Ironic Hearts (Faerie Believers 02)

By Kalcee Clornel

Faerie Believer Novel 02

Here continues the story of Kathleen the Believer, the story of her friends, the story of King Kaevin, Faerie King of the Tempest Kingdom, and the story of those who fought to keep the fey alive and those who wished to see them dead.

The K4s – Kath, Keath, Katie, and Kaevin – are learning about honesty, responsibilities, betrayal, and the differences between the Believer, faeries, half faeries, humans, and hunters.

Kath has finally taken on her responsibilities as the Believer, but her best friends Katie and Keath won't let her fight the faerie hunters alone. Unfortunately Keath is half faerie so just being near a hunter can be enough to make him collapse, and Katie is only human.

Keath finds it difficult to trust in his own abilities when his family and friends seem to fear for his life. The past rears up to confront him, the lies his father told him and the truth about his life begin to unravel and Keath is left troubled and confused. His father pushes him more than ever before to fight against his faerie genes and Keath has to figure out if he is strong enough to overcome his faerie weaknesses and become the weapon many people think he could be.

Danger and destruction seems to follow Katie everywhere and when one of the most dangerous people she has ever crossed comes back into her life, she struggles to keep her fight her own. She has never been one to tell the truth, and the habit of lying is hard to break.

Kath can't deal with her intense relationship with Kaevin. The hiding and sneaking around begins to wear down on her and she isn't sure if love is enough anymore.

Kaevin is once again surrounded by the cruelty and darkness of his kingdom of Tempest, but this time he has to work harder to save his new friends from the danger threatening to destroy them all, or risk losing the only thing keeping him from the darkness of his kingdom.

Don't miss out on the other Faerie Believer Novels:
Faerie Believers 01 - The Emerald Fae
Faerie Believers 03 - Broken Beauty

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kalcee Clornel
• Release date: Mar 10, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476254456

Kalcee Clornel

Sci-fi and paranormal fiction writer. Author of the Audian Forces and Faerie Believers series.

Book preview

Ironic Hearts

Faerie Believer Novel 02

By

Kalcee Clornel

Ironic Hearts

Kalcee Clornel

Copyright 2011 by Kalcee Clornel

Smashwords Edition

Kalcee Clornel

Copyright © 2012 Kalcee Clornel. All rights reserved. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the author Kalcee Clornel.

All characters in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

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 reader. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Don’t miss out on the other novels in the Faerie Believer Series by Kalcee Clornel:

Faerie Believers 01 - The Emerald Fae

Faerie Believers 03 – Broken Beauty

Faerie Believers 04 – Iron Belief

Prologue

The Believer is said to hold the greatest power known to the human and faerie worlds.

The Faeries are in great danger from creatures they cannot hope to stand against, creatures that look human but are made of iron.

They were human once, the hunters, but they delved so far into the realm of Faerie they found a way to make themselves stronger than the fey. Iron is deadly to the fey; the hunters knew this and used it. Thousands of years ago, they found a way to increase the amount of iron in their blood without killing themselves. Their blood turned grey, and they lost their humanity. Since that fateful time, the feared faerie hunters have been predominantly iron-blooded, more machine than human, and their lineage spread. If you kill one, they do not die like humans or fey or any other being that exists within this world. The metal that lies in their blood will leak out and eat away their skin and bones until nothing is left but iron.

They are forever fighting to find a way to purge all faeries from the world. But evolution is a tricky thing, and with time, all creatures change and neither hunter nor fey nor human could have known of the future they would be forced to face, and the changes that were to come.

Around that fateful time the hunters became iron, the kingdoms of Faerie came together to find a way to fight the hunters, the one existence they feared above all others. They brought their Crowns together and used all their strength to force terrible and great power into a lone mortal boy. It had to be a mortal, because mortals were immune to the deadly effects of iron. It had to be a little boy, for who else would readily Believe in the fey, and who else would agree to bear such a terrible responsibility?

The faeries involved in the transference died instantly, but the deed was done. The rest of Faerie called him the Believer. He Believed in the fey enough to let them put such power in him and agreed to wield it for them against the iron hunters.

The Believer’s power was great and the boy managed to stop the majority of the hunters. The remaining hunters fled and hid, biding their time. The Believer power became a life of its own, and when the boy died, the power was released to find a new Believer to settle in.

A trustworthy family was charged with teaching the Believer how to understand the Believer power and what they had to do with it. The family’s legacy has been passed from generation to generation. The family kept records, books and journals of their predecessors to keep the knowledge fresh and to stop it from bring warped though word of mouth.

It continued that way throughout the years unto this day, and it will continue that way till all hunters and fey are gone from this world. The power now resides within Kathleen.

Here continues her story, the story of her friends, the story of King Kaevin, Faerie King of the Tempest Kingdom, and the story of those who fought to keep the fey alive and those who wished to see them dead.

Chapter One

Never Fight Alone

Kathleen strode through the dark Killarney forest, her boots crunching the ground despite her best attempts at stealth. Kath was a Believer and she was searching for hunters. One could say she was hunting for hunters. It was her duty and responsibility to destroy them; it was what the Believer power was meant for.

Kath walked through the forest concentrating harder on her footsteps, managing to keep them silent. It had been a while since a hunter was spotted in the Killarney woods, but Carlow, her trainer and guider whose family had been charged with instructing the Believer in their power and responsibilities for thousands of years, insisted she keep to her weekly routine patrol. Over the last month, she had spent some days and evenings patrolling the woods and forests of Killarney, and others patrolling the woods behind her home in Bantry, Ireland.

Kath blinked into the dark trees. Her vision was sharper than the average human, as were her strength and healing capabilities. She was still learning how to use her new found capabilities, though, and some things came easier to her than others.

Kath had been taught her entire life to stay away from the faeries. Many months ago, she had been brought into the world of faeries despite how much warning she had received. Nearly all her friends were fey, and the ones that weren’t were caught up in the world of fey as much as she was. And her boyfriend was one of them. Not just a faerie, he was the King of the Tempest fey, the darkest fey in the world.

Kath thought back to all the events that had occurred in her life, from the day she left her normal life in a normal school in South America to return to her home on Erin’s Isle, to this day that she found herself walking though the forests hunting faerie hunters. A figure moved in the distance and Kath jerked her mind into the present. She couldn’t be sure it was a hunter. It could be a faerie. None of the Tempest fey knew what she was, so she shouldn’t be in danger from them. Killarney forest was Tempest territory, but Kaevin had ordered his Court to stay away from her. He had ‘claimed’ her for her own safety and though she had made it clear that no one owned her, the claim could not be retracted once made, according to Tempest laws. Still, most Tempest fey hated Kaevin and would love the chance to attack her to hurt him. Kath couldn’t be sure Kaevin’s orders would be enough to stop them if they found her alone in the woods.

Faeries of the other kingdom were a source of concern too. Most of the Forest Grove fey did not know who and what Kath was, and if they encountered her alone, despite the fact that they were not dark fey, they probably wouldn’t be able to resist the urge to mess around with her. But this was Tempest territory, and none of the Forest Grove fey should be around. That left Tempest fey and hunters. Which one was the figure? Kath squinted. There were two figures now, and they seemed to be moving towards her. The figures became clearer and three more joined them. Uh-Oh.

If these figures were fey, Kath was in big trouble. Believers could not hurt fey. The faeries that put the power in the first Believer thousands of years ago were the stereotype human-distrusting faeries and embedded a single restriction within the Believer power. The power could not be used against faeries. Kath knew what it felt like to try hurting a fey, she had done it before and it was the most painful experience of her life. So hurting a fey was beyond her capabilities.

The figures closed in on Kath and she took a fighting stance, her special hunter-killing dagger fixed firmly in her hand. They were surrounding her, but still she could not see them well enough. She had to rely on one of her other abilities that she wasn’t very skilled at. Kath closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Kath could see through faerie glamour that hid the fey from human sight when they wished it. Usually she could sense if a person that looked human was either a faerie or a hunter, but she was still learning on applying that ability to creatures that were out of her sight range.

Kath let out the breath slowly, and a shiver crept throughout her entire body as she felt the presence of the figures surrounding her. Kath was beyond relieved. They were hunters. She could fight them. The bad news was that there were five of them. She had never seen that many hunters together before, never fought that many hunters at once and she wasn’t sure if she was strong enough. Her heart thudded vigorously and she swallowed. She held her breath and tried to ignore the uneasy knot in her gut. She couldn’t let her fear paralyse her. She had to try or die.

In the next moment the figures were up close and personal invading her space, swiping at her with deadly iron daggers. Kath ducked and dodged, leapt and spun, rolled and dived, twisted and turned, moving as fast as her Believer powers allowed and dealing as many punches and kicks as she could. They weren’t any stronger than the average hunters she had spent the last few weeks fighting, but there were five of them and she was having some difficulty. The most she had fought at once was three. Two more made a hell of a difference.

Kath had severely weakened three of them, but the other two did not seem to have a scratch. She leapt into the air and spun clockwise, delivering a powerful roundhouse kick that took down two hunters. She immediately followed through with a dive and brought her daggers straight into the hearts of the two hunters. She silently thanked Carlow for his teaching as she watched the grey iron blood devour their bodies. Then the next second she dove sideways, narrowly avoiding a blow from another hunter. Two down, three to go.

The hunters had superhuman speed and strength, but so did she, being a Believer. After a few more minutes, Kath got in another kill, finding an opening with one of the hunters. She drove one of her daggers into his chest and forced it further upwards, making sure she got his heart. She wasn't taking any chances.

Then there were only two left, one was weak, but the other looked like he had swallowed a whole load of Red Bulls. They would have been no match for her, but she was exhausted, cut and bruised in so many places that everything hurt. They could see she was tired and even the weak hunter seemed to gain strength from studying her fast breathing rate and bloody clothes. They came at her together, their own daggers glinting blurs. Kath dodged one hunter, but the other suddenly dove towards the ground, his dagger slicing into her calf.

Hey! Kath yelled in pain, falling to her knees as her leg gave way. That’s cheating! Why are you hunters incapable of fighting fair?

There be no such thing! One of the hunters laughed. We’re trying to kill you, little lass. This isn’t a fight in karate school! Maybe if you leave now, we’ll spare your life. Face it, you’re in a little over your head young mortal.

Kath narrowed her eyes and squared her shoulders, the pain from her injured leg fading to the back of her mind. Focusing on injuries at such a time would only help her receive more. Call me little or young again, and we’re going to have a bigger problem here. You silly lads don’t know who I am, do you?

You’re a young mortal who has ventured a little too far from home looking for adventure. It be so very sad, you’ll be finding no faeries, no magic, only death.

I wasn't looking for the fey, brilliant geniuses, Kath said, darting forward and catching the other hunter off guard. I was looking for you. For hunters.

The lone hunter stood still, daggers poised defensively. Who are you? he asked with a slight hint of unease.

Kath attacked, her daggers clashing against his. With each clash, she gained confidence, and ground. I’m the Believer, Kath said simply, no longer afraid. She was born to kill hunters, it was her duty and her destiny, and she’d be damned if she was going to die today at the hands of this arrogant overconfident faerie hunter. The hunter met her ferocious slashes and steady throw of blows head on, fists swinging, legs occasionally kicking. Then he kicked too high. Kath ducked round the kick and swept the hunter’s grounded foot out from under him. He landed on his back with a muffled oof, the cockiness knocked out of him.

The poor hunter did not have much dignity left, and he was not losing any more of it. He gave her a look acknowledging her strength and his loss. She almost felt sorry for the hunter as she stabbed him in the heart. Almost. He had tried to kill her, and he lived only to kill faeries. It was something she should never forget.

Impressive, A deep voice punctuated the silence that had descended around Kath as the last hunter became a pool of iron. Kath whipped around and leapt to her feet in one move, then sighed in relief. Carlow stood against a thick tree trunk, eyebrows raised.

Kath lowered her daggers. I’m so surprised to see you here, she said sarcastically. Carlow still liked to keep an eye on her whenever he could.

Another hunter appeared on the edge of Kath’s vision and she redirected her attention to him. He was approaching the clearing with obvious curiosity. He studied her for barely a moment, taking in her bloody clothes and that puddles of iron decorating the forest floor, before yelling into the forest behind him, Over here!

Kath moved forward but it was too late. In the next second the hunter was joined by three more.

Bloody hell, Carlow swore, whipping out a dagger of his own. Why are there so many of them? They’ve never worked together before.

Kath didn't have time to think. She dove forward, charging the four hunters, Carlow at her side. Kath felt a twinge of fear creep over her. She knew she and Carlow wouldn’t stand a chance. She was incredibly weak, and though Carlow was her trainer and teacher, he didn't have Believer strength, speed, or healing. Kath didn't have time to worry and further. In the next second Keath and Katie, Kath’s best friends, were beside Kath and Carlow. They dove right into the fight, no hesitations, with full on determination. In two minutes, Kath, Katie, and Carlow had each killed a hunter.

Keath took a little longer, but he was Carlow’s son. Despite the fact that he was half-fey and being in the proximity of a hunter was enough to make him sick and weak, affecting him even more than they affected full blooded fey, he could still hold his own.

Katie, Keath, and Carlow could not interfere with Keath’s fight as he clashed blades with the hunter. A move from them could mean the end of Keath. Carlow didn't look concerned, he was confident that Keath could handle it, and he was right. A minute later, Keath’s dagger struck home and the hunter was a puddle of metal.

Oh hell no, Keath muttered as the skin on his arm began to blister and burn. Grey flecks of hunter blood shone on his hands. He wiped it off on his jeans, but it was too late.

You ought to be more careful, Keath, Carlow admonished with irritability that surprised Kath. She had never heard Carlow chastise or criticize Keath before, but then again, she had never heard Carlow give Keath any praise either. Carlow brought out a small tin of herbal salve and threw it to Keath. Hunter blood was fatal to faeries, and without the salve, which was the only cure, Keath would surely have died.

Well excuse me, Keath said to Carlow as he rubbed the salve over the skin damaged by the hunter blood and watched it soak through and into his blood stream. For being allergic to hunters. Maybe I shouldn’t have come, Keath growled at his father. Next time, I’ll just hang out at The Grove and let you do all the work.

Good idea, Carlow shot back. Until I think you’re ready to be more careful on these hunting trips, you stay at The Grove, where all the faeries hide their cowardly behinds.

Kath fought the urge to whistle in surprise at the sudden display of hostility between Keath and Carlow. She had not known them very long, but she thought they had a healthy father-son relationship. Kath quickly questioned her view on things, running over what she knew and what she had witnessed and was surprised by her own memories. Carlow and Keath may not have shown any obvious strains on their relationship, but they had never shown any warm ones either. Kath didn't remember a single time when Carlow or Keath expressed any love for each other. Kath made a mental note to talk to Keath about it. She didn't like not knowing what the problem between them was, because there was definitely a problem. She couldn't sense it from Carlow, but Keath was half-fey, and Kath was very in-tune with fey feelings even though she knew nothing about human ones.

Right then, we’ve established that I’m staying at The Grove, Keath said angrily, his beautiful brown soft doe-eyes narrowing in anger and his broad shoulders tensing. He flung the salve back at Carlow and turned to leave.

Wait! Kath stopped him. I’m the one who says who should leave and who shouldn’t. And right now I want all of you to explain what you are doing here when I’m supposed to be fighting these things on my own.

Keath relaxed slightly, but his eyes were still guarded.

Katie answered, with her crazy half grin as she brushed a strand of dark blond hair back that had fallen free from her pony tail. You didn't really think we would let you have all the fun, did you?

Where you go, we go, Keath said seriously. But it seems as if I’m not going to be allowed on these missions anymore.

Don’t get me wrong, Kath said tentatively. She didn't like worrying about Keath getting hurt or getting killed. It made her lose her focus. But maybe that’s a good thing. Hunters can kill you too easily.

So you don’t think I can handle myself?

I know you can, but I don’t want to take any chances. This is my job, not yours. I don’t want you dead because of me. Around hunters you’re weaker than humans and you know it.

It doesn’t matter how weak he is, Carlow scoffed. I taught him how to handle himself, if he dies, it’s because of stupidity or carelessness and it will be through nobody’s fault but his own.

So I’m the weak link in this little group? Keath nodded, giving Kath a sad smile. Fine then. I’ll go join the faeries.

Keath ignored Carlow’s sharp intake of breath and turned around and stormed into the forest trees before Kath could reply, or Carlow could stop him. His head was spinning and he fought to let go of his anger. He was still unsure of where he belonged. He was too weak around hunters to be one of the Believer’s allies, not human enough to be around humans, and not fey enough to commit to the faerie world. Only Kath, Katie, Kaevin, and Carlow knew what Keath was and he wanted to keep it that way.

The Grove was as cheerful as ever when Keath entered. He sat down at the centre table where all his other friends sat together, chatting happily.

Well, hello Keath, Mick bellowed, raising his glass of beer in greeting. He was drunk as usual, and Keath just smiled back. The Grove was supposed to be a non-alcoholic bar, but somehow Mick always got around that rule.

Keath, Shane, Mick’s older brother nodded in greeting, an earring glinting on his ear. He rubbed at his short shaven hair and winced at Mick’s behaviour. Keath didn’t know why Shane put up with his brother’s drinking, but it wasn’t his business to ask questions.

You’re earlier tonight, Saera said, looking Keath over. Where are the rest of the K3s?

Keath, Katie, and Kath had become very close friends over the last few months and the rest of their friends were quick to pick up on it. They began to call the three of them the K3s. The K3s however, were secretly the K4s since Kaevin had become part of their little group. Since Kaevin was the King of the Tempest fey, the enemy kingdom, no one could know, or it would raise hell and chaos.

Keath shrugged one shoulder lightly. Kath and Katie are having some girl time. Half of the friends at the table knew nothing about faeries and hunters, and it had to stay that way for as long as possible.

I see, Saera was a faerie, and one of the most intimidating of all. She was extremely intelligent and almost nothing got past her. She fixed her sky blue eyes on his from beneath her fringe and tucked her hair, which was coppery brown, stopped just past her chin and flicked outwards slightly, behind her ears.

Keath avoided her gaze and accidently met Nick’s. Nick gave Keath a dark knowing look. Nick was human, but he knew about the faerie world and hated it almost as much as Keath did.

It’s no big deal, Keath assured Saera, before sitting back and letting them continue with their conversations. He always stayed in the background, not able to afford getting close to anyone, for fear that they would find out what he was.

Well, we’re off, Daniel announced as he and Rose got to their feet. Daniel and Rose were the most gentle and the sweetest humans Keath knew, and they knew nothing of the horrible faerie world that surrounded them so dangerously. Rose had an early curfew and Daniel always escorted her home. They