Josef?
The thought sent his heart racing.
“You have a Hellhound?” Willa’s little feet scurried behind him as he took off down the hall.
Kristoff didn’t have time to answer her. He whistled, the shrill sound echoing off the walls of his estate.
Panic began to set in as the sounds of screams started to waft up the stairs from the ballroom.
“Oh god,” Willa said. “Stephanie and Zoe!”
“Don’t worry yet, Willa. They can handle themselves.”
“Okay,” she said. “Why do you have Hellhound?”
“I saved him. Keep up,” he said. He wanted to go faster, but Willa would be left behind. Alone. He couldn’t risk leaving her side again. They ran down the stairs, and a bestial roar sent chills along Kristoff’s skin.
Willa grabbed his arm to steady herself.
“Shit. Shit. Shit,” Kristoff said, leaping over mangled bodies in the middle of the floor. A severed head, half-eaten lay next to its owners well-dressed body. Arms and legs, guts and bone littered his floor.
The blood was unnerving. Delicious human blood wafted into his nose, making him dizzy.
He hadn’t eaten yet.
“Are you okay, Kristoff?”
Willa’s sweet voice drug him from the fever that started to creep on him.
Blood. So much blood.
He clenched his jaw and stood in the archway of the ballroom.
The scene before him was enough to make even the blood of a vampire curdle. Brute, taller than even Kristoff at six foot three, caught a young diplomat by his leg and slammed him to the ground with his jaws.
Then, he feasted from the young man’s torso.
“Brute,” Kristoff called.
Then, the lights went out.
Chapter 14
EVERY HAIR ON Willa’s skin stood on end. All of the lights went out, and yet the screams didn’t cease.
Thundering footsteps filled her ears as Brute ran in the darkness toward them.
The footsteps ceased, and Brute’s growl came from the dark right before Willa’s face. She could smell his hot breath and feel the heat on her face.
A menacing growl froze Willa in place. She was too afraid to run.
"Don’t move a muscle, Willa," Kristoff said from beside her.
“Kristoff,” she said, her voice wavering. Willa wished her eyes would hurry and adjust to the darkness. The thought of summoning light came to her, but she feared to startle the Hellhound into attacking her.
“Brute,” Kristoff called. “Go home.”
Without hesitation, the Hellhound gave a loud bark that vibrated along the walls and floors. He ran back to wherever home was. Willa’s heart thumped as she listened to his footsteps pounding on the hardwood floor.
It took Kristoff wrapping his arms around her to break her from her frozen stance. She let out a breath of relief. It wasn’t over yet. The screams had died down to cries for help and painful sobs and groans of agony.
The sight of those mangled bodies would haunt Willa forever.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes,” Willa said, swallowing.
Now that Brute was gone, she lifted her hands, palms up. Dim light emitted from her hands, casting a soft glow around her.
“I'm all right.” She turned back to the ballroom, holding her hands out in front of her. “Stephanie! Zoe!”
“Willa,” Zoe’s shouted from somewhere toward the front of the room.
Willa ran toward her voice.
“Stay away!”
She skidded to a stop at Zoe’s warning. The command of her voice was enough to frighten anyone into submission.
Kristoff was right beside her.
Willa’s eyes zeroed in on Zoe standing there, bodies laying on the floor all around her, frightened party guests seeking cover or escape.
“Josef?”
A gasp escaped Willa’s lips. She covered her mouth at seeing Josef hovering in the air before Zoe, caught in her Cast of Discord. Josef flailed and fought her power, and yet his voice was muted as if he was in a soundproof bubble. Willa had only ever seen that vampire twice in her life, and each time he had a kind smile on his face. Now, his eyes were wild with rage.
Zoe’s fierce gaze turned to Willa and Kristoff. Her hazel eyes now glowed in the dim light of Willa’s power. “This piece of filth has some explaining to do,” she said.
That’s when Willa realized what was going on and it turned her blood cold.
Josef was a spy for her greatest enemy.
Epilogue
ZOE LOWERED JOSEF to the ground. Still encased in her Cast, he tried to run but bounced along the air shield.
Zoe held up her gown’s skirt and went down to a knee.
Josef watched her, contempt in his eyes.
Where was the handsome, charming man that she encountered at the tube back in London? It was all an act.
Damn, that Lukas. He ruined everything that was good. No one was safe from the dangerous game he played.
Zoe’s voice lowered. “Listen, vampire. I am letting you live. It is a privilege only extended because I need answers. Do you understand?”
Josef glared at her, and then his eyes went to Willa.
Where was that evil before? The look he gave Willa sent chills up her neck.
Willa’s heart beat so loudly that she could feel its pulse and hear it in her ears.
“Where is Stephanie?”
Willa’s eyes widened. Her mouth fell open at hearing Zoe’s question. What all had she missed? She’d let her guard down for a moment, and now her cousin was missing. Tear-filled eyes scanned the room.
Josef’s chuckle broke her from her thoughts.
Before she could think her actions through, Willa threw out her hands, sending red fire to the vampire that dared harm her blood.
The fire slowed at Zoe’s air shield, but like a constant hurricane wind, it pushed through and sent Josef far into the wall at the other end of the room.
Kristoff darted to the fallen vampire, grabbing him by his hair. Willa followed behind, slowly, ready to end his life with another powerful Cast.
“Careful now, Willa,” Zoe called, calmly. “He knows where Stephanie is.”
“I won’t kill him,” Willa said, her hands balled into fists. Two girls ran from beneath one of the tables, their heels clicking along the floor as they shot toward the front door.
Willa watched them, her mind racing. Stephanie. I am sorry.
It was her fault. Stephanie never wanted to come. What would the twins think when their mother didn’t come home?
“What happened, Zoe?”
Zoe stood back up. Sorrow-filled eyes met Willa’s. “Not long after you left, Josef returned. Stephanie and I were talking to that actor she pointed out earlier. We had a few drinks, and in the middle of passed appetizers, that beast came crashing through the party, killing everything in sight. I broke my cover trying to save some of the people, and when I turned my back, I heard Stephanie’s scream.”
Zoe’s voice cracked. She closed her eyes and took in a sharp breath. “I was supposed to protect the both of you.”
Willa stepped to her, pulling her into an embrace.
“Someone took her. They used one of those brace bracelets,” Zoe said. “I haven’t seen one of those used on a witch since the Inquisition.”
“Did you see who took her?” Kristoff’s question brought their attention back to him and Josef.
“Does it matter?” Josef grinned. “Lukas will have her by morning.”
Willa stormed over to him. “What does Lukas want with Stephanie?” Visions of Stephanie crying in the back of some dark van, tortured and humiliated enraged her.
Another chuckle nearly sent Willa over the edge.
“Silly girl,” Josef said. “He doesn’t want her. He wants you, and he will kill everyone you love until he gets you back.”
Silence filled the room. She heard nothing. Saw nothing.
The walls fe
lt as though they were closing on Willa as she stood there. No one existed at that moment. Red hot rage threatened to make her explode and destroy everything in the vicinity.
She fell to her knees, squeezing her eyes shut. Her breaths came out fast and labored. Zoe put a hand on her back, and Willa flinched, willing herself to resist letting the surge of power free.
Calm down, she chanted inside her head. Calm down.
“Willa,” Kristoff called.
The blood drained from her face when she opened her eyes. Josef let out a cry as Kristoff stuck Josef in the heart with a piece of wood from a broken table.
Before their eyes, Josef’s body crumbled and turned into dust, dust that littered the floor and faded within seconds.
She flickered a look up to the vampire she loved.
“We don’t need him. I know where Lukas is.”
All around her were dead bodies. Her nose twitched at the smell of their souls. She sucked in a breath at the intoxicating scent.
She looked down at her hands as they began to shake. Her palms started to itch with a hunger that she’d never revealed but knew Kristoff would understand. She could relate to the vampires in more ways than one. Immortality was expected of a witch that had reached Grand Caster Elite status through experience, pure birth, and sacrifice. But this—what fought to escape each time death was near, was…unique.
Falling to her knees, she tossed her head back as tall black shadows stepped from her body, multiplying as they did their work. She shook with need, whimpering at the anticipation.
There was one thing that separated Willa’s Caster abilities from Stephanie’s, Zoe’s, and countless witches all over the world. One that hadn’t existed in centuries until Willa was born. One ability Lukas had used against her for so long.
Now, she would use it for more than her escape from him.
Willa would use it against him.
Willa’s blue eyes glowed a bright gold as she lifted both arms.
“Thank you for this gift,” she whispered to the spirits that guided her, and the shadows that served her.
Each soul from every massacred human and vampire that surrounded her was claimed by her shadows, and brought back to her in a funnel of power that absorbed into her pores. She hissed at the sensation that filled her.
Damn, it felt better than sex.
When she opened her eyes, Zoe and Kristoff stared at her in silence, their eyes wide as they watched her glow intensify to a nearly blinding light.
Once it faded, Willa cracked her neck and stood.
A satisfied smile came to her face as she hovered above the ballroom’s floor.
The vampire king of the west may have captured the queen of the witches once before. But he would now pay the price.
With his soul.
“Let’s go.”
* * *
Read more from K.N. Lee:
Website: http://knlee.com/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/K.N.-Lee/e/B00CR5IPGM/
Wicked Satyr Nights
by Rebekah Lewis
Chapter 1
Kat's life had become a circus. Not just because she worked with animals for a living, but because the people who meandered their way into it were bizarre. With that thought in the back of her mind, she took a seat across from the business tycoon she had never met. She straightened her posture and forced a smile on her face, even though the reason for her requested attendance was just as mysterious as the man in front of her.
Mr. Dion Bach steepled his fingers together on the glossy mahogany desk. The very picture of wealth, he wore a crisp black suit and shirt with cufflinks glistening of onyx and diamonds. His tie, however, stood out in a pop of deep burgundy, the silk of which rolled over the button line of his shirt like the richest wine. "You're probably wondering why I called you in, Dr. Silverton."
"I must say I was a little surprised when I received your phone call." More like his secretary's phone call, but Kat wasn't one to argue the small details.
With a smile that seemed more habitual than genuine, Mr. Bach opened the manila folder lying neatly in front of him. While Kat sat in the waiting room for the past thirty minutes, she'd spent the time counting the mosaic tiles on the floor and imagining what Dion Bach looked like. She'd pictured a ruddy old geezer, but that was way off. His hair was thick and tawny, closely cropped. He was attractive, about thirty, give or take, with a cleft chin, an athletic build, and skin so tan it put her Irish complexion to shame.
His bulky leather and wood chair had a high, carved back that made it look more similar to a throne than office furniture. It resided along with the enormous wooden desk upon a raised marble slab. Two Corinthian-style columns stood on either side. Small alcoves lined the shockingly white, portrait-less walls, with mythological busts displayed upon pillars. Ivy plants were placed in the corners of the room, yet the air smelled woodsy, reminiscent of evergreen. Regardless, she felt like she was in a courtroom or a museum.
Mr. Bach was the CEO of Bach Industries, a company known to invest in film, television, science, music, and just about anything which took to the elusive owner's fancy. He was as wealthy, but remained out of the spotlight. He likely paid several hundred people to stay that way.
As though sensing Kat's scrutiny of him and his surroundings, he glanced up through thick, dark lashes and resumed the smile from before. It didn't meet his eyes. "I was sorry to hear of your unfortunate accident last summer. You are very lucky you had a crew member with you who scared the mountain lion away before the attack turned fatal."
He didn't waste any time. Kat nodded once, but she was used to hearing the same comments about the attack. She had grown weary of all the apologies by people who felt obligated to say something about it. Since the encounter with the cougar, she'd been the recipient of a lot of pity—not all of it genuine. Kat doubted this man was any different.
He continued, barely looking up to catch her nod. "As I understand it, you were called to the location in West Virginia to give your professional opinion to the authenticity of a supposed black panther which was sighted in the area where the cat attacked you."
"Yes, sir. We were gathering evidence in the forest when the cat came out of the bushes. Took me down between my left thigh and hip, clawed me up a bit. Luckily, we had someone in our group who was licensed to carry a firearm in case something like that did happen. He was able to run it off with a shotgun blast, so the cougar never managed to go for the kill." Had she suffered the same wounds to her throat, she'd have been dead before she registered what had her in its jaws. Kat knew she'd been extremely lucky, but it didn't help in the long run. She'd made a horrible judgment call that day, and it had cost her.
"Very fortunate indeed."
Absently, Kat found herself gazing into Mr. Bach's dark brown eyes. They were almost full black, and she couldn't distinguish where the pupil ended and the iris began. No warmth there, no welcome. Only the uncomfortable twinge of judgment made her avert her gaze and suck in a calming breath. Different from the cat in the forest, Mr. Bach's eyes seemed to hold knowledge that she was inferior to him in every way, and should he deem her unworthy, she'd be dead. Kat reached down to grasp the leather strap of her purse in a tight fist. It would be rude to bolt from an interview that could put her back to work again. Work she wanted to do, anyway. Perhaps the strain of recalling the accident was making her delusional. A sort of post-traumatic shock?
Mr. Bach cleared his throat. If he was aware of her distress, he didn't point it out. "Nevertheless, you discovered an existing population of mountain lions in an area which had not seen scientifically proven evidence of their presence in over a decade. It may not have been a black panther, but the cat was still considered a cryptid in the scientific community, was it not?"
It was. Cryptozoology was the study of creatures never proven to have existed. Yet, in some cases, the animals, or cryptids, had actually lived at one point, just not in the time or area the various sightings occurred. Certainly black pan
thers existed. Both the jaguar and leopard often bred all black, or melanistic, variations rather than the familiar golden felines.
However, only a small population of wild jaguars not in captivity or owned by exotic pet owners were ever found in the United States. They were the common variety, and a far cry away from West Virginia. And that was only one location where sightings had occurred.
The scientific community generally snubbed the very idea of cryptids unless something could be substantiated, and that was rare. In most cases, the sightings were proven as hoaxes or mistaken identities. Or they were considered the results of a superstitious mind.
She let go of the purse strap and clutched both hands together in her lap to keep from fidgeting. "Yes, sir. My group got lucky." But the poor cougar was still put down afterward. Kat had been distraught. She'd begged them to catch it and take it to an animal sanctuary and not to kill it since there was evidence of a possible litter nearby. The mother cougar, considered a danger due to the attack, was hunted and shot. Kat had been furious. The four cubs were captured and taken to a nearby refuge. So far they hadn't located the cat that fathered the young, and she hoped they never did. It didn't do much good to find an existing population if they were going to remove the entire lot of them. If humans allowed their cities to continue growing and expanding, there wouldn't be anywhere left for the animals to live outside of captivity.
"Let's jump to the chase, shall we?" Mr. Bach turned a sheet of paper over with a barely audible swoosh and placed it on the left side of the small stack of documents in the folder. Kat wondered what he had on her and why. He picked up the next page and studied it a moment before he spoke again. "I am invested in a series of documentaries based on popular figures of cryptozoology in the States and over the globe. The scientist I had wrangled to work one of the most anticipated segments bailed out last minute. I hoped, even though I'm fully aware this isn't the area of your expertise, that you would be willing to take on this project."
Paranormal Magic (Shades of Prey Book 1) Page 132