The Warlock's Lair: Weapons of the Fae Queen Book 1: Weapons of the Fae Queen #1 Read online

  The Warlock's Lair

  Copyright © 2022 by Taya Rune.

  All rights 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.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Cover Design: Sweet 15 Designs

  For information contact : [email protected]

  ISBN: 978-1-922604-40-8 (ebook)

  ISBN: 978-1-922604-41-5 (paperback)

  ISBN: 978-1-922604-43-9 (audio)

  First Edition: May 2022

  Purple Realm Publishing

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  Contents

  Dedication

  1. Chapter 1

  2. Chapter 2

  3. Chapter 3

  4. Chapter 4

  5. Chapter 5

  6. Chapter 6

  7. Chapter 7

  Romantic Women's Fiction

  Acknowledgments

  About Taya Rune

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  I dedicate this series to the women who serve to keep us safe.

  I see you, and I thank you.

  Chapter 1

  Weapons Master Kirkpatrick laughed as a chair sailed toward his head. He ducked easily and brought his large, heavy broadsword up to parry Jazlynn’s lighter but just as deadly rapier. “A chair?” he scoffed. “Not exactly subtle.” He lunged towards her, his sword attempting to strike her but finding nothing but air. “Good,” he said softly as he spun away from her counterattack.

  Jazlynn didn’t let the compliment go to her head. That good was all she would ever get, and a year ago it would have made her grin with pride. It was astounding how rapidly your life and priorities could pivot in a short amount of time. Her goal over the past year had become less superficial and far more honed in self-awareness and the want to right a wrong. Jazlynn forced her mind to stay focused on the moment; getting caught up in emotion while you were fighting would probably be the death of you, and by now she was competent at compartmentalizing her thoughts.

  As they circled each other, Jazlynn took the moment to study her surroundings. Even though she had been training in this same salle on and off her entire life, each time she entered there was different equipment scattered around the place. This was done on purpose. When Jazlynn was younger and had returned from boarding school each term, she had raced out to find Kirkpatrick waiting for her in the salle and on occasion it had been completely transformed. They would practice for hours each day with Jazlynn learning to move around the items or to use the items as weapons or shields. She still vividly recalled the day that she had come home, at age fourteen, to find her entire bedroom in the salle instead of the mansion she shared with her immediate family. Jazlynn had loved it so much that she had insisted on sleeping in the salle every night, and for those two weeks it had felt like freedom. Though three times over those two weeks, Kirkpatrick had broken into her room while she was sleeping and attempted to kidnap or harm her as part of her continued training, and even that didn’t put her off sleeping out of the mansion walls.

  This time, all Jazlynn had to work with was a single chair, the weapons she carried, and of course her secret power. The closely guarded secret of her family and the reason she was trained in weapons with General Kirkpatrick, the special Weapons Master of the Fae Queens army, rather than her father, Commander-in-Chief Owen Reilly.

  Jazlynn continued to circle Kirkpatrick, bringing him around so his back was to the chair that lay on its side against the wooden panels of the large room. It had now lost a leg and had given the fairy an idea. She could use the detached leg as an extra weapon or she could end up with many weapons. Jazlynn changed her footwork and prepared to lunge at Kirkpatrick at the same time she reached out with her mind and seized the chair, lifting it from its resting place until it hovered against the vaulted roof. Keeping her expression neutral Jazlynn lunged at Kirkpatrick, bringing her rapier forward as if attempting to skewer him and releasing the wooden chair from her mind’s grip at the same time.

  The chair hit the ground with a satisfying crack and broke into several pieces. Jazlynn grunted in annoyance as the Weapons Master didn’t flinch at the sound.

  “Clever, but you still narrow your eyes just before you use your telekinesis. If you want to startle an opponent by creating a loud noise behind them, then don’t give them a sign you are planning something.” Kirkpatrick was a Magic Weapons Specialist and had been assigned to train Jazlynn from the moment her rare powers had shown themselves.

  “You might want to turn around.” Jazlynn allowed herself a rare grin as she stepped back from the man, and lowered her weapon to show him she would not attack while he was distracted.

  Kirkpatrick took the moment and turned his head slightly before he grunted and turned his body. There, hovering before him, were eight pieces of the wooden chair, many with splintered edges, all waiting to impale him.

  “Looks like she has you there, Kirkpatrick,” a voice spoke from the doorway.

  Jazlynn tried not to show her surprise at the intrusion, as that meant she wasn’t fully aware of her surroundings, but the Weapons Master caught it. Jazlynn slowly gathered the hovering pieces of chair and had them move to the empty fireplace where she stacked them in a neat pile.

  “Cool trick,” a second voice joined the first. “I bet it didn’t take you long to clean your room when you were a kid.”

  “I was never allowed to use my power unless I was in here,” Jazlynn explained. “But yes, it would have made life easier as I am a bit of a slob.” She joined Kirkpatrick as he headed toward the salle door.

  A third fairy entered the room and smiled warmly. Jazlynn returned the smile and wondered what was going on. Who were these young women and why were they at her parents’ estate?

  “Princess Jazlynn, please meet Katya, one of the Weapons of the Fae Queen.”

  The first fairy who had interrupted their training curtsied deeply. “Your Highness.”

  Jazlynn hated when people greeted her like that. She was not special, nor did she require people to make a fuss. But to have a Weapon of the Fae Queen standing before her was incredible. The Weapons were legends, spoken about in hushed voices and often denied to even exist. They were an elite force of Fae dedicated to keeping all of the Enchanted Underworld provinces safe. No one knew who they were and they often lived a life of secrecy. It had always been Jazlynn’s desire to join the Weapons, but being who she was, it was never going to be an option.

  “Princess?” the third fairy asked quietly.

  “You really a princess?” the louder of the three and the one who had commented that her magical movement of the broken chair was a cool trick, sounded slightly skeptical.

  “Of course she is. Think about it. Where are we?” Katya looked at the two of them. “If you didn’t figure that out maybe you are not the best of the best.”

  Jazlynn didn’t laugh. The words were spoken lightly, but there was an expectation in them. She wondered what they were here for and what Katya meant by the “best of the best.”

  The quiet one had the grace to blush, while the louder one just shrugged off the words. Though Jazlynn noted the louder one had the same dark features as Katya, Jazlynn had an idea that they were related, which gave her a little more license in being able to shrug off the admonishment of a Weapon. Jazlynn looked to Kirkpatrick to see if he would tell her what was happening, but he just returned her look, and she knew this was another test. Sometimes it felt like her life was one big test—but for what?

  “Where are my manners?” Jazlynn gave them her well-rehearsed host smile. “Please follow me up to the main house, where we can have refreshments and speak in private.” She led the way out of the salle, wishing she had time to change from her workout lycra halter top and matching pink leggings into something more respectable and appropriate.

  It didn’t take them long to reach the main house and Jazlynn took them to the sitting room they used to entertain visitors, not their private, more relaxed one. She didn’t know what this was about, so chose to remain formal. As they entered the room, Jazlynn was relieved to find one of the young serving maids standing near a sideboard that held several jugs of varying nectar. She curtsied quickly as they entered and spoke softly to Jazlynn. “A tray of candies and fruit will be along s
hortly.”

  “Thank you, Nessie. You may leave. I will attend our guests.”

  Nessie gave another shallow curtsy and scurried from the room.

  “May I offer you a beverage?” Jazlynn looked at the three fairies and the older, more stern Weapons Master. “From the look of it, we have apricot nectar, wisteria nectar, and banksia nectar.”

  The ladies were very quick to give their orders and within a short time everyone was settled and Nessie had returned with the promised tray of candies and fruit. Jazlynn took a seat next to Kirkpatrick and across from the other three and waited. Usually, she would begin to make small talk, but they were here for a reason and the other two were still yet to be introduced.

  Jazlynn studied Katya. She wore what was typically worn by fairies while they went about in their human form while they were in the Provinces of the Enchanted Underworld. A long, golden dress with an overlay of the softest gossamer and tight satin bodice encased a slender frame. Her transparent, scalloped wings perfectly matched the burnished amber of the dress. She had dark brown eyes and hair and a pointed chin. Katya took a sip of the lavender-colored wisteria nectar and sighed appreciatively before she placed the glass chalice on the low table between them. “We are sorry for the unexpected intrusion, but I like to see how my team reacts to different scenarios and you have done superbly. You are truly a master of remaining calm and in control. It is a good quality.”

  “Thank you.”

  “This is Twila.”

  The quiet fairy smiled in greeting.

  Jazlynn returned the smile. Twila was beautiful with her long black hair, dark eyes, and rich brown-toned skin. She had an open face and high cheekbones and though she was reserved, her smile was genuine and inviting. Twila wore a white satin gown with a deep V neckline and a crystal and silver band around her small waist. Her beautiful white wings were sheer and almost opalescent in the late morning sun.

  “Twila is an accomplished tracker with the unique ability to sense someone on any plane through their magic.”

  “Impressive,” Jazlynn complimented her.

  “And this is Calliope, my cousin, and a most experienced fighter, who specializes in magic shielding as well as being able to manipulate energy.”

  Jazlynn felt satisfied that she had not missed that the two were related. All that training and extra classes had paid off. Calliope had the same dark brown hair and eyes as her cousin, but her face was slightly fuller, less pointed. “It’s lovely to meet you all.” Jazlynn looked at each of them. She longed to ask if they were all Weapons but knew that was bad manners.

  Katya took another sip of her nectar before continuing. “I have been permitted to form a team of female Fae who will be the most secret of Weapons. Kirkpatrick tells me you are exceptional and your telekinetic abilities are the strongest he has seen. Your mind speech distances are unheard of.”

  The Weapons Master cleared his throat. “You are all exceptional and I have been training Weapons secretly for years. You women will make a formidable team if you can learn to work together.”

  “What do you say, Princess Jazlynn?” asked Katya.

  “About what?” She needed to hear the words, until then it just didn’t feel true.

  Calliope spoke over her cousin. “Can we please stop beating around the bush? Princess, would you like to be a Weapon of the Fae Queen?”

  Chapter 2

  The sound of her team giggling barely registered as Jazlynn took in the intoxicating feel of the increasing buzz around her. It was barely past midnight on a rare day of the year, a Friday the 13th, and Witching Hour was approaching. The air was almost electric and Jazlynn felt her body tingle.

  They stood in a dimly lit, debris-filled back alley of Chicago. It always amused Jazlynn that when the world thought of America and magic they instantly thought of Salem or New Orleans, and yes, they were both heavily influenced by magic in both those places in the country’s formative years. But more recently, especially since prohibition and the rise and fall of the greats, like Al Capone, Chicago and its underworld of speakeasies and gin joints had come to the fore in the people’s from the Enchanted Underworld. Chicago was the hippest place to hang if you could pass as human, and so the Weapons of the Fae Queen checked in once a week to make certain all the non-humans were following the local laws as well as the Greater Laws. They only checked in on Salem and New Orleans once a month.

  The other reason Chicago was a great meeting place for the Enchanted Underworld folk was that it held one of the four entry points from the Second Plane, or more commonly known as the human Plane, to the Third Plane, where the Fae Queen ruled the majority of the magic species. The portal used to travel between Planes was near a beautiful, lush, lily pond near the Chicago Zoo. The other two portals were obviously near Salem and New Orleans, while the fourth and final portal into Northern America was a well-guarded secret from the general population. But as Jazlynn waited for Katya to finish speaking with her friend, Scarlett, she acknowledged to herself just how powerful a witch Scarlett must be to keep the fourth and hidden portal in Area 52 safe from all.

  With all of Jazlynn’s musings, she missed the moment Katya stopped talking to Scarlett through her fake phone screen. Katya didn’t speak for several moments and she studied her screen. Jazlynn assumed she must have received a message while Katya teased the witch.

  “There has been an incident at the Oracle’s Court. I can’t get a lot clear, but it seems that the Jester attempted a new magic trick and something went wrong. Several people have died or been badly burned. The Queen was called for and she wants us to investigate… quietly, while the normal guard carries out their inquiries. Queen Stellamaris says that there is something the Oracle said while she was visiting that makes her wonder if there is more going on than the eye first sees so wants us to look into this.” Katya looked at them steadily. “The Jester is claiming he bought the magic trick off a human who runs a specialized tattoo shop that sells other supplies out the back of his store. I am assuming he means contraband from the Enchanted Underworld that has made its way up onto this Plane.”

  Jazlynn lifted a blonde eyebrow but didn’t say anything. It was rare to find artifacts from their Plane in the human Plane but not unheard of. Most reports turned out to be fake, as getting caught meant severe punishment. On occasion, they also were able to discover that it was a simple mistake and someone had lost the item—the majority of these were the scrying mirrors they used to communicate within their own Plane and were one of the few things that worked magically on the human Plane.

  Katya continued. “I want you two”—she pointed at Jazlynn and Twila—“to find this tattoo artist, and find out if he has been visited by the Jester and what he bought. If he has contraband, find out who his source is. Calliope and I will head to the Oracle’s Court to interview the Jester and find out what type of magic trick he was trying to do and what actually happened. I might be able to help with some healing too.”

  Their assignments were logical, as usual. Katya had quickly deduced what was needed and without ego had decided who was required where. Just like a good leader should. Jazlynn agreed that as she was the strongest mind speaker and the only one she knew of who could speak to anyone she chose without the aid of a mirror, even in the human Plane, should go with Twila, their best tracker. And it made sense for Katya to go where people might need her healing abilities and for her cousin to accompany her. They were a great duo, who were able to put people at ease and had many contacts.

  “Do we have an address or anything on this tattoo artist? Anything that would help us track him down and identify him?” Twila asked.

  Katya looked back at her pretend phone screen. “Not a lot, I’m afraid. Somewhere on the main strip of Old Town.”

  “They’ll probably be closed as it’s so late, but we will start checking out places,” Twila said.

  “I’m not so sure everything will be closed. A lot of those bars and speakeasies are open all night and many tattoo artists stay open near bars just to get those drunk patrons who have decided that now, after too many drinks, is the right time to get something to make a statement that they are over their ex,” mused Jazlynn.