The Portal to Sidhe: Book 1 Read online

  The Portal to

  SIDHE

  Book One

  By Kelsey Schaeffer

  Copyright 2019 © By Kelsey Marie Schaeffer

  The Portal to Sidhe: Book One

  First Edition

  Published 2019

  All rights reserved

  No part of this book may be copied by any method or reproduced without formal written permission from author Kelsey Marie Schaeffer (Formally, Kelsey Marie Hahn), or where permitted by law.

  Printed in United States of America

  Cover created by Kelsey Marie Schaeffer

  All names, characters, places, titles, and ideas are products of fiction and imagination

  Part One

  Chapter 1

  I heard the faint sound of a siren wail from far beyond the mountains. My father and I looked at one another, but neither of us knew what the noise could be. The sound was so distant it was almost muted behind the sound of the birds’ song. I held my breath and shut my eyes as I focused all my attention to the noise, but I couldn’t make out what it was. It almost sounded like a tornado siren, like the ones we learned about in elementary school, but tornados were rare in Washington State. They were even more rare in our small town settled in the hills.

  It was a spring night, the eve before graduation. The smells of fresh flowers were transported through a cool spring breeze as birds sung in the distance and the flowers danced to their tune. I was sitting out on the front porch with my father, rocking in our wooden chairs and discussing the last four years of my life. We talked about school dances and activities. We laughed, as he reminded me of the first time I drove.

  As I looked around, I saw the magnificent town we lived in. The landscape was overwhelmed with cherry blossoms casting their reflections onto the crystal clear lake. The ground surrounding the lake was carpeted with velvet like moss and perfect emerald green grass. Our town was nestled in a valley between forested mountains and rolling emerald hills. The sight of perfection loomed in every direction.

  As I gazed around town, I noticed the tree branches were beginning to dance as they swayed to the rhythm of the breeze. The wind quietly whistled through the air as I began to quietly reminisce the last eighteen years of my life. I thought of the wonderful home I grew up in, my family and my father. My father was one of my best friends and the person I admired most. He had raised me on his own and I had little to complain about. My life was as close to perfect as any girl’s could be. The two of us lived alone in a fancy custom-built Victorian house. The house was quite large for only the two of us, but we had a lot of family nearby and we were always entertaining.

  The three thousand square foot home had a large wooden wrap around porch with seating everywhere. My father and I spent every warm night we could, sitting on the front porch, rocking back and forth and discussing our day.

  The solid oak front door welcomed a grand entryway, with a library immediately to the right. The library was home to books from floor to ceiling, wrapping every wall in the room. The only area of the wall not overwhelmed by books, was the large stone fireplace right in the center. There were two leather chairs just in front of the fireplace, one for me and one for my father. The chairs looked prominent, but the moment you took a seat, your body would sink like you were sitting on a cloud. The library was a favorite spot for my father and I. Many a night, the two of us sat in the library to read or discuss our day.

  All of our family and friends lived in our small town, so distance was never in the way. Grandma Lauren or Grandma Rebecca frequently came over to help cook a feast. My grandparents and aunt Allison all lived on the same street, so they were over all the time. My Father raised me alone, but my aunt Allison had helped nanny me, until I was able to care for myself.

  The first floor of the home had a parlor, which was mostly used for company. There was a gourmet kitchen and my father’s office as well. Although we lived immediately next door to the town mansion, where my father worked, he did the majority of his work from his home office. My father was an investor, and his main responsibility was investing money into the town. Several years ago, when I was a baby, my father was the town king, but when my mother died, he stepped back to spend time with me. My father was on the town counsel and worked as an advisor to the interim king and queen. Although my father had stepped back, he was still the true king, and after graduation in a few weeks, I would be stepping forward and taking the rule.

  As my father and I continued to sit quietly, I heard a faint clap of thunder as the siren continued to wail and moments later, a bolt of lightning struck into the mountains.

  “Looks like a storm is coming in,” my father said, as a small gust of wind lifted his hair. “I wonder if that’s a tornado siren?”

  I shrugged. I had only heard the sound of a tornado siren on television. The noise was so faint, it was hard to hear.

  A fog was beginning to form atop the mountains and a musty scent was drifting through the air. Storms came through our tiny Washington town frequently in the spring, but from the scent of the air and the sudden gust of wind, I knew a big storm was heading our way.

  I watched the perfect carpet of emerald grass begin to sway as the wind brushed through each blade. The sunny sky above was beginning to turn gray. Although there was a storm coming in, my father and I continued to sit and rock, while I thought about my childhood home.

  The second floor of our home had two quaint bedrooms and my dad’s bedroom suite. My dad built the attic just for me. The attic had three rooms and a bathroom. I had a very beautiful bedroom with a large window to let in plenty of light. I also had my own sitting room where I could watch television and spend time with friends. The other room was once my playroom where I had a dollhouse and played make believe. As I grew older, my father moved my beloved toys to the basement and turned it into an office for me to do school work and prepare myself as Queen.

  As the two of us sat on the front porch, a light rain began dancing on the rooftop above. A misty fog grew from the lake, as the sky began to grow dark. The distant sound of thunder echoed through the mountains, and an occasional bolt of lightning, lit up the sky. As the musty smell of rain-washed below my nostrils, I continued to rock back and forth while thinking about certain magic that loomed our town.

  Our town is different than most small towns; it is home to supernatural beings, superhumans, vampires and fairies. When I was only a few months old, our town suffered a great tragedy. The town was attacked by what we now call, the vile. When the vile attacked, my father went through a tragedy that he would never discuss and my mother was killed gruesomely.

  Throughout the years, I asked my father questions of my mother’s death. He struggled to speak about it and would only give me little information. There was very little evidence of the tragedy, as the town had been mostly burned down and rebuilt. My father had a single photo of my mother from several years ago. The photo sat on a shelf in our library. According to my father, the year of my mother’s death was a distant and difficult memory.

  As we sat outside, it was getting later in the evening. The sirens finally stopped, but the storm grew on. The sky was growing darker, as the storm continued to grow more powerful. Although I felt a sense of delight watching the storm roll in, I needed to lie out my clothes for my graduation ceremony. The rainfall was picking up and a light mist of rain blew under our covered porch. I decided to head in for the evening. I gave my father a kiss on the cheek and headed into the house. My father continued rocking on the porch as the wind began to shriek. The siren from afar began to quietly wail once more. I wondered what the noise could be?

  I headed up the stairs to my room, and realized I had forgotten to lie out the gradu
ation tickets. I pulled the tickets out of my desk and headed back down the stairs. When I reached the first floor, I peeped out the window to check on my father. Rain was pouring down and lightning was illuminating the sky, as the sound of thunder shook the entire house. My father was still sitting on the covered porch, staring out into the rain. Like the rain was falling from the sky, tears were rolling down his eyes.

  It was rare for me to see my father cry. He was one of the toughest people I knew. In my mind, he was unbreakable. I thought for a moment if I should ask if he was okay, but I didn’t want to embarrass him, so I headed on my way.

  Before heading to the kitchen, I quickly took a glimpse of the photo of my mom. Although I never had the chance to know her, I longed for a mother and wished she could be there tomorrow.

  I headed to my room and turned out the lights before climbing into bed. Tomorrow would be the end of my childhood, and a stepping-stone into the chapter of my new life. After my graduation ceremony, I would be given one week to relax and have some time for self. Then, I would begin orientation at the mansion. Next month I would be attending my first town ball, which was also my coronation as Queen. Although my father’s home was next door to the mansion, I would be leaving home and moving in the mansion the day after the ball. It was difficult to sleep, as thoughts raced through my mind. Tomorrow was going to be a big day.

  I woke up early the next morning as the sound of thunder boomed loudly outside my window. It was clear the storm had gone on through the night. Although it was morning, the sky was still gray. I could hear the sound of rain pounding on the rooftop above.

  I hopped out of bed and quickly showered. As I dressed, I listened to some music, singing along joyfully in excitement for my big day. After the graduation ceremony, my family and most of the town were coming to our house to celebrate. My father was throwing a big party for both my best friend Damon and I.

  Damon’s was my best friend and one of my only real friends. It was difficult to make friends, being different and living in a secret town for supernaturals. The two of us attended a very small private school in a nearby town. My graduating class only had twenty-five students. Although I had a few acquaintances, I was very shy and kept to myself. I was never allowed to have outside friends over, because the secrecy of our town.

  Since I was little, I clung to Damon and the two of us were best friends. My father treated Damon like a son since our dad’s were best friends. Damon had a younger brother named Victor and his family treated me as if I was one of their own. Despite our families being so close, Damon was a bit different from me; his mother was a fairy and his father a superhuman. Damon and his brother were the only fairy/superhuman hybrids in town.

  Everyone in the town joked that Damon and I would marry and he would be king. My father adored Damon, and although he never said it, I knew that he hoped Damon would one day follow in his footsteps. Although everyone spoke of our marriage, it was the farthest thing from my mind. I had never had a boyfriend, let alone been kissed. For eighteen years, Damon and I had only been friends.

  My family was already gathered in the parlor when I walked down the stairs. My father was dressed in a nice suit as he stood in the corner talking to my aunt Allison. My father rarely dressed up, but today was a big day. My aunt looked just as beautiful as the photo of my mother with her shoulder length golden curls and sparkling green eyes.

  My grandparents were sitting together on the couch talking. My father’s parents had died many years ago, but my mother’s parents were still alive. My mom’s biological mother’s name was Lauren. She was one of the few humans in town. My mother Lexi, was a powerful superhuman, who had received her superpower from her biological father. Very little was said about my biological grandfather, except he was a vile.

  The vile are exactly the same as a superhuman, except they are evil, manipulative and use their superpowers to do harm. Superhumans are good, honest and kind. They use their powers to bring good and love to one another and fight evil.

  Because my grandfather was a vile, my grandma Lauren had to run from him and could only care for one child. My grandma Lauren took my aunt Allison and hid with her at Pine Lake. My grandmother gave my mother to her best friend and her husband to raise as their own. Even though my grandparents were not superhuman or of my blood, they raised my mother and loved me as their own grandchild. After my mother’s death, they also moved to Pine Lake to watch me grow up.

  Shortly after I came downstairs to join my family, there was a knock at the door. Damon and his family had arrived. I gave everyone a hug and they told me I looked beautiful. Everyone said hi to one another and soon after, we loaded up into our vehicles and were on our way.

  The ceremony was small, but very nice. When my name was called, I shook hands with the principle as he handed me my diploma. I smiled for some photos and returned to my seat. I could see in the audience, my father, with tears in his eyes. After a few speeches, the Principle spoke a few final words and the crowd cheered as we threw our caps in the air.

  I said goodbye to a few of my acquaintances and our group loaded back up in our vehicles and headed back to town. The sky remained gray as it rained the whole way home. At one point it even began to hail. As it had the evening before, I heard a quiet wail coming from beyond the mountains. My stomach was in knots from the weather, but my father remained confident as he continued down the highway.

  When we finally arrived home, we ran from the car as quickly as we could to avoid the rain. When we entered the home, the rooms were already filled with members of the town. Addison and Ayden, the King and Queen of the fairies immediately greeted me in the foyer. They hugged me tight and told me they were proud. The three town vampires, Jewl, Loxes and Ben were standing around in the library. They waved as I walked by.

  Maria and Brandon, the King and Queen, were sitting at the dining room table talking amongst several others. When Maria saw me, she smiled and called me to the table. I took a seat at the foot of the table next to Sophia and Virgo and their three children.

  Sophia and Virgo led the town warriors. The warriors were a small supernatural army that focused on keeping the town safe, especially from the vile. The town warrior group was very small, but would grow soon, as several of the town’s children would soon be eighteen and graduate high school. Damon would be joining the warriors next week.

  My father had once led the warriors with Sophia, but had stepped down after my mother died. I considered joining the warriors as my mother and father had, but my father advised me to focus on town leadership. My father was very overprotective and at times, I felt very sheltered.

  Shortly after I was seated, Damon joined our table and sat next to me. Damon and the other children were discussing their soon membership to the warrior team. In two years, Garmond, Sophia’s eldest son, would become a warrior just like Damon.

  After a few moments of sitting around the table, Emma, our housekeeper, began to bring in plates of food. My father had bar-b-que and several scrumptious side dishes catered for this special event. My plate had pulled pork, brisket, corn on the cob, potatoes and a roll—some of my favorites. The food smelt smoky and delicious. My mouth watered just from the smell of the meat.

  After finishing our delicious meal, Damon looked at me and said, “Can you join me for a few minutes?”

  I looked around the table and said, ”Excuse me, I will be back shortly.” I gave the guests a quick smile.

  Damon began to head upstairs. We climbed both flights of stairs and headed into my sitting room. He didn’t say much as we walked in. He looked around the room nervously and played with his pockets. The way he was acting, was completely out of character.

  “Is everything okay?” I asked.

  “Yeah!” he cried a bit to enthusiastically. I could see he was sweating.

  “Damon, sit down.” I ordered.

  He didn’t sit; instead he walked over to me. Sweat was beading on his forehead and his cheeks were rosy pink. He looked a bit sick. As
he continued to play with his pockets, I could see he was shaking and I could hear him breathing loud and fast. I was beginning to worry.

  When he was standing right in front of me, he slowly placed one knee to the ground. I was feeling quite confused by his actions. Finally, he stopped messing with his pockets and settled down enough to reach in and grab something. It was a small box. His hands continued to shake as he lifted it out of his pocket. I wasn’t sure what was going on, but as he opened the box, my heart started to race. His trembling fingers pulled something from the box.

  It was way my mother’s ring.

  Damon reached for my left hand as his fingers trembled. He held up the ring and said, “Miranda, will you marry me?”

  Chapter 2

  I was speechless. I stood there for several moments with my mouth open, not a word came out. Damon was waiting patiently on his knee, trembling, while waiting for a response. Finally after what seemed like several minutes, I pulled my hand away. Without saying a word, I turned around and walked out of the room. My mind was completely blank, as my body seemed to just move mechanically.

  I walked down the stairs, all the way to the first floor. There were still people everywhere and some tried to speak to me, but in the moment, sound could not reach my brain. There was only silence in my mind as I saw their mouths move. I continued to walk forward. I looked around the house and when I finally entered the kitchen, I saw my father dishing out plates of food. He looked at me with a giant smile upon his face. I stared at him blankly for a few moments before he asked, “Is everything okay?”

  “I need to talk to you,” I said sternly.

  “Sure, Sweetheart,” He smiled as he put a spoon down and headed towards me.

  “Upstairs!” I demanded.

  He looked concerned, but he stopped what he was doing. As he followed me, the two of us headed towards the staircase. Guests looked at us in confusion as we headed away from the party. When we reached the second floor, I headed into my dad’s suite and sat down on his couch.