Rebels and Realms: A Limited Edition Urban Fantasy Collection

by Heather Marie Adkins

  I swung my pack off my back and set it on the ground. I loosened the straps holding the sheath and pulled the sword free. I gently stroked the blade, saying my goodbyes. It had been good to me and I was going to miss it. This oaf better appreciate you, I thought as I handed the sword to Lucas and mentally cursed the beast standing tall before us.

  “This sword was made by the Elves with the finest metals. It will also channel any magical power directed through the blade into an opponent. Is this a worthy offering?”

  Damn, Lucas was being so much nicer than I would have been. I didn’t have a political bone in my body.

  “I want the girl, too.”

  For the first time in as long as I could remember, I was speechless. I quickly glanced between Lucas and Oliver, waiting for one of them to object, but nobody said a word.

  Finally, I shook off the stupor and placed one hand on my hip while snapping at the Centaur with the other, getting his attention. “First, don’t talk about me like I’m not standing right here. It’s rude. Second, I’m not a possession. You can’t just demand to take me. I’ve already given you my favorite sword. That’s more than enough payment. Unless you want us to come back with an army, I suggest you accept the damn sword and step aside.”

  The Centaur trailed his gaze up and down my body, sending shivers of revulsion down my spine. He may be sexy on the top half, but I liked my men to have two legs, not four. I waited not-so-patiently for him to respond.

  Once again, he ignored me, turning toward Lucas and Oliver. “I prefer my females more docile. You said this sword is Elven-made?”

  I took a step forward to throttle this asshole for his snide comment, but Lucas threw his arm out, blocking me. “Yes, purely Elven-made.”

  The Centaur eyed the sword more carefully, running his fingers along the blade and then, as if things couldn’t get more uncomfortable, the freak licked the blade. A sound escaped from my throat and Lucas gave me the evil eye. The one that told me if I said one word, he’d likely tape my mouth shut.

  “This is a worthy offering. You may pass this once. If you have to come through my area again, bring a female with less of a mouth or you won’t be allowed through.”

  Lucas’s hand found its way over my mouth before I could tell the oversized piece of trash where to shove the sword he just received. He barely managed to yank me away from the Centaur. Oliver came around my other side, holding my pack and rushing us along.

  Once we were out of sight from the Centaur, Lucas removed his hand from my mouth and we slowed down. “That disgusting, chauvinistic, ass-gobbler!”

  Lucas laughed, glancing at Oliver. “And that is why I covered her mouth.”

  “He would have eaten us all for breakfast if you hadn’t.”

  I rolled my eyes. They were probably right. Centaurs were fierce opponents and we would have been in deep shit if I had started a fight with him, especially if he had friends nearby, but I would have gladly done it anyway. I hated men who thought they were better than women. I’d dealt with enough of them in my life. My mouth had no filter and some men were too weak to handle it.

  I took my pack from Oliver and pulled my water out before we began our trek through Meadow Valley. The guys did the same. We didn’t want to stop for any preventable reason while going through the Quad Valleys. I refused to be someone they told stories about by disappearing here. They were going to tell stories about me, because I slayed some dragons.

  3

  I was starting to freak out. Meadow Valley was too docile. We were far enough through that I could see the beginning signs of Web Valley. Off in the distance, the trees grew taller and denser. There was a wildness about Web Valley that wasn’t present in Meadow Valley. I preferred the former. Quietness didn’t sit well with me.

  My shoulders were tense from being on guard for the last half hour or so. Lucas and Oliver thought I was being paranoid, but I felt like something was following us.

  “We should only be about ten minutes out from the next valley,” Oliver said. “Are we pushing through or stopping?”

  “Pushing through,” I shouted my response at the same time as Lucas said, “Stopping.”

  “Why would you want to stop?” I asked. “You seriously don’t get the vibe we’re being followed? Some batshit crazy being is waiting for us to put down our guards. I know it.”

  Oliver surprised me by nodding his head in agreement, but Lucas still wasn’t buying it. “Why would whatever it is wait? It doesn’t make sense.”

  I rolled my eyes at him. “This is the Otherworld. Nothing makes sense.”

  “If you’re that concerned with it, then we go straight through Web Valley. You’ll have to bring up the rear since you no longer have a sword to hack your way through the vines.”

  My blood boiled at the thought of that oversized beast. “You just had to remind me, didn’t you? Jerk.”

  Lucas laughed. “Figured it’d give you something else to think about for a while.”

  We continued our journey and still nothing remarkable happened. The meadows were just meadows filled with flowers and grass. Weeping willow trees could be seen from time to time, along with a stream that curved in and out of sight, keeping the valley thriving. Still, nothing out of the ordinary ever crossed our path.

  The moment we officially left Meadow Valley and entered Web Valley, it felt like I couldn’t breathe anymore. The humidity from the jungle was high, and the pressure bore down on us.

  “I’m done. Let the dragons come to us. There’s no way I’m spending hours getting lost in this jungle,” I whined.

  “Toughen up, Princess. We’re just getting started.” Lucas grinned, knowing I hated being called that.

  “I’ve heard some tall tales about Inferno Valley, so think of this as training. It’s only going to get worse from here,” Oliver added.

  “Thanks for the pep talk, guys,” I said sarcastically. “I’m so glad I have best friends to kick me while I’m down.”

  They both had a good laugh at my expense, but I’d get them back. Eventually. I was a patient person when it came to revenge. For me, the anticipation was just as enjoyable as the act itself.

  Hours passed, and the sun began to descend. Light was minimal, and I was beginning to worry. I would never tell the guys this, but thoughts raced through my head about all the bad things I anticipated happening to us if we didn’t find shelter soon.

  We’d come across more than our fair share of various spiders and snakes so far, and we’d caught the attention of some rather annoying monkeys.

  I swapped out with Lucas and Oliver, using their swords to help cut away the vegetation blocking our path to freedom. Currently, I was leading the way with Oliver a couple feet behind me, while Lucas rested his arms.

  The monkeys continued to follow us, but never came close enough to make me worry too much about them. They observed and followed as their large forms swung from tree to tree. They had rough ebony fur, long arms and legs, and defined muscles on their torsos. I knew without a doubt that they could manhandle us, but it appeared the monkeys just wanted to make sure we had no other business in their territory other than passing through it.

  “Look,” Lucas called out. I had been paying so much attention to the monkeys, I hadn’t noticed the light reflecting off a large boulder in the distance. The setting sun was reflecting off the minerals, giving us hope. I was exhausted and ready for sleep.

  “Probably another fifteen minutes or so and we should be out of here,” Oliver said, and I could hear the smile in his statement. All of us were ready to be free from Web Valley.

  Suddenly, the monkeys began to howl loudly and swooped down even closer to us. My pulse spiked, and I swiped Lucas’s sword at the vines even quicker than before.

  “Jordan, give me the sword,” Lucas demanded.

  “We’re almost there. Just let me do my thing while you watch our backs.”

  I couldn’t see Lucas, but I felt his glare on my back. I had no time to acknowledge his annoyan
ce with me. There were three giant apes coming my way and I had no idea what they wanted. They were either trying to warn us to move quickly or they didn’t want us to leave. Neither option appeared to be a good one for us.

  “Jordan, duck!” Lucas called out.

  Without thought, I rolled to the ground, turned, and tossed Lucas his sword. When I rolled over, there was a monkey in my face. Literally, nose to nose. I wanted to scream, but something in its eyes called to me. It blinked and the enchantment was broken.

  “What the hell is happening?” Oliver yelled over the noise. The monkey screams were in full force now.

  The one in front of me reached a hand out as if it wanted to help me up. Lucas called out a warning, which I promptly ignored. I placed my hand in the ape’s, seeming to not have much control over my actions. Oliver joined in with the cautions, but I blocked them both out.

  “Something is coming for you,” a voice whispered in my head. “Run.”

  Holy shit. That was the creepiest thing to ever happen to me. I didn’t second guess it, though. I had felt something was after us as soon as we entered Meadow Valley. I quickly nodded and jumped to my feet. “RUN!” I yelled to Oliver and Lucas.

  The monkeys helped to clear the path while the guys cut down whatever was still left in our way. I was right at their heels, keeping pace. I heard Oliver say we were almost to the exit, but before I could respond, I was yanked back and my mouth immediately covered with something furry, causing my screams to be muffled. My body was pulled further away from my friends and they had no idea it was even happening. So much for staying together.

  4

  Whatever had covered my mouth was continuing to wrap around my face until I could no longer see. I managed to breathe, but my sight and hearing were soon cut off. I flailed my arms and legs around, landing a punch to something hairy and firm.

  Rapidly, vines wrapped around my arms and legs. I was completely defenseless. I was going to die. I was going to be a statistic. Dammit, I really wanted to fight some dragons, but now I was probably going to be a monkey snack instead.

  “The less you struggle, the sooner we will get there,” a deep, baritone voice snapped at me before my hearing was taken away again. Yay, me. I get to die sooner.

  I didn’t listen to the warning of my captor and soon felt the vines getting tighter. I was barely able to breathe, but as soon as I stopped squirming, the vines loosened considerably. Maybe I should have taken the creature’s advice and behaved, but that wasn’t my style.

  Minutes passed before I began to hear monkeys again. Everything tied around me loosened until I was able to breathe normally again, but I still couldn’t see anything until I was dropped unceremoniously to the ground with a heavy thud. Ouch.

  My eyes blinked several times as my vision cleared up. I turned my head from side to side to see I was in some sort of hut made from the vegetation. Someone pulled my attention to directly in front of me by clearing their throat. Well, it was more like something. A giant ape stood before me, along with monkey minions at his side. The ape appeared very human-like in shape, but definitely not in size. Coarse, brown hair covered most of his body and he wore cut-off tan shorts, but nothing else. Piercing, black eyes stared at me until I finished my assessment. His minions were smaller monkeys with long tails. I shivered at the thought that one of those tails was likely wrapped around my face just moments ago. Disgusting.

  “What do you want?” I snapped at them. No point in beating around the bush. I was outnumbered here. I still had my knife in my pack, but I doubted that would do me any good here.

  “We saved your life. It would do you good to remember that and show some respect. My name is Spiro and you’ve brought darkness into my home. We should not have spared you, but we heard you’re on a mission to stop the dragons. It’s imperative that you succeed.”

  “You saved my life?” I screeched. “What about my friends? What happened to them? Where are they?” If something hurt them, all hell was going to break loose around here.

  “The darkness was not after them. They made it out of Web Valley, but they are trying to get back in to come after you.” A self-satisfied grin appeared on my face. My boys wouldn’t leave here without me. “We have blocked their attempts so far and will send you back to them soon, but we have business to discuss first.”

  “What business?” My curiosity was piqued now. Annoyed as I was at their methods, they confirmed my suspicions that we were being followed earlier and I wanted to know what we were up against.

  Spiro nodded to one of his minions, who then scampered off. “There is a serpent hell-bent on stopping you. He tried to get to you in Meadow Valley, but the water there is blessed, and he couldn’t pass the stream you followed. Once you came into Web Valley, my people kept him at bay for as long as they could, but the closer to the exit you got, the more relentless he became. Instead of risking more of our own, I told them to bring you to me. The serpent is not fast enough to keep up with my kin in the tree tops.”

  “What does this serpent want with me, and why wouldn’t it be after my friends, too?”

  “It needs a female sacrifice. The males are of no concern to it.”

  What. The Actual. Hell?

  “Sacrifice? Like they want to offer me up to their gods and get some reward for it? Not happening. I’ve been told once today I’m not docile. Their gods probably wouldn’t want me anyway.”

  Spiro grinned. “Be that as it may, you’ve been marked. You and your friends won’t make it through Inferno Valley alive. Too much darkness resides there now, and the serpent will have help. There is a secret entrance to the Forbidden Tunnels in Mineral Valley. It is hard to find, but you must try. If you don’t, there isn’t much hope for you to succeed.”

  I’ve had some really crappy pep talks today. People really needed to have more faith in my ninja abilities. “Got it. Darkness, evil serpent, secret entrances, no hope. I think I can handle that. Can I go back to my friends now?”

  Spiro nodded. “One more thing, though.” One of his minions entered the room carrying a sword. Wait a hot second. Not just any sword. My sword. “How? Why? When?” I stuttered out incomplete sentences.

  “That doesn’t matter. Just don’t let it out of your possession again. You will need it if you plan to survive.” I nodded, having nothing else to say to Mr. Dark and Gloomy. “The monkeys will take you back to your friends now. I suggest you find good cover to sleep tonight. If you don’t make it out of Mineral Valley tomorrow, it’s not likely you ever will.”

  Before I could respond, I was once again swept up, but this time I had all my senses. I watched in amazement as the two monkeys holding me worked together. Each of them had a tail wrapped around one of my arms and waist, using their strong arms to propel us through the jungle. It would have been nice if they had just approached us earlier and done this instead of letting some psycho serpent stalk me for hours, but whatever. Nothing I could do about it now. I was just ready to see Lucas and Oliver again.

  Just as I had that thought, I heard loud shouts.

  “Where is she?” Lucas demanded.

  “If you don’t give Jordan back, I’m going rip those annoying tails right from your body!” Oliver added angrily.

  The monkeys were taunting my boys while keeping them from entering the jungle again. I didn’t know whether to be thankful or to laugh at the situation.

  “Easy now, boys,” I called out. “I’m right here. No need for threats.”

  They each mumbled something under their breath and it was probably good I didn’t hear it. The monkeys stopped on the last set of vines and began to swing me. Oh no. They were going to toss me out of Web Valley. Literally.

  Lucas and Oliver realized it right after I did. They positioned themselves close together and I braced for impact. Before I knew it, I was sailing into the sky and landing with a hard thud on top of Oliver. Lucas quickly pulled me up and ran his hands over my arms.

  “Are you okay? Did they hurt you? Where were y
ou?”

  I dusted myself off and helped Oliver get up as well. “I’m fine. They didn’t hurt me. They actually saved me.” I relayed everything that happened as quickly as I could. “We need to find somewhere to rest. Now.”

  “Agreed. We’ll check our books after we get settled and take shifts sleeping,” Oliver said.

  Without needing to exchange any other words, we moved along swiftly through the rough terrain. I was dazzled by all the gems we passed, but Lucas warned me not to touch anything. One didn’t take from Mineral Valley without disastrous consequences, apparently. I had zero desire to find out what those consequences were.

  Within the hour, we had set up our temporary resting place and were able to eat some dinner. I was famished after the eventful day. I ate the day’s rations and opened my book. “I’ve got a new entry. What about you two?”

  Lucas nodded, and Oliver replied, “Yup. Let’s see what the Fates have to say, and then get some sleep.”

  I was so ready for sleep. I sat back and lifted my book up to read it.

  The dragon you’re going to face is named Zendar. He has put a spell on some of the dragons in the clan, making them see any dragon or being who doesn’t follow Zendar negatively, causing them to turn against their own.

  If you can stop Zendar, then his influence will be broken, and the mayhem being caused by the others should cease. If you can’t locate him and stop his spell from spreading, then the consequences will be irreversible.

  Look in the northeast sectors of the largest mountain in Mineral Valley. There, you will find the entrance to the Forbidden Tunnels. Be stealthy and quick. Time is not on our side.

  Lucas and Oliver glanced up at the same time as me. “At least we have a place to start tomorrow when we look for the tunnel entrance,” Lucas said optimistically.

  “It could always be worse,” Oliver added.