Dark of Winter: A Between the Worlds novel Read online

  Dark of Winter

  A Between the Worlds Novel

  By Morgan Daimler

  All rights reserved. This book and contents may not be reproduced or transmitted by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval systems without permission in writing from Morgan Daimler. Reviewers may quote brief passages.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination; any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, locations, or incidents are entirely coincidental.

  Copyright 2017 Morgan Daimler

  Dedicated to everyone who enjoys reading about Allie and her world.

  Thanks to Allison and Tricia for letting me bounce ideas off of them and offering helpful suggestions. And to my beta readers Maya, Cathy, Tricia, for constructive criticism and feedback.

  Novels in the Between the Worlds Series:

  Murder Between the Worlds

  Lost in Mist and Shadow

  Into the Twilight

  Heart of Thorns

  Fairy Gifts

  Non-fiction by Morgan Daimler:

  By Land, Sea, and Sky

  A Child’s Eye View of the Fairy Faith

  Where the Hawthorn Grows

  Fairy Witchcraft

  Pagan Portals: The Morrigan

  Pagan Portals Brigid

  Fairycraft

  Pagan Portals Irish Paganism

  Pagan Portals Gods and Goddesses of Ireland

  Fairies: A Guide to the Celtic Fair Folk

  Pagan Portals Odin

  Table of Contents

  Prologue - Tuesday

  Chapter 1 – Thursday Morning

  Chapter 2 – Thursday Night

  Chapter 3 – Friday Morning

  Chapter 4 – Friday Afternoon/Night

  Chapter 5 – Saturday Morning

  Chapter 6 - Saturday – Afternoon

  Chapter 7 – Sunday Morning

  Chapter 8 – Sunday Afternoon

  Chapter 9 – Sunday Night

  Chapter 10 – Monday

  Epilogue

  Addendum – ‘Chess’

  Guide to Characters Names and Pronunciations

  Aliaine “Allie” McCarthy–Ah-lee-awn-ya

  Bleidd–Blayth

  Jason Takada

  Jessilaen–Jes-ih-layn

  Brynneth–Bree-nehth

  Zarethyn–Zair-eh-theen

  Morighent–Mor-ih-hent

  Mariniessa – Mahr-ihn-ee-ehs-sah

  Tashlin – Tash-lihn

  Allairian – Ahl-lay-ree-ehn

  Naesseryia – Nays-seh-ree-uh

  Varessial – Vayr-ehs-sih-ahl

  Pollineir – Pol-lih-neer

  Prologue - Tuesday

  Salarius ran, his feet soundless on the pavement, his movements fluid despite his panic. This late at night the street was empty, the darkness punctuated intermittently by the dull yellow glow of street lights which he dodged, keeping to the shadows. He knew of course that if he was being pursued at this point those chasing him could see as easily in the darkness as he could, but there was no reason to make the chase easier for them by running through the lights. He leapt over the snow that remained in piles and clumps from the last storm, keeping his tracks on the open pavement as much as possible, knowing that this also would slow his pursuers. Slow them, but, if they were following him it would be a minor delay only. The young elf knew that tracking him over concrete wouldn’t be nearly enough to stop them.

  The shock of returning to his erstwhile home earlier and seeing one of his father’s agents standing by the front steps still vibrated through him, pushing him to keep running. He had thought he was safe there after several months of quiet existence living with Alice and her children. He had thought that everyone had been fooled into looking for him elsewhere, in the Queen’s Holding. He had thought he had time to figure out a way to redeem himself and get back into his father’s good graces – or at least off Varessial’s personal hit list. Seeing the familiar hulking form of Urien, one of his father’s more notorious enforcers, had erased all of that in an instant and sent him fleeing, panic ridden, into the night.

  Finally, almost exhausted, he reached the edge of the river that marked the border of Ashwood with mortal earth. This area had the lowest ambient magical energy of anywhere in the town and the lack of magic would make it almost impossible for anyone to track him with spells through here. He dodged behind a small shed at the edge of the parking lot he had been running through, pressing his back against the rough wood, and strained to hear any sounds of pursuit over his own ragged breathing. A few feet away the water of the river lapped softly at the shore and in the distance the intermittent sounds of traffic interrupted the otherwise peaceful night. The closest building, a long, low warehouse sat still and dark, lacking even the security lights usually found in this district. An absent part of Sal’s mind wondered if the building was abandoned, and whether that was in his favor or a bad omen.

  After several uneventful minutes dragged out his breathing had returned to normal, and he dared to edge his way around to the corner of the shed and risk looking back the way he’d come. Nothing moved in the darkness.

  He had no idea how long he stood like that, waiting, but eventually he became aware of the cold. He relaxed, even as he shivered, feeling slightly more confident that he had managed to lose anyone who had tried to chase him, somewhere in the frantic miles of running and dodging traffic between here and where he’d begun.

  I was a fool to let my guard down, he cursed himself, still unwilling to move out from behind his meager cover, it’s not been nearly long enough for father to have given up looking for me. Eternity won’t be long enough for father to give up.

  Sal shook his head, shivering now at the thought of what his father would do to him if he was caught. Nearly nine months had passed since Ferinyth had disappeared – captured by the Elven Guard or killed, Sal wasn’t entirely sure even now – and their mission to capture the half-elven girl had failed. At first he’d been in a constant state of paranoia, hiding from the Elven Guard and from the agents his father had sent to drag him home in disgrace for his failure. And if it comes down to it, Sal thought, wincing as a car horn blared somewhere in the distance, I’d rather the Guard catch me than any agents of the Dark Court, whether they were from father’s faction or someone else’s. The Guard may not be above torture, however self-righteous they try to act in public, but I can’t believe they’d take me apart a piece at a time the way I know for certain father will. Salarius had seen his father take out his temper before on people unfortunate enough to give him any excuse for violence and he knew exactly what would happen if he was caught, and he also knew that nepotism in this case would do him no favors. If anything Varessial would make an example of Sal, so that no one would question his ruthlessness.

  Sal crept slowly around the shed, still staying pressed against the old building, but edging forward towards the open lot. His hesitant movement was met by continued silence and unbroken darkness and he relaxed a bit more. The cold had settled into his flesh now and he knew he needed to find shelter before he froze, but the terror of his sudden exposure earlier still clung to him making him reluctant to venture away from the perceived safety of his current location. A more rational part of him knew it was foolish to remain here, penned in on one side by a river he could not cross thanks to the magic that bound the two worlds together. He had heard a story, relayed to him by the woman he had – until tonight – been living with, about a young woman who had tried to swim across from mortal earth. T
he river itself had kept her out, the water repeatedly sweeping her back, and back, until she’d finally given up and let it take her back to the earthbound shore. No matter how close the other side might look from here, he knew that it could not be reached without magical aid to breach the barrier, and he was no trained mage. The only way across was the bridge out of town, and he didn’t have the legal paperwork, or the money to bribe the right people, that would allow him that option.

  Just when he was starting to think perhaps fortune was on his side after all since he seemed to have made a clean escape the overcast February sky began to send down a thick fall of snow. Shivering harder he glanced upwards then winced, knowing that there was no choice but to try to find some place reasonably protected and warm to shelter. With great reluctance he stepped away from the shed, then a dozen feet out paused to see if his movement had earned any reaction. When none came he moved off at a faster pace, every sense alert and straining for the tiniest indication that he wasn’t alone.

  As he moved purposefully deeper into the warehouse district, looking for either a security guard he could glamour into giving him a warm place to sleep for the night or a likely place to break into, his thoughts turned to his long-term survival. I obviously can’t go back to Alice’s. They know I was there, or Urien wouldn’t have been there tonight, so they’ll question her, and the children, he winced at the thought, knowing how stubborn Alice was and that the level of glamour they’d need to use to get her to talk might very easily break her mind, but pushed it away quickly as something he could do nothing about. She can’t tell them anything they can use, but what little I own is in her place, and that they can use. Especially if father is angry enough to have authorized the expense of tracking spells. And I can’t risk that he hasn’t. That may very well be how they managed to find where I was hiding, now that I think about it. Sal nodded slightly to himself, slipping into an alley between buildings. I have to assume they’ll only be one step behind me from now on. My only chance is to get to the girl as quickly as possible and take her – before they can because I have to assume they’re planning the same thing – and use her as a bargaining chip to regain father’s favor. If he still wants her as badly as he did when he sent Ferinyth and I here then my managing to kidnap her and bring her to him single-handedly should erase any talk of my failure. Ferinyth can take the brunt of that, and well deserved. If he hadn’t gone haring off alone that night and disappeared we probably would have succeeded long before now.

  It wouldn’t be easy, even more so now that he had nothing but the clothes on his back and the small amount of money he had been carrying with him when he’d gone out. But he felt his resolve hardening as he realized it was the only option available that had any chance of keeping him alive and with all his body parts attached.

  He stepped out of the alley and was met by a younger human in a uniform, who shined a flashlight into his eyes and snapped, “Hey, this is private property, no trespassing.”

  Sal felt himself relaxing, luck is with me tonight he doesn’t even have any shields against Fey magic, not even any talismans. Whoever he works for either isn’t worried about being robbed by the Fey or doesn’t value their employees very much. An easy smile spread across his face even as he extended his magic, wrapping his glamour around the man’s will. He carefully projected an air of innocence and allure. “Excuse me, I seem to have lost my way. I don’t suppose you know someplace I could stay tonight?”

  His glamour sank in, digging deep into the man’s mind, and settling there. He watched in satisfaction as the flashlight lowered, the human’s eyes softened, and the man licked his lips, “Sure, yeah. That’s rough luck being caught out in the snow and all. There’s an office here I use for my breaks and warming up between patrols, you can stay there. Its nice.”

  The man’s words slurred slightly as the magic pushed at his willpower to make him do what Sal wanted and not what he would normally have done, but Sal was pleased to feel that his resistance was minimal. That meant that somewhere deep down he didn’t want to resist. Sal smiled wider, “That is very kind of you.”

  Chapter 1 – Thursday Morning

  Allie sat down at the kitchen table wincing slightly as her back and her bad ankle both complained. She caught Jess giving her a concerned look as he moved past her towards the coffee pot on the counter and she carefully smoothed over her features and blocked him from her mind. Not even halfway through this pregnancy yet she grumbled silently to herself and I am already so over this. If I have to hear one more person giving me helpful advice on what to eat, drink, wear, how I should sleep…and Gods help me if one more person tries to touch me. Why do people think just because you admit you’re pregnant they have some right to put their hands on your stomach? Allie shuddered slightly at the thought, focusing on her friend Jason standing at the stove cooking breakfast so that Jess wouldn’t see her face. As an empath she was particularly sensitive to other people’s emotional energy and while she had learned to filter that energy out with magical shields it was almost impossible not to read people who were touching her. As her pregnancy had become more visible she had learned to her dismay that most people, human and Fey, tended to reach out and touch her abdomen without asking, forcing her into a level of contact that she was often deeply uncomfortable with. And this is only the beginning she thought, still feeling grumpy after too long on her feet the day before and a night of poor sleep. Now it’s not totally obvious to everyone, some people still ask if I’m pregnant, soon it will be obvious and then, ugh, I may need to buy some mace.

  “What’s with the frown, Allie? It’s too early in the day to be in a bad mood already,” Jason said, his usual cheer filling her personal space as he walked over and set a plate of eggs and bacon down in front of her. “Besides I made breakfast for everyone, so you should be happy.”

  She smiled despite herself, unable as usual to shield him out. “Thanks Jason. Of course you almost always make breakfast for everyone, but I appreciate the thought.”

  Jason laughed, tossing his dark hair out of his face with a flip of his head as he went back to the stove to get his own plate and one for Jess. “Cooking makes me happy, and feeding people I care about makes me really happy. So see it’s an act of love.”

  “We appreciate that you do so much for us out of love Jason,” Jess said, joining her at the table, sliding in to his usual seat next to her and setting a cup of milky coffee down in front of her.

  She throttled down another surge of annoyance that everyone had served her, knowing that she could have gotten her own coffee instead of sitting down. But her ankle was not dealing well with the extra weight and change of balance from the baby and she really had over exerted the day before, so it had seemed better to sit for a moment and then worry about breakfast. Now she wished she hadn’t. Instead of responding with a snarky comment to that effect though she tried for humor, “So many jokes I want to make right now about why acts of love and food shouldn’t be mixed…”

  Jess gave her a puzzled look, the human-culture innuendo going over his very elven-culturally ingrained head, but Jason laughed. “Speaking of disturbing double entendres, where’s Bleidd this morning? He’d usually be first in line for coffee.”

  Allie mumbled around a mouthful of food, swallowed, then repeated, “He picked up some extra hours at work. I think he said he’d be home earlier than usual this afternoon, though.”

  “He worked all night?” Jason asked, his eyebrows quirking up.

  Jess answered as Allie chewed, “He went in last night yes, however he is not working tomorrow so he felt he could catch up on his rest then.”

  Jason looked from one to the other waiting for further explanation but when none was forthcoming he shrugged and started eating. The truth was Allie wasn’t entirely sure why Bleidd had started picking up extra hours at work and he hadn’t been willing to explain, beyond saying that it was never a bad idea to have extra money on hand. Her inner insecurity gnawed at her that he was secretly unhappy
with their joint post-nuptial state, but she couldn’t bring herself to ask him about it directly. When he was home he did seem happy enough to be around both her and Jess, so her concern had never grown beyond a vague worry in the back of her mind.

  Allie slipped a piece of bacon from her plate and off the table to her fairy hound who was laying on the floor near her chair. Luath had grown into a good-sized animal since Allie had gotten her in October, but for all the hound’s size she was still a puppy and her tail wagged enthusiastically at the treat.

  After a few minutes of awkward silence, Allie cleared her throat and said, “So how’re things going at the firehouse?”

  Jason smiled around a mouthful of bacon, “Really good. I think the chief has just about talked the mayor and town council into funding the new fire truck.”

  Allie smiled back at her friend, “You’re only happy about that because you want to drive it.”

  “Damn straight,” he said, trying to look serious and failing. “Although this new one is supposed to have all these new modifications specifically for a border town, less iron than anything we have now, and Scotty swears it runs like it was in mortal earth, even here.”

  Jess, who actually was totally serious, nodded, “If that is so it would be very useful for you. I know you have said many times before that the cost to keep the trucks running in the magical atmosphere here is very high.”

  Allie snickered, watching Jason blush and knowing that Jess was referencing – albeit quite gravely – all the times Jason had bitched after firehouse meetings. And knowing that most of Jason’s complaining was venting frustrations that had nothing to do with the on-staff witches who kept the department’s equipment running, and everything to do with his obsession with the fancy new gear that was always coming out and that Ashville’s emergency services couldn’t afford. Jess gave her an odd look as Jason started shoveling food into his mouth and she was suddenly reminded of how, even after months of living here with her and her roommates, even after being married for over a month, he still struggled to understand many aspects of human culture. She looked into his eyes, as always falling into their bottomless green, and her smile softened. “Do you have any idea how much I love you?” she thought spontaneously to him, reaching out through the bond that connected their minds.