Shadow Fate 3: Checkmate: Paranormal Romance Series Read online

  Checkmate

  Shadow Fate #3

  Sophie Davis

  Checkmate

  Copyright © 2019 by Sophie Davis Enterprises

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means—electronic, mechanical, photographic (photocopying), recording, or otherwise—without prior permission in writing from the author.

  Printed in the United States of America

  Learn more information at: www.sophiedavisbooks.com

  Shadow Fate Series

  Pawn (Shadow Fate #1)

  Sacrifice (Shadow Fate #2)

  Checkmate (Shadow Fate #3)

  Endgame (Shadow Fate #4)

  Talented (Talented Saga #1)

  Caged (Talented Saga #2)

  Hunted (Talented Saga #3)

  Captivated (A Talented Novella) (Talented Saga #3.5)

  Created (Talented Saga #4)

  Exiled: Kenly’s Story (Talented Saga #5)

  Marked (Talented Saga #6)

  Privileged (Talented Saga #7)

  Fated (Talented Saga #8)

  Fragile Façade (Blind Barriers Trilogy #1)

  Platinum Prey (Blind Barriers Trilogy #2)

  Vacant Voices (Blind Barriers Trilogy #3)

  The Syndicate (Timewaves Series #1)

  Atlic (Timewaves Series #2)

  Legends Untold (Timewaves Series #3)

  Project Scion World Books

  Alice Anonymous

  Blind Barriers Trilogy

  Chapter One

  “Not so fast,” Helena warned. Her shrewd eyes were locked on Kaydon. “The journey ahead will not be an easy one. You must all prepare, including the banshee. Particularly the banshee. Holding a soul is difficult, let alone the soul of an Elioud. It will take a great deal of energy and practice.”

  “When do we start training?” Kaydon demanded.

  Some of the tension that gripped my muscles eased, though guilt immediately rushed in. The idea of having company for my expedition into the underworld—especially the company of people I trusted—lessened the weight of the journey ahead. But what if something happened to Kaydon? Or to Jamieson?

  What if one or both didn’t make it back? How would I live with myself? How would I tell their parents? Mr. Wentworth would be devastated. I didn’t know Kaydon’s parents, which was super weird when I thought about it. He and I had been through life-altering experiences together, with more on the horizon, yet I’d never met his mother or father.

  Elioud were descended from Nephilim, the angel blood passed down from one generation to the next, so Kaydon’s entire family had the potential to become Grigori upon death. Since Kaydon hadn’t attended CA Academy or one of the other Elioud schools, it was safe to assume the Stevens family was like my own; they no longer associated with the societies that protected and concealed our kind.

  “Patience, boy,” Helena was telling Kaydon, her voice sharp as a razor’s edge. “There is a fine line between bravery and stupidity. Entering the underworld is a brave act. Entering the underworld while unprepared is a stupid one.”

  Helena’s gaze landed on me, and I swallowed thickly under the scrutiny. Her head-to-toe appraisal was as blatant as it was unnerving.

  “Do you know why the female Elioud named their society the Daughters of Cassandra?” Helena asked.

  Swallowing over the lump in my throat, I shook my head.

  “Cassandra had the gift of sight,” Helena explained. “Her premonitions were not as straightforward as the visions themselves but rather more symbolic. Oftentimes the premonitions were misunderstood or misread. Prophecies are tricky business. Nephilim were believed to possess this same gift along with its limitations. Elioud as well, to an extent.” Helena’s gaze narrowed on me. “The more diluted the angel blood, the less precise the premonitions. You, my child, with your abundance of angel blood, are well-suited for visions.”

  Ice water spread through my veins. Then, I stopped and really thought about what she’d said. I already had premonitions, didn’t I? The dreams that the Bakus ate were visions of the future. What Helena was suggesting…actually, I wasn’t sure what exactly the old river nymph was suggesting.

  “I’m sorry, ma’am. I don’t understand,” I said when she didn’t elaborate.

  The old woman shook her head sadly as though disappointed in my lack of inference skills. “What is your plan once you enter the underworld, child?”

  Desperate for backup, I glanced at Kaydon. He was staring into space and lost in his own thoughts.

  Thanks for abandoning me, I thought wryly, though I couldn’t entirely blame him. Learning that Jamieson was a banshee with the ability to swallow and regurgitate his soul had given him a lot to consider.

  “First, I was going to look for the three objects I need to break my contract,” I began slowly.

  “You only know the possible location of one,” Helena fired back.

  “Right, but I’m sure if I ask—”

  Helena’s thin eyebrows crawled halfway up her forehead. “Ask? You, the Daughter of Azazel, plan to ask underworld dwellers for help to undo the contract that binds you in service to the gods? To help you invalidate all that limits your power? Underworld dwellers fear that power more than you can fathom.” Her laugh was brittle. “And I thought you were smart, girl.”

  “F-f-fear me?” I stammered, shifting uncomfortably in my seat.

  “You have no allies in the underworld.” Shaking a gnarled finger in my direction, Helena cautioned, “Beware any dweller who is willing to speak with you.”

  Admittedly, the warning rattled me. It wasn’t like I’d thought I was going to find a new BFF in the underworld, but I hadn’t considered that the citizens would be hostile. The gods would be adverse to my mission, I knew that. The other inhabitants, though? Why would they care? Somewhere in the back of my mind, I’d even thought maybe they’d want to help me. Like maybe they’d want to thwart the gods, too, and I was just the person they’d been waiting for.

  Naïve, I chastised myself. Even worse, it was an ignorant thought. Who was I to assume that the underworld dwellers needed saving? And from what? Maybe they liked their existence. Maybe they enjoyed the role they played in the underworld.

  Hell, I didn’t even know what that role was.

  Which, I realized, was the crux of Helena’s argument: There was a lot I didn’t know about the underworld. As it stood, I was beyond unready to cross realms.

  With a deep breath, I tried to make my tone deferential. “How do you suggest I proceed?”

  Helena wiggled her finger back and forth. “That is not for me to say. A hero’s quest is one that only they can know.”

  A hero’s quest? Was that what I was on? What did that even mean? And why did Helena sound so much like Azazel? He’d basically said the same thing; I had to figure stuff out on my own. Helena’s cryptic answers were proving just as unhelpful as his riddles.

  “Wait. Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” Kaydon interrupted. It was the first interest he’d shown in the conversation since Helena had chastised him for being more stupid than brave.

  The river nymph’s eyes remained focused on me, and her lips remained sealed.

  “She’s saying you can look into the future and figure out the objects’ locations,” Kaydon informed me.

  Helena smiled. “Maybe the boy is not so stupid after all.”

  “How do I look into the future?” I asked. “I mean, I know if I remove my necklace, I will see the future in my dreams. But I can’t pick a specific point in time to see.” I reconsidered my statement. “Can I
?”

  “You, Endora, can achieve a great many goals with a clear mind and determined heart.” Helena’s shrug was a little sheepish. “And, of course, some assistance.”

  I arched an eyebrow. “Assistance?”

  I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. Though I’d never struggled with asking for and accepting help, Helena’s expression suggested that I wouldn’t like whatever she had in mind.

  With a regal sort of wave, the river nymph summoned her footman, Bertine. The small man appeared beside Helena’s chair instantly with a silver serving tray in his hands. A carafe and goblet perched atop the shining metal. Helena gave a subtle head nod, and Bertine placed the tray on the table alongside the tea set. He then returned to stand behind Helena’s chair and slightly to the right.

  “You want me to drink that?” I asked, pointing at the pitcher.

  Like the tray, the jug appeared to be made of silver at first. The longer I looked at it, the more fluid the carafe seemed, like it was made of liquid metal rather than anything solid. Swirls of churning silver spun before my eyes, causing my head to whirl. I blinked, and the metal stopped moving.

  “Are you brave Endora? Or are you stupid?” Helena replied to my question with a question.

  It felt like a trick question, and a little like she was baiting me. Helena herself had told me not to trust underworld dwellers who agreed to speak with me. But weren’t river nymphs underworld dwellers, too? Did that mean I should be wary of her suggestions? Then again, technically, Helena didn’t live in the underworld. She lived in the caves, in the earthly realm. I couldn’t decide whether I should trust her more or less because of that fact.

  “I don’t know that I’m either brave or stupid,” I told Helena honestly. I had no better response and wanted to stall before committing to an answer.

  “I’ll do it.” Kaydon’s hand darted toward the pitcher. His long fingers wrapped around the handle just as a leather cord shot out of nowhere and encircled Kaydon’s wrist. Without warning, his entire body jerked sideways and away from the swirling vessel.

  “No,” Bertine said simply. There was no explanation and no inflection in the single word. The creature didn’t even look at Kaydon when he said it, like he wasn’t worth a glance.

  “Your blood is too human, boy,” Helena told my boyfriend. She gestured to the carafe and pinned me with the intensity of her gaze. “Do you wish to change your destiny? Do you wish to save the mortal Mark Andrews?”

  Meeting her eyes, I nodded. “Yes, ma’am. I do. Very much.”

  Helena’s lips pursed in an expression that could’ve been either a smile or grimace.

  “Endora, if you aren’t sure….” Kaydon began. He trailed off when Bertine gave his arm another hard yank with the leather lasso.

  Of course, I wasn’t sure. About anything. I had no idea whether drinking Helena’s magic juice was smart. It could very well kill me. Or, it could do exactly what she promised and show me the path forward.

  Before I could lose my nerve, I reached for the carafe and tipped it toward the waiting goblet. The liquid that poured from the spout was like liquid rubies. It had a tangy scent that I couldn’t identify and didn’t really want to dwell on.

  “Cheers,” I said flatly. With that, I raised the chalice in mock toast to Helena.

  Then, locking eyes with Kaydon, I brought the cup to my lips and swallowed the contents in three gulps.

  Chapter Two

  Nothing happened after I drank the liquid.

  I didn’t fall out of my seat. I didn’t choke on the drink. My body didn’t convulse. The room didn’t spin. Everything was just as it had been before I decided to prove I was either foolish or brave; I still wasn’t sure where drinking the sickeningly sweet concoction fell.

  “How do you feel?” Kaydon asked.

  “Fine, I think,” I replied, speaking slowly.

  Too slowly? Am I slurring?

  I looked down into the cup, where only a hint of red dregs remained. They swirled around and around like a whirlpool. Or maybe I imagined the movement? It was hard to know.

  Anticipating an instantaneous change, I was looking for anything that seemed off. Admittedly, I might’ve been looking a little too hard. It was quite possible I’d invented the odd movement with my confirmation bias. Then again, I was in the middle of a freaking mountain with an ancient river nymph and her footman, who was likely a tree sprite or something, and I’d just drank a potion that would allegedly show me the future. So, yeah, there was that.

  Kaydon’s hands closed around mine, both of which still held the chalice. He gently pried my fingers loose and set the cup on the table.

  My hands are shaking, I realized belatedly.

  I stared down at my palms, and the lifelines wiggled like worms on a fishing hook. I blinked. Nothing changed. Wide-eyed, I swung my gaze around the room.

  “Endora?” Kaydon’s voice was strained.

  My eyes landed on the chalice again. The glass was smoky gray and opaque. Pewter wings cocooned the basin, and a tail wound down the stem. The beast’s head came up over the lip of the chalice, holding it between his bared ivory teeth.

  Was the dragon always there, I wondered, and then giggled because I honestly couldn’t recall.

  “Endora?” Kaydon repeated, sounding on the verge of panic.

  “Let her be,” Helena advised softly.

  The dragon turned its head so the yellow eyes looked directly into mine.

  This can’t be real, I thought. I must be hallucinating.

  Oddly, relief flooded my system at the realization. After I’d worked up the courage to drink the red liquid, I would’ve been disappointed if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

  The dragon opened his mouth and ruby flames shot toward me. I jumped to avoid the fire, toppling over the back of the couch. Then, I was falling.

  And falling.

  And falling.

  For what felt like an eternity.

  It was as though I’d gone deaf. Or maybe the world fell soundless. Either way, I heard nothing on the way down. It made the fall feel that much longer. The air around me became more humid until the simple shift dress was like a second skin.

  Will it ever end? I wondered. Despite the thought, I was weirdly unconcerned.

  In fact, I wasn’t afraid of whatever unknown lay ahead. The dropping temperature didn’t bother me, either, even when my sweat froze and formed a thin layer of ice on my skin. Inside, I was already numb.

  Easier to be objective, I told myself.

  Without feelings or emotions to get in the way, my brain could take in more details. After all, Helena had said that my premonitions would likely be more metaphorical than literal. I might not see the precise locations, or maybe even any location at all, but clues that would lead me to my proverbial treasure.

  Finally, finally, my back smacked water. The impact stung like a reverse belly-flop, but the cold water was like aloe on my skin as I sank like a stone. My eyes were open yet somehow unaffected by the water. Even my vision went unobscured. It was easy to see the…stars?

  An underwater sea of stars?

  Was that a thing in the underworld? Or was this symbolic?

  That, I realized, was going to be the hardest thing to determine. The underworld was very different than earth, with creatures found only in mythology books in the mortal realm.

  The spots of light were infinite on the backdrop of turquoise. Some shone brighter than others, just as some were larger than others. Closer to me, maybe? Either way, I didn’t have much time to look. Hitting the bottom, I landed in a soft, dry bed of sand and black plants. I scurried to my feet, somehow no longer underwater. Through the crisp air, stars rained down around me.

  Instinctively, I closed my eyes. My arms swept out to the sides with palms facing up as if to catch a falling star. Somewhere in the distance, a dull thud sounded rhythmically. It sounded like horse hooves beating against the ground, and the rumble reverberated deep inside my chest.

 
Was the noise inside my head? I wondered. It was the first sound I’d heard since falling over the back of the couch.

  Something soft and warm landed in my open palm. Opening my eyes, I felt a tinge of disappointment to find that it wasn’t a star. Instead, a single white feather rested in my hand.

  Seriously? I already know I need a quill. Not helpful.

  Still, I clutched the feather tightly.

  Above, the sky darkened. Below, the tall black grass grew lighter. All around me, the water was gone. Tentatively, I put one booted foot in front of the other.

  What happened to those stupid flats I was wearing? I wondered.

  The shift was gone too, replaced with jeans and a leather jacket. Though it probably wasn’t important, I took note of the outfit anyway. The pounding hooves had ceased. Instead, a whispering wind rustled the grass, though the foliage didn’t move.

  If not wind, what is that noise?

  The dark grass stretched in every direction, extending as far as the eye could see. It was the only thing visible—no landmarks hinted toward a location. The ground suddenly disappeared beneath me, and I was once again falling through empty air. This trip didn’t take nearly as long as the first one. After only moments, I splashed down again.

  This time, I didn’t sink. Instead, my body bobbed like a buoy on the surface of the smooth black lake. Beside me, a dock jutted over the water. Though I was facing the wooden structure instead of standing on it, I would’ve recognized the scene even if there hadn’t been a disgruntled angel staring down at me.

  “What are you doing back here, child of mine?” Azazel demanded.

  With his arms crossed over his chest, feet shoulder-width apart, and wings open behind him, the angel’s posture told me he was definitely pissed. It was terrifying. I sort of hoped the lake would swallow me again, so I wouldn’t have to face him. When I stopped treading water, just to see if vanishing beneath the surface was even an option, it quickly became clear I would have to face Azazel’s displeasure head-on.