Shadows and Sorcery: A Collection of Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance Novels

by Adkins, Heather Marie

  She’s a pretty little blonde always willing to go the extra mile. Before I came to Earth, before I saw Talia, she was my distraction, and I do enjoy taunting her, but there’s no way in Hell I would fuck her again, because I found my mate. But I do like to see how much she’ll do for me if I just asked.

  Pulling my phone from the pocket of my sweats, I swipe my thumb over the screen and open the photo I have of Talia. Amber eyes with those raven-colored waves are enough to have me imagining tugging them in my grip while I pound into her from behind.

  Fuck, I need to stop this. I can’t allow myself to want her, even though I would do anything to sink into her. To bathe in her innocence for a moment. That, however, will be my downfall. One taste of Talia will have me drowning. I’m not allowed to be pulled under her riptide. I need to swim. Keeping my head above water. My father was clear about what I needed to do. Before he died, he left me with all the Montgomery Grimoire. Filled with names of all those who’ve been in my position in past generations. My name, along with Talia’s, will be added to it soon enough.

  Grabbing my gym bag, I gulp the last of my coffee and make my way out the door. I need to work off some of this frustration, or there will be dire consequences today when I see those pretty eyes.

  * * *

  Pulling into the parking lot of the gym, I exit the car and grab my bag. The silence of an early morning is when I’m most at ease. Even though the night is the time I work best, the moment just before sunrise is intensely powerful. I enjoy the silence as it encompasses me in a deeply calming cocoon.

  Stashing my belongings in the locker, I head into the main area to find it deserted.

  This is the time of the day when everyone is rushing to get ready for work or to get kids to school. Perhaps some are still asleep, dreaming of things they can’t have. I wonder what she looks like when she sleeps. Like an angel, I am sure. Dark hair fanning over the pillow. Her long, black lashes fluttering over rosy cheeks. Her chest rising and falling as she breathes softly.

  My cock throbs in my sweats. Inhaling a deep breath, I shake my head and walk straight to the treadmill. Grabbing my earbuds, I plug them in and get lost in the music. As soon as I tap play, Trivium blares into my ears. I like my music the way I like my sex. Hard, rough, violent. I would love to see her eyes wide with fear as I fuck her. The need to feel her around me heats my blood, and soon, I’m boiling. There’s no doubt I’ll fuck her. Perhaps I can make her fall in love with me, then shatter her when I show her she’s nothing to me.

  She’ll come back stronger. Filled with anger, hate, and rage. Fire will blaze in her eyes and run through her veins. That’s how you get stronger. Love is a wasteful practice that humans believe in. They crave it, hunger for it. They’re wrong though. Love is a fleeting emotion that only serves to break you. That’s why she’s so fucking devastated right now — because she believed she loved.

  Sweat drenches my T-shirt, trickling down my spine as the plan formulates in my mind. Changing and evolving into something different. Something even darker and more sadistic than I’d originally thought up. I’ll be the asshole she’ll want to kill. And that will make her stronger, a worthy adversary. I may enjoy taking lives, but I enjoy a fight. I revel in a challenge.

  When he came to me that night and asked for my help, I couldn’t say no. We’d negotiated a deal. His life was ending, and mine . . . Well, mine is never-ending. How he knew that Talia and I were fated, I don’t know. He never told me. We reached an agreement, so I have to fulfill my end of the bargain.

  You see, I’m a special breed of Warlock. Mixed blood. Within the realm of my ancestors, each male in the family is twinned with a female from another family. Half dark and half light. Yin and Yang. Balance. That’s how the world still exists. Even though I have a blood brother, Talia is my other half. Our souls are of one, and she’s my light as I am her dark.

  Hitting the dial for an uphill run, I exert my energy into the jog. I can’t stop thinking about her, and that will become a problem because there’s no doubt once this is over, someone will die. I’ve waited, watched, observed, but it’s time to take the next step. Nothing could happen before she turned twenty-one, now she’s become the focus of Killian, the Elders, and me. We’re all waiting for the princess to step into her own.

  My legs ache from the exertion, and I welcome it happily. The pain and agony make me feel alive. Heating the normally cold blood that runs through my veins. Once I hit the ten-mile distance, it automatically slows to a walk, and I step off. Gripping the hand towel, I wipe my face and head into the showers.

  The private lockers are a godsend, since I can’t let anyone see the scars that adorn me, because people will question me, and they wouldn’t like or understand the answer. The human eye can pick up the scars, but what makes the cuts on my chest and back different is that they were caused by a demonic sword, which leaves the scars a midnight blue and deep plum. Royal blood scars.

  The electric showers are easy to use, and all I need to do is push the red button to turn on the heated spray. I strip off and step under the cascade, reveling in the way it pounds against my tense shoulders.

  I’ll call a meeting with her in my office. Keeping it private from the prying eyes of the staff on her floor. I’ll do it before the end of my work day, which means I can send Hayley, my PA, home early. At least she won’t complain about that.

  I need to get Talia alone. I want to needle my way into that pretty little head, ripping those deepest secrets and darkest desires from her. I’ll feed on them, allowing them to give me sustenance for the job at hand.

  As the water runs cold, I step out and grab my towel, quickly drying myself. Pulling on my briefs, then my black slacks, I turn to the mirror against the wall. I take in the small markings on my back before I slip on the crisp, white shirt. The job calls for formality, and I don’t like to disappoint. The deep-blue tie I fasten around my neck feels like a noose today.

  Running my fingers through my jet-colored hair, I take one last glance in the mirror, grab my belongings, and make my way out toward the parking lot. My sweet girl is sitting there waiting for me as I near her. I love my obsidian Aston Martin DB9 Volante. It’s my pride and joy. The purr of the engine always puts me at ease.

  Chucking my bag in the back, I slide into the plush, black leather driver’s seat and start the car. Since it’s almost seven-thirty, and the sun is turning the horizon a bright orange. I have a good feeling about today. Once the plan is underway, everything else will fall into place. With the radio on full blast, I weave through the early morning traffic with a smirk on my lips. I’m coming for you, little Princess.

  Moments later, I pull into the underground parking lot, and find it almost full. The car winds its way up to the VIP parking area, and I cruise into my spot easily.

  As soon as I am out of the car, my phone buzzes with an alert. I’m sure Talia must be in the office already, and she must have met Ley. When I retrieve my phone from my pocket, I slide my finger along the screen, finding a message from my PI. I’ve had eyes on her twenty-four seven since she accepted the job offer. The need to know what she’s doing is borderline obsessive.

  Unknown: She’s clean. It’s as if she’s not even living there.

  That makes sense. She’s scared to put down roots, just as I figured she might be. I know for a fact she’s been in the city a little over a month now.

  I round the corner and make my way into the building. Stepping into the private elevator, I push the key code in and wait as I ascend to the top floor. I don’t need to reply to the message; he knows I got it, loud and clear.

  The doors open on a soft whoosh, and as I step into the reception area, I find it deserted. Frowning at the lack of staff, I turn towards my corner office. When I took over the company, I made sure I got Dad’s old office, which overlooks Boston Common. I never learned why my father chose this city when New York would have been a much better choice.

  The city flits by under my scrutiny. Everyone so bu
sy with their lives, living each day that’s given to them. Working for the meager salaries, making sure they can pay their bills.

  Just like Talia.

  Although, there’s something more important to her than surviving. As I linger on thoughts of her, my office door flies open. The scent of perfume that used to fill my senses while I fucked the woman wearing it wafts around me. The same fragrance I’ve now come to find repulsive.

  “Kade,” her voice, cold and chilling, murmurs my name. The click of the lock is enough for me to know why she’s here. She knows there is no chance for us. When we got to Earth, I told her it’s over, and I think deep down, she still hates me for telling her that.

  “I don’t have time for this, Presley.” Turning, I find her poised on the edge of my desk. Her long legs crossed at the ankles, and her lips pursed into a blood-red pout.

  “You never seem to have time when I need you, Kade. Is this new girl worth the time and effort?”

  “As I said, I want her here. You don’t need to understand my motivations. You’re here to make sure the interns do their research. That’s it. If you’ve forgotten whose name is on the building, take a walk outside,” I bite out angrily, grinding my teeth together. I watch the disappointment flicker in her eyes, and as soon as it appeared, it’s gone the next instant. Anger replaces it immediately, and I can’t help smirking.

  “If you want to fuck her, why don’t—?” My hand grips her throat. Spinning her around, I press her against the glass. Tears form in her crystal-clear eyes, causing them to sparkle like jewels. Presley Roman thinks she knows me because we fucked a few times, but she doesn’t. Her lineage is as tainted as mine. We’d thought the world belonged to us. We killed, fed, did things that I’d rather not recall. I thought we would take over the Order, but then I found her swallowing Killian’s dick. That was the end. I was done.

  “Do not, I repeat, do not ever speak to me like that again. I’m not your boyfriend. I’m not even your friend. Underestimating me will be detrimental to you and that fancy life you seem to love so much.” Her soft moan is all the response I get and need. Releasing her quickly, I step back. “Now, go down to your office, pack your shit, and go home. Tomorrow, if you decide to walk back through those doors, make sure your personality fits the appearance.”

  Her fire slowly dims as she straightens. She’s tall, but I still tower over her six-foot frame. “See you tomorrow,” she mumbles, and with that, turns and stalks through my office door. I can’t help the frustration — I worked out earlier — returning with a vengeance as it races through me.

  My phone vibrates on the thick glass-top desk. Glancing down, I take in the name on screen. When I open his message, I can’t help the slow burn of my blood.

  Unknown: Thought you might want to see this.

  The image that’s attached is old, from a couple years ago, and it has me pushing up from my chair and heading toward the doorway. This is bullshit. Why did I not know about this? I stare down at the photo, which my PI has clearly lying on his desk, staring up at me from my screen. A shot of her leaving an apartment right after her best friend died. I know she went into depression, but for this shit to happen? There’s no excuse. His brother was supposed to be there. To sort shit out until I made my move.

  The apartment building in question is in a beautiful building in the suburbs, which is why I had left her with him. I realize I didn’t know as much as I thought I did about her. I wonder if she was taking drugs.

  It’s clear from the angle of the photo there are blue and purple marks on her upper arms, and the fury that it ignites in me is nothing short of cataclysmic. I could easily kill someone right now, and that’s not how I need to portray myself to my staff.

  Heading to the elevator, I feel the vibration and glance at the screen.

  Unknown: Do you want me to sort it out?

  Do I? Yes, I fucking do, but I want to be the one inflicting the damage. I’ll go tonight, find the asshole who hurt her, and make sure he’ll never touch another woman again. Before she walks into work tomorrow, it will be done.

  This asshole will feel wrath. He’ll drip blood, and I’ll savor it. Feeding off fear, anxiety, and panic is what I enjoy. It nourishes me more than normal food I’m forced to consume to appear human. Exhilaration races through my veins, giving me the high I crave.

  I can’t wait to kill him with my bare hands. Not because I’m a murderer, but nobody, no man, touches a woman in this way. Whatever she got herself into while she was studying, it’s over. Today it ends.

  Soon, those dark tresses will be fisted around my hand while I fuck her so hard she’ll never be able to find pleasure with another man. Every cock she’s ever had before me will be fucked out of her. They will be extinguished to nothing. And once I’ve conquered that beautiful body, I’ll reach inside her chest and steal her heart. When I have that, I’ll have all I need to crack her soul wide open. To make it as black as mine. She’ll no longer be the sweet daughter that her parents remember. She’ll be as fucked as I am, because only then will I have a worthy opponent.

  There’s a darkness in her that calls to me. It recognizes my own because she’s within me as I am in her. Both our lineages mixed in such a way that we either choose our light or our dark. Since she’s not yet learned of her powers, she’s never experienced what she’s truly capable of.

  Slowly, day by day, I’ll whittle away her defenses. She’ll know what it’s like to be within the darkest parts of our kind. I want her alone. No family. No friends. She has to depend only on me. Her isolation will eat at her that the only way she’ll think she can survive is to die. However, deep down, I know she won’t because we’re one and the same. I’m only going to make her stronger by breaking her. And once she’s remade, I’ll fucking claim her, and together we’ll take down the Order, and we will reign.

  My heart is racing at the thought.

  3

  Talia

  The office is silent, and since everyone left on their lunch break, I revel in the quiet. Since I walked into my job this morning, I’ve drained three mugs of the strong black coffee, yet I still feel the exhaustion trying to pull me under. Glancing at the time, I notice it’s hit one fifteen.

  Opening the web browser, I log into my personal email account. My parents said they’d send me updates on life back home. It’s been a month since I moved. When my best friend Rhys died, to say I went off the deep end would be an understatement. And as I scroll through the messages, the smile on my face disappears when I see a name I didn’t expect in my inbox.

  Rhys’s brother.

  And a memory slams into me.

  Reid saunters into the coffee shop, the same place Rhys and I would meet for hot chocolate and homework. He looks so happy when he nears the table. I watch him for a moment before standing and greeting him.

  “Tali” he smiles, but I can tell there’s something more lingering on his mind.

  Once we’re both seated, and he has a mug of coffee, he meets my lingering gaze, and I wonder just where this is going.

  “What happened last night?” he questions, and I realize he must know. Even though I’m wearing a sweater which covers the bruises, he must have heard from Trey that something happened. The pain is still there, haunting me, and I know it always will.

  “Nothing.”

  “Don’t give me that shit, little one.” Reid’s voice is dark. There’s an underlying anger that seems to inflect each word, and I don’t know how I’m meant to respond. He must’ve spoken to his best friend, or he wouldn’t be here giving me shit.

  “I walked out.”

  “Did you? For good this time?” His brows arch in question. He lifts the mug to his lips and takes a long sip while he watches me. His gaze penetrates me.

  “Something happened, and I can’t explain it. I wish you would just leave it at that.” I gulp down the last mouthful of hot chocolate before looking at Reid once more.

  “Embrace it, Tali. Hold on to who you are. But Trey will hurt yo
u. I’ve never been able to make an allegation stick. This time, I will kill him if he touches you again.”

  My body shudders at the memory of the night my life almost ended. But somehow I managed to shove Trey across the room. If it wasn’t for Reid, perhaps I would’ve gone back to Trey, but he knew his best friend was bad news, and he warned me. And if he hadn’t threatened to do something violent, maybe my stupidity would’ve taken me back, but it didn’t. Thankfully.

  My gaze flits over his email, which only tells me about his new job in the city. He moved to New York four months ago to work at an ad agency. He’s an artist, a damn good one too. I’m glad he got out of that town where the ghost of his brother seems to linger on every corner.

  The whoosh of my office door drags my attention from the email I’ve yet to read, but when my glance falls on the familiar man towering in the entrance, my breathing hitches, halting my train of thought and stealing my voice.

  My gaze drinks in the shiny black boots. Then slowly, I take in the way the soft material of his pants hug what look like impossibly thick thighs. A silver belt buckle glints as he shifts, and a tight-fitting dress shirt seems to encase taut, ripped muscles beneath. He must easily be over six feet.

  He’s not bulky though. His lean muscle and strong arms show he’s in good shape. Fuck, he’s delicious. My perusal flits to his tousled, jet-black hair that looks like he’s just run his fingers through it. When I reach the most incredible full lips that are curled into a sinful smirk, I swallow deeply, hoping the lump in my throat will dissipate.

  It’s then that my gaze locks on azure eyes. They shimmer and sparkle with danger and hunger under the fluorescent lamp.

  Kade Montgomery.