Rebels and Realms: A Limited Edition Urban Fantasy Collection

by Heather Marie Adkins

  “Oh.” Phee felt like someone had gut-punched her. “Um. Okay.”

  “Trust me, it’s best this way.”

  “All right. Thank you.”

  The coroner came in. A wiry woman in her late fifties, her dark brown hair was cut short, revealing beautiful bone structure. “Hello. Dr. Caroline Collins.” She held out her hand and Phee introduced herself and Elliott.

  “The note said something about pills she had taken. I found a bottle of prescription Xanax, made out to a Gavin Gordon, on the floor behind the toilet. The bottle was empty, but right now that’s suspicion, not certainty. I’ll know more after the autopsy. I’m…so sorry for your loss.”

  Phee wrapped her fingers around the cold mug of tea. “Thank you, Dr. Collins.”

  “Yes, well.” She gave them a short nod. “We’ve got Marie, and the cleanup team is upstairs now. You should have your home back in an hour or so.” Her gaze sharpened. “Am I releasing the body to you when I’m through?”

  Phee blinked and spread her hands. “I guess. There’s nobody else.”

  “Right. I’ll be in touch, then.” She passed over her business card. “Again, so sorry.” She left.

  Officer Kate stood. “I’ll check on the crew upstairs. Oh, and here’s my card.”

  Phee took it. “Thank you.”

  “Yep.”

  After the officer left, Phee checked the time. “Damn. It’s almost ten. No wonder I’m starving.”

  “There’s cold pizza. Kidding. But seriously, we need to eat. How about some delivery? Chinese? Thai?”

  She pressed her hands to her stomach. “I’m hungry but not hungry but starving. I’m angry and grief stricken and hurting, and I am so close to losing my shit I can’t tell you.”

  Elliott stood. “I hear you. So pick out some food. I’ll be right back.”

  Phee sat at the table and just breathed. A week ago…just a week ago, she had Marie and Tigger and Shawn. Now they were all gone, except for Elliott.

  The short-term future seemed set, at any rate. Buy the warehouse, fix it up. Hire some scent production people, a designer, and get this perfume business off the ground. Buy bottles on a massive scale, rather than the way she had been, in lots of twenty.

  The perfume business. She just needed to keep her focus on the perfume. Maybe get out of the whole saving the runaways business, because it damn well hurt to lose them.

  Elliott came back. “Have you decided?”

  “Hm?”

  “Dinner. Any preference?”

  “No. You choose.”

  “Okay.” He studied her. “The cops and medical people are all gone, by the way.”

  She wilted, laid her head on the table. “Thank God.”

  “Everything upstairs is back to normal. I checked Gavin’s room. He didn’t leave any personal items behind. He wasn’t intending on coming back, Phee.”

  “Did you notice that they didn’t talk much about Gavin? I wonder if they know.”

  “It’s okay. It’s over. Everyone’s gone, and it’s just you and me.”

  “And the future.” She lifted her head. “Borgati’s not gone, and we have work to do, but not yet. So we get our act together.”

  “We get strong.”

  “We read up on everything we can find, keep our ear tuned to the wind, and listen to all rumor. Listen to anything about Borgati Pharma. Listen to anything, no matter how outlandish, about vampire kind.”

  A knock on the front door downstairs had them looking at each other warily.

  Elliott stood. “I’ll get it.”

  “I’m coming with you.” She tagged behind him, one hand in the waistband of his jeans. The knock came again as they headed downstairs.

  Elliott pulled the door open.

  Griffin stood on the other side, his blonde head shaggy, and a shit-eating grin on his face. “There you are, then.” He rubbed his hands. “Going to let us in?”

  Behind Griffin, standing sideways, was a tall man with short dark hair and a full beard. Phee felt recognition shudder through Elliott.

  “Is it safe for us to let him come in?”

  “Yeah, it’s safe. Besides,” and Griffin lifted the sack in his hands. “I brought Thai.” His gaze met Phee’s. “Come on, dollface. Let us in.”

  She tugged at Elliott. “Let them in. Safer inside than out.”

  Reluctantly, Elliott stood aside and opened the door wide.

  Griffin headed straight for the kitchen. The dark man stopped just in front of the door.

  Elliott scowled. “Why are you here?”

  “I will cause no harm, I swear.”

  “Alexandria.”

  “She took power from me, when I had expected the reverse. It was well that you intervened before she could completely drain me. I attacked you. That was not on purpose. It took me a good bit to get control.”

  “Alexandria, or should I say Lexi, is playing a deep game. I’ll need help, keeping an eye on things over there.”

  Malachi straightened. “I can help. I know what Borgati is doing. I want to help.”

  “Why?”

  “You set me free. You didn’t have to, but you did. I believe in paying my debts.”

  Elliott kept his doubts to himself, and nodded. “Then welcome to the team.”

  Phee stepped to Elliott’s side. “I’m Phoenix Raine. You are?”

  “I’m Malachi.”

  “The demon.”

  He bowed his head. “I no longer know what I am, but I cannot change how I was made.”

  “No, I suppose not.” She sighed. “Come in, and let’s eat. It’s been…a really tough day.”

  Elliott watched them go into the kitchen. Restless, he moved into the dark living room and sat in the corner chair, the one he’d taken the first time he’d come into this room.

  So much had happened in such a short time.

  Griffin appeared in the doorway. “You’re doing amazingly well.”

  He snorted. “Not exactly.” He rubbed his chest. “What are you? Some sort of super-magician? I mean, fuck. Passport? A driver’s license? So much fucking money…” Elliott jumped up and went to the front window. Pushed the curtain aside and stared out into the dark.

  He sensed Griffin behind him, not moving, which was good. “Do you know how angry I am?”

  “I watched you fight. I know.”

  “It’s worse, up here. Better, but worse.”

  “You have assets. You can travel. Learn. Spend a month with monks, if you want, or sail the high seas. You can do anything you want to do, Elliott. Anything.”

  He turned around then, leaned against the windowsill. “Does everyone get this treatment? Or am I just lucky?”

  “Your parents were well off. They left you well-provided for. The cashier’s check? That’s from me. And yeah, everyone gets one of those. Everyone that I help to escape, that is.” Griffin tilted his head. “Go on. Ask. You know you want to.”

  “How do you get away with being on both sides? Down below, and up here? How come you’re not on a leash? And why the hell did you have to bring Malachi here?” He rubbed his face. “Just tell me those things.”

  “I’m an errand boy. But a lot of the errands I run are for this side. For all intents and purposes, I’m studiously neutral.” Griffin shrugged. “As for Malachi, he needs a place to stay. Either here, or the warehouse when you get it built. He knows you, Elliott. You two were close for a very long time. Why wouldn’t he be drawn to you? You’re an odd type of comfort for him.

  “Comfort.” The word tasted bitter on his tongue.

  “My turn to ask questions. What are your intentions, with regard to Phoenix?” Griffin straightened, and he shook his hands out, as if he were readying to throw a punch.

  “We’re connected.” The past few days had held such tenderness that he suddenly wanted to protect their relationship from the light of day. “I’m one of hers. She’s mine.” The only one who ever had been, he realized.

  Griffin sent him a rueful smile. �
�Damn. I guess I waited too long to show up.”

  “Hey, you two.” Phoenix popped her head around the corner. “Are you coming, or not? Good food.”

  Elliott looked at her, and she went to his side. Stretched up and kissed his cheek.

  “Come on, baby. You know you’re starving.” She linked their fingers and smiled. “Griff, it’s not like you to bring food and not eat. Come on.”

  Griffin nodded to them both, a wistful smile tugging at his lips, and went ahead.

  Elliott stopped in the hallway and pulled Phoenix in front of him. He took her face in his hands, and gazed into her eyes. A slow smile started there.

  “What is it?”

  “I don’t know what we are, Phoenix. But I want to find out. I might be terrible at this whole relationship thing, I don’t know.”

  “We’ve got a lot on our plate.” Warmth stole into her eyes. “I’m so glad you found me.”

  Elliott kissed her then, and it was like the first time. He sank into the softness of her lips, her scent rose around him, and a small tendril of something very like peace crawled into his heart.

  She ended the kiss and smiled. “We have time. But right now, I’m starving. We can’t save the world, but we can eat.”

  “It’s a start.”

  They went into the kitchen, and Elliott realized that he was committed. He couldn’t run away. Not from this woman, and not from the fight to come. He needed to be here, to fight a battle that most people would never know existed.

  But for now, there was food. Plans to make. Life to live.

  Phee winked at him, and the weight on his shoulders lifted. He wasn’t alone anymore. It was a start.

  I hope you enjoyed THE CURSE OF ELLIOTT JONES. Elliott and Phoenix were first written about in RUBY’S FURY, Book 3 of the Blood Legacy Series, over ten years ago. (Book 2 is ALEXANDRIA’S SACRIFICE.) I wrote that book just after my mom passed away, so this series holds a special place in my heart. I hope you loved them, too.

  Your feedback is important to me, whether you loved this book or not. If you have the time, it would mean a lot if you could leave me a review. Books live and die by reviews and they aren’t easy to obtain. You, as a reader, have the power to get other readers excited about my books. I’d be thrilled if you took the time to review this book both from where you picked it up.

  Again, thank you so much for reading!

  Acknowledgments

  Thanks first off to Scott Carpenter, who made my beautiful cover. Many thanks in particular to my editor, Sara Lunsford, who told me to cut the first 12k. You were right. Thanks also to Wendy Russo, who had my back on proofreading. And above all, thanks to Rebecca Hamilton and Monica Corwin, who gave me this opportunity to bring to life this series that had been sitting in a dusty corner of my hard drive. Elliott, Phoenix, Ruby, Griffin, Alexandria, and I all appreciate it.

  About the Author

  I come from a writing family. My father, Chet Cunningham, had over 350 novels published during his lifetime, many of which are still available on for sale. My brother, Scott Cunningham, wrote many books on Wicca for Llewellyn Publications as well as over 30 novels. I write because it’s in my blood, and I love weaving stories into worlds to help sweep you away. I live in Southern California with my husband and two tall sons. When I’m not writing, I’m gardening, reading, drinking wine, and walking my awesome rescue pup, Whimsy.

  * * *

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  Before The Falls

  A Falls Trilogy Prequel Novella

  Heather Renee

  Copyright © 2017 by Heather Renee

  * * *

  All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No parts of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the production of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, live or dead, are purely coincidental.

  For more information on reproducing sections of this book or sales of this book, go to www.heatherreneeauthor.com or email heatherreneeauthor@yahoo.com

  Before The Falls

  A feisty Guardian, unknown parts of the Otherworld and dragons. What could possibly go wrong?

  * * *

  Jordan Baker lives a life full of adventure and mischief with best friends Lucas and Oliver by her side. Over the years, she’s risen through the ranks to become one of Arvata’s top Guardian Protectors. She’s sassy and strong-willed, making her nearly unstoppable.

  * * *

  But the Fates are determined to test her limits with yet another perilous assignment. Together, Jordan, Lucas, and Oliver must journey to the Otherworld in hopes of resolving an unusual dragon situation. Along the way, the trio encounters unforeseen obstacles, which force them to quickly decide who is friend and who is foe.

  * * *

  Can Jordan and her team handle everything the Otherworld has in store for them? Or has this warrior finally met her match?

  1

  Today was my day to do nothing. I had no training scheduled, no duties assigned to me, no expectations. I hadn’t had a day like this in months, making me feel almost lost in the free time. So far today, the hardest decision I’d made was which color polish to put on my toes. I’d decided on emerald green to match my eyes, and I was on my last coat when Lucas barged into my room.

  “Jordan.” He paused, eyeing my pedicure setup suspiciously. “Have you read your book today?” he asked, urgently.

  I rolled my eyes at him. “Why would I have done that? And look what you made me do!” I now had a green streak across my toes. “What’s so important?”

  “You’re such a girl,” he groaned. “Read your book and meet me at Oliver’s after you’ve cleaned up.”

  “Duh. I am a girl, you dimwit!” I gave him the middle finger and started to clean up.

  Lucas let out a heavy sigh. “Just meet me at Oliver’s, okay?”

  He was being annoyingly impatient today. He and Oliver had been my best friends since I joined their training class when I was twenty years old. I loved them both dearly, but even after five or so decades together, they often forgot I was a girl, because I could kick most of the men’s asses.

  “Yeah, yeah. I got it,” I relented. “See you in ten.”

  Lucas left the room and I cleaned up my pedicure as best as I could. Damn men. I guess I didn’t need to feel lost anymore. Today was no longer a ‘me’ day. I snagged my book off the side table after I put away the nail polish and cracked it open.

  Our books weren’t normal by any means. They were given to Guardians on our twentieth birthdays when we came into our magic. The Fates who guided us sent messages through these books. Sometimes, it was good stuff. Other times, well, it made you regret opening the book all together. With Lucas’s behavior just now, I was leaning toward the most recent entry being the latter.

  The Otherworld is experiencing chaos. Light Fae, Elves, and Shifters are currently overwhelmed with an imbalance of light and dark magic. The Guardians are needed to help with a dragon situation.

  Lucas and Oliver will accompany you in the Otherworld. You’ll need to venture toward the Easternmost part of the Shifter level. There, you will need to locate the Forb
idden Tunnels through a secret entrance. We do not know its exact location yet, but we are working diligently to find it for you.

  There is one dragon in particular that needs to be dealt with as soon as possible. Not all the dragons are as evil as they appear. Attempt to make them see reason first, but not at the expense of one of your lives.

  You will not be able to port while in the Otherworld. The Light Fae Queen has placed a block to prevent dark beings from entering her land. She refuses to lift it until the situation there is less dire.

  We will update you if more information becomes available. You’ll need to leave tomorrow at first light. Stay together and come home safely.

  I let out a groan as I closed my book. Why us? I changed out of my lounge pants I had been wearing and into some jeans, then ported to Oliver’s house. Guardians had many magical abilities, but teleporting was one of the most-used perks. Not being able to use it in the Otherworld was going to slow us way down. That just meant I’d make sure to use it while I still could.

  I didn’t bother knocking when I arrived. Instead, I stormed in on them as Lucas had done to me earlier. “Hey, Dipsticks!” I called out as I threw open the door. “The brains of the operation is here. Who’s ready to slay some dragons? Maybe we’ll even find a princess for one of you doofuses.”

  I chuckled at my own joke. They loved me whether they liked me or not.

  Oliver shuddered. “Don’t joke about that. I could use a few more decades to enjoy my free time.”