Dark Lure: Immortal Brotherhood (Edge Book 2)

by Jamie Magee

  “You need me. If there is any threat that Jamison’s little spells can not hold, you tell River. She can reach me within a breath,” Dagen said.

  Reveca nodded once, sharply, then looked up at him. She didn’t say a word but there was no doubt he saw the promise in her eyes. She wasn’t going to let anyone hurt King.

  He vanished then.

  Reveca let out a long slow breath, then looked over her shoulder at Steele and Judge. “This stays here. It never leaves the boat, you hear me?”

  Both of them clenched their jaws. Steele cussed under his breath as his stare went back to the path the boat was on.

  “What was that shit about King?” Judge asked.

  Reveca moved closer to them. “I don’t know.”

  “You gonna lie to me? What is that boy doing to our Club?”

  “Nothing,” she said, putting her arm around Judge’s waist, leaning into his protective embrace. “We’re not going to let anyone hurt him.”

  “That wasn’t an enemy of his, that was his brother,” Steele said.

  Reveca wasn’t even going to try and argue that with them. They knew how that bond felt.

  “Right, and right now King is healing. Dagen wanted to check on him.”

  “He’s not healing, he’s imprisoned by Crass,” Steele said, looking over his shoulder at Reveca, calling bullshit on the watered down mommy talk she was giving them.

  “He’s both, and he’s in our house, so he’s safe. Enough about it. Focus.”

  They had crossed the barriers of the Edge. On the banks the dead were walking in thick droves toward the Veil.

  Erio always had to make sure there were twice as many when Cashton came out. It had be chaotic for Cashton to move through, to hide his escape.

  No one said anything as they prowled the waterway, as Reveca looked across the souls which were near, wondering where their path was going to lead them, where they had been. Observing was her deal.

  When the Veil approached, the tension built. Judge had let go of Reveca and was before the wheel, watching those moving inside of death.

  Erio always sent a push to the souls right as Reveca reached where she was. It was a signal. When the souls pour in, Cashton was to push out.

  Judge was leaning forward, his body flexed ready to move at any moment.

  Reveca saw the souls start to divide, to move as if something was disrupting their path.

  “There,” she said to Judge. He was gone in an instant.

  Steele pushed the boat forward. Reveca’s energy helped it along. Right as they reached the dock, they saw Judge pushing through the hordes of souls. Cashton was leaning all his weight on Judge, his arm pinned to his side, his head hanging low.

  Steele nodded for Reveca to take the wheel and she did. Steele pushed his way to where Judge was. The souls were all but pushing him and Cashton back in. Steele made a path through and helped Judge plow Cashton out.

  When they reached the dock they both picked up Cashton and ran with him. The second they were on the boat, Steele charged toward the helm and they took off.

  Reveca dove across the floor to reach Cashton’s body. His eyes were closed, sweat was pouring off him, yet his arm was flexed to his side with a fierceness that told Reveca if it was the last thing he did he wasn’t going to let it go.

  “Floor it,” Reveca said as she tried to use her energy to calm Cashton.

  “What the hell, Vec? He’s never this fucked up when we get him out.”

  She knew it was the energy in his arm; he had found Windsome. She had sent him back with a message. Reveca couldn’t take it out of him, not yet, not until they had passed her Edge or at least were closer to life than death. It was too dangerous for him, for the message. She wasn’t going to let him make it that far with this only to lose it at the last second.

  With each sway of her hands across his face, his shoulders, he was calming down. His breaths were steady and the sweat was starting to dry, but he was out cold.

  “We got company,” Steele said in low tone.

  Reveca raised her eyes slowly and met Judge’s stare, then they both looked Steele’s way.

  “Fuck,” Reveca breathed. “Hide him.”

  Judge pulled the cushions from the benches down over Cashton’s body moved a few buckets there, too.

  Reveca stood and carefully applied her bitch face as she stared at the approaching boats.

  They belonged to Crass. These were his men, but he was nowhere in sight.

  There were four of them and their vessels were smaller but it didn’t make them any less of a threat.

  Steele slowed the boat then halted it.

  Judge stood just behind Reveca, guarding her and Cashton’s body at once.

  The boats encircled them then a man in the boat closest to Reveca spoke. “You must be lost. We’re here to guide you to Crass.”

  “I’m not lost.”

  The man sneered. “Crass feels his memory is slipping and has requested a conference with you.”

  “You tell Crass if his memory slips it would be a shame. I have been searching high and low for the vilest souls for him. I’d hate to surrender them to the Unclaimed instead.”

  “You tell him. He wants to see you now.”

  “I’m a popular girl, I have plans tonight.”

  “With the dead,” the man said as he looked over the boat, strained to see through the dark shadows Cashton was in.

  Reveca’s issue was the Lords of Death liked to think they were the center of the universe, that there was no one greater than them and they would make a move to prove that often. If Crass or any other Lord understood Reveca was robbing Cashton from death each month and then returning him, they would make a move to end that. At the very least they’d claim him and demand that Reveca barter with them to return him.

  With the condition Cashton was in now there would be no denying she had just robbed him from death. She had to get Cashton back, had to get the energy out of him before it started to break him down.

  “This is my home,” she said with calm expression. “I am the dead, and you are trespassing.”

  “We’ll guide your boat,” the man said, refusing to back down.

  “No. You tell Crass I will return in two day’s time with his gifts. I’ll even put a bow on them.”

  The men from one of the boats latched on to the side of their boat.

  “Last warning. Play nice boys or I’m going to ask you to leave,” Reveca said with a lifted chin.

  The man nodded, giving his man permission to board.

  Reveca held the man’s stare, even slightly smirked. Then all at once her energy burst from her in a fierce wave, pushing every one of the boats so far back they nearly reached the bank of the Veil once more.

  Reveca pulled the thrust of energy back to her and placed a dome of it over their vessel, one which would protect them all the more.

  She knelt down and moved the cushion from Cashton and caressed his face, smiled when his face leaned into her hand, when a near silent sigh left his lips.

  When she glanced up both Judge and Steel were staring at her with wide eyes. It had been a long time since she had used that much power in front of them, and she doubted it had been as precise when she did do it.

  “Take us home,” she said to Steele.

  Reveca leaned against the bench, laid Cashton’s head on her lap, and caressed his hair as she watched the banks.

  Gratitude—she let it come to her. Thanked the power she had just used for protecting her boys, for guiding her home.

  It swelled within her. Exaltation. She owned that emotion.

  And it was going to win every one of her wars. She was sure of it.

  Next: Scared Betrayal, Episodes 9-12

  Acknowledgements

  Over the past four years I have published sixteen novels and each of the acknowledgements are moved from one novel to the next. That wasn’t done to take short cuts, but because on this journey I have been blessed enough to keep the same souls
at my side. I wanted to take the time with this acknowledgement to state how precious they are to me.

  My Creator, for I know this love of words and mystical world comes from a place I will never understand but humbly adore.

  My husband, no doubt, deserves some kind of medal! The man is there from the first instant the idea is thought to life, through the long days of writing where I slip into another world. He manages the blessed life we have built, taking care of our little ones, making sure that there is some kind of substantial meal on the table for each of us. He’s a saint when it comes to telling me what day of the week it is, and letting me know that dawn is approaching and it might be a good idea to get some sleep. He understands that music drives me and is just fine with the same song playing on repeat for days until I have the scene trapped in words. He’s use to having a conversation with me and in mid-sentence I stop and rush to write a line down. There is no doubt that he didn’t sign up to share his wife with the fictional family that always dances in my mind, but he rocks it all the same. I can’t tell you how amazing it is to have someone want your dreams as much as you do, someone that never lets doubt creep into your mindset.

  My children, they make me smile every day. They are now to the point where they’re all for naming characters, dancing to that same song that plays over and over. They love to joke about ‘moms bubble’ they know that mom dreams wide awake and tease me when they have to pop that bubble to tell me something.

  I always tend to write the first draft of any story with the ‘door closed’ not telling anyone but my family what I’m working on, yet there are a few that are there the second I open the door and walk with me through all the drafts of the story.

  This massive story, that grows each day, was a different experience for me. I’d ‘open the door’ after each episode and pass the story off to two beta readers that have always been at my side. Steffini Walker was there, at a book conference, when the idea to write this story that I had been putting off for a better part of a year, in this fashion came to me. It was her excitement for serials that encouraged me to explore this classic style. Sabrina Wells was side by side with Steffini encouraging this adventure. Each of these ladies read the harshest of drafts, gave honest feedback and emotion, and each word drove me forward all the faster. The Pentacle Sons became an addiction, people we knew, a world we all visited often. The spontaneous chats at odd hours, the music and images that we passed between the three of us made the story so tangible. It was a rush, no doubt, and though I have enjoyed working with Steffini and Sabrina on each of my novels, somehow this story was different, they walked with me as I went down a path that is so drastically different from the ones I had traveled before. I couldn’t have asked for better friends in this world, finding people that get you, that you can still manage to surprise once in awhile, that is priceless. I love you girls!!

  Editors, they come in all shapes and sizes, each with their very own style and outlook on the words they’re reviewing. I struck gold with mine, and I mean that. It is hard to find someone who can not only edit the horrid mess I leave behind in my creative rushes, but to also find someone that can strengthen your story and not alter your voice. Someone who is not afraid to tell you exactly what you need to hear good or bad, to fortify your daydreams into words. Todd Barselow is a saint and I count my lucky stars each day that I found him in this crazy publishing world.

  Graphic designers are one of the unsung hero’s of the publishing world. Which is sad because they’re the ones that give your daydreams a face, they bring the emotion and definition to your work that readers new and old will recognize over time. Emma Michaels is another gift; she not only helped me find the image for my debut novel, Insight, but also has been through each of my covers since. She has a way of understanding exactly what I envision and does not rest until that vision is there before us both. This cover was far different from the others, it had to be more than an image that may or not change over the course of time, it had to be a logo, a brand, something that could be identified with this story for seasons to come. Emma rose to that challenged and I have to say this is one of my favorite covers, it’s almost as if she saw the emblem in my mind clear as day and worked until it was created. Emma you are amazing!

  Beyond my first draft betas I have others that are just as amazing. It’s their truth that makes them that way, how they are not afraid to tell me what they like and don’t, how they don’t bat an eye when I hand them a contemporary story, a YA story, or this story, they read each with an open mind and their feedback is priceless, and there is not a doubt that it always mirrors the feedback my readers will give me once the story is published to the world at large. I can’t thank Jamie Love, Michelle Dain, Crystal Meyer, Jennylynne D’Andrea, and Alysia Kurtz enough for walking through the final stages of publishing with me each and every time. Thank you girls for sharing my daydreams with me!

  Readers. I swear to you, to this day it blows my mind that there are people on this earth that I will never have the chance to meet that have shared these stories with me, people who get it, who leave reality and step into my daydreams with me if only for a moment. You humble me. I can’t stress that enough. Thank you so much for taking a chance, giving up your time, to read my work.

  Writer buddies are amazing and I can honestly say that the inspiration to write this story in this fashion would not have come unless I was blessed enough to meet an remarkable group of authors. Lila Felix had tried to sway me into this style for some time, she told me and I quote “this style puts the fun back in writing,” what she meant was that it was a rush, a challenge. The challenge of writing a novel, beginning, middle, and end had been met more than once, this was a new level, and it would be a blast to conquer it.

  It wasn’t until I went to a book conference and watched Lila on a panel with Rachel Higginson speaking of serials that I really got it, I understood it wasn’t a small short story, it was massive. Rachel Higginson, after the conference, spent long hours on the phone with me explaining the arc, how you needed more than one for this story. Her support didn’t stop there, at least once a week she would check in to see what episode I was on, and always encouraged me forward – she understood the addiction I was in the middle of.

  Shelly Crane, the text messages that came to check on the story was priceless, and her feedback after the first episode made my day.

  As you can clearly see, people often think that writers have solitary lives, and in some real fashion we do, but more so than not, the story you are reading was impacted by not only those that walked the publishing line with the writer, but the world at large. Inspiration is everywhere, in every dark and positive moment, in every song, drive, commercial, everything is inspiration, life is beautiful, even the dark stressful moments are. You just have to find that beauty and thankfully I have outstanding people in my life that ensure that I notice each of them.

  About the Author

  Jamie Magee has always believed that each of us have a defining gift that sets us apart from the rest of the world, she has always envied those who have known from their first breath what their gift was. Not knowing hers, she began a career in the fast paced world of business. Raising a young family, and competing to rise higher in that field would drive some to the point of insanity, but she always found a moment of escape in a passing daydream. Her imagination would take her to places she’d never been, introduce her to people she’s never known. Insight, her debuting novel, is a result of that powerful imagination. Today, she is grateful that not knowing what defined her, led her on a path of discovery that would always be a part of her.

  The fun Bio: I’m an obsessive daydreamer. Lover of loud alternative music. Addicted to Red Bull. I love to laugh until it hurts. Fall is my favorite season. Black is my favorite ‘shade.’ Strong believer in the saying: there is a reason for everything, therefore I search for ‘marked moments’ every moment of every day...and I find them. Life is beautiful!

  Where To Find Jamie Online:
r />   authorjamiemagee.com

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  Other Books by Jamie Magee

  “Web of Hearts and Souls”

  Insight (Book 1)

  Embody (Book 2)

  Image (Book 3)

  Vital (Book 4)

  Vindicate (Book 5)

  Enflame (Book 6)

  Imperial (Book 7)

  Blakeshire (Book 8)

  Emanate (Book 9)

  Exaltation (Book 10)

  Whispers of the Damned (Book 1)

  Witness of a Broken Heart (Book 2)

  Synergy of Souls (Book 3)

  Redefined Love Affair (Book 4)

  Derive (Book 5)

  Rivulet (Book 1)

  Disavow (Book 2)

  A Lovers Revolt (Book 6)

  ~

  (Adult Paranormal Novels)

  Edge Series

  Drakon

  Deathly Royal

  ~

  Contemporary Novels:

  Impulsion

  Friction

  Deploy