by Deanna Chase
Bloodlust By Midnight
Last Witch Standing, Book 2
Deanna Chase
Bayou Moon Press, LLC
Copyright © 2018 by Deanna Chase
First Edition 2018
Cover Art by Ravven
Editing by Anne Victory and Angie Ramey
ISBN Print 978-1-940299-66-2
ISBN Ebook 978-1-940299-65-5
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in, or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the publisher of this book.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locals, business establishments, or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.
Bayou Moon Press, LLC
Contents
About This Book
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Deanna’s Book List
About the Author
About This Book
Being a badass witch isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be. Vampire Hunter Phoebe Kilsen’s world is falling apart. Her shifter partner has been drugged and is in danger of turning rabid, and her brother has disappeared into thin air… literally.
* * *
Just as Phoebe is on the verge of making a major breakthrough on finding her long-lost brother, a new drug is introduced into New Orleans’s black market. It’s Phoebe’s job to find out who is responsible and neutralize them before New Orleans is overrun with rabid wolves. With Eadric Allcot as her number one suspect, she finds herself once again facing down the most powerful vampire in New Orleans. But when her partner Dax is viscously attacked with the drug, she needs Allcot’s help to save him. Now she’s forced to make a choice between defying orders and saving the one she loves. The decision is an easy one for Phoebe. She’s willing to break all the rules to save Dax… and if luck is on her side, she might even find her brother.
* * *
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1
Faint, almost undetectable footsteps echoed behind me in the still night air. If it hadn’t been for my newly spelled silver pendant that amplified noise, it’d be impossible to hear him. The vampire must’ve thought himself clever, patiently tracking me from the moment I stepped out of my car, waiting for just the right moment to get the jump on me. As if I, Phoebe Kilsen, a witch and vampire hunter for the Void, would ever be so careless.
I held back a scoff as I entered the gardens that led to New Orleans’s oldest library. Oak trees lined the path, and heavy storm clouds blocked out the full moon. The early-summer humidity was so thick and oppressive that sweat rolled down my spine. After the shit day I’d had, all I wanted was a beer and a shower. And that was exactly what was waiting for me after I met with the swamp witch, Simone. She had a file full of research just waiting for me in the library. But first it appeared I needed to hand the stalker vamp his ass.
Clutching my phone with one hand, I pretended to check a message as I grabbed the hilt of my silver dagger and slowed my pace. His footsteps quickened.
Good. I’m waiting, asshole.
After finding out another shifter had died of a suspicious drug overdose earlier that day, I was more than ready to take out my frustration on someone who deserved it. I could still see the radiant smile and sparkling blue eyes of the young barista who worked at my corner coffee shop. Her name was Rhea, and I’d gotten to know her a little bit after she started dating Leo, the young shifter my partner Dax had sort of taken under his wing.
The pair had been sweet, completely head over heels for each other, and if I was honest, a little nauseating to witness. But even as cynical as I could sometimes be about romantic relationships, I’d been happy for them. Young love was always just so… hopeful.
But then I’d been the one to find Rhea this morning in that back alley on vampire row, a needle jammed in her arm, her lips blue and her eyes lifeless. I hadn’t even suspected that she’d been a drug user.
“Fuck,” I muttered, trying and failing to erase her image from my mind.
The vampire’s sinister chuckle was a mere whisper in my ear, indicating he was right behind me.
I spun, aiming my light-filled dagger straight for his chest. It was no surprise when he easily blocked my blow, but I was ready for him, my knee already connecting with his groin.
“You bitch,” he snarled, holding his crotch with one hand and reaching for my neck with the other.
I danced backward out of his reach. “Why are you following me, Tanner?”
The moment the vamp had stumbled into the light from the nearby lamppost, I’d recognized him. He was tall and thin with beady eyes that made him resemble a weasel. And because that description also applied to his ambiguous morality, he was perfect for Allcot’s gang of henchmen.
He took a step closer, his thin lips curving into a sinister smile as he scanned me from head to toe.
“Take a good look, jackass,” I said, “because your eyes are about the only thing you’ll ever get to lay on me.” It was obvious that he was imagining sinking his fangs into my neck. But we both knew that if he tried that, I wouldn’t hesitate. He’d be ash in seconds.
“Christ, Kilsen. You’ve sure got a stick up your ass tonight. What’s the problem? Does that shifter of yours need lessons on how to keep you satisfied?” He jerked his hips forward and leered at my modest cleavage peeking out from my V-neck T-shirt.
I gave him a flat stare.
His grin widened. “I’ve got some instructional videos. I’ll lend them to your boy, Marrok. I’m sure it’s better for everyone when you’re not so… tense.”
Without a second thought, I let my dagger fly and was rewarded when the vampire dodged to the right, in the exact same direction I’d aimed my weapon. The vampire froze as the blade lodged in his chest, just to the left of his heart.
I leaped forward, grabbing his neck with one hand. “How’s this for tense?” I spun him around and slammed his back into the lamppost just because I could.
Tanner reached for the knife, no doubt desperate to get it out of his chest, but I beat him to it, wrapping my free hand around the hilt.
“That’s what you get for spewing lewd comments about my relationship with Dax. Make one more move, and I’ll end you. All it will take is one twist of this blade and your heart will be shredded. Got it?”
He gulped, then nodded.
“Now, why are you following me?” I asked through clenched teeth, more than ready to be done with Allcot’s flunky. “Does your boss want something?”
He averted his gaze and shook his head.
“You’re lying.” I tightened my grip around his neck. None of Allcot’s people did anything without his approval. If one of his vampires was following me, the city’s most notorious vampire hunter, h
e’d ordered it. “What does he want?”
“Nothing,” Tanner spat out, his voice barely audible from the force of my hold.
I didn’t have the time or patience for this. And honestly, I didn’t give a shit what Allcot wanted. He was a selfish bastard who was only on your side when it suited his purposes. There were only two things I cared about in that moment: who was supplying the street drugs that were taking down the werewolf community and how to find my missing brother. I was already well aware Allcot either couldn’t or wouldn’t answer either question. So whatever he wanted was of no concern to me. And I was done playing with Tanner.
But instead of using the dagger to end him as I’d threatened, I let go of the hilt and raised my wrist, exposing my magical sun agate I’d set into a leather wristband. Then I said, “Siste.”
The brilliant white light that mimicked sunlight flared from the stone, instantly knocking the vampire out. He slid to the pavement, eyes rolled to the back of his head. His knees hit the ground, and he started to careen forward. I quickly reached for him, catching him before he fell flat onto my dagger. Killing him wasn’t in the plan. Not one of Allcot’s vamps. Taking out one of his without due cause would mean war.
I laid him out on the sidewalk, pulled out my phone, and called the office. My handler picked up on the first ring.
“What do you need?” Zena asked.
“Transport crew. I’ve got a downed vamp. Knocked out, minor knife wound to the chest.” I rattled off the location and crouched near the vamp.
“They’re on their way,” Zena confirmed. Then she added, “I see it’s been a long day for you. Try to stay out of trouble for the rest of the evening, huh?”
I let out a humorless laugh. “I was headed to the library, Zena. Blame this one on Allcot. I don’t know what he’s up to, but I’m in no mood for his bullshit. Once they get his goon back to the Void, it’s up to the director what she wants to do with him.”
Zena let out a low whistle. “Allcot again. He’s a piece of work.”
“You’re telling me. I’ll be in tomorrow morning to do the paperwork,” I said. “Tell Director Halston I’ve gone home for the night.”
“Is that where you’re going?” Zena asked, her tone skeptical.
“Nope.”
She chuckled. “I didn’t think so.”
After we ended the call, I yanked my dagger out of Tanner’s chest. The wound was deep, but being that he was a vampire, there was very little blood. Good. That meant he hadn’t fed recently. Normally the wound would heal fairly quickly, but because my blade was tinged with ancient magic from my bloodline, this one would linger. A small, satisfied smile claimed my lips. One would think the vampires of New Orleans would learn. It was rare for a vamp to mess with me without earning a souvenir.
Of course, this one had been sent by Allcot, the bastard. Just last month I’d helped him save his consort, Pandora, from certain death. You’d think that would earn me some good will from the notorious vampire. Apparently not. That was no surprise, really. Eadric Allcot, the owner of Cryrique, the most powerful vampire organization in the southern half of the country, was a ruthless bastard. He did what he wanted, when he wanted, to whomever he wanted. Loyalty only went so far. I just wondered what the hell he wanted from me.
On any other day, I’d just show up at his compound and demand answers. But that night, I needed answers from someone else.
The moment the transport crew arrived, I waved and took off at a dead run for the library. I had an appointment to keep. After a month of searching, I was finally going to get some answers about my brother’s disappearance.
Exactly four weeks ago, I’d watched my brother disappear into thin air. He’d been there one minute and was gone the next. Witches could wield spells and do some amazing things, but disappearing into thin air? That was impossible. Or at least I’d thought so until I’d witnessed it with my own two eyes.
For weeks I’d searched archived records at the Void and had put the call out for experts in vanishing spells. I’d come up completely empty. Everyone said it was impossible. Magic just didn’t work that way. But then two days ago, I’d gotten a call from a swamp witch who said she had the information I’d been looking for. But she hadn’t been willing to say anything over the phone. She said she’d be in touch on where to meet. An hour later, a messenger had shown up with a note. The only thing the note had contained was the location, the date, and the time.
After running a thorough background check on the witch, I was certain she was the real deal. Her reputation, while eccentric, was legendary. She was in her late seventies, and her strength and knowledge were unparalleled. I hadn’t been able to find one person who’d met or heard of her who wasn’t in awe of her.
If anyone could help me find my brother, Simone Bernard was the one. The library, an old Victorian structure, was all but hidden in the shadows. Only one light shone from the second floor, acting as a beacon. I took the porch stairs two at a time and rushed inside. Candlelight illuminated the book-filled shelves lining the foyer.
“Simone?” I called out, slowing my pace, listening for the witch. The library was a private collection owned by the Arcane—the government paranormal investigation agency I worked for. The Arcane oversaw all paranormal activity. I worked for the Void division, the undercover branch that moved in the shadows.
I’d been to the library before, but since most, if not all, of the records the library held had been scanned into the computers and housed at the office, it wasn’t a place I frequented on a regular basis.
Simone didn’t answer. Hadn’t she said to meet her in the front parlor? I quickly slipped into the room to the right and scanned the darkened space. There was a couch and two club chairs in the middle with books lining the walls. No Simone.
If she’d already left, Tanner was going to wish he’d never crossed my path. Deep in my gut, I knew time wasn’t on my side. The longer my brother Seth was missing, the harder it was going to be to find him. We’d already spent eight years apart before he’d suddenly shown up in New Orleans last month. I wasn’t going to spend the next eight wondering what had happened to him.
Remembering the light in the second-floor window, I headed up the stairs. The soft candlelight flickered from a room at the end of the hall, and I followed it like a moth to a flame.
“Simone?” I called again just before I reached the doorway. The sticky presence of magic in the air made my skin tingle, alerting me to the presence of another witch. The tension drained out of my shoulders. The magic was so strong—she had to be in there.
No answer.
I quickly scanned the room, seeing no one. But still the magic lingered. I moved into the room and as I passed a large wooden desk, I spotted her. She was lying on the ground, blood trickling from her neck.
“Son of a— Goddamn it!” Rushing to her side, the first thing I noticed was the savage bite on her neck. “Vampire,” I whispered. There was no doubt. The two puncture wounds told me everything I needed to know. I automatically reached for her wrist to check her pulse. And that’s when I saw the neon-green syringe clutched in her hand.
It was the same unusual type of syringe that had been attached to the needle stuck in Rhea’s arm that morning.
2
“Forget the vamp,” I gasped out, still out of breath from running down the stairs and out the front door of the library with Simone’s limp body in my arms. “She’s alive, but she needs blood. Now!”
The two medics from the transport team looked up from the gurney they were already rolling toward the van. Tanner was strapped down and still knocked out. If they’d done their job correctly, he was in no danger of going anywhere even if he woke from my spell.
“Jesus,” Finn said as he rushed to my side and focused on the gash in her neck. He glanced back at Tanner. “Did that vamp do this?”
“I don’t know.” Had he? “I don’t think so. Tanner was following me into the gardens. But he could’ve been the distraction while
one of Allcot’s other vampires attacked her.”
“I’ve got to get her to the van. I can start a transfusion in there on the way back to the Void.” Finn took Simone from my arms and rushed her out of the garden.
I watched him leave, then turned my attention to Tanner, who was still passed out on the gurney. “Did you check his pockets?”
Victoria nodded. “We didn’t find anything too unusual. There’s an evidence bag at his feet.”
I grabbed the clear plastic bag while the other witch continued to roll Tanner out of the gates and onto the brick sidewalk.
“We did find a couple of condoms though.” She shook her head, looking disgusted. “The only reason vamps keep those on them is if they refuse to disclose their vamp status.”
“Jackass.” I had no trouble believing Tanner would pretend to be something he wasn’t. Vampires didn’t carry disease, and they couldn’t get anyone pregnant. If he was wearing a condom, it was only because he didn’t want his partner to know he had fangs. And if a vamp had just fed, his partner wouldn’t have any reason to believe he was anything other than human. Fresh blood warmed a vampire right up and gave him a rosy glow. Shaking my head, I studied the contents of the evidence bag. Other than the condoms, there wasn’t anything unusual… or was there? I took a closer look, then pointed to a small container that at first glance looked like a mint tin. “Is this what I think it is?”
She nodded. “It has traces of red powder. We still need to test it, but I’m pretty sure it’s that new street drug. Scarlet is what they’re calling it.”
