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  Unbound - Unborn Book Five

  © 2021 Amber Lynn Natusch

  All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

  ISBN-13: 978-1-7365427-0-5

  Unbound is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products 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.

  Published by Amber Lynn Natusch

  Cover by Regina Wamba at Mae I Design

  Ebook Formatting by BookMojo

  Editing by Kristy Bronner

  http://amberlynnnatusch.com

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  1

  2

  3

  4

  5

  6

  7

  8

  9

  10

  11

  12

  13

  14

  15

  16

  17

  18

  19

  20

  21

  22

  23

  24

  25

  26

  27

  About the Author

  This ever-changing story

  Of the one who dare not fail,

  Tasked with the near impossible,

  No choice but to prevail

  Only death and loss and torment

  In the Always and Never hail,

  These sacrifices paid in blood

  For the one with souls for sale

  While the evil in her rises,

  A tipping of the scale,

  The war between the light and dark,

  Erodes the thinning veil.

  Now fear has finally broken her,

  The fierce heroine of this tale:

  The Princess of the Underworld

  And the Land Beyond the Pale

  Prologue

  I awoke in a sea of darkness so complete it engulfed everything in existence, save for the hand in front of my body, coiled around a length of rope. The hand was my own; the rope remained a mystery. I tugged it closer, only to find the slack in it pulled tight.

  Fist over fist, I followed the line through the eternal black, wondering if either would ever end. It felt as though I had been walking forever, destination unknown, and yet I knew I had to continue; knew there was a reason for this journey, even if I could not quite place it.

  The further I traveled, the tighter my chest grew. Pressure from an unseen source bore down upon me as a light fog began to cloud my vision. The veil of aether swallowed me as I walked on, the darkness giving way to a suffocating cloud of grey. But that grey grew lighter with every step, and I knew I was getting close.

  I could feel it in my bones.

  Fear surrounded me as blinding light cut through the dullness, and I freed one hand to shade my eyes. The brightness before me began to solidify into a focused shape lying at my feet, and I slowly crouched next to it as my heart thundered in my chest. I had reached the end of the line.

  With nothing else to do—nowhere further to go—I reached my hand out toward that blinding shape. My fingertips barely grazed the glowing aura that reminded me so much of my mother’s that, for a moment, I wondered if it was her. But the second they touched the ethereal nothingness, I knew it was not.

  An unholy scream rang out and the shape wheeled on me, dark eyes peering through the light with a predatory stare. Fear like I had never known shot through me, and I stumbled backward. The hand that held the rope flew wide and released the line.

  Then I fell.

  And fell.

  And fell.

  I hurtled through the jet-black cosmos with no way to catch myself, through the darkened emptiness that seemed to go on for eternity. The rope that had guided me was gone. But as fast as I fell, a pale, glowing shape appeared in the distance, gaining on me with every passing second. Soon it would be upon me, and my fate would be sealed.

  “You cannot have me,” I whispered into the air rushing past me.

  Another pained howl echoed through the black abyss, and my body slammed into something soft and familiar.

  With a gasp, I shot up in bed and searched for the enemy with panicked eyes. All I found were Oz’s room in the Victorian to greet me and the Dark One himself perched next to me, staring.

  “I found him,” I whispered, disbelief thick in my tone. “He who shall not be named…”

  “Where?” Oz’s black wings shot wide around us to fight an enemy that was not there.

  I contemplated his question for a moment, brow furrowed. Because, in truth, I did not know the answer, and yet I did. I could not name it, though I was certain I could find it again. The nothing was most definitely a something.

  “Nowhere…and everywhere.”

  The Dark One swore. “More riddles,” he growled as his wing formed a protective arc around me. It was such a subtle gesture that I wondered if he was even aware of it, or if his concern regarding Phobos had caused him to act without thought. Because he knew all too well the threat the fear god posed to me. To us all.

  And he was most definitely coming.

  1

  “So, is now a good time to talk about the plan for your legion of dead brothers currently lining the street?” Oz asked from his perch on the staircase, his black wings tucked in tight behind him. “And while I’m getting answers, when are you planning to move out of the basement permanently?”

  I canted my head. “I did not realize a room had become available elsewhere in the house.”

  His eyes narrowed as he stared me down, no patience with my antics to be found in their depths. “One hasn’t.”

  “Then I shall stay where I am.”

  “Jesus, you two,” Casey said in a put-upon tone, “your twisted cat-and-mouse game is fucking painful to watch.”

  “Right?” Kierson added. “I mean, why can’t one of you just nut up and say what you want to say?”

  “And what is that, dear brother?”

  Aery, Kierson’s Underworld nymph lover, jumped up from the couch and slung her arm around my shoulder. “That you looooove each other. That you want to make strange, angry little Dark babies together, then fly off into the in-between to live out your eternity in seclusion like you’d both prefer.”

  “Can you even imagine that?” Drew asked with a faint smile. “Khara as a mother—”

  “Or Oz as a father.” Casey barely made it through his thought before choking on a laugh. “Holy fuck…that poor kid.”

  “I don’t think this is the greatest concern we face at the moment, given that they won’t have the chance if we don’t deal with a certain fear god,” Pierson said soberly. “Perhaps we should focus on Oz’s original question, then shift our attention to said fear god and forget the rest of this conversation ever took place.”

  He turned to face the bookshelves as though searching for a specific tome, but I saw the shiver that coursed through him as he hid his expression from the room. Apparently, the thought of me raising a child was more terrifying than I could have imagined.

  “I’m good with that,” Oz said, standing to pace the room. “So, new girl, about those dead brothers…”

  “Sidebar,” Aery shouted, releasing me to chase down the Dark One as he rounded the sofa. “Why do you still call her ‘new girl’? I mean, it’s hardly like you don’t know her.” She wiggled her eyebrows at him before continuing. “And besides, I’m the new girl around here, not Khara. I think it’s time for a different name.”

  “Like what?” he asked, tone incredulous. “Old bitch? Because it�
��s that or new girl. Besides, fucking Kierson doesn’t make you nickname-worthy—”

  “New girl will suffice,” I said before a fight broke out between them. “As for the fallen PC brothers, we obviously need reinforcements, given how fruitless our attempts against the fear god were in the Hallowed Gates. Since he cannot overtake their minds, I thought it best to use them to keep watch.”

  “But can the dead stand against him?” Oz pressed. “Or are they lambs to the slaughter if he wields a weapon like Deimos?”

  “No member of the PC is a fucking lamb,” Casey growled.

  At that, Oz smiled. “Guess we’ll find out.”

  “Perhaps we should ask them,” I said, heading for the front door. I opened it to find Cass on the front porch in a casual fighting stance, guarding the Victorian. The creak of the door alerted him to my presence, and he turned. He gave a tight nod, then went back to surveying the decaying streets of our Detroit neighborhood.

  “I heard you talking,” he said as he clasped his hands behind his back.

  I walked over to stand beside him. “And do you have anything to add?”

  Another nod. “I have already separated our brothers by talent and power; those whose magic is stronger than their physical fighting ability. Even in death, we possess both, though to a lesser degree than before. I think that, when combined, we will be formidable against the fear god.”

  “And if he, like Deimos, has a weapon that can eradicate your souls from existence? So they will not return to the Underworld?”

  He turned to look at me slowly, his eyes focused on mine. “Then we will meet our eternal end and be glad to have done so to protect one of our own.”

  “Tell me something,” I said, looking back out over the darkened street, “do you all feel this way? Because I did not ask before I absconded with you from the Underworld. Perhaps some would have preferred to stay. Perhaps some do not share your feelings on the matter.”

  “If you truly think that, then you underestimate both them and yourself.”

  Silence fell between us, and I took that moment to ponder his words. The bond of family—of the Patronus Ceteri—was still so new to me that I had indeed underestimated them; underestimated their commitment and loyalty.

  “I meant no offense,” I said as Drew and Casey came out to join us. Kierson, Pierson, and Oz were right behind.

  “Of course you didn’t,” Cass replied. “I’m just stating the truth: your brothers would gladly die for you, just as most did for one another at some point.”

  “I’m a testament to that,” Drew said as he wrapped his faintly translucent arm around my shoulders. His embrace felt strange yet calming, his appendage light, though the strength in it was as robust as it had been before he had been sent to the Underworld.

  And his smile was as bright as ever.

  “You sought vengeance when you went after the fear god,” I said, as a tiny smile tugged at my mouth. “Your attack was for your honor.”

  He wheeled on me, prepared to argue, but when I could no longer contain my amusement, he burst into laughter. It wrapped around me like his arm and warmed me.

  “You had me going there for a sec, Khara. I was just about to lose it on you.”

  “Well played, new girl,” Oz said from directly behind me.

  “You all seem to forget that I am not without a sense of humor. I thought a reminder was in order.”

  “Do you need a reminder of why you came out here?” Oz asked. I looked over my shoulder, and his eyes drifted to Cass. “What’s the plan?”

  I opened my mouth to reply, but Cass cut me off.

  “The plan is to keep the fear god from Khara at all costs. To keep him from the property. To create an impenetrable border around it that prevents him from getting in,” he said, turning to face the Dark One, “and any of you from leaving, should your mind no longer prove to be your own.”

  The way he stared down Oz made me wonder if someone had apprised the Elysian Fields’ brothers of what had happened when we had faced Phobos; that their minds had been held and the connection later broken. When Cass’ gaze slid to Casey, then Kierson, it only confirmed my suspicions.

  “That should not be a problem,” I said, resting my hand on Cass’ forearm. “I believe that once the fear god’s hold on a mind has been severed, he cannot possess it again—at least that has been my experience.”

  “Except when you’re asleep,” Oz added, his sharp tone duly noted. It was true that I seemed incapable of guarding my mind when he came to me in my slumber; but he could not compel me as he could the others. Could no longer make me see a reality that did not exist.

  What Oz did not know yet was that I planned to use those dream visits to learn more about my enemy. To discover his secrets. To hunt him as he hunted me.

  As the Dark One stared me down and my brothers’ questions grew louder, the threat of brewing violence pulled the fallen PC from the shadows, their almost ghostly bodies walking toward us from all directions.

  “What’s going on?” Thomas asked as he reached the porch steps, an army of our dead brothers at his back and flanks.

  “Your sister was just about to explain how the-asshole-we-don’t-name-out-loud likes to visit her in her sleep. Apparently, they still have clandestine meetings there…”

  “I do not believe they can be called meetings when one party was not previously apprised and is forced to attend.”

  “How many times has this happened?” Drew asked, concern furrowing his brow.

  “A few times since we first took up residence with the Dragon, following my brief time in the realm of the Light Ones.” Confusion deepened the lines in his forehead. “You have lost these memories, Brother, so the exact timing means nothing to you. Just know that this turn of events is recent and seemingly decreasing. I had not heard anything from him since we faced him in the Hallowed Gates.”

  The unspoken ‘and he killed you again’ hung heavy in the air between us, and even the fallen PC brothers cast him a sympathetic glance. They understood what he was going through. But his memories, unlike theirs, would not return. He had cheated death once, and it had come at a cost. The price was the loss of the time he had spent with us after being resurrected. Selfishly, I was happy to have the old Drew back, but it was a struggle for him, and I did not like seeing it.

  “Until tonight,” Oz added unhelpfully.

  The others’ expressions tightened.

  “I see—”

  “It is not a cause for concern,” I said, cutting Drew off. “He cannot harm me there.”

  “That you know of.”

  “Precisely. So, we can discuss that further at another time.” I cast a glance at Cass. “Can you and Drew sort out suitable housing in this neighborhood for the others to rest when necessary?”

  “Do they need it?” Kierson asked with the earnestness of a child. “I mean, no offense, but…is that a thing?”

  “It is,” Cass replied, a slight smile tugging at his lips. “We can talk more about it while we keep watch—just like we used to. But first, let me apprise you of how the brothers will be utilized.”

  Kierson perked up at the thought, and he, Drew, Cass, and Pierson walked around the back to discuss the matter while Casey, Oz, Aery, and I remained. The fallen PC brothers returned to their posts, scattered through the neighborhood.

  “I should go check on your father,” Aery said, nervous eyes turning to the sky. “I know everything is basically back to normal in the Underworld, but…”

  “You are loyal to him and feel you are not fulfilling your duties.”

  She nodded. “He’s always been good to me.”

  “Then go. We have things handled here for now.”

  She flicked her pale blonde hair over her shoulder and ran around to the backyard, giggling along the way. Kierson was about to receive one very impressive goodbye, by the sound of it.

  “I should go with her,” Casey said. “I need to check in with your father. I haven’t since we left the Und
erworld.”

  I placed a hand on his forearm. “Please tell Father hello for me when you arrive. I would ask you to kiss his cheek on my behalf, but I do not wish to cause a war below. There has been enough unrest there recently to last a millennium.”

  Delight sparkled in his midnight eyes. “I might try that just for shits and giggles…” He held my stare for a moment, then headed around the back to procure his escort to the Underworld.

  Oz stepped up behind me, his body flush to mine. “Looks like it’s just us.”

  “So it seems.”

  “Ready to finish that living arrangement conversation now?”

  I turned to answer him, but found his gaze drawn to the sky. Before I could track what he was looking at, a rush of wind blew my hair into my face, and a resounding thud shook the porch. I wheeled around to find the only other Dark One in existence—the one we had sent to the in-between with my mother to keep her safe—standing in the street.

  But Kaine was no longer in the in-between.

  And by the way my mother’s body hung limp in his arms, he had most definitely not kept her safe.

  2

  A ruckus sounded from the backyard, and soon a sea of PC warriors surrounded the potential threat. Oz forced his way through them with me at his heels. When I reached Kaine, my heart seized at the sight of my mother’s pale body dangling from his hold. She looked so much like she had the night Deimos had summoned us to his room in the Underworld—the night he had discovered her mangled body and narrowly saved her.

  She looked far from saved in that moment.

  “Inside. Now!” Oz bellowed, and we rushed into the house, leaving my fallen PC brothers to hold the perimeter while we figured out what was going on.

  “What has happened?” I asked as I rushed to her side. Kaine laid her on the couch gently, careful to push her long, dark hair out of the way. His actions roused her slightly, and she opened her eyes to find me hovering before her. She reached out a shaking hand to cup my face as she forced a smile.