by Jaime Marks
Revelations:
Mists of the Fae
Book 1
By Jaime Marks
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, distributed, stored in, or introduced to any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, without the express permission of the author, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages for review purposes only.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are fictitiously used. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. On a side note if you happen to be a Fae and think you have a claim that you have been portrayed in this book by all means feel free to contact me in writing so we can debate the semantics of your existence ;)
Certain content and scenes may not be suitable for readers under the age of 18.
This is an adult paranormal romance novel and recommended for an adult audience.
Cover art by Laura Gordon
First Kindle Edition, August 25, 2014
Text copyright © 2014 Jaime Marks
All rights reserved.
To those who believed in me when the world looked dark and tainted.
So many have supported me as I made this leap of faith and I am honored to have you by my side. And to M- forever my muse, you are still everywhere and nowhere, guiding and protecting.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Sneak Peak
About the Author
Chapter 1
He gently stroked his hand down her cheek as his eyes held her gaze. They were the most beautiful, unusual eyes she had ever seen; a gentle blue grey with swirls of glowing, golden flecks. Actually his eyes themselves seemed to emit a golden glow. She knew him. She had seen him before in her dreams. Dreams she had her whole life, but she had thought that was over. She hadn’t had dreams like this in years, but then, this was different wasn’t it. The way he looked at her, it was almost as if something in his gaze was waking her up from the inside out. Nothing had ever felt as right to her as his touch.
“I know you,” she murmured, “but I can’t seem to remember your name. Is this even real?” She tried to glance around but all she could seem to see was this man. No, not simply a man. She couldn’t quite put her finger on why, but she knew he wasn’t a man, not by any normal standards anyway. She had some vague concept that the very idea of that should terrify her, but oddly she wasn’t afraid in the slightest. Quite the contrary, she was drawn to him. Not only was he the most beautiful being she had ever seen, but he felt like home.
“Shhh, Reyana, there will be a time for all your questions.” He sighed running his fingers through her hair. His eyes traveling the planes of her face. “We have so very little time tonight. Let me just be with you for this moment. The rest will come in time. I promise.”
The very sound of his voice was enough to melt her where she stood, but his gentle caresses were a torturous variety of delicious that were almost enough to sweep her right over the edge. It was as if his very touch lit her ablaze from the inside out in the most passionate and sensual of ways. She gasped slightly as his hand slid down her chest to cup her breast and his mouth caressed her throat with gentle kisses. Her body was combusting. She could feel her control slipping, but she couldn’t let it pull her under. There was so much she needed to know. “Why do you call me that? You always call me that, but my name is Reyn.”
He ignored her question as he slid the white satin gown from her shoulders. His mouth trailing down her chest to suckle first her right nipple then the left. His hands traveled down to her hips and pulled hers flush to his so she could feel just how much he wanted her. Her head swam and the heat within her rose as a soft moan escaped her lips. She gasped softly when he swept her up into his arms, the gown that had been pooled at her feet now left behind on the ground. He seized her mouth in a kiss, her lips parting for him as his tongue sought entry. As she wrapped her arms around him her fingers entwined in his long dark hair. She lost herself to him. It felt as if that missing part of her that she had yearned for was finally sliding into place.
Reyn felt a loss as he lay her down on soft cushioning of some kind standing above her, but oh the view. He stood untying the robing he wore, which seemed to wrap around him in deep waves of ruby red and gold. It slowly parted to reveal his beautifully sculpted chest and as it slid from his body she couldn’t help but admire the golden brown hues of his skin and the perfectly tone muscles. He reminded her more of a Greek God than a man. He towered over her, his height easily reaching over six and a half feet. His handsomely, chiseled face and sly seductive smile as familiar to her as her own reflection.
“Mmmm, my beautiful, Reyana…” He whispered, his eyes seeming to glow even more intensely as they traced the curves of her body. “I love the way you look at me, almost as much as I love to admire your beauty.” He slid silk pants from his body watching her gaze as she took in his physique. She swore a soft growl drifted from his lips as her eyes settled on the thick length of his erection that stood out from his body. He leaned down taking her mouth in his, sliding his tongue in and entwining it with hers. His knee parted her legs as he settled his weight onto her body.
She moaned softly at the feel of his skin on her own. It was as if an energy hummed between them as a glow seemed to erupt around them, but she was too lost to him to wonder why. This man, creature, whatever he was owned her heart and soul. No part of her questioned it, even though she knew she should. She knew somewhere outside of here there was another reality she really did not want to forget that would clash with this one. Here in this moment, though? She knew nothing had ever felt so right, so perfect. Being wrapped in his arms she felt complete, as if she had been lost all this time and was suddenly coming home.
Abruptly, everything froze. A shadowy mist seemed to drift in all around them, probing some unseen boundary to the glow that was still surrounding them. Invisible icy tendrils seemed to wrap around her embedding a chill in her core. Something dark and angry fought inside of her, pushing against the fire within. She couldn’t explain what was happening to her all the sudden. It felt as if two-thirds of her were ripping apart and warring against each other. It was the part of her that had no idea what was going on that was shaking and full of fear.
“What is that?” she whispered, shivering in the sudden chill that wrapped around them. “What’s happening to me?” Her voice was shaky and weak as she began to tremble, “Please, it hurts…”
The sudden look of fury on his face as his eyes flashed made her draw back slightly, but she didn’t fear him. Somehow she knew that it wasn’t meant for her, but for whatever was causing the icy feeling that was attempting to grip hold of her.
“Reyana, I must go. I’m going to stop this.” He whispered back softly, kissing her gently as he began to rise. “It will be alright, but whatever you hear, whatever happens, stay inside.” He demanded sternly, locking eyes with her. “I command you to stay inside.”
“Yes, I will,” was all she
could choke out. Any other answer seemed to be thoroughly rejected by her mind. He pulled her up gently, a glow seeming to flow from his hands into her through the contact. It seemed to alleviate the pain within her. After lightly kissing her once more, he was gone. He had vanished leaving her standing in a misty fog.
Reyn jolted awake with a start as she heard something bang against the wall outside. She checked the clock, only one in the morning. She struggled to force herself awake, groggy and dazed from the combination of the dream she was still shaking off and the sudden wake-up call that she knew she had to check out.
Groaning to no one in particular she muttered, “If that’s that goddamn raccoon again I swear I’m gonna take up hunting.” She swung her legs over the side of the bed, slid her feet into her slippers and then stood to pull on her robe. Walking through the house, she checked windows and locks on doors. She peaked in on her daughter to be sure she hadn’t been woken up by the noise outside. She was out cold, completely unaware that there had been anything amiss. Reyn rolled her eyes in disgust. It wasn’t that she wanted her awake, but the kid could sleep through anything and she envied that ability. Not that she was really a kid anymore but she would always be her little girl. She tucked Star in and reset the CD that she played at night to help her fall asleep. At least if the noises continued that would help to mask it some and she could hopefully sleep right through it. She was a bear in the morning if she didn’t get enough sleep.
Another loud thud sounded from the backyard so she peered out of the Star’s window. She couldn’t see anything aside from the trees swaying in a gentle breeze. Having checked the rest of the house she made her way back to her room. There was a deck that opened off her bedroom overlooking the yard. If she was going to figure out what that noise was she figured that would be the best and safest vantage point as there were no stairs down.
When she neared the door she suddenly had the oddest sense of dread. She had the strangest feeling that she wasn’t allowed to go outside, which was ridiculous, really. Most nights she sat out back and read or meditated, so there was no reason in the world that she shouldn’t feel comfortable going out on her deck. As she reached for the door handle, though, the instinct that she had to remain inside nearly overwhelmed her and she had to lower her hand. She tried again and got as far as grabbing the knob but a paralyzing fear shot through her and she released it quickly.
“Oh, like hell this is happening.” She said out loud. This was her sanctuary. Her escape away from the rest of the world where she could unwind and not worry about anything. She didn’t quite frankly care what was causing her to feel as though she couldn’t enter it, but there was no way in hell she was letting anything take that away from her. She had lost too much already.
Taking a deep breathe she closed her eyes a moment to re-center herself and closed her mind to all fear and uncertainty. Instinctually in her mind’s eye she saw herself surrounded by a warm, protective light. She imagined the strength and fire of the sun rising within her; strengthening her, protecting her from the darkness. She never knew why she did such things, but they felt right. It was a second nature to her really. She had learnt long ago to listen to that voice within herself when she felt in danger. It had saved her more than once and she hoped whatever was causing this feeling, whatever she found on the other side of this door, that her instincts would protect her now.
She focused on the fact that she needed to make sure that the house was safe so that her daughter would be safe. Then she could go back to bed. After all she was having a really good dream and she was really hoping it would pick back up. She took a deep breath and unlatched the lock. It felt like something was pushing against her in her mind, trying to convince her that she didn’t really want to or need to go out there, but it felt foreign to her. It was something out of character and not the same frequency as her mind so she shut it out. She opened her eyes, pulled back the door and stepped outside feeling a minor triumph. It faded quickly however when she took in the scene from her backyard.
Contrary to the calm, peaceful scene that she had perceived from her daughter’s bedroom, the yard looked a bit more like a warzone. Three men stood in a triangular formation, facing off against some odd, shadow-like, masculine forms. They traded blows back and forth so fast that their movements were nothing more than a blur to Reyn’s eyes. As strange as that might seem, stranger still was the fact that the men’s fists and weapons glowed and sparked on contact with the shadows, illuminating the yard to reveal some dark tar-like substance that coated the ground. The sick scent of decayed flesh drifted to her noise making her want to gag.
She should have screamed. She should have run inside and called the cops, but in her inner core she knew the police had no jurisdiction in this world. This was the world of her dreams. The nightmares she always feared had entered the realm of the waking.
She knew the only thing that could fight back the darkness were those men down below her. As foreign as the logical side of her knew this all should be, it was a scene she knew too well. She had hoped it was over, that the shadowy forms slithering about below her with their putrid stench were nightmares constructed in her subconscious. Nightmares that in her childhood and through her teenage years her mind created to deal with the things that it was too young to address. As she stood there however, she knew she was awake and this nightmare was real.
The shadows seemed to hum and reach out to her and she could feel an iciness at her core responding to them. She fought its pull closing her eyes a moment to increase the light she wrapped around herself. She didn’t know why, but she had the strangest thought that if she let go, if she gave the darkness any lee way, all could be lost. Sucking down her fear she held onto the fire and warmth of the sun she still felt inside. She didn’t know why it was so important but she knew she couldn’t give into that cold, icy grip. Her adrenalin was pumping, her senses heightening, reaching out around her as the men below battled with the darkness. She knew without even scanning the area that there were only five more shadows that the men needed to dispatch and that the shadows couldn’t reach her where she stood. She let out a slow exhale, catching the attention of the men below.
“I thought you….said…you Commanded….her” Grunted one of the men as he beat back two of the shadows.
“I did.” A familiar voice responded. “But I also said… her innate…. abilities are growing …stronger.” He finished as he tore the head from a shadowy form. Dark, smoky vapor seemed to drift up from the ooze bleeding out of its slack figure as the man let it fall limply to the ground. It seemed to melt into her lawn.
“Great,” The third chimed in, “who’s going to explain that to Mythos? He says…it’s not time yet and he’s… already tense about this whole mess.” The man dodged a shadowy punch as he sunk a knife deep into the gut of the dark figure. Black ooze seeped out of the wound as it crumbled to the ground. He turned his attention to another shadow as it dove at him with dark, razor-sharp claws.
“It does not matter, Grifyn.” The first man replied dispatching one of the shadows with a sword before sinking the blade into the gut of the other. “We all know… that we are on borrowed time anyway.”
She studied them a moment in silence. They were quite a sight to behold in the midst of battle. Strong, swift, graceful and in complete control. There was no hesitation or clumsiness in their movements as they anticipated and reacted to their enemies. They were beautiful. She watched the one called Grifyn as he fought. He moved gracefully though the battle almost as if he were dancing rather than fighting, his blond hair that seem to frame his face swirling around as he dodged, parried, and lunged at his prey. Gold and yellow hues highlighted his hair giving an almost regal look to the warrior. He dodged out of the range of a claw and lunged, his dagger finding its home in the gut of his attacker. He sliced upward splashing more oozing tar to the ground, more dark swirls drifting away on the wind. He glanced up at her, his eyes flashing gold and bowed his head to her before turning to surv
ey the scene.
As the man with the sword rose from his final kill and turned to study her briefly, she caught an instance of reverence in the bright green glow of his eyes as they met her own. They were both tall and built similarly to the man that had seemingly manifested himself from her dreams. This one’s dark hair short, almost a military cut with green and silver highlights catching in the glow. Those glowing eyes studied her. She felt an odd familiarity as he spoke to the others, but seemed to be addressing her. “Mythos is only worried for her safety. He only worries that not everything is in place yet.”
“Alysse has said the time is upon us and the attacks have increased. We won’t be able to delay it much longer.” The familiar voice stated as he finished off the last of the shadow forms, turning to face her with those glowing eyes, both ferocious and passionate. They blazed brightly as they met her own.
She took him in, still astonished to see him in this world. She had dreamt of him a million times in her life, always by her side, protecting her but she had long since given up believing he was real. Fairy tales just didn’t exist. Standing there staring at him, though, she knew that this was why. Their very existence was why she had never once felt at home anywhere, and always felt as though something was missing. She studied this man who owned a piece of her that she couldn’t even define. He was tall with broad shoulders, the definition of his muscles showing through the form fitting, black t-shirt and dark leather pants he wore. His dark, almost black hair floated behind him on the breeze, with red and golden highlights illuminated by the glow of him and his companions. His eyes the same lovely eyes that she had been staring into in her dream. She blinked and he was suddenly right in front of her on the deck.
She held her breath, afraid to move. She didn’t want to break whatever spell had been cast to bring them here, but she also didn’t know how he would react. It was obvious she wasn’t supposed to be out here, but she also knew none of them would ever hurt her. In fact, only one word came to mind to define them. Guardians. Her guardians.
