Faery Realms: Ten Magical Titles: Multi-Author Bundle of Novels & Novellas

by Rachel Morgan

  I couldn’t tell Kallan that I didn’t want to come back. I couldn’t tell him that I planned to find another way out of this mess. I wondered if my silence was answer enough.

  Because I also couldn’t tell him that maybe I loved him, too.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  We came to a huge, ancient tree. Its enormous roots were spread like a blanket over the ground. I had to be careful not to trip.

  “This is the end of our territory,” Kallan told me.

  “Are you leaving me here?” I asked in a panic. I wasn’t sure where to go from here, and I didn’t want to go alone. Truth was, I wasn’t ready to let him go yet.

  He turned and looked into my eyes. “I told you that you will always be safe with me. I will make sure you make it all the way home.”

  I nodded and whispered, “Thank you.”

  One corner of his mouth turned up. “Come on, then.”

  “So, this is light faery territory?” I asked as we walked. The forest looked different, the colors were more pastels, and the sun seemed brighter, if that were possible.

  “It’s more of a neutral ground.”

  “Will anything happen to you if you’re found out of your own territory?”

  “Not as long as it’s neutral land.”

  “You can never go to the light faery side?” This was all so confusing to me.

  “Well, technically if I were invited, I could enter the light world, but I would not be welcomed.”

  “You really hate each other that much?”

  “Yes,” he said simply. “But Rylie, you really must stop thinking of us as ‘them.’ You’re one of us. A faery.”

  “But I’m a light faery. Why don’t you hate me?” I asked stubbornly, stopping abruptly. If I was going to go back to my real life, then I wanted all of my questions answered.

  Kallan sighed, rubbing his brow. “I don’t know. Maybe because you didn’t grow up with the light, or maybe because I’m just so damn attracted to you that I don’t care where you came from.”

  My heart skipped a beat.

  “Anything else you want to know?” Kallan started walking again, and I tried to keep up.

  “What’ll happen to me if I do marry you?”

  “What do you mean?” he asked, his brow furrowed.

  “Will I become a dark faery?”

  He laughed. “No. You’ll always be light.”

  “So my wings won’t change?”

  He shook his head. “Nope. They’ll always be the beautiful color they are now.”

  I was secretly dancing inside that he thought my wings were beautiful. “Why do our wings flutter when we see each other?”

  “It means we’re physically attracted to one another.” He clenched his jaw and kept walking.

  That was pretty much what I thought, but having it confirmed made it seem real. I wondered if his wings fluttered often at other faeries. I was surprised to feel slightly jealous at the thought.

  I blushed. “What if we had children?” I slowed my pace and waited for his answer.

  His head jerked up, and he looked over at me. “Children?”

  “Just curious,” I said, looking away. “Would they be dark or light?”

  “I’m not sure. I guess they would be a mixture. You have to understand that not all dark faeries are bad.”

  “I can only think of one that isn’t,” I muttered. “Would I be able to come and go into light faery territory as I pleased?”

  “Yes.”

  “What about the human world? Could I come and go there as well?”

  “You wouldn’t need to.” He bristled.

  “But I might want to. Visit my parents or friends.”

  He sighed. “That’s not how it’s done.”

  “Well, maybe it should be,” I countered.

  He stepped over a fallen tree and took my arm to help me over. I let him. “I’m sure something could be arranged,” he conceded with a smile.

  “What about humans? Can they come here?”

  He paused before replying, “Yes, but it’s rare.”

  There was a strong wind and a burst of vivid color as Azura appeared before us. I stared, shocked.

  “Oleander!” she cried out. “We’ve been searching for you! Are you okay?” Her forehead wrinkled as she looked between Kallan and me.

  As relieved as I felt to see her, I was glad she wasn’t trying to hug or kiss me. I still didn’t have those kinds of feelings for her.

  She reached out and grabbed my wrist and pulled me towards her. “I won’t hesitate to hurt you if you try to take her away again,” she threatened Kallan.

  “Azura, Kallan is a friend. He’s okay.”

  “He’s the son of the evil one. He cannot be trusted.”

  “Not only did he stand up to his father to save my life today, but he’s taking me home. I trust him.” I didn’t know how much to tell her. “Please, let me go.”

  “Are you okay? Physically?”

  “Yes.”

  She dropped my wrist, but her eyes didn’t leave Kallan. “I will take you the rest of the way.”

  “You can come with us if you want,” I told her while smiling at Kallan.

  Kallan stifled a laugh. “Let’s go.”

  We walked on silently, Azura in front of us. “Your human father has been patrolling the area constantly,” she told us. “He loves you very much.”

  “I know he does. What did they tell everyone about my disappearance?” I asked curiously.

  “Nothing.”

  “Why not? I went missing!”

  “You’ve only been gone a few days in human time.”

  “What?” My mouth dropped open.

  I glanced over at Kallan, and he shrugged. “I told you. Our time is different.”

  “You could have been more specific.”

  Azura turned to face us. “I knew you had been captured by the dark faeries. That’s not exactly the type of thing you run and tell the police. I told your family this, as well as the fact that they’d never be able to find you. But they insisted on searching. They haven’t stopped.”

  Tears welled in my eyes. I couldn’t wait to see my parents, but this time difference was confusing. I thought I had been gone a lot longer than a few days—weeks, even.

  Kallan’s pace slowed. “We’re almost there,” he muttered with a pained look on his face. It was dusk now, and I could make out some familiar lights between the trees.

  “My house!” I exclaimed, wanting to break out into a run. I refrained as I caught the expression on Kallan’s face. He didn’t show much emotion, so to see him looking so sad sent a stabbing pain through my heart. “Azura, can I have a minute?”

  She looked surprised, but nodded and walked ahead a little.

  “I’m sorry.” I touched his hand. “This is where I belong. I hope you understand.”

  Kallan’s eyes were unfathomable. He reached up and unclasped the necklace of shiny black stones around his neck. As he moved to place it around my neck, I stepped back, shocked.

  “No way,” I told him. “Your mother gave you that!”

  “Hematite,” he said, as if I hadn’t even spoken. He closed the distance between us and snapped it around my neck. “It repels negativity. It will protect you.”

  I didn’t need protecting, but I wasn’t going to argue. I touched a cool, shiny stone. The necklace was heavy, but it was comfortable. “Thank you.”

  “I’ll be back on your eighteenth birthday,” he told me softly. He stepped close, and I felt a breeze as his gorgeous wings flapped absently behind him. “My father won’t let it go. You have to realize that.”

  Ignoring his comment, I said, “Thank you for helping me. I’ll never forget it.”

  He looked over at Azura, and then back at me. He reached up and gently brushed my wings with his hands, sending a shiver down my back. Gasping at the feeling, I closed my eyes. When I opened them, he had disappeared into the forest without another word.

  Chapter Twenty-Twor />
  Azura was staring at me when I walked up to her. “Something is different. You’re different.”

  “It’s nothing. I just want to go home.”

  Her face softened. “I’m sorry, Oleander. This is all my fault. I should have forced my way into your home and told you everything that could happen. I should have prepared you better. Maybe if I had hidden you further away…but I was selfish. I wanted you close by so I could watch you grow up.”

  I felt guilty. “It’s okay. We can talk about everything later. Right now, I just really want to go home.”

  She nodded. “Don’t forget to glamour yourself.”

  Good thing she mentioned that. I hadn’t done it in so long, I would have forgotten. “Thanks.” I quickly visualized myself as a human.

  “I’m so glad you’re safe.” She reached out and cupped my face. I let her have her moment. “I love you.”

  I just stared at her, unable to respond.

  “What did Kallan mean about your eighteenth birthday?”

  “Varwik allowed me two years here, and then I’m to return.”

  “Why?”

  “To marry Kallan. Apparently, this makes my oh-so-special ability ‘theirs.’ Thanks to a deal my father struck.” I narrowed my eyes and glared at her. Even though it wasn’t her fault. She could have picked a better person to have a child with.

  “Did you promise this?” She looked worried.

  “Yes. I had no other choice.”

  “Then you must, Oleander. Contracts in the faery world must always be obeyed.”

  “I’m planning on finding a way out of it by then.” I looked towards my house. “I need to go. I’ll see you later.” I left her in the woods.

  I wanted to leave behind everything faery.

  I ran through the back door of the house, yelling for my parents. The house was so quiet. There were dishes in the sink, mail on the island, and there was clutter everywhere.

  I heard a thump, and then footsteps from upstairs. “Rylie?”

  “Mom?” I ran to the stairs just as she was coming down them.

  Upon seeing me, her hand flew to her mouth and tears sprang to her eyes. Her hair was a mess and she had dark circles under her eyes. I wondered if she’d slept at all since I went missing. “Rylie?”

  “It’s me, Mom.” I took a step closer.

  She reached out, grabbed me, and pulled me to her. “Oh my God, oh my God. I can’t believe you’re home.” She started bawling. “This isn’t a dream, is it?”

  “No, Mom. I’m really here.” I hugged her tighter, inhaling her warm vanilla scent. The tears fell down my cheeks. Being in her arms was a dream come true.

  She pulled away and looked me over. “Are you okay? Are you hurt? Where have you been?” She bombarded me with questions.

  “I’m okay. I’m not hurt. I was captured by the dark faeries. They kept me in in a castle.”

  She shook her head. “It’s so odd to hear you say that. They didn’t hurt you, though?”

  How could you tell your mother that if you didn’t marry a certain faery, they would kill you in a couple years? “No, Mom, they didn’t hurt me.”

  “How did you get away?” She brushed my hair out of my face.

  “One of them helped me, a boy named Kallan.” I didn’t feel like going into details.

  “Oh! We have to call your father! He’s out searching. He’s going to be so relieved.”

  “What are we going to tell people, Mom?” I thought about what Azura had said, but I couldn’t believe it was true. I was gone close to two weeks at least.

  “Azura said we didn’t have to worry about that as long as you came back shortly. Apparently, time is different in their world. Your friends think you were sick.” She grabbed the phone and called Dad. “She’s home! Hurry back.” As soon as she hung up, her arms were around me again. It felt like she might never let go.

  “How long have I been gone?” I asked, wanting to confirm what Azura had told me.

  “Today is the fifth day.”

  “It’s been almost two weeks for me.”

  “Two weeks? My God.”

  The time thing was really strange. The days did seem to blur together, and Kallan said they aged at a slower rate than humans. I made a mental note to ask Azura to explain it better. Like it or not, I was going to have to let her into my life so she could explain the faery world. I needed to find a way to get out of the agreement I made with Varwik. I also needed to understand the different types of power that I had the ability to tap into.

  Ten minutes later, the door flew open, and my father rushed in. He looked horrible. His eyes were bloodshot and it looked like he’d just rolled out of bed. His hair was standing all over the place. Not the calm and collected father I knew and loved. “Oh, Rylie!” He gathered me in his strong arms. His body shook with sobs. “You’re okay, you’re really okay. I thought I’d lost you forever.”

  “I missed you both so much. All I wanted to do was come home.” I didn’t have any more tears left in me. I just let him hold me.

  We all sat on the couch. Mom sat on my left side stroking my hair, and Dad was on my right. I filled them in on what happened, skipping over some of the details.

  As long as they didn’t ask, I wasn’t lying.

  *

  I heard Adam’s truck pull up before I saw it. I took a few seconds to make sure I was glamoured before I rushed out of the back door and onto the porch. He had already jumped out of his truck and for the first time in almost two weeks, I laid my eyes on him—the boy I was in love with. My heart leapt, and I ran down the steps of the porch and into his arms. He pulled me close to him, and I could smell the warm, comforting scent of his body.

  He pulled away. Our gazes met, his own green eyes concerned. “Are you feeling better? Your mom said you’ve missed school because you were sick,” he said, caressing my face. “School’s been lame without you. It felt like it was never going to end. I tried to text you…why didn’t you text me back?”

  “I was really taken by dark faeries, and we had no service.” Damn it! I forgot about the lying thing.

  “Sure you were.” He laughed. “I’m just glad you’re feeling better.”

  “Me, too.” Slowly, he leaned toward me and pressed his lips to mine. My eyelids fluttered closed and all my worries about the future faded away in his arms. I was finally home and with Adam.

  “I love you,” he whispered.

  “I love you, too,” I told him before kissing him again.

  As wonderful as the kiss was, I found myself thinking of Kallan and the way he had kissed me with such passion. The kisses Kallan and I had shared had been so different than the ones I shared with Adam. With Adam, it was familiar and safe, and with Kallan, it was unknown and exciting.

  My heart was breaking in two. I felt stuck between two loves. I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I was falling in love with Kallan, but I also loved Adam. I knew who I would choose. I didn’t belong in this faery world. I belonged home—with Adam.

  Epilogue

  Kallan stood invisible in the forest behind Rylie’s house. He watched as her human boyfriend pulled up in his truck. He clenched his fists when she came running out of the house and into his arms with a passion he’d never seen. And then he watched as they kissed.

  Jealousy coursed through his veins. He knew she loved this human boy. And even though she promised to return in a couple years, he wasn’t sure he could wait that long. He wanted her to love him. He needed to be near her. He had felt more alive in the short time they had been together than he had in his entire life.

  “I will win her love,” he whispered to no one but himself.

  ~*~

  The adventure continues with Broken Promise, Book 2 in the Between Worlds series. http://amzn.com/B00D17Y9GA

  Find all Julia’s books on Amazon HERE, and Talia’s HERE

  About the Authors

  Julia Crane

  Julia Crane is the author of the YA paranormal fiction novel
s: Keegan’s Chronicles, Mesmerized and Eternal Youth. Julia was greatly encouraged by her mother to read and use her imagination, and she’s believed in magical creatures since the day her grandmother first told her an Irish tale. Julia has traveled far and wide to all the places her grandmother told her about, gaining inspiration from her journeys to places like Nepal, Cyprus, Sri Lanka, Italy, France and many more. And who knows? Maybe the magical creatures she writes about are people she met along the way.

  http://www.juliacraneauthor.com

  Keep updated by joining her mailing list.

  Talia Jager

  When Talia isn’t hiding in the closet from her six children munching on a chocolate bar, she enjoys hiking the red rocks in Utah or sitting on the beach with a Kindle in her hands and her toes in the ocean.

  Talia has written a number of books for young adults, including Damaged: Natalie’s Story, Teagan’s Story: Her Battle With Epilepsy, If I Die Young, Secret Bloodline, Lost and Found, and The Gifted Teens Series. Connect with Talia online at http://www.taliajager.com

  Also by the Authors

  Mesmerized

  WARNING: This is a mature YA. Due to sexual content and some language it is not recommended for younger teens.

  Seventeen-year-old succubus Lily Anderson can’t have a normal life: She isn’t allowed a boyfriend, she has no friends, and school is just one mess-up after another.

  Lily’s parents send her away to the prestigious Emerson Academy. It doesn’t appear to be any different from the others. That is, until she meets her roommate, Hannah, and a blue-eyed boy named Jake.

  Lily makes an almost deadly mistake, and Jake has a mysterious past that has come back to haunt him. Together, they must go on the run from things neither of them understand in order to save the people they love—and each other. But, Jake’s foe is more dangerous than they realized, and it will take the help of friends and family to save the man Lily loves.

  She must learn to use her powers for good before it’s too late.

  FEYLAND: THE FIRST ADVENTURE