World Change: The Earthbound Trilogy, #1

By Maggie Mundy

Clare gets transported from present day Florence to an alternate world, one that looks like fourteenth century Italy. The only way back is through a portal half a world away, plus the local High priestess wants her dead, and the only one she can trust is a vampire called Trevi. He is the only one who exits in this world, and she knows more about what he is than he does. He is hard to resist, especially when he saves her life. Trevi can take her home but he is keeping one big secret. She will have to be like him to survive the journey through the portal back to her world making a myth a reality.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Maggie Mundy
• Release date: Jun 17, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393514022

Maggie Mundy

Australian author Maggie Rose lives in Australia with her husband and dog Duke. She has always loved reading fantasy, paranormal, and contemporary romance books and decided the stories in her head needed to be written—it was either that or start on medication. She writes hot, sexy men and women who have troubled pasts and are looking for their soulmate. She may make them suffer along the way, but you always get a happy ending. Maggie believes romance can be fun to read and write, but it's exciting to spice it up with the uncertainty that comes with suspense where the rules can be broken.

Book preview

Dedication

To Alan, Rachel and Jenny who make my life complete. To my wonderful sister, Nora, who has always offered support. To Mum who I wish was still here to read it.

Chapter One

Medieval Banquet

Ow. Clare rubbed her arm and glared at Tina.

Sorry, Sis, I didn't mean to pinch so hard. I needed to make sure we weren't dreaming. Oh my god, we're in Italy, Tina screeched.

Clare grinned as adrenaline pumped through her body making her heart race. After flying all the way from Australia they should be sleeping off the jetlag. Instead, they were standing in a queue in costume for a medieval banquet. Costumes might be too strong a description. Dolly Parton would be threatened by what was trying to pop out of Tina's outfit, which was two sizes too small. Clare pulled on the neckline of her dress, though tent like monstrosity would be more accurate. The beautiful blue color made up for its size and lack of shape. Given a couple of hours and two packs of super strong safety pins, she might have looked half way decent. It didn't matter, they were going to have fun.

She glanced up at the building before them. It looked remarkable in the evening light as the ornate facade towered above. The ground floor front had a huge entrance with two wooden doors. On either side were arched windows with show dummies dressed in medieval costumes. A doorman ushered them through. Clare jumped as the doors slammed behind them shutting out the world of modern day Florence.

She took a deep breath and gazed around. We're stuck now. No choice but to suffer a night of drunkenness, feasting, and hopefully a bit of debauchery. Clare handed over their tickets to a good-looking waiter called Vinni. He beckoned for them to follow.

He has a nice ass, Tina said, causing Vinni to turn around and wink.

Lead on, sister. I'm ready to become someone's wench.

You can be a wench. I want to be a royal escort, Tina offered as she flaunted her boobs.

They were courtesans, and I don't think any of them had Australian accents. We hadn't been discovered back then. Clare peered at the brightly colored garlands and flags hanging from the ceiling of the huge hall. Ten long tables were arranged across the room with another one up on a dais. The smell of roast meat permeated the air making her mouth water. The tables were covered in grandiose flower arrangements with little figurines of animals and mythical creatures.

Vinni picked up one of the figurines. In medieval times these figures would be made of sugar and you could feast on them. They would show how wealthy the host was. Don't try it with these. They don't taste so good. I'll bring you a drink.

Tina watched him walk away. I think I'm up for a holiday romance.

Glasses of red wine were put in front of them and Clare took a big gulp. I'm sorry it took so many years before we got to do this.

Tina reached across and squeezed her hand. When you finished your nursing I thought we'd go, but then you met Jack.

Six years of marriage and a divorce later, I know. No more talk of the past. I'm in Italy and I intend to break the drought while I'm here. No scary guys though, just cute ones with tight tushe's. Clare smiled.

I'll look after you, sis. Nothing scary is going to happen around me.

The food kept coming and so did the wine. Clare didn't think she would ever eat again. She would be going home a lot heavier from this holiday.

Tina stood and wobbled. I need a little fresh air. I'm going to pop outside for ten minutes. Whatever I say, don't let me drink anymore. Tina beckoned for Vinni to come over. After a few whispers and giggles she turned back.

Vinni said there's a side door past the loos. It leads onto a veranda, balcony thingy. I'll be back soon. Tina waddled off with Vinni holding her arm.

Another time the stage show of dancers and musicians would have excited Clare, but she couldn't stop yawning. She glanced at her watch. Tina had been gone forty-five minutes. Vinni was back and ready to pour more wine. Clare put her hand over her glass, but he kept pouring.

I'm so sorry, he said offering her a serviette.

It's okay. Where did you say the balcony was my sister went to?

It's down the corridor past the last table. There is a door past the ladies room. Would you like me to go and check on her?

No, it's okay. I'll find her. You're busy. Clare yawned again as she made her way through the tables. Once she found Tina, she would get Vinni to order a taxi back to the hotel. Halfway down the corridor the lights went out. Clare jumped. The lights were on in the banquet room so it must have been a blown globe or something. Vinni said the second door on the right after the ladies.

He had to be kidding. It was about seven feet high and five-foot-wide, and probably made of solid oak. The massive latch looked like it would weigh a ton. Clare pushed her ridiculously long sleeves back and heaved on the bolt. The door popped open. As she peered outside, the cool evening air touched her face. Walking through the doorway, the hair on her arms rose in goose bumps.

Shit. She shook her hands as her fingers tingled painfully. Maybe alarm systems in Italy gave you zaps, or maybe the electricians here didn't know what they were doing.

Tina.

Clare took a step forward and the door shut behind her with a resounding slam. She shrieked and stared back at it. She must have had too much to drink because the door appeared smaller on this side. The building looked different as well, with gargoyles staring down at her. There was one particularly unpleasant one with a human leg hanging half out of its mouth. She glanced around the empty balcony. No sister in sight, but there were steps leading down one side.

Tina, Clare called as she moved to the edge of the balcony and peered at the large square. Well, it appeared large. The streetlights must have been out. There had to be a completely different outlook from this side of the building. The front where they had entered had opened onto a little cobbled street. Clare hoisted up her dress and descended the steps.

Tina.

There she is, someone yelled.

Clare peered to her left where the voices had come from. Two men in costume with spears came around the corner and marched toward her.

Hi. Have you seen my sister Tina? She came out on the balcony for some fresh air. They stood close, a little bit too close. The stench of their body odor made her gag. She would have a chat with the manager about these two.

Reckon she's what she wants? One asked.

Can I cut her up a bit before we take her in? The other guard replied with a lisp.

These were good actors, she would give them that much. Scaring patrons half to death shouldn't be part of their job description though. Look I'm not into the show anymore. Please tell me where Tina is and we'll go back to our hotel.

One soldier slapped the other across the face. The next minute the two of them were in a tussle on the ground.

These guys were idiots. Clare would leave them and find the front of the building, the managers, and Tina. Her sexy sister was probably inside chatting to the barman right now. Before she took ten steps the clouds parted, to show two moons in the night sky. Where the hell was Tina? And if this was real, where the hell was Earth? Her body went cold with fear as if she had ice in her veins.

She didn't have time to think as a spear landed in the hem of her dress.

Get her, the guard yelled.

Chapter Two

Paqua's Orbs

Sari loved the moment when the portal opened. Her acolytes around her would shiver in fear of what was to come. Their wellbeing wasn't important. Would one of the novices faint? They usually did when they saw the absorbing ceremony the first time. Sari hated that she needed to keep doing this, but the leaves were turning brown on the trees. The season change always heralded her need to replenish.

The ten acolytes stood in a semi-circle and wore white gowns as a sign of their purity. Their virginity never lasted long once they had served their designated time in the temple. Sari walked into the center of the cavern and raised her arms. The long sleeves of her red gown gave the appearance of wings. The oil burners infused the room with the aroma of rose and lavender. It worked well to would cover the stench of death when she removed the life force of the offworlder.

There had been some difficulty in removing the smell of her previous victim from the altar. Sari had her priests clean it with a servant girl's blood instead. It worked beautifully. She took a deep breath and thought back to another time when one of the young priests had broken her concentration. She hadn't obtained what she needed to stay young. Stabbing him repeatedly in front of everyone had been a warning. To grow weak because of other peoples incompetence was something she couldn't tolerate.

Sari raised her gaze beyond the acolytes and saw the High Priest, and Trevi. Trevi, the one man she wanted in her bed more than anything, and yet he had dared to refuse her. How could the gods give him the gift of immortality and not her? To live long she had to repeat this ritual endlessly.

Trevi looked bored, which was pretense. She had often pondered what might happen if she let him feast on one of the offworlders. She wasn't prepared to risk it. He had watched these ceremonies for seventy years and yet looked no more than a man in his twenty-fifth year. Her spies said he didn't feed on humans anymore. He considered himself more civilized now. When the sun went down, he would bleed some animal dry. He wouldn't feel so civilized wiping its blood from his chin. The thought made her smile.

Someone shivered and whimpered. The coldness in the air indicating it was time. There was a faint hum in the room, indicating a body had been found. Sari glanced at Trevi and smiled. The action wasn't reciprocated. She would deal with his recalcitrance later after she was replenished.

There was a vibration in the air causing her skin to tingle. The power from this one would be strong. She had sensed energy like this long ago. The woman she had killed then had given her great strength.

It was the night Trevi's mother, Ade, met a man who said he had come through another portal looking for his beloved. Finding his woman dead, he did something to Ade which caused her unborn to alter. Sari glanced across to Trevi to see if he recognized what was before him, but his expression was blank as usual.

A gasp came from one of the acolytes as the offworlder appeared.

Sari walked toward the woman. Confusion and fear registered as the stranger struggled to look around the cavern. Sari touched the woman's cheek. Her face was freckled from being in the sun too much, and her hair was fair and cut short like a young boys.

Bring her to the altar.

Two young priests strode forward and picked up the offworlder's rigid form. Sari picked up a dagger and cut away the woman's clothes, discarding them on the floor. As High Priestess she had the right to wear the Pendant of the Goddess Paqua. She removed it and gazed at it in awe and reverence. It was beautiful. Small black pearls surrounded a perfectly clear diamond the size of her fist. Sari touched the front of each foot of the offworlder with the pendant. It started the process as the offworlder's skin blistered and oozed a mixture of blood and pus. Sari needed to destroy the body quickly so she could take its essence.

She made her way up the woman's body touching calves, thighs, pubis, abdomen, hands and forehead. There was no sound from her victim. They always died in silence. The smell of the erupting blisters caused someone to vomit behind her. Finally, Sari clipped the pendant onto the dagger handle she had on the altar. She held it above the woman's chest. She pierced the skin and inserted it into the heart. The diamond glowed red as did each of the orbs around the room. Sari removed the dagger then placed the pendant around her neck and stepped back from the altar. Red branches of lightning discharged from each orb arching through the room and into her chest. Sari stood solid and absorbed all the power until the streaks stopped as quickly as they commenced.

She sighed in contentment. She would look and feel young again. The past weeks her body had ached and lines were showing around her eyes. Her happiness disappeared as an apparition of the offworlder rose above the corpse. It hovered for one moment. The ethereal form then floated across to stand before Trevi. Sari's body trembled with anger. She would not have this. She threw oil on the body remaining on the altar. It ignited immediately and the apparition disappeared. The High Priest walked forward, bowed and offered his hand to escort her back to her rooms. She would rest while her body accepted the new energy. As she walked past Trevi, she stopped.

I'll expect to see you later in my chambers.

Trevi bowed and kissed her hand. Of course, Sari, as always, your wish is my command.

Damn his arrogance. He never obeyed anyone's commands. She knew he would make her wait.

Chapter Three

Hunger

Trevi had no intention of answering her questions. He was used to Sari's wrath. It did her little good where he was concerned. The apparition had spoken in his mind. Now he needed to decide where to look. If what she said was true, this was what he had waited so long for. He would meet an offworlder. One who had escaped Sari's clutches.

Clare will follow me. Save her. The apparition's words filled him with hope.

Maybe the offworlder would be like him? He wouldn't wish this life of living on blood on anyone, but he would be glad to not be alone. All he had ever known about himself was what Sari had told him and she had given him no reason to trust her.

Pulling the hood of his cloak up, he left the temple. The sun bore down causing a haze on the cobblestones. The smell of people and horse dung filled the air causing him to pull the hood around his face to keep out the aroma. He fitted in well enough with a strong body, long brown hair, and blue eyes. It was when his incisors grew from hunger and his eyes turned white, his haunted expression scared away any who would have been friends.

He covered the short distance to the bridge then followed the covered passages to his home. He hadn't built them, some other person who had been concerned for their safety had devised this route long ago. He wished he had known them for their need for secrecy would have given them something in common.

He reached the end of the tunnels and sighed. The solitude and quiet had calmed him for a while. It wasn't just the heat he disliked but also the sunlight. It was one of the few times he felt discomfort. The streets and the surrounding countryside at night were where he felt at home. As he exited from the tunnel, he glanced back and saw two soldiers were following. When would Sari stop this farce? He wouldn't mate with her. She was an abomination worse than him, if there could be such a thing.

His home and sanctuary lay ahead. It was small but sufficient for his needs. Since leaving his rooms at the palace, he had but one servant. At present it was Hyfa, who arranged his clothes, cooked and cleaned. He was an excellent cook, and would make wonderful meals to give to the poor. Thanks to Hyfa, Trevi had become known as a beneficiary to the destitute. The same people Trevi had feasted on years before. How much penance would he pay before he forgave himself?

Hyfa had trained as a priest in the temple some twenty years before. His love for fine wines had been his undoing. The Temple didn't mind if you overindulged as long as it was kept away from the public eye. Unfortunately, Hyfa had fallen down the steps leading from the altar in the temple. In his drunken stupor he vomited all over the boots of a Councilman.

Hyfa was supposed to report back to Sari. He gave her enough to allow him to retain his position but no more. Trevi loved Hyfa as his one true friend.

As the door of his home shut out the world, Trevi smiled. When it was dark, he would fly and try and discover who had come through the portal.

Hyfa came from the kitchen to greet him. His tunic as usual was covered in flour.

Cooking again, Hyfa?

The poor need to be fed, sir. Oh, by the way, I managed to purchase the scrolls and maps you wanted. I heard rumors there was a traveler visiting from Rican, beyond the Spire Mountain Range. It's the area you said you were interested in, I believe. I met up with him at the market, but he drove a hard bargain. I hope they're what you were looking for. I left them in your rooms.

Trevi retreated to his study to read one of the scrolls. It described something akin to the portal Sari used. For the first time in so long he felt hope. This could be his way off this world.

As darkness fell, the air cooled a little. He would delay his studies for now and deal with a more immediate concern. Trevi needed blood, and he needed to see if the apparition had told the truth. If he didn't quench his thirst with an animal soon, then he would take a human. Sari was waiting for him to falter and he wouldn't give her the satisfaction.

In the courtyard he gazed up at the sky and grinned. The night was his time. Sari could wait till later. He saw Hyfa on his way back to the kitchen.

Hyfa, I request you don't bring visitors back with you from the tavern tonight. I hope to have company. Trevi turned away. Hyfa wouldn't ask questions. It was one of the traits he liked in his manservant.

Trevi’s whole body bristled with the anticipation of whether he would find the offworlder? It wasn't a question anymore. They had to exist. He rose at speed into the sky. As he passed over the street outside of his home, he peered down at the two soldiers. As usual their eyes were locked on the entrance to his abode. If they glanced up now, they would see nothing. The excitement was building in him as his heart raced at what he