Mistyx Sonata (Mistyx Series Book 1) Read online

  Mistyx Sonata

  Mistyx series, Book 1

  By

  Paulette Miller

  Mistyx Sonata

  Copyright © 2015 by Paulette Miller

  Cover art copyright © 2015 by Paulette Miller

  All song references are copyright of their respective owners. See Recommended Song List located at the end of this book for details.

  License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only.

  This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then purchase your own copy.

  Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be produced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from the author.

  This book series is dedicated to the music of love and the magic it inspires.

  To embrace my love of music, each chapter in this story is titled by a song that provided inspiration and mood. Consider supplementing the story by listening to the songs along the way and then relive Nikki and Devin’s journey together anytime through the storyline of music. A song list is provided at the end of this book.

  Table of Contents

  Prologue - Demons

  Chapter 1 - California Dreamin’

  Chapter 2 - Witchy Woman

  Chapter 3 - Hard Candy Christmas

  Chapter 4 - Simply Irresistible

  Chapter 5 - Love the One You’re With

  Chapter 6 - Hit Me With Your Best Shot

  Chapter 7 - I Knew You Were Trouble

  Chapter 8 - Workin’ For a Livin’

  Chapter 9 - I See You

  Chapter 10 - The Night Owls

  Chapter 11 - Bad Moon Rising

  Chapter 12 - Techno Syndrome

  Chapter 13 - Animals

  Chapter 14 - Every Breath You Take

  Chapter 15 - Three Little Birds

  Chapter 16 - Hold On for One More Day

  Chapter 17 - Singing in the Rain / Umbrella

  Chapter 18 - 3 Things

  Chapter 19 - Take Me There

  Chapter 20 - These Boots Are Made For Walking

  Chapter 21 - Sunshine and Whiskey

  Chapter 22 - Animal I Have Become

  Chapter 23 - I Am Woman

  Chapter 24 - Man! I Feel Like Woman!

  Chapter 25 - Sway

  Chapter 26 - Chug-A-Lug

  Chapter 27 - Photograph

  Chapter 28 - Love Potion Number Nine

  Recommended Song List

  About the Author

  Prologue:

  Demons

  After plucking out a couple of leaves that were stuck in her wings, Poppy said in frustration, “We’ve gone too far away from the village. We should go back.”

  Nepeta pushed through some brush and said, “We’re getting closer. Based on what I’ve observed over the last few weeks, I bet they’re just over the next ridge.”

  Poppy stopped for a moment and, while flittering her green wings in a stretch, asked, “You do remember that we have faster ways to travel? We can just fly the rest of the way.”

  While continuing to hike forward, Nepeta replied, “No we can’t. They’ll see us coming and run away.”

  As Poppy raced to catch-up Callen, who was walking behind Nepeta, asked, “Is that such a bad thing? If these shape shifters are out here, maybe they don’t want to be found. You said that they turn into wolves. If they’re anything like their non-magical counterparts, it’s best that we don’t poke them with a stick.”

  Nepeta waved off his concerns and said, “I’ve been watching them for weeks and they haven’t done anything to me. Besides, we won’t get close and can stay downwind so they won’t smell us. Aren’t you the least bit curious about the other magical creatures living in the world?”

  Callen replied calmly, not wanting to provoke the same argument they had before they left on their trek through the woods, “Yes but, as the elders of our village always remind us, not all of these creatures are friendly or our people wouldn’t have been forced into hiding.”

  Nepeta quickly rebuffed, “It was Vampires that forced us to hide away in the woods, but it’s a bright sunny day and hours before sundown. Vampires are still cowering under a rock, not wanting to be burnt to a crisp. Besides, it’s been over a century since our kind battled with Vampires. They think our race is extinct and aren’t looking for us anymore.” Seeing the concern growing in her friend’s eyes, she offered a compromise. “If we don’t see anything in the next few minutes, we’ll head back. Okay?”

  Callen replied, “We’ll stay a little longer, but only because it’s your fourteenth birthday. Next month it’ll be my turn and I’ll take my place in the village.” As he puffed out his chest proudly, he announced, “I’ll finally be old enough to become a full apprentice as a village protector.”

  As Callen picked up a stick and swung it like a sword, Poppy looked at him with a dreamy look in her eyes and said, “The first thing I’m going to do is have someone fall madly in love with me.”

  Nepeta snickered, knowing that Callen was the secret love in Poppy’s heart, and then teased, “I thought you wanted to be a cook, like your mother?”

  Poppy replied, “My mother always told me that the best way to catch a mate is by keeping his stomach happy.”

  Callen swung his weapon at an imaginary adversary, completely unaware that he was the target of the girls’ discussion, and said innocently, “Mmmm. I can’t wait to be a taste tester. Your mother is the best cook in the village.”

  While swooning, Poppy sighed and replied, “You’ll be the first in line.”

  Callen glanced over at Nepeta and said, “There’s no doubt what your role will be. You’ll join the village documenters of knowledge.”

  Nepeta nodded excitedly and said, “And knowledge of these shifters will be a great addition to my book.”

  Poppy said, “You’ve been collecting information about every creature that walks, crawls, or flies since we were little. How many have you documented now?”

  Nepeta shrugged and replied, “Just a few.”

  Nepeta’s creature book was her pride and joy. The few outsiders that were allowed into their village fed her obsession by giving her animal-related trinkets and she cherished every item. One of her most prized possessions was a Vampire fang that she was given by a visiting warlock when she turned ten. Although she kept it secret from even her mother, she often had it tucked in her pocket. She knew the dangers Vampires brought to her and her people, and all her life she had been told they were ruthless, unfeeling killers. That knowledge didn’t stop her curiosity of wanting to see one first hand and to learn everything about them. She hoped that, by learning what made them the way they were, she could find a way for their two races to live in peace. Her people could then come out of hiding.

  Callen laughed and said, “A few hundred creatures is more like it. You can sense and attract animals better than most of the people in our village. Maybe you could become one of our hunters.”

  “I may eat meat, but I couldn’t purposely hurt an animal myself. Maybe these creatures are drawn to me because I stand out so badly. I actually have a page in my book that’s dedicated to me. Everyone in the village are the colors of the forest and blend in to their surroundings perfectly. I’m the only one that’s the colors from the deep summer sky and have stupid blue spots.”

  Poppy cleared her throat and, in her best
male voice imitation, said, “‘She’s like a beautiful blue and purple iris tucked among a bed of green.’ At least that’s what I heard our protector Yarrow say once. He’s so dreamy. Maybe someday you and he can fall in love.”

  Nepeta rolled her eyes. “You know it’s my differences that force Yarrow to my side, especially when we need to move the village. Because I can’t dematerialize like the rest of you and just pop to the new location, he has to stay behind and babysit to hand-deliver me to our new forest home.”

  Poppy defended her original theory by adding, “But he’s always the one that volunteers. He actually insists. Maybe when you’re old enough and our village does another move, he’ll do more than just protect you while you travel.”

  Not liking where this conversation was heading, Callen pretended to play his future role and said seriously, “Enough girl talk. We need to be quiet out here.”

  After traveling a couple of minutes in silence, Nepeta sensed a presence, stopped, and whispered, “We found them.” As she crouched down behind a bush, Callen and Poppy followed her lead and took their place at her side.

  Poppy scanned the landscape in front of her and asked with a hint of excitement in her voice, “Where are they? I don’t see them.”

  Nepeta pointed to the edge of a clump of trees where four naked men were crouched together and she said in awe, “Look at their skin. It’s covered in patches the color of undergrowth. Perfect camouflage. Nature’s handiwork at its best.”

  As if a decision was made, suddenly the shifters stood and three of the four called on their inner animal and transformed into wolves.

  While Callen and Poppy gasped and cringed at what seemed to be a painful transformation, Nepeta was mesmerized. She watched intently, memorizing every move and twitch so that she could add the details to her book. She whispered in awe, “I wish I had the ability to change shapes.”

  With a flick of a hand from the shifter still in Human form, his pack-mates ran off. The wolves disappeared into the trees, but Nepeta’s complete attention remained locked on the one who stayed behind. She willed him to transform so that she could watch. To her dismay, he remained stubbornly in his Human form.

  Seeing nothing more to watch, Callen said, “We should head back. You don’t want to be late for your own birthday party.”

  Nepeta sighed and said, “I guess you’re right.” As she stood, she heard a twig crack and the hair on the back of her neck stood on end. Her head snapped toward the sound. When she quickly glanced back toward where the pack leader had been standing, she found him staring directly at her. He gave her a smile, a nod, and then leapt forward, turning into a wolf before his feet hit the ground.

  Nepeta instantly knew that he stayed behind to be the distraction until his pack got into position. Now knowing his plan, she spun and looked up, preparing to fly away. Seeing a thick tangle of branches, she yelled to those around her, “Disappear, now!”

  Before any of them could react, three wolves stalked out of the bushes and surrounded them. Their yellow eyes were bright and menacing.

  As the wolves herded their prey into a tight circle Callen, recalling protector training sessions he had watched, pushed Poppy behind him. He whispered to her with his voice shaking, “Go back to the village and get help.”

  Watching the wolves circle, she clung onto him and said, “I won’t leave without you.”

  Calling on all of his inner strength, he removed her hand from his arm and commanded more forcefully, “Go. Now.”

  She knew he was right, so she nodded and disappeared with a pop, leaving a trail of sparkling glitter in her wake.

  Nepeta said to Callen, “You need to go too and save yourself.”

  He shook his head and, while standing tall, said, “I’m a protector. We don’t leave anyone behind.” With the stick still in his hand, he prepared to face their attackers.

  The shifter pack leader joined them as a wolf and then slowly transformed back into his Human form. Although now man, the animal within was still clearly visible in his yellow eyes, his long claw-like fingernails, and weathered feet.

  He stepped forward and, ignoring Callen’s protective stance, said to Nepeta, “Was that transformation slow enough for you?” Seeing Nepeta’s shocked expression, he explained his question. “We spotted you watching us weeks ago. I know you were trying to hide, but you, my beautiful bluebird, stand out like a sparkling gem.” While examining her unique form, he added, “We’ve never seen a creature like you before. We were curious and decided to learn about you too. But before we could invite you to join us, you left, disappearing into the shadows of the trees. Somehow I knew that your curiosity would bring you back. And this time you brought friends.” He nodded toward Callen. “You don’t need this boy to protect you. After we’ve had a chance to talk, we’ll be more than willing to escort you back to your hidden village.” He gave her a smile showing off his sharp teeth and said, “We would love to meet everyone.” Ignoring the terror in her eyes, he added curiously, “I’ve been wondering something. I’ve watched the others disappear at will, but my little spotted bird always walks or flies. Could it be that you have broken magic?”

  As the hunter reached out to touch the purple and blue ringlets in Nepeta’s hair, Callen pulled her behind him and warned their captor, “Stay back. Our protectors will be here any second.”

  Knowing his words were most likely true, the hunter replied, “Then there’s no time to waste.” He looked to his pack and said, “You can play with the boy, but don’t touch my girl.” With a nod, the wolves moved forward with a snarl.

  Without a real weapon, Callen knew battling was useless. He spread his wings and commanded his friend, “Fly!”

  Although he and Nepeta had very little room above them, they tried to fly away. But the moment they lifted off the ground, a wolf jumped up and bit into Callen’s ankle, pulling him back down. Nepeta grabbed onto him and flapped her wings with all her might in a feeble attempt to lift him back into the air, but she wasn’t strong enough. The moment Callen’s feet touched the ground, Nepeta watched his chest being slashed open and then pulled from her grasp. Blood splattered, large hands yanked her down, causing a large tree thorn to rip through one of her wings.

  While she screamed with the pain, extremely muscular arms pinned her back to a tree trunk. The movement caused another thorn to penetrate her back, just below her waist, and then snap off.

  With Nepeta immobilized, the shifter’s eyes flashed bright as he examined his prize. Wanting his captive’s full attention, he said to his pack, “Go play somewhere else for a while.”

  Following their leader’s command, Callen’s lifeless body was pulled into the shadows.

  Once alone, the hunter said to his remaining captive, “Now, tell me everything about your village and how we can get in.”

  Nepeta’s anger boiled to the surface and overrode her pain, causing her to let out a loud cry. At the same time, a ball of sparkling light shot from her hands and into the hunter’s chest, making him jump back and yelp. Unsure what happened, Nepeta looked down at her own shaking, sparking palms.

  The hunter regrouped quickly and said, “So my sweet bird has a wasp stinger. Nice surprise.” While letting off a low snarl, he stalked slowly back toward his prey.

  Nepeta tried to flap her wings, but her injuries were too painful, so she attempted to wield the unusual balls of electricity again. Not knowing how she did it the first time, nothing happened. When he grabbed her again, she screamed.

  Out of thin air, Yarrow appeared and sent the hunter sailing into the air, crashing into a nearby tree. As the pack leader instantly transformed back into his wolf form, other village protectors appeared. As they took over the fight, the head of the rescue group commanded Yarrow, “Get Nepeta out of here and back to the village.”

  Yarrow nodded, looked down at his charge, and asked, “Can you fly?” When she tried to move her wing and cringed, he said, “Then I’ll carry you.”

  When he reached for he
r, she swatted away his hands and said, “Leave me. They dragged Callen...” Her words trailed off as she pointed where her friend had disappeared. When she found her voice again, she added, “This is all my fault; I must find him.”

  Nepeta wasn’t about to listen or cooperate and Yarrow refused to argue with her. Instead he grabbed her and tossed her over his shoulder. Ignoring her yells of protest and pain, he ran into a clearing. As soon as he found a gap in the trees he flew off, leaving the snarls and sounds of battle behind him.

  *~*~*~*

  The scene swirled and reformed as Nepeta’s wounds were tended by a healer. Through tear-filled eyes, she watched as the protectors returned with Callen’s wrapped up body. Although she was grateful that all of the protectors lived, several were severely injured in the battle. She overheard their discussion with a village elder and learned that they managed to kill one of the wolves, but the pack leader and his remaining members escaped.

  Nepeta’s mother, Lily, took her daughter’s hand and said, “Stop blaming yourself.”

  “How? We shouldn’t have been out there and I lead them right into a trap. Callen died trying to protect me and the others could have been killed as well.” Seeing many frantically packing the village, she added, “We just got settled here and now we have to move again because of me.”

  “This wasn’t your fault. The hunter’s hadn’t completed their search of these woods yet, so no one knew that we had wolf shifters nearby.”

  “I did. I’ve been watching them for weeks and didn’t tell anyone. I wanted to gather knowledge so that I could impress the elders.” Seeing the expression on Poppy’s face as she was consoled by her family, Nikki added, “Look at the mess I’ve caused. Callen is dead and Poppy will never speak to me again.” Nepeta looked up at her mother and said, “I was born different than the others and I’m putting everyone in danger. When the village leaves, I want you to leave me behind.”