Fire elemental reverse h.., p.1
Fire Elemental Reverse Harem Quartet, page 1
Fire Elemental Reverse Harem Quartet
Elemental Reverse Harem Quartet, Volume 3
Helen J Perry
Published by H J Perry, 2021.
Fire © 2021 Helen J Perry
This edition revised and reedited March 2023
All rights reserved.
Cover by ReddHott Covers
Editing by Pair of Nines
All rights reserved.
No part of this story may be used, reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission of the copyright holder, except in the case of brief quotations embodied within critical reviews and articles.
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Written in British English with mostly American spelling.
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Author's website: HelenJPerry.com
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Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
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
Excerpt: AIR (the final book in the quartet, but not necessarily the last story set in Malka’s world)
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CHAPTER ONE
How far will I get if I stop and speak to people every two hundred yards?
Haydn Byrne
IN CASE ALL HELL BROKE loose, which seemed increasingly likely, I left home at sunrise with the intention of bringing back the most powerful physical weapons available to the coven from the secure storage locations in east London. We had our magic, but it would be reassuring to have silver and steel on hand too.
The neighbors waylaid me with an odd case of mundanes with mysterious wounds and amnesia before I was halfway along the street.
When I set off again, another reason to pause before leaving Summer House Road presented itself.
Standing on the corner of the street, Niall focused on something out of my vision somewhere on the main road. He shifted about on the spot, looking one way and then the other along Stoke Newington Church Street. He may not have been looking at anything in particular; knowing him, he was most likely focusing on something he could hear or smell.
He didn’t look around, but he’d sense me approaching for sure; there was no sneaking up on an air witch.
My walking pace allowed me twenty seconds to admire his rear and side profile, which wasn’t a bad thing. Only as I licked my lips did it occur to me that I shouldn’t look at him in that way, but it just happened. It was the wrong time and place for thoughts like that.
Plus, he was the wrong man to stir up those reactions. He was straight, so I thought, and I was already committed to two people. Two had to be enough.
What the fuck is wrong with you, H?
I knew the answer: I was horny.
Plus, my eyes couldn’t stop themselves from sending signals to my brain about someone gorgeous standing right in front of me. And sometimes, my thoughts were impulsive, just like my actions.
And it didn’t hurt to just look, did it?
The previous day I’d stumbled upon Beck and Malka sharing an erotic moment in the back garden, it was strange and unexpected.
And hot.
Scorching hot.
It left a lasting imprint on the back of my eyelids.
I wasn’t sure how I should have reacted to seeing them together. Him, the love of my life with her, the woman to whom I’m magically bound for eternity.
Later, I’d snatched a few minutes of private, intimate time with Beck, but it hadn’t sated my sexual appetite. If anything, it turned me on all the more. I felt far too horny considering the imminent danger that faced everyone I cared about. If only make love not war was a real thing.
Still, the sexual energy wasn’t all bad, especially as sometime in the next twenty-four hours, we might need it to channel into a powerful magic. I was ready for anything, sexually and magically.
Niall was one of the people I most cared about in the Summer House Coven.
Along with the entire coven, the three air witches, Niall, Chet, and Tuuli, were like a second family. We’d known each other since childhood. They’d been mostly absent in recent years while they traveled around the world keeping a discreet watch over Malka Selby.
Since arriving back in London, they’d shared a house a few doors along the street from where Beck and I lived.
Not that I would ever say to Niall anything about him being smoking hot.
He totally was, though.
He wore messy bed hair and shabby chic like no one else. Clothes hung perfectly on his slender male-model physique. If I said he had olive-tanned skin, black hair, and dark eyes, that would describe many people around north London; Niall was different. Everything about him had a strange, mysterious air.
He was like a brother as we’d grown close over the two decades we’d known each other, but that friendship didn’t get off to a brilliant start.
When Niall and his siblings and cousins suddenly turned up in school—yes, witches have witch school, and it’s nothing like Hogwarts—they stood out as different. They attended school for a couple of months, and then they were gone. Many months later, they came back. That turned out to be the pattern of their school life, which made friendships difficult.
The strange kid with the all-year suntan and exotic traveler lifestyle who spoke a secret Romani language with his kin captured my interest. And when I hit a certain point in puberty, I noticed something else about Niall, that he was just about the hottest guy in school.
Twenty years or so later, and he still looked both sexy and mysterious. However, I didn’t think he’d appreciate my thoughts on the matter. I was fairly certain Niall was as straight as The Fosse Way. But it didn’t hurt to look, and I honestly couldn’t help it.
“Niall,” I whispered while still about ten feet away from him. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”
He turned in surprise. A slight rush of color reddened his cheeks, and he looked guilty. “Haydn.”
“That’s my name.”
I stepped across our defensive salt boundary onto Stoke Newington Church Street. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary for a crisp autumn morning.
In both directions, creepy skeletons, white ghosts, and orange pumpkins cheerfully adorned the windows and porches of shops and houses. At this time of year, the parody of witches and vampires dressed in black that appeared in pictures, advertisements, and fancy dress costumes always made me smile.
The fragile, mundane people wouldn’t put out such a cheerful display if they knew the truth about the real witches and vampires congregating in the streets outside their homes.
“Why aren’t you sleeping, mate? You might not get much chance tonight.” Hell. I hated how it sounded like I was in charge when I wasn’t.
It was my duty to watch out for everyone as our former High Priestess, Serina Selby, had left me as the guardian of the coven in her absence. But without a proper leader, the Summer House Coven existed in name only, as an idea that might once again flourish once the role of High Priestess was actively filled again. It rightfully belonged to Malka when she was ready to pick up her crown.
“I grabbed a few hours last night,” Niall answered. “There was no reason for all three of us to stay up all night listening.” He bit his bottom lip, and I sensed he feared me casting judgment on his behavior.
“Yeah, you’re right. I don’t blame you. But we’ll probably all miss some sleep over the next few nights, so it might be a good idea to stay in bed in the morning when you can.” I hoped it sounded like advice rather than instructions.
“And here am I.” Not a perfect role model. I’d gone to bed but had a disturbed night. I held up my hands. If you can’t sleep, I understand.”
“It’s not that I can’t sleep; I can drop off anywhere. I might grab a nap later.” He sighed. “Basically, I’m scooting off to see my folks. They’re only a few miles away, and I’m not sure whether they’re sticking around for winter or if they’re about to move on.”
“Hey, it’s okay, mate.” I placed a friendly hand on his shoulder. “You’re a free man; you can go as you please and do what you want.”
Niall nodded. “Yeah. I know. It’s all inside here.” He banged a hand on his chest. “I feel guilty about going because I should be here. But we’ve been away so long trailing Malka to keep her safe, so I don’t want to miss this chance to see my folks. They’ll want me to stay for a few days, but I wo
“Don’t complain. You’re lucky you’ve got a close bond with your blood family as well as with the coven here. Lots of us wish we had that.” I didn’t need to say more: many of us witches were estranged from our parents for one reason or another.
Beck’s parents weren’t witches, and they’d thrown him out. My parents were witches, and we didn’t speak for years: let’s just call it political differences.
Chet’s parents were strangely absent. I’d heard a rumor that they were vampires, but vampires don’t have children, and I vaguely remember meeting his mom years ago. I dismissed the gossip about my friend’s missing family, who may well have returned to their roots in Nigeria.
Niall was a grown man, but he still stayed in close touch with his family, and that impressed me. His parents were nomadic Romani travelers who never stayed in the same place for long, and even though they were also witches, they remained independent of any coven.
“I’m lucky my parents are supportive; they’ve always got my back.” He sighed. “Miss ’em. I never know when I might see my kith and kin again. Right now, they aren’t on a legal pitch, and so the authorities might move them on any day. The law protects the Roma’ culture,’ but it’s a fuckin’ joke.” Niall huffed as he clawed his fingers as punctuation. “It forces them to keep moving. If they can’t find a pitch or to stay put if they do get one as there aren’t enough for all the nomadic families.”
“It’s just an idea, Niall, but the Selby estate owns plenty of land in the suburbs. If your family needs somewhere to stay for a while, they only need to say the word. They can stay put indefinitely.”
“Really? That’s great!” His expression brightened, and he even seemed to stand a little taller. “It’s not like I can invite them to stay here, so cheers, pal. I’ll tell ’em. In fact, I’ll recommend it.” Niall looked again into the distance.
“And I guess right now you’re waiting for someone?”
“Yeah, I’ve arranged a lift to pick me up.” He chewed his bottom lip thoughtfully and then added, “They might be able to help us.”
“How? They aren’t, well, you know.” I couldn’t think of a way to express my thoughts without sounding disrespectful, but Niall’s family had refused to join the witchcraft community. They rejected the structures, the leadership, and the rules. They kept to themselves, and on the whole, they were left to their own devices. I supposed they drew social support from other Roma, most of whom were mundane.
“My folks do their own thing, but they are witches, Haydn. They might have some useful information that can help us. And news travels through the Traveler community, so the things they know might surprise you.” He glanced up the main road again and then said, “Hey, are you all right?”
My jaw clenched while I made the snap decision to confess the truth.
“Not really, mate.” If I couldn’t share the burden with one of my oldest and most trusted friends, then I was all alone. We were a coven, a family, and by definition, we were a team.
So much had changed since twilight. Malka had turned up, and she turned out to be more than just the heir to the Selby estate. “I never expected things to go to shit so quickly after Malka returned home. Suddenly she’s here and has rare talents. And the next minute she’s being hunted by vampires and the Supreme Council of Witches. And I’m not sure which of those to fear most.” I stepped back and gazed thoughtfully across the street.
Like it or not, Malka and I were bound for eternity by magic. Most of the witches around Stoke Newington seemed to assume we’d become romantically involved, get married, and lead the coven at High Priestess and Priest, but that wasn’t inevitable. One way or another, our destinies lay together, but romance and marriage were by no means a certain part of the arrangement.
“None of it’s good, Haydn. But we’ll get through it.”
“You’re telling me. I don’t know what the council might do to Malka. They might take her away from here and prevent her from joining the coven. I’d have to go too, of course. And then there’s also the threat from the undead while Beck’s teaching Malka how to survive. I’m going to collect more weapons to protect us from demons, but I don’t have any kind of plan.”
It was Niall’s turn to be sympathetic. “Yeah, it must be extra tough on you as she’s your soulmate.”
I raised my eyebrows.
Beck was the love of my life, my chosen companion, and the closest thing I had to a soulmate, but I didn’t need to share that information with Niall. It’s not something I’d usually even discuss with Beck, I didn’t have the words. He just knew how I felt about him.
From the moment I saw him, he rocked my world, and over the few years we’ve been together, I’ve only become more certain that we are supposed to be a couple: we are like two halves that complete a whole.
“We’re bound by magic, me as her servant; I wouldn’t call us soulmates. We didn’t get off to a great start, and she doesn’t seem to like me much.”
Malka was a feisty young thing. Headstrong and independent. Completely different from most people I knew. She was a lot like Beck in that respect. And that was probably why I liked her more than I expected to. Honestly, she turned my world upside down because since I was with Beck already, I didn’t expect to meet anyone who’d make me feel all the things she made me feel.
“But you like her, right?” Niall raised his eyebrows and angled his head, curious about my reply. And I knew damn well what he meant by like.
Looking down at the ground, I wondered how much I should say. It seemed crazy to admit to an infatuation with a young woman I’d only recently met. I felt like a teenager and not a grown man.
“Yeah, I like her.”
“Like, like her, like her?” His eyes widened, and he grinned. “She’s hot, right, mate?”
From the varying emphasis of the word, I understood what he meant.
“I’ve got eyes.” I nodded. Apparently, it hadn’t crossed Niall’s mind that I might be in love with someone else. Beck and me, we weren’t a secret, but Niall might have missed out on that news because he’d been away.
“It doesn’t matter how much I like her. Right now, she prefers Beck. I’d always imagined things going very differently when she finally came home.”
“You don’t need to worry about that; it’ll sort itself by magic.” Niall winked. “It has to.”
“Yeah, it might. It’s no good wishing for a second chance to impress her from the start. I just have to hope she likes me when she gets to know me.”
“She will, mate. There’s a bond between you.” Niall slapped my arm as a friendly gesture. “Plus, you’re a good guy; everyone can see that.”
“Well, I’d like our relationship to be on better terms, but right now, we have an existential threat from vampires, demons, and the Supreme Council of Witches. We need to survive those before worrying about anything else. Who’d think the return of the last daughter of the Selby line would bring so much trouble?”
“I’m optimistic about all that. She’s discovering her powers at a young age, and it’s a fucking mega surprise that she’s an earth witch. But she’s her mother’s daughter, and the Selby’s have a long history, so of course, she belongs here as head of our coven. That’s what’s going to happen. The demon vampire threat is nothing; we’re too well defended.”
I leaned closer to my naively optimistic friend and whispered, “With Malka and Beck on the street, we add earth and water to the mix. We go from two to four elements in the coven, which makes us much more powerful and a threat to the establishment. Do you think the council will let that happen?”
While Niall took in the full implication of the two new elementals joining the coven, I stepped back and looked across the street.
CHAPTER TWO
In all hell’s nightmares, what happened here?
Haydn Byrne
OPPOSITE SUMMER HOUSE Road, one house stood out from the others. What it lacked in garish Halloween ornaments, it made up for with a cloak of sheer ominous foreboding.
Although it looked eerie, it didn’t fit with the other houses decorated for the season.
