by L. A. Boruff
Cekar grabbed the leather pouch from his satchel and opened it. Dropping the contents into a circle, he bent down and lit it. Blue, green and yellow flames jumped to life. The closest patrons to them should have turned around but they didn't pay attention. I wondered if Ronan's glamour kept them from seeing the truth.
“When the flames go out,” Cekar said. “The Fear Gorta will have arrived.”
I couldn't look away. I watched the fire dance and shift with the breeze. Nathan took my hand in his. The anticipation, all the worry, and planning for the last year came down to this. Our jobs were tenuous at best, forsaken at worse. This was our test at viability in more ways than one, I suspected.
“Don’t worry,” Nathan murmured. “It’ll work.”
It had to.
“I have movement...” Jack said.
On our screen, the flames died. Screams of those around Ronan and Cekar rang out as people began running. From Jack's monitor, we could see groups of threes and fours falling to the ground, their faces expressionless. Their eyes were wide with surprise or more like with shock I suppose.
Cekar clapped his hands three times and closed his eyes before he began chanting.
“I call upon the spirit of the deceased.
Colpriziana, offina alta nestra, fuaro menut,
Fear Gorta, the dead which I seek, thou art the dead that I seek.
Spirit of famine deceased, you may now approach this gate
and answer truly to my calling.”
The wind shifted. The bodies stopped falling. The ash remains of the fire solidified into a black ring. The CCTV camera shook as did the ground and soon a figured shimmered into being. The tall, frail man came into being. His rib bones protruded from thin skin. His eyes were sunk into his face and his beard hung down to his chest to his concaved stomach. The tattered remains of his clothing dangled from his boney body. This was famine. This was the being who caused them such discord. This was the demon who took so many lives.
The black circle of ash solidified as it lifted from the ground surrounding the demon. While it rose, passing his knees and hips to his midsection, it shrank. When it settled around the translucent man, Cekar cut the palm of Ronan’s hand then dabbed his finger into the blood and wrote upon his palms. Anne didn’t recognize the ruin, then again, they weren’t her specialty, but she’d ask later so she could learn about them. Cekar lifted his hands in the direction of the Fear Gorta and began to speak once more.
“Eagle's claws are strong,
Dragon's teeth are long;
Arnhofdhi guards the way,
Sigfadhir wins the day.”
The demon gave an unholy screech of terror before bursting into flames. The ring surrounding him turned white-blue from the heat, consuming the crackling red and orange figure of the man. The body of the man writhed and withered within seconds disappearing from the screen, and left no trace of his existence behind. Cekar collapsed and Ronan was there.
“I’m fine. I’m fine.” Cekar blew out a breath. “Talk about a waste of space.”
I laughed and breathed a sigh of relief. “Good job everyone.”
“Well done,” Jack added.
“Too bad we have more victims,” Lucian said. “Guess it could’ve been worse.”
“Help where you can, then return,” Jack stated. “We’ll be waiting.”
“I must have more of this green beer everyone is drinking,” Nkosi chimed in.
“Later son,” Lucian replied.
“Is this not cause for celebration? We must drink the green beer!” Nkosi lifted a pint glass. “I love this Saint Patrick!”
The crowd cheered.
Nathan groaned. “What have we created here?”
I glanced at Jack then at Nathan. "Family."
“To family!” Nkosi yelled.
We laughed.
Jack pulled his comm from his ear as did Nathan. I heard the tail end of Nkosi’s conversation and smiled.
I think I’m going to like it here. This future is exciting. We must explore it, my friend, together.
His words rang true for all of us. We were in for a trying, yet exciting time. We had to grab it with both hands. Live in the moment. Explore. Save lives. We were called to head this group of monsters for a reason. We all had our particular set of skills and each one of us had the ability to save the world.
I for one, couldn’t wait to see what our next adventure held.
I am Anne Reeve, and we’re Omega Corp.
Epilogue
Nathan
Two years later...
“Are you sure we’re ready for this?” I said, holding Ann in my arms.
Our bodies were covered in sweat, our breath came in soft pants. Jack lay on the other side of us, still toying with her nipples while he gave a lazy pump of his hips, extending their pleasure. Tonight, we’d be waking the final member of our team. Adam. We had originally intended to wake him sooner, but Cekar had his doubts about waking the man from his slumber as did Azrael.
Neither man could comfortably say whether or not the body lying within the casket still, could adjust to our time, or if he would wake at all. However, we had another situation on our hands, and we needed someone like Adam who could potentially help us. I knew the risks already opening that box and Anne reanimating him. He might not speak. He probably wouldn't walk. Getting him to help us would be a long shot, but what if he wasn't supposed to speak or walk. What if part of his animation process was what we needed to crack this case? We couldn't possibly say no.
“We are.” Jack groaned with a shudder as he shifted behind Anne. “God, I can’t get enough of either of you.”
“The feelings are mutual,” Anne murmured kissing me first then Jack. “Jack is right, though.”
I cocked a brow.
“He is. Adam is the key to this case. Whoever is grave robbing then sending out these hordes of zombified reanimates are doing so as an experiment. I am sure of it.” She rested her head on my chest and tangled her leg with mine.
“What if they’re necromancers like Cekar?” I said.
"What if?" Anne countered. "They could be anyone or anything, however, if they were necromancers, they wouldn't be stitching bodies together."
"This is so Victorian Era, isn't it?" Jack kissed her shoulder. "Why would someone, better yet, a necromancer, dig up bodies when they can call forth from their death and make them living?"
They had a point. I guess I worried about Adam. I worried about what kind of effects this could possibly have on him. I worried about our team. I worried about London. I suppose I worried about a lot more things than I should, but when we were left to chase the things that crawled from the bowels of London... Well, the pressure could be mind-breaking.
“How is the novel coming?” Anne changed the subject and I was grateful for the reprieve from my endless cycle of, “what if.”
“It’s practically writing itself,” I replied. “I do hope the publisher likes it.”
“They’d be silly not to,” Jack added. “Have you figured out what you’re going to do with the money?”
I nodded. "Yes. I have opened five accounts in each members' name with Omega Corp as the overseer. Each time I receive royalties a portion will go into the accounts. The remainder will go into a separate interest-bearing account for Elizabeth and me." My publisher sent the first of four advances of two hundred and fifty thousand pounds to my account. When this book was finished and I had plotted the outline of the next two novels, I would receive another check.
“Then we should celebrate,” Anne said. “With you and Elizabeth, tonight, before we raise Adam.”
I grinned. “I’d like that. I think Elizabeth would too.” She didn’t know too much about my relationship with Jack and Anne. We all decided to keep it that way until Elizabeth was older. Then we’d tell her the truth. I’d keep my brownstone for work and Elizabeth, but the rest of the time Anne, Jack and I lived together in Jack’s apartment.
As for the rest of it? T
he less Elizabeth knew, the better off she was. Besides, she was graduating in a couple of months. She’d be off to college and in doing so, she needed to concentrate on her studies, not what her father was doing. One day, maybe, I’d show her around Omega Corp. Maybe one day she’d join our agency. She wanted to be an archeologist after all, and who knows, someday, she might come in handy.
Until then, I wanted Elizabeth to have fun. I wanted her to experience life. To live a little and not have to worry about the monsters that go bump in the dark.
That’s my job.
THE END
About the Authors
TL Reeve
TL Reeve, a bestselling, multi-published author was born out of a love of family and a bond that became unbreakable. Living in Alabama, TL misses Los Angeles, and will one day return to the beaches of Southern California. When not writing something hot and sexy, TL can be found curled up with a good book or working on homework with a cute little pixie.
You can sign up for her newsletter at: http://eepurl.com/bv07fn
Michele Ryan
Michele Ryan is an author with Decadent Publishing, After Glows Publishing, and now Twisted Erotica Publishing. Michele embraced her creative passion and co-authored several books with fellow author and best friend TL Reeve. Michele has also published two solo novellas.
Michele is a lifelong resident of the state of New Jersey, along with her husband and three children, whom she refers to as her hobbits. When Michele is not plotting or writing, she can be found either volunteering at her children’s school or reading.
Also by TL & Michele
Welcome to our Window Rock Universe
Apache County Shifters
http://www.apachecountyshifters.com/
Kalkin: Apache County Shifters
Twins (free read): Apache County Shifters
Caden: Apache County Shifters
Teacher (Free read): Apache County Shifters
TSU Series
https://turnskin-university.blogspot.com/
Unrequited Mate: TSU
Sorority Row: TSU
Bearing It All: TSU
TSU After Dark
https://tsuafterdark.blogspot.com/
Radio Sass
Revelations (BTS Halloween)
Lupercalia (BTS Valentine’s Day)
Psychic Retrieval Agency
https://psychicretrievalagency.blogspot.com/
Midnight (BAD Bad Alpha Dad)
Leaving the Past Behind
https://windowrockorphanage.blogspot.com/
Unbreakable
Entrapped
Coming Soon
Lost and Secrets (Free reads) Leaving the Past Behind
Rule Breaker ROOT
Shattered Leaving the Past Behind
Rapier Apache County Shifters (Dryer Family)
Mint
Laurel Chase
A Bonus Story from the Haret Chronicles: Qilin
1
CARLYLE
“Now tha’s a good look on ya, Qilin.”
I peeled open an eye to stare up at the shirtless redhead towering above me. I took my time drawing the long, swirled stick sucker from my mouth. “You’re blocking my sun, fae. I don’t want a head-shaped tan line.”
He smirked and stepped even closer, his shadow covering at least half of my naked body. “I donna mind tan lines, though. Gives me somethin’ to lick besides that nasty lolly.”
I grinned at him and sat up, tucking the sucker between my lips again. I gathered my long, white-blond hair into a messy bundle. If he wasn’t going to let me sunbathe, I might as well get a cold drink – it was fucking hot out here. Maybe I’d get some more of that gelato Dair always managed to find – I’d become a little addicted to its cold sweetness.
Not to mention the way he liked to feed me.
Killian reached his hand down, pulling me flush with his body as I stood. His hands were greedy, rubbing up and down my bare skin. He’d been much more forward now that we’d staked our claim on each other, and I fucking loved it. He’d always been pretty shameless, but now he actually let himself follow through.
I scraped my nails across his pale skin, outlining the mysterious tattoos on his chest. “I could always get a tattoo like yours. Then you could lick that,” I offered, talking around the sucker.
His golden eyes blazed at me, his gaze even hotter than the sun above us. “I’ll remember that, Savage.” His voice was rough as his hands slid down and cupped my ass. His long fingers pushed deep between my legs, teasingly close to my bare pussy.
I decided naked sunbathing was my new favorite activity. Well, second-favorite.
Reaching my arms around his neck, I yanked on his messy red hair, tossing the sucker onto the deck and pulling his lips to mine. I took charge of the kiss the way I knew he liked it. Rough and needy.
“Please tell me this is why you interrupted me,” I mumbled against his lips. My nipples were hard against his skin, and I rubbed them against his muscles, aching for a little more friction. I could feel his cock through the thin basketball shorts he was wearing, and I wanted more of it.
“Nah,” he said with a chuckle, sucking at my bottom lip. “Though ya do taste sweet as sugar.” One finger gripped the top of my inner thigh, scraping just along the edge of my pussy like the goddamn tease he was. “Jai needs us below deck for somethin’. The vampire hates ta wait.”
“Fuck him,” I grumbled, but I pulled away. Jai really did hate to wait, and although I loved riling him up, it was good to let him feel like he was still in control of the team. That made taking his control away so much more fun.
Killian shaded his eyes and looked to the sky. A shadow passed above us, hundreds of feet in the air. I felt Killian call on his fae air magic and send a current spiraling up into the blue expanse. He was calling my dragon back down for the meeting, too.
Jack had taken to circling the skies a few hours at a time, making sure we were still safe from the Council and all our other enemies. We knew we couldn’t hide here in the middle of the ocean forever, but it was working for now.
Our only company was an occasional cruise ship in the distance, the birds in the air, and the fish below.
“What about fish boy?” I asked, stepping to the yacht’s railing and peering down into the turquoise water. God, my life was awesome right now. I was living on a freaking yacht with six of the sexiest men I’d ever seen.
Who cared that half the supernatural world was after us to steal my power and make me into the pawn of the century?
No big deal.
Just another Tuesday.
“I already called Toro through the sonar,” Killian said. Sure enough, my merman’s head popped above the water just then. He leaped out of the water in a high arc, his blue scales shimmering in the late afternoon sun before he splashed back below the surface.
“Showoff,” I called as he emerged again. “Why don’t you part the water or something and find me a pretty pearl?”
“I’ll part more than the water, sugar lips,” he yelled back. “And I’m pretty fucking good at finding pearls.”
I laughed as he hauled himself up the ladder and belly-flopped onto the deck. Our puns always made the others groan, but since life had a tendency to get shitty real fast, I was smart enough to take my fun when I saw it.
Toro’s tail melted away while I watched, the scales sinking beneath his deep brown skin. He scrubbed his hand over his close-cropped black hair as two legs formed where the single tail had been. He rose and sauntered toward me, as naked and unashamed of it as I was.
“Fuckin’ shifters and their no clothes,” Killian grumbled. I shoved at his chest, though, because I knew he was also trying hard not to stare at Toro’s impressive equipment.
“Quite the rod you have there,” I said, tilting my face up to receive a salty kiss from my merman. We’d had a slow start of it, due to him being possessed and all, but we were getting to know each other a lot better out here in the ocean.
My
fingers trailed down the ridges of his abs, and his hips swayed into mine.
“It’s more about the casting,” Toro said, nipping along my jaw. “Gotta go long and deep.”
“Ah, for fuck’s sake,” Killian growled, stalking away. “Do what you want – I’m not makin’ the vampire wait.”
Toro laughed, the rich tones of his siren voice calling to me in my very bones. He leaned close to my ear. “I’ll take that chance, if you’re up for it.”
His hand slid around my waist, gripping the soft skin at my hips, and my body wanted so much to take him up on the offer and see if he really had the moves to back up all his smooth talking.
“Later?” I said, though. Jai hadn’t called a single meeting in the three days we’d been aboard this yacht, and I wanted to know if he’d found something out. The future of the world was at stake, after all.
Toro kissed me once more before pulling away and nodding. He grabbed a pair of board shorts from a nearby lounge chair, along with the linen wrap I’d worn earlier in the day. I took it reluctantly.
Who needed clothes, really? Naked was fun.
The cabin below was chillier, though, and I was grateful for the layer, even as thin as it was. Sol was already there, still looking a little green. Apparently, lion shifters weren’t crazy about water.
“Sorry,” I whispered, leaning down to give him a hug. His blond waves were loose around his jaw like a mane, and I rubbed my cheek against his light stubble.