Cross Keys: Unity Read online

  Table of Contents

  Cover

  Table of Contents

  Acclaim for Ally Shields

  Look for these titles from Ally Shields

  Title Page

  Copyright Warning

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  About the Author

  Also by Ally Shields

  More Fantasy from Etopia Press

  Acclaim for Ally Shields

  Praise for Cross Keys

  “If you like action, romance, elves, and magic you will like this story.”

  —Paranormal Romance Guild.

  “...you won’t want to stop reading. Shields has created the perfect blend between our realm of the world and the one known as Elvenrude. Her writing is flawless. Her character building is near perfect. She creates a blend between the characters and their scenes that make it near impossible not to believe. I am highly impressed with this book and author.”

  —CDyess Writes

  “There’s more than enough intrigue and danger, with just the right amount of romance sprinkled in. This is a novel I seriously read in one sitting, it was that good. I am eagerly anticipating the next books in the series, as they are fantastic!”

  —Night Owl Reviews

  “A great storyline and adventure. You will love this book.”

  —5 stars The Book Junkie

  Praise for Cross Keys: Revelation

  “This was a well-written fast-paced story that has all the elements of love, romance, family, and loyalty to them and friendship, danger and self discovery. A wonderful story that keeps you intrigued to the end.”

  —Books Are Love

  “Everything flows so well and the plot line and twists kept me turning the pages! I love how nothing comes easy for any character. They all have real life struggles and after that ending, I’m seriously wanting book three! Gimme! 5 MAGICAL PAWS!”

  —Happy Tails and Tales

  For the Guardian Witch series

  “Vampires, werewolves, and witches oh my! In a journey through a magical world...a witch named Arianna will have you lost under her spell.”

  —I Heart Books

  “Ally had me hooked from the very beginning and, just when I thought things couldn’t get any more intense, she kicked it up a notch! It was one hell of a journey and I loved every moment of it.”

  —Mean Who You Are Blog

  “I said it before and I will say it again, I love this series... As with all the other books in the series, this book has romance, lies, deceit, secrets and some very interesting surprises. If you love a good paranormal series, one that leaves you satisfied after each book then don’t miss this one.”

  —Paranormal Romance Guild

  Look for these titles from Ally Shields

  Now Available

  The Guardian Witch Series

  Awakening the Fire (Book 1)

  Fire Within (Book 2)

  Burning Both Ends (Book 3)

  Blood and Fire (Book 4)

  Fire Storm (Book 5)

  Wild Fire (Book 6)

  Eternal Fires (Book 7)

  “Heart’s Pride” Valentines Heat I

  Elvenrude Novels

  Cross Keys (Book One)

  Cross Keys: Revelations (Book Two)

  Cross Keys: Unity (Book Three)

  In Print

  Awakening the Fire (Book 1)

  Fire Within (Book 2)

  Burning Both Ends (Book 3)

  Blood and Fire (Book 4)

  Fire Storm (Book 5)

  Wild Fire (Book 6)

  Eternal Fires (Book 7)

  Cross Keys

  Cross Keys: Unity

  Elvenrude Book III

  Ally Shields

  Etopia Press

  Copyright Warning

  EBooks are not transferable. They cannot be sold, shared, or given away. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is a crime punishable by law. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded to or downloaded from file sharing sites, or distributed in any other way via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000 (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/).

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are fictitious or have been used fictitiously, and are not to be construed as real in any way. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales, or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  Published By

  Etopia Press

  1643 Warwick Ave., #124

  Warwick, RI 02889

  http://www.etopiapress.com

  Cross Keys: Unity

  Copyright © 2015 by Ally Shields

  ISBN: 978-1-944138-34-9

  All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  First Etopia Press electronic publication: December 2015

  DEDICATION

  This book is for my granddaughter, Stephanie.

  As always, I’m deeply indebted to my family, friends, readers, publisher, and my critique partner, Kath Boyd Marsh. Thank you for believing in my characters.

  Disclaimer: Any scenes involving known museums and monuments or their security procedures are purely my imagination and bear no resemblance to actual events or the people and procedures that guard these treasures.

  CHAPTER ONE

  The early December wind caught the hood of her elven cape, whipping her hair loose. Kam captured her dark locks in one hand, tied them with a thin, black scarf, and pulled the woolen hood back into place. She glanced over her shoulder and wrapped the cloak more securely around her slender figure. The village streets stood deserted, as folks settled in their homes for supper and a snug evening out of Elvenrude’s chill night air. The scent of wood smoke drifted from chimneys. The yellow warmth of the alehouse’s lanterns was only a few feet away.

  She took a deep breath, opened the heavy oak door of Keiley’s Pub, and stepped inside. The smell of ale and mead was strong, the lights dim. A few couples talked quietly. The merriment from other groups seemed measured by the number of empty ale mugs on the table.

  Keeping her head down, Kam edged her way to a rear table. Her arms prickled with nervous energy, but her entry stirred little interest. The drab disguise made her inconspicuous, just another villager ending a long work day with a pint of brew—or in her case, hot berry wine.

  Kam’s eyes itched, and she resisted the urge to rub them. She’d bought a pair of brown contacts in New Orleans two weeks ago—as soon as Captain Brunic proposed this assignment. Her dark hair might have passed casual scrutiny, but not the intense blue eyes. They were distinctive to
her aristocratic Ryndel family and made blending into the pub’s clientele of commoners and crossbreeds problematic. She’d put the lenses in before coming through the magic portal this evening from her current home in New Orleans.

  A barmaid took her order, returned with her drink, and Kam leaned back to watch and listen to the tavern gossip. Two tables were of particular interest. A group of three auburn-haired male elves near the front conversed in low tones. Their hair and dark eyes identified them as crossbreeds or duchaen as they were calling themselves now. The name derived from an ancient Elfish word meaning birthright, a reference to their struggle for equality.

  Her attention was drawn by raised voices from the second table much closer to her. An interesting mixture of companions, and at least one of them had indulged in too much ale, his voice a little louder, less controlled. She leaned forward, took a sip of her drink, and strained to hear their conversation.

  “No offense. But I’m not sure I want to get involved with the duchaen.” The speaker was a pale-haired man, a common laborer, with his back to her. “Things aren’t that bad for us. What are you planning?”

  Her hand tightened on the mug, waiting for the answer. This might be a lead to the violent core within the rebellion.

  “Keep your voice down.” The harsh whisper came from a crossbreed seated directly opposite. His dark eyes held disdain as he hunched over his drink, his brown hair falling forward to partially hide his features. “We can’t discuss it here. If you’re interested, I’ll let you know about the next meeting.” He brushed his hair back and raised his voice to order another pint of ale.

  Kam peeked from under her hood at the rest of the room. Other patrons had quickly returned to their own conversations, losing interest in the interruption or possibly wanting to distance themselves from such controversial talk. She checked out the other two men at the table. Commoners. They normally would spurn the crossbreed’s company. The offspring of socially forbidden matings between the dark-haired Elite class and the blond common elves were shunned by both established classes in Elvenrude. Or had been until recently. Acceptance had grown over recent months, but not enough to make the group unremarkable. The fact other patrons weren’t staring proved she was in the right establishment, a regular haunt for members of the duchaen rebellion. And the recent rumors appeared to be correct—they were recruiting commoners to their cause.

  Less than ten minutes later, the crossbreed picked up his jacket, and she quickly slipped outside ahead of him and waited in the shadows, prepared to follow. To her surprise, he untied a horse from the rail and swung onto its back.

  The pub door opened. “Hey, Kurzi, you forgot this.” One of his table companions handed him a woolen scarf. “You’ll want it against that nippy wind.”

  “Thanks.” The horseman wrapped the scarf one turn around his neck, reined his mount to the left, and rode toward the edge of town; the other man went back inside.

  Kurzi. She had his name. One hand on her hip, Kam stared after him. He had more resources than expected. At least enough to own or have access to a horse. She couldn’t follow—far too conspicuous on horseback—but the night wasn’t wasted, and she smiled in satisfaction. Her week of surveillance had paid off. She could give Captain Brunic three good descriptions, and the name of one man who appeared deeply tied to the rebellion.

  A few minutes later, Kam found the head of the King’s Guard at the palace, a magnificent, ancient structure of marble floors and tall spires that towered above the supporting live oak trees. Captain Brunic’s office was on the ground floor.

  He looked up, his weathered face barely showing his age, more than twice her twenty-eight years but still young by elven standards. He stood eagerly. “That grin says you’ve finally learned something, lieutenant.”

  “We got a break, I hope.” She reported what she’d overheard at the pub and described the men. “This Kurzi could be one of the rebel leaders. He spoke with authority, even arrogance.” Unusual among the crossbreeds. Most of the mixed race population preferred to stay in the shadows, but perhaps he’d inherited his more aggressive personality from the unknown Elite elf who’d fathered then abandoned him.

  “Kurzi, huh? I wonder if he was one of Jermon’s men.” Brunic sat down and motioned her to a chair. “I don’t know him. But he’ll be found and kept under surveillance. If we can break up these meetings, catch and jail the traitors, it’ll finally put an end to the rebellion.”

  Kam frowned. Surely Brunic didn’t believe it would be that easy. They’d have to do more than disrupt a few gatherings. And when did Elvenrude start locking up everyone? Wouldn’t that fuel the resentment? The escaped renegade, Jermon Lormarc, may have stirred the pot of discontent with his own evil schemes, but the underlying hunger for equality had grown unnoticed for years, maybe decades. Everyone wanted a chance at a better life.

  “I hoped the unrest would end when Lormarc left Elvenrude. Out of sight, out of mind.” Brunic suddenly looked at her. “You don’t think he’s still alive and has come back, do you?”

  “He’s not on this side of the portal,” she said with confidence. Kam’s original assignment in the human world had been to the New Orleans’ Antiquities Acquisitions office, but last summer her duties were expanded to include supervision of the portal guards at both Cityside trade guilds. She trusted her officers to be thorough. “Even if he used invisibility magic, they would have noticed the portals open and close during a transport. And both portals have been set to warn of any attempted access by Jermon’s cross key.” She traced the crossbow tattoo on the palm of her hand that allowed portal entrée and shook her head. “I guarantee he isn’t here. In fact, it’s been over three months without a sighting since the New Orleans’ explosion. There’s no proof he survived.”

  Brunic gave her a shrewd look. “But you’re not sure he’s dead. It’s in your voice.” His mouth pressed into a hard line. “Neither am I.”

  She shrugged. Jermon Lormarc was a vicious yet clever man. He’d attempted to take over Elvenrude with a violent revolution, defying the gods and breaking the enchantment that had protected their magical world from the outside. He’d been caught and imprisoned, but a few months ago, a rogue band of moon elves helped him escape into New Orleans, and they’d last been seen in a gangland headquarters just moments before it exploded. It burned to the ground in an all-consuming fire. He should be dead. But shoulds didn’t always apply to Jermon.

  After leaving Brunic’s office, Kam walked through the cluster of homes that surrounded the palace and climbed the swinging wood and hemp walkway that led to her parents’ tree house residence in Brierwood. She picked up the package she’d purchased earlier in the village market, then took the guild portal back to the New Orleans’ wharf.

  The port authority guards waved her through the iron gate, and she cut down Decatur Street. The smell of food wafting into the narrow streets of the historic French Quarter reminded her it was well past the dinner hour, and she made one stop before reaching the condo she shared with her mate Seth Lormarc. Once she changed into jeans and combed the tangles from her hair, she sat on the edge of the bed to open the package.

  The ornate, silver and emerald clasp was just as beautiful as she’d thought in the elven craftsman’s shop. Kam held it against her lips for a soft kiss, then returned it to the box. The emeralds twinkled in the light, and her mouth curved, thinking how spectacular it would look on Seth’s dark forest-green, ceremonial cape. It was a perfect engagement gift, since he’d be wearing the cape at their wedding next year.

  She crouched and hid the small box under the bed. He’d be home from the guild meeting soon, and she didn’t want to ruin the surprise. The Winter Solstice celebration was less than two weeks away. She could keep the clasp a secret until then, couldn’t she?

  The ding of the house portal sent her scurrying from the bedroom. By the time Seth found her, she was leaning against the kitchen counter with a glass of red wine.

  He gave her that slow smile, his
green eyes bold with promise. Her heart turned over, as it had every day since they’d met, and, eager for his touch, she set her wineglass on the counter. Kam lifted a hand to run through his black, unruly locks and met his kiss with a hunger of her own.

  When he lifted his head, his mouth curved into a grin. “I love finding you here at the end of the day.” He smoothed her hair and planted a second kiss on the tip of her nose. “Now if you were only barefoot and pregnant.”

  “Don’t even joke about it.” She widened her eyes in mock horror. “My parents are ignoring our cohabitation, but a pregnancy would have my father on our doorstep with a priestess.”

  “As he should.” He looked into her eyes. “Maybe we shouldn’t wait.”

  Her mouth dropped open. “For a child?”

  “Well, that wasn’t what I had in mind, but why not?” He laughed then. “OK, we should start by announcing the engagement. Why wait for the solstice? Most members of both clans will be pleased.”

  “That’s why we’re making the big announcement so public. It’s symbolic. Remember? This was your idea. To formalize the end of the Ryndel-Lormarc feud.”

  He tightened his arms possessively. “I didn’t realize how impatient I’d be.”

  Kam snuggled against the warmth of his chest. So was she. To be bonded to this incredible man was right up there next to waking in his arms. “I bought your gift today.”

  He chuckled. “And it’s a secret. You’re trying to tempt me, but for once, I don’t want to know. I wouldn’t risk giving the fairies an excuse to jinx our future.” He picked up her wineglass and took a sip. “Hmm, that’s good. Is this dinner?”

  “Part of it,” she said, taking a second glass from the cabinets. “Since we’re eating so late, I used my extraordinary culinary skills and picked up Italian on the way home. It’s warming in the oven.”