Earthbound: An Otherworld Novella (11 page)

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Authors: Yasmine Galenorn

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“I don’t know. I’m not sure what happened. The gem burned me. It was…like a shock…a spark. I’m frightened.” I turned to Iris. “Do you know what just happened?”

The carefree expression had vanished from her face. Instead, she slowly reached out to pick up the gem. As she held it, I felt like someone was walking over my grave. Not only my grave, but
all
of our graves.

Iris let out a sharp cry and replaced it in the chest. “I’m not sure what that is, but it felt like it just called out to someone. It ricochet through me…Whatever this is, it’s ancient, but it feels incomplete, as though it belonged to another age. To something so old that we can’t even begin to remember what it is. It felt…like a key—like when you picked it up, the gem called out for something. Something that was once whole and is now broken.”

“What was once whole…and is now broken. I can see that,” I said softly, searching my feelings. “What do you think it was?”

“I don’t know, but whatever it cried out for is incredibly powerful. I don’t think it’s a person, though…but some sort of artifact. A weapon, perhaps?”

I caught a sudden whiff of something and froze. “Maybe it’s the power of suggestion, but I think I can smell the faint stench of Demonkin on the wind. Whatever that gem is connected to, it’s dangerous in its power and I’m terribly afraid, because I know in my heart that we weren’t the only ones to hear it. I made a mistake in opening the chest.”

It was true. I could smell Demonkin, albeit faintly—like the first strains of thunder. I struggled to understand, to connect with whatever it was we had set into motion, but then, without warning, I stood in front of the Moon Mother. She was glorious, alabaster and jet, the Huntress who rode the full moon, leading her armies behind her.

Camille…you have set into motion events that will play out…events that must play out if the balance is to be maintained. Enjoy your leisure while you can, for armies come in on the tide, and they will not wait for you to ready yourselves to meet them.

And then, she was gone. I blinked, unsure what had just happened. But I knew one thing: the Moon Mother was aware of what had happened, and she wasn’t going to tell me. I’d have to find out on my own.

When I started to tell the others, I found I couldn’t speak. My words died on my lips.

“Are you all right? You look very strange.” Iris tapped me on the shoulder.

I sucked in a deep breath, letting it out in a slow stream. “I’m all right. But let’s toss that box into the pond. Lock it up and sink it to the bottom. I don’t want it around me, but I don’t trust getting rid of it elsewhere.”

Even as I arranged the gem on the pillow again, I knew that it wouldn’t matter if we threw it in the ocean or in the Ionyc Sea. Events would still play out as they would.

“I can tell you one thing,” Iris said. “This box is made by the Great Fae Lords. It’s old past counting. Are you sure you want to throw it in the pond? It’s a treasure, Camille, and would probably fetch you an incredible price at auction if you sold it back home in Otherworld.”

The thought of selling it panicked me so much that I almost tipped over my chair as I scrambled to my feet. “No, no…just…the pond. It needs to stay in the pond.”

And with that, the discussion was over. I didn’t know where the kerakals had gotten the box, but I had the feeling they had merely been the messengers.

The three of us sat on our porch. Iris had gone home, and the storm was gushing around us. I tried not to think about the box or what it meant, but it was hard to keep my mind off of it. Delilah finished off the bag of Cheetos, as Menolly was sitting on the railing, staring into the front yard.

“So, do you think we’re going to manage life over here?” I finally voiced the question we had all been thinking for the past few weeks.

Menolly was first to speak. “I like it. I like the city and the technology…With the lights, it feels less like I have to creep around in the shadows. It’s not the same as being able to go out during the day, but it sure makes up for a lot. And bottled blood is a help, too. Jocko’s nice and I think we’ll become friends over time. I like the Wayfarer…hell…at one time in my life, I might have considered buying a bar. So, yes, it’s going to be good.”

Delilah echoed her sentiments. “I like the snacks. And television. And computers. Seriously, I’ll miss home, and I’ll be glad when we get to go back, but we might as well make the most of our vacation. That’s what this is, you know. An extended sabbatical. Let’s just enjoy the time off and kick back, have some fun, and then when we’re called back to Otherworld, we’ll have a whole new perspective.”

I nodded quietly as they spoke, but a knot had formed in the pit of my stomach. For some reason, I couldn’t muster the same optimism. My sisters made perfect sense, but I couldn’t escape the sensation that a storm was brewing on the horizon. I didn’t want to bring them down, and there was nothing I could pinpoint to back up my feelings, so I kept quiet about my suspicions.

I turned to them and forced a smile. “Let’s make hay while the sun shines. And hey, if there’s a rainy patch here and there, we’ll weather that, too. I wonder what’s going to happen. Who will we meet? Maybe there’s a chance we’ll feel at home here after a while.”

Menolly laughed. “I doubt it. We’ll probably be gone in a year, if not before then. But hey, this is a beautiful house, even if it is too big for us. And we’ve got each other.”

And there was the crux of it. We had each other, and we always would. I leaned against her, wrapping my arm around her waist. “Yes, we do. We do at that.”

The rain continued to pour, as we stared out into the night. We might be a million miles and a world away from the land of our birth, but still—we were always together.

The End

I hope you’ve enjoyed EARTHBOUND. I so appreciate my readers’ support.

I invite you to check out my upcoming Fury Unbound Series. The first book,
FURY RISING
, will be released in June, 2016.

If you like dragons and vampires, the second book in my Fly By Night Series,
FLIGHT FROM MAYHEM
, will be available on August 2, 2016. And if ghosts and Celtic mythology strike your fancy, the second book in my Whisper Hollow Series—
SHADOW SILENCE
—will be out on September 27, 2016!

And If you are new to my Otherworld Series, you should know there are eighteen books (a total planned of twenty-one) waiting for you! The first book in Otherworld starts with
WITCHLING
, so if this is your first encounter with the sisters, I invite you to read the
first chapter
on my website if you aren’t sure whether you want to dive into the series. I also invite you to read the rest of my work—you can find the complete bibliography in the
Biography and Book List
section.

Biography:

New York Times
,
Publishers Weekly
, and
USA Today
bestselling author Yasmine Galenorn writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance. Best known for the Otherworld Series, she also writes the Whisper Hollow Series, the Fly By Night Series, and the upcoming Fury Unbound Series. She’s also written the Indigo Court Series, the Chintz ‘n China Series, the Bath and Body Series (under the name India Ink), and eight nonfiction metaphysical books. She is the 2011 Career Achievement Award Winner in Urban Fantasy, given by RT Magazine.

Yasmine has been in the Craft since 1980, is a shamanic witch, and describes her life as a blend of teacups and tattoos. She lives in Kirkland WA with her husband Samwise and their cats. Yasmine can be reached via her website at
Galenorn.com
.

Books by Yasmine Galenorn:

Fury Unbound Series:

Fury Rising
(June 2016)

Fury Magic
(October 2016)

Fury Awakened
(April 2016)

Lily Bound Series (in order):

Souljacker

Whisper Hollow Series (in order):

Autumn Thorns

Shadow Silence
(September 2016)

Fly By Night Series (in order):

Flight from Death