by Terry Spear
Table of Contents
Phantom Fae
(The World of Fae, Book 6)
Terry Spear
Dedication
Blurb for Phantom Fae:
Also Available by Terry Spear:
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
About the Author
And her Wilde & Woolley Bears, award-winning teddy bears, that have found homes all over the world: www.celticbears.com
Phantom Fae
(The World of Fae, Book 6)
Terry Spear
Phantom Fae
Copyright © 2016 by Terry Spear
Cover Art by Cora's Graphics
All rights reserved. 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 written permission from the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.
ISBN-10: 1633110079
ISBN-13: 978-1-63311-007-6
Discover more about Terry Spear at:
http://www.terryspear.com/
Dedication
To my patient fae fans who have my unending gratitude for taking so long in getting this book out. It's all the fae's fault. I swear it!
May you have only good fae encounters.
Blurb for Phantom Fae:
Human turned phantom fae Brett has to survive mage trials when he has only just learned he's a mage. And dragon fae shifter Ena is warned that the dragon fae kingdom is in turmoil, something that she vows to help put to rights.
When Brett is forced to fight alongside the phantom fae, which means take a stand against Ena and her kind, he's not doing it. She will always have his loyalty, though when she learns he's one of her enemy fae, and a mage on top of that, she might not feel the same about him.
Still, Prince Grotto is their common enemy, and if it means fighting him, maybe they can work together. Yet, Brett wants more than that with Ena. Will she ever see him as more than just a human fae seer she took as payment for rescuing the kingdom's princess?
Also Available by Terry Spear:
The World of Fae:
The Dark Fae
The Deadly Fae
The Winged Fae
The Ancient Fae
Dragon Fae
Hawk Fae
Phantom Fae
The World of Elf:
The Shadow Elf
The Darkland Elf (TBA)
Blood Moon Series:
Kiss of the Vampire
Demon Guardian Series:
The Trouble with Demons
Demon Trouble, Too
Demon Hunter (TBA)
Non-Series for Now:
Ghostly Liaisons
The Beast Within
Courtly Masquerade
Deidre's Secret
The Magic of Inherian:
The Scepter of Salvation
The Mage of Monrovia
Emerald Isle of Mists (TBA)
Chapter 1
The phantom fae, Freya, was so startled to see Van's grandson arrive at the cemetery, and so saddened to learn that his grandfather had died, she didn't know what to think. Van hadn't been able to remove the curse the phantom fae Queen Everlee, had commanded that Zane, an up and coming mage, cast on her. He did so without blinking an eye. Not that he'd had any choice. Anyone who stood up to the queen and lost, was cursed or worse. Poisoned, like Brett's grandfather had been, and killed slowly. Or murdered outright, like her parents and Brett's. Freya had wanted to kill the queen herself, but she had no powers to do so.
Freya was cursed to be a raven for most of her days, a fae for brief moments in time, missing her parents, hating the queen and the mage for what they had done, wishing someone could help her. Until she saw a ray of hope in Brett, if he could live through the mage trials.
How could he? He hadn't trained but all this week, trying to cram all that knowledge into his mind. He was preparing to meet the trials head on, knowing that failing to master even one spell would mean his certain death.
Could he help her? If he did manage to survive and take his grandfather's place as the queen's royal mage? It was an honor Zane sorely wanted and thought he'd get until the new phantom fae mage showed up in their lands. Brett was an odd sort of phantom fae, having been raised by humans, so he had strange mannerisms and a peculiar way of saying things sometimes.
She'd been touched by the sweet sentiments he'd spoken over his grandfather's grave. He'd been upset with the men for not burying Van in a coffin even though the fae didn't bury their dead in such a manner, but despite Brett having only met his grandfather when he was on his deathbed, Brett had wanted what he felt was the honorable way to bury him. Brett seemed to genuinely care about him.
If Brett survived the trials, would he become the royal mage and then not help her? What if he had all that power and didn't want to give it up? Besides, aiding Freya could mean his death.
She watched him now as he stood before his grandfather's grave, the ravens sitting on top of the headstones, listening. Just like she was, too, fascinated with him. His blue eyes narrowed as if he was concentrating on what he had to say or upset that his grandfather was gone, his dark brown hair ruffled by the breeze.
She still couldn't believe that the dragon fae, Ena, had bestowed upon him such magnificent jeweled daggers and a sword. She must have prized him highly to give him such treasures. The notion made Freya a little sad to think she had nothing to give him, should he wish to aid her, when it would mean he would risk his own life.
"Grandfather, I wish I had gotten to know you. That you were here to… to well, tutor me. The trial starts tomorrow and…" Brett took a deep breath and let it out, then paced.
Suddenly, he swung around and looked straight at Freya. He'd done that a number of times when she'd found him visiting his grandfather in the cemetery, as if he suddenly realized she was there, watching him. But never so… abruptly, as if he was truly aware it was her. Which she knew was crazy.
Most everyone who lived at the castle knew she was a raven for a good part of her days and nights, but no one really cared. Or if they did, they were careful not to show it because they feared the queen's wrath.
Brett stared hard at Freya, and she felt her cheeks heat with embarrassment, until she remembered she was not a fae at the moment, but a raven, black, sleek, feathered and sitting on her mother's headstone—that gave her some comfort—while she watched the strange phantom fae.
"You… you are not a bird," he said all of a sudden.
She lifted her head a little in surprise. No one was supposed to tell him who she was. How could he guess? Then she figured he was being metaphoric or something, as was a mage's way. Though he wasn't raised among their people so he might not think in that manner.
She tilted her head to the side, waiting for him to reveal something else that would indicate he really did know who she was. Then she cawed at him, wanting badly to say, "No, she wasn't."
"Speak again," he urged, excited. He got nearer, but he made his way slowly. He reminded her of a hunter, yet she didn't believe he meant to harm her. Rather, he appeared to be using caution in an attempt not to frighten her away.
"Some mages have familiars. At least in the books I've read." He s
topped some distance from her.
Human books. When would he learn that human approaches meant nothing here? She cawed back at him, snorting like only a raven could.
The strange human-raised fae smiled at her!
"You will be my familiar." Folding his arms across his chest, he sounded quite sure of himself.
She should have flown off, to show him that he couldn't tell her what she would do. Not that she could be some mage's familiar anyhow. Or would want to if she could. She was a fae just like him, except…cursed.
"You understand me." He crouched so that she sat higher than him, as if he was trying to make her feel safer.
He didn't have to be concerned if he thought she feared his height. She'd just fly off to the stone arch that led into the cemetery so that she'd been even higher than him.
"Ravens can help teach magic." He spoke as though he was talking to another fae. Which he was, even if she didn't look like one right now. "You will help teach me."
She snorted again. She wasn't a raven! Well, for real. And she had no knowledge of magic.
"I… don't know how to fae travel," he said, sounding almost embarrassed.
She realized just how vulnerable he must feel among their people. How strange their behaviors when he'd never been around them. She'd only been to the human world once for just a few minutes and had felt the same when she had been among them.
Coming into his fae abilities would happen when it was supposed to happen. Everyone was different. She couldn't do anything about it.
"I need you to guide me." He let out his breath. "Say anything to me."
She cawed, telling him in a raven's way that he was a daft human-raised fae and was likely to get himself killed during the first trial. Her eyes filled with tears because she couldn't help how that upset her. It wasn't just that she hoped he could help her, but she saw something in him that called to her, a tenderness, a desire to assist her, and she wanted to aid him in the worst way. But how could she? She couldn't.
He jumped to his feet, grinning, startling her, but she managed to settle her feathers and stay put when he said, "You think I'm daft, do you?"
She swore if a raven could faint, she nearly fell off her mother's headstone in shock.
Then Brett looked down at the white marble headstone, read the name, and looked up at her. "You constantly come to this headstone. This one. No other." He observed the name again. "I won't get myself killed off during the first trial." He looked up at her. "I won't."
But just being determined wouldn't decide his fate. Freya knew that firsthand.
***
Brett couldn't believe that when he really listened with his other hearing senses, he could make out what the raven was saying to him. Even when she was making some kind of a derisive snort at him. She had to be a fae. None of the other ravens made any sound other than regular bird calls.
"Can you help me?"
She shook her head.
"Because…you can't? Or because you don't want to?"
She twisted her head to the side, then turned her head suddenly toward the gate into the cemetery.
"Someone's coming," he whispered to her, and then she flew off.
"You are to be in the inner bailey preparing for the first trial. What are you doing here?" Maracose, Queen Everlee's advisor, asked Brett. "Are you ready?"
"As little time as the queen has allowed me to study? No."
"You are lucky she gave you even that much time to learn what you could."
"Why didn't she just have me killed when I first came here then?"
"To prove she is in charge. That she is giving you the opportunity to prove your worth, despite that you are so disadvantaged."
"Do you think I can win?"
"It matters not what I believe. Only what you believe."
Maracose's comment made Brett think of the Jedi Master, Yoda, in Star Wars. But he was determined to win and would try, no, not just try, but he would think only positively about the outcome. He would survive the trials.
Chapter 2
Brett and Maricose entered the inner bailey where a dais was set up for important persons, such as the queen and her advisor and a few others Brett didn't know. They were sitting there, watching him, a gray awning over the top of it to protect them from the sunlight. If there had been any. The day was gray, foggy, no definition between the clouds hugging the ground and those covering the sky. The grayness suited the grimness of the task before him.
Fae had gathered all around the outskirts of the inner bailey to witness the first trial, while guards stood with swords and spears near the queen, the courtiers, and the gate. As cold and chilly as it was that morning, braziers were burning brightly, situated at various locations to warm the spectators. High above on the wall surrounding the wall-walk, the raven was perched, watching him. The raven made him feel even more like he could do this, and he appreciated that she, or he, was there in his corner.
Then he saw the other mage apprentice, Zane, his blond hair pulled back in a tail, his blue eyes sharp with hatred. He wore gold silk robes as if he were the prince of the mages. Unlike Brett who wore the clothes that Ena had so graciously bought for him. Which made him think of how he still had to earn an income to pay her back since he wasn't working for her any longer.
Zane glanced up at the wall walk where the raven was sitting, then sneered, and raised his hand as if to cast some spell on the bird. Brett feared the mage intended to harm the raven.
Brett rushed to stop him, knowing full well, he could never reach him in time. He prayed the distraction would stop the mage apprentice.
Before Brett was even aware of what he was doing, he flew, literally, at the man. His feet had lifted off the ground and gasps sounded all over the bailey. True to his belief, he startled Zane with his action right before Brett slugged him in the jaw with his fist and knocked him on his rear. Zane stared up at Brett. The mage's mouth was agape as Brett set his feet down on the grassy ground.
Brett's heart was beating hard as he still couldn't believe what he had done—as far as the flying was concerned. Punching the mage in the jaw? Totally called for.
"None of that!" the queen screeched, and Brett realized she and everyone seated on the dais had come off their gilded silver chairs and were looking on in horror.
Not feeling in the least rebuked for having done something so un-mage like, Brett offered his hand to Zane. The mage-apprentice only glowered at him and stood on his own, then brushed off his robes. The fabric was skinned in places, and Brett took some satisfaction in ruffling the mage-apprentice's feathers a bit for having intended to harm the raven. At least he was fairly certain that was the mage's intent.
Brett looked up at the wall and saw a couple of black feathers floating to the ground. The raven was still seated on the wall walk. Had Zane startled her, and she lost a couple of feathers because of it? He hoped she had not been injured. He let out his breath. Eyeing the two of them, the bird was not leaving. Or…fae, because he knew that the bird was not a real raven. He was glad the raven would stay.
"You will die in the first trial, mage imposter," Zane growled.
Brett bowed his head to him a little; not that he agreed with him. Maybe Brett had some more unseen abilities like the flying one. He looked back at the distance he had gone, still not believing he'd moved in such a manner without the aid of wings.
"Get on with the trial!" the queen shouted. "Zane, you have the honor of going first."
Good. Brett had wanted to see just what he was in for first, figuring he'd just do whatever Zane did when it was his turn. If he could.
Zane gave him an evil grin and said an incantation. Tensing, Brett wanted to knock the mage-apprentice out and that would be the end of whatever he planned to do. But Brett figured that wouldn't be acceptable and he might just end up being eliminated for being so…rebellious. In the real world, if he wasn't trying to stay alive in a mage trial, which this was for now, he would have killed the mage by any means necessary.
Without trying to bring on mage abilities he couldn't summon for the life of him. Well, except for the flying.
Brett's muscles were wound tight, as he waited to spring into action to deal with whatever happened next.
To his shock and horror, he witnessed a three-headed hydra—a serpent-like monster with green reptilian skin as tough as a snake's—materialize out of thin air a few feet away. Standing upright on a single tail, the hydra was posed to strike, it's back to him—the heads writhing. Then it slowly twisted around, as if realizing the people on the dais were not its intended prey. The creature turned around fully, all the heads focused on him as if the mage apprentice had told them who the enemy was. Its yellow eyes narrowed and forked tongues flicked at the air. Brett's heart raced pell mell. Immediately, he ran out of the hydra's path, expecting the hydra to dart after him as Brett tried to come up with a solution at once. Instead of moving fast, the creature slithered across the grassy inner bailey, moving more like a slow zombie. Thank the heavens.
The hydra was bad news, if this was anything like the Greek myth or other versions of the hydra that Brett had fought in video games. For every head he'd cut off in the games, two new ones would appear. Except the hydras he normally killed in video games started out with only one head. Was Zane worried he couldn't beat Brett without stacking the odds in his favor?
Brett didn't know any magic that could kill the beast. The three heads were twisting, the highly venomous fangs bared, and their green reptilian eyes all focused on him. He wished he had magic from one of his games that could kill it. Or a sword that had a magical enchantment.
Getting closer, one of the heads struck at him. Brett dove out of its path and ran far enough away to give him a moment to look around and see what he could use to kill it. The only weapons available to him were the guards' swords. Not that any of the guards were offering him a sword. He hoped when he tried to take one from the closest guard, the bearded man wouldn't stop him. Brett flew to the man and the guard's eyes rounded, right before Brett grabbed for his sword.
