Paranormal Magic (Shades of Prey Book 1)

by Margo Bond Collins

  The door tinkles again as someone else comes in. “We’re so busy today and Hayley didn’t come into work, so we’re short-staffed as well.” She wipes her hands on her apron and takes someone’s money.

  “Did she call in sick?” I ask as I grab some cold drinks and fruit out of the fridge.

  “No, she didn’t. The cheeky little madam. She better have a good apology when I see her. Part time or not, this isn’t good enough.” Her voice raises half a notch as more people come into the already over-full coffee shop.

  “It’s good to see the place busy though, Mum. Try not to get too mad at her.” I can’t help but smile to myself. Mum doesn’t normally get angry or stressed, and she prides herself on being the calm one of the family. It is strangely refreshing to see her so different.

  I take two slices of cherry pie from the serving dish and slide them into a take-out box. “She’s probably just too sick to get to the phone. I bet she’ll come in tomorrow with an apology for you.” I stick my head back inside to see what other goodies I can find.

  “Well, she better. At this rate I’ll have no waitresses left.”

  “Why do you say that?” I look back up.

  “It was only last week that Emma quit. She didn’t even have the courtesy to come and see me; she sent me a text message A text message! Can you believe it? Who does that?”

  I frown at her. No, that doesn’t sound like Emma at all. She is ditsy for sure, but she’s polite and never lets people down.

  “What did it say?”

  “Something about a sick aunt or something like that.” She turns to the customer in front of her. “Yes, dear. What can I get you?”

  A sick aunt? Where have I heard that before? I reach down under the counter for the paper take-out bags.

  “I’ll have whatever she’s having, please.” The voice sounds muffled but familiar. I stand back up and see that it’s Chris.

  Didn’t he say he was busy today? I frown.

  “Hi, Mia.” He looks at me with what can only be described as a cheeky grin and a glint in his eye.

  “Hi,” I answer as I begin loading all our picnic things into the paper bags. I feel like I’ve caught him up to no good for some reason, and after the episode with Rachael this morning I do not want to be stuck in the middle of whatever is going on with them.

  “I’ll leave you to serve your friend if that’s okay, Mia. We’re just so busy.” Mum wanders off to serve someone else, muttering under her breath about the lack of waitresses again.

  Chris drums his fingers on the countertop. “So, what’s that you’ve got?”

  I look back and realise that he’s still talking to me. He’s looking me over with an admiring gaze and I frown.

  I look at the box in my hand. “Err, this?”

  “Yes,” he smirks and licks his lips.

  “Cherry pie,” I reply flatly.

  He watches me with a cool confident gaze, yet I feel underneath his façade that he probably has a wicked temper and perhaps not so confident. I grab some plastic cutlery, shove it into the bag, and decide we have enough to fill us.He’s watching me move around behind the counter and I feel ridiculously self-conscious, my cheeks going red and hot under his scrutiny.

  “Mmmm, looks delicious,” he says grinning from ear to ear childishly. “I love eating cherry pie.” His leer suggests it isn’t the pie that he’s talking about.

  “You and Rachael seem to get on well.” I need to steer the conversation away from wherever it is going.

  He frowns at me. “Yes, she’s quite something.” The words should be flattering for her, but they fall flat from his lips and I’m lost as to what else there is to say to him.

  “Well, I’ve got to go.” Chris stands as I move around the counter to wait for Oliver.

  “So where are you off to today?” he asks casually.

  “Nowhere special; just out for a picnic with my fiancé.” Speaking of which, I look around for Oliver but he’s still caught up in a conversation with my Dad for the minute.

  “Are you going anywhere special for your picnic?” he questions, probing further.

  “No, we’re just going to see where we end up.” I reply, not wanting to tell him where we are going for some inexplicable reason.

  “Well, see you on Monday then, I guess.” He says with a frown.

  I’m flustering around to find what’s making me feel uncomfortable about this situation but can’t place my finger on it. Luckily Oliver comes and puts his arm across my shoulder.

  “We ready, babe?” He looks from me to Chris, and tension builds between the three of us.

  “Hi there.” Chris looks at him with a sneer.

  “Everything okay, Mia? I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Oliver, Mia’s fiancé.” Oliver’s jaw is clenched tight.

  Chris’s sneer turns to a grin. “A pleasure to meet you. I’m Chris.”

  There’s something familiar with the way he’s looking at Oliver. And Oliver, though he’s trying to appear casual, looks like he is using all his self-control not to rip Chris’s head off.

  “Nice to meet you.” Oliver replies. His smile is gone, and his jaw is tense.

  “This is Rachael’s, erm…well, they erm, Rachael and Chris…” What? Him and Rachael what? Speak, you idiot, urghhh.

  “I think I got it, babe.”

  “Yes, she’s a bit of a man-eater, wouldn’t you say?” Chris replies.

  Oliver stares at Chris for a long moment before carrying on. “Well, we’ve gotta get going.”

  Chris holds out his hand to Oliver, who takes it and shakes it firmly. Oliver looks down at it with a shiver that I almost miss. “Goodbye, Chris,” he says.

  “Yes, goodbye for now, Oliver. I’m sure we’ll be seeing each other again.” Chris turns to me. “Mia. See you Monday.” He smiles wider when he hears Oliver huff and goes back to the counter, waving a waitress over to take his order, as we leave.

  Oliver is still looking at me as we leave the café, his arm tight around my shoulders. How have things taken such a turn for the worse yet again? First Rachael falling out with me, and now Chris who seems to be a filthy, scheming womaniser coming on to me. Rachael should know better when it comes to men like him. She’d normally eat them for breakfast, but for one reason or another, she seems smitten with Chris.

  As we drive out of town and into the forest, I can’t help myself from wondering what is going on with him at the moment. We both seem to have secrets that we’re keeping from one another, and I hate it.

  I stare out of the window at the long, winding road. It’s strewn with multi-coloured forest leaves that have begun to fall; they leave a blazing trail of orange and brown behind us flying up into the air as we drive through them.

  “You’re quiet.”

  Oliver’s words interrupt my reverie and I turn to him. My hangover from last night has subsided completely, but I’m still left feeling lethargic.

  “Just tired, baby. Are you okay?” I turn further in my seat so that I can see more of him. He’s so handsome. Even after all this time I still find him as attractive as the day we met, maybe more so. Although now he’s looking tired and pale, with dark rings under his eyes. I wonder if that’s due to working so hard this week or through the worry that seems to have taken hold of him recently. I don’t know for sure what’s bothering him, but I have my suspicions.

  He looks deep in thought as he drives, his strong hands gripping the wheel as he ponders my question before answering.

  “You know I love you, right?” he asks without looking at me.

  “Yes. Why do you ask?” I say as I sit up, watching him attentively.

  “I’m just making sure, Mia. I don’t think I tell you enough, is all. And it’s important that you know.” He runs a hand through his hair, seemingly restless. “Especially with everything that’s happened this week.”

  My heart jumps in my throat. What does he know?

  “I’m not sure what you mean, baby,” I begin sheepishly. “It’s be
en a hard week for sure, but we’re good. I mean, I hope that we’re good. We’ve hardly seen each other this week, what with us both working and you’ve been finishing late every night, but you know. It’s all okay, I think. I hope.”

  He glances sideways at me, his dark brown eyes soft. I feel like I have a red sign flashing away on my forehead: Guilty, guilty, guilty!

  “I love you, Oliver.”

  I’m nervous for some reason. I know that this is a conversation that we need to have; it’s long overdue, but I really don’t want to. I don’t want to spoil our day with anything else. I feel our time is running out, as if the foundations of our relationship are being tested and shaken. I love this man with all my heart, I want to be with him forever. I can’t possibly imagine any other life than the one I have with him.

  “I don’t care about any of that other stuff. It’s you that I love, and our life that I want.”

  Oliver smiles and seems to relax. “Good.” He looks like he’s trying to find more words, but he gives up. Instead, he smiles across at me and carries on driving.

  Ten

  Mr Breckt

  “She’s gone out for the day, Sir.”

  I stare into the fireplace, watching the wood crackle and blacken. The flames dance around like puppets without their puppeteer. My hands are clasped together firmly under my chin.

  “Where?”

  “I’m not sure, she wouldn’t say. She’s gone for a picnic on the…” My Pledge swallows, and I can hear it from across the room. “Beach…with the fiancé—Oliver.”

  “Right.” I shake my head in wonder. “A picnic?” I repeat scoffing and taking a deep drink of the scotch I’m holding.

  “Yes, Sir,” he mumbles. “Will there be anything else?”

  Silence. What can I say? Yes, follow her. I want to know why she hasn’t surrendered herself to me yet, lie down before me and spread her thighs. Or perhaps I should ask him to follow her and tell me what happens. What she eats, whom she talks to, what she talks about. I want to know this woman. Need to know her. She is eating me up from the inside out, devouring my every waking thought. She’s driving me crazy because of her lack of surrender.

  But, I cannot ask the Pledge to do that.

  And him, that fiancé of hers. I’m going to kill him soon. I’ve had enough of him interfering. I nearly had her last night, she was there. I could feel her giving herself over to me. I could feel the damp from between her legs. She wanted me…finally, and then he came in and ruined it all. Even after he was warned to be late home. Stupid boy. Obviously doesn’t think it’s important to follow my orders. I’ll have to teach him a lesson.

  “Sir. I think you should know. The Queen called for you.”

  My spirits sink further and I finish off my drink. “What did you tell her?” I go to the cabinet to fill it back up.

  My statement is simple but obvious, but I say it out loud to make sure we’re clear on the matter. “You better not have told her that I’ve been side tracked by a silly human woman or I will rip off your head, quite literally. You’re not immortal yet.”

  “I told her that we were working on it. That you haven’t found anyone yet that knows anything about Mr San, but that you have been doing research on him. I told her that you have been collecting some humans ready to change. Humans that you were sure had power.” The Pledge smiles like a five-year-old who’s gotten good marks at school.

  I look at him with an appeasing gaze. Great, that should buy me some more time. I will have to deal with the Queen soon though. I won’t be able to put her off for much longer. But my thoughts don’t seem to be my own these days. They are consumed, I am consumed…with thoughts of her, Mia. Especially now, after coming so close to having her…so close I could almost taste her. Oh, how I would like to taste her. To bite down on her soft, pale flesh and feel her blood rush into my mouth, warm and fulfilling.

  I look up from my drink to the Pledge standing before me. He seems pleased with himself for getting this last part right, even if he has messed up the first part of his mission.

  I take a deep breath as I contemplate my next move. A growl emanates from low in my throat as my thoughts stray to her in my arms again. The way her hair trailed over my hands, so soft and silky, as if it were caressing my flesh. Her waist seemed so small in my arms, her lips so plump and pink. I felt her pulse beating fast and strong, vibrating against my chest when I held her close to me.

  I was sending her wild; she could feel my power working, but for reasons that continue to elude me, I couldn’t quite close the deal. It is ridiculous, really. How can she fight me off? No one can fight me off. That’s my power…my strength. If I don’t have that, then what do I have? Well nothing, nothing at all. Especially if I don’t sort myself out and get on with my task.

  I need people—humans. Special humans. The ones that don’t know they are special. I need their power; my Queen needs their power, more specifically. I've been sent here to hunt out these special humans and turn them, opening them up to their true nature. They will become Bastions to the Queen, to serve and protect her with their abilities. Such an honour.

  A dark thought flutters in the back of my mind—a thought that has been there for the past week, that I have tried to ignore, but with every passing day it has gotten stronger. It whispers to me…

  She must be a special one. She must be if she can resist you. I don’t want to think about that, can’t think about that. I want her. I want her for myself.

  Maybe I am wrong.

  Maybe I am just distracted.

  Maybe.

  The Queen will take her from me if she is special. It will be years before I see her again. She will be busy training, and then serving and protecting.

  Why can’t she just be a normal? A cold chill runs through me at the thought of not seeing her again. If I believed in a god, I would pray to him now. Pray that she isn’t special…special only to me.

  “Sir?”

  “What?”

  “Can I offer you some advice?”

  I snort and turn to face the Pledge with a sardonic look. “You want to give me advice?” A sneer forms on my lips.

  The Pledge looks wary now. “Erm…yes, Sir.” His eyes don’t catch mine, but dart around the room.

  “By all means, go ahead. I’m curious to hear this advice of yours,” my voice is calm but threatening.

  “Well, I was just thinking, Sir. That erm, perhaps…” He seems to struggle to find the subtle words he’s looking for and so charges straight to the point.

  “Well, the thing is, Sir. Why don’t you just take her? Just take her and do what you have to do,” he says with a wicked grin, his hands rubbing together at the thought of dominating over a woman in such a wicked way. “Then we can go about getting the job done. The Queen is going to…”

  His words trail off as he sees my reaction.

  “Just take her, Sir,” his voice is like a whiny, petulant child’s, arguing with his mother and panicked that he’s about to be beaten.

  “It is not about me ‘taking’ her, you stupid boy. It is about her wanting me. She must want me,” I continue, my face contorting into a mask of anger. “I want her to want me.” I move around the room; I feel full of anxious energy.

  “I don’t understand, Sir. Why? Does it really matter if she wants you or not? She would learn to comply, and if she doesn’t, well, you could just take what you want,” he continues.

  My voice booms as my patience snaps. “Because, I want her to WANT ME!”

  “But why, Sir?” he continues persistently.

  “Because…because I WANT HER!” I know that my voice is painfully pathetic and if it wasn’t for my Pledge standing in the room, I’m sure that I would end up crying. What is happening to me? I sit back down and put my head in my hands.

  This cannot be happening.

  Not to me.

  “Sir?”

  Will he never shut up? Can’t he see what this is doing to me?

  “Do you want me t
o follow her?” he asks awkwardly.

  Do I? I want to be with her now myself, not this pitiful creature before me. Certainly not that fiancé of hers. I want to feel her in my arms again. They long for her touch. A shiver runs up my back at the thought of her. Maybe, if I just declared myself to her? Just told her how I felt. Maybe she would choose me all on her own. Surely that would be better than her being under my spell, anyway.

  “I could leave now. I can track them no problem, Sir.”

  How I wish this little vermin would go away too, instead of babbling constantly down my ear. I should have killed him this morning when he came home. Sleeping with the roommate is not what he has been told to do. Still, he has come in handy at times.

  I stand back up, fastening the buttons on my jacket, and stride to the door.

  “Sir?”

  There he is again. Like an annoying fly, buzzing around my head. Buzz, Buzz, Buzz!

  Oh how I hate babysitting Pledges.

  “I am going out for a while. Wait here,” I bark out as I leave the room.

  My Pledge trails after me, heedless of my order to stay put.

  “But, Sir, where are you going? I can get you anything that you need, anything that you want. Let me help you, please…Sir.”

  Begging, great. That is the last thing I want to hear…from him, anyway.

  “If only you could,” I mutter as I make my way down the corridor.

  I hear the little runt continuing after me, following me through the corridors until we reach the garage where I pick a set of keys from the hook by the wall.

  “Can I come?” his voice desperate, pathetic, lonely.

  “No.”

  “Please?”

  I spin on my heel and grip him by the throat, slamming him against the wall hard enough to crack a rib, and he cries out.

  “Look, you pitiful creature, I said no!” I yell into his face. “Leave me with my thoughts. I have plans to make and I don’t need you cluttering up my mind with your incessant ramblings. I should have killed you this morning.” Fury erupts from me, my fangs releasing from their sheaths and his eyes go wide with terror. It takes every ounce of my willpower not to rip out his throat.