My heart raced, but I did the only thing I could think of. I shifted and threw myself forward. I threw my arms around his neck and held on tight.
Yep, there I was, butt naked and clinging to the back of a dragon.
Well this is fucking awkward. It sure beat being splattered on the ground though.
Nott winged past a tree full of mangled helicopter and I felt a little better. At least I might come out of this alive.
We landed on a section of neat lawn and Nott tucked back his wings.
I took that as a cue and slid down off his back. Every bit of me trembled, but the grass felt wonderful under my human feet.
Nott shifted just as Rob landed beside him and did the same. Just three naked people standing in a backyard in an affluent Sydney suburb. Nothing to see here, folks.
"Thanks," I said to Nott.
He shrugged. "Yeah. No problem. We should take care of Layne."
I nodded and followed him, although I had no idea where he was going. I took Rob's hard as we walked.
"I'm sorry about Willa," I said softly.
He sighed. "Yeah, me too. I shouldn't have let her come."
I smiled wryly. "I don't think she was asking for your permission. If we hadn't included her, she would have come anyway."
"I know, but…" He looked stricken. "I still let her work with us."
I squeezed his hand. "She knew what she was getting into. We will get Zeta for this and all the other things they've done."
"Going somewhere?" Nott asked.
It took a moment to realise he wasn't talking about me. We reached a garage and the driveway off the property. Layne stood with keys in her hand. I couldn't see Gerald. Maybe he ran away. Smart man if he had.
"More Zeta agents are coming," Layne said. "When they arrive, they won't be as merciful as I was."
I'm nor sure which of the three of us snorted in disbelief first. It was more or less simultaneous.
"You won't live to see them get here," Nott growled.
Layne took a step back and raised her chin. "You can't kill me," she declared, "I'm a member of the government of this country."
"I don't know why you think that would give you a free pass of any kind," Rob scoffed.
She looked him up and down. "What are you going to do, peck me to death?"
"Well, I—"
A deep growl sounded from inside the darkest shadows. Something moved. Something big.
It shuffled, then stepped out into the light from the streetlights on the nearby road. It looked like a large dog, but with a long neck and long jaws. It opened its mouth and bared four rows of teeth.
I bet its breath stank, even though it had obviously been created by magic.
"At least it's not a T-Rex this time," Rob remarked. He cocked his head. "I'm not sure what it is, though."
"It's a bandersnatch, from Alice in Wonderland." Johnny appeared behind the creature, looking pleased with himself. "Isn't it cool?"
"That's one word for it," Rob agreed. He spread his arms to herd Nott and I back a bit. "Dangerous and hungry-looking are two others."
Johnny pouted.
"It's cool," I told him. "Especially if it eats her." I pointed toward Layne.
She took a few hasty steps toward the garage. The bandersnatch followed her. Its head wove back and forth on its neck like a snake. It huffed out a breath of air toward her and she grimaced.
Yep, I won that bet with myself. Still, stinky breath was better than those teeth. They looked like needles, if needles were jagged and dripped with saliva.
Johnny moved slowly and came to stand beside me. He pulled off his shirt and offered it to me. I pulled it over my head and into place. It was huge, big enough to cover me quite nicely.
"Thanks," I whispered. I didn't want that thing drooling—or worse—on me. "Do you know where Tucker is?"
"Yeah," Johnny replied so loudly I jumped. "He's analysing all the data from her computer. Seems Zeta has been up to quite a lot of mischief."
"You can't stop us," Layne said nervously. The bandersnatch snapped at her. Flecks of drool flicked from its mouth and landed on her face. She let out a squeal. "Okay, okay, call it off! I'll make sure Zeta will leave you alone!" Her eyes were wide with terror. She took several more steps until her back was pressed against the garage.
"Will they stop all the other things they've been doing?" Rob asked.
"I don't have that kind of power," she whined.
"Who does?" I asked.
She hesitated. "There's a council of international dignitaries. I'm not even powerful enough to have a place on it."
"So you can't keep Zeta off our backs then," Rob said.
"When the others arrive, I can talk to them."
Apparently the bandersnatch didn't believe her either. It leaned forward and bit her head clean off her shoulders. Her body stood for a second before it toppled to the ground.
"Ms Layne, I—" Gerald appeared at the door to the house, bags in either hand. He took one look at the scene in front of him, dropped the bags and ran.
Yep, smart man.
"Should we chase him?" I asked.
The bandersnatch bounded after him, tongue lolling out the side of its mouth.
"If he's lucky, it'll disappear before he gets bitten," Johnny remarked. He didn't need to say what happened if he wasn't lucky.
"I think we should get the hells out of here before more Zeta assholes arrive," Rob said. He picked up the bags Gerald dropped and carried them toward the street.
"Good idea," I agreed.
"Car's that way." Johnny pointed.
I stepped around Layne's body and grimaced. Good luck to the cops when they tried to figure out what happened here. Most likely, Zeta would scrub the scene before they even knew about it.
I climbed into the car beside Rob and rested my head on his shoulder. He put his arm around me and we sat in silence while Johnny drove us home.
We all showered and dressed while Tucker ordered pizza. For a long time, we sat and ate and drank beer and cola in silence.
Finally, Tucker said, "We have a crap ton of information on Zeta. Names, dates, locations. This is bigger than any of us suspected. We're going to need a lot more paranormals to help us fight back."
I sighed and patted my full stomach. "It won't be easy to find them. We tend to hide in places like this and in small groups." Humans tended to react badly to knowing paranormals existed at all. While I liked the part of Zeta's plan where we stopped hiding, the purpose behind it was horrendous. We couldn't let them enslave humankind or continue to create hybrid paranormals.
Tucker nodded. "It's likely it will, but this information gives us a good place to start. The good news is, I think the only one who knew about us was Layne." He nodded toward Nott. "Except you. There's a whole file on you and your life." He looked rueful. He must have read some of it. Whatever they had done to Nott and his mother was incomprehensibly evil.
To my surprise, Nott grimaced. "I don't care. Delete it. I'm putting the past behind me."
Rob cleared his throat. "Which brings me to your future," he said slowly. He stood and picked up a folder from the table. "Before we left to confront Layne, I talked to some people. In case I didn't survive." He handed the file to Nott. "I called in a few favours, but they found you a new life."
Nott opened the folder. His eyes moved back and forth as he read. After a couple of minutes, he frowned.
"Lincoln Nash?" He seemed less than impressed.
Rob shrugged. "It's as good an alias as any."
Nott arched an eyebrow at him, but went on reading. "Now I know you're crazy. The Academy of Modern Magic?"
"Yep." Rob nodded. "They needed a new self defence and magical combat teacher. You have the skills. Where better to go to mould the minds of young, impressionable paranormals?"
"Teenagers?" Nott curled his lip.
"Young adults," Rob said firmly. "College kids with raging hormones and something to prove."
Nott sighed
and put the folder aside. "Fine. It's better than nothing, I suppose."
"Yes it is," Rob agreed. "You're welcome."
Nott grunted. "Better go and pack." He rose and gave us all a nod.
Once the door closed behind him, Tucker asked, "You don't want me to delete his file, do you?"
"He might want to read it some day," I said softly. He might not, but at least this way he would have the choice. Personally, I had no idea what I would do if I were him. Part of me would be curious, but part of me wouldn't want to know. Thank the gods I didn't have to make such a choice.
"He might," Tucker agreed. From the expression on his face, he was thinking the same thing I was.
"So, that leaves the four of us," Rob said lightly. "Three crazy paranormals, who all care about Marion."
"Who I care about back," I replied."Who I… am falling in love with." I held my breath. That was a big admission to make. I had been so used to being alone the majority of the time, relying on myself, and Tucker when I needed him. No strings, everyone at arm’s length. To go from that to three guys who seemed to adore me— The difference couldn't be bigger.
"Back at you," Tucker said simply. His dark eyes drank me in like he was parched. Just that look made my heart race and heat blossom in my belly.
"Me too," Johnny agreed. He offered me a smile which was full of promise and love. My heart flipped and did a little happy dance.
"It's unanimous," Rob replied with a smile. He too gave me a loving look which suggested he'd tear off my clothes at a moment's notice. "Looks like we're all stuck with each other."
Tucker groaned, but a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Fine, but I'm reopening my pawn shop. It's time I went back to work."
"Me too," I agreed. "I have people to help."
"Us too, if you'll let us," Rob said. "Stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. Sounds like a good way to pass the time to me."
"I agree," Johnny said. "And we can look for ways to bring down Zeta in the meantime." He put out his hand. "All for one and one for all?"
"Wasn't that The Three Musketeers?" Rob asked. In spite of that, he placed his hand on top of Johnny's.
"Yeah, well, it's Marion's Merry Men now," Johnny replied.
"See, they're clowns," Tucker put his hand on Rob's.
"You're all clowns," I said happily. "But you're all my clowns." I put my hand on top of the pile and we all threw our hands in the air.
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If you think Nott/ Nash needs to get laid as much as I do, then you'll love the Academy of Modern Magic, a complete reverse harem series. Get it here- https://books2read.com/DigitalMag
About the Author
Maggie Alabaster is the pen name of Mirren Hogan. She lives in NSW Australia with her husband, two daughters, dog, cat, and countless birds. She has a Bachelor of Arts (English/ history), a Graduate Diploma of Arts (writing) and a couple of degrees in education. She writes paranormal romance.
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Catrina
Tiegan Clyne
About Catrina
American college student Marisol Aponte and her fiance, Steven Hernandez, have traveled to Sabinas, Mexico so that he can meet her elderly grandmother and celebrate El Dia de los Muertos. All is going well until Marisol tries to help a woman in trouble and gets gunned down in the street.
Maria Josefa, Marisol’s grandmother, prays to La Santa Muerte for justice. The saint’s answer is to raise Marisol from the dead in the guise of La Catrina.
Not quite alive, not really dead, Marisol must find the men who killed her, bring justice to the guilty, and find a way to return to life — all before the festival is over.
Marisol
“The drive from San Antonio took less time than this,” Steven grumbles, crossing his arms over his broad chest. If there’s one thing my fiance hates, it’s waiting, and customs check in Mexico is not for the faint of heart.
“I told you it was going to be this way,” I chide him gently. “Believe it or not, it’s going smoothly. We should be back on the road in no time.”
He doesn’t believe me, I can tell, and he’s also trying to hold in his irritation. Steven is a good guy, but he’s got a temper, and patience isn’t his strong suit. At least he knows enough not to take his irritability out on me. We’ve already had that argument, and it’s one he lost.
“I hope so. How far away is it?”
“About an hour and a half.” I reach over from the passenger seat and stroke the back of his neck with my fingertips. He relaxes marginally. “But we can stop at a hotel in Allende and rest up for the night. You’ve been driving for hours.”
“Two and a half. It’s not so bad.”
“It is when you’re keyed up about meeting your future in-laws.”
He shrugs, trying to pretend that he’s not anxious as hell, but I know him better than that. If he were a cat, he’d be hanging off the ceiling by his claws. I really owe him one. We got engaged in August, and I’ve met all of his extended family back in Texas. He’s met my parents and my uncle and his family, too. There’s just one more person that I insisted he meet, and because he’s a good man, he agreed.
Mi abuela Mira Josefa doesn’t travel. She’s 89 years old with a game leg. She doesn’t drive, she sure as hell won’t fly, and she’s our family matriarch. Her sons both went to America to earn a better living than they could find in their hometown of Sabinas, or even in the entire state of Coahuila, and her daughter, my Tia Rosa, stayed with her. Rosa died a year ago, and Mira Josefa has been by herself all that time. I’m making Steven take me there, not just because I want to introduce them, but because we’re going to try to convince her to emigrate to the US and come home with us.
She doesn’t have papers. My papa and my tio don’t, either. We’ve got fakes in my suitcase, though, forged by a real law school dropout (my cousin Tony), and if we can convince her to come, my mom has a room all prepared for her. I hope she comes back, but I don’t think she will. She’s stubborn as a mule and twice as mean when she’s being pushed, my uncle says. She doesn’t want to leave.
My mother swears I get my stubborn streak from Maria Josefa, and it’s a big one. I don’t think that part of the visit is going to go very well.
We finally get to the border, and the Border Patrol agent stops us. We present our US passports and tourist visas with the friendliest smiles we can muster.
The agent glances up at us. “State the purpose for your travel.”
We speak at the same time.
“Visiting family,” I say.
“Vacation,” Steven answers.
This time, the agent looks up, and I think he’s comparing our faces to the photos in the passports. He grunts, “Open the trunk.”
Steven pops the trunk obediently. It’s clean as a whistle, because neither one of us wants any trouble. The only thing in there is our suitcases and a box of spell candles from my cousin Margie, who’s a curandera. The border patrol agent opens both suitcases and sniffs the candles, then brings one up to the front window. He holds it up.
“What’s this?”
I can practically hear the snark coming before he says anything, and I grip the back of Steven’s neck. Even so, he says, “It’s a candle.”
“For Day of the Dead,” I explain, still smiling. I make sure that he can see I’m wearing a low-cut top and Daisy Dukes. His eyes flicker over me, and I know he does.
“What’s it made out of?”
Steven answers in a drawl. “It’s wax in a glass.”
“That’s all,” I say. “Beeswax. A little violet and lavender oil.”
One of his buddies comes over with the biggest German Shepherd I’ve ever seen, and they take the dog to sniff the trunk. I know he’s not going to find anything, because we’ve never had drugs of any kind in this car. Still, my palms are sweating by the time t
hey’re done with the inspection.
The agent puts the candle back in the box and closes the trunk. He comes back to hand our papers back to Steven, who passes them to me. I stow them in my purse.
“Proceed through the gate. Drive straight ahead to the next stop. When you get there, you’ll present your documentation again for them to stamp.”
“Yes, sir,” Steven says, feigning respect like a good boy. I’m definitely going to have to reward him.
He waves us through, and we pass from the USA into Mexico. The attitude on the Mexican side is much less aggressive, although they have their sniffer dogs, too. Nobody questions the candles.
Finally, we’re on our way. We stop at the duty-free store, where we buy bottled water and a few chocolate bars for the road. Now that we’re past the border, we turn on our CD again and rock out to Shinedown all the way to Allende.
It’s a little town at about the midpoint between the border and Sabinas. There’s a hotel, the Hotel San Angel, where I’ve booked us a room. I knew Steven would want to rest up so he could face my grandmother without being strung out from the road. It also gives us one more chance to get it on before we’re under my grandmother’s roof and he has to sleep on the couch.
The hotel is a pleasant two-storey affair with verandas all along the upper floor. Flowering plants adorn the balconies, and it looks almost like an old hacienda. We park and head toward the front desk. While we walk, just because I don’t want to deal with any attitudes, I turn my engagement ring around so the stone is toward my palm. This way, it looks like I’m wearing a simple wedding ring. Hopefully the desk clerk won’t blink about us sharing a room.
You can never tell about these little places. Even in some spots in Texas, the pious clerks won’t rent us rooms because we’re not married, so we have to lie. It doesn’t bother me, because I’m a sinner by nature, but Steven is extremely moral, and it bothers him. He’s not a stick in the mud, but he absolutely will not lie. That’s a good trait. It just means that when there’s lying that needs to be done, I’m the one to do it. It doesn’t bother me at all.
Wicked Souls: A Limited Edition Reverse Harem Romance Collection Page 74
