Eternal Fire: A New Adult Urban Fantasy Series (The Urban Fae Series Book 2) Read online

  Eternal Fire

  The Urban Fae Series Book 2

  R.L. Wilson

  Copyright © 2020 by R.L. Wilson

  All rights reserved.

  No parts of this book reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronically or mechanically, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from the publisher. This is a work of fiction names characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the authors imagination or used in a fictious manner. Any resemblance to actual person living or dead or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

  Cover Designer: Gombar Sonja

  Editing: Theresa Schultz

  Proof Reader: Cassie Hess-Dean

  Formatting: R.L. Wilson

  R.L.Wilson Eternal Fire, The Urban Fae Series, Book Two, April 2020

  ASIN: BO838MMLR2

  R. L.Wilson/Exquisite Novelty Publishing LLC

  Email: [email protected]

  Website: rlwilsonauthor.com

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  Acknowledgments

  Blurb

  Prologue

  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

  Sneak Peek of Eternal Shadow

  Also by R.L. Wilson

  Acknowledgments

  Thank you for purchasing Eternal Fire

  Thank you to all my supporters, friends, Arc group, and beta readers for encouraging me, even on the days when I wanted to throw the towel in.

  Special thanks to Kelly your mentorship is invaluable. You kept me motivated, gave me advice, and never asked for anything in return. The world needs more people like you.

  Special thanks to my husband and kids who stayed up late listening to my ideas and being alpha readers. I hope to make you guys proud of me. Last but not Least I have to thank God for giving me the strength and the courage to keep striving. R.L.Wilson

  Blurb

  Voodoo is child’s play. The real game begins with the devil in New Orleans.

  I thought I was done with my dark past.

  Turns out I’m wrong.

  I’m destined to be in the middle of chaos.

  An unexpected call from my mother, saying the devil was outside her window, changed my path to a darker one.

  She’s gone missing, and the closer I get to achieving my mission of finding her, the closer to destruction I get. Because I’m willing to risk everything to bring Momma home.

  Forced to use magic beyond my wildest dreams, it could be the death of me, and everyone around me.

  It’s time we take the devil down once and for all. If we don’t, everything around us will crumble—even this city. For the sake of life, love, and loyalty to those I care for, I’m ready to stand against any enemy. Even the devil himself.

  Fans of Ilona Andrews will love the action-packed magical adventure of Eternal Fire.

  Scroll up and take ONE CLICK to start this magical journey.

  Prologue

  The thick smoke consumes my lungs. I cough and sit upright in bed. Within minutes, I won’t be able to breath and my entire existence will crumble to ash. The echoing screams from Morgan bounce off the walls. I can’t view anything but the flames dancing around the trim of my door and the thick smoke clouding my space. Is this the way it’s going to end?

  I don’t fear death, but I’m certainly not ready now. I’ve done a lot, yet not enough. Tears race down my face as my heartbeat thuds violently. A gut-wrenching scream travels through my soul and exits my mouth. Unable to withhold my fear, I let it out. There is no chance of me getting to Morgan or even saving myself.

  In a moment of despair, I lower myself to the floor hoping to breathe better. Staring at the door, I pray someone breaks through the flames and rescues me. I glance at the window; I’ll make a run for it. We’re on the first floor.

  Shit, what about Morgan? Scraping my feet against the floor, I crawl toward the window. Sweat licks my face, my breathing rapid.

  Holding my breath, I kneel underneath the window and try prying it open. I tug and tug and cry harder. The window is stuck and I can’t peek through, the smoke’s too thick. Concentrate, Harmony, I say to myself. Panting to catch my breath, I collapse to the floor. That’s when I get a potent scent of gasoline laced with a burnt wood aroma.

  Who the hell would pour gasoline around the house? Prentiss is the first name swirling in my mind. I bang my hand against the hardwood floors. Morgan’s screams have ceased. Pain stabs at my chest as the heat from the flames pricks my skin. This is the end; there’s nothing I can do.

  When a glaring light shines through the cracks in the door, I squint, trying to get a better view. I observe Momma floating within the smoke in front of me. She is angelic and fluorescent. It’s as if she is part of the smoke, bringing light to the dark. A faint smile is upon her face, and peace radiates from her being. Everything will be fine, I assume. I extend my hand to Momma.

  A tap on my shoulder snatches my attention away from her. I turn to find a smiling Kato.

  “I’m here to save you,” he says.

  “Momma’s here to protect me. Help Morgan—she needs you,” I urge.

  The smile slides from his face and he shakes his head. He doesn’t bother speaking another word. But his innocent presence is now gloomy.

  I twist back to Momma; the light gracing her face is fading. She’s fading, but a darkness curses her face. A sinister smirk exposes itself on Momma’s face, as if she is possessed. The fire bounces off the door attaching itself to Momma. She fades more while the fire is consuming her.

  “No, Momma, come back!” I scream. My hand is still extended, reaching for her.

  But her existence continues to fade as if the fire is melting her. Within seconds, all that stands before me is a cloud of smoke. The darkness has overtaken Momma.

  Swiftly, I twist back toward Kato but he’s gone. Who will save me now? I guess I have to save myself. I have to bust the window—it’s the only way out.

  I hold my breath and stand, feeling for the latch. When a large hand lands on top of my right hand, I tremble as I glare at it. Uncontrollable coughs escape my mouth. While keeping my attention on the hand, I note a gold watch shining through the smoke. Judging by the expensive piece of jewelry, it’s Prentiss.

  I gasp as my eyes snap open. My sheets are wet from the night sweat. My feet tangle in the thick comforter. I sigh and wipe my forehead. Damn, what a nightmare.

  Chapter 1

  I cringe and pause while glaring at my tattoo. It isn’t the neon color or squiggly lines making me pause. Not only has it stopped growing, but it’s receding. Does this mean I’m a bad person? I haven’t healed anyone in two months. I need to maintain balance if I want to stay alive. I just want to exist and be happy, not worry about death.

  “Harmony? Harmony, wake up. Room six has the call light on. Did you put him on
the toilet?” Janet asks.

  “Maybe I did.” I let out a huff. I hate being a nurse’s assistant. I blow the hair out of my face then spring to my feet, dropping my favorite green mug full of coffee to the floor. My face becomes warm with embarrassment and anger. Dad gave me the mug when I was twelve; it’s my favorite, one of the few things I have to remember him. And I shattered it into a million pieces. So much for keepsakes.

  Down the hall, I zipped over candescent floor tiles. The hall is long and narrow and the walls are brick, like a psych ward. This is supposed to be luxury living for the elderly. It’s far from luxurious. We run out of soap. Sometimes toilet tissue. But most of the residents have little to no family contact, or they wouldn’t be here.

  I get close to room six and I’m nearly knocked down from the strong scent of urine. Mr. Franklin needs more water in his diet. The stench is so strong, it can blow the eyebrows off your face. He always requests a can of beer, and sometimes he gets it.

  I’m never going to a retirement home. This supernatural retirement home is full of witches mostly, some shifters, vampires, and elves. The difference between here and the streets is they all get along. They’re all supernatural. But on the street the elves and witches have had issues lately.

  Two young girls walk past. One says to the other, “There she is, I told you she worked here.” They giggle and continue walking. I should slap one of them with these latex gloves I carry. Kids make fun of the aides. I’ve heard the saying nursing assistants are certified ass-cleaners. This isn’t a career for me. It’s just a job until I find something better.

  “Mr. Franklin, I’m sorry. I will help you off the toilet.” He is a mean, old, grumpy shifter with six children, none of whom come to visit him often. Maybe he ran them off with his nasty attitude.

  “I’ve been sitting here for at least fifteen minutes,” he growls. I pop on my gloves and help him to his feet and pull up his underwear. The flickering light shines on his bald head and highlights his wrinkled skin. He is in his eighties. At first glimpse, you would swear he’s sixty. He’s fortunate enough he only needs a walker. And he still has teeth. He has pictures of himself when he was younger, in the army. He was handsome. I guess he was quite the ladies’ wolf, since he’s been married four times.

  “Get someone to fix this light,” he growls.

  “Sure thing.” I follow him while he walks like a turtle to the bed using his walker. I get him into bed and hurry out before he needs something else. He expects the nurse’s aides to be at his beck and call. I stare at the blinking light for a few seconds and it stops.

  On my way back to the nurse’s station, the squeaky voice of Ms. Tillman interrupts my progress. “Nurse,” she calls like a bee buzzing in my ear. She calls everyone nurse. I love Ms. Tillman—she is cute and funny and she always has a big smile. I walk in her room every morning, for her good energy and big smile. Unlike some, she appreciates the hard work you put in here.

  “One second, Ms. Tillman,” I yell as I continue to the nurse’s station.

  It’s days like this I miss Burger King. Some of these residents are brutal. Just another day at the Paranormal Bridge Nursing Home. There is nothing glamorous about this place. The residents are grumpy, the staff is lazy, and let’s not start on the nurses.

  Once I get back to the nurse’s station, I have to clean up the coffee and my shattered mug. Hopefully, I didn’t piss off Robin, the nurse. She’s an evil bitch most of the time. She is a witch from the Hasty coven. They don’t like paranormals from Silver City, especially witches. I pick up the shards of the mug, scraping my ring finger. The sting of pain kicks in like a paper cut.

  The ground beneath me rattles as the light becomes dim, overshadowed by Robin and her coffee-colored stockings and swollen ankles. She creeps up on me, quiet as a church mouse.

  “What are you doing? Ms. Tillman is calling,” Robin mutters.

  “I know, I’m getting there. I’m trying to clean this mess.” I continue picking up pieces of my shattered mug.

  “It can wait,” she barks. “The residents always come first.”

  I sigh and hop to my feet with blood dripping from my hand. I know the residents are always first; it’s in the handbook. And common sense. But I have to take care of my hand or I can’t help anyone else.

  She takes a deep breath. “What have you done now?” she asks while rolling her eyes.

  She gets on my last nerve. If I didn’t need this job, I would tell her about herself. She’s one of those nurses who get a kick out of picking on the aides. She has the right one today. I have a lot of patience, but it’s getting thin with Robin.

  “I’m going to clean my hand and then go to Ms. Tillman’s room.” I hurry to the sink and run cold water on my hand. The blood pools in the sink before drifting down the drain. Once the bleeding ceases, I put a Band-Aid on my ring finger.

  I storm out of the nurse’s station, slamming the door behind me. Robin is bitter and grumpy. She runs this place like a military unit. I hate working with her. And I’m sure she hates working with me. Janet is nicer, but she spends a lot of time in her office away from Robin. She is as mean as a rattlesnake to everybody, not just me. But it is hard not to take it personally.

  Since Morgan and I kept the apartment, the rent is much more expensive, so I had to get a better job. But the position of a nurse’s aide is a death sentence. This job is too demanding for the peanuts they pay.

  “My life is fucking miserable. It’s ruined.” I scan our huge apartment, which is luxurious, but it doesn’t make me any happier. I cover my face with my hands and lean back on the couch. I peek through my fingers at Morgan while she stands there with a sneer.

  “No, it’s not ruined, Harmony. You’ve done something no one else has been able to. You got rid of the asshole we call Prentiss.” She grins while twirling around the living room.

  “Yes, but my Momma moved, our rent is high as hell, not to mention I HAVE THE WORST DAMN JOB!” I shouted.

  “I know what you need. I’ll make your favorite, a margarita,” Morgan says.

  With this headache, I’m going to need three margaritas and a shot of Hennessy.

  I snuggle under my rainbow blanket and close my heavy eyes. I want to enjoy the warm weather, but I’m tired. It’s too hard to stay awake after standing on my feet at the nursing home for ten hours.

  The summer is ending, and Morgan wants to get a tan before autumn. But it’s not going to happen today. I don’t like sunbathing or the heat. My enjoyment comes from being in the house, watching reality TV.

  To say I’m happy Prentiss disappeared is an understatement. The streets are safer, the paranormal community is happy, but my life is falling apart around me. I’m lost and there’s nothing I can do about it. Momma leaving me to navigate my magic and the world around me is devastating. I have Morgan, but she’s not a blood relative.

  Morgan and I are very different because she uses alcohol and marijuana to solve all her problems. For me, alcohol only makes things worse. The morning after drinking, I always get sick and queasy. I can’t afford to miss a day at this new job. I might get fired…might not be a bad thing. I guess I’ll go back to Burger King if push comes to shove. We would have to downsize some things. But it’s possible.

  As soon as I drift off to sleep, there’s a pounding at the door. My eyes pop open. I’m always on alert when someone knocks on the door. It means they got past the locked gate without ringing the doorbell. I rise to my feet and peer left toward the kitchen. Morgan is standing in the doorway holding her chest. Her breathing becomes more intense, and she looks like she’s seen a ghost.

  “Who is it?” she whispers.

  I shrug and shake my head. I’m nervous but not terrified. Worst case scenario, I hit them with a blast of magic. I stretch and yawn before walking to the door. I slip the chain on the door in case it’s someone I don’t want to see.

  I crack the door and gasp at the person standing before me.

  Chapter 2

&
nbsp; “Well, look who’s gracing me with his presence.”

  Kato stands at the door grinning. “Aren’t you going to let me in?” he asks.

  I have to contemplate it for a while, since he’s ghosted me for the past two months. I slide the chain and open the door. He’s still fine and gives me butterflies in the pit of my stomach. The bruises and scrapes which covered his face after the beating have all vanished. His face is clear, like the black eye and busted lip never existed.

  I step aside while glaring. I have to fight back a smile at the sight of him. I’m upset but excited he’s here. The scent of his cologne takes me back to the first time I met him. I sat across from him in the diner, assuming he was completely insane. But looking at his fine ass now makes my heart stop.

  “Have a seat. How did you get in the gate?”

  He eyes me from head to toe then laughs. “That little lock? Come on, you know me better.” He strolls in, then plops down on our new leather sofa and runs his hand across the smooth texture.

  “You and Morgan came into some money?” He glances around, narrowing his gaze on the gold-trimmed chandelier.

  “The new management company installed the chandelier,” I laughed.

  My new job doesn't pay great, but the extra money I make goes to the extra rent this apartment costs. If they keep pissing me off, we’ll be back in the shack we left. ’Cause I’ll give the nursing home my resignation letter.

  He’s different. His clothes match, and he smells amazing. I could lie up against his chest in the comfort of his arms forever. His hair is neat and pulled back off his face. He even got a manicure. Is he trying to impress me? If so, mission accomplished. I’m getting warm sensations in private places.