Midnight Kiss

by Sarra Cannon

  “Stand in the circle, please,” I asked.

  Lisa didn’t necessarily need to be in the circle, but like she mentioned, after this night, I was tired and having her in the circle would take less magic from me. Lisa stood in the middle of the burnt circle. I retrieved the pouch with hawthorn berry powder from the floor and held some of it in my hand. I nodded to her.

  “I love you, Sean,” she said.

  By my side, Sean croaked, “I love you too, Lisa.”

  I threw the red powder on her. “Liberi.”

  She exploded into white smoke and evaporated in the air.

  Sean stared at where she had been a second ago, a huge frown on his face.

  “She’s in a better place now,” I told him. I didn’t know how the afterlife was exactly, but I knew it was supposed to be better than trapped in our world.

  He didn’t move. Not sure what else to say or do, I started gathering my vials and crystals.

  Sean picked up my belt and returned it to me. “What now?”

  Chapter 7

  I took a deep breath and pushed open the door of the Midnight Cauldron. A couple of tourists walked around the front of the shop, taking pictures with odd statues and masks and such. Typical.

  I weaved my way to the back, where Kalisa stood behind the counter, looking bored.

  Her dark eyes shone when she saw me. “I take it you didn’t die.”

  I smiled. “No, I didn’t. And I was able to close the cut and take all the ghosts back.”

  She offered me her trademark crazed grin. “Well done.”

  I sighed, taking a small jewelry box from my jacket pocket. “There was some damage.” I opened the box and showed her the necklace and the broken pieces of Brita’s bone. “I’m so, so sorry. I don’t know how to repay you.” I was sure there was no amount of money that would fix it.

  She laughed, tipping her head back. The customers eyed her with a suspicious look, but she ignored them. “I have a secret to tell you, child. About two hundred years ago, a witch doctor made thousands of necklaces like this one from chicken bones. She only took out one at a time, and she told her customers that it was a piece of bone from whomever she thought was popular at the time, and that it was the only one in the world. I told you it was Brita because, besides Arianna, she was the strongest white witch. I couldn’t tell you it was Arianna since we know even her bones were burned to ashes, otherwise I would have.”

  I gasped. “Wait. You lied to me?”

  “Sure I did. And it worked.”

  “H-how did it work? And all that magic I channeled from it?”

  “There was a bit of magic in it. Voodoo magic, but only a tiny bit so that when you touched it, you felt it was different, strong. But it wasn’t. You probably used it all in one of your early spells.”

  “But … I don’t understand. I was able to do things I couldn’t before, things I couldn’t even dream of doing.”

  “Because the voodoo magic I put in it is of revelation. It helped reach the magic buried in you, the magic that flows in your veins. You’re powerful, Hazel, very powerful.”

  I touched my chest. “Magic buried in me?”

  “Don’t worry. It wasn’t on purpose. From what I could sense, it was something in you. Maybe fear? I don’t know. But you’ve released it now.”

  “Oh.” I glanced down at me, as if I would see a different person. Nope, it was just me. But with more magic. I inhaled deeply, feeling the new magic running in me. “Wow.” I had never realized I had more magic. To me, the first time my magic manifested itself was a scare, and I unconsciously shut it out. But when the second time happened, I thought that was all I had. I always believed I was weak, not that the fear of using magic was still so strong that I had kept a large amount hidden inside me. I smiled. “Thank you.”

  She waved me off.

  I thanked her again and turned to leave.

  “Where are you going now?” she asked.

  I glanced over my shoulder. “To the White Sisterhood.”

  ***

  I was expected at the White Sisterhood’s castle. This time, two guards led me through the hallways to the council chambers. Denise, Cora, Grace, Amelia, and Lenora were seated on their chairs, waiting for me. Once again, they wore fine gowns as if they were going to a ball.

  “Well done,” Denise said when I walked in.

  I stopped in front of them. “What happened to the dark witch?”

  “We received your message and sent guards to take her,” Lenora said. “She’s being held in our dungeon. For now.”

  I gulped. For now. They would take away her powers or execute her. I focused on something else. “Did you know? About the magic in me?”

  Denise nodded. “We could feel it.”

  “Couldn’t you have released it?”

  “We could,” she said. “But you would be stronger if you did it yourself.”

  I nodded, understanding. It was pretty mean, to send me to a place overflowing with ghosts and a dark witch, and not being sure I would make it. But I understood that it had to be me. I had to reach for it. To feel it. To use it.

  I took a deep breath, calming my nerves. “Did I pass the test?”

  Denise smiled. “You certainly did. Welcome to the White Sisterhood.”

  My heart squeezed and I gasped. I had done it. I actually had done it. “Thank you.”

  “We’ll hold a welcoming ceremony tonight,” Lenora said.

  The double doors opened and a young girl stepped inside. She also wore an elegant gown and she had a big smile on her pretty face.

  “This is my daughter, Marjorie,” Denise said. “She’ll show you to your room within the castle.”

  My jaw slacked. “My room?”

  “Yes,” Denise said. “You don’t need to sleep here every night, since it might not be convenient with your early classes, but you’re welcome to come and go anytime.”

  My heart swelled. They would allow me to finish my degree even though I wouldn’t need one if I was working for them. I had never allowed myself to dream about joining them before, but I was sure that if I had, it wouldn’t have been this good.

  “Thank you,” I whispered, afraid that if I spoke up, I would cry.

  They nodded and I took that as my cue to leave. I walked to the door.

  “Hi, there, I’m Marjorie,” the girl said. She probably wasn’t older than thirteen.

  “Hi, I’m Hazel.”

  She offered me a sweet smile. “Follow me. I’ll show you to your bedroom.”

  ***

  I brushed my hair in front of the mirror.

  Kimberly stood behind me and wolf whistled. “You look great. Wait, you’re going out on a Monday night? That’s new.”

  I shrugged, checking my outfit once more. It wasn’t too different from my normal clothes, but I made a point of dressing up a bit. A dark red blouse, fake leather leggings, and high-heel boots. I applied the same amount of makeup I always wore, but this time tried on a pale pink gloss on my lips, and made sure I had sprayed my favorite perfume on my neck.

  I hoped Sean liked what he saw. After we left the haunted mansion, we walked back to campus holding hands. We didn’t say much, but I could feel the change in him, as if the weight was gone from his shoulders. When we arrived at my building, he kissed me again and asked me out on “a real date”—his words. I told him I had to stop by the Midnight Cauldron, then the White Sisterhood, and I had no idea what would happen there, so I would let him know when we could go out later. Because of my initiation ceremony last night, I ended up staying at the castle until this morning. In class, I sat in the back beside Sean. He seemed lighter, calmer. He even smiled at me and stole little brushes of his hand on mine, making my heart flutter.

  “You’re smiling,” Kimberly said. “A sweet smile. That’s new too.”

  I chuckled. “Yeah, yeah.” I picked up my purse, waved goodbye, and left the room.

  Giddy, I raced down the stairs and rushed out the front door. I stopped d
ead in my tracks, my heart skipping a beat. Sean stood on the sidewalk, and he looked … wow. He had on dark jeans and a black button-up shirt that hugged his strong shoulders. His hair though was as messy as always, and I liked it.

  He saw me, and a big smile appeared on his lips. His face was still marred by the bruises from his showdown at the bar, but it didn’t lessen the impact of his beauty. He ran a hand through his hair then walked up to me. He stopped when his body was flush with mine. His arms wound around my waist, and his lips pressed against mine. Gently at first. Then he teased me with his tongue, I let out a moan. He groaned, deepening the kiss. His hand splayed on my back and pressed me tighter against him.

  All of a sudden, he broke the kiss, breathing hard.

  “Sorry. I know we were supposed to kiss after the first date, but I had to kiss you again.”

  I stood on my tiptoes and placed a soft kiss on his jaw. “You can kiss me anytime you want.”

  With that, he kissed me again.

  I was breathless when he finally broke it off.

  “We should go,” he said, entwining his fingers with mine. “Or we’ll miss the movie.”

  I nodded, not trusting my voice right now.

  The movie theater was only six blocks away and, on the way, he asked me about the ceremony. I told him all about it. How magical it was, how regal it was. I had felt as if I were attending a royal ball. My mother and sister had come for the ceremony and were staying at the castle right now—my mother’s dream.

  “I wish you could have come,” I said.

  He squeezed my hand. “Me too. But I understand. This part of your life is special, and it needs to be a secret.” I halted. He stopped too and frowned at me. “What is it?”

  I opened my mouth, and then closed it again. Should I say it to him? I put my arms around his neck and looked deeply into his eyes. “I know I just met you, but I think you’re pretty damn special too.”

  He smiled before embracing me and leaning in for a kiss. I couldn’t imagine ever getting tired of his kisses, his lips, his tongue, his hands on me.

  Heat pooled south of my belly and I pulled away. “We should stop,” I whispered.

  He kissed the tip of my nose. “I really like it when you’re this turned on.”

  My cheeks flamed. I didn’t really have an answer for that. We had been together for only two days. I couldn’t allow my heart and body to command the party, or we would have gone too far by now. This, whatever we had, was too good. I didn’t want to rush it and risk spoiling it.

  I entwined my fingers with his again and tugged. “Come on, boy.”

  We resumed walking to the movie theater.

  After a few steps, Sean frowned. “What do you think happened to Doug?”

  “I don’t know.” I squeezed his hand. “If you want, I can search the city for him. I mean, I’ll be around anyway. I can keep my eye out for him.”

  “You would do that?”

  I shrugged. “Why not?”

  He lifted my hand to his face and placed a gently kiss on knuckles. “You’re the best. But I want to go with you.”

  “But—”

  “No buts. I don’t care if you have magic and I don’t. I’ll find a way of defending myself. You’re my girlfriend now. I won’t let you go hunting ghosts alone.”

  Girlfriend? My heart soared. We hadn’t talked about our relationship yet, but I liked the way this was headed.

  A strange power surged around us, and I halted, stiffening.

  “What is it?” Sean asked.

  I closed my eyes and let my witch sense do its work. The power came from my right, and by its feel, it was definitely a ghost. I glanced to my right and saw a narrow alley.

  I disentangled myself from Sean, stepping toward the alley. “I … just …”

  He sighed, a smile on his lips. “A ghost?”

  “Yes.”

  “Let’s go.”

  I took three steps to him and placed a quick peck on his lips. “You’re the best.”

  “Yeah, right.” He gently pushed me away. “Now let’s go. Do your thing before the ghost disappears.”

  Smiling, I turned around and stepped into the alley with Sean following close behind. I was so lucky. I had discovered my real magic, I had joined the White Sisterhood, and I had found a guy who knew what I was, what I could do, and he was okay with it. Finally, I could think of having a real relationship, where I didn’t need to hide who I truly was.

  The power spiked and I focused on my task. I picked the pouch with the hawthorn berry powder from my pocket and prepared to free this ghost.

  If you enjoyed this book, you might also enjoy DESTINY GIFT, a post-apocalyptic paranormal romance.

  About the Author

  While Juliana Haygert dreams of being Wonder Woman, Buffy, or a blood elf shadow priest, she settles for the less exciting—but equally gratifying—life of a wife, mother, and author. Thousands of miles away from her former home in Brazil, she now resides in Connecticut and spends her days writing about kick-ass heroines and the heroes who drive them crazy.

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  Seduction's Kiss

  By

  Alyssa Rose Ivy

  Preface

  You’re probably not going to believe a word I say. If you’re like everyone else I’ve told, you’re going to read this and tell me to get help. That’s fine, because the only thing I care about is finding my winged hero. So whether you believe me or not, if you see him, tell him I’m searching for him, and I have no plans to give up. Because when a man can kiss like that—can make you feel alive in every grain of your being—there’s no comparison. The only clue I have to find him is his first name. Owen.

  Chapter One

  “Please, Daisy. It’s going to be fun.” That one line out of Reyna’s mouth was the beginning of the end for me.

  “I don’t know. I was hoping to just have a quiet Halloween this year. Driving all the way to New Orleans seems a bit extreme.” I set aside my sociology textbook. There was no way I was getting reading done until Reyna said her piece.

  “There’s nothing like New Orleans on Halloween. This is going to be epic.” She took a seat next to me on my bed and grasped both of my hands in hers. She was getting ready to plead.

  “But why the sudden decision to go? Is it about a guy?” Reyna was usually motivated by a member of the opposite sex.

  “No, not exactly. I just want to do something fun for a change.”

  Not exactly? That meant yes. “Ok, who is he?”

  “Just this guy I knew back in high school. We’ve started talking again, and he invited me and any friends to come crash at his place for Halloween.” She suddenly turned serious. “I’m so sick of the scene here. I need a break, but I don’t want to go alone. Please, pretty please.”

  I sighed, realizing that saying no would just lead to a pouty roommate for the next few days. “You promise you’re not just going to ditch me?”

  “Of course not! It will be awesome. He’s got so many hot friends. It’s crazy.”

  I tuned Reyna out as she went on and on about Tulane boys. Admittedly, my dating life at East Madison wasn’t great, but I knew a random hook up with a guy I didn’t know wasn’t going to help matters either. “There’s just one problem. Isn’t New Orleans a full day’s drive from here?” I wasn’t an expert on driving distances, but Atlanta and New Orleans aren’t exactly next door.

  “It’s doable. About seven hours. I’ll do all the driving. All you need to do is keep me company.”

  “You really want to do this?” Despite her obsession with guys, Reyna was actually a really good roommate. We’d both joined the same sorority, D
elta Mu, the year before and hit it off immediately.

  “Yes.” She turned her doe eyes on me.

  I wasn’t exactly jumping at the idea of the trip, but Reyna’s one of those people who always manages to find a good time, and sometimes I just liked to go along for the ride. “Okay.”

  “Yes!!!” She jumped up and ran around the room. “I can’t wait to tell Chad!”

  “Great.” I leaned back against my pillows. “I guess I really need to find a costume then.”

  “Just sex up that black cat costume you wore last night.” Reyna rifled through her closet.

  “Sex it up?” I’d donned cat ears for our Halloween kid’s philanthropy event, but I had no plans to wear them again, and sex them up? Did she forget who she was talking to?

  “Yeah. Tight shirt and short black skirt. It’s easy enough.” She tossed one of her skirts at me. “Try this.”

  “You’re way shorter than me. This skirt is going to be up to my ass.”

  Reyna grinned. “That’s called sexing it up. Wait until you see my firefighter costume. It’s hot.”

  “Hotter than me wearing this?” I held up the black fabric.

  “It’s a short skirt, but also just a jacket over a red bra. It’s a little over the top, but Chad said that’s what Halloween is like there. I’m embracing my inner skank.”

  “Ugh.” I put a pillow over my head. “Please don’t make me go.”

  “You don’t have to wear that skirt. Wear one of your own, but please try to look decently sexy. We don’t want to stand out like sore thumbs.”

  “Then ask someone else to go.”

  “Nope. It’s only going to be fun if you go.”

  “In other words, I’m the only one you can dupe into going.”

  “Come on. Who else would be willing to miss the Iota party? I know you don’t care about that.”

  I didn’t care because none of those guys gave me the time of day. The fact that every woman in my family had been Delta Mu was probably the only reason I’d gotten a bid from my sorority in the first place. I didn’t regret my decision to join, but living with a bunch of tens when you’re a seven, on a good day with the right makeup and hair products, can get old. “Fine, I’ll come up with a sexy enough costume.”