Shadow Sworn

by Tiffany Shand

  Bethany Turner knelt within the spell circle, the wind whipping her long, dark hair and making the flames from surrounding candles dance and cast eerie shadows around her. Blood dripped from her palm onto the large pillar candle in front of her.

  “Is it working?”

  She glared at Colbane, her second-in-command. His nostrils flared at the scent of her blood.

  Bethany didn’t like vampires, one of the few Magickind immune to the power of compulsion of a Denai witch. She couldn’t force him to do anything like the others in her coven, but he had proven his loyalty.

  “Hush! I need to concentrate.”

  “I don’t know why you bother. Even if they hear your call, we are nothing to the Covenant.”

  “That’s why we need to get back in Raven’s favour again. Now be silent!”

  She chanted again, calling her magic. She felt a static charge in the air and the candle flames rose higher as her spell took effect.

  The wind roared around them like a tornado; she closed her eyes, letting the darkness claim her.

  The grounds around her compound faded as she appeared in another place. It took her eyes a moment to adjust to the blackness. “Mistress?” she called out. “It’s Bethany Turner from Thorn Coven, your loyal servant.”

  “Why have you come here?” a cold voice demanded. “You must be desperate, witch.” A short, slim woman with the face of a weasel and short, red hair emerged from the shadows. It wasn’t Raven, the Covenant’s leader, but Tasha Phelps, her right hand.

  Bethany’s jaw tightened; she loathed Tasha, everyone did. But she bowed her head in respect, as if she were Raven herself. “I want to serve the Covenant again.”

  “Why? You failed last time and Raven isn’t happy with you. I warned her you’d outlived your usefulness, but she thought you would succeed. Of course, I was right.” Tasha smirked, and her chin jutted out.

  “If you would just let me talk to her, I can explain…” She reached forward with one hand.

  Tasha glared down at her. “Raven doesn’t want to listen to you whine. You’re lucky you’re only projecting yourself here or I would hit you for your insolence.”

  “But – but I’ve seen something. A vision…” Her hand unconsciously went up to touch her forehead.

  “Your visions are weak, even for a Denai. You have no real active power.”

  At least I have powers, unlike you, Null, she thought.

  Something moved in the shadows as a silhouette of smoke appeared. She recognised the feel of another Denai witch. No, surely this couldn’t be Raven?

  She’d rarely seen the Mistress of the Covenant in person. How could the most powerful and darkest witch of all time have been reduced to this?

  So, there was some truth to the rumours after all.

  “My lady.” She bowed down low, face touching the floor.

  “You were once useful to me, Bethany.”

  “I can be again, Dark One. Just give me a chance. Did I not spread plagues throughout the lands at your bidding?” she asked. “I have been loyal for two centuries.”

  “Indeed, you once brought me many recruits, but those days have passed. The Covenant is diminishing – my followers are no longer faithful as they once were. Times are changing and the enforcers do their best to thwart everything we do.” She sighed.

  “That’s not true, Mistress. The Covenant can be great again. You will rule the Homelands and the Middle Kingdoms just as you did before.”

  “Stop trying to suck up to her!” Tasha snarled. “Don’t listen to her, my love. She only seeks to make herself more powerful.”

  The smoke began to take on a more solid form, revealing a woman wearing a long, black velvet dress that covered her from neck to foot. Bethany gasped; some of the hair on Raven’s scalp was burnt away and half her face was covered in hideous scar tissue that left craters across her cheek and neck.

  “Look at me!” Raven cried. “I’m weakened, my power wanes.”

  “Who did this to you, Mistress?”

  “Who do you think?” Tasha asked.

  “The Goddess Marked? The witch the prophecy speaks of?” Bethany asked, brow furrowing in confusion.

  “In the time of great need shall come the chosen one. A daughter of my blood will possess all my gifts and more, shall destroy the dark raven and all evils that threaten clan and coven,” Raven recited the prophecy foretold thousands of years before. “All will know her, for she shall bear my Mark.”

  “Just because the Marked Witch has been born and grown up doesn’t mean she will fulfil the prophecy,” Tasha said. “I don’t hold much faith in it.”

  “She is powerful!”

  “But she hasn’t reached her full power yet, not until she ascends.”

  “We must kill her – she’s twenty-eight now. Her ascension draws near, I can sense it,” Raven snapped.

  Bethany stood up. “I could...”

  Tasha cackled with laughter. “You? Kill the Goddess Marked? Ha! You’re no match for her. She may be young, but she has power and is well protected. You’d never stand a chance.”

  “But you could prove useful,” Raven said. “Tasha, why not let the Thorn serve by spreading your new experiment around the city?”

  Tasha opened her mouth to protest just as Raven doubled over, clutching her head.

  “What is it, my love?” she asked and squeezed Raven’s hand. “Do you need to feed?”

  “No. I see – Tasha, I see! My sight isn’t gone. The Goddess Marked…”

  Images flashed before Raven’s eyes.

  Bethany could only imagine what she saw. Tasha was right; she had no true active powers of her own. She wasn’t a seer, empath, telepath, healer, conduit or medium as other Denai witches were.

  “I see the key to my salvation – the Goddess Marked.” Raven smiled triumphantly and her eyes sparkled. “She can restore me to my former self. Damn the prophecy! I want that witch brought to me. I can use her to find the book and through her I will be restored, then she shall die before she has the chance to ascend.”

  “That doesn’t give us much time. If she’s started, we'll only have a few weeks before it takes place.” Tasha put an arm around her.

  “Then gather the Covenant and spread the word among our allies. The Goddess Marked must not ascend!”

  Excerpt from Betrayed By Blood

  Kaylan Avilion sat down on the heavy tree branch, using the leaves to cover her presence. The wind whipped through the low hanging branches, blocking her view behind a leafy curtain. She gripped one of her knives and hacked through the foliage until she had clear sight again. Yellow light poured out of the window, casting eerie shadows through the well-tended garden.

  “What did that tree ever do to you?” Geth murmured in her ear.

  She glanced down, spotted her friend crouched by a hedge. “I could hack off parts of you instead,” she offered. “I’m sure Freya would thank me for it.”

  “Freya and I are taking a break. That’s all.”

  “Yeah, but I’m sure she’d love to cut off your little boy parts,” Sierra quipped.

  Kaylan bit back a smile and heard a warm chuckle that made her heart skip a beat.

  “Enough, you two. We have a job to do,” Elijah told them through the crystals attached to all their ears, thanks to a communication spell.

  Kaylan turned her attention back to the window as a figure moved into view. “He’s here,” she whispered.

  “Damn, I wish I could fly,” Geth murmured.

  She hissed at him to be quiet and watched as the man turned around. His grey hair rose in faint wisps over his balding head and he wore the grey robes of the Chief Alchemist.

  “Kaylan, can you see what he’s doing?” Elijah asked.

  She leant forward, careful not to put her full weight on the branch and squinted. Norbert Helswick had been rumoured to be selling illegal potions on the black market. She’d had an earful from Geth when he’d heard they were investigating his boss. But it was the job of th
e Amaranthine to go after those who corrupted their city and protect its inhabitants.

  Kaylan wished she could fly closer, but knew a cloaking spell wouldn’t be enough to stop the heavy wards surrounding the house from alerting Norbert to their presence. “He looks like he’s mixing something,” she told the others.

  “Can you see what it is?” Sierra asked.

  “You just work on getting us in there,” she replied. “I’m too far away to see clearly.”

  Sierra stood in the doorway trying to break through the magic protecting the house. She was skilled at inventing things and could break through any security made by magic or technology. “Elijah, a little help here,” Sierra muttered.

  Elijah stalked out of the shadows and Kaylan continued to watch Norbert as he poured a bottle of blue liquid into a container and shook it. Blue smoke and gold sparks shot out as he stirred the brew.

  Kaylan’s heart beat faster as she let out a low squeal. “That’s it. He’s using Stardust. Sorry, Geth, I know you liked the guy.”

  The dangerous drug gave its users unnatural strength and agility before its victims suffered a slow painful death.

  “Never mind,” remarked Geth. “But I need a sample to prove what he’s doing.”

  “Then what?” asked Elijah. “It’s not like we can hand him over to the city guard. They’re just as corrupt as the rest of the Order.”

  “We’ll give him our usual warning,” Kaylan replied, “but first we need to find and destroy his supply.” She heard Sierra mutter an oath. “The fucking door won’t open!” Sierra cursed.

  Kaylan bit her lip to stifle a laugh, keeping her gaze on Norbert. Damn it! They were running out of time.

  If they didn’t get inside the house soon they might lose any chance they had of stopping Norbert. Pulling her cloaking spell tight around herself, she sprang from the tree and landed squarely on the roof. The heels of her boots dug into the tiles and she had to use her power to keep her balance on the sloping roof line.

  “Kaylan, what are you doing?” Elijah’s concerned voice echoed in her ear.

  She didn’t respond.

  Excerpt from The Alpha’s Daughter

  Christy ran through the forest with her friend, Lola, trailing behind her. It felt good to have someone her own age to play with.

  Together they ran through the maze of trees, branches catching at their clothes. It was amazing to finally get out of the close confines of her father’s mansion and away from the guards watching her every move.

  “Where are we going, Chris?” Lola asked.

  “I want to show you something. Come on.”

  Three oak trees marked the border. As she neared it, pain tore through her body.

  Someone grabbed her from behind, covering her mouth to stifle her scream.

  “Christy!” She heard Lola call out her name but it sounded far away.

  Light flashed all around her as something pulled at her very soul.

  She tried to scream but no sound would come out.

  Harsh tremors wracked her body, ripping through every nerve ending with muscle popping, bone crunching as her body shifted, changed.

  “Christy! Christy, wake up.”

  She gasped, feeling her heart pounding and sweat dripping down her face, as she yanked her covers off.

  Christy blinked, saw someone standing next to her bed.

  “Chris, it’s okay, it’s just me.” Ronan squeezed her hand. “Was it the nightmare again?”

  She nodded, switched on the lamp which chased away the inky darkness.

  Her bodyguard stared at her, concern etched on his handsome face.

  “It’s always the same,” she murmured. “I never see who kidnapped me. I don’t know what they did to me.”

  “It’s okay. You’re safe.” Ronan pulled her into his arms, hugging her close.

  She rested her head against his shoulder.

  “Maybe the message from your dad set it off.”

  Her father, the alpha of the shifter clan, Stargaza, had sent her a message, demanding she returned home so they could proceed with his planned engagement for her to mate with another shifter.

  “I can’t go back to the island,” Christy whispered.

  Everything there reminded her of being kidnapped at age ten, and changing into a wolf for the first time.

  “We’ll figure something out, Chris.”

  She looked up at him, gripping his arm. “Ro, will you stay with me tonight?”

  Ronan blinked, looked away. “I…”

  “I’m only asking you to sleep next to me. There’s no one around to see us anyway.”

  Ronan pulled back the covers, crawled into bed beside her.

  She fell asleep in his arms.

  Christy climbed out of her car, breathing in the night air. She caught the scent of rubbish, sweaty bodies and takeaway food. She loved the energy of London, but her inner wolf longed to run in the wilderness.

  “Ronan will be pissed when he finds out you came here,” Lola remarked. “How did you convince him to have the night off?”

  Christy eyed her best friend and fellow shifter. “I told him you and I were staying in all night watching films. Hell, people will think there's something wrong with me if I don’t go to any parties.”

  “You’re still a princess, Chris. It’s not unusual for other shifters to come here.” Lola scanned the area, motioned for Christy to follow her.

  Christy rolled her eyes at Lola’s acting like a bodyguard as she entered the club. Couldn’t she go anywhere and just feel like a normal person for once? Music pulsed and vibrated, the smell of alcohol, sweat and stale smoke almost made her gag. She didn’t like clubs much, but hell this was one of the few ways in the city to have some fun.

  As if I need a bodyguard, Christy thought. Hell, I’m still a shifter. I can take care of myself.

  Humans had no idea she was a princess – or at least the shifter version of one and Christy liked it that way.

  “Planning on picking up someone tonight?” Lola asked as she ordered their drinks.

  Christy snorted. “Nope.” She sipped her drink, thanked the barman. “God, I need a run.” Although the idea of running around in wolf form never appealed to her, she made do with running in her human form when she could.

  “Running around Hyde Park again isn’t a good idea, Chris. It’s too dangerous,” Lola said. “Since you’re bodyguard free, I’d say find a hunky guy to spend the night with. You can’t wait around for Ronan forever.”

  Christy only rolled her eyes again. “No thanks. Don’t you need to run? My wolf is itching to get out.” Not that I will ever let it out though.

  Lola nodded. “Hell, yeah. That’s why I hit the gym whenever I can.”

  Running on a treadmill didn’t have the same appeal as running through the forest with the smell of grass and trees. But living in a city didn’t provide many natural areas to run in.

  Christy felt someone watching her, and turned to see a man smiling at her.

  Excerpt from Fey Spy

  Serafina Valeon crouched in the shadows watching as the swarm of villagers rushed past the houses. Now what? I don’t need this today. I’m supposed to be starting on my next mission. Her large wings glistened but she pulled them back inside her. No fey dared to show their wings anymore for fear of having them cut off.

  She made sure her glamour remained in place, thankful it would disguise her true appearance. She rubbed the back of her neck, hating whenever she had to keep her wings concealed inside her body. In her vest and black leggings, she no longer appeared fey. Liana would be arriving soon, and she didn’t dare risk blowing her cover before her mission even began. Time to get work.

  She moved through the crowd of fey, wincing at their tattered clothing and skinny bodies. Despite being a place where fey and mages lived freely with each other, her people were still mistreated.

  A shout rang out, two mage guards dressed in dark red uniforms dragged a bald man with sharp green eyes through the cr
owd by his arms. Sera winced. Yosef, the village leader of the resistance. Oh no! Her hand went to her pack where she kept her potions and other gear. She wished she could intervene but didn’t dare. You have a job to do, she reminded herself. By the ancestors, why does this have to be so hard?

  “No!” someone cried and another man lunged at the guard.

  Here goes. She pulled a vial and hurtled it at the oncoming attacker. Smoke exploded as the vial shattered, making the man double over coughing.

  Another guard made a move towards Sera as more shouts rang out. The tension from the crowd grew and Sera feared they’d soon riot – the last thing she needed to happen was for the fey and mages to start having a go at each other again.

  “Stop!” yelled another voice.

  A man pushed through the crowd, dressed in a grey shirt and black trousers, he stood a head taller than the rest of the guards with a mop of brown curls and electric blue eyes.

  Sera’s heart skipped a beat. She’d known who she was supposed to come and meet but seeing him again stirred up a rush of long buried emotions. Get a grip! You’re nothing to him now. The mission will always come first.

  Why him? Why did it have to be him of all people? But she hadn’t protested when Alward had given this task. They both knew only she was skilled enough to infiltrate the hunter’s guild.

  Bastian Novare, mage prince and renowned fey hunter, commanded respect with his presence. Even fey fell silent as they stared at him.

  A redheaded woman with sharp emerald eyes and a burly man with long black hair came up behind Bastian. Both wore stunners and knives, marking them as hunters.

  To Sera’s surprise, Bastian pushed his way through the crowd until he reached her.

  She wished her glamour disguised her true appearance better as recognition flashed in his eyes. “Sera?” he gasped. “You’re the…”

  “I’m the potential hunter Liana told you about.” She met his gaze head-on. “But I don’t think this is the place to talk.”

  Liana waved to her, it eased some of Sera’s nerves.

  “How are you alive?” he hissed, still staring at her wide eyed.