Bound by Faerie: An Urban Fantasy Novel (Stolen Magic Book 1) by WB McKay Page A
Book: Bound by Faerie: An Urban Fantasy Novel (Stolen Magic Book 1) by WB McKay
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Authors: WB McKay
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That was a shitty excuse for a burger." Probably not the smartest comment at the moment, but I was serious about my burgers.
I zoned out while he ranted about his club and the food. It was a good opportunity to think over my options. The necklace felt heavy on my throat. I worried that he'd noticed it, that he'd try to take it from me, and I put my hand around my neck to cover it. Every time I thought to remove it, my hand ached. Owen needed to leave. This conversation was going nowhere, and despite my bravado, I had no desire to test myself against a dragon in my house. I also had no intention of giving him that book. I had to run.
"What is that around your neck?"
"None of your business," I said, turning away and stuffing the necklace inside my shirt. I could have shifted—it had gone with me when I'd done it before—but the idea of abandoning my home, and the book, hurt as much as the idea of losing the necklace. The two desires warred through my mind, too loud to think.
His hand reached out to grab my arm, but it never touched me. One of Phoebe's vines latched around him from wrist to elbow. He gasped. Honestly, it shouldn't have surprised him; he'd been warned.
"Ah, ah," said Phoebe. "No touching." The vines yanked his arm behind his back. "Should I toss him out, Sophie?"
"Yes," I replied without hesitation.
"Wait!" called Owen, his feet sliding back across the floor. "I know what that thing is, and you'll need my help if you want it off." His feet stopped sliding.
"You have my attention," said Phoebe, ignoring my protests. "What is it and what needs to be done?"
"Throw him off the walkway," I ground out. "Wait, no, he'll just shift. Crush him like an empty beer can. He's not getting near my necklace." I charged at him, diving for my sword at the last second. My hand clamped around the sheath and I rolled up in a fluid motion that turned me toward my enemy. When I reached for the hilt of the sword I found only empty air.
"No beheading the dragon before he tells us how he can help," said Phoebe.
A metallic glint drew my eye to the ceiling. A vine held both my swords with the tips pointed toward Owen. "I told you never to mess with my weapons, Phoebe."
She ignored me and danced the swords in front of Owen.
He might not have been afraid of me, but he wasted no time giving Phoebe what she wanted. "That is a lure meant for dragons. It manipulates our covetous natures and convinces us to put it on. Once it has us, it's only a matter of time before we never want to take it off. Eventually, it lures us into Faerie. I don't know what happens from there."
Clear as if she was speaking out loud, Phoebe's look said, I told you so . "How do we get it off?"
"That's the unfortunate part. There's only one way I know to remove the necklace, and it's in Faerie."
"I don't like all this talk about taking off the necklace, but I do like the idea of heading to Faerie," I said. The words were barely out of my mouth before I realized they were proof that everything Owen said about the necklace was true. "Damn."
Phoebe tapped her chin thoughtfully. "You're being rather vague about the method used to remove the necklace."
Owen gave her a cunning smile. "I am indeed. The reason is twofold."
"Who the hell says twofold?" I clamped a hand over my mouth. "I didn't mean to say that out loud."
"That's the necklace. It messes with your impulse control. That's how it gets you to go to Faerie," explained Owen.
"Right." Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Just what Sophie needs, problems with impulse control." Owen laughed. "The reasons for your vagueness," prompted Phoebe.
"The first one is that keeping the method vague will allow Sophie to go toward it without knowing it, circumventing the necklace's enchantment."
His eyes kept finding the necklace and I considered shifting so I could pluck them from his head with my beak. A vine wrapped around my midsection, stopping me mid step. I hadn't even registered the motion. "Reason number two?" I
I zoned out while he ranted about his club and the food. It was a good opportunity to think over my options. The necklace felt heavy on my throat. I worried that he'd noticed it, that he'd try to take it from me, and I put my hand around my neck to cover it. Every time I thought to remove it, my hand ached. Owen needed to leave. This conversation was going nowhere, and despite my bravado, I had no desire to test myself against a dragon in my house. I also had no intention of giving him that book. I had to run.
"What is that around your neck?"
"None of your business," I said, turning away and stuffing the necklace inside my shirt. I could have shifted—it had gone with me when I'd done it before—but the idea of abandoning my home, and the book, hurt as much as the idea of losing the necklace. The two desires warred through my mind, too loud to think.
His hand reached out to grab my arm, but it never touched me. One of Phoebe's vines latched around him from wrist to elbow. He gasped. Honestly, it shouldn't have surprised him; he'd been warned.
"Ah, ah," said Phoebe. "No touching." The vines yanked his arm behind his back. "Should I toss him out, Sophie?"
"Yes," I replied without hesitation.
"Wait!" called Owen, his feet sliding back across the floor. "I know what that thing is, and you'll need my help if you want it off." His feet stopped sliding.
"You have my attention," said Phoebe, ignoring my protests. "What is it and what needs to be done?"
"Throw him off the walkway," I ground out. "Wait, no, he'll just shift. Crush him like an empty beer can. He's not getting near my necklace." I charged at him, diving for my sword at the last second. My hand clamped around the sheath and I rolled up in a fluid motion that turned me toward my enemy. When I reached for the hilt of the sword I found only empty air.
"No beheading the dragon before he tells us how he can help," said Phoebe.
A metallic glint drew my eye to the ceiling. A vine held both my swords with the tips pointed toward Owen. "I told you never to mess with my weapons, Phoebe."
She ignored me and danced the swords in front of Owen.
He might not have been afraid of me, but he wasted no time giving Phoebe what she wanted. "That is a lure meant for dragons. It manipulates our covetous natures and convinces us to put it on. Once it has us, it's only a matter of time before we never want to take it off. Eventually, it lures us into Faerie. I don't know what happens from there."
Clear as if she was speaking out loud, Phoebe's look said, I told you so . "How do we get it off?"
"That's the unfortunate part. There's only one way I know to remove the necklace, and it's in Faerie."
"I don't like all this talk about taking off the necklace, but I do like the idea of heading to Faerie," I said. The words were barely out of my mouth before I realized they were proof that everything Owen said about the necklace was true. "Damn."
Phoebe tapped her chin thoughtfully. "You're being rather vague about the method used to remove the necklace."
Owen gave her a cunning smile. "I am indeed. The reason is twofold."
"Who the hell says twofold?" I clamped a hand over my mouth. "I didn't mean to say that out loud."
"That's the necklace. It messes with your impulse control. That's how it gets you to go to Faerie," explained Owen.
"Right." Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Just what Sophie needs, problems with impulse control." Owen laughed. "The reasons for your vagueness," prompted Phoebe.
"The first one is that keeping the method vague will allow Sophie to go toward it without knowing it, circumventing the necklace's enchantment."
His eyes kept finding the necklace and I considered shifting so I could pluck them from his head with my beak. A vine wrapped around my midsection, stopping me mid step. I hadn't even registered the motion. "Reason number two?" I
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