Of Monsters and Legends

By Nora J. Nichols

In a world where vampires walk by day and warlocks have infinite power, a small group of half-breeds (or halvsies) is trying their level best to grow stronger and survive. However, the stronger they grow, the more they draw the attention of powerful creatures who want the halvsies to have no place in the supernatural world. As tragedy strikes again and again, the halvsies are stuck with a difficult decision. Should they part ways and survive alone, hoping to fly under the monsters’ radar, or do they dare unite, tempt fate, and risk everything in the hopes that their combined strength can bring about real change?

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Feb 4, 2021
• ISBN: 9781665516013

Nora J. Nichols

Nora Nichols is an oboe player studying English at the University of Wisconsin, Parkside, and she has always had a particular interest in mythology. Related fiction always served as a distraction and a joy, no matter what else got in her way. Having enjoyed the work of other authors for her entire life, she decided to pick up her own pencil and share the world developing in her own heart. She started writing the Of Monsters and Legends series in high school, where she had a great deal of trouble finding a way to fit in and find her own identity. Through the struggles of her characters, she found herself more able to relate to others and find her own way. Now, she hopes to share the joy by sharing her first book, Of Monsters and Legends.

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Copyright © 2021 Nora J. Nichols. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 02/03/2021

ISBN: 978-1-6655-1600-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6655-1599-3 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6655-1601-3 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021902382

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

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

Chapter Thirty-Three

Chapter Thirty-Four

Epilogue

Index

Prologue

M ARIA DIDN’T KNOW WHAT TO do with Josethero. He was definitely an exceptional child, but every time a set of potential parents came to see him, he seemed to drive them away on purpose by demonstrating his peculiarity. It was rare that a couple would meet with his approval, and it was even more uncommon for a couple to show interest after hearing about the colors.

One more try. She told herself, but then again, that’s what she had told herself every time. She braced herself as she prepared to open his door. This couple hadn’t shown any particular interest in the other children, but perhaps this exceptional child would win them over. When she opened his door, the seven-year-old was busy coloring with crayons.

Josethero, Maria said as she walked over to get his attention, You’re using a lot of lavender in that picture. Who are you drawing?

I’m drawing you, Maria. Josethero answered.

I don’t wear lavender. What colors do I wear? Maria reminded him.

You wear black and white. But your colors are lavender. I like your colors. The child answered.

Trying to avoid the conversation about colors for his sake, Maria said, Josethero, this couple is looking to adopt a child. Why don’t you say hello?

Hi, the boy said, I don’t think I’m the child you want. I’m not a very beige person.

Beige? The woman asked her husband.

What do you mean? The husband asked Josethero directly.

Your colors are beige. They aren’t lavender like Maria’s, Josethero said like it was the most obvious thing in the world, When I find a family, I want them to have lavender like Maria.

The couple looked at each other in confusion, and Maria got the distinct feeling that she’d already lost them. After a few more minutes of letting the couple speak with Josethero, Maria showed the couple out, as they had chosen not to adopt one of her children. She sighed as she leaned back on the door. She loved that boy dearly, but she didn’t know what to do with him. Sometimes she wondered if there was something psychologically wrong with that boy.

Did I do something wrong? Josethero asked. She hadn’t seen him follow her out, but she wasn’t exactly surprised.

You’re a smart boy, Josethero, Maria replied, You know that not everyone sees things the way you do. Why bring up the colors?

Because I know that not everyone sees things I do.

Maria sighed, wondering if things would ever change. What she didn’t know was how drastically things would change that very same night. After sunset, a strange truth came to light. A knock came at the door very late in the evening.

Who could that be at this hour? Maria asked herself as she got up to see about it.

Maria, don’t answer it. Josethero sounded afraid.

Now, now, Josethero, Maria replied, not sure what would spook him like that, It’s rude to ignore people.

But Maria, the colors. Don’t you feel them, at least?

No more about colors, Maria told him a bit more harshly than she meant, Now, it’s high time you were in bed. Don’t worry. Trust God.

But…

Not one more word. You should be in bed, already. Maria told him, and he hurried to his room before she could open the door.

The man on the other side was quite intimidating. She could see why a glimpse of him outside would have worried a small child. His broad shoulders more than made up for the fact that his height wasn’t towering over Maria, and the darkness obscured most of his features.

I’m looking for my son. The man said, and Maria could feel that something was off. She couldn’t help but wonder if this was the feeling that Josethero had sensed. He was, after all, a remarkable child.

I have several foster children in my care, but I’m afraid I didn’t receive a notice that you would be stopping by. Maria’s feeling of unease didn’t go away. She kept in mind that some of the children she was responsible for might have been rescued from abusive, or even dangerous family lives before they were brought to her. She hadn’t been told about it if that was the case, and she had been almost afraid to consider it. The last thing she wanted was to make any child relive something that terrible.

His witch of a mother gave him up without my permission. It’s taken this long for me to track him down. The man answered.

I’m sorry to hear that, but I can’t just hand you a child and take your word for it. There is a proper process for this. Get an attorney, talk to the agency, and then you can see about coming back to see your child. Maria replied, trying to ease the door closed. The man stuck his foot in the door, not even fazed by the impact.

I don’t think you’re understanding, The man said, I’m not going to do any of that. I will find Josethero, and I will kill him. You will now get out of my way and stop talking needlessly about procedure.

Maria had no idea why she stepped out of his way. Her feet had moved without her mind processing what they were doing. The man was past her in a flash and vanished into the house. She panicked and ran to Josethero’s room. She had to be sure he was safe. The man didn’t seem to be after the other children.

When she got up to Josethero’s room, he’d already hidden in the closet and barricaded the door. She sighed with relief, knowing that he was safe, at least for the moment. Then it crossed Maria’s mind that she should call the police. It should’ve been her first response, but she had been afraid for Josethero’s safety first. Now, she knew that it might be too late. Still, she had to try. She went to the door but didn’t have time to make it to the kitchen, where her phone was.

When Maria turned to leave Josethero’s room, the strange man was already there, blood on his face around his mouth. Maria screamed. She could hardly even process the fangs protruding from his mouth. She saw the blood, but didn’t have time to think about whose blood it was.

Who—what are you? She asked when the fear had dulled enough for her to speak.

I do suppose this is confusing for a mortal like you, the man said, laughing as though greatly amused by her ignorance, As you appear to suspect, I’m not human anymore. I haven’t been for centuries.

When Maria didn’t jump to any conclusions, he grinned. The stranger was thoroughly enjoying toying with this victim, Should I give you a few hints? I drink blood. I have fangs. I don’t tend to come out in sunlight—though, contrary to popular belief, I can. Come now, surely you know by now? Or do I have to make a joke about glitter and silver stakes?

Maria could hardly breathe. If she hadn’t seen him with her own two eyes, she’d have thought the man was mad. Now she wondered if she was.

A vampire? Then you don’t have a child here. Maria said.

On the contrary, the man replied, I do. His name is Josethero. He was born to seal a truce between my people and the witches. That truce is no longer desired, and he’s near the age when his powers will awaken, so it’s best for everyone if he just dies now.

Maria mustered all her courage. If a lie would save one child, wasn’t it her duty to do so? There is no child of a witch here.

Really? The vampire laughed, No exceptional child whose mind matured far faster than his peers’? And no boy who saw colors to clue him in on personalities and dangers? I am no fool.

Perhaps not, but you will not find him here. Maria assured the vampire.

I will find him. You will help me. He said, and Maria felt her feet start to move. This time, she had time to regain control of herself. She would not help this man. She would lead him somewhere, but not to the closet where his son was hiding.

Maria walked down the hall, and the vampire followed, not considering that his words had not affected her this time. She led him past the kitchen and considered hurrying in to get her phone and call 911. But there was really no time. He would be on her before she’d dialed a single number, and then who would protect the boy? Instead, she walked him to the back door. As she walked past the other children’s rooms, she was horrified to see that each one of them had fallen prey to the vampire. A pool of blood seeped under each door, as if the vampire had decided to save his appetite for a greater prize.

You will keep walking, the vampire told her, and Maria let her feet obey, not knowing what else she could do, You will show me my son.

Maria had led him all the way to the back door. She opened it.

What is this? The vampire asked, You will tell me where my son is.

Up… Maria tamed her tongue before she could say that he was upstairs in the closet in his room, Up a tree in the yard. He enjoys climbing. It breaks my heart to make him come in when it gets late, but he wasn’t in his room. This is the only other place he could be.

You will not stop me. The vampire said, and went out to look. Maria slammed and locked the door and hurried to the kitchen to call the police. She heard wood splinter as the back door was broken down. Maria couldn’t find the phone. These problems always came with the worst timing, but it had never been this extreme before.

You surprise me, woman, the vampire announced as he came back to find her, It takes an extraordinary will to overcome my allure, even if it isn’t a perfect form of hypnosis. And it takes extraordinary courage to lie to my face. Perhaps I should demonstrate why.

The beast quickly had Maria by the neck. His nails tore into her skin as she strained for breath. It seemed to amuse the vampire to see her trying to pull his hand away.

Now, let’s try this again. Where is my son? The vampire asked, but the woman would not give him any hints. She looked him defiantly in the eye, even as fear consumed her.

Then something unexpected happened. The vampire cringed and turned to look behind him. There was Josethero, by the knife block. He’d thrown one of them and hit the creature.

There’s my son. You are a good boy to come out for your father. The vampire sneered.

I didn’t come out for you. I came out for Maria. Let her go. Josethero demanded, looking very brave for a small child.

Well, then, I must correct my original statement. You’re not a good boy. You’re a foolish one, because now I no longer need this woman. Shame to waste the blood, but I don’t want to spoil my appetite. And with that statement, the creature snapped Maria’s neck like it was nothing.

Josethero screamed, grabbed another knife, and charged in. Maria’s last thought was what an exceptional, brave boy she’d had the pleasure of raising, even if it was just for a little while.

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Chapter One

Y EAH, I KNOW. THE WHOLE vampire topic is pretty tired. Myths and legends have been around so long, they’re probably boring the hell out of people by now, but this is my life. Besides, if I’ve learned anything, it’s that you can never trust a story. And that’s the truth.

I am what’s known as a half-breed in most circles, but the gang and I always referred to ourselves as halvsies. It seemed like a less harsh term and didn’t make us seem like as much of a freak show. I’ve been with this gang of misfits since I was a little kid. I had to fight off a vampire when I was seven, and it killed everyone I knew. Justin and the others took me in. I guess I should probably start there. I don’t know any better place.

I had been running through town thinking about what had just happened, eyes wide and lungs burning for air, still carrying the knife that had saved my life, when Justin approached me from behind.

Rough night? He asked.

I held up the knife in what I hoped was a threatening way, Who are you? What do you want?

Hey, chill out, bro. I’m not about to bite. Name’s Justin. What’s yours? He held up his hands in surrender. He wasn’t much older than me, but he was bigger than me, and he was wearing grungy old jeans, a faded T-shirt, and a beat-up satchel stuffed with something. Naturally, my eyes took in his colors before anything else. Indigo. I counted that on the same spectrum as purple, but still, I wasn’t sure about this one.

Joe, I answered, Short for Josethero. You still haven’t told me what you want.

Well, it might sound a bit crazy, but you smell like you need some backup. You just came from quite a fight, didn’t you?

I… Smell? Not everyone sees the world the way you do, I took a moment to remind myself before saying, I don’t need backup. I’m just fine on my own.

People like us can’t be alone. You’re half vampire, right?

How did you figure that out?

I told you, smell, he tapped his nose and shrugged, I’m half vampire, too. My dad was a werewolf, though. What was your mother?

Um…

Justin sniffed the air a bit, Witch?

Uh, I think so. I’m a foster child.

"You were a foster child, you mean, Justin winked, Now, you’re just you."

I guess. I wasn’t sure whether I could fully trust Justin yet, but I really wanted to for some reason. Maybe it’s the werewolf vibe, but he seemed like the kind of person who would help me.

So, what happened? Justin pointed at the bloody knife I still had in my hand.

A vampire broke in and killed everybody. He was after me, but I cut off his finger and got away. I answered.

Lucky, he pointed out, But monsters like that don’t tend to be forgiving. You need someone watching your back, just in case.

I guess. My head was filled with reminders of Stranger Danger, but I didn’t see anything wrong with Justin’s colors. I could tell he was just trying to help.

Okay, then, he said, Follow me.

If lavender is good, indigo can’t be all bad. I muttered before following.

What was that? Justin asked without a pause.

Nothing. No one else had ever been able to see the colors, and I wasn’t ready to be called crazy just yet.

Justin led me to an old house that looked like no one had lived there for years. It was really run down, with flaking gray paint, holes in the siding, and very little glass left in the windows. What was supposed to be in the windows was lying in shards on the ground, along with the rocks people had thrown to smash them in. It was a far cry from where I’d come from, but it was better than the wide open streets. Five other boys were inside, waiting for us.

Justin, did you find food? one of them asked, and the other boys looked to us with excited expectation.

Yeah, he replied, handing them his satchel, Nothing fancy, but it’s food.

The other boys opened it eagerly and started to eat junk food like they’d been starving for a week. I thought they wouldn’t notice me at all, for a while. Then Justin cleared his throat, and the other boys stopped eating for a moment. It was weird. Justin wasn’t the oldest one there, but I got the feeling he was in charge.

I also brought a new halvsie for the group, Justin explained, drawing attention to my presence, This is Joe. He’s already fought off a vampire.

Did he kill it? The boy with the green colors asked.

No, but he was by himself and hadn’t learned to fight. What did you expect? Justin replied.

Ugh. A boy with grayish-brown colors sighed and shook his head. So, you want us to be his bodyguards or some shit?

No, I want him to be a member of our gang. Come on. Has my nose ever steered us wrong? Justin’s bright smile did not seem to fill the gang with confidence.

Yes. The green one pointed out.

Twice. another boy agreed.

Hey, I’m not going to be any trouble, I brought up, If you don’t want me here, I’ll just go.

The green one cringed, That’s not what I meant. Whatever. What harm can one more guy do? I’m Whip. My parents were a vampire and a hamadryad.

I’m Rocky, son of a vampire and a cave troll. The grayish-brown one stated before I could really process what Whip had said.

Wait, what?

Rocky turned red, All monsters have normal-looking human forms to help them blend in, all right? It’s not that weird.

The other three were Kenny, Vinny, and Paul, and they were half vampire, half human. After everything else, I didn’t question any of the rest of them on their parents. I didn’t doubt for a moment that it was all true, after all that I’d already seen that night.

Who are your parents? Whip asked.

Vampire and witch. I was remembering pretty well for something I’d just learned that day. Then again, it wasn’t something I was likely to forget.

Witch, huh? Rocky perked up and smirked. It was the closest I’d seen him get so far to smiling. You’ll probably get some interesting powers from that. Magic and shit.

Magic? That’s a thing?

Yep, Whip laughed, turning to Rocky with an almost wicked grin, Hey, Rocky, you should show him your troll thing!

Ugh, why am I always the one who has to show off? Rocky asked, Why don’t you do one of your hamadryad things, instead? I don’t like using magic as much as you do.

Hamadryad things are hard to undo. You can come back really easy. Besides, he’s never seen you do it!

Rocky sighed, and then he turned to stone. The rocks scattered on the floor around him started to shift, and he turned back to normal, looking beyond exhausted. Then he went back to eating his chips.

How did you all find each other? I finally had the time to ask. It seemed really strange that a group of half-vampires would just happen to run into each other and stay together.

Well, we all went through kind of the same thing you did, Justin answered, Having to run from monsters and all. And when we got away, we looked for anyone we could find to help. The ones who didn’t think we were crazy just happened to either be monsters or fellow halvsies we could trust.

"Yeah, sure. It just happened that way, Whip rolled his eyes, When are you going to accept that the world is just out to get us?"

My nose can usually keep us out of trouble. Justin smiled, but that smile faded quickly. Not everyone has something like that.

The room got quiet all of a sudden. I didn’t quite understand why right away, but their colors all darkened a little with sadness. Whip had to explain it to me.

Before Justin came along, we lost a lot of fellow halvsies. He sounded absolutely haunted.

I didn’t know what to do with that information. The emotional quiet was making me uncomfortable, so I changed the subject back to Justin’s nose. I have something almost like the nose thing. I see colors in the air around people. They tell me something about the person they follow, like what kind of person they are, and sometimes how dangerous they are.

Really? Justin asked.

Yeah. My father was red. You’re indigo. Whip, you’re green. Rocky, you’re grayish-brown. Kenny, you’re pretty beige. Vinny, you’re salmon. Paul, you’re light blue. I replied.

Beige? Kenny sounded almost offended.

Hey, guys, I’m a fish! Vinny laughed.

Salmon is like pink, idiot! Rocky said, and then slapped him.

Is that crazy? I wondered.

That depends how useful it is. Paul pointed out quietly.

It told me to run when my dad showed up, so I think it’s pretty useful.

And different personalities show up in different colors? Justin touched his chin and grinned like there was something interesting happening.

Someone’s personality is a color that’s always there, but sometimes different ones flash across to show what kind of thing a person wants, like a streak of black to show someone is lying to me. The shade sometimes changes to show mood, too, but the base color is always the same if it’s the same person.

I’d never tried to fully explain the colors before. People always assumed I was just crazy because they didn’t see things the way I did. I’d used that to my advantage before, so I wouldn’t have to deal with someone I knew I wouldn’t like. I’d never had someone come up with follow-up questions before. It made me feel just a little less alone. Looking back, Justin probably knew it would.

But it’s just around people, right? Whip asked.

Mostly. Sometimes, when something is set up to be a prank or something, it’ll hold just a bit of color so I know it’s not safe. Like if there’s a tack on a chair or something, the colors will warn me.

That’s really useful. Justin nodded.

Your eyes sound almost as good as Justin’s nose. Whip joked, poking Justin in the side. Justin moved to punch him, and he stopped.

When the food was gone, the gang scattered to do whatever they wanted to do in the house. Rocky and Paul were talking in one corner. Kenny started a play-fight with Vinny that got pretty serious way too quickly. Whip’s egging them on did not help. I wasn’t sure what to do, so I just stuck by Justin. His colors were closest to purple, after all. I don’t remember anymore why that was so important to me. I’ve just always loved the color lavender.

Is this your house? I asked to fill the silence.

It is now. Justin shrugged. Nobody else is using it, so why not us?

Shouldn’t we get permission first?

From who? This house has been vacant so long, the realtors stopped putting up signs. I think it might actually be condemned, but whatever. Justin laughed. Something told me he hadn’t thought about it too much.

Oh. What else was there to say?

Besides, where else would a gang of weirdos with monster parents hunting them go? Justin brought up, We have to live wherever we can find a place.

That sounds sad and lonely.

Sad, maybe, Justin nodded, But not so lonely. We’re together like a wolf pack, watching each other’s backs. It’s pretty chill.

Are you in charge?

Why do you ask? Justin laughed.

It seems like you’re in charge.

Whip overheard that and left his position egging on the fighters to barge into our conversation.

Well, I guess I might be, but if I am, it’s just because they need me for my nose. Justin grinned. For a half-werewolf who lived with a gang of kids, he had surprisingly straight teeth.

And your people skills. Whip cut in.

Right. That too. Justin accepted.

Anyway, does this kid even know how to steal? Whip put his hands on his hips and raised an eyebrow.

I’m no thief. I insisted.

What, did your momma raise you better than that? Whip teased, It’s not like we’re crime lords or anything. We just steal what we need to live.

Even if that’s true, stealing is still against the law, isn’t it?

And? Whip shrugged like it was a non-issue. I was starting to wonder what I’d gotten myself into, but I didn’t exactly see a ton of alternatives.

That night, I didn’t exactly sleep well, though I can’t really remember the dreams that kept me up. The next day, Whip brought me with him on a food run. We got all the way to the market before I started to get nervous.

Are we really going to steal?

You got a better idea? Whip smirked, I don’t know about you, but I don’t have a penny to my name. So, tell me, which is worse? Stealing a meal from a company that makes money selling hundreds of them a day, or letting our whole group of people starve?

But if everyone did that…

We’re not everyone, Whip shrugged again to show that he’d lost his issues with this a long time ago. I was still getting used to this whole idea, but I nodded anyway to show that I understood, and I wasn’t about to argue about it anymore.

So, how do I help? I asked when we got to a store.

For now? He raised an eyebrow, Stand there looking like a cute, innocent little kid. You’ll try it for yourself at a later date. For now, watch and learn.

Okay, I guess.

I watched as he snuck bread from the bakery into his raggedy old satchel, and then apples and pears from the farmer’s market and some bottled water from a vender on the street. We got caught when we tried to steal mayonnaise and sandwich meat. Whip gave me the cue to run, and I ran. When we got to a crowded street, he grabbed my arm and made me slow to a normal, easy-going walk.

Shouldn’t we be running? I asked him in a tense whisper.

No way, he explained to me with a wink, We’d stick out like a sore thumb. The best place to hide is in plain sight. We’re surrounded by people walking at a nice, easy-going pace, just going about their business. We fit right in.

When we got back to the house, everyone shared what they’d gotten that day. Justin was the last one back. The food wasn’t fantastic, but it was enough to live off of. No one had to go hungry, but it wasn’t exactly a feast, either. It was mostly sandwiches, junk food, and snacks, but there was enough of it to keep us going.

How did he do today? Justin asked Whip about me while I was on the other side of the room by myself. I didn’t know anyone well enough to break in anywhere, so I took my time to take it all in.

Eh, Whip shrugged, He’s still wrapping his mind around the idea. I just had him come with today. I’ll let him try it out tomorrow.

"Cool. He still against having to