Doomsday Magic Read online

  Magic propelled the monster, who circled our vehicle, his body glinting in the sun. He had to be a hundred feet long, with black wings and claws. He climbed on the ground and leapt into the air, slithering around as he examined us.

  “It’s the Unhcegila!” Bree cried from the front.

  Shit.

  Uncle Joe had told us about the Unhcegila—a terrifying water monster from Dakota and Lakota Sioux legends.

  Except it was real, as all good legends were. And it occasionally appeared when the Bad Water wasn’t dried up. It only needed a few inches to appear.

  Looked like it was our lucky day.

  ~~~

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  Author’s Note

  Thanks for reading Doomsday Magic! If you’ve read any of my previous books, you may have noticed that I have a fondness for including historical places and mythological elements. I did the same with Doomsday Magic. Sometimes the history of these things is so interesting that I want to share more, so I like to do it in the Author’s Note instead of the story itself.

  The story of the seal woman is one of my favorite parts of the book. It is based upon a folktale called the Legend of Kópakonan from the Faroe Islands, which are located far north of Scotland.

  The Corryvreckan whirlpool is one of the largest natural whirlpools in the world. In real life, it’s located off the west coast of Scotland. For the purposes of the story, I moved it to the north. The whirlpool is formed when the strong current that passes between the islands of Jura and Scarba meets the underwater topography of that area. A deep hole and a rising pinnacle create enough obstruction under the water that the whirlpool is formed.

  The faces that Ana sees on the boats at the Demonville harbor are based on the eyes that can be found on the bows of ancient Greek ships. Many of the ships featured eyes, and they could be represented by paint or stone. One of the most famous shipwrecks, the Tektaş Burnu shipwreck from around 430 BCE, features stone eyes that were found at the shipwreck site. No one knows for sure what the eyes were for, though some scholars theorize they were the eyes of gods and meant to protect the ship.

  You probably guessed that I used Dante’s Inferno for inspiration in the hell scene. I tried to represent the levels of his hell accurately, but I did take some liberties. The caravan that crosses the sandstorm in level two is an example, as was the nice cave where they spent the night. And while I wrote Dante to be a crazy guy who sides with evil, I doubt that he actually was.

  In part of the book, the words terrible and great resonate with Ana. I don’t address it directly in the text, but the Morrigan’s name can mean either of those things. The greatness part is obvious—she’s a goddess, after all. But she could also preside over victories in battle. If she chose the side opposite yours, she was most definitely considered terrible.

  I think that’s it for the history and mythology in Doomsday Magic—at least the big things. I hope you enjoyed the book and will come back for Rowan’s story!

  For Jon McGough.

  Acknowledgments

  Thank you, Ben, for everything. There would be no books without you.

  Thank you to Jena O’Connor and Lindsey Loucks for your excellent editing. The book is immensely better because of you! Thank you to Jon McGough for recommending the Corryvreckan whirlpool as a cool element for a book.

  Thank you to Orina Kafe for the beautiful cover art. Thank you to Collette Markwardt for allowing me to borrow the Pugs of Destruction, who are real dogs named Chaos, Havoc, and Ruckus. They were all adopted from rescue agencies.

  Glossary

  Alpha Council - There are two governments that enforce law for supernaturals—the Alpha Council and the Order of the Magica. The Alpha Council governs all shifters. They work cooperatively with the Alpha Council when necessary—for example, when capturing FireSouls.

  Blood Sorcerer - A type of Magica who can create magic using blood.

  Dark Magic - The kind that is meant to harm. It’s not necessarily bad, but it often is.

  Demons - Often employed to do evil. They live in various hells but can be released upon the earth if you know how to get to them and then get them out. If they are killed on Earth, they are sent back to their hell.

  Dragon God - A rare Magica who was created by gods and dragons. They each represent a mythical pantheon.

  Djinn - Possesses invisibility and the ability to possess others for brief periods of time.

  Earthwalking Gods - Reincarnates of the ancient gods who can walk upon the earth. They are mortal but with all the power of that god.

  Elders of the Indomidae - An ancient magical sect that lives in the far North Sea.

  Enchanted Artifacts – Artifacts can be imbued with magic that lasts after the death of the person who put the magic into the artifact (unlike a spell that has not been put into an artifact—these spells disappear after the Magica’s death). But magic is not stable. After a period of time—hundreds or thousands of years depending on the circumstance—the magic will degrade. Eventually, it can go bad and cause many problems.

  Fire Mage – A mage who can control fire.

  FireSoul - A very rare type of Magica who shares a piece of the dragon’s soul. They can locate treasure and steal the gifts (powers) of other supernaturals. With practice, they can manipulate the gifts they steal, becoming the strongest of that gift. They are despised and feared. If they are caught, they are thrown in the Prison of Magical Deviants.

  The Great Peace - The most powerful piece of magic ever created. It hides magic from the eyes of humans.

  Magica - Any supernatural who has the power to create magic—witches, sorcerers, mages. All are governed by the Order of the Magica.

  Order of the Magica - There are two governments that enforce law for supernaturals—the Alpha Council and the Order of the Magica. The Order of the Magica govern all Magica. They work cooperatively with the Alpha Council when necessary—for example, when capturing FireSouls.

  Seeker - A type of supernatural who can find things. FireSouls often pass off their dragon sense as Seeker power.

  Shifter - A supernatural who can turn into an animal. All are governed by the Alpha Council.

  Transporter - A type of supernatural who can travel anywhere. Their power is limited and must regenerate after each use.

  Undercover Protectorate - A secret organization dedicated to protecting supernaturals and solving the crimes that no one else will.

  Vampire - Blood drinking supernaturals with great strength and speed who live in a separate realm.

  About Linsey

  Before becoming a writer, Linsey Hall was a nautical archaeologist who studied shipwrecks from Hawaii and the Yukon to the UK and the Mediterranean. She credits fantasy and historical romances with her love of history and her career as an archaeologist. After a decade of tromping around the globe in search of old bits of stuff that people left lying about, she settled down and started penning her own romance novels. Her Dragon’s Gift series draws upon her love of history and the paranormal elements that she can't help but include.

  Copyright

  This is a work of fiction. All reference to events, persons, and locale are used fictitiously, except where documented in historical record. Names, characters, and places are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  Copyright 2018 by Linsey Hall

  Published by Bonnie Doon Press LLC

  All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form, except in instances of quotation used in critical articles or book review. Where such permission is sufficient, the author grants the right to strip any DRM which may be applied to this work.

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  www.LinseyHall.com

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  ISBN 978-1-94208
5-72-0