Borrowed Magic: An Urban Fantasy Novel (Witch's Bite Series Book 1)

by Stephanie Foxe

  I’ve had a lot of time to think after the detectives had left, and I don’t like any of the things I’ve come up with. I doubt anyone hates me enough, much less knows me well enough, to frame me for Jessica’s murder. It doesn’t make sense for the vampires to have her healed and then kill her either. Not that it was impossible, they could be really damn confusing sometimes.

  There was a chance, small though it was, that the coven was involved. They haven’t given me any trouble since I moved into town though. They had made it clear I wasn’t welcome in their coven, but that hadn’t exactly been big news. Covens didn’t accept fuckups.

  I don’t really know any of the weres in this town. I’ve seen them around but the alpha, whoever they are, keeps everyone in line and out of the public eye.

  No, whatever was going on had to be about the vampires. Maybe whoever had gotten pulled off Jessica that night had gone back for the rest the next night when they woke up. They could get fixated like that sometimes. My shoulder aches just thinking about it.

  I turn down the long driveway. The old house looms over the yard like an old ghost. The vampires had bought an old plantation house fifty or sixty years ago. The inside is modernized, but the outside is all overgrown vines and boarded up windows. It looks like it’s haunted.

  I park by one of their sleek black limos and climb out as the sun sets on the horizon. The door is already swinging open. Emilio is hovering in the shadows watching me.

  “Good morning, Emilio,” I say quietly as I walk inside.

  He slams the door shut behind me and looks down his nose as he adjusts his lace cuffs. He speaks with a slight hiss, “You know it issn’t morning, and you know that joke iss never funny.”

  I look behind me but don’t see Patrick creeping up. I frown, this is normally when he pops up to tell Emilio his sense of humor is dead or something like that. Which is why Patrick is my favorite. He had scared me the first few times I was here, he thought it was hilarious to sneak up behind me and try to get me to scream. He had finally succeeded the third time he tried. He had broken down laughing so hard he cried. I had ended up on the floor with him, laughing harder than I had in years. We’d been best buds ever since. He’s the only vampire I’d ever go to a bar with, and he’s the only one other than Javier and Emilio with my cell number.

  “Where’s Patrick?”

  “Javier is eager to speak with you, follow me,” Emilio says, completely ignoring my question, as usual.

  The house is always dark inside. The only lighting is soft, blue-tinted LEDs built into the baseboards every few feet. At first the darkness it put me on edge, but since I’ve been coming every two weeks for six months, I’ve gotten used to it. Patrick explained that it really was more for comfort anyhow, it just had the added effect of scaring newcomers. Blood tastes better when it’s pumping faster, apparently.

  Actual light is coming from under the door to Javier’s room though. He uses his bedroom like an office.

  Emilio knocks once, then pulls the door open, waving me inside.

  Javier is lanky, but always well groomed unlike some of his clan. He’s wearing a crisp, white button-down shirt, unbuttoned and hanging loosely, over black slacks. His dark skin is dampened by his ghostly pallor causing a stark contrast to his black hair. He is standing in front of his window with the heavy, red curtains tied back so he can watch the moon rise.

  He turns around, looking me up and down with relish.

  “You cut your hair,” he comments.

  My hand goes to it automatically. It had been down almost to my waist, I cut it to my shoulders about a week ago and I’m still getting used to it.

  “It’s hot outside,” I say with a shrug.

  He pushes out his bottom lip in a pout. “It’s still lovely, but I did always hope to see all that hair fanned out on my pillow.”

  I roll my eyes. “The police came to my house today, the necker you dropped off night before last ended up dead.”

  He sits back on the window ledge. “So I heard. What did you tell the police?”

  “That I fixed her up, she left alive, and that if they wanted to know more, they had to come back with a warrant.”

  Javier chuckles, a deep sound that always makes my skin crawl. “How did they take that?”

  “One of the detectives is a witch, he flashed his coven mark,” I say with a shrug. “I’m guessing they will come back with a warrant if they can.”

  Javier stands and grabbed an envelope from the bookshelf to his left and tosses it at me. I catch it just before it hits my face and scowl at him.

  “What’s this?”

  “Your six-month bonus, we always want our employees to feel appreciated,” Javier says spreading his arms wide and grinning with a mouth full of teeth that are unnaturally sharp.

  So, it was encouragement to keep my mouth shut, possibly even if there was a warrant. The smile, however, is a threat.

  “Always good to be appreciated, Javier,” I say as I slip the envelope into my back pocket. “I’ll let you know if they contact me again.”

  “Please do, you will have our protection if they harass you of course.”

  I nod my head politely and move towards the door before I pause. “Do you have any idea what might have Gerard spooked?”

  Javier’s jaw twitches. “No, I didn’t realize he was spooked. Did he say something to you?”

  “He just suggested that I try not to die.”

  “Death isn’t so bad,” Javier says with a wink.

  “See you next week for check-ups,” I say as I slip out the door. He knows something. Familiar anger is bubbling up in my stomach. Secrets always end up getting the peons hurt, and lord knows I’m definitely a peon.

  I flip through the contents of the envelope as I walk down the hall to Patrick’s room, five hundred, not bad. I knock on Patrick’s door. When there’s no answer I try the handle, it’s unlocked. The door swings open soundlessly and I flick on the lights. The room is empty, but nothing is out of place. The sheets on the bed are rumpled and there’s a blood stain on the pillow. All normal for Patrick, he’s a messy eater. The only thing that’s odd is that he isn’t here.

  I turn the light off and shut the door behind me, unease settling over me.

  It’s ten pm and I’ve called Patrick’s cell about eight times. When I find him I’m going to kick his ass. It’s been about a week since I’ve heard from him. I thought maybe he was mad at me for that comment I made about how he’s been kind of slutty lately, which I meant as a joke, but he took personally for some reason. The longest he’s ever gone without talking to me before this is maybe two days, it’s gone beyond weird at this point.

  I can’t sit at the house anymore. There’s a small chance that if he’s just out wandering around that he’ll be in town tonight. He loves Rudie’s, there’s always a ton of humans there to mess with, and girls that want to feel a little dangerous by flirting with a vampire. It’s somewhere to start at least.

  I grab my best jeans out of my closet and pull them on. I don’t have much in the way of boobs, no more than a handful, but I make up for it in ass. The jeans definitely show that off to good advantage. I grab a silky, dark red blouse too. It’s low cut, and one of only two nice shirts I have.

  I never know what to do with my hair, so it just hangs straight around my face. I touch up my eyeliner and mascara and shrug at the mirror. It’ll do for tonight.

  The drive into town feels like it takes twice as long as usual. I have the music cranked up loud, my fingers tapping out an unsteady rhythm on the steering wheel. The parking lot is filling up when I pull in, I have to park towards the back where the lights just barely reach.

  I walk in through the back entrance and head towards the bar. The music is loud, country music still, they don’t switch to hip-hop until after midnight. There’s a big group of guys in the corner, eyes glued to the tv watching some kind of MMA fight. The bar itself is three people deep waiting on drinks. Chevy is back there with the other barte
nders, including a girl I don’t recognize that must be new.

  I wind my way through the crowd and get in line. The thought of alcohol makes my stomach churn, but I need at least a beer so I’m not standing around without anything in my hands. I finally make it up to the bar after a few minutes and Chevy nods in greeting.

  “What can I get you?” He shouts over the music.

  “Beer, you got anything new in?”

  “I’ve got a new pecan porter.”

  “I’ll try that. Hey, have you seen Patrick around since last night?”

  “Nope, but if I see him, I’ll tell him you’re looking for him,” he says as he grabs a glass, spinning it twice before filling it to the brim with the dark, foamy liquid.

  “Thanks, Chevy.”

  He waits for me to taste it before he goes to help the next person. I take a long drink, my eyes shutting on their own. It’s sweet and a little nutty and wonderfully refreshing. I’m definitely going to have to order this again. I give Chevy a thumbs up.

  There aren’t any tables open so I push back through the crowd and find an empty space along the wall where I can watch for Patrick.

  Most of the faces look familiar, some because I’ve healed them and others just because they’re always at Rudie’s. One of the familiar ones is attached to a girl named Dawn. She looks like she’s already a little drunk as she stumbles towards me with a distraught look on her face.

  “Olivia,” she says as she grabs my arm, making my porter splash over onto my knuckles. I push her back gently, but firmly.

  “Don’t spill my beer, Dawn.”

  “Oh sorry,” she says, her face screwing up and her lip trembling.

  “Look, it’s okay, what’d you want?” I really don’t want her to start crying. She can go for hours once she gets started.

  “You seen Britney around? Like with the vampires or whatever?”

  “You know I don’t talk about what I do or don’t see with the vampires.”

  She sighs and smears the back of her hand across her nose, sniffling. “I know that, it’s just she’s been missing for a few days and I’m worried, okay?”

  Another missing person. I believe in a lot of things. That people are inherently evil, that Maybelle is an exception to that rule, and that curly fries are the best fries. One thing I don’t believe in is coincidences.

  “How long has she been missing?”

  “Since like two weeks ago. She was supposed to come hang last week, like, she promised. She wanted to get together with Bryan and she wouldn’t just not show up, you know?”

  “Maybe she found herself a vampire or something?” I say, trying to reassure her even though in my gut I know she’s right to be worried.

  “I guess,” Dawn attempts a smile.

  A hand waving frantically catches my attention. Tyler is pushing his way through the crowd headed straight for me.

  “I gotta go, hope you find your friend,” I say, chugging down the rest of my porter and shoving the empty glass in Dawn’s hand. She looks confused and almost drops it. I’ll look for Patrick some other night.

  I’m two steps from the door when a hand closes around my arm. I turn around to snap at Tyler, but the person grabbing me is a woman. Her nails press into my skin and her ruby red lips are twisted into a sneer.

  “Why don’t we walk together?” She asks.

  I glance at her wrist, it has the same coven mark as the detective. Shit.

  “Nah, you can go ahead without me,” I say as I attempt to tug my arm out of her grip.

  A large, bald man steps up behind her, jacket parted just enough to show me a gun. The gun is probably the least scary thing he has.

  I can go with them now while we’re in at least a semi-public place, or I can give them the slip and have them show up at my house for a much more tense conversation later. I might be able to hold them off there, but I’m not sure I want to bet my life on it.

  I catch Chevy’s eye at the bar, he’s cleaning a glass very slowly, watching what’s going down. At least someone will know where to point the police if I disappear tonight.

  “Fine, lead the way.”

  The woman tightens her grip on my arm and drags me out the door. The bald man follows close behind. Her heeled boots clunk heavily against the wood of the patio, a few people look up as we pass, but they’re too absorbed in their own conversations to notice the tension.

  “So, are y’all here to recruit me for your coven? Heard about how awesome I was and just couldn’t wait?” I ask as we pass the first row of cars and the lights from the bar fade.

  Scarlett, the nickname seems fitting, rolls her eyes. The prick of her nails on my skin makes me itch to do something stupid, but I know it’s not worth it.

  We stop in front of a black car with tinted windows and my heartbeat kicks into overdrive.

  “Get in,” Baldy rumbles from behind me.

  I twist and yank my arm, stepping away from Scarlett.

  “I’m not getting in that car. If you two want to talk, you can do it here.”

  Leaving the bar was a courtesy to Chevy, and if I’m honest, bought me some time to think. I know deep down in my soul that if I get in that car, I’ll disappear permanently.

  Scarlett snaps her fingers and a flame wraps around her fingers and down her hand.

  “Get in the car or I’ll make you,” she says with a smile, her eyes glinting red from the light of the flame. Fire witches always think they’re hot shit. Most of them have no idea how to use the magic to its fullest potential.

  I pull a thin vial out of my back pocket.

  “I guarantee your coven doesn’t have an antidote for this,” I say as I wiggle it in their faces. “Whatever message you have for me can be given to me right here, right now.”

  Baldy is watching the vial, his hand twitching like he thinks he might be fast enough to grab it before I can break it.

  I put a little pressure on the vial, just enough for the glass to give a little.

  Baldy’s jaw tenses and he glances at Scarlett. She purses her lips and sighs, extinguishing the flame.

  “You need to tell the police that Javier is the one draining the girls that have been disappearing,” Scarlett says. “You can tell them you were just too afraid to come forward before.”

  Girls. How many have disappeared? Jessica. Britney. I haven’t been paying attention to the news lately.

  “Do you have proof Javier is the one draining them?” I say, hoping my concern doesn’t show on my face. Javier would never risk his little kingdom just to drain some neckers.

  “No, but that doesn’t matter and you know it. Javier is responsible for every vampire in this district,” Scarlett says, her voice snapping in irritation.

  “So you want to pin it on him and what? Just hope the murders stop?”

  “The vampires got sloppy and killed them, Carter, there’s nothing more to it than that. This needs to be settled quickly and quietly, you know the rules.”

  “Is the council already looking into this?”

  “No,” Baldy says, stepping a little closer to me. “And this will be resolved before they do. This district has a perfect record, and we will not allow the vampires to mar that.”

  Gerard’s warning is ringing in my ears. He said that trouble had come to town, but the vampires have been here for over a hundred years. Something else is going on.

  “You’ve got a witch in the damn police, why do you need me to lie?”

  “He still needs evidence!” Scarlett shouts. “We have to work through the human’s legal system, as you well know.”

  “You are not leaving here tonight until you give us your word that you will do as instructed. You will call Detective Novak tomorrow morning at eight am and let him know that you do have information and that you’d like to speak with him right away. If you do not cooperate, you will face punishment by the coven,” Baldy says in an even tone.

  By punishment he means death. Covens are fucking overbearing.

  “
Like hell, I will,” I say throwing the vial onto the ground. I’m already running, eyes screwed tightly shut, as it explodes in a flash of light and a boom that rattles everything around us. Through the ringing in my ears I can hear car alarms going off. I open my eyes and pull another vial out of my pocket, this one is a little nastier and I hope I don’t have to use it.

  4

  I crouch down behind a row of cars, running as fast I can in such an awkward position. I can hear Scarlett screeching something, but Baldy is silent. He scares me a little more, especially since I don’t know what he can do.

  I stop by a big truck and crouch behind one of the tires. I can see my car, but it’s in a different row. I’ll have to go out into the open. I should have brought another flashbang potion.

  There is the distinct crunch of gravel behind me. I run without even looking and hear the footsteps speed up behind me. I skid to a stop behind my car and turn and throw the second vial. I don’t want to be too close when it breaks.

  Baldy is directly in its path, his skin a mottled, dark gray. I grin, impervs are always more caught off guard by this kind of potion. They tend to think they’re actually invincible. The vial breaks on his chest as he barrels towards me.

  I don’t even see Scarlett until the bright light of a fireball comes hurtling towards me from behind Baldy. Baldy clutches his chest, his mouth gaping uselessly as he falls to his knees. The fireball fizzles out of existence and Scarlett hits her knees behind him, her mouth open in a silent scream.

  I yank my car door open and jump inside. The two seconds it takes to turn the car on and get it in reverse feel like a century. I only have five more seconds before they get their oxygen back. I back out, car swinging a foot from Baldy's head.

  My tires spin and kick up gravel as I shift into first. Scarlett’s indignant scream is the only warning I get before a fireball engulfs my car from back to front. Bathing the thing in a fire resistance potion was a pain in my ass, but I don’t regret a second of it now. The fire is still hot enough that it probably singed the paint, but I’ll worry about that later.