by Elle Lincoln
“Okay, so what do they do?” I want to pinch the bridge of my nose, but the fucking thing is painted.
“Eat.”
“Drink.”
“Hunt.”
“Live.”
“Fuck.”
The last was spoken by a very excited Casseus. I raise a brow at him, he only shrugs. “You’ll see. This is the first they will get to meet you face to face.” He steps in close to me once again, but I know his tricks, and I evade him but just barely. “They feel you all the time, Bette. They will want you.”
“This is not turning into an orgy.” I huff, maybe stomping my feet. Fact is, I only want one orgy, and it’s with the dicks surrounding me.
Logan growls, pushing Cas aside. “That can be arranged later. But if we don’t hurry, we will miss it.”
I roll my eyes as he grips my hands, dragging me out of our courtyard. One my grandma took over fortifying. She’s like a damn bulldog, but with a shotgun. Still, I can’t complain, there’s running water again. Even in these ancient pipes.
We hit the front steps just as the mist grows heavy. Shadows lurk there, extending and growing—shadows I can feel. Their ethereal bodies begin to feel the weight of gravity. My heels clack against the concrete as I step forth, the mist solidifying as a baying in the distance scares the birds from the protection of their homes.
Silence reigns.
From the forest, footsteps crash upon branches, breaking them with snaps and cracks that echo all around us. As one, all species and races emerge with their eyes set on me and me alone. My steps falter as the entirety of the scene evolves before me.
My breath hitches as my eyes graze the creatures standing before me. Their eyes, many so foreign, are full of hope for a future with more days like today. Their gratitude floods through me. Gratitude for releasing them from the prison not only of the pocket between worlds, but of that damn stone. Their hope that one day, I will build our power together as one, one army to keep this small isle safe and free of harm. That on that day they will have the choice to once again walk as immortal and mortal alike. That they won’t have but one day for this carnal pleasure.
My heart thumps wildly in my chest. My hands reach back, seeking the power of the men behind me. My fingers thread through theirs, and as one, we stand before our silent army. Hand in hand.
May as well make that day to-fucking-day.
I stoke that fire inside me to a new height. The men standing beside me are trusting me not to lose control of the gift I’ve been blessed with by Sluagh that stand before me. My eyes flutter shut as my power reaches out to all of them, seeking that piece of them that once burned as a soul where now a hollow orb sits. With a shudder, I light each fucking one. Their gasp echoes across the isle as their souls light, and their bodies convulse with the gift of life.
Yet that price, the price you pay for magic, cascades through me, burrowing inside of me, linking my life to all of theirs. If I die. They die. Remorse eats through me, and yet when I open my eyes…
Every creature from the tallest of the Fae, to the hues of the sidhe, the hearts of man, and the fur of the wolves, they all begin to kneel. Their heads bowed to me. They don’t regret the life they lived nor the link I’ve created. Even as I know they bear my mark on their forearms of the raven.
A smile lifts my lips at the life they’ve found. “Let’s hunt.”
Their answer echoes throughout our isle. “Forevermore.”
Bette’s Blunders, so you don’t have to.
The Sluagh - They present as a mist or a fog. Which are two different things. I know that now. Mist is a fine sheen you can still see through. Fog? Nope, you can’t see through that shit. They are the souls of the damned, those too rotten for Hell and yet have some kind of moral compass no matter how fucked that is. Hey, we all have a fine line. These poor ghosties have been stuck babysitting my fine beast Balor for a long fucking time. Oh, and I wouldn’t recommend touching them, they don’t like to be touched. It’s a wee bit acidic.
Casseus - I don’t know his history. I picture him as a naughty playboy pirate leaving heartbreak in his wake, but I know something even more rotten lives deep in his soul, I know because I touched it once. And my inner darkness loved it. He’s been leading the Sluagh for centuries, alone, and he can turn into a freaking raven, which is pretty fucking cool. He wears this cape I secretly adore and can wrap himself in shadows.
Balor - He may look intimidating and he’s got a pretty bad reputation. But I’m not fooled. I know his time in isolation has changed him, softened him. He wears an eye patch and says what’s under there is pure evil. I haven’t found the confidence to ask him about it. Once upon a time, he was a king. Not a great one and he tells me he was born from the deepest depths of the sea.
Mac - When I think of a pretty boy, that’s what I think of when I see Mac. He’s got this crooked smile that melts me and he’s an actual god of the sea. He’s caring, thoughtful, and probably the most genuine person, ahem god, I’ve ever met.
Patrick - Didn’t know leprechauns were real, or that they were incredibly sexy, and carries axes. They do. I think he’s the last of his kind and I don’t think he has an actual pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. He drinks a lot and smells like spice. I hate to admit that it intrigues me. There’s a fire in his eyes, an intelligence that lies behind the mask of his sarcasm.
Morrigan - I don’t know much about her. She’s supposed to be this legendary god. But I’ve never been one for studying lore. A small failure on my part. She seems nice, but something tells me there is more to her than meets the eye.
Tuatha Dé Danann - Storytime. Once upon a time, a race of beings invaded Ireland and they were called the Tuatha Dé Danann. Too-ah day du-non. Seriously, say that ten times fast. Anyway, so this race of gods shows up in Ireland, they invade. A dick move if you ask me but I’m still new here. They chill for a while and leave. Now sometime between them being in Ireland and then moving to America, they breed with... creatures. Yeah, seriously, that’s some bestiality shit right there. So these offspring are neither god nor human/animal/foliage. These fuckers are freaks. They’ve also gone into hiding after their descendants killed off a few gods. I’m going to have to add to this as I learn more. But right now, I know enough to not really be interested.
Fae - And now the offspring of the Tuatha Dé Danann. Apparently, they are pretty magical based, wielding the elements. Think fireballs and snow storms. Maybe. I’m not sure yet. Anyway, to keep their magic going they kidnap humans, consuming them. I’m going to need more information on this eventually because it’s weird. Either way, they need to be stopped. They also want to be known and worshipped. This is bad. Can you imagine the havoc that would create? Either way, one of these assholes broke my neck so they are already on my shit list.
The forgotten Fae - Patrick is a sneaky, sneaky leprechaun. He calls these creatures his pets and feeds them his blood. I’m just glad they are on our side. These forgotten Fae are the pretty much the magic no one wanted. Think about that and what the Tuatha did. They took the worst aspects of themselves and flung it into the world. Creating the boogeymen of lore. I’ve only met one, and it looked like a damn bug with knowing eyes. I didn’t like it and I’m not so sure I want to know more about it. Yet I have a feeling that isn’t going to work out so well for me. I definitely haven’t seen the last of the forgotten.
Stay tuned as I update this.
Liked this book? Check out Immortal Lies.
About the Author
Elle Lincoln is a newbie in the author world, even though she has been writing out her dreams and even nightmares for over a decade. She believes in magic in all forms, and oftentimes you’ll find her daydreaming in the oddest of places. Her passion is Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance, where the men are a little bit real and a dash of mythical.
When Elle isn’t writing she’s probably chasing around her four children, child-like husband, and a rambunctious Australian Shepherd. All who keep her on her toe
s. Nice try with the distractions, but mommy still got those books written and published. She resides in the beautiful state of Pennsylvania with lore and legends, and a whole lot of cornfields.
You can find her on Facebook under Elle Lincoln, sign up for her Newsletter, or check out her blog on WordPress, under The Publishing Parlor.
