The Witching Hour (The Grim Reaper Saga (Urban Fantasy Romance)) (37 page)

Miriam’s large white teeth flashed at Danika as she grinned. “The man’s useless, Danika. Truly, ye should give him up as a lost cause.”

“No,” Danika shook her head, zipping high and low, dancing through the air with the joy of a fairy who’d ample time on her hands. “I’ll find him his match, you mind my words.”

Gathering her fairy dust, Miriam threw it at a pitiful looking bloom of a rose, its red drooping petals gleamed a deep ruby red when the golden dust settled upon it. The flower gave a happy chortle and waved on its thin stem back at them.

Miriam snorted. “Are ye sure of that now? Wouldn’t ye rather seek my boon, I could tell ye quite simply who she is.”

Danika scoffed. “No, Miriam, I work alone. I’ve told ye time and again I’ll not be needing the use of your boon…” Danika narrowed her eyes, a flash of red sailed past her vision. She stopped flying and gripped Miriam’s elbow. “Did ye see that?” Danika whispered, heart pounding forcefully against her chest.

Miriam’s swirling lavender eyes scanned the valley below. Just at that moment, the last of the days light winked out like the pitiful flicker of candle glow. Kingdom was bathed in a sea of black and blue, making it hard to discern much of anything at the moment other than shadow and sound.

“See what?” Miriam’s brown and white speckled moth’s wings flitted slowly behind her back.

Danika frowned; sure she’d seen a flash of red. She licked her lips; rumor had it the Heartsong had been hidden here centuries ago. Unlimited power in the form of a beautiful girl, a conduit for any fairy, and power so tempting she’d had to be hidden. In the charge of the only fairy known to be truly pure of heart: Jana the Green.

Or at least that’s what the tales said, but all within Kingdom knew never to believe such nonsense. Fairy tales rarely held a grain of truth to them, and if they did, it was stretched so thin as to be transparent.

Danika laughed. “I thought I saw-”

A surge of power rolled forcefully through Danika, she screamed as every limb locked in place, and she hurtled straight toward the ground. A loud buzz the only thing she heard as the ground rushed up to meet her face. Danika had only a moment to throw her arms in front of her, bracing for impact, when a strong pair of hands clamped onto her vest and halted her fall only inches from the ground.

The whites of Miriam’s eyes were large, and her breathing stilted and heavy. “Danika, what happened?”

Danika trembled, slow to regain feeling in her limbs. “My muscles. The power, t’was overwhelming…” the words died on her tongue as the flash of red brushed by mere yards to her right.

Miriam gasped, dropping Danika in her shock. Danika landed with a loud whoosh, air left her body on impact, and she glared at Miriam who was now visibly shaking.

“We must needs leave, Dani,” Miriam whimpered, and Danika might have asked why had she not just seen for herself the cause of Miriam’s distress.

A wolf, large and red, stalked the maiden wearing the red hood. He padded on silent feet, moving like shadow behind her. The girl hummed, but this was not a relaxed hum--more a nervous melody that vibrated through the woods haunting and eerie all at the same time.

Miriam landed beside Danika and yanked her to her feet. They were barely a foot tall, and well hidden behind a thick gooseberry shrub, but Miriam gulped and shivered as she pointed to the large beast. “The mark, Dani,” she hissed, “the beast wears
her
mark.”

The wolf’s ears twitched, and though he did not look their way, Danika knew he’d heard Mir.

Danika clamped her hand over Miriam’s mouth, urging her friend to silence. Then another wolf loped out from behind the woods and this one was bigger. A full hands length taller, the creature more resembled a hound of hell, than a wolf. Its black shaggy coat covered its muscular form like a bear’s pelt. Lush and thick, the fur gleamed like onyx in a flame. Its hackles were raised, and it too bore the mark.

A chain hung around its thick neck, dangling from it, a small golden medallion with the impression of a dragon in battle. The mark was a sign of loyalty to Malvena the Black, the worst of all fairy kind--she’d turned her back on truth and light centuries ago, and though her reasons had at first been understandable (even honorable), they’d morphed and twisted into something dark and macabre.

Seeing the mark, knowing to whom they belonged, Danika knew the flash of red she’d seen had been very real. Malvena had one goal, find the Heartsong. All fairies scorned and mocked the black hearted fae, knowing her quest impossible. The Heartsong did not exist; she was a myth, a legend, nothing more.

The black wolf growled long and low, and birds shot from out tree branches into the air with a loud squawking cry. 

Danika’s body still crackled with surging pockets of power, making her teeth clamp down hard.

“Come, Dani, we must leave,” Miriam tugged at Danika’s elbow. Danika hadn’t realized she’d begun walking toward the girl until Miriam stopped her.

Danika hugged her wand to her chest, frantic with an overwhelming need to go. Not to run away, but rather, to go to the girl.

“Dani,” Miriam groaned again, the whites of her eyes large in her face. Danika turned, ready to growl at Miriam to hush her mouth, but then Miriam started jerking. Her entire body shook, and a low moan vibrated from her chest.

The black wolf’s ears twitched, and Danika flicked her wand, casting a protective net around them to prevent any more sounds from reaching sensitive ears.

“Miriam,” she cried, grabbing her friend by the shoulders as she slumped to her knees on the ground.

Miriam’s head snapped up and Danika’s eyes widened because the eyes staring back at her were a solid black and the voice that came out sounded as deep as a man’s. “
The Heartsong must be saved
.”

Goose flesh skittered down Danika’s back, Miriam was in full ‘sight’ mode. It could take hours to snap her from these trances and Danika couldn’t let that happen. Miriam was vulnerable and exposed when using her third eye.

But if they had any hope of saving the Heartsong, Danika needed to wake her friend up.

 “Mir?” Danika shook her gently. “Wake up, dear.”

“
Save the Heartsong
,” Miriam intoned, heavy inflections undulating against the translucent bubble like waves crashing upon a rocky shore.

“Oh bloody damn, bloody, bloody, bloody damn…” Danika muttered, slapping a still mumbling Miriam on first one cheek, then the other. The skin turned crimson and still Danika slapped her. “Wake up, you gnatty old fool. You want us to save the chit, then wake the bloody hell up!”

Miriam’s head lolled around, but the blacks of her eyes remained. The wolves were gone, the girl… who knew where, this couldn’t be happening. Heart thundering loud, Danika grabbed a handful of dirt and threw it at Miriam’s face.

The fairy coughed, but still did not cease her rambles.

Quivering, on the fine edge of desperation, Danika did the only thing she could think of. “
Incendio
!” she cried, pointing her wand at Miriam’s feet.

Thick waves of amber encased Mir’s bare feet, and a shriek that made Danika’s ears ring, sprang from the brunette’s mouth.

“My feet!” Miriam cried, blinking big blue eyes up at Danika accusingly as she stomped the flames off, “What have ye done?”

Danika flung her arms around her friend’s neck. “I’ll tell ye later, we must find the Heartsong, Mir, she’s in grave danger.”

Mentioning the girl almost seemed to make Miriam forget her momentary anger. “Yes,” she said, “we must.”

There was a resolute tone to her voice, no longer fear, but a knowledge of something deep and powerful.

“Follow me,” Miriam cried, and streaked in a blur through the air.

Danika followed, large blades of grass slapped their faces. Her pulse pounded a furious tempo in her ears. They had to make it. They must make it in time. The Heartsong must not be killed. Though Danika had only ever thought of her as myth, all knew to kill the Heartsong was to release the dark magic that beat within her soul. It must never happen.

Up ahead a thatched roof cottage come into view. A silver plume of smoke curled like a beacon through the air, then a scream that rang with pure and primal fear, blasted all around them.

“Inside. Hurry!” Miriam cried, her wings beat faster as she streaked like a golden bolt of lightning.

Sweat dripped down Danika’s back, yet still she urged her wings to pump faster.

They sailed through the half opened door and the scene within was chaos. On the ground Jana the Green lay dead, her wand dangled limp from lifeless hands. The Green had assumed the form of an elderly woman; her silver white hair was long and tangled, partially covering one eye. Her pudgy face forever frozen in a soundless scream--a big black wolf lay on the floor, savaging her, ripping off her hand, spitting it out, and then ripping off the other and doing the same. Fleshy parts of the Green were everywhere.

The Green--one of the powerful 10.

Shock rooted Danika to the spot, scrambling her brain, her ability to reason or think. The slaughter of the Green--so shocking, so unbelievable Danika could hardly breathe. Of all the fae’s in all the world of Kingdom, none were more powerful than the 10. That the wolves could destroy her with such ease… Danika’s gut clenched. Insides revolting at the earthy, metallic stench of so much blood.

Backed in the corner of the wall, the Heartsong screamed and screamed, quivering within the folds of her red cape. A basket lay by her feet, yellow apples rolling like heads on the packed dirt floor. The red wolf Danika had spotted earlier, stood in front of the Heartsong, growling with its hackles raised. Ready, it seemed, to pounce and tear the girl limb from limb.

The big black wolf lifted its shaggy head, glowing yellow eyes swiveled toward the girl and he gave a long, low whimper.

The red wolf growled and snapped its fanged jaws.

Black’s nostrils flared, as if scenting. His head bobbed up and down, his tail thumped excitedly on the ground. He whimpered again.

The other wolf growled louder, taking a menacing step towards the girl. His gums pulled back, revealing wickedly long incisors that gleamed wetly.

The black wolf shot to his feet. A rumble tore from his chest, spilled up his throat, and dropped from his tongue. But Danika was dazed to note the black did not eye the girl, rather he eyed the red wolf.

The girl whimpered, refusing to look at anything.

“Oh no,” Miriam said.

“What?” Danika asked.

The red wolf vibrated, and then pounced so quickly Danika couldn’t follow his blur. He sailed through the air, mouth open and teeth inches from the huddled girl’s neck. Danika and Miriam finally found their senses, and pulled their wands out of their sleeves, hot pink power crackled upon its tip, ready to blast the red wolf into oblivion, when the black jumped on red’s back and sunk his teeth into the other wolf’s neck. The sound of a spine cracking blasted through the eerie hush and then the red wolf dropped like sack cloth to packed dirt floor.

Black breathed heavy, mad glowing eyes stared intently at the girl who still refused to look at him. Danika raised her wand.

“No!” Miriam cried, slapping the wand from Danika’s hands. The pink bolt of power arced into the air, shooting off the roof, and burning a black hole through the thatch. The scent of burnt grass was everywhere.

“What the bloody hell?” Danika yelled in bewilderment, turning wide frantic eyes toward the beast. Miriam had slapped her only source of power from her hands.

Black’s head jerked in their direction, his long pink tongue lolled out of his mouth as his ribcage flexed in and out. The red wolf wasn’t dead; a small whimper escaped his fanged jaws…

Coming in October 2012

Kingdom Series Books:

Her Mad Hatter Book 1

Alice is all grown up. Running the Mad Hatter's Cupcakery and Tea Shoppe is a delicious job, until fate--and a fairy godmother with a weakness for bad boys--throws her a curveball. Now, Alice is the newest resident of Wonderland, where the Mad Hatter fuels her fantasies and thrills her body with his dark touch.
The Mad Hatter may have a voice and a body made for sex, but he takes no lovers. Ever. But a determined fairy godmother has forced Alice into Wonderland--and his arms. Now, as desire and madness converge, the Hatter must decide if he will fight the fairy godmother's mating--or fight for Alice.

Gerard's Beauty Book 2

A not so classic retelling of Beauty and the Beast, as seen through the eyes of the villain...
Betty Hart has had it with men. Jilted in love, her life now consists of shelving books by day, watching too much Anime by night, and occasionally dressing up like a superhero on the weekends with her fellow ‘Bleeding Heart’ nerds. Men are not welcome and very much unwanted. Especially the sexy Frenchman who saunters into her library reeking of alcohol and looking like he went one too many rounds in the ring.
Gerard Caron is in trouble. Again. Caught with his pants down (literally) he’s forced to seek asylum on Earth while his fairy godmother tries to keep Prince Charming from going all ‘Off with his head’. Maybe, messing around with the King’s daughter hadn’t been such a great idea after all, not that Gerard knew the silly redhead was a princess. But his fairy godmother knows the only way to save his life is to finally pair Gerard with his perfect mate, whether he’s willing or not.
From the moment Gerard lays eyes on the nerdy librarian he knows he must have her, but Betty is unlike any woman he’s ever known. He thought Betty would come as willingly to his bed as every other woman before her, but she is a woman who demands respect and even… horror of all horrors… love. Is it possible for a self-proclaimed Casanova to change his ways?

Other Books by Marie Hall:

Her Mad Hatter (Kingdom Series Book 1)

Gerard's Beauty (Kingdom Series Book 2)

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