baby decides to kick at his hand resting on my belly. A smile spreads across my face and my heart heals a little more. “I guess she liked that.”

  He buries his face in my neck and kisses my shoulder. “I guess she did.”

  Even though I’d give up almost anything in the world for Willow to still be here with me, this baby is filling a part of me that has been missing. “You do realize, if it really is a girl, I want to name her Willow.”

  “Of course.” He turns me around so I’m facing him and caresses my cheek with his hand. “I have no problem at all with that.”

  And that’s how I know I’ll be able to get through anything with him by side. He’s made for me in every way. Even our pack and coven get along well.

  Ivory stays with the coven at the village, and we both teleport back and forth throughout the day. We’ve pretty much become one cohesive unit, and we work together in order to accomplish things.

  Grams and my relationship has improved in some ways since I’ve become the official priestess. However, my nights are here with Ezra at our home. She tries to downplay her excitement, but she’s tickled pink to become a great-grandmother. I think part of her can’t wait to actually be able to act like a grandmother and not a parent.

  Pretty much, our life has leveled off and I couldn’t wish for a better partner by my side. Now, we just have to live our happily ever after, or whatever version of that is in store for us.

  * * *

  Thank you so much for reading Natural Magic. We hope you loved meeting Sage, Willow and Ezra!

  Even though this is a standalone novella, we will have many more co-writes between us and hope you stick around for those.

  About the Author

  Jen L. Grey is a USA Today Bestselling Author who writes Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy, and Fantasy genres. Jen lives in Tennessee with her husband, two daughters, and miniature Australian Shepherd. Before she began writing, she was an avid reader and enjoyed being involved in the indie community. Her love for books eventually led her to writing.

  www.jenlgrey.com

  Nicole Kelley is a USA Today Bestselling author that writes Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, and Fantasy romance. She was born and raised in TN, where she currently resides with her husband, three kids, and Boston Terrier. Being an avid reader, she never planned to write until the daydreams in her head needed an outlet. She focuses her writing on giving readers an escape from the ordinary and mundane with an element of soul stirring romance. Behind this creativity is a love of coffee, dark chocolate, popcorn and private car karaoke.

  www.authornicolekelley.com

  His Haven

  Harper A. Brooks

  His Haven © copyright 2019 Harper A. Brooks

  All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

  Created with Vellum

  His Haven

  Ignorance isn’t always bliss…

  Handsome and diligent Avrum Brenin should have died in the fire with his mother and older brother. Instead, he is saved by the powerful and wealthy immortal, Lord Henri. Placed under his care, Avrum shares in his world of endless splendors. He must do one thing in return—look after Haven, a human and Lord Henri’s newest rescue.

  The simple task proves to be more complicated than it seems. Haven is disobedient, ungrateful, and hostile, yet she is beautiful and mystifying at the same time. One night, when Avrum stumbles across Haven barely clothed and bound at the wrists, the world he has trusted in unravels before his eyes. He soon discovers that no one—from Lord Henri and Haven to his closest friend, Lysander—are who they seem to be.

  Now faced with the truth, will Avrum choose to surrender to the man who rescued him, or will he have the courage to save the woman who captivated him?

  1

  Avrum Brenin sipped his wine at the foot of the grand staircase as couples draped in their fortune drifted across the mosaic floor. The gold lights of the chandelier above reflected off the jewels around their slender throats and fingers, reminding him of fireflies during hot summer nights. They were truly beautiful creatures with eyes that glowed and bodies that moved as smoothly as water. It still amazed him that he belonged to such a crowd when only a year ago he was living on his father’s farm with little money to his name.

  He let his lips run over the smooth glass rim, tasting the bitter liquid that still lingered there. His gaze drifted across the large, circular room. Tables decorated with floral centerpieces lined the walls and tall arch windows reflected the many flawless faces. A group of elder men sat against the far wall with instruments in hand. The soothing melody of a waltz drowned out the sound of the rain outside and floated about the room. Couples swayed and turned, as
if pulled by strings. Other guests made their rounds to greet friends, laughing and whispering secrets that were not meant to be spread.

  Avrum glanced at the top of the stair. The two wooden doors remained tightly closed, and he sighed. Where was Henri? It wasn’t like him to be late to his own party.

  “You’ve done well with this fête.”

  Avrum glanced to his left to see Lysander now standing there, his white gloved hands fiddling with the gold buttons on his cuffs. When his heavy-lidded gray eyes finally lifted to meet Avrum’s, they were filled with boredom.

  “You seem to be enjoying yourself,” Avrum replied with a short laugh.

  “Extensively.” But his face showed nothing of the sort.

  “I don’t know why you do not care for parties, Lysander,” said Avrum. “With all the music and company, it can be quite exciting.”

  Lysander just shook his head, causing his loose golden hair to glisten in the light. “This was my life in Orléans before I came to your country and here to Birmingham,” he said. His thick French accent clung to every word. “The women, the music, the dull repetition of it all.”

  Avrum’s mind whirled at the thought of such lush gatherings each night. “It must have been wonderful.”

  Lysander lifted his pointed nose. “For some time, yes. I suppose it was.”

  Avrum finished off his wine and patted his good friend on the shoulder. “Oh, Lysander, enjoy yourself! It’s a beautiful night with beautiful company!”

  “Sometimes I forget how young you still are.” He shrugged his shoulder away and sighed. “You’ll learn eventually. We all do.”