Nine by Night: A Multi-Author Urban Fantasy Bundle of Kickass Heroines, Adventure, & Magic

by SM Reine

  The other IRD agent touched my sleeve. “You need to see the EMT?” he asked, squinting closely at my face through his spectacles. “You look pretty bad.”

  Just my shriveled pride shattering into a million pieces. Don’t mind me. “I’m fine. Thanks.”

  I couldn’t deal with the investigation anymore. I headed upstairs to the bar, snagging a bottle of wine out of the rack on my way up the stairs. I know I’d sworn to stop drinking, but it wasn’t hard liquor—a little wine never hurt anybody.

  Sinking into one of the leather chairs on the first floor, I uncorked the bottle and took a swig. It tasted a little peppery, kind of woody. A lot like bitter self-hatred.

  Isobel took the chair next to me and reached for the bottle. “I could use some of that.” Her bloody face had been cleaned and someone had given her an OPA-branded jacket that was way too big on her. She looked absolutely terrible.

  I handed the wine to her. “That was pretty badass. The dead thing.”

  She smiled shyly around the mouth of the bottle as she sipped. “It was a new trick. It’s kind of interesting how inspiring total panic can be.”

  Inspirational was a word for it.

  “I saw security footage. You left the Glock in my apartment. Did you kill Erin?”

  Isobel blushed. “No, I’d been snooping in your apartment the day before, while you were at work. I guess I forgot it there. It was an accident.”

  Snooping? Just like she’d been snooping at Suzy’s place?

  “Who the fuck are you?” I asked.

  “Isobel Stonecrow is a friend of mine,” Fritz said, wiping the blood off of his hands with a monogrammed handkerchief as he sauntered over.

  Friend, he’d said. Right. The kind of friend that you fondled after saving her life.

  “We met a couple of months ago because he needed to speak to his late grandfather,” Isobel said. She flashed a smile at him. “He wasn’t fooled by the drums and animal skins either.”

  “I saw right through all of your pretense.” Fritz smiled back at her. “She proved trustworthy with my grandfather’s spirit. When I realized that my department had been infiltrated by the Needles, I needed someone outside the organization I could trust, and Belle was that woman. She’s been investigating the Needles and all of my agents for the last several weeks.”

  I remembered how she’d told me that nobody called her Izzy, and now I knew why. She preferred the OPA agents wrapped around her pinkie finger to use a different diminutive.

  “Ergo the snooping,” she said.

  Fritz was speaking to me, but he could barely take his eyes off Isobel. “I believed you were trustworthy, Cèsar, but I had to be sure. Agent Takeuchi was high on my list of suspects. You’ve been close with her, and you had previous connections with the Silver Needles.”

  “Was that why you assigned Isobel’s investigation to me?” I asked.

  He nodded. “The Needles had identified Belle as my ally and a threat. I wanted to see how you handled the investigation. Unfortunately, we had that little problem with Erin Karwell first. Speaking of which…”

  “Cèsar killed her in self defense, Fritz. She was a half-succubus. She attacked him,” Isobel said. “Erin Karwell and her coworker, Thandy Cannon, were Gray planted at The Pit to watch the OPA.” A smile flashed over her lips. “You’re going to have to find another bar to hang out at after work.”

  Fritz looked disappointed. “I’m going to miss dollar rib night.”

  I was going to miss living a normal life where I thought I could trust people. But you know, priorities. “Where’s Joey? Agent Dawes?”

  “He’ll be arrested by now. Another unit went to his house at the same time this one moved in on Costa.”

  Guess I should have felt relieved about that, but I was too exhausted. “So…what now? What about Agent Takeuchi? She didn’t have anything to do with Erin or the Needles. Her only crime was being unlucky enough to work for the OPA.”

  “Ah, yes. I’ll make some calls,” Fritz said.

  He whipped out the Blackberry and walked off again.

  Isobel reached out, grabbed my hand. “I’m sorry I lied to you, Cèsar.”

  The memory of her kissing me in the RV flashed through my mind, shortly followed by the memory of Fritz kissing her. I got up and abandoned the wine bottle on the table between our chairs. “I’m gonna get some air.”

  “Thank you for saving me. Again.”

  The way she said that turned my guts to hamburger.

  Not going to think about it.

  I managed to tear myself away from Isobel. Walk through the swarm of OPA agents moving in and out of the building. Bump past a photographer.

  Domingo was sitting outside The Pit on the tailgate of a black SUV. He was smoking again, and he hadn’t smoked since getting married. When he saw me, he offered the cigarette in my direction. “Better not,” I said. “I think I’m technically on the job right now.”

  “Your loss.” He dragged deep. The end flared with light. As he blew smoke out of his nostrils, he nodded toward the window. Isobel was on the other side talking to Fritz. “That’s the woman, huh?”

  I sighed. “Yeah. That’s the woman.”

  “And that’s your boss, isn’t it?”

  “Yup.”

  “Tough cookies.”

  My thoughts involved a lot more expletives than that, but he’d gotten the gist of it. I sat on the tailgate next to him. “Your spell sucked. Everyone woke up.”

  “Your friends broke the circle.” He patted the SUV. Its tire straddled the salt line.

  I wasn’t sure I’d call the Union “friends.” Even if Eduardo and Joey had been double agents, I wasn’t feeling real warm and tingly about that particular arm of the OPA at the moment. On the other hand, every scrap of brotherly rivalry I’d ever felt about Domingo was suddenly magically forgotten. “In case I forgot to tell you earlier—thanks for coming out to help me.”

  He grinned. “No problem.”

  Fritz and Isobel emerged from The Pit. “Ready to go?” he asked.

  I stood. “Where?”

  “I’m making a new task force specifically for internal investigations and special ops. You can select an agent you trust as your partner. I assumed you’d pick Agent Takeuchi. Unless there’s someone else you’d like to nominate?”

  “You assumed rightly, sir,” I said. I glanced at my brother. “You good here?”

  “I’m fine,” Domingo said, taking a deep drag of his cigarette. “Go play secret agent man.”

  I was waiting for Suzy when she emerged from the Union detention center. It was in an underground bunker in the middle of the Mojave, probably an hour of driving from the nearest highway on narrow dirt roads. The entrance was hidden inside a big pile of black rocks. Suzy emerged looking disheveled and annoyed. Her suit was rumpled, tie loose around her neck, hair in a messy ponytail.

  She stopped a few feet away from me with a dubious look.

  “Hey, Suze,” I said. “Bad day?”

  “I’ve had better,” she grunted.

  “You’ve been declared innocent and the bad guys are dead. What could be better than that?”

  “Not being detained in the first place,” Suzy said.

  “Good point.”

  But she perked up a little. “So they’re dead, huh?” She didn’t give me a chance to explain. She didn’t seem to care. “What the fuck happened with my Glock?”

  “It was a mix-up,” I said.

  Anger flashed over her features. “Hell of a fucking mix-up.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  She shook her head. “It’s not your fault.” She tugged the rubber band out of her ponytail. Fine black hair fell around her cheeks. “Fuck, I need a shower.”

  I jerked my chin toward the pile of rocks. “What’s it like down there? I’ve always been curious.”

  “You don’t want to know.”

  Probably true. “Ready to go?”

  “Oh yeah.”

  I escorted her
toward the helicopter that had carried me out to the detention center. Apparently, Union regulations didn’t allow aircraft to park directly on top of the underground construction, so it was a good quarter mile to the north. Fritz and Isobel climbed out as we approached and met us halfway.

  “Welcome back, Agent Takeuchi,” Fritz said. “You’ve been reassigned from the Magical Violations Department to a new task force. You’re now Agent Hawke’s partner and will handle special investigations.”

  Suzy glowered at him. “A promotion? Right when I’m getting out of a Union detention center?”

  “Yes, it’s a promotion. You’ll have much more responsibility.”

  “And more pay?”

  Fritz was stony-faced. “We’ll see.”

  Which meant no.

  Damn. I hadn’t thought to ask for more money, but now that Suzy mentioned it, I wouldn’t have minded a raise. I was going to need a new apartment—one where I hadn’t killed a half-succubus—and moving wasn’t cheap. I also really wanted to complete my Star Trek: The Next Generation collection on Blu-ray.

  “I accept the promotion,” Suzy said.

  Fritz smiled. “Of course you do.”

  The helicopter’s rotors hadn’t slowed while we talked. It was ready to take off when we approached. Fritz moved to help Suzy into the helicopter, but she jerked out of reach, giving him the kind of look that could have started engine fires.

  I stood back for a moment, letting them pick their seats, buckle in. Isobel waited with me.

  A question had been nagging at me since we left The Pit, and I couldn’t help but ask now that we were momentarily alone. “So you and Fritz,” I said, leaning close, keeping my tone low. Nobody would be able to hear us under the helicopter.

  Isobel’s cheeks flushed. “Yeah, Fritz and me.”

  “Are you…?”

  “We used to be.” She quickly added, “But it’s been over for a while. I reminded him. He knows.”

  That probably shouldn’t have made me feel as good as it did. The feeling didn’t last long. Ex-girlfriend of my boss? The only woman I could date with even more guilt would be Domingo’s estranged wife.

  She climbed into the helicopter. I let Fritz help her up and kept my hands to myself.

  I took the seat across from Isobel. “You knew I was going to be assigned to investigate you. So you knew I was coming. And you still dusted me with blister powder in the cemetery.”

  Isobel had the courtesy to look embarrassed again. She waited to respond until she had pulled on her headset. Her voice came in over the speakers, flat and crackling with interference. “I thought you might have been with the Needles at the time.” She ducked her head and focused awfully hard on figuring out her buckles. “No hard feelings?”

  Suzy was staring fixedly out the window, Fritz absorbed in his Blackberry. Both of them looked disturbed, probably for completely different reasons, but I knew they could hear us over their headsets.

  I had a lot of hard feelings about this week and I didn’t think I was the only one. But it was a new day, and apparently, we were coworkers now. Better to move on.

  “Naw,” I said. “No hard feelings.”

  Fritz pushed his microphone closer to his mouth. “Good, because we have a lot of work to do. I just received a report of anomalous infernal activity in Reno, Nevada, and we’re the closest unit equipped for response.”

  “Infernal?” Isobel asked. “You mean demons?”

  That wasn’t the problem I had with Fritz’s statement. “How the hell are we equipped? We just got Suzy out of the detention center. We haven’t done any training for demons. We’re barely even a team yet.”

  Fritz smirked. “I said internal investigation and special projects. This is special. Are you all ready?”

  I was pretty sure that was a rhetorical question, but I exchanged a look with Suzy. For the first time since she’d stepped out of that bunker, there was a spark of mischief in her eye. “Born ready, sir.” Of course this was the kind of thing she’d love. She rolled with the punches better than anyone else I knew.

  This was going to be fun.

  “Great,” I said. “Let’s go to Reno.”

  Hell of a week.

  Dear reader,

  I hope you’ve enjoyed Cèsar’s story! The sequel novel, Silver Bullet, is available now!

  If you’d like to know when my new books come out, visit my website to sign up for my new release email alerts. I hope you’ll also leave a review with your thoughts on the site where you bought Witch Hunt—it helps other readers find the series, and I appreciate the feedback!

  Happy reading!

  Sara (SM Reine)

  http://authorsmreine.com/

  http://facebook.com/authorsmreine

  OTHER SERIES BY SM REINE

  The Descent Series

  The Ascension Series

  Seasons of the Moon

  The Cain Chronicles

  Tarot Witches

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  JUMP TO...

  WITCH HUNT by SM REINE

  DEATH’S SERVANT by CJ ELLISSON

  TORRENT by LINDSAY BUROKER

  SPARK by ANTHEA SHARP

  DEATH TIMES TWO by BOONE BRUX and CJ ELLISSON

  ROOK: ALLIE’S WAR EPISODES 1-4 by JC ANDRIJESKI

  JUSTICE CALLING by ANNIE BELLET

  ARCADIA’S GIFT by JESI LEA RYAN

  WILD NIGHT ROAD by KARA LEGEND

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  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

  More from CJ Ellisson

  Acknowledgements

  DEATH’S SERVANT

  First Prequel Novel of

  The V V Inn Series

  ~ Jon’s Tale ~

  C.J. Ellisson

  This book is dedicated to my parents, Margery and Jerry Stern. Thank you for always believing I could do anything I set my mind to.

  Chapter One

  “Jon!” Romeo’s deep voice follows as I stride quickly down the hall. “Get back here.”

  I round the top of the stairs and descend at full speed, skipping steps in my haste to leave. Anger pulses like a living beast beneath my skin. If I don’t get the hell out of here, my alpha and I will come to blows.

  The urge to fight, to answer the call of my inner wolf, colors my vision, tinting the werewolf pack’s large home in a wash of red haze. Claws itch to descend through my clenched fists, and the brush of fur waiting to erupt tingles my skin.

  “This is not over.” Romeo’s booming shout thunders through the house. “Get back here now, or don’t ever come back!”

  This time he’s getting what he threatens. What’s so crazy about suggesting a support network for wolves? Why am I suddenly the object of scorn and ridicule? Is organizing packs somehow a threatening concept to our way of life?

  A tiny voice inside whispers, Your suggestion of such a change goes against everything a werewolf pack stands for.

  Could that be true? Would instilling communication among hundreds of Weres hurt us as a species?

  I block the denials I’ve heard for months. Doesn’t make sense. Could Romeo’s resistance stem from something bigger? Should I listen to the gossip saying I’ve evolved into an alpha faster than anyone expected? There is only one male alpha per pack, not two; one mated pair deciding the fate of their wolves, and those who don’t agree must leave. Or fight for supremacy.

  I barrel out the front door and sprint toward the detached garage, where a few of the single wolves have bedrooms i
n the space above the cars. I throw open the door, the heavy steel bouncing off the siding in my unchecked rage. I need to talk to Lori, my werewolf girlfriend in the pack. I’m ready to leave and want her with me.

  My inner beast gnashes its teeth, ready for a challenge, eager to return and face the man who saved my life over a year ago. Tamping down the temptation, I rush the inner stairs three at a time. The scent of half a dozen wolves lies heavy in the confined space, confusing the rational part of my mind struggling to remain in control.

  I recall the past in an effort to still my raging desires—I owe this man my life. Romeo found me lost and afraid when I awoke in the hospital, uncertain of what I’d become. Elsa, his wife, sensed immediately I was different, discouraging her mate to allow me into their pack. Romeo didn’t care. He recognized me for what I truly was—a scared college kid who didn’t know what the fuck happened to his well-ordered life.

  When I reach the upper hall, I’m jolted out of my calming reverie by sounds of passion. I smile, wondering who Kotsana has lured to his waterbed now.

  “That’s it, baby,” a familiar female voice coos softly. “You know I like it good and deep.”

  The instant anger near the surface of my mind threatens to overwhelm me. I stop cold—leaning a hand on the wall, gasping to catch my breath—while my packmate screws my girlfriend beyond his shut bedroom door. I close my eyes for a moment, trying to block images conjured by the sound of the big wolf making waves on his water mattress.

  A soft panting noise reaches my ears and I know what’s next—Lori’s about to peak and scream to the high heavens. I wasn’t sure if I loved her or if my feelings were caught up in the passion of our relationship. But all I feel right now is a white hot fury and a desire to tear someone apart with my bare hands, limb from limb.