Enchanted Immortals Series Box Set: Books 1-4 plus Novella

by C. J. Pinard

  “Blood whore,” Tyler said. “They just fed on her. Human.”

  “What is YOLO?” Thomas asked. “Is that some new drink or something?”

  Jason chuckled. “It means ‘you only live once.’”

  Thomas snorted and shook his head. “Oh sure, easy for her to say. I can’t believe she wore that into a house full of bloodsuckers.”

  As she got into her car and left, the curtains in the front of the house moved. Everyone in the van saw it.

  “Don’t vampires sleep during the day? Like, isn’t it in their nature to get sleepy when the sun comes up? I read that somewhere,” Jason said.

  “Where did you read that? In a Bram Stoker novel? No they don’t. They only sleep during the day because, I guess, there’s nothing else to do when it’s sunny,” Jonathan answered. He was looking through binoculars toward the front of the house.

  There was no more movement from the house for two hours. The crew was getting restless and had decided to call it a day.

  “Let’s go, sun goes down in an hour and we don’t need them coming out and possibly spotting us,” Thomas said.

  Just then, Brandon and Bryan walked out of the front door. Brandon was in his paramedic uniform and he had his keys in his hand. The sun glinted off of his sandy-colored hair that was shiny with too much hair gel. Bryan was in jeans and a black T-shirt. He ran a hand through his dark brown hair and looked up directly into the sun as he said something to Brandon.

  Thomas and Jonathan gasped.

  “Well I’ll be damned,” Jonathan breathed.

  Thomas shook his head. “I can’t believe this. We sure those guys are vampires?”

  “They have to be, I saw them feeding,” Jason said.

  “And Kat heard his thoughts,” Thomas added. “He is for sure. We just need to figure out how Pascal did this. This could be very dangerous for humans.”

  “Well it appears for now that they are using donors to feed, but that could change,” Jonathan said.

  Suddenly, Brandon looked over at the van and nudged Bryan in the ribs, jutting his chin toward the Immortals.

  Jonathan started the van and drove off.

  ∞∞∞

  Malina was seated in the booth at a small diner on 139th Avenue. She absently rubbed her swelling belly that was hiding under her purple dress. With the other hand, she tapped her purple fingernails on the tabletop then checked her watch. Cassie was late.

  Three months had passed and Malina was beginning to show, but hoped Cassie wouldn’t notice. She looked up from the menu she was absently staring at when she heard the squeaking sound of a baby.

  “Hi, Malina!” Cassie said, setting the baby’s carrier down on the floor next to the booth.

  Malina stood up halfway and gave Cassie a sideways hug then sat back down. “Let me see your little one.”

  Cassie reached down, her blonde ponytail falling in her face as she bent. She placed the carrier on the table and Malina could see a tiny pale face peeking out between a bundle of blue blankets. Cassie popped a pacifier with a baseball on it back in the baby’s mouth.

  “Aww, he’s so sweet. What’s his name?” Malina asked.

  “Chase,” she answered.

  Malina smiled politely, secretly hating the name. “Oh, I see you went with a C name.”

  “Might as well keep the C’s going. Christopher agreed,” Cassie replied.

  As she sat, Malina asked, “Are you hungry? This place has good burgers.”

  “Oh, yes I’m hungry all the time,” she replied.

  Malina handed her the menu. “This is the type of place where you order at the counter, so tell me what you want and I’ll get it.”

  Cassie took the menu and began studying at it.

  Malina glanced at the baby then rubbed her belly again as her own child kicked her from within. She quickly moved her hand away when she realized what she was doing. “So, Cassie, tell me, how do you feel?”

  Cassie looked up sheepishly from the menu. “I don’t know, really. I mean, I’m exhausted all the time and to be honest, I feel worse than before I had the baby. They had to give me a c-section because he was breech and the scar is not healing very well or very quickly.”

  Malina’s brow furrowed. “Is that so?”

  “Yes,” she whispered.

  Malina didn’t want to ask the next question, but she had to. “And the portals?”

  Cassie shook her head and looked down. “Can’t.”

  Malina wanted to cry. She had faithfully given Cassie doses every week for the last few months and it was all for naught. She had a feeling this is how her mother felt all those years ago when she tried tirelessly to perfect the Enchantment recipe. She let out a sigh and plastered on a smile. She grabbed Cassie’s hand and said, “It’s okay, honey. I will keep trying. I’m sorry it didn’t work for you.”

  Cassie smiled weakly. “I don’t mind, really. I was just trying to help you out. I am happy to live a normal life with Christopher. He doesn’t even know what I am. Now I don’t have to tell him.”

  “That’s good then. Now, what do you want on your burger?”

  CHAPTER 15

  ∞∞∞

  Gold Camp, Oregon – 1902

  It took Pascal and Henry five days to get to Gold Camp. As they entered the tiny town, there wasn’t much around. The place was nothing more than a few buildings at the foot of a small hilly mountainside. There was a dense copse of trees that backed up behind the town and seemed to lead on endlessly up into the mountains.

  They had stopped in small towns along the way during their journey and Pascal had Henry buying all the gold mining equipment he could find. The carriage was now full of sifting pans, sluices, shovels, and sickles, along with collection bags and other strange-looking equipment that Pascal had to take the sellers’ words for. He knew nothing of gold mining but he planned on trying. He had also purchased newspapers and camping equipment, including a crude tent, a kerosene lamp, and a lot of matches.

  “Keep going into the mountains as far as you can,” Pascal ordered Henry.

  “Sir?”

  Pascal rolled his eyes. “You heard me. As far as you can go. I’m going to set up a camp up here.”

  Henry swallowed hard. “But sir, the horses, and this carriage for that matter, cannot go up through these small mountain trails.”

  “Very well. Just stop when you cannot go any further.”

  The carriage traveled another hour, winding up the spiraling mountain trail and then came to an abrupt stop. It wasn’t quite nightfall yet, but a heavy cloud covering was still lingering over the mountain range.

  Henry jumped down and opened the carriage door. “Sir, I’m afraid this is as far as we go.”

  Pascal got out and looked around. He was in a large, flattened area of the mountain. To the west, he could see a dense thicket of trees but the area continued to look flat enough to camp in and perhaps begin his mining expedition. He looked around and saw to the north and south, was nothing but steep hills, and to the east he looked back the way they had come and saw the mountain steep downward on the trail. The sky was still cloudy but there was no rain and the sun was nowhere to be seen. He knew it would be nightfall within the hour.

  He looked at Henry. “I will be here for quite some time, probably weeks. Why don’t you take the carriage back to Salem and meet me back here in, say, three weeks’ time.”

  Henry looked relieved. He was hoping Pascal wasn’t going to ask him to camp with him. He had to get back to his small family. Plus, he did not like to camp, nor did he even really enjoy the outdoors that much.

  “Yes, Mr. Thee-row, I will be happy to do that. I will see you back here in exactly three weeks, at this spot.”

  “Right after sunset,” Pascal added.

  Henry nodded and began unpacking Pascal’s things. A steamer trunk, camping equipment, and gold mining tools were left on the dusty trail where Pascal stood. Once he was done, Pascal handed him a wad of bills. Henry dipped his head at Pascal, m
ounted the carriage, and ordered the horses to move.

  Pascal watched him leave back down the steep trail and turned around and looked at his surroundings. It was eerily quiet, and there was not another soul in sight. He decided it would be safe to leave his equipment there while he scouted the area. He walked through some forestry, weaving his way through tall Elm and Sequoia trees, careful not to trip over large tree roots. Some of the tree branches were dripping with a recent rainfall and the pine needles were soft under his step. A low-lying fog had rolled in and settled quietly over the forest floor. The smell of fresh rain and pine was strong in his nostrils as he looked around. After he had walked a while, he came to a large clearing and took in his surroundings.

  Thinking he sensed a presence, the hair on the back of his neck stood up and a chill ran though his body. This area of the forest was different and he felt as if there was magic present. He had been in the presence of magic before, and there was something eerie and not right about this area. He was not scared, but intrigued. After he mined for gold, he determined to get to the bottom of it.

  He ran at preternatural speed back to his belongings and easily carried them to his newfound camping spot. In no time, he had set up a tent under a large, shady tree and laid out his mining equipment. It was dark now and he built a small fire from the ample amount of felled tree branches. He sat and figured out how to use the equipment from reading the multiple newspapers he had collected.

  Pascal was a quick study. He taught himself how to mine for gold, where to dig, and how to use the equipment. His sensitive hearing and senses allowed him to detect small faults in the ground where there would be gold. He’d learned from the newspapers that the gold settled near fault lines in the earth and was able to locate these. By the end of the week he had accumulated a small but very stuffed bag of nuggets. He was also very fortunate that a constant cloud cover made things very easy for him. Not once did he see even the threat of the sun and he was free to start his mining in the late afternoon after sleeping most of the day. That entire week, he never saw one other living soul.

  On the afternoon of the seventh day, he set out for more mining but was very weak and hungry. Being as there were no other people around, he knew he’d have to settle for an animal – which were plentiful. He settled for a small deer. He stalked it for a good ten minutes, and when it stopped to eat some grass, he pounced on it. He broke its neck easily enough and dug his fangs into its neck. Blood splashed his face as he dug in and drank greedily from the warm animal, wincing at the taste of its bitter blood.

  The animal barely sated his hunger but it would do for now. He found a small stream and washed himself clean, then set about his mining. He did not yield much that evening, and at around midnight, he went back to his camp and put away his findings. He lit a small fire and pulled out his journal and went about the task of chronicling his daily events.

  His fire was about to go out and he couldn’t see what he was writing. He swore under his breath and got up and collected some more felled tree branches. He was carrying them back to his camp when he heard a terrified scream that caused him to drop his kindling.

  ∞∞∞

  Portland, Oregon – Present Day

  The shelves in the storage room were lined with sterile-looking towels and dozens of sets of green scrubs. White bins crowded the shelves with packaged needles and other medical equipment. There were empty glass jars and bottles of blue liquid. Up against the wall stood a broom, a mop, and a large yellow bin full of soiled linens. There was, however, a nice comfortable cot. Even in the pitch dark, they could see their surroundings.

  “Are you sure the door’s locked?” Angel asked as Brandon was kissing her neck.

  “Yes. It’s locked. Nobody has a key but the night orderly and trust me, he’s too busy eating in the cafeteria to do his job,” Brandon whispered.

  Angel was lying on her back on the cot while Brandon had her arms pinned down. He stripped off her tank top and then pulled his own paramedic uniform off while he continued greedily kissing her. She kissed him back with just as much hunger.

  He ran his hand down the side of her perfect body, caressing her stomach and hips with his fingers. He trailed them down the outside of her thigh and then the inside of it. She shivered and moaned with anticipation. She grabbed his sandy hair in her fist and pulled him closer and captured his mouth. She slid in her tongue and searched for his. Their tongues spiraled around each other like two lonely snakes. He slid his hand up her body again and put it to her face. Pulling his mouth off of hers, he nipped at her neck with his fangs, gently inserting one into her carotid artery, drawing droplets of blood, which he licked off. She shivered again.

  This was not the first time they had found a place to be alone. A few months ago, they had both found themselves alone together in the house. Angel had been drinking her dinner in the kitchen, when all it took was one look of desire from Brandon, who had been absently watching television on the red pleather sofa. The two had gone upstairs and unleashed their repressed desire for each other in about every room in the house for hours on end. They had been carrying on this secret affair for months and months, and they both were positive Pascal was unaware of it.

  They had arrived at the hospital around eleven p.m. Pascal was at Night Crawlers and Angel had told him she was staying home to dye her hair. Brandon was on duty but that obviously didn’t stop him from taking a little break. Earlier, they had both sneaked into the cold storage of blood reserves and helped themselves to a couple of bags, then slunk into the storage room the medical interns normally used to sleep between shifts.

  They were definitely going to have to put the cot’s sheets in the soiled bin after this little tryst.

  At the end of their little sexcapade, with his face near her ear, Brandon whispered, “I love you.”

  Her eyes shot open and she looked at him in disbelief. “Are you serious?”

  He smiled at her, stroking her cold, beautiful face with his cold hands. “Yes. I would do anything for you. I’ve never been with anyone who has made me as happy as you have. You’re gorgeous and perfect. Please be with me. I’m tired of sneaking around,” he said while running his hands through her hair.

  She smiled sadly at him. “I have definitely fallen for you, Brandon, but you know I can’t. Pascal will kill us both without hesitating.”

  Brandon rolled off of her and lay on his side, propping his head up on his elbow. His green eyes looked mischievous as he said, “Not if we kill him first.”

  She let out a caustic laugh. “Oh sure. Good luck with that.”

  He bit back a smile. “Do you doubt my mad vampire slaying skills?”

  “Well, being that I have never seen you kill a vampire, I’d say the answer is yes.”

  He ran his finger down her arm and grabbed her hand. “Let’s just say that this isn’t the first time I’ve thought about it. If I succeed, do I have your word you’ll be with me? I’d be doing it for us.”

  Angel bit her lip and looked away. While it was true she’d had enough of Pascal, could she really sit by and watch him die – or allow it? She had been with him for almost thirty years. That’s longer than a lot of human marriages last. Aside from Joshua and now Brandon, she had only been with him.

  “What are you going to do, kill him in his sleep?” she asked.

  He grinned. “I think it’s best if I didn’t reveal that just yet. We don’t have all the details worked out yet, but it will be quick for him.”

  She raised an eyebrow at him. “We?”

  “Well, yeah. You don’t think I’m stupid enough to do it alone, do you?”

  She sat up on her elbows. “You really have been thinking about this, haven’t you?”

  He laughed. “Uh, yeah. He’s an asshole. I’ve had enough of him, aren’t you tired of him? I know he hits you, Angel. I’m not gonna sit back and watch him not only abuse you, but break you down mentally and emotionally, too. He’s old and set in his ways, unbending to anything new. He
’s breaking your spirit and I won’t have it. He needs to go.”

  After hearing this, she decided she wasn’t going down with Pascal’s ship, no matter how much history she had with him.

  She smiled demurely at him and said, “I’m in.”

  ∞∞∞

  The apartment was abuzz with excitement. There were clothes, makeup, and hair styling tools strewn everywhere. Malina was wearing a loose-fitting purple dress but had on white stilettos and a veil on her head. Her hair was shellacked with so much hairspray, it didn’t move when she twisted her head around. She was admiring herself in the mirror in the bathroom. Kathryn was standing behind her in a light lavender, floor-length dress.

  “You look gorgeous, my queen,” Kathryn teased.

  Malina gazed at herself. She had just enough purple eye shadow and lipstick on to satisfy herself, and the rest of her face looked flawless. Tears glistened in her honey-colored eyes and she dabbed at them to prevent from messing up Kathryn’s hard work. She thought about how special this day was; July twenty-eight was finally here and she was going to be Mrs. Thomas O’Malley. Her heart swelled.

  “Okay, miss emotional pregnant lady. Let’s get out of here before you ruin your makeup,” Kathryn said, ushering her out of the bathroom.

  Kathryn grabbed the wedding gown off the hook and put it over her arm, snatching her purse from the coffee table and locking the door behind her as they made their way down to the parking garage and into Kathryn’s sports car.

  Thomas was standing in a back room of St. Matthew’s Church, shuffling from one foot to the other. He looked down at his rented black tuxedo and shook his head. He couldn’t believe he was getting married. He walked slowly to the full-length mirror in the sitting room and gazed at his refection. Eighty-seven years old with the face of a twenty-year-old. His crystal blue eyes almost became misty as he shook his head and smoothed his black hair with his hand, making sure none of his short waves were out of place. He had just gotten a haircut and asked the barber to put some “goop” in his hair to keep it nice for the ceremony. The barber laughed and obliged him, and Thomas was happy with the results. He tugged at the lavender bowtie around his neck, making sure it was perfectly straight.