Death Be Rising (The Terra Vane Series Book 7)
Page 1
Death Be Rising
Katie Epstein
Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
I. The First 24 Hours
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
II. The Last 24 Hours
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Death Be Hell
To my amazing Betas.
You turned this story around. I can’t thank you enough for helping it shine through the haze.
Also to Terri. Thank you for all your help on the US Military. Any mistakes are my own, but you helped me to get my head around the detail while keeping the fantasy.
DEATH BE RISING wouldn’t be what it is without you guys.
This one’s for you…
Introduction
FIGHTING ZOMBIES
How did this Happen?
1
A few days had gone by since our last case.
We’d recently returned from the shifter lands of Totem Talamh—a world that sits through a portal—licking our wounds back in Seattle.
So much had happened, and we all reeled from it. I also hadn’t garnered the guts to speak to Dan Vasquez about my evolving psychic gifts.
So far, he’d only chased via one phone call, checking in to see if all was okay. But I’d barely got out the words, ‘We’re good,’ when he had to apologize and end the call with abruptness.
I was in no hurry to speak to him about the fact a soul-borrowing demon had claimed he wanted my so-called Fey blood because of its taste. Or about a nosy Head of House vampire who’d done some digging on me and my immigration files to discover a part of my testing was missing. And neither did I want to all tell him all about my psychic gifts spiraling into an ability to control people through their energy.
But soon I’d have to. If anyone had any further information on what’s going on with me, then it would be the woodland elf with Finder capabilities who’d found me in a psychiatric hospital aged sixteen. An elf who operated within the FBI. And one who I adore and look upon as family.
He’d call back soon enough. Then I’d tell him.
We’d all had an intense few months. And after the crap that had gone down at the shifter lands, my team deserved a break.
It had begun with seven of us. Seven members of the IET—the Interside Enforcement Team—to apprehend the escaped prisoners from our world. And now there were six.
We’d lost one of our team members to a vengeful djinn. One who’d taken out the innocent Earth fairy, Dolly Lin, leaving a hole in our hearts and our task force. But I still hoped we’d be a team of seven once more soon. That’s if Special Agent Noah Grady answered his damn phone.
I’d left several voicemail messages. Some getting more urgent in tone as time went on. Not that I wanted to annoy him into accepting the position. But I’d grown concerned over the past day or so when he hadn’t answered my calls or called me back.
The last time I’d spoken to him he wasn’t in the greatest of places.
Grady handled me being psychic. He’d even come to terms with the fact I went against his precious protocol by wearing my black leather jacket on the job. I’m a far cry away from your average-looking FBI agent with my long dark hair and purple tinted ends that scream rebellion, and he’d struggled with it at first. But at the end of the case where a soul-borrowing demon hijacked the soul of a serial killer and kidnapped me, he’d caught sight of the demon in his true form.
After that, he’d called, begging for me to fill in the blanks of who we are and what the job would entail before he chose between his fiance’s ultimatum and joining us. I hadn’t disappointed. I’d told him all about a world sitting through a portal—one where vampires, shifters, fairies all live—and a place I’d called home since my mid-teens. You could say I’d blown his mind. And now I worried. I worried I’d broken Grady.
“Hey, gorgeous.” A set of strapping arms wrapped around me, pulling me into their comfortable, warm embrace. I turned away from the balcony view and settled into Kaleb’s hold.
“Hey.”
He kissed my temple, then lifted the cup of coffee from my hands to take a sip.
“You keep stealing my coffee and we’re going to have to have a serious talk.”
“What’s yours his mine,” he whispered, gently turning my head for a kiss. The instant heat made me melt like putty in his hands.
A slight groan left my lips, and a growl left his. He lowered the cup to the balcony floor, and like lightning he pulled me into his arms, his mouth upon mine, devouring, tasting, licking, as my unruly leg found its way around his waist. He lifted it, urging me back against the doorframe, rubbing against me, eager and wanting. I wouldn’t be able to do this much longer without combusting into dust.
No sex.
No freaking sex.
Not when Kaleb’s wolf wanted to claim me every time we tried to do so.
And it was getting worse during every attempt.
Stupid wolf shifter hormones. Needing to claim the woman both man and wolf had deemed as their mate.
Don’t get me wrong, I’d fallen in love with Kaleb. And he’d confessed the same to me, melting my heart. But come on! No sex? No release for the steam created by the muscled shifter whose taunting, shoulder-length blond locks, sparkling blue eyes, and probing tongue…
Shut up. Shut up. Shut up.
I needed a cold shower. And like STAT.
Kaleb chuckled against my mouth. “It’s killing me, too. Trust me.”
Letting out the longest sigh in history, I dropped my leg and leaned my head against the wooden frame. “I’m planning on killing your wolf.”
He laughed again, pulling me with him toward the bed in my room. Not that I’d slept much in it as of late. I’d slept and cuddled with Kaleb in the basement the owner of the house had converted into a game room.
Neither of us had mentioned it. But I found some of my things gradually making their way downstairs. Including my toothbrush he’d pilfered and put into the basement bathroom alongside his.
Lying next to him, I took a deep breath and shook off the heat. “I don’t mean to act like a bag of hormones. I love being close to you, talking, eating ice cream, plotting to take down the bad guys. But I’m not only craving the sex. I can live without that if I have to. But it’s the connection. I want to feel it more deeply with you. To explore. To show you how much I love your sexy little ass.”
He smirked. “Sexy little ass?”
“Not literally. Even if you have a cute tush. But you know what I mean.”
He sighed, brushing the hair back from my face. “Yeah. I know. I’ve never worked out so much.”
“Tell me about it. We’re on shift soon. Hopefully, work will help take our mind of it.”
“Yo
u also need to call Dan back.”
“I know,” I sighed. “I keep putting off. And I can’t any longer. I’ll call him later. See if he’s free tomorrow. I’ll speak to him then.”
“You can also check in and see if he’s heard from Cole.”
Cole Cipher.
Enforcer Chief of the Portiside City Agency.
Our boss on the other side of the portal.
Kaleb’s brother.
And a shifter I’d tried to date and failed when I realized I had feelings for Kaleb.
Talk about a touchy subject.
He’d also helped save our skin from their father, Alpha Theodulf Cipher when I’d interceded a challenge between Kaleb and his younger brother Eli.
Eli had attacked me. Kaleb had challenged him to the death. Not wanting Kaleb to risk his life or bear the weight of his brother’s death, Cole had found a loophole, and we saved the day by the skin of our teeth when Kaleb took the out we’d offered. But Theodore was up to something, so eager to take back the reptile shifter we’d caught.
In the end, we’d encouraged Brent, the Alpha of the lands, to burn the body after Eli had so callously killed the reptile shifter who’d given himself up, who didn’t want to hurt anyone, who couldn’t help himself. Eli had shot Torroro in the head before anyone of us could blink, causing ructions from that moment on.
However, we were another prisoner down. Agent Jay Karim who knew of our world and who worked for Dan, had sent us a message to confirm the Consilium expressed satisfaction at our efforts, and to keep our focus.
In other words, they had the audacity to shove us along when they’re the ones who may have prevented such a disaster if they hadn’t dragged their heels.
“I’ll check in with him,” I agreed with Kaleb. “See if Cole is okay after all that business with your father.”
Kaleb’s face darkened. “For once, I feel sorry for Cole. My father has him tucked neatly in his back pocket and he’s up to something. If he was pissed at you before, he’s going to be more pissed now.”
“And he’s going to come after my badge for reasons unknown. It’s not like I did anything untoward. Before the challenge anyway.”
“I know. It makes no sense. But like I said, if he my father comes after you, in any way, he’s done. I mean it.” He hesitated, his eyes swirling into amber. “There will be no stopping me the next time.”
“Kaleb…” I warned.
“No. I get it. You stopped the challenge. But I won’t have you threatened. I won’t have you hurt. Especially by any of my kin.”
Leaning into the hand he’d cupped against my cheek, I smiled. “I love you.”
He grinned. “You can’t keep saying that every time I say something you don’t want to hear.”
“Why not? It works doesn’t it?”
“Yes, it does.” He pulled me closer and kissed me lightly. “Because I love you too. And I also love how I can say that now. I love that we can be this way with one another.”
After being friends since our days at the agency academy, then partners for a few years more, it had taken a mind-blowing kiss and jealously stirred on both sides for us to own up to our feelings. I may have a few concerns about it all going to shit and our friendship being at risk, but I’m glad I took the leap. If only we could go to the next level so I didn’t keep imagining him in some very precarious positions.
“Come on,” Kaleb said, snapping me out of yet another wanton thought. “It’s our turn to go to the store and stock up on the groceries.”
“Oh all right,” I replied reluctantly, glad we’d swapped the shifts around so we’d be working some together. It would allow us the time to hang out more too.
After grabbing my jacket and keys, Kaleb followed me to the front door and shouted up to Bernard and Mayra in the den to tell them we were heading out. Our vampire and witch friends were watching a movie upstairs on the screen that our tech-geek dragon shifter had set-up for them. Libby, the lust demon, who liked to get under my skin and would love to get Kaleb beneath the sheets, had joined them when she couldn’t get a rise out of me.
Bernard shouted back, “Grab more wine!”
With that addition, and the list in hand, we were on our way.
Opening the door, I didn’t expect to see Grady standing there, his hand raised about to ring the bell. He looked tired. Defeated. And he had bags around his ankles.
“Hey, Vane,” he said, sounding as if he’d lost the will. “I finally have my answer.”
2
“Grady?” I ushered him inside. He must be bad if he allowed me to take his arm and lead him into the main living room. Kaleb grabbed his bags and brought them inside. “Take a seat.”
Placing him against the main chair, Grady slumped into it. “Thanks.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Where would you like me to start?”
“Whiskey, dude?” Kaleb offered.
He nodded. “That would be great.”
“I’ll go rob Bernard’s stash.” Kaleb kissed me on the cheek as he passed by. I took the plush chair next to the one where Grady sat.
“You look awful. What’s happened? Is Karl okay?” I’d only spoken to his friend in spirit once. But from the sounds of it he was a great guy, and he and Grady were a package deal.
“Karl’s fine,” he breathed, closing his eyes briefly.
“Is he here?”
He shook his head. “No. He’s having to keep the ghosts back. I’ve had a few nights drinking that’s lowered my defenses. I haven’t seen him much.”
Remembering the brief introduction I’d had with Grady’s ghost, I knew he was unable to stick around all the time. Grady’s ex-partner from their days in the Hostile Rescue Team, Karl Danes, had got shot in the line of fire while on the job. And whereas Karl had lost his life that day, Grady had almost lost his sanity when he woke up from a coma with the ability to see ghosts. Karl had helped him ever since, keeping the mass of ghosts at bay who wanted to talk to Grady. And for some reason, I could hear Karl but not see him.
Being clairaudient would be a viable part of having a psychic gift like mine. But to my knowledge, especially since I’d learned to hone my psychic shields around me, I couldn’t hear the dead. What that meant, I wasn’t certain. Something else I needed to talk to Dan about.
Kaleb returned with a glass tumbler filled with the golden liquid. He handed it to Grady then took a seat next to me.
“Thanks.” He took a sip.
Impatient with worry, I snapped, “Grady!”
He blinked out of his reverie. “Sorry. I’m sorry, guys. I had nowhere else to go. I’ve been staying in a hotel for the past couple of days.”
“But why?”
“Cassandra.”
“Ah,” I said, finally getting it. “You’ve made a choice then?”
“A choice?” he replied with venom. “Yeah, you could say that.” He took another sip of the whiskey.
“You’re worrying me.”
“I don’t mean to worry you. I’m just annoyed. Angry. I didn’t even see it coming.”
“See what coming?”
He sighed. “We’re over. Done. Finished.”
His hurt evoked mine. But I didn’t need to be a psychic with empathic abilities to feel it. He was our friend, and he was in pain. Neither of us liked to witness it.
“Talk or crash?” Kaleb asked, jumping in before I began interrogating Grady for details. But my boyfriend was right. Grady had dark circles beneath his eyes. He reeked—not that I’d tell him—and he needed rest.
“I’d love a shower, and to crash for the night. I never settled at the hotel.”
I put my hand on his in comfort. “Why didn’t you come straight here?”
“I couldn’t,” he replied. “I was a mess. I didn’t want my new teammates having that as their first impression of me. That’s if you’ll still have me.”
“Of course we will. The offer still stands. Why did you think we wouldn’t?”
�
��Last time, I wasn’t forthcoming after you confessed such sensitive information to me. Such incredulous, yet important information. I still can’t get my head around it all. But baby steps, right?”
“Yeah,” I agreed. “Baby steps. And you can start by moving your ass in here with the rest of us. But it’s up to you.”
“I can?”
“Yes. You can.”
He breathed a sigh of relief. “I was hoping you’d say that.”
“We have a room available,” Kaleb told him. “It’s not huge, but it’s got an adjoining bathroom and the essentials. It has a nice view of the gardens from the balcony.”
“Hey!” My brow furrowed. “That’s my room.”
“Mayra’s moved a lot of her supplies into Dolly’s room, and so has Zax who keeps accumulating more stuff while over here. You can move downstairs with me.”
I gawked. “What?”
“It’s not like moving in together, Terra, jeez.” He chuckled. “And there’s plenty of space. A bathroom plenty big enough for the two of us.” He waggled his eyebrows.
“I, I…” I stumbled over what to say. Yes, it was just a game room. Yes, there was a bed. But it would be like living together. Intimately living together. My heart did a happy dance, and my libido did an inward groan at even more temptation.
“I don’t want to throw you out of your room,” Grady said, breaking me free from my stammering.