Mandy M. Roth - Magic Under Fire (Over a Dozen Tales of Urban Fantasy)

by Unknown

  “She tried to do that to us,” Emma protested. “She would have killed me to kill you.”

  “Let her go, sweetheart.”

  “I don’t know how,” Emma said. “It’s too strong.”

  “What’s too strong?”

  “My rage,” she answered quietly before focusing all of her energy back to Amile.

  EMMA FELT as if she’d been plugged into a nuclear reactor and was feeding on all its energy at once. Her skin felt cold even as her mind burned with fury. This woman had tried to kill her. Kill her mate. She’d betrayed her own kind, and for what? More control? More power?

  “Please, love. Let her go,” Keir said again.

  Emma tried again to stop what she was doing to Amile, but she couldn’t find an off switch. Hell, the on switch had been flicked by accident. “I don’t know how. I can’t stop.” The force of magic roared through her body. Keir stepped between her and her prey. “Don’t get in the way, Keir.”

  “I can’t let you do this, Emma. This isn’t you.”

  Tears leaked down her face, an involuntary response to the power coursing through her veins. “Help me,” Emma said. This time, not a prayer to someone unknown, but a plea for her mother to step in. “Help me stop.”

  “Bring your wolf, daughter.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “You are half me, Emmaline, but you are also half your father’s child. Let go of the magic and welcome the wolf.”

  Emma remembered Keir’s shift into his animal form. She thought about how his bones had bent and cracked and reshaped. How fur had sprouted thick along his golden skin. How his amber eyes had blinked up at her. She thought about the smell of his musk, earthy and natural.

  Her body jerked as she dropped to the ground, writhing as her insides broke apart and reformed. When she could stand, she stood on four legs and gave her fur a shake. She felt Keir’s love then. His thoughts joined with hers in a soothing song of harmony. They were one. Mated. This was how it was meant to be. The anger fled as his love filled her up. In moments, she was back in human form again.

  Aerina was standing over Amile, keeping watch on the treacherous warrior woman.

  “Your friend,” Emma said. “We have to help him.” She ran toward the fallen men, ignoring the protests as she slid next to Toland, Keir on her heels.

  “He won’t survive,” Jaylinn said. “He’s lost too much blood, and his pulse is thready.”

  Emma had taken an anatomy class in high school and tried to remember the parts of the lungs and the heart, but other than a general idea of how they worked, she couldn’t remember specifics. Where his brother had pulled out the blade, Emma stuck her fingers in the hole.

  “What are you doing?” someone said.

  “She’s going to kill him,” another voice added.

  “Let her work,” Keir said. “She is Tol’s best chance.”

  More protesting ensued, but Emma ignored it as she carefully examined the wound. If there were holes, she thought, they needed to be plugged.

  “Heal, damn it.”

  Aerina’s voice entered her mind. Push your magic into his damaged skin and will it to health.

  “Heal,” Emma said, this time with less frustration. The knitting bone tickled her finger as the expanding lung pushed out against the tip. She yanked her finger out of Toland’s chest and watched with a mixture of astonishment and horror as the muscle and skin closed until all that was left was a pale pink line where the dagger had entered.

  Toland’s breath evened out, his pulse getting stronger by the second. “Keir,” he said weakly when he began to rouse.

  “Easy, my friend. Rest for a moment.”

  “Amile.” He shook his head. “She’s betrayed…”

  “Shhh,” Keir said. “It’s over now.”

  Emma watched Toland’s heartbroken brother gather his strength. “I’m sorry, Tol. I didn’t know. I swear it.” He looked at Keir. “Forgive me, Domiscin. I will accept the consequences for my mate’s action.”

  Keir nodded then turned his attention back to Toland. “Let’s get you up. There is someone you should meet.” He looked at the two women. “Emma is my domiscina. Do you accept her authority as my own?”

  Both women had sour expressions, but they nodded.

  “I hate to spoil this kum-ba-ya moment, but I don’t think I can walk back to the cottage. I’m zapped.”

  “I’m Mika,” one of the women said. “I’ll help you, so Keir can assist Toland.

  Emma smiled. “Thanks, Mika.”

  “How is it that you are wolfkind,” the other woman said. “And you can spell cast?”

  “Leave her alone, Jaylinn,” Mika said.

  “It’s a long story,” Emma said. “But one I’ll tell you if you help me up.”

  The woman Jaylinn tapped her chin for a long moment of consideration then nodded. “I accept your terms.”

  Emma resisted rolling her eyes. “I’m so glad.”

  14

  Emma watched Keir as he directed his people, no, she amended to herself, their people, to assemble in the cottage’s field. Rows of permanent homes were being built in and around the area. Finally, after six months of hard negotiations, the settlement was looking like a real town.

  It took amazing savvy by both queen and alpha to broker peace between the two races. Emma was living proof that biologically they all came from the same maker. She mused that it was the reason the children of both were not much different from normal humans before puberty.

  “Friends, kinsmen, welcome to Wallen Valley,” Keir said. Emma's chest warmed every time she heard the new town’s name. It had been her father’s secret place to meet with the love of his life. She’d been born here. It made sense to name the place for him.

  “Today,” Keir continued, projecting his voice out to the crowd. “We are here to commemorate a new beginning. One where witches…”

  There were a few boos in the group, but mostly, the wolf clans kept respectably quiet.

  “….and wolfkind.”

  The witches remained silent.

  “This land has been granted to us as a good faith gesture by Queen Aerina Lockside. It will be a new beginning for both our people. We no longer have keep moving our families to stay one step ahead of death.”

  Cheers rose up from the gathering.

  “Aerina has promised that no witch will come into Wallen Valley without permission until a lasting trust has been built. I know it will take a long time to overcome prejudice. Many of you have lost family to the war. On both sides,” he added. “But the reasons for this war no longer exist. Let us celebrate as we usher in a new century. One where we can teach our children to farm not fight. To thrive not merely survive. To love,” he said at last. “Not to hate. Let this be our legacy. A better world for our children.”

  The witches and wolves shouted it back, “A better world for our children,” their voices echoing throughout Wallen Valley.

  She rubbed her swollen belly. “You hear that, little one. Daddy is making the world better for you.” Emma had grown to love the area. Its heavy growth of witchvine made it a perfect safe haven for the wolfkind. Although, because she was Aerina and Wallen’s daughter, it didn’t stop her magic. “So nobody better get out of line,” she told the baby.

  “Are you talking to yourself again, cousin?” Toland sat next to her on the porch.

  Emma smiled fondly. She’d never had blood relatives before, but now she had two. Her mom and Toland. Her father had been his uncle. His and Thadeus’s. She still felt guilt over Toland and Keir’s loss of a brother. Thankfully, he’d only been exiled and not killed for his mate’s treason. Still, he’d have to spend the rest of his life alone with a woman who betrayed her own kind.

  Amile had been in contact with a guy named Renald. They’d agreed that if Renald killed Toland and Keir, she would give them information about the tribe’s movements. When Thadeus had found out that she’d meant to kill his twin brother, it had been too much for him
to forgive. On earth, he could have just divorced her and moved on, but in this world, a mating was permanent.

  “Emma,” Toland said, snapping her from her reverie.

  She glanced at him and grinned. She patted her stomach. “The baby likes it when I talk to him.”

  “Him?”

  Emma shrugged. “Maybe.” Her psychic powers had given her insight to the pregnancy, but Keir wanted to be surprised. “I’m thinking Wallen Luer D’San. What do you think of the name?”

  Tol smiled. “It’s perfect.”

  “Speaking of perfect,” Emma segued. “How is your mate? Will he be joining us soon?” Emma had grown to love both Toland and Lis. They’d had a double mating ceremony with Emma and Keir. And in that, he’d kept his promise to Keir that he’d mate when his friend did.

  “Lis is excited. Your knowledge of medicine, even beyond what your magic can do, has made his life an adventure. He’s found an area full of the lavender. I can’t believe it works on headaches.”

  Emma couldn’t believe she’d actually remembered that tidbit. One of Mike’s girlfriends had been seriously into holistic medicines. She missed Mike, but not as much as she thought she would. Her other medical knowledge consisted of things she’d learned while watching bad medical dramas on television. She didn’t miss that as much as she’d thought she would either, though maybe a bit more than Mike.

  Every once in a while, she’d zap a charge into her phone and look at pictures. They were mostly blueprints of the Lucinda Mowry’s home, but some weren’t. Like the picture she’d taken of the St. Louis Arch. The expression on Keir’s face when he’d seen how tiny the people were standing next to the structure had cracked Emma up. She had a feeling he was plotting to build his own monstrous monument.

  Keir sat down on the other side of her. “Well, that went well,” he said.

  Emma kissed him. “You were awesome.”

  “I was bad ask,” he replied.

  “Bad ass,” Emma corrected. She’d explained “awesome” to Keir, along with some other slang… that he constantly got wrong. She suspected he did it on purpose just to yank her chain. “And you definitely are all that and a box of chocolate.”

  “How are you feeling, love? You look tired.”

  “I’m six months preggers, so tired is about right.”

  He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and she snuggled into his warmth. God, he smelled good.

  “Do you want to go lie down?”

  She glanced up at him, his golden eyes catching the sun’s rays in a spectacular fashion. She wiggled her brows. “I’d like to go to bed, but not to sleep.” She didn’t know about other pregnant women, but damn, after the first trimester of morning, noon, and night vomiting, she’d turned into morning, noon, and night horny.

  Keir laughed.

  Toland stood up. “That’s my cue to leave.”

  “See ya, cuz,” Emma said without taking her eyes off her delicious man. “Well?”

  “I love you, Emma.”

  “Is that a yes?”

  He grinned. “I’m always a yes.” He bundled her up in his arms, easily lifting her from the porch. “I never thought I’d be this happy,” he told her.

  Emma looped her hands behind his neck. “You’re are my home, Keir. As long as I have you, I won’t ever want for anything more.”

  He kissed her. His lips melding sweetly to Emma’s as he carried her into the cottage.

  Thank you, Aerina, Emma thought. Thank you for saving me for him.

  She didn’t expect a reply but wasn’t surprised when Aerina said, You’re welcome, my daughter. Live and love. That is all I’ve ever wished for you.

  As Emma stared at the wickedly naughty expression on her husband’s face as he dropped her pants, his erection springing forward like a divining rod detecting gold, Emma nodded, her throat tight with lust.

  “Wish granted,” she said. “Totally.”

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Renee George is a USA Today Bestselling author of urban fantasy, paranormal romance, erotic romance, contemporary romance, and romantic comedies that highlight varying themes. She lives in the Midwest with her husband, man-child son, two sweet dogs, and all the wild animals who call her yard home.

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  HEARTS ON FIRE

  CHRISTINE POPE

  Los Angeles isn’t exactly the City of Angels….

  The demon Samael has one assignment: bringing the souls of L.A.’s unquiet dead to the underworld. Some might call it a tough gig, but he can’t complain — while he’s “topside” here on Earth, he can live as a mortal man, an existence that includes physical interactions, as long as he doesn’t become emotionally involved with the women he meets.

  Once Samael encounters Felicia McGovern, an artist struggling with her own earthbound problems, he soon realizes that his attraction to her goes far beyond the physical. But after Felicia unexpectedly discovers that he’s no normal mortal man, Samael must risk everything to save her life…even if it means losing her forever.

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

  HEARTS ON FIRE

  Copyright © 2016 by Christine Pope

  Originally published as Playing With Fire by Pink Petal Books All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems — except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews — without permission in writing from the author.

  HEARTS ON FIRE

  Samael stood on a rooftop and watched the people on the street below as they milled about, each intent on his or her destination. So busy. So preoccupied.

  So small.

  He hadn’t chosen this particular downtown roof for any real reason. One seemed as good as another. To the west, beyond L.A.’s sprawl and its famed beaches, the sun lay buried in a haze of smog and smoke. The hills above Malibu were burning again. The scene reminded him too much of Hell, and he returned his gaze to the streets below.

  Something just as fiery caught his eye. He sharpened his focus, narrowing in on the slender form of a young woman who had paused outside one of the businesses across the street. Copper hair glowed bright against the simple dark clothing she wore. The color could have come from a dye bottle; in this city of artifice, such things were to be expected. But somehow he thought hers was natural.

  The business was a bar or nightclub. Smartly dressed men and women, most in their twenties or thirties, were entering the building, although Samael noticed they tended to go in one at a time, not in couples.

  Even from this distance he could see the young woman’s obvious diffidence. She held something white in one hand — a piece of paper, he thought. Then she shook her head, shoved the paper in her pocket, and went inside.

  Intrigued, he moved to the edge of the roof and stepped off. A normal man would have smashed his brains out on the pavement, but Samael was far from a normal man. The night air buoyed him up, and let him descend to street level at a pace of his own choosing.

  No one noticed, of course. He wrapped darkness around himself, shielding his actions from curious mortal eyes. It was a talent all his kind possessed, one that made their work possible.

  Not that he was on duty tonight. Friday nights could be busy, and if some gangbanger started shooting up a party, he still might be called in. For now, however, his time was his own. His fellow demon Abigor could manage on his own — and so could the City of
Angels.

  Samael felt his mouth twist at that thought. City of Angels. Quite the joke when one considered the fact that the last angels had left this city some time ago. Now, only Hell’s lieutenants watched over its populace and guided its unquiet souls to the afterlife.

  Not all, of course. Even a town as corrupt as this one had as its majority those who led quiet, mostly virtuous lives. Their eventual fate was none of his concern.

  But the murderers, the drug dealers, the rapists and the arsonists and the ones who made punching bags out of their wives and children — those specimens had earned themselves a one-way ticket to the underworld. Samael would be lying to himself if he didn’t admit that he took great personal pleasure in dumping those transgressors head-first into a lake of boiling blood.

  The only thing Dante got right, he thought. Hell would actually be a much more interesting place if it followed the Italian’s model closely, but in reality it consisted of the aforementioned lakes of blood, vast plains of blowing ash and fire…and not much else. Little wonder its attendant demons did everything in their power to get assignments topside. Taking on a human form was a small price to pay in return for all the distractions the world had to offer.

  His latest distraction was currently inside the bar across the street. He could wait for her to re-emerge, but he decided there would be little fun in that. Besides, he could use a drink.

  Grinning, he shoved his hands in his coat pockets and stepped forward, intent on locating his prey.

  I CAN’T BELIEVE I let Lauren talk me into this. Felicia McGovern risked a quick glance at her glass of cabernet. Half of it was already gone, and she’d only been inside for ten minutes. Typical that smooth-tongued Lauren, her agent, had somehow managed to convince Felicia that coming here tonight was actually a good idea.