Magic, New Mexico_A Touch of Death

by Immortal Angel

  Sabrina sent her an uncertain look, then fled.

  Inside, the cabin smelled like chili again.

  “I reheated it in my Crock-Pot,” Topper said, proudly. “And it always tastes better the second day.” She winked.

  They all sat at the table and ate slowly. To Alexa’s surprise, it was delicious. For the first time, it occurred to her how long it had been since she ate a real meal. She picked at things. Drank the blood from the bloodbank. But when was the last time she enjoyed a real meal?

  Before Bryant died. He’d always loved food.

  She closed her eyes, and her spoon clattered in her half-empty bowl. How could she possibly sit here enjoying a meal when her brother was dead? When their family lands were in question? What’s wrong with me? I need to take my champion back and save what my brother worked so hard to build.

  “Is it good?” Topper asked, her deep purple eyes staring too intently.

  “Delicious.” She tried to keep eating, but the food tasted of ash.

  Topper shook her head, her eyes too knowing.

  Beside her, Brendan was on his second bowl.

  “You like it?” Theo asked, his voice filled with pride.

  “Yeah,” he spoke around a mouthful of food. “Best thing I’ve ever had.”

  An unexpected grin spread the sheriff’s normally serious face. “The boy’s got good taste.”

  Topper rolled her eyes. “He’s a wounded, half-starved shifter. He’d eat the couch if we put some salt on it.”

  Theo’s face changed to a serious one. “But is he? He smelled a bit different to me, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. And then I just had a pack of ‘werewolves’ shift into mutant dragon-birds.”

  Her aunt’s gaze swung to Brendan.

  He put down his spoon and straightened, looking right back at her. “This is going to sound crazy, ma’am, but they aren’t werewolves…they’re aliens.” He paused, then pressed on as if afraid to be stopped. “They’re criminals hiding out on Earth. They crashed their ship and since then have been experimenting on humans to create alien hybrids. I was their first successful experiment. There’s one more. Now that they have us, all they have to do is contact their leaders to get off this rock. Then, they’ll set up a whole operation, changing human after human into hybrids. Using us for whatever they want, soldiers in their war, or breeders.”

  When he was finished, his eyes flashed with a challenge. Daring them not to believe him.

  “So, you’re telling me you can shift into a dragon-bird?” the sheriff asked.

  “No, as a hybrid, I can only shift into a wolf. I have no idea what their limits are.”

  “What can we do to stop this?” Topper broke in.

  His jaw dropped open, but he quickly recovered. “You believe me?”

  She laughed. “Of course, honey. Do you think this is our first alien?”

  Theo chuckled. “Not even close.”

  “And we’ve even dealt with alien schemes before.”

  Brendan stared at them silently, his disbelief and relief clearly evident in his expression. His mouth opened, then closed.

  Topper turned to her. “Will he be okay?”

  Alexa felt her mouth curl into a smile. “I’m used to magical creatures, and I was still shocked about the aliens. He was a human before all this. I think it was a lot to accept aliens, then shifters, then vampires, and now magic, but I think knowing there’s even more to this strange world is a lot for him.”

  Topper nodded seriously at him. “Of course, honey. You take all the time you need.”

  The sheriff harrumphed. “But the boy did say he needed to get out of here in a hurry.”

  Brendan seemed to come back to himself. “Yes, we do. The device I have can be used to communicate to the aliens. There will be a ship passing Earth on the night of the eclipse. If I can get in touch with the right people, I can stop all of this.” Then, he looked at Alexa. “And between then and now, I have to do something for Alexa in return for helping me.”

  “Sounds like you have a lot to do,” Topper said with a smile.

  We do, but…

  Alexa sat up straighter. “The thing is…my car is still in the middle of the desert.”

  Her great-aunt’s eyes twinkled like a mischievous teenager. “A little magic will help with that.”

  Alexa took in the people and the atmosphere in the room and felt an unexpected wave of contentment. She might soon be facing the most difficult challenge of her life, but for the first time in longer than she could remember, she had a strange sense of certainty that everything would be okay.

  It’s this place. Magic. It makes everything seem possible.

  She felt ice slide down her spine. But today I return to Mist. I stop being Alexa and start being a Darkmore again. Just the thought left her feeling oddly hollow.

  Chapter Eight

  Half an hour later, Alexa had changed out of her blood-soaked dress and into her high-waisted black pants, white lace shirt, and black boots. Regarding her reflection in the mirror, she pondered whether the shirt was too much. It was see-through, but in the most fashionable way possible, with an intricate, large circle pattern, and a modern, high neckline. It was classically beautiful and made by a genius designer, conforming to her curves. Her black bra peeked out from beneath.

  But paired with her loose bun, no one could find fault in it, and after a moment, she smiled at her reflection. Alexa Darkmore looked flawless.

  Then her smile faltered. Is this what the rest of my life is to be? To forever embody a leader—play the part? Is there anything inside me that remains that’s just Alexa?

  She thought of Brendan. He made her feel like just Alexa. Too bad it would have been selfish beyond words to pursue him romantically in any way. Because one day her magic could come back and take his life, just as it had with her parents.

  So, perhaps, this small time with him I can just be Alexa. I can pretend. As long as I keep a careful line between us.

  There was a soft knocking at the bathroom door. “The car’s back,” Brendan called from the other side. “It…uh…flew here and landed in the driveway just a couple minutes ago.”

  Magic definitely has its benefits…if only my powers were fun instead of dangerous.

  She glanced at herself in the mirror one last time, turned, and opened the door.

  His eyes widened as they fell on her, and then slid downward, stopping at her see-through shirt.

  Even though she’d worn the classic outfit many times before, her cheeks heated. The desire in Brendan’s gaze made her feel like she was dressed in nothing but a tiny pair of panties and a bra.

  Her gaze slid to his neck, her vampiric desires overtaking her again. What would it feel like to saunter up to him? To bite softly into the side of his neck? He would react immediately to her bite. She could just picture him, pulling her closer, wrapping her legs around his waist.

  His cock would be hard. She knew plenty of shifters, and they were always hard. Always ready to go. She’d never slept with one herself, but from what she understood, they could go all night.

  And she would be more than willing to ride Brendan, bringing them both to climax over and over again. She shook the vision away.

  He ran a hand through his dark hair and turned away from her. “We should hurry.”

  His voice was gruff, but could she hear a trace of his desire? A shiver ran down her spine. Maybe she was imagining it, but she didn’t care.

  At the door, he picked up her small bag and medical kit and strode outside. The early afternoon light and heat of the desert made her pause in the doorway. Topper and Sheriff Theo were chatting, laughing together by her car.

  I’ve spent only a little time with them, but it’s strange how much I’m going to miss them. She swallowed around the lump in her throat.

  Brendan opened the back of the car, and much to everyone’s surprise, two mice shot out.

  “What in the—?” Alexa couldn’t believe it. Mice?


  Topper put her hands on her hips. “Boys!”

  An instant later, the two mice turned into twin boys. Her distant cousins. They might not have been around the last time she visited, but she recognized them immediately from their pictures.

  “What were you doing in the back of my car?” Alexa searched her mind for any logical explanation and came up empty.

  They stared down guiltily at their shoes. The taller blond-haired boy spoke first. “We overheard you guys going on some kind of hunt for something missing. It sounded fun, so we decided to tag along.”

  Alexa shook her head. Was I ever this reckless at their age? “Do you realize how dangerous that was? Something really bad could have happened to you.”

  They nodded, and then the shorter one spoke. “We realized it after those things shifted into tiny dragon-birds, and Sheriff Theo had to save you. But you should know. After you left, someone pulled up behind your car. At first we could only hear him, not see him, but then his car suddenly became visible. We think he’s following you.”

  “Did he see you?” Topper asked, her brow furrowed with worry.

  “Don’t worry, Aunty Tops, we had it covered,” the taller one said.

  Topper’s frown of worry deepened slightly, but she was silent.

  Alexa’s stomach sank. “Was he a vampire?”

  The boy frowned. “No, definitely a shifter. But he called someone to say he’d lost track of you.”

  Draven.

  Why did I think that? What could he have to do with alien shifters in Magic, New Mexico?

  Either her imagination was working overtime, or the witch blood from her mother’s side was making connections for her again.

  “Don’t worry,” Topper said, putting a hand on each of the twins’ shoulders. “I’ll take care of them. You guys head on your way.”

  Alexa wanted to say more, but the words caught on her tongue.

  And then, her great-aunt’s arms were around her, squeezing her tightly once more.

  Hesitantly, Alexa reached out and hugged her back.

  “You take care.” Topper pulled back and gazed into her eyes. “And you should know, I called those distant relatives of ours, the Fates, and I told them I’d had just about enough of their nonsense. That you deserve something good.”

  Alexa frowned. Am I really related to the Fates? She must have missed that branch of the family tree.

  Brendan threw her bags into the back of the car and closed the door. He and Theo shook hands, exchanged a few mumbled words, and then all eyes were on her.

  “Okay then,” she said. “Time to go.”

  But just as she was about to close her car door, Topper called after her. “And use that cream on him every night, or he won’t be in shape in time for the big battle.”

  Alexa nodded.

  And then, her great-aunt leaned into her car door, looking between her and Brendan. “And remember, it only works when a witch applies it. Alexa will need to rub it into your skin every night if she wants you in fighting shape.” She winked at them both. “I’m sure neither of you kids will mind all that much.”

  Alexa closed her mouth and started the engine, trying her best not to make eye contact with the shifter in the seat next to her. What must he be thinking of me and my family?

  And then she realized she didn’t care. I love them, and that’s enough.

  The drive out of Magic, New Mexico was one of the hardest trips of her life. Because even though she knew she was headed back home, her eyes kept swinging back to the rearview mirror. Could Mist ever feel like Magic?

  It was a strange thought. She’d known she wanted to continue her brother’s legacy, her family legacy. To continue building on the strong foundation of a city where magical people could be safe. And where humans could coexist in their world. But perhaps…perhaps there was even more she could do. Maybe there was a way to do more than coexist with the other races.

  Maybe they could all even live happily together.

  For the first time since her brother’s death, she felt a spark of hope when she thought of her responsibilities. There was so much good she could do. As long as I can defeat Draven.

  Glancing at Brendan, who was staring down at the communications device in his hand, she took a deep breath. “Is it a good time to talk about being my champion?”

  He nodded, his gaze locking with hers. “Sure.”

  She tightened her grip on the steering wheel. Where to start? “Do you know why I need your help?”

  “You need me to fight for you, because someone wants your position.”

  “Yes.” She paused. “But there’s something you should know.”

  He stared, waiting.

  “I used to be able to kill with a touch. All I had to do was want someone dead, touch them, and it happened.”

  He didn’t look the least bit surprised. Of course. “So why don’t your powers work anymore?”

  Damn it. She forced herself to keep breathing. She should have expected the question. And the answer still shouldn’t hurt so deeply. It had been over a decade.

  “There was a rebellion in Mist ten years ago. The creatures who were tired of vampires ruling without limits got tired of it.” She squeezed the steering wheel, commanding her hands to stop shaking. “Our castle was overwhelmed with enemies. I’d been asleep. And suddenly, I was being attacked from every direction. Shifters, trolls, goblins, fairies, and witches, they all came at me.”

  She focused on the road ahead of her, terrified that the memories would sweep her under. “I used my powers over and over again, killing everyone who touched me before they could hurt me. Someone touched my shoulders from behind. I turned and reached out…it was both my parents, one on each side. They’d come to help. And I…I…” Her mouth opened and closed, but the words wouldn’t come out.

  He took one of her hands from the steering wheel and closed it in his warm ones. Without a word, he reassured her. Without a word, he touched her, unafraid even after knowing what she’d done.

  After a long moment, she cleared her throat and continued, “Anyway, my powers disappeared that night and haven’t returned since.”

  “And now your brother has died,” he said, softly.

  She nodded. “Without my powers, I need you to fight in my place. But Draven—the one against me—he’s a very powerful vampire. A fire elementalist. I’m not sure if you can—”

  “I’ll defeat him.”

  She glanced at him. “You sound so confident.”

  He shrugged. “That’s because I am.”

  “Shifters,” she said, laughing. “None of you ever have a short supply of arrogance.”

  The corners of his mouth lifted into an almost-smile. “It isn’t arrogance. I just have no problem destroying anyone who threatens you.”

  Her laughter died, and she felt a strange warmth in her chest. “You really mean that, don’t you?”

  His expression grew serious. “Of course.”

  And for some reason, the fact that she believed him made her feel even worse.

  Does he really know what he’s up against? What have I gotten him into?

  Chapter Nine

  The trip to Mist would have taken far longer for a human. But Alexa drove the Bentley like the hounds of hell were chasing her, sipping lukewarm blood she’d pulled out of a small cooler in her bag, driving a full day without rest.

  Brendan watched her with fascination. It was strange how she could be both the popular human girl he knew back in school and a vampire. He almost wouldn’t have believed the vampire bit, if not for the blood she poured into the glass in her cup holder. And if you weren’t an alien hybrid shifter yourself, he thought mirthlessly.

  But there were traces of that girl in the woman in front of him, in her smile, her wit, her confidence. He never would have expected how comfortable he felt with her. She talked about her family, her mansion, and her lands, always with a mixture of pride and obligation.

  She asked him about his time in the alien labs
too. He gave her the PG-13 version of what they had done to him, and she listened with avid interest. He’d almost thought she was so used to death and pain that it didn’t impact her, but then she’d turned to him with cold eyes and said, “I’m going to kill those aliens if I ever see them again.”

  Should he have been aroused by her words? Probably not. But hell if his body cared.

  It wasn’t until they slowed as the passed an ancient-looking sign that read Welcome to Mist that Alexa grew quiet. Her knuckles gripping the steering wheel turned white, and she held herself rigidly in her seat.

  “Are you okay?”

  She took a long time to answer. “Of course.”

  He tilted his head, telling himself to be quiet even while he started talking. “You do that a lot.”

  “What?” She glanced at him, the afternoon sun washing her in its beautiful light.

  “Say you’re fine when you clearly aren’t.”

  She opened her mouth, a look of frustration written across her face, but then closed it. Her expression fell. “What else should I say? The truth? I’m a leader, Brendan. Leaders aren’t people, as my mother said over and over again. People don’t want to see our inner struggles. They equate it with weakness. They want to see us as calm, confident, and capable.”

  “Maybe you have to be that way in front of your people, but you don’t have to be that way in private. With the people who care for you.”

  She turned back to the road, but he could see moisture in her eyes. And he could practically hear the wheels turning in her mind. “My brother was the perfect ruler in front of our people. No one knew how silly he was. How he would mess up my hair every chance he could get. How he made the corniest jokes imaginable.” She smiled even as a tear rolled down her cheek. “I could be myself with him. But now…there’s no one else I can let my guard down with.”

  Brendan felt a deep ache in his chest. “You can let your guard down with me.”

  She shook her head, another tear rolling down her cheek. “After this is done, you’ll be gone.”

  “Only if you want me to be.”His words seemed to hang between them. What did I just say? His hard-on was clearly thinking for him.