Lore Read online

  Contents

  Cover Credit

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Introduction

  About This Book

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  From The Author

  About The Author

  Cover Credit

  Christopher Coyle

  darkandstormyknight.com

  Thank you for adorning my words so beautifully.

  Your talent knows no bounds!

  Sandra R Neeley

  P. O. Box 1464

  Hammond, LA 70404

  [email protected]

  Independently Published

  by Sandra R Neeley

  69,985 words

  LORE

  BOOK 4

  WHISPERS FROM THE BAYOU

  by SANDRA R NEELEY

  Copyright © 2019 SANDRA R NEELEY

  All rights reserved.

  Thank you for purchasing and/or downloading this book. It is the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be reproduced, copied and/or distributed for commercial or non-commercial purposes without express written permission from the author.

  Your support and respect for the property of this author is appreciated. This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales, is purely coincidental. The characters are creations of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademarked ownership of all trademarks and word marks mentioned in this book.

  For my Dad, who was always a little “out there,” but had a heart of gold beneath it.

  He was always lost, sometimes a little more than others — I hope he’s finally at peace.

  Whispers From the Bayou

  The swamps of South Louisiana shelter all manner of creature, paranormal as well as natural wildlife. Whispers is a community of paranormal beings hidden deep within the most uninhabitable areas of the wetlands. All of its inhabitants — be they Vampires, Shifters, Gargoyles, Banshees, Ancients, Windigo, Mer-people or other — came here for one reason: Sanctuary. The members of this community intentionally migrated here over time in an effort to escape humankind and their intolerant ways. Some species were hunted to the point of near extinction; those few who survived now live here. They all have one rule, one unbreakable rule — no humans. No humans are allowed to know about their community. It’s the only way they can all remain safely hidden away.

  About This Book

  Lore is an Ancient and is just what his name describes - Lore. The lore of a thousand peoples and places, their magics and their beliefs all evolved over the passage of time and now walking the Earth as this male — Lore. He’s wandered this realm and the next for eons in search of his beloved mate. She was taken from him as punishment for his deviant behavior, and as retribution for betraying his own brother. He’s searched for so long he is near insanity — some even think he has crossed that line.

  Evangeline is a true innocent, lured from the safety of her brethren by a beautiful, sensual male filled with promises and magics as old as time. She’s locked away from everything she loves. She has no idea why — she has no memories. They’ve all been stolen from her. All she does know is that she has to remain hidden. Those who tend her tell her that her love wants to kill her, and they keep her imprisoned for her own good. Now if she could only remember her love, maybe she’d know who she should be hiding from.

  Lore refuses to cease his search for the female that holds not only his heart, but his soul. He’s long ago stopped believing that she’ll ever love him again — she doesn’t even remember him. But she’s locked away, treated as a prisoner in a place no innocent should ever be held, simply because she once loved him, she trusted him. And for that she suffers. He won’t stop until she can dance in the sunshine to her heart’s content, and he can hear her musical laughter on the winds. If it costs him his very existence, he’s willing to give it. Will he be able to find her this time, before his brother spirits her away from him again? He’s tired. He’s ready to give in to the insanity and nothingness that berate his mind on a daily basis. This is his last chance at saving her.

  Warning: Intended for mature audiences. This book contains intimate love scenes, some violence, and possibly some abuse both real and inferred that may be disturbing for some readers. If you are offended by these subjects, please do not buy this book.

  Chapter 1

  Lore’s ethereal self floated down the corridors, sticking close to the walls so that none would detect him. They couldn’t see him, of this he was sure. But his very essence was still present. And they were as cursed as he was — as evil? As warped? Perhaps not, but still the chance that they could detect him was a very real fear in his mind, whether they actually could or not.

  The dark, charcoal and shale streaked walls and floors, the sulfur-tinged haze floating just above the filthy floors, the constant distant wails of the condemned and suffering would have been enough to drive him away from this realm alone. But, the singular sound that drew him back, that called to him on a cellular level, the heart-wrenching weeping was more than he could bear — and he could not ignore it. Two demons turned the corner up ahead of him, their outlines difficult to make out with the unnatural dark-red murky light of this place behind them. He stopped moving and pressed himself back against the wall. He need not have worried; he was invisible to them. Here he was completely non-corporeal. They stalked past, the grunts and growls of their language offensive to his ears though their meaning was lost on him. All was lost on him except the soft, quiet weeping of the woman he sought. He’d been slipping into this realm undetected for some months now. He’d been gradually winning her trust. Ensuring that she would not fear him when finally he swept her into his reality and away from this godforsaken place. And this place was godforsaken. It was Hell.

  Lore looked behind himself and ahead again, to be sure that no other demons or servants of the Dark One were nearby to intercept him. Satisfied that he was alone, he moved quietly, slowly along the corridor. Lore took care not to rush, not to hope too strongly, not to be careless in his desire to be at her side. The Dark One would feel him then, and he couldn’t have that. He was almost ready to take her away from here. His plan was well laid out, and he wouldn’t risk ruining everything now. He turned the corner where her chamber lay — her cell, and paused. Again, Lore sent out his senses, feeling for anything ahead of him that could give him away. Nope. Just him. He smiled and went straight to her door. He looked around, then became the purple mist that allowed him to travel in his chosen realm, the realm he would take her to. The realm of the living. His mists slipped under the door and immediately became invisible again as he felt for any presences other than his own and his Angel’s. There were none. He allowed his mists to gather and swirl, loosely representing his shape so that she could see him.

  “Do not cry,” he crooned softly.

  Right away the female lifted her face from her pillows and looked around the room. Seeing the translucent purple mist hovering beside the dingy mattress she reclined on, she gasped and sat up, wiping her eyes.

  “I thought you’d left m
e forever!” she whispered.

  “Never, my sweet Angel. I had something of great importance to attend. But know that my thoughts are with you whenever I am away.”

  She nodded. “I’m sorry to be so dependent on you. I’m just so dreadfully lonely here. And the cries are so painful!”

  “The cries?” Lore asked.

  “Of the others. Those that are suffering so incessantly. It hurts my heart that I can’t offer them solace.”

  “Do you know where you are, sweet?” Lore asked. This was the longest her sanity had held since he’d been visiting her. Most days her mind would already be wandering away from him.

  “I’m in the castle. They keep me jailed here because my love wishes to murder me. It is for my own good,” she confided.

  Lore’s fury rose so quickly, he barely had time to tamp it down before those meant to keep her prisoner detected his emotions and found him there. “Your love would never murder you. They keep you apart to punish him, and in so doing, punish you as well. You’ve done nothing to warrant this punishment. Do not believe their lies.”

  Her eyes lost their focus, and they drifted across the cold, dingy cell.

  “Evangeline? Did you hear me?”

  “Hmm?” she asked absentmindedly. “Is someone here?”

  Lore used more powers than he should to force his shape to take more of a corporeal appearance, though compared to that he had in the living world, his appearance was still weak. The very nature of this realm made it harder for him to maintain his presence in any form. But, he managed to gather a bit more strength, causing his mists to swirl more closely together and become a darker purple.

  “Oh! Oh, I see you!” she exclaimed. “Are you here to save me?”

  “I am, sweet. Can you say these words for me?”

  “What words?” she asked.

  “My love wants to save me, not hurt me,” Lore said.

  Her delicate eyebrows furrowed. “But, they said…”

  “They lied!” Lore spat out.

  At the fury in his voice, she pulled back, scooting to the far side of the dirty mattress which laid upon the cold shale-stone ledge they’d given her for a bed.

  “Shh, all is well. You are safe, Evangeline. I will take you away from here. Do not fear me. Never fear me. I will not hurt you, my sweet.”

  Evangeline watched the purple mist swirling as it dissipated. It was fading away. What was it she was supposed to say? Someone had asked her to repeat some words. She ran over and over in her mind the request she knew she’d just heard in spite of the fact she couldn’t quite remember it clearly. Then suddenly she knew. She smiled thinking of the meaning of the words. Then she spoke them aloud to the now empty room.

  “My love wants to save me, not hurt me.” She lay down, tucking her head into the filthy pillow once more, repeating the words over and over again.

  <<<<<<<>>>>>>>

  Lore was thrust back into the living world, roaring and screaming his frustration at having been expelled from his Evangeline’s side. His chest heaved, and he slowly dragged himself across the wet, swampy ground. Each visit to her took more and more of his strength from him. It took him longer to recover each time. His mists were heavy about him, giving him the appearance of a heavy, low-hanging cloud. Lore pulled himself up against the thick cypress tree trunk and rested his misty head against it. He opened his eyes and looked at the raised deck above him. He was home again. Then he heard her words, her voice just a faint whisper in his head, in his heart.

  “My love wants to save me, not hurt me.”

  And his heart leapt; she’d remembered! “Yes! Yes, do not forget, my sweet. I am coming soon.” But he knew she didn’t hear him. No one heard him. He was alone, completely alone again.

  His misty face crumpled into hopelessness, the tears he could not cry choking him as he fought to get them out. He was ready to give up — to be absorbed into the nothingness that haunted his very existence. Only the sadness, the madness that slowly enveloped her kept him fighting off the anguish that never left him. Lore allowed his form to drift off into the wet ground and sobbed hopelessly. He had no idea how he’d free her. He was completely non-corporeal in the Dark One’s realm, his strength but a moment’s thought before he was once again thrown back into the realm he called home. He had no chance of snatching her and running. It took all his strength to just maintain enough mist to speak with her.

  Somewhere above him he heard the soft opening and closing of a door. He heard the faint padding of footsteps on wooden stairs. But he didn’t care. He was barely hanging onto any will to live at all. Some time later he opened his eyes and found that he was not alone.

  Carolena stood there, barefoot in the damp grass, the moonlight shining lovingly down on her. “You should be with your mate,” he whispered.

  Carolena smiled. “He watches,” she said, waving a hand above her head.

  Lore looked up and saw Carnage’s face peering over the railing at them. Carnagee held Lily in his arms. She waved down at Lore, but Lore couldn’t even muster the strength to wave back. He merely smiled sadly at the child.

  “Lily wanted to come to you. We wouldn’t let her, but she wouldn’t stop asking until I agreed to come in her stead. She said to tell you, and I quote; ‘Her’s ready. Take ‘Stoy. And take Murder, too.’”

  Lore looked at Carolena, a confused look on his swirling face. He forced his body to sit up, pushing his form upright off the ground as the mists floated loosely about him. “Is she sure?” he asked, the apprehension, afraid to hope, clear in his voice.

  “Those were her exact words,” Carolena said.

  “Yes! I sure!” Lily called from above them. “Papa, let me go down ‘dere!” she said, struggling to make Carnage let her down.

  “No! Still, Leelee!” Carnage quietly ordered.

  “Here, Lily sent you a blanket.” Carolena stepped closer and wrapped it around the swirling outline of his shoulders. Surprisingly, it stayed about them as though he was actually in possession of a body.

  “If I didn't know better, Lore, I’d think you were becoming more humanish. Like us,” she said, patting the blanket again before stepping back.

  “My soul tries to make me whole again. But when with her, I am only an essence of myself. As soon as I begin to force my body into being, the realm she’s in expels me. We should be one, but I cannot possibly touch her. It is the cruelest punishment.”

  “Lore…” Carolena said, falling to her knees beside him. He allowed her to hold him, or at least the blanket covering him for a moment, before pulling away.

  When he did, Carolena stood again. “You are welcome to sleep on our couch. You are always welcome in our home, Lore. You’re family. Don’t ever forget that.”

  Lore reached out a swirling hand and cupped her cheek. “You are almost an angel yourself, Carolena,” he said softly.

  “’Mon!” Carnage called from above them.

  “Carnage is right. Come on,” Carolena said.

  “Perhaps I will. I will need some rest before I return to her,” Lore answered.

  “Then come inside. Carnage won’t let anyone in if you don’t want any company. It’ll just be us.”

  Lore raised his eyes to Carnage’s, and Carnage nodded and lifted his hand to wave Lore up.

  Lore took a very deep breath, then heaved himself up off the ground. He took a step. Then stopped. “I’m afraid I cannot walk very well, nor can I mist myself upstairs just now, dear Carolena.”

  Just then, they heard the slapping of tiny bare feet running down the stairs toward them. Lily ran forward and took Lore’s hand. “I gotch you,” she said.

  Almost immediately at the touch of Lily’s hand his mists got darker, and the swirling became more controlled. Together, Lily and Lore walked toward the stairs that would lead them upstairs to Carolena’s home.

  Carnage, having hurried down after Lily, waited at the base of the stairs for them. He stepped aside to allow them to pass and for Carolena, who was following th
em, to pass as well. He patiently brought up the rear. Once they were all on the deck above, Carnage turned back to the staircase and unwound the chain from the spike it was secured to. He slowly pulled it, causing the chain to move through the pulley, and in turn pull the lower staircase up off the ground. Once it was pulled level with the upper staircase, he pulled even harder, causing both staircases, now folded in on one another, to raise to the height of the deck. He anchored the chain in place. Then he reached out, pulling a separate chain from the tree next to their house, and wrapped it beneath and around the folded stairs as well, before anchoring it, too, to the tree and the deck.

  Once he was sure both chains were secure and the stairs were locked in place so that no one would be bothering them, he joined his family inside their home. By the time he got inside, Lily had Lore ensconced on the couch and was sitting beside him, humming a lullaby.

  Carolena was in the kitchen using a dish towel to clean her knees, and Lore was barely holding his eyes open.

  Lily leaned over and pressed the sweet innocent kiss of a child on Lore’s cheek.

  Lore’s lips immediately curved into a smile.

  “Night,” Lily said.

  Carnage caught her up in his arms and kissed her before holding his arm out for Carolena to come to them.

  “Night,” Carnage said to Lore in his growly voice.

  But Lore didn’t even hear him. He was asleep already, the smile still on his face.

  “I didn’t know he slept,” Carolena commented softly as Carnage led them down the hall.

  “Him’s almos’ real, now,” Lily said.

  “Is he going to be more like us?” Carolena asked, surprised.

  Lily shook her head. “Nope. Like Aunt Row — maybe,” she said, pursing her lips. Her eyes stared off into the distance as she considered the possibilities.