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

by Jaye Shields

  Still clutching her hands, he gazed down at her with a look of amazement. “You know me, because I love you more than anything.”

  Her breath caught in her throat. Her body went still under his intense gaze. Her blood pumped fire through her veins. She wondered if her body had been possessed by Aphrodite, making her curious and lustful despite the obvious insanity unfolding.

  “I’m sorry, I’m pretty sure I don’t know you.”

  His eyes showed no hurt from her words. Instead, she saw only happiness. Swirls of gray dotted his azure gaze like clouds in a sky. The feeling that overwhelmed her body was nostalgia. Why did his gaze remind her of when she was younger, filled with happiness by the simplest things?

  “You know me. We laid together in fields of green, I chased you through the forest on horseback, we rolled in the sands by the sea. Our lips met many times that day, but even before that, we knew we were soul mates. It was worth it, to wait eternity just to catch a glimpse of a creature so in love with the world. I had never seen true beauty until you first smiled. No happiness has ever been the same without you.”

  “I’m sorry, I — ” but her rejection was cut short.

  “I know you don’t remember now. But you will.” He reached forward to tuck a hair behind her ear that had fallen from her bun. “You are even more beautiful than you were twenty-four years ago.”

  His fingers traced her jaw line, and she was spellbound, lost in a dream. “Twenty-four years ago you would have been a boy.” Her voice was a nervous mumble as she tried to make sense of the handsome man’s strange confessions.

  “I was as I am now, and will always be.” He whispered in her ear, the warmth against her skin sent a chill through her body. “Come with me, Egret.”

  She took a step back. “I’m sorry. I don’t know which of my sisters put you up to this, but the joke is not on me today.” Embracing reality, she stepped forward, prepared to lead him to the door.

  “Apologies, my love. But I’ve waited so long for you, I cannot leave without you.” In a flash of movement, his arm was around her, sweeping her against him so that their lips met. His lips were soft and gentle against hers. She had no choice but to melt against him, trading her sanity for reckless passion. His mouth explored hers with expert passion. When he retreated, her eyes were still closed in ecstasy when he whispered, “I love you, Egret. There has been no other.”

  And then darkness claimed her.

  • • •

  For the second night in a row, Sparrow came home from her shift at the coffee shop to realize her mother wasn’t at home.

  “Why aren’t you guys more worried?” Sparrow threw her hands into the air when once again, her aunts told her to chill out.

  “Your mother never gets to have any fun. Maybe she’s just out enjoying her weekend. Let the woman have a hot fling for once.” Melissandra poured a cup of tea, clearly not concerned.

  “She wouldn’t even come to the Realm of the Fog for our special visit with Sabin. What makes you think all the sudden she’s decided to go on a two-day vacay with some kind of Fabio?”

  “Because,” Morgana advised, “we’re Wiccan and we would feel it if your mother were in danger. Calm down, Sparrow. Being calm is the only way a Wiccan can have visions anyway, so if she needed help, you certainly wouldn’t know.” Her aunt moved closer and massaged Sparrow’s shoulders. “Relax, sweetie.”

  But relaxing was something she couldn’t do right now. For all Sparrow knew, the Goddess that had released the demons through the Alcatraz portal had done so once more. After all, she’d never heard a damn thing about why World War Demon happened in the first place. Sparrow shook off her aunts’ calmness and walked to her bedroom and grabbed her cell phone.

  For the fifth time, she dialed her best friend. Once again, it went to voice mail.

  “Tera, I know you’re on honeymoon, but I’m really freaked out, and I’d like you to ask Sabin about something. Mom’s been missing and I’m really worried it might have something to do with that battle on Alcatraz Island. I think she’s been kidnapped. Call me.”

  Sparrow was going to have to take things into her own hands. Looking down at the glittering ring on her finger, Sparrow grabbed a sweater. The ferry to Alcatraz Island would be cold, but she was heading to that portal, damn it. She would find her mother — she’d just have to go into the Realm of the Fog alone to do it.

  • • •

  After the last of the tourists had left for the evening, Sparrow climbed the metal ladder on the side of the infamous prison-turned-San-Francisco icon. She’d gone through the portal once with Sabin. He’d commanded the fog to surround them, and then the next thing she knew, she was in another world. Sparrow wasn’t sure how it was done, but she was damn well going to try.

  Bay Area fog already crowded the island, so Sparrow closed her eyes and imagined the fog thickening and migrating closer. The most difficult aspect of magickal was putting your mind at peace. Usually that’s what alcohol was for, but she didn’t have time to get blitzed. And besides, she had a mission.

  Sparrow let light fill her mind and concentrated on making her body become a magnet, pulling the fog toward her until she felt the dampness of the haze drifting by her skin. The ring on her finger warmed against her flesh, and then her body became weightless.

  Success.

  Sparrow opened her eyes and was accosted by the sight of the Portal Realm once more. The fog within the travel realm was thick, but not thick enough to hide many of the gigantic, hideous creatures migrating through the hub.

  A push from behind caused Sparrow to stumble to the side. A smelly werewolf strode past, unconcerned with Sparrow now that she was out of the way. Spotting a man with fluorescent silver hair, in the distance she knew she’d found a Knight of the Fog. Stepped forward, she tripped over something hidden by the fog. Unable to catch herself, she tumbled into a flaming doorway cut into the fog.

  “Crap!” Sparrow continued to flail and try to right herself, but it was too late. She’d been sucked through a portal to who knows where.

  • • •

  Rowen paced within the fog. It was a quiet day, with hardly any brawls. Pity, for Rowen was dying to release some of the fury pent up within. He missed Sparrow, and he was absolutely livid with himself for botching her trust so completely. And she didn’t even know the half of it yet.

  “Rowen, you look pained. Have you need for a vacation?” His fellow knight Talign approached and slapped him on the back.

  “It’s the uneasiness of going so long without a conflict is all.”

  “Oh yes, we all know that feeling well. You should come to the Stinger Realm to join the fights. Zeth is going to take on Eros later tonight. Should be a good contest indeed.”

  “Zeth is a wily brawler to be sure.” He’d seen his fellow knight take on a hoard of demons all at once. “Perhaps I will join him there after my shift is done.”

  “Oh, you know who I saw down by one of the human realm portals?”

  Rowen stilled at the words. Tera and Sabin were on honeymoon and they weren’t expected back anytime soon.

  “That stunning blond creature that Sabin brought through a couple weeks ago. I didn’t even realize she had acc — ”

  “Where did she go?” The words escaped Rowen in a desperate rush of noise.

  His friend offered him a curious look. “Have you plans to woo her then?”

  “Where?” This time, Rowen did not withhold his roar.

  “When I spotted her, she looked a bit surprised, and she darted into the nearest portal. I believe it was the Canicus Realm.”

  A beast roared within Rowen’s chest, and he fought the urge to punch something. Of all the realms to jump into, Sparrow had landed herself in the realm of dragons. Now inhabited by mostly human kinds that hunted endangered dragon species and Quetzalem,
it could be a dangerous place to hang out. Especially for so beautiful a young woman.

  The thought of his ray of sunshine being in such a dark and ominous land instilled instant fear within his blood. She belonged in a realm of fairies and sunlight, not a land deadened by greed and loss.

  And so he would go get her, even if he had to bring her back kicking and screaming.

  Chapter Twenty

  A warm breeze caressed Egret’s skin, and she inhaled the calming scent of lavender. It smelled so real, and yet she knew she was dreaming. She rolled over in the soft, cushiony bed and hugged the pillow closer, burying her head, smiling within her perfect dreamland. She liked the scent of lavender, it always brought her back to the sweetest dreams.

  Once more she was in her magikcal island off the coast of Ireland. Fields of heather stretched out into the distance, the only reminder that the world she found was actually real. In the distance, a bright pink lake glittered like something from the Wizard of Oz. But nothing could be more magnificent than the man beside her.

  “You’ve stolen my breath away, Egret. Your smile has made me lose all concept of time. And here, time is of the essence. There is something I need to tell you.” His voice caught, and Egret saw his strong cobalt gaze turn stormy, sad.

  “What’s the matter?” She ran a hand through his soft, shaggy locks. She wanted to feel the silky strands between her fingers for the rest of her life. She’d take him back to shore with her and introduce him to her sisters. They’d fall over when they saw the handsome masterpiece.

  “Egret. I’ve had the most incredible day with you. But all isn’t what it seems.”

  “Oh my God.” She knew it was too good to be true. Egret stood up from their flower-surrounded sunset picnic. “You’re married, aren’t you? I can’t believe I gave myself to — ”

  “No, my love.” He held her cheeks and looked deep into her eyes. She knew immediately there was no other woman. “What I’m about to explain might seem strange.”

  Egret stopped breathing for a moment. A million different possibilities flashed through her mind. Was he wanted by the Irish Police? Was he about to reveal some sort of kinky fetish? Was he dying of an incurable disease?

  Brennus took hold of Egret and dipped her back into an earth-shattering kiss. The sunset cast shades of lavender, blood orange and midnight purple across the sky. He released her to whisper against her lips, “It’s getting late. Do you trust me?”

  The way his eyes bore into hers were the most honest and wise she’d ever seen. It was almost as if he’d lived to see the world fall apart time and again, and all he needed to survive was to have her by his side. “I trust you.”

  Brennus smiled, and it was the only thing she wanted to see for the rest of her life. He took her hand and knelt on the soft grass. The scent of lavender caught in the wind and swirled around her.

  “Will you marry me?”

  Egret was too stunned to breathe, to answer. Brennus waited, gazing at her with patience and longing. He didn’t try to convince her, and Egret knew his intentions were pure, and that a happiness could never be equaled by the one she would have with this man.

  “Yes. Yes, of course!” Egret threw herself into his arms and he squeezed her tight. His fingers dug into her skin softly, as if he didn’t dare release her. For the first time, Egret realized what it felt like to be truly cherished. She’d given the man her body, and now he would have her heart. Forever.

  Brennus finally released her and looked back to the castle in the distance. His gaze moved toward the darkening sky. “It’s getting late.”

  His continued remarks about the time left Egret curious.

  “Hurry, we’ll ride to the Mage who can bind us.”

  “You mean marry us?”

  “Um, yes, the one who can … marry us.”

  “Let’s be married here, in this beautiful spot. Tomorrow will be perfect.”

  “Tonight, my love. It must be tonight.” Brennus looked once more to the kingdom with fear in his gaze.

  “What’s the matter? There’s something you’re not telling me.”

  “I’ll explain everything later. For now, there is only you and I. Stay here, I’ll ride back and bring the ma-marriage council.”

  Before she could argue, Brennus covered her passionately in a demanding kiss. His embrace set her body aflame as she melted into his arms. But then it was over far too quickly.

  “I’ll be back.” Brennus let go of her and mounted his giant black steed. The ground shook under his rushed departure.

  So much for riding off into the sunset together …

  Egret walked toward the sea and inhaled the scent of the world around her. The salty breeze of the ocean reached out toward her, mixing with the heather and lavender in a mysterious aroma. From the top of the hill she was on, Egret gazed at the ocean. Slowly, she watched the water turn stormy, a giant wave rolling backward gathering force.

  Curiosity turned to fear, the water continued to roll backward, gathering more waves. But she was at least half a mile from shore. She was safe. The wall of water continued to gather until the wave appeared more than a mile high. For a moment, she wondered if she’d consumed some sort of mushroom, for she couldn’t believe her eyes. Pink lakes, tsunamis — she didn’t know whether to run or to be in awe.

  By the time she could make her decision, the giant wave propelled forward and crashed down on the hillside. The waves pounding to earth shook the hill like thunder, the crack echoing in her ears like lightning. Water splashed up the hill with tremendous speed and force. Egret’s feet disappeared from under her. Fear left her unable to scream. The giant tidal wave was freezing, an all too familiar reminder of how she arrived on the island.

  She gasped for air as the wave tossed her body around and sucked her beneath the surface. Egret had no time to glimpse around her. The dark, murky depth of the sea swallowed her once more, and tore her away from the chance of a happily ever after.

  Egret bolted up in bed and was steadied by gentle hands. She looked into the eyes of her long-lost fiancé. He hadn’t changed a bit in all those years.

  “You’re awake.” Brennus Hy-Breasal’s hand cupped Egret’s cheek. The spot where their skin met tingled with warmth. As the man gazed into her eyes with tenderness, his obvious adoration overwhelmed her, and tears streamed down her face.

  “You’re just as handsome as you were twenty-three years ago. You haven’t changed. How is that possible?” Her voice quivered, but more questions flooded her. “Why didn’t you come for me? I was recovering in Ireland for weeks. They had me in a mental ward. I couldn’t remember anything.”

  Her tears of joy quickly turned to tears of sadness. Brennus immediately moved to her feet and he grasped her shaking hand. She tried to tug it away, but he wouldn’t let go. “I’m going to tell you now what I should have told you that night. I was afraid you’d run.”

  After twenty-four years of wondering why she woke up with no memory on the cold Irish coast, now she was about to find out why. Slowly, she began to piece things together. “You’re the High King Sparrow and my sisters spoke of. You’re from a magickal realm. You should have been able to sense I was a Wiccan … why didn’t you just tell me?”

  “I’m so sorry, Egret. I should have. We had only one day before my island, Hy-Breasal, would once more disappear to the human eye. I was afraid that if I revealed the island’s enchantment, you would run. The binding ceremony would have allowed you to remain in the island after the twenty-four hours were up. I thought we had time.”

  Egret’s heart stopped. “That’s why you didn’t come for me?”

  “Egret, you cannot know the sadness and desperation that tore me to pieces when I returned to find you gone. Taken from me by a merciless sea. I went from a man in love with the world at his feet to a lonely, mystical king held hostage by an encha
nted island. My land never became home without you. I had lived there for thousands of years — ”

  “Thousands of years?”

  Breasal squeezed her hand. “I had lived there for thousands of years, but my land could never again be home without you. Everywhere I looked I saw your face.”

  For the first time, Egret became conscious of the fact that she’d aged since they’d last seen each other. Brennus’ hand cupped her cheek, forcing her gaze back to his. His dark hair was shorter than the last time she’d seen him, but it still managed to make his blue eyes even brighter. “Egret, you are more beautiful to me today than you were twenty-four years ago.”

  “I’m old. You still look like you’re in your early thirties.” Her voice broke and she was ashamed. His lips found hers. Together, they fit together perfectly. His tongue dipped into her mouth softly, and explored. For the first time in twenty-four years, she knew what passion was.

  “Do not ever doubt how beautiful you are to me. I have had no other since our day, and would never have another for my entire immortal life. It has always been you, Egret. And now that I have you, I’m never letting go again.”

  Egret sobbed and threw herself into Brennus’ embrace.

  Finally, she might have a happily ever after.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  It wasn’t quite a pub, and it definitely wasn’t a bar. It was more of a dungeon/grog stop. As Sparrow stepped through the threshold of the front door, it became clear she wouldn’t be blending in. Not only was she the only blond, but she was definitely the most clothed individual. Luckily, she didn’t look like the only human — there were plenty of hobbit and Middle Earth-esque folks to go around. As she scanned the various demons and human-looking individuals, the acrid stench of skunk and something indescribable assaulted her nose. The demon nearest to her had patchy pink, bleeding skin. It grunted. Sparrow had the horrible feeling that the scent was probably decaying flesh.

  A chill went up her spine, not from the grotesque beings crowding the dimly lit establishment but from the greasy film that inched over her skin. Heat washed over her body, and not the sexual kind. Peeking slowly over her shoulder, she saw a monster looming over her, its mouth open, revealing long, smiling fangs. The hot, acrid breath was too much for her.