Secrets of the Sky: Book Two of the Immortals in Alameda Series

by Jaye Shields

  With that, she became weightless, and in a flash of light, she was a dove. She hovered above him, appreciating the view of Rowen from a new angle. She made her way to shore in a graceful swoop, where she became her natural form once more.

  Instead of greeting the crowd that had gathered around them, Sparrow couldn’t help but peek back to the boat to watch Rowen help Morgana to shore. Her aunt, of course, was protesting that she’d be too heavy, but Rowen had proved her quite wrong. Sparrow’s stomach became a butterfly cage as she watched his strong arms swoop Morgana up and carry her, as if she were nothing but a feather. Rowen smiled down at Morgana as he made his way to shore with her.

  Her insides twisted, forcing the butterflies north, blocking the air from her throat.

  “Please Melissandra, don’t be so shocked by our incredible strength. We battle demons for a living.” The sound of Sodor’s playful teasing was a welcome distraction.

  “Thank you all for your warm welcome. There will be much celebrating in the days to come.” Sabin stood, hand in hand with Tera as he addressed the crowd.

  Much celebrating?

  Sparrow still wasn’t sure why they were there. None of the knights had spilled the beans. Gazing around at the crowd, she shied. Which was strange, because Sparrow was an exhibitionist to the nth degree. But this was a completely different scene.

  Immediately surrounding them were townsfolk, but not villagers with dirt on their cheeks and tattered clothing like she saw in historicals on PBS. Instead, everyone was swathed in luxurious silks and ornate embroidered dresses and suits. Some of the dresses had elaborate bustles, and others were of sleeker fashion. Guess women here have freedom of choice. But like she had noticed from shore, bosom enhancing corsets were still all the rage. She couldn’t help but glare at the woman nearest to Rowen whose boobs came up just under her chin.

  “Oh, darling,” she heard Morgana whisper to the young woman beside Rowen. “How do you get those up there?”

  Oh, God. Leave it to her aunts to mortify her within five seconds of stepping foot on land. Rowen appeared uncomfortable at the quiet exchange. She didn’t miss his subtle movement away from the two women involved in chit-chat.

  Finally, Morgana crossed the group to stand by Melissandra. “Don’t worry, sister, I got the name of the store that sells those.”

  “Speak for yourself. I prefer au natural.” Melissandra pointed her nose in the air.

  “Goodness, woman, you scare all the little boys back home.” Morgana swatted her sister on the bum, eliciting a few chuckles from the crowd.

  As they started to follow Sabin up the hill, Sparrow glanced around at some of the men of Hy-Breasal. Too clean and pretty for her. A man should not wear gold. And certainly not gold embroidered fabrics. It just didn’t do it for her.

  As the ground began a subtle incline, Sparrow glanced ahead past Michelle and Duncan, Sabin and Tera who lead the pack. An incredible castle rested atop the green mountain top like a granite snow cap. From far, the castle appeared various shades of silver with flecks here and there of rainbow, probably reflections of the sun on stained glass windows. It was made both from stone and a smooth metal that appeared golden.

  The hill became steeper and a large stone stairwell was cut into the green mountain. As they climbed the stairs, Melissandra began huffing and puffing.

  “It’s the altitude.” Morgana said out loud. “Do remember, sister, that I’m the older one here.”

  “Whatever happened to the waif idea?” Melissandra winked at her sister as everyone else continued on in front of them. “I’m definitely out of — ” Sparrow glanced back at the two aunts as they bickered, just in time to see Rowen come up behind them and scoop Melissandra into his arms.

  Sparrow rolled her eyes and directed them forward once more while her aunt squealed with joy.

  Sodor looked back from the front of the group and also seemed perturbed by Rowen’s actions, judging from the way he hung back as the others passed him. He raised an eyebrow at Morgana. “How about it? I can’t let Rowen outdo me on the chivalry.”

  “Thank you, handsome knight, but I do have a little bit of self-respect, unlike my sister.”

  “Alright then, how about you, Sparrow? I think I might successfully drive my comrade to madness if I take you into my arms.”

  For a split second, she loved the idea, but pondered Sodor’s implication. Did Rowen really have feelings for her? Would he really be jealous?

  Sparrow laughed off Sodor’s proposal. It would be way easier to play dumb than to try to contemplate the inside of Rowen’s head. “I’m good. But thanks — you’re such a sweetheart.”

  “Baby, there is nothing sweet about my intentions.” He smiled like a Cheshire cat, and Sparrow realized many ladies had probably fallen victim to that wicked grin.

  Glancing back at Melissandra, Sparrow realized that Rowen’s lips were a grim, tight line. He focused an icy glare on Sodor, who only winked back at the knight.

  As they trekked up the hill, Sodor came to a sudden halt in front of Sparrow, and she couldn’t help but skid right into him. Since she was much shorter than the knight, her face connected with his bared skin, and the impact sent her hands flying against his muscular back, splaying against his shoulders. Her fingers traced the cold artillery strapped across his body. A low growl sounded from behind them.

  “Oops,” Sodor laughed. “Sorry, Sparrow, I didn’t realize you kept such a quick pace.”

  She didn’t dare glance back at Rowen. Instead she focused on hiding her blush. Not at her collision with the studly Sodor, but from the way the knight seemed to be goading Rowen. It was obvious that Sodor was just being his mischievous, playful self, but it seemed to be doing a number on Rowen for some reason.

  The two couples at the front of the pack seemed oblivious to what was unfolding. Sparrow spotted the duos at the top of the hill, both within each other’s arms. Tera only came up for breath to gaze at the view. And not the landscape. Her friend was gazing at Sabin as if he were the only sight she ever wanted to behold. Sigh. After three hundred years of being alone, Tera has gotten the happiness she deserved.

  When she reached the top of the hill, Sparrow realized that there was more intricate gold carving into the stone castle than she had originally thought. The huge doorway that loomed before them was decorated by elaborate Celtic-style engravings in a brilliant golden hue.

  “Wow.”

  For the first time, all else fell away, and she was held in a stupor by the unique architectural beauty of the castle before her. The fortress glowed with a soft white aura. She wondered if the castle had some sort of magick within it. With stained glass windows dotting the clean stone facade and intricate gold carvings winding their way across the stone, the castle looked both historic and futuristic.

  “Welcome to Hy-Breasal.” Sabin smiled as Morgana, Rowen and Melissandra reached the top.

  “Jesus Christ, this is incredible!” Melissandra breathed deep as Rowen set her down to appreciate the castle.

  “Brennus approaches.” Sabin smiled, and it was obvious that the knights were good friends with the king.

  Sparrow watched the man approaching the group and a chill went down her spine. He wasn’t a foreboding presence, so the chill seemed uncalled for. The man was not quite forty, and reminded her of Brad Pitt or one of those gorgeous slightly-less-than middle-age Hollywood actors. Perhaps that’s why he seemed so familiar.

  “Finally I have the pleasure of putting faces to the names of the incredible mortals that I’ve heard so much about.”

  Man, she had never been referred to as a mortal so many times in one week.

  Sabin stepped forward and hugged the king, making the ruler, who normally would have been tall at six feet, seem short in comparison. Nevertheless, the king remained a commanding presence with his elegant dress and adjoini
ng armor. A leather belt was embroidered with golden thread and held a heavy broad sword at his side.

  The king’s hair was a dark, shaggy crop. The nearly black hair framed wise, gray eyes. Gray eyes she had seen in her dreams. Were her natural-born Wiccan ways stronger than she thought? Perhaps she’d had a vision of today in her dreams already.

  “Dibs on the handsome king,” Melissandra teased in a low voice.

  Morgana whispered back, but kept a huge smile on her face so the king wouldn’t take notice as he greeted the others. “He’s rich and gorgeous. Why would he want a smelly hippie for a wife?”

  Melissandra frowned and tugged on her shirt. “That’s patchouli, dear sister, and you know it.”

  “Sure, sure,” Sparrow teased her aunt back and caught a glimpse of Rowen smiling at her. Damn, he looked handsome. “Morgana, I’m sure that’s Rowen you’re smelling.”

  Rowen didn’t seem fazed as his smile continued, and then Breasal had reached them. “And you must be Sparrow.” She watched his smiling eyes linger on her, as if they were assessing every angle of her face. What the hell had this guy heard? He was looking at her like she’d found the cure to cancer or something.

  “Your bravery is matched only by your beauty.” His voice was soft, and his complement was entirely platonic. Thank God, because rich and handsome or not, she just wasn’t interested. At all. “I’ve heard about your magickal gift and the abilities of your family. It seems you are unique in more ways than just the incredible bounds of your courage. In our world, such bravery among mortals makes them eligible for knighthood.”

  Breasal took her hand within his own and clutched it gently. His eyes still smiled, and she shifted under the pressure of Breasal’s admiring gaze. She’d never been complimented so heavily, and it was strange. Usually praise from her family came with bouts of playful teasing as well.

  “I’m not good with a sword.” She smiled and hoped it didn’t look as nervous as she felt. Her hand became sweaty inside the king’s palms. To her relief, he finally let her go. She wiped her palms down her jeans, grateful that he had moved on to her aunts.

  “You have protected your family and friends, your world, with strength of heart that leaves me speechless.” The king knelt before Morgana. Did kings usually kneel?

  “You sound quite eloquent to me,” Morgana smiled.

  The king laughed heartily, and Sparrow was proud of her aunt’s innate ability to spread mirth. Thank God the man had a sense of humor. Maybe their stay here would go smoothly after all. After her run-in with Mr. Hot-and-Cold on the boat, it wouldn’t surprise Sparrow if the rest of the trip were awkward and tragic. After all, nothing was worse than getting dumped the first day into your vacation.

  “It is unfortunate that I could not have met the sister that completes this incredible family coven.” The king knew about her mom? Strange that Sabin would have mentioned it since her mom hadn’t really been involved in the fight on Alcatraz.

  “She’s not an active Wiccan, but she’s always been the strongest of us in the areas of healing and visions. She keeps herself busy these days to block out her abilities,” Morgana explained, a slight frown tugging the edge of her lips.

  “How unfortunate.” The king rose and placed a kiss on Morgana’s cheek. “But still, she is very fortunate to be surrounded and inspired by such incredible family. You will be welcome here, and your sister is always invited as well.”

  Fat chance, Sparrow thought. Her mom was such a wet blanket. Sometimes it was hard to believe her aunts when they continually talked about Egret’s free-spirit as a youth. It was just too much of a stretch from the workaholic zombie her mom was now. The mere thought made her want to cry. No, her mother shouldn’t be a zombie. Her mom was full of love and life — Sparrow just wished she would not be afraid to love again. “I’ll show you to your accommodations.”

  Morgana smiled. “Wow, an escort from the king himself. What did we do to earn such a vacation?”

  “I am retired these days, I admit that I take great pride in hosting guests in this beautiful place. A hidden island rarely gets many visitors. Your presence will be celebrated.”

  As they walked, Rowen’s presence behind her still managed to infuriate Sparrow. Why did he have to walk behind her? And his damn calm-as-hell façade — who knew what the dude was thinking all the time? For instance, was he checking out her ass, or planning his next sexcapade with one of the busty village girls? She certainly didn’t have a clue, and it drove her mad.

  As they walked down the long, wide hallway, she tried to admire the incredible marble floor and the intricate rug stretching down the middle of it. What was with gold in this kingdom? It was everywhere. These people must be rich as hell.

  The paintings on the walls depicted various scenes from Celtic history to Greek Myth. Or at least she thought they were myths. After the last couple weeks she’d had, she began to wonder just how much of myth and legend were actually reality. After all, her best friend was born from the Goddess Artemis, and just a few weeks ago, the goddess Chaos had tried to kill Tera.

  When they arrived at an intricate wooden door, the king smiled at the group, but Sparrow noticed his gaze linger on her especially. The way he looked at her … it was as if he knew something she didn’t. She blushed. She’d kill Rowen if he told the king about her drunken come-on.

  “I thought you all would be most comfortable in close proximity. This door leads to a parlor with three adjoining sleeping rooms. I have attendants inside that will prepare to dress you.”

  “Prepare to dress me?” Okay, she wasn’t expecting that. Why exactly were they here? Up until now, she hadn’t actually given it much thought. “Do I need better sightseeing clothes or something? Sabin didn’t tell me I needed hiking boots.”

  Tera nudged Sparrow from behind and Michelle giggled in response.

  Morgana finally asked the question on all their minds. “If you don’t mind, what occasion are we dressing for, besides your presence? I do know that my sister’s lack of fashion sense is probably royally offensive.”

  “I have not laughed so much in over twenty years,” the king responded. “You fine ladies will have to visit again. You are always welcome no matter your dress. ‘Tis not the first time I have seen tye-dye.” Sparrow noticed his smile hitch, appearing pained. But then he shook his head, as if tossing away the memory, and opened the door to the room.

  “And concerning our occasion, I see that Sabin has left it a surprise. Let us just say that it is very momentous.” The King smiled and offered her a last glance once more before continuing. “I will depart now and leave you to my attendants. Tera and Sabin, your room is just down the hall. Duncan, your room is just here, across the hall. I was informed that you and Michelle of the Mayans would be sharing.”

  Sparrow watched Michelle clutch the vampire closely, excitement bursting at the seams of her new friend. Sparrow had served coffee to Duncan the many times he’d come into the coffee shop, and not once had he seemed interested in any other ladies who sought his affection. She had a feeling that he and Michelle were perfect for each other. They seemed to bring out the best in each other, and Sparrow had to admit, she adored Michelle more and more every day. Sparrow’s chamber was a sumptuous sight of comfort and elegance. The vaulted ceilings were painted with epic scenes from Greek mythology. She stepped forward onto a soft, padded surface. The rug that stretched out before them was thick, and in the Persian style, but woven with golden silk threads.

  “Now this looks soft.” Melissandra slid out of her bright red Crocs, and danced atop the rug. “Oh my goodness, this is heavenly. We should get one of these for the divination room.”

  Sparrow crouched down to touch the soft silk fibers of the elaborately decorated rug. “Oh yeah, I can totally see this covered in spilled absinthe and candle wax.” After all, most of their rituals were adjoined by epic evenings of i
ntoxication and general mayhem.

  “The sarcastic niece is right. I highly doubt we can just take a Bissell to this baby.” Morgana winked at Tera. “Now, you two shoo.”

  Sparrow watched her friend depart with her lover and her heart suffered the ping of jealousy that was becoming all too familiar. No, not jealousy. Loneliness? A slap on her butt sent her staggering forward.

  “What a vacation. I can’t believe I didn’t bring my camera.” No, definitely not lonely.

  “Remember,” she began to remind Melissandra, “Sabin wouldn’t let us.”

  “Oh yeah.”

  “Speaking of souvenirs,” Morgana said as she walked toward the tall, stained glass window. “I think you’ve found yours already.”

  If only her aunts knew …

  Chapter Twelve

  “Dibs on this room!” From the main parlor, Sparrow found herself in a chamber with a giant window that stretched high up to the ceiling. Out the window was a sight to behold. A neon pink lake sat nestled deeply into rolling green hills. The deepest part of the lake was a rich Amethyst color that left her breathless. “God, I can’t wait to get out there and explore.”

  Squinting through the beautiful glass window, she thought she spied a few all-white horses in the distance. Leaning forward to get a better look, Sparrow’s forehead accidentally touched the window. Just when her skin touched the glass, the image that stretched out before her zoomed closer thanks to what appeared to be a magick made window.

  “You guys, come here,” she called. “Unicorns!”

  “This is a beautiful place indeed my darling. Magickal,” Aunt Morgana agreed.

  Sparrow nodded and enjoyed the moment with Morgana for a few heartbeats before. Tapping the window once more, she let the view return to its natural state. “Where is Melissandra?”

  “Oh! She found a chair that induces relaxation and she fell asleep. That woman.” Morgana smiled with love and adoration for her sister. Sparrow giggled.