Sorcery Reborn (The Rebellion Chronicles Book 1) Read online

  ALSO BY STEVE MCHUGH

  The Hellequin Chronicles

  Crimes Against Magic

  Born of Hatred

  With Silent Screams

  Prison of Hope

  Lies Ripped Open

  Promise of Wrath

  Scorched Shadows

  Infamous Reign

  The Avalon Chronicles

  A Glimmer of Hope

  A Flicker of Steel

  A Thunder of War

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Text copyright © 2019 by Steve McHugh

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

  Published by 47North, Seattle

  www.apub.com

  Amazon, the Amazon logo, and 47North are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates.

  ISBN-13: 9781542093125

  ISBN-10: 1542093120

  Cover design by @blacksheep-uk.com

  Cover illustration by Larry Rostant

  For Sarah

  CONTENTS

  LIST OF CHARACTERS

  Prologue

  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

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Epilogue

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  LIST OF CHARACTERS

  Nate’s Story

  Clockwork, Oregon

  Nathan Garrett: Was once a sorcerer feared by his enemies; now human and believed dead by most. Uses the fake name Nathan Carpenter.

  Chris Hopkins: Unknown species. One of the few people who knows who Nate really is. Works for Hades.

  Antonio Flores: Human. Ex-Ranger. Lost a leg in battle; now runs a local diner, Duke’s.

  Donna Kuro: Doctor of ancient history. Married to Daniel Kuro. Grandmother of Jessica and Ava Choi.

  Daniel Kuro: Doctor of medicine. Married to Donna Kuro. Grandfather of Jessica and Ava Choi.

  Jessica Choi: Mother of Simon Choi. Sister to Ava.

  Ava Choi: Sister to Jessica.

  Brooke Tobin: Sheriff deputy.

  Sheriff Adrian King: Sheriff of Clockwork, Oregon.

  Doug Ward: High school friend of Brooke’s.

  Avalon Members and Allies

  Baldr: Sorcerer. Son of Odin. Brother of Thor. High-ranking member of Avalon.

  Orestes: Sorcerer. Harbinger team leader.

  Apep: Snake-kin. Harbinger team leader.

  Adrestia: Daughter of Ares. Empath. Harbinger team leader.

  Robert Saunders: Knights of Avalon (KOA) agent. Ex-partner of Jessica Choi.

  Bryce Foster: Nazi. Allied to Robert Saunders.

  Jackson Miller: Nazi. Allied to Robert Saunders.

  Addison Tobin: Nazi. Girlfriend to Bryce and sister to Brooke.

  Rebellion Members and Allies

  Medusa: Gorgon. Codirector of Elemental Incorporated.

  Isis: Sorcerer. Codirector of Elemental Incorporated.

  Hades: Necromancer. Married to Persephone. One of the leaders of the Rebellion against Avalon.

  Persephone: Earth elemental. Married to Hades. One of the leaders of the Rebellion against Avalon.

  Diana: Half-werebear. Considered to be the Roman goddess of the hunt.

  Thomas Carpenter: Nate’s best friend. Werewolf. Married to Olivia. Father to Kase.

  Remy Roax: Foxman hybrid.

  Mordred: Sorcerer. Once turned evil by Avalon torture; now trying to atone for his mistakes. Dating Hel.

  Selene: Dragon-kin. Love of Nate’s life.

  Layla’s Story

  Helheim

  Layla Cassidy: Umbra. Able to manipulate metal.

  Kase Carpenter: Half-werewolf, half–ice elemental. Daughter of Thomas Carpenter and Olivia. Dating Harry Gao.

  Harry Gao: Human. Good with runes. Dating Kase Carpenter.

  Tarron: Shadow elf. One of the last of his kind. Searching for the rest of his people.

  Zamek: Royal prince. Norse dwarf. Alchemist. Searching for the rest of his people.

  Tego: Saber-tooth panther.

  Hyperion: Dragon-kin. Able to use ice magic. Father of Selene.

  Hel: Necromancer. Leader of Helheim. Dating Mordred.

  Seshat: Och. Records the words of every book ever written.

  Jotunheim

  Fuvos: Giant. High priest.

  Jidor: Giant. Guard.

  Mimir: Och. Social pariah. Can read people’s minds when touching them.

  Wedver: Giant. Elder.

  Tisor: Giant. Elder.

  Goretis: Giant. Warrior.

  Surtr: Flame giant. War chief. Enemy of Asgard.

  Prologue

  NATE GARRETT

  Two Years Ago

  Greenland

  I opened my eyes and immediately wished I hadn’t. The light caused them pain and forced me to close them again. I went to rub my hand over my face and found myself chained to the bed with thick manacles. There didn’t appear to be any runes etched on them, so I tried to use my magic and . . . nothing. No hint of magic.

  “Great, another place with runes in the walls,” I said. My throat hurt, and I needed a drink. “If anyone is there, I’m awake.”

  The doors opened, and Hades walked in. He had several weeks’ worth of beard growth and looked tired. “Nate, you’re finally up.” He unlocked the manacles and placed a hand on my shoulder.

  “Where am I?” I asked.

  “My secret facility in Greenland. You’ve been in a coma for four months.”

  I couldn’t quite process that as an answer. “What? Four months? But I was . . . Mordred . . . he shot me. Is he okay?”

  “We’ll bring you up to speed with everyone in a minute. I just need to make sure you’re okay. Can you sit up?”

  I did as he asked.

  “We’re going to run some medical tests,” he told me.

  “Hades, I’m fine. I ache and want a drink, but otherwise I’m good. My nightmare, Erebus . . . he saved me.”

  Hades nodded. “Let me go get you a drink, and we’ll talk. Stay here.”

  “Hello, Nate,” Erebus said from beside me.

  Erebus, living embodiment of my magic, was, like everything to do with my life, much more complicated than he first appeared. All sorcerers could commune with the magic inside of them, and to most, these embodiments were considered nightmares—creatures who wanted nothing more th
an to have sorcerers lose themselves in their magic so that the nightmare could take control. In reality, they were there to help us, to guide us until we were ready to take full control of our power. The world had been lied to about their intent, and a lot of people had died because of it.

  “I thought you were going to vanish after I died,” I said.

  “Apparently not,” Erebus said. He looked identical to me, even though he was actually part of the primordial deity who was considered the personification of darkness. It had always been a lot to take in. “The mark on your head unlocked a lot of things, but they’re all a jumble at the moment. It’ll take some time to sift through it.”

  “Including who my father was?”

  “That’s in there, but it’s not information I have. Your mind needs time to heal, as does your body. It’s been under incredible stress. Your lack of magic will not help things along.”

  “My magic is gone, full stop, isn’t it? I remember Mordred saying something about it.”

  “Yes, for the next year or thereabouts, you will have no magic. You are essentially just human.”

  “Anything else?”

  Erebus shook his head. “Hopefully when the year is up, you will regain your power. But when you do, it would be wise to be somewhere barren.”

  “Why?”

  I looked up as Mordred entered the room. “He’ll explain,” Erebus said and vanished.

  “Glad you’re up and about,” Mordred told me.

  “I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck,” I said.

  “Yeah, it’s not a fun experience. You’ve lost your magic, then.”

  “I figured that bit out. Erebus said it’ll be a year before I can access it again. He also said any info unlocked by the mark will take a while to work through.”

  “It was the same for me. Took about fifteen months to fully understand everything in my head.”

  “Did you have messages from your parents in your head too?” I asked.

  Mordred shook his head. “No, I had no need. I know who they are, and I’ve always known who my mother was. Did Erebus say anything about what to do when your power returns?”

  “Be somewhere uninhabited.”

  “Make sure you do that. I didn’t realize until it was too late and destroyed a warehouse. When your magic returns, you’ll have full use for about a day; then it dies down. You’ll need to relearn some stuff. It’s not a quick process.”

  “Untapped, incredible power, but at the cost of a year or more with nothing. Always give with one hand, take with the other with magic, isn’t it?”

  Mordred laughed. “You need to come with me. There are some things you need to know.”

  “I’m in a pair of shorts. Can I have a shower and get changed first?”

  “Oh, sure. Shower’s over there. I think Hades said something about clean clothes for you in the drawer.”

  I looked over at the door, which presumably led to the shower, and the light-blue chest of drawers. “I’ll be twenty minutes.”

  “Take an hour. Have a long shower. You’re going to need it. A lot has happened.”

  Mordred left me alone, and I went for a shower, making the powerful, high-pressure water as hot as I could bear.

  “You feel up to a little company?” Selene asked from the doorway.

  I opened the glass door to the shower. “I’m achy, but I’m sure I’ll manage.”

  She dropped her robe to the floor, revealing that she was naked underneath, and stepped into the shower.

  An hour later I was clean, dressed, and in need of something to eat. Selene had helped me with my T-shirt, as my body was still incredibly sore and stiff, but the shower and company had done wonders to lift my mood.

  “Hades wants to see you,” Selene said, kissing me on the lips. “I missed you. Probably not as much as Tommy, but it was a close thing.”

  I laughed. “I Han Soloed him. I wasn’t sure he’d forgive me.”

  “I think it might be the proudest moment of his life that didn’t involve Kasey being born.”

  I laughed again, and it caused me to wince. “Ribs hurt.”

  “You want me to kiss them better?”

  “I’m not a machine.”

  Selene smiled. “I’m glad you’re back. I was worried. We all were, except Mordred—he kept coming in here playing you his extensive list of video game soundtracks. He said it would help, presumably because he expected you to wake up and tell him to piss off.”

  “So if I start humming ‘Mario,’ it’s his fault? Good to know.”

  Selene led me out of my room and down a corridor that wouldn’t have looked out of place in a hospital. There was no one around, no one working in any of the rooms we walked past. It was like a clean ghost town.

  “What’s going on?” I asked as we entered the lift and Selene selected the floor for the main hangar above.

  “For the last four months, you have made lightning strike this facility eight hundred thirty-two times. You created a storm that sat just above this facility. People know you’re here. People we trust, but Hades, Mordred, and Elaine had an idea to ensure that their knowledge of you wasn’t a problem.”

  “What idea?”

  Selene sighed. “Blood curse marks.”

  The lift doors opened as I was stunned into silence. I looked out across the hangar and saw hundreds of people all watching me as I exited the lift. There was a cheer and round of applause, and I did this weird, uncomfortable wave thing. Because what the hell else were you meant to do when hundreds of people started clapping at you for no known reason?

  “What the fuck?” I whispered.

  Tommy bounded toward me and picked me up in a bear hug.

  “Bones—fragile, human-powered bones,” I whispered.

  He put me down and grinned. “It’s good to see you. Mordred said you were essentially human now. I’m sorry you’ve lost your magic.”

  “It’ll come back. But it’s a little weird knowing it’ll be a while.”

  I looked beyond him to Olivia and Kasey, both of whom waved. Several other young men and women stood beside them, and I knew that they were members of Tommy’s ultrasecret task force, which he’d put together before Arthur had taken over.

  “How bad is it?” I asked Sky, who kissed me on the cheek.

  “It’s not good,” she said.

  “What’s going on?” I asked Elaine as she walked toward me with Mordred, Nabu, Irkalla, Hades, and Zamek.

  “We need to talk,” she told me and motioned for me to follow her into a nearby room. She turned to Mordred as we entered. “Get it finished.”

  Mordred nodded and walked off.

  “Get what finished?” I asked, taking a seat on the table in the middle of the room. “Selene said you were doing something with blood curse marks.”

  “Everyone here has agreed to take part in a ritual,” Hades said from the doorway.

  “What kind of ritual?” I asked.

  “The kind where we all think you’re dead,” Irkalla said. “Everyone but Hades, Sky, Mordred, and Elaine, yes.”

  “Why not those four?”

  “Hades and Sky because you need a contact in case something goes wrong during your time of healing, Mordred because he was never going to agree to have anything close to a blood curse mark put on him again, and Elaine because she used to be in charge of everything. This is the kind of thing you’ll need someone keeping an eye on you for.”

  “And where am I going that I need to be kept an eye on?”

  “A small town in Oregon,” Nabu said. “It’s very quaint.”

  “No,” I replied.

  “You have no powers, and Avalon thinks you’re dead,” Sky said. “You aren’t helpful until you’re healed, and if Arthur ever finds out you’re alive, he will burn a country down to find you. We need to put you somewhere remote but with people we trust. So you’re going to Clockwork, Oregon. Called that because its founder used to make clocks and was really happy about it.”

  “And do w
hat while I’m there?”

  “Read, write, learn how to whittle—I don’t think it matters,” Irkalla said. “Just stay safe, and don’t bring attention to yourself.”

  “Why there?”

  “I have people there I trust,” Hades said. “A doctor by the name of Daniel Kuro. I met him in Korea a few decades ago. He’s a good man. I’ve used the town a few times to let friends of mine heal in peace. Or avoid detection.”

  “Okay, tell me more about this blood curse ritual.”

  “Mordred, Nabu, and I worked together on this,” Zamek said. “Essentially everyone in this facility will think you’re dead. We considered just having them forget you existed, but that’s too hard. Thinking you died on a field in Wisconsin is a lot easier.”

  “Essentially we managed to figure out a way to create the blood curse so that everyone affected will believe you dead,” Nabu said. “They will believe they’ve grieved and have moved on. No one here will be caused any pain by your passing. That was integral to our plan. If anyone decided to dig too deep into your death or go after Atlas for revenge, it would break the curse.”

  “How does the curse break normally?” I asked.

  “If any of them see you once the curse has been implemented, they will immediately remember that you didn’t die,” Elaine explained. “Each of them signed a document stating that they agreed to this. We couldn’t do it any other way.”

  I walked past them all and out into the hangar, where I found Tommy, Olivia, and Selene. “You all agreed to this?” I asked. “All of you?”

  “We need to keep you safe,” Selene said. “This is the best way.”

  “Why can’t you come with me?” I asked her.

  “Because my father and sister would tear the world apart looking for whoever killed me. The smaller the number, the better.”

  “They offered me and Selene a chance to avoid the curse,” Tommy said. “But I couldn’t do that to Kasey and Olivia. I couldn’t lie like that to any of the people who helped get us here. I’m not a spy anymore. Deception isn’t something I want to do.”

  “What about those who aren’t already here?” I asked.

  “They already think you’re dead,” Diana said. “It won’t be hard to keep that going.”

  “So it’s sorted? I’ll be dead to all of you. What happens now?” I asked.

  “Right now we’re in no position to fight Avalon,” Remy said. “Arthur has started taking control of governments the world over. He’s still in the process of removing those who are against him. A lot of ex–Avalon employees are in hiding. We’re trying to help them as best we can. That’s our main focus at the moment. We can’t go after Arthur until we know who is and isn’t working with him.”