Beach City Blues (Immortal Elements World Series Book 2) Read online

  Forward

  Please look for “Immortal Elements World Series” when looking for Immortal Elements books! Anything else labeled without is non-canon!

  When our Universe ended and burned, a new one was created from the great shift, and so the Gods of Magic, the Immortal Elements were born. These Elemental Gods protect their Princess, the Star of Creation, and their Prince, the Void Unyielding. Despite their great powers, this large band of mischief makers often find themselves getting into trouble, and that’s without the God of Chaos and his cronies trying to take their Princess. What troubles could they be in today?

  CHAPTER I

  The sky smelled like rain. The scent permeated the dust, the spaces between the cobblestones trembling with it. It smelled old and new at the same time, a promise of renewal and refreshment, the threat of a soft cleansing of the world. Wind pulled and tugged playfully at the petals of flowers in their window boxes, and at the linen skirts of the bakers and cooks up early to get the city of St. Leon up and about. Something in the air floated about, a feeling that Giselle couldn’t place. It tugged and pulled at her too, and as she slowly made her way through the neighborhood of the Upper Village, a chill ran through her.

  Giselle shuddered and stopped. She glanced about the tiny street but she was alone, save for the shopkeeper with the door to her flower shop open. The dwarven woman glanced up at Giselle, who gave her a slight wave and a smile. Giselle was delighted to receive a kind smile in return and she resumed her morning walk without another worry. The little Princess paused again in her walk to pull out her phone, and she jotted a note to herself with the name of the flower shop for later. Satisfied, Giselle resumed her walk once more and she skipped a step as she turned onto the next street.

  St. Leon was the most beautiful place in the universe, and Giselle was certain of it. The city-state was right by the sea, with mountains and forest opposite. Half the year was overcast and Giselle didn’t want it any other way.

  Today’s errands weren’t much more than a few simple wants on her end; the castle of the Elementals provided for itself, so hypothetically she never had to leave. Giselle craved freedom, however, and several of her guardians gave her permission to wander off alone, as long as she returned before noon. Her boyfriend was up training with some of the others in his apartment, and she missed him already. Dominic’s kiss still lingered on her lips.

  Giselle mentally ran through her little list of things she wanted to buy: the fruit sodas from the little shop on the corner of Claremont Street, the cherry candies she liked from the shop next to it with the kind keeper, and the circle skirt she’d been wanting two streets down from there. “Maybe I’ll pick up some coffee for Nic,” she said quietly to herself. He had a preference for Lucille’s in the Upper Village, but he also enjoyed the salted caramel drink from Sandy Mae’s, and that was right down the street from her first two stops.

  Her pace quickened as she walked. Giselle tugged the sleeves of her long red shirt dress down as she felt another chill run through her. It was strange; the Elementals were largely impervious to temperature changes, and yet she felt the cold anyways. For a brief second she thought about turning back to the castle and getting one of her friends to come with her, maybe Cora or Meg. Giselle shook her head to herself. They trusted her to keep herself safe. She was fine.

  Giselle glanced about again as she changed streets, and her descent into the city finally brought her to Portside. A small sigh escaped her lips. She felt better here as the wind rushed over her, and she looked out over the docks as she made her way to her first stop. It was peaceful save for the dock workers. They carried large crates with magic streaming from their wands and staffs, soft glittering gold moving crates through the air and settling them on the ships for transport. St. Leon was a very rich city-state, and its exports were the highest quality in the region. It was a lowkey source of pride for Giselle. She smiled as she entered the shop and she was in and out within minutes.

  Giselle was quick with the candy shop too, and she was quick to take her items and set them down on the bench outside. Her fingers pulled at the air and a small portal opened to an ‘other space’, and Giselle stowed her items inside. She heard her toy clown familiar, Dimitri, honk at her and she chuckled.

  “I’ll see you when I get home,” she promised and he honked again. Giselle closed up the portal and looked around, but no one saw her. She plopped herself down on the bench and just sat for a while to watch the world go by. Deep breaths in and out as she felt the breeze run over her. The dock workers were a rowdy bunch, but not unpleasantly so.

  It stayed misty out, especially over the water. Giselle could not see the sea beyond the bay, nor even that far into the bay itself. The water seemed oddly quiet today. The workers took little notice at first, but over the course of a half hour they seemed noticeably slower in their work, their expressions nervous and grim. Giselle got up from where she sat at the bench, and the atmosphere seemed noticeably greyer than before, as though the color were seeping out of the street and into the mist. She looked for the shimmer of silver in the condensation, the sign of the sun’s shine, but Giselle could not see it. Her right hand twitched and the star sigil woven into her skin shone with brilliant light, a million tiny diamond facets flashing at once in a halo of rainbow.

  Something pushed at her, and Giselle tensed up for a second. Every muscle in her got ready and she turned, her eyes darting about as she searched for that feeling. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up and she drew her hands in to protect her chest and head. She started back down the street towards the Upper Village and away from the shops.

  I forgot about the skirt, Giselle thought. For a brief second she considered turning and going up the boulevard to the crossing, but she decided against it. It can wait. This fog, despite being normal weather for the city, had a strange feeling to it. I don’t trust this. Something isn’t right here.

  Her fingers drifted to her pocket as she paused at the street corner before crossing. Giselle touched plastic and glass and then left it, her hands falling back to her sides as she crossed the street and started up the sidewalk. She passed under the awning of a small tavern and made a mental note to go there; the Boar’s Head, it was called. Giselle had gone there a few times, and she liked their sandwiches quite a bit. The boys liked the beer there, but she cared more for sandwiches than beer. Fruity drinks suited her tastes better, and the Boar’s Head was not such a place to find those sort of drinks.

  The thought of alcohol and sandwiches distracted Giselle from her nervousness as she booked it up the sidewalk. She was glad she’d worn a loose, flowy dress. The Order of Shadows hasn’t been seen in a year, Giselle reminded herself. I have to be safe. I’m sure it’s just a weird day for the weather. I should go back and just get the skirt, I’ve been really wanting it. For a second her executive dysfunction stopped her and she paused and stood on the sidewalk, her body turning as she looked back down the little street. No one was there, save for a woman and a man with her, and the pair were looking at a plain silver chain on display in a shop window. Giselle noted the woman’s blue ruffle skirt and thought of the yellow chiffon in the shop window, and for a second her heart ached.

  I have so many pretty clothes already, Giselle reminded herself. I need to follow my gut and get back home. Her fingers slid back into her pocket and she pulled out her phone this time, and with a simple touch the screen lit up. She stared at it for a second before turning again to look at the couple, and then Giselle craned her neck and looked down to the end of the street.

  No one else was there, yet she couldn’t shake this off feeling that she wasn’t alone. “Nic?” Her voice was soft, and she wondered if perhaps her boyfriend was watching her in the shadows this entire time. After she’d been brutally attacked two years before by the Order of Shadows and the Chancellor blown up, Dominic was more protective than ever. Giselle was sort of surprised he’d been okay with her going out alone, but she realized there was a very real possibility that she actually wasn’t.

  Giselle didn’t get a reply. She looked down at her phone and quickly typed into the message box and sent it to him. I’ll be home soon. I’m on my way now. If he wasn’t watching over her already, Giselle sort of hoped he would soon. She would certainly feel less apprehensive about this strange fog. It seemed almost cloying as she continued her walk, her phone sliding back into her pocket with ease.

  Giselle shivered in her linen dress and she nearly paused again from the shock of it. Why do I feel so cold? This is weird. Am I sick? Or is my anxiety getting the best of me and I’m now imagining symptoms? Conrad warned her of that in the past, and as much as Giselle wanted to deny the fact that she sometimes worked herself up into a psychosomatic storm, she couldn’t. She was getting better about it though, and she inhaled deeply through her nose and forced herself to slowly exhale.

  I’m fine, Giselle reminded herself as she resumed walking with purpose. I can handle myself if something happens. Dominic knows I’m on the way, I’m doing everything right. I need to trust myself. One day she hoped to get to the point in her life where she wouldn’t have to remind herself like this, that she was capable. I’ve defended myself before, I can do it again.

  I’ve saved my own life after having a mental breakdown, I could do that again. Giselle skipped and a small grin crossed her face, and the fog crawling across the cobbled stones suddenly f
elt less oppressive as she lit up.

  Her pocket buzzed twice and Giselle pulled out her phone as she reached a street crossing. She paused and checked it, and Dominic had replied to her that he would be waiting by the front gate. Is something up or is he protective? Maybe he’s felt that this fog is strange too. I really hope it’s just funny weather for the day.

  Please don’t be something else. Please don’t be a bad guy. She glanced behind herself again and saw no one still. Then she put her phone away again and crossed, and then something hit her.

  A cry broke from Giselle’s lips as she stumbled. Her feet shifted and she made a quick recovery, her fists coming up to protect her face and chest. Giselle looked up to see who’d hit her, and her face dropped. It’s a bad guy.

  “Well, aren’t you cute?” The man dressed in all black sneered at her, his fangs glittering in the limited light of early day. Giselle’s eyes glanced to his hands and she saw a ring there on the left one, a silver little skull with two sparkling rubies for eyes. That’s how he’s walking in the daytime.

  “I am,” Giselle replied coolly. She kept her hands up and inhaled slowly through her nose as she met his gaze again. He wore a medallion, silver with an engraved raven, the clear sign of the Order of Shadows. It was a shame, as Giselle liked ravens. They were intelligent creatures to be respected, and the Order made them from a symbol of darkness into a symbol of evil. Giselle slowly exhaled and she blinked once, tilting her head up as she kept her gaze on the man.

  “Who are you?” She was clear and direct. “Identify yourself.”

  “I don’t think I will, Princess,” the strange vampire said with another sneer. Giselle’s gaze flicked to his left ear, and she realized that he wasn’t a human made vampire, but rather a short elf. That only makes him faster, I need to watch him.

  “Hmm.” Giselle didn’t have a reply for that, and she didn’t feel like finding the time to come up with one. The satisfaction wasn’t worth it to her.

  She knew his next move, because his next move was the same as anyone else’s: kidnap her. Giselle sidestepped and blasted a high energy beam of light at the vamp’s wrist. His left hand blew off with a flash and a hiss, and smoke rose from the glowing red wound as the hand crumbled to stone and shattered against the street.

  “N-no! You little wretch!” The vampire’s eyes widened and he exploded into pieces, his protection from the sun gone as his ring was separated from his person. Giselle breathed out a sigh of relief and she took a step back. She reached up with one sleeve and wiped her brow, and she felt a great weight come off her shoulders. The fog didn’t dissipate in the slightest, but the natural silver light returned with a moment and bits of sun beamed through the clouds. Giselle looked up at the sky and inhaled the smell of the sea as ash swirled into the air. She sighed and lowered her sleeve from her head, and with a twitch of her fingers she cast a cleaning spell on the fabric.

  “You handled that beautifully. ” Giselle jumped and she looked away from the sky. She caught sight of a man before her and she sighed in relief.

  “Nic!” She ran to Dominic and he pulled her into an embrace. He had been watching over her after all, he was just going to meet her at the gate when she was gone. Giselle was very happy to see him.

  “I’m sorry love, I didn’t know he was there until he appeared. I didn’t mean to make you nervous with my powers, I just wanted to give you the space you wanted.” Dominic was so kind in the way he spoke to her, and Giselle’s heart fluttered as she pressed herself against him.

  “You’re amazing,” she breathed.

  “You didn’t get your skirt.” He sounded almost upset, but Giselle didn’t care at this point. I protected myself from that vampire. I fucking nailed it. Dominic thought I did good. That prize alone, making him proud, that was better than anything she could ever buy.

  “I have others,” Giselle said with a grin as she looked up and met his gaze. He held her tight and smiled. “I bought you a soda. Let’s go home.”

  “You really did handle that, like, amazing,” Dominic said. “That was brilliant.”

  “Work smarter, not harder.” They shared a laugh and Giselle was at ease as they began to slowly walk together.

  “I have to call the Chancellor.”

  “It’s still Hadrian, right?” Giselle remembered speaking to him once after Briggs got blown up for his illegal gifting of mech weapons to the Order. That hadn’t done him much good, ultimately, as all it got him was dead. His charred body didn’t even get the honor of being interred at the capitol. Dominic’s respect for the office had gone out the window ever since, and despite the Gods’ former agreement to act as one of the guardian guilds for Morcia, they focused more on guarding Giselle from harm, with Dominic captain among them.

  “Yeah, until the election,” Dominic said. He seemed almost weary. “He’s not Morcia’s best. Even with their military, they could never retrieve the four lost mechs.”

  “And he’s doing that military air show, right? Up North on the coast?” Giselle actually wanted to see that exhibition.

  “Yeah,” Dominic said. “I think we should go.”

  “What?” Giselle was surprised by this. They rarely spent large amounts of time in Morcia. There was no way seeing the military airships was going to be a quick trip.

  “I mean, if you want,” Dominic said. “We don’t have to.” He didn’t sound super interested, and Giselle realized he was only offering for her sake. She shook her head and one of his eyebrows shot up in surprise.

  “I want to go on a date,” she said as she gave him a smile. “I want to wear the gold brocade.”

  “Ah, that kind of date,” Dominic said. Giselle could tell he was pleased by the way the smile tugged at his lips, and he looked forward as his hand laced with hers. They picked up their pace as they made a few turns and continued up the streets of the Upper Village. More chatter could be heard now, as windows were thrown open and shop bells tingled. Restaurant kitchens opened up and various food smells filled the air.

  In true magical fashion, Giselle and Dominic ended up at Lucille’s after all. One very tall iced coffee for him, and an iced chocolate milk with an espresso shot for her. The pair held hands as they slowly made their way back to the castle, straws in their mouths as they played the game of silly walks on the pathway to the castle gates. It was almost like Giselle hadn’t killed a vampire in broad daylight.

  They got inside and Dominic made his call as promised. Giselle went upstairs to their joined apartment suite and she flung herself on the bed after setting her drink down. She sighed and sat up, and she cast a cleaning spell on the duvet for her recklessness. Giselle opened her little portal and let Dimitri out, and the toy clown wandered about the room, taking a lap before settling at her feet. The princess sat at her desk and she pulled out the sodas and the candy bag and neatly set them there. Dimitri honked and Giselle picked him up and cradled him like a child for a moment, lest he continue honking.

  “You are not the whole circus,” Giselle murmured sweetly to him like he was a baby. “Don’t be too noisy, okay?” He honked at her and she laughed and set him down. Her brother Terrence made him for her, when she was a child. When she’d returned from the Moment, Terrence fixed Dimitri up and enchanted him, rendering the toy into this tiny being.

  Dominic paced around in his apartments with his phone in hand, and Giselle went to see him. He nodded to her and continued to listen to the person on the other end of the phone. His face was grim and he looked up to meet her eyes every minute or so, and Giselle felt a sudden weight in her heart.