Kissed by Moonlight

Kissed by Moonlight

The Sunwalker Saga, Book Four

Copyright © 2013 Shéa MacLeod

Published by Sunwalker Press

Portland, OR USA

All Rights Reserved

Cover art by Amanda Kelsey

Formatted by PyperPress

The right of Shéa MacLeod to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher

This is a work of fiction. All characters in this book are fictitious and any resemblance to actual persons either living or dead is entirely coincidental.

Dedication

For Lili who enjoys a Grand Adventure.

Acknowledgments

As with all the books in the Sunwalker universe, I try to describe real places as accurately as possible. Sometimes, however, I take a little bit of creative license. For instance, the Shanghai Tunnels are real and you can still tour them today (though there is some debate between historians as to whether or not they were actually used for shanghaiing). The tunnels are not, however, quite as I've described them as I've made them quite a bit more extensive than I believe they are today.

As always, thanks to all those who helped me create this story by brainstorming, beta reading, and generally kicking me in the backside. A giant THANK YOU to my beta readers, critique partners, and editors. This story wouldn't be half what it is without them. Thanks once again to my uncle, Jim, who answered my questions regarding Tribal land and legal procedures. Any errors there are mine.

Prologue

Previously...

I watched in horror as a huge hole opened up in Inigo's chest. Blood spilled down the front of his shirt, soaking his clothing in seconds. He crumpled to the ground.

"No!" I sank to my knees on the cold marble floor, reaching toward the water, but with another wave of the queen's hand, the image went dark. "No, no, no!" I screamed until my throat was raw, pawing at the water as though I could slip through it back to my own world.

"Why?" was all I could get out past the agonizing tightness of my throat. I could barely see the queen for the tears that welled in my eyes and spilled down my cheeks. All I could do was lie on the icy floor as agony burned its way through my chest.

The smile she gave me was so far from human, I could hardly comprehend it. "For the death of a Sidhe, there is always a price, Morgan Bailey."

Chapter 1

My legs had gone to sleep. That was the only thing that saved my life.

One moment I was kneeling on the bitterly cold black marble of the Other World staring at the dark pool of water, willing it to work again. To show me that copse of trees in the high desert where my friends waited. To show me Inigo.

The next, I was collapsing sideways as my legs gave out. Pins and needles shot through me from toes to mid-thigh. As I teetered to the left, a large axe buried itself in the floor beside me with a clang, metal biting into smooth stone. If I hadn't fallen over, it would have been buried in my skull.

"Holy sh... "

My legs mostly useless, I wriggled around the edge of the pool like a snake, the slick marble easing my way. Another clang of metal against stone. I turned to stare at the axe, which had missed my foot by an inch. What kind of metal could damage marble like that? For that matter, how the heck had someone gotten metal into the Other World? The Sidhe hated metal and prevented it from entering their kingdom. My knives never came through with me. The axe couldn't possibly be Earth metal.

I scrambled out of the way as the axe's wielder yanked the weapon free. My brain tried to make sense of what I was seeing, but it was having trouble catching up. The axe-man was huge, at least seven feet tall, and had muscles that would have made The Rock weep with envy. Thick legs were encased in leather pants, and silver-studded leather straps strained across his massive, tattooed chest. But the thing that really caught my attention was that he had the head of a boar.

Not like a cute little pink pig from a farm. A freaking boar with enormous, curved yellow tusks dripping with saliva. Head, neck, and shoulders were covered in grayish brown bristles. He glared at me with hateful red eyes and let out an angry squeal that had my stomach doing panicked flip flops. I had no doubt he intended to kill me.

"Morgana!" I shrieked, praying that, despite what she'd done, the fairy queen would hear me and send help. "Morgana!"

There was no answer. The giant boar man kept coming, swinging that wicked axe, and here I was without a single weapon and no access to my Atlantean powers. For whatever reason, they didn't work on the Other Side.

But you are still a hunter. Act like one.

Wrapping my fingers around the edge of the pool to anchor myself on the slippery marble, I lashed out with both feet, slamming them straight into the creature's right patella. He dropped to the floor with a crash and a pig-like scream, deadly axe skittering across the smooth surface.

I had to get that axe.

I staggered to my feet and charged awkwardly around the pool toward the weapon. My legs were finally working again. Sort of. I still had that funny pins-and-needles tingly feeling and I definitely felt off kilter, but adrenaline lent me speed if not agility.

Close up the axe was enormous. I wrapped one hand around the wooden shaft, which had to be at least double the length and diameter of a normal axe. My fingers barely went all the way around it. The head reminded me of those Viking war axes they always showed in the movies, except it was double-sided and a hell of a lot bigger.

I yanked hard, but the axe didn't move an inch. It was so heavy, I hadn't even managed to shift it. Definitely not Earth metal.

"Holy shit, what is this thing made of?"

Wrapping both hands around the shaft, I tried to lift. This time, I managed to get it off the floor by a whole inch. Even with my extra hunter strength, this baby was going nowhere, and the man boar thing was getting to his feet. I swear I could see puffs of steam coming out of his ears.

So I did the only thing that came to mind. I started dragging the axe across the floor toward the pool. If I couldn't arm myself, I could disarm my opponent. Maybe.

The axe head made a gods-awful shriek against the stone, scratching a deep furrow in the black marble. What the nine hells was this thing made out of? Some kind of Asgard metal? The man boar swiveled his head in my direction, his tiny red pig eyes glaring at me, massive shoulder muscles bunching. He let out a squeal that sent a chill down my spine.

Lowering his head, he charged straight at me so fast I barely had time to drop the axe and dance out of the way. The creature seemed surprised he'd missed as he stumbled to a halt and shook his head. He let out another one of those bone-chilling squeals; clearly, I'd frustrated him.

Not waiting for the next charge, I grabbed the axe again and gave another good heave. Closer this time. I had no idea how deep the pool was, but hopefully deep enough Pig Man couldn't get to it easily. One more heave, and it would be in the water.

Too late. The beast charged again, and this time he didn't make the mistake of giving me time to get out of the way. Instead, he tackled me, grabbed me around the waist and knocked me off my feet.

Fortunately for my spine, the tackle drove me backward before I went down. I braced myself for the marble, but instead I hit water.

I plunged into the fairy pool with Pig Man on top me. Holding my breath as the dark water closed over my head, I waited for the jolt of hitting the bottom, but I just kept sinking.

***

I was falling through cold black water, desperate for a breath of air, and then all I could see was endless blue sky. The icy winter air chilled me to my bones as I drew it in. Then I hit the frozen ground. The air rushed out of my lungs, leaving me struggling to draw my next breath.

With a gasp, I finally sucked air into my lungs. I needed to move before the boar man fell on me, but my arms and legs didn't want to work. I stared up at the cloudless sky and wondered vaguely why the Other World looked just like Earth. And also why I wasn't getting squished by a monster pig man.

Spots danced in my vision, and my skull felt a little tight. I was going to have a gods-awful headache. My clothes were still dry, which I found odd. Shouldn't I be sopping wet?

"Morgan." A face appeared above me, swimming in and out of focus. Short, sun-streaked hair. Ocean blue eyes.

"Jack?" It came out as barely more than a squeak. I hadn't quite gotten my breath back yet.

Another face popped into view. "Oh my goddess, Morgan. Are you okay?"

I squinted, trying to bring Kabita's features into focus. I could make out her warm cinnamon skin and curly black hair, but everything else was blurry still. "Uh, yeah, I think so. You didn't happen to see a man boar?"

Kabita and Jack exchanged glances as if to say 'She's off her rocker again.' The cold was seeping through my clothes, making me shiver, but sitting up was beyond me at the moment.

"Uh, no. Where the hell did you go?" Kabita demanded. "One minute you were here, and the next you vanished into thin air."

I ignored her. I only had one thing on my mind now that pig man was gone. I needed to know what the queen had done. "Inigo. Where's Inigo?"

Another glance passed between them. I could tell by their faces something was very wrong. Not that I needed them to tell me that. I'd seen it for myself, thanks to the fairy queen and that dark pool of water.

She'd flicked her finger, and a hole had opened up in Inigo's chest. I'd been helpless as the man I loved crumpled to the ground, lifeless. And then Morgana, the Queen of the Sidhe, had walked away as if it meant nothing.

"Help me up," I demanded, holding my hand out. Nobody took it. "I said, help me up."

"Morgan, you fell. You could be injured... "

"I didn't ask for your medical opinion, Jack," I snapped. "Help me up, or so help me gods, I will rip you limb from limb."

He helped me up. I doubt it was because he was afraid of me. Jack was about as immortal as they came and a hell of a lot stronger than I'd ever be. But now that I was back on Terra Firma, my abilities had kicked back in, which meant any damage I'd sustained during the fall had probably already healed.

The minute I was on my feet, I realized we were only about a hundred yards away from the copse of juniper trees that had been the final battle ground against the would-be fairy king, Alberich. The same place I'd watched from the Other World as the fae queen took the life of the man I loved.

Kabita laid her hand on my arm. "There's something you should know."

"I already do." And with that, I took off, running across the uneven ground, dodging scraggly sage brush and crushing tumbleweeds under my boots. I darted between the trees and into the center of the copse, where I came to a dead stop.

The man standing there, waiting for me, was hauntingly beautiful. He smelled of chocolate and campfires, and his eyes glittered with gold and mysteries. The smile he gave me was so full of sadness, it broke my heart. What was left of it.

"Drago." It was the only thing I could get out past the tightness in my chest.

"I am so sorry, Morgan."

Then and only then did I break down and cry.

***

He lay crumpled on the ground, skin pale as death. Around him the grass, now dry and brown with winter cold, waved gently in the chilly breeze that rustled the juniper boughs. I wiped away hot tears as I ran to him.

"Oh, Ingo," I whispered, kneeling beside his still form. "I'm so sorry. I couldn't stop her." I brushed a stray lock of dark blond hair away from his forehead. Someone had removed his glasses, or maybe they'd fallen off when he'd... when the queen... Fuck dammit.