by Shen Hart
Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Opening Note
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
Feathered Touch Excerpt.
Opening.
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Final note
Wyrd Calling
Book 1 in the Wyrd Bound series.
By
Shen Hart
Copyright Shen Hart (2014) ©. All rights reserved.
This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogue are purely from the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is fictionalised and coincidental.
Licensed material is being used for illustrative purposes only and any person depicted in the licensed material is a model.
Acknowledgements.
Thank you to all of my supporters. This book would never have come about had it not have been for my talented editor Michael Keenan, my biggest fan, and those who took the time to sew me back together.
Thank you also to the talented artist Reese Dante (http://reesedante.com) for the beautiful cover art.
Things were far more complicated than we could allow them to realise. It was a delicate game, and each piece needed to fulfil an exact role. Thalia was always chaotic, too aggressive and resistant, but no one else would fill that particular role. She was ready. She didn’t know it, and she would never forgive us, but she was ready. The centuries had crawled by, but everything was in its place. It was time to make our move.
Verðandi – present.
1
I hate waiting. I knew exactly why they kept me waiting; it was a power play. They were demonstrating that this was running to their time, that they were the dominant party here. That alone got my hackles up. It was an arrogant move for them to try and make, but I wanted the money so that I could move on. I didn't like hanging around anywhere for too long. Keep moving, don't get caught; that was how I lived. I wasn't running away, well I didn't think so at that point in time. I just… I didn't want to be trapped.
I sighed heavily and tried to remain relaxed; if I looked stressed and grumpy when they arrived, that was a point to them. I wasn't going to give them any satisfaction. The summer night air was surprisingly dry with a refreshing whisper of a breeze. I tried to stop myself fidgeting in frustration by getting out and leaning on my car. The small car park wasn't very well lit, but we were practically in the middle of no-where. No council was going to waste money giving light to stoners.
A vehicle finally came down the narrow country lane. Its lights dipped as it slowed and turned into the car park. Fifteen minutes late, assholes. I put a polite smile on my face, ungritted my teeth, and focused on the job at hand. It was just another transaction. Money. Freedom. A large 4x4 truck pulled up next to my old muscle car. Some part of the contrast between the large attention-seeking 4x4 and my old car made me smile. They were all about supposed respect; I just enjoyed my vehicle and wanted to get on with things. Shaking my head a little, I regained my focus and pulled the rucksack off the backseat.
Everything had to be done right. The slightest mistake on my part could lose me a lot more than just my money. As the tall man stepped out of his truck, I felt a slight shimmer in the local energies. There was a change. Something or someone else was here. It sent a shiver down my spine as I felt the trembling ripples pass. They were there and gone in the blink of an eye, but it was enough. None of us was human, that was a given. The men were some form of draconic thing. I hadn't bothered paying much attention. They were paying good money for something I could fake. The details didn't matter. This other being, though, it was niggling in the back of my mind. I shrugged it off and made firm eye contact with the tall man. He towered over me with his frame being almost twice as broad as my own. It took a lot more than that to intimidate me.
He stared at me, licking his lips as his two smaller partners stood either side of him. It was a little ritual, if you will. We stared at each other, not a word spoken as we waited for the other to submit. He had already pushed his luck by being so late, I wasn't going to break and lower my eyes as well. I allowed some of my predatory side to flash through my eyes as my patience was waning. It was just enough to make his nostrils flare before he gave and lowered his eyes for a brief moment. Finally!
His voice rumbled in his throat, a deep guttural noise, "You have it?"
I smirked and took my time pulling the large glass ball out of the rucksack. It was supposed to be an ancient artifact to bring them great power and connections to dark energies. In truth, I'd bought it out of some little back-street shop and was passing some shadow energies into it. The smooth, clear glass sat slightly uncomfortably in my small hands, but it had been crafted for a larger being. The cool feeling of the shadows felt like oil slipping through my fingertips as it passed into the glass, pooling in the bottom in a faint slick before dispersing and swirling in a blue-black cloud. Each wisp had a mind of its own, but was part of the whole. I loved the shadows. It was all a neat little parlour trick.
The shadow energies would wane and fade after a couple of hours. There was no need to drain myself maintaining it any longer than that. I smiled a little as I pushed just a touch of fire energy into it, not enough to change the appearance or risk lightening the rich black of the shadows. Just enough to give some warmth to the ball - the cool glass would have given me away far too quickly. I had to keep my smile calm and self-assured without allowing the heat and spark of the fire to spread past my fingertips. Fire was my primary element, and it would soon spread through my body and energies unless I kept a very tight hold on it. The last thing I needed was to be explaining what I thought I was playing at to those guys.
His eyes sparked as they fell on the glass ball, his lips spread into a dark grin as he practically drooled. I tried not to roll my eyes. Vile creatures, no class. As he went to grab the ball, I clutched it close to my chest, pursing my lips.
With a sharp tone I said, "Money first."
There was no reason to waste words on such a creature. He growled a little before thrusting his hand into the back pocket of his jeans. One of the scrawny men whispered something quickly. How dare an underling speak! I openly bared my teeth at him a little as I fixed my gaze on him. This was none of his business. It was not his place. Rather than backing away and showing appropriate submission, he smirked at me before his boss stepped forwards, almost pinning me against my car.
"This is a fake."
I gritted my teeth before grinning proudly and saying, "Don't be a fool. I wouldn't bullshit you."
I thought about adding in his name, but I'd forgotten it. That's what I get for dealing with so many moronic traders and lowlifes.
The blond underling had crossed his arms and was looking particularly smug. He was the cause of the ripples I'd felt earlier. It felt like a slime was settling in my lower back and trying to crawl up my spine as his boss pressed into my space. That blond, though, it was him. He was completely out of place, but I couldn't figure who or what he was. I didn't have the time to figure it out, either. The draconic was pushing
my boundaries and looking for something to satisfy his sense of betrayal.
Somehow his voice deepened further as he said, "I don't believe you, but I could make use of a good shifter... they sell for plenty of money, especially females."
I snarled at him trying to restrain myself from shifting and showing any more of my animal aspects. "What makes you think I'm a shifter?"
He laughed hoarsely as he looked back to his two underlings before he leaned closer, almost speaking into my ear. I tried not to cringe when his foul breath settled on my neck as he said, "It runs all through your energies, girl."
I snorted, saying, "You can’t tell a feral from the real thing, then…?"
He pulled back, searching my face for some idea of truth. The blond underling, he who had fucked all this for me, motioned to speak to him again. If I didn't know better, I'd have sworn he winked at me just as his boss moved back away from me.
I didn't care, I took my chance and dived into my vehicle. There was an odd comfort about the smooth, worn feeling of the leather under my hands as I reached across the seats. I scooted into the driver's seat, started the engine and made my escape. Gods damn that little jackass, I swore if I ever saw him again I'd wring his neck. Now, though, I was without my money and running from some more pissed off traders. That was the last thing I wanted.
2
I was glad that my planning gave me something of a head start and escape route. The carpark I’d chosen sat at the point where three winding, twisting roads converged. I took off down one road and quickly turned off down another, easily vanishing around the twists and turns that they’d struggle to navigate. They would find me, but it gave me some breathing room. My mind was racing as I had to organise everything. This had royally fucked up my plans; I'd only been in that damn house for a week. It was fortunate that I'd only taken a month's contract, but still, that was three weeks’ rent and the deposit gone! I cursed that little runt a few more times as I pushed my car around the corners, feeling it slip a little then grip as the back end shifted a touch. I loved that feeling. The little things helped focus and calm me. I'd have to sleep in my car for a few nights and find a new place to live. I hated sleeping in my car.
I pulled into the driveway of the small house. Ripping the keys out of the ignition, I ran up the short path to the doorway. At least with all this moving I didn't take too much with me and hadn't bothered to unpack properly yet. Running upstairs, I threw my clothes and most precious belongings in bags, double checking the rest of the house before I made my getaway. Glancing at the clock in my car, I growled. It'd still taken me an entire thirty minutes, plenty of time for them to gain on me. Taking a deep breath, I carefully pressed my energies outwards, allowing small tendrils to crawl along the ground feeling for the traders. They weren't too far away, probably playing a little game of cat and mouse. Fan-fucking-tastic.
I took one last look at the cottage that I had called home and pushed my keys into the ignition. I’d been looking forward to some peaceful time in the same place for a little while. The draconics had travelled from out of town, I’d have moved on before they found me again. Shrugging to myself, I drove off into the night. I was always planning to move on. It was just sooner than I’d originally thought.
Well. It sounded more romantic in my head if I said that. Instead, I headed down to the main roads. As much as I didn't like the bright lights, it allowed me to pick up the pace and keep the traders from getting too close – they wouldn't do anything with other people that close by. Unfortunately, this was also far more tedious and boring. The black tarmac seemed to extend out to the horizon, bringing a sense of moving without going anywhere or making any progress. The fluorescent lights, spaced the same distance apart, gave nothing but a harsh, slightly yellowed afterimage in my mind. What was so wrong with the stars? My mind returned to the issue at hand. I knew they were following me at a safe distance; I was growing tired and needed to lose them. Damn that little runt.
I sighed and muttered to myself as I turned off at the next junction, paying no attention to where I was or where I was going. I just needed to lose them so I could sleep. I was growing weary of these situations. I just wanted to swindle a few black-market traders out of their less-than-hard-earned cash, have a few drinks, and go about my life. Instead, they had to be smart-asses and catch onto my little tricks. I pushed my mind onto more positive things, such as the feeling of my car and the thrill of the chase. I preferred being the hunter, but such was life.
I grinned and pressed the accelerator harder. Time to get this game going properly. The roundabout was coming up fast. It was quite late at night, there was a strong chance there was no one coming the other way. Part of me hoped there was someone, that little thrill as I carefully moved the vehicle around theirs, the chance of something happening. Of course, now wasn't really the time to be playing chicken, but I couldn't help myself; the adrenaline was kicking in. Some part of me was disappointed as I went ‘round the roundabout, throwing my car into the turn before pulling her hard ‘round the sharp bend to turn off down some smaller road. They were closing in.
Taking a deep breath, I focused. Time seemed to slow down a fraction as I took in every essential detail and began to take this seriously. If I were in a 4x4, I might have been tempted to try diving off-road and losing them that way, but the lower-slung muscle car would just ground out and leave me stranded. No, I had to depend on my head start and twisting turns, the hare vs the hound. I refused to ease off even a touch going around the corners. The back end inched and fought against me, but I couldn't risk losing any time. They had to slow down around the corners, though; body-roll's a bitch. My mind was beginning to turn to panic a little as I was realising I didn't have a good plan to shake them off my tail. I couldn't hide my energies properly, they had too firm a grasp on them, so any space I put between us would only buy me a little time. I really didn't have a choice here.
Some thought of the gods came into the back of my mind, but I wasn't going to turn to them. They put me here, with all this. Minutes seemed to drag on for hours while I wracked my brains, thinking of some way to get out of this. The steep sides of the motorway had given way to scraggly woodland that was rapidly closing in. Tall deciduous trees with broad trunks stretched back away from the road and spread their canopy overhead. In the end, I concluded my best chance was to dive into a dark lay-by and fight. If it was dark, I could use my shadow energies to their best effect and just hope. Gritting my teeth, I began drawing my energies up as I slowed the car and pulled into a small lay-by on the quiet country road.
The woodland offered some protection and cover should I need it. The moon hid behind the heavy clouds bringing me more darkness. The only false lights down these roads were the headlights, just the way I liked it. I got out of the vehicle and walked across the grass turning to face the road as I leaned against a tree. I refused to appear flustered. I was going to go down cool, calm, and fighting tooth and nail. A voice was screaming in the back of my mind to just shift and fly away, but I refused. Yes, I had run, but I wasn't going to give in and take the coward's way out. If I shifted now, and flew away, I'd lose all my worldly possessions and any pride I'd accumulated. No. I was going to stand and fight.
I felt them just before I heard the 4x4. The heavy earth- and fire-based energies crept along the floor searching for me. The lava-like heat seemed to pool at my feet as I stood and waited. If nothing else, I'd wring the neck of that scrawny little shit for doing this to me. I ungritted my teeth and pushed my mind to focus. I knew I should just have fought in the car park, but this way I'd had a chance to think and gather myself. I had also lost my house and wasted fuel... but that was for another time. The big 4x4 slowly coasted into the layby. There was that sickening sensation of self-assurance rolling off them. I couldn't see the faces of the passengers with the bright headlights, but I knew they were watching. I held back the rising bile.
Leaning back against the tree, I crossed my arms and rolled my eyes a little while
quietly gathering the shadows behind me. I called them up carefully and slowly. If he felt them for what they were, I’d likely never escape. The leader exited the truck first. His heavy footsteps made the ground shudder a little. He wasn't playing. His eyes had darkened. His energies were swirling around him in an almost frenzied manner, making the air shimmer.
His lips parted into a smirk as he looked me up and down. "Now then, be a good girl and I'll get a good price for you..."
I smiled sweetly at him. "I don't think so.”
3
I stood firm and gathered the cool shadow energies around me, my fingertips tingling as the smooth shadows wrapped around my hands and gathered just behind me. The atmosphere quickly became charged with all of the energies as they built at such a rapid pace. He was trying to bring together his own fire and earth energies. His underlings hung back a little as he took his time strolling over to me. Draconics were about respect. His underlings wouldn’t dare interfere for fear of feeling their leader’s wrath. I smirked, keeping my heart-rate low and breathing steady. I had to keep as much control as I could muster. That deep bass tone rumbled in his throat as his eyes wandered over every inch of my body. My skin crawled under that disgusting gaze. We all knew exactly what was going through his mind.
The scrawny blond seemed to have changed, but given the lack of light I couldn't be entirely sure. I swore his hair was slightly darker, longer, and his build was a little heavier. I ignored him and returned my focus to my real problem, his boss. He was getting close to me now, his eyes fixed on mine as his energies sat in his hands and around my feet, like heavy boulders. I tilted my head a little, smiling sweetly. His lips curled, and his eyes sparked – he hadn't decided whether to break me or sell me. I had to take advantage of that. I was worth more money to be sold, but I'd betrayed and upset him. Draconics really don't take kindly to that. Taking a deep breath, I took my chance, shutting down my conscious mind. I had to move entirely to instinct. To think would just slow me down and force me into making mistakes. I couldn't afford such a luxury.
