Ascendant (Between Two Realms Book 2) Read online

  Between Two Realms

  Ascendant

  Amber Flora

  © 2016 by Amber Flora

  @AmberFlora1

  Authoraflora.com

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Publishers Note

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Acknowledgments

  To my husband, everyday I’m grateful for you coming into my life. You are truly my best friend and your encouragement and support makes it possible for me to live my dream.

  A huge thanks to my editor Marette. You really help bring the story to life.

  Last but not least, to my family. Thank you for being my cheerleaders and focus group. A special shout out to Nikki and Alicia for always listening to me talk through my thoughts.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Epilogue

  Chapter 1

  Fate can strike like an invisible hand. It can lead you down a path that you have no choice but to follow. If you’re lucky you will end up exactly where you belong, but sometimes, on those rare occasions, fate takes a detour and you're left vulnerable to your own choices.

  Living with Damon is a lot like I envision prison to be. I get three meals a day and books to read and if I’m on my very best behavior, I get to walk the grounds for a couple of hours a day. It had just been a week since he took me from his castle in Scotland to a countryside estate in Finland, but it felt like a lifetime. I was counting down each day left of my incarceration like a death sentence. Two weeks until my agreement would need to be upheld. I had sold my soul to the devil. Damon had released Mac on the agreement that in a month’s time we would consummate in an attempt to bare him a child. He seemed pretty certain I was going to provide him with a son that would somehow overthrow the realms and demolish the races. I wasn’t keen on the idea of being the mother of destruction, but for now I just had to survive. What little magic I had learned from my grandmother before being captured was no use under these walls. I couldn’t even dream anymore, which left me feeling on edge and somewhat incomplete. The magic that coursed through Damon’s veins was strong and kept any abilities I possessed at bay. I still didn’t know if Cody had survived the attack by Damon’s men when they captured me. When I last saw him, he was lying in a pool of his own blood after trying to rescue me. I just prayed that somehow he made it out of there alive and both he and Mac were somewhere safe. I missed them like crazy. I would give anything to hear Mac’s Irish charm and Cody’s lectures on how reckless I was being, but I prayed they wouldn’t come for me. Damon was too powerful and he had an entire army protecting him. That didn’t prevent me from imaging how wonderful it would be to see them again, to sit on the couch and watch a movie like we use to do. That also made me think of Lori, my human friend who had no knowledge of dreamwalkers or hidden realms. I wondered if she was out there searching for me. The cops couldn’t do anything. Even if they did manage to find me here — in the middle of nowhere and so far from home — Damon would kill them and whisk me away to another realm, where the humans could never find us. The realization of my predicament hit me like a burst of cold air. No one could save me. If I wanted out I could only rely on myself.

  I sat at the dinner table across from Damon, picking at the potato on my plate.

  “Where is your appetite, my dear?”

  With my freedom, I thought.

  “I’m trying to diet,” I said, trying to give my best fake smile.

  “You don’t need to diet. Hardy women have less complicated births.”

  Was this guy seriously telling me to fatten up so I could birth his spawn more easily? Oh, I hated this man.

  “Could we please discuss something other than my wide hips?” I didn’t want to talk to him at all, especially not about my figure.

  Damon looked across the table, drinking me in with his eyes.

  “Your hips are perfect.”

  I shivered at his inappropriate words.

  The door to the dining room swung open to reveal a tall man whose black hair was wispy on the sides and tapered down to his neck. As he stepped closer I noticed he had blueish, almost-gray eyes. The way they lit up and complimented his rough jawline was breathtaking. His shoulders were taut, but he had a slim yet muscular build. He wore a plain black shirt that clung to his solid form, a black leather jacket and jeans. He walked as though he had not a care in the world and never once made eye contact as he pulled up a chair across from me. He leaned back in the chair and wrapped his arms behind his head. The mysterious man’s smug demeanor reminded me of a rock star. I began to wonder if I should be asking for his autograph.

  “Ah, Herrick, thank you for coming on such short notice,” Damon said with a smile. He didn’t attempt to fill me in on our unexpected guest.

  “You piqued my curiosity. I can’t say how long I intend to stay, but the knowledge of you possessing another impure intrigued me” Herrick said. He had a hint of a British accent.

  “I am not his possession,” I interjected, glaring at him.

  “Apologies, your majesty, would concubine be a more appropriate term?”

  Who the hell was this guy? I decided if I stayed in this room a moment longer I would have no control over my hands and would reach over to strangle his little neck. I rose from the table, but Damon grabbed my arm, pulling me back down.

  “You are a guest here, Herrick. Please try to refrain from agitating my companion.”

  I didn’t like the terms either of the men used to describe me, but unfortunately retaliation wasn’t in the cards.

  “Ashtyn, this is Herrick. He will be your instructor.”

  I raised a brow, looking at the odd man across from me.

  Was I going to learn to play the drums? I’m not really sure how that would help anyone, I don’t have a stitch of musical talent. Damon could read the confusion on my face and spoke up. “Herrick is a master fighter. He has instructed most of the new recruits in the art of sword fighting. He is going to teach you how to defend yourself.”

  My jaw dropped open as his words sunk in. I tried to contain my surprise, but it was impossible. I was elated. Damon was going to let me learn how to fight?

  “Don’t get too excited, Miss Lane. It would take a lot more than you learning a few tricks to overcome me. However, I am not a rash man. I know others may want to obtain you for their own agenda. Learning to defend yourself may be useful one day. Consider this an investment on my assets,” he said, smiling at me as if he were reading my thoughts.

  I thought about what this could mean for me. I wasn’t dumb enough to think I could overpower Damon, but maybe it would be possible to get good enough to catch him off-guard. He was wrong about one thing: I was going to learn more than a few tricks. I was going to be the best student imaginable. I would l
earn everything Herrick would be willing to teach me and when the time was right I would find a way to win my freedom. After the revelation of hope I regained my appetite and devoured my steak. Herrick didn’t eat. Instead he just sat there staring at me like I was a two-horned unicorn. He was a man of few words; he only responded to Damon’s questions and kept a disengaged demeanor. What race was he? I guessed by his gray eyes that he was not human, but there was no way to know for sure.

  “Where are you from, Herrick?” I asked, stabbing my steak with voracity.

  “Here and there. My skills are quite the commodity.”

  I shoved the steak in my mouth and chewed loudly.

  “Is your arrogance free of charge?” I asked with a full mouth.

  He gave me a disgusted look and Damon laughed, handing me a napkin.

  “It is, but I’m afraid I charge extra for table manners.”

  “Oh yeah? Question: Do you like seafood?”

  Damon snapped his neck to scold me.

  “Ashtyn, you are not a child. Please do not act as such.”

  Herrick pulled a sucker from his pocket, unwrapped it and placed it in his mouth.

  “I think you overestimate her, Damon, She looks every bit the rug rat.”

  I was having an increasingly difficult time maintaining my composure. Why do all the men in my life feel it is their duty to treat me like a wayward soul? So I lack table manners, big deal. Perhaps if I inherited the immortal side of dreamwalkers I would have hundreds of years to perfect my eating skills. Although the recent bags under my eyes made me guess the aging process was not slowing down for this girl.

  “May I be excused?” I asked, looking up at Damon with puppy dog eyes.

  “Why, do you have plans?” he smirked.

  I did have plans. I planned to leave this place at the first opportunity, but I was fairly certain that wasn’t what he wanted to hear.

  “I want to take a bath and go to bed.”

  He nodded and I bolted out of the room before he had the chance to change his mind.

  I sat on the bed in my room brushing the tangles out of my wet hair and trying to figure our new guest out. Herrick was a difficult guy to peg. His nonchalant attitude was unnerving. Just who the hell was this guy? Was he privy to Damon’s sadistic scheme? Damon obviously trusted him enough to let him train the Credo. What was with those gray eyes? They were beautiful to look at but also incredibly intimidating. Was he a wizard? I have teal eyes when I visit other realms. It could be a wizard trait, although my father Algon and grandmother Victoria didn’t have unique eyes. Ever since I arrived my eyes hadn’t returned to their normal human brown. I had chalked it up to being homesick. Whenever I got emotionally charged I found myself flashing to magic realm. My opinion is, given my current situation, my mind kept trying to go home but I couldn’t flash anywhere thanks to Damon's magic blockage. I currently didn’t have a course of action to evade the fate Damon had planned for me, but learning to fight would have to prove useful. I looked around my jail cell. It had a Victorian feel to it with its tall white-and-gold poster bed and vanity. The walls were a pale blue with a mural on the back wall of a beautiful summer sky and sunrays beaming down. Even with the beauty of my surroundings I had never felt more alone.

  My bedroom door swung open and Grison strode in. He was a foul creature and Damon’s second-in-command. I had killed his brother the night Damon kidnapped me in an attempt to save Cody. Let’s just say that guy still held a grudge.

  “Get out!” I yelled as I rose to my feet.

  “Getting pretty comfortable with your new digs aren’t you, witch?” he snarled with disdain.

  I clamped my fists together in an attempt to keep calm.

  “If you don’t like me being here you're welcome to return me to where you found me,” I spat in anger.

  “Oh no, I would much rather watch as all hope fades from your mind and your will to live diminishes.”

  He started to advance toward me so I picked up a bottle of perfume and slung it at his head. Grison sidestepped and rushed me, yanking a fist full of my hair.

  “I will watch you die, witch.”

  I wanted to fight him, but I knew it wouldn’t do any good. All it would do is anger him further.

  “Would one of you be so kind as to direct me toward my bedroom?” I heard a voice ask from the door. Grison released me from his hold and we both spun around to see Herrick leaning against the door frame.

  I heard Grison mumble a curse before he gave me a death stare and stalked out of the room.

  “His hatred for you is strong,” Herrick said, not moving from his position.

  I snorted. “Thanks, I couldn’t have figured that one out on my own.”

  He pulled another sucker out of his pocket and began unwrapping it.

  “I’ll show you the other guest bedroom.”

  I walked past him into the hallway, not turning around to confirm he was following. His eyes made it difficult to look at him directly; they were unnerving. Was that what people thought when they saw mine?

  “You sleep?”

  I knew dreamwalkers and vampires didn’t sleep, so if I could get him to answer my question it might narrow down exactly what race he actually was.

  “Regardless if I sleep or not a bedroom offers more privacy than the open areas of the house. Wouldn’t you agree?” he answered from behind me.

  Not for me. Grison and Damon had a tendency to stroll into my bedroom unannounced whenever they felt like it. Damon wasn’t as touchy as Grison; that was the only good thing I could say about the guy, if you could mark that as a plus. Grison on the other hand took every opportunity to remind me just how much he hated me. He never left visible marks, although I wasn’t so sure Damon would even care as long as he kept my ovaries intact. I tried to fight him off a couple times, but it just made the situation worse. If Herrick kept good on his word and taught me to fight, the first thing I would do with my newfound knowledge is to exact revenge on my abuser.

  “Good luck getting privacy in this house,” I snickered.

  “I don’t think they are too concerned with my affairs. It’s you that seems to get everyone’s emotions in a whirlwind.”

  I opened the door to the only other guest bedroom I knew had an actual bed in it and motioned to Herrick.

  “I seem to have that effect on people,” I said with a shrug.

  According to Mac and Cody I had a light inside of me that drew them toward me. Apparently I had the same effect on Grison and Damon, but unfortunately I wanted nothing more than to repel them as much as possible.

  “I’m not so sure you are aware of the extent of their feelings,” he said, looking into the room.

  “I’m not so sure I care,” I retorted.

  He watched me for a moment as if unsure what he should say. It was odd. I couldn’t get a read on him. If he was working for Damon then I could conclude he wasn’t one of the good guys, but he surprisingly didn’t strike me as evil either.

  “It appears you do not. Until tomorrow, Miss Lane. I recommend you get your beauty sleep. You’re going to need it.”

  Chapter 2

  “Dammit, do you have to actually hit me? Couldn’t you just — you know — pretend?”

  I had been sparring with Herrick all morning and I came to the sad realization that I knew squat about fighting. I was, however, amazingly good at being a human punching bag.

  “I barely tapped you. Quit being a baby and come back to the mat.”

  Much to my surprise Damon had a well-equipped training room in the lower level of his estate. It was amply supplied with various weapons —from swords to guns — as well as exercise equipment and a sparring mat. I wanted to run screaming from the room of pain the second my feet stepped inside. Luckily Herrick had been somewhat gentle with me during my first lesson. I had a sneaking suspicion that wouldn’t last long.

  “Can we please take a break? I need to catch my breath.”

  We had been fighting for two hours. That wa
s after the hour of stretching and weightlifting he made me do to build strength and stamina.

  “Soldiers cannot stop to rest on the battlefield,” he huffed in frustration.

  I collapsed onto the floor stretching out my legs.

  “Yeah, well, I’m not a soldier. Have you ever even trained a girl before?”

  If he had I would be shocked. To be honest I was beginning to think he had never even seen a woman before me. He was always watching me with such curiosity that it made my skin crawl. “Do not play the woman card with me. You have the same weapons as a man. This isn’t women’s lib.”

  I looked up at him in agitation.

  “I don’t have any weapons. I’m shorter than most men and have the muscle mass of a slug,” I said, pointing to my scrawny arms for emphasis.

  “Your self-pity burns my nose. You are a toned woman with strong legs and two good arms. You are capable of anything you allow yourself to believe.”

  A small smile crept across my face. “Was that a compliment?”

  He reached out his hand to pull me off the ground. “I do not give compliments, love. That was the truth. Now, drop the pity act and let’s get back to work.”

  I followed him to the mat and took a defensive stance. Herrick ran toward me and I braced myself, planting my feet like he had shown me. When he got close enough, I spun and kicked him hard in the back of his knee, sending him to one leg.

  “Good, you are a quick learner,” he said in his monotone voice.

  I was ready to jump up and down with excitement when he interjected.

  “Warriors do not celebrate such a small feat.”

  “Warriors don’t celebrate,” I mocked in my best English accent.

  His face told me he was imagining ripping my head off but to my surprise he didn’t say a word.