Chasing Dove Read online

  Chasing Dove

  Branches of Emrys #4

  Brandy L Rivers

  Copyright 2018 Brandy L Rivers

  http://brandylrivers.com

  Cover Design by Brandy L Rivers

  Edited by Emily A. Lawrence

  www.lawrenceediting.com

  All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

  Also by Brandy L Rivers

  Bundled Sets

  Others of Edenton – Series Volume 1

  Others of Edenton – Series Volume 2

  Others of Edenton – Series Volume 3

  Others of Seattle – Series Volume 1

  Others of Seattle – Series Volume 2

  Combustible – the Complete Series

  Branches of Emrys

  Sleepwalker

  Dreams of Change

  Finding Hawk

  Chasing Dove

  Untitled – Coming 2019

  Others of Edenton

  New Beginnings

  In Too Deep

  Shadows Fall

  Shadows of the Past

  Fated Love

  Falling Into Place

  Breaking Free

  Mending Scars

  Labor of Love

  Light in Darkness

  Blissful Agony

  Deep Trouble

  Entangled Darkness

  Deadly Design

  Blood Bound

  Untitled – coming late 2018

  Others of Seattle

  Nights Embrace

  Storm Mistress

  Accepting Fate

  Red Queen

  Seductive Solutions

  Changing Destiny

  Coming Together

  Storm Wrath

  Twisted Bonds

  Darkness Binds

  Untitled – coming late 2018

  Nights Embrace Spin-Off

  Summer Rhythm

  Combustible

  Heart on Fire

  Falling Star

  Sweet Tooth

  Backburn

  Love Behind the Scenes

  The Callback

  Long Shot (coming summer 2018)

  Pine Barrens Pack Co-Written with Rebecca Brooke

  Cursed Vengeance

  Vengeance Unraveled

  Shifted Vengeance (Coming 2018)

  To keep up with upcoming releases and news visit me at my

  Website – Facebook - Twitter

  Or join my newsletter or reading group Rivers’ Shenanigans

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  About Brandy L Rivers

  Also by Brandy L Rivers

  Reference Guide

  Dedication

  To Sofia, my little diva,

  I love you more than life itself.

  Never stop being you.

  Prologue

  Early age of man and magic…

  Shunned, hated, feared. Thanatos roamed from community to community, seeking his place in the world. But he was a freak, something despised.

  Casters tended to stay young the more magic they used. But the more he used his, the more he deteriorated. Thanatos continued to grow older, feebler, like the humans.

  Until he stumbled upon the secret.

  One day, he lurked in a market of a larger community, watching a mage work her magic. She was beautiful, and as much as he wished he could approach her, a man hovered nearby, watching him with pure hatred.

  Like so many other days, he wandered away, attempting to avoid conflict. He made it outside of town when someone shoved him. He landed on his hands and knees and called on the spirit who offered him power. The kind of power that gave him strength, even if it left him crashing low later.

  As the spirit’s energy filled him, Thanatos floated off the ground and drew the dagger he stashed in his boot, then dove at the mage who had stood guard over the female.

  The mage flung a fireball at him, and he dodged to the side and plunged the blade into his chest.

  The spirit whispered into his head, “Take his essence into you. Follow my lead.”

  Thanatos did as told and the mage’s essence flowed out of the wound into Thanatos’ mouth. He opened his jaw farther, sucking in the power as he bent and closed his lips over the wound.

  Magic filled in the sagging skin, fueling his own magic. The weakness ebbed away as new strength settled in. He wasn’t fully revived, but closer than he had been in years.

  The voice in his head whispered, “Collect more essence. Their souls will bring you closer to your goal.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” Thanatos demanded.

  “I didn’t have the power. You’ve finally given me enough to take from others, instead of you.”

  He wanted to scream in frustration. His source of power had sucked his essence from him. Now it made sense why he grew weaker with magic use. No more.

  “Find more, continue to feed me, and you will gain your power back a hundred-fold,” he promised.

  The beautiful woman from earlier stumbled onto the path and her hand covered her mouth, a scream tearing free.

  “Kill her in my name,” the voice hissed.

  “What is your name?”

  “Scathane. Tear her essence loose and feed upon it. You will grow stronger with every death.”

  He lunged at the mage, plunging the blade between her ribs and tore it free. She hit the tree behind her and he pinned her there, his mouth on the wound, sucking her soul from her body.

  Strength flowed into Thanatos, infusing him with power he didn’t recognize. Most of the power seeped into his soul, latching on, the rest funneled into a hole he couldn’t access. Scathane had taken residence in his body.

  His predicament became clear. He’d been gifted all along, but he began to age soon after Scathane had started helping him.

  * * * *

  Years passed and the more he fed, the more he wanted to be free of the dark voice that never left. That meant fully bringing Scathane into the world. To do that, he needed more magic than he’d found in his travels.

  And much like he stumbled upon the solution to his aging, he found his freedom. Power unlike anything he’d ever sensed. She wasn’t one thing or another. No, she had a combination of power Thanatos had never encountered.

  Even Scathane purred as Thanatos foll
owed the pull.

  “You can be free of me,” Scathane murmured. “Wouldn’t you prefer to roam the world on your own? You’ve gained much power and will continue to do so if you pull on magic the same way you do now.”

  “Yes, freedom sounds good,” Thanatos answered.

  “And this source of magic will heal the wound when I’m torn free and made solid. She will make you whole and powerful.”

  He crept closer to the source, through the woods. There was a lake of crystal blue water. Red hair flowed down a slender frame, into the water, giving the woman a glow in the early morning sun.

  Thanatos moved silently, lifting the dagger as he moved in. He would plunge the blade into her throat and drink her essence with her blood.

  She turned, and crystalline green eyes locked on his. He fell deep into a trance of beauty and power. He craved her touch, her kiss, her body. Then she dove into the water with a flash of light and swam away faster than he could blink.

  “She’s enthralled you, fool. Break the hold and chase. You have the magic to twine her in bonds and bring her to you.”

  He shook off the siren’s magic that was enhanced by an enchantress. She was something like him. Of mixed blood. Perhaps her magic could break the hold of Scathane without harming her.

  * * * *

  For months he followed the call of her magic, but she stayed out of reach, either under water, or where he could not follow. The love she planted in his soul continued to grow.

  Obsession and desperation took over. He had kept the secret from Scathane, letting him believe that once he found the woman he would take her life and set Scathane free.

  He had a new plan. One in which he would take only enough essence to banish Scathane into the abyss and heal the woman so he could claim her as his.

  The ferry took him to an island full of wondrous vegetation, unlike anything he’d seen. The land seemed to be trapped between this realm and the next.

  And when he found the woman, he realized he was too late. She was in the arms of a man who clearly loved her as much as Thanatos did. They watched their young girl playing in the fields.

  Anger, hatred, and despair flowed through him.

  He burst into shadows and appeared before the woman, but before he could strike, the woman threw out her hand and opened a portal he stumbled into.

  Her man wove a curse to bind spirit and man together, causing Thanatos to become something more. And as the spell took hold, Scathane stole Thanatos’ voice and wove a curse around the woman, ensuring her line would only have female babes. He would hunt each and every one down until he felt the same kind of power flowing through the babe’s blood, or he ran out of women to hunt.

  Little did he know, he would only be able to cross into the realm of man once every nine years, nine months, and nine days.

  As Thanatos hit the cold hard ground, he blinked his eyes, only finding blackness as pain radiated from his shoulders, down to his hips. Wings sprouted from his back, shadows flowed around him, and claws tore through his fingertips. Then pain pulsed through his skull as horns emerged from his head.

  Chapter 1

  The dream kept playing through her head. The one thing guaranteed to send Jacinda running after deciding she wouldn’t.

  Chatan, nailed to a wall, otherworldly symbols burned into his naked flesh, pain etched into his features as the light faded from his eyes. And all she could hear was Thanatos’ evil laugh, even if she didn’t catch a glimpse of the foul creature.

  Jacinda needed help, and there was only one person she trusted to give her a direction. And maybe she should have stopped to contact her mother, but she didn’t want to be away from Chatan any longer than she had to be.

  Besides, the dream took place in her mother’s bedroom in the old house. That’s where Mom had been.

  She gripped the wheel tighter. Chatan was going to be pissed when he woke up. If she could have slipped out before he woke up she might not hate herself so much. But he had come in while she wrote the letter telling him to wait. She had to put him under.

  A cry escaped her lips as she punched the gas and pushed her car faster than it probably should go. The ancient Tercel had been good to her, but she drove it a lot. One day, it would break down.

  She wiped at the tears that wouldn’t stop falling and tried to hold it together to figure out where she was. Almost to Highway 101, and she could stop for gas.

  Her heart cracked and threatened to shatter. But if she could stop the monster who tore apart her family, she could go back to Chatan and never have to worry about another thing the rest of her life. Okay, maybe they would have to worry about a few things, but nothing like Thanatos.

  Would he forgive her? She convinced him and everyone else to let her help when he played bait for a strigoi who wanted to tear the magic from his body. And now, she was running to danger instead of away from it and hadn’t given him any indication why.

  Her choices were losing him to Thanatos or forcing him back to sleep. She picked the only thing she could live with. Once she got her mother away from danger, she could go back and explain, and hope like hell he forgave her.

  She cried out. “Damn it, I should have contacted her first.” Maybe Mom could have met her halfway.

  Jacinda pulled into the gas station and headed inside to get food, caffeine, and to pay for gas.

  She managed to keep it together until she got to the car and started the gas. A hawk landed on the roof of her car, his eyes locked on her, his head cocked.

  He watched her, far too interested in a human pumping gas.

  Stepping closer didn’t send him flying away. She tapped the hawk on her pendant. “Do you know this one?”

  The bird watched her without a sound. Maybe the pendant called to the bird. Either way, she felt as if Chatan were there. Maybe he could see through a hawk’s eyes? He said that was his spirit animal.

  “If you are a messenger for Chatan, tell him I can’t go back. I need to keep moving. If I don’t...” Her voice broke and the bird leaned closer. She couldn’t tell him he would die. “If I don’t find my mother, she’s going to die. Tell him not to follow. I have to go. I’ll be back. Soon.”

  She hoped.

  The gas stopped. She put the nozzle back and climbed into the car, hoping the hawk was only curious about her necklace.

  That didn’t make sense. Didn’t matter, she didn’t believe the hawk would be able to keep up with a moving vehicle.

  On the freeway, she headed for her parents’ house on the Mississippi river. As long as she kept moving and only stopped for a rest when she had to, she could make the trip in two days.

  When she stopped to sleep, she’d attempt to contact her mother. Maybe she could shorten the trip.

  * * * *

  Jacinda made it to Utah before she pulled over at a motel. Traffic had been brutal, and she was all cried out, though she felt like hell. She missed Chatan so damned bad she might break in to pieces.

  The woman behind the lobby counter didn’t look up from her book. “What can I do for you?”

  “I need a room, please? I won’t be there all night, but I need sleep before I get back on the road. I’m paying cash.”

  “Sure, of course.” She finally looked up and the smile fell off her face. “Leaving a man?”

  “Only to deal with family business. Then I’m going back.” Would he hate her for leaving?

  “Whatever it is, I wish you luck,” the woman stated.

  Jacinda paid, took the key, and headed to her car to grab her box. Something brushed through her legs as she put the key in. She looked down to find a black cat purring as he wove between her legs, rubbing against her.

  Tears filled her eyes. For some stupid reason, the cat made her miss Chatan even more. The door creaked open and the cat darted inside. He explored the room.

  She set her box down on the chair and crouched down. “Come here, kitty. Your owner isn’t here.”

  He came back and sat his butt down, staring up at h
er with his head cocked.

  “Go on, leave. I’m sure you don’t want to be around me.”

  He lay down with a meow.

  “Are you lost?” she asked.

  The cat stared at her.

  Frowning, she stared back and received no further response. “Okay then, hang on.” She grabbed the bag of jerky she couldn’t force herself to eat and a couple of dishes she shifted into bowls. One she filled with water, the other with jerky she tore into small chunks before putting them on the floor.

  She glanced back at the cat, who didn’t move. “In case you’re hungry.”

  She pushed herself to a stand and fell onto the bed, curling on her side as the first tear fell. She missed Chatan so damned bad and she had no way to contact him.

  The cat pushed his way under her arm and nuzzled her face. Stroking his fur, she cried herself to sleep.

  * * * *

  Fear rolled through Jacinda as she pulled up to her mother’s home. No light was on, no sense of Mom’s presence. She climbed from the Tercel and made her way up the steps.

  The door hung open, a trail of blood on the floor, leading to the dining room. She crept through the living room and found her mother chained to the table with black metal wrapped around her wrists and ankles. Charred symbols covered her body.

  Jacinda turned to find the giant winged creature reaching for her throat.

  Jacinda bolted out of bed, fighting back the scream. She reached for Chatan, but he wasn’t there.

  Blinking, she looked around.

  There was no one there.

  Right. She was alone because she wanted him safe.

  A toilet flushed and her heart stuttered. She stumbled to the dark bathroom. Soft fur brushed her calves.

  The cat.

  Dropping to her knees, she scooped him up. “What are you doing? Trying to give me a heart attack?”

  He purred, rubbing his face against hers.

  “Why do you remind me of him?” She hugged his body close. He even smelled a little like Chatan. “I left jerky for you. It’s all I had.”