Filed To Story: Cursed Legacies Series Free PDF by Morgan B Lee
“As if you haven’t been melodramatically requesting that I pay you one final visit for months,” Silas says dryly before taking Maven’s hand. “
Ima sangfluir, this is my mentor, the Garnet Wizard. Evidently also known as The Scarab.”
Oh, shit.
This is the Garnet Wizard?
My mom’s always said that even though he can be useful and she agrees with him on some politics, he’s also a dangerous eccentric who can’t fully be trusted. The fucker’s too much of a mercenary at heart, according to her.
The Garnet Wizard throws his head back in a laugh. “Aha! I see you have finally learned of my hand in the black market. Quite a fitting moniker, is it not?”
Silas seems amused. “It is, sir.”
The wizard nods and turns to examine the rest of us like he’s on a safari and we’re wild animals.
“Well, of course, I remember you,” he says to Everett. “The only Frost who has ever dared to haggle with me. Pray, what were you then—a mere eighteen? Quite the brass neck.”
Everett ignores our curious frowns at him as the wizard leans a little too close to examine my eyes. “Hmm. Brigid Decimus’s son…every bit as scaly and proud as she is, I can see.” He tips his head at Crypt, who’s smoking without a care in the world. “Ah, and the current steward of Limbo—evident, of course, by those eyes. That’s always a clear marker.”
I frown. “I thought his ink marked him as the steward.”
“I am not tattooed,” Crypt says on an exhale of smoke, but the wizard talks over him.
“Yes, indeed, those as well. However, each steward throughout history has had exceedingly different markings, so much so that one cannot determine by the markings alone whether they have been gods-given. The eyes, however, are always unmistakable. After all, purple is the chosen color of the gods. And last but assuredly not least…”
The Garnet Wizard leans down to meet Maven’s gaze better. She stares back at him with that ironclad poker face she’s perfected.
I don’t like this legacy studying my mate like she’s some fascinating rare creature, so I pull her closer to me.
“My keeper,” Silas says with a cutting edge to his tone like he’s also wary of how the powerful caster will react.
The wizard smiles, not looking away from her. I randomly note that his hair has a lot more gray than I noticed earlier.
“Your true name, telum?”
he asks.
“Maven.”
“Maven, what?”
“Just Maven.”
I frown. Wait, is Oakley not her last name?
He tsks like that wasn’t the correct answer. “Your parents. Go on and tell me their names. Surely you know by now. Or don’t you?”
She pins him with a look, her tone even and firm.
“Cut the shit. Based on that little smirk, you believe you already know who my parents were. But if you think I’m interested in pandering to you for that useless information, you’re wrong. We’re only here for etherium. If you’re open to striking a deal, we’ll stay. If not, don’t waste my time.”
I fucking love how blunt she is, but I’m a bit worried this highly revered legacy is about to try killing her for her boldness. Instead, a smile scrawls over his face, stretching wider until he starts to laugh.
“Etherium, you say?”
“Yes.”
“You,” he gestures meaningfully at Maven as he keeps laughing. None of us get why, but he’s clearly enjoying the hell out of his own inside joke. “
You want etherium? Great gods, this is just too interesting.”
He circles us, tapping his walking stick thoughtfully. “You know, despite my fondness for Silas, I still had my mind set on having you all skinned alive and doused in liquid copper or silver or what have you until it hardened just below your neck. Then I’d have watched you all slowly devoured by a clan of golems for trespassing in my Sanctuary.”
“Creative,” my mate acknowledges.
“I certainly thought so. But now…well, how can I resist? Of course, we shall discuss a deal,
Maven. Let us get you five settled in for now, as I can see you’ve just left a fight. Come.”
The wizard turns and strides away, whistling cheerfully as he steps over one of the corpses Maven left behind. I shoot Silas a look.
“I don’t trust your crazy-ass mentor.”
“Neither do I.”
“He’s always been bright like that,” the Garnet Wizard calls over his shoulder. He’s rubbing his lower back like it’s suddenly giving him trouble. And his hair is definitely lighter than it was before.
We follow the wizard as he leads us through the green field, all of us keeping close to Maven in case more trouble fucking pops up out of nowhere. It’s like walking through a warm park at night, except hints of the Northern Lights are beginning to snake very slowly into the dark sky overhead.
Finally, the wizard stops and opens another invisible door, motioning us onward with his walking stick. “Welcome to the inner ring of the Sanctuary. Do mind your step on the bridge.”
We all stare at the lush green landscape. It looks like someone took a slice of some peaceful English countryside and plopped it down in the middle of nowhere. Old windmills turn lazily under the twilight sky, a creek babbles under the stone bridge we’re about to cross, and past that are several thatched cottage-style houses gathered together in clusters with lit windows casting a slight warm glow. Other old buildings dot the area. A thick forest sprawls in the distance next to what appears to be an old farm.
Two guys dressed in dark clothing wait just past the bridge, watching us with deep frowns. One is scrawny with dark hair, while the other has curly blond hair and an overbite.
When Overbite spots Silas, he scowls deeply. It’s pretty clear that he knows the blood fae and hates him.
Relatable.
We walk through the magical doorway, except Crypt slams into an invisible barrier. He’s walking ahead of Maven, and I can’t help laughing at his irritated expression.
“Sucks to be a siphon,” I grin.
“Ah, right,” the wizard muses. “One must invite him in.”
“Don’t!” the dark-haired caster says quickly, eyeing Crypt. “I’ve heard of him—we all have. That is the fucking Nightmare Prince. He’ll infiltrate our minds if we’re not careful.”
The Garnet Wizard stares down the acolyte. “Then be careful. You know the first rule of my Sanctuary.”
“Let the idiots die,” Silas supplies.
“Precisely. Anyone who fails to arm a dreamcatcher and lets this subconscious leech into their minds deserves whatever madness he bestows upon them. You may enter, Mr. DeLune.”
Crypt flicks the butt of his dead cigarette into the nearby creek, smirking at the outraged reaction that earns from the two casters. He steps through the magical doorway, but when Maven walks in last, Overbite gets pissy.
“Her too?”
“Got a problem with my mate?” I demand.
He rolls his eyes. “
Mate? How primitive you shifters are. Of course, I take issue with her—not only is she obviously the thing that the Legacy Council is hunting down, but she is also a she.
New Book: Returned To Make Them Pay
On her wedding anniversary, Alicia is drugged and stumbles into the wrong room—straight into the arms of the powerful Caden Ward, a man rumored never to touch women. Their night of passion shocks even him, especially when he discovers she’s still a virgin after two years of marriage to Joshua Yates.