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

by Rachel Morgan

  Deliver that straight to Meghan and then come back here and wake me up. We’ll be going to the mortal world tomorrow.

  Fergus turned and trotted out the door, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I sighed and looked over my shoulder at my bed. I would get as much sleep as possible before leaving for the swamp in the morning. Fighting the nathadohr had almost pushed me over the edge and I could hardly see straight, let alone stand upright. I changed the bandage on my arm, wincing as the gauze pulled away the dried blood, opening the wound again. I applied an ointment and wrapped it up before falling back into bed, anticipating sleep. In the morning I’d head to the mortal world; give myself a day to acclimate to the lack of magic there before meeting with Meghan.

  Before drifting off, however, I thought about how I would tell Meghan that she was Faelorehn. A jolt of dread shot through me. How did you tell someone that they were immortal and came from another dimension? Without them suspecting you were crazy? As I finally succumbed to exhaustion, I told myself that this time, whatever it took, I wouldn’t terrify the young girl who had taken up a permanent residence in my mind.

  * * *

  Traveling through the dolmarehn of Eile never took the same toll on me as traveling through the ones leading to the mortal world did. In fact, using the stone passageways in the Otherworld felt just the same as walking through a door and the only way I could tell I had moved from one place to the other was evident in a slight change of temperature or lighting.

  I cast my wayward thoughts aside and ignored the discomfort of leaving my world and entering the mortal one. Once I was on the other side, I began hiking down the small culvert and then through the swamp. It took Fergus and I twenty minutes to get to the garage with the small apartment on the second story. It was a little after noon, but I was exhausted. I had an entire day before I’d meet with Meghan and the old lumpy couch would do just fine.

  Drawing the blinds and making sure the door was locked, I lay down and threw an arm over my eyes, ignoring the sound of the junkyard just next door. Within minutes I was fast asleep, ready to stay that way until late the next morning.

  * * *

  Meghan needs help.

  The simple statement, coursing through my mind and disrupting my sleep, caused me to snort and sit up. I placed a hand to my forehead and blinked back the sudden headache that always came when waking up with a jolt.

  Meghan. She needs your help.

  I groaned and turned my face towards Fergus. He was sitting and panting calmly by the couch where I had fallen asleep only a few hours before. No wonder I felt so terrible.

  I fell back against the cushions and draped my forearm over my eyes. The rough scrape and sterile smell of my bandage brought back more memories. Ugh, I had meant to change it again before falling asleep. . . I opened an eye. Well, at least the blood stains hadn’t worsened. I swallowed, and that act seemed much harder to accomplish than it should have been. My mouth was dry and it felt as if I’d eaten dehydrated faelah the night before. Nice.

  What about Meghan? I sent to Fergus, sighing in weariness. I vaguely remembered a note and something about meeting her tomorrow.

  She needs help now. Threat.

  Sometimes Fergus could sense things before they happened, and for some reason, he was especially sensitive when it came to Meghan. I had asked him about it after he had led her into the swamp that first night, but he couldn’t tell me why he picked up on her emotions more than anyone else’s.

  I groaned and sat up. Now wasn’t the time to contemplate my spirit guide’s supernatural gifts.

  What do you mean, threat? More faelah?

  I pulled out the note she had sent me and smoothed the wrinkled paper over my thigh. I was supposed to meet Meghan tomorrow, and I had every intention to respect her need for caution when it came to me, but if she was in danger nothing would stop me from helping her.

  No, Fergus panted, pawing at my leg, enemies at school.

  How do you know? Were you watching over her?

  No. Felt magic.

  My skin tingled with goose pimples. Magic? Had Meghan somehow used Otherworldly magic? But how? She’d been in this world for a long time, almost her whole life from what I’d gathered, so how could she have any magic to use?

  I shook my head and gritted my teeth at the pain it caused. Blindly, I reached for my car keys and grabbed a soda from the fridge, hoping the caffeine would help with my headache.

  “Fergus, stay here,” I grumbled as I clambered down the steps to the garage.

  Very well, he sent, taking my place on the couch and huffing a discontented grunt.

  I ignored him and jogged down the stairs, hoping that whatever was bothering Meghan wasn’t anything worse than a school bully. In my current shape, I don’t think I could even swat an Otherworldly mosquito without falling over.

  * * *

  The drive to Meghan’s school helped wake me up a little, but as I slowed to pull into the parking lot, I caught a glimpse of something that made my blood boil.

  Meghan stood on the side of the road, her hands clasping the straps of her backpack as she frantically glanced between the bus schedule and what appeared to be a gang of boys headed in her direction. It was clear she was uneasy, and even more clear that the boys meant to do her harm.

  Despite my exhaustion, anger swelled within me, fierce and hot and demanding to take over. Oh no, not here. I don’t need your help here . . .

  I got a hold of my emotions, and my glamour. Instead of turning into the parking lot, I let the Trans Am glide smoothly up to Meghan’s side. She didn’t notice me at first, far too concerned with the boys who were stalking her.

  “Meghan,” I said to get her attention.

  She turned and saw me, her expression one of surprise. Her heart fluttered in her throat and her eyes flashed with fear, then appreciative relief. I could have smiled, but there were more pressing matters at hand than my wallowing in flattery at her reaction. Really, Cade, you’d think she was the first girl you’ve ever interacted with.

  I cast aside my distracting thoughts and leaned across the passenger seat, pushing the door open. “Get in.”

  Meghan hesitated, perhaps not sure she should trust me. She’d only just met me, after all, and I was a day early. She glanced at the approaching boys one more time before removing her backpack and slipping into the seat next to me.

  Over the growl of my car’s idling engine and the drone of traffic speeding by on the highway, an angry voice shouted out, “Listen you little slu-”

  Before the pathetic whelp could finish his insult, I’d thrown the door open to stand with my back facing traffic, putting the car between me and the vile young man. Oh, if only we were in Eile and I could use my glamour unhindered . . .

  Suddenly wide awake, I growled, “You no longer have any dealings with Meghan. If you ever insult her again, I’ll be paying you a special visit at your earliest inconvenience.”

  It took every ounce of self-control I possessed to keep from digging my fingers into the frame of my car. And at the moment, my glamour was more than willing to lend me the strength to do it.

  The idiot must have noticed because he took one look at me, the blood draining from his face, before he turned and marched off, taking his friends with him. My magic fought to take over, but as much as I wanted to tear Meghan’s tormentors to shreds, it would not help me win her over in the least. In fact, I’m pretty certain it would be the final nail in my coffin with regards to our current, shaky relationship.

  The cars whizzed by on the road behind me, but I merely stood there for several seconds taking deep breaths and willing the anger and its influence on my glamour to dissipate.

  When I felt like I had my magic under control, I climbed back into the car and buckled my seatbelt, instructing Meghan to do the same. The tension pouring off of her was strong, but my irritation towards her classmates still lingered. I’d have to work hard not to damage the steering wheel.

  I pulled the car back onto t
he highway with the intention of heading somewhere where we could talk and where I could calm down. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Meghan studying me, but I only drove on, keeping silent so she wouldn’t be alarmed. I wondered what she saw when she looked in my direction. A friend? A potential enemy? The monster that lurked just beneath the surface, the one I was trying very hard not to unleash . . . ?

  “Forgive me Meghan,” I said finally, “I’m early for our meeting.” I took a deep breath through my nose and continued, “And I shouldn’t have been so short with you earlier. I wasn’t angry at you. I’d just finished work earlier and those young men didn’t help improve my mood any.”

  Okay, so I hadn’t just finished work but it was part of the reason for my foul mood. Albeit, a very tiny part.

  Meghan was quiet for a few moments, then she took a breath and told me not to worry. I wanted to laugh, but I remained still. How could I not worry after what I’d seen in those boys’ eyes? And just like that, my anger flared once more. I gripped the steering wheel more fiercely and pressed my teeth together, forcing an ache to start in my jaw. Breathe Cade, breathe . . . Meghan is safe.

  Eventually she asked, “Why were you early?”

  Because Fergus sensed that you were in trouble and that you needed my help . . .

  Instead I simply shrugged and said, “I had a feeling you were in trouble.”

  “Something to do with your Otherworldly senses?” she asked quietly.

  A chill ran down my spine and my grip on the steering wheel tightened even further. Perhaps she was more perceptive than I had previously thought. Or maybe she had taken my advice and had done a little research . . .

  Deciding to play it safe I answered, “You could say that.”

  We drove for a while longer, turning left at a traffic light and leaving the Mesa behind as we traveled west towards the beach. Meghan asked about our destination and I muttered something about going to Shell Beach. I needed the ocean’s soothing presence to help me through what I planned on telling her. From her quiet, tense demeanor I could tell she was preparing herself to ask me some difficult questions. I intended to answer her honestly, and if she was the type to panic then I wanted to be someplace where the control over my glamour wouldn’t snap. Meghan Elam was about to learn she wasn’t human; that she was immortal and came from a world where gods and goddesses ruled and magic was as much a part of the landscape as the trees and hills. Yes, there was a good chance that she might not take such information well . . .

  I glanced over at Meghan to find her gazing out the window, her fingers fretting with the cuffs of her sweatshirt. I allowed my mouth to curve in a smile. In all honesty, I was afraid to tell her the truth; afraid to frighten her. But if I didn’t, there would not be a chance to get to know her better and that possibility, more than anything else, was well worth the risk.

  I let out a deep sigh as we left the last edges of town behind, driving along a small road that hugged the rugged coast. A few minutes later I pulled my car off to the side of the street and turned off the engine. Meghan took out her cell phone to call home and tell her family that she’d be coming home later than planned. As she spoke I focused on her face. She really was a striking girl, something that wasn’t immediately obvious until one studied her further. Her hair, reminding me so much of dark chocolate, curled around her face in soft waves and her skin was smooth and almost too pale, like most of the Faelorehn, but dusted with freckles around her nose. I glanced at her mouth next, her lips curved in a slight smile as she finished up on the phone. Suddenly, I pictured my hand reaching out to her, my fingers running through her soft hair, my mouth pressing gently against hers . . .

  “What’s wrong?”

  Meghan’s voice snapped me out of my daydream. What in Eile was wrong with me? I released a deep sigh, hoping it would take my frustration with it. I really needed to take this attraction I felt and bury it in a deep, dark hole.

  I shoved my hands in my pockets and said simply, “Nothing, let’s walk.”

  We made our way down to the beach, taking off our shoes so we could walk barefoot in the rough sand. I closed my eyes and sighed. There were few things in life as blissful as walking barefoot on the beach.

  We strolled along for a few minutes, allowing the salt water to soak our feet. Meghan noticed my bandage and I hoped she didn’t catch my grimace. I should have changed it again before leaving, but it would have cost me precious time. I had barely made it in time to chase off those boys as it was. I informed her the injury was a result of my occupation, and of course she then asked me about my job.

  Well, there is a term for me in Eile. I’m called Ehriad, a Faelorehn man with no true connections and not the best reputation. It’s my job to hunt down renegade faelah and capture or kill them. Oh, and an unfortunate geis binds me to the Morrigan, the Celtic goddess of war and strife.

  Sure, that would go over well. Instead I told her some of the truth, admitting that I was a bounty hunter who took care of the Otherworldly creatures that managed to wander from their home. After all, I was trying to break all of this new information to her gently, so I said nothing about the Morrigan or my geis.

  Next she asked me about how I had found her.

  I detected your magic and followed the trail . . .

  “The internet,” I said instead.

  Someday I’d tell her the truth, but telling her I had been following her around probably wouldn’t be in my best interests right now.

  Unfortunately, her next question forced me to admit some of the details of the first time I’d seen her.

  “But why did you want to learn more about me?”

  I paused before beginning my explanation. Remember Cade, you want to help her discover who she is . . .

  So I told her about Eile, about the dolmarehn in the heart of the swamp behind her house. I told her that I first noticed her when I detected her glamour along the equestrian path. And finally, after taking a long, deep breath and reminding myself it was the right thing to do, I told her that like me, she was Faelorehn, an immortal being from the Otherworld.

  * * *

  Meghan and I stayed on the beach for a long time. She had taken the initial news of her heritage rather well, I thought, and she spent the rest of the afternoon asking me questions about Eile. I answered them all, trying to be honest but not too revealing. Part of me wanted to tell her everything but the more responsible part warned me that right now she seemed fine, yet once it all sunk in it might be too much for her to handle.

  Just give her a little at a time Cade, just the basic facts. You can fill her in with all the details later, my conscience told me.

  This time I took its advice.

  By the time we were on the road again the sun had set. We drove in silence, both of us thinking about what had been said today.

  As I dropped her off in her driveway, I told her I’d be in touch and that I would instruct Fergus to keep an eye on her.

  “Oh, and one more thing,” I said.

  “What, I’m a long lost princess?” she joked.

  I could only smile at that. “No, stay away from the swamp as much as possible.”

  I tried to keep the ice out of my voice but I may have failed. I closed my eyes tight, thinking about what the Morrigan would do if she knew about Meghan.

  I released my breath and said, “The faelah know about you now and I don’t know what they might want with you.”

  Oh, I knew. The Morrigan would be very interested in someone like Meghan, and some of her nasty minions were capable of reporting information back to her. I was obligated by my geis to do the same, but nothing in this world or mine would make me betray her.

  “Here,” I said, reaching into my pocket and pulling out what I found there. It was the small mistletoe charm Enorah had given me after helping her with the nathadohr. She’d probably be horrified if she learned I’d given it away to a girl, but at the moment Meghan needed its protection more than I did.

  “Put it on and ke
ep it on your person at all times.”

  “What is it?”

  “Mistletoe,” I said with a smile. “It wards against Otherworldly evil.”

  She nodded grimly and looped it over her neck, slipping it beneath her shirt to rest against her bare skin. For a delusional second I was jealous of that tiny chunk of wood.

  Before I could do or say anything really stupid, I wished her goodbye, telling her that when I got back from the Otherworld I’d teach her how to defend herself against the faelah.

  I pulled out of her driveway and headed up the road. As I curved around the first small bend, I glanced up in my rearview mirror. A huge smile broke across my face. Meghan was still standing in the driveway, watching me drive away. So, she isn’t terrified of me anymore. If that’s not a good sign, I don’t know what is.

  I whistled an Otherworldly tune as I drove back to the garage, feeling confident for the first time in days.

  Broken Geis

  The sun splayed through the treetops, the spikes of afternoon light driving into my skull like nails. I gritted my teeth and took several deep breaths. Meghan wasn’t due for another thirty minutes or so and I desperately needed to spend that time pulling myself together.

  I knew what the problem was, even though I didn’t want to admit it to myself. I couldn’t stop thinking about her. Yes, there was a really good chance that one of her parents was Fomorian, a race the Faelorehn had been enemies with for centuries. Despite what that might entail, I didn’t care. Even my foster father had warned me of the repercussions of growing too close to someone who was half-Fae and half-Fomore. I just couldn’t imagine Meghan ever causing any harm. But that was only part of the problem. It was who, and what, I was as well that made me reconsider growing too close to Meghan.

  Fergus whined next to me and I placed my hands on my hips and threw my head back, closing my eyes and letting the afternoon sunlight warm my skin.