Even though it was unusually warm for a British autumn morning, I huddled into my jacket as I was led to the deck. We were cruising down the middle of the Thames, a gentle breeze moving the English flag that flapped from the top deck.
“Good morning,” Amera drawled, sitting back and crossing her long toned legs as I joined her at the table.
She wore a trouser jumpsuit, showing off her perfectly delicate arms as she daintily sipped from a mug. “Even after several hundred years, I never get bored of a cup of tea.”
“Me, neither.”
Frowning under her dark sunglasses, she turned to face me as I grabbed a slice of toast and started to lather it with butter. “I didn’t think witches lived that long.”
My knife slowed as I glanced up at her, totally confused. “They don’t. I just meant that I love tea.”
“It really is a British thing,” she said, sighing as she lifted her sunglasses.
Her dark eyes bore into me as I chomped on the buttery toast. What? It had been quite a few hours since I’d eaten and the food called my name. If I was going to negotiate a contract of sorts, I needed fuel.
“I’ve heard your magic is astounding.”
“You have?” I almost choked as I spat out a few crumbs.
Sitting her glasses on the top of her head, she placed her mug down on the table and leant forward. “We both know how a tracker witch works. Everyone is dying – literally – to get you on their team. I can keep you safe.”
As I wiped my mouth with a napkin, I avoided looking into her eyes, too afraid that she might cast her vampire wiles over me. Naz and Tinniel had made it clear that I was now a sought after witch. They had also made it clear that they were my protection. Not that they’d been able to prevent Frankenstein from kidnapping me the night before. Although, I had urged them to keep hold of Jimmy, no matter what, so I had no negative feelings towards them about it. Plus, it had worked out to my advantage. So far.
“I don’t need protection.”
“What about your mother? Do you want her back?” Her tongue flicked out to lick her red lips.
Cringing, I gulped down my tea and slammed the mug, a little too forcefully, back down. “Yes. I want my mother back, and you’re going to give her to me.”
A smile tugged her lips as she raised her eyebrows. “You’re very sweet. It’s quite obvious you don’t know what you’re doing. I’ve heard that you’ve only just learned of your heritage. And here they are, setting you up to fail as a bounty hunter. You could be so much more.”
My insides quivered as a rush of mixed emotions surged in my chest. Keeping my face straight, I stared at her, not backing down, even though what she’d said had riled me, sending sparks of rage over my skin.
“Don’t pretend you know me. Cut to the chase. You want me to kill Jimmy in exchange for my mother, right?”
Amera shrugged. “Yes. Obviously, I’ll need to be able to trust that you’ll do the job, so when I get word that Jimmy is dead, you’ll get your mother back.”
Were we really going to go around in circles? As if I would trust her to keep her word. Not only that, I couldn’t very well kill Jimmy. Klarita wouldn’t let me get near the vampire. In fact, he was probably already with the police.
“Why do you want Jimmy dead? Is your name on his chest?”
She didn’t answer, instead just gazed out at the water. That was a yes, then.
“I might be naive but even I know I can’t trust a snidey vampire to keep her word. Can I…? Sorry…” Pointing towards the living area, I made a move to get out of my chair. “Can I just use the toilet? I see there’s one there.”
Waving a hand in dismissal, Amera took a deep breath as she pursed her lips. Not giving her the chance to change her mind, I strode across the deck and straight into the living area. I kept my gaze ahead of me in order not to raise her suspicion. I was surprised she hadn’t searched me. I still had Beauty, invisible and tucked into my side. Not only that, my phone was sitting in my pocket. It was a good job I had put it on silent before we’d left the club.
And what was her problem with Beauty? Was it her kryptonite? Maybe I could somehow attack her from behind when I returned. Although, I needed her. If she did know the whereabouts of my mother, I had to get that information before I killed her. Shit, what had I got myself into?
My hands shook as I approached a door with a feminine figure imprinted on it. Shoving my way inside, I quickly flicked the lock and dug out my phone. Ah, crap, the bars were gone again. It seemed that she’d had the whole boat somehow disconnected from any signal. What about outside? Could I risk it?
The mirror caught my eye as I looked around for an escape route. My hair was wet where I’d washed it in the shower. As tempted as I had been to lounge in the bath, I wasn’t about to be doubly vulnerable by being naked when a vampire could walk straight in. At least there had been a lock on the shower room door.
My hair was starting to wave, the dark blonde highlighted by the fake light above. The dark bags under my eyes were testament to the stress of the last month or so. Standing in front of me was no longer a kickboxing girl who had no one. I was a witch with a bloody amazing magical power. A woman who had a job as a paranormal bounty hunter.
No matter what Amera said, I was good enough. And I would be better. Because I would learn everything there was to being a witch. By my own merit.
Silencing everything on my phone, I pressed the voice record before I brought up Tinniel’s number so it stayed on the screen and placed it in my jacket pocket. It was time to play bounty hunter detective.
As I left the toilet, a male vampire walked past, licking blood from his lips. When our gazes clashed, he winked at me before disappearing in the direction of the stairs.
Eww. It wouldn’t matter how many times I saw a vampire, I could never get used to the idea that they sank their teeth into a human’s skin and drank their blood as if it were beer.
“Don’t mind him,” another male said, appearing from nowhere and clasping his neck. “He gives as much as he takes.”
“He does?”
Winking, the human waltzed away, swinging a tie in his hand. A single droplet of blood slipped from between the fingers that clearly covered bite marks. How could humans like vampires? They were gross.
Tucking my hands into my pockets, I marched across the living area and out onto the deck. My fingers moved swiftly to unlock the screen and press the call button. I hoped the signal would return as soon as my boots hit the wood and that my finger wouldn’t miss the call button. It was risky, but it had to be done.
“Better?” Amera asked when I sat back at the table.
I listened hard to make sure there was no noise coming from my pocket. The sexy vampire had super-sonic hearing, so if I hadn’t turned the volume down properly, she would be able hear Tinniel’s voice coming through the speaker, even though it was pressed into the material of my jacket. That’s if my shitty little plan worked, anyway.
“Much better, thanks.”
Nodding, she clicked her fingers. “Good. I want you to see this.”
Opening my mouth to protest – just in case it was some sordid blood thing – I paused when a man handed me an electronic tablet. A video played on it, showing… Wait, was that…?
My mother’s frizzy grey hair moved as she shook her head back and forth. My heart leapt into my throat and almost chocked me to death. There she was, in a dark room, tied to a big pipe. She sat on a stool, her feet barely touching the ground.
“Mum,” I whispered, pressure pressing against the corner of my eyes.
Running a hand through her hair, Amera tilted her head to the side when I glared at her. “I told you I had her.”
“Then give her back.” The words were pushed through my clenched teeth.
A tinkling laugh left her gorgeous lips and brushed my skin. Ugh, if she didn’t stop with her perfectness, I was going to stab my sword through her neck, just to hear her choke.
“How about th
is? I’ll give you the first part of the co-ordinates of your mother’s hiding place–”
“Hiding place? You sick bitch!” My feet were under me, my hands on the handle of Beauty.
Flipping my weapon out, I shoved it in her face, my own bark of laughter leaving me when the sword materialised and her eyes widened.
Her chest rose as she swallowed. “You’re fast,” she said, “but save us all the hassle of a fight and return to your seat. Please.”
Power laced my veins, tensing my muscles. My arm was dead straight, my hand completely still as the blade almost touched her pretty neck. Just one push, and I would see the table painted bright red. It might not kill her, but damn, it would be satisfying.
“Like I told you,” she said, reaching up and slowly pushing the sword away from her neck, “I’ll give you the first part of the co-ordinates. When you kill Jimmy, I’ll send you the second half. I give you my word.”
Keeping Beauty held in front of me, I stepped around the woman, circling the table. “I don’t trust you.”
“And, I don’t trust you. I’ve given you proof that your mother is still alive. We play this my way, or I drop you into the Thames and leave you. You’ll never have the chance to rescue her then.”
“Why do you want me to kill Jimmy?”
When I came back round to my side of the table, I glanced down at the tablet. My mother was looking into the corner, her lips moving. Who was she talking to?
Leaning down, I zoomed in on the picture, gasping when a man with long legs paced into the shot. His dark hair was long on top, the sides shaved. Just like a Peaky fucking Blinder. “Is that…?”
“I want you to kill Jimmy because you can get close to him. You have motivation…” Waving at the tablet, she shrugged her dainty shoulders. “… so when my creature captured you, I thought I’d take advantage. I was planning on finding you, anyway.”
Bloody hell, the man must have been Henrick. Jimmy’s werewolf friend hadn’t been lying. The sorcerer was still alive and had been hidden for four years. How was the sorcerer still sane?
“Were you, indeed?” I muttered.
How would Tinniel have played the game? He was the professional bounty hunter, he would have known what to do.
Closing my eyes briefly, I tried to feel into his energy. He would’ve taken his time, that much I could sense. Was he listening on the phone? Or had my battery died?
“I can only play nice for a short amount of time,” Amera said, her eyes glowing red when I snapped mine open. “There’s plenty of other bounty hunters I can lure to help me.”
“I’m sure.” My drawl was met with a frown.
Okay, okay, it was probably best not to aggravate the vampire who could rip my head off in seconds. And yet, I was tempted to tease her just a little longer.
“I’ll do it,” I said, staring her in the eye, “Tell me the co-ordinates now.”
A grin split her plump lips before she cleared her throat and regained composure. Ah, yeah, the bitch thought she had won. It wouldn’t be long until she realised that I had one over on her.
Leaning forward, she raised her eyebrows. “There’s just one thing I’d like you to do before I reveal the whereabouts of your mother and Henrick.”
My heart thumped hard in my chest. She had admitted that she had Henrick. Hopefully Tinniel was on the line. If he was, he would know that his brother was still alive.
“Of course you do. What would that be then?”
“Stay,” she said, getting to her feet, “and meet a few of my friends at my party tonight. I’m sure they’d be interested to see the second to last remaining Ford witch.”
Chapter Eight
Tugging the dress up, I tried to hide the boobage that bulged over the top of the sweetheart neckline. Amera had ordered that I wear something incredible for the evening, although I had no idea why, I wasn’t hanging around. Not that she knew that, of course.
Not long after I’d returned to my room, a vampire had dropped off one of her dresses. She was slimmer than me, which meant my curves popped out of the dress most indecently.
“What am I doing?” I whispered as I checked myself in the mirror.
I had managed to connect to Tinniel again. The phone had connected, and he’d managed to trace my signal to just outside Greenwich. The Thames opened up just after the O2 building, so it was much quieter. At least the Federation knew my location.
We’d agreed that they would rescue me tonight, during the party. I wanted to check out Amera’s friends, at the same time as Tinniel wanted me to gain as much information on them as possible. Was it the human trafficking ring, all coming together to celebrate?
A knock sounded on the door, making me jump. Tucking my hair behind my ear, I gave up trying to cover my cleavage and tugged open the door.
“You look stunning,” Amera said, licking her painted red lips. “Shall we?”
My gaze traced her ice blue floor-length ball gown. The top plunged to her waist, where it puffed out and floated to the ground. She walked away, expecting me to follow, which I did, still tugging my top up.
Her hair hung loosely down her back, waving gently until it brushed her waist. Ugh, why did she have to be so crazy beautiful? I’d never be able to wear a puffy dress and look half as sexy. Not that it mattered, I would be gone as soon as possible, leaving her gorgeous highness behind.
“Oh,” she said, turning back to me. “Just in case you decide to leave when I’m distracted.”
Gripping my wrist tightly, she nodded over my shoulder. A man’s arm appeared, snapping a bracelet on me before I even blinked. Shit, vampires really were supersonic speedy. I frowned as he removed his arm, revealing a pretty glistening diamond and silver bracelet.
“How…?” I might have been a little slow on the uptake, but I knew that her words did not match the innocent looking piece of jewellery on my wrist.
A devilish grin lifted her cheeks. “There’s a miniscule bomb hidden in the thirty crystals that line the silver. It’s programmed to explode once it’s off the boat. If you try to leave without my permission, it will detonate, killing you and anyone else who might try and help you to escape. So, be careful, bounty hunter.”
Spinning on her high heel, she marched into the living area, her air of arrogance hanging with her perfume in her wake.
“What do you see in her?” I asked the vampire who watched her enter the living area.
When he barked a laugh, I jumped, my heartbeat erratic for two reasons. One – his eyes had turned bright red. And two – the clink of the bracelet on my wrist reminded me that I could literally die within seconds. Shit, that blew my plan to leave with Tinniel after the party.
“She’s our goddess, linked to the sorceress unlike any other.”
“Sorceress?” I blurted, remembering Jimmy’s artefacts.
Ah, I had forgotten that the vampires wanted to bring back the woman who had created them. He had a box and was seeking a scroll so she could be resurrected. She sounded like a crazy bitch to me.
Murmuring an affirmative, the vampire stared, lost in thought. “All we need now is the box and Amera can be the channel of the sorceress.”
I stayed quiet, not wanting to shake him out of his weird reverie. He might suddenly realise who he was talking to and bite my voice box out, just to keep me silent.
“Anyway,” he said, smiling kindly. “You better get going.”
He pushed me with a playful shove, a giggle escaping him before he scuttled away. I stood open-mouthed before a cheer in the distance made me move my pretty kitten heels. So, Amera had the scroll that Jimmy sought. And Amera needed the box that Jimmy had shown Frankenstein. Why hadn’t the monster taken the box as soon as Jimmy had revealed it? He had surely helped himself to me, the ugly bastard.
Nearing the main area of the boat, I swallowed hard, wiping the sweat that lined my brow. Who would Amera introduce me to? And why did she feel it was so important that she had included it in our deal?
So
ft instrumental music flowed out of the speakers as I stepped out of hiding. Several men and women turned in unison, staring at me with wide eyes. Only two seconds before, they had been deep in conversation, milling around and nibbling on canapes. Did vampires even eat real food? And why were they gawping at me as if I were the main course? Crap, what if I was?
“You’re new,” a husky voice jolted me, “and jumpy.”
Breathing slowly, I straightened my spine as I glanced sideways at the man who had popped up beside me. His strong aftershave reminded me of Tinniel. My heart pounded just a little more as my friend’s face came into my mind. Friend? Who was I kidding?
“I’m…”
What did I say? Hi, I’m a bounty hunter royal tracker witch only at the party because I’m bargaining with Amera. How do you do?
A chuckle vibrated the man’s chest, putting me at ease. I looked closer, frowning when he refused to meet my gaze. He had a strong jaw, covered in a smattering of stubble. His dark hair was shaved at the sides and longer on top, the strands slicked back. A bump on his nose gave his profile character, adding to his charm.
“Everyone here knows who you are,” he murmured, “Why do you think they’re staring at you? Not only that…” He sniffed as he raised his eyebrows, finally meeting my gaze. “…they can smell you.”
The pale blue of his eyes sent a shudder through me. I’d seen those eyes before, hadn’t I? Searching my mind, I tried to pull back the memory. Who was the man?
“S-Smell me?” I stuttered, tripping over my words in a rather embarrassing fashion.
The others went back to their conversation, apparently bored of me already. Amera hung from the arm of an elderly gentleman as she slunk towards the bar. His hair was grey, thinning on the top. Something about his energy made me narrow my gaze as he turned to glance at me.
“Who is he?” I asked the man next to me.
He shuffled on his feet, clearly uncomfortable as the old man ran his gaze over me before dismissing us by looking away. “He’s the top dog.” His voice was barely above a whisper. “The one that everyone fears.”
The Witch With An Attitude (Federation of Magic Book 2) Page 9
