A new email from Josef caught Kristoff’s attention.
There was an attachment.
He hoped it was good news. Kristoff needed something to lure him out of his foul mood.
His eyes widened as he stared at the picture on the screen.
Big blue eyes under dark lashes looked back at him. A bright smile almost warmed the coldness of his heart. Jet black hair framed the face of the goddess on the screen. Pale skin sprinkled with delicate freckles and full lips the color of carnations stirred something in his belly, a feeling he hadn't experienced in a long time.
Willa Avery.
Kristoff swallowed, renewed feelings resurfacing as he gazed at her beauty. His hopes were confirmed. The email was real. Willa Avery had returned from wherever it was that she had vanished.
The one woman he had loved.
The girl he had lost.
.
Chapter 5
“AND WHERE HAVE you been, little Willow?" Gemma waited in the kitchen dressed in nothing but boxer shorts and a bra.
Drew stood behind her as bacon crackled on the small stove.
The smell turned Willa's stomach, making her cover her nose with her coat's sleeve.
Animal flesh. Disgusting.
"Why do you care?"
Gemma grinned, giving Drew a nudge. "She's always so moody."
"I'm not moody." Willa rolled her eyes at Gemma, trying not to think about how much she envied her perfect body and beautiful blonde hair.
No amount of magic could fix Willa’s thin frame. None that she wanted to dabble with that is.
"I just assumed you wouldn't be back until after your holiday," Gemma said, licking a spatula of batter. "Who spends their holiday at home? Drew and I had plans. You’re lucky I’m wearing any clothes at all."
“Hello, Willa,” Drew said, his eyes fixed on Willa’s bosom as she took off her coat when they should have been looking at his girlfriend.
Gemma looked back at Drew and whispered. “She probably spent the last few nights with that pretty mixed girl. Doing whatever lesbians do when they’re alone.”
Drew shot an interested look at Willa that made her roll her eyes in disgust.
Willa's brows furrowed as she stalked to her bedroom at the back of the flat. She wished she had somewhere else to go. Her full-sized bed was neatly made, a stuffed bear gifted to her from her nieces on top of the lavender comforter.
She pulled her vintage suitcase from under the bed. As she stuffed her favorite bag with essentials, she wondered where she would go. Anywhere would be better than being in the same breathing space as the roommate from hell and her ex-con, drug-dealing, chain-smoking, eyes-wandering boyfriend.
Gemma knew how to pick a winner.
An idea popped into her mind. She took out her cell phone and Skyped an old friend.
More than a friend, she called her cousin, Stephanie.
"Holy hell. Is that you, Willa?"
Willa grinned at Stephanie's charming Charleston accent. The one time Stephanie had visited her in England since moving to the states, all of the blokes loved her southern drawl. They’d never guess that Stephanie was born and raised in the English countryside.
One hundred years ago.
"It's me," Willa said. She peered closer at Stephanie's image on the screen. "You cut your hair!"
"I did," Stephanie said, primping her short blonde bob. It made her small brown eyes look bigger. “I feel like every ten years I need a drastic change. After having the girls, I was desperate for a fresh new look. You're looking good. Pale...but good."
Laughing, Willa packed her highest pair of heels and zipped the suitcase closed.
“Like when you shaved half your head in the eighties?”
“Exactly. We all have our moments,” Stephanie confessed.
"I'll be in town soon. I need a break. Could I stay with you and the girls? I haven't seen them in ages."
"Of course! I just redid the sunroom. It's gorgeous this time of year. We need to catch up, girl. Just give me a holler when you find out when your flight lands. Kate, Chloe and I will scoop you up. You won't believe those two! Twelve going on twenty-two!"
Willa nodded, already feeling much better.
"Thank you, Stephanie."
"Anytime, love!"
Willa glanced out her window.
The smell of something familiar caught her attention as she watched storm clouds glide across the sky outside her balcony window.
She noticed something was different about her room. A plain, white envelope lay on her pillow.
Reaching to open it, she heard Gemma let out a loud yelp from the other room. A thud that followed gave her a start.
She froze at the sound of Gemma's wail of pain.
"You stupid slag,” Drew hissed through what sounded like clenched teeth. “Who have you been texting behind my back?"
"Calm down, Drew. It's my mum. I swear. She has a new number, and I haven't saved it in my phone yet!"
"Lying whore."
More thuds.
Crashing dishes.
Cries.
Willa grabbed her bag and locked her bedroom door.
Tiptoeing to the corner of her room, she sat on the floor.
Fear took over. Fear of what she could do. Fear of Lukas’ assault on her body. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to control her breaths.
The air around her started to sizzle as red hot power sparked from her hands. She rubbed them together, willing the rage within to calm and cease.
For a split second, she'd contemplated storming out of her bedroom and making Drew wish he'd never laid eyes on Gemma.
She'd do it.
If she had the courage.
If she wasn’t so broken.
Don't get involved when it isn't your business. Always weigh if it's worth exposing yourself, Willa.
Her mother's words brought fresh tears to her eyes.
She snatched the envelope off her pillow. She needed something to take her mind off the commotion outside her door.
"Willa Avery. You and three guests are invited to Lord Dargaard's Estate in Charleston, SC for the annual Summer Solstice Ball. Cocktail attire only."
Willa's face paled.
Lord Dargaard.
“Kristoff,” she whispered. The invitation was his response to her email. He wanted to see her.
Tears pooled in her eyes. This was her chance to not only create an alliance against a common foe but to reclaim her place in his heart.
Did he even know that she was forced to stay away from him for almost a century?
She closed her eyes, pressing the invitation to her chest. The ball was tomorrow night.
Who put that envelope on top of her pillow?
The realization came to her and her lips curled into a knowing smile. The man in front of the tube.
Good lord, he was quick.
Willa’s eyes opened to give her room another scan for any more clues. That scent in the air became even more familiar.
A vampire had been in her room. At least, this time, it was one of Kristoff’s associates. The front door of her flat slammed closed, and silence followed.
A quick closing of her eyes sent a thread of magic outside to check if she was alone.
Gemma was a genuinely confused woman. She left with Drew.
Willa couldn’t blame her. Only years ago she’d done the same. She followed her abuser around the world, desperate for any shred of kindness he was willing to offer. She’d never be that weak again.
Willa shook her head and pulled her cell from her pocket.
“Everything okay?” Zoe sounded as though she were out of breath.
“What are you doing?”
Zoe cleared her throat and lowered her voice. “Daniel is here. What’s going on?”
“We are going to Charleston, South Carolina.”
“Are we now? I’m always up for an adventure. When are we going?”
Willa sat at her computer and searched for fligh
ts. “Tomorrow morning.”
“I’ll be ready,” Zoe said.
“Good,” Willa said, tapping her nails on the white desktop. Her power started to settle to a low hum, slowly climbing from her fingers to her wrist in red tendrils of light. “I hope you’ve been practicing your Casting skills. We have work to do.”
Zoe’s little chuckle sent shivers up Willa’s spine. Delicious ones. “You know I have. I do love it when you talk dirty.”
Chapter 6
SUN SERUM 99.
The cure.
Well, that’s what the humans were calling it, but Kristoff knew better. There was no cure for the curse that afflicted the vampire race. No going back to being a carefree human lord with the most beautiful fiancé in the world.
Lukas took that from him.
He stared at the vial of white liquid, conflicted about its power and what it could do to everything he’d known for the past century. Before he had been turned into a vampire, he’d taken the sun for granted. Now, he could leave the shadows and bask in its holy glow once again.
Such power was a game changer. In the wrong hands, it could destroy world order.
Now, it was in the hands of any wealthy vampire.
“Is there anything else I can do for you, sir?” The attendant kept her eyes low as she took Kristoff’s empty glass of blood away from his table.
“Another glass,” he said with a friendly smile that disarmed her.
He wondered why the Warrick sisters had such timid humans working for them. They reeked of fear.
Glancing at the two tall women that stood at the back of the room in their matching black and white dresses, Kristoff hid his dread for having been summoned for another public appearance this week. It was his job to represent the entire Vampire Nation’s southern district. Still, it was a daunting task always to be on. Not even the king of the west coast was seen as much as Kristoff.
King Lukas was rarely seen at all. Perhaps it was for the best. One look at the evil that ruled the west side of the world and the humans would never trust the vampires again. And to think, Lukas had once been Kristoff’s best friend.
He frowned at the dark memories when someone called him, breaking him from his thoughts.
“Kristoff,” Kira Warrick called when their eyes met.
A big smile came to her painted red lips as he strode over to the small group. Today she had her hair colored green. It was always a new experiment with her. Kristoff supposed he understood her quest for originality. She would always look the same. Never age. Never die.
“The mayor claims you beat him at chess last fall,” Kira said.
Kristoff rubbed his chin, a charming smile forming for his audience. He knew how to captivate the masses. “Everyone knows Mayor Wood is a dirty liar,” Kristoff said with a chuckle.
He stood in the half-circle formed by Kira Warrick, Eloise Warrick, and Mayor Wood as they held their champagne glasses.
Only the Mayor had actual champagne while the vampires in attendance drank the finest Charleston blood to be farmed.
Mayor Wilson Wood, a tanned man in his early sixties with gray hair and narrow blue eyes gave Kristoff a pat on the back. He was a real southern gentleman, serious about his golf, barbecue, and football.
“When it’s my word against this pretty boy’s, no one will take my side,” Mayor Wood said, a genuine grin on his face.
Kristoff nodded. “This is true.”
“Cheers,” Eloise said, lifting her glass. “To the vampire and human alliance.”
What a stupid toast, Kristoff thought, his smile never faltering.
They clinked their glasses together.
Kristoff drank his down, noting how delicate that alliance was. It could be destroyed at any time. All it would take was a highly publicized killing of a human by one of his brethren.
A server came by and offered them all chocolate dipped strawberries. Kristoff took two, handing his empty glass to the server. Chocolate was still one of his favorite delicacies.
“So,” Kira said, her brown eyes fixed on Kristoff’s mouth as he licked his lips of the rich milk chocolate. She swallowed.
Kristoff could only imagine what went through her mind, but read the apparent desire in her lustful eyes.
He raised a brow, feigning that he didn’t notice how she stared at his lips. “Yes?”
She cleared her throat. “When are you going to finally take a bride?”
Kristoff scoffed. “Finally? Who is keeping track? Who says that I need to?”
“Well said,” Wilson chimed in. He gave Kristoff another pat on the back.
Humans and their need to touch each other all of the time.
Wilson opened his arms. “Why settle when you have dozens of beautiful women at your beck and call?”
“Why indeed,” Mrs. Wood said as she approached them. She folded her arms across her gray dress suit and gave Kristoff a wink.
For a human, he liked Mrs. Wood. Even though she was technically younger than him, she reminded Kristoff of his mother. Kristoff had become good friends with the Wood family. They worked closely to improve vampire and human relations in Charleston.
Wilson chuckled. “I was just about to tell Kristoff how much better life was with the right woman.”
“I’m sure you were,” she said, making the Warrick sisters hold in their laughter.
They didn’t know Paula Wood like Kristoff. The sweet older woman was joking. She and her husband seemed to have the perfect marriage, one that Kristoff envied. He’d proposed before, with all of the visions of a happily ever after with the woman he loved. Lukas stole that from him when he took away his humanity and turned him into a vampire.
“You don’t believe me? Kristoff and I just had a conversation about this the other day,” Wilson said. “Apparently he’s already met the perfect women, and lost her.”
Kristoff didn’t flinch, but he wanted to pick Wilson Wood up by his neck and toss him out the window.
Bloody Americans can’t keep their mouths shut.
Kristoff couldn’t be too upset. What Wilson said was true.
A small smile came to his face. She would arrive shortly. Maybe he would have another chance.
That’s all he wanted.
Chapter 7
“DON’T SAY ANOTHER word, Willa,” Lukas said, his grip tight on Willa’s wrist as they stood in the hallway of the lab.
The group of scientists turned the other way when they heard his tone, and Willa cursed them for not having the courage to stand up for her. No matter what Lukas did to her, no one ever said a thing.
Not since Kristoff.
Fear flashed in her eyes as she nodded, too afraid to speak or take her hand back. The burn of his fingers digging into her flesh made her bite her lip in pain.
Willa had to obey. Silence had become her greatest ally since Lukas kidnapped her so long ago.
Willa was a witch of the highest class, and yet Lukas’ power over her was stronger than her form of magic.
Lukas stood tall, with a firm athletic body under his expensive black suit. His blond hair brushed his shoulders, and he smoothed it back. He had to compose himself before leaving the underground lab. The world couldn’t see their vampire king without his perfect, charming smile.
Willa wished she could convince him to let her go. The only way she would ever be free was to shut her mouth and follow his commands. She had to stay alive long enough to escape.
“Stop standing there looking at me like a lost puppy,” he said with an amused look on his face. “Go back to the lab and test the serum on the test subjects.”
Despite her overwhelming fear of the vampire before her, Willa had to speak up.
“I’m not a murderer, Lukas. And if I test more subjects they will die,” she said, her voice trembling.
She didn’t want to kill another vampire. Not after ninety-eight tries.
Those were ninety-eight lost souls Willa was responsible for.
Green eyes filled with fury,
glared at her. She began to shake before he even lifted a finger. A firm smack on her left cheek made her head snap with such force she was afraid that her jaw was broken.
Unlike a vampire, she didn’t regenerate as quickly.
She bit back tears. If one slipped from her eyes, his wrath would intensify.
Willa nodded, the tears burning her eyes. Her heart pounded in her chest as she willed them to stay put until she was out of Lukas’ sight.
When she turned to leave, he yanked her back by her wrist, slamming her into his hard chest. She held her breath as his white fingers dug into her cheeks. Holding her steady, he kissed her.
The kiss sickened her, and when he pulled back, he could see the disgust in her eyes.
The beating that followed had nearly claimed her life.
And it took a lot to kill a Grand Elite Caster, the only immortal witches to walk the earth.
***
Sparks flew when Willa opened her eyes. She covered her mouth with her hands as the bright popping lights fizzled in the pitch black of her bedroom.
She squeezed her eyes closed and tried to forget the screams that lingered. Her screams.
“Calm down, Willa,” she told herself as tears streamed down her cold cheeks. “It was just a dream.”
When she opened her eyes, her body absorbed the light, sucking it into her skin, warming her to the point that she ripped off her panties and bra. Silence filled her ears as she focused on controlling her breathing and her power.
A witch such as Willa, couldn’t afford to let her magic get out of control.
She stood from her bed and ran to her bathroom. She turned on her shower and stepped inside, letting the cold water cool her.
Pressing her hands against the wall, she let the water fall at full blast.
Did he know what she was planning? Was that nightmare a warning of more pain and humiliation to come?
Lukas still haunted her, despite being free from him for nearly two years.
She shook at the idea that he had found her. Holding her arms close, she slid to the floor of the bathtub.
Paranormal Magic (Shades of Prey Book 1) Page 129
