Hot, Hard & Hexing Mari Freeman Book two in the Hot, Hard series.
When magic is attracted to magic, it’s impossible to ignore… Sonja Ambercroft’s homebody existence is about to change. Drastically. A Dreamstalker has kidnapped her cousin in exchange for a powerful talisman, and Sonja soon finds herself doing things she’d never imagined. Stealing the talisman from her sister? Check. Grappling with Gremlins? Check. Enjoying ridiculously hot visions about a scruffy, sexy mountain man doing untold things to her naked body? Che— Wait…what? As if she needs that kind of distraction right now! Especially when the stranger’s magic stirs her inner Dragon. Not good. A childhood tragedy has made shifting too dangerous. Sonja can’t risk letting her Dragon loose, but as the erotic visions transform into real-life fantasies, the beast becomes harder to contain. Sonja’s dangerous adventure will require help from her reclusive mountain man, a Fairy and no less than two queens—one Voodoo, one drag. But ultimately she’ll have to trust her other self, let her inner Dragon roar, if she hopes to bring her cousin back alive.
Ellora’s Cave Publishing
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Hot, Hard & Hexing ISBN 9781419937422 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Hot, Hard & Hexing Copyright © 2011 Mari Freeman Edited by Kelli Collins Photography and cover design by Syneca Models: Nick and Lisa Electronic book publication November 2011 The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of Ellora’s Cave Publishing. With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502. Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/). Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated. This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously. The publisher and author(s) acknowledge the trademark status and trademark ownership of all trademarks, service marks and word marks mentioned in this book. The publisher does not have any control over, and does not assume any responsibility for, author or third-party Web sites or their content.
HOT, HARD & HEXING Mari Freeman
Dedication To the ladies and gentlemen of the Heart of Carolina Romance Writers. Because of this special group, the world will get to discover talented authors and read an abundance of well-crafted romance novels. You guys are amazing.
Mari Freeman
Chapter One When one is breaking into a house with a Werewolf sleeping upstairs, sound is an issue. The lock had been noisy enough. The darn sliding glass door made what seemed to be a howling screech as Sonja pried it open, inch by inch, even though she knew it was actually more like the sound of paper tearing. She gritted her teeth. God, she hoped Nell and her shifter boyfriend were sleeping, and not up screwing at this hour of the night. She slipped into the kitchen and stood for a few seconds with her back to the wall, hands pressed to her sides and eyes darting about the darkened space. This was the craziest— No, maybe the stupidest thing she’d ever done. But she was doing it. Spooked by her own conscience, Sonja calmly waited, expecting Nell or Trent to barge in and confront her about being there in the middle of the night. She’d never be able to explain without putting Kara in danger. And her internal sense of right and wrong was warring with her fear and the urgency of the situation. No matter the circumstances, stealing was wrong. Stealing from her sister was wrong on a whole other level. Stealing from the Council… Well, that was likely to get her in a stinking heap of trouble Sonja didn’t even want to contemplate. The puzzle box, Sonja knew, was locked in the antique writing desk. She quickly reached for the skeleton key. Her father had less-than-cleverly thought Sonja and her sisters would never find it hanging from a tack on the backside. Evidently Nell didn’t think that was safe enough. The key was gone. Sonja chewed her thumbnail as she scanned the kitchen. Her eyes landed on the freezer door and she pried it open as quietly as possible. A cold, fear-laden drop of sweat rolled down her face as she shifted the open bags of peas and two freezer-burned packages of ground beef. There it was—the old plastic bank envelope. Inside were several hundred-dollar bills their father had hidden away for emergencies over a decade ago. Sonja wasn’t surprised to find the money. Nell, ever nostalgic, hadn’t changed a thing in the house since recently moving in. But as she rummaged inside the bad, Sonja felt something else—the small skeleton key. She replaced the bag and scurried back to the desk, positive she sounded like a pack of noisy Gremlins, and glanced around again to make sure Trent wasn’t sneaking up behind her. Sonja took a second to calm her racing heart and remind herself why she was doing this. She unlocked the desk as quietly as she could and pulled open the biggest drawer. There it was. The strange wooden box.
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Nell had almost been killed over the thing, and the dark-magic necklace it contained. It looked like a simple puzzle box, but Sonja had no desire to touch it. It was creepy and evil and evidently worth a fortune, if every cretin in the paranormal realm was after it. What the hell was she thinking? She was thinking they’d left her no choice, that’s what. They had her cousin Kara, and Sonja was going to follow the ransom instructions to a T. Nell’s Werewolf was the Prime for the region, and telling him anything about the note or Kara would certainly qualify as notifying or involving the authorities. Primes were preternatural cops, employed by the Council. The kidnappers were serious. Sonja knew it. She felt it. Nell and Trent wouldn’t trust her intuition any more than they would her visions, so she had to do this on her own. She straightened her spine. Maybe this business wouldn’t be so bad. She’d take the box, drive to Asheville as instructed and get her cousin back. No biggie. A creak came from behind her and Sonja froze. Her heart was immediately pounding. Her bladder complained of a sudden need for attention. God, she was terrified and she was just standing in her sister’s kitchen. How would she act when it came time to face the kidnappers? She suddenly giggled to herself. The rush of adrenaline was kind of a turn on. Who knew? But the seriousness of the consequences sobered her quickly. If she fucked up… She momentarily fought the overwhelming urge to cry out and have the Prime take care of finding and rescuing Kara. But the letter had been clear—any involvement with police or para-authorities would get Kara killed in a very slow and painful way. Now or never. She bit her lip, took one last glance around to make sure she was alone then snatched the box from the old desk. She darted back through the open sliding glass door, screaming silently as she stubbed her toe on the metal lip running along the bottom of the doorframe. Like a muted cartoon character with a giant pulsing toe, she did a one-footed hop out onto the back deck, exaggerating her movements, doing her best not to screech in pain or stomp on the wooden deck planks hard enough to rouse the wolf. She slid the door closed and hobbled back into the woods. It wouldn’t take Trent and Nell long to figure out Sonja had the box. The wolf’s supernatural sniffer would likely suss out her scent. She was running on short time if she wanted to get it to Asheville by three tomorrow. She gave a low whistle as she imagined how mad Trent was going to be when he couldn’t turn the box over to the Council in the morning as he’d promised. Just a couple of days ago, Nell had rescued it from some slimy Sorcerer in New Orleans, and the Council wanted the powerful talisman it contained. Guilt rushed over her. Sonja was the good girl. The one everybody counted on. She was always on time and well prepared. Too bad. Her cousin Kara was counting on her now. Poor girl must be terrified. 7
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Sonja could feel the blood magic from the necklace inside the puzzle box. It was strong and she swore the thing was calling out to her on a molecular level. From what she understood, some Voodoo queen had quieted the evil call. She shivered at the thought of what it would feel like blasting her at full power. Maybe Miss Always Prepared should have considered better shoes than the flimsy ballet flats for her night of larceny. The soft shoes were tripping her up as she navigated her way through the woods. Every twig made its presence know under her feet. She was only a mile or so from her house, but this trip felt as if it were taking an eternity. Still, she grinned when she realized she was kind of proud of herself for even getting this far. When she could see her porch light, she decided she’d better be a little cautious. She slowed her pace, then stopped and pressed her back against the trunk of huge pine tree. She surreptitiously leaned around to get a glimpse of her house. Very spy-like. It wasn’t likely Trent or Nell had woken up and figured anything out this quick, but better safe than stupider, Sonja thought. She couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching her. Paranoid much? She opened up to see if a vision would come to her. Also a long shot, but she relaxed and visualized that little road she traveled in her mind when attempting to See things. She felt a hint of Kara’s presence right away; saw a blurry vision of her cousin sitting alone. A feeling of fear rained down on Sonja like a bucket of water poured over her head. It covered her, felt as if the emotion was dripping from her shoulders. It had to be real. The feelings were so strong. Her psychic abilities weren’t normally this good. The bit of Kara’s essence and the fear slipped away as fast as it had appeared. Sonja was shocked. She’d never really been able to sense something that intense. The whole vision thing had been vague all her life. The Halfling curse. She and her two sisters all had the same problem. Half-Demon meant half powers. Half reliable and half irritating. Nell’s telekinesis and her younger sister’s fire-starting powers were just as flaky as Sonja’s visions. But a faulty vision didn’t start a fire, so she’d always considered herself lucky. Sonja had never found a way to get better at Seeing. No matter what she tried or whom she studied with, it was like singing in the shower. She loved to sing. She practiced all the time. But there was no way her job description would change to country music star. Irritatingly vague visions were just part of being half-Demon. The wooden box in her hands was starting to feel very icky—magically icky, anyway. The necklace inside was strong mojo that supposedly boosted magical powers. That’s why someone had tried to kill Nell and Trent to get it. That’s why it was worth kidnapping Kara now. Sonja silently slipped from the woods and into her car, checking to make sure she had put her bag on the back seat. It was there. All was ready. Except her keys. Crap.
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She rushed to the front door. Locked. Crap! Her spare key was hanging in a funky set of wind chimes on the back deck. She’d made the chimes herself. There were beautiful pieces of stained glass, the remains of an old set of measuring spoons and two hollow brass balls she didn’t remember acquiring. In the breeze, the combination made for a hypnotic melody. Now the thing clanked, rang and bonged as the odds and ends danced while she tried to untie the key from its hiding place. Once the key was loose, she tried to still the wind chimes. The brass balls persisted in their rhythmic bonging long after the other items settled. After a moment, the night again became its normal symphony of cicadas and green frogs. Sonja let herself in the back door, found her car keys on the counter next to the sink and paused for some deep breaths, trying to calm her brain before going back to the car. She wished she could have gotten a location for Kara from her vision. Sonja thought of the box…thought of the power it contained… The necklace was a Chiwa talisman. A magnifier, capable of amplifying just about anyone’s magic. What if she used it to help Kara? If she could boost her own power, she could find Kara while not giving up the necklace. She could bring them both back and the Council would still get the Chiwa and Nell wouldn’t be mad at her for the rest of their lives and maybe Trent wouldn’t arrest her. Sonja tapped her foot and looked around her kitchen, considering. It was dangerous, yes. But she could, for a minute or two, be strong enough to resist the evil of that necklace. Couldn’t she? Famous last thoughts of a fool. She dragged in a deep breath and let it out as she scratched at the tiny hairs on the back of her neck. They seemed to be dancing with nervous anticipation. At the very least, using the necklace would boost her power enough to have a clear vision. And it would be to her benefit to know more about the situation. Best case, she’d have a killer vision that identified the kidnappers and gave Sonja their whereabouts. Then Trent could go arrest them and rescue Kara. Easy. Ha! Right.
***** Quinton Groves watched as the little Halfling got in her car then ducked down in his seat as she drove past. If she was heading to Asheville with his talisman, she was going in the wrong direction. What the fuck was she up to? Quinton didn’t like it when others deviated from his plan. Even if, as in this case, she had no clue what his plan was. Sonja Ambercroft should be following his lead. He’d baited her with the ransom note. Sent her Kara’s necklace and a lock of the girl’s hair, proof he wasn’t screwing around. When she’d tried to use her pathetic psychic powers, he’d barged in on her
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vision and manipulated a bit. The fear he’d injected should have been enough to have her speeding to Asheville. He let her taillights disappear around the corner before starting the engine and spinning his car around. She zipped through the curvy back roads of this stinking little mountain town with ease. He was hesitant on the gas, what with all the blind curves and grade changes. He would be glad to get the hell out of this backward-assed town. No decent food, no decent women and an abundance of police and Primes. Either of whom could easily interfere with his plans. He slowed to make sure he was far enough back that she didn’t notice him following down the dirt road she’d taken. He didn’t like the looks of this dark, empty road. This was not his plan. His plan was to get to New Orleans. Eventually. Sonja thought she was trading the talisman for the girl in Asheville, but that was just a pit stop. Phase one. It was paramount that she had no time to rethink her actions. That she steal the box and be miles away from her support system—and any temptation to involve the Prime—as quickly as possible. He could have just taken the box himself, but every creepy Vamp and deviant magical creature would try to get close to that thing. In the airport, in every city, they would gravitate toward it—and Quinton would absorb all their disgusting mental images and desires. No, thank you. The sister made a great mule and a greater patsy. Public places could be a nightmare for Quinton. As a Dreamstalker, he got all the leftover mental ooze humans and the supernatural left behind as they felt, experienced or fantasized. He’d learned to manage. But if he were to attempt traveling with that box, he’d absorb too much of its negative energy, not to mention attract the scum of the supernatural in droves. The thought alone almost made him physically ill. This way, the Halfling’s mind was the only thing he’d have to get close to and experience. She would buffer the evil until the right time. Sonja looked every bit the normal small-town woman he’d expected. What sort of traumas could possibly be in her mind? Quinton had been searching, just in case he needed to exploit her weaknesses. He’d been working on her for two days. Searching and influencing her slowly through her dreams. So far today, when he’d entered the girl’s thoughts and manipulated her amusingly inaccurate visions, all he’d found was confusion and fear. Both to be expected from a young woman thrown into the situation Quinton had pressed upon her just a few hours ago.
***** One of the dogs growled. Ray Burgess turned his attention from the calling owls to the direction the hound was eyeing. A small white car was making its way up the dirt
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road that separated his property from the backside of George Hent’s place. He reached down and patted the old dog’s head, quieting his friend. “What do you suppose would bring someone way out here this hour of night, Art?” Ray asked. Art whined and shook his head. All the loose skin around his jowls flopped. Lulu didn’t even bother to raise her head from the porch. “That’s what I thought.” He nodded from his rocking chair. “No good. No good a’tall.” The only folks who came out this far, this late, weren’t looking for a moonlight stroll. He wasn’t in the mood to go chasing after trespassers this time of night. He’d just gotten cleaned up and fed after a good, long hunt. The car made its way to the right at the fork in the road. Art got up and stood at attention next to Ray’s rocking chair and whined again. “Dang it. Had to come our way. Could have ignored him if he’d gone on to George’s place.” He took the last drink from his bottle of beer. “Come on, kids. Looks like we need to scare off some trespassers.” Didn’t happen often but occasionally young lovers would find their way out this far to sneak some privacy. Once, he had interrupted a drug deal back in the old caves. None of it bothered him any. A change in routine was usually appreciated. But tonight he was too tired. He grabbed the shotgun from where he’d leaned it against the doorframe. The dogs made their way to his Ford Ranger, climbing in as soon as Ray opened the driver’s side door. He looked at his two dogs sitting like little humans on the bench seat. No truck bed for them. They were tired from the earlier hunt and were riding in style this time out. From the direction of the taillights, the car was heading for the caves. He’d have no trouble sneaking up on them there. He checked his cell signal. So far up on this side of the mountain, a connection was iffy at best. No backup tonight. Ray Burgess was on his own. Good. Back on the force, he’d have avoided some issues if that had been the case more often. Especially the main issue that had gotten him tossed off the police force and called up by the Council. No sense crying over spilt milk. Ray glanced at Art and Lulu. “Time to go ruin someone’s night.”
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Chapter Two Ray signaled the dogs to lie down and hush when he was close enough to the cave opening to see what the trespasser was up to. They were good hunting dogs and he didn’t worry about them giving away his position. He crouched down and cautiously peered into the cave. The intruder wasn’t what he’d expected at all. No drunk kids, no lovers trying to get a stolen moment in the moonlight. Nope. It was a woman. One with a very pleasing shape at that, and she looked to be spreading out all the necessary components for a spell. Well, well, well. Too bad she was facing away. Then the woman knelt and bent forward, and the view got better and better. Maybe this was the best seat for the show after all. She straightened to sit on her heels, tossing her hair over her shoulders. It fell in dark waves to the middle of her back. Ray could only see three of the candles she’d set out. Not one of them was quite on the correct spot to correspond with the compass in his brain. He felt the earth through his magic. The rotation of the planet, the pull of gravity and how his body was positioned in relation to her axis were all as much of his existence as the color of his eyes. He could nail true north blindfolded after a six-pack. Most Witches and Sorcerers could from childhood. Missing the mark as bad as she was could be asking for trouble. She fumbled with lighting the candles and then put the flame to a bundle of desert sage. His body tingled at the smell of the burning herb she was using to smudge the circle and cleanse it of energy that wasn’t hers. He tamped down his magic, as it wanted to respond. It had been a long time since he’d woven a good, strong spell and that part of him called to the energy she was building, no matter how poorly the curvy woman had constructed her circle. She wasn’t a Witch, but she had some water-based power she was calling. Ray closed his eyes and let the feeling wash over him. It was sensual and cooling, like a sudden spring rain shower. His body responded to the growing energy with a tidal wave of goose bumps. Amazingly, the touch of her power was arousing him physically as well as emotionally. His body wanted to be a part of hers, to share the exotic energy, wallow in it, soak in it. And when she was done he’d be left sated and refreshed from a simple brush of her power. He’d have a cigarette. Ray shook himself. Where the hell had that come from? He hadn’t touched a cig in years. But for just an instant, he’d felt the desire for one as strong as he ever had. He noted the skin of the woman’s arms had changes slightly. A shimmering blue-green glowed from within her. 12
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Cool. She was a Demon, but she didn’t finish the shift. Her off-key chanting filled the night. His brain started churning. Ray’s cop mode set in without much provocation, which made the sensual feel of her energy fade. The pleasant feeling was replaced by his normal pessimistic, angry thrum. Why would a Halfling be out here trying to do a complicated spell? Life experience told him it wasn’t because she was cross training with witchcraft. The chanting wasn’t a spell or incantation he recognized, but that didn’t surprise him. She could have her own grimoire or be using a spell someone wrote for her. He had no clue, but he intended to find out. He gave the dogs the signal to stay but chuckled to himself as he glanced back. Neither looked as if they would have moved if he called them to point. Lazy hounds. As he stood, he felt a cold shiver. Goose bumps crawled down his back. Ray looked around for the source of this unrest. No one there. Then he looked up to see a dark cloud against the moonlit sky, moving fast, heading directly for the mouth of the cave. She kept up the chant. He crouched low once more to avoid the incoming throng. A disorganized cloud of wings fluttered past but he couldn’t make out what they were. He reached up and plucked one from the air. Moths. Huge, dark moths with silver and blue markings on their wings. More bad mojo. The curvy Halfling was losing points fast. Her magic may be sexy as all get out but he was going to have to break up her little spell party and send her on her way. He wanted no part of anything that the Council or the Prime would consider illegal magic anywhere near him or his property. He’d managed to stay in the woods and out of trouble for three years. As he stood, larger, stronger wings beat past his head. He had to duck to avoid being battered. With the candlelight in the cave, he made out the shape of two large owls, circling tight, snatching the moths from the air. A feast for the flying beasts. “No!” She stumbled as she swung at the owls with her bag, trying to prevent them from eating the moths. The owls were jetting back and forth, picking the moths out the air madly. Her efforts were futile. The owls were determined. “Get away! Dang it. Stop!” Movement on the ground caught his eye. Several of the giant moths had landed on a strange wooden box and seemed to…meld with it? Yes. They were literally melting into the box, turning to gold as they did so. Amazing. As the girl caught and placed more moths on the box, he felt power emanating from it. When it was almost covered, she gently ushered the last moth into place. This one changed to gold as well, but it was different. His wings were gold, but his body shimmered into a diamond the size of Art’s rabies tags. What the hell? The box must be worth a fortune. The moths and the owls lost his attention. The box had its own power—strong power—and Ray didn’t like the feel of it. It was 13
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humming, calling out, luring. Quite the contradiction to the smooth, sensual power the girl had used just a few moments ago. No. This was cold, sickening. Ray knew evil when he felt it. Blood magic. Blood magic had gotten him in hot water with the Council and thrown off the police force. He wanted her and her evil, shiny box off his land. Now. She started the chant again. Ray was now standing in full view, in the opening of the cave, but she hadn’t noticed him. From this angle, he could see she was crying hard. Curiosity won out over sanity. He couldn’t help wondering what was about to happen. Ray quietly took a step or two closer and could see there was an intricate collage of moth outlines etched in the gold. In the center, the gold-and-diamond moth stood upright. The girl bit her lip before closing her eyes and raising her hand. Ray held his breath and took a cautious step back toward the opening of the cave. She pressed her palm to the diamond moth and pushed it down, pressing it tight to the box… A bright orange light blasted through the wide cave, sending the owls and remaining moths banging and fluttering to find an escape. Ray covered his eyes. He heard the girl scream. She pulled her hand away. And the box opened. Her shoulders and chest heaved with sharp, heavy breaths. The rush of strong blood magic filled Ray’s lungs. She was calling it. And it was too much power. Judging from her inexperience in setting her circle and casting, he guessed she was losing control. Her body was falling away from the box but her mind was still beckoning the magic. Dangerous stuff he wished he could walk away from. Last thing Ray Burgess needed was another scuffle with the Council. He’d be banished to another realm. He rushed past her and kicked the box. It hurt his foot even through his boots. The thing tumbled deeper into the cave and the lid sprang forward, but didn’t shut completely. The woman’s screams intensified as she struggled to maintain a hold on the stream of power that still surged from the box to her chest in a glowing, acid-green beam. He had to find a way to break that beam. He looked around and saw nothing that would help. No way was he going to walk through it, either. He didn’t want any more of that evil magical residue on him than necessary. Art howled. Ray rushed to the truck and snapped up the bear trap under his seat. Not that he ever actually hunted bear, but it was a cool thing to have and you never knew. If he thought someone was sniffing ’round his place, he could set out a few around the tree line. Probably break an ankle if the thing clamped down on a human leg, Ray figured as he pried open the massive metal jaws. The girl was now sweating and her eyes had rolled back into her head. Moths and owls still battled overhead. This was one of the craziest things he’d ever seen, and that was saying something for a guy who was once an inner-city police officer.
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He quickly tossed the trap toward the box and the metal clamped down on the gold, denting it slightly. But it closed the nasty thing, and he could pull it away from her. With a hearty jerk, he yanked it back into the open woods. The immediate reduction in the onslaught of evil magic let Ray breathe a small sigh of relief. The girl had stopped screaming but now she looked unconscious. Great. He had illegal magic being perpetrated on his property, a passed-out stranger with a gorgeous ass, and some kind of blood magic talisman that was certainly illicit as hell. Sonja tried to pull back from the fierce burning in her brain. Everything felt foggy and the few shadows of movement she thought she saw through the haze made no sense. It didn’t feel quite as evil as she had anticipated—but it was bad enough. And it hurt. She wanted to hold her head but her hands weren’t responding to the request for motion. She felt as if she were floating. Or sinking. Yes. It was like being pulled backward, away from something she knew she should fight to stay close to. Clouds started rolling in. She recognized it as the beginning of a vision like none she’d ever had.
~~~~~ She was lying naked in a clearing. A soft, fluffy down comforter felt wonderfully luxurious against her bare skin. Above, clouds danced by, making interesting shapes as she let the warmth of the sun embrace her. She looked straight ahead and saw trees, but heard no sounds. No birds or bugs or leaves dancing in the breeze that moved the clouds. A man in a plaid shirt and worn jeans walked out of the woods. His shoulderlength, curly black hair also moved with the breeze. Why didn’t the leaves? His pace was relaxed. His broad shoulders and muscled arms swung at his sides, giving him the confident gait of a man on a mission. Sonja looked in another direction. More trees. She looked behind her. The same. Maybe she was his mission. The thought made her smile. Her body warmed even more. Looking down the length of her body, Sonja noticed her skin held the radiance of a light tan, something she’d never had before. Her stomach was free of the scars and red discoloration. She reached to touch the unblemished skin. Her breath caught as she brushed her fingers over the smooth expanse. Tiny hairs tickled. The echo of her breath was the only sound she heard. Very otherworldly. Was she actually in another realm? The man finally reached her and fell to his knees at her feet. Sonja was lying back, propped up on one elbow. Her other hand rested on her belly. The man’s bushy beard did little to disguise his desire, especially the heat in his blue eyes.
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His hands rested on the tops of her feet and, excruciatingly slowly, he inched them up her calves. She couldn’t keep her gaze from darting back and forth between the fiery look in his eyes and those hands that were obviously accustomed to lots of physical labor. His attention was also wandering. She wasn’t sure where he wanted to look more, her breasts or between her slightly spread legs. When his hands reached her knees, he let them fall inward to caress the insides of her thighs, just above her knees. He was in a position to push her knees open, but didn’t. Instead he stopped moving, except for a tender fingertip caress on one inner thigh. His gaze continued to roam her body freely as the sun beat down on her tanned skin. Neither had said a word. It was one of the sexiest things she’d ever experienced. No. It was the sexiest thing she’d ever experienced. Sonja felt bold and unusually confident in this new skin. Desire was pulsing through her body, along with her heated blood. She let her legs fall farther open, exposing herself to the stranger with the rich blue eyes. He froze for an instant and she felt his fingers dig slightly into her flesh before he leaned closer and his hands continued the path up her thighs. He inched his knees a little closer, stopping with his body between her calves and his fingers so close to her pussy she considered moving to initiate contact. Her breathing was still the only sound echoing through the still air. She was bare from head to toe and he was still completely clothed. She noticed his heavy boots were leaving mud on the comforter. She didn’t care. It wasn’t hers. Even if it had been, all she cared about right this minute was feeling his touch on her swollen clit. She looked back to his face. The thick beard covered his chin and cheeks. The lips peeking through looked full and kissable, the nose long and a little wide, with a tiny scar on the bridge. And those eyes were smoking hot. She couldn’t contain herself. She wiggled her bottom, making his fingers brush her outer lips. She moaned. His gaze met hers. A sly smile curved his lips. He brought one hand slowly to his lips and sucked two fingers into his mouth. The mysterious stranger was making her crazy. She wanted him to touch her, to take her. She fought the urge to reach up and grab him. To take control. Sonja had never felt this free. She closed her eyes and let her head fall back. Slick fingers parted her folds and rubbed over her clit. Her eyes shot open. She was not going to miss this. She looked down her body again and the smooth skin didn’t feel so out of place this time. It was heated by desire and she knew the tender flesh of her pussy felt warm under his massaging fingertips. He was giving her just the right amount of pressure, his two-fingered strokes doubling the delight as her body writhed under his attention. When he slid the thumb of his other hand into her slick channel, Sonja cried out with no shame or worry of being heard. Her body tightened from her shoulders to her toes. She fell back, unable to maintain her balance on her elbow. She intentionally
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clenched her pussy, squeezing his thumb with her muscles, intensifying her own experience. Her climax exploded as the stranger stroked her clit and pumped his thumb in and out of her wet pussy. She rolled her head back and forth, gripped the soft comforter and let a whining moan escape her lips.
~~~~~ Sonja bolted upright, her hand on her side. Even through the fabric of her shirt, she felt the rough texture of the scars. She shook her head to clear the vision. He body tingled as if she really had just experienced a beautiful orgasm, her breathing still erratic. Was that really a vision? It was completely unlike the usual snatches of images she normally managed. Maybe a dream? Then she remembered… The box. The last thing she remembered was the uncontrollable blast of power. She quickly tried to center her energy. It didn’t feel sinister. Maybe the spell she’d found in her grandmother’s book had saved her from the worst of the evil that spilled out of that necklace. Satisfied she was still the same person she’d always been, she realized her hand was throbbing. Sonja looked at her palm. The mark of the Black Witch moth…just like the one Nell had. She grimaced at the likeness of the moth forever burned on her skin. All she needed was more scars. Then she concentrated on her surroundings—and realized she wasn’t in her own home. She was in a decidedly masculine log cabin. The couch was covered in denim and the walls had little in the way of decoration, barring a large stuffed deer head above a stone fireplace. A lone chair sat next to the couch, with a wooden crate between the two to serve as an accent table. A single floor lamp provided soft lighting for the room. The windows were covered with heavy blue drapes, like the kind in cheap hotel rooms. Blackouts shades that would let you sleep all day if you wanted. So she had no idea what time it was. She needed to get out of here and get to Asheville. The box was nowhere to be seen. She tried to feel for it and its icky power. Sucking that power directly from the source had been awful. She hadn’t been prepared for all that energy at once. She had no memory of anything that might have happened between pressing the diamond moth into place and her vision. Leave it to her to have all that energy to boost her psychic abilities and all she got out of it was a sexual fantasy.
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Sonja stood on shaky legs. That had been some blast of power. No wonder Witches and Sorcerers use familiars. And no wonder someone had kidnapped Kara to get the talisman in that box. She moved to the window and peeked out the curtain. It was still dark. Good. “Look who’s up.” The masculine voice made her jump. Sonja spun around, prepared to demand her property and be on her way—but when her gaze met the blue eyes of her fantasy lover, she could only stand there with her mouth hanging open, all rational thought spinning off into thin air. How could that be? Had he stumbled upon the cave? Maybe her subconscious mind saw him while she was in the vision. There was little explanation otherwise. He held up a hand as if to show he was unarmed. The other was holding a glass. “I’m not going to hurt you.” He set the glass down and kept his hands where she could see them. Little did he know her expression wasn’t one of fear, but disbelief mixed with pure embarrassment. For a moment she panicked. Could it have been it real? Had this man really given her an orgasm, or was it perhaps a vision of the future? Because those hands were the same ones she’d just come all over. She was sure of it. Her body responded to the thought with a tingle. He sat on the wooden chair. He wasn’t wearing the plaid shirt from the vision, but his feet wore the same mud-covered work boots. She shook her head. “This is weird.” “You passed out after using that blood magic, girl. For a minute there you weren’t even breathing.” “Shit.” She hadn’t considered that he might have seen her working that spell. “I…um…” She looked around again but still didn’t see the box. “It’s not here. And it’s far enough away that we’re not affected by the pull.” He nodded toward the water. “Have a drink.” “I need the box and I need to go,” she said as she looked down at her bare feet. “And my shoes, please.” “I didn’t see any shoes. That’s how you were when I picked you up. What the hell is a Halfling doing with a blood magic talisman and trying to cast spells?” He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. His eyes, looking just as intense as they had in her fantasy vision, studied her. Fiddlesticks. What if that was a premonition? No. Couldn’t be. Her scars were gone in the fantasy. She ignored his question completely. “I just need the box.” She took a step forward. “I’m in a hurry here.” “I’m not.” Boy, he looked smug. His beard and his shaggy hair looked as if they hadn’t been washed in a couple days. She remembered how clean and silky his hair had looked in the vision. She wanted to reach out and touch it, but didn’t dare.
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“Who are you?” she demanded. “Never mind.” She held a hand up to prevent him from speaking before he could answer. “I don’t really want to know.” Because I’m embarrassed, even if you have no clue as to why. “Just return my property and I’ll be on my way.” “Ray Burgess.” He reached for the water glass again and pushed it toward her. “And I think you really need some of this. You look flushed.” Ray Burgess. She’d heard of him. He was the ex-cop who’d been tossed off the force down in Charlotte. She knew he’d been living somewhere out here. Just her luck to run into him in the middle of the damn night. If the kidnappers found out she was here… ”I need to go.” She put her hands on her hips and tried for her most stern look. “Now.” Ray looked over his guest. She was alternating between blushing and anger. He’d been a good judge of folks while on the force and this little lady was feeling flat out guilty. About what? He had no idea, but she didn’t have a hope in hell at hiding anything with that expressive face. Flushing then defensive. Very typical of the guilty. “Fine. Go right ahead.” “Fine.” She changed her weight from one hip to the other. “My box?” Yeah. That box. “You keep calling that kind of power, girl, and you’ll kill someone. Most likely yourself. From what I saw, that thing was way more than you’d bargained for.” Her mouth opened and closed a couple times. She was tall and her long brown hair was a tangled mess as it fell over her shoulders. But it made a nice frame for a pretty, round face and big, evocative hazel eyes. Those eyes made her look young and innocent, but he knew better. “Look, Ray, I need my stuff and I need to be on my way.” She glanced around as if looking for her belonging but all she had was the clothes on her back. “All your things are still out in the cave. I thought you were dying. I rushed you here without worrying about your altar kit or shoes.” He stood and headed for the kitchen. She seemed fine and he wanted no part of whatever she was mixed up in. He’d done his civic duty and saved her life. She was on her own now. If she insisted on playing with blood magic, who was he to stop her? A cop. No. Not anymore, he harshly reminded himself. Not that he really needed the reminder. His keys jingled when he grabbed them from the counter. From his overstuffed dog bed by the door, Art lifted is head with a sleepy, half-opened eye. The old dog gave Ray a hesitant whine. “No worries, boy. You’re done for the night.” He reached down and patted his big head. “That’s sweet and all, but I really am in a rush.” She was right on his tail.
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“You said that.” Real concern etched her face and shone in her eyes. The girl might be in more trouble than he’d first imagined. He headed out the door and she followed, jumping in the truck as he made his way to the driver’s side. She stared straight ahead. Her hands were in her lap and she was picking at chipped purple nail polish. Ray’s trouble radar was going off. The sound was so loud in his head he almost went back in and left her to walk back to the caves. Maybe he should arrest her. Well, he couldn’t do that anymore, but he could handcuff and hold her until the Prime could show up. But this wasn’t his case. He was no longer a cop. The pretty woman and her blood magic were none of his dang business. Ray hated to see anyone get into trouble and all, but if the Council found him mixed up with blood magic, he’d likely face a death sentence this time. He should have left her in that cave in the first place. When he pulled the truck up to the cave entrance, he sat in his seat, offering no further assistance. She got out and marched into the cave before marching right back out. She opened the passenger door and leaned in. “Where’s the box?” “Your illegal talisman is dangling from a bear trap in a shaft at the back of a different cave.” With a tilt of his head, he indicated another opening to her right. “I’d appreciate it if you got that thing off my property as soon as possible.” She shoved the door closed with a creaking slam before stomping away. He cringed at the way the little truck swayed from the force. Ray sighed. It’d been a long night of hunting and rescuing damsels from spells gone bad. Heck, she even hadn’t thanked him for that. Nope. Never even got her name. But he suspected he knew who she was. It was a small mountain community and there were only so many Halflings running around. She had to be one of the Ambercroft girls. And rumor said that the Prime was close to that family. He decided not to wait to follow her off the property. She was a big girl. He’d watch for her headlights leaving his land from the porch. “Wait!” She ran in front of his truck before he could get turned around. “It’s gone!” “What?” She moved to his window. “The only thing hanging in the shaft is the empty trap. My box is gone!” “Gremlins.” Ray shook his head. “Area’s thick with ’em this time of year. Sorry, honey.” No way was he going after Gremlins to get that box back. Nasty creatures. Best avoided. “Probably the best thing. You don’t need to be playing with that kind of magic anyway.” She stumbled a couple steps back. “Gremlins? I’ll never get it back!” Her shoulders sagged. She looked up to the stars. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” “I got you away from a blood magic talisman that was sucking the life out of you. You won’t tell me anything more. I’m not really sorry Gremlins stole your banned
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magic. That was the safest place I could manage to get it in the few seconds I had to act.” She didn’t say anything more. But she looked as though she was about to pass out. “It’s late. Go home. Get some sleep.” He felt for her. Seriously. He literally felt anguish rolling off her in waves. But he was still right. Blood magic was dangerous and she was lucky she hadn’t lost her mind—or more dangerously, her soul—after the blast she took. He’d seen blood magic do a lot of damage to a Witch trying to pull directly from a spelled amulet. The Halfling had really been lucky. “I can’t go home,” she whispered, then turned away without another word. Ray watched her in the rearview mirror as she made her way, head held low, back toward the cave where he’d left her belongings. He could feel the woman was in serious trouble, but knew he should just leave her to her own business. He should go home and get some sleep. He could not get wrapped up in her problems. No. He could not.
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Chapter Three Dear Goddess, her head was spinning. It was all she could do to keep from crying in frustration. What the hell had she been thinking, trying to do this on her own? And what’d she have to show for it? Nothing but a cheap fantasy about a scruffy guy and a killer headache. She shoved the altar items she’d borrowed from a friend back into her bag. She looked at her cell phone. No calls. How was she going to tell the kidnapper she’d lost the box? How was she going to tell Nell and Trent? Sonja was going to have to chase down the Gremlins. They may kill her but what choice did she really have? None. She headed into the other cave. Ray’s truck, she noted, was gone. A few steps in and she was already a little scared. Now that she knew they were around, she fancied she could smell the little beasts. A feeling not exactly like panic but close passed through her body. It was like anticipation and urgency all at once. She felt compelled to use her gift, to reach out and try. Maybe she could feel for the box. She dropped her bag, closed her eyes and let the compulsion take her. Immediately, she was sucked away. Because she knew what to expect, she felt a little more control this time. She saw herself deep in a cave, her feet wet and cold. Slick stone…
~~~~~ Sonja could hear the grumbling and grunting of Gremlins echoing off the walls and the distant drip of water. She looked around for anything that might give her a clue as to where she was or something to indicate how she could get to the Gremlin’s cave. Nothing. The cave walls abruptly began to fade to blue. Her body started floating. She tried to hone back in on the vision, the cave. She needed more information but it was spinning out of her control… She found herself back in the clearing, naked and smooth-skinned under the warm sun. Ray was already positioned between her spread legs. His intense eyes still roamed her body. With no build up to the switch, she was immediately racked with wanting and aching for his attention. She knew it was a fantasy, knew she wasn’t in control of the vision, but she couldn’t stop it. Maybe she didn’t want to. This wasn’t what she needed to be doing. But what exactly was she supposed to be doing? Everything seemed so dreamy. Ray’s head dipped and he pressed his lips to that sensitive spot where her inner thigh met her ass cheek. The warmth of his lips sent waves of pleasure through her body. His beard brushed her skin, his tongue darted out 22
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and traced ever so lightly over her folds as he moved up, teasing her beyond her ability to remain still. She reached out to grasp all that hair, willing him to plunge his tongue deep into her pussy. Then she felt herself floating again, away from the body in her vision. No! Sonja struggled to hold on to the imagery, to the warmth of his touch. Her body screamed for it. She reached for him—
~~~~~ Why was he shaking her? He should be licking her. “No. Don’t stop, Ray. Please!” “Come on, sweetness. Wake up,” he said with a good, hard shake. He grabbed her hand and Sonja realized she was trying to grab his package. She jerked out of his grasp and crab walked on her heels and hands away from him, her body still pulsing with need. But mortification quickly replaced the rush of sexual arousal and then worry took over. “Sorry.” She shook her head. “I’m freaking out a bit.” Ray smirked and looked away. “I hadn’t noticed,” he said dryly. By the bulge in his jeans, she knew better. His attempt at humor wasn’t helping her embarrassment. She suddenly realized the cave wasn’t the one from her vision. It was dry and smelled of the forest, not stinking Gremlins. “Are there other caves around here? Wet caves?” “You thinking of tracking Gremlins?” He cocked up one eyebrow. “No way.” “Just tell me, okay?” She was attracted to him. She had to admit that to herself. His eyes were so expressive. But why was she fantasizing about him? How could that be? In the first vision, she had never even met him before. If that was a premonition, she wasn’t sure she wanted to know that much about her future. And she had no time to deal with any of this. “What’s your name?” His features had softened a bit. His shoulders had dropped. She hesitated. “Sonja.” “Ah.” He nodded and walked over to her, retrieving his shotgun in the process. “Ambercroft?” She looked down. “Yes. Okay? Now, the cave?” He let out a big sigh. “Chasing around after Gremlins is like trying to herd a pack of crazed hyenas.” His expression saddened. “That box looked like real gold. I suspect it’s worth quite a bit, but is it worth your life? You owe money to someone? Steal that thing?” Sonja bit her lip. No, it wasn’t worth her life—but it was worth Kara’s. “It’s not my life that’s at stake.” She chose not to answer the rest of his questions. He crossed his arms and didn’t say a word.
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She looked up at him. “I can’t tell you anything else. Besides, this is your freaking fault. If you hadn’t hung it out as Gremlin bait, I’d still have it.” “Fine.” He turned toward the cave entrance. Over his shoulder he said, “You’ll have to find those buggers on your own. I suspect you have no weapons and no experience with Gremlins, either,” and started walking. “Crap.” He was right. She needed him. She bit at a ragged thumbnail in frustration. How had she managed to get herself into this situation? By trying to be a hero, that’s how. Bare minimum. Sonja would have to involve him but she could make sure it was the barest minimum possible. “I’ll buy that shotgun.” He turned back to her. The sun was coming up and he was backlit in the mouth of the cave. It showed off his physique. The man was broad but lean. “Sorry. One of my favorites. You can rent me if that helps.” And he was frustrating. “Do you have other weapons you’re not so sentimental over?” She crossed her arms. “Not really.” He looked over the stock of the shotgun. “I like all my toys.” “Okay. I hire you to help me retrieve that box. You don’t ask any questions. I leave as soon as we find it. Deal?” All she needed him for was to get the damn box. Then she’d be on her way to Asheville and could forget all this ever happened. “Tell me why you asked about the wet cave and what’s happening when you pass out like that.” He took a few steps closer. His brows were drawn. “It looks like you’re sleeping and dreaming really hard. You psychic?” Sonja put her hands on her hips. “Didn’t I just say no questions?” “I need to know ’cause you could get us both killed if you zone out like that when we’re in the middle of a Gremlin nest. I’m not getting chewed up by Gremlins for anybody.” “Fine. My Demon power is visions. But I’m a Halfling.” “So you can’t control them at all? They just sneak up on you and take you out of commission like that?” “Not exactly.” Not before I called the power from that box, they didn’t. Who knew now? She decided to leave it there. “But close enough. How much?” Time was passing. She only had ’til the afternoon to get the box back and get it two hours away to Asheville. “How much what?” Was he not paying attention? “To hire you to slay the Gremlins?” He chuckled. “Um. How much you got?” “On me? Maybe fifty bucks.” “Sold.” He held his hand out for payment. It looked just like it had on her thigh in her visions. Why did she see herself without scars and see Ray just exactly as he is now? Well, he had a different shirt, but his skin 24
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and hair and those dang gorgeous eyes were all the same. She dug through her bag and gave him the money. “That’s pretty cheap…considering.” “Like you said, I hung it in the cave to be gotten.” He shoved the bills in his pocket. “Now tell me what you saw in your vision.” She blushed at the thought of his eyes looking up at her from between her thighs, but ignored it. She needed to concentrate on the task at hand. Kara. Gremlins. Asheville. She tried to recall everything about the vision—the cave portion of the vision. “Um…the cave was somewhat narrow and I felt like I was down pretty deep. I don’t know why. Maybe the temperature? It was cool.” She put her hand on the stone beside her. “The walls were slick and damp. I was standing in water—shallow water—and my feet were muddy.” He nodded. “That’s easy enough. I can only think of one place in the area that’s deep enough for Gremlins and has water.” He looked her up and down then strutted to his truck, Sonja on his heels. He pulled his hunting vest from behind the seat. “But you’re not going to like it. Maybe you should stay here.” She yanked the door open and plopped down in the truck. “Yeah. Right.”
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Chapter Four Quentin watched the pair climb into the hillbilly’s tuck. He’d not gotten close enough to hear their conversation, but hoped he’d judged their actions and expressions correctly. Grinning at his own perverseness, he sank farther into the shadows of the trees along the road. His little sexual incitements seemed to be working on the Halfling. Silly girl. Since she’d called on the Chiwa Talisman to try to boost her own powers, she was even more susceptible to his mental intrusions. That’s why the box and its ugly necklace were so valuable. The jasmine stone on the talisman would offer great power to the right being, with the right knowledge. Many had sought out the Chiwa. Some very powerful men had found their own destruction from its power. Quentin knew just who wanted it now. Who had spent money and men to get it. He’d closely followed what had happened with the other Halfling, knew Sonja’s sister and that Prime had beaten Crey’s attempts to get the box. That Sorcerer had been greedy but weak. Quentin knew because he’d been connected with the necklace from afar for years. It haunted his dreams, called to him, seduced him in ways a woman never could. The Chiwa wanted his power, his ability to manipulate the wants and desires of men. But Quentin was smarter than that. He was a Dreamstalker, an architect of visions, with the ability to feel the emotions of others, experience their feelings. That was hard enough to manage with the power he’d been born with. Even a small nudge from the talisman and he’d lose his mind. No. The Chiwa would not manipulate his power. But he would use the Chiwa’s power to move up in the world. In order to get the necklace to the powerful Palero Priest who wanted it, Quentin had needed a mule whose motives didn’t include gaining power from the talisman. He’d been biding his time. Waiting for the right moment to make his move. After Crey’s failure, the Palero would be very happy if Quentin retrieved the necklace. He wanted it in his hands before contacting the priest, but he certainly didn’t want to actually meet the man if he could avoid it. Quentin wasn’t sure he could protect himself against such a being. When he’d learned the Prime was going to turn the talisman over to the Council, Quentin had to act fast. The Council would be able to hide it even from him. Bury it in so much power and energy that no one would ever feel its pull again. Either that or some corrupt Council member would use it for his own plan. No. The time was right. His plan had been hasty but solid. 26
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And the little Halfling enlisting the hillbilly would only make that plan stronger. She’d have a Sorcerer to protect her on her journey. The sexual tension would be unbearable before long, despite the fact she really tried to suppress her sexual desires. Quentin would enjoy toying with them both. Even now his cock hardened as he remembered the image of her naked and spread for the hillbilly. The first few times he stalked in someone’s mind, they always fought him. The fight itself was a tiny thrill for Quentin, but when they gave in, lost their own will and began to want his images, the feelings he imposed, well…that’s what he craved. He wanted them to want him in their heads, even though they were clueless he was there at all. Sometimes he could alter an entire being from the inside out, make them hate-filled shells of what they previously were. A banker once pissed him off over a loan and Quentin was able to influence him enough to ruin his career. But his crowning jewel was the mother he’d convinced to abandon her child. He’d had no real reason for that little feat. It was merely an interesting self-test. A challenge to see just how far his influence could reach. That was real power. He wasn’t going to risk it by having the Chiwa too close. He moved silently through the trees and back to his car, very happy with himself. A good Sorcerer was hard to find. He hadn’t considered the Gremlins, but surely the hillbilly could manage that small matter. And Quentin could always enter the girl’s mind and poke around if he needed to alter the situation. He’d head to Asheville and wait for them in luxury…give them a chance to bond.
***** Sonja glanced behind her. The passage was narrow and at this point, very steep. Down here the feeling of being watched faded into the uneasy sense of being hunted. Gremlins weren’t dangerous one on one. Nope. It was the pack of them that would get you. Like furry piranha, the little green monsters’ power came from numbers. She was not thrilled as the prospect of facing them in their nest, but what choice did she have? She slammed into Ray’s back. He’d stopped while she was looking back. “Watch out,” he said under his breath. He had braced and caught the cave wall, preventing them from tumbling down the steep passage. She had to place her hands on his back and push herself off him. “I was watching. Behind us.” She cursed herself for considering lingering just a moment more to feel the muscles under his shirt. “They won’t circle behinds us here. It’s too narrow.” He twisted to help her balance, his hands gripping her shoulders. She shook her head and let out a breath. “I still can’t shake the feeling of being watched. It was worse up there. But here…”
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“You are being watched by something.” He’d pointed the tiny flashlight he was using so they could see each other’s faces instead of the floor. He indicated up with the tilt of his head. “Crap.” She didn’t look up. “Don’t tell me that stuff. I don’t want to know what’s hanging from the ceiling, crawling on the floor or oozing down these walls unless it’s attacking and I need to get my ass out of its way in a big hurry.” He grinned at her. “Not funny, mister. Unless you want me running through this cave with a huge case of the screaming meemies, it’s best I remain ignorant of the local fauna.” His smile reached his blue eyes. “Okay. Good information. Sonja doesn’t like critters.” He started to turn away but looked back at her, the light directly on her face. “Except moths?” She gave him a shut-the-heck-up look. Honestly, she wasn’t crazy about the moths either, and given they were Black Witch Moths, it was worse. Her sister had lived with them for days until they had figured out the moths were the key to opening the puzzle box. Sonja had gotten to be okay with them. Kind of. “Fine.” He headed a few steps ahead and Sonja followed, gaze trained on the tiny sphere of light. The stench of rotting meat made her queasy when she thought about what might be hovering around her in the dark. Ray ducked down to see through a waist-high opening and held up a hand to have her stay put. Which was fine as long as he didn’t go wandering away with that flashlight. It still lit the ground around her feet but everything else was shrouded in darkness. She looked down. Water trickled past her mud-splotched shoes. She looked at the wall of the cave and couldn’t help but reach out and run her hand over the surface. It was shiny and slick. This was definitely the place from the vision. “Ray.” It came out as a whisper. “Shhhh.” She held her breath until he straightened. “We’re close. I can hear them.” The disgust in his voice gave Sonja an even bigger shiver. He got his gun ready and then fished around in his front pocket. He pulled out his fist and opened it to check the contents. He held a shiny black stone the shape and size of a roll of quarters. He used a wand. She’d heard of them, of course, but had never seen a Sorcerer who could use a wand instead of having to cast a spell to manifest his power. Impressive. She followed him through the opening. “Stay behind me,” he whispered. No problem. She nodded even though he had already turned to go into the next tunnel and couldn’t see her silent agreement. Strong Sorcerer or not, Gremlins were dangerous and disgusting. She’d seen a girl whose legs had gotten chewed up once. Sonja wanted no part of that. She tried to walk on tiptoes but with the stream of water twisting through the passage, she still made little splashing sounds with every footfall. She noticed Ray did not, even wearing heavy work boots.
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A green glow appeared in one opening just around a horseshoe bend in the passage. He abruptly put his back to the wall. He edged his way along the slick surface in order to take a quick look around the corner. Crunching and grinding and all manner of grumbling echoed into the tunnel. Sonja’s heart was pounding. She had no idea what to expect. He slid down to a squatting position and nodded for her to take a look. With Ray’s knees jutting out in the narrow passage, Sonja had to straddle his legs in order to peek around the wall. She couldn’t help but shiver at the thought of him under her like this. But the sight of the nest doused any arousal she may have been feeling. Hundreds of the little buggers were crawling around the cavern. She’d seen one or two of them at a time scurrying through the forest or trying to break into her trash. A slight residue of their collective magic tickled at Sonja’s senses. She was surprised she could detect it. It must be creating the glow, lighting the cavern just enough for them to forage and move around. The beastly, bi-pedal, wet-cat-looking things had opposable thumbs, lots of sharp teeth and a hint of magic to protect them from human detection. Their muddy, slimy fur looked putrid green as they clamored around the cavern. A small skirmish broke out a few yards away from where she and Ray hid. Maybe three or four of the Gremlins were snarling. One pounced on another, long claws drawn for battle. Several other creatures in the immediate area joined in. Ripping and tearing and snarls became a mass of indistinguishable carnage. It ended as abruptly as it had begun. Most waddled away. Two were left bloody and lifeless on the cavern floor. She retreated and fell to her haunches next to Ray. She did not want to go in there. “Smells like piss in there,” she whispered. Ray looked at her and blinked a couple times. “Piss. Of course.” He stood. Sonja had no idea what he was talking about. But he fished a tube out of a pocket on his hunting vest and held it out for her to see. Dean’s Deer Urine. For a moment her mind wandered and she tried to imagine how they got deer to piss in a cup for this product. Or why Ray would have it in his pocket. That train of thought flew out the window when he started sprinkling the stuff on his legs and chest. Then he held out the tube for her. “I don’t think so.” It came out louder than she’d intended. He looked in the cavern then back to her. “You’d better think again, sunshine. They’re coming.” She looked past him to see the vermin rushing toward the entrance, clawing and biting at each other to be the first to make it for the buffet. “Deer piss? Really?”
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He started to toss it on her himself. “Attracts deer. Repels most everything else. Should work.” “Should?” Cauldrons! Her eyes were burned from the stench. No wonder it repelled everything. She tried breathing through her mouth. No help. She wanted to vomit. He propped his gun against the wall. “Now. Move.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her into the cavern, into the nest. The man was crazy. They were heading for the Gremlins. Several steps toward the rushing, clamoring heard of teeth and fur, Ray stopped and pulled Sonja close behind him. She heard the chant of a spell but didn’t understand the language. He raised the wand above his head. The stench of urine still burned in her nostrils but a cloak of soothing, cool magic wrapped around them. It certainly had a much better feel than the dark energy she’d gotten from the Chiwa. Heck, it felt better than her own paltry magic. It called to her Demon. Her shift should bring out the shimmering Water Dragon that was confined under her skin, making her grow a few inches, get a little stronger. But it hurt her scars. The once-burned skin was no longer pliable, wouldn’t stretch to accommodate a larger rib cage or longer torso. So Sonja never shifted. She worked hard, in fact, to control any situation that called for it. Ray’s magic did more than call to her Dragon, it shattered Sonja’s hard-earned command over her body. She took long, deep breaths, trying not to panic, trying to stop her Dragon, but it wanted out. The Gremlins started to attack one another, and instead of coming at them, the freaky, cat-like fiends seemed to be on the retreat, rushing past the couple and heading toward the exit, frightened, escaping. Ray chanted again. Sonja grabbed his vest from behind, gripping hard. Her eyes rolled up in her head. The Dragon was stretching, roaring. There was no way to halt the process this time. His spell, his magic, was somehow imposing her shift. Pain seared her side. She stared at her hands as her fingers lengthened, nails growing stronger and yellow. She ripped the fabric of his vest. Had Ray called her Demon to frighten the Gremlins? It hurt like hell. She sure would have appreciated being clued in on this plan. The old scars ran from just under her breast to the top of her thigh on her right side, wrapping over part of her belly. The skin was thick and wavy and didn’t give to the presence of her Dragon. She tried to bend to her right to alleviate the stretch, even as she felt her spine getting longer. She gripped the tight skin on her hip, hoping it wouldn’t tear. It felt as if it was about to give way. More of the shaggy little beasts scurried by as Ray turned and Sonja finally let a scream burst from her lungs. “STOP!”
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Chapter Five Dear Goddess, she was beautiful in her natural Halfling state. But she was screaming in pain. Something was wrong, and his spell was obviously the culprit. He quickly pulled back, shutting down the flow of energy he’d been pulsing into the cavern. It didn’t seem to be helping. One of the few Gremlins that remained came to his senses and made a beeline toward Ray’s leg. He turned and hit him with a short blasting spell. The thing tumbled, screeched and darted through a small hole on the other side of the cavern. A couple more were coming back in through the large opening where he and Sonja had entered. The rest were nowhere in sight. His illusion spell was broken, but he and Sonja still smelled like deer urine so the few beasts hovering around the cavern opening seemed confused. Gremlins were ferocious but alone or in a small pack, they were manageable. He held up his wand and thought the spell. A strong, quick blast sent them scurrying away. He grabbed Sonja by the shoulders as she slumped to her side. Her face was contorted in pain. Her skin glowed a rich teal from within. All Demons had an other. Most shifted fully and had really strong magical gifts to go with their shifted form. Ray could barely make out the scales of her other as it stretched and squirmed under her skin. “What’d I do?” She was shaking, clutching her side. When she opened her eyes, they looked distant and were the color of perfect amber gems. He hadn’t meant to do any harm. Those spells were almost child’s play. “Called my change.” “What?” He eased her a few steps back and eased her down on a rock. “How?” She gave him a halfhearted laugh. “Your spell.” “That shouldn’t be possible. It was an illusion.” He searched for something to sooth her but there wasn’t much in the dank cave. At least the light had lingered even after the Gremlins had vacated the premises. It wouldn’t last long, though. “I don’t have any water or anything.” She just shook her head, closed her eyes again and took in several deep breaths. He could feel her magic tingling over his skin. She was trying to pull it back. To reverse the change. From what he knew about Demons, it wasn’t exactly an easy thing. Ray didn’t know what to do. He scooted next to her and braced her against his side as best he could without adding pressure. “Ride it out. I got ya.” She was still shaking her head but unable to speak. He felt her ribs shifting, shrinking and settling into a slightly different place. This close, her magic was caressing
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him wherever their bodies touched. Its icy-cool flow made his body react despite the fear he felt for her at the moment. Magic spoke to magic. It was a hard thing to control. And when magic was attracted to magic, it was impossible to ignore. Ray watched as her faced scrunched and her jaw tightened. Sweat dripped from her forehead and she was clutching her side hard. He placed a hand over hers. Obviously unhappy with that, she tried to move his hand away—but not before he felt the rough texture of her skin under her shirt. He’d caught a glimpse of the burn scar when he’d carried her into his cabin. Even though he’d only seen a bit of it, he’d guessed it was extensive. He’d carefully covered her up as soon as he laid her on his couch so as not to intrude on her privacy. He didn’t need some kind of sexual lawsuit on his hands on top of everything else. She moaned and exhaled, her body relaxing against his. “Goddess, it stinks in here.” “I think that’s us,” he replied, happy to hear her speak, to feel the tension slipping away from her. It was a good sign. “Oh. Yeah.” She lifted her head from his shoulder. “The box?” He’d almost forgotten about the box. Clearly she had not. “You okay?” She sat up on her own and nodded. Her brows were still drawn in pain. “I don’t shift well.” She pushed her hair back out of her face. “What kind of spell was that?” “Well, the idea was to make us stink and use the spell to make us appear as monsters. But the language I used was a bit vague.” He found a stone in the ground suddenly very interesting. “So you called a monster and my shift came?” She attempted to stand but decided to sit another minute. “Nice one.” “I…I really don’t mean that you’re—” “A monster? Hardly.” She pushed her shoulders back to stretch. “But…wow.” Ray stood and scanned the area. He saw a broken watch, several cell phones and the remains of what may have been a laptop. He walked to the far end of the cavern where there was a group of larger rocks. Behind them sat an old bike frame, two copper pasta strainers and what looked like a ravaged chandelier. Ray shook his head. No golden box. “I don’t see it.” He headed back toward Sonja. “And for that matter, I don’t feel it.” She covered her face with her hands, trying not to cry. He could tell by the shaky shoulders. He felt sorry for the girl, but still couldn’t help feeling she was better off without the thing. “Let’s get you out of here before the Gremlins decide they want their nest back.” Sonja reluctantly made her way back up the tunnel. She was crying by the time they hit the fresh air. He kept moving, herding her toward the creek that passed not far from the cave. She stood in the cold, knee-high water without any argument, swishing it,
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splashing it over her jeans and shirt, trying to rinse the smell from her clothes. It wouldn’t work completely, but they’d be bearable until he could get them home. She’d slowed her crying by the time he was in the water and began splashing the cool water up to his chest. He’d eased in a few feet away, facing her. “So. You gonna tell me what’s going on here?” ”No reason not to now.” Her head fell back and she looked up to the cloudless sky above. “I was supposed to deliver that box to someone in Asheville by three.” She started to tear up again. “And now I can’t.” Ray sat on a nearby boulder in the creek and leaned forward, splashing water on his face, the crisp feel of it washing away some of the tiredness he was feeling from being up all night. “You owe them money?” Not that he could help her with that. The compulsion to do so took him by surprise. He wanted to help her. To right whatever had gone so wrong last night. She shook her head. “No. I don’t…but since I lost it, they’ll kill her for sure now.” His gut tightened. This was worse than he suspected. He didn’t want to get mixed up in a homicide call. “Yesterday, a ransom note was delivered to my house. They have my cousin, Kara. They want the box in exchange for her.” She looked over at him. “You know the rest. No cops. No Primes. Bring the box. Or else.” Ray nodded but didn’t say a word. He wanted to hear everything from her perspective, uninterrupted. It was an old interrogation technique. “My sister Nell and her boyfriend—who’s a Prime for the area—just brought that stupid box back from New Orleans.” She shook her head. “It’s not the box. It’s what’s inside that’s so valuable. It’s a Chiwa Talisman.” Ray recognized the name though he couldn’t remember any specific history. But if he knew the name, that meant it was a big deal. “They were supposed to turn it over to the Council tonight.” She splashed her face again and let out a disheartened laugh. “I actually thought if I used it for a minute, just one minute, I could boost my own pathetic power and use my visions to figure out where they were holding Kara.” “The Council is expecting that box?” He straightened. Getting bad again. “Yes. And so is the kidnapper.” She bit her bottom lip. “So, short story is that I’ve stolen a dangerous talisman from a Prime, done illegal magic with it and I don’t have any way to get Kara back.” Ray should’ve been concerned for his own hide at that moment. If the Council got wind that he had anything to do with the theft of something like this, he’d be toast. But even he wasn’t totally insensitive to her situation. He just didn’t have the first clue as to how to help the woman. She must be exhausted. A large spider trailing down its web directly above Sonja’s head caught his attention.
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“Um.” He didn’t really want to startle her. The creepy crawlies in the cave seemed to freak her out. “You might want to move.” He pointed up. “There’s a rather large spider heading your way and I know how you hate bugs.” “Where?” Her eyes got big. He waived her to the side. “Move to the left.” She moved before looking up. “Yuck. He’s huge.” She scrambled out of the water. “I’m not that bad with bugs if I can see them.” Her t-shirt clung to her body and she hugged herself. He saw her shiver and was unsure if she was cold from the water or if it was a response to the spider. “That’s right. The moths are okay.” She hugged herself then made a strange face that changed from disgust to surprise. “Dang. Ray. The moths.” She smiled. “The freaking moths!” “I’m sorry?” He stood, letting the water drain away from his heavy jeans. She held up both hands. “I can call the moths again. They’ll lead us right to the box!” She smacked her head. “Why didn’t I think of that before?” “I don’t know.” He wasn’t sure he was happy she’d thought about it now.
***** Against his better judgment, he helped her prepare the spell. They were back at the beginning. Back in the cave where he had first spotted Sonja and her faulty sacred circle. He still smelled of urine, would have loved to go take a bath. But the sun was getting high and time was running out for her cousin. He should just walk away. He had two strikes. Trent Nicolas, Prime, supernatural super cop, was sure to be looking for the talisman right this minute. Goddess knows what kind of help the Prime had enlisted. The situations Ray Burgess managed to find himself in boggled his brain. The last time there was someone in distress and blood magic around, he was the one left holding the bag. He was the one the Council called on the carpet. He was the one semibanished. Turn her in and walk away. Maybe even get out of hot water with the Council for doing so. If they found the box and he turned her over to the Prime, she’d be okay. The Prime would go after the kidnapper and Ray would be out of trouble. “Let me help you.” He moved her candles to the correct directional points and placed his wand to the left of her cauldron. It was filled with an herbal mixture she’d brought from home. “Last time your circle was so off kilter I thought you might accidently conjure an ogre.” Sonja didn’t doubt it. And this time, she was tired and hungry. She lit a candle and within moments the smoke from her little cauldron dispersed and the herbal aroma
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filled the area. Frankincense masked the strong urine smell still wafting from both of them. He stepped from her circle. “All righty, then.” He pushed his shaggy hair out of his eyes. ”Good to go. Just be careful.” Sonja had explained to him how the moths were just a means to open the box, assuring him they had nothing to do with the blood magic of the Chiwa inside. The story seemed to have made him even queasier about the whole idea. She thought the plan was pretty brilliant. “If you feel the slightest bit of blood magic, especially if you feel it tainting your own power, stop.” He was looking her in the eye, waiting on a verbal response. She nodded, but if he thought she would give up when there was even a small chance…no way. She closed her eyes, bent forward and let the smoke from her cauldron cleanse her aura. She usually didn’t care that her magic primarily drove only visions. Her grandmother had taught her to focus that energy for a few minor spells. She’d put this one together herself using the frankincense and a powerful rose quartz she’d had since childhood. She’d half expected it to fail. But the magic had called the moths once and could do it again. She kept her voice as low as possible. Pulling energy from deep inside was the key. Her Dragon was not happy. It wanted out again and was agitated that she wasn’t calling it. She’d used more magic and been around more magic in the last twelve hours than she had been in years, and the Dragon wanted to stretch and breathe. It broke her heart. There was nothing she’d like more than to let it go. Not since childhood had she been able to let it go without the pain, but she had to concentrate and stifle that part of herself. She needed the moths instead. She felt them coming. They were fluttering and resentful of the daylight, but they came. She slowly opened her eyes as a small cloud of them crossed into the circle. She reached out her hand and a large one landed on her now scarred palm. Its black wings had the most amazing pattern of blue and silver she’d seen. She held it for a moment. It walked to the end of her fingertips and took off again. It was time to do this thing. Part of her feared what would come next. What would happen if she got the talisman to Asheville? Would they kill her and Kara? What if Kara was already dead? If only Ray could come with her. He probably wouldn’t, but he was a handy guy to have around with his guns and strong magic. She looked up to the swarm. Huge wings tumbled and turned, the moths crashing into one another, looking for a way out of the circle as she pulled the magic away. They headed back the way they had come when her spell was broken and the magic drifted from the circle. Ray was following them into the woods. As she stood, her legs quivered and stung. Her right foot was asleep and her left wasn’t far off. She hobbled after Ray and the moths as they headed in the direction of his house. She caught up as Ray slowed. “You feel it?” he asked.
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They were both breathing hard from the chase, her pulse beat in her ears but when she opened herself to the energy of the universe, she felt the icky pull of the magic that she recognized as the Chiwa. She nodded. “There’s an old moonshine hut back in those trees.” She squinted and saw a bit of silvered wood through the thick kudzu that’d taken over most of what was still standing. “My bet? We’ve a few Gremlins in there with it.” Finally. “Blast ’em and let’s go. I’m out of time.” She felt hopeful for the first time since losing the box. She had just enough time to get to Asheville. She might be a little late, but she’d get there. He nodded but Sonja didn’t like the worried look on his face. He hesitated as if he were going to say something and then changed his mind. It was just an instant but it made Sonja nervous. She needed that box. But it was covered in gold, and very powerful. Ray may want it. May want to turn it in. She would have to do whatever was necessary to get that thing to Asheville. He reached for his wand as they neared the door to the one-room shack. She heard some scuffling in there. He took up a position on one side of the door. She took the other. He nodded and gave her the gesture to stay back. Sonja braced against the wall, understanding. Sudden, searing pain shot through her right ankle. Sonja screamed. “Shit!” He cursed and kicked the door. Sonja looked down. A grubby, moss-covered paw had reached her leg through a gaping crack in the weathered old wood planks and clamped down, claws digging into her skin. Loud squealing and screeching hurt her ears as Ray blasted inside. The Gremlin attached to her leg loosened his grip in the commotion and Sonja jerked away, hopping to a fallen log to inspect the damage. She’d lost a shoe in the process and her skin was cut in three places. Two fingers and a thumb had sliced her pretty good but she didn’t think she needed stitches. Had the little bastard’s claws been a little longer, she’d have been in trouble. She hobbled into the hut. Ray was squatting, looking at the box. “I think we should take this to the Prime, Sonja.” His eyes were stern. The rest of his features were hidden in his beard and shaggy hair but she knew what he wanted. Knew he’d been a cop at one point. She hated that he was going to fight her on this. Desperation started to overwhelm her. It was consuming. “Is the diamond still there?” she asked. The box was upside down. He would have to turn away from her to look. There was a loose board just by her hand, leaning on a busted old crate. When Ray turned his head, reaching to turn the box over, she grabbed the board, closed her eyes and arched it as far behind her as possible.
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Sonja swung. She opened her eyes just in time to see Ray turn to her, but it was too late, momentum was on her side. The board was headed right at his head. Sonja had been captain of the Terrible Tigers, state softball champs all four years she was in high school. And she was the home run queen. She pulled back slightly at the last minute, not wanting to kill the guy. Ray’s entire upper body pivoted from the force of the blow before he hit the ground. She got him good, but he’d live. Tomorrow would be a pain-filled day, though. Sonja had dropped the makeshift bat as soon as Ray hit the ground. Her fingers trembled as she checked his wound. Bleeding slightly, but not enough to be a serious issue. She snatched up the box, only now wondering why it was still golden. Why hadn’t the moths retreated when the box closed, as they always had before? Several scratches marred the top. She turned the box and saw a large ding in the side that made the two halves misalign by just a smidgen. Probably from the stupid bear trap. Holy cauldrons, she’d broken the box! And hit a cop. Goddess. Well, nothing she could do about either at the moment. She patted Ray’s shoulder lightly to console the unconscious man without waking him. “Sorry. Really sorry.” She headed for the door. “Better if you’re not involved anyway.” She ran out of the hut, ignoring the burn of her ankle. Racing back to her car to get to Asheville, to Kara…racing to ease her uncontrollable desperation.
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Chapter Six Ray tried to inspect the cut at the base of his skull. No matter what he tried, there was way too much hair in the way. He looked at himself in the steamy mirror and huffed. Too much hair everywhere. What exactly was he hiding from? The man in the mirror couldn’t hide behind a thick beard and a bad haircut. Nope. He had to live with the consequences of his decisions. He went to the drawer of his old desk and pulled out a pair of scissors. Art grunted as he passed the dog on his return to the bathroom. “I know. It’s about time.” Just above the cut, Ray hacked off a big hunk of curly hair. He’d hated those curls as a boy. Made him feel girly. Didn’t hate them so much anymore; for the last two years he’d been hiding behind them. He carefully cut away more hair then inspected the injury again. The gash in his head wasn’t so bad, but boy did that Halfling have a swing. He craned his neck to the side to stretch the soreness out then closed the ragged cut with a couple butterfly bandages. He tested the soreness of the bruising around the base of his skull. Now that was gonna hurt for a while. Sighing, he placed an open newspaper across his sink. Then he cut more hair. Finished, he ran his hand over the back of his head. His stylist skills were a bit rough, but it would do until he had time to get a proper haircut. One could have fashioned a couple of Gremlins from the pile of hair on the paper. He started on the beard next. He pulled out a fistful of strands, surprised he’d let it get so long, and snipped it close to his chin. After shaving and cleaning up the mess, Ray looked back at his reflection. He knew without really thinking about it that he was going after her. He had to stop Sonja Ambercroft’s good intentions from getting both her and her cousin killed. He had to get that box and get it to the Council before someone used it for the wrong reasons. He knew all about the kinds of characters who would kidnap an innocent for that talisman. And they weren’t likely the kind to just take their prize and let the two women go. He grabbed a black shirt from this closet, pulled it over his shoulders. He checked the ammo in his trusty 9mm then tucked it into a holster at his waistband. Shoved an extra magazine in his back pocket and his wand in the front. He may no longer be on the force, but he was still a cop. He knew where she was going from all that mumbling just before she’d regained consciousness last night. It hadn’t made sense at the time, something about a park and a grove. But now he knew her story. She’d mentioned Asheville, and a quick computer search told him what he needed to know. Finally ready, Ray went to look for his cell phone. Not on the stand by the door. Neither were his keys or his wallet. 38
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“Shit.” She must have stopped by here on her way out. Smart girl. No worries. His baby didn’t need keys to run. “His baby” being the classic Chevelle in the barn out back. A bright red car with black racing stripes up the hood may not be too inconspicuous, but it was a fast bitch. He’d catch up with Sonja in no time. He plopped his cowboy hat on his head. Ray Burgess may be a good guy, but it was time to go play bad boy. The wave of adrenaline was like a hug from a long-lost friend. Honest and welcomed. Lulu Girl whined as he dumped several days’ worth of food in the two bowls. They had access to water and a homemade doggy door. They were set. He’d have the neighbor check on them if he wasn’t back by tomorrow. “You two behave.” Art grunted and sauntered away.
***** Sonja sank into the tub in the swanky hotel room at the Grove Park Inn. The keys had been waiting for her at the desk, just as she’d been told. She’d been embarrassed by the disgusted look the desk clerk had given her disheveled state. She had a change of clothes in her bag but hadn’t dared waste time to stop and put them on. She’d just muttered something about horrible traffic, and it being one of those days, but knew there was no explaining away the urine smell. Thank the Goddess for hotel shampoo and soaps. Eucalyptus and orange scents wafted through the giant marble bathroom. The heat of the water did a fine job of relaxing her a bit. Though she was beat, she needed to stay awake. She had no clue how the kidnapper was going to contact her next. But her eyelids wanted so badly to creep closed…
~~~~~ He was nude. Feet straddling her legs as she sat on the blanket. The breeze now skirted over her skin, making the tiny hairs on her stomach quiver. Her nipples tightened. His cock jerked. She wanted to reach up and touch it. She could reach it. He was holding it right there, after all. He wouldn’t be all naked and standing over her in a field if he didn’t want her to touch it. Would he? Hell, she wanted to do more than touch it. She wanted to lick the beautiful thing. Run her tongue right along that vein that seemed to be pulsing, calling to her. Yup. That’s exactly what she wanted to do. He released his hold and his cock jerked again, bobbed a couple times as if to agree with her thought process. She licked her lips and heard him moan. Maybe he could hear her thoughts. She was naked and sans scars again, in the same field. Why not go for it? And why back here in this field, too? If this is her fantasy, dream, vision…whatever, why not have him tied up in a soft, comfy bed? She closed her eyes and willed it. Cynical laughter echoed off in the distance. Her eyes snapped open to see if someone had joined them in her little fantasy world. But before she could look
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anywhere, the point was rendered moot. Ray was splayed on the same type of big bed as the one in her hotel room, hands tied with green velvet ropes to the metal vines that twisted into a beautiful arch over the bed. Sonja reclining next to him. All she could do was study his wonderful cock. “Sonja.” She heard his voice in her head. It was strangely garbled, as if it weren’t him speaking. She let her gaze follow the line of his body, admiring his tight abs and strong chest as she made it to his face. His eyes were closed. His head tilted back. She reached for his stomach, gently grazing her fingers across his heated skin. His olive complexion was a stark difference from the ivory skin of her hand. His muscles tightened under her touch. His hips moved. It was beautiful. She’d never had anyone respond to her that way. She was dripping wet but afraid the vision would disappear again. He moaned. “Please.” The sound of his voice, gravely and needful, pushed her over the edge. She reached out and grabbed his stiff cock. No care for being gentle. If it was her vision, she wanted everything to be her way. She stroked him, squeezing his length, knowing he liked it a little rough but not knowing how she knew. He bucked. She pulled away. She heard the rush of air leave his lungs before he turned his head toward her and opened his eyes. Those intense, beautiful eyes. He didn’t speak. He was begging without begging. She leaned over him, got on her knees and ran her tongue the length of his cock. Tracing that fat vein just as she had imagined. She circled around the head and back down his shaft. He’d quit moving, letting her control the experience. She took him into her mouth and slid down his shaft as far as she could and rested there, feeling the thickness of him against her throat. The scent of fresh soap teased her senses. He remained unbelievably still. She wanted a reaction. Sonja lightly moved her tongue back and forth along his heated skin while he was still deep in her mouth. That worked. He jerked, trying to push in farther. She relaxed and let him, holding her breath. It wasn’t much, but he was deeper. In her eagerness, she gave him only a moment to enjoy the sensation. Sonja wanted to be fucked before the vision faded like the others. She was aching with need. Teasing with little flicks of her tongue, she pulled away slowly until he slipped from her lips. She eased herself over his splayed body, admiring the shape of his thighs, the way his chest had just a sprinkling of hair despite the thick beard. When her gaze made it to his face, his eyes were open. He had the slyest little grin on his face. She reached between her spread legs and grabbed his hard cock. His eyes fluttered and then he blinked to focus back on her. She rubbed his smooth head over her folds to slick his shaft… Then her body started floating. “No!” She screamed with her lungs but her body cried out in unison. She wanted him. She needed him. Her surroundings swirled and twisted into a melted array of 40
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confusing colors. The laughter she heard earlier seemed louder as it reverberated off into the abyss.
~~~~~ She was back in the tub. Sweating from the heat and the racking need her body was fighting. Her fingers were buried deep in her folds—and someone was banging on the door. She had presumed the “further instructions” would be a phone call, but what did she know? In old movies, bellhops delivered messages. She tried taking a few deep breaths while attempting to pull tight jeans over wet skin. Her senses were still reeling from the vision. At least she knew it wasn’t a premonition now. No way would Ray ever sleep with her. Not after she’d whacked his head and stolen his stuff. She snickered at the thought. Three more sharp knocks filled in the room. “I’ll be right there.” Her arm got tangled in the shirt as she yanked it over her head. She’d worry about a bra later. Someone rapped again. Hard. “Jeez.” She stopped short of the door. Bellhops delivering messages might not bang like that. Her heart skipped a few beats. Unless he was really busy. But then why not just shove the note under the door? If the kidnapper had shown up, she so wasn’t ready. Now she wished she’d taken that shotgun Ray loved so much. She looked around the room. Not much to use as a weapon. There was a set of three ornate, metal candleholders on the floor by the bed. The smallest was as tall as her waist. She gently set the pretty rose-colored candle on the nightstand and held the huge candlestick like a bat. It was heavy. “Who’s there?” she barked at the door as she tried to sneak up on the peephole afraid of giving herself way. All she saw was the back of someone in a black shirt. Didn’t all bad guys wear black shirts? “Sonja, open this door.” The man turned and Sonja dropped the candlestick. Ray. How the hell? She turned and leaned back against the door. Wait. She spun to take another look. The beard. The hair. All gone. And a black cowboy hat. “Oh my,” she breathed. She had been attracted to him when she couldn’t see his face. Now? Even through the contortions of the peephole she could tell he was dropdead gorgeous. “I mean it,” he growled. “I bet you do.” She huffed. How was she supposed to cope with him now? She was still wet from mounting him in her vision. She had no clue what to do. He wouldn’t go away. She knew it. If they saw him here— “You have a delivery, Ms. Ambercroft.” His voice was sweet as syrup. “You better open the door and tip this young man.” 41
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Nell looked out and, sure enough, there was now a smiling bellhop by Ray’s side with an arrangement of yellow daises in a small vase. She grabbed the doorknob and steeled herself for what was coming. It was a grand opening of the door. She flung it wide and stepped back so the bellman had to come into the room. She wanted him there for a moment so she could get her bearings before being left alone with Ray. The young man made his way past both she and Ray, placing the flowers on the little table under the huge window that overlooked a garden the likes of which Sonja had never seen. He spotted the candlestick lying on the floor and quickly righted it and replaced the candle. “Thank you,” Ray said to the boy. “Saved me a concussion there, I believe.” The bellman gave him a strange look and then stood straight and eager in his navy uniform with sharp, gold trim. Ray gave her an exaggerated well? expression. “It seems I have no wallet at the moment. Maybe you should take this one.” Oh, yeah. Sonja rushed to fish several bills from her pack as Ray looked around the suite, ducking his head into the bedroom. “Thank you,” she said to the boy. “This too.” He handed her a small, cheap-looking cell phone. “It came with the flowers.” Sonja took it with trembling hands. This was it. She looked at Ray. His grim expression softened just a bit. Without the beard covering half his face, somehow his eyes were even more expressive. “Thank you,” Ray said, indicating the open door to the bellhop. She grabbed the card off the flowers as Ray closed the door and tossed his hat on the small sofa. “There’s only one number,” she read aloud. “Call it.” She flipped the phone open. There was indeed just one name on the screen—Q. It was right there when she opened the phone, as if it had been recently dialed. She didn’t want to press that send key. Hesitating, she looked at Ray. “Why are you here?” “You stole my wallet.” He sat in the mauve recliner by the table, his legs stretched impossibly long out in front of him. He crossed his arms. “You need to get the Prime involved.” “I can’t. Did you see this room?” She motioned in a circle with the phone. The opulent room was beautifully decorated with things her budget would never allow. “The bathroom sink is hammered stainless steel.” “I get it, Sonja. But the fact this guy is well funded only proves my point. We are in way over our heads.” He was right. “I have no choice. If I call in help, she’s dead. And you have to leave now. If they’re close… You’re a cop.” 42
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He winced at her statement. “I was a cop. Now I’m a mechanic. Or I was until you stumbled onto my property, broke the law and then robbed me.” He stood to peer around the edge of the closed curtains. “It sounds bad when you say it that way.” The facts were correct. It was the delivery she didn’t like. Why? Because she’d almost slept with him in her mind and it mattered what he thought. Oh Goddess. That was the most ridiculous thing ever. She had feelings for him now? How was that possible? She spun away from him and breathed deeply. “Is this better?” He changed his tone. Sam Elliott had nothing on that voice. “You borrowed from me…” The sexy in his voice made her turn to tell him to shut the hell up, but the words died in her throat. He was all serious eyes and smoldering stance, his hands on his hips, chest puffed out like a bodybuilder in a show pose. He sauntered a step or two closer. “And you snuck your cute little butt up and whomped me in the back of the head.” That just made matters worse. “You can stop that. I know what I did. I’m sorry, okay? My cousin’s life is on the line.” The hitch in her voice made his eyes soften. “Exactly. And you keep trying to handle that all on your own.” He gripped her shoulders. “You cannot do this by yourself.” Sonja pulled away and went to the window to look out. For what, she had no idea. The gardens were beautiful. A couple was strolling hand in hand up a stone path. She wanted to be down there. Be here on vacation instead of here in desperation. “I have to.” The cheap cell phone rang. Ray moved closer so he could hear the conversation as she pushed the button to answer the call. She didn’t shoo him away. He was hoping that was a step toward acknowledging she needed his help. “You were supposed to call.” The voice on the other end was a bit too deep. Like a real bad human actor trying to play a Vampire in a low-budget film. “I…um…was about to. The phone was in my hand.” Sonja swallowed hard. “Are you alone?” Ray nodded for her to answer. “Yeah.” “Ms. Ambercroft, it’s obvious you don’t follow instructions very well. You were to be here by three. You were late. You were to be alone. You have a friend. You were not to play with the merchandise and lose it.” He let a second of silence pass before going on. “I will not hold the use of the talisman against you, however, because it wasn’t specifically forbidden in my letter.”
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Sonja’s jaw was moving as if to say something, to deny or argue, but Ray gave her a flip of the wrist, a signal to let him roll. He mouthed, Trust me. To his surprise, she remained silent. “Moving forward, you now have an issue. The box is singing across time and space, looking for those who have a deep lust for power and no scruples for how they get it. That is now your problem. So it’s a good thing you have mountain man’s help. Things seem to have a way of working themselves out, you know. You two are to get the talisman to New Orleans.” “New Orleans?” She stomped her foot. Ray had to give the girl some credit. She has some chutzpah. “But you said to bring it here!” “I did. And now I say to take it to New Orleans.” He cleared his throat. “Put me on speaker and tell your friend to get a piece of paper.” Ray grabbed a hotel notepad from the nightstand. “Now. Tomorrow night, midnight, you two will show up at the Paradise Private Club. It’s at Canal and Exchange streets in the Quarter. You’ll have to ask a local exactly where it is, as there’s no real sign at street level. Request the presidential room. Have some cash to grease the doorman.” Ray scribbled the directions as Sonja watched nervously. “Not only is the box calling out because of your attempt to find me, but your mind has been left extremely open—to Dreamstalkers and such.” He let out a very taunting laugh and Ray watched as Sonja paled considerably. Ray had heard of the Dreamstalkers. They were rare and very dangerous. They could enter people’s minds, manipulate dreams and even influence decisions. The Council closely monitored all known Dreamstalkers. “Thus the very evocative images I’ve been able to share with you,” the Q person continued. “Not such a torment, as you seemed to have enjoyed every minute of them. I know I have.” If she was susceptible to him, it could be dangerous to her on several levels. Sonja’s sanity was in as much danger as her cousin. “That’s just disgusting.” Her words were crisp and forceful but her face looked as if she were ill. He laughed again. “Ah, well. I can change the content of those images, if you prefer. But I’m enjoying the game we’re playing now. I felt you push for more, you know.” He cleared his throat again. “I shall see you in New Orleans. No more heroics out of you or your dream lover there.” There was a few seconds of silence. “Oh. And I’ve already had Kara moved. The little fox is not very happy. Understood?” Sonja only nodded. Ray didn’t understand much of the last part of the conversation but he didn’t like the look on her face. The line beeped as the kidnapper disconnected the call.
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Chapter Seven “Looks like you’re stuck with me,” Ray said as he plopped back into the big chair. He looked over the notepad in his hand. “Now, fill me in on the rest of it.” Sonja had no idea what to say. Well, let’s see. I’ve been having fantasies about having sex with you since before I ever laid eyes on you. And there’s the issue of a very creepy guy named Q being onsite in my brain, as it happens. She felt a bit faint. Nope. Not going there. “Irrelevant to this situation.” Not a good enough answer, but it was all he was getting for the moment. “We need to make arrangements to get to New Orleans.” “Huh. I think not. He’s got some kind of power over you. You turned white as a ghost there at the end. What game was he talking about?” He crossed his arms and gave her a look with a very sexy raised eyebrow that would have melted her in any other situation. But right now the thought of sex with him was icky. Well, not that having sex with him would be icky, but having sex with him while Q rattled around in her head would make her feel violated. No way was she telling Ray about the visions Q had thrust on her. She wanted to be sick. She wanted Ray to leave so she didn’t have look at him, but she was also doubly thankful to have someone to help her get the box all the way to New Orleans. Exhaustion and a headache were taking over. When was the last time she’d had any sleep? “I’m tired. I’ll go make flight arrangements and then I’m going to bed.” She dug into her bag and retrieved her own cell. It barely had any power left. She fished out her charger. Ray leaned over and picked up the room-service menu. “You’re not paying the bill, are you?” Sonja’s stomach growled. It’d been longer since she’d eaten than since she’s slept. She shook her head. “Sweet.” He flipped through the long menu. “Too bad he didn’t get our plane tickets,” he added. Sonja just grumbled as she looked up a travel agent’s number.
***** Food arrived while she was still on hold. The travel arrangements were almost complete. Last-minute flights were expensive and it was hard to manage two seats on overbooked flights. In the process, she’d discovered from Ray’s ID that he was fiveeleven, weighed one hundred and eighty-five pounds and was only thirteen days older 45
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than Sonja. She studied the picture on the card. The beard was so thick. The same as it had been in her visions. She liked his clean-shaven look, but was missing the beard that she’d grown accustomed to in her fantasies. Oh dear Goddess. She needed to find a way to block this Q weirdo from invading her mind. And fast. She was going nuts. As the room service waiter uncorked a bottle of wine, she slid into a chair across from Ray. “You need to get your own room.” He didn’t answer, instead sending the waiter on his way with a signature to the bill. Ray lifted the covers from the food. The wonderful aroma that rose from her steak and potato elicited another loud growl from her stomach. Without a reply to her comment, he cocked an eyebrow. “Where’s the box, Sonja?” He cut into his steak. “I don’t feel the blood magic at all. It can’t be here.” He popped a big bite into his mouth and chewed with a groan that made her clench her teeth. “Goddess, that’s good.” Sonja cut into her meat. It was perfectly medium rare, just as she liked it. With closed eyes, she savored her own mouthful, the tender texture and rich flavor. He was right. This had to be the best steak ever. She followed the bite with a healthy sip of wine. Okay, it was a gulp, but she needed it. Maybe it all tasted so good because she was starving and beat. “It’s safe,” she answered once the rich red was warming her from her belly outward. “Where could possibly be safe for that thing?” He dug into his broccoli. She shrugged. “The only place I could think of that other creepy things already reeking of blood magic might be is the train station. I was right.” She took another big sip from the glass. “There were all kinds of bottom dwellers hanging around that place. Addicts were everywhere.” Addicts were just that, rogue Vampires who preyed upon human addicts, sharing the drugs circulating in their blood stream. The sticky magic of strung-out rouge Vamps was really close to the vibes the box put off. He nodded as he chewed. “It’s in a locker.” Several more bites and another swig from the glass and Sonja was feeling the effects of the wine and food. She felt lighter. His approval made her feel confident that she’d done something right for a change. Seems since the ransom note showed up, she’d been running in panic mode. It was very unlike her, really. Most the decisions she’d made in the last few days had been unlike her. “I didn’t want it here. I had no idea what I was getting into at the hotel.” He took a drink. “Bargaining power. Good thinking.” He rubbed the back of his head. The compliment meant more to her than it probably should have. “Sorry about hitting you.” She finished off her broccoli in an oversized bite. “I was desperate. Are you okay?”
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“I’ll have a headache for a week, but I’ll manage. I won’t press charges.” He poured more wine, gave her a wink. “And you’re not desperate now?” That was a good question. Ray was interrogating her. Asking questions that would eventually lead up to what he really wanted to know as he tried to figure things out. She’d read enough mysteries to catch that. Who could blame him? “No. It was stupid to try and use it. I know that. That’s what caused all the desperation. If I use my wits, I’ll be okay.” “You plan to see this out, don’t you?” He looked a bit concerned. “I do.” She was tipsy and tired, but the sense that she was going to lose the box or get caught by Nell and Trent was all gone. She could do this, get Kara back. She could. All she had to do was figure out how to keep a Dreamstalker out of her head. A glance at Ray reminded her she need to keep him out of her head as well. Sonja knew how to do both—for one night, anyway. She gulped the rest of her wine and held up the empty glass. “Is that all there is?”
***** Ray pushed his hat down hard over his head. He’d slept a couple hours on the short, lumpy excuse for a sofa, but with her just a few yards away, snuggled in that big ol’ bed, it’d been a tormented nap at best. Tormented by the thoughts of her naked and straddling him and smiling down on him through loose stands of silky chestnut hair. He wondered if that was his own imagination or if Q was involved. Couldn’t trust your thoughts with a Dreamstalker around. Didn’t really matter at this point. His body was on fire. His mind was twisted with guilt. As he lay awake, he’d made the decision that the box had to go to the Council and they needed the Prime to get Kara back. Getting that box through the airport and into the Quarter, the most supernaturally populated city on the continent, would be next to impossible. And he would be very little help, even if he used the magic he had been forbidden to use. An odd spell in the caves here and there is one thing. The Council wouldn’t come down on him for that. But he was banned from using his gifts. Parading about New Orleans slinging spells would get him hauled back in, and he didn’t want to find out what they’d do to him next. The Council members wouldn’t turn their heads over his involvement if the Dreamstalker got his hands on the Chiwa. A creature like that, with the Chiwa to boost his power, was likely able to infiltrate the Council itself. Ray had a sneaking suspicion they would vote to strip him of all his power. He’d seen some of the cretins the Council had stripped. He shivered. This was the right thing to do. For Sonja too, even if she never spoke to him again. That thought stung a bit. He’d wanted her since he’d laid eyes on her. Surprisingly, after she whomped him, he’d wanted her even more. Go figure. Leave it to him to fall for a girl he had to go and piss off in order to save his own sorry ass.
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Ray crept to the bedroom and looked at Sonja in that big bed. She, was on her back, one long leg hanging out from under the covers. He adjusted his jeans and let out a heavy sigh. Time to go.
***** The train station was deserted at this time of night. Or morning. So he was particularly leery when he approached the locker area. It might’ve appeared as if he were alone, but he knew better. His wand was warm in his hand, though he didn’t want to use his power in public. He’d tucked his jeans into the top of his boots so his big buck knife was easily accessible and his gun rested against his back in its holster. This was a deadly game. Lingering blood magic was thick in the air. Humans could walk through it unaffected but he felt it like a cloying mist of slime that stuck to his shirt and skin. Bringing the box here had been genius. The bank of beat-up, army-green lockers was deep in the back of the station, with open doors leading to the restrooms flanking either side. There were only five with locks dangling from them. Two looked as if they’d been there forever, with rusted dials and paint missing on the doors from the padlocks swinging from their loops. One was hanging on an open locker. He only had to choose between two. His senses told him which it was. He felt the offness of it as soon as he approached the locker. Even though the loop holding the lock was as thin as sheet metal, a blasting spell strong enough to break it would cause a lot of noise. So would firing the 9mm. He slid the knife from its sheath and tried to bend the loop until the metal ripped. It bent, but came nowhere near the breaking point. He was going to have to use magic. He placed the knife back in the loop, pressing against the lock bolt as hard as he could with one hand. He held his wand in the other and thought the blast spell with as little energy as possible. He practiced this kind of finesse on the dogs, driving them crazy by using his magic to lift their ears or teasing them with floating treats. The knife bent back, the metal loop bent farther and began to tear. Just a little more oomph. He pushed a tad more with his power. The blade snapped, but so did the loop. The echoing crash as the lock hit the ground made Ray spin and pull his gun. His heart was pounding, his blood pulsing hard and fast. He swung his gaze and his aim from side to side. If there were Vamps around, his adrenaline was going to attract them. Seeing no one, he quickly yanked the locker open. Bingo. The bag she’d used to hold the altar tools was the only thing in the stale-smelling cube. And inside it, the golden box.
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Chapter Eight “Ratfink bastard!” She paced the length of the hotel room for about the twentieth time. The carpet pattern was making her woozy. Crap. Crap. Crap. Getting drunk may have kept the Dreamstalker away, but it had also made it easy for Ray take off without waking her. The note simply said, Sorry. It’s for the best. Sonja knew what that meant. Ray Burgess was currently on his way to the Council or, even worse, Trent and Nell, with the Chiwa. He’d abandoned her in order to stay in the good graces of the high and mighty Council. She fell back on the bed and kicked her feet like a five-year-old having a tantrum. At least she’d been so out of it that Q hadn’t shown back up and given her more sex dreams about the man she currently wanted to kill. Sonja felt her scar through her shirt. It was a habit she’d created to remind herself of what she was. A survivor. She’d been burned so badly as a girl, the doctors told her parents she’d not survive the night. But she did. And the next day. And the next. Twenty years later, she was still breathing. Which was more then she could say for Kara when the Dreamstalker found out about this. She sat up and shoved her hair back. Some creepy mind voyeur and a banished Sorcerer weren’t going to get the best of Sonja Ambercroft. Across the room, several books were stacked on the TV credenza. They were about the same size as the box that held the Chiwa. It gave her an idea. She rushed to her purse, relieved to find Ray had left all her stuff. She’d felt a tinge of guilt over knocking him out and stealing his shit. Little good it’d done her. The guilt was definitely gone because now, he’d taken the one thing she needed most. Sonja had a plane to catch.
***** Flying was very low on the list of Sonja’s favorite things. As a matter of fact, she would have rather walked to New Orleans. But that wasn’t an option. Happy to have an aisle seat, she opened the book she’d bought to occupy her mind for the duration of the flight. She looked at page two and she tried to make the words sink in but the rush of fear as the plane left the ground made her close her eyes. The banking the plane did before reaching altitude made her clutch the seat arm. She took in several deep breaths, willing herself not to think about the thing dropping from the sky in a ball of fire. She forced her attention back on the words on the page. Nope. No use. 49
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Maybe she should think over her plan instead. As much of a “plan” as it was. Very simple. Trick the Dreamstalker into believing she had the box, trade it for Kara and get the hell out. Of course, tricking a man who could enter her mind could get a bit dicey. She definitely felt uneasy about the decision. But she’d made it and she was on her way. She couldn’t change her mind now. There was no other choice but to move forward, go to New Orleans. Go to Q. She read two more paragraphs on the page in front of her. She still had no idea what it said. At least the plane was leveling off. The familiar bongs from the captain letting the crew know it was okay to get up and start their service gave her a second wave of relief. She read the last paragraph one more time. No use. Sonja glanced across the aisle and out the far window. They were above the clouds now, which was fine with her. No more bumps. They had two hours of nice, steady flight. Or so the captain had said. Smooth flying into New Orleans. The clouds looked like cotton candy. A puffy, pale pink and white sea of cotton candy as far as her view through the window would let her see. For a moment she felt herself floating out there among the clouds… She fought the sensation. Sonja knew what it was now. He was coming. She wondered if she could fight Q, wondered how she would manage to protect her secrets. Sonja needed to influence the vision. Keep it in the game Q seemed to enjoy playing. Lighter. She felt lighter than the clouds surrounding her. It was easy to relax and let the vision come. She drew from her Dragon just a little to let her own power become part of the intoxicating mix. She needed some control. Sonja tried not to think of a bedroom this time. Keep it impersonal and unrealistic. The open field would be much better, though either way, she really didn’t want to see Ray at the moment. Not that she needed to worry about seeing Ray Burgess again in real life… She quickly rushed that thought from her mind and pictured him naked to get herself concentrating on the task at hand.
~~~~~ Damn, that’s bright, was the first coherent thought she had. She looked down and saw that her scar was on her stomach. She frowned. She didn’t want Ray to see the scar. She visualized it gone, as it had been before. Too bad she couldn’t do that in real life. She’d love to shift a little. As soon as the thought crossed her mind, the scars melted away. She wondered if that was her doing or Q’s. That would be the ultimate fantasy, to get to shift, to have sex with someone with her Dragon free. She felt her body warming at the thought. As the sun warmed her skin, her beautiful, unscarred skin, she brushed her finger over the
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place on her hip that took the brunt of the stress when she tried to shift. Soft, pliant skin tingled at the touch. Ray was walking toward her, his eyes fixed on her as she lay on a pile of silk pillows. Where had those come from? Who cared? For the first time in her life, she intentionally called her Demon. She knew it would manifest as a teal Dragon, but she had no idea how far she would shift. Halflings could be anywhere on the spectrum. Her sisters barely changed in appearance, their shifts adding only modestly to their body sizes and shapes. She knew a few Halflings whose shifts were almost complete. Her Dragon stretched, roaring with its strength. Sonja braced as bones started to lengthen, muscles tensed and stretched. Ray stopped just beside her. His face was painted with desire, not repulsion, as she let her Dragon free. Her skin thinned and the shadow of the Dragon’s scales slithered just beneath the surface. The silky feel of it added to the warmth of the sun. She looked at her belly, down her legs. She was leaner, maybe a bit taller, her legs looked more toned, each muscle defined but still very feminine. Ray knelt beside her and brushed her hair back behind her ear. “Your eyes are so beautiful. Rich, golden amber.” “Don’t speak.” She meant it. She didn’t want to give anything away. Didn’t want to ruin the moment. “Just touch me.” He nodded. His face was thick with concern. “Will it hurt? While you’re shifted?” “Shhh.” She shook her head and ran her own hand between her legs. Her entire body felt hypersensitive. Her mind was changing too. She was losing rational thought. She knew that might happen. “Fuck me.” She reclined on the pillows and spread her legs, her fingers eagerly massaging her clit. He stood and dropped his pants, stepping out of them and kicking off his boots at the same time. She slid a finger into her wet sex and rubbed in a circle. She was burning up. Her toes curled as she watch him strip his shirt and let if fall to the ground. His shoulders were thick without being huge, his waist narrow and the hair in his chest was just enough to make her want to drag her fingers through it. Her ideal mate. Not that she wanted a mate, but if she did, he’d fit the bill as far as his body was concerned. She watched his face as he watched her fingers. She pulled them out and rubbed back and forth across her clit in a lecherous show. His eyes glazed over slightly and he dropped to his knees between her open, inviting legs. She rotated her hips to entice him even further. A Dragon in heat. He placed one hand on her stomach. Her Dragon responded to the heat and the sensation of his touch. He scooted one of the bigger pillows up to her ass and Sonja lifted her bottom so he could move it under her. The position raised her to almost the perfect position. “Now,” she barked. Her mind was in a complete frenzy. Want. Desire. Need. It was all she knew. It was Ray she wanted, needed at this moment. 51
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He scooted forward on his knees. His hand still warmed her perfectly smooth belly, the head of his cock rested just outside her opening. “Take it.” Her words came out as a stern order. Ray obliged and shoved in without any further urging. She screamed his name as she reached out to grasp the pillows. Strong hands gripped her hips, pulling her to him with every thrust of his hips. He was invading her, taking her, owning her with every move, and she loved it. It was amazing to want so openly, to take. Her Dragon roared in her mind, free and feeling alive and unrestrained. “More.” Ray pulled away. “No!” she cried, angry, until she realized he was turning her over. She scrambled to assist, getting tangled in the pillows. He yanked her, turning her onto her knees. She tilted her hips, grunting, giving him access to her from behind. He rubbed two slick fingers over her clit and gripped her hip in one hand, holding her still. Sonja thought she was going to lose her mind. She bent down, resting on her elbows, clutching a pillow. She was about to come and didn’t want to. She wanted to come with that fabulous cock inside her. She wanted to feel it as she pulsed. “Fuck me,” she said, but the forcefulness died into a plea. He ignored her, rubbing with talented fingers, harder, faster. Even without him inside her, she tightened her muscles, enhancing the flood of pleasure that was enveloping her body as she came. She held tight, not realizing he’d stopped rubbing, not until she felt him slide in, felt his cock pushing through her clenched pussy. She groaned at the magnificence of it. He wasn’t gentle as she finished her orgasm. He rammed into her, his needful growl filling her ears. He was taking back what she’d just asked him to give her. Her Dragon liked it. And so did Sonja. She took it, loving it, loving his nails digging into her hips and the feel of his balls slapping against her skin. His thighs against hers. He slammed in hard and stopped, holding her still. She felt herself smile as his body shook. As his release hit, she howled with him. Free. No constraints of mutilated skin or a self-conscious life. After a moment, he pressed his body to conform to hers, lying over her back. She felt the moisture from his exertion on his chest, heard his ragged breathing. His hands still held her hips. Her own breathing was labored. Her Dragon was pulling back. Ray faded. She felt him become less substantial on her back, felt the grip of his hands tightening in an attempt to hold on. It was fading. The vision. She tried to concentrate, to keep it. Q’s laughter echoed through still air. “Oh, sweet shifter. You like this more than even I had imagined.” Ray was gone. She was left naked and on her knees in the windless field. She could picture the Dreamstalker, sitting back in a large wicker chair. His face was unclear but she could make out black hair that fell over his shoulders and to his chest.
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“You pushed the vision. Maybe playing with the Chiwa gave you a bigger boost then either of us thought. I’ll have to keep that in mind in the future.” She tried to concentrate on his face or make out anything of the surroundings. It all seemed so vague, individual details changing as she tried to focus on them. He took a puff off a cigarette in a long, silver holder. Smoke swirled around his head, further disguising his features. “Careful. You’re trying to stalk a stalker. I’ve been at this a few of your lifetimes. Don’t think you can turn this in your favor. That might just get you and all your little friends killed.”
~~~~~ Sonja jerked awake. The man in the middle seat was staring at her, his hand on his crotch. She was sweating, her own hand lingering between her legs. “Oh, Dear Goddess,” she muttered. She tried to keep her mind clear for a moment, taking stock of her body. Her scars were still there. She hadn’t shifted on the plane. Thank the Fates. Heavens only knows how she would have dealt with that disaster. She had to be more careful. The Council didn’t like magic in public, no matter the nature of the magic. The captain came over the speaker and announced their final approach into New Orleans. Tightening her seatbelt, she contemplated how grateful she was to have managed to keep Q away from her waking thoughts. At least she thought so. He gave no clue if he knew Ray was gone with the box. She wasn’t so happy about using a very realistic vision of wild Dragon sex with Ray to block out Q, but it had worked. On the plus side, she’d gotten to experience something she’d never be able to do in real life. She rubbed her stomach. Her Dragon felt content. Too bad she needed Q to make that happen. No wonder people got addicted to the workings of a Dreamstalker. But if she had managed to boost her power, then maybe she could learn to induce these visions on her own and at least have a way to shift occasionally and let her Dragon stretch. Next thing she needed was to figure out how to trick Q in person, just long enough to get Kara and get away. For that, she needed help.
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Chapter Nine Ray drove north, a river of guilt following him through the mountain pass. His foot was buried in the pedal and still he couldn’t outrun the fear that Sonja would go to New Orleans without the box and without any backup. He knew it. Sonja had proved her determination. As he passed the sign for the rest area exit ramp, he slammed on the brakes and pulled off the highway. He parked away from other travelers. He didn’t want them to sense blood magic or his anxiety. He needed to get away from it for a moment himself. This was the right thing to do. The Chiwa was dangerous. He was honor bound to return it to the Council and get the Prime to go after Q. If he were still a cop, he’d say he was doing it by the book. But he wasn’t a cop anymore—and that was because he’d thrown out the book. He’d acted on instinct instead of by the rules one too many times. He’d pushed the rules of human law and he’d pushed the rules the Council set down to protect the supernatural from humanity. Most of the time it had worked in his favor. Most of the time, using a little magic to snag a suspect hadn’t hurt anyone. Most of the time. He learned that lesson the hard way and at someone else’s expense. No more John Wayne for him. Procedures were in place for a reason. They worked. But Sonja was on her own. He’d left her that way. Ray stomped into the woods surrounding the rest area, away from the car. Then he paced back to the parking lot. He’d done the right thing. A Prime needed to be working on this case, not a Halfling and a washed-up cop. He threw himself back behind the wheel. The sooner he got back home, the sooner he could get the Prime to New Orleans to intercept Q. The sooner he could go on with his life. Maybe the Council would even lift his exile and he could quit living like a hermit in the woods.
***** While ignoring the speed at which the ground approached the plane, Sonja had fruitlessly tried to distract herself with a more detailed plan. If Q was following her, she needed to be less obvious until the exchange. She needed proof of life too. It occurred to Sonja that she’d not been given the opportunity to talk to Kara. Even on the TV shows, people did that. She also needed a few supplies. Stepping into a large shop on Bourbon Street, Sonja noted the tacky T-shirts lining one wall, the skirts and flip-flops on another. She quickly
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grabbed a black tank top from a shelf, some flops and a pair of black shorts before approaching the counter. “You have a pair of scissors? If these fit, I’ll cut the tags and wear them out.” The woman behind the counter smiled, but it was stiff as she gave Sonja the onceover. “Sure, honey. Just make sure you want ’em before you go cutting.” Sonja slid the clothes on in a dressing room. Not her style at all. Then she grabbed the scissors—and her hair. She shuddered as she tied it back in a ponytail and positioned the blades just above the rubber band. She closed her eyes and cut. It was harder to cut through than she’d anticipated. She had to re-cut three times to get through the thick wad of strands. Oh Goddess, she loved her hair but she needed to slip around without Q finding her so easily. When it was done, she had a cute little bob that hung just below her ears and a fist full of bargaining material. She hoped the Voodoo Queen still needed Dragon-Demon hair. Nell had said it was a very strong element for spells. Sonja looked in the mirror. She looked like a tourist. The tank was way too tight but, on the upside, the rhinestones that spelled out Geaux Saints did a great job of accentuating her bust. She’d never worn shorts quite this short before. She was much more of a jeans-and-t-shirt kind of girl. She huffed. Why did the tight clothing make her look younger? No way was she parading around like this back home. She trimmed the edges of her new ’do to even it up and was on her way. It was time to meet the local expertise. The shocked sales clerk, eyebrows raised, told her where to find the Voodoo shop, including instructions to be careful messing with that kind of stuff around these parts. After a short walk, Sonja stood outside the shop. It was just as her sister had described. She looked up and down the street. It seemed quiet for late afternoon. She was only a few blocks from the French Quarter and no one was around. The jazz she’d heard playing just two blocks over was muffled and sporadic. She leaned forward, peeking inside the open door of the shop. For such a bright day, it seemed pretty dark in there. Dark and scary. She stepped inside, the coolness making her feel as if she’d stepped into another world. Weird instrumental music was coming from another room and made a fitting background soundtrack for the shop. A hodgepodge of incense filled the air, so thick she couldn’t distinguish one particular scent. She glanced at a case filled with miniature Voodoo dolls that looked like puffy gingerbread men, fake gator skulls and plastic trinkets for spell work. All tourist junk. No one was behind the counter. Sonja moved farther into the tiny shop. African masks, wooden staffs and shrunken heads hung on the back wall. A rickety bookcase filled with dusty books on Voodoo and black magic leaned against the wall in a corner next to a tattered black curtain.
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That had to be the back room, where the real stuff was kept. Not an herb or mineral in sight out here. The colorful little elemental candles on the counter next to the register were the only things she thought might be used in a real spell. The rest were trinkets for human tourists. She caught sight of a few chicken feet. Maybe a Voodoo spell required those ugly things. What’d she know about Voodoo? “Hello?” “So they’s two of you Dragon girls.” A very thin black woman stepped out of the shadows, pushing the curtain back. “And you’s here right back ta back of one another.” Sonja stood straight. “I know you helped Nell. I need something too.” “You needs more than help, girly-girl, if’n you’s back here looking for that grisgris.” She lit a short cigar and retreated, inviting Sonja to follow by holding the curtain open. Sonja followed into a smaller area with an old wood table and three spindly chairs. Crates and wooden kegs lined the floor around the small perimeter. Shelves full to the edges with dusty jars and mysterious-looking contents and tattered boxes covered two walls. “Actually I lost the necklace. I um…I need to make someone think I still have it.” The old woman cackled. She was missing a couple of teeth from her smile. “You lose such a powerful hex?” She shook her head and smoke danced out her nose. “Not so good, that.” “No shit.” The old woman looked up at her with a surprised scowl. Sonja knew she needed to keep her tongue. She needed this woman. “Sorry. I’m a bit on edge.” The woman gracefully slumped into one of the hard wooden chairs and motioned for Sonja to follow suit. “Tell ol’ Auntie about it.” She took another puff and made three perfect smoke rings. Sonja sat, happy to tell someone who wouldn’t want to take the box for his or her own purpose. Nell had said these women weren’t interested in the evil power that accompanied the Chiwa. This old woman’s niece had even been able to quiet the thing so it hadn’t called to every creature in New Orleans. Sonja momentarily wondered how Ray was dealing with that. She glanced at her watch. Six p.m. By now, he should be getting to Nell and Trent. She was running out of time. “Show me you hand, girly.” Auntie leaned in close. Sonja instinctively made a tight fist over the moth-shaped burn she’d gotten when she’d tried to use the magic to boost her visions. “Ah. You did it too, huh?” She tsked and crushed her cigar out in a short glass. “Had to open it up, didn’tcha?” She wrinkled her nose. “You even used it a little.” She stood and moved around the table to hover over Sonja, leaning in close, sniffing her skin. Auntie snorted. “Death spell.” She pointed at Sonja, her dark eyes making Sonja shiver. “You reek of it too.” She leaned in and looked deep into her eyes, putting her bony hand on Sonja’s shoulder, gripping her tight. The lingering scent of stale smoke wafted from Auntie’s clothes. “Feel anything?” She put a hand on Sonja’s forehead as if
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to check her temperature. “Weirdness in your mind?” She slid her other hand from Sonja’s shoulder to her heart. “Do it hurt?” “No.” Nothing hurt, but Sonja was getting a little frightened of the woman. “Auntie, leave the poor girl alone.” Sonja looked past Auntie to see a much younger woman entering the back room through the curtain. She was beautiful, and wearing a bright yellow top over a flowing floral skirt. “Barri?” Sonja stood, pulling away from the old woman. This was the blind Voodoo Queen Nell had told her about. This was the woman who could help her. “My name is Sonja.” “A sister Dragon to Miss Nell.” She took a step closer, reaching forward. Sonja moved so she could take a seat. “Thank you,” she said as if she could see Sonja’s gesture, and sat. “I feel your angst and the power of the Chiwa in you. And the presence of another. How is it you come to me so out of sorts?” Sonja sat in an empty chair. “I…um. I used the Chiwa to try to help a friend. My cousin, actually. Someone wants to trade it for her. And I don’t have it.” Barri reached out and touched her face, feeling her way around Sonja’s features. Her hand dropped and she placed her palm on Sonja’s side, over the burn scars. Barri sucked in a breath and squeezed her eyes shut. Sonja felt the heat from her hand through the fabric of the tight tank top. She wanted to pull away, to stand and go. Rarely did anyone touch her scars. Not since she was a kid. Not since her mom died. The few lovers she’d had went to great lengths to act as if that part of her anatomy didn’t exist. “You hold the hot guilt of that day in these scars. You have to let that go. To accomplish your goals, you will need to trust yourself.” Turning slightly to move her body away from Barri’s reach, she dislodged the woman’s hand. She didn’t hold anything from that day. Sonja barely remembered getting the burn. Just pain later. And shaky images of doctors and tubes and the blood. It was the recovery that had never left her mind, the weeks and weeks of bandages and surgeries, and her little sister Trina’s sad face. How was a six-year-old girl supposed to control herself? She hadn’t meant to hurt Sonja. Trina carried as many scars from that day as Sonja. Maybe even more. Her past was not what she needed to attend to at the moment. Kara was still in danger. “I need something that can fool a Dreamstalker into believing I have the box. Can you do that?” Auntie cackled. “You intend’n what, girly?” She made her way toward the front of the store. “Barri, these Dragons bring you nothin’ but bad mojo.” She turned and mumbled something in a language Sonja didn’t understand. She pulled one of the glass jars from a shelf and sprinkled some of its contents across the threshold. “She ain’t got no hair to trade, neither. Least ways not long like the golden-haired Dragon had.”
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Sonja reached into the shopping bag and pulled out the banded bunch of hair she’d cut off in the shop. She let it drop onto the wooden table. “Holy Jesus, Mother Mary!” Auntie scurried over and grabbed the bunch from the table. She stretched a few stands out and ran her tongue over them. “That’ll make for a whole mess of works there. Never you mind, Barri. We can work wid dat.” Barrie snuffed the air. “May I touch you again, Sonja Ambercroft?” “No.” It came out gruff, but she’d had enough of the Psychic Friends show. “How do you know my name?” Sonja was really feeling uncomfortable. Maybe coming here had been a bad idea. “I knew your sister’s last name from before. I felt yours earlier.” She fished a tissue from her pocket and blew her nose with so little sound Sonja wondered what the point had been. “Silly girly. My niece is a Mambi Priestess. Her powers are more. She will takes up your power too as she sit wid you.” Auntie took a slow swig from a bottle containing some sort of thick, dark fluid. “You mess wid a Dreamstalker, you need to smarten up and show some respect. That golden Dragon, she had respect.” She meant Nell, of course. Whereas Sonja’s Dragon was a teal Water Dragon, Nell’s other was a golden Air Dragon. And Trina’s…well, it was the red Fire Dragon. The old woman was right. “I’m sorry. I’m running out of time. They have my cousin. A cop stole the Chiwa from me and is taking it back to the Prime. You helped the Prime too. Trent?” Barrie nodded. “Your sister’s Werewolf.” “Yes. I stole the box from them and tried to use it to boost my visions so I could find Kara. I lost it to Gremlins then lost it to someone who’s trying to turn it back in to the Prime.” “Reward on it?” The old woman slid back into her seat. “No. He’s doing what he thinks is the right thing.” She shook her head as she heard herself justifying Ray’s actions. “It doesn’t matter. It’s gone. And I’m supposed to be at a club with it at midnight to make an exchange.” “How have you kept that secret from the Dreamstalker? That you’ve lost the talisman? Is he not in your head?” Barri tilted her own and her blank eyes searched the space Sonja occupied. Sonja felt a rush of heat to her face. “He’s been preoccupied, playing games in my head. I’ve been able to keep his attention there and away from the facts of the matter. So far. That’s another reason I can’t wait for the Prime and the Council to come to my rescue. If I don’t show up, or if I show up empty-handed, he’ll get spooked and Kara will be dead.” Barri agreed with a head bob. Auntie whistled. “Oh, girly-girl. You is in a whole heap of mess. But making somethin’ like that box is kind of hard on such short time.”
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Barri stood and glided toward the front. “Yes, the box would be difficult to replicate, but the gris-gris…” She turned back just before reaching the curtain, as if she saw the thing hanging there. “I think I could replicate the Chiwa itself. Maybe not for close inspection, but to give you a few minutes to get your cousin.” “That could work. I could tell him that Ray stole the box. It is gold. Tempting to most.” Maybe she wasn’t totally screwed after all. Maybe this just might work. A sense of relief flooded her. She didn’t realize she’d been so uptight until she felt her shoulders relax and fall a good two inches. “And don’t forgets that big piece of glass on that thing.” Auntie took another swig from the bottle. Sonja almost found the curiosity about its contents too much to bear. She glanced around the room. Her gaze landed on a jar containing something that looked suspiciously like a tongue, and Sonja decided she did not want to know what that old woman was drinking. “The diamond. Yeah. That would be worth stealing and dumping me in a hotel while my cousin’s life is on the line.” What if that was why he’d taken it? He talked all high and mighty about the Council and doing the right thing, but maybe the thought of how much it might be worth changed his mind. The lure of that kind of money would be hard to resist. He lived in that tiny cabin, had been tossed off the human police force. God knows what kind of trouble he was in with the Council. Ray could sell the box alone and get enough cash to go wherever he wanted. The idea that he’d screwed her for money didn’t sit well. She felt sure that wasn’t it though. He’d been too good to her. Well, other than the whole taking-the-box thing. Sonja wished it were all different. He was cute, he was strong, was really good with this tongue. In her fantasies, anyway. But that had been implanted by the Dreamstalker. She shook off the entire train of thought. Ray was gone. He’d left her in a bad spot. The crazy attraction she felt for him was either hallucination or insanity. So like her. “You are drawn to him as well,” Barri announced. But before Sonja could reply, she asked, “May I touch you again? I promise not to encroach on the scars. I want to feel what you have of the Dreamstalker in you.” “I don’t think there’s much there. He’s just been sending me visions.” She stood and yanked the tight tank down over her shorts. “Where do we start?” “He’s used you and your cousin because a Dreamstalker would not be able to handle the Chiwa directly. Not without grave effects. Energy from the earth and everything they come into contact with pours through Dreamstalkers. They have little control over it. Bottom feeders of the supernatural. They get their power and their kicks from sponging off others. The downside to that is they cannot filter.” She stood just in front of Sonja, face-to-face. It felt as if Barri’s clouded eyes were looking right through her. Again Sonja wanted to take a step back, out of that prying energy, but the table at the back of her legs preventing her moving.
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“I may have changed his plans. When I used the Chiwa, I broke the spell you put on it to quiet the call, the feel of the blood magic. Maybe that’s why he had me carry it all the way here.” “Be prepared for him to try to use ya up and leave ya with grits for brains.” Auntie’s warning sent a shiver up Sonja’s spine. “You be needin’ that Dragon of yours to fight with ya on dis one.” Too bad Sonja couldn’t count on that.
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Chapter Ten The gray door looked too narrow and too tall and had been harder to find than she’d anticipated. She was almost late. Again. The only indication that there was a club behind that door was a miniature license plate nailed above it that read Paradise. Sonja walked past it twice because it was wedged between two antique shops that were closed for the day. No numbers, nothing to indicate what she was afraid she’d find behind the plain-looking exterior. Paradise, my ass. She ran through the plan in her head, what little there was of it. She felt the icky residue of the mimicked blood magic on her skin. It was pretty convincing. She tugged at the legs of the shorts, attempting to cover more of her rear, and wished she’d chosen a different look for her disguise. She glanced at the red burn scar in her palm. Maybe those were Black Witch moths instead of butterflies fluttering around in her stomach. Either way, she was nervous and she wished Ray had stuck with her. He would be handy to have along in this situation. She turned the knob and the door popped open a few inches. She opened it farther to find only a small foyer and an empty stairwell with peeling white paint and a yellow bug light hanging from a bare fixture. At the top of the stairs she could see another gray door. To her right was a bank of five mailboxes mounted on the wall. Two were missing their doors. One was closed. She tried the latch and it opened. Sonja rifled through her shopping bag and pulled out the bundle of firecrackers Auntie had packed, along with a couple of smoke bombs and a stink bomb. Tucked in a pocket of her shorts, she also had a switchblade that Auntie had given her. By Goddess, that woman was a devious old thing. After the crackers and bombs were in place with their twined fuses hanging outside the mailbox, Sonja closed the little door. She grabbed the phone Q had sent her and headed up the stairs. The wood creaked with each steep step. It sounded like the entire building would know she was coming. She did her best to keep her hand from shaking when she reached the small landing at the top. A lot was riding on her ability to keep her mind and her visions under control. Something she’d sucked at most of her life. The boost from the Chiwa had made her visions more vivid but they’d also allowed Q more access into her psyche. She wondered if what he’d said was true. That she was open to everyone. Barri had easily sensed her emotions. But then again, she was angry and scared and ragged with worry. All very easily detectable emotions. Sonja would need to center herself, the way her mother had taught her back when she’d undergone burn therapy. 61
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Daily, the nurses would come to give her a shot of morphine. After it took effect, Sonja would scrub the drying burn scabs off her stomach with a rough sponge. The idea was to let the skin heal from the inside out, but to a ten-year-old it was nothing short of torture. The morphine didn’t cut it. The pain persisted. To combat the agony, Mother had Sonja clear her mind and use her weak psychic powers to direct the pain away. That was the most useful her Demon gift had ever been. Not since that time had she used it for more than keeping connected with her sisters. She was particularly close to Nell. That was, until Sonja had stolen the Chiwa and taken off. She’d been intentionally trying not to sense Nell or Trina ever since she’d used the talisman. They would feel the skank of it on her. No more delays. Sonja gripped the handle and pushed open the door at the top of the stairs. A rather surprised-looking woman stood behind a little table in yet another foyer, this one much larger. She smiled after a moment but her brows stayed high on her forehead. Sonja realized the surprised look was painted on, the woman’s makeup intentionally exaggerated. It matched her outfit. A black-and-purple-striped skirt with loads of tulle puffed out around meaty thighs. Chunky black boots were laced up her calves and managed to ruin the look of a delicate, finely embroidered corset. Hairy cleavage peeked over the top. “You are?” the big woman asked with a slightly falsetto voice. Sonja dug a twenty out of her pocket. “Looking for the presidential room.” “With Mr. Jackson as your guide, you’ll likely not even find Clinton’s intern closet, sweets.” How was she supposed to know how much to bribe a door person at a private club? “Can you help me here?” “Well, I would suggest you head to Trashy Diva over on St. Charles and get you something a bit more subtle.” She raised those brows to impossible heights. “This coming from a color-blind cross-dresser?” Sonja bit her tongue in an attempt to shut her mouth before the she-man bouncer kicked her out of the place. “I don’t need fashion advice. I need the presidential room.” She handed her a couple more bills. “Will a pair of Jacksons and a couple Lincolns get me there?” The corset-clad human leaned back and placed a bejeweled hand on his chest as his face reddened. “No need to get snippy.” He snatched the money from Sonja’s outstretched hand. “Go through those green doors.” The cross-dresser used his thumb to point backward. Farther back in the foyer was a set of swinging green doors just like those in an old-fashioned saloon. “Last door on the left is the Dead Presidents’ Playroom. Have a lovely play date.” Sonja just nodded. Play date? She glanced at the phone. 12:01. She pushed through the double doors and made her way down the hall, trying to ignore the sounds from the various rooms she passed. Little more than see-through shimmering fabric or strings of beads covered the doors. It was obvious this was a 62
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pleasure club but hearing the moans and the distinct sound of leather hitting skin unnerved her. She couldn’t help but see a couple who were using the doorframe as part of their play. The woman was tied up, blindfolded and being licked by a very chubby man in a business suit. Sonja thought she saw another man sitting not far inside the room watching them. She was vaguely curious as to what else happened in a place like this. Her sister Nell had explored the world and had a toy collection to commemorate every adventure. Sonja had been a homebody, preferring to stay at home with her father after her mother passed. Her small mountain town wasn’t exactly a Mecca for adventurous souls. But right now, her mind was on one thing and one thing only—getting Kara out of danger. As promised, the Dead Presidents’ Playroom was the last room on the left, and she listened carefully as she neared. Soft, rhythmic music drifted from behind the golden drapes separating the room from the hall. Sonja tried to peek through but the fabric was thick enough to obscure her view. The phone rang, startling her, and she dropped it onto the hard wood floor. She snatched it up, only to find she’d broken the screen. She anxiously punched the green send button to answer the incoming call from Q. “I want to talk to Kara,” she ordered before he had a chance to speak. His laughter infuriated her. “Overbearing children are so unpleasant, Sonja. Perhaps you should ask? You know the old saying…” Sonja huffed and leaned against the wall next to the doorway. “I don’t even know whether or not you’ve killed her already. You know, proof of life?” “You have a point. But unfortunately I’m not in the same location as your little shifter at the moment. You will have to trust me.” “Ha!” Sonja choked out. ”Not likely.” “As late as you’ve been, as careless as you’ve been, I should have. It’s only my sense of decency that’s allowed her to live despite your tardiness. Now where is your lover?” She paced back toward the she-man. It was show time. She needed to be convincing from the get-go to make him believe she still had the Chiwa. “Well. Let’s just say you’re not such a great judge of character. He took off with the box.” “I’m very sorry to hear that, Sonja.” He bit the words out as if he were trying hard not to lose his temper. There was no hint of game playing left in that tone. “I…I have the Chiwa.” She turned back toward the room. She tried not to sound as panicked as she was feeling. “He took the puzzle box, it’s broken and the diamond must have been too much of a temptation. But he left the talisman. I guess he was more interested in money than power.” She hesitated for an instant. “Which is it you want?” The silence that hung on that line was chilling. “I want it all, Halfling.” He coughed and then cleared his throat. “Now. Since you’re speaking so loudly I presume you’re not in the room yet. Enter. Not to worry, the gentleman waiting there is not an associate
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of mine. He has a simple task to complete and he will report to me when he is finished. You are to follow his instructions.” “And they are?” Sonja didn’t like the sound of any of this. “Do as he says and don’t speak to him at all. You and I have one last game to play. Then I will lead you to your cousin.” She fell against the wall. Leaning her head back, she looked at the fancy molding around the hallway ceiling. “No more games, Q. I have the Chiwa. You have Kara. I say let’s just make a trade and be done with it.” The echoing laugh she recognized from her visions was loud over the phone. Sonja pulled it away from her ear yet still heard him say, “You’re sadly under the impression that you have input into the rules of this game. You have none. Don’t forget it.” And the call dropped. Sonja let out a deep sigh and snapped the phone closed. She would have to find a way to gain input, to change the rules. But right this minute, she needed to face the man in the room. She checked her pocket for the switchblade. Still there. She could do this. She had to do this. Again she wished Ray were with her. Goddess only knew what Q had in his mind. She yanked herself from the wall and stormed into the room. A very tanned, older man in crisp white pants and shirt stood from his seated position at a small table by the window. In the center of the room was a large round mattress on the floor, covered in silk bedding and littered with pillows. The window was covered with a heavy curtain that blocked out almost all light. Candles and a small lamp provided a very mellow glow. In front of her was a large mirror in a heavily gilded frame. The music didn’t seem much louder in here than it had in the hall. The man bowed and gathered a small tray from the table. He took the bag from her shoulder. Sonja fought the urge to resist. She’d been told to follow his instructions. He set the bag close but not on the mattress, wordlessly indicated for her to sit. She sat on the edge of the mattress, facing the exit. He smiled sweetly. He was as human as they came. He couldn’t feel the box, couldn’t read her thoughts and he probably worked here, prepping girls for huge orgies. That’s probably why he thought she was there. Great. She wanted to tell him otherwise but she sure wasn’t breaking Q’s rules. Not yet. “Remove your shoes, miss.” His voice was soothing and Sonja was glad all he’d said was “shoes”. She slipped the flip-flops off her feet as he handed her a small teacup from the tray. “Drink. It’s my finest herbal tea. Most relaxing.” Goddess. Who knew what kind of potion it was? He pushed it toward her again with a knowing look and a nod. “Drink.” The first taste revealed nothing but hot tea. She sensed nothing nefarious but magic had to be somewhat strong for her to sense it anyway. Again, Ray and his powerful Sorcerer’s senses would have sniffed out any problems. She tucked her hair behind her ear and drank the rest of the tiny cup. Not that it mattered what Ray could have sensed. This was Q’s game, Q’s rules. The man said drink. She drank. 64
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“Good. Slide to the middle of the circle. Make yourself comfortable.” He turned and gathered the teapot and spoon from the table. Sonja concentrated on scooting back onto the center of the bed without her shorts riding up her crack. Man, the thing was big enough for way more than two people. Her stomach fluttered in momentary fear of what might be coming. She didn’t want to be some virginal sacrifice on this silken, pillow-covered altar. Unless Ray Burgess is the one to partake of the sacrifice. Where had that come from? Hot on its heels, the thought of Ray without his clothes on, between her legs again. The music seemed louder, the rhythm pulsing. A heavy scent of lavender suddenly filled the air. She gazed around the room again. The man in white was nowhere to be seen. Her eyes felt heavy. Sleepy. “Tea, huh?” She imagined it was more like mushroom tea than Earl Grey. Sonja bit her lip, hoping she’d be able to keep her secrets through a drug-induced ride with Q. Quinton sat in the small lounge and watched as the attendant rummaged through Sonja’s bag. He removed something small wrapped it fabric before replacing the bag and turning to leave the room. His prize. At last… He didn’t like that she’d cut her hair. Most likely a futile attempt to hide from him. She went down faster than he’d hoped and he was vaguely worried the sedative had been too strong. He wanted her sleeping, not unconscious. He wanted to play with the little Halfling one last time. She was interesting and very sensual, but now that he had possession of the Chiwa, he’d let it go if her mind was unreachable. He wished he could handle the merchandise himself but he felt it through the walls, through the two-way mirror he watched her through. He’d called the Palero the second Sonja had entered the building. In little more than an hour, the talisman would be delivered to the priest and the bothersome cousin would be released into the wild. The buyer was anxious. Hell, he was anxious. He’d been working on this job a long time. The thought of the influence he was about to buy himself gave him a huge thrill. Sonja Ambercroft sighed and stretched out on the bed on the other side of the glass, asleep. Good. His path to her brain was well established. She was so bright. Her intelligence was only shadowed by her naiveté. Her passion ran deep but Quentin couldn’t withstand an actual connection. Sex was out of the question with anyone but a cold, dead Vamp. As soon as he entered someone, he felt everything. Even with a nameless, faceless prostitute, he absorbed all her thoughts. It was too much. Disgusting. He felt filthy afterward, as if he’d been forced to endure a lifetime worth of unwanted experiences. So he visited. And often he found a creature like Sonja. A being who was vivid with psychic powers and overflowing with her own unfulfilled desires. He could normally prey on someone for months, but Sonja’s intelligence necessitated a hastier withdrawal 65
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than usual. And she was getting smarter with each visit. Without the sedative, she might have been able to expel him from her mind completely this time. He relaxed, loosened his zipper and walked into her mind. She would be able to see him in her vision, feel him if he chose. And would get only the mental images and emotions he wanted. She was lounging on the bed in her mind as well. Perfect, relaxed and open to his suggestion. He pushed her into a state of warmth and comfort. He closed his eyes briefly and pictured her aroused and writhing on the silk, knowing she would now do the same in both the physical and dream worlds. She moaned slightly and resituated on the bed, spreading her long, lean legs. He felt her want for the woodsman. Interesting, since the man had stolen the box and left her on her own. He wondered what she saw in him, and he did so in a manner that made her consider the question as well as she rubbed herself through those very tight shorts. Man, did she respond quickly to suggestion. Even better seeing her in person too. On his side of the two-way glass, Quentin’s physical self slid a hand into his pants and tried to mimic her pace. Her body was on fire. He felt each change in the pace of her fingers. When she was hitting her own favorite spot, he felt her sensations, the tensing of her back muscles, the tightness of the muscles in her thighs to increase her own pleasure and her reaction to all of it. Added to the arousal in his own body, it was almost too much for him, being this close. An unwanted rush of the unmistakable feel of blood magic interrupted her magnificent masturbation. Quentin wondered if the attendant had had a problem and was returning the Chiwa to the room or, worse, to him. But when the curtain was pushed aside, it wasn’t the attendant. It was the woodsman. Holding a backpack. The wonderful foulness of the reeking magic tweaked Quentin’s senses in a different way than the raw sexual energy of Sonja Ambercroft. Fuck a Gremlin. The woodsman had taken the Chiwa after all. What was he doing here now then? Maybe Quentin needed to get rid of the lot of them. He’d been up for letting the two women go. The shifter cousin had never seen him and neither had the Halfling— but Sonja had almost trapped him. Well, they’d see who got the last laugh. This was going to be fun. He followed his connection back to her head. She was primed and open. All he needed to do was shift her fantasy a bit. He could play with the both of them. He introduced the woodsman into her head…
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Music and voices danced in Sonja’s mind. She was aware she was in a vision of Q’s making and she was cognizant enough to go with his flow. She’d rehearsed it with Barri. Let it flow. It’s only a vision. Let it flow. Enjoy the freedom of the fantasy. She thought she heard Q’s laugh. “Are you in here with me?” she asked aloud. More laughter echoed. Let’s play with your friend again. His voice was heavy with innuendo. You two looked so good together. Open your eyes. See him there. Use him, Halfling. Use him. The dreamlike feel of the vision faded slightly. She was so needful, aching, and she knew it was for Ray. She couldn’t explain it if she had to, but she wanted that man. She’d never get him in real life, but she still wanted. She opened her eyes in the vision and there he stood. He might not be real, but she could have him now. “Sonja. I’m sorry. I nee—” “Shhh.” She didn’t want to fantasize about apologies or arguments with the man. She wanted to fuck him. He knelt on the huge round bed beside her and pillows fell off to the side. She twisted, moving her body so she was on her side too, so close, her belly against his denim-clad thighs. She slid a hand under his untucked shirt. The heat from his stomach was like a favorite quilt on a cool winter’s night. “No explanations. No excuses.” He grabbed her hand and held it in place on his chest. “Are you okay? Don’t we have to find Q?” “I have it all under control.” She felt giddy, stoned. What a perfect vision. She knew its origins and didn’t care. She wanted to forget Q was part of it and make it her perfect fantasy, to have her scars and feel no shame. “Take off your clothes.” She wiggled her hand free and grabbed his cock. It was hard and trapped in those jeans. “Sonja.” “You want me too.” He’d never been like this in the visions before. Hardly spoke and pretty much did what she wanted. Why the reluctance now? “Shut up and fuck me.” She liked using the bold words. It felt good to be so open. She rubbed him through the denim. His fell to his back, his body relaxed. There would be no more resistance. She felt ravenous and very over-clothed. He was too. She turned her attention to the button on his jeans. It opened to expose a wonderful sexy trail of hair that indicated she should move south. Inching the zipper down, she traced that line until his pants were undone. He pushed on the waistband and shoved the offending pants down his thighs. Sonja looked over her prize for only a moment before tracing those thick veins with her tongue as she’d done in the last vision. She wrapped her fingers tightly around the base of that beautiful cock and looked up at him. His jaw was so tight, his eyes filled with something wild. She had to blink past a wave of fuzzy from the drugged tea. Ignoring the effects as much as possible, she turned her attention back to the task in her had. She would concentrate on that cock.
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Ray shuddered as her lips covered the soft skin of his head. His hips pushed forward as she sucked him into her wet mouth. She pulled back slowly, feeling his body tighten. The fingers of one hand held his shaft firm as she sucked him in again, working her tongue along the slick, hot skin. She was enjoying being able to give this to him. She wanted to do this in real life. Her lips clamped tight around his straining cock and he groaned, jerked. “Stop!” He pulled back. “I’ll go too soon. Stop. Dear Goddess.” He pushed her shoulders. Sonja gave him a grin as she fell onto her back on the bed. He stood and undressed completely, carefully tucking his gun off to the side. Watching her watch him. Each yummy inch of revealed skin made Sonja glad she’d drunk the tea. When he crawled back onto the silk bedding, he was naked, and his gaze was so heated she thought it might cause a few more burn scars. She sat up and pulled her tacky tank top over her head. His gaze danced over her torso with no hesitation at her stomach. In her vision, he loved all of her. She unhooked her bra and let it fall forward into her lap. He had stilled, watching her while on his hands and knees. Sonja tossed the bra to the floor. She unzipped her shorts and lay back to wiggle them down. They were tight and she had trouble. She wanted to laugh until she felt his hands on her, yanking the tight fabric down her legs. She kicked then did giggle as he guided the shorts off her feet. Boldly she spread her legs, opening herself to his view and his attention. He didn’t hesitate or tease. He nestled between her legs, used two fingers to open her even farther and plunged his tongue inside her. She bucked her hips and moaned. He was as relentless as she’d been with his cock. His tongue flicked and licked and tormented her clit and then slowed to lavish her pussy with long, wet passes. Her entire body was tingling and alive. Even the dead skin of her burn was heated. Her Dragon was stretching, wanting to shift. It was sheer willpower that prevented her from coming, but she was losing control. She dug her fingers into the silky sheets, clinging to the bed and to the vision. She’d gotten this close before and they’d always faded. “Don’t leave me again, Ray. Please!”
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Chapter Eleven Ray looked up her body. “I’m not going anywhere.” Her skin was so warm, her face flushed and her sex was dripping wet and ready. But he’d not had a chance to touch the rest of her. He gave her one last long, flat-tongued lick from the bottom to the top of her gorgeous pussy and he thought her entire body was going to come up off the bed when she arched. Ray’s balls were throbbing as he kissed his way over her hip and across the scars that looked like intricate lace wrapped around one side of her body. He’d ask about them later, but he had more important things to attend to now. He wanted a taste of her breast. He twirled his tongue around one rosy nipple and then moved to the other side, stopping for a moment to inhale the smell of incense and oils on her skin. Something else he would need to ask about. He reached her face and kissed her lightly on the lips. He brushed her hair from her cheek. She’d cut it off. He liked that it gave him access to that soft spot at the base of her neck, just next to her collarbone. He kissed her there once again. She moaned. Her hips ground her treasure against his leg. He reached for his jeans and grabbed his wallet, then the condom inside. She looked at him strangely as he rolled it on. Ray hesitated an instant at the uncertainty in her eyes. “Do you want this, Sonja? “ “Yes, Ray.” She pulled his hips until he was settled at her entrance and then she rubbed the head of his cock over her swollen clit. Her hands felt like heaven there. He needed no other encouragement. She put him back into position at her opening. Wet, hot paradise. “Yes,” she breathed again. Ray pushed all the way in and stopped, feeling her body wrapped so tightly around his. She tightened her muscles, clenching him rhythmically. When he couldn’t stand any more, he pulled out slightly, saw a hint of the Dragon swirling in her eyes and under her skin. She was breathing deeply, her nails digging into his lower back. She was the most beautiful creature he’d ever seen. And he’d almost walked away from her. He pushed in and kissed her, trying to show her how much he regretted that mistake. He devoured her mouth and she gave back. His body was at the breaking point. He growled and thrust with a greed that surprised him. The magic from her Demon mingled with his and he was lost. It was a blissful gush of pleasure that was threatening to push him over the edge. But she hadn’t come yet. “Sonja. I’m…” She placed her palms on his pecs and pushed against his thrusts with her own predatory need. Her legs wrapped around his hips and she pulled him in hard—then he felt her muscles clenching in orgasm.
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Thank the Goddess. Ray closed his eyes as his own peak took him to the moon. He buried his cock in her sex and his face in her neck. Ray lay atop her for several minutes, just breathing, feeling her body twitch and convulse. When he thought he had the strength, he rose up on his elbows. Her eyes were closed as he leaned down and gently kissed her forehead. She shuddered under him and reached up to touch his chest with a slightly trembling hand. Then he felt a rush of uncertainty as her expression contorted from peaceful to panic. Q’s cynical laughter pulled Sonja back to reality. Her body didn’t feel as if it were floating away from the vision. The break was abrupt and she felt as if she’d been slammed into a wall. Q’s anger pounded into her mind. Did you think you could toy with me, Halfling? The vision—the wonderful, hot, oh-my-Goddess vision of sex with Ray—was gone. She felt more than a little dizzy from the tea and she kept her eyes tightly closed as she felt reality between her legs, felt a sweaty belly on hers… Q had influenced her so effectively she hadn’t comprehended she was actually having sex! Oh Goddess! Of course, the drugged tea had probably helped. Her pounding heart was no longer a reflection of her waning orgasm. She opened her eyes enough to peek. Ray. How he’d gotten there, she had no clue, but she was immensely relieved that it was Ray and not the she-man from the front door. “Thank the Goddess, it’s you!” “Wow.” He rolled off her. “Just what a guy wants to hear.” Then it hit her, exactly what she’d said. And seeing both of them naked once more drove home exactly what she’d done. She gathered a large pillow and covered her body, though she wasn’t really sure why. She’d wanted him. She was glad to see him. She’d just fucked him. Oh, how she wished she had been aware it was real. Sonja shook her head. The feel of the slimy Chiwa blood magic drifted into her consciousness. Q knew all about her lies now. “What are you doing here?” He sat up with a livid look on his handsome face. “Were you expecting someone else? I hate to have intruded on someone else’s party here.” He rolled off the bed and grabbed his jeans. She needed a moment to gather herself. Too much to deal with at once. Ray was trying to find a place to dispose of the condom and she sent up a silent thank you to the 70
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Goddess that he’d thought to wear one. She pointed to the right. “I saw a bathroom on the way in.” With that, he grunted and headed for the door. She yanked on her shorts and tank. Poor Ray had no clue what was going on. She’d never told him that Q had repeatedly made Ray the star of her visions. She had gotten so accustomed to being intimate with him that it didn’t feel as if she’d done anything new in this bed. It was their first time. She should feel weird. But Sonja was having a hard time freaking over having sex with Ray in light of the more pressing issue—the fact that Q now knew she’d tried to slip him a fake Chiwa. But from Ray’s perspective, this was their first intimacy. And he’d remembered the instructions Q gave them in Asheville and had come all the way back here to help her. Unfortunately, showing up with the real Chiwa had certainly complicated things. Sonja scanned the floor and rummaged through her bag. The fake one was gone. She shook her head. Craziness. Q must be close. Maybe close enough to see them. She got a shiver up her spine thinking of such a creepy voyeur being in her head while she thought she was with Ray, and also watching them when she really was with Ray. The Dreamstalker had pushed her fantasy so expertly she couldn’t tell the difference between Ray in the vision and Ray in real life. She scanned the room and her eyes rested on the mirror. Ray marched back into the room and scooped up his shirt. She noticed a nasty bruise on his forehead for the first time. “You okay?” “No. You just fucked me but you weren’t with me, were you?” He ran his hand through his hair then yanked his shirt over his broad shoulders. She thought she saw real hurt in his eyes. “Actually, it was you. But kind of like a dream you.” He didn’t look convinced or comforted as he pulled on his boots. “I know I have a lot to explain but this isn’t the time.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “Since you had the real Chiwa, I tried to trick Q. But as soon as you showed up with that,” she pointed at this pack, “he knew it. He was here. Maybe even that close.” She subtly nodded to the mirror before searching for her phone on the pillow-laden bed. She opened it and tried to redial Q’s number. “You tried to trick him?” Ray hissed. “Are you out of your mind?” She spun on him, trying to keep her volume in check. “Really? Really? Because you left with my only bargaining chip. What the hell else was I supposed to do?” He pulled her out of the room and started down the hallway. “Ray. I’m…uh…sorry about all this.” She waived her hand between them. “I mean the seduction stuff.” She knew she was blushing, despite how urgent matters were becoming. “I’d like to talk this out when we have time.” Ray sighed. “Let’s just move.” He looked back and held out a hand. Maybe he wasn’t that mad. He’d left her in Asheville, and she had lied to him, stolen from him and hit him over the head. And still, here he was. What a pair they made.
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“Q won’t be on us himself,” she said as they neared the foyer. “He can’t get too close to the Chiwa. It’s too much psychic energy for a Dreamstalker to manage. I’m sure that’s why he had me bring it all the way here. Makes him sick being even this close.” “Looks like you have some of his secrets too. Come on. He may not be a direct threat, but he’ll likely have more Vamps on us in a hurry.” “More?” “That’s where I got this.” He indicated his bruised head. “Rogue Vamps are attracted to this thing like pigs to mud.” Fear was creeping up on her. She’d had sex with Ray while Q was in her head. If that wasn’t squicky enough, Goddess knows what else could have opened the curtain and watched them from the hallway. Now she had to face Vamps? Her steps faltered and she took a deep breath. Ray looked back at her. “Coming?” She’d almost stopped moving without realizing it. Ray pulled her down the hall. She’d needed that nudge. Once she was moving again, she was fine, but the hall seemed narrower this trip through. It stank of stale sex and blood magic. Not exactly the sensual imagery she remembered from the way in. Was it possible Q had been in her head, influencing her from the time she’d entered the building? It was easier to keep her eyes focused on Ray’s back as he led them along, close to one wall. When he reached the green saloon doors, he hesitated long enough to evaluate the area. He pulled his gun and held it up at the ready. He looked at her, checking her resolve, and nodded then tilted his head to the opening. Did that mean it was clear for her to go? She shrugged. Ray gave her an eye roll and leaned in close to whisper in her ear. “It’s clear.” His voice was so sexy it made her want to touch his face. She felt his magic gathering with his adrenaline. She frowned at herself for her inability to fight the distraction he and his spicy magic caused. Sonja pushed through the doors with her head held high and strutted toward the stairs. The strange bouncer shot her one of those knowing, raised-eyebrow looks Sonja’s sister would have given her after a date. “Have a good one?” It was a question, not a good night wish. Sonja felt the blush fill her face but kept walking. Ray stayed right behind Sonja and pressed a hand to her back, urging her forward. When the hairy-chested bouncer saw Ray, he smirked at Sonja. “Oh baby. I see you did have a good one. And you’re taking that handsome man home too? You should share the wealth, honey.” A shout and the sound of crashing glass behind them made Ray spin and point his gun. The bouncer backed against the wall with his hands raised, making his masculine nipples peek out above the top of the corset. “Never mind! I got enough issues without 72
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that kind of man.” He waived his hand toward the stairs. “All weapons should exit the building immediately. I’ll have to call the authorities.” “Vamps,” Ray breathed and headed for the gray door. He looked back at the crossdresser. “Cindy, you better come with us.” “What?” Sonja and Cindy shouted at the same time. Sonja gave Ray a questioning look. How did he know her…his name? “We spoke on my way in. Cindy’s one of us and he knows the city. I trust him. Now go.” Sonja wondered just which of us Ray was referring to. He ushered them both down the stairs. Cindy was tripping over size-twelve platform boots and Sonja tripped on her flip-flops. Women and our footwear choices. How the hell was he supposed to get these two somewhere safe? What would be considered safe in New Orleans when you were hauling around boogie-man bait? And he had to do it without any human interference or human causalities or the Council would have his balls for an appetizer. Ray tucked the gun back into the holster at his waistband and reached for his wand. “Oh, fuck this.” Cindy stopped in the foyer at the bottom of the stairs and held on to Sonja as he unzipped the backs of the crazy platform boots and tossed them off. Sonja fished inside her bag. “I need a lighter.” Cindy gave her a drawn look. “Not exactly time for a ciggy, honey.” “Ray!” Sonja huffed. “Fireball?” She opened one of the mailboxes to show him it was stuffed with fireworks as two blood-deprived vamps burst through the upstairs door. He conjured and directed as little energy as he could at the fuse. It sparked, and he quickly pushed open the door to the street and pulled Sonja behind him. Cindy followed. The trio ran toward the noisy Quarter, and the tourists, as the fireworks started exploding. In the confined stairwell, the noise and smoke would confuse the weakened rogues, slowing them down. “Wow,” Sonja breathed. Ray glanced back at her. She looked a little dazed. Her short hair was bobbing around her face. “You okay?” He pulled her a little closer. “I think.” Cindy caught up and fell in on Ray’s other side. He was watching the street, probably making sure he didn’t step on something or stub his toe. This was not a city Ray would want to be roaming around barefoot. “My place is a few blocks up. Go left up through that courtyard.” Cindy pointed to an opening between two closed shops. Ray followed the big man in the corset as he tucked into a courtyard with mass of bamboo in one corner. They ducked behind the bamboo and followed an unlit path to 73
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an alley barely wide enough for Sonja. Several times Cindy and Ray had to turn sideways to avoid protruding building structures. They were moving along the dark alley too slowly for Rays taste. He couldn’t shake the feeling something was watching or following them. He stopped and let Sonja move ahead of him so she was between Cindy’s big body and his. His creepy meter was off the scale. He hadn’t been this spooked since he was a green patrol officer facing a pissed-off Demon that he’d had to shield from human sight. That Demon was nothing like the Halfling walking before him. No, that had been a full Demon who’d spent way too long in a hostile realm, and had no intention of following the Council’s tenets on keeping the supernatural world out of human understanding. The thing had been caught on tape twice, and that meant trouble. The Prime for the area had been too far afield to help. Ray and his magic had been on their own. Skip ahead a decade or so and lots of situations later, and Ray wasn’t comfortable with this one either. At the end of the building they came to a wider opening, a concrete intersection between four buildings, with several alleyways to choose from. Cindy continued straight. Ray kept Sonja as close as possible. She kept looking back at him. He wasn’t sure if it was for reassurance or instructions. Either way, he was at a loss. They were following Cindy’s lead here. Suddenly, Sonja tensed. No. She froze. Ray pulled her tight to his body and backed against one of the buildings. Her entire body trembled and he could tell she was holding her breath. Nothing was coming in any direction. Nothing he could see. “What is it?” She shook her head hard and fast. “Something. Something angry.” He felt the blood magic from the talisman as it billowed out, calling to whatever magic had connected with it. He couldn’t determine which direction the magic was coming from, but it was strong. His knees felt weak, his head fuzzy. Her gripped his wand in his hand and held Sonja close with the other. Cindy had stopped a few paces ahead and was tucked behind a post holding the backside of a rickety window unit, preventing it from falling out of the window above his head. The post was only about four inches wide and did a poor job of hiding his round shape. “Up!” Sonja pushed back, sliding beside him to flatten herself against the wall. A shadow passed over the single weak light at the far end of the narrow passage. Ray looked up. Wings. Things with wings creeped him out. A hot shudder crawled down his spine. Things with wings that might want the Chiwa should creep him out. “Go!” Cindy followed his order without hesitation. Ray heard his bare feet on the pavement as he ran as best he could in the alley. Sonja required a slight push to get moving in the same direction. Ray followed, not looking back or up.
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He heard a screech and a creaking swish behind him. He stopped and spun, directing a blast of magic right at the sound. The Gargoyle raised its stony wings and blocked the impact of the blast. Small rocks tumbled from the beast’s wings at the blow and sprinkled onto the path. Neither Ray’s gun nor his magic would be a match for a Gargoyle. Smarts was all he had now. How the hell did one outsmart a living stone creature? Ray caught up with Sonja quickly. “Faster.” She didn’t answer but he could tell she was struggling, running as fast as her flipflops would allow. He heard the Gargoyle trying to follow through the passage, big stone wings scraping along the brick and concrete walls of the alley. Ray looked back. He conjured one more spell, aiming at its relatively narrow legs. The blast the spell made when it hit the Gargoyle’s leg, and the exploding stone flying and bouncing off the walls of the passage, made it sound as if one of the buildings were coming down. They all ducked their heads to avoid small bits of flying stone as they moved. The creature’s strangely carved face contorted in annoyance of the situation. He couldn’t lift off, couldn’t hop forward on one leg as his wings had him pinned in place between the walls. He tried to brace against the walls with his smallish arms and tuck his oversized wings as far back as possible. Nothing doing. He let out a long, lingering cry that would certainly bring other Gargoyles careening off building tops. “We getting close, Cindy?” They’d moved about three blocks, running between the old buildings parallel to Bourbon Street, Ray guessed. He had one hand on Sonja’s back, feeling her muscles move, and it comforted him a bit. The thought of stone claws tearing into her skin terrified him. Ray felt the gathering magic of the Gargoyle. It was about to blast him. He raised his gun, aimed it behind him and fired. The round ricocheted off the beast’s head. The stone the Gargoyle had sent hurtling toward them hit Ray’s hand—hard. He dropped his gun but couldn’t risk stopping to retrieve it. Fuck! “Sort of.” Cindy glanced back too. His eye makeup was running down the side of one stubble-covered cheek in beads of sweat. “We’ve got to get to the other side of Bourbon Street.” They exited the alley onto Conti Street, where Ray could see the back of the courthouse. They turned left, headed up the block and tried to blend in with the folks milling toward the lights and music of Bourbon Street two blocks up. Not easy for a sixfoot man in drag. They crossed the wave of drunken revelers on Bourbon then finally stopped at a large wooden gate. Cindy unlocked a door just inside the gate and waived them into his apartment. They were safe. For the moment.
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Chapter Twelve Sonja was looking around for another exit. Panic was rushing through her. She felt trapped. Restless. “How long do you think we can stay put?” “No one knows you’re here,” Cindy said as he made an elaborate gesture to the ceiling. “But your blood magic is calling the dogs, dearest.” The man then unhooked his corset and let it all hang out with a loud sigh. Beer belly hanging over a ruffled skirt was quite the image. Ray grinned despite the seriousness of their predicament. Sonja wanted to as well. Any other time and the entire situation would be hilarious. But all this was more her sister’s style. Nell was always the one who lived out this kind of adventure. Not quiet, always-do-the-right-thing Sonja. No, she was a bookworm and homebody. What the hell was she doing running from Dreamstalkers and Gargoyles in New Orleans? “I know someone who can quiet the magic, but if Q was in my head then he knows of her too.” Not good. Sonja grabbed Ray’s arm. “Do you think Barri’s in danger? I was at her place. She conjured the fake talisman for me.” She didn’t give anyone a moment to answer before continuing hurriedly. “We have to find out if they’re okay.” “Barri? Do you mean Barri DeBaliton?” Cindy took two water bottles out of the fridge and handed them to Sonja and Ray, then the big guy bent way over, giving her a view of much more hairy rear than she’d ever wanted to see. “She’s as rare as bigfoot.” He located another bottle of water before turning, relieving them of the view. “Everyone knows about her, but no one sees her.” “I have. And I need to again. She can quiet the talisman.” She looked at Ray. He had to believe her. “Like it was before I started messing with things I shouldn’t have.” Before she’d put all their lives in jeopardy. She peeked out a window briefly. “I should have called the Prime,” she said, sitting heavily on a worn couch. “I should have just given Q the damn thing as soon as I got my hands on it. He’s been messing with my head from the moment I took it from Nell. Influencing my decisions. Maybe before. Do you think Kara’s de—” “No,” Ray said before she could finish her thought. He knelt between her knees. “Kara is fine.” “But—” “No buts. We’ll find her. No regrets, Sonja. If you’d done anything differently…well…you know the Fates have their ways.” He looked at her kneecaps and squeezed her thighs with his strong hands. “We’ll get her.” “We still have the box.” She felt her strength growing from Ray’s touch. He made her body sing, while his calming magic seemed to work on her mind as well. Maybe
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that calming magic had helped him as a cop too. She needed that grounding right now to keep from shattering. “You’re still willing to help me even though I’ve left you in the dark?” He smiled. “You’ll tell me when you have a chance, right?” “Yes.” Cindy clapped then propped his hands on his hips. Or, um…roll. “Would you mind filling me in now? I mean, that’s all beautiful, kids, but we seem to have some major issues here. A) You seem to have a Dreamstalker chasing you. B) You’re mixed up with the most powerful Voodoo Queen this side of Haiti. And C), that stinking blood magic you’re carrying around is ruining my new rug. Can you make sweet whoopee another time, please?” “Yes, we can.” Ray stood. “You can go get Barri and bring her here. She’ll quiet the call of the talisman and then we’ll get out of your hair.” “Me? Go to Barri DeBaliton?” Cindy shook his head. His makeup was ruined and in the cheap track lighting his stubble was more visible, making him look like a clown after a bad night. “It’ll keep you away from the blood magic and keep us safer than we’d be running the streets.” Ray gave Sonja a slight squeeze as he spoke. His connection continued to calm her. The longer he touched her, the more she understood the depths to which Q— and the talisman—had been working on her mind. “Ray, Ray.” Cindy shook his head. “One does not just waltz up to Ms. DeBaliton and say ‘follow me’.” Ray grabbed his drink off the table and took a swig. “You’ll figure it out. You manage that club, after all. I can only imagine the unusual situations you’ve worked around in the past.” Cindy raised his hand as if to testify. “I have seen it all, baby. The stories would curl your toes.” “I’m sure.” Ray’s expression changed as he looked Cindy straight in the eye. “We need your help. Until Barri quiets that thing, we’re all in danger.” “Child, you’re gonna be in danger after that too. Quiet or calling, that shit is nasty. As long as you’re mixed up with a Dreamstalker and blood magic, you’re asking for a parade, and I ain’t talking Mardi Gras.” Cindy meant a funeral parade, and Sonja knew it. She wasn’t sure that wasn’t where they were all heading anyway. “Fine,” Cindy huffed. “But I need to change. There is no way in hell I’m calling on Barri DeBaliton looking like this.” With that he stomped out of the room and into the short hall. “There’s a washroom just here.” He pointed at the first door on his right. “If’n you two would like to clean up.” He looked back at Sonja. “Is that all you have to wear, dear?”
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Sonja laughed. She had left her old clothes in the shop where she’d cut her hair. “Yes, it is.” “Then Barri DeBaliton will not be the only package I deliver.” Cindy looked her up and down. “Size ten?” The big cross-dresser had nailed it. “Yes.” Goddess only knew what Cindy would bring her, but Sonja would be happy to be out of the skimpy outfit she had chosen in a moment of panic and hurry. “Not too wild, okay?” “Don’t you worry. The day job is fashion, honey. I’ll hook you up.” Cindy continued to the back room with that skirt swishing around his legs and a rather hairy back on display. “You’ll be styling when I’m done with you.” That’s what Sonja feared. “Great.”
***** The water in the shower was cool by the time Ray took a turn. Cindy, who had emerged in a bright coral pantsuit and teal shoes, apologized. “There’s only enough for two showers in the old water heater.” Ray didn’t mind. The cool water woke him up. He needed to be thinking clearly. They needed to get on with it. Cindy was on his way to get Barri, but there was no telling how long it would take him to find the Queen. He had instructed Cindy not to spend too much time finding clothes for Sonja, but Cindy had his own mind. Sonja was sitting at a little kitchenette that looked as if it had come straight from the fifties. The awful pattern on the Formica table was made worse by the clash with the “robe” Cindy had loaned her until the new clothes arrived. Ray chuckled. “You look good in a muumuu.” “Yeah?” Her smile was weak. She looked even more wiped out than before her shower. He slid into a chair. “So. What’s going on with Q?” “Right to it, huh? Want to blare the interrogation lights at me too?” Her expression was playful but he sensed something troubling under the façade. Maybe if he got her to talk about herself a bit, she’d open up about Q. “Well, let’s start with something not so hard then. Your scars.” She laughed and sipped the sweet tea Cindy had offered before leaving. “You think that would be easier?” “Why not?” Maybe he had gotten too personal. “You didn’t seem to be bothered by them last night.” She laughed again, but this one sounded rather cynical. She rubbed her forehead. “It’s kind of all wrapped up together.” She looked him in the eye. “Us. Last night. I thought that was a vision Q had planted in my head.” She looked down at her glass and used one of her long fingers to trace the path of a bead of condensation. “It’s not the first vision, either.” A sweet blush crept up her chest and onto her cheeks. 78
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“Really?” He couldn’t help the masculine pride that tinted his tone. “I…um…thought I was using this vision to trick Q, so he wouldn’t realize the talisman was a fake.” She looked back into the depths of her glass. “But it seems he turned the tables on me once you got there.” “And that had what to do with the scars?” He’d ask some probing questions about their vision sex in a moment, but he wanted to at least appear to be on track with the conversation. “I didn’t realize I was actually with you until the very end. I was self-confident in my vision because I knew it was fantasy. No need to be self-conscious in a fantasy, now is there?” She took another drink and tried to find anything other than his face to look at. It was rather cute. He couldn’t help pushing her buttons a little. “So, you’ve been fantasizing about me, huh? How was I in the visions? Big? Really big?” He held his hands out as if he were telling a fish story. Her mouth dropped open. Those gorgeous hazel eyes got huge. “Ray, this is serious.” She drew her brows together. That was even cuter than her blush. He was hooked. No doubt about it. She was brave and strong, whether she knew it or not, and her magic was like a siren’s call. And what about that? “Sorry. Blame the testosterone.” He leaned in closer. “Sonja. Can you tell me why you’ve been able to use the blood magic of the Chiwa and not be affected by it? I mean, if I tried to boost my power with that thing, I’d feel the sickness of it. It tempts me, just as it tempts the cretins trying to find it. I can feel it working away at my resolve like a cancer but you actually used it, and your heart is still pure and your magic unchanged.” “It’s not unchanged. Neither am I. I reveled in those visions, Ray. I wanted them. And I wanted my psychic abilities to grow stronger. In the beginning it was just to help Kara, but I think even then I wanted it. I tried to use Q as well.” She adjusted the big muumuu over her shoulders and got up. “I used it and him to experience sex with you without worrying over my scars. I used it to let my Demon come out, to shift for the first time since the accident. I used it all right, and I think it’s been affecting my decisions.” She was looking out the little front window with her back to him. Her arms were protectively wrapped around her waist. “When were you burned?” He couldn’t imagine not being able to let his true nature out. He’d had to stifle his magic when he was on the force, but to never let her other surface? That had to be torture. “I was ten. My sister, Trina. Her Demon manifests as a red Dragon. A Fire Dragon.” She hesitated. “It was an accident.” She waved her hand as if to brush away memories. “The details were long ago lost. These days, I think her guilt is far worse than my scars. She hides from life. I only hide the scars.”
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He slid up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, intentionally running his hands over the scars. He felt her stiffen. “You know what I thought when I saw those last night?” She didn’t answer. He really hadn’t expected a reply, nor needed one. “I thought it felt like exquisite lace beneath my fingers. I saw you as a whole, as a beautiful creature who was naked and wanting in my arms. Whether you knew it was me or not, I knew it was you. I came here,” he kissed her shoulder, “because I couldn’t stop thinking about you, worrying about you…wanting you.” She turned slowly in his arms and he kissed her, taking her in, tasting her. Hungrily, to make sure she knew it was him. That this time she was kissing him, not some fantasy image. It was better than he even imagined. It didn’t last nearly long enough. She pushed away. He could see the confusion on her face and she was fighting back tears, but he held her close. “What if all this between us, all of it was created by Q? I had the first vision as I opened the box on your property, before we even met. That means he had to be out there, watching us even then. What if the only reason you want me, like me, is because a Dreamstalker is fucking around in your head?” “What if it’s not?” He raised an eyebrow. She could be right, but Ray didn’t believe it. “I haven’t had any visions or dreams about you. Oh, I’ve imagined all manner of things, but I don’t think Q’s been in my head.” She pulled back, this time out of his arms. He wanted to hold her there, force her to feel what he was feeling. But she had to come to him on her own or she’d never trust her feelings. “I need to concentrate on Kara right now.” She sat back at the table and drank down her remaining tea. He had an idea about that too. It had come to him in the shower, but given what she’d just said, he wasn’t sure she’d go for it. It was dangerous and could backfire on them—big time. “How strong is your psychic power now? Is it stronger than before you used the box?” She nodded. “Yeah.” “But not enough to find Kara in his head?” He sat across the table from her and leaned back, giving her as much space as possible. “No. He’s initiated the visions each time. They just happen to me.” She could do anything she wanted, if she believed it. “What if we use the Chiwa again?” She looked at him as though he’d asked her to kiss a snake. “No. I took one stupid risk. I’m not taking that kind of risk again. It won’t do Kara any good if I get myself all screwed up.” “I’m right here. I’ll be right with you.” He reached out and offered his hand across the table. He let just a bit of his magic flow her way. Her reaction told him more than 80
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any words could. She flushed and resituated in her chair. After a moment of her gaze darting between his face, the window across the room and back at the table, she slipped her hand into his. “You feel it too, don’t you? The way our power mingles?” She nodded. “My Dragon. She really responds to you. Scares me a bit. I’m afraid I won’t be able to control her. The scar…” “Ah.” That could be a concern. “How much do you shift?” “Not much. But the scar prevents it at all. The vision was the first time I can even remember shifting in a long time. I can feel it though.” “I think I can help boost you too. If we use the Chiwa one more time to get one over on Q, we can get Kara back. He still wants that talisman.” Sonja blinked a couple of times and bit her bottom lip. Her eyes closed and she took in several steadying breaths. Ray could feel her reaching out with her magic, feel it roaming…calling out to connect with someone close and familial, from the feel of it. He could tell when she made her connection by the stranglehold she put on his hand. He could also feel a tiny taste of the additional magic, but couldn’t read it or sense what was going on in Sonja’s head. His body reacted to the roaming of her energy in the room and over his skin. It was like nothing he’d ever experienced. Like jumping into a cool lake on a hot day or, better, walking into air conditioning after spending hours out in the August humidity directing traffic. Ray was rock hard and panting when she loosened her grip and her eyes fluttered open.
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Chapter Thirteen She managed to connect with Trina across the miles and feel what her sister was feeling. Sonja didn’t want to let go. Even if what she felt from Trina was worry and anger over Sonja herself. Guilt tinged her but that connection proved Sonja was way stronger than she’d ever imagined. Her power had always been the joke of the family. All three sisters had unreliable magic due to their Halfling blood. Nell’s telekinesis was amusing when it went bad, Trina’s fire was dangerous, but Sonja’s was just silly. Her visions and predictions were wrong at worst and mixed up at best. But this…this felt real and it felt correct and she’d been able to do it because Ray’s magic was a beacon, a steadying force. He smiled at her as she focused on his face. “Maybe I can get in and out of Q’s head if he’s not expecting me there. Back in my teens, I learned some concentration exercises that were supposed to improve my psychic abilities. Of course, it never worked for that, but the techniques might just do the trick now.” He nodded. “I think you can.” He was confident. She was game. “Let’s do it before Cindy gets back here with Barri.” She sat still for a moment and just felt his hand in hers. She tried to concentrate on her feelings for Ray. Were they for real or was Q currently in her mind? After all, this was the forté of the Dreamstalker, to slowly manipulate the mind from within. How would she ever know the difference? Did she even care? Ray didn’t pull his hand away. She was tempted to try to connect with his mind but to poke around in his head without consent was wrong. Her grandmother, Mi-ma, had taught her to never enter anyone’s mind uninvited. She’d never really thought through that advice or the ethical dilemmas it involved because she never suspected to have that kind of power. Nope. There were no shortcuts in life. Mi-ma taught her that too. She would have to work through her feelings on her own and trust the Fates had known what they were doing when she landed on Ray’s property in the middle of the night. “Get it.” He nodded and slipped out of the yellow plastic chair. She glanced at the living room. It was as fifties fab as the kitchen. Overall, the effect was strangely cute and clean for a cross-dressing club bouncer. Not that she’d know what to expect otherwise. Maybe shabby chic? Ray returned with the box. Its golden shell and diamond moth were beautiful. She’d forgotten how striking the thing was.
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Suddenly she wanted to plunge it down and trigger the box to get to the talisman inside. She wanted that power. Ray caught her hand as it reached for the standing diamond moth. “We need a circle first or we’ll really be calling out.” He was right. Sonja hadn’t even realized she was reaching for it. Her stomach felt queasy and her head was a little faint. “Are you sure I can do this?” “I am. But you need to be sure or it won’t work. I don’t want you hurt. I think you can draw just enough to break through. I’ll be right here, pulling you back if you start to wander off path.” His gaze stayed on hers as he spoke. He truly believed he could ground her. She believed it too. It was her abilities she didn’t really trust. But Kara, if she was still alive, needed her. She was going to have to believe in herself if this was going to work. If she faltered even the slightest while in Q’s head, well…she didn’t want to think about what he might do if he found her in there, meddling around. Not to mention she didn’t want to be tainted by the aura of blood magic forever. Ray fashioned a crude circle around the table, using sea salt from Cindy’s cabinet and a small bowl of olive oil. Then he clipped a small lock of her hair. “I like it short. I can see your face.” She ran her hand over her short locks. It still felt strange and she felt ridiculously giddy by the compliment. “And I love how easily you blush.” He kissed her forehead, tossed her hair clippings into the oil and started chanting. His magic swelled instantly. She felt the protective circle slamming down around them. Why she had bothered to make a circle in the mountains was beyond her. Her magic was nothing compared to what a strong Sorcerer was capable of. Her skin tingled. The tiny hairs on the back of her neck swayed as if by a breeze. The magic felt electric. Her Dragon stretched. In a very practiced way, Sonja willed it under control. Too bad, too. She could use the extra energy her Demon side could project. If she could see Ray’s magic, she would suspect it would be the same color as the photos she’d seen of tropical lagoons—teal and blue and inviting. She took in a deep breath, trying to suck his life force inside her. Never had anyone’s magic stimulated her so. His chanting became little more than a string of syllables connected together, melding into a melody that had meaning without discernable words. In the air, he drew wards with his fingers, making the protective shapes above her head. By the time he nodded to her to go ahead, Sonja felt wrapped in a protective cocoon of his magic. She looked at her hand. The brand of the Black Witch moth in her palm was almost healed, which she found rather amazing. She took a moment to close her eyes, feel the world around her outside the cocoon—then reached out. Thousands of tiny life forces danced in the recesses of her mind, each connected with a being of magic. Good, bad and inept, she could sense them.
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Yes. She had gained from her last use of the Chiwa. She recalled Nell saying they were also referred to as the Beads of Death. She’d do well to remember that. She reached out and placed her branded palm over the upright diamond moth. It sank onto the box right away, fusing into the intricate golden design. The box popped open like a clamshell with a gush of thick, dark magic. The blackness of it invaded her tropical blues and teals but Ray’s magic won out in a matter of seconds, rolling over the darkness in waves. No mystical green beams of energy this time. First obstacle navigated. The necklace looked like tourist junk. She knew better. The tiny carved skulls made her shiver, almost causing Sonja to lose her concentration. The knowledge that the skulls were most likely made from real bones made her sick. The feathers and other beads meant nothing to her, but she knew to the maker, each one of them held meaning. Someone had made real sacrifices to give this thing its power. The green jasper pendant that hung from the center was like a fistful of bundled pain. It was the heart of the talisman. That was the thing Palero Priests and South American dictators had fought over and killed for. It was making her stronger and weaker at the same time. Sonja concentrated on the stone for just a moment, letting it reach for her. It was taking from her as well as giving. Beads of sweat formed on her lip. Her hands trembled even though they were now balled into fists in her lap. She tried to block its taking and slow the giving. She just needed a tiny bit. Too much would be…well…too much. Her throat began to tighten. She was choking on the greed and deceit of the past users. Much longer and she wouldn’t be able to speak. “Enough.” Ray slammed the box shut and tossed it outside the circle. He moved to stand behind her chair and she let her head rest against his stomach. Her nerves were humming, her Dragon twisting and turning under her skin. It wasn’t complying with Sonja’s attempts to rein it in, to keep the change under control. Her side started burning. As soon as she twisted her upper body to the right to ease the stretching skin, Ray’s hand went to her scar and the rhythmic chanting started again. The pain was worse than it had been the last time she’d started to shift. The pulling and tugging on her hip and ribs were breaking her concentration. “Use it. That’s what it wants. Use its energy to focus your own.” Ray’s voice sounded both distant and strong in her ear. His breath felt cool on her neck but his hand was hot on her side. For the first time, she tried to connect mentally with her own inner Dragon. Roaring joy met her attempt. Sonja felt a completeness she’d never know she was missing, despite the fact she shrieked when the skin began tearing over her hips. Ray’s hand found the spot and his
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chanting changed tone. He was trying to heal her as she came apart. The pain was excruciating. If she was going to connect with Q, now was the time. She bit her lip to force her attention away from the pain and concentrated on the power her Dragon was sharing. She reached out and called to the feel of her tormentor’s being, his magic, the essence that made him Q. It was strong, and she was able to connect quite quickly. Too quickly. She’d not used the precision techniques she’d practiced as a child. In her mind she felt as if she had dropped into the vast, dark cavern of a nightmare.
~~~~~ Sonja felt the fear of being in a place that was off—wrong—weigh on her immediately. Eerie green mist hovered all around as Sonja tried to gather her bearings. Was this a vision or the mental landscape of Q’s brain? She was sitting on hard stone that reminded her of a castle floor. She knocked lightly on the surface. It was solid. Probably a barrier to his mind, created to block the constant onslaught of mental traffic Q had to manage on a daily basis. She had to get past this room as a thought or emotion that his superior psychic abilities would consider mundane enough to let into his conscious. She glanced around. Windowless stone walls closed her in on three sides. On the fourth, directly before her, was a great wooden door with hinges the size of turkey platters and one bloody giant lock. The way in. The green mist flowed out of her way as she moved toward the door. The keyhole was made for a skeleton key, and so big she could reach her hand through if she tried. She peeked through the narrower portion at the bottom. Emotions blasted her like a punch to the face. Hate. Anger. Lust. Amusement. One after another, the feelings assaulted her system, running through her body like ghosts passing through her flesh. Sonja fell backward away from the lock, reeling. She leaned against the cold stone next to the door, giving her queasy stomach time to settle. She needed to buffer as well. She needed the same type of fortress in her own mind. Something to filter her from the reality of Q’s mind. She thought of Ray’s confidence in her and struggled to find a way to build her own fortress. Actually, she didn’t need a fortress so much as a disguise. Sonja forced herself to look into the mind of the Dreamstalker again. She steeled herself, preparing for the flood of emotions, and then forced herself back in front of the keyhole. She let the emotions blow through her, concentrating on not making any of the feelings her own. She was a tunnel. A giant, white concrete tunnel that led all those emotions off to a different location. Anywhere. She pictured them pouring out the end of the tunnel into the sea and getting diluted and softened until they were no more.
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It worked. She was able to let them flow so she could figure out how to get what she came for. Once Q’s emotions were washed out to sea, she was able to concentrate on the images before her. It was like trying to watch twenty movies at once, all playing on enormous, undulating screens that hovered and floated about in an endless, echoing chamber. They changed directions and crossed in front of one another, and none played the correct audio tracks to match the imagery. Disjointed voices, music and sounds echoed into nothingness. Some images were so hideous she closed her eyes as they crossed her field of vision. Sonja wondered if they were all current thoughts, or past memories, or some of each. She suspected she could only discern a small portion from her current location. To find out where Kara might be, she was going to have to go in. The realization sent shivers down her spine. She was maintaining the tunnel, but could she do that and meander through Q’s consciousness undetected? She had to. She hadn’t come this far to give up now. An image of the Chiwa fluttered off to her right. It kept moving, the screen drifting out of her line of vision. It was now or never. She closed her eyes and centered her mental energy on her heartbeat, hoping to leave as small a psychic trail as possible. With shaking fingers, she pushed her hand into the keyhole, imagining her fist as a key. It transformed with no pain, molding to the perfect shape. She twisted her forearm, feeling the tumblers of the ancient lock press and roll against her arm as the key turned. Sonja was amazed at her ability to mold her vision inside his head, but the loud metal clanking her arm-key made as the lock was forced open terrified her. Could Q hear it? Could he feel her opening his barricade? The door creaked slightly open with a hiss. Energy escaped around the edges in the form of more green mist blasting into the stone room. Sonja opened the heavy door just enough to fit through. She was about to go walking about in the mind of evil. She felt Q’s heinousness as an overbearing press on her person and she couldn’t filter it out through the tunnel, what with the rest of the emotions swirling around his mind. Evil was his very essence. She could not give him the talisman. No way would she be responsible for Q being able to boost his power, to spread this kind of plague on the world. Thank the Fates Ray had stolen it from her in Asheville. She rushed to follow the image of the Chiwa. If he was currently thinking about it, he may also give her a clue as to where Kara was being held. The ground felt like slick oil under her feet, making it impossible to move fast. It was like running underwater— thick, dark water. She couldn’t help but imagine it was filled with snakes and eels. Craaaaap. One of the floating screens with humongous images of eels floated into view and attempted to wrap around her. Q had detected her thoughts, her fears. 86
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She tried to empty her mind as she fought through the muck, now steadily rising like the dark water she’d imagined it to be. She saw the talisman again, still off to her right. She turned, frantic to catch up with it. As she got close, the image bled with another, that of a large riverboat, fancy with ornate trimming and a huge paddle wheel on the back. The images combined, became one. Kara was on that ship. Sonja knew it in her bones. She held her breath, hoping the image would confirm it… A burning sensation started on her right hip. She tried to ignore it, holding the tunnel. If she let the pain come through in her mind it would surely give her away. That was exactly the kind of emotion Q would sense and pounce on. She thought of Ray and his magic and let it rush over her side, cooling the burn. Cooling her fear. She frantically looked for more clues in the imagery floating around her. The green mist was growing thicker, the muck she was standing in rising higher. Neither of which she took as good signs. She was going to have to get out soon and images of the talisman and a boat were not enough. Holding it all together, the tunnel, her calmness, staying with the moving images, was almost impossible for her to maintain. If she’d been a full Demon, maybe. But she was stretching way beyond her limits here. Her side seared again. Excruciating pain, like none she’d felt since she was in the hospital as a girl, fighting the nurses as they changed bandages. Sonja fell to her knees in the muck, gripping her side. She was losing the battle with the pain. Losing control. She reached for something in her mind to pull her back. She had to go before Q caught her, if he hadn’t already. The muck oozed up her thighs like hands, reaching… Then she saw her, in the now far-off images. Kara. Her red hair was matted and her clothes tattered, but she was alive. At the time of that thought, anyway. She was on the deck of the boat. It was all Sonja was going to get. She had to back out. She had to. She screamed Ray’s name in her mind, reaching for him with her heart and her soul. He was supposed to ground her, to be there to pull her back. She felt nothing but the pain. Her tunnel was cracking, tiny bits of it eroding away with the constant flow of fear, terror, hatred and disgust that flowed through it. The muck had risen to her waist. She felt as if it were pulling her down, sucking her into the oblivion that was Q’s mind. She felt it infiltrating her. She was stuck here, unable to pull away from the muck…unable to connect with reality.
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Chapter Fourteen Ray felt Sonja slipping away as he held her on the floor, where her body had slumped. He knew nothing about psychics, but this wasn’t right. He was losing her. He could no longer see her Dragon under her skin. It’d battered her body, trying to be part of her, but was now dormant again. Her skin was getting cold. Ray didn’t know what to do. How did he reach out to her when he didn’t know where she’d gone? His gaze searched the room, not knowing what inspiration he’d find in the tiny apartment. He touched her cheek. It was freezing. He cupped her face to warm her and laid his body over hers, trying to give Sonja his heat. “Fuck.” His curse was as useless as his magic in this situation. His circle hadn’t kept her safe from Q. He was sucking the life out of her. Ray needed something soothing to pull her back, something that wouldn’t be felt in Q’s world. Her lips were turning blue. She’d stopped breathing. All he could do was reach out to her with his emotions and hope that, somewhere in the universe of her mind, it acted as a beacon. With all his being and his magic, he kissed her. Pushing his essence into her, holding her face, pressing his body to hers and willing her to come back to him. He thought of his need for her, his desire, anything that would warm her, bring her back. If his lips alone could have done it, she’d been on fire. It wasn’t working. Guilt washed over him. He shouldn’t have encouraged her to try this. Sadly, it was a feeling he was familiar with. The Council had said he was reckless, and declared him a danger to the supernatural world because of his rash decisions and flagrant use of magic. He’d lost a partner last time. The woman he’d fallen in love with this time. He dropped his head to rest on her chest. “They were right. I’m sorry.” The words were a whisper. He felt her Dragon move under her chest. If her Demon other was still alive, so was she. He needed the Dragon to pull her back. But how did he poke a Dragon that lived inside her? He remembered a spell his cousin used when they were kids. A wives’ tale more than a spell, really, for making a Werewolf shift on command. It was ridiculous and they were never able to make it work. But they’d been only seven, and the Werewolf they’d attempted to manipulate was only six and hadn’t even had his first change. Regardless, it was the best he could think of at the moment. He rushed to the cabinets, breaking his circle and searching for rosemary. He rummaged through a disorganized mess of spice jars, empty water bottles and canned
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soup all mixed together. Cindy was far more man than woman in the kitchen. Finally he found a jar labeled “rosemary”. He sprinkled a tiny bit of the dried herb over Sonja’s chest and dabbed some of the oil from his earlier circle-closing spell on his own forehead. It would be better if it was lavender oil, but he had what he had. He started the incantation, chanting low and slow over her body. Calling for her darker side. He had no clue if that was the case for Demons, but he called to the Dragon. And it responded. He saw it move again, just slightly but he saw the teal scales slither under Sonja’s chest. He put his hand on Sonja’s heart and continued to push his magic into the Dragon. He may not be able to save her, but he was sure the Dragon would call to her and be the beacon Sonja needed. He chanted and watched as the Dragon stretched again. Her side would be damaged, but she’d be alive and here. And hopefully whole. Ray didn’t want to think about what might have happened to her if Q had gotten to her before he could. Her hand twitched as the Dragon’s claws manifested in the lengthening of Sonja’s nails, her legs stretched and kicked as if she were trying to fight the change. He knew it hurt, but he needed her to fight back. He chanted louder and faster. The shift continued beneath his hand, still placed over her heart. Her eyes sprang open in a pained, shocked expression. Her mouth gaped. She let out a blood-curdling scream as she sat up, clutching her side and twisting to relieve the pressure on the battered skin of her scar. She went from freezing cold to flushed and red in a matter of seconds. He reversed the spell. Chanting for the other to sleep and dream well. He gathered her into his arms as she cradled her knees to her chest, chanting until he could feel no more of the Dragon. Sonja’s breathing slowly returned to something close to normal. Her body eased and she lay against him. “I was gone. Sucked into the mire of Q’s mind.” “Shhh. Rest.” He brushed the hair from her face. How had he taken such a chance with her? Never again. Never would he even let her cross the damn street against a light. He would protect her from everything and everyone. “I can’t. We have to go as soon as Barri can quiet the Chiwa.” She tried to pull away but Ray was hesitant to let her go. “Kara’s on one of those big riverboats. I think she’s still alive, but not for long. Not if Q knows that I know where she is. And I think he knows.” Her breathing had normalized. He kissed her on the forehead. “Okay. Let’s just wait on Barri and then we’ll figure out what to do next.” She nodded. He lifted her and carried her to the couch. “I’ll get you some water.” “I felt you. In there. I felt you and I felt my Dragon.” She lifted her tank top and inspected the wound. Her skin had stretched and almost torn. It was red and purple and swollen at the base of her scars. “I felt that too.” 89
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“I did the best I could to heal it as it happened, but it was fiercer than I could fight. Your Dragon is a strong little beast.” He winked at her as he handed her a bottle of water. Sonja covered the wound and took a sip. She let her head fall back and closed her eyes. “Yeah. It is.” Sonja put her hand on her side. “Too bad I can’t call it more often. I’m stronger with it. But I still held it back and I think that makes it resent me.” “I can’t imagine not being able to connect with it. It’s the source of your magic, isn’t it?” And he really couldn’t imagine it. His magic was part of his daily existence. He put a cold cloth under her shirt on the damaged skin. “How’s that feel now?” “I’m okay.” She put her hand on his arm. “We can’t let him have the Chiwa, Ray. I should have listened to you from the beginning. He can’t have that much power. I didn’t sense what Q wants to do with it, but I do know it’s bad. I think he’s been influencing my behavior from the very beginning. I would have never been so reckless, never played with that kind of power otherwise.” She looked down. “I’m ashamed of the things I’ve been doing since I took that thing out of my sister’s kitchen.” She looked terrified, desperate. “Call a local Prime if you want to. I think we may need the backup.” Ray looked at her. Maybe she didn’t have feelings for him after all, is she was ashamed of everything she’d done. Deep lines and dark circles were etched on her pretty face. She was wiped out from fighting Q’s influence for days. She had to be. He wouldn’t push her on their relationship at the moment. Those feelings had to come to her on their own, like his had, or it wouldn’t work. And if they didn’t…well, there you had it. He stood and moved to the small window. It had been hours and Cindy was still gone. How hard could it be to find this woman? “Calling a local Prime isn’t as easy as dialing 9-1-1,” he replied. “You may get a quicker response by calling your sister and her boyfriend.” “I figured with your police background, you’d have a connection to the Primes.” She was moving her shoulder in a circle. She was physically wrecked from a mental journey into Q’s brain. “No. I’m esiliato. I’m not supposed to perform magic outside my property. The sight of a Prime would mean I’m in big trouble. Again.” He shook his head. “I avoid the Council and their laws as much as possible.” She smiled at him and her eyes lit up. “You mean until I stumbled into your cave?” “I’d done fairly well until then, yes.” He nodded and peeked out the window again. He was getting antsy. He didn’t like idle waiting. It was so out of his control. Sonja stood, testing her legs for strength as she moved around the small room. She felt weak, as though she’d had the crap beat out of her. She still had the general feeling of being covered in Q’s murky, disgusting mind slime.
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Ray was in hot water with the Council. No wonder he’d taken off with the box. Esiliato meant exiled. He was lucky to be on the mountain at all. She’d heard of paranormals in esiliato being sent to other realms—really nasty realms. She shivered. “And you still came back.” She wondered if she’d have done the same for some crazy person who showed up doing crappy magic on her property. Most likely not. “You could have turned it in. That talisman is a great find. The Council wants it badly. It would have been good for your record, I imagine.” “Probably,” was all he said, but she knew better. He’d given up his ticket to freedom for her. “What happened, Ray?” She came up next to him. Her arm barely brushed his as she stood looking out the window as well. His breath caught. Maybe he didn’t want to tell her? “I love my magic, Sonja. So much so, it hurts me to even contemplate how you live without your Dragon. I’m good at it. And I kind of grew a reputation as a gunslinger when it came to magic. I pushed limits on what I did and when. I used it in my day job, on the human police department. I did a right fair job of making sure no one saw it. A little stun spell here, a little compulsion there.” “That seems a bit light for esiliato.” She looked up at him. He met her gaze, his eyes intense. She could look into those eyes for hours and still find them amazing. It was as if they changed each time he blinked. “Um…yeah, that is. It didn’t really become a problem until my human partner figured it out. He cornered me. The man was my partner. His life depended on me every day. I felt like it was only fair to tell him the truth. So I confessed. I even gave him a demonstration, showed him what I could do.” Sonja felt her mouth drop open. Well, that would get one in big trouble. “Then he started wanting me to use it. I got cavalier. One night he got shot. I used blood magic to try to save him. With lots of witnesses.” “Ray,” she breathed, knowing the story was about to got worse. “I failed, of course. He died anyway and several humans had to have their memories wiped.” He shook his head. “It was ugly.” He was lucky to still be in this reality. There were only a few unforgivable offenses, and letting the humans in on their world was at the top of the list. Exposure put all of them in danger. That’s why the Council had been formed, and that was the number one job of the Primes. Keep their world a secret. She could be in trouble for just being with him while he did magic under the esiliato, much less running around with a stolen, tainted talisman. “Crap.” “There’s Cindy.” He pointed out the window, toward the courtyard gate. Cindy was coming in, leading Barri and Auntie. A sense of relief came with seeing Barri. Battling the blackness that was the talisman and fighting off Q at the same time was
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about to destroy her mind. She needed a break and she needed the grounding energy that surrounded Barrie. She rushed to the door, getting slightly dizzy from moving so fast. Cindy stood on the threshold, his eyes glowing green in the early morning light. “What are you?” Sonja asked. “That’s a grand way to welcome me back to my own home. And I’ve brought you help and everything.” “He’s a freaking Fairy, is what he is,” Auntie proclaimed as she waltzed past the pair and into Cindy’s home. “You know how rude it is to be woken by a freaking Fairy at five a.m.?” “Auntie.” Barri’s smooth voice stilled them all. “Well, he is!” Auntie walked around Cindy and looked back at Barri. “And prancing around dressed like a queen ain’t helpin’.” Sonja cringed at the derogatory comments. “Sorry,” she said to Cindy. “Auntie. Leave him be. We’ve got important things to do and the Fairy did a good deal more than necessary to find us.” Barri patted Cindy on the shoulder on her way past the big Fairy, making her way through the unfamiliar room with the ease of a seeing person. Only when she reached the table and the talisman did she hesitate and appear to be looking around the room, analyzing. Sonja shook her head as Auntie made her way over and helped Barri into the chair. “Come here, child.” Barri held her hand out to Sonja. She wondered just how old Barri was. It couldn’t be more than a few years older than Sonja. “You have used it again. You risk much for your cousin. And a sacrifice will follow because of it.” Sonja started to comment but Barri raised her hand. Auntie gave her a glass vial. Sonja smelled alcohol and flowers when she tugged off the cork. “Bring me the box and hold it above the table.” Ray handed the box to Sonja. It didn’t feel as bad to her as it had before. That wasn’t necessarily a good sign. Barri opened the vial. “Hold it with both hands. I need to cleanse you as well as the box. You reek almost as much as it does.” “Great. Thanks.” Sonja looked over to Ray. He shrugged. “I don’t smell anything.” “You’ve been wallowing in the same sty, haven’t you?” Barri remarked. She was careful not to touch the golden box, still moving as if she saw everything. “When I wet your hands with this, imagine it flowing over your body, your face and your heart. Feel it pour over you.” Barri’s cloudy eyes seemed to be penetrating her, making her a little nervous. She nodded. Barri started chanting. “Shroud me in goodness and spiritual light. Dampen the darkness with power and might. Spirits which cling, you’re not wanted inside.” The feel of the blood magic immediately began to swirl around the room, waving in and out of Sonja, making her dizzy. Slowly, with each pass, it began to dissipate. The 92
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trickle of the mixture in the vial eased her weakness and her pain. She did as she was told and visualized the few drops that fell onto the box and her hands as a waterfall, washing over not just herself, but everyone in the room, rinsing away the taint she hadn’t realized was so thick. The mental water rushed away, receding into the universe of energy, leaving them all stunned into a momentary silence. Sonja dropped the box back on the table. Barri took Sonja’s hands in hers. Barri’s were rough and calloused and marked with scars. Maybe she wasn’t as young as she appeared. “This talisman must be destroyed. The Sisters of the Dragon have managed to survive its pull so far. But it will find a way to destroy even the three of you. ” Sonja felt a bit confused. “The three of us?” Nell had been the one to open the box in the first place, discovering the talisman, but what did Trina have to do with anything? She barely left her house. She looked at Ray. “Can we destroy something like that, Miss Barri?” He put his hand on Sonja’s shoulder. The simple gesture comforted her. After being under the influence of the Chiwa for days, her own emotions seemed somewhat foreign at the moment. Her mind was swirling, trying to determine which emotions had been hers, which were Q’s and how much the Chiwa itself had created. “You need try for the girls.” She tilted her head a bit as if listening to unheard voices. “And for me. It seems to keep revisiting my doorstep, and it’s stronger with each opening. Next time, I may not be able to help you.” Her head tilted back toward Sonja. That foggy gaze felt to Sonja as if it were looking directly into her soul. “If he gets it, he could use it to perform powerful magic. If he gets it, you are all lost.” There was no way she was going to let Q have the Chiwa talisman. She’d seen the evil in him, and even without knowing his intentions, she would die before letting him have it. “I hope you do not.” Barri stood. Sonja shook her head over the woman’s ability to read her mind as Cindy rushed to move the chair from behind her. “Waters are deeper in real life than they appear from the surface. Trust the Water Dragon.” Sonja eased her hand over her tender side. It was better but still sore. How could she trust the Dragon when Sonja had to constantly suppress her? Barri turned and Auntie rushed past her, beating her to the door to open it. “Help them, Fairy,” Auntie ordered. “You know more about the Quarter than most.” “Fight a Dreamstalker?” Cindy put his hand on his chest and clutched a large opal pendant hanging from a silver chain. “I…don’t know.” “We’ll be fine,” Ray said. “We’ve asked enough of all of you.” Barri stopped just outside the door. “Dusk. Just before the world starts dreaming is his weakest time.” She shrugged. “It’s not much, but you need every advantage.”
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Chapter Fifteen Sonja lay on the small couch with her eyes closed and her body still, but her mind was twisting and turning, trying to sort out the events of the last few days. And that was all it had been. Three days. She felt as if she’d aged ten years. Huffing to herself, Sonja couldn’t believe how sheltered she’d been back in her little North Carolina mountain town. She’d judged Nell for all her wildness and roaming but now understood her lust for adventure. Nell had gone out and captured the world, traveling and experiencing, while Sonja had stayed home to care for her father and Trina. Not that Trina needed care, but her fire-starter sister rarely left the house for anything but to visit family. Trina lived in fear. Sonja lived a life of numbness, avoiding anything that may make her feel. Carefully, she’d created a world where she was an empty vessel who didn’t need to use her powers, who didn’t need the psychic connections her Dragon and her body craved. Avoiding those things helped her avoid the sense of constant failure and the worry of never being fully accepted, the reality of being less than half. She felt incomplete as a Demon and as a woman. She couldn’t shift, she couldn’t complete a vision and she was horribly scarred. Half a Halfling. She heard him snoring lightly from Cindy’s room. Ray. He’d sacrificed and risked his future for her. He’d been visibly angry when he realized she was in the vision and not with him back at the club. He’d acted as though he had real feelings for her. But could he really? She felt drawn to his magic, his character, his body and his smile, but how much of that had been Q and how much her? She was still attracted but what about feelings? How did she feel about him? Would she have risked her life for his as he was doing for her? She reached out with her newfound abilities and tried to connect with Mi-ma. Her grandmother had been her beacon her entire life. She’d taught Sonja to center, to calm the beast within. Mi-ma was a full Demon and her psychic abilities were strong. Sonja quickly found herself sitting on a rocker on the old front porch…
~~~~~ “You really stepped in a pile of it this time, Sonja.” Mi-ma shook her head. “When you girls were little, I thought you’d be the most like your father, and I’m right again.” She handed Sonja a tall glass of ice-cold tea. Sonja marveled at how real it felt in her hand. How much she felt as if she were home and how frightened she was at the thought of where she was in reality. The smell of pine needles tickled her nose, the squeak of the porch swing chain as Mi-ma gently rocked echoed in the night.
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“Why do you say that, Mi-ma?” Sonja took a sip and eased back in the giant rocking chair that had been on this porch her entire life, desperate to hold on to this place for a while and feel calm. “Nell is more like him, always off on her adventures.” She shook her head and scrunched up her face. “Nell may wander, but you will be the discoverer. Your dad went on all those excursions not just to go, but to discover. He sought things with meaning and power. Why do you think Nell came across that blasted box in the first place? Goddess knows what else lives in that basement of his.” She shook her head and then reached over and patted Sonja on the knee. “But that’s not what you used your first psychic connection with your Mi-ma to ask, now is it? Not what you wanted at all.” She winked. “It’s that Burgess boy.” Sonja let out a huff, not really surprised Mi-ma knew just what she was feeling. She looked out past Mi-ma to the yard. The buttercups were blooming, their bright yellow flowers glowing in the evening light. Spring in the mountains. It was always her favorite time of year. “How do I know what’s real and what’s…” “How do you usually know, girl?” Sonja wasn’t sure how to answer. “I don’t usually have to fight with so much garbage in my head, with someone tampering with my feelings.” “Pffft.” Mi-ma waived her off. “We all do. Every day. Trust yourself to know what you feel. You’ve never trusted yourself or your Dragon. You’ve held it in for so long.” Sonja stood, angry. Mi-ma knew her reasons. “But the scar. I can’t because of the scar.” “Can’t ya?” She stood too and moved closer, putting her hands on her hips. Her expression became very grave. “How would you know? Your mamma had you hold it in for fear when you were healing, but you’re older, your Demon other is stronger and is a part of who you are now. You’re going to have to let it go. And I don’t mean in a vision. Trust it—and trust yourself.” Mi-ma reached up and put her hand on Sonja’s face. Her thumb stroked her cheek. “As for that boy, treat it like anything else. If you want to know if it’s real, touch and feel it for yourself and you’ll know the truth of those emotions.” She winked. Sonja felt herself being pulled backward and away…
~~~~~ Sonja was back in Cindy’s tiny apartment, staring at the ceiling. Cindy had gone to see if there were any rumors of anything strange at the levies or the riverfront. She’d be a couple hours and had promised to return with food and the fresh clothes she’d not found the night before. Said all the decent stores had been closed at that hour. Sonja smiled. Didn’t matter. Wearing Cindy’s big robe felt like being wrapped in a luxurious cocoon. She put her hand on her side. The burning and pain were almost gone. At least it healed fairly fast. Mi-ma had to be wrong. She’d not even let the shift complete and her
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skin had suffered. As far as shifts went, Sonja’s full shift was in reality a pathetic partial. Nothing compared to a Were’s or a full Demon’s, and yet it would tear her side completely open. She shook her head as she heard another soft snore from the open doorway. She felt his magical energy floating into the room. He was dreaming, and since her abilities were stronger now than they’d ever been, she could pick it up. Her body responded as much as her mind to the silkiness of his energy as it danced around her. It did feel very real, her attraction to him. Her desire to be with him. She got up and walked to the doorway. He’d taken his shirt off and was sleeping in just his jeans. He was lying on his back with his bare feet crossed at the ankles and his hands crossed behind his head. He had a small grin on his face. He looked so calm and happy, as if he were lying on the bank of a lake, peacefully watching the clouds or something. She had to fight the urge to slip into his mind. But not the urge to slip into the bed. She eased onto the bed, sat beside him and gently brushed her hand over his chest, tracing the hair trail that led down to the top of his jeans. It was soft, and his skin so warm. The strong scent of overly perfumed soap that she knew to be Cindy’s somehow even seemed appealing on him. She looked back to his face to see that his eyes had opened, but he’d not moved. She lifted her hand and balled her fist. The impulse to run was strong but she wanted to stay. Sonja felt her heart rate climb through the roof. She may have even been shaking. She hadn’t the foggiest clue how to proceed. She’d actually never seduced a man in her life. He wasn’t going to help, either. The grin was gone, replaced with a smoldering look that threatened to melt her. She swallowed hard, worried he would reject her in real life. In those visions, she had been unmarked and self-confidant. Neither of which was true right now. One thing she did know was that she wanted to experience this with him when she was aware. She wanted to feel like she felt in those fantasies. And the only way that was going to happen was if she reached out and became the confident lover she became in the visions. She reached back toward his chest, her hand trembling. He intercepted it in a tender grip. “No fears here.” He sat up slowly and kissed her knuckles. She shook her head and ran her fingers through his hair. She’d wanted to do that back in the cabin, when his face was covered in beard and mustache and his locks were curly and wild. He was handsome then and he was handsome now. She leaned forward and let her lips press to his, just a touch, a tease. She felt him lean into her but he didn’t take command of the kiss. He was letting her lead. So she did. Led him slowly back down to the bed, opened her mouth and pressed her tongue to his, exploring. She dug her fingers into the back of his neck, holding him
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close. His hands cupped her face, tilting her head until it was comfortable for both of them. She moaned at the velvety-smooth feel of his tongue mingling with hers. Her body was on fire from that one kiss. His magic started to build around him with his arousal. Sonja pulled back, breaking the kiss, breathless and wanting. If he was going to shy away from the scars, she wanted to know before they went much further. Now or never. She sat up and started to untie the belt of the robe, glancing back at him. Ray was neither withdrawing nor advancing. He’d found a natural pose, leaning on one elbow. God, he was a sexy beast—and he was looking at her as if she were a goddess. She pulled the tie loose and let the side covering her damaged skin fall open, exposing her right shoulder, breast and the scars. She stopped and waited for a reaction. He didn’t move. His expression stayed hungry as she watched his face. He lifted an eyebrow. Sonja held her breath. “What’s the matter, love?” He sat up and scooted closer. “What are you expecting here?” His finger traced up the inside of her thigh, stopping at the part of the robe that still covered her hips, preventing further exploration. She wasn’t sure how to answer. After an instant, his face changed. That little grin crept back to his lips. “You didn’t have the scars in your fantasies, right?” He shifted again, moving down the bed and rolling onto his stomach, his face hovering close to her belly, the scars. “That’s a shame.” She wasn’t sure what to make of that statement either. She held her breath as he inspected the marred skin so close up. “I thought it was quite sensitive to touch.” He blew a hot breath across the expanse of her stomach. The pleasure of it rippled over her torso and pooled at her core. He looked up at her, leaning on his elbows. “I think you’re beautiful, Sonja. All of you.” He leaned down and brushed his lips over the scars right on the bottom of her rib cage. It tickled. It warmed. She wanted to swoon. She’d never swooned. Wasn’t really even sure what it was, but she wanted to do it. “Lie back.” She shivered at the rough sound of the order but reclined on the bed, her movements causing the robe to fall open. Ray rested on one arm, facing her, looking down on her exposed body. “Are you sure this is you here with me? No hexes?” He traced the outline of her breast with one finger. The gentle caress made her nipple draw tight and her breath catch. She swallowed hard. She was under his spell. “The only one hexing here is you.” Ray sent a spell to the door. It closed and locked. “Hmmm,” he murmured as he leaned in close. “Hexes are generally bad. Let’s see just how bad I can be.” And with that, he reached out his tongue and traced the outline of her scars, moving back and forth between rough and unmarred skin.
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She thought she would leap off the bed, the scars were so sensitive. How did he know? Why didn’t the scars repulse him as they had everyone else for years? She’d spent her life hiding those scars and here he was, licking and kissing them. His tongue traced the burn all the way to her hip. She could hear an audible moan from him as she spread her legs in invitation. The muscles of his broad shoulders tensed and bunched as he crawled between her thighs. He looked at her, up her body, and the smoldering passion in his gaze alone could have made her come. He was hexing, all right. He waggled his eyebrows at her. Sonja struggled to get out of the confines of the robe then rose to see him better, her elbows supporting her weight. “What are you up to?” “Relax. Enjoy.” Ray closed his eyes and mouthed a silent spell. For a moment the room was still and quiet. Sonja’s core tightened in anticipation of what he had up his sleeve. His eyelids opened slightly and he blew out a beautiful pink stream of light and smoke. It covered her and tickled her clit like vibrator. She arched into the sensation. “Dear Goddess!” It felt like fingers, lots of fingers, rubbing and vibrating, and his magic cooled her flesh at the same time. After a few minutes of exquisite torture, it dissipated, and Ray replaced the magical sex toy with his tongue. The new sensation of soft, slick strokes after the cool feel of his magic made her toes curl and her fists search for something to grip. She was going to come. This was better than the fantasy. And she wanted to tell him so, but her body was wound so tight with the need to release she couldn’t manage words. She closed her eyes and tried to relax, to slow her orgasm, but he thwarted her efforts by sliding a finger inside her. She could take no more. “Ray…” “That’s it, baby. Let it go.” His request was really too late. She was there, her body exploding. He blew more of his magic across her clit as she came. The cold of his magic, the heat of his tongue and his fingers working on her made Sonja writhe long after the wave of pleasure passed. He stood and shed his jeans and waited until she was aware of his nakedness before making another move. Sonja rolled to her side, admiring his build—tightly muscled but not huge, a hairy chest that wasn’t unruly and thick, strong thighs. Similar, but not exactly the same as her visions. He had a scar too. A big one that started low on his left thigh and ran several inches down to his calf, curving slightly inward. It looked like a large slice. She’d ask him about it sometime. But not now. Now she wanted to explore his cock. It was nicely shaped, like in her visions, but in real life he was thicker and the veins that she’d so liked were heavier. His balls were also large, and tight against his body with his arousal. She licked her lips. He groaned, pulling her attention back to his face. Seems she had a similar effect on him. “The way you look at me, woman. It’s like you’re going to eat me alive.”
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Sonja smiled and looked back to that beautiful cock. “Come a little closer and I just might.” He closed his eyes, took in a deep breath then stepped to the edge of the bed. Sonja took him in her hand, enjoying the heat of his arousal, the firm, heavy feel of it in her grasp. She looked back up to his face. She wanted to see him when she took him into her mouth. She extended her tongue and touched the swollen head. He fisted his hands at his sides. In one sweeping motion, she ran her tongue around the rim and over it several times, tasting him, exploring the most sensitive part of him. He growled. “You’re the one casting spells.” His hand grabbed her short hair and held her still. “Slow down.” Sonja stopped with him halfway in her mouth. If he wanted to control the pace, that was fine with her. She didn’t want to make him come too soon and miss out on having him inside her. Slowly he pushed deeper into her mouth. His forearms and stomach were all rippled and taut with restraint. Then, inch by inch, he retreated until the tip of the head was barely touching her lips. “No more,” he breathed. She needed no more instruction. He’d teased her for days in those visions. She wanted to feel that glorious cock inside her. She rolled onto her back as he fumbled with a condom. She thought she heard him curse as he maneuvered between her legs. He took her mouth in a hard and heated kiss, his tongue seeking to tell her things words would never express. Sonja pulled from the kiss. “Now, Ray. I’ve waited for this too long. I need you.” She meant the words as she said them. She needed him. As he pushed in, she felt his magic surround her and her Dragon respond. She tried to rein it in. Nell had told her that changing during sex was the ultimate, but Sonja was afraid. Ray must have felt her pull back. “Do I need to stop?” Yes. No. Crap. Mi-ma had said to trust herself and the Dragon. She wouldn’t have Sonja do anything that would hurt her. She felt safe and strong in Ray’s arms, with his cock inside her. She shook her head and gripped his tight butt cheeks, pulling him in, grinding him deeper. He kissed her forehead and inched back. His magic was whirling around them. He had no control over it. It was part of who he was. As was hers. She tilted her hips, giving him deeper access, and returned his thrusts, egging him to go deeper, harder. He obliged, giving her what she craved, what the Dragon craved. And she did what she’d never done in reality. She intentionally and willfully let the Dragon go. “Do I stop?” His words were horse and desperate. Sonja’s guess was that he couldn’t even if she asked him to. But that’s not what she wanted anyway. 99
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“Harder!” she gasped. The Dragon pushed as it had done in the vision. Sonja felt her body strengthen. Her side did burn, but Ray’s magic cooled and eased. Her bones and fingers contorted, growing only slightly, but her aura, her magic, screamed forth, giving to the experience, twisting with his, creating something unique to them both but born of their passions. Ray let out a plea. “Sonja!” She felt her side stretching but curiously there was no pain. There was only the odd feeling of magic healing as she changed. Ray stopped and rested on his elbows, his face just above hers. “You’re shifting,” he huffed out between deep breaths. He was trying to control himself. His eyes were wild with desire. Desire for Sonja in her changed state. “Your eyes are amazing. They’ve turned amber.” He brushed her hair back. “Your skin’s so silky and I can see the Dragon, moving under the surface.” He pulled out slowly and eased back in. He looked to her chest and back to her face. Sonja raised her arm so she could see it. There it was. Shimmering teal, and moving and breathing with her. Not taking Sonja over, but strengthen her, making her feel whole and free. Hot tears streamed down her face. She couldn’t have held them back if she’d tried. Ray kissed her cheeks, trying to catch each one. He stared to pull out. “Don’t you dare!” Sonja wrapped her legs around his thighs, trapping him above her, pulling him back inside her. “I’m fine. The Dragon’s taking care of the scars.” She kissed him. Knowing it was her trust in him, her feelings for him, enabling her to let go like this. Knowing that her feelings, no matter how much Q tried to influence her, were real when it came to Ray. Q had meant for Ray to be a distraction in this situation, and he was, but he’d also stood by her through the horrible decisions Q had influenced. She relaxed her legs. “Go slow.” “Am I hurting you?” The look of concern on his face was so cute. She smiled. “No, Ray. Not at all. I want to enjoy it. To feel you.” He kissed her again. Deep and hard. The same way he moved, pushing in deep, holding still and letting her body grip his cock before slowly pulling out. It was excruciatingly wonderful and it only took moments before Sonja felt her release coming. She clutched his biceps and Ray sent more magic over her skin as she let herself go. Her Dragon roared just before Ray did. His orgasm followed right behind hers. He pushed in deep and pulsed his hips, giving all he could for several more minutes. Then they lay still, locked in embrace for what seemed an eternity, a blissful eternity of advancing and retreating waves of pleasure. Her Dragon receded as she lay beneath him. Still no pain. He rose, holding himself above her with extended arms, watching her change. “That was the most incredible thing I’ve ever experienced.” He looked down her body to the scars. “Why didn’t they
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tear this time?” Still breathless, he rolled off her and traced the scars with his fingers. She was as curious as he to see how they looked. Sonja touched the place that had been inflamed ever since she was in Q’s mind. The skin was completely healed. She shook her head. “The Dragon’s magic, yours…I’m not sure. Maybe both. It didn’t hurt and it didn’t really tear. It was as if it healed as it stretched.” “See? I hexed you after all.” He rested his head on her shoulder after a little kiss. He kept brushing his fingers along her scars. “So?” The question sounded so timid. “So…what?” “So. Before. It was all vision, fantasy.” He didn’t look up at her. “Are you asking me if this was better than my fantasy?” She giggled. Was he worried, really? “After that?” He rolled back on top of her, his face lacking any real concern. He winked. “I am a man. Can’t help but be curious.” “I will say it was very nice to finally and consciously fuck you in person, Mr. Burgess.” Sonja glanced away coyly. “But you know. Fantasy is fantasy.” His face fell. It was fun, getting to tease and play. They’d had no time to do anything like this. The situation had been so dire from the beginning, and a moment of fun was much needed. He grabbed her arms, pinned them over her head with one hand and started to tickle her. “What? What’d I do?” She thrashed and screeched with laughter. When was the last time she’d laughed like that? A loud knock startled and sent them both rolling onto the floor. Cindy bellowed through the door, “All right, you two. Enough slap and tickle. It’s getting close to dusk.” “How long you suppose she’s been out there?” Ray chuckled. “Long enough.” Sonja reached up and grabbed the robe. Ray rolled back on top of her, pinning her to the floor, and gave her one last long, toe-curling, lip-searing kiss. His feelings were real too. Mi-ma was right. Sonja could touch and feel what was between them. It was as alive as their magic.
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Chapter Sixteen “It’s time, you two.” The Fairy knocked again. “And I need to change out of this suit.” Ray watched as Sonja sat up. Her face changed from the serene look of a girl fiercely fucked to deep concern and fear in a matter of seconds. He longed to find a way to keep the former on her face permanently. “We’re coming.” She pushed up and Ray watched her breasts move as she did so. Her body was calling to the baser side of his magic. He considered spelling the door and staying put. But the circumstances were too pressing to ignore. At least he’d had a little time to experience her. And she had come to him. He’d felt her want and need and desire. It was a good start. Ray felt a sense of loss as she pulled the robe back over her luscious body. “I’m afraid you’ve ruined me.” He pulled on his jeans. She stopped tying the robe and looked at him. “I’ll be no good to us now. All I can think about is you naked and under me.” The way she blushed was so cute. “If we can’t get Kara and kill Q, then we’ll all be ruined.” She was right. He grabbed her and pulled her close, feeling her curves press against his body. “I want you to be very careful, okay? Let me do what I do best. I don’t want you hurt.” She nodded and pushed away. “I don’t want you hurt either. Or Kara.” Cindy banged on the door again. Ray flicked his wrist and spelled it open. “Keep your shorts on, will ya? We’re coming.” “Oh! Hi,” Sonja said, her voice surprised. Ray turned to see Cindy had company. This one he could tell was a Fairy right off the bat. The man was only about four feet tall but his energy took up half the hallway outside the door. His pointed ears and gray eyes were also dead giveaways. He wasn’t spinning any glamour to conceal his appearance at the moment. Maybe he never did. “This is Marvin,” Cindy proclaimed. The name didn’t fit the being standing stockstill before him. “He knows everything that goes down in the Quarter.” Cindy shoved a bag into Sonja’s hands. “You—change in the bathroom.” Marvin didn’t look the type to happily shake hands. Ray nodded and grabbed his shirt off a chair as Sonja left to get dressed. Cindy needed to change too, as he was still in the pantsuit. The fierce electricity of Marvin’s magic reminded Ray that he needed to get his head back in the game. That much magic should have been detectable long before the door was opened. 102
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Marvin followed Ray into the living room. “These characters, they’re playing for real here.” Marvin sniffed the air around Ray, checking his magic and aura, assessing him. “You’re strong like a Prime, but you ain’t.” Ray didn’t answer. He’d heard that before but never discussed his politics with strangers. This guy wasn’t just a Fairy and Ray never trusted anyone easily. He grabbed his boots and sat on one of the kitchen chairs to get his socks on. The Fairy nodded his approval. “I don’t like no Primes, myself. Always judging people. You don’t seem like you’re judging, just being careful. That’s smart.” He conjured a small fireball in the palm of his hand and used it to light a half-smoked cigarillo he pulled from the chest pocket of his t-shirt. When he breathed out the smoke, it twisted and formed into the shape of a Celtic knot with a rose. Ray recognized the symbol instantly. “The Brotherhood.” Ray stood and gave the small man a slight bow of respect. The Brotherhood was an ancient clan of warriors, spread across species and continents, who had banded together to protect the treasures of the preternatural world. He was probably masking more magical power than Ray even possessed. The ramifications of this new twist were huge. He needed to work this out before Sonja joined them. “Are you looking for the talisman?” He nodded. “For three years.” He took another long toke from the cigarillo. Shit. This was a major complication. “I traced it to the mountains and then followed its taint here. The Fairy stumbled upon me.” Smoke escaped his lips as he spoke. “He who seeks it can and will destroy everything.” Ray paced to the front window. “We need it for the moment. Then we were going to destroy it.” “I’m aware of your predicament.” Ray turned to see Marvin lifting the box off the coffee table. “There is only one way to destroy it. One spell. And despite the research of many, we have not found it.” “The Dreamstalker. He’s got a hostage.” Ray wasn’t sure of the agenda of the Brotherhood, but he knew they were honorable men and women. “I’m simply following the box, Ray Burgess. The talisman has its own agenda, a place it wants to rest and someone’s power it wants to control.” He took a final hit from the cigarillo and snubbed it into a potted plant by the front door. “I am to follow it, not take it. The destination of the talisman is as important for us to know as its whereabouts.” Ray nodded. “Well. At least you’re another gun, so to speak,” Sonja said. She was standing in the hall. The jeans and tight black shirt Cindy had brought fit nicely and showed off all her generous curves. He smiled in spite of the grave situation.
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“Is this Brotherhood associated with the Council?” She marched right over and took the box from Marvin. He laughed. Probably hadn’t been challenged like that in years. “No, Halfling. We are not. There are…differences, politically, between us. Even the Council would be the wrong hands for certain things.” He stepped back, letting her control the situation for the moment. “And you think you know what’s best for this?” She looked at Marvin then at the box. “This was my father’s.” Ray felt sweat start to bead on his lip. This could get ugly quick and Sonja had no clue she was challenging such a strong being. “Sonja, baby.” He eased the box from her hands and set it on the table in a neutral location. “The Brotherhood collects artifacts, stores them and protects them.” He tucked her under his arm. “They’re among the elite of magical beings.” She seemed to get the implication not to fuck with this guy. At least, she relaxed a tad. She looked from the box to Marvin and back. “Your father should never have left the Chiwa so vulnerable.” He pulled a bit of loose tobacco off this lip. “Did you know my father?” “I knew of him,” Marvin offered. “How well did you know him?” “What’s that supposed to mean?” Ray felt her spine straighten, her muscles tense again. She wasn’t afraid of Marvin at all. Later he would tell her how powerful the guy was, but for now he tried to pull her farther away. Marvin watched her face for a moment then backed up a step, letting his magic recede. “It meant nothing.” Cindy plodded into the room, further dispersing the tension between Marvin and Sonja. The Fairy now looked all male, dressed in black jeans, a dark shirt and heavy work boots, all the elaborate makeup gone, bleached-blonde locks slicked back and neat. They all looked at him. “What?” Cindy shrugged. “You don’t expect me to go gallivanting around saving damsels in distress like John Wayne dressed in a silk pantsuit, do you?” “It’s just…” Sonja stuttered. “Well, it’s confusing.” “Welcome to my world.” Cindy looked at Marvin. “Now what?” Ray wasn’t sure of the connection between the two. And all this happy coincidence wasn’t making him happy. He and Sonja had been led to that club by Q. Cindy was working the door. Now Cindy shows up with someone claiming to be Brotherhood. “You two know each other?” “Relax, cowboy,” Cindy replied. “Barri put me onto his trail. That woman knows everyone. Probably knows who your Dreamstalker is too. But she doesn’t make it a habit of getting too involved.” 104
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“That makes sense,” Ray said slowly. Sonja didn’t look any more convinced than he did. But he had nothing else to go on at the moment. And they were running out of time. “I also found out there’s an old paddle-wheel riverboat being restored upriver from New Orleans. Small place, but I bet that’s where your fox is.” Cindy grabbed a few things from a drawer and shoved them into pockets, then grabbed a handgun and tucked it in the waistband of her pants. Ray suddenly wished for the gun he’d dropped in the alley. Cindy opened the front door. “I have a friend with a car. Follow me.”
***** Sonja watched the sun as it began to tuck behind the buildings in the distance. She didn’t recognize this particular horizon, but felt its power as she waited for that time in between daylight and dreams that Barri said would be the weakest moment for Q. It was a good moment for her though. She loved that time of day and often sat on Mi-ma’s porch to watch the sun set and the stars appear in the night sky. Cindy killed the engine of the borrowed car. Sonja was sure they’d actually stolen the thing with the intent of returning it later. But whatever. It was Cindy’s ass on the line for that one. Ray had questioned him, but the answers had all been elaborately vague. Kind of like Cindy. “Where are we?” Sonja asked as they got out of the car and Ray moved to stand beside her. His hand landed on the small of her back, familiar and comforting. Cindy pointed to a block-long, metal warehouse right on the river. “They do boat restorations in there. Big boats. And I heard they had a paddle steamer. Only place your friend could be held without being seen. The paddleboats on the river down in the Quarter are always full of tourists.” “Put the box in the trunk,” Marvin said. He’d been carrying it. “I can feel its sick call even through that Witch’s spell.” “I wouldn’t call Barri that to her face. Not that there’s anything wrong with Witches, but you know those Voodoo queens. Think they’re something special,” Cindy said, but he popped the trunk. “You think that’s safe in here?” Marvin looked at the building. “I can only sense about five of ’em.” Not much chance they’ll get past us to get out here.” Sonja glanced at the man’s dark, wrinkled face. He was squinting in the bright orange light of the setting sun as he studied the landscape. She reached out with her senses— Marvin swiftly grabbed her arm, jerking her around to face away from the building. “You outta your mind? You send that much of yourself into the universe, you might as well call him and tell him we’re here.”
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Evidently, she had to learn to control her magic a little better. She had thought she was being discreet, sending a little test out there to sense others as he’d done. It definitely made her think Q had known she was in his mind the entire time. “If that’s the case, he knows we’re out here anyway. And he knows we have it.” She held her hand out to Marvin. He started to protest but handed it over. “I’ll carry it.” She shoved it in her pack and threw it over her shoulder. “I need him to feel it so he believes we’re going to trade. He’ll know if it’s not there.” “Fine. You do that,” he said. “Well, there’s no sense putting it off. He may want to negotiate for the talisman one last time but either way, she’s dead if we don’t act fast.” He looked at Sonja, his eyes swirling with gathering power. She could feel it moving toward the little man as if he were a magnet, rushing at him in streams from the very air around them. It was like nothing she’d experienced before. He looked at her with those wild eyes. “He’ll have probably tortured her in order to get his point across to you. Be prepared for what she might look like.” Sonja hadn’t thought of that. Kara had looked tired and unkempt in the thought inside Q’s mind, but ultimately okay. But Q knew they were coming. Wanted them to come. He’d had time to stage. To hurt her. Sonja wondered if she would be strong enough to deny him the talisman if it meant her cousin’s life. Ray squeezed her hand. Or Ray’s life. A sense of panic threatened to overtake her. “We need to move in.” Ray pointed to a huge sliding door. “There.” He looked at Marvin. “You two should find another entrance. He may know we’re coming, but we don’t have to be one large target.” “True enough.” He conjured another fireball, which danced in his palm. The orange light made his dark skin shiny in the dwindling daylight. He lit another cigarillo. “Come on, Cindy Lou. We’ll flank ’em.” He blew out a smoke ring. “Time to fry some Vamps.” Cindy appeared to shiver. As big and masculine as he looked dressed in men’s clothes, Cindy was a woman at heart, Sonja suspected. Ray started walking toward the building and Sonja hurried to his side. “You stay behind me and out of the line of fire.” He glanced at her, his face serious. “My magic is a bit more aggressive than yours. And know that Marvin has his own agenda. The Brotherhood doesn’t mess around. He will leave with the Chiwa.” She noticed he’d fished his black stone wand from his pocket and held it in his left hand. She felt its energy pulse as clear as day. Her body wanted to react with a much stronger emotion than simple gratitude. He stopped and looked at her. “I know you don’t know much about them, but the Brotherhood is… Let’s just say I trust them more to destroy or hide that box than anyone on the Council these days.”
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He was going to be in big trouble with the Council as it was. For Ray to risk his life by even considering letting Marvin take the box, he must mean every word. He started walking again, talking quietly. “Some even believe the Council has been corrupted beyond repair.” Her father had said that more than once too. Nell believed it, but she’d still mated with a Prime. And that mate, Trent, obviously didn’t believe it or he would never still serve the Council. Preternatural politics were a little spicier than human politics. Rarely did you see human senators kill each other for cabinet spots. It’d happened in the Council several times. No one had actually admitted or proven it, but everyone knew. They got to the door and Ray reduced his voice to a whisper. “Remember. Stay low.” He kissed her forehead. “Stay smart.” She nodded. Damn straight. Psychic abilities were no match for fireballs and thrusting spells.
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Chapter Seventeen The building couldn’t have been any creepier. Large metal tools with menacing hooks and huge carving blades hung from the walls and scaffolding. The hulls of several large sailing boats sat on enormous lifts, silently waiting for repairs. Not a sound of any work could be heard in the warehouse. The screeching of seabirds outside and the echo of slowly dripping water made Sonja’s skin crawl. She accidentally walked through a large spider web and fervently hoped its occupant was gone, like the building’s crew. But she managed not to squeal as she brushed the web off her chest as fast as possible. The sight of a swaying rope stopped them in their tracks. Ray surveyed the room. Nothing else moved. She wondered if Q had killed the owners of this place or simply influenced them to take a long summer vacation. They made it halfway through the maze of equipment and boats before she saw the paddleboat. The front of it was inside the building, on dry land, the rest extending out onto the water through an enormous open bay. A dock ran the entire length of it, past the big paddle wheel on the rear. Suddenly a loud, blood-curdling scream pierced the silence. Sonja nearly cried out in response, knowing the gut-wrenching sound was from Kara—and also knowing the pain being inflicted and the scream were for Sonja’s benefit. “Wow. He’s really playing by the bad guy handbook.” Ray headed straight for the paddleboat, no longer concerned about what might be lurking among the unfinished hulls in the warehouse. “He’s getting impatient.” She felt Q trying to penetrate her mind. She fought it, but it took most of her concentration. She stumbled, almost falling over. Ray caught her. “He’s trying to get to me.” She placed a hand to her head. She didn’t know whether to let him in and try to use that to her advantage, or fight and wage this war on her turf, outside the mind. No way of knowing how long she could hold him off. “He’s close.” As Sonja and Ray hit the dock, Marvin and Cindy came around the far side of the building, approaching from the opposite side of the boat. Marvin ran then leapt over several feet of water, onto the bow. Cindy didn’t attempt the leap, instead rushing to join them as they prepared to walk aboard using the ramp. Cindy had his gun pulled. Ray had his wand. Sonja fell in behind the two. Even with the Chiwa quieted by Barri’s spell, she felt the blood magic trying to call to her, or maybe to Q. She adjusted the pack on her back as she walked, wishing she had left it in the trunk.
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The three of them inched down the outer gangway along the lowest of three decks. The railing was ornately trimmed, like the one in the vision. Much like the balconies and porticos in the Quarter. The birds were louder outside, a few of them clamoring for something at the end of the boat. They passed several doors and Cindy tried each to make sure they were locked as they moved closer to the stairs leading to the next deck. The river lapping on the sides of the hull got louder as they moved toward the back of the boat. The huge paddle wheel that had once been red and powerful was now silent, covered with peeling paint. “I expected trouble by now,” Sonja whispered loudly. Cindy looked back at her. “Don’t ask for it. We’ll get it soon enough.” As if on cue, they heard the sounds of a struggle coming from the gangway on the far side of the boat. They couldn’t get through the boat for all the locked passages. They’d have to go all the way around to help Marvin. Two large, thundering blasts echoed off the metal ship. “Hope those were his,” Ray said. He stopped just under the stairs. “You go over there.” He indicated to Cindy to go help Marvin. “You’ve got the gun.” He grabbed Cindy’s meaty arm. “If they’re Vamps—” “I know. Save the ammo. I’ve been in a battle or two with rogues in the past. The gun’s for the Dreamstalker, not undead ghouls.” “Just checking.” Ray nodded. Cindy ducked down under the stairway and disappeared around the back side of the boat. Sonja felt another strong surge in her mind. It came with little warning and she was unable to block Q completely. “He’s coming for us.” Ray glanced around. “Well, we’re going to pick the place then.” He left the tight cover of the stairs and they cautiously moved around to the back of the boat. A fireball whizzed past them. Sonja saw Marvin fighting off three Vamps. Ray backed Sonja behind him and held his wand at the ready. Two men appeared at the rail of the third deck. She knew instantly which was Q. He was old and tall, his skin pale—and power poured off him in menacing waves. Kara was slumped against the other man, obviously the muscles of the operation. Her cousin’s face was bruised and swollen. “Kara!” Sonja shouted. “Your cousin is near unconsciousness, Sonja Ambercroft.” Q crossed his arms, relaxed and confident. “You’ve tried my patience over and over again, but have brought me my prize in the end. I may release her yet.” “Bring her down, Q,” Ray ordered. Sonja heard a splash and saw Cindy struggling to grab the paddle wheel as the swift current of the Mississippi River tried to drag the drag queen toward the gulf. Sonja took two steps in Cindy’s direction before Ray caught her arm.
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“Stay behind me,” he growled. Sonja followed his instructions but watched as Cindy lost his grip and slipped under. “Ray!” she pleaded. “Cindy can swim.” But Sonja wasn’t so sure Cindy could fight the current. Ray wasn’t taking his eyes off Q for an instant. There was no clue as to the species holding on to Kara. Sonja sensed nothing from him. He must have learned some mental tricks from Q because he was a blank page. Marvin and a skinny Vamp fought their way closer. The Vamp had a good fifty pounds on the Fairy and had injured Marvin’s shoulder, but Marvin connected with a good right hook to the ribs and followed it up with a blazing fireball to the crotch. The Vamp tumbled backward, flipping over the rail and into the water. He screeched and hollered as he was pulled downstream and under by the current. Sonja looked up at Q. His round, pale face hardened. A physical manifestation of all the hate and anger and frustration building up in his mind. Without warning, he held out a hand and blasted her with it. The waves of emotion shot through her, knocking her to the ground and sucking all the air from her lungs. The next few things all happened in seconds that felt like years. Sonja had to slow the events down in her head to make them comprehensible. Q flew—literally flew, with yellow teeth bared—from the third deck, his robes trailing behind him. “Kill her!” he yelled on his way down. The goon supporting Kara didn’t hesitate to follow Q’s orders. He picked her up and effortlessly threw her limp body over the rail. Kara sailed head first into the murky Mississippi river. Sonja screamed over both the pain of all those emotions swirling in her chest and the rage at seeing Kara sink under the swift current. Q landed in a squatting position in front of Ray but before he could stand, Ray blasted him with a thruster spell, knocking him off balance and causing his body to roll swiftly to the side. He crashed into the railing in front of the paddle wheel. The goon up top blasted Ray with a fireball that sent him careening back and tripping over Sonja, still on her knees on the deck. Ray didn’t lose his bearings completely. In a whirl, he recovered and spun to volley with a fireball of his own. It blasted the goon in the chest, thrusting him backward. Ray immediately followed it with a spell Sonja didn’t recognize, but it was fast and it knocked the goon to the ground. Writhing and moaning, he didn’t get up. Q hit Ray from the side, tackling him, knocking his wand from his hand and taking them both to the ground. He pressed a palm to Ray’s head. Ray started screaming, his legs kicking. Sonja couldn’t sense what images or emotions Q was forcing into Ray’s mind, but she knew it was bad. 110
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She searched the deck for a weapon. Anything to hit Q with. There was nothing. Sonja shook as she got to her feet. She’d shove him off if she had to— Before she was upright, a shot rang out. Q’s head snapped up. Blood ran down his neck. Sonja snapped her head around… Cindy was inside the paddle wheel, hanging over one of the big blades, gun in his big, beautiful hand. Sonja looked back at Q and, for a moment, met his gaze. She felt the icy fingers of death pulling him away. She shivered violently—then thought of Kara. Without thought or worry, Sonja plunged over the rail in the area where Kara had gone under. The current was fast, the water cold and murky. She couldn’t see a thing. And with the added weight of the backpack, she felt heavy and awkward in the water. She needed help. With Mi-ma’s words in her head and a newfound confidence in her Dragon, she called the change. She needed all her Water Dragon abilities to find Kara. The change came quicker than it had in Cindy’s bed. Her Dragon roared to life. Her side hurt like hell and she was conscious of tearing, but it eased and healed as fast as it ripped. Her Dragon’s magic. Sonja took just a second to experience how the world felt under the waves. She couldn’t breathe, but she could see and she could swim much faster. The current was no longer her foe. She felt the undulations of the flow and used them. She twisted to allow her body to follow the current with less resistance. The water looked slimy green through her new vision, but she could make out the bottom and obstacles and shapes. Beneath the surface, the Mississippi was littered with downed trees and other items, and Sonja caught sight of Kara quicker than she’d anticipated. She was hung up in some sort of debris on the bottom, her upper body swaying back and forth with the current. She looked lifeless. Running out of breath before she could get closer, Sonja instead swam to the top, roaring for air and help at the same time. She was farther from the boat than she’d thought. Help wouldn’t be getting to her anytime soon. The current was strong and quickly pulled her past Kara, despite Sonja’s enhanced Dragon strength. She fought to get to the shore and pull herself up the slick, muddy bank. She ran back upstream and jumped in again, finding her cousin once more, this time noting the current had partially tucked Kara under a log. Slipping out of the backpack and slipping it over a branch, Sonja struggled with the slick wood holding Kara under. She yanked fiercely but it wasn’t budging. How long had it been? She couldn’t determine. She screamed under the water, the sound muffled and pathetic. A second pair of hands joined hers, tugging on the log holding Kara fast. Sonja looked up to see Marvin, his big eyes open and his hair floating wildly around his face.
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He nodded. They tugged together as hard as they could. Nothing doing. They couldn’t move it. He waved her away and Sonja moved. Marvin reared back and sent a thrusting spell at the log. Bright green light blasted the log into pieces. A strange watery percussion pushed Sonja back hard. Burning pain pierced her thigh and her side—a shard of wood had penetrated her leg and if felt as if another had shattered at least a couple of ribs. She held her side and tried to find her equilibrium—the backpack floated past the drifting debris and Kara, just out of Sonja’s reach. Sonja got one last glance at the pack containing the Chiwa as it was about to disappear into the murky water. If she went after it, Kara died. Her leg burned. She felt as if she’d been kicked in the ribs… She turned, pulled Kara free and swam painfully toward the surface, then the shore. The bank was steep and muddy, but after two failed attempts to pull her all them both to dry land, she managed to get Kara safely on a patch of long grass. Kara wasn’t breathing. Sonja did her best to administer chest compressions, trying to recall her CPR training. She used what little strength she had left to press down on Kara’s soggy chest, praying to the Goddess she wasn’t doing more damage than good. With every push, Sonja’s side screamed in agony. The wound in her leg bled freely. Thankfully, with a few more compressions, Kara was spitting and coughing. Sonja collapsed and lay beside her cousin. Her leg was still bleeding badly, high on her thigh. The gash caused by the flying log shrapnel was deep and several inches long. “Great.” All she needed was another scar. She tried to staunch the blood with her hand. Her Dragon had receded. At least there was no pain in her other scars, but her body was tired and weak and her leg throbbed like mad with each beat of her heart. She was losing a lot of blood. With her free hand, Sonja leaned over and touched her cousin’s face, so happy to hear her coughing. She pushed Kara’s hair to the side to inspect her injuries. There were a few bruises, but nothing felt broken. “You okay?” Kara nodded. “He’s going to kill you,” she gasped out. “No matter what.” “No. He’s not.” Sonja shushed her. “He’s dead. You rest. Help’s coming.” Then she remembered Marvin. She sat up and scanned the water. He wasn’t on the shoreline and Sonja didn’t see his head bobbing up and down in the swiftly moving water. Wounded and without her Dragon, she wouldn’t be able to find him under the murky Mississippi. She reached out for him with her mind. She felt his life force, weak and struggling. Cindy and Ray were running toward them. “Ray!” She tried to get up despite the pain in her leg. “Marvin. He blasted a log to free Kara but didn’t come up!” She swayed as she tried to stand. Ray caught her. 112
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Scanning the water’s surface, she concentrated on Marvin, on finding his life force once more… Magical blowback had caught his leg under another branch. He was out of air, out of time, no longer fighting his fate. And it was…okay? Sonja saw everything he was thinking as he let his life slip away. Symbols popped into her head. Two of them. One was the Brotherhood symbol, the other was three intersecting rings with something she couldn’t quite make out in the center. They were important to him. And then, for the second time that day, Sonja felt death slip in and take what was rightfully his. Everything felt cold and empty. Blurry, as if her life were being sucked away with Marvin’s. Sonja felt her body being shaken. She was leaning into Ray, she knew, gripping his shoulders so hard it hurt her fingers. She opened her eyes and tried to concentrate on his face. The world was going dark…
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Chapter Eighteen Sonja hung up the phone. It was the second conversation she’d had with her sister tonight. “Nell yelled, cursed…I could even hear her stomping her feet.” Sonja smiled at Ray. “She’s still a bit mad at me.” Ray had been by her side for the last twelve hours as Barri stitched and made healing poultices for her thigh. Sonja reached for her glass of Barri’s special herbal tea. It made her feel a bit loopy, but much better. Ray grabbed it first and tried to hold it to her lips. His attentiveness, while sweet, was getting to be a bit much. “I can get it, Ray.” She took the glass from him. “I have a cut leg. My hands are quite capable.” “Sorry.” He blushed as Cindy, now back in the feminine garb that Sonja thought fit him much better, slid into an empty chair. “What about the Council?” The she-man worried his big hands. “Ray and I are both in deep shit now, aren’t we?” She had discussed that with her sister. Ray had been near banished, forbidden to do magic off his property, and boy, had he broken that edict. She put her hand on his shoulder. He looked concerned, but more for her than over whatever the Council may hand down. “Nell talked to the Prime.” Sonja winked at Cindy. “She sleeps with him, after all. He talked to someone on the Council. And…you two did save both me and Kara.” Kara was upstairs in another room. Barri wanted her to have some quiet time. Q had been bombarding her brain for days. She needed nothing but inner thoughts and lots of Barri’s special tea. Ray shrugged. “I made my decision back on that mountain pass, before coming to New Orleans. I did what I thought was right. If the Council is beyond seeing that these days, I may want to reside in another realm.” “You don’t mean that.” She leaned up and kissed him on the forehead. “Trent said you’ll be okay. Given the circumstances…” She looked at the ceiling, trying to look as innocent as possible. “Seeing as how you were trying to retrieve the box for the Council.” “They bought that?” He laughed. “Given we lost the box to the Mississippi, that Prime must have a way with words.” Sonja shrugged. “I always thought he was an arrogant clout. But he’s been around us since he was a young Alpha Were. Soon he’ll be family. So he painted the picture in a very positive way for us.”
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He pulled her close. “I have to say, I’m not at all unhappy the box is out of our lives.” Our lives. He’d said our lives. “I’m ready to go home.” She looked over Ray’s big shoulder to Cindy. “No offense, but I like my little mountain town much better than this city full of magical creatures.” “None taken.” Cindy got up and looked out the window of Barri’s parlor. They could see the lush courtyard with its fountain and pretty table umbrellas. “I’ve considered leaving here before too. But there’s a magic here that lives no place else.” He turned and smiled at Sonja. “And somehow I don’t think I’d fit in a small country town.” Cindy’s hairy, bowed legs sprung from a bright yellow, very short skirt. His haltertop was tangerine and showed off a stunning beer belly. Sonja suppressed a laugh that Ray was unable to control. “Nope. Cindy, you’re where you belong.” He stood up and slapped Cindy on the shoulder. “Thank the Goddess you were here too.” Cindy gave him a nod. “If you two don’t mind then, I’m going back to my boring life as a bouncer at a supernatural sex club.” He gave a jaunty salute. “Best of luck to ya.” “Thanks again,” Sonja said as he patted her cheek and then walked away on threeinch, platform espadrilles. Ray returned to his spot on the makeshift bed Barri had fashioned out of the divan in the main room. Sonja’s leg was propped up on several pillows and she had the best view of the courtyard. No better hospital in the country, if you asked her. Ray took her hand. And the nurse here was really hot. The image of him naked and making her scream came rushing to her like a vision. She smiled at her thoughts. His eyes heated as if he knew what she was thinking. “None of that for a day or two, lovebirds.” Barri swept into the room with the ease of a dancer. “How do you do that?” Sonja asked, amazed that the blind woman had more grace than most. “Do you not see with your mind, Halfling?” She felt over the items on the table and located a vial and a candle. She rubbed some of the contents of the vial over her palm and then over the candle before placing it back in its holder. “Mr. Burgess, if you would be so kind.” Ray conjured a small fireball and lit the candle. “When can we go home?” Ray asked. Sonja had wondered the same thing, but didn’t want to ask. Didn’t want to know what might happen next. What if, back in North Carolina, Ray wanted to go back to his hermit-like existence? She couldn’t go back to hers. She knew it. 115
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Ray must have seen the look on her face. “Yes. I said we.” He raised his eyebrows at her. “Someone has to keep an eye on you.” Barri put her hand over the wound. “It’s still warm. The waters of the river are dirty. I’d guess a few more days, maybe a week. The gash was deep and it had wounded her Dragon as well as her flesh. I would like to see all the layers of her healing before too much activity. When we feel the Dragon again, we’ll know more.” She winked a cloudy eye at Ray then turned a knowing expression to Sonja. “I’ll leave you two to chat.” “Something’s bothering you,” Ray said when they were alone again. “I…well, I know I dragged you out of your quiet life and into this mess. I did some stupid things, made some really bad decisions.” He shook his head. “You were under Q’s influence.” She was, but she’d also made a few mistakes of her own. “I could have gotten you killed. I mean…Marvin. He died because of me.” “No, honey. Don’t you worry about Marvin. He took a risk using magic underwater like that. Water reflects energy just like light. It’s hard to control. He made that choice to save you and Kara. Marvin died because he was on a mission. One he believed in and chose to take on. The Brotherhood is a very serious commitment. They work outside the Council law, believing the Council has never had the true interest of the supernatural as top priority. Some say they believe the Council is on the verge of some kind of revolution to let the dark purveyors take over.” He shook his head. “Who knows the real truth? In the meantime, they find all kinds of dangerous stuff and hide it away.” Ray pushed her hair out of her eyes and behind her ear. “Why do you suppose your father had the Chiwa, anyway?” She laughed. “He was a professor, a collector of knowledge. He has all kinds of historical and intriguing stuff. Much of it is still in Nell’s basement. That’s where she found the Chiwa. I was always fascinated with the trinkets he brought home from his travels. Before Nell opened the puzzle box for the first time, it was just a boring wooden box. He probably found it on some excursion and had no clue what was in it.” “Maybe we should see what else he’s got in that basement before you get us into more trouble.” He kissed her hand. Her heart soared at the emotion she could feel from him. She didn’t have to question it or question them. He was plainly letting her see into his heart. “When we go home.”
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About the Author Mari Freeman lives, disguised as a normal suburbanite, in central North Carolina. When not penning romantic erotica, she enjoys horses, hiking, traveling, good food and friends. An outdoors girl at heart, you can often find her at the lake with laptop fired up, fishing line in the water and her imagination running wild. In her previous lives, she’s held an interesting array of occupations. She’s been a project manager, a software-testing manager, sold used cars, pumped gas at a truck stop and worked in a morgue. Mari’s favorite stories include Alpha females in love with even more Alpha males. She finds the clash of passionate, strong-willed personalities fascinating. She writes contemporary, paranormal and a little science fiction/fantasy. Mari welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email address on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.
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Also by Mari Freeman Beware of the Cowboy Birthright Cougar Challenge: Sin on Skin Hot, Hard & Howling Love Doctor
Print books by Mari Freeman Birthright Cougar Challenge: Tease the Cougar Plan for Pleasure anthology
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