Electric Heat (A Raven Investigations Novel Book 3)

by Stacey Brutger

  Then the witch just vanished.

  “Son of a bitch.”

  Durant sniffed the air, his face hardening. “A transportation spell. They don’t waste that amount magic for nothing.”

  “We need to catch Evans before the witches, or they’ll squirrel him away and we’ll learn nothing.” The wind tugged at her hair and clothes as she ran all out. She didn’t stumble, didn’t hesitate at the breakneck pace. A few of the familiars followed, their beasts unable to resist the exhilaration of running as a pack. By the time Raven reached the campus, she was puffing for breath. Durant gave her an odd look when he stopped by her side, and she was pleased to note he was slightly out of breath as well.

  That’s when she realized she’d beaten him.

  She’d just run three miles in less than ten minutes. She hadn’t even been aware of her animal helping her. It was becoming second nature, and though she appreciated the assistance, she wasn’t sure she cared for the subtle shift in power.

  The campus was swarming with activity. Power flooded her system at the threat of so many people in such close proximity. Every inch of her felt charged, the hair on her arms standing at attention until it became painful.

  Relief at the return of her power was instantaneous, the raw current a comfort after it had been gone for so long.

  The creature hadn’t stolen everything.

  But it presented another problem.

  She glanced down at her naked hands and cursed.

  She couldn’t enter the crowd. She’d been in such a rush to get Durant out of the bedroom that morning, she’d carelessly left her gloves behind. Without her power, it hadn’t been a big deal. Now that she knew the creature could flip the switch at any time, she couldn’t risk infecting anyone with her touch.

  “Let me.” Durant took lead. With his own brand of magic, he moved through the crowd and people parted without him saying a word. She followed in his wake, thankful for his presence.

  When he stopped suddenly, she nearly plowed into his back. “What’s happened?”

  “I believe they found your culprit.” He stepped aside and allowed her to see the chaos.

  In the middle of a group of witches, dropped on his knees and swathed in magic, was the dickhead who had refused to allow her to enter the cabin yesterday. “That can’t be right.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “He didn’t even have a hint of wild magic on him yesterday.”

  “But there was a lot of magic at the cabin. Can you be sure it wasn’t him?”

  Raven hesitated, then shook her head. “I need to talk to him.”

  Not waiting for his permission, she pushed her way forward.

  And immediately found herself blocked by a witch with fiery red hair.

  “I need to speak with him.” But even as she voiced her demand, they forced Evans to his feet and hauled him away. “Wait.”

  When she tried to shove forward, the witches muttered something under her breath and waved her hand. Raven tumbled through air. As the ground rushed up to smack her, she twisted, tucked herself tight to lessen the brunt of the impact, then rolled to her feet.

  Durant roared, his eyes a molten gold as he charged after her. Everyone scrambled out of his way. He watched the crowd for another attack, claws tipping his fingers as he came to stand before her.

  There had been no warning, no build-up of magic to counter the spell. The woman must have been a wizard and activated an amulet.

  Stupid.

  Raven had let down her guard and trusted the witches.

  In the second she’d been down, she lost sight of her prey. “Where’d they go?”

  Durant bared his teeth, clearly not caring. “We’re done.”

  “But—”

  He whirled, and her mouth snapped shut. She should be terrified as the predator in him boldly stared back at her, but she shuffled toward him, drawn to the sheer power of him on full display. In the sunlight, she saw the stripes in his hair, tempting her to run her fingers through the luscious strands. “Durant—”

  “No.” He slashed his hand through the air, indicating the conversation was over.

  “I need to make sure he’s the one. The contract needs to be completed to their satisfaction.” She hesitated a second, but it was too important for her to just give up. “Please.”

  “One day,” he muttered. His eyes flashed down toward hers, the gold swirling as he stared at her, then his eyes narrowed, as if he suspected he was being manipulated. He leaned down, his nose almost touching hers, a light rumble in his chest as he spoke. “One. Day. Then I’m hauling your ass out of here.”

  Chapter Eleven

  DAY TWO: EVENING

  The excitement on campus didn’t die down for hours. Raven tried to make an appointment with Heloise and continue her investigation, but to no avail. She needed to interview the suspect and inspect the bodies. How everything led to Evans didn’t sit right. It had been too easy, tied up into a neat bow. A mastermind stealing power would have covered his tracks better. He wouldn’t be taken down so easily by a couple of witches.

  She was missing something important.

  It was right before nightfall when Heloise emerged from her office. She gave a tight smile at seeing them, clearly not pleased. “We thank you for your assistance. We consider your contract complete.”

  Raven was stunned, unable to react as Heloise walked down the hall.

  They were free to go.

  So why couldn’t she just dismiss her misgivings and leave?

  “The job isn’t done. I need to question Evans and see the bodies.” She wanted to know what the hell he had to do with attacking her pack, and his connection to the wild magic.

  Heloise glanced over her shoulder. “That will not be necessary. The grand coven has responded to our request for assistance earlier than expected. Our Prime is on the way. Your services are no longer required.”

  As if the discussion was over, she continued down the hall.

  “But—”

  Heloise didn’t turn this time. “The shifter is yours. Leave before I change my mind.”

  She disappeared around the corner before Raven could say more.

  “Come.” Durant nudged her, and she walked down the stairs in a daze.

  “This isn’t right.”

  Durant nodded to the dining room as they passed. “We’re being watched.”

  Raven took the hint. She pursed her lips, but refrained from protesting further.

  When they entered the cabin, Rylan walked out of the bathroom. Since he’d spent a night buried beneath the earth, she didn’t know what to expect. At least a smudge of dirt. Instead, he was as immaculate as ever, not even a hair out of place. He took one look at her and smiled. “It appears you’ve had all the fun without me.”

  “Case is solved. We’re leaving.” Durant strode into the bedroom and began packing. It took all of a few seconds to gather their meager belongings.

  Raven crossed her arms and sat at the table.

  Rylan looked between the two of them. “Why do I have the feeling we’re not going anywhere?”

  “They believe they caught the killer.”

  He raised a brow at her glum tone. “You think they’re wrong?”

  Durant came out of the room and dropped the bag by the door. “You were the one who pointed a finger at him.”

  “Not exactly.” Raven shrugged when he continued to stare at her. “I said I needed to talk to him. The witches took him into custody before we could learn anything.”

  “Which is exactly the point. They don’t want us to know. Our services are no longer needed.” Durant paced the room, his aggression hiking up the tension as if he, too, suspected they weren’t going anywhere. “They won’t thank us for our interference.”

  Rylan continued to study her, his gaze so penetrating she would swear he could read her soul. “Why do you think they have the wrong man?”

  “Because the magic isn’t contained. I can still feel it wandering out
there, just out of my reach, taunting me. If Evans had been in charge, he would’ve squashed me like a bug.”

  Rylan crouched before her. “Raven, magic doesn’t do that. It’s not a sentient being with a will of its own. Magic can only do as it’s instructed.”

  They thought she was cracking. “I know what I felt, and it wasn’t human. It’s better to find out what’s really happening and confront it now before it grows any stronger.”

  Durant paused in his pacing, his senses sharpening. “You think it will try for you again?”

  Raven didn’t doubt it for a minute. “I don’t know if it’s the person or the magic itself, but yes, it will come for me.”

  Durant cursed, and Rylan looked grim.

  “They’ve dismissed us. Told us to leave. They specifically lured me here. So why does it feel like we’ve become inconvenient, and they want us out of the way?”

  “What exactly bothers you?” Rylan inched closer, then froze when he realized he’d been about to touch her.

  His emotions shut down as he stepped back, and Raven tightened her grip on her arms to keep from reaching for him. Her blood had saved his life, but it also bound them to each other. She’d become his obsession, one he was determined to control.

  Durant stepped between them, concern tightening his face. He wasn’t oblivious to the exchange. He only tolerated the vampire for her sake, and if he thought Rylan posed a threat, he would deal with it. “Raven?”

  Right.

  The case.

  “We’ve been so focused on finding the killer, we’ve missed the bigger issue. The magic. Why does this killer need the witches’ power when it can control wild magic?” Something about leaving made her uneasy. Once they left, everything would change, and they would missed the chance to stop something bad from happening. “Tell me about this Prime.”

  Rylan leaned against the wall by the door, the furthest he could get from her without actually leaving. “A Prime is a super soldier. They’re hard-core, and the best at what they do.”

  Relief tumbled through her. He believed her. “So they’re witches?”

  She could deal with witches.

  “More than that. They’re first-class spell casters. Their training is so intensive that less than one percent actually survive.”

  “Survive?” Her brows shot up in surprise. “I don’t understand. If the mortality rate is so high, why would anyone want to become a Prime?”

  “To be the best of the best.” Durant spoke this time. “They’re undefeatable.”

  Rylan’s eyes swirled with emotion as he watched her. “Magic can become an addiction, the more you use it the more powerful you feel.”

  Two different answers, but she had a feeling neither was wrong.

  Raven forced herself to meet Rylan’s gaze. He certainly knew about addiction. Her blood was a drug to vampires, giving them the illusion of life. He was managing, stubborn down to the bone, but it cost him every time they were in close proximity. “You said few survive. How do the candidates die?”

  It was Durant who answered this time, his face grim when he spoke. “The training isn’t just pass or fail. The stakes are survival. If you fail, you die. Magical sickness causes them to burn through too much magic, too fast and it fries the brain. The human body is just too fragile to hold that much.”

  It came as a shock to realize this information wasn’t widely known. The fact that he knew, coupled with his tattoo, meant he must have been very close to a witch. Another spurt of jealousy pierced her chest and robbed her of breath. She tensed against the urge to leap out of her chair, pin him to the floor and forcibly remind him that he was theirs. She didn’t even bother denying her creature’s claim.

  As if sensing the threat, Durant stopped talking. He walked toward her with a determined stride, not the least bit afraid. He pulled his shirt out of his pants, quickly tugging it over his head, before letting it drop to the floor.

  Her fingers flexed with the desire to trace all those beautiful muscle. She leaned back in her chair as he continued to prowl closer, grabbing the seat to keep from touching. Her heart thumped painfully against her ribs, ready to beat right out of her chest when he stopped just inches away. “What’re you doing?”

  She turned her head away to deny temptation. His leather scent invaded her lungs, and she cursed the shifters’ lack of personal boundaries. Heat radiated from him, an irresistible lure, and she caught herself trying to lean in toward him.

  Where the hell was her control? “You need to stop.”

  Her voice sounded desperate even to her.

  The big lug didn’t have the decency to pause. His large hands slipped beneath her thighs, and he lifted her clear out of her chair. She whipped her head around to glare, even as she clutched his shoulders for balance.

  It was either that or topple backwards.

  The instant her bare hands came into contact with his skin, all thought of protest evaporated, and she snuggled closer. She ran her hand up his chest, amused when it expanded as if seeking more. Then he stopped breathing.

  It took her seconds to come to her senses. “Put me down.”

  Durant shook his head. “You need to stay calm.”

  Yeah, that wasn’t going to happen while she was plastered up against him. When she tried to wiggle away, his grip clamped down on her hips. “I am calm, damn it.”

  “Tell that to the chair.”

  Confused, she glanced down to see deep grooves gouged out of the seat. As she stared, a chill slithered through her. She’d done that. The creature had taken advantage of her inattention and took control…and she’d been oblivious.

  But that would be a lie. The instant she realized Durant must have cared for someone else, she didn’t give a damn who had control. Possessiveness was like a disease, eating away at her resolve to keep her distance and do the right thing.

  “Look at me.” Durant’s deep voice made it impossible for her to do anything but obey. His eyes were gold and warm as he stared down at her. “Your animal surfaced.”

  She shook her head in denial, a kernel of fear blossoming in her stomach. It was too soon. She wasn’t ready to give up her pack, not when she just found them. “How do I stop it from happening again?”

  “Strong emotions tend to bring out our beasts. What were you feeling?”

  Heat flooded her face, and she looked anywhere but at him, then cursed when she realized he wasn’t going to let her down until she confessed. “Witches are secretive. There’s only one way they would have shared the information about the Prime with you. The protection spell on your back was put there by someone who cared.”

  Durant’s smile was slow to form. “It was a man.”

  Raven blinked, not able to make sense of it. Durant was clearly into women if his reaction to her was any indication.

  “I saved his life. Not wishing to be in debt to me, he offered a trade.”

  Only then did her jealousy finally fade enough for her brain to function properly again. Disgruntled at his smug attitude, Raven sighed in disgust. “That doesn’t explain why my animal took over.”

  “Pretending she doesn’t exist isn’t going to make her go away. It leaves you vulnerable and allows her to emerge without you being aware of it. You have to give yourselves both a chance before it’s too late.” He didn’t say anything else, but she could feel his censure.

  Her heart plummeted, knowing she’d disappointed him.

  Hell, she’d disappointed herself. She didn’t know how to do what he said and just let go. He didn’t understand what had happened the one and only time she relinquished control to the beast.

  It had rampaged, destroyed the labs, and killed dozens of people without remorse.

  And it would do so again if threatened, unless she could stop it.

  “Raven.” Rylan was at their side. She had no idea how many times he said her name before she finally noticed. “Why did you want to see the bodies?”

  “The case isn’t solved. I won’t have them dec
ide later that I failed and give them an opportunity to take Taggert.”

  “Release Durant, and we’ll go find your bodies. He can stay back and cover for us.” Durant was clearly disgruntled at being left behind, but he didn’t protest the couched order.

  It required a physical effort to let Durant go. Being separated from him felt like her skin was being peeled off. Raven had assumed being around other shifters brought out her own, but now she wondered if it wasn’t something much worse.

  The first time the creature had emerged was when Rylan was threatened…her only friend. After years of keeping her distance, she’d allowed herself to become close to others, allowed herself to care. She suspected that was the real reason why the creature was waking. It was determined to protect what was hers…whatever the cost.

  Chapter Twelve

  DAY THREE: 3 AM

  “You’re awfully quiet.”

  Raven raised a brow, careful not to meet Rylan’s too-observant gaze. “We are on our way to break into a secured building. Silence is kind of a requirement.”

  “You know what I mean.” They slipped under the cover of darkness, his lean frame all but vanishing until he was only a smudge against the inky horizon.

  Vampire tricks.

  Following suit, she manipulated the energy saturating the air, pulled the darkness around her, and merged with the shadows like greeting an old lover. The night was chilly, but she feared the cold came more from within. She was trapped. To cut the people out of her life would mean abandoning her pack and leaving them vulnerable for takeover.

  Not an option.

  “I need more time before you decide my fate.”

  “Don’t cut yourself off from your friends.” Rylan’s voice floated out in the night, barely a whisper of breath. “Take it from someone who knows. Facing it by yourself will only make it worse.”

  He was giving her a reprieve.

  The relief was instant, and she took a shaky breath.

  A comfortably silence settled between them as they approached their destination. The building was short and squat, three stories high at most, and wrapped in layers of magic. There was nothing special to set it apart from any other building on campus. “You’re sure the bodies are in there?”