Soul Dealers

by D. N. Leo

  Before, it had been speculation and uncertainty. But now, it was a fact that she had decided not to save him in order to save the lives of strangers. She would have let him die, just like that.

  He inhaled and shoved his hands in his pockets, waiting for Leon to finish what he was saying.

  “Mya dropped this badge to the ground intentionally because she wanted me to have it.”

  “Meaning?”

  “It means she would jump in after you.”

  “She…” He couldn’t find the words. He dropped his bag to the ground. “She…” he repeated but couldn’t put the sentence together.

  Leon continued, “Transferring the badge means she relinquished her duty as a deity—while she was in debt and on an incomplete mission. It is the biggest disgrace. It negates all of her achievements over a thousand years. She would be condemned after she died with you at the bottom of that black hole.”

  “She…” Zach had tried for the third time to put a sentence together without success. He shifted his weight back and forth from one foot to the other, not knowing what to do.

  Kirra approached and pointed. “She went that way.”

  Zach nodded. “Thank you, he said and darted in the direction Kirra had just pointed.

  Chapter 43

  Mya stopped at the fork of the path. Her sense of direction wasn’t poor, but she had absolutely no idea which road to take now. She dropped her heavy bag to the ground. She unzipped it and found that she had indeed stuffed a couple of rocks in with her other things. She took them out. Then she took more things out. She flopped to the ground and started crying. She heard footsteps. It must be Leon. Wiping her tears away, she waited.

  From the woods, Zach stormed out. He said nothing but scooped her up from the ground and held her tightly in his arms. She couldn’t see his face, but she could feel every ounce of muscle in his body shuddering with emotion. He held her for a long time then released her.

  He tilted her chin up and looked into her eyes. “Will you marry me?”

  “What?”

  “Be my wife. Be with me…”

  Before she could say anything, his mouth was on hers. To her, there was no power in this universe or in the multiverse that could compare to his kiss. He pressed her against the tree and ravished her lips. His hands roamed everywhere on her body.

  She returned the pleasure in equal measure.

  Soon, they would forget the world they were in at the moment.

  They heard a gentle clapping sound. From behind a tree, a stunning woman walked out. Blood smeared the midsection of her blouse. “I admire you two.” She smiled. “I’m Elanora, and I come here in peace.”

  Mya narrowed her eyes. “You’re that lynx.”

  Elanora laughed. “You’re a smart deity. It would be wise to cooperate with me to avoid being hurt.”

  “You mean to avoid you being hurt? I dislike violence against women. But if you threaten my fiancée—”

  “What?” Mya asked from between her teeth.

  “You didn’t have to say anything. I know it was a yes to my proposal.”

  Elanora rolled her eyes. “I have no patience for your romance. I have to borrow you, Zach. I want only your wrist unit, but I know it won’t work without you.”

  “What makes you think I’d go with you like a meek dog?”

  She pulled out a gun and pointed it at him. “This is the reason.”

  He chuckled.

  Mya knew ordinary bullets wouldn’t hurt Zach because he was a Sciphil. She was sure this lynx would know that, too. So why was she pointing a gun at him? Then it dawned on her that the gun might be a distraction.

  The woman smirked and swung the gun quickly to Mya. Mya dodged, but Zach instinctively jumped over to cover her, turning his back to the woman in doing so. Mya knew what the woman would do, but it was too late for her to do anything.

  One of the lynx’s precious talents was her psychic ability. This woman had peeked into Zach’s mind, and she knew Zach would try to avoid being hit on the eudqi point on the right side of his back when he fought.

  Mya shoved Zach hard so that he staggered backward. But the woman’s pointy heel still caught Zach’s back just below his right shoulder when she swung a kick at him. He was instantly dazed and fell over on to Mya. They both toppled to the ground.

  The woman darted forward with the intention of pulling Zach up and holding him captive.

  Mya lay on the ground underneath Zach. Elanora bent over to grab him. Mya waited for the right moment then grabbed Zach’s dagger, which had fallen to the ground. She arced upward with the blade and hit the woman’s midsection. She drew the dagger out and stabbed again.

  The woman howled as blood poured out from her wounds. She staggered back then fled the scene before Mya could get up cause more damage.

  Mya had no intention to give chase. She turned Zach over, laying him on the ground on his back. He was totally out of it.

  “Zach, look at me. Open your eyes for me.” She shook his shoulders gently. She knew being struck close to his eudqi point would daze him for hours. He opened his eyes groggily.

  “There you are.” She kissed his cheek.

  He snapped back to reality, and his body tensed up as he tried to reach for his wrist unit.

  “Easy, easy now. It’s still there.” She smiled at him.

  “Where’s the woman?”

  “She took off.”

  “You chased her off?”

  “Impressed?”

  He smiled. “Yes. I’m impressed. I can definitely get you a job in Eudaiz.”

  “I have two pieces of advice for you, Zach. First, don’t ever mention your fatal spot. Don’t even think about it in your mind. It’s more than likely you’ll run into mind readers in the multiverse, and you don’t want to make it too easy for them. Second, never ever turn your back on a woman like that.”

  “A woman like what? Beautiful?”

  “Lethal.”

  “Yes, Professor Portman.”

  “You know I don’t like when you to call me that, right?”

  “It’s the last time I’ll call you by that last name.”

  “Hey, I haven’t promised you anything.”

  “Yes, you did—in your mind. I’m psychic.”

  “No, you’re not.” She pinched him.

  “Ouch. Can’t you see I’m injured? This isn’t helping my recovery at all.”

  She pinched his arm once more. He winced.

  Then they heard a bloodcurdling scream from Kirra. Zach tried to sit up, but he flopped down, useless.

  “Don’t move.”

  “Go to Kirra.”

  “I can’t leave you here alone.” Mya turned in the direction of the scream and shouted, “We’re here!”

  Soon after, Kirra rushed toward them. She had a new gash on her arm and was almost out of breath. “It got Leon.”

  “What is it?” Mya asked.

  “Are you okay, Zach?” Kirra’s eyes zeroed in on Zach.

  “Yes, but I can’t move yet. What happened to Leon?”

  She braced her hands on her knees to catch some breath. “The big black cat. It came back. It did what the brown lynx did. We thought it was sniffing the ground, but it wasn’t. It was actually sniffing Leon’s blood on the ground. Then it jumped at us. It was incredibly strong. It knocked me out and got Leon.”

  “Leon seemed able to handle these cats before. Why couldn’t he get this one?” Zach asked.

  Kirra shook her head. “I don’t know. The black cat was very different. It was incredibly strong. But it wasn’t just its strength—it bit Leon, and he seemed to be paralyzed from the bite.”

  “Do you know what kind of cat it was, Mya?” Zach asked.

  She shook her head. Zach tried to sit up again, and this time, he was successful with Mya’s help. Then he stood. The trio looked toward the wooded area where Leon might have been taken.

  As the misty air seeped up from the ground covered by leaves and tree branches, they hear
d a howling and keening from the magical creatures beyond the treeline.

  This is the end of Book 1

  Turn to the next page for the sample of Book 2

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  Also by D.N. Leo

  THE MULTIVERSE COLLECTION

  SERIES READING ORDER

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  A SHADE OF MIND

  The Journey from Earth to Eudaiz

  Main Characters: Ciaran, Madeline, Tadgh, and Jo

  (Recommended reading in order)

  1-4 Random Psychic

  2-4 Forever Mortal

  3-4 Elusive Beings

  4-4 Imperfect Divine

  —

  MINDSCAPE TRILOGY

  Main characters:

  Ciaran, Madeline, Tadgh, Jo, Kyle, Hoyt, Ayana, Pete, Sizx, Lorcan, Orla

  (Recommended reading in order)

  Queen & Knight

  Castle and Bishops

  King’s Endgame

  —

  SPECTRUM OF MAGIC

  Main characters: Lorcan, Orla, Roy and Mori

  (Recommended reading in order)

  Spell Breaker

  Fate Shifter

  Cursed Stone

  Magic unborn

  —

  DARK SOLAR

  Main characters:

  Main characters: Dinah, Arik, Ciaran and Madeline

  Oleander

  Wolfsbane

  Maikoa

  SHADOW HUNTER TRILOGY

  Fire at Crossroad (prequel)

  Shadow Seeker

  Shadow Keeper

  Shadow Destroyer

  BLOODSTONE TRILOGY

  Ash of Scorpio (prequel)

  Light of Demon

  Shadow of Angel

  Shade of Darkness

  SILVER BLOOD

  Main characters:

  Ciaran, Madeline, Tadgh, Jo, Caedmon, Sedna, Roy, Mori, Zach, Mya, Lorcan and Orla

  This series can be read in ANY order within the series and in related to other series.

  Virgo

  Libra

  Scorpio

  Pisces

  Soul Dealers - Shadow Justice - Book 1

  Copyright © 2017 by D.N. Leo, all rights reserved.

  This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual business or persons is purely coincidental.

  Reproduction in whole or part of this publication without express written consent from the author is strictly prohibited.

  I greatly appreciate you taking the time to read my work. Please consider leaving a review wherever you purchased the book, and refer the book to your friends.

  SOUL MARKET - SHADOW JUSTICE - BOOK 2

  SERIES WEBSITE

  Chapter 1

  The theater exploded with a standing ovation. From under the bright spotlight on the stage of the famous Sydney Opera House, she smiled at the audience. They obviously admired her. She wondered whether it was the allure of the limelight that made these people applaud whoever stood on the stage, playing the lead role in a famous play, or whether they truly prized her talent as a performer. She doubted it was the latter.

  Other cast members had joined her on the stage to say goodbye to the night’s audience. Although The Woman in the Asylum had been one of the most successful and longest-running shows, no one knew what would happen with the next performance. It was the nature of the trade. The political and cultural landscape on this planet had changed so swiftly in the last decade. Everyone knew they should feel fortunate for what they’d been able to enjoy up to this point.

  The curtain finally closed, irrespective of the amount of applause they had received.

  She turned to go to her changing room.

  “Casey,” a voice called from behind.

  “Yes, Richard,” she answered without looking back. Richard was her talent manager and the director of the theater company. He was also the only one who called her by her first name.

  He approached her. Under the dim lights of the backstage, he looked quite attractive. He was in his mid-fifties but could have passed for forty. Formidable, tall, and authoritative with a deep voice, Casey thought he’d have made a good performer. But he’d chosen business over art.

  “This is our last show here. People would appreciate it if you gave the interview in your costume.”

  She smiled. “By people, I take it you mean the press?”

  He smiled back. “No, the press isn’t important. Your fans are.”

  “Indeed. They pay our bills.” She nodded. “All right.” She gestured up and down her body. “I’ll hang around in this very comfortable outfit for a little longer.” The last scene had been a war scene, and she was attired in armor not designed for comfort. She frowned. “What else, Richard? What’s bothering you?”

  He paused then shook his head. “Nothing.” He chuckled. “It’s nothing…it’s silly,” he muttered mostly to himself and turned to walk away.

  “You’re worried about it, aren’t you?” she asked at his back.

  Richard turned around. “About what?”

  She approached him and touched his lapel. “The myth. Next week is the birthday of this theatrical company. And not only a birthday. It’s a centenary.”

  “It was before our time, Casey. Plus, as you said, it’s a myth.”

  “So did you think making me stay in this stage armor would somehow protect me?”

  “Are you insane?”

  “It’s not the press. It’s not the fans. I saw you ordering the records of the company and truckloads of books about its history last week. Did you just suddenly have an urge to find out what happens to this company every hundred years?”

  Richard whirled around. “That’s ridiculous, Casey.”

  “Really?” She raised an eyebrow. “All right. I’ll take this off then.” She tugged at her breastplate.

  “Okay, I give up. Yes, you can take that costume off. But can you please be careful?”

  “Careful of what? Dying a violent death?”

  “It might be a myth, but it’s not a joke. What happened before happened to lead performers.” He narrowed his eyes. “So you knew this, and you still joined the company? You joined before me.”

  “I didn’t know anything before this. I saw you digging for info last week, so I sneaked in and read the stuff in your office.”

  He nodded. “So you don’t believe it. You think it’s a myth. Every hundred years, there have been accidents. Lead cast members have died tragic deaths. No one noticed because of the large interval between them.”

  “Why did you notice?”

  “I just had a hunch.”

  She laughed. “You should never do serious business on a hunch.”

  He shook his head. “It was really a feeling. I don’t know. I’ve just sensed some unusual, dark, and spooky aura around the place in the last few weeks. I’m not superstitious. But it just felt as if the place was haunted.”

  She smiled. “Might be you’re reading too much into the current play.”

  He nodded. “Maybe. But the play has been performed for a long time. The spooky aura has been here for only a few weeks. Why now?”

  She shrugged. “I didn’t know you were that sensitive to the ambiance of the theater.”

  “It’s not the ambiance, Casey. It’s the aura…”

  She looked up, and from behind him and above, she swore she saw a shadow. A string of rope suddenly broke loose and hung down, and a stage light rail slid out of place slightly. She knew the rope was going to snap, and the steel rail would then drop down behind Richard. If she pushed him out of the way, she would be the one copping the hit. But if she didn’t, it would be his head that sustained the impact.

  Chapter 2

  Leon opened his eyes and found himself unable to move any part of his body. But he co
uld feel the blood running through his veins, and his heart was still beating. He was alive—just not quite as lively as he’d like. He had been paralyzed as soon as the gigantic black cat bit him.

  He recalled the incident in the woods now. Zach had gone after Mya. He had been talking to Kirra, using his limited amount of English to try to get to know her better. He knew Zach would get Mya back, and then they would go to Eudaiz together. Eudaiz was the universe in which Zach was residing.

  That would mean Leon would have to leave Kirra behind. She was human and had nothing to do with any other world other than this current one she lived in. He felt a pang of unusual sensation just thinking about the fact that he might never see her again.

  He wasn’t an idiot. He knew he shouldn’t think about her—a human in another world—especially when he knew nothing about her. He made a mental note to ask Mya later about human courting rituals.

  He tried to move again but couldn’t. It was strange that a bite from a cat could have such an effect. Usually, only poisonous snakes or scorpions would have venom poisonous enough to immobilize him. He was the head of the temple guard at the Babylonian court, for the Goddess’s sake. He’d give his body a bit more time to dissolve the poison before trying something else.

  He heard footsteps above him and figured he must be lying in a basement of some kind. He tried to turn his head to the side to survey the area and found his neck had loosened up a bit. The footsteps above weren’t random but in rhythm, as if several people were dancing. The faint sounds of a musical instrument found its way to the basement. He squinted into the darkness and saw a line of light as if the floor had a crack which ran into a corner.

  He heard laughter and maybe singing. He recognized the language. It was English. Similar to what Mya spoke. He tried to inch his shoulders up and found that his right shoulder moved. He smiled and tried his legs.