The Nymph's Realm, page 1
The Nymph's Realm
Copyright © 2023 by Taya Rune
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
Cover Design: Sweet 15 Designs
For information contact : purplerealmpublishing@gmail.com
ISBN: 978-1-922604-51-4 (ebook)
ISBN : 978-1-922604-52-1 (paperback)
ISBN : 978-1-922604-53-8 (audiobook)
First Edition: April 2023
Purple Realm Publishing
Taya's Steamy Books
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Champagne Resolutions
War of Hearts
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The Charming Thief
The Right To Rule Series
Outcast
Lethal
Fatal
Betrayal
(Coming July 2023)
Enchanted Underworld
Weapons of the Fae Queen Series
The Warlock's Lair
The Oracle's Court
The Nymph's Realm
The Dragon's Garden
(Coming Late 2023)
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I dedicate this series to the women who serve to keep us safe.
I see you, and I thank you.
Contents
1. Chapter 1
2. Chapter 2
3. Chapter 3
4. Chapter 4
5. Chapter 5
6. Chapter 6
7. Chapter 7
8. Chapter 8
9. Chapter 9
10. Epilogue
Romantic Women's Fiction
About Taya Rune
Acknowledgments
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Chapter 1
This is why she had agreed to be a Weapon. The thrill of the unknown, the searching for clues and the twists and turns their investigations took them. Nothing was ever simple—those jobs were left to the normal soldiers of the Fae Queen. Twila thrived on the challenge, and this was turning into the most exciting and involved assignment they had ever had.
The four Weapons, plus the Warlock, and newly revealed Oracle, sat in the private dining chamber of the Oracle’s Court. The sun had set several hours ago, but it was only now that they were having dinner. Everyone had spent the late afternoon resting after the exhausting turn of events in what was less than twenty-four hours. It was hard to believe that only a mere day ago the four women had been standing in the Chicago alleyway receiving word of an explosion at the Oracle’s Court.
The loyal guard Sebastian stood outside the doors to the dining room, making certain they weren’t disturbed as they exchanged their stories. Jazlynn and Twila had given Katya and Calliope a complete account of what had occurred in their search for the person who had supplied Dryadon with the fireworks that had exploded in the Oracle’s Court and had killed several people. That it had turned out to be Jazlynn’s ex, Cael, who had stolen the Crown of the Fae Queen was still something Twila thought incredible. They had allowed him to tell his own story of being blackmailed by the Nymph, Eidyia, into stealing the crown, and then had organized through a tattooist to give fireworks to Dryadon.
Both Katya and Calliope had smiled, and Katya looked relieved to hear that Jazlynn had finally used her authority as a Princess to override Twila and choose to try and save Cael’s Pa and Nana from the blackmailing Eidyia. Both fairies had insisted on seeing Jaz’s new tattoo and the matching one on Cael’s arm, which then garnered much oohing and ahhing. Then it was their turn to explain their evening.
Twila kept her shock in check as she heard about Katya saving Dryadon’s life and several others, including a wyvern, with her healing abilities. Discovering that Dryadon had been posing as the Jester but was actually the new Oracle, and the treasonous act of the old Oracle, Ramil, and his death at the hands of a clawed creature was disquieting. But possibly the most disturbing of all was the amount of species that were willing to sacrifice themselves for whoever the person was orchestrating the theft of the Fae Crown and now the Oracle Dagger. Who was this Chaos person Eidyia had mentioned?
Katya cleared her throat to get everyone’s attention. “Okay, so it seems there is still many things we don’t know.” The leader of the Fae squad settled back into the padded dining chair, her arms resting on the table. Dryadon sat next to Katya and Twila noted their forearms were touching and was more astounded to see the male-loathing Fae not pull her arm away than anything she had heard so far tonight. Well, that is definitely something worth noting. Twila smiled to herself. Good for Kat.
“We need more information on everything, so I am going to split us up,” Kat went on.
Twila took a sip of her wisteria nectar and settled back into her own plush chair. Whatever Katya had planned, Twila hoped it was to begin tomorrow morning as her powers were not at full capacity. While being tethered to Cael, when she had him under arrest, and keeping his powers at a minimum, he had later admitted he had been able to weaken her abilities. Something she would need to work on and talk to him about very soon. She didn’t like having a weakness.
“To be frank, I am running on empty and so is Jaz,” admitted Katya. “We won’t begin until tomorrow morning, as we both need to recharge when the Witching Hour begins.” She looked around the table. “I am certain all of us could do with a full night’s rest.”
Twila was relieved to hear it, and also once again admired Katya for being realistic about her team’s abilities.
“Jazlynn and Cael, I was going to go myself, but am sending you instead. If things go smoothly here, Dryadon and I will join you in a day or two. I am sending you to speak to Scarlett and look through her library. The Keeper’s Library holds more secrets than anywhere else. She has had her own break-in to deal with, and I want to make certain it doesn’t link to ours.”
Katya nodded to her cousin. “Calliope, I am sending you back to the Second Plane. Find that tattooist. I want to know how he fits into all of this. Find out what he knows. With your knowledge of the human world, you have a better chance at getting him to talk.”
Twila nodded her approval. Julian the tattooist definitely warranted further investigating, and Calliope was absolutely the best person for the job. She interrupted Katya, which was something she rarely did. “In all of the excitement I forgot to mention that there is something different about Julian.”
“In what way?” Calliope asked.
“In the magic tracking type of way. I can feel all of you at this table. In the simplest terms, you all give off indicators of your magical nature. Dryadon’s is the softest power as it is mostly an external force. The rest of us are internal, but Cael as a Warlock feels different to us Fae. Julian gives off something I have never encountered. He is completely human, but there is something more to the man.”
“Noted,” commented Calliope.
“Twila, I want you to use your excellent diplomacy skills and travel to the Nymph’s realm and persuade the Nymph Queen to allow you to search Eidyia’s home. Let’s see what we can find out about the enemy; she seems like a good starting point.”
Katya looked seriously at her squad. “You girls have been in tight spots before, but this feels different. This is long term planning being executed diligently and we don’t know enough to make any assumptions. Be safe and alert.”
Each weapon nodded her understanding and the unspoken commitment to do their best but come home whole.
“Why aren’t you coming with us to see Scarlett?” asked Jazlynn, breaking the somber mood that had descended with Katya’s words.
“I want to go through the guest list from last night’s celebrations, and see if I can identify anything or anyone unusual. Dryadon needs to have his name cleared, and Queen Stellamaris will need to be informed of the change in Oracle.”
That triggered Twila’s memory. She turned to Jaz. “Do you remember what the queen said about what the Oracle has told her?”
The pretty blonde fairy, who was dark under the eyes from lack of sleep and had several cuts and abrasions on her face from fighting Eidyia this morning, nodded thoughtfully. “Yes, there was mention of the Oracle and that he gave her a message. I’m sorry, I am tired.” Jaz reached up and pushed her curls off her face. “I can’t think straight.”
Katya smiled kindly. “It’s fine. I’ll ask about it when I report to Queen Stellamaris tomorrow with Dryadon.” She yawned, which made Twila then fight to stop herself from yawning. “Definitely time for bed. I’ll see you all in the morning.”
“Who are you trying to impress?” Jaz asked, while Calliope whistled her appreciation as Twila descended the wide, sweeping staircase. She had taken time to decide on her outfit and overall look this morning. Her long
“Hoping to find your Prince Charming?” Calliope winked at her.
Twila smiled. “It might help if I knew who that was.” Calliope was always saying things that only humans would understand.
“It’s what many people think is the ideal man.”
“You know my answer to that.” Twila raised her eyebrows.
“Yes, same as mine. They are more trouble than they are worth.”
At that moment, Katya and Dryadon arrived at the top of the stairs. They were both glowing. “Oh, heaven protect me. Between the simpering of Jaz and Cael, and now the glowing of those two, I’ll be quite glad to get away from all this lovey-dovey before it infects one of us,” Calliope said with mock fear to Twila.
“You make a valid point,” agreed Twila.
“Mmmm.” Calliope looked the stunning white-clad fairy up and down. “If you don’t want to find romance then maybe you should look at changing, because damn girl, you look hot.”
“Oh, please, there is only Nymph and Vila there, neither is my type,” scoffed Twila.
Chapter 2
The sigil lost its glow as Twila stepped off it and into the small empty room. The only door to the room was opened promptly, and a Nymph held out their hand to take the sheet Twila carried to explain her unexpected visit. The deep purple eyes of the Nymph blinked at her as she looked up from the form. “Please, be welcome and come through to the next room. Refreshments will be served while you await the arrival of the ambassador.”
The Nymph turned and Twila followed her into the adjoining room. “Feel free to sit wherever pleases you. Would you prefer nectar or water?”
“Water would be appreciated, thank you,” answered Twila as she settled into a chair that was well-padded and covered in rich russet-colored velvet.
Without any further discourse, the Nymph left through the archway on the opposite side of the cozy room, nodding to someone as she did. Twila assumed there were guards on the other side of the arch and they would stop her if she tried to leave without an escort. She sat back in her chair and stretched her arms over her head, feeling her shoulders crack. Twila looked around the room as she brought her arms down and folded her hands in her lap. She sat at a round table that had eight chairs surrounding it. There was the archway on one side and the door to the sigil room on the opposite. There were no windows in the room, instead on one wall was a large tapestry of a magnificent oak tree, while on the other wall was a picture of an inviting lake. A chaise lounge with a matching high-backed chair in the same russet velvet was in one corner, giving travelers another option to sit other than at the table.
The Nymph returned sooner than Twila had anticipated with a tray, which held a glass of water and a small dish of candied fruit. “The ambassador has been informed and will be along momentarily.”
“Thank you.” Twila watched the Nymph leave again before picking up the glass of water and taking a sip. She sighed in delight as the clear water from the famous lake outside the palace quenched her thirst in a way nothing else in the Enchanted Underworld ever could. Twila had only had the pleasure of drinking water from the lake a few times in her life, and each time she had marveled at the taste.
With nothing to do but sit and wait, Twila took a moment to close her eyes and let her magic settle, enjoying the sensation of being well-rested and having full energy reserves from the witching hour that had passed last night. Taking a calming breath, Twila sent her magic out to see if she could sense anything odd or out of place. Her tracking was based on the feel of something, and if the magic was powerful enough, she got a smell or taste too. Once she picked up on something, she could separate it if there were other magics and follow it by feel. The only drawback was that her mind’s magic could only travel a certain distance, so to truly track something she needed to move toward it.
Quickly she came across the magic of the Nymphs and Vila that lived within the palace. Nothing unusual there. Though she did pause to appreciate their different feels, smells, and even taste of the truly powerful. She knew if she tracked the scent it would lead her to the Nymph Queen, Nemea, as she carried the most powerful water magic, as that was how the rulers were chosen in this realm. The Vila King, Galician, was the strongest wind weaver of his generation. Though, from all reports, he spent more time in his tree in the palace gardens than he did at court ruling beside his wife.
As expected, Twila encountered no other familiar feelings, tastes, or smells from the other people who lived in the Underworld. Only at the Oracle’s Court and Fae Queen’s Court did you typically find all the species intermingling, unless there was a specific event. Everyone tended to keep to their own species, though Goblins took it to a different level, where you were openly unwelcome.
Twila stopped to enjoy the sensation of the water magic she felt from several places in the palace and beyond. It made her feel fresh and cleansed and smelled like summer rain. The wind magic of the Vila was different, but just as welcome. It carried the scent of blossoms and was sweet and gentle; though, the wind could be a terrible magic, bringing devastation with its brutal force. The magic of the Nymph and Vila was like the magic of the Witches and Warlocks, partly internal and partly external; whereas the Fae were more aligned with the Shifters, Dragons, and Wyverns as their entire magical abilities came from within.
As Twila swept her mind away from the water and wind, she felt no other types of magic until she caught a hint underlying the water in the distance. Now with something to focus on, she narrowed her magic and sought out the differing and out-of-place magic. She swallowed hard as her throat suddenly held the taste of something rancid as if bile had risen and hit the back of her throat. What was it? she wondered. For the second time in two days she had encountered a magic she had not felt before. Though the magical taint that Julian the tattooist held was far different from what she had now uncovered. This was a foul, fetid stench, even when it was weak. She definitely needed to find out more, but she knew her priority was to follow orders and uncover all she could regarding the Nymph, Eidyia.
After noting in which direction the magic was coming from and making certain she would be able to recognize it again, though she doubted she would ever forget the feel this power gave her, Twila brought her magic back into herself and shook off the icky feeling the odd power she had uncovered gave her. Hoping to get rid of the taste in the back of her mouth, Twila ate a candied apricot and followed it up with a large gulp of the refreshing water. That seemed to help greatly, and she felt more like herself.
She heard the footsteps before she saw anyone and stood to greet the ambassador.
A Nymph dressed in the blue and green guard uniform of the Nymph and Vila court walked into the room, followed by a handsome Fae, and finally a Vila in the same guard uniform. The Fae bowed to Twila.
“Lady Twila, I am not certain if you remember but I had the honor of meeting you several years ago at the Fae Court when Queen Stellamaris threw one of her galas to celebrate—-” He paused. “Now I can’t remember what the event was for.”
“Baron Martel, I do believe it was a celebration for her youngest niece’s graduation. I was there as a guest of Princess Jazlynn’s.”
“Ah, yes. My family does love a celebration.” The Baron gave her a wonderful smile. He had the same strawberry-blond hair as his second cousin, the Fae queen, and fine features. He was only a fraction taller than Twila at five foot, five inches tall, and his eyes were hooded and slate gray. He wore simple tunic and trousers with a sleeveless over robe that swept the floor, all in shades of blue. His wings were not on display, making him blend in better with the Nymph and Vila, though the eye color was clearly wrong.
