Insomnia: Faction 9 (The Isa Fae Collection) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Epilogue

  Untitled

  Acknowledgments

  The Isa Fae Collection

  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

  Noree’s Notes for Insomnia (2017)

  About the Author

  Insomnia

  Isa Fae Collection Faction 9

  Noree Cosper

  Contents

  Untitled

  Acknowledgments

  The Isa Fae Collection

  Untitled

  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

  Epilogue

  Noree’s Notes for Insomnia (2017)

  About the Author

  Insomnia © 2017 Noree Cosper

  All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

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

  Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

  Acknowledgments

  Thanks to K. de Long and Rebecca Hamilton for their awesome cover. Thanks to my super editor Rainy Kaye and Cassie Hess-Dean for proofreading services. Special thanks to Cody, Ed, and Cory for their input on making this story shine.

  The Isa Fae Collection

  In the world of Isa Fae, magic is both life source and currency, and running out of magic means certain death. But beyond barter, the only way to obtain more magic is by collecting energy from other dimensions…an option that hasn’t been available to them since a nuclear war rendered Earth uninhabitable, cutting off the Fae’s primary source.

  With the stores of magic dwindling, and no access to the human world to get more, the Fae must find new ways to distribute magic and protect what little they have. But when the factions can’t agree on how to move forward and secede from one another, it leaves each to be represented by their own leaders and ruled by their own laws.

  What lengths will each faction be willing to go to survive? And what price will survivors from Earth pay to be a part of their new world?

  View the entire collection at the Fallen Sorcery Website.

  Fear to lay thee down to sleep,

  For Fae will steal your dreams to keep.

  And if you die before you wake, with your life,

  Your soul they’ll take.

  1

  Sleep loomed like a killer, waiting to strike at my lowest point. It pricked at my temples and tickled at the corners of my eyes as I trudged through a knee-deep snowbank. I blinked at the long expanse of snow and twisted black trees with a mountain ridge peeking out, black against the white. My foot caught upon a patch of ice and sent me stumbling forward. I crashed into the snow face first. I let out a loud sigh and closed my eyes. Perhaps, I could rest here for just a moment.

  A soft weight landed on my back and small paws pressed into my skin, as my little dragon, Morphy, crawled up to my shoulders. Warm breath ruffled my hair and tickled my cheek.

  Morphy’s voice, like a high bell, sounded in my ear over the howling wind. “Get up, Aneira. If you sleep, she will have you.”

  Her. Right. The Fae sorceress Nimue. If I slept, she would find me. She’d been trailing after me for the past few months, ever since I managed to escape her palace in Arcadia, the City of Dreams. I learned after my first sleep that her mark under my breast allowed her to track me. She came into my dreams with promises of love and comfort, just like she’d promised before. I wouldn’t be tricked this time, not after what she did to Dylan.

  I swallowed the lump in my throat and gritted my teeth, digging my gloved fingers into the snow. With a groan, I pushed myself into a sitting position. The weight on my back shifted and Morphy gave an eep. Small wings buffeted my head as he rose into the air.

  I blinked as he fluttered close to my face. His black scaled ridges narrowed over his luminescent purple eyes in a glare as he hovered in front of me.

  “Sorry,” I mumbled.

  He gave a small huff and landed on my shoulder. “Some warning would be nice, next time. Now we need to get going.”

  “I know. Just give me a moment.” I said.

  I rubbed my sore eyes, stifling a yawn. The mountain ridge, obscured by the drifting snow flurries, seemed like miles away, but it couldn’t be. I’d already walked for three days in this field of snowdrifts and dead trees.

  I just had to make it over that ridge to the Dyfed Respite. Then I could sleep. The witches there would have far more powerful protection spells than I. That was unless the Wyrdlands had changed again. The landscape liked to switch with no notice, though it always remained winter.

  The Fae didn’t have enough magical energy to maintain the other seasons, not since Earth had been lost centuries ago. They fed off the energy created from our dreams and nightmares, and there weren’t enough witches to bring back their glory days. Instead, they gathered us to them with promises of comfort. After all, their magic controlled the land. They could easily create small refuges from the cold, like the City of Dreams and the City of Nightmares.

  It came at a price, though. If a Fae took too much energy, they would leave the witch in a comatose state, like Nimue had done with Dylan.

  I shuddered and swallowed the lump in my throat as the image of him lying on her tiled floor rose to my mind. His skin had taken on a grayish tint, and his cheeks had sunken in deeper than their usual thinness. She’d do the same to me if she found me again.

  One step at a time. I let ou
t a deep sigh and stood up to begin my trek again.

  Even if I did get to the Dyfed Respite, what then? I didn’t have a plan to stop her or her Dreamless, the army of enchanted witches she’d created. They’d followed me during my mad flight from her palace. I would never have escaped if Morphy hadn’t blown a few holes in her palace. By now, Dylan was part of that army. How could I even hope to rescue him?

  Respite first, then make plans.

  Morphy took off and flew a few yards ahead of me to land on one of the nearby trees. The branches hid his scales better than the snow would have. My white and tan furs were better camouflage. Making it less likely for anything Nimue sent after us to see. Even my platinum blonde hair blended in, but I’d tucked it in my knotted cap.

  I trudged onward. Five steps closer.

  Dylan had always teased me about my hair. He’d claimed it was too silky for a scout. Such fine hair belonged to one of the kept witches. I’d gotten so mad I had shorn it off with a knife. I still remember his shocked expression. That had been years ago, though. My hair had grown back to its normal length, stopping at the middle of my back. I wouldn’t be seeing any of Dylan’s expressions now. My throat tightened at the thought. No, thanks to Nimue, the only expression I would see on Dylan’s face was his devotion to her. That’s was, if she caught me.

  Twenty steps closer.

  A rumbling echoed over around the ridge and through the plain, muffling the howling wind. A rolling puff of snow rose on the edge of the horizon. My breath hitched as my heart skipped and goose pimples, not from the cold, rose on the back of my neck. She couldn’t have found me already, could she?

  I scrambled through the snow until I reached a small group of brambles and dropped to the ground. The bits of ice crackled under me and I hunkered down even further. Morphy came to rest in the branches next to me. We both stared at the growing cloud of snow headed in our direction. As it drew closer, the snow could no longer hide the lush burgundy of the motorized sleigh. Whoever this was, they were not afraid of being seen.

  A woman glided the vehicle along the drifts with her goggle-covered gaze focused on the terrain in front of her. In a long seat behind her, a man lounged with his arms draped across the back. The fur lined hood of his coat obscured his face. Two women curled up on both sides of him with their own hoods held in their grips. A peal of laughter rang out over the roar of the engine.

  A gust of wind caught the man’s hood and blew it back. His silver hair tumbled out, revealing his pointed ears and sharp cheekbones as it streamed behind. My breath caught in my throat.

  Shit, a Fae.

  Calm down, Aneira. This world is full of Fae. They can’t all be connected to Nimue.

  Even if they didn’t know Nimue, the Fae could decide that my dreams would be a good snack. With days of no sleep, they would think I was easy prey. I huddled down deeper into my frozen hidey hole and gritted my teeth as they passed in front of us. The Fae turned his head in my direction. His teal eyes met mine. My stomach somersaulted. He’d seen me. It was all over now. The Fae glanced down at one of his companions and his melodious laugh filled the air.

  The sleigh didn’t even slow down. Soon, the snow it kicked up in its wake obscured it as it disappeared over the horizon. I sat up, letting out a deep breath.

  “That was close,” I said. “I guess he didn’t see me.”

  “Or didn’t care.” Morphy gave a sniff. “Not every Fae is on the lookout for you.”

  I stood up and brushed off the snow. “Still, we should get moving. He might change his mind.”

  That near discovery had sent a rush through my veins and had dispelled my lethargy, at least for the time being. If I played things smart, I could probably get to the Respite before it crashed on me again.

  A howl echoed through the air.

  Or not.

  A group of six four-legged figures stood atop the very ridge I needed to cross. A chill, deeper than the cold surrounding me, traveled down my spine. The Cŵn Annwn, the spectral hounds that roamed the Wyrdlands in search of prey had found me.

  2

  The black coats of the Cŵn Annwn flickered as they rushed down the hill towards me. Morphy gave a screech of panic.

  My heart raced, thrumming through my ears, as I detached a bow hooked to my backpack and pulled an arrow from my quiver. Most witches preferred guns, but I was a bow girl for life. One miss and a gun would scare away any possible food, not that there was food in this particular field. Plus, guns were difficult to repair. I’d have to spend days in search of a witch who could artifice, or take my chances at the Bazaar in the Nightmare City. So, bows.

  I nocked the arrow back and let it fly, then repeated the process twice more in quick succession. My aim struck true. Three of the hounds jerked and tumbled down. The remaining three picked up speed as they reached the bottom of the hill and spread out into a semicircle around me. I reached for another arrow, but they charged toward me too fast for me to shoot.

  I yanked out my long knife from my boot and raised it just as the first hound leapt at me. Its front paws hit my shoulders and took us both to the ground. I raised the forearm of my free hand to block its jaws from closing on my throat. Its teeth sank into my flesh. I bit back a cry as its saliva burned in my blood. I jabbed my knife into the hound several times with fast jerking motions. It snarled and jerked its head. The snap of my bone breaking echoed, followed by my scream. Sharp pain traveled up and down my arm, setting my teeth on edge.

  Son of a bitch. I hated fighting these things.

  I pulled the knife back and jammed it in the glowing yellow eye. The creature shuddered and collapsed on top of me. A series of growls surrounded me. One down. Two more to go.

  I rolled the dead dog off me with my good arm and got to my knees. The remaining Cŵn Annwn crouched and snarled up at Morphy who hovered between them and me. Their pelts shifted and swayed like flickering shadows. I stood up and raised my dagger in a fighting position while cradling my wounded arm against my body. The poison from the saliva was already in my veins. I needed to get to the Respite soon or there would be nothing left for even Nimue to find.

  One of the hounds glanced at me and threw back its head, letting out a howl. It rang through my head, leaving a searing pain in its wake. I pressed one ear to the shoulder on the side of my broken arm and covered the other ear to block out the ghastly sound but it reverberated through my bones. My vision blurred and the two hounds became four. I staggered back and rubbed my face. Warm liquid, red instead of clear, pooled in the corners of my eyes and began to drip down.

  Shit, if I didn’t get away soon, these things would kill me.

  Morphy rose into the air and dove at the two hounds. Gouts of purple fire erupted from his mouth. The flames licked the shadowy coats of the Cŵn Annwn and flared to life. Both hounds’ howls turned to yelps of pain. They spun and hopped, their teeth nipping at the fire that ate at them.

  I fell to the ground, my breath coming out in ragged gasps. My racing heart resumed its steady pace. I wiped my nose and my glove came away with a red smear. A small laugh escaped. I’d actually survived a Cŵn Annwn death howl. Few witches could claim that.

  Morphy glowered down at me. “Is this really the time to sit back and laugh?”

  Right. I stood up and pulled out a small wooden disk the hung around my neck, under my coat. I ran my forefinger along the intricate knot embossment and focused my gaze on the burning dogs.

  “Though you be nimble and quick, you’ll not evade this candle stick,” I chanted. “Flare fire. My desire. Burn brighter and higher.”

  The flames blazed and engulfed the hounds, lighting the surround snow in a purple glow. The beasts’ cries echoed through the sky as they attempted to flee the flames. It did them little good. The stench of burnt flesh permeated the air as the charred remains of the dogs dropped to the ground.

  My amulet slid from my fingers and swung on my neck as my knees gave out from under me. Little spots danced in my vision. I clutched my wou
nded arm and winced. The hound’s poison was already running through my veins. If I didn’t get to the Respite within the next few hours, I’d be dead.

  I crawled with one arm, pushing along with my legs, to a nearby tree and pulled myself up. I dusted the slush from my leathers and gathered my knife, bow and arrows strewn across the field. The distance to the bottom of the ridge seemed to stretch on for miles as I slogged through the snow. Sweat beaded on my forehead and cooled to little ice crystals. Morphy landed on one of the rocks of the ridge as I moved up to lean against it.

  “You all right?” he asked.

  I shook my head and swallowed, between gasps of breath. “I just have to get to the Respite. They have a healer there. Hopefully.”

  With a groan, I pushed myself away from the rock and started my trek up. After a hundred steps, I was panting and had only made it halfway up the ridge. My path created a sloppy zigzagging pattern, causing me to stumble over rocks hidden in the snow. The world around me began shifting, and this time it wasn’t because of the Wyrdlands.

  I tipped forward and let the snow catch me.

  The black spots in my vision grew larger. A whoosh of air escaped my nose and lips in a short chuckle. To think, I escaped Nimue to be killed by a pack of Cŵn Annwn.

  Tiny claws dug into the back of my coat. “Come on, Aneira. This is no time to be lying about.”