Marked By Lies: A Reverse Harem Series (The Marked Series Book 1)

by Paige Orr

  At that age, I felt like everything inside Adelaide’s shop was an adventure. From making my way through the precariously stacked piles in the backroom to exploring the hidden cave. There was never a dull moment when I came here, and my memories are filled with happiness. Adelaide was never strict with me, letting me roam and discover things as I pleased. Visitors to the shop were always so shocked to see my little head poking out from hard to reach spaces, and I remember one conversation like it happened yesterday.

  “Oh, Adelaide! You shouldn’t allow a child to wander around like that. What if she gets hurt?”

  Adelaide turns towards me with a bright smile as she tells the woman.

  “If a child doesn’t explore and ask questions, then how will they ever learn anything. You ask me, what if she gets hurt? But if she doesn’t fall down, she’ll never learn to get back up again.”

  The woman seems shocked by Adelaide’s reply, and her eyes flick to me with worry filling their depth.

  “That may be so, but can’t you just teach her these things without the danger?”

  “My dear, danger is just a part of life, without it we can’t come to understand how wonderful the little things are. Without sadness, happiness becomes something that we take for granted. A child's mind soaks up everything around them like a sponge, and I want Melissa to grow and learn exactly what she enjoys, without me deciding for her.”

  A smile spreads across my face at the memory as the familiar sound of concrete scraping reaches my ears and I make my way down the stairs. Adelaide was always encouraging me to try something at least once because if I didn’t then I wouldn’t know if I liked it or not. How Adelaide treated me growing up, shaped me into the person I am today, quirks and all.

  I step out of the stairwell to find Adelaide placing a pot of tea onto the table and motioning me towards the chair opposite her. I make my way across the room, pouring us both a cup before taking my seat. Adelaide reaches forwards, taking her cup and studying me as she takes a sip of the chamomile tea.

  Even as used to Adelaide’s ways as I am, I can’t stop myself from fidgeting in my seat as she continues to stare at me. I can see in her eyes that she already knows why I’m here, causing shame to fill me. I’m not trying to use her, but that doesn’t change the fact that lately, I've only come to visit when I needed something.

  The hard part is trying to figure out if the admonishment in her eyes is from what I’ve gotten myself caught up in, or because of the way I’m beating myself up over my treatment of her. What’s certain is that even now she still has the ability to surprise me. She places her cup down onto her saucer before settling back in her chair and giving me a warm smile.

  “Stop worrying, child. You know I understand better than not that things are a little too crazy for a normal visit right now. So why don’t you fill me in on what that wonderful mind of yours is thinking.”

  I release a breath of relief that I didn’t even realize I was holding. This is one of the reasons I love Adelaide so much. She always manages to take my worries and make them disappear. She’s done the same thing for years. With her knowing about my little visitors, it always meant the world to me when she put my mind at rest.

  “I would ask how you knew I was worried, but that would be a silly question. I’m sure you already know what’s going on, but I just need to know if I’m doing the right thing by helping the Prince’s.”

  “Of course you are! You know yourself the worry that you experience when you don’t know what has happened to someone you care about.”

  I close my eyes, trying not to let the long-buried feelings resurface. After mum’s death, I was determined to find any sort of answers that would make it all make sense. Obviously, that’s not how things work in this world, but those very things are what made me want to be a private investigator.

  “I just can’t figure out how I’ll be able to do something that the best Fae have already failed at. There are so many lives on the line, Adelaide, what if I can’t do this?”

  “Just follow your gut child, it has always led you in the right direction. I have seen little of what is awaiting you, but already you are following the right path. You have to embrace everything that makes you who you are. That includes your connection with the dead.”

  I cringe at her words. I’ve been avoiding my connection with the dearly departed for so long that I don’t know if I can open myself to it that way. Sure I asked Grey for his help, but if I’m being truthful with myself only did that so he wouldn’t be around all the time.

  “You know it’s not that simple.”

  “Simple no, but necessary, yes. I know this will be difficult for you, dear, but there is a reason that you can see things that others can’t. That is the only advice I can give you. Use your sight, you can find a way and that will give you the answers you need. Now drink up, you have an eventful day ahead of you.”

  Adelaide’s words ring with a finality that tells me she won't say any more about what my future holds. So I pick my tea up and use the time to think over what she said while I drink it. I don't know what she means by my sight, sure I can see ghosts, but it’s not like I have any choice over that. I’m missing something important about what I can do, but the question is, what am I missing?

  If I think about it from a different perspective, there has to be something that makes me able to see the ghosts. If that’s the case, then maybe it’s this sight that Adelaide mentioned, and that means that I can turn it on or off. If I think about it logically, then it makes perfect sense, if I could see ghosts all the time then they would be everywhere, but it’s like I only see specific spirits.

  So what makes them different from those that I can’t see? I’m never going to figure this out right away, but Adelaide says that I need my sight to find the answers. What I need is for Grey to pop up so that I can figure out the differences between my normal vision and when I’m looking at him. This just leads me to more questions, like can I call him to me instead of waiting for him to appear. Deciding to try it out, I put my now empty cup down in my saucer and take a deep breath before calling out his name.

  I wait for a few minutes feeling like a complete fool as I wait for him to just pop up; I shake my head, about to laugh at how stupid my idea was when suddenly Grey appears right in front of my face. I let out a squeal as I jump in my seat, grabbing my chest and feeling my heart hammering away under my hand.

  “Fucking hell! Was there any need to scare the living shit out of me!”

  He looks at me sheepishly before stepping back to give me room to get myself under control. I turn to Adelaide who gives me an encouraging nod and I take a deep breath before turning back to Grey.

  “So that was a first for me, boss lady. Your voice kind of came from everywhere and I didn’t have a choice but to bring my dead ass to you.”

  “It was a first for me too, buddy. But I have something I need to try, and well, you’re the only non-corporeal stalker I know by name.”

  “I take great offense to that! I’m not a stalker, I just don’t have any other meat bag to talk to. Anyway, are you sure it’s alright for you to look like you're having a conversation to yourself in front of granny over there?”

  “Yeah, it’s fine. Adelaide knows that I can see things that I really shouldn’t. How about you stand still for me so I can check something?”

  “You're awfully pushy today, boss lady.”

  Even though he says that he does what I ask, standing as still as he can with the whole inability to actually stand thing. I take my time to look him over, going as far as squinting my eyes and walking around him to see if anything is different. I can feel my frustration building when something strange happens.

  My eyes begin to tingle, not in a painful way, but it sure as shit doesn’t feel natural. I try looking him over one more time, and to my surprise, I see a faint iridescent shimmer in the air around Grey. I turn to Adelaide to tell her what’s happening and a scream bursts free from me.

  Behind he
r is a group of four ghosts, but as I step forward to get a better look at them, the tingling abruptly stops and they disappear. I can’t believe that shit just happened! I stumble my way back to my chair, falling into it with my mouth opening and closing like a fish gasping for air. Adelaide and Grey give me a few moments for the shock to fade before questioning me.

  “What did you see that scared you so much, child?”

  “Well, my eyes kind of tingled, and I saw this weird shimmer around Grey, but when I turned to tell you about it, there was a group of ghosts behind you! I couldn’t make out what they looked like, but they sure as shit weren’t there before that. Now that the tingling has stopped, they’re gone. I’m not too scared to admit I’m afraid to try again.”

  “I thought so. You finally figured out your sight. When you were looking at your ghostly friend, your right eye shone a brighter amber than I’ve ever seen it do before. Do not be afraid of what you can do, child.”

  Grey chooses this minute to jump in front of me, bouncing up and down with excitement.

  “Dude, your eye was all like a flashlight. It was so fucking cool! You should try that again!”

  I shake my head at his excitement, but I know that both of them are right. For one, I’ll never get used to the feeling if I don’t do it again, secondly, I’m really fucking curious about who is hanging around Adelaide. I turn my head away from both of them to concentrate and close my eyes. I think back on the feeling that surrounded my eyes, and the more I focus on it, the more I can feel it surrounding me again.

  I slowly crack open my eyes, trying to hold my concentration as best as I can so the sight doesn’t stop again and I’m shocked at what I see on the wall in front of me. Everywhere I look, covering almost every inch of the cave wall, are small symbols and sigils. Some of them I recognize from Nika’s apartment in books about protection. Some of the others though look more faded, like they’ve been there for a long ass time.

  Knowing that I’m just putting off checking who the figures are, and not wanting to put it off anymore, I begin to turn towards Adelaide and I focus on the figures behind her. What I find there takes my breath away, and my eyes prickle with tears as her name slips by my lips in a hushed whisper.

  “Mum?”

  Chapter Twelve

  Zaphyr

  We both sit in silence and Morph drives us towards Cail’s, and I can feel the disappointment deep in my gut. I thought we were on to something with our investigations into the wolf pack, but it was just another dead end. Fae aren’t known for being the most liked out of the supernatural factions, but all the usual suspects have been cleared of suspicion. The only thing left to do is to find out whatever Cail has come up with.

  All-day I’ve been thinking about my little detective, but even I know going around again would look desperate. I’m pretty sure that she would get in touch with me if she’d found out anything new, but there’s just something that’s telling me I need to be near her. I’m not usually like this with women, which I have to admit is annoying.

  You would think that I was a teenage human, panting after the girl he’s crushing on with how obsessed I’m becoming. Every little thing is making me think of her, and that's just not normal. Even Morph has been quieter than usual. He would usually be cracking jokes left right and center, but after our visit with Melissa, it’s like he’s been lost in his head. How both of us have become so enamored after just meeting her is unbelievable.

  We pull up in front of Cail’s house and Morph parks us out front. We head up the front stairs and just as well reach the door, Eli opens it and motions for us to follow him. At least they seem to be more inviting today. After Cail’s phone call earlier, I was expecting a more frosty reception. We follow him through the house until we get to Cail’s office and he knocks on the door.

  After a few minutes, Cail shouts for us to come in and I’m shocked at the sight that greets us. Everywhere I look, there are boxes upon boxes piled high. Whatever theory that he came up with earlier is obviously connected, but it would take him weeks to get through all this shit on his own. Hopefully, he won’t have to go through it all to find what he’s looking for, because at this rate we’ll be here forever.

  He looks up from the ancient tome sitting in front of him, waving us over to the seats across from him. I gladly sit myself down and take a look at what it is he’s reading. What I can see looks familiar, but I can’t figure out where I’ve seen it before.

  “So what are we looking at, with the pile you have we might as well help since our theory is bust?”

  “I got to thinking earlier. What if we’ve been looking in the wrong place?”

  “That much is obvious, otherwise we would already have figured it out.”

  “Think about it, Zaph. Who apart from the other supernaturals have any sort of grievances with our people?”

  “You can’t mean the cults, we’ve all but wiped them from existence.”

  I can’t believe he’s even suggesting that it could be the cults. There have been no signs of them in years, not even rumors. Surely we would have heard about them regrouping before now. I won’t deny that the theory had merit, but it would be impossible for them to make moves against us without us finding out. The fact that Cail is even thinking about it shows just how desperate he’s becoming.

  No cult has ever made a move of this size against us, and after the last time we went after them, surely they wouldn’t have the balls to try it again. We only left those alive that were the least likely to pick up the cause in later years and children. Yes, we might be monsters, but not even we could kill innocent kids.

  If it is the cults though, then we have a bigger problem on our hands than we originally thought. The things those crackpots believed were unreal. They did some sick shit all in pursuit of their ideals. Everything from sacrifices to decimating hundreds of supernaturals. If this is them, then we can be sure that this is only the start of what they have planned. Cail fills us in on what he thinks is happening, clearly seeing my temper rising.

  “We left teenagers, women, and children alive. Well, most of the women. We thought that they would have moved on and wanted to put all of that shit behind them, but what if they were just biding their time?”

  “I can see how you think it could be a possibility, but surely after what they witnessed when we cleared them out last time, they wouldn't have it in them to repeat it.”

  “Maybe, but what if all this time they’ve been planning their revenge? We’ve only ever seen one group pop up at a time, but what if all the ones who survived from each group, have grouped up to have the numbers to fight back?”

  “Shit! If that’s true, then this could be fucking bad. Do you remember what drove us to hunt them down last time? They killed so many children, and they would not stop there.”

  “I know. I wish I had read through these books before because the things that are wrote here are fucking huge. Some rituals are completely unimaginable. They believed they could drain our power.”

  “It seems that they were much more delusional than we originally thought then. This could be really fucking grim. Depending on how many of them are working together, this could turn into a fucking war!”

  Cail lets out a deep sigh, and he thinks over my words, and I can tell that the pressure of this all is really getting to him. I don’t blame him either since everything will fall on both of our heads. We may not like each other very much, but we also wouldn’t wish something like this on anybody.

  Over the years, things like this, but on a smaller scale, have popped up that’s forced us to work together. Nothing ever as extreme as this, though. Hell, even my father has never heard of something happening on this scale! This could be really fucking bad for our people, but it’s still too early to tell.

  Here’s hoping Melissa can find something that will give us more answers because with the way things are going, we’ll never be able to stop them. There was already another name added to Cail’s list that he sent me earlier, s
o it’s only a matter of time before another one of my people are taken.

  I get to my feet, pacing backward and forwards, feeling like I’m about to blow. I wish there was some way for me to know who they would go after next so that I could protect them. I’ve seen enough worried families over the last month to last me a lifetime, and at this rate, it’s not going to stop anytime soon.

  How could the cults be leaving no trace of themselves behind? It’s near impossible for a human to hide their presence from us without the help of a Witch, but who in their right mind would team up with them. Fae haven’t been the only ones targeted over the years by the cults. You only have to look at the Salem Witch trial to know that. Surely with such an unpleasant history, no Witch in their right mind would be willing to help them. Needing to talk it through with someone so that I don’t drive myself mad, I turn back to Cail.

  “Is there anything in the books you’ve read so far that mentions a way for them to remove their presence? We’ve both had our best trackers try to find even the smallest trace to hunt at the places where we know certain people have been taken."

  “There are small things mentioned here and there, but nothing concrete. The only real way I know of is having outside help."

  “You know as well as I do though, that no Witch would be caught dead helping the cultists.”

  “Maybe so, but what about Witches that have grown up outside of the covens and don’t know about that side of their history.”

  “That’s more likely than your average Witch. They have such deep-seated hate for the supernatural community since they’ve been shunned for being different.”

  If that’s the case, we could track down possible Witches that have either been adopted or were in the foster system. It’s not much, but it’s something to go on, plus if we manage to track a Witch down that is involved with the cults, then we would have more proof that it leads to them. Turning to Morph, I decide to talk through where my mind has taken me.