Earthly Shadows (Murphy's Law Book 3) Read online

  Praise for Earthly Shadows

  "K.A. Fox continues to deliver with her exciting Murphy's Law series. Delaney is back in a tense, action-filled journey toward vengeance and self-discovery. Hold on tight! You won't want to put down this gripping adventure!"

  ~Dennis K. Crosby, Bestselling Author of Death's Legacy

  "A compelling story. Impossible to put down."

  D. Fischer, USA Today Bestselling Author

  "Character driven, rich with fantasy, and brimming with fire and romance, Fox's writing has a way of injecting even the darkest themes with light and warmth. Earthly Shadows is a ride you won't forget anytime soon!"

  —T.D. Fox, Bestselling Author of The Walls of Orion and City of Loons

  For Ann and the real Moose dog:

  always loved, never forgotten.

  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

  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

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Acknowledgments

  Earthly Shadows

  Book three in the Murphy’s Law Series

  K.A. Fox

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  Advertencia Antipirateria del FBI: La reproducción o distribución no autorizada de una obra protegida por derechos de autor es ilegal. La infracción criminal de los derechos de autor, incluyendo la infracción sin lucro monetario, es investigada por el FBI y es castigable con pena de hasta cinco años en prisión federal y una multa de $250,000.

  Earthly Shadows First Edition

  Copyright © 2021 K.A. Fox

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever, including Internet usage, without written permission from the author.

  This story is a work of fiction. References to real people, events, establishments, organizations, or locales are intended only to provide a sense of authenticity and are used fictitiously. All other characters, and all incidents and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real.

  www.acornpublishingllc.com murphy’s law: book three

  ISBN Paperback: 978-1-952112-82-9

  ISBN Hardcover: 978-1-952112-83-6

  1

  I surveyed the remains of my home. It was still dark, but dawn was drawing closer, and I could feel it prickling along my skin. For the first time in my life, I wished the day wouldn't come. If it did, when it did, everything from this night would be a reality. The battle against the one who’d betrayed us, who’d taken the most precious thing of all from me, was still fresh in my mind. The fact that I hadn’t seen it coming was like a raw wound. I’d been too trusting, never questioning the loyalty of those closest to me. I scrubbed my hand across my face, the acrid smell of charred wood and blood still clinging to my skin. Tiredness weighed heavily and there was an ache deep in my chest that wouldn't stop, no matter how many times I wished it away.

  Frozen ground crunched behind me. I instantly tensed but fought the urge to turn. My body recognized him as the bond between us sung out with every step. If I closed my eyes, I'd see the connection warm and bright against the darkness. But I was tired and didn't have the energy to focus on that. Really, all I wanted was my home back. That simple bit of comfort and safety was all I could focus on in this moment. Restoring it to what it had been before rogue demon forces had attacked was what mattered. Their leader had tried to send a message by setting fire to the place where I felt the safest. I’d responded by burying a blessed blade in his back as he ran from me.

  "Whenever you're ready." Callum's gentle voice confirmed his presence. I reached for his hand and twined my fingers with his. Strength flowed from him into me, the bond flaring so bright I couldn't ignore it. I struggled not to push it away, and Cal recognized my internal battle. "Freely given. I promise. You're not doing me any harm."

  I sighed but gave him a small smile. The darkness I'd felt growing in me threatened to push forward, but the added energy allowed me to force it back into the space I'd carved out for it. Shoving it down deep, I turned my attention back to the structure in front of us.

  With my eyes closed, I saw it as it had been. The wide porch and railing, which were framed by bright, blooming flowers in the summer. The steep pitch of the roof rising above it. Even the decorative gable vent with the rays radiating out that always reminded me of the rising sun, Finally, the welcoming front door, a gold and green wreath hanging in the center Cal had made in a fit of sudden craftiness. The memory of Moose bringing over sprigs of greenery and spools of ribbon, barking when he didn’t like their placement, brought a smile to my face. I held those images in my mind, and then unleashed the power contained inside me.

  In a rush of heat and magic that raised goosebumps over my skin, energy exploded from me. Tuned to it, I watched as the power swirled through the air on its way to the house, sparks flaring in the night. Cyclones of light spun around the damaged sections, wiping away the charred bits and restoring my home to the vision of what it had been before the attack. It took mere seconds to restore what someone I’d once called family had tried to destroy.

  My heart lurched with pain at that thought. My Uncle Newt, best friend of my father and the man who'd helped raise me, had betrayed me on so many levels. The memory of his eyes filled with loathing as he screamed only hours ago would not be as easily forgotten as the damage done to my home could be. He'd taken more than a house from me. He'd stripped me of the one thing that kept me tied to my humanity.

  The darkness that had begun to build in the very center of me was growing stronger, and all of the encouraging smiles from my friends couldn’t change that fact. Without my mother, without her presence anchoring me to the mortal world, I would lose the battle in the end. The darkness would win. Bile churned in my stomach, roiling around the piece of Hell I now carried within me. My mother would have urged me to forgive. It was always her way. Forgiveness and compassion. But tonight, I was truly my father's daughter. There was no forgiveness in me. Not for Newt.

  The sound of tires crunching over gravel had me turning. The first rays of dawn were starting to show, hints of pink glimmering in the east. A silver truck pulled to a stop and both Cal and my Hell Hound, Moose, flanked me. I could feel Torren even from across the distance separating us, his concern for me bright and clear through the magic that tied us to each other. He was supposed to be resting, recovering from the wounds Newt had inflicted. I’d ordered Tor and my father, Angus, to stay in the large, metal building yards away from my home. It was shelter, but more than that, it was easily defended. I shoved reassurance along our bond and felt him settle back but didn't expect him to wait very long. If I didn't deal with this visitor, I had no doubt that Tor and Angus would stagger
out here to stand with me if they felt I was being threatened.

  The headlights cut out allowing me to see the figures inside the vehicle through the front windows. Miss Tilly sat in the passenger seat, her eyes meeting mine directly through the glass. Her granddaughter, Aften, opened the driver's door and exited, making her way around the front of the vehicle, giving me only a passing nod. She looked worn out and exhausted. Our meeting hours ago in the clearing right outside her hometown, Hazelwood, seemed a distant memory already.

  Aften opened the door and offered a hand to Miss Tilly, who gratefully accepted it and slid out into the chill of the winter morning. I could taste snow on the air. The crisp, fresh, cold flavor always seemed to warn of a coming storm.

  Miss Tilly tipped her head as Aften whispered to her, then patted her arm like she was comforting her. "This is still our land. They wouldn't dare."

  I snorted at the idea of someone stupid enough to attack Miss Tilly here. I might have bought the land and the buildings on it from her, but that didn't make it solely mine. Time mattered, and the Hazelwood family had generations of connection with this place. I could feel the natural magic here shift as Miss Tilly stepped forward, recognizing her presence, and welcoming her back. A spike of jealousy twisted in my chest and I almost snarled before I regained control. The response was alarming, something I added to the list of changes I’d started to notice about myself. Never before had I been selfish about this place or its magic. The deed might have my name on it, but Miss Tilly still had a clear claim if the ground beneath our feet was ever called upon to choose.

  "Hello again, Girl." Miss Tilly never called me by name, even though she always spoke to me with affection, as if I was one of her wayward children intent on learning lessons the hardest way possible. "I was having tea and reading the cards. You'll have need of something, so I brought it to you."

  She reached into her cavernous purse and pulled out a velvet bag the color of sapphires. "A compass. To help you find your way." When she placed the little package in my hand, I felt a jolt of power as it settled into my palm.

  "You must think I'm lost." I met her clear gaze, unable to ignore the sadness that shone in her eyes.

  "We all get lost along the journey. Sometimes a little, sometimes much more. It never hurts to have help finding the path." She tipped her head toward Cal and Moose. "They'll be with you, of course."

  She peered around me and her thin lips curved as she examined the newly repaired front of the home. "You've done well with this. Already mastering the power from Below."

  A worry I hadn't realized I'd been holding onto slipped from my shoulders. One of the reasons I'd been so intent on trying to fix the fire damage right away had been my original promise to Miss Tilly when she'd signed the property over to me. That I would always take care of it. A battalion of cloned demons trying to burn the place down didn't qualify as caring for it.

  "I tried. Doesn't look too bad does it?"

  "It looks like nothing even happened. Quite impressive." Her knowing gaze turned to me. "You, however, need rest. So do your men. And your Hound."

  I shrugged. "I'll take it under advisement."

  "See that you do." She paused, and I felt her pull back, the withdrawal physical. "We can't help you where you're going. I wish it was different, but we simply can't."

  Rubbing my hands down over the denim covering my thighs, I felt the greasy traces of soot. "I know. I appreciate all you've done for me since I came here. It's meant a lot. I know that sounds silly but having you here … I didn't realize how much I needed it."

  "It's my purpose." She ran her eyes over me one final time. "Guard yourself and those you care for. And know you always have a home to come back to."

  She turned and walked away from me. Aften helped her into the truck, and then they were gone.

  Moose came to my side, leaning his heavy weight on me. He hadn't bothered shifting to his smaller, less frightening appearance. Both Miss Tilly and Aften had recognized his true nature when they met him. He had nothing to hide now. And, I realized, neither did I.

  Cal waited for me, his beautiful eyes filled with concern. "What did she give you?" he asked. I slipped the small velvet bag into the pocket of my coat.

  "A gift. Something we're going to need."

  He nodded in understanding. "We'll be leaving again soon. Might as well get rested and ready."

  "Might as well," I said on a sigh, then shifted my attention to the door of the metal building I used as a garage. Light spilled from it as the door opened, illuminating the lanky figure of my father standing in the open doorway. Tiredness ate at me, but I wouldn’t give in yet. Instead, I crossed the distance of the open yard and fell into the warm embrace of the Devil.

  2

  With Callum's help, I got Torren and Angus moved into the house. Once they were settled, Cal checked them over and focused his healing ability on their most concerning wounds. I watched him, noting the lines that appeared on his forehead as he concentrated, then the golden thread of energy that spilled from him as he laid his hands on Torren’s chest. I couldn’t see any injuries beyond the cuts and bruises, but his breathing had been labored, his skin pale and hot to the touch. My gut twisted at the idea of the damage Newton might have done internally, and I offered a silent thanks for Callum’s healing ability. He could see things I couldn’t and watching as he worked was comforting and instructive. Another change in me registered. Days ago, I would have needed to work much harder to see the magic. Today, it simply required that I pay attention.

  "One benefit of carrying a chunk of Hell in your belly." Cal gave me a wink as I shot him a surprised look at the reference to the piece I’d taken from my father during the battle, swallowing it down so I’d have the power needed to defeat Newt. "I also noticed you weren't freezing outside. That must be a nice change."

  That statement pulled a laugh from me. "True. All of those times Angus tried to convince me of the fringe benefits from Below, the only one that ever sounded appealing was not being cold."

  "You can always find the silver lining ...," he said.

  I finished the statement for him. "If you look hard enough."

  Torren's eyes were closed, and the steady rhythm of his breathing told me he was finally able to sleep. The marks of pain had eased from his face, and the lurch of relief in my chest at the sight of it made me smile.

  "You should check the bond," Cal said. When I gave him a questioning look, he pointed to Torren. "Check it. See how it looks now. If it's changed at all."

  I thought back to the first time I'd visualized the connection tying me and Tor together. "Will it wake him up? He really does need the sleep." We all needed that, but Torren had suffered the most. He was human with no magic to defend himself with and had been at Newt’s mercy when he was kidnapped. Rest was truly what Torren needed most right now, right after a round of angelic healing under Cal's practiced hand.

  "Don't yank on it and he'll be fine."

  I covered the laugh and punched Cal on the arm. He always found a way to lighten the load I carried, even if it was simply with a perfectly timed joke. Feeling better, I reached out and laid my fingers gently over Torren's stomach. Closing my eyes, I blocked out all the external things and went completely still.

  The magic that tied Torren to me glowed, a thread that twisted and pulsed between the two of us. A bright gold ran through the center of the cord that spiraled out to red at the edges. I stroked my fingers over it and a chime rang out, sweet and silvery. I focused on the sound, followed it as it faded away leaving the soft song of the bond itself, steady and constant.

  When I opened my eyes, Cal's eyes were on me, a bright smile on his face. "That sounded healthier than it ever has before."

  "It looks better too. Which surprises me."

  "What were you expecting?"

  Shrugging, I thought for a moment before answering. "After what he went through with Newt, after what I did to try to save him, save all of us, I thought the bond would hav
e been more damaged, draining more of him. Instead, it's better than I've ever seen."

  "You chose to accept your magic, stopped fighting against who you are. That's less draining for you, which is less draining for him."

  His words made sense. But at the same time, I worried. "What about the darkness, the one Miss Tilly sees in me now."

  "It's all a part of you." He shook his head as I opened my mouth to argue. "Let me finish. None of us are only one thing. Angels, humans, even Angus. We're made up of different pieces. Light, dark, good, and bad. We're a blend of those things. We need all of those things. They make us who we are. Enable us to do what we must do. The darkness is stronger in you than it was before, but it's not all you are. Even if it feels stronger, you're still in control. You decide."

  I bit my lip, doing my best to hide the worry and uncertainty I felt. Callum was always the encourager. I didn't need to burden him more with the insecurities swirling inside me.

  "I'll stay here with Torren. Why don't you go sit with your dad for a while? Test out the healing I worked in him, see how it's progressing."

  The memory of the gash in my father's stomach, the way his flesh had felt as I'd pushed my hand into his wound to pull the chunk of Hell out of him, had bile rising up in the back of my throat.

  "Laney?" Cal laid a gentle hand over mine, where it now rested on Torren's leg. The bond between us sparked from that single touch. Callum's eyes lit up even as Torren shifted in his sleep. "Wow, I think we all felt that one."