A Shift in Darkness: Lost Legacies, #0

A Shift in Darkness

A Lost Legacies Prequel Novella

Maddox Grey

The Lost Legacies Series

A Shift in Darkness*

A Shift in Shadows

A Shift in Fate

A Shift in Fortune

A Shift in Ashes

A Shift in Wings

A Shift in Death

A Shift in Tides

*A Shift in Darkness the prequel novella and is available for free download at maddoxgreyauthor.com.

Copyright © 2022 by Maddox Grey

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and events, and incidents are the product or depiction of the author’s imagination and are completely fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or establishments is purely coincidental.

Cover Design by Seventhstar Art

eBook ISBN: 978-1-7375381-4-1

Paperback ISBN: 978-1-7375381-8-9

Note from Author on Language & Content

I am a strange, strange person, and I’ve lived a bit of an odd life. I was born and raised in California, but was mostly raised by my Canadian grandmother and was then unofficially adopted by an Irish family in my late teens. You might be wondering why I’m mentioning this, and the reason is that I have a bit of a magpie approach when it comes to the English language.

Sometimes I like the American English spelling… sometimes I’m really attached to that extra u and go for the Irish version (yes I’m specifically choosing to say Irish and not UK because I don’t want my family to smother me in my sleep).

Bless the soul of my copy-editor because she just sighs heavily at the start of each manuscript and deals with my eccentricities. So if you’re an American and looking at a word and thinking it’s not spelt right… it is most likely the non-American version of the word.

Okay. We got that out of the way. Let’s chat real quick about what to expect in this book. This is a fantasy novel that contains adult content and situations. If it was a movie, it would probably be rated R for violence and language. If you want to go into this book completely blind and prefer not to read content warnings, you can skip on ahead, my friend.

If there are certain topics that you need to avoid for the sake of your own mental health, or that you simply don’t like, please take a look at the list below for some things you will find in this book.

Emotionally abusive ex-lover with stalker tendencies

Violent deaths of loved ones including parental death and death of a lover by abusive ex-lover

Drinking alcohol as a coping mechanism

Depression and panic attacks related to grief/trauma

Contents

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

A Shift in Shadows - Prologue

A Shift in Shadows - Chapter 1

Want to know what happens next?

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Author’s Note

About the Author

To the eastern glass lizard that bit me as a kid, and traumatized me for life. Thanks, buddy.

Chapter One

The exhilaration of finding my prey under the light of the moon never got old. I had been alive for centuries and had hunted all kinds of things in all kinds of realms. My brother and I had been born in the human realm, but our parents had been born in the feline shifter realm, Kanima. They’d told us bedtime stories of hunting across the vast open plains or stalking through the dense rainforests. My current hunt wasn’t taking place in a location anything like what my parents had hunted in, but it was thrilling nonetheless.

The night was clear and the moon lit our way as we silently moved through empty backyards. It was well past midnight and all the humans were tucked away in their homes, built at the city’s edge. I leapt over a tall brick fence and paused to take in my surroundings. Jinx landed on silent paws at my side.

This is it, I said quietly and crept forward across the yard until I stood in front of a solid concrete wall. The house we want is on the other side. Do you sense anything?

I was good at sensing magic when it was in use, but I sometimes missed more subtle spells and wards unless I let my magic out to snoop around. Jinx stalked over to the pale concrete wall and sniffed it, then tentatively tapped it with a paw. He backed up a few steps, muscles bunching together, and then leapt upwards. He started the leap as an average sized black domestic house cat and ended it as a hundred-pound sleek feline perched on the top of the wall.

There is a ward directly on the other side. It’s not designed to keep anyone out, just to alert its creator if anyone crosses it, his voice rumbled through my mind.

Well, at least we know we found the house with the warlocks. I took a few steps back and then sprinted, jumping up at the last second. My fingers caught the top of the wall and I grunted as my body slammed into the concrete, then pulled myself up to crouch beside Jinx.

Smooth, Jinx said with a raspy laugh.

Shut it. I pushed the thought at him. I didn’t want to risk jumping too far and crossing the ward. I scanned the area. The house was dark and no lights were on in the backyard which was mostly open. Like most of the yards we’d passed, this one consisted of several winding pathways that weaved through meticulously trimmed shrubs and elaborate rock structures. We would be easy to spot anywhere in the garden, not that it mattered. They’d know we were here as soon as we crossed the ward.

Plan? Jinx asked.

I pulled a throwing dagger from the sheath on my thigh and palmed it in my right hand. Let’s go say hello. A wild grin spread across my face as I leapt down. A slight tingle ran across my skin as I crossed the ward. Jinx followed a second later. We didn’t bother with stealth and stalked up the center of the garden towards the house. Halfway there, floodlights flipped on, and I heard movement from within the house. I stopped and drew in a breath, letting the scents linger above my tongue. Disappointment flickered through me. He wasn’t here.

Damn it.

Two human men opened the sliding door of the house and walked into the yard. Their arrogant expressions gave them away as warlocks as much as their magic. The taller of the two looked at me and then at Jinx, a sneer spreading across his face. I don’t know who you are, but you and your fae companion picked the wrong house to intrude upon.

We’re just out for a neighborhood stroll, I said smoothly. Hoping to meet up with a colleague of yours, actually. You wouldn’t happen to know where Sebastian is now, would you?

Sebastian? He glanced at his companion, who grimaced at the name, but shook his head. He focused on me once more, and then his eyes lit up in recognition. You’re that shifter he’s so obsessed with. Heard what he did to that mermaid lover of yours. Nasty business. He grinned at me.

I went still at his words. The rage I carried with me always threatened to break the bonds I kept around myself. The chains I needed to make sure I stayed in control. Stayed alive. The warlock’s grin grew wider, realizing he struck a nerve. Something deep within me rumbled.

Nemain, Jinx said in warning.

I drew in a deep breath. These warlocks would die tonight, but they’d answer my question first. I just needed to control myself for another minute then I’d make him regret his words. And that goddamn grin.

I’m going to ask you one more time, I said coldly, gripping my dagger tighter. Do you know where Sebastian is?

Even if I knew where he was, I wouldn’t tell you, he said with a laugh. I don’t know what’s got him all hot and bothered for you, which makes me curious to find out. And I’ve always been one to indulge my curiosity. He gave me a lecherous smile as he gestured at the other warlock. They quickly moved apart from each other, their magic rising. I suggest you and the grimalkin surrender yourselves to us peacefully, otherwise this is going to get ugly real fast. And don’t bother screaming for help. That ward you crossed through blocks all sound from getting out. No one will hear your scream.

Oh, I drawled. It wasn’t my screams I was worried about. But thanks for letting me know I don’t have to worry about waking the neighbors.

I let the dagger fly as Jinx, and I unleashed ourselves on them. The warlock was true to his word about the ward, nobody heard their screams.

Another dead end, I said tiredly. No signs he was ever here. I flung the towel I'd been using to dry my hair on the floor and sunk onto the couch across from the mirror.

Jinx was sprawled out on the bed. He’d put his glamour back on for the trip back, but as soon as we made it back to our rented room he’d dropped the glamour again. Now his one-hundred-pound feline form was passed out, snoring slightly. I sighed. Moving him wasn't an option, Jinx was perpetually grumpy. Waking him up from a nap took him to a whole new level of grumpiness. He'd give me bad luck for a week.

I told you I couldn't confirm any of the details about that lead, and that it was likely bogus, Pele responded from the large segmented mirror where her form took up the left panel.

She was looking at me with her unreadable neutral face she always used when overseeing meetings or negotiations between the various magical factions.

From the middle section of the mirror, Kaysea studied me, not bothering to mask her worried expression. It was a little jarring to see both of my friends side by side. With her deep red skin, fiery orange hair, and tall, lithe build, Pele was the opposite of Kaysea, who had pale white skin,