City of Fractured Souls Read online

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  Copyright © 2019 by Olivia Ash.

  Cover and art copyright © 2019 by Amalia Chitulescu

  Book design and layout copyright © 2019 by Olivia Ash.

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

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from S. M. Boyce, L. L. C.

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  Books by Olivia Ash

  The Nighthelm Guardian Series

  City of the Sleeping Gods

  City of Fractured Souls

  City of the Enchanted Queen

  Demon Queen Saga

  Princes of the Underworld

  Wars of the Underworld

  Mistress of the Underworld

  Sentinel Saga

  By Dahlia Leigh and Olivia Ash

  The Shadow Shifter

  The Demon Prince

  The Rogue Alchemist

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  City of Fractured Souls

  Book Two of The Nighthelm Guardian Series

  Olivia Ash

  Book Description

  If you’re banished to the shadowy realm within Ripthorn Mountain, you die.

  The mountain’s fractured magic seeps into the bones of humans, slowly draining the life from their bodies with every step they take. It has been a death sentence for as long as anyone in the kingdom of Nighthelm can remember.

  And now, it’s Sophia’s fate.

  Banished to the depths of the savage mountain, Sophia and her men are left with a choice: find their way to the surface, or die.

  But there are hungry beasts in the mountain.

  An ancient evil hunts Andreas, determined to end an old feud the wraith shifter had nothing to do with. And as it stalks them, ever closer, the clock is ticking for Zeke and Edric. Even with all their strength and magic, their human bodies can’t survive the mountain much longer.

  But in the darkness, there’s a glimmer of light.

  In the depths of the mountain, in the farthest shadow of the darkest cavern, a young woman lies suspended in glowing crystal. Wounded and bloody, the girl stokes the depths of Sophia’s memory, reminding her of another time, of a life when she wasn’t broken. Close to death and unable to move, it’s clear the girl has the answers Sophia needs.

  And now, Sophia has a new choice to make—between her mission, or her men.

  Her men are slowly dying. Monsters stalk her every step. But Sophia is a survivor, and she won’t let the mountain win.

  City of the Fractured Souls is a full-length reverse harem novel. Get ready for a breathtaking story, soulmate romance, lip-biting love scenes, mind-blowing magic, one kickass heroine, three gorgeous men, lots of toned muscles, fights to the death, and edge-of-your-seat action.

  Contents

  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

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Chapter Forty

  You’re Missing Out…

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  Sophia

  Sneaking through the dark streets in the Shade, Sophia followed Andreas, Edric, and Ezekiel. They stuck to the shadows, hoping to avoid detection from the guard that had increased their patrols in the past week. Winston had yet to blame them for the death of Headmistress Mittle, but with the rise in the number of guards, everyone in the group knew it was only a matter of time before they would come knocking down the door of Ezekiel’s estate.

  Andreas had mentioned some of the abandoned buildings outside of the Shade that were left empty since the wraiths moved in. People of Nighthelm were still wary of the race, even after the king had given them citizenship, and they avoided the Shade at all costs.

  That worked for them.

  “Just there,” Andreas said, pointing to an old tavern and inn. “What do you think, Zeke?”

  Zeke narrowed his eyes on the old building in disrepair. He nodded. “Yup. It’ll do.”

  “Good,” Edric said. “Let’s get set up.”

  Haris groaned. Sophia patted his side. The poor guy would be cramped, but it was a temporary fix. With all the hope she had within her, she knew they would find the heirs and get this whole mess cleared.

  “We’ll have to go back and ensure the wards and traps are set at my place,” Ezekiel said. “And gather some supplies needed to keep the ones here going. It will take a lot of power to keep them active. Someone will take notice, but hopefully not before we can locate the heirs.”

  Sophia nodded. “How long do you think we will have?”

  Ezekiel shrugged. “One week. Two tops. But I can work on devising a way to keep the minimum power needed to make this work for as long as necessary.”

  “Good,” Sophia said. “That should buy us enough time.” At least she hoped.

  “Let’s get set up then,” Andreas said and continued forward. “The beds will probably smell, but I can see about getting some new linens from the Shade.”

  “We’ll make do,” Sophia said.

  Once inside, the smell of dust and rot filled their noses. Haris groaned his displeasure. The main room was cramped, and only simple stools were available for sitting. In the dining room portion of the building, there were a few booths in dire need of oil and a good polish, but they at least had solid tables.

  “I’ll get started on the wards and traps here,” Ezekiel said and got to work.

  “I’ll look for anything of use,” Andreas said.

  Edric stood in the shadows in the corner of the room. “I’ll keep watch. Go find your room.”

  Sophia nodded and mot
ioned for Haris to stay put. He grunted but obeyed. With a pat on his snout, she turned and climbed up the stairs to locate her room. There were ten of them to choose from. She wanted one that overlooked the streets outside. If the guards were to ever find them, she wanted to make sure that she could see them before they could see her.

  She took the first room she came to and dropped her bags on the bed. Must and mildew filled the air. Nothing opening the shutters couldn’t take care of. The small fireplace at the far wall would provide light and warmth during the chilly nights.

  There wasn’t enough room for Haris. He would have to sleep on the main floor. He wouldn’t be happy about it, but it wasn’t safe anywhere else for him, and Sophia couldn’t stand the thought of being too far from him either.

  With a sigh, she returned to the main floor to break the news to her yakshi friend. She could already imagine his reaction.

  As she approached the final step on the staircase, Andreas shouted in glee. Sophia instantly went to find out what it was about.

  Andreas stood behind the old bar, pulling out jugs of what she presumed was ale. The smile on his face was wide and there was a glint in his eyes. She shook her head and took a seat on the other side of the bar.

  Edric joined them. “What’s all this racket about?”

  “I found ale!” Andreas said, dragging out “ale” in a singsong voice. He found a few tin cups and rinsed them out with his skin full of water. “Come on, Zeke!”

  “I’ll join you once I’m finished,” he said, voice sounding strained.

  Sophia wondered if it took too much out of him to cast the wards and shield the place. In a previous discussion, they had talked about how the illusion would be that the building would appear uninhabited from the outside. It all seemed so intricate, but she never thought to ask if it drained him physically.

  Meanwhile, Andreas passed along the cups between the three of them. He held his in the air and said, “Not a bad way to end the night, if I do say so myself.”

  Ezekiel nodded and took a sip of his ale. “Indeed.”

  Haris let out another long grumble. Sophia knew it was his way of voicing his displeasure with being cooped up inside the small inn. Poor thing. Sophia sympathized with him. She went to him and patted her friend’s muscular, green flank, assuring him that everything was okay. Though being stuck inside plaster and stone walls wasn’t ideal, it was the situation they had to deal with.

  Ezekiel approached Sophia, careful of Haris’s antlers as he had just shaken them again. If they weren’t careful, they would probably get a good-sized hole in an arm or their side, getting too close to the creature when he shook himself. “He’s not thrilled, is he?” Zeke asked.

  Sophia shook her head and continued to do her best to comfort her friend. “No. He’s used to the freedom of the woods.”

  Haris snorted and stomped his hoof in agreement.

  “Did the wards and traps go well?” she asked.

  He nodded. “They’ll do for the night. I’ll strengthen and expand them tomorrow. But we are safely hidden for now.”

  Though the inn was near the small side of things, Haris made that size smaller. He was large enough that his antlers scraped along the ceiling if he stood at his full height. As it was, he had to keep himself hunched over, head held lower than normal. He groaned again and lay on an old tattered rug near the fireplace along the far wall, trying his best to not bump into anything and growing more agitated at the cramped space he wasn’t accustomed to.

  “Are you sure he’ll be all right here?” Ezekiel asked. The expression in his features let Sophia know he truly felt sorry for Haris, and that made her love him all the more.

  She smiled and gave a short nod. “He will be. He’s just not used to being inside confining structures.”

  “I was sure Howard would crap himself when we first opened the front door and smuggled Haris inside.” Ezekiel chuckled.

  Sophia joined him in the short laugh as she recalled the moment as well. That was the second night they were at his estate, just before the increase in patrols could no longer be ignored. The sorcerer always made her feel lighter and contented, and she loved that he’d opened his home without question to her and to Edric and Andreas. Especially the last two, considering they had been something close to enemies growing up. Well, they wouldn’t mix company willingly, that was for sure. But all that had changed when Sophia came into the picture. She joined the men in a brotherhood stronger than she ever could imagine.

  “I’ll get that fire going,” Ezekiel said as he slapped his hands together. Sparks formed in his palms, shinning bright blue and purple. He pointed to the fireplace, and sparks shot out from his fingertips and caught the wood. A warm orange glow and warmth filled the room. “Better?” he asked Haris.

  Haris huffed and rested his head on his front legs. Ezekiel shrugged and rejoined Sophia’s side.

  Edric approached them, handing both her and Ezekiel a cup of ale. “Haris will be fine.” He glanced at the large, green beast. “Won’t you boy?”

  Haris huffed in response and turned his head away, which made Sophia giggle. Her yakshi friend still wasn’t quite sure of Edric or Ezekiel. Andreas, her wraith shifter and protector, Haris liked, probably because of his dual nature, but the other two of her men he still worked on warming up to.

  She supposed they were all still getting used to each other. She looked at each of her men just hanging out and making the best of a sour situation and smiled. A month ago, the three of them would’ve been at each other’s throats, as they had been for the past twenty years, growing up in competition with each other atNighthelm Academy. Seeing them with her, united for her cause and so faithfully, filled her heart with joy.

  She took a sip of her ale and sat in one of the booths next to Andreas. As she relished in the spices and warmth the drink gave, Andreas tapped his cup against hers and downed his ale in two big gulps.

  As she finished the last of her drink, she sank back against the booth, letting her body relax. Well, as much as they could considering their circumstances. The heat from the fire washed over her and she sighed. Being with her protectors—her lovers—had filled Sophia with a happiness that had eluded her for the past eighteen years. She felt strong, capable, and more in tune with her magic than she’d ever been.

  She flexed her hands, sensing her magic just below the surface, simmering, ready to be utilized at her command. But this time, it wasn’t perilous. Those around her weren’t in danger of her magic bursting out of her like a raging inferno, incinerating everything within a fifty-foot radius. Despite all his flaws, maybe Grindel had actually taught her to control it with discipline. Perhaps, all those years he pushed her through training had been worth it.

  Her heart panged when she thought of him. His loss still stung anew with each thought of him that crossed her mind. Tears burned and nipped at her eyes.

  Andreas shifted, drawing her attention as he took her hand. He squeezed, providing support and strength. He definitely seemed more in tune with her emotions than Edric and Ezekiel.

  Edric circled the room, refilling their cups. Once finished, he lifted his cup into the air and said, “A toast.”

  “What are we toasting?” Ezekiel asked, lifting his cup into the air, a huge, cheesy smile stretching his lips.

  “Our victory.” Edric’s intense gaze met Sophia’s, and she melted a little. The heat of desire and love in them was relentless. “And to Sophia. For bringing all of us together.”

  She lifted her cup, and Andreas did as well.

  “Here, here!” they said in unison then tipped their cups to their mouths, taking in long pulls of the ale.

  Ezekiel wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “You might rethink that last part after we’ve lived together for another few weeks.”

  Edric chuckled. “Fair point.”

  Shouts from outside drew Sophia’s attention. She stood from the booth and went to the window to look outside. Guards stood in formed ranks on the stre
ets in front of the Shade, their superiors shouting orders, and all of them armed with swords and appearing ready to fight. They were likely looking for Andreas, which they probably hoped would lead to the rest of them.

  Ezekiel came up behind her and set his hands on her shoulders. She leaned into him with a sigh.

  “We’re safe, I promise,” he said. “They can’t see us. The cloaking spells will only allow them to see the building as an empty structure. No lights shine through the windows. It’s as if we were never here. No one in Nighthelm can break the enchantments.”

  But Sophia knew Winston Kent had friends in high places, and sorcerers from other kingdoms were probably already summoned to Nighthelm to help him break Ezekiel’s powerful enchantments. Especially since the two parted on not-so-great terms. Winston wanted her, and Sophia wanted nothing to do with him. With Winston’s wounded pride, it was only a matter of time before someone who could break the enchantments showed.

  Haris snorted behind them. She turned to her friend as he shifted nervously on the spot he’d claimed as his sleeping nest. He looked out of place in the small, cramped space, but it wasn’t safe for him—for any of them—out in the Witch Woods anymore. The city was dangerous for them as well. The entire city guard hunted them. And with the grimms that had threatened her life and attacked their group on several occasions within the woods, they had nowhere else to go.