by Eve Redmayne
BETRAYAL AND YEARNING
Changeling Desires Series, Book One
Written by Eve R. Redmayne
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form. 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 systems without written permission from the author.
This book is a work of fiction. Any names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual locales or events is purely coincidental.
To my husband, who supported me through it all and thinks I wrote this book about him (which of course, I did). And to my daughters, who prayed nightly that Mama’s book might someday see the light of day.
Authored By: Eve R. Redmayne
Cover Art Design: Christian Bentulan, Covers by Christian
Published by: Half Pint Publishing LLC
Contents
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
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 27
CHAPTER 28
CHAPTER 29
CHAPTER 30
CHAPTER 31
CHAPTER 32
CHAPTER 33
CHAPTER 34
CHAPTER 35
CHAPTER 36
CHAPTER 37
CHAPTER 38
CHAPTER 39
CHAPTER 40
CHAPTER 41
CHAPTER 42
CHAPTER 43
CHAPTER 44
What’s Coming Up?
About the Author
CHAPTER 1
Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah — Present Day
In the hush of the forest, Jessica clutched her map. She tucked a wayward lock of hair back into her ponytail and blew out a breath. The coordinates showed she was in the right place.
“Where is it?” she murmured. After all the convincing it had taken for her boss to sanction the field research—actually using her geophysics degree—Jessica needed to find the proof she’d promised. If she didn’t, goodness only knew what assignment they’d give her next. Training new recruits to log mud samples, most likely. But something had happened here, the evidence from the satellite imaging was clear.
The shadows deepened as she scrambled up a grassy dell all while her mother’s warnings drummed in her brain, rapists and thugs lurk in dark corners, and, don’t go out in the woods alone! Her jaw tightened. She tried shrugging off the feeling of unease, skittering down her spine. Besides, she’d never heard of any crimes committed here befo—
A hand clapped over her mouth, twisting her head sharply to the side, before a forearm wrapped around her chest. A deep voice whispered against her ear, “Don’t fight, this’ll go easier for you.”
Pulse pounding in her ears, a scream clogged her throat. Without thinking, she bit down on the calloused hand until blood laced her tongue.
The man jerked away with a curse.
She spun, sighted on a pale eyebrow, and flung her field pack. As it struck home, she turned and ran.
A dark-haired man stepped from the shadows and blocked her way. Teeth bared in a smile, he placed his hands on her shoulders, almost gently. She didn’t hesitate and kicked out, catching him firmly between the legs. His complexion paled, and the smile faded into a grimace. But still, he managed to grab her and shoved her against a gnarled tree.
“Do it,” the one restraining her said hoarsely then sucked in a ragged breath.
Jessica’s brows knit. She looked to the side and started. Her first assailant stood beside her, hazel eyes narrowed. He tilted her chin one way then the next. “But Ellys, she’s not—
“She’ll do! Now, Vastian! I hear people coming.”
Heart thumping, Jessica strained against her captor. She’d nearly twisted free when Ellys jerked her arm back painfully, grinding the bones in her wrist. She stilled, too afraid for tears.
The man she’d bitten, Vastian, left her side and walked a few yards away. Her eyes narrowed. His clothes were odd, not the hiker’s uniform of jeans and t-shirt, but hand-sewn leather pants paired with a linen shirt.
Without preamble, he yanked a knife from his belt and plunged it into the ground beside an ancient oak—the epicenter of the geomorphological rift she’d been studying.
The blade sank deep. A low buzzing hummed through the shadows before a bolt of lightning struck the earth, rending the atmosphere. Jessica huddled in Ellys’ hard embrace as the gash frayed apart, sizzling about the edges. Her mouth grew dry as a gaping chasm, half as tall as the oak, now hovered before them. Vastian nodded, jerked his knife free, and murmured, “Thank the gods the witches didn’t strand us here.”
A spray of sparks shot outwards in bursts of magenta, leaving Jessica to gasp, “What the—”
Without saying a word, Ellys yanked her upright then threw her bodily into the fissure.
Muscles stiffened for impact, nothing barred her way as Jessica sailed through to land with a THUD. She groaned and struggled to her knees.
The chasm sealed with a soft hiss as both men strolled casually through, as though nothing of consequence had just happened.
With panic threatening to cut off her air supply, she stood and turned to get her bearings. The land, lush and green with snowcapped granite peaks on all sides, showed no sign of civilization. And could very well be Utah, albeit pre-humanity.
She must’ve fallen, struck her head, and was now seeing things. Ellys reached out and took her hand. Jessica lurched free and ran. Not seeing things. It didn’t escape her notice that this was the variance she’d been investigating. Her eyes dimmed as she fled. She’d only gone a few yards before her feet caught on something, and she landed flat on her face.
“I swear, human duty falls on someone else next time,” Vastian said, fist clenched and noticeably red where she’d bitten him.
Jessica’s eyes hardened at the sight as she fought to disentangle her feet from a root.
“Agreed,” said Ellys, limping as he made his way toward her. “Or at least knock them senseless beforehand. As it is,” he bowed her way and his black hair fell forward, obscuring his eyes. “Welcome, milady, my name is Ellys. That’s Vastian. We’re your, ah, escorts today.” He helped her stand then placed a kiss on her fingertips.
Jessica snatched her hand back and glared. Just minutes ago, she’d kicked this man stoutly after biting Vastian’s hand until she’d tasted blood. And now they were her escorts? But they’d forced her through… Her hand drifted over her forehead. Not hot.
“Where am I? What was that… portal-thing we came through? And who, no what are you?” She eyed their pointed ears. Shit, she was losing it. She had to get away from these… creatures.
“All fair questions, milady, but we aren’t the ones to answer,” Vastian said and stepped forward to take his turn kissing her hand. She narrowly refrained from slapping him. “Come, we must make haste to get home b
efore dark.”
Not wanting to blindly follow the men who’d abducted her, she hesitated. However, she didn’t know how to get back and she certainly didn’t want to be left alone… wherever she was. Oz? Middle Earth? The only thing to do was stay calm and figure out what the hell was going on.
Already several yards away, the men hurried down the canyon, seeming unconcerned she’d yet to follow. Swallowing her protests, she hurried after, scanning the untamed landscape, all jagged peaks and craggy trees.
The men smirked—smirked! —when she caught up and continued the knee-jolting hike downhill without a word.
Eventually, the towering peaks parted to reveal a fertile valley. Nestled between acres of farmland and forest stood a castle in the distance. Jessica drew to a stop to take it all in.
Still, the men didn’t wait, and she scrambled once more to catch up. Further down, they stopped next to a dirt trail. Ellys puffed leisurely on a pipe he’d pulled from a pocket, while Vastian leaned against a tree, eyes closed, as though he hadn’t a care in the world.
Jessica sucked in a labored gasp and slumped against a boulder. Oh no, mom. Head cradled in both hands, she thought about how her mother had struggled when she’d left home last summer for an internship. Jessica was all she had.
Her gaze lifted as a horse-drawn wagon wound into view. The wheels creaked with each turn round until it jerked to a stop before them.
“It’s bloody time,” Ellys swore when the driver raised his hand in greeting. “Fool should’ve been here waiting for us.” He shook out his pipe and hobbled forward.
Vastian motioned to Jessica to come closer.
She couldn’t just go with these men. Instead of moving forward, she looked over her shoulder and took a half step backward only to have Ellys hiss at her like one might a naughty cat.
“Don’t think so, milady,” he said blandly, already atop the driver’s seat. “You’ll only get lost. And if you don’t perish from exposure then some beast will surely find you and eat you for supper.”
That settled that. She hurried over without protest, letting Vastian heft her into the back of the wagon.
“Gods could we have chosen a heavier female?”
Jessica scowled as he leapt in beside her but said nothing. At nearly six feet tall, she certainly wasn’t a small woman.
Despite the hard, jouncing seat, time passed quickly as they raced across the countryside. Orchards lined their path, trees burdened with fruit. It was harvest time here, too. She always went peach picking with her friends in August and could almost smell the pies baking in the oven.
They rumbled passed half-timber houses with tidy gardens bursting with produce. And before long, tall buildings, painted in shades of pastel with window pots filled with flowers and pumpkin vines, crowded her view. But she could focus on nothing but the castle looming in the distance and getting closer by the minute. Her mind scrambled for a way out of this situation. But, what if she actually escaped? Could she find her way back up the mountain and then even get home?
The driver ushered the horses forward, forcing pedestrians to scramble away as the wagon hurtled down the street. A woman raised her homespun skirts, white shift exposed, and flattened herself against a building. When she turned to shake a fist at them, her eyes shifted to Jessica, and her mouth dropped.
A man pulling a cart piled high with pots, yanked his hat off, flung it to the ground, and shouted curses from the alleyway he’d dodged into as they rumbled past. Jessica ducked her head when he stopped gathering pots, now littering the road, to gawk.
Had she gone back in time as well as to a different world? Everything seemed almost medieval, but not European. It was as though a Renaissance village had met South Western geology.
“Whoa there!” the driver called, not fifteen minutes later, as he rounded a corner and pulled the wagon to a stop before the castle.
Jessica shook her head. She’d stopped counting the number of surprised reactions she’d received by then. Her own eyes widened as she took in the massive, red stone towers that ended in crenelated watch-posts with purple flags whipping in the wind.
“I’m surprised there isn’t a wall around the castle,” she murmured to herself.
But Vastian heard. “There was a wall,” he said, pointing. “If you look you can see the stones outlining it. But in the noble war, forty years ago, it got torn down and hasn’t been rebuilt, since.”
Before she could ask any further questions, a tiny woman rushed out of a side door. Skirts clutched in her hands, she clucked her tongue as dark eyes scanned Jessica. She turned to the men, patting black hair into place before speaking. “This is what you brought?” Her voice was high-pitched.
“There weren’t any other options,” Ellys grunted, wiping dust from his eyes.
With a final click of her tongue, the woman turned to face Jessica, a frown deepening the lines in her face. “What’s your name, girl?”
“Jessica Brown,” Jessica answered then immediately regretted giving this woman any pertinent information.
“Well, get a move on. We haven’t got much time to make you presentable,” she said and started for the main entrance, leaving Jessica behind without a backwards glance.
Presentable? Presentable for what? Jessica’s brow arched. She glanced back at Ellys, hoping for an answer, but he simply bowed, indicated she should follow, and stepped in line behind her. Unsure what else to do, Jessica hurried after the woman, up a flight of granite steps, and through an enormous, wooden door.
Stained glass windows, emblazoned with images of dragons, glittered as they caught the afternoon light. Golden chandeliers glinted overhead, burdened with hundreds of candles. Jessica’s fingers brushed gold trim on the banisters, and she had to purposefully snap her mouth shut as they walked. More than once, she willed her legs to move, finding herself slowing to gape.
They marched upward, through a maze of dark corridors, until they entered a large bedroom. Not giving him a second thought, the middle-aged woman slammed the door on Ellys.
Decorated in a feminine style, an enormous four-poster bed dominated the space. Jessica wrinkled her nose at the mauve bedspread and floral tapestries that clung to the walls. She wasn’t much for anything that shade of purple. Suddenly missing the simple quilt that adorned her bed as well as the unfussy furnishings of her house, she bit her lip. To her way of thinking, the less she had the less she had to clean.
A large fireplace blazed, Jessica noted. And mauve curtains with gold fringe brushed the floor before French doors that led to a balcony. The woman hadn’t said anything yet, was too busy scowling at the men struggling into the room, each carrying two buckets of steaming water.
A bath? Jessica brushed the dust from her shirt. A beige cloud billowed about, making her eyes water as she stifled a sneeze. Well, that wouldn’t be the worst thing. If she really was in this strange predicament, she might as well get comfortable.
With one eye on the men filling the tub, Jessica backed towards the balcony doors, curious about the racket echoing outside. Her brows raised. Beyond the heavy velvet curtains, dozens of men sparred, their feet kicking up dust in a barren field as they danced in deadly sequence. The clatter of metal rang out as heavy swords clashed, and battle axes cleaved the air with punishing accuracy. She let out a breath she hadn’t known she was holding.
One man stood out from the rest, and she leaned forward to get a better view. Tall with impossibly broad shoulders, he wielded his weapon like it grew from his big hand. Muscles rippled, visible beneath a linen shirt and leather chest guard, as he thrust and parried an enormous sword. As one man fell back, another took his place. Jessica blinked, realizing she’d inadvertently stepped outside onto the balcony.
As though sensing her, the man turned and lifted his eyes. Square-jawed, golden-haired, and solidly built, he was the personification of masculinity.
His eyes pinned her in place, scorching with their intensity. Her breath caught. Surely, he wasn’t looking that way
at her? Suddenly self-conscious, she smoothed the tangled mass of brown hair hanging over her shoulders.
He took a couple steps forward and nearly lost an arm as his opponent’s sword hurtled down with startling speed. On a pivot, he disarmed his foe with a swing that sent the other man’s sword flying.
Surprised to find her heartbeat racing, a smile flitted across her cheeks when the man lifted a hand in greeting, his gaze devouring her.
Perhaps being kidnapped wasn’t such a bad thing after all.
“Come, girl,” the woman called, tearing Jessica’s eyes away from the scenery. Before she stepped into the room, Jessica peeked back over her shoulder and flashed the man a parting smile.
The curtains flicked closed behind her, plunging the room into darkness. Several candles glowed, lending the room a Gothic sort of elegance.
“Let me get these nasty things off you.” The woman moved to unhook Jessica’s belt, her pale skin aglow in the candlelight.
“Don’t touch me!” Jessica snapped and knocked her hand away.
A dark eyebrow arched. “You want to bathe wearing your clothes, is it? I knew humans strange; but that is a bit much, don’t you think?”
“I want answers.” Jessica jabbed the woman in the chest with a finger. She’d had quite enough. “Tell me where I am, who you are, and… why I’m here.”
As though pained by her ignorance, the woman swatted Jessica’s finger aside. “Like that, is it?” She sat down on a stool by the tub, her brown skirt fanning about her legs. “I’m Fyona, your maid, and you’re in Castle Britarre, the stronghold of the elves of Britarre.”
“Elves,” Jessica wilted into a cushioned chair. So, she hadn’t imagined the ears.
“As to why you’re here, I’ll leave that to Sire.” Fyona eyed her charge with a hint of distaste. “Any further questions, or shall we get on with your bath?”
Jessica rubbed a hand over her eyes, avoiding looking at the maid’s pointy ears. “Elves?”
