Hex and the Single Witch (Vehicle City Vampires)

by Roxanne Rhoads

  Mel’s eyes narrowed. Shit I was going to be in trouble for not having told her this sooner. It’s not my fault I must have forgotten it with all the craziness or because of the bindings.

  “Well Galen told me many humans hold a small trace of Other inside them. I guess because of all the interbreeding that once happened. I suppose it’s been almost bred out of the human race but many still hold the smallest trace of Other. It may never manifest, the human may have no outward signs of being Other until they become a vampire.”

  “Then their powers manifest.”

  “Yes.”

  Mel looked so excited. “That explains so much. It explains the vast differences among the vampire race. The different powers, the different weaknesses, their different magick traces. Oh this is fabulous, Wyn. Did Galen tell you anything else about origins or magick or vampires in general?”

  “No just the basics—holy water nada, garlic not so much, silver bothers some vamps. Little things.” I shrugged and wished I could offer more, but knowing Mel, she could make serious breakthroughs just from the tidbits I gave her.

  She sat down across the table from me and I thought she was going to ask me more about vampires. Instead, she grilled me about my relationship. “Since we’re on the subject, how are things with you and Galen?” Mel asked, concern showing in her big brown eyes.

  “Really, Mel? We weren’t actually on that topic. And I really have no idea. He pretty much told me to leave him alone. He’s keeping his distance from me again. And now I’ve thought about it, in a way, I really don’t mind the distance. It gives me time to think about things. I want to be wanted, but I am not sure if I really want to be a walking happy meal, you know? After being bit by him or Roark or whoever was controlling Galen’s body—I just don’t know if I’m up to dating a vampire. Then all the weirdness with Devlin, why would he decide to help me after trying so hard to hurt me?”

  “I don’t know, Wyn. Vampires are crazy. Every single one. I’ve done the vamp dating thing several times, the bite is seductive and amazing when done right, but like you said, it can get old being dinner instead of being taken to dinner.”

  I laughed sarcastically. “Well, so far I have not been bitten right because it was neither seductive nor sexy when it happened. Sure it sizzled a bit, but I don’t see why everyone thinks the bite is so orgasmic.”

  Mel giggled. “Galen needs to bite you the right way, not under duress, not when he’s starving or under the control of a demon, but when he’s in the mood for romance.”

  I gave her a puzzled look; this was getting way too complicated. “So this is what it’s like dating Others?”

  “Welcome to the dating world of the single witch. And honey you ain’t even scratched the surface of the dating complexities of Others. How about dating a man who has more monthly issues than you? Like turning furry and howling at the moon—just dealing with that gave me irritable howl syndrome. Or what about dating a guy who can magically get summoned away from you at any time, like right in the middle of sex? Talk about hide and go shriek!” Mel giggled.

  “You dated a demon?” I asked unbelieving.

  “Oh yeah, and damn the sex was amazing, when he got to stick around for it. He was quite popular in the summoning world, some dumb ass posted his true name on the internet and suddenly every black arts wannabe and teenager on a dare was calling him. It got to be too much, so I broke up with him. Too bad since he was a hottie with a body meant for pleasure.” Mel shivered from a pleasurable memory then looked at me. “What about Malone? No inhuman drama there.”

  “Uhm, yeah there is…kinda; mostly it’s my inhumanity that makes him a little twitchy,” I replied.

  “Wyn, he has got it bad for you, the whole witch thing he will get over or accept. The good thing with Mike is you don’t ever have to worry about him sinking fangs into you… unless of course someone changes him.”

  “I don’t know, Mel. He hasn’t talked to me since the night of Samhain. He’s back to avoiding me. You would think after almost getting blown to bits together he wouldn’t be ignoring me. But I think he thinks because I left with Galen, I chose Galen over him. This is so high school isn’t it?”

  Mel smirked. “He’s just freaked about you two getting busy in his office… then again at the Ball. Under all the bullshit, fake crass attitude and cop-face, he’s a gentleman. And yeah he is a little hurt thinking you did choose Galen over him.”

  “Really? And you know this how?” I looked at her through narrowed eyes.

  “That’s just the tip of what I know about Mike Malone thanks to a little truth spell I whipped up.”

  She smiled wickedly as I stood up and moved toward her menacingly. “Mel…”

  She backed up; arms held high, palms out, laughing. “Wyn, I’m on your side. I just wanted to know where he stood and how he really felt. Come on girl, you’re my best friend, you know I got your back…and I can tell you more,” she said with a wink

  The fight was gone from me so I sank back onto the stool. “Thanks, Mel, but I don’t want to know anymore right now. I don’t know if it would help or make things worse. I’m just not sure how I feel…about either of them right now.” I decided to change the subject back to her tech talk. “So how’s it going with all the magick info you collected from all the fires and spell sites?” I asked as she sorted through the magick photos on her desk with the threads open on her computer screen.

  Mel became animated. I could tell something really excited her, to hell with men, let’s talk magick.

  “It’s wild; I can’t believe how many signatures and sources are on some of these spells. We’re looking for more than one Other who is behind the Hex on Flint. So far I’ve unraveled at least thirteen different magickal signatures and none of them are in my database.” She now looked frazzled as she continued to trace lines on the screen.

  “So none of the signatures are Devlin’s or Roark’s?” I asked with disbelief.

  “No, at least not any from outside of the clearing where we found Devlin and Galen or from Devlin’s little gift giving party at Satinka’s,” she replied, her mouth set in a grim line. “I’m not even sure if I have Roark’s signature. I have two for Galen and like eight for Devlin. And I don’t think either was under Roark’s spell or possession or whatever you want to call it when the photos were snapped.”

  “That means we don’t have the source, we don’t even have a clue. So this whole thing with Galen and Devlin was just a coincidence? All for revenge? All for Roark?” I cried with frustration. This was bad. Mel and I had been so sure the incidents were connected.

  “Devlin said he was sent here to keep you and Galen apart and used the situation in conjunction with his own needs.”

  “Who or what is the big bad and why send Devlin? And what does it have to do with me, Galen, or my parents and some old prophecy?”

  “I have no idea,” Mel replied, her mouth set in a grim line of frustration making frown lines appear on her forehead.

  “So we’re back at square one?” I asked.

  “Yes and no.”

  “What about Devlin? Should we try to talk to him again?”

  “The Guardians are trying, but he seems to have snapped completely. It’s like whatever was holding him together is gone. His brain is fried, probably from hosting Roark too many times. Demon possession can seriously fry brains into mush—even in a vampire.”

  “He said what he gave me would keep me sane, Mel. What if giving it to me let go of whatever little thread still held him together? What’s going to happen to him?”

  “If nothing useful can be gained from him he will probably be executed. You know it’s the law. If humans had arrested him, he’d already be gone. Satinka is trying to gain knowledge from him before putting him out of his misery. She asked if you and I might want to try and read him again before his execution.”

  “I don’t think so, Mel. He has nothing left to give.” I chewed on my bottom lip. It bothered me that Devlin was going to be exec
uted. I know he toyed with me and he killed all those woman, but in the end he tried to help me. At least I think he did. I was still very confused by everything.

  “I didn’t think you’d want to. I already told Satinka no but said I’d let her know if you changed your mind.”

  Mel knew me better than I knew myself.

  She turned back to sifting through all her magick data then just stopped. A little gasp escaped her lips before she said, “Wyn, I have some good news and some bad news for you.”

  Mel turned to me, fear and worry filling her eyes, then she looked back at the computer screen in front of her. She could switch emotions in 2.5 seconds flat. The fact she showed any fear or worry was bad. Very bad.

  “Well, tell me, Mel. What is it?” I sat up straight bracing myself.

  “Good news, I traced the magick signature of all of your old bindings. The computer matched the signature. Because I have a definite origin I think I can unravel the bindings.”

  I jumped off the stool. “Oh my Goddess, Mel. That’s fabulous. You mean I will finally have my full power?” I jumped around the room like a happy school girl. Finally I could fit in with Mom and Grandma. I was going to be a powerful, respectable witch just like them.

  “Wyn?” Mel’s voice made me stop in mid hop.

  “What?”

  “Didn’t you hear me? I said I had good news and bad news.”

  Crap on a broomstick.

  “What’s the bad news?” I couldn’t think of anything that could bust my bubble. I was so thrilled. No more bindings, finally after all these years I was going to come into my powers. My real and true full witch powers.

  “The magick signature of the bindings…I know who it is, Wyn.”

  “Well, Mel, spill. Don’t keep me waiting in suspense. Who has been binding me?”

  “Wyn, it’s your mother. She’s the one who has been binding you all these years.” Mel stood there biting her lip nervously; her eyes full of confusion and sympathy as I sank back onto the stool in shock, my bubble officially busted.

  ~End of Vehicle City Vampires Book 1~

  About the Author:

  Story strumpet, tome loving tart, eccentric night owl...these words describe book publicist and erotic romance author Roxanne Rhoads.

  When not fulfilling one the many roles being a wife and mother of three require, Roxanne's world revolves around words...reading them, writing them, editing them, and talking about them. In addition to writing her own stories she loves to read, promote and review what others write.

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