Wicked After Dark: 20 Steamy Paranormal Tales of Dragons, Vampires, Werewolves, Shifters, Witches, Angels, Demons, Fey, and More

by Mina Carter

  Anika understood Dante’s pull towards the fairy; she had also felt an immediate connection with her. She turned to look at Drake. “Our fairy has made herself a new friend.”

  Drake scowled. “I still don’t like or trust him.”

  “Like him or not, we’re getting out of here without bloodshed. Let’s call that a win and leave this place.”

  He watched as the last of the Crimson Wolves faded from sight.

  Ginger shot from Dante’s hand and landed softly on Anika’s shoulder. With pride, she said, “We can leave now. But Dante wanted me to ask you something real quick.”

  “What?”

  “He wants to know why you can’t just fly off the roof on your broomstick. He says that’s what it’s for, after all.”

  Anika shook her head. It was a common misconception that all witches rode broomsticks and wore pointy hats. And even though brooms could be spelled to fly, it was a very rare witch, one who was powerful enough in air magic, to pull off that kind of spell. But no matter; from the look of amusement in Dante’s eyes, he knew that already.

  “You can tell him that I left that make and model of broom in my bat cave, right next to his doggy bowl.”

  Dante’s laugh floated over to them before he disappeared in the shadows behind his pack.

  Ginger giggled. “I think he heard you just fine.”

  Chapter Ten

  It had only been twenty minutes since the loosed magic had escaped from the inn. With an impatient relentlessness, a few of the Crimson Wolves had ushered Anika, Drake, and Ginger out of their pack sanctuary and into the cold night. The roads were dark and deserted, with only a few lamp posts to lend light to the dampened streets. Drake took one step towards her. Wet from a light sprinkle, his dark hair stuck in spikes to the sides of his face. “Something’s off about this set-up. I’ve never even heard of the Crimson Wolves.”

  Anika clutched the broomstick in her hand and searched the sky. Escaping the rooftop had been a chore, and meeting Dante and his pack, a strange and scary experience. The favor Dante had asked of Anika echoed faintly in her mind. She couldn’t fathom why the High Priestess would care about how she came to meet the werewolves. But regardless of the reasons, she would make it a point to mention the bizarre encounter.

  “What’s the big deal about who they are? After they found out the truth about us, they let us go.”

  Drake glanced behind him, at the inn. “I guess it’s nothing.”

  “I liked them a lot, especially Dante. He’s a hunk,” Ginger said from underneath Drake’s jacket. She had ducked in there to protect her wings from being damaged by the rain.

  “No one asked you, mosquito,” Drake said, shooting her a peeved look.

  “It needed to be said,” the fairy countered.

  Raindrops pattered against Anika’s face. The time was swiftly running away from her, so she closed her eyes, ignored the bickering warlock and fairy, and focused on joining with her dragon. Background noise faded and relief flooded her the moment she felt a connection.

  Where are you, Faing?

  The dragon couldn’t speak, but Anika could read his feelings. They were of surprise, love, and then worry.

  Everything is okay. I’m okay, she assured him. The dragon relaxed and showed her, through his eyes, where he was.

  From a high vantage point, Anika swept her gaze over everything he revealed to her. On the ground, a small trail of smoke bumped and twirled its way toward an empty, white gazebo. The inn, where they were standing, was only half a block away. It would only take a heartbeat to get there.

  Thank you, Faing. You’ve been a huge help. You can come back to me.

  After Faing surprised her with a dizzying back flip to change course, Anika severed their connection.

  She opened her eyes and met Drake’s questioning gaze.

  “I know where the magic is heading. Faing showed me.”

  Drake pulled his attention away from her and focused on the sky. “Here comes the dragon now.”

  Ginger let out an excited squeal as Faing dive-bombed inside Anika’s pocket.

  Before she knew it, tremors buzzed the bottom of Anika’s feet. It was a sudden quake that radiated from the earth. An ear-splitting crack and then a grinding noise rang out. After another boom, she shot forward. She knew exactly where to find the source of that sound.

  Drake followed swiftly behind her, his boots tearing up the little distance between them. Anika came to a stop at the top step of a large, round gazebo.

  The magic they’d been chasing had recently been there, leaving a tiny monster in its wake. A fuzzy ball of blue hair sat smack dab in the middle of a pile of wood planks. The tip of a fuzzy ear flopped over the ball of fur’s head, covering one of its large, round eyes. The little monster stared up at them. It didn’t move and was barely even breathing. Then it sprang up from its crouch and landed on a pair of fur-covered, human-like feet. Its feet seemed rather big for the rest of its three-foot-tall body, and so did its black eyes and blunt teeth.

  “Are you the ones who summoned me?” it asked.

  Anika didn’t get afraid that often, but the cute monster, which seemingly sprung up from the earth, did scare her. Not because of the way it looked, even though the cutest and smallest things could easily be the deadliest of predators, but because she knew what kind of creature it was—an Imp. Part demon and part fairy. The little creature could hold two forms: that cute, approachable one, and one with a more human-like appearance. That was a mess her broom could not easily sweep away, because the magic didn’t create it. It had somehow summoned a true-to-life demon.

  Drake spoke up first. “You’ve been summoned by accident, Imp. So turn around and scurry back down the hell-mouth you spewed from.”

  With a serene look, the Imp replied evenly, “I would never return to that place of my own will. It’s hot and stifling down in the fiery pits of Hell. Besides, my ride up was a one-way trip. I’m stuck here, at the mercy of whoever summoned me. And warlock, my name is not Imp, it’s Cerin.”

  Under the cover of the gazebo, Ginger was able to crawl out from behind Drake’s jacket. She peeked around the edge first, and then fluttered to his shoulder. “What is that?” she asked, pointing at the Imp with wide eyes.

  “Not now, mosquito,” Drake whispered.

  The fairy crossed her arms and huffed.

  It’s strange, how she stays glued to Drake’s side, considering how rude he was to her when they first met…and kind of still is. Anika thought.

  Ginger looked up at Anika. “You’re a saint for putting up with this one.”

  Anika stifled a laugh.

  Cerin crinkled his nose and bent forward at the waist, so he could sniff the spot where he’d blasted through the floor of the gazebo. He circled the spot twice and then turned red eyes on Anika.

  “Ah, the magic that beckoned me belongs to you. Well, then, what will you have me do? Eviscerate a sworn enemy? Adorn your body with exquisite jewels? Tell me what your greatest wishes are, and I will provide them to you, for the standard demon price, of course.”

  Anyone with knowledge about demons already knew the cost was always a piece of the bargainer’s soul. It wasn’t long ago that one of her sister-witches, Morgan, tried to deal with a demon. She lost all her soul-light in the process, slowly turning herself into a Dark One with every wish the demon granted her.

  “I’m not interested in making any deals, Cerin. You’re wasting your time.”

  “Interested or not, I am bound to you,” the Imp replied.

  With an abrupt snap, something slapped across Anika’s wrist. Shaken, she watched as a black and silver collar wrapped around the demon’s neck. Her eyes locked onto her own wrist. A black and silver band, one that matched the one around Cerin’s neck, was snaking around it.

  The demon bowed his head. “Mistress.”

  “No…no, no freakin’ way is this happening.” She clawed at the band that was restricting her wrist. It tightened by the second, securi
ng its place underneath her right wrist. The bracelet was made out of some kind of foreign material, a substance that was stronger than anything she had ever known, so yanking and clawing at it proved useless.

  Drake took her hand in his, glaring daggers at the demon that bowed before Anika. Frantic, his probing fingers slipped underneath the band, feeling around for a hidden clasp or a weak spot. He found nothing. “What the hell kind of contraption is this, demon?” Drake yelled.

  Without so much as a flinch at the venom in Drake’s voice, the Imp rose to his feet. “They’re covenant bands. They won’t come off until I have fulfilled my contractual obligation with the person who summoned me. Until such time, I am bound to do their bidding.”

  Anika’s thoughts swirled back to Morgan, and how the once-vibrant and kind witch turned dark and evil. There was no way she would choose to walk down the same path as her sister-witch, to destroy her goodness for the sake of wishes. But it seemed that she was trapped, and there wasn’t a damn thing she or anyone else could do about it. But even trapped as she was, not a single soul there could make her ask the Imp for anything.

  Heart pounding, Anika made up her mind. “I won’t do it. I will ask nothing of you.”

  The fuzzy, blue demon shook violently, his fur melted away, and his eyes went from being large and round, to slashing into small, oval slits. As his body stopped moving, an attractive, young man replaced the monster that had stood before them. Shock blanked Anika’s mind. It was the first time she’d ever witnessed a demon-shift. The fizzy remnants of it made the peach fuzz at the back of her neck stand on end.

  Cerin grinned, the action showing off his dimples, as well as a pair of straight, white teeth. “I always get my witches.”

  Then in a snap, he vanished.

  Chapter Eleven

  I’m screwed, Anika thought in a shock of burning fear. There was no way, one that she knew of, anyway, to shake a bound demon, but that unfortunate detail didn’t matter. Her resolve was firm. She would stay clear of the Imp until she found a way to be rid of him. She glanced at the cuff around her wrist. She talked a big game, but deep down, she couldn’t help worrying.

  “We’ll fix this. I promise, darlin’. No demon in Hell or on earth can lay claim to your soul. Not while I’m still breathing.”

  She looked into Drake’s wide eyes. He was concerned, pissed off, and so sure of what he said. He made Anika want to believe that above all odds, he could shield her from anything. Drake was full of resolve—a determined man. That fact helped steady her, but Anika had a feeling that it wouldn’t last long.

  Ginger was suddenly in front of her. “That pesky magic of yours just slithered into the diner.”

  Next to her, Drake all but growled. “This ends now.” He took off, walking across the empty street.

  Ginger’s head moved in a slow nod, and her wings quivered. “He sure means business.”

  Anika followed in Drake’s path. Keeping pace, the fairy flew next to her ear.

  “I guess you can say that he has a lot on his mind,” Anika said.

  Yeah, like how he was going to keep her from becoming the same kind of monster he’d been trained to kill on sight, but only after he helped her out of the latest jam she’d dragged him into. She was feeling more and more like the worst kind of high-maintenance girlfriend. It made her worry about his mental health, because what sane person would put up with all her drama?

  * * *

  Drake yanked the chiming door open that led into the Greasy Skillet. A strong aroma of coffee and homemade meatloaf greeted them as they walked over the threshold. At first, everything seemed normal, but then, just like that, the magic wasted no time striking. The inside of the diner began to hum like a tuning fork. A soft, low purr at first, and then it quickly built in tone, morphing into a screeching wail. There were only two customers in the place, both of whom looked wide eyed and frantic. They held their hands cupped over their ears, faces pinched up in post-scream.

  Drake reached behind Anika and grabbed her broom. Her eyes turned to watch as he pushed the button that would change it to full length. He curled his fingers into a firm grip around the shaft, swung it into a sideways arc, and then twirled it a few times in front of his body. He familiarized himself with the new-to-him weapon much like one would with a long sword. His movements were exact; his skill, apparent.

  Anika heard a burst of nervous laughter behind her. She peeled her eyes from Drake to look over her shoulder at Ginger. “What are you doing? It’s too dangerous for you to be out in plain sight! Find a hiding spot before you’re destroyed!” Anika yelled over the racket filling the diner.

  Ginger nodded before saying, “Or even worse than that, I could be turned back into a human.”

  Faing poked his head out of Anika’s pocket and roared. Ginger took it as an invitation and zipped inside with him.

  With both of them tucked away, Anika was left with only the malevolence to worry about…or not.

  Several tables had already been pushed out of the way before Drake stalked across the hardwood floor. Anika watched with admiration as he held the broom in a fierce grip at his side. Fury blazed like an inferno in his eyes as he hunted the last of the magic. When he reached the couple, he frowned and then nodded at them to stay put. The way their bodies trembled, with their hands still covering their ears, it was a sure bet, they’d obey.

  Suddenly, Anika saw the magic. It was curled up underneath a barstool at the breakfast counter.

  “Over there!” Anika yelled to Drake.

  His head snapped around, and he lurched forward in that direction.

  She stood in place, watching the warlock as he crossed the room. His eyes were transfixed, his face blank. He was completely focused, determined to be rid of the threat.

  The muffled sound of voices came from the vicinity of her pocket.

  “Be quiet,” Anika whispered into her chest. The voices abruptly stopped.

  The closer Drake came to the coiling plume, the more the sound filling the room grew. When it hit a pitch so great that it threatened to bring Anika to her knees, the couple in the corner let out a bone-chilling scream before toppling into a pile on the floor. And then Anika did fall, her knees slamming to the ground with enough force to bruise. Tears stung her eyes, and she struggled for her next breath.

  Barely affected by the sudden rise in pitch, Drake jumped over the last few feet that separated him from the malevolence. As he soared through the empty space, he swiped down hard with the broom. When the bristles passed through the smoke, Anika could have sworn she heard an agonized groan as the magic popped and fizzed out.

  The noise in the restaurant stopped. Anika shook her head, the utter quiet leaving her ears a ringing mess. “Is it over?” she asked, pushing herself to her feet.

  Ginger poked her head from the pocket and twitched her nose. “It smells like rotten eggs.”

  Oddly enough, that smell was a good sign. It was the evil being snuffed out. Dark magic smelled vile, a reflection of the soul that created it. And even though the malevolence initially started as Anika’s magic, the moment Tamra tossed the charm into the witch’s brew, she became responsible for it, since it was her hand that had introduced the final component to cast the evil spell. So the darkness would exact its price against Tamra’s soul, not Anika’s. She let out a relieved breath. It was finally over.

  * * *

  Anika took a long sip of coffee. The warmth of it helped chase away the chill from the night.

  “Are you ready to head back to the manor?” Drake asked her as he finished erasing the memories from the couple’s minds. He had also made sure to heal all their wounds. They’d roused petrified and in shock shortly after Drake eliminated the rest of the wild magic.

  She paused to take another sip before answering, “I just need a couple more minutes. I’m trying to figure out how to explain all this to the High Priestess.”

  Drake sat down on a stool next to her. “The truth is always a good option.”
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br />   “Yeah, I suppose I’ll go with that.” Another gulp slipped down her throat, and she softly moaned.

  He rubbed his hand through his tousled hair. “I’ll be there with you, darlin’. If it gets too heavy, I’ll soften the old bitty up for you.”

  The funny thing about that was he actually could put the High Priestess in a better mood; he had plenty of practice at it, being that she was his mother.

  “Ah, shit,” he said, frowning.

  “What?” Anika’s head swiveled in all directions.

  “I forgot about the cook and the waitress. They were in the back when the shit hit the fan. I better go put a whammy on them.” He hopped from his stool. “Are you good here for a minute?”

  She lifted her cup and smiled. “I’m perfect. Go take care of business.”

  He gave her a dimple-popping grin and then disappeared behind a door that led to the rear of the building.

  “What am I supposed to do?”

  The question came from Ginger. She was sitting on top of a napkin dispenser off to the left. She had her tiny, doll-like legs crossed, her pointy chin nestled in her palm. The fairy looked sad, the way her brows came together and her lips rounded in a pout.

  Anika reached to her right and grabbed the pot of coffee she had taken from behind the counter. Desperate times had called for desperate measures. Coffee made everything better.

  “If you’ll have me, I was hoping you’d come and stay with me.”

  “Shut up!” Ginger squealed. “I can live with you? Really?”

  “Yeah.” Anika laughed. “I’d love to have you.”

  She really meant it, too. The fairy was a sweetheart and a joy to be around. Besides, Faing seemed fond of her, which was rare. He disliked everybody, but Anika.

  Suddenly, Anika realized the time. She pushed off the stool, her cup of coffee still in hand. “We have to go…now.”

  Ginger’s wings blurred, propelling her into flight. “Should I go tell your beefcake to get a move on?”