Fire and Fantasy: a Limited Edition Collection of Epic and Urban Fantasy Read online

  “I have a good mentor.” She gave him a cocky smile.

  His laugh filled the corridor, “That you do, Abigail. That you do.”

  “I’m not just homesick,” Abbey looked up cautiously at Temple. “I guess I’m stressing about her too.”

  “I worry about her as well, you can tell me in confidence,” he said reassuringly.

  “I don’t think she’s been herself since we got here. The Lourdie I know is more confident and self-assured. She never doubts any decision she makes.” Abbey seemed to struggle to put her feelings for her mentor into words, “The Lourdie I know is an unstoppable force of nature. She... she sets the world on fire.”

  Temple softly smiled. The woman had definitely set his world ablaze. “That she does.”

  “No, not like before. She’s... different now.” Abbey stopped twirling her hair as tears welled in her eyes again, “Lourdie almost seems to be… wilting. I think the collapse took a toll on her, and her nightmares, I know they’ve come back. I don’t know how to help her or even if I can. I don’t even think she’ll let me.” Abbey seemed relieved to confide in someone, “Dude, I’m just so frustrated.”

  “Good or bad, this journey appears to be hers alone. A force of nature rarely asks for help. Sometimes you can only be there to catch them if they fall,” he said, trying desperately to take his own advice.

  “I guess, but I’m an action kind of girl. If something bad is coming I can’t stand by and just feel helpless. I need to do something.”

  “Lourdes is lucky to have you, Abigail.” Temple smiled at the girl’s inner strength.

  “Thanks.” She shrugged. “And thank you for sitting with me. It made me feel a little better.”

  “Good! And you are quite welcome. A gentleman never leaves a lady in distress.”

  “Ha! They are in short supply these days.” She gave him a devious smile, “Pinky swear that you won’t tell anyone I had a hormonal teen moment?” She held up her pinkie, “And I won’t tell Lourdie you like her-like her.”

  “Oh?” he said, lowering his chin and arching his brow.

  “I’ve got to keep up my tough scrappy appearance. If anyone found out I cry like a girl, I... I’d lose all street cred.” She batted her eyelashes, “Deal, pleeease?”

  “You drive a hard bargain, Abbey,” he chuckled, hooking his pinkie with hers. “Interestingly enough I’ve got a deal for you as well.” He quietly discussed the details regarding the next full moon and held up his pinkie, “Consider it a personal favor. Are you in?”

  “A knight owing me a favor? Sigh for dramatic effect!” Abbey quirked her head. “Ha! Temple? You drive a hard bargain,” she giggled and hooked his pinkie. “I’m in.”

  “Dude, I totally know my cousin put you up to this,” Louie complained as he and Abbey left the castle to meet Temple and Lourdie. Abbey was to be his escort on his first hunting patrol. “I don’t need a babysitter.”

  “Dude, I’m the cutest babysitter you’ll ever meet. But, we’re partners, all hunters patrol with a partner.” Abbey slugged Louie in the arm, “And quit trying to say, dude. It just sounds weird in your British accent.”

  “Oh, okay. Du-- I mean, uh, Abbey. It’s my birthday, you’re not supposed to hit me on my birthday. And besides, I’m not a hunter yet. Don’t forget you punch pretty hard still.” Louie started repeating Abbey’s training phrase under his breath. “Stun it, shun it. Stun it, then shun it,” he glanced at Abbey and blushed.

  Abbey rolled her eyes.

  “What’s with you tonight, anyway?” Louie seemed puzzled.

  “Oh you know, the usual. Classes, futile orb training, and thwarting Quintin’s evil plans. I must untangle Lourdie from the Lint’s seductive and, by the way, eww gross web.”

  “Still on that, huh?” Louie chuckled

  “Yes, I will thwart him. Oh, yes!” she said in her best evil villain-nerd voice.

  “Anyway,” Louie said, obviously not wanting to hear about how gross Quintin was for the hundredth time. “Still want to help Luke with my extra training? Even after I become official tomorrow night?” Louie asked.

  “Of course,” she smiled.

  “Just remember I’m not Quint.”

  Abbey sighed, “I know, Louie.” As they neared the Bowler, she watched as Lourdie and Temple avoided each other. They were both acting strange lately. It’s not like they’ve seen each other naked. Abbey’s eyes got wide at the thought then squinted in suspicion, or have they?

  Suddenly the Black Bishop flew over their heads and Temple put his hand to his ear covering his headset.

  The four of them listened on their coms as Luke relayed coordinates of a shadowskin sighting from the helicopter.

  “Abbey!” Temple said.

  “I’m stuck to him like glue. We are only observers,” she repeated his instructions, mimicking an automaton then mumbled the next part under her breath. “Yada, yada, yada.”

  “Hopefully Temple and my brother won’t be so protective after I’ve taken my bond,” Louie whispered as they piled into the off-roader.

  “Here’s hoping. I’m mean, you’re going to be faster and stronger. And tonight’s not even the full moon. So what’s the big d?”

  Once they got to their destination, Abbey watched as Lourdie created three orbs simultaneously. What the flux? she thought.

  “Whoa, now that’s a birthday present!” Louie looked at Abbey sitting beside him in the back of the Bowler. “Did you know she could do that?”

  “No,” Abbey said dryly.

  Lourdie and Temple walked back to the awaiting teenagers after banishing four netherwalkers with ease.

  “Three orbs, Sensei?” Abbey crossed her arms. “What, two wasn’t awesome enough?”

  “Apparently,” Temple mocked as he got in the driver seat. He and Lourdie resumed the drive in silence.

  Abbey got the impression Lourdie’s stoic silence for Temple extended to her, too, since she just ignored the three orb question.

  “I can’t wait to finally be an apprentice,” Louie whispered to Abbey. “But that means you won’t be here anymore. I’ll miss thi-- us. Even if my cousin did bribe you into guarding me tonight.” He seemed to be waiting for her to react, “Promise you’ll keep in touch, that you won’t forget me?”

  “Don’t be silly. Of course I won’t forget you. You’re my Louie.” She never understood why he always blushed and looked at his feet, but this time he didn’t.

  Louie looked directly at her, not embarrassed in the least, “And, you’ll always be my Abbey, my gamer girl.”

  Lourdie turned on her little clip light and began to read, letting the claustrophobic feeling of last night’s nightmare fade from her mind. She nestled into her favorite reading nook in the greenhouse and listened to the rain as the crops got their early morning drink. The scent in the air was one of her favorite smells in the world, like an early morning’s freshly cut grass or a hike in the woods just after the rain. She let the white noise and aromas drown out the remnants of the dream. The warm, humid air was a welcome relief from the bitter, wintry wind outside. All her training sessions were indoors now, so the conservatory had become her sanctuary of solace and regeneration. The ground outside was completely frozen solid under a crisp white blanket of snow. Lourdie could barely make out the winter wonderland that lay beyond the steamy walls of glass. The greenhouse was the only place in the castle where Lourdie could feel close to the earth and recharge her batteries; mostly because, she’d placed the turret completely off limits.

  The twenty foot table and greenhouse were empty this early in the morning. The overhead grow lights hummed to life as they slowly mimicked a springtime sunrise. The wood of the old farmhouse table was soft and smooth under her fingers, its centuries of use apparent through its warm rich glow. Lourdie reached behind her and plucked a pear from the grove of dwarf trees lining the wall of the glass alcove.

  As the sprinklers slowed from a mild rain to a light misting, she closed her book and put on her ove
rsized yellow rain coat and red galoshes. She knew she looked utterly ridiculous but she didn’t care. She was a kid and this was her candy store. Lourdie headed down the endless aisles of herbs, fruits, and vegetables and got to work trimming old growth and gathering ripened fruit. She enjoyed getting to the greenhouse before the other guardians started their daily chores. Without any other human distractions around, it was as though she could feel the plants growing and singing.

  Totally immersed in her work, Lourdie didn’t see the man gathering herbs further up the same row.

  “Enjoying the fruits of your labor, Ms. Reese?” Temple chuckled at his own corny joke.

  Lourdie bolted up startled half to death. She never let her hunter guard down like that, “Stop calling me that!” she said, angrier at herself for letting her senses dull than for the intrusion.

  Temple dropped his basket of herbs and took a few steps towards her. “Then give me another name to call you!” He shook his head. “Damn woman, those walls of yours are bloody thick! What did you build those out of back in New York? Granite? Concrete? With a mixture of attitude and denial for mortar?” Temple wasn’t going to back down, he was ready for a fight. He welcomed it. “Ever since we first met you’ve been nothing but rude and spiteful, you’ve never even introduced yourself properly!” His devilish grin never appeared, but his eyes gleamed ever so slightly as he reminisced about something that amused him. “The most beautiful creature I’d ever seen comes toward me on the shore and the first word she utters is damn.” He gestured with both hands. “Thousands upon thousands of words in the Queen’s English and I get a bloody expletive. Later when I introduce myself, she mocks me and still refuses me her name.”

  “You hid who you really were the first time we met. You knew who I was and you didn’t say anything. So who was being rude?!”

  “I had my reasons.”

  Lourdie rolled her eyes, “What possible reason could you have for hiding who you are?”

  “Do you have any idea how many people I meet who refuse to be themselves around me? That only say what they think I want to hear because of who I am? Who my family is? I wanted to meet the real you. Just once. The one not afraid to be herself around me. The one not afraid to speak her mind.”

  “I am always that person, obviously you don’t know me--”

  “I didn’t know that then, I do now,” he interrupted, “Believe me I know that now. You remind me every chance you get.” He picked up his basket of pilfered herbs and started walking towards the door, “Chivalry isn’t dead everywhere, Ms. Reese. Tell me what I should call you and I will.” Temple gave her his full devilish grin. “If you ask me nicely.”

  “Oof, you’re so... Infuriating!” Lourdie said to the door as it closed. She thought she could hear chuckling from the other side. Wait. Did he just call me beautiful? She looked down at her bright yellow raincoat and big floppy red boots. Perfect.

  “Ha! What’s next? You going to tell me that hunters stun netherwalkers while they fly through the air!” Louie’s ninety-three year old grandmother Gwen Templeton scoffed.

  Louie and Luke exchanged bewildered looks.

  “But it’s true, Grandmother!” Louie blushed.

  Their grandmother scoffed again, “You boys and your toys. Try hunting down a krimvigo with none of the gadgets you rely on today. Back in my day we had no way to stun them at all. We had our wits, our delvirs, and our bare hands. Ha! Try that on for size, I challenge you.”

  Happy conversations were buzzing all around the great hall as guardians feasted at the early blue moon dinner.

  Unexpectedly, Luke dropped his spoon. It clanged to the floor as their grandmother continued to school them in olden hunter ways.

  Abbey’s eyes lit up and she spoke in a deep voice, “Uuuuse the fork, Luuuke.”

  Everyone around them erupted in laughter. Even Temple managed a smile before continuing his conversation with Trista.

  “Nice one, Abs. How long have you been holding on to that little gem?” Lourdie toasted spoons with the young girl like they were lightsabers.

  “Only all my life!” Abbey giggled. ”You may have your books Sensei, but I,” she made a dramatic gesture with her hands, “have Star Wars.”

  A light bulb seemed to switch on in Bishop’s head, “Oh! Did you ever find the turret library my dear?” the instigator said smugly looking at Lourdie.

  It appeared as though Temple stopped his conversation mid-sentence with Trista and he and Lourdie both glared at Bishop with the same sneer.

  “Oh my,” Bishop busied himself with his fascinating plate of food.

  Lourdie glanced at Temple staring back at her. She was relieved to see that the turret library fiasco had upset him as well. She couldn’t help but smile.

  “Excuse me, won’t you?” Temple said to no one in particular as he left the festivities.

  Lourdie couldn’t figure out his mood. He’d been acting strange all day. Maybe he hadn’t meant to call her beautiful in the greenhouse.

  Dessert was winding down as Trista whispered to Lourdie and Abbey, “Might I have a word?” She gestured toward the buttery door, looking to make sure Louie was distracted.

  The boy was talking intently with Luke and Bishop.

  The girls followed Trista over to the door. “Louie insists he doesn’t want a celebration, but I won’t hear of such nonsense. Will you be dears and help me set up a few things under the stained glass windows?”

  “Of course.”

  “Sure.”

  Trista opened the buttery door watching to make sure Louie was still preoccupied. The three stepped into the small room and shut the door.

  “Thank you, girls, I appreciate this. I couldn't be here for his birthday, so this will be an all-encompassing celebration,” Trista said gesturing to the countertop while holding her ever swelling belly.

  “Wow, that’s a fantastic cake!” Abbey said admiring the two tiered sugary delight of vanilla cake and buttercream frosting.

  “I’ll manage the candles. If you two wouldn’t mind grabbing the cake and plates? The plates are up in that cupboard-- Oh... ow...ow!” Trista grabbed the door frame to keep from falling over.

  Abbey froze in fear. She could handle anything that was thrown at her except, apparently, for a baby.

  “Oh my god, Trista! Are you alright? When are you due, is this it?” Lourdie was assessing the situation, wondering what hospital was the closest. Boiling water, she always heard about boiling water. Mum B. She would go and get Mum B, she would know what to do!

  “Mmmm... just give me a minute. Oh… my... god!” Trista was in some serious pain. “I’m, I’m alright. It’s not what you think. It’s okay, girls.” She said through gritted teeth.

  “Are you sure, what can we do?” Lourdie felt helpless.

  “I’ve been having a bit of false labor. Sorry about that. I didn’t mean to frighten you,” Trista said regaining her composure.

  “Are you alright?” Abbey said in a slow quiet voice.

  “I’m fine now. They are called Braxton hicks. I’m not due for well over three more weeks, I promise.” She touched Abbey on top of her head and cheek, “Ready to bring that cake out for me love?”

  What seemed like an eternity for Abbey and Lourdie was only minutes as the three guardians emerged from the buttery. The winter sun was setting extremely fast.

  “Oh good, Bishop got Louie out just like I asked him to and Luke set out the table for us. Excellent!” Trista said excitedly. The three decorated the large table with linens and confetti, under the great hall’s giant stained glass window. Its beauty was barely visible now. They would all be heading out to the lake for Louie’s gloaming bond soon.

  Trista put her arm around Abbey as the young apprentice helped decorate the cake with fourteen candles. Trista must have felt bad for scaring the young girl.

  “Lourdie, be a dear and get the forks from the buttery. Hmm?” Trista asked.

  There were only a few guardians left in the great hall, the re
st had gone to prepare for the blue moon. Lourdie popped back out of the small room with the silverware. From that moment on everything started to move in slow motion. The master hunter’s senses went on high alert. She dropped the silverware, every clink and clank echoed in her ears between heart beats. Forks littered the floor as she assessed what was happening.

  The master hunter could hear howling in the distance, then multiple howls all around, and snarls from the rooftops just beyond the stained glass. Creatures were closing in. Footsteps thundered above their heads. Trista and Abbey looked up. The castle was under attack.

  Lourdie heard long claws scratch down the stain glass seconds before it exploded into a million pieces. Rainbow shards of glass mingled with white cake and confetti. Debris was flying everywhere. An angry rumble and cracking came from the eaves of the great hall.

  Abbey instinctively became a human shield for her Vicereine, using the overturned table as protection from the shards of glass and caving roof.

  Four silhouettes appeared in the enclosed garden through the still falling debris. The creatures were digging in, all four were going to lunge at the overturned table at the same time. The krim that broke through the glass and ceiling was slowly moving in, a decoy, keeping the prey corralled for its four brothers’ attack.

  Lourdie wasn’t sure if Abbey saw the four hidden netherwalkers still outside.

  Hunter and apprentice reached for their weapons simultaneously.

  Lourdie took a step to enter the pending battle, but someone grabbed her right arm. She whipped her head around, still in mid stride. The hand appeared disembodied on the wall behind her. She was abruptly pulled through a wall of illusion.

  Temple looked her deep in the eyes and shook his head once to each side. He flashed the strap of a virtual backpack hiding under his jacket. Lourdie looked past Temple to the dozens of guardians’ faces almost invisible behind him. Bishop, Luke, and Louie all out front, standing vigil, waiting. She had to blink when she spotted Abbey’s favorite Shepard and house mother. Bernie’s and Nola’s faces appeared in the crowd, both smiling with pride.