Gallager-Dark Magic: Dark Magic Series

~ Prologue ~

Gallager

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FIRST, I SHOULD MENTION, I am a hybrid Gray Demon. People think of demons as monsters, as evil creatures, and some demons are, sorry to say, just that. However, m’race, Gray Demons, are not at all—quite the opposite.

Short version: the Gray Demons were peaceful and friendly in their lovely realm. However, there are always those who want what they don’t have. Our realm, everything we had built, was what they wanted. Thus, it was conquered two centuries ago by the Red Demons.

We were royals, but m’family fought beside our citizens. M’grandmother knew—saw what was coming. She stayed in the field with m’granddad to continue the hopeless fight with their brave warriors, who were out weaponed and outnumbered. She had only one child, m’mother, who was no more than sixteen at the time. Thus, she opened a portal to the Human Realm—to Ireland. It wasn’t easy for m’mother to fit in. She was so young and inexperienced when it came to humans. She had her powerful magic, but knew, at once, she couldn’t be seen to use it. M’mother was a survivor, and managed her first hundred years in the Human World as best she could.  

She never got close to anyone, lest they notice she was different, and then twenty-three years ago, she met m’father—a human! His name was Thomas Gallagher McGalway.

I was born one year after they married.

Although Gallager is a bloody damned funny name for a girl, m’mom insisted I have m’father’s middle name. She liked it, and I have come to be pretty fond of it m’self.

We were a ‘keep to ourselves’ sort of family, with a small but very successful working farm. We lived as humans. We could have had a palace because m’mom has magic to the inth degree and had accumulated a fortune over the century she had lived in Ireland. However, m’dad was an old-fashioned bugger, sweet, kind, and determined to be the ‘breadwinner’. He knew what m’mother and I were, but he wanted us to live safely amongst our neighbors, with none of them the wiser.

He always knew what riches m’mother could give him, but none of that mattered because we were such a happy family. He said...why look for trouble by having more than our neighbors. He said it would raise brows and people would wonder. Magic, he said, the using of it, would lead to trouble.

Right then, we set aside our magic and we really had a grand life...until m’good, gentle, kind father suffered that first episode...that first heart attack.

A Fae prince, a legend by the name of Prince Breslyn, who was a friend of m’mother’s, visited and offered m’father the ‘elixir’, which would have made him immortal like us. He refused. I know, because she told me, she was going to sneak it into his food. How could she live her life without him, she said. Before she could, however, on the same day of Prince Breslyn’s visit, the second attack slammed into him. It was massive and took him in the blink of an eye. He was gone. Final.

I was twenty-one at the time, which was just under a year ago, and it wasn’t only m’father I lost. I watched m’mother decline and finally give up as she dove into depression. She kept thinking she should have forced it down his throat as soon as he suffered the first attack. Those words ‘too late’ have been devastating.

Gray Demons, like the Fae and many other supernaturals, are immortal. Even a hybrid like m’self...immortal. But m’mother didn’t want to live another day without m’father. She wouldn’t eat or sleep, or take care of the farm. I did what I could, but I knew she needed help. I had to get her away.

I put the farm up for sale.

Smoke and Grail Wilder came and collected us because m’mom and Smoke Wilder are dear friends. Grail Wilder is the Dark Lord of New Orleans and m’godfather. He took us in hand with our precious belongings, and we traveled through his portal to his home in New Orleans.

As it happens, I should mention they are not only dear to us, and we to them, but powerful and magical beings. Grail and Smoke Wilder are keeping rogue paranormals in New Orleans in hand.  

The Dark Lord rules all of the paranormal city. He runs the paranormal nightclub known as Hazard, and it was there my parents met and fell in love. Yeah, m’dad was human, but he knew early on about paranormals, and many of them were his friends.

Faith, but I owe them the world, for in just a few weeks, I saw some improvement in m’mother’s state of mind. Smoke had worked her loving magic very well.

So then, New Orleans was where it all began for m’parents, and now it seems to be where it is all beginning for me. Here is where m’Dark Magic, buried deep inside of me, has been clawing its way out, and here is where m’story begins!

~ One ~

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IT HAS BEEN A MONTH since we left Ireland behind us. Memories are never left behind, and mine are sweet. I was happy there.

When we first arrived in New Orleans, we stayed with Smoke and the Dark Lord in their spacious home, but a week ago, we moved into a lovely cottage in the Garden District. It is cozy and very close to m’godparents. They have been wonderful, but life here for me is lonely. I miss my friends, and the easy, familiar life I had.

As m’mother is within walking distance of Smoke, she is rarely home during the day. Nights, too, are lonely, as she usually turns in early and I am left on m’own. I keep telling m’self it will get better.  

Don’t mistake, I adore m’godmother. She is just what m’mother needs. Auntie Smoke was able to do in a few short weeks what I had been unable to accomplish in almost a year.

One of the things Smoke managed was to show m’mom—actually show her, the Land of Ether, where the great and only God created a Haven for the spirits of decent demons to rest when they crossed over and left the living behind. She told m’mother when the time arrived for her to cross over into the Land of Ether, she would be able to call on her one true love’s spirit, and he would come to her. They would be reunited in peace in a world of their own.

Ye see, m’mother had believed because he was human and she a demon, she would never see him again. Now she knows that when she is ready to go, when her time comes, she can give herself over to the Ether and be with m’father.

It was as though a cloudy dark veil had been lifted, and m’mom emerged something like her old self again. She still grieves m’father’s loss, still misses him, but the hope that one day they would be reunited has helped m’darling mother more than I had ever hoped for.

I have been trying to keep m’self somewhat busy enjoying and toddling about New Orleans. There was so much to learn about its history and all the paranormals who call it home under the Dark Lord’s rule.

I was surprised when I returned from one of m’sight-seeing excursions to find a note from m’godfather, advising me he wanted me to join him in his office at Hazard that evening.

I showered and changed and sighed out loud, because I wasn’t sure what this meeting could be about. I glanced in m’mirror and gave m’long flaming locks one last brush before working them into a single braid that hung over m’right shoulder. I stroked m’bangs in place and turned sideways for another look. I chose to wear fashionably torn jeans and a blue knit tank top. Black leather boots finished the look I was going for before I slipped into a pretty denim blazer and stood staring at m’image. I adore m’godfather, but he can be quite opinionated and intimidating at times. I knew there was more to his request for a meeting than met the eye. Something was up, but what, I couldn’t fathom.

Aye, I would do for now, but there was no denying I needed some new clothes for m’new city lifestyle. I was no longer a farmer.

I was both excited and curious about what m’godfather could want to talk about. He had given no hint the other day when we all had dinner together. Smoke had never said a word either.

M’godfather is usually affectionate and loving, but his note summoning me (and there was no other way to put it) to his office at Hazard seemed coldly impersonal.

Had I annoyed him in some way? I truly had no idea what it could be about, but from the curtness of the letter, I rather thought it was about something important.

I opened a portal, using a small measure of my hitherto discarded demon magic, and stepped through and onto the main galley floor of Hazard. It was late afternoon and there was no one about. Chairs were still upside down on tables, as the evening crowd would not be arriving until much later. I made m’way to the Dark Lord’s office, and before I could knock, his deep voice called out, Come in, Gally.

I walked in smiling, but the smile froze on m’face when I was met with the picture of two seated paranormal individuals who made no secret of slowly, and curiously, looking me over. The female snorted and looked across the desk at the Dark Lord and demanded, "Are you kidding me?"

Grail raised one dark brow at her, and his tone was quiet but grave. Zukie, you know better than to judge by looks.

Looks? Bloody hell! What was wrong with m’looks? I glared at the female called Zukie.

She met m’gaze and laughed, waved a hand in the air, and said, She is a kid. How old is she anyway?

Uh, standing right here, ye know, I told her.

Well, how old are you, kid? Zukie smirked as she asked.

I returned the favor by giving her m’evil eye and looked her over...just as slowly as she had me. She had chestnut hair, which reached her shoulders and was tipped with bright blue. She was attractive with soft skin, full painted red lips, and cat-like eyes of green. A cat—probably a panther shifter, I silently concluded. I have never come across one before.

I told her, "I don’t know why ye are asking about m’age, but as it happens, I’m old enough, that’s all ye have to know."

She laughed. She has spunk. Okay, I’ll give her a try.

"Ye’ll give me a try, will ye? I don’t think so. I turned to the Dark Lord. What is this, Uncle Grail?" Uncle is how I have always referred to him.

"Uncle Grail? Zukie squealed. Aw, come on now! What is this? Are we babysitting for you, Uncle Grail?"

Enough! the Dark Lord cautioned, and his eyes suddenly went dark with anger. You know better, Zukie. My relation to Gallager has nothing to do with her qualifications, as well you must know if you have any understanding of what I expect. He turned away from her and eyed the big guy beside her without saying a word, and bloody hell, it was damned scary. He had a way of taking control.

Zukie lowered her head and said nothing. The fellow beside her offered a low grunt and shifted his enormous body on the wooden chair he occupied. I picked up on his wolf scent. Ah, a wolf shifter.

I frowned and turned my attention back to the man who had always been only uncle to me, and really saw, for the first time, why he was called the Dark Lord I have heard so much about. I repeat, what is this all about, Uncle Grail?

The Dark Lord rose from his seat behind his desk and gave us his back. He didn’t speak, and neither did any of us. I took another surreptitious look at the mountain seated on the wooden chair beside Zukie. He was blessed with broad shoulders, and sported a shock of unruly black hair. His eyes were dark with bright gold flecks. His beard was shaved close to his face, more than a shadow, less than a bush. He was an impressive fellow, and momentarily not smiling. His wolf scent, which was musky, was not unpleasant. I was still standing and wondering what to do during this uncomfortable silence. Why was I here?

Sit, Gally, he said as he turned back to us. I know you don’t quite understand why you are here. I suppose I should have already prepared you, but I thought perhaps it would be better to talk after you met the team, m’godfather said in way of explanation. It felt as though he had read m’mind. I pulled up a cushioned chair and sat.

A knock sounded, and the Dark