Helm Abomination

Read this book! A spunky heroine and vividly imagined world make this a book you shouldn't miss!

— Cyn Balog, International bestselling author

Really awesome. Compulsively readable.

— Jennifer Armintrout, International bestselling author

Helm Abomination

Some things are better left unseen.

Some hearts are better left unmet.

Living in Helm is a new experience for Verity, she's the only female in a world of boys. Most of them embrace her as a potential friend, others long for her death, and one ... well, one she can't seem to pin down.

Her new possible boyfriend neglected to tell Verity there's an ancient prophecy that foretells the end of Helm's leader at the hands of the mortal veil-seer. A few of the boys fighting beside her feel the best way to keep Haydn alive is to make sure the veil-seer dies.

Verity barely survived her sixteenth birthday. Now she may not live to see her seventeenth.

Helm Abomination shows that finding the love of your life can come at too high a cost.

Helm Abomination

Copyright © 2015 Gryffyn Phoenix

Published by Avalerion Books, Inc.

Smashwords Edition

Cover design by Dracontias

Paperback ISBN: 978-0-9834119-1-8

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016935284

All Rights Reserved

First e-book edition March 2016

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author

This ebook is for your personal device only. No part may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the author.

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

Avalerion Books Inc., Miami, Florida

avalerionbooks.com

This book is for all the amazing beta readers who challenge, encourage and inspire me:

Lindsey, Gary, Q.L and Jada Lee.

A million thanks to each of you!

Table of Contents

Prologue

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

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Copyright

About the Author

More Books by Gryffyn Phoenix

PROLOGUE

The watcher stirred the contents of the small pool as she gazed into its depths. A smile lightened her expression when she found what she sought. Haydn. Leader of Helm. Tortured, brooding teenager with more responsibility on his shoulders than ten normal men combined. He had the body of a young warrior, the face of a fallen angel, and the heart of a lion. And naturally, he was staring with longing at a picture.

Verity.

She was the girl of his dreams, the answer to his prayers, and the hope for his people. She had captured his heart in the first seconds of their meeting, and now she was gaining possession of his very soul. Verity Felicity Lily Chambers was born to be the clue to unlocking an ancient mystery that has beguiled the forsaken races for centuries, the key to solving the dilemma of which force should hold primacy on the planet.

Would this herald a new age of peaceful prosperity or one of despair?

Verity was also prophesied to be the one to end the leader of the Shade.

No matter how much they loved each other.

Haydn's eyes were filled with such longing; it was as if she could feel him calling to Verity from where she sat, miles away. But always, his responsibility came first, and the fact that she represented his greatest threat stayed his course

A flick of the watcher’s wrist and the waves in the liquid wiped clean the yearning face of the young uncrowned prince. Another image appeared. One she did not know how to decipher, or even give the figure a name. The watcher found the old woman hunched over a cracked crystal ball, clouded and worn with age. This was not her first time spying on her. She was searching for clues to those she loved. Her family. Cast onto the changing winds of fortune, her bloodline was already spread thin, and now they weren’t where she’d left them. The old woman’s ancient protection spells would mean little when they were stretched so thin they were transparent.

This was usually the time when the bad things slipped through.

Speaking of which:

Rumbles of thunder echoed through the closed window.

The watcher jumped back when the old woman’s head swiveled around and seemed to lock onto her. She suspected her reflection was showing in the falling drops of water in the old woman’s kitchen sink, revealing her subterfuge.

Was she in danger, or about to find an ally?

She'd been stuck watching for so long. She had not asked for this position, nor had she wanted it. Cast as a witness when the forsaken tried to find their way back to the right path, centuries before the forsaken races had found a home in this dimension, but it had not lasted. They'd been led astray so long ago, and now their light, the only shield they'd ever had from the darkness cast upon them, was lost. Still new to her powers, unsure of her place in the world, Verity needed time to find her path.

A breeze whipped through the room and flipped the watcher's scrying bowl over.

The pool of liquid looked opaque as blood in the light of the ending day.

Another round of thunder, and the watcher sighed.

Then she saw it. In the spilled droplets, she was witnessing the gathering forces ready to destroy Verity: a new wave of attack crafted for far more mayhem than ever before. The enemy was growing stronger.

Grasping.

Desperate.

And, as always, so very deadly.

It was a good sign for the future. Perhaps the first one she had found in a long time. She had been redirecting these attacks for a month, determined to give her friend space to heal. With disturbing eagerness, the watcher stood and drew out her double-bladed swords. Two perfectly balanced weapons she could wield for hours without growing weary. Her blades were an ancient source of power, one she knew had a future that would far extend past her meager time in this place.

They would be bathed in blood before she was done.

It was one of her favorite pastimes.

A mere nod of the head and she transported from her cave to the clearing where the enemy congregated.

They thought they were coming for Verity.

Instead, they would have to settle for her.

Verity was a friend. A sister. The veil-seer needed more time. Some things could not be rushed, no matter how much stronger the darkness grew, she was determined to give her friend time to find the light. The girl was still learning, training, gaining confidence over her powers as a member of Helm, and as a woman.

It was the watcher’s privilege, and her vow, to provide it.

She may have been cast as a witness, but she was only too willing to join the story. Her swords sang when she swung them, her body tensed and, once more, she was eager for the fight to come.

The watcher would watch no more.

***

The old woman sat back from her bowl, her face crossed with irritation at the intruder. It wasn't the first time she'd caught the witness, and she would have it no more. They were blocked, in all dimensions, from overseeing her activities.

A small annoyance, she was pleased to feel their withdrawal.

She had more vital issues to resolve.

First being where the children she loved the most were.

She put the wards in before they drew their first breaths. There should be no corner in all dimensions for them to hide from her.

And yet, she still could not find them.

If someone was keeping them from her view ... well, how would that even work? She had no clue. But if one would dare, they would soon tremble with horror at the depth and breadth of her eternal wrath.

These annoyances were why she swore children from her life once.

She had been filled with sorrow when she was forced to go back on that vow.

The only one she could find, the eldest, was not acting as she should.

Again ... children.

Why couldn't they just do as they were told?

Sighing, she returned to her scrying. Maybe they were safe. She'd been teaching them since the start how to work with the craft, hiding her lessons in tales before bed and directions while making cookies. They were not her first attempt at training, but they would have to be her last. She was aged and tired, more than willing to pass her legacy.

Her bowl was silent. The small ones were gone.

There was little left to see.

Pushing the bowl to the side, she sighed.

It was no use.

Verity would remain on the course she chose.

The twins were simply gone.

She could not make them appear. There was no life in her to make them change. She was too old to force the story now.

For once, it was she who was destined to watch.

1

I drew the sword over my head, tightening my two-fisted grip as I slowly released my held breath. The echoing hiss, as whatever was down the cave’s shaft moved closer to us, made chills race over my skin. What the hell is it?

My sibilant whisper reached Haydn and his band of not-so-merry men as they hovered over me. There was a sweet smell to the downdraft from their wings, neutralizing a portion of the stench of the creature we stalked. I couldn’t believe that less than a year ago I was nothing but a blind girl who only had her younger brother and sister for friends. Now, here I was with the hottie boy band of death about to put the bite on something big and bad.

So cool ... right?

Again, I could hear a horrible slither of a sound that made my stomach churn. Uhm, hello?

Verity, Wren ordered, pay attention.

The pounding ocean waves seemed to be the drumbeat of doom for whatever we were about to face. Or us. Pay attention? What else did he think I was doing? The only thing I could hear over the sound of the water outside was the creature traveling down the tunnel toward us. It was all well and good for the guys to be confident - they were flying and could blink out with nothing more than a nod of the head. I was the one stuck on the ground.

Maddox’s snicker made me grit my teeth. We think it’s an erichtonius.

Okay, I shrugged. When they accepted my blasé attitude, I wanted to scream. Or at least get a shotgun and have me some fun with target practice. Helm was better than Haven in the sense of humor department, but still not near to comprehending a normal teenager’s level of sarcasm. Considering how incredibly hot they all are I am pretty sure it would be a deadly blow for the sisterhood if I hit any of them in the face. Don’t act like it’s a word everyone knows.

The erichtonius is half baby and half serpent.

Yeah, I know. Gross. I shifted my stance and tightened my grip. The sword’s achijalabopa blade was actually the feather from a creationist bird that lives deep inside the earth in the heart of Haven, the enemies of Helm. The creature’s power was so great this small piece of its body was considered one of the highest honors you could receive. It was really cool. Deadly. And very pretty: the sword reflected a rainbow through the cave in the cliff over the Pacific, lightening the oppressive gloom. So it also came in handy. Who mixes a baby with a snake, I whispered.

This caused all the boys with me to start laughing. Someone, please, get me a gun.

To think I used to be the pacifist in my family.

A few months with these guys and I was pretty sure I would be capable of genocide.

They were originally created by Vulcan when he tried to rape the goddess Athena, Haydn explained.

Now here is a male I am happy to hear talk for hours. Not to mention sit and watch his muscles flex. He’s in charge of the half-models, half-everything else hovering above me, the leader of all of Helm, and the personal star of every one of my daydreams over the last few weeks. The first erichtonius was taken to the daughters of King Cecrops. Even though they were forbidden to look at him, eventually they broke the rules and went mad from the effect.

So don’t look at the half-baby half-snake thing. Good to know, I muttered.

Maddox sneered, I wouldn’t mind if you did.

A gun. Get. Me. A. Gun.

You don’t have to worry, Haydn assured me. We each have the charms to keep it from affecting us. Just make sure you keep the necklace that I gave you on at all times.

My hand covered the crystal charm on the leather thong for assurance. Is this the same erich-whatever? Wouldn’t that make it scary old?

Erichtonius, braniac, Maddox sneered.

Haydn did a somersault that caused a wind shear, almost sending Maddox into a wall. See why I love him? A swoop and a dive had Haydn landing next to me with barely a sign he had exerted himself. We think after the girls went crazy from looking at him they must have …

Seriously? He’s cute in the normal scheme of things with his dark, rumpled shoulder-length straight hair, dimple on the right side of the face, which is perfect, and the fresh-water blue eyes; but when he’s blushing? Knee-buckling hotness. Through and through. You think the Princesses got their groove on with the half-baby after they lost their minds. Makes sense. No sane human decides to sleep with a baby, much less a half-snake.

Haydn brushed a fingertip across my lips, winked, and took off again. Good thing. No boy should hear your heart go from a slow ballad beat to a pounding hip-hop driving rhythm, just from a single touch.

So what’s the plan?

How about if you try spotting it for us, veil-seer.

Maddox again. I bet you want him dead by now, too. Need I also mention he has his skeevy eyes turned onto my fourteen-year-old little sister? It’s true. I’m only two and three quarters years older than she is; but I know just what a seventeen year old is looking for, and he’s not going to find it in Jewel until she’s thirty. At least. I got the two of them separated just in time, and I'm determined not to let them ever see each other again. Which is probably why he hates me as much as I do him, huh?

We’ve been trying to secure this thing for a while, Haydn explained, making a point of ignoring the mental battle going on inside the one they were counting on. Which was me.

I nodded. Where are we, by the way?

A little cave in a cliff in the middle of the Oregon coast, Eric explained.

How’d it get here?

Eric landed next to me and drew his weapon. His black skin made him almost invisible in the dark light. I could see the gleam of his eyes, his teeth, and the incandescent glow the enchanted weapons we all used put off. An earth elemental must have made his sword. It looked ceramic. This made it very sharp, very deadly, and very easy to shatter. See, the thing about weapons is they tend to choose you. Not the other way around. Another interesting fact is no one at Haven or Helm carried a gun.

Take that, NRA.

I’m with you, girlfriend.

Big breath released. Eric being gay didn’t seem to have any effect on his ability to fight, or how the other guys saw him. Someone should introduce him to the armed forces. It didn’t hurt Eric is one-half tuatha (fairy to you norms) and one-half nymph. The fairy part explains the good looks and perpetual state of perfected glamour. Nymph makes him a deadly fighter, good-looking, and a great friend.

See why I like him so much?

The rest of our boy band of death is all partial-elves. One of the many things Tolkein got right about the elven race as a whole is they are the homicidal maniacs of both Haven and Helm.

Which is why, other than these forays, I stay as far away as possible from them.

Our target had arrived.

The erichtonius burst through the entrance like a lightning bolt on a clear summer night. It roared at us, and began to whip its tail around, trying to bat down the Shade. My body froze as my brain tried to process what it was witnessing. From the knees up I was looking at a three-story-building-sized infant. There was even a lock of hair on top of its head that curled. If it didn’t have triangle shaped teeth crammed with red mush, that I really hoped wasn’t blood or someone’s intestines, I would have thought it was cute. Which was when I smelled it.

The red stuff isn’t blood.

I know why it’s in Oregon, I bellowed to the others.

Why? they hollered at once.

Strawberries, the thing had turned on me, so I began to back-up.

And? Maddox started to drop rocks on top of its head.

Poof in some, I ordered.

Nothing.

Hello boys, the baby was getting closer and was really pissed.

Angry, evil, half-babies are surprisingly terrifying.

I don’t think there are enough strawberries in the world to satisfy one super-sized infant, Eric explained, as he took position in front of me. I knew he would defend me to the death. It was Eric’s nature to take care of people due to the tuatha thing, but he was also my friend. Of course, being the only veil-seer, and therefore priceless to them, didn’t hurt.

Seems until I can see stuff, no one else can do anything about it. It’s the power of my eyes that allows others to witness them as well. Simply put, I have the VIP access pass and no one gets in until I say it’s cool.

Life so doesn’t suck since my eye transplant.

Well, it hadn’t since I moved in with the almost all-male Helm camp.

Talk about a girly-girl’s dream.

Manifest some strawberries, I ordered the guys above me.

Finally someone called up a big old pile of juicy red berries. The erichtonius did a serpentine thing across the floor and began to stuff its face. "Now can we