Wicked Tales Anthology

by Brandy Slaven

  There’s silence in the room while we allow that information sink in for Livvie, giving her the time to realise just how much danger she’d been in when she ran out of the club the night before. After a few minutes of only the sound of everyone’s combined breathing, she asks quietly, her face void of color, “How do they drain a witch’s power?”

  “They have to have a witch’s pendant to do any damage at all,” Silas replies, not so subtly avoiding the question. I quickly glance at him and notice he actively makes sure he doesn’t look at Livvie, looking all kinds of uncomfortable. He doesn’t want to tell her what happens if a Ghoul gets their hands on her and her pendant, and after her mint comment, I understand why. This isn’t going to be fun to explain.

  “That’s what he kept asking for,” Livvie mutters, more to herself than anyone in the room.

  “Don’t, under any circumstance, let them touch your pendant, Kitten. The second they have it, you’re dead,” I tell her, my normal humour nowhere to be found. Her eyes flick to where I’m sat on the arm of the sofa, and she meets my eyes, unwavering.

  “Chase, how does a Ghoul drain a witch?” she presses, the strength in her words unmistakable. She’s so not going to like this.

  With a deep sigh, I close my eyes and rub the bridge of my nose, preparing to tell her exactly what happens if a Ghoul catches her.

  “As soon as they have a hold of your pendant, all they need to do is wrap it around their neck, get their lips as close to yours as possible, and inhale. They absorb your power through your mouth,” I tell her bluntly. Not my finest explanation, but how do you tell someone that a monster can suck their magic out of their body by practically kissing them? Not an easy task.

  Opening my eyes as soon as my very poor explanation leaves my mouth, and I immediately seek out Livvie, who has turned an unusual shade of green.

  “You mean to tell me, that foul smelling sicko was going to kiss-” she cuts herself off when she gags. She opens her mouth to continue, but she gags again.

  I’m staring at her wide eyed, hoping to hell that she doesn’t vomit in front of me, because vomit and I get along as well as shit on toast. I can hear Lathan snickering from where he’s sat on the recliner, probably knowing where Livvie’s head just went.

  A point that’s proven when she finally gets control of her dry heaving and she screeches, “That fucker was going to kiss me?! With breath that smelled like an ogre’s armpit?! What. The. Fuck?!”

  “Of all the things to focus on..” I hear Silas mutter to himself, rubbing his hands over his face, but not before I catch another smile.

  “Babe, really? That’s the part you decide needs your attention? How do you even know what an ogre’s armpit smells like?” Rylan asks her, mirroring Silas’ comment, feigning exasperation, when really, his twitching lips indicate he wants nothing more than to laugh at her.

  “Muffin, when a foul smelling creeper tries to kiss you, you’ll understand. Before then, you have no right to tell me I shouldn’t focus on the fact that I almost got mauled by a monster who’s never heard of a toothbrush,” she indignantly proclaims, her whole body shuddering in disgust, really selling how traumatised she is by the whole ordeal. “As for the ogre armpit... Well, I have an active imagination, so... just shut up.”

  I’m trying not to laugh, but really, it’s impossible.

  “Well, it didn’t kiss you, because I was there to save you,” Rylan replies with no small amount of pride, receiving an elbow to the gut and an eye roll from Kitten.

  She pushes out of his arms, turns and declares, “You’ve lost all cuddle and kissing privileges for being so damn smug about it. I didn’t even know there were some creepy bastards out to get me, so how the hell was I supposed to protect myself? Only a day in, and you’ve already been demoted to strictly hand holder,” and with faux pity and a head shake, continues, “this doesn’t look good for you, Ry.”

  She turns and walks towards where I’m still leaning on the sofa with my hand covering my mouth, trying to hide my mocking grin at the baffled expression plastered on Rylan’s face.

  When she reaches my side, she sits as close as her ass can get to me, the side of her body practically suctioned to mine. She snatches my arm that’s still trying to cover my grin, and flings it across her shoulders before crossing her arms and smirking at Rylan, all the while I stare at where my arm is quite snugly placed around Kitten’s neck.

  “Comfy there?” I ask her, my eyebrows raised in surprise, a little thrown off at the bold move.

  “Oh, yeah, totally. You’re much comfier than Ry,” she grins up at me, mischief dancing in her eyes, who I notice has his eyes narrowed on the crazy woman cuddling into my side.

  “Chase has officially been promoted to cuddling. You can suck it,” she says to Rylan.

  I grin at him when he looks to me like I should be helping him out or something. Unfortunately for him, I’m not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, even if it is a part of Kitten’s plan to antagonise Rylan. I’m sure he’s also realised by now that I don’t waste an opportunity to wind someone up myself, so just to help the woman out, I move my arm so my hand rests around her waist, causing her to lean into me more. She rests her head on my shoulder just to really stick it to the man who looks like he wants to throttle her.

  I turn my head to muffle my laughter in her wild mop of red hair when he face palms so hard that there’s a distinct slap noise that fills the room, the shaking of my shoulders causing Kitten’s head to rattle against me, which causes her to laugh in turn.

  “I really hate to interrupt aggravating Rylan, but we need to figure out where that Ghoul came from, seeing as though we thought they’d all died out long ago,” says Lathan with a small frown on his face.

  I pull Kitten closer to my side when I feel her body tense, her worry palpable. She reaches her arm around my back, her small hand gripping my shirt in her fist and resting on my waist, seeking comfort in me. My heart somersaults in my chest when she sighs like she’s completely comfortable where she is now that she has my shirt to anchor her.

  “Uh, I may have a theory,” Rylan tentatively speaks up. When he has all of our attention, he continues, “it could do with Livvie’s bloodline. You already know she comes from a line of powerful witches, but what you may not know is that they’re the most powerful. She’s a Seinfeld.”

  And with that proclamation, the room falls into silence, nothing but pure shock etched on each on of our faces, save for Livvie’s because she doesn’t realise how important that factor is in the equation.

  “She’s a Seinfeld?” a completely stunned Silas repeats.

  “The very last in her line, man. I didn’t even realise it until I moved into her mother’s house with her and found the pendant. The Seinfeld sigil is engraved on the back of the gem with an S inscripted just underneath” replies Rylan, looking at Livvie’s necklace where it lays on her chest.

  She picks up the beautiful sapphire gem and turns it in over her hand. Her sharp inhale is confirmation enough for us.

  “What does this have to do with anything?” she asks, genuine confusion lacing her words.

  I draw her attention to me when I ask, “Kitten,what was your mothers name?”

  “Lorna Seinfeld” she responds, confirming the information Rylan has laid before us.

  Lathan answers her previous question after a firm nod of his head, “Everyone was under the assumption that your mother was the very last of the Seinfeld line. She stopped using her magic when she was in her mid-twenties, and no one knew why. But once she did, the Ghouls began to wither away and turned to ash, disappearing all together.”

  “No one knew she had a child, Bolivia. No one knew you existed, you’ve apparently been a very well kept secret for years, and I’m thinking she stopped using magic to protect you. It would explain how you didn’t know what you were if she wasn’t using magic or exposing you to that part of her life,” continues Silas, keeping his tone gentle.

  Livvie’s eyebrows furr
ow in confusion before she asks, “But what does this mean? What does all this have to do with these creeps coming back from the dead, so to speak?”

  Without thought, I drop a kiss on the top of her head which brings her attention to me. Looking in her eyes, I tell her exactly what it could possibly have to do with her if Rylan’s theory holds true.

  “It means that the Ghouls have been dormant because there wasn’t a greater power to feed from once your mother stopped using her magic and passed away some time later. It means that they’re back because the power they’ve been missing for so long has finally emerged. Because the most powerful witch in existence has just come into her powers. They’re back for you, Kitten.”

  Her face pales, the colour visibly draining from her already porcelain face. Her entire body begins to shake, so I do the only thing my protective instinct screams for me to do. I pick her up from beside me and deposit her on my lap, wrapping my arms tightly around her while she buries her face in my neck, her breathing picking up pace.

  She mutters in disbelief, “They’re here to kill me.”

  Before anyone can respond or comfort her further, there’s a ear piercing screech coming from outside, a pitch high enough that we all clap our hands over our ears to muffle the noise before our eardrums burst. The noise is as gone almost as fast as it appeared, leaving an eerie silence in its wake. A prickling sensation develops in my stomach that tells me nothing good will come of this, my gut telling me something is very, very wrong.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Livvie

  “What the fuck was that?” I yell, my ears still ringing after the most horrendous noise I’ve ever heard, and I’ve heard to old men without teeth eating porridge.

  “I’m pretty sure than was a Ghoul, Buttercup,” Rylan replies somberly, nothing good ever coming from him acting this serious.

  Silas runs towards the window, checking outside for anything that would confirm the noise did, in fact, come from one of those ugly fuckers that want to kill me. His entire body freezes in the spot where he stands, his hand gripping the curtain he was pushing aside to get a better view. He doesn’t move, just stares outside. A statue has more movement that the demon, who doesn’t even look like is breathing right now.

  “Silas? What is it?” I ask, retracting myself from Chase’s comforting hold, and slowly approaching the man who still hasn’t moved a muscle. I don’t need an answer, however, when my eyes go to the window the second I reach Silas’ side.

  Outside, at the very edge of my yard, stands an entire herd of what I’m assuming to be the Ghouls that officially terrify me. They stand haphazardly across the street, littering my neighbours’ yards, but never stepping a foot into mine, as if an invisible line’s been drawn around my property. I’d be curious about it if I didn’t think my damn heart wasn’t ten seconds away from crashing out of my chest in fear. There are dozens upon dozens of them, each one looking as disgusting as the other, rotten flesh hanging off bones. They wear various clothing items in the colour black, all covered in mud, torn and grubby. They look like zombies that just crawled out of a grave a week after being buried. It’s a disgusting sight to see.

  I don’t realise the others moved to admire the view until I feel warm hands rest on my shoulders in a protective manner. I look up to find it’s Lathan, his face full of fury at the sight before us.

  “What the fuck are we going to do about that?” Rylan asks quietly, trying to keep his voice low for reasons I’m not privy to, that is until every single Ghoul’s head snaps to the window where all five of us stand. Apparently these bastards have awesome hearing, too. Fucking marvelous.

  We all stand impossibly still, Lathan tightening his hold on my shoulders, but not tight enough to hurt, the only movement that comes from any of us, not wanting to draw any more attention to ourselves. A stupid thing to do, seeing as though every creepy, beady little eye is directly staring at the window. Sadly, my body betrays me when the sudden urge to sneeze creeps up on me with no warning, and there’s no hope that the Ghouls outside didn’t hear the loudest fucking sneeze I’ve ever done.

  Everything happens so fast. The second the sound of my sneeze hits the Ghouls eardrums, they go into a frenzy. Every single one of them charges toward my house, some climbing over others in their fight to reach my house. To reach me.

  I’m reacting on flight or fight instincts when I twirl around, snatching Lathan’s hand in mine as I go and reaching the next closest hand to me with my other, who happens to be Silas, and before I dart towards my stairs, pulling two of my four guys with me, hoping with all I have that the other two follow closely behind me, I yell, “Fucking run!”

  To Be Continued..

  Dedication

  For my diamond in a barrel full of pebbles.

  ABOUT J.J. DEAN

  JJ resides in her very own land of fantasy created by many a daydream, reality often nothing more than an ancient myth. When she isn't lost inside her own head, she's buying one-way tickets to procrastination station, where she stays watching Disney movies, reading amazing books by incredible authors, eating all the food she can get her hands on, and falling down the rabbit hole that is Pinterest, seeking inspiration for her next book. She occasionally adults when the need calls for it, where she looks after her babies, both with and without fur.

  OTHER BOOKS BY

  J.J. DEAN

  COMING SOON

  DARK REVERIE

  BY

  ELISSA RYAN

  DARK REVERIE

  BY ELISSA RYAN

  Rowen usually looks forward to celebrating Halloween with the rest of the residents living in Shadowbrook, but joining the festivities this year would almost certainly mean running into her asshole of an ex-boyfriend. Instead, she'd rather find a comfortable spot at Chimera, the town's used bookstore, and spend the night alone with a good book and a strong cup of coffee.

  But Rowen's simple plans for a quiet evening turn into a life-changing adventure when she suddenly finds herself being held captive in a bizarre prison that seems to exist outside of time and space. Shackled to a wall with no escape in sight, her only company is Mekhi, a man with unusual eyes and a dark allure that Rowen can't explain -- or resist.

  Could the powerful connection between them be the key to unlocking the mystery of her captivity? And to mending Rowen's broken heart?

  DARK REVERIE

  BY ELISSA RYAN

  © COPYRIGHT 2018 ELISSA RYAN

  All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and incidents are either the product of the authors’ imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 4 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

  CHAPTER ONE

  I kick the leaves in frustration which only accomplishes getting a few more of the soggy things stuck to the steel toes of my vintage Doc Martens. The misty rain that has been falling in Shadowbrook for three days has made everything a mess, including the normally gorgeous fall foliage. I usually love this rainy and cold weather. Any other night I’d make myself a cup of coffee, grab my favorite book, and curl up on my couch, a scary movie playing in the background.

  This night was supposed to play out differently, however. My plans should include joining my best friend Blake at her boyfriend Jace’s annual Halloween party. Yes, it’s Halloween. And it’s raining. And I live in a town called
Shadowbrook. Real cliché, I know. But rather than partaking in flip cup or a vodka-soaked version of bobbing for apples, I’m walking down the creepiest street in town, and heading to our hole-in-the-wall bookstore. I intend to drown my sorrows in a cup of coffee and a dark romance novel. You see, I was just dumped. Last night to be exact. By Jace’s best friend, Brent.

  We dated for eight years, together since high school, and I really thought he was the one. He took me out to dinner at our local diner for our anniversary last night. Rather than pop the question, as I had anticipated and stupidly prepared myself for, he dumped me. Asshole. He traded me in for Samantha, a hygienist for our town’s only dentist.

  “Sahhhh-mann-thaaa,” I say her name out loud to the night sky. What kind of name is that, anyway? Apparently, they have SOOO much in common and she really has her head on straight. Which serves as his way of telling me I’m an absolute fuck-up at twenty-five with no ambitions or life goals.

  I stop in front of Chimera, a combination of bookstore and coffee shop in our small town. Despite walking past here a few times, I’ve never actually gone inside the place. The convenience of online shopping has ruined me for these local bookstores. Which is a shame, really, since I love the entire experience of shopping for used treasures. Though, now that I’m standing in front of the store, I’m beginning to question my decision to come here in the first place. It’s situated on a dark corner, with an alley off to one side. There are no lights, aside from the red neon placed above the word “Chimera” on the storefront.