Lottery king 8, p.1
Lottery King 8, page 1
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Cast of Characters
Abby: Human Samantha Ayer’s partner. Brown hair. Brown Eyes. Runs a dance school for kids.
Ace: Sone Driver in Yangon City, Myanmar. Short black hair. Brown eyes.
Achilles: Fae The famed Achilles of Greek Legend. 2000 years old. Long gray hair and beard. Pale blue eyes. Translucent wings.
Alexander: Gorgon Deceased. Leader of the Machités gia tin Elefthería. White-and-red snakes. Gray eyes. Possessed the power to turn creatures to stone.
Airric: Merfolk Citizen of Neirnan, brother of Pearl. Gray-blue hair. Dark blue eyes. Green scales, fins, and tail.
Amy Ayers: Human Michael’s mother. Brown hair. Hazel eyes. Dentist.
Anh: High fae Ancient teacher and mentor. Vietnamese. Dark gray chin-length hair. Brown eyes with amber flecks. Possesses the power to sense the talents and abilities of paranormals.
Artemis: High fae Convenience store clerk. Neon green hair. Vine tattoos. No wings.
Bambi: Half-fawn fae, half-high fae Flight attendant on Michael’s private jet. Brown hair. Green eyes. Pointed ears. White freckles. Black deer nose and tail.
Birch: High fae Valet triplet. Bright green hair. Brown eyes. Dragonfly wings.
Buckley: Witch Butler and groundskeeper of Kiska House. Silver hair. Blue eyes.
Calliope: High fae Lord River’s daughter. Light-brown hair. Green eyes. No wings.
Captain Ross: Witch Captain of Michael’s yacht, the Majestic Seas. Balding gray hair under an ever-present captain’s hat. Gray eyes.
Claude: Vampire Lady Vivianne’s progeny. Jet black hair. Shiny green eyes.
Cove: High fae Advisor to the king. Long, light-blue hair. No wings.
Dedan: Kinnara Butler of the house in Yangon City, Myanmar. Large, feathered macaw wings. Slicked back, black hair. Warm brown eyes.
Dinah: Aswang Hepe Kendi’s daughter. Filipino. Long black hair. Red-brown eyes. Round face, full figure.
Doris: Merfolk Housekeeper of the house on Vaeletta Island. Seafoam-green hair. Golden-yellow eyes. Seafoam-green scales.
Emily Williams: Human Michael’s second-oldest sister. Black hair. Bright blue eyes. Calculus professor at UCLA.
Ena: Shadow Nymph Royal guard.
Eva & Ellie: Gorgon Mrs. Baros’ daughters. Blue snakes. Blue eyes. Possess the power to turn creatures to stone.
Finch: High fae Poppy’s father. Dark blue hair. Purple eyes. Bumblebee wings.
Firo: Dragon-folk Head of royal security. Orange-and-blue streaked hair. Slitted eyes. Seven feet tall.
Flint: High fae Poppy’s brother. Wavy, shoulder-length, vivid blue hair. Purple eyes like his sister’s. Bumblebee wings.
Flora: High fae Cook and maid of Kiska House. Wavy pink hair with streaks of gray. Green eyes. Butterfly wings.
Gabe: High fae Rune’s assistant advisor. White hair. Bright green eyes. Dragonfly wings.
Garrett: Werewolf Royal chauffeur and bodyguard. Thick brown hair. Elongated canines.
Gemmaline “Gemma”: Merfolk Lord Finn’s sister and commander in the merfolk armies. Aquamarine hair with curtain bangs. Magenta eyes. Indigo scales around her eyes and wrists. Possesses the power to transform another being into a merfolk for a short period of time.
Gerald: Gnome Head chef of the king. Light-brown hair with a man bun. Four feet tall. Possesses the power to taste lies.
Goddess Raeva: Celestial Creator of all paranormal beings. Source of all magic in the world. Conducts the royal lottery.
Gregor: Merfolk Soldier in Gemma’s merfolk army. Short mint-green hair. Green eyes.
Grey: Selkie Scout in the selkie team. Thick, scruffy brown beard and hair. Brown eyes. Broad shoulders. Turns into a sea lion in his selkie form.
Gwenna: High fae Maid at the California house. Pink-and-blue striped hair. Blue eyes. Middle-aged and plump.
Henter: Merfolk Soldier in Gemma’s merfolk army. Short-cropped black hair. Brown eyes. Mostly black scales, fins, and tail that shimmer with red and orange. Possesses the power of extreme strength when swimming.
Hepe Kendi: Aswang Chief of Bahay Island. Filipino. Long black hair. Red-brown eyes. Large diagonal scar on his chest. Possesses the power to subdue ocean waves and transform into having large bat wings.
Iris: High fae Poppy’s mother. Dark teal hair. Bright green eyes. Iridescent Tinkerbell wings.
Isla: Witch Head housekeeper of the king. Gray hair. Short and round.
Ivis: Half-dryad, half-high fae King Roman’s niece. Green skin. Wavy, dark green hair with oak leaves. Brown eyes.
Jake Roberts: Human Katie’s husband. Sandy hair. Brown eyes. Works in IT.
James: Siren Lady Helena’s driver. White hair. Gray eyes.
Jessica Price: Human Michael’s oldest sister. Dark brown hair. Blue eyes. Runs a clothing company where Michael used to work.
Jet: Shadow Nymph Royal guard.
John Ayers: Human Michael’s father. Salt-and-pepper hair. Blue eyes. Professor of microbiology at UCF (retired).
Jonah: Merfolk Inventor of the bubble buildings. White mohawk. Slate-gray eyes, scales, fins, and tail.
Kage: Shadow Nymph Royal guard.
Kan: Belu Owner of elephant touring company. Short gray hair. Brown eyes. Possesses the power to shift his form– often chooses a wrinkled, toothless old man.
Katie Roberts: Human Michael’s closest-in-age sister. Medium brown hair. Hazel eyes. Kindergarten teacher.
King Roman: Dryad Deceased. Former King of the Eternal Realm.
King Vairn: Vampire Deceased. Former King of the Eternal Realm before Michael’s reign.
Kinny: Merfolk One of Lord Crane and Lord Vagin’s captives. White hair. Silver-blue eyes.
Kol: Witch Royal finance manager. Gray comb-over. Steely gray eyes.
Koschei: Witch An ancient paranormal. Thick, brown, shoulder-length hair. Brown eyes. Long mustache that hangs to his chest. Thick and broad torso. Possesses the power to tether himself to the lifelines of other beings and force them to remain alive.
Kyle: Werewolf Drunken guest at the royal wedding. Shaggy blond hair. Brown eyes. Tall and burly.
La: Haljita Collective voice of the gathering of haljita. Glows with a soft, warm yellow light.
Lady Berra: Harpy Deceased. Representative of the South Asian harpies. Auburn hair. Charcoal gray eyes. Ashy gray-feathered wings.
Lady Ellia: Celestial Ears, eyes, and voice of the Goddess. Golden-blonde hair. Soft blue eyes. Glows with sunlight.
Lady Helena: Harpy Representative of the Grecian harpies. Chocolate-brown hair. Caramel eyes. Tawny-feathered wings.
Lady Lo Vampire Representative of Southeastern United States Vampires. Replaced Lady Vivianne. Brown hair. Shiny brown eyes. Plump figure.
Lady Pemala: Sone Representative of Myanmar sones. Tall, statuesque, busty figure. Silver-white hair. Black eyes.
Lady Rain: Merfolk Representative of the North Atlantic merfolk. Replaced Lord Crane when he was removed from the position.
Lady Shay: Gnome Representative of the New England gnomes. Thick auburn hair. Golden-brown eyes. Three feet tall.
Lady Tansea: Dryad King Roman’s sister and Ivis’ mother. Dark green oaks leaves. Brown eyes. Nearly seven feet tall.
Lady Taylee: Dryad Representative of the North Carolina dryads. Green leaves. Brown eyes. White and pink magnolia blossoms.
Lady Vivianne: Vampire Deceased. Representative of the South United States vampires. Obsidian-black hair. Dark gray eyes.
Lady Windy: Cyclops Representative of the Canadian cyclopes. Short, dark brown hair. One blue eye. Almost seven feet tall.
Lord Alan: Werewolf Representative of the Southeast United States werewolves. Curly, dark brown hair. Blue eyes. Elongated canines.
Lord Atlas: Merfolk Representative of the Grecian merfolk. Chin length, white hair. Deep blue eyes. Light-yellow scales.
Lord Crane: Merfolk Former representative of the North Atlantic merfolk. Stark white hair. Dark green eyes. Barrel chested.
Lord Finn: Merfolk Representative of the Atlantic Ocean merfolk. Shoulder length, ice-blue hair. Deep blue eyes.
Lord Griff: Harpy Representative of the South Asian Harpies. Replaced Lady Berra. Long brown ponytail. Dark brown eyes. Barrel-chested.
Lord Larry: Witch Representative of the American West Coast Witches. Short, curly brown hair. Brown eyes.
Lord Oba: Harpy Representative of the Grecian harpies. Balding, gray hair. Blue eyes. Light gray-feathered wings.
Lord Ohnmar: Belu Representative of Myanmar belu. Thick, wavy black hair. Black eyes. Possesses the power to shift his body and often uses it for theatrical effect.
Lord River: High fae Representative of the European fae. Silver hair. Green eyes. No wings.
Lord Trent: Sea nymph Representative of the North Atlantic sea nymphs. Blue body that can turn into liquid form.
Lord Vagin: Nykur Deceased. Representative of all ocean-dwellers in the Kara Sea and Barents Sea region. Brown hair. Brown eyes. Looks mostly human. Possesses the power to create powerful magical barricades.
Lord Virgil: Dryad Representative of the Canadian dryads. Dark green, mossy hair. Light-brown eyes. Thick and broad like a redwood.
Lord Zale: Merfolk Representative of the South Atlantic Merfolk. Balding gray hair. Milky orange eyes. Very old.
Lorenzo: High fae Ancient teacher. Long, scraggly gray hair. Light-blue eyes. Thin frame. Possesses the power to create powerful glamours.
Maggie: Merfolk Vaeletta Island staff. Short, curly, olive-green hair. Dark green eyes. Muted olive-green scales.
Margot & Shannon: Human Friends of Michael’s sister Katie.
Matis: High fae Valet triplet. Bright pink hair. Silver eyes. Dragonfly wings. Has a passion for boxing.
Michael Ayers: Human King of the Eternal Realm. Short black hair. Bright blue eyes.
Miriam: Sea nymph Citizen of Salirius City. The last remaining descendant of the only sea nymph family to help found Salirius City. Plump body the color of algae-filled pond water.
Moon: Sea nymph Commander Gemma’s assistant. Pale blue color like moonlight.
Mrs. Baros: Gorgon Lady Helena’s housekeeper. Dark blue snakes. Blue eyes. Possesses the power to turn creatures to stone.
Nira: Shadow Nymph Member of the Grecian reserve guards. Short and petite.
Nori: Merfolk Nurse in Salirius City infirmary. Yellow ponytail. Pink eyes. Bright pink scales, fins, and tail.
Nymerial: Fawn-fae Kitchen maid. Deer ears, tail, and nose. Brown hair. Wide brown eyes.
Nyxx: Shadow Nymph Commander in the Royal Guard.
Ophelia: Siren Owner of The Odyssey Club.
Pansy: Sprite Garden worker. Bright peacock-blue hair, feathers, and eyes. Three inches tall. Hummingbird wings.
Pearl: Merfolk One of the survivors of Rhaiden’s mind control, sister of Airric. Tangled brown hair. Gray eyes. Dulled sunset-orange tail.
Peter & Philip: Centaur Twin chariot race champions. Peter has dark brown hair. Philip has golden-brown hair.
Pike: Shadow nymph Scout in the shadow nymph guard.
Poppy: High fae Advisor to the king. Teal hair. Purple eyes. Iridescent Tinkerbell wings. Possesses the power to create protective shields and mind enchantments.
Rae: Witch Cousin of Lord Larry. Curly brown hair. Light-brown eyes. Lots of freckles.
Rhaiden Shaddstem: High fae Michael’s twelve times great-grandfather. Salt-and-pepper hair. Blue eyes. No wings. Possesses the power to influence and charm others.
Rijah: Adze Ancient teacher and mentor. Dark ebony skin. Bald head. Shiny gray eyes. Possesses an endless memory and has studied history his entire life.
Ro: Haljita Glows with a deep blue light.
Robin Fletcher: Human Michael’s best friend. Digital artist for video games. Shaggy brown hair. Gray-blue eyes.
Rune: High fae Advisor to the king. Thick golden hair. Teal eyes. Bumblebee wings. Possesses the power to alter the size of his body and limbs at will.
Samantha Ayers: Human Michael’s third-oldest sister. Short, dark brown hair. Blue eyes. Accountant.
Sergeant Jolt: Merfolk Soldier in the Merfolk army. Short black hair. Dark green eyes. Silvery-blue scales around his temples and cheekbones. Silvery-blue tail.
Sheila: Witch Housekeeper of the house on Green Island in the Florida Keys. Silver-streaked hair. Green eyes.
Sunny: High fae Valet triplet. Sunflower-yellow hair. Green eyes. Dragonfly wings. Possesses the power to radiate warmth from his hands like sunlight and sense the time of day from the position of the sun as if it were a part of himself.
Sveta: Witch Ancient teacher and mentor. Long, messy gray hair. Steely gray eyes. Very old, with many wrinkles, and a thin frame. She is the original inspiration for the Baba Yaga myth.
Thistle: Dryad Royal gardener. Green leaves with orange blossoms. Brown eyes. Green skin.
Ti: Haljita One of the haljita who observed Michael’s actions with the earth elementals. Glows with a green light.
Tristan: Cyclops Royal butler. Bald. One brown eye. Seven feet tall.
Todd: Werewolf Drunken guest at the royal wedding. Shaggy, dark brown hair. Brown eyes. Tall with broad shoulders.
Ty: Merfolk Lord Zale’s daughter and caretaker. Creamsicle-colored hair. Blue eyes.
Wist: Merfolk Soldier in Gemma’s merfolk army. Pale blue, almost white hair. Pale yellow eyes. Nearly white scales, fins, and tail. Possesses the power to glow with bioluminescent energy.
Yadira: Jinn Ancient teacher and mentor. Long, dark gray ponytail. Brown almond-shaped eyes. Possesses the power to create material resources similar to alchemy.
Zeek: Shadow nymph Scout in the shadow nymph guard.
Chapter 1
The man on the screen looked horrible. Dark circles were under each of his eyes, and his formerly brown complexion was locked in a sweaty pallor. There was almost no light left in his eyes, but he continued to refuse to cooperate or answer even a single question.
“How long has he been kept awake?” I asked as I stared at the computer screen on the desk in front of me.
“Today is day seven, your majesty,” Rune answered.
The Zawgyi man had been a high-ranking member of The Rising camp we’d infiltrated and captured in Yangon, Myanmar just four weeks before, and he’d been belligerent and violent during his entire imprisonment.
Now he sat in a cold and damp prison cell chained to a chair as my shadow nymph guards interrogated him. The computer before me displayed a live video that streamed from the prison in Myanmar so I could watch the interrogation in real time.
Magic-dampening restraints were around the man’s ankles and wrists to keep him from being able to use his powers. A Zawgyi had versatile magic like witches and sones, but they tended to specialize in what humans would categorize as chemistry. The initial reports of his capture had explained in detail how he could create burning acid or volatile explosions with common substances, and I’d ordered him to be locked in the dampening restraints at all times.
I watched as Sai’s eyelids started to lower from the sheer exhaustion of a week without more than a few minutes of sleep at a time. His eyes rolled back, and his eyebrows raised up like he was trying to force his eyes open again.
The three shadow nymph guards in the room waited until his shoulders drooped forward, and the only thing that held him upright was the leather strap around his chest. He heaved a deep breath as his brain slid into sleep.
One shadow nymph picked up a plastic bucket from the corner of the room and lifted it toward Sai’s head.
“Wake up, fucker!” another of my shadow nymphs shouted.
At the same time, the other shadow nymph threw the bucket of ice-cold water all over the Zawgyi’s head and torso.
“Aaah!” Sai screamed as he was torn brutally from sleep.
“Tell us what The Rising wants,” the third shadow nymph growled. “And maybe we’ll let you sleep for an hour.”
“No.” Sai’s voice was quiet, but it didn’t shake or tremble.
I’d given this team of shadow nymphs permission to take their interrogation to the next level. They’d begun with the sleep deprivation in an attempt to wear down Sai’s defenses, but he was shockingly resilient.
The three guards looked at one another and seemed to have a silent conversation before the one who’d thrown the bucket of ice water walked out of the room.
“You’re going to regret that choice,” the third guard said.
I got the impression he was the unofficial leader of this small team, and my heart pounded as I waited to see what they would do next.
The Rising was a violently dangerous group of radicals who’d been on a mission to burn humans at the stake in the middle of the festival last month. They’d kidnapped and experimented on hundreds, if not thousands, of people since they’d formed decades ago.
But what was most troubling was the unconfirmed idea that they were going after the Goddess herself. I couldn’t leave that potential threat to simmer and fester. I needed to know what they wanted, what their goal was, and who else worked for them.
There was too much at stake here.
Rune stood a silent vigil beside me with his turquoise eyes on the screen like he couldn’t let me experience the horrors I’d allowed alone. I was eternally grateful for the golden-haired advisor, and I’d been trying to come up with the right way to reward him for his loyalty.
My eyes were brought back to the computer screen as the cell door opened again. The shadow nymph who’d walked out now returned with a small black device in one hand. It only took me a second to realize it was a taser.
