Striking Souls

by Erin R Flynn

  If you did, thank you. Thank you for respecting me and other authors for their hard work, understanding this is our job, and while we love it, we do deserve to be compensated for all the hours, and hours, and hours we put into it.

  If you did not… Go buy one! You are a thief and your parents and grandparents and cute animals all around the world are ashamed of you. There is no justification for committing this crime because it is a crime, no different than walking into a physical bookstore, taking a print copy off the shelf, and walking out of the store without paying for it.

  There is no such thing as a victimless crime. If you truly believe that, you’ve never been a victim. And the victims aren’t only the authors, but the fans who lose authors that quit over our constantly being stolen from and mistreatment. Mistreating the authors that write the books you like or read—not liking them isn’t an excuse for theft, it’s just extra weird then—that’s not a fan. Fans leave reviews to support. Fans send messages of love. Fans… Well fans are nice. Be nice.

  There are lots of ways to fight eBook piracy, reporting the site even if you’re not the copyright holder is always a good option. If you want to help in the fight, Google it and you can see there are many ways.

  After the ghoul attack and overwhelming trouble, Soraya Devil needs a break. She’s trying to save everyone from the darkness swirling around her when she goes into hermit mode. But she’s the Enchantress and the world needs her, so she can’t take the time she needs.

  Worried for her coven after the beating they took as well, she resurfaces to handle a situation with some Russian hawks, piles of everything from the companies, ending her ties with the ancient nest, and taking a shot back at the enchanter elders… And that was just in one night. Is it really any wonder that she’s tired and wants a holiday?

  But when the ripples of her erasing a greater demon reach further than she could have guessed, she faces jumping into the next rabbit hole or a worse option coming to her door later. She does what she thinks is best for those she cares about, but when you’re a thousand years old, traversing new waters is terrifying for even the Enchantress.

  Oh, and there’s a traitor in the coven house…

  1

  Everyone gave me a wide birth after the ghoul attack, most thinking my mood was to do with that and the fallout. No, that didn’t help, not at all, but I was used to everything being my fault even when I or my coven had done nothing wrong. It all stemmed from Victor and the ancients. Too much was spinning around in my head and I was angry.

  I was so fucking angry about too much, and it was consuming me.

  I was angry about the enchanter elders and this new bullshit.

  I was angry at CPD chief of police who finally let his feelings about me be known as he took an interview that I’d basically started a panic and the situation was well in hand and no big deal. Yes, because we had handled it. Asshole.

  I was pissed about something personal that raised too much past issues for me even if it really wasn’t anyone’s fault.

  I was furious about the situation with the veil and mess Kate the psychic clued me in on that I would end up cleaning up and wasn’t my fault.

  Basically I was in a very, very dark place and tired of handling problems I did not create, would not get credit for, and would get shit on more. Honestly, I was about twenty seconds from saying “fuck it” to a lot of stuff and washing my hands to too much.

  And then I was pissed at myself for not fighting back. But I was tired of fighting. All of my life had been a fight. When was it enough? When did I get the break or retirement or the happy ending others did?

  Never. The answer was never, and fully coming to terms with that when Victor smashed the last bit of hope inside of me that maybe I could have a fairy tale ending too was what made me go so dark.

  I worked and ate and worked and ate. All of it solo stuff and mostly in my workroom or after hours at the warehouse or factories. The only time I showed my face was when there was a birthday in the coven, and even then, people knew I was slapping on a happy face and gave me worried looks.

  So there were piles of everything I needed to handle or at least take a look at. I wanted to ignore it all, but when I caught how exhausted Helen, Jerome, and Keegan looked, I couldn’t leave it all to them anymore. They’d never even gotten their break I’d ordered after the ghouls because I’d gone into pissy hermit mode.

  I wasn’t going to let my continually bad mood risk what was best for the coven though, so I sucked it up and looked at the address left on the message, frowning when there were three scratched out ones on there… Which meant they were on the run. Crap. I hadn’t realized that or I wouldn’t have brushed it off. I cut myself some slack though, as I could not be everywhere and handle everything myself always.

  And they weren’t even enchanters, so they had competent elders.

  In theory.

  I ‘ported over to the current address, wrinkling up my nose at the distasteful motel that certainly rented rooms by the hour before finding the correct room. There were five in there as said, and the fear coming off of them was ridiculous.

  Popping into the room, I swallowed my shock at finding five large male hawks in their early to mid-twenties. It hit me that I had come to Russia where being gay wasn’t accepted and maybe their kettle leader didn’t allow it either? Why else would they be so scared and on the run?

  One moved in front of the others and knelt before me, bowing his head as he started rattling off in Russian.

  I waved my hand and bespelled the room so we could understand each other. “I don’t speak Russian, darling. You have to start over with what you said now my magic will translate. But you’re adorable for kneeling, and I appreciate a polite and humble man, so you have nothing to fear, okay?”

  “We have much to fear if you do not help us,” he worried, raising his head. “We are hunted. Will you make us yours, Enchantress?”

  “All five of you?” I snickered, glancing around for a clean place to sit and finding none, so I made a chair appear instead. “I know I have a legendary appetite, but even I might not be able to sate five hawks on a regular basis. Plus, I don’t keep anyone.”

  “I mean of your coven. We seek sanctuary.”

  “You would have sex with any of us?” a different one blurted, his eyes wide… And interested.

  “One thing at a time,” I chuckled, focused on the first. “You’re asking for my protection?” I waited until he nodded. “Do you understand the rules to that? What it means?”

  “No, but we will do whatever you ask. We are dead otherwise. After they take our seed, they would kill us for disobeying and running.”

  I blinked at him a moment, seeing in his aura he wasn’t lying. “Okay, I don’t know what is going on in Russia with the hawks and their kettles, but yes, I will give you sanctuary at my coven for now and you will explain. Let’s get you out of here because this place is depressing. Gather your things.”

  I felt even worse when each of them picked up one small backpack and nodded they were ready. I felt their energies as I did anyone I brought to the coven, not just for teleporting, but so I would know if there was anything shady going on right away. Then I brought us all to one of the furnished guest apartments we kept for such a reason and made my phone appear.

  Almost immediately the front desk answered my call, and I told them to warn the manager the apartment was now occupied and asked they order a few dozen sandwiches, drinks, and sides to be sent up. Then I remembered the hawks spoke Russian and bespelled the apartment to translate. Next, I used my magic to clean them up and gave them new clothes, each of them looking at me with awe and adoration.

  “Enchantress, you are even more amazing than the stories tell,” the obvious leader of the
m said, kneeling again. “Thank you so much for saving us.”

  “You are so sweet,” I murmured, rubbing my hand over his head. “I have been in a bad mood for weeks, and it is very hard to not bully you a bit when you’re being adorable.”

  He glanced up at me, heat in his eyes. “Do with me what you wish, Enchantress. Any of us would give ourselves to you freely.”

  I swallowed down my initial response to that and used my magic to put him in the chair next to the dining room table, walking over and plopping on his lap. “Do you think you have to screw me to get my protection or it’s just a perk of being in my coven?” I toned my attitude way back when I caught several of his thoughts, rudely listening. “Oh, you are too cute. You lost all focus on the problem when you saw me, huh?”

  “Yes, as many do not know what you look like,” he muttered. “Most speak as if you are hideous as everything went into your power and nothing for your looks.”

  I leaned in and pressed my lips to his ear. “I leave that impression and memory with many as anonymity keeps me and my coven safe.” He shivered and went rock hard under me. “Oh, you are fun, but I don’t do innocents. They get attached.”

  “I have had sex before,” he blurted, moving his hand to my thigh.

  He had, a few human women, but that didn’t make him not innocent. Then again, he wasn’t a baby. I checked all of them and found the same basically and a whole hell of a lot of desire pointed in my direction.

  “Tell me the situation so I can officially decide what to do with you all so none of you think if we play it’s the price or cost.”

  “No, we just really want to,” that same one blurted from before. “I did not think women were ever as pretty as you.”

  I stood and slowly walked to him, giving him the barest of kisses on his soft lips. “You are delectable. I could just eat you up. And so we’re clear, if you keep pushing my buttons, I will do exactly that.”

  “Please do,” he whimpered, moving his arms around me. “Please eat me up, Enchantress.” He slowly lowered his head, giving me the chance to stop the kiss, but I didn’t, wanting it, selfishly wanting it and his sweetness to soothe my darkness. It was gentle, tender, and good. I coaxed his mouth open and slid my tongue in, smirking when he moaned and got hard against me.

  “Oh yes, I will absolutely eat you up,” I murmured against his lips. “Is that what you truly want? Even knowing I won’t keep you and bully you, is that what you want?”

  “Yes, yes I do,” he panted, his arms pulling me closer. “I can be good, not the best you’ve ever had, but I will do what you want if you tell me.”

  “Yes, yes you will,” I chuckled, nibbling his lower lip. “For now go sit over there while I talk to your leader and get your story. Then I will get your names and you will eat, as you are all starving, and then maybe you can have dessert.”

  He nodded, letting me go and doing exactly as I said without hesitation.

  Shit, he was so going to be fun.

  I went back by the first and sat on the table. “Start from the beginning…”

  “Vincent. I’m Vincent, Enchantress.”

  I nodded. “Okay, Vincent, tell me what’s going on.”

  And he did, my heart hurting for him as he told me more and more and more, a bit too much even and rambling fast. Finally, I had to hold him off before my brain went into overload.

  I pinched the bridge of my nose and let out a long, slow breath. “To sum all of that up, you’re saying the kettle leaders in Russia are making deals with women who are dying, lost a limb, or just desperately want out of their circumstances that they will turn them into hawk shifters if they promise to birth two hawks of different fathers?” I sighed when they all nodded. “Wow, that’s just…”

  “They do not warn them of how hard it is to take a pregnancy to term either,” Vincent added. “Your stores are not allowed in Russia nor online purchases. There is no help to take the babies to term.”

  “Plus, once you’re a hawk, you always have to be in a kettle. Do they know they’re basically stuck there unless they run or get approval to transfer?” I sighed again when they shook their heads. Crap. “And you ran because you don’t want to be stud horses for these babies? They were going to force you to breed with these new hawks?”

  “Yes, as most born hawks are male,” he answered, bobbing his head. “It makes our numbers off and the kettle leaders have been doing this for decades, before we were born. It was how we were born. We do not wish it. I do not want babies already and certainly not with strange women. But our kettle leaders order it. Our kettle is huge. Two of us are from there, and we know the other three from two other kettles.”

  I nodded. “And if you were caught, they would make you breed babies and then kill you for disobeying? You know this?”

  “We’ve seen it,” one said sadly. “And my father was one of those cases as well. It is rare, no one willing to risk that by running, but we could not stay, and we’ve worked on a plan for years, finally getting the right numbers for you as it is against the rules in Russia for anyone to contact you.”

  “Yes, I pissed off the government a few dozen times or so,” I drawled, studying their thoughts and auras for a few minutes. “Yes, I will help you. This is tricky, as it’s more than one kettle, but I will keep you safe. What do you ask specifically?”

  “Teach me how to really please a woman,” that same one blurted.

  I burst out laughing, shaking my head. “I meant for sanctuary. Do you wish to stay here for good? Become my coven as hawks basically or my protection and help you settle somewhere else?”

  “We did not plan that far,” Vincent admitted. “All our efforts were to contact you and pray you came. Whatever you are willing to do. We are not unskilled. We will work for our protection.”

  “Understood. Well, you have it, so for now, you are to stay here and I will handle the situation. I would suggest learning English.”

  “You brought us to America?” he asked, his eyes wide. “To your coven?”

  “Yes, you are in my coven house so behave,” I warned them, standing when there was a knock at the door. I wasn’t shocked to find Tommy, the head of security there with the food the front desk ordered. “If anyone asks, I decided to work on my bad mood with some guests.”

  “And the truth?” he worried, glancing behind me as he handed the box over.

  “There is some very bad shit going on in Russia and this might get messy.”

  “Doesn’t it always,” he sighed, nodding. “Let me know what you want me to get into.”

  “Thanks, Tommy.” I kicked the door closed and brought the large box of Jimmy Johns to the hawks. I set it down on the table. “You guys eat, relax, and just rest, okay? I know how hard running can be.”

  “You are not staying?” Vincent asked.

  “You said you would eat me,” the guy blurted.

  “What is your name?” I chuckled, turning to face him.

  “Melvin,” he murmured, moving closer until he was almost pressed against me. “Please do not leave, Enchantress.”

  I licked my lips and stared up into his pretty green eyes. “You are playing with fire, and I’m trying to behave and not think with my hormones.” I swallowed a groan when the sexy hawk knelt before me, rubbing his face against my stomach.

  “Please do not leave, Enchantress. I do not wish you to behave. You are too beautiful to play cool with as you must have many men who want you. Please tell me everything to please you.”

  “Shit, you are making this difficult,” I grumbled, running my fingers over his soft hair. “I will stay and eat with you. We shall see how you feel after the adrenaline is gone from running and your stomach is full.”

  He turned so his chin was resting on me, staring up at me with desire. “I will still very much want you then.”

  “Us too,” Vincent said, the other three nodding when I looked at them. “Melvin is simply the most forward. You cannot smell as we do, but this room is full of hormones. You
must be used to this with men, yes?”

  “You’d be surprised how many are disgusted by me,” I grumbled, moving away from Melvin and picking out a sandwich. I sat and waved him up to eat… As I ate up the heated looks they gave me. Shit, there was no way I was going to behave with the crap mood I’d been in and how they were basically rolling out the red carpet for too much fun.

  Ten minutes of us eating while watching their auras and listening to their thoughts of what they wanted was too much. The moment the food was gone, I waved away the mess and changed into what I saw Melvin wanted. It was a sexy black lingerie nightgown that split under my breasts and covered nothing of my front, the tiny lace thong all that kept me from being completely naked.

  I went and sat on Vincent’s lap, giving him the barest of kisses. “You did well, darling. You got them out and kept them safe. You can breathe now.”

  “You were listening to us?” he checked, not looking upset at all.

  “Yes, from the moment we met. It’s how I keep my coven safe anytime I take those sorts of meetings.”

  He nodded. “Then you heard how much we want you?”

  “Yes. It’s why I’m sitting on your lap.”

  “You are so beautiful,” he murmured, kissing me as his hand moved along my thigh.

  “I should greet the rest of your kettle before we get distracted,” I chuckled and stood. I went to the one closest to him, smiling when he got to his feet because I did. “And you are?”

  “Wesley, Enchantress.”

  “Wesley, do you wish me to eat you too?”

  “Oh yes,” he breathed, leaning down and kissing me.

  Next was Rick, and then Tyler made five. Once I greeted them, I went back to Melvin, modeling what I was wearing for him fully. Then I sat on the table and moved him between my thighs.

  “May I kiss you, Enchantress? Touch you?” he whispered, begging in his tone. He moved closer when I nodded, slanting his lips over mine as his hand moved into my hair as his other one slid around my back.