Tracking Magic: A Rylee Adamson Short Story

PRAISE FOR THE RYLEE ADAMSON NOVELS

“Shannon Mayer’s Rylee Adamson paranormal romances keep me glued to the page. Rylee is a kick-ass character who loves with her whole heart and reminds me of my own Rose Gardner—a collector and protector of lost and broken souls. Every new book is better than the last and I always finish her latest book hungry for more.”

-Denise Grover Swank

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author

“The Rylee Adamson Novels are filled with a wonderfully detailed and rich paranormal world with engaging characters, a fast paced plot and lots of action. A must read for urban fantasy lovers.”

-Eve Langlais

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author

“If you love the early Anita Blake novels by Laurel K. Hamilton, you will fall head over heels for The Rylee Adamson Series. Rylee is a complex character with a tough, kick-ass exterior, a sassy temperament and morals which she never deviates from. She’s the ultimate heroine. Mayer’s books rank right up there with Kim Harrison’s, Patricia Brigg’s, and Ilona Andrew’s. Get ready for a whole new take on Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance and be ready to be glued to the pages!”

-Just My Opinion Book Blog

AUTHOR INTRODUCTION

The Rylee Adamson Novels are not written as standalone novels. While each book MAY be read on its own, to get a comprehensive understanding of characters and their interactions, I always advise to read the series in order. As the characters do make repeat appearances, I’ve decided to add in a state-of-the-art feature to refresh your memory when necessary.

In the digital editions of The Rylee Adamson Novels, the reader will come across occasional hyperlinks when a character first appears. Clicking on this underscored text will take the reader to a brief description of the character and how they relate to Rylee, for those interested in getting a reminder of characters and past events. Just hit your back button or click on the name in the character list to return to the spot you were reading.

However, these links are in no way necessary to understanding and enjoying each book on its own or The Rylee Adamson storyline. The ebook format has allowed the opportunity to utilize this state-of-the-art functionality in a way that has been impossible in the print world. I hope this feature enhances your enjoyment of The Rylee Adamson Novels.

DEDICATION

This one is for my readers, who just can’t get enough of my foul-mouthed, kick ass heroine, Rylee. I hope you enjoy seeing her before she was tough, before she had Alex, and before she kissed O’Shea.

Enjoy!

Editing by NL “Jinxie” Gervasio & Leona Bushman

(Originally published in “Into The Darkness: An Anthology” by Just Ink Press)

CHAPTER 1

H
olding a plank
position with a plate of hot coals under my stomach was not my idea of a fun time. Strange, it seemed my mentor was enjoying my discomfort. Which meant I was in for a long haul on this particular exercise. Or at least, long enough till I got whatever point she was trying to make.

“Hold your mind still. This is more about what’s going on in your head than your ability to hold yourself up. This is not about how strong your muscles are,” Giselle said, as she walked a circle around me, her feet tapping on the creaky wooden floor boards.

Could have fooled me. My arms shook, sweat slid from my shoulders, down the middle of my back and pooled there, soaking into the waistband of my yoga pants. My sports bra had collected moisture until it, too, dripped as if sweating on its own. Giselle pushed my boundaries harder than I ever thought my body could be pushed, and then she went further.

Like the coals below my bare skin.

“I can’t,” I gasped, every muscle in my body screaming at me to stop, as they threatened to buckle. Already, I knew I would have to somehow throw myself to the side. How the heck I would manage that I had no idea.

“Rylee,” –she crouched down in front of me, her eyes boring into mine— “you must be still inside of yourself. Let the fear go. It is the only way to survive in my world. Our world.”

Tears gathered in the corner of my eyes and I tipped my head down to stare at the wooden floor while her voice washed over me.

“I know you didn’t kill your little sister.”

My body heaved as if it would physically block her words. But I couldn’t move, trapped between the fear of the coals below me, the pain my body trembled with, and the exquisite ache in my heart I could never escape.

“Your parents, though they adopted you, now deny you; they believe you killed their daughter, yes?”

The tips of my fingers curled against the floor. “Yes.”

“You have a police tail at all times, yes?”

I nodded, unable to speak, as my mind whirled with facing the truth Giselle tossed at me as casually as my mother threw mail onto the table at home.

“Yet, you did nothing wrong,” she mused. “Still, you ran away from your home, solidifying your guilt in their eyes. They have no idea what they’ve tossed aside.”

I wasn’t sure I was supposed to hear that last bit. But I didn’t care, couldn’t answer.

“You are obviously supernatural. We only have to discover what it is you can do.”

Shifting my weight, I prepped to roll to the left, the pain in my body and the heat from the coals as I slowly lost my fight with gravity, too much for me to bear any longer.

Giselle blocked me with her leg. “Stay where you are until I give you leave to do otherwise.”

“I can’t!” I said, throwing myself in the other direction, barely missing the coals, then hitting the floor with a heavy thud. I lay there, panting, heart jamming along, muscles still tense from the extended plank position.

Giselle shook her head at me, then let out a heavy sigh. “You are not meant to be a part of the human world. You are a part of this one, the supernatural. And the sooner you accept that, the sooner your training can progress.”

“I do accept it,” I spit out, saliva dripping from my lips. My gorge rose up, the exhaustion and mental games bending me into a proverbial pretzel. There on the floor, I questioned once more what the hell I was doing. This strange woman took me in under her roof and offered to help train me, maybe even help me find my little sister. But how was that possible when my sister was dead? Still, I stayed, hoping against hope that perhaps there was something that could be done. Something that would allow me to redeem myself, both in my eyes and my parents. Because, even though I was not convicted of my sister’s death, I knew in my heart she’d died because of me. Her death was my fault. I’d failed her.

Giselle’s voice snapped at me. “Then why do you still let fear rule you?”

I could barely lift my head, scarcely meet her eyes. “Because I don’t know anything else.”

She smiled, actually smiled at me, for the first time. “Now we’re getting somewhere. No more fear; you must stop it from taking over. There is danger. Of course there is. There are things you need to be cautious about. But panic and fear, they will steal your will, leave you helpless. You must fight them as you would fight a physical enemy.” She paused and pointed at me. “Back to plank. We aren’t done yet.”