Twisted Destiny

By Kathryn Heaney

Magic in Anandria has gone wonky and separated many of the characters readers have come to know and love.

• Ella, separated from her husband, Raonull, discovers her fairy heritage and her true destiny.
• Stuck on Earth, Raonull searches for a way to re-enter Anandria and find his bride, Ella.
• Jessica, Lucifer's daughter, falls into Anandria and begins to struggle with the lure of Light and Dark magics.
• Jeff uncovers grim details about himself.
• Paul drops into a love interest on Earth – literally.
• Michael takes on a heavenly role.
• Laura is trapped in a coma . . .

You just have to read it!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tellwell Talent
• Release date: Nov 3, 2021
• ISBN: 9780228863069

Kathryn Heaney

Kathryn Heaney taught for twenty-three years before relocating back to her hometown of Hamilton, where she worked for the local library. In her retirement, Kathryn spent time as a dog walker for the SPCA, volunteered to foster a Dog Guide pup for the Lions Foundation of Canada, and plays in a ukulele band.The Anandrian Series was born out of a chapter book written for Kathryn's two daughters many years ago. Her story was well-received by those who read it, and she decided to write an adult version when a friend suggested the idea. Soon it morphed into a series and no one was more surprised than Kathryn when she was called "author."

Book preview

Copyright © 2021 by Kathryn Heaney

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Tellwell Talent

www.tellwell.ca

ISBN

978-0-2288-6305-2 (Paperback)

978-0-2288-6306-9 (eBook)

Contents

Acknowledgements

Prologue

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

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46

Chapter 47

Epilogue

Acknowledgements

As always, I must extend my gratitude and love to Laura Heaney, my daughter, who spends endless hours on the phone with me helping me to envision my tale. Not only does she come up with brilliant ideas, but she has put her real-life Fine Arts degree to use by creating an outstanding piece of artwork for the cover of this book – and all the other books in this series. I tell her what I want on the cover and we go tromping through the countryside seeking the perfect reference photo for her to work from. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the enormous amount of time she has dedicated to her mom’s projects. Please visit her website to see her incredible work: lauraheaney.com

I’d like to mention my editor, Mary Metcalfe, who has read and offered her professional help throughout my journey. She is a most impressive lady!

I’d also like to thank my fans for their patience. It’s taken me a while to write Twisted Destiny, as I took on the role of caretaker for a few years. You kept me going by asking when the next book was coming out.

If you are new to the Anandrian Series or need a refresher, here are some vital facts.

The story takes place in two different dimensions, Earth and magical Anandria where meanings of names enhance one’s powers. In book 1, Destiny Calls, the story opens on Earth with best friends, Laura and Mandy, house-sitting for a professor while they attend the University of Toronto. The story begins when Laura paints a picture and opens a portal into Anandria and discovers Lucifer is out to destroy her soul, and a strange man named, Vaaron, insists he is her husband.

Forces of Good

Laura and Vaaron

Laura means: Peace, Victory, Health and Prosperity

-attends the University of Toronto in a Fine Arts program.

-is an artist who feels compelled to paint a picture of a world that she dreams about in a frame she finds in an antique store

-the frame was made by Lucifer and was planted for Laura to find so she can create a portal linking Earth and Anandria.

-Laura is the essence of everything good in the universe, the antithesis to Lucifer’s evil.

-her soul is reincarnated whenever she dies unless she is burned alive (this explains her phobia of fire) in which case she can never be reborn.

-Lucifer’s goal is to eliminate her and expand his evil powers.

-she wields exceptional healing powers that are often used to right Lucifer’s wrongs.

-she can change Lucifer’s gargoyles into humans thus helping to keep the balance between good and evil.

Vaaron: is a made-up Anandrian name meaning Hero.

-he is known as The Protector (of Laura in particular and Anandria in general).

-he has a unique telepathic link with Laura when she is in Anandria.

-he has unusual stamina and speed.

-he leads Anandria’s troops.

-his initial task is to make Laura believe in her powers and convince her that he loves and belongs to her as her partner in life.

Their children, fraternal twins Diana and David, are born on Earth but are powerful in Anandria. They appear in Destiny Reclaimed (Book 2).

Diana means: Divine One, Moon Goddess, Deity of the Hunt

-she has great powers when the moon is up.

-Manus, High Priest of the Lunar Temple of Anandria, becomes her instructor and eventually her husband.

-Diana is captured and is temporarily transformed into a gargoyle that Lucifer pits against her family.

David means: Beloved One

-David eventually takes over from his father as Commander in Chief of Anandria’s warriors.

-the troops love him and will follow him anywhere.

-he leads the troops to save his sister, Diana, from Lucifer and ends up fighting her in her gargoyle form.

-he falls in love and marries Morrigan, the War Goddess.

Diana and Manus have a child, Kathryn. David and Morrigan have a son, Raonull. Kathryn and Raonull appear in Destiny Fulfilled (Book 3).

Kathryn means: Pure

-in Anandria, Kathryn exhibits two powers. Sight gives her glimpses of what the future may be. Her other power is unique. If she can catch your eye with hers, she can command you to do things overriding your free will.

-Kathryn meets and marries Douglas, a Druid (known as a sorcerer in Anandria), from England.

Raonull means: Mighty One

-in Anandria he displays Herculean strength.

-he is very protective of his cousin Kathryn, yet he’s always ready to pull a prank on her.

-Raonull meets Douglas’s cousin Ella. Ella and Douglas are born on Earth but they show an affinity for magic when magic spills onto the Earth. Ella discovers she is a fairy.

Forces of Evil

Lucifer:

-it is suggested in the book that Anandria has been created to contain the greatest evil in the universe, Lucifer.

-he wants to destroy Laura’s soul (upset the balance between good and evil in his favour) so she will not be reincarnated.

-he can change humans into gargoyles which enslaves them.

-he manages to enslave both Morrigan and Diana for short periods.

-when attempting to turn Mandy into a gargoyle, their blood accidentally mixes changing Mandy’s DNA, which makes her irresistible to him.

Dience: is a made-up name. It is taken from the end of the word, Obedience.

-he is the only demon in existence.

-he is the result of an experiment Lucifer tried and came to regret as Dience cannot be killed. His dark essence merely arrows into the nearest mammal – usually, his killer – and that mammal morphs into Dience.

-he is bumbling, incompetent, and is constantly trying to ingratiate himself with Lucifer.

Dragons:

-through selective breeding over centuries, Lucifer encouraged the development of dragons from the lizards they once were into monstrous evil beasts with red eyes that serve him faithfully.

-A fluke healing act Laura performs on a dragon egg causes a green-eyed sweet-tempered dragon to hatch that Anandrians can ride. Laura then repeats this building a reliable fleet of dragons for Anandrians.

Gargoyles:

-people trapped or encased within a leathery skin by Lucifer.

-they are compelled to follow Lucifer’s orders.

-they instinctively fear Laura’s healing touch, for they are fiercely loyal to Lucifer.

-the leathery shell places their human bodies into a kind of stasis. If Laura heals them, they will emerge from the shell looking exactly like they did when they were turned into a gargoyle no matter how many years have gone by.

Other significant Characters

Earth Characters

Mandy:

-Laura’s best friend and Aunt to Laura’s children and grandchildren until Lucifer uses magic on Mandy and they become involved.

Jeff:

-is introduced while on a blind date with Laura.

-he becomes a great Earth ally.

-he possesses a black belt in martial arts and teaches Laura’s children and grandchildren how to defend themselves.

Gary:

-Laura knew him as a fellow artist – a photographer.

-in reality, he works for Lucifer as a private investigator on Earth.

Anandrian Characters

Elfare:

-cousin to Vaaron and one of Anandria’s warriors.

Kimberly:

-a wood sprite that provides the canvas for Laura’s second portal to relink Anandria with Earth.

Audrey:

-the castle’s chatelaine in Veresah.

Debra:

-a servant in the Lunar Temple who can talk to bees.

Paul and Michael:

-two southern Anandrian warriors who show up in Veresah looking for adventure.

-they boast they are the best swordsmen in Anandria.

Aisling:

-a powerful prophet in the City of Moyen.

Places Found in the Anandrian Series

Earth

Toronto, Ontario, Canada:

-the place where Mandy and Laura live before Laura leaves for Anandria.

-Toronto is also the target Lucifer aims to overthrow when magic spills onto the Earth.

Laura’s Family Cottage on Salerno Lake, Ontario Canada:

-the lake is the location for both an Anandrian portal up a hill behind the cottage, and a portal Lucifer creates further up the lake.

Anandria

Lucifer’s Lair:

-his first Lair is located inside the crater of a dormant volcano.

-his second Lair is hollowed out beneath the sands of Anandria’s desert.

Veresah:

-a significant town with a castle where Vaaron and Laura live.

-the closest town to Lucifer’s first Lair.

-has a large military presence as they are the first line of defence against Lucifer.

Horval:

-a coastal city found on the way to the City of Moyen.

Strait of Yella:

-a stretch of water separating Horval and Moyen.

-deadly sea serpents reside there making crossings perilous.

City of Moyen:

-location of the Lunar Temple that contains the Moon Table, a portal to Earth.

-home for Manus, the High Priest of the Lunar Temple.

-Diana’s home base in Anandria.

I hope you enjoy the continuing tale…

Prologue

Dragons and gargoyles and fairies, oh my!

Lovingly, Druce traced the elaborate letters of the opening line in his children’s book that depicted the Great War.

It was important to pass on their history.

He sucked back a sob. His artist’s soul withered a little more. There were no more children to sit mesmerized by his stories and enjoy his vivid lifelike drawings. He missed having little fairies congregate about him, excited by his creations. And it was all Lucifer’s fault.

Once, fairies roamed the length and breadth of Anandria, occasionally pulling harmless pranks on Anandrians, or granting boons to them should it suit their fancy. It was a carefree existence, governed by their king and queen, who rallied all fairies twice a year on the solstices to hear grievances and issue commands.

Their troubles began when Lucifer escaped the confines of Anandria centuries earlier. He opened a portal to Earth and launched an assault on the primitive people living in that era.

It was considered the responsibility of Anandrians to keep Lucifer contained within the magical dimension, and so the Great War had commenced in an effort to bring him back.

Laurel, Anandria’s most powerful healer, was yet too young to employ her full powers. As a result, Lucifer was able to transform thousands into gargoyles without fear of Laurel’s healing touch, which would restore them.

Aye, the tide was in Lucifer’s favour, and he came close to dominating both Anandria and Earth with the help of his gargoyle horde.

Usually, fairies remained neutral, but the threat was so great to Anandria, their home, that they felt compelled to join the fray.

’Twas a blessing Lucifer could not transform fairies into gargoyles, yet they suffered staggering losses. Dragons attacked in the air, shredding fairy wings with their talons, causing many to fall to their deaths. And when fatigue set in and the fairies could no longer maintain their protective magical shields, the gargoyles, using their immense strength, took pleasure in lopping off their heads. Fairy heads became the new trophy Lucier demanded to be laid at his feet.

Druce carefully turned the pages of the book he had crafted, reliving the nightmare of that long-ago time. Druce’s hands stilled when he turned a page and the face of his old friend, Bradach, peered back at him. In Bradach’s hand was Lucifer’s twisted wand.

Despair had nearly defeated the fairies when Lucifer created the gnarled wand. He used it to amplify dark magic that often left fairies with gaping wounds that refused to heal or melted holes in their wings, which took away their ability to fly – and which, if they lived, reduced both their physical stature and their magic, effectively turning them into harmless leprechauns.

It was a defining moment in fairy history.

It was the day Bradach became a hero.

He and Bradach had been sent to Lucifer’s Lair to gather information, for they were desperate to discover any weaknesses Lucifer might be tempted to succumb to.

’Twas a fluke that the wand rolled to Bradach’s feet and he picked it up, and in doing so, activated its dark magic, causing Lucifer’s portal – and their portal as well – to close permanently.

Thus ended the Great War, for Lucifer was trapped within Anandria.

But ’twas disastrous for the citizens of Anandria. Thousands of Anandrians and fairies, including the King and Queen of the Fae, were stranded on Earth, never to see their homeland again.

Bradach was suddenly elevated to the status of king and led what remained of the fairies north to seek refuge with the dwarves. But the dwarves feared Lucifer, who was intent on locating Bradach and the wand, and rescinded their hospitality to the fairies.

In a desperate attempt to lead his people to safety, Bradach created a new dimension using the dark magic of the wand. It was called Faerie, a dimension within the dimension of Anandria, floating high in Anandria’s atmosphere. To aid in its creation and maintenance, Bradach stored a lot of the dark magic from the wand inside an oak tree situated at the core of his dimension.

At first, the fairies thought this to be a blessing, but to their horror, they discovered they had lost their freedom to roam. Faerie became their prison.

’Twas a glamorous prison, to be sure, with its sunny skies, lush plant life, and comfortable homes. And it became evident as time passed that their lives seemed ageless, as they were living for centuries. However, they also discovered they were no longer able to procreate and build their species back up to its past population. Joy slowly extinguished in their never-changing world and when approached, Bradach refused to dissolve Faerie with his wand. Here he was safe. Lucifer could not find him or the wand.

Druce shook his head. It would be a cold day in hell before Bradach changed his mind. With a weary sigh, he closed his book. There were still blank pages to be filled.

He could wait.

Nothing lasted forever …

Chapter 1

Will you stop looking at yourself in the mirror? Mandy growled.

I will when you do, Jeff shot back.

He ran a hand down his face and felt reassured that human skin stretched over his features. Had it only been a week ago that he’d been encased within the leathery hide of a gargoyle? He shuddered and slid his hand into his pocket to finger the black casing with the wicked talon that had covered his thumb last week. He felt it prick his skin and whipped his hand up to his mouth to suck off the bead of blood it had drawn.

In a way, he felt grateful his old chum, Mandy Dixon, had developed a lovesick obsession for him. He may still have been with Lucifer instead of on Earth if the Dark Lord had not presented him to her as her gargoyle slave to use and abuse as much as her rebuffed heart desired.

He blew out a cleansing breath and glanced down at the puncture wound still beading with droplets of blood. Blood is responsible for this damn mess, he thought with a snort.

If Lucifer hadn’t tried to transform Mandy into a gargoyle, and their blood hadn’t mixed accidentally, Mandy wouldn’t have morphed into a vindictive, self-absorbed, gorgeous bitch whose pheromones had the Dark Lord drooling at her feet.

Hell, Mandy could now pass for a woman in her thirties instead of her true age that placed her in her mid-sixties. Although she did sport a fetching streak of grey at her temple, it had appeared at the same time he had shed his gargoyle skin.

Jeff peered into the mirror one more time. It was great to see his hair, sprinkled with grey and dark brown eyes, instead of yellow goat eyes, staring back at him.

Jeff, are you coming? Jessica and I have put together some snacks for the flight back to Toronto, Mandy called from the kitchen. The sun’s just about down. I can hear our dragon thrashing about in the barn. He’s probably catching a few rats since he ate the neighbour’s last remaining cow last night.

Jeff heaved a sigh and yelled, Coming.

The last place he wanted to be was on the back of a dragon with Mandy sitting between his legs at the base of the beast’s neck – and her unnatural daughter, Jessica, sitting in front of Mandy.

The girl – no, she was already now a woman – was spooky.

Spawned two weeks ago, by the very Devil himself, Jessica had been born on the back of their dragon as he and Mandy fled the battle Laura and her family were fighting against Lucifer.

I guess they won, he muttered to himself because something had happened to stop Anandria’s magic from spilling onto Earth – hence his re-emergence as a human and the reason Mandy felt safe returning to Toronto.

It bothered him that he hadn’t been there to help Laura’s family fight, but Lucifer had put a compulsion on Jeff that made him protect Mandy at all costs. So when Lucifer hit Mandy in a fit of frustrated rage, Jeff made sure to remove her from the Dark Lord’s presence. They flew west across Canada. To where? A good guess would be somewhere in northern Saskatchewan.

However, Mandy’s removal from Lucifer had not been quick enough to prevent her from getting pregnant. And here they were, two weeks later, the unnatural pregnancy had come to term, the baby had been born, and then it had grown into a beautiful young woman possessing an innate knowledge of languages, all within a two-week time frame.

Spooky …

Jeff!

Yeah, yeah, I’m coming. He stopped and retrieved a backpack from the floor. It held some ill-fitting clothes he had filched from their absent host. Yup, most of the surrounding area would be glad to see them go. Their dragon had pretty well cleaned out the local livestock, and when they first arrived, he had still been a gargoyle. The house they currently occupied was vacated pretty quickly when their dragon touched down.

Sure, the locals put up some resistance, but they were no match for a dragon – he felt bad about that, too. He’d seen on the local news that the farmers requested help from the military, but the military had already deployed all their troops to Toronto to combat Lucifer’s gargoyle horde and dragons, which had decimated the downtown core.

When he reached the back door, Jeff reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope stuffed with a handwritten note, which he lay on the kitchen counter. I’ll be back one day, he murmured. Guilt ate at him for the destruction and fear they had caused in the northern community. He wanted to reassure the residents that he would try to make restitution sometime in the future.

Jeff!

I’m here!

The sun was down and the barn doors were wide open. Shifting restlessly was a black dragon whose green eyes zeroed in on him. He watched Jessica sitting on its back, lean forward, stroke its neck, and murmur indistinct words to it.

Its restlessness ceased and it lowered its wing so he could join the ladies on its back.

Damn, the girl has a way with the beast. His eyebrow quirked up as a random thought sent chills racing up his spine. Since Mandy and Jessica shared Lucifer’s blood, did that make them immortal, too?

Carefully, he took a seat behind Mandy, trying to maintain as little contact as possible. Mandy was having none of that though, and she made a grab for his hands and pulled his arms around her.

Mandy— Jeff growled.

She looked back over her shoulder and said, You know I go by Amanda now, and tightened her hold.

With a jolt, their dragon flapped its wings, and they rose into the air. They would be back in Toronto before dawn and Jeff wished he could abandon them once they got there. He sighed. His apartment made up the top two floors of Mandy’s house. It used to be where Laura had lived before she met and married Vaaron and settled in the magical dimension of Anandria – she had even created a portal in her old apartment.

Jeff sighed again.

He had to stay there. He had to protect her portal. Who knew what Mandy – make that Amanda – would do now that she carried Lucifer’s blood and had birthed his child?

Chapter 2

Douglas shrugged into his robe. It had been a gift from Raonull – a gag gift. Navy in colour, and covered in stars and moons, it dragged on the floor behind him. A real sorcerer’s robe, he muttered. At least Raonull needed help to lift the golden book into the opening I created yesterday in the trunk of the oak tree in the backyard.

Kathryn chuckled when she saw her husband’s satisfied smile and snuggled deeper into the blankets as she watched him get dressed in the soft glow of the nightlight he had plugged in. It was his attempt to grant her more time beneath the covers, and she appreciated his effort despite his mutterings. You loved seeing Ray strain to lift the golden book. Admit it.

Douglas grinned. Yeah, it was great to see your cousin, Raonull the Mighty, struggle like the rest of us ordinary Joes.

Kathryn snorted. I don’t think the newest sorcerer in town can be classified as ordinary.

Douglas smoothed a hand over the plain cover of a large book he held. "I have to admit, it was heady knowing that everyone in the backyard couldn’t work their magic except for me.