Macabre Melody: Book 7 in the Spellsinger Series Read online

  Macabre Melody

  Amy Sumida

  Copyright © 2018 Amy Sumida

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN: 9781791955342

  Legal Notice

  This book is copyright protected. It is only for personal use. You cannot amend, distribute, sell, use, quote, or paraphrase any part of the content within this book without the consent of the author or copyright owner. Legal action will be pursued if this is breached.

  More Books by Amy Sumida

  The Godhunter Series(in order)

  Godhunter

  Of Gods and Wolves

  Oathbreaker

  Marked by Death

  Green Tea and Black Death

  A Taste for Blood

  The Tainted Web

  Series Split:

  These books can be read together or separately

  Harvest of the Gods & A Fey Harvest

  Into the Void & Out of the Darkness

  Perchance to Die

  Tracing Thunder

  Light as a Feather

  Rain or Monkeyshine

  Blood Bound

  Eye of Re

  My Soul to Take

  As the Crow Flies

  Cry Werewolf

  Monsoons and Monsters

  Blessed Death

  In the Nyx of Time

  Let Sleeping Demons Lie

  Beyond the Godhunter

  A Darker Element

  Out of the Blue

  The Twilight Court Series

  Fairy-Struck

  Pixie-Led

  Raven-Mocking

  Here there be Dragons

  Witchbane

  Elf-Shot

  Fairy Rings and Dragon Kings

  Black-Market Magic-basedEtched in Stone

  —Complete Series—

  The Spellsinger Series

  The Last Lullaby

  A Symphony of Sirens

  A Harmony of Hearts

  Primeval Prelude

  Ballad of Blood

  A Deadly Duet

  (Macabre Melody)

  Spectra

  Spectra: A Cynical Superhero

  Fairy Tales

  Happily Harem After Vol. 1

  Including:

  The Four Clever Brothers

  Beauty and the Beasts

  Pan's Promise

  Wild Wonderland

  The Little Glass Slipper

  Other Books

  The Magic of Fabric

  Feeding the Lwas: A Vodou Cookbook

  There's a Goddess Too

  The Vampire-Werewolf Complex

  Enchantress

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  And dive further into the worlds of the Godhunter, Twilight Court, and Spellsinger, at Amy's website:

  AmySumida.com

  Pronunciation Guide in the back of book.

  The Playlist

  Listen to the Macabre Melody playlist for free on Spotify:

  https://open.spotify.com/user/ashstarte/playlist/7bZzC8j2KznpsUfSvLRK9I?si+BQi7dfLIQdSyKldCt5dswA

  And look up all the Spellsinger Playlists on Spotify under the book titles or “Amy Sumida”

  Songs are listed in order of their appearance in the book.

  “One Way or Another” by Blondie

  “The Wolf in Your Darkest Room” by Matthew Mayfield

  “Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums” by A Perfect Circle

  “Gods of War” by Celeste Buckingham

  “6 Underground” by Sneaker Pimps

  “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele

  “Become the Beast” by Karliene

  “Zombie” by The Cranberries

  “Hold My Heart” by Lindsey Stirling and ZZ Ward

  “Fingers” by Great Northern

  “Baby” by Bishop Briggs

  “Pomegranate Seeds” by Julian Moon

  “Horns” by Bryce Fox

  “Black Sea” by Natasha Blume

  “American Woman” by Muddy Magnolias

  “Hard Out Here” by Lily Allen

  “Dead Man's Arms” by Bishop Briggs

  “Pussy Liquor” by Rob Zombie

  “Down with the Sickness” by Disturbed

  “Don't Let Me Go” by Raign

  Chapter One

  “When I said that the only decision I wanted to make was what dress to wear, I thought I was going to look at a bunch of pictures and pick one out,” I whined.

  “Shh.” Darc shot a look over his shoulder at our team of seamstresses. “They'll hear you, and you know how sensitive they are.”

  I grimaced. One of the ladies had burst into tears when I called a piece of embroidery “flashy.”

  “How was I to know that she had spent hours embroidering that?” I whispered. “It was like six inches long. She has magic, doesn't she?”

  “Magic makes things easier, but it won't do all the work for you,” he pointed out. “Just try and be more sensitive.”

  “The whole point of this is for me to decide on a fabric,” I growled. “There will be pieces I don't like. Probably several.”

  “Focus on the ones you do,” he said gently and kissed my cheek.

  “Can't you just pick—”

  “No!” Darc said sternly; interrupting my whine. “This is the only thing you have to do, Elaria. Now, pick a fucking fabric.”

  I widened my eyes at him before I burst into laughter.

  “I'm sorry,” he said and sighed. “I never thought that planning a wedding would be so stressful.”

  “No; it's fine.” I kissed his cheek as he'd done to mine. “I'm relieved to see your irritation.”

  “You're relieved?” Darc asked with a scowl; his deep sapphire eyes narrowed at me.

  “Your whole kindhearted, sensitive routine was getting on my nerves,” I admitted.

  “I'm trying to be kindhearted and sensitive for you.” Darcraxis rolled his eyes.

  “This one!” I grabbed a piece of silk and held it up triumphantly. “This is it.”

  “A lovely choice, Your Majesty!” One of the seamstresses declared as she hurried over to take the fabric from me. “And for the trim?”

  My eyes widened as I panicked, and Darc chuckled under his breath.

  “This is perfect,” I grabbed the nearest length of narrow trim; a delicate lace speckled with kyanite. Then I really looked at it. “Actually, it is perfect.”

  “Wonderful!” The woman exclaimed and snatched the lace away from me before I could change my mind.

  The gaggle of seamstresses packed up their fabric and trim in thirty seconds flat and ran away with their trophies.

  “Well, that was easy,” Darc said with twitching lips.

  “I'm not good with decisions,” I muttered.

  “She's right; she's never been good at them,” Cerberus declared as he came into the room. “Generally, I made them for her and then talked her into them.”

  “Cer!” I shouted and ran over to give him a hug. “It's good to see you. You wanna grab a drink?” I started to pull him out of the room and away from my fiance.

  “Elaria!” Darc pointed imperiously at a line of trunks. “You still have to pick some shoes and a veil.”

  “Later.” I waved a hand at Darc distractedly. “My best friend is here.”

  “I'd love a drink,” Cerberus said. “In fact, we should have a few of them.”

  “What's happened?” I went still and suspicious.

  “Drink first,” he said firmly.

  “Fine,” I huffed and headed dow
nstairs to the second floor of my tower.

  Kyanite Castle was built mainly of kyanite; a deep, shimmering blue stone. It wasn't the strongest of stones; tending to sheer off in slivers when hit, but with Shining One architects, anything was possible. They used the stone more as paneling than framework. The Castle had a solid base of rock and steel, layered with polished slices of kyanite. The curtain wall with turrets surrounded a clean courtyard, barracks, stables, and gardens, amid which the main keep was nestled. Rising from the keep were several spires topped with teardrop-shaped, multi-leveled suites that were connected to each other with bridges. My teardrop was the largest of the bunch and had three floors; the top was my bedroom and bath, the bottom held my dining room, living room, and kitchen, and the middle level contained a library, a music room, and the sitting room where I had taken Cerberus.

  I poured a couple of stiff drinks, handed a glass to Cerberus, and then took a seat on a silk-velvet couch. My gown was velvet too and after I sat, I wished I'd chosen another chair; velvet on velvet doesn't make for easy shifting. Cerberus took a massive chair across from me; a leather one which I was instantly envious of. Darc, who had followed us down, sat beside me and looked from Cerberus to me and back.

  “What am I not getting?” Darc asked.

  Cerberus Skylos was a three-headed dog shifter. He had once guarded the gate to Hades, but then he'd done something naughty and got himself fired. Now, he ran a security company called Cerberus Security (he's not the most creative man) and dated the Norse Goddess Freya. He used to call me for jobs that needed a little more than simple security.

  We'd been best friends since I was a young woman. My parents were friends with Persephone and Hades, and we'd vacationed in the Underworld often. I'd met Cer there and a friendship had quickly formed between us. He understood me like no one else. Not even my lovers. It had never become sexual with us, though. I think both of us were too scared to lose such a good friend to a bad relationship. And we would have been bad together. Some people who make the best friends also make horrible lovers. That was us.

  Still, I could appreciate his rugged appeal. Cer was one of those brutish handsome men. As manly as you can get. He looked as if he could eat you up and spit out your bones. Or just eat you up and make you scream for his bone. He had a body that was literally built in Hell and had taken droves of lucky women to heaven. Thickly muscled, tall as a giant, and with a jawline that could cut glass, Cerberus was strikingly handsome.

  And currently upset.

  Cer's thick fingers drummed the sides of his glass chalice; the blunted nails making a clicking like dog claws across wood. His puppy-brown eyes were as fidgety as his hands; shifting about as if they didn't want to settle on me. His shirt was buttoned wrong; off by one hole and there was a spot of shaving cream by his ear.

  “Cerberus has something bad to tell me,” I explained. “So, he wants me to have a little liquor in me before he says anything.”

  “It's not bad,” Cerberus protested. “Just drink your damn dragon brew or whatever you call this sweet shit that knocks you on your ass.”

  “It's called Bralm.” I took a sip.

  The fiery liquor ran down my throat and relaxed me instantly. My body, at least. My mind was still sharply aware that Cerberus was about to ruin my day.

  “Now, spill,” I said.

  “You're not drinking?” Cerberus asked Darc.

  “I think someone should keep a level head.” Darc narrowed his eyes at Cerberus.

  They'd gotten off on the wrong foot; not today, but the first time they'd met. Tensions had eased between them, but both of the men had long memories. Cerberus thought of himself as a god, but he wasn't really one. His people were from another planet. They came to Earth and made themselves gods to the humans. Darc had pointed that out once; that one of them was a real god and it wasn't Cerberus. That was something Cer would never forget, and Darc wouldn't forget Cer's snarky attitude toward him.

  “Hey; I don't lead my girl wrong!” Cerberus snapped. “If there's one person you don't have to watch out for, it's me.”

  “Fair enough,” Darc conceded. “So, why are you stalling, Hellhound?”

  “It's a job,” Cerberus said reluctantly.

  “I don't do those anymore,” I immediately shot back.

  “But I know these beneathers,” Cerberus added. “This is important to me, El. They are important to me.”

  “That's all you had to say.” I sat forward and set my glass on the low table between us. It clicked as if to emphasize my point. “Forget the money; this isn't a job, it's a favor. What do you need?”

  “Thanks, El.” Cerberus let out a relieved sigh. “You don't know how much that means to me.”

  “Cerberus, you know I've got your back. I always do. If you need me, I'll be there,” I declared, and I meant every word. Cer was my only friend who had lasted more than a decade. “Why would you be worried?”

  “Things got weird there for awhile, and I know you're busy getting married to five guys.” Cerberus shrugged.

  “Four.”

  “What?”

  “It's four guys,” I corrected him. “Gage doesn't want a ceremony.”

  “Oh.”

  “Cerberus, what the hell is going on?” I asked in exasperation.

  “People are hunting my friends, El,” he said softly. “I've sent crews out to protect them, but these fuckers sneak right past my guys. So, I headed a group myself, and...” Cerberus shook his head. “I can't figure it out. They don't leave tracks. They just come, kill, and leave; taking their trophies with them. I'm thinking their fliers, but my lookouts haven't caught sight of them. They're fast, whoever they are.”

  “Trophies?” Darc asked with a frown.

  “Pelts,” Cerberus snarled.

  “Who are these friends of yours, Cer?” I asked; baffled. Pelts?

  “They're Sasq'ets,” Cerberus said. “Good folk. Mountain people. They don't bother anyone.”

  “I'm not familiar with that race,” Darc murmured with interest.

  “Sasquatch,” I whispered as my eyes went wide. “Someone's hunting Sasquatch.”

  Chapter Two

  “I'll go with you.” Darc turned away; heading for the upper floor to change, no doubt. He now had his own royal wardrobe set beside mine.

  “Hold on.” I grabbed his arm. “You're the King of Kyanite now.”

  “So?” Darc dipped his head as if maybe he needed to get closer to me to understand.

  “So, I don't have to leave a steward in charge of Kyanite anymore,” I pointed out. “I have you.”

  “I'd rather go with you,” he lowered his voice and glanced at Cer, who was looking at the ceiling as if the chandelier was the most interesting thing in the room.

  Subtle, Cer, real subtle.

  “And I'd rather have someone I can truly trust here to watch over our people,” I said gently. “It's not a good time to leave our kingdom unguarded, and I don't know how long this will take.”

  Darc sighed deeply, his eyes going an even darker shade of blue. He knew I was right. After the debacle of our reunion, the revelation of my goddesshood, and then the removal of the parts of our souls that held our god powers, Tír na nÓg was in a tremulous state. Our position in it was equally unsteady. One misstep could lead to war. Again.

  I'd done some seriously screwed up things when I was Faenestra the Goddess of Light and Mother of the Shining Ones, and the Shining Ones had wanted their pound of Elaria flesh when I'd gone back to being me. Except neither Darc nor I had given up all of our magic and godhood isn't something that can be taken away. We may be grounded gods now—a lot weaker than what we had started as—but Darc still had control over water and had also become the King of Kyanite, while I had gained a Shining One's immortality.

  I was a little surprised that the immortality had stayed with me; I'd kind of expected it to wear off. Not that I would have minded; I already had a type of longevity from my spellsinger blood, but Shining One immortality was
a step above spellsinger and just one step down from goddess. I healed super fast now. I could still be killed—as could Darcraxis; something that both thrilled and scared him—but it was a lot harder to do. So, when our enemies came for us, we had set them straight. We sang a magical duet; my first song with a non-spellsinger.

  That was how we discovered Darc's kingly status. He was now able to speak to Kyanite and access its abilities; use the jewel's power to enhance his words. Kyanite is a stone of communication, and it gave Darc the power to make others feel, see, and understand what he was saying or singing. It could even coerce people; persuade them into thinking or doing exactly what you wanted. Such as forcing an army of Shining Ones to their knees. Kyanite's magic was very close to my spellsinging; a cousin to it. Which is why we worked so well together.

  Darc couldn't bring things into being or alter the world around him as I could, but he could alter minds and bring new perspectives to life. He was turning out to be an excellent king as well. There was no one I trusted more to protect our kingdom.

  “So be it,” Darc relented. “You will contact me daily and give me updates.”

  “I will,” I promised as I tapped the pendants hanging around my neck; my contact charm and my traveling stone. “I promise.”

  “I expect you'll be leaving now,” he said with something close to a pout. It couldn't be a pout, though; gods don't pout.

  “Come on.” I took Darc's hand and led him back upstairs to our bedroom. “We can say goodbye in private.”

  “Aw, El,” Cerberus whined. “How long is that private goodbye going to take.”

  “As long as I wish it to!” Darc shouted.

  I could still hear Cerberus grumbling—as well as the clink of crystal decanters—as I shut the bedroom door.

  Chapter Three

  Cerberus had advised me to dress warmly. When I was all bundled up in jeans, a sweater, and a fur-lined cloak he took my hand and led our journey to Earth. We took us through the Veil using the traveling stone I'd given him. Traveling stones and contact charms are Shining One creations. A traveling stone could take you anywhere you can set your focus on, and a contact charm allowed you to communicate with anyone you set your focus on. The contact charm worked in most situations, but the traveling stone had restrictions. It was made to pierce the Veil between worlds. You couldn't use it to bounce around one planet. If you didn't go through the Veil, it didn't work. The way around that was to travel somewhere in another realm before returning to the one you started on. Basically, you had to jump about a bit, but when you needed to get somewhere fast, it was worth the effort.