Read Online Hell's Gates (Urban Fantasy) by Celia Kyle, Lauren Creed - Free Book Online
Authors: Celia Kyle, Lauren Creed
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birth, but I’d never paid attention in school.)
“Ladies,” I used a cajoling tone. “I don’t think this is the, er, tree for either of you.”
Their screeching cut off, and two heads slowly turned, their black eyes intent on me. Yeah, that didn’t work. The Treeson twins glared at me. Flora curled her lip and exposed her ebony teeth. Fiona cocked her hip, hand resting there while her nails clicked out a rhythmic tap-tap-tap on her wood.
“She wants the tree,” Flora, the elder of the dryads spoke.
“She can’t have the tree,” Fiona added.
“It’s our tree,” they spoke at the same time. Creepy.
I held up my hands, begging for patience. One of my dads had to have given me some of that, right? “I’m not saying it’s not your tree. I’m just saying it might not be the tree for you.”
“She isn’t listening,” Fiona started.
“We should make her listen.” Flora channeled some weird, movie possessed human voice.
I wasn’t going to kill the dryads with hellfire, I wasn’t.
The two attacked at once, one aiming for my face, the other my mid-section. I jumped straight up, grasping the edges of a crossbeam and lifting my legs to avoid them. I might jiggle, but I had some solid core strength. The women fell past me, tumbling to the ground, and I lowered my legs slightly. A swing to the left and then right gave me some momentum that made it easier to throw myself up and onto the top of the wood until I straddled the beam.
Flora and Fiona regained their feet and focused on me, both baring their wooden teeth and hissing at me as if they were cats.
Flora’s body wavered in and out of sight while she transitioned to her spritely form, ready to travel within the wood that covered my place. Wood might have been the wrong choice for decorating Hell’s Chapel.
Her new see-through status meant I needed to get a move on before I was suddenly faced with a pissed off dryad while fifteen feet above the floor. I hopped up, easily maintaining my balance on the eight-inch-wide post. The new position gave me a better view of the place, letting me see that I was needed in another corner of the bar. I glanced at the dryads and was relieved to find them fighting with each other again. This time over who’d kick my ass first.
I scanned the beams, hunting for some of the weapons I’d hidden in carved out slots, and spied a pretty pair of swords one hop away. I crouched, ready to leap, and launched myself across the space. I was weightless for a moment, nothing supporting me, and then I thumped down on the hard wood, pin wheeling my arms to remain upright.
One quick bend and snatch and I had my perfectly balanced swords, the honed blades glinting in the bar’s lights.
Now to find the next tweener that could do the most damage to the building. My friendly neighborhood phoenix stood at the end of the bar, fingers twirling fire. The small orbs of flame danced from one fingertip to the next, a spinning circle of orange and red. I could deal with fire.
I couldn’t deal with the phoenix setting one of the local werewolves—Ellery—on fire. The kid was the nephew of one of my exes—Alpha Justin Abbott—and I really didn’t feel like explaining his death to the man.
A hop and an ass-over-head flip had me landing between Ellery and the phoenix, me facing the fire bird with the wolf at my back.
“Adara, how are you?” I grinned, holding my blades tightly while I tugged on Hell just a leetle bit. I stuck to the first circle, not willing to bring my uncle’s attention. I’d needed him last night. I wasn’t prepared to deal with him today.
“I killed my momma but she came back.” Glassy eyes met mine. “I have to do it again now.” Adara pouted.
“Wanna get the ball. Wanna get the ball. Wanna get the ball.” Ellery panted and I glanced at him, seeing that he focused on the spinning orbs of flame. “Throw it.” He even panted like a puppy. “Wanna get the ball.”
Oh, man…
“Okay, Adara, I hear
“Ladies,” I used a cajoling tone. “I don’t think this is the, er, tree for either of you.”
Their screeching cut off, and two heads slowly turned, their black eyes intent on me. Yeah, that didn’t work. The Treeson twins glared at me. Flora curled her lip and exposed her ebony teeth. Fiona cocked her hip, hand resting there while her nails clicked out a rhythmic tap-tap-tap on her wood.
“She wants the tree,” Flora, the elder of the dryads spoke.
“She can’t have the tree,” Fiona added.
“It’s our tree,” they spoke at the same time. Creepy.
I held up my hands, begging for patience. One of my dads had to have given me some of that, right? “I’m not saying it’s not your tree. I’m just saying it might not be the tree for you.”
“She isn’t listening,” Fiona started.
“We should make her listen.” Flora channeled some weird, movie possessed human voice.
I wasn’t going to kill the dryads with hellfire, I wasn’t.
The two attacked at once, one aiming for my face, the other my mid-section. I jumped straight up, grasping the edges of a crossbeam and lifting my legs to avoid them. I might jiggle, but I had some solid core strength. The women fell past me, tumbling to the ground, and I lowered my legs slightly. A swing to the left and then right gave me some momentum that made it easier to throw myself up and onto the top of the wood until I straddled the beam.
Flora and Fiona regained their feet and focused on me, both baring their wooden teeth and hissing at me as if they were cats.
Flora’s body wavered in and out of sight while she transitioned to her spritely form, ready to travel within the wood that covered my place. Wood might have been the wrong choice for decorating Hell’s Chapel.
Her new see-through status meant I needed to get a move on before I was suddenly faced with a pissed off dryad while fifteen feet above the floor. I hopped up, easily maintaining my balance on the eight-inch-wide post. The new position gave me a better view of the place, letting me see that I was needed in another corner of the bar. I glanced at the dryads and was relieved to find them fighting with each other again. This time over who’d kick my ass first.
I scanned the beams, hunting for some of the weapons I’d hidden in carved out slots, and spied a pretty pair of swords one hop away. I crouched, ready to leap, and launched myself across the space. I was weightless for a moment, nothing supporting me, and then I thumped down on the hard wood, pin wheeling my arms to remain upright.
One quick bend and snatch and I had my perfectly balanced swords, the honed blades glinting in the bar’s lights.
Now to find the next tweener that could do the most damage to the building. My friendly neighborhood phoenix stood at the end of the bar, fingers twirling fire. The small orbs of flame danced from one fingertip to the next, a spinning circle of orange and red. I could deal with fire.
I couldn’t deal with the phoenix setting one of the local werewolves—Ellery—on fire. The kid was the nephew of one of my exes—Alpha Justin Abbott—and I really didn’t feel like explaining his death to the man.
A hop and an ass-over-head flip had me landing between Ellery and the phoenix, me facing the fire bird with the wolf at my back.
“Adara, how are you?” I grinned, holding my blades tightly while I tugged on Hell just a leetle bit. I stuck to the first circle, not willing to bring my uncle’s attention. I’d needed him last night. I wasn’t prepared to deal with him today.
“I killed my momma but she came back.” Glassy eyes met mine. “I have to do it again now.” Adara pouted.
“Wanna get the ball. Wanna get the ball. Wanna get the ball.” Ellery panted and I glanced at him, seeing that he focused on the spinning orbs of flame. “Throw it.” He even panted like a puppy. “Wanna get the ball.”
Oh, man…
“Okay, Adara, I hear
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