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

  “Ms. Waters.” Carson’s voice somehow cut through the sound of my own pulse beating against the sides of my skull. “I understand how hard this must be for you.”

  He understood nothing. How often was he punished for something he couldn’t control and left in the dark without a single explanation of why this was all happening to him?

  “Bree,” my father said softly, placing a hand on my shoulder.

  I shook him off as violently as I could. “Don’t, Dad,” I snapped. “You just stood there! How could you do this to me?”

  He stepped back.

  “Let’s just give her a minute,” Carson told my father.

  If they said anything else, I didn’t hear it. All I heard was the sobs ripping out of my chest. My shoulders moved with each cry of loss, and my lungs ached. My mind raced with questions.

  How could this be happening to me? Was what they just did even possible? Why was it so important that I give up my magic? Had what I seen really warranted all of this? Why couldn’t they just let me help them instead of sending me away?

  Anger surged through me. I didn’t want to be in this room anymore. I couldn’t listen to their breathing any longer, knowing they were right there next to me. I wanted to get far, far away from any of them.

  The last of my tears fell, and I wiped them away. My sorrow quickly became placed with anger. I snatched up my backpack from the floor beside me, shot up out of my chair, and slipped the pack over my shoulders. It took all I had not to topple back over into the chair.

  “Let’s just get this over with,” I insisted through gritted teeth. I no longer wanted anything to do with them. I only hoped they were being honest when they said they were sending me to Illinois, that I wouldn’t get on a plane and end up at the bottom of the ocean. It’s not like my magic could help me there anymore.

  Carson smiled lightly. “Right this way, Ms. Waters.”

  Dr. Sloan emerged back out of the door he’d just entered. I caught only a glimpse of the far wall, just enough to see that the room was as big as the one we were standing in. He slid a golden key into the lock and clicked it shut. I hadn’t realized he’d used a key to enter the adjoining room, but I hadn’t exactly been paying attention at the time. He placed the key back into his pocket and followed the rest of us out into the hall.

  Carson paused to lock the door. As we stood there, I gazed back into the room across the hall with its light on. I wanted nothing more than to cry again, but I couldn’t continue to do that in front of them. I needed to remain strong.

  That shadow I’d noticed before crossed the small window once again. I narrowed my eyes toward the door, wondering what was in there. What was it about this room that its light was on when all of the others remained pitch black?

  “This way, Ms. Waters,” Carson snapped.

  I glanced at him, but I couldn’t help but steal one more look into the room’s window. In that moment, shock hit me straight in the gut. Starting at me through the sliver of glass was a pair of blue-green eyes.

  “Tristan,” I whispered so softly that I barely heard myself. I couldn’t move even though I knew I was obligated to follow the three men.

  “Crap,” Carson muttered, though his voice sounded far off, like my head was under water. A hand gripped around my bicep and pulled me from the door. “This way, Ms. Waters. We’re on a schedule, and you don’t want to miss your flight.” Under his breath, I heard him say, “I knew we should have moved him.”

  Carson managed to pull me far enough away that I could no longer see Tristan’s eyes. I straightened as he released me and finally found my feet, but the shock hadn’t yet faded. Were they keeping Tristan prisoner down here? Were they going to do that to me?

  My father and Dr. Sloan turned down the hall toward the elevators, and that’s when Carson stopped me. He stood in front of me, blocking my path, and leaned so close I could feel his breath on my face. At least it smelled like mint.

  “I trust that you will not tell anyone what you saw. I’m sure you understand that doing so could result in consequences.”

  It took all I had not to retort with something along the lines of, Actually, I don’t. Maybe if you cared to explain it to me, I’d understand. That’s clearly not the way things work around here.

  But I didn’t say anything like that. They’d just stolen my magic from me because I saw something I shouldn’t have. They should be thanking me that I found Tristan before the rest of the town woke and spotted him lying on the beach. Instead, they were punishing me for forces outside my control. I didn’t want to know what else they’d take from me if I spoke of this to anyone.

  I swallowed hard. “I understand.”

  “Good,” he said, turning on his heel. “This way, please.”

  We turned down the hall we’d come from and made it to the elevators just as the doors opened. Nobody spoke as the elevator ascended to the first floor. Once we stepped out, Dr. Sloan nodded a goodbye and went on his way down the hall. I stared after him, my breathing shallow. How could he just walk away like that as if he didn’t just do something horrible? Didn’t they understand that what they’d just done to me was torture? I crossed my arms over my chest and followed Carson back to his office. I didn’t want to. I wanted to run, to get away, but what good would that do me? They already took the one thing most precious to me, the one thing I never thought I’d be without. Nothing mattered anymore. Nothing.

  When we entered his office, Carson crossed the room to his desk and picked up a blue folder. He held it out to me, and I eyed it skeptically before taking it. I opened the folder and scanned the first page as he spoke.

  “This is your travel itinerary along with your class schedule and any other information you’ll need to get settled in. Due to your situation, the school has agreed to house you early in their dorms. Once your flight lands, a woman named Sharon Mitchel will be waiting for you at baggage claim. She’ll drive you to the university and help you get settled in.”

  I briefly wondered what “situation” they’d told the school to get them to agree to this. Or maybe someone at the school was in on it, too. The thought made my head swim, and the rest of Carson’s explanations faded into the background.

  “Can I go now?” I snapped, harsher than I intended. I couldn’t stand to wait here in his brown office that looked like a courtroom any longer. It was like every look he gave me was in judgement and every word he said was a smack of the gavel followed by my prison sentence. At this point, it felt like I was in for life. Without my magic, I’d be living in my own personal hell. And I didn’t want to spend it around Carson.

  Or my father.

  God, what was wrong with him, anyway? He was so quiet, so compliant. I hated him for it. Didn’t he love me? Didn’t he want me to stay here with him?

  Carson glanced at his watch. “Your car should be here already. Shall we?” He gestured to the door.

  I followed as my father trailed behind.

  As we exited the building, the warm summer night air hit me. I noticed the black sedan right away. It didn’t quite have the same look as Carson’s car I’d seen him in the other night, but it was definitely similar.

  “I’ll grab your suitcase out of the back of our car,” my father offered.

  I didn’t even bother with a smile.

  “Everything is going to be fine, Ms. Waters. You just focus on your studies, and have fun.” Carson sounded like he honestly wanted me to do those things. I still hadn’t ruled out the possibility of being thrown out the plane, though.

  I didn’t say anything, only glared at him.

  My father returned quickly with my bag. He slapped the backend of the car, and the driver responded by popping the trunk. My father hauled my suitcase into it before turning to me.

  “Bree,” he said softly. “I know this is a hard time for you. I just want you to know that I love you.” He stepped forward and reached out as if to hug me.

  I couldn’t do it. I pulled away. My heart broke to do it. I mea
n, he was my dad. I did love him. But I couldn’t bring myself to trust him anymore. He was a bad guy. He’d failed to protect me. He let them steal a part of me. No. He didn’t just let them. He helped them.

  “Can I go yet?” I nearly whispered. The pain was evident in my tone.

  My father’s face fell, but he opened the back door for me. I slid into the black leather seat behind the driver, blinking back tears. I didn’t even let my anger register at the moment. All I could feel was pain, and nothing else mattered. I thought I heard Carson introduce my driver and my father tell me goodbye one last time, but I didn’t really process any of it.

  Soon, we were on the road. The driver never spoke, and I liked it that way. I only wished I could be alone so I could mourn in private. I let a single tear fall from my cheek silently as I gripped onto the necklace I’d slipped on earlier. I pulled it from my chest to examine the water inside. Closing my eyes and taking a deep breath, I channeled my energy to my fingers. Logic told me I should open them and find the water swirling inside, but when I finally looked at the necklace, the water remained still.

  I thought that being exiled was the worst thing they could do to me. I was wrong. I could live without Sea Haven. I could even survive without the ocean. But I couldn’t do it without my magic. No one should have the right—the power—to take that away from me. After everything they took, I was surprised I’d managed to hold it together for as long as I did, but I’d finally hit my breaking point. The pain melted away and quickly became replaced by anger. I didn’t know how I was going to do it, but somehow, I was going to get my revenge.

  Eight

  The night left me physically drained. Somewhere along the way, I drifted off. I woke to lights flickering across my eyelids. When I opened them, I noticed those lights were a combination of approaching vehicles and street lamps. We’d made it to the city.

  I straightened up from where I’d been slumped against the car’s window. My joints and muscles ached for remaining in such an uncomfortable position for so long. I didn’t say anything, and neither did my driver. It was strange. I had no idea who was sitting in the front seat, no idea if I could trust him. He had broad shoulders and dark, buzzed hair, but that was all I could see of him. What was his story? Did he have to give up his magic, too? Or was it just me? What were they going to do with it, anyway? Could they somehow use it for themselves?

  Those thoughts made my anger immediately flare again. I formed my hands into fists in my lap and took a deep breath.

  “You okay back there?” the driver asked. He had a deep, masculine voice, but I didn’t recognize it, not that I expected to. I may have been familiar with almost every face in Sea Haven, but that didn’t mean I knew everyone personally.

  I cleared my throat, which had become dry while sleeping. “I’m fine. Are we almost there?”

  “Just a few more minutes,” he assured me.

  It wasn’t long before we pulled up to the airport. He stopped the car and popped the trunk.

  “You have everything you need?” he asked.

  I grabbed my backpack and the blue folder from the seat next to me and clicked the door open. “I do. Just need to grab my bag.”

  For the first time, the man glanced back at me. I recognized his blue eyes and strong jawline. His name was Jarod Erickson, and he worked with my father. I never knew he was their errand boy, though. Unless that’s not what he was. He could be a hit man.

  I quickly scrambled out of the car at the thought and hurried to the trunk, where I heaved my bag onto the pavement. Hastily, I slammed the car’s trunk and headed for the building. Only once I was inside did I remind myself how silly I was being. If he really was going to kill me or something, he would have driven me to some deserted field and shot me there.

  Inside the building, I finally relaxed. Well, not really. It was enough that I managed to open my folder and get the information I needed about my flight. I made it through security and found my way to my gate with plenty of time to spare. Somehow, I managed it all despite the overwhelming anxiety that overcame me on the way. I’d never flown before, so it was scary, to say the least, but my desire to get as far away from Carson and my father as I could pushed me forward.

  The whole time I spent at the airport passed in a blur. I remained focused on the task at hand, constantly reminding myself that this was almost over. It was a lie, though. I wasn’t going to be able to put this all behind me. Not for a long time. But I hadn’t come up with a plan of action yet. The best I could do was follow through with the current plan and make them think I was going along with it. I needed to buy myself more time, and ditching out on my plane ride wasn’t going to help anything. With the way things were going, I wouldn’t be surprised if they were monitoring my every move. They’d know if I didn’t get on the plane. I didn’t know how they’d know, but my paranoia was working on overdrive.

  Calm down, I told myself. But I didn’t want to take the chance that I was right.

  The water never looked so peaceful as it did today.

  “Come on, Dad. What are you waiting for?” I turned my gaze from the horizon and back toward my father.

  We were the only two on the beach, and it was the perfect day for a swim. For some reason, he’d forgotten his swim trunks. He stood on the sandy beach in a black suit, his hands shoved in his pockets.

  “You go ahead without me,” he offered with a smile.

  I returned a happy grin. “Okay. Are you going to time how long I can stay under the water?”

  “Sure.” He adjusted the watch on his wrist. “Last time you stayed under for an hour and a half. Think you can do better this time?”

  I gazed down at my feet in shame. For a moment, I focused on how small they looked. My tiny toenails were painted a bright red. I quickly realized they matched the polka dotted one-piece I was wearing.

  “Yeah, Dad,” I told him. “I just got bored last time.”

  “But you’re from Sea Haven,” he pointed out. “You know that people from Sea Haven can stay under water as long as they like.”

  “Not if they don’t have food, Daddy,” I pointed out.

  When he laughed, his eyes crinkled at the corners. “You’re right.”

  I squinted toward him to keep the sun from my eyes. Brown bangs tickled my eyelashes. I didn’t remember cutting my hair. The last time I’d had bangs was when I was seven. But the question of where the bangs came from lasted only a split second. Instead, I focused on my father’s challenge.

  “I can stay under water longer. I promise. I won’t get bored or hungry or anything this time.”

  He pressed his lips together. “I don’t know. I’m not sure you can do it.”

  “Of course I can, Daddy. Watch me!”

  I splashed into the water until it hit my midsection, and then I let my feet fall out in front of me so my whole body became submerged. I inhaled a breath of water, but the moment I did, pain hit me. My nostrils burned, and my lungs felt as if they were failing. Pressure built up inside my body. I tried again, but that only accented the pain. Panic overtook me in that moment. Pressure against the top of my skull only made it worse. I pressed my feet against the sand to push myself toward the surface, but despite my best efforts, I remained in place.

  What was going on?

  I turned my gaze toward the surface of the water, hoping to discover an answer. And what I found was more horrifying than I could have ever imagined.

  My father stared down at me, distorted from the rippling water. An evil grin spread across his face as he held my head under water so I couldn’t breathe.

  Nine

  I woke with a start and inhaled a deep breath. The woman next to me on the plane shot me an odd stare. I quickly relaxed and rested my head back against my headrest while I stared silently out the window.

  It was only a dream, I repeated to myself. But that didn’t stop the anger from once again boiling to the surface as if my dad had once tried to drown me when I was seven. I forced myself to take
three deep breaths. It helped…for, like, a second.

  The rest of the plane ride consisted of me staring straight ahead with clenched fists in my lap, planning my revenge. Only, since I sucked at making plans of any kind, I still hadn’t figured out what I was going to do by the time the plane landed.

  As I waited for passengers near the front to exit the plane first, I pulled my blue folder out of my backpack and looked it over again. At the very least, I had to figure out what I was doing next. My itinerary told me I was to meet a woman named Sharon Mitchel at baggage claim. I sighed heavily and slipped the folder back into my bag before standing and slinging it across my shoulder.

  After navigating through halls and following the signs to baggage claim, I arrived. Only, how would I know who this Sharon Mitchel person was? I glanced around nervously, wondering if she was there or not. Nobody in particular caught my eye, but I did notice a few people from my flight standing around one of the carousels. I joined them and waited for my bag. Just as I grabbed it and turned to find a place to wait, a woman’s voice caught my attention.

  “Bree Waters?”

  I glanced up to find a tall, skinny blonde smiling at me. She looked about my mother’s age and wore a black pantsuit with heels. The smile on her face appeared genuine and friendly, like I might actually be able to get along with her. I brushed my brown hair out of my eyes and returned the smile. Even she could probably tell it was fake.

  “The one and only,” I told her.

  “Hi,” she greeted, sticking her hand in my direction. “I’m Sharon Mitchel.”

  I noticed her nails had been done recently. Mine, on the other hand, still had bits of sand under them.

  “It’s nice to meet you,” I said kindly. It was the least I could do considering she was being nice to me. It wouldn’t be fair to take my anger out on her, not when she didn’t have anything to do with what had happened to me. We fell into step side by side.