Infinite Magic (Dragon's Gift: The Huntress Book 5)

by Linsey Hall

  “I love you, too.”

  A grin broke out over his face, and he leaned down and pressed his lips to mine. I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him back, pouring everything I had into it.

  When he pulled away, I grinned too. Why had I been so confused about this? It was so obvious.

  “You’re not going to regret it,” he said.

  “You’re right.” I could just barely hear my friends through the glass as they chatted and ate chocolate cake. I had them all. Del would find her way back. I’d do everything I could to help. And we were free. For the first time in our lives, we were free.

  I swung an arm around Aidan’s waist and said, “Come on. They’ve got cake and whiskey, and we deserve to celebrate.”

  THANK YOU FOR READING!

  Want to find out how Cass and her deirfiúr got the money to start their shop? Visit www.LinseyHall.com sign up for the no-spam newsletter & get a free copy of Hidden Magic, an exclusive novella that is only available to subscribers.

  Reviews are so helpful to authors. I really appreciate all reviews, both positive and negative.

  Cass’s adventure may be over (for now), but Del’s is just beginning. Her story, Magic Undying, will be available in November 2016.

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  Thank you for reading Infinite Magic. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. The Dragon’s Gift series combines my two lives—I am both a writer and an archaeologist.

  As with my other stories, Infinite Magic features historical sites and mythological influences. Some of them you’ve seen in my other books and some are new.

  One of the new historical sites was that of Vlad the Impaler’s castle in Romania. When I needed to think of a new headquarters for Victor Orriodor, it seemed like the ideal place for him. Vlad III was the Prince of Wallachia in the 15th century in what is now Romania. He had a nasty habit of impaling his enemies on spikes, hence his name. I haven’t had the good fortune to visit the castle, however, so I took many liberties with its construction.

  The other major historical and mythological influences in the book can be seen in the scene where Cass goes searching for the broch. She receives help along the way from some characters from Scottish mythology. Caesg’s are Highland mermaids who are part woman, part salmon. The Nuckelavee is a terrifying monster from the Orkney Islands, in northern Scotland. I moved him south for the purpose of the story because he was just too good not to include. The Bauchan is a type of Scottish hobgoblin, who is known to be helpful when necessary. There are images and links to more information about these creatures on my Pinterest page (just search Linsey Hall on Pinterest-it’ll be easy to find).

  By far, brochs are one of my favorite types of archaeological sites. These iron age round towers can be found all over northern and western Scotland. They aren’t generally found in the central part of the Scottish Highlands, where Glencarrough is located, but I put one there just so that I could write about it. There is no common consensus amongst archaeologists about why brochs were built and how they were used. Cass thinks to herself that the broch at Glencarrough would have been an excellent defensive structure because that is a natural assessment of a big stone tower. However, there isn’t much archaeological evidence to support that brochs were universally used for this purpose, and many archaeologists today doubt that they were used for defense. You can check out my Pinterest page for more images and links if you are interested.

  Ralph and Rufus, the two rats who befriended Emile, are not mythological creatures, but they deserve a place in the Author’s Note. Ralph and Rufus were two very clever rats that I lived with while I was in college. They belonged to my friend Emily, who is a real animal whisperer. I did not consciously name Emile for Emily. He first appeared in Mirror Mage as a captured FireSoul, and he was male. When it came time for him to reappear in Eternal Magic, I decided to give him the ability to talk to animals. Hence, Ralph and Rufus appeared. But when it came time to name him, I chose the first name that popped into my mind—Emile. It was several weeks later that I realized I probably named Emile for Emily. I was writing quickly because the story was flowing and I just went with it. In hindsight, Emile is clearly Emily.

  That’s it for the historical and archaeological influences in Infinite Magic. But one of the most important things about the Dragon’s Gift series is Cass’s relationship with the artifacts and the sense of responsibility she feels to protect them. I spoke about this in the Author’s Note for the other books in the series, so this part might be repetitive for some folks (feel free to quit now if so), but I want to include it in each of my Author’s Notes because it’s so important to me.

  I knew I had a careful line to tread when writing these books—combining the ethics of archaeology with the fantasy aspect of treasure hunting isn’t always easy.

  There is a big difference between these two activities. As much as I value artifacts, they are not treasure. Not even the gold artifacts. They are pieces of our history that contain valuable information, and as such, they belong to all of us. Every artifact that is excavated should be properly conserved and stored in a museum so that everyone can have access to our history. No single person can own history, and I believe very strongly that individuals should not own artifacts. Treasure hunting is the pursuit of artifacts for personal gain.

  So why did I make Cass Cleraux a treasure hunter? I’d have loved to call her an archaeologist, but nothing about Cass’s work is like archaeology. Archaeology is a very laborious, painstaking process—and it certainly doesn’t involve selling artifacts. That wouldn’t work for the fast-paced, adventurous series that I had planned for Dragon’s Gift. Not to mention the fact that dragons are famous for coveting treasure. Considering where Cass got her skills, it just made sense to call her a treasure hunter (though I really like to think of her as a magic hunter). Even though I write urban fantasy, I strive for accuracy. Cass doesn’t engage in archaeological practices—therefore, I cannot call her an archaeologist. I also have a duty as an archaeologist to properly represent my field and our goals—namely, to protect and share history. Treasure hunting doesn’t do this. One of the biggest battles that archaeology faces today is protecting cultural heritage from thieves.

  I debated long and hard about not only what to call Cass, but also about how she would do her job. I wanted it to involve all the cool things we think about when we think about archaeology—namely, the Indiana Jones stuff, whether it’s real or not. Because that stuff is fun, and my main goal is to write a fun book. But I didn’t know quite how to do that while still staying within the bounds of my own ethics. I can cut myself and other writers some slack because this is fiction, but I couldn’t go too far into smash-and-grab treasure hunting.

  I consulted some of my archaeology colleagues to get their take, which was immensely helpful. Wayne Lusardi, the State Maritime Archaeologist for Michigan, and Douglas Inglis and Veronica Morris, both archaeologists for Interactive Heritage, were immensely helpful with ideas. My biggest problem was figuring out how to have Cass steal artifacts from tombs and then sell them and still sleep at night. Everything I’ve just said is pretty counter to this, right?

  That’s where the magic comes in. Cass isn’t after the artifacts themselves (she puts them back where she found them, if you recall)—she’s after the magic that the artifacts contain. She’s more of a magic hunter than a treasure hunter. That solved a big part of my problem. At least she was putting the artifacts back. Though that’s not proper archaeology (especially the damage she sometimes causes, which she always goes back to fix), I could let it pass. At least it’s clear that she believes she shouldn’t keep the artifact or harm the site. But the SuperNerd in me said, “Well, that magic is part of the artifact’s context. It’s important to the artifact and shouldn’t be removed and sold.”

  Now that was a problem. I couldn’t escape my SuperNerd self, so I was in a real conundrum. Fortunately, that’s where the immensely intelligent Wayne Lusardi came in. He su
ggested that the magic could have an expiration date. If the magic wasn’t used before it decayed, it could cause huge problems. Think explosions and tornado spells run amok. It could ruin the entire site, not to mention possibly cause injury and death. That would be very bad.

  So now you see why Cass Clereaux didn’t just steal artifacts to sell them. Not only is selling the magic cooler, it’s also better from an ethical standpoint, especially if the magic was going to cause problems in the long run. These aren’t perfect solutions—the perfect solution would be sending in a team of archaeologists to carefully record the site and remove the dangerous magic—but that wouldn’t be a very fun book. Hopefully this was a good compromise that you enjoyed (and that my old professors don’t hang their heads over).

  Thank you so much for reading Infinite Magic, and if you’ve made it this far in the Author’s Note, thank you for reading this as well! It’s an important part of the story and I appreciate when folks take the time to learn about the archaeological influences in my books. I hope you’ll stay with Cass, Nix, and Dell on their journey, because it’s not done yet!

  DEDICATION

  For Rob and Lauren, a wonderful couple.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  The Dragon’s Gift series is a product of my two lives: one as an archaeologist and one as a novelist. Combining these two took a bit of work. I’d like to thank my friends, Wayne Lusardi, the State Maritime Archaeologist for Michigan, and Douglas Inglis and Veronica Morris, both archaeologists for Interactive Heritage, for their ideas about how to have a treasure hunter heroine that doesn’t conflict too much with archaeology’s ethics. The Author’s Note contains a bit more about this if you are interested.

  Thank you, Ben, for everything you’ve done to support me in this career. Thank you to Emily Keane for giving me the inspiration for Emile, Ralph, and Rufus. Thank you to Carol Thomas for sharing your thoughts on the book and being amazing inspiration.

  Thank you to Jena O’Connor and Lindsey Loucks for various forms of editing. The book is immensely better because of you! And thank you to Rebecca Frank for the beautiful cover. You really bring Cass to life.

  GLOSSARY

  Alpha Council - There are two governments that enforce law for supernaturals—the Alpha Council and the Order of the Magica. The Alpha Council governs all shifters. They work cooperatively with Alpha Council when necessary - for example, when capturing FireSouls.

  Bauchan - A type of Scottish hobgoblin who can be tricksy or helpful depending upon the circumstance.

  Blood Sorceress - A type of Magica who can create magic using blood.

  Ceasg - A Highland mermaid. Half woman, half salmon.

  Conjurer - A Magica who uses magic to create something from nothing. They cannot create magic, but if there is magic around them, they can put that magic into their conjuration.

  Dark Magic - The kind that is meant to harm. It’s not necessarily bad, but it often is.

  Deirfiúr - Sisters in Irish.

  Demons - Often employed to do evil. They live in various hells but can be released upon the earth if you know how to get to them and then get them out. If they are killed on earth, they are sent back to their hell.

  Dragon Sense - A FireSoul’s ability to find treasure. It is an internal sense pulls them toward what they seek. It is easiest to find gold, but they can find anything or anyone that is valued by someone.

  Elemental Mage – A rare type of mage who can manipulate all of the elements.

  Enchanted Artifacts – Artifacts can be imbued with magic that lasts after the death of the person who put the magic into the artifact (unlike a spell that has not been put into an artifact—these spells disappear after the Magica’s death). But magic is not stable. After a period of time—hundreds or thousands of years depending on the circumstance—the magic will degrade. Eventually, it can go bad and cause many problems.

  Fire Mage – A mage who can control fire.

  FireSoul - A very rare type of Magica who shares a piece of the dragon’s soul. They can locate treasure and steal the gifts (powers) of other supernaturals. With practice, they can manipulate the gifts they steal, becoming the strongest of that gift. They are despised and feared. If they are caught, they are thrown in the Prison of Magical Miscreants.

  Hearth Witch – A Magica who is versed in magic relating to hearth and home. They are often good and potions and protective spells and are also very perceptive when on their own turf.

  Magica - Any supernatural who has the power to create magic—witches, sorcerers, mages. All are governed by the Order of the Magica.

  Mirror Mage - A Magica who can temporarily borrow the powers of other supernaturals. They can mimick the powers as long as the are near the other supernatural. Or they can hold onto the power, but once they are away from the other supernatural, they can only use it once.

  Nuckelavee - A horrifying monster. He is part horse, part man. Though he is a monster from the sea, he rides on land for part of the year.

  The Origin - The descendent of the original alpha shifter. They are the most powerful shifter and can turn into any species.

  Order of the Magica - There are two governments that enforce law for supernaturals—the Alpha Council and the Order of the Magica. The Order of the Magica govern all Magica. They work cooperatively with Alpha Council when necessary - for example, when capturing FireSouls.

  Phantom - A type of supernatural that is similar to a ghost. They are incorporeal. They feed off the misery and pain of others, forcing them to relive their greatest nightmares and fears. They do not have a fully functioning mind like a human or supernatural. Rather, they are a shadow of their former selves. Half bloods are extraordinarily rare.

  Seeker - A type of supernatural who can find things. FireSouls often pass off their dragon sense as being Seeker power.

  Shifter - A supernatural who can turn into an animal. All are governed by the Alpha Council.

  Transporter - A type of supernatural who can travel anywhere. Their power is limited and must regenerate after each use.

  ABOUT LINSEY

  Before becoming a writer, Linsey Hall was a nautical archaeologist who studied shipwrecks from Hawaii and the Yukon to the UK and the Mediterranean. She credits fantasy and historical romances with her love of history and her career as an archaeologist. After a decade of tromping around the globe in search of old bits of stuff that people left lying about, she settled down and started penning her own adventure novels. Her Dragon’s Gift series draws upon her love of history and the paranormal elements that she can’t help but include.

  This is a work of fiction. All reference to events, persons, and locale are used fictitiously, except where documented in historical record. Names, characters, and places are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  Copyright 2016 by Linsey Hall

  Published by Bonnie Doon Press LLC

  All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form, except in instances of quotation used in critical articles or book review. Where such permission is sufficient, the author grants the right to strip any DRM which may be applied to this work.

  Linsey@LinseyHall.com

  www.LinseyHall.com

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  ISBN 978-1-942085-52-2