Dark Bargain (Kayla McQueen Book 2)

by brett hicks

  “And if you fail to kill her here and now, you will never stop what she is about to unleash!”

  I shot her a vicious look and pointed an accusatory finger at her.

  “You all knew that they were going to be resurrected, yet you played games with me!”

  Kimi shrugged and said, “It is not my concern, nor is it my mistresses concern. These are matters of this lesser existence. You are no longer completely tethered to the lesser beings yourself Kayla. Get up and fight, less I kill you myself and watch your world burn.”

  I hissed in a primal manner, I felt my dyamphyr power surge within me. I fought past the pain of the wound and the searing, never-ending agony of dispersing with the poison in my body. I spread the shadows over the whole of the study and I forced my shadow magic to become a void zone, a null spot where no magic worked.

  Time began to move once more and I stood fully corporeal before Jaden, who was wide-eyed. She could not access her magic and I knew that I could not access mine either. I did not need magic now, I felt my dyamphyr half begging to be set free for once. My eyes went luminescence and silver and my long fangs descended.

  “I hope you know how to fight without that magic bitch, because I am fucking hungry!”

  I hissed at her in a feral tone my own mother would not have recognized. Jaden jumped back and pulled a long spear form the wall. We began our dance anew.

  “Die you blood whore! Die!”

  She thrust and spun the shaft as I dodged her first volley of piercing thrusts. I parried the long blade of the Chinese polearm. Jaden spun the blade in a few sweeping circuits and I dodged and juked the flurry of the steel assault.

  “Still running, still the scared little whore!”

  She wants me sloppy, off my game—she wants to escape this room.

  I refused to give her what she wanted, I did not charge, I kept her squarely in the center of the room. We both knew that my best shot at killing Jaden now, was to do it in this damn room. We could both heal our bodies in a state of dispersion, so if she escaped, then she would be that much harder to track and kill. Her light magic countered my shadow magic and vice-versa.

  “I think it’s time I finally show you what this dyamphyr is capable of.”

  My voice was calm and my mind was completely detached. This was just another necessary kill. This was no different than the witch I drained in the basement. Jaden screamed and rushed me, but I threw myself low and I swung my sword over her left leg. She screeched in agony and stumbled two paces past me. I had slashed open her hamstring.

  I spun and bounced back to my feet and I tried to ignore the burning pain in my gut. Jaden tried to stumble to the door, but I sunk my blade into her back, piercing through her heart.

  Kimi appeared again and said, “Quickly, that will not kill her alone! You must cut the light stone from her stomach, then behead her!”

  I went wide-eyed and said, “You tell me that now! What about all those bastards, I cut up earlier?!”

  Kimi snorted and said, “Not my problem, but if you must know, they have fled.”

  I cursed and I kicked Jaden over and dug my katana along her stomach and I stuffed my hand into her open wound and felt for anything stone-like. Finally, I felt a hard-smooth surface and I plucked the light stone from her. She suddenly screeched in agony. I hated Jaden, but I found my blade quickly greeting her neck, ending her pain.

  “Mercy, even for your enemies, you are a strange girl Kayla.”

  I shot Kimi a cold look and said, “You’re not going anywhere! You are going to help me track down every, fucking, one of these abominations!”

  She snarled at me, “You are not my mistress!”

  The shadows swirled around her and Seraphina appeared. She was in modern clothes, a black, lacy top and skinny faded black jeans.

  Speak of the damn devil…

  “Little dyamphyr, Kimi will stay with you and help you clean up this mess. It is indeed all our problem. We cannot allow my sister to gain more of a foothold in your world, nor those other hybrid-dyamphyrs to be raised.”

  I blinked, probably as shocked it the face, as I felt in my body. Seraphina held out her arm to me. I eyed it with my brow arched high.

  “A small token of my thanks, drink from my undying power. It will heal you and revitalize your powers. You shall need them little dyamphyr.”

  I’m pretty sure Bella would never forgive me if I turned down such a potent meal, besides, it is a heavy insult to refuse offered blood.

  I took her hand and I eyed her, then looked at her wrist again. I felt my long fangs sink into her thin wrist and her blood hit me like a million volts of electricity. I felt my wounds mend and the poison nullify. I took two more pulls of her thick, rich blood and I let her hand go.

  The fang marks were gone by the time her wrist swung to her side. Her regeneration was far beyond mine.

  “Glad you decided not to be stubborn for once, little dyamphyr, you have two-dozen corrupted witches to find. Kimi will help you learn to track them.”

  She looked at Kimi and said, “You will be agreeable with Kayla and you shall treat her as a sister!”

  Kimi did not look happy with her mistress for a change.

  ****

  Sally was wearing a long kimono, she must have brought it with her, since she knew she would be getting naked to shift. She ran up and hugged me and she sniffed deeply.

  “What the hell happened to you? You smell even less like a witch-dyamphyr than you did earlier tonight.”

  I shrugged and said, “Long story, Sal, they were going to resurrect the twin witch-dyamphyr brothers. That was what this has been about all along. We must take down the blood-court—king and all. We are running out of time, the vampires still have their bodies.”

  Sally nodded and said, “Bella aside, I owe those vamps a lot of Lycan vendetta. The pack will have your back Kayla.”

  I nodded and said, “Glad to see that being an apex does not mean we are not friends anymore.”

  Sally chucked and pulled me into a tight she-wolf hug and said, “I threatened to de-ball or de-boob anyone who treats my silly little sister badly.”

  I chuckled and said, “That could be considered abuse of power, madam apex.”

  Sally popped me on the back and she let me go.

  “So, why do I get the feeling you’re telling me about the vamp problem, because you’re not gonna be here?”

  I gave her a small smile and said, “Because you are my sister from another mister. Sal, I must track down all the corrupt witches that escaped. I’ll be here, just busy, Sal, you have to hold back the vamps while I finish off the witches. We cannot allow them to continue to ally with these corrupted witches.”

  My life has been always weird, but now, I just hope to hold onto what fragments of my little, strange life I can. I can just hope against hope, that it is not too late for my world. I am done, running and hiding from who I am—what I am.

  I am Kayla McQueen and I will hunt down all the naughty little sups that cross me, or threaten mortal life.

  Kayla McQueen: Shadow Forged

  Please check in for more information regarding Book 3.

  https://www.wattpad.com/user/BrettHicks

  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33293436-kayla-mcqueen?ac=1&from_search=true