Embrace (The Shifter, The Magic Map, and The Goblin King) (A Fated Fantasy Quest Adventure Book 3) Read online

  A FATED FANTASY QUEST ADVENTURE

  Book 3, Embrace:

  The Shifter, The Magic Map, and The Goblin King

  Rachel D’aigle as Humphrey Quinn

  TABLE of CONTENTS

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  SERIES INFO

  CHAPTER ONE

  Amelia Cobb’s attempts to gather her wandering mind failed. She stared dreamily through the single window in the room. Spring had arrived. It teased them all with its fresh, warm breezes. The winter had been long, bitterly cold and relentless, typical to the woods of northern Maine. But the drip drip drip of fast melting snow meant warmer weather had finally won out.

  A door opened behind her and people shuffled inside, murmuring greetings to each other. She’d called a meeting and it was about to begin, but try as she might, Amelia could not pull her eyes away from the window.

  They’d created a magnificent little town out here in the middle of nowhere. Nestled deep in the woods. Built into great oaks and pine trees untouched by human hands and hundreds of years old. Hidden from the outside world. Protected from their enemies. Just over twelve years now since they’d left the island. Defied the leadership of Juliska Blackwell. And waited for two young ones to grow and discover the truth. To discover their fate.

  They were close now. So very close.

  Amelia caught two children far down below on the ground, playing, and smiled.

  Soon, they’d be living in a much different world. With much larger borders. With no need to hide as they did now. She sucked in, the anticipation of it filling her with energy.

  “We should get this meeting underway,” she stated, spinning around. “We have much to discuss today.”

  She gazed across the room. Nine in attendance, including herself. Her most trusted friends and allies, and they didn’t look any more excited about being stuck inside this room than she did, but it had to happen. She swept around them and took a seat behind a simple wooden desk. This action instantly quieted the room.

  Amelia fidgeted in her seat, unable to tame the need to be up and moving.

  “Cora,” she called out, “let’s just open the window. I don’t know about all of you, but I am dying to feel the spring air this morning.”

  Cora jumped up from behind another desk and obliged at once.

  Everyone let out a satisfied sigh as the warmer spring air seeped inside, bringing with it the scents of maple and pine, as well as wet earth as the last of the snow melted and new tendrils of life were pushing up out of the ground. Just the sounds of young children laughing and playing outdoors, and the birds returning and chirping happily, put them in an instant good mood.

  “Well, okay everyone,” said Amelia, drawing the group’s attention from the enchanting spring air and back to the meeting at hand. “I realize we all have a case of spring fever this morning, however, we do need to get down to business.”

  Cora, Amelia’s assistant, took note of each in attendance, writing it down for future reference.

  “Nina Tourner, check. Barrett Nuskey, here. Berta Prideaux, yes. Colton Fahlbush, leaning in the corner as usual.”

  He winked at her; she returned with a stern gaze that hinted at playfulness, and continued.

  “Curtis Bevins, yes. Heloise Peppernell, brought the coffee, and Wilbur Finn, needs a mug of that coffee. Late night again, Wilbur?” prodded Cora, her eyes narrow in amused suspicion.

  “When do I not put in a late night, Cora?” the older man grumbled, accepting a mug of coffee from Heloise. His eyes smiled. “You sure know how to make a tasty cup of mud,” he praised, draining the mug in seconds. He accepted another instantly, although tiredness continued to plague his worn face.

  Amelia took a sip from her own mug. “I’m tempted to have a meeting every morning just to have your coffee, Heloise.”

  “It’d be my pleasure,” responded the middle-aged woman. They smiled kindly at each other. After everyone’s mugs brimmed with coffee, the meeting finally began.

  “Barrett, I believe you have a progress report for us today,” stated Amelia.

  “Yes. Yes, I do everyone,” he replied, standing to address the group. He cleared his throat, his voice shaking nervously as he spoke. “We successfully moved two more people into prime key positions in the government last week. Paula Bedgewood and Amos Durmuddy. They will not be around for the next few months. They will, of course, be sending in reports on their progress as often as possible.”

  Sighs and adulation rustled through the group. This was good news.

  Barrett breathed out in relief.

  It wasn’t easy for them to integrate into the outside world, but it was necessary if their plans were to come to fruition. However, this also meant being separated from friends and family for extended periods of time. It was worth the sacrifice though, for the long-term success they hoped would come.

  “Well done, Barrett. And please send my thanks to your zone for all their hard work on this project,” said Amelia. “Without these key government positions, progress would be impossible. Once we finish what we’ve set out to do…” she shook her head. “The entire world will be looking to us for help. They will need us to understand what’s happening to them.”

  “It is a noble, but weighty endeavor,” agreed Colton Fahlbush from his corner. He tipped his coffee mug toward Amelia. She tipped hers back and took a swig before continuing.

  “I hate to appear boastful, but it seems our plans are moving forward at the perfect pace.”

  “Not that we still don’t have much to do,” reminded Barrett, feeling bolder. “We are still hoping for ten more positions, so with the eight we have currently, I’d agree. Or rather my zone would agree, the perfect pace to be ready in time.”

  “We’ll be looking forward to your next progress report then, Barrett.”

  He nodded at Amelia, taking a seat so the meeting could move on.

  “Next on the agenda, Cora?”

  The woman skimmed across some notes.

  “Your report, Amelia.”

  “Ah, good. I’m very pleased with this as well. I have had contact with our informant with the travelers.”

  “With all our people on missions of their own, it’s starting to feel a bit like we are the travelers, not the banished ones.” Wilbur Finn let out a sigh.

  “Yes. It does a little. But, we must remember that even though the travelers were once dear friends, and some, family, we want different things. They chose to run and hide, and we chose to stand up and fight for what we want.”

  “Aye that, Amelia,” Wilbur stated. “Thanks to you confronting Juliska Blackwell.”

  She chuckled and raised an eyebrow. “Thanks to us all. I could not have done it without all your support. Anyway, we digress.” She placed her hands palm down on the desk. “I have been advised by our informant that Meghan and Colin Jacoby are well; as well as can be expected. They are settling into their magical lives, and also as expected, their abilities are increasing rapidly. And most importantly, at least for now, they are safe living with th
e traveling Svoda until it is time for them to come to us.”

  There was a collective sigh of relief, followed by a few worried glances.

  “So much of our plan depends on those two. Poor little dears,” said the plump Berta Prideaux. Everyone nodded in agreement.

  “It is a tenuous situation,” agreed Amelia. “They know so little, and yet the success of our plan and our very futures, depends entirely on them. I only hope we did right by hiding them from their destiny for so long.”

  “Hopefully it wasn’t for too long,” added the tender faced Nina Tourner.

  Amelia nodded, her lips forming a tight smile. “We all agreed to bind their powers, knowing full well that the spell would only be broken when they encountered their true destiny,” reminded Amelia. “We had no way of knowing how long that encounter would take.”

  “It was the right thing to do,” insisted Curtis Bevins, his voice sure. “They deserved that much, at least; a few years’ peace. They’ll have to grow up too fast now, as it is.”

  “And need I remind us all of the sacrifices made by your brother, Arnon,” aimed Heloise at Nina. She returned an honored, but sad, smile. Heloise refilled Nina’s coffee and gave her a light pat on the shoulder.

  Before they could continue, rushed footsteps clamored up the narrow staircase that led to their meeting room. The door flew open and a wiry young man stormed through. He cast a look of great dismay across them before his gaze landed on Nina. She rose from her chair, facing him.

  “What is it, Owen?” she asked the young man, who was her sixteen-year-old son.

  “The seer sent me,” he said, breathing heavily. “With grave news.”

  The room tensed, their spring-enchanted demeanor giving way to acceptance of what ‘grave’ news often meant: death.

  Amelia got out of her chair and came around the front of her desk. “What has happened, Owen?”

  “Something that will change everything,” he blurted directly. “Something that hasn’t happened in over a hundred years. Something that even the immortal Grosvenor will fear…”

  Amelia fell back against her desk, gripping the edge for support. Curtis hopped over to steady her but she motioned she was okay. Gasps and cries of disbelief flew through the room. Cora jumped up and slammed the window shut before anyone outside accidentally overheard the news and started a panic.

  “It’s – It’s not possible,” stuttered Barrett.

  “It just cannot be,” cried out Berta and Heloise at once.

  “I thought they were extinct?” questioned the tired-faced Wilbur.

  Amelia, feeling instantly defeated, sank into her chair. “This is grave indeed,” she moaned. “Only one thing could frighten the Grosvenor. Only one thing could match their power.” She took a deep breath, afraid to say the words aloud. “A Projector could mean the end for us all.”

  “Or even more power for the Grosvenor,” murmured Curtis. “If they were able to harness the child’s power.”

  A barrage of concerns assaulted each other, everyone in disbelief over this news, and unsure what to do next.

  “What about Meghan and Colin? Can they even match this kind of power?”

  “And we still don’t know the identity of the third Fated child.”

  “If the Projector reaches maturity, we may not have enough time to find out.”

  “Yes, time is a major factor here. Once the Projector reaches maturity, all may be lost.”

  Amelia stood up and motioned for calm.

  Colton pushed his hand through his stiff, dark hair. Wilbur tried not to shake, but coffee spilled out of his cup and down his weathered skin. Heloise hurried to wipe it up. Nina reached out and grasped her son, Owen’s arm.

  Curtis approached their leader. “What should be our next course of action, Amelia?”

  “Sh- should we put our plans on hold?” asked Barrett apprehensively. “Should we call our members back from their duties to fight this new enemy?”

  Amelia motioned for silence. She paced around her desk, deep in thought, before finally speaking.

  “Owen, what else did the seer say? Did she know the age of this Projector, or its location? Any other information of value to us.”

  “All she told me was a Projector was emerging, still young and not yet near its full power. But the seer also warned that she is not alone in her discovery.”

  “Not alone,” Amelia repeated. The fresh spring air in her lungs turned bitter. “Soon, the entire magical world will be looking for this child, to try to harness its power before it reaches maturity, or to kill it before it does.”

  “It’s not wise to try to harness the power of a Projector,” insisted Curtis. “It is a useless endeavor. No one has ever succeeded in using a Projector’s power. It corrupts. Absolutely.”

  “Curtis knows his history,” reminded Wilbur. “And I say we heed his warning. Projectors are not allowed to live for a reason. They are dangerous and unpredictable. The most harmless child can turn into the most vicious monster at the simplest of whims. If allowed to go unchecked, they will destroy worlds.”

  “And you darn well know the Grosvenor will try,” warned Curtis darkly.

  “No one has ever found a way,” said Amelia. “One would have to try to persuade the child to their side.”

  “But how? And why would they? Once mature, their power is limitless. Why choose any side but their own?” Nina sat back down. “What a terrible fate, for any child… no choice for their future.”

  “Not so unlike Meghan and Colin,” whispered Berta. “Fate can be cruel.”

  Amelia shook her head and turned away. “A frightening reminder, but with a Projector’s power working on our side…”

  “All our work. All our sacrifice,” whimpered Heloise. She trembled, refilling cups of coffee that did not need refilling.

  “All our work will mean nothing if this Projector lives to maturity,” persisted Curtis. He thumped his fist on the edge of Cora’s small desk, bouncing it off the floor. It landed with a sharp thud.

  “Never mind our plans,” cautioned Colton. “All life will be at risk, whether in the magical world or the non-magical.”

  Just outside, birds, completely unaware of the dangers that now lie ahead, chirped happily. Kids played and laughed.

  Even with the window closed, the enchanted spring air turned foul.

  Amelia spun and faced her fellow banished Svoda.

  “We must decide, all of us, what should be our next course of action. Do we join the hunt and kill this child before it has a chance to unleash its devastating potential upon the world? Or should we attempt to locate and sway the child? And hope all hell doesn’t break loose upon us if we cannot control the Projector’s power.” She paused before asking, “Does the child live or die?”

  CHAPTER TWO

  Journal entry, the last day of May.

  Eleven months into our Journey.

  By Meghan Chelcy Jacoby

  Today’s entry will be a long one. I haven’t written anything down in a couple weeks, but I want to write down everything I can so I don’t forget. Most of this has nothing to do with my visions as a Firemancer, but I decided it might be a good idea to keep track of our travels with the Svoda.

  I cannot tell if time is going faster or slower. On one hand, it’s hard to believe that Colin and I have been traveling with the Svoda Gypsies for nearly a year now. It’s even harder to believe that in less than a month, we will turn fourteen. It seems like just yesterday we were waiting impatiently for our thirteenth birthdays.

  And yet time cannot move fast enough. We are still over two years away from getting the doorway to open: the one that will take Colin and me back home, to Uncle Arnon. We are still holding out hope that he somehow survived the Scratcher attack.

  It is going to be strange not to celebrate our birthdays in Cobbscott this year, and even stranger without our uncle, Kanda Macawi or the Jendayas… especially Sebastien.

  I think about Sebastien a lot, mostly wondering if h
e still thinks about me. I can’t believe I kissed him hours before I got stuck with the Svoda and never got to see him again. I miss him. A lot.

  I wonder if his family even returned to Cobbscott this summer. With us missing and Uncle Arnon… well, if he’s alive, he must be searching for us. All of them would be I imagine. Or maybe they’ve given up. Or maybe they never searched at all.

  It’s clear that Uncle Arnon and Kanda knew a lot more about what was going on than they ever told us. And when our uncle showed up that night and threw the Magicante at Colin… it was like he knew. He wasn’t surprised. Even when Colin used magic against the Scratchers. It is an odd thing really. As eager as I am to get home and find out what happened to everyone there, part of me feels like Colin and I are exactly where we are supposed to be.

  Anyway. Now we have even more people to miss. Little Timothy, the ghost boy from Grimble. And Uncle Eddy. It felt wrong leaving Grimble and moving on to another place. Although our uncle had moved on as well. It still felt weird. Like we were leaving something behind.

  After Grimble, the Svoda traveled to a place called Beresford. It was boring in comparison. Frankly though, I didn’t mind, as it was a nice break from the constant chaos of Grimble. We miss Uncle Eddy and Timothy though. It doesn’t feel the same without them.

  We didn’t get to see much of Beresford, other than to know we were deep in a forest and there were no other people around. We had the wagons again, and stayed inside another version of the Svoda Island, just like in Grimble. Except no one was permitted to leave the wagons this time. Balaton guarded the exits. I don’t know what was out there, but if it was scary enough not to be allowed to go, then I’m perfectly fine with not.

  On another not so fun front, we started school again while there. Although I’m not sure why as we ended up not having enough time to finish the level or take the exams. And now we have just moved on again, to a place called Eidolon’s Valley, or nicknamed the E Valley. School is on hiatus for a bit. I hope for a long time. But from what I understand, we pretty much have to repeat the intermediate level once we start up school again. No wonder it takes everyone so long to graduate.