by Maya Daniels
Dark Ambitions
Brigit Grey's Misfortunes Series
Maya Daniels
A R Johnston
Copyright © 2021 by Maya Daniels. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2021 by A.R. Johnston. All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This book is a work of fiction. Any references, real places, real events, or real persons names and/or persona are used fictitiously. Everything in this story comes from the author’s imagination and any similarities, whatsoever, with events both past and present, or persons living or dead, are purely coincidental.
Cover design by Jessica Allain, Enchanted Whispers Art
Edited by Cassandra Fear
If you are unable to order paperback copy of this book from your local bookseller, you may contact the author at [email protected] or visit the website
www.authormayadaniels.com
Contents
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
From the Author
From the Author
Also by Maya Daniels
Also by A.R. Johnston
About Maya Daniels
About A.R. Johnston
1
There was no hole deep enough to swallow me.
And I couldn’t hide in the shadows forever, even if they loved me.
Even if I wanted nothing more than to be invisible, I had to make an appearance for pub night, which happened every single Friday. Over the years, I’d learned that staying away from people and only making an occasional appearance made me even more memorable. They paid more attention to that kind of shit. But showing up often, being visible to the eyes of others made me blend in with the furniture and seem ordinary. Nobody ever thought a normal person was anything other than … well, normal.
It was the way I liked things. Melting into the background was what I worked at, and I did a damn good job at it so far, if I could say so myself.
Opening the door to the local pub, the bell rattling frantically announced my entrance. The place was even more crowded than normal, and as I sashayed inside, many eyes turned to me, taking in my black leather but dismissing me at the same instant as one of the many who drowned their sorrows in this hole. I didn’t focus on anyone in particular, keeping my gaze locked straight as I hightailed it to the bar, parking on a stool with a faded pillow-like top.
“What’ll it be tonight, Brig?” the bartender, Pete, asked me, moving across from me and planting his elbows on the mahogany counter.
Matching his stance and leaning forward, I plastered a bright smile on my face. “The usual.”
“Of course. Do you ever order anything else?” he drawled, turning to make my drink with a shake of his head.
“Nope. Why fix something that isn’t broken?” Peering over my shoulder to take in the crowd, I muttered under my breath. Lots of regulars sat at the tables scattered through the large room, and there were quite a few newbies looking uncomfortable as hell, as if anyone gave a damn why they were clinging to their poison of choice like someone was about to steal it from them. I’m glad the pub was getting more business, though. It had been touch and go for a bit.
“Here you go, m’lady” he sassed, sliding a tall glass filled to the brim with brown liquid in front of me. I took a sip, smacking my lips loudly just to be an ass and make him grin.
“Just as good as always.”
Pete’s grin widened from the compliment. Truth be told, we went way back. I met him the first time I came to this pub, and we’d chatted every single Friday since. He never had one off. Either way, I enjoyed talking to him, although it took me some time to warm up to anyone, and he was no exception. He was a decent guy. Single, no family, but loads of friends.
Everyone loved Pete.
I figured that was because he made a damn good Long Island Iced Tea. Which happened to be my “usual.”
“Sweet Home Alabama” blared from the jukebox, and my eyes widened. It was my favorite song.
“Be right back, Pete. This is my jam.”
He winked, and I twirled on the stool, hopping off and rushing to the small space they called a dance floor, wedging between the many people already there. This was why I loved this place. My body took over, and I swayed and jumped, throwing my hands up and probably looking more like I was having a seizure than anything else. Not that I cared. Nobody else gave a damn either, which was perfect.
The song ended, and I plopped back on my stool at the bar, slamming back my drink in one long gulp. “Thanks, Pete. Been a pleasure, as always.”
“Leaving already?” he raised an eyebrow in question, and I could’ve sworn there were tinges of disappointment in the tone of his voice.
Tilting one corner of my mouth toward the rustic wooden ceiling, I met his eyes with what I assumed was a seductive, half-lidded gaze. “Yup. Gotta keep ‘em wanting more.” With a chuckle, I slapped some bills on the counter and took off, Pete’s laughter following in my wake.
Outside, I blew out a long breath. The crowd always spiked my anxiety, but I’d learned how to hide it. Now, however, alone with only the darkness as my companion, I came alive. The soles of my feet clipped the pavement at a fast pace as I tucked loose strands of my long black hair behind my ear, yanking the collar of my jacket higher. The chilly fall evening had me shivering, so I shoved my hands into the pockets, clenching them tightly. If my hands and feet were warm, the rest of me followed suit. Passing pedestrians on the street, I moved around them like a breeze, and they didn’t even take notice of me. I was part of the shadows people feared, so they were smart to keep their distance, their minds warning them of danger they were not consciously aware of. My own mind cleared, and I hummed a familiar tune that had been stuck in my head for as long as I could remember, though I had no idea where it come from.
All in all, the evening went great. I’d actually had a good time, and I didn’t have a care in the world.
Until a scream froze me in my tracks.
It came from the alley I’d just passed, so, like an idiot, I doubled back, halting to the side of the opening that led into the alley. Back pressed to the wall of the building, I darted my head to take a peek and assess the situation.
“Get your hands off me,” a female voice cried, and I could tell she was more than pissed by her tone alone, although it was clear in the way she kicked at her attacker, too, her dainty foot going straight for the shin.
“There’s no sense in fighting. The binding spell will hold you either way, so just stop struggling and come with us,” a male snarled.
Walk away Brigit. Just walk away. You don’t need this kind of trouble. You’re trying to stay under the radar, not to become the main circus attraction.
“You can’t do this, you jerk!” the woman’s voice shrieked,
and she stumbled in her high-heeled boots when one of the men snatched her arm and jerked her toward the other end of the alley. Squinting, I could just see the outline of what looked like a van waiting there.
This was bad. Like major clusterfuck bad with all the bells and whistles attached.
Which meant there was no way my stupid ass was turning away now.
“Stop fucking fighting,” the male snapped, his arm rearing back right before his open palm connected to her face with a booming smack that bounced off the walls. The girl fell to the ground in a heap, blood trickling down her chin.
Oh hell no.
There were two of them beside the girl, and probably at least a couple more inside the van. Nothing I couldn’t handle, but I needed to figure out a way to do this without getting caught. I knew what would work, and although reluctant at first, I couldn’t let these assholes get away with what they were doing.
The shadows.
It was the only way.
Slipping into their embrace, I breathed deep as they wrapped their comforting arms around me like a warm bath. My back tingled, and I let out a contented sigh, feeling more at home here than where I slept every night. The idea of shooting to the other end of the alley and taking the attackers out before they even knew what hit them appealed to me, but I couldn’t. It would bring too much attention to me, so I had to be stealthy.
Decision made, I inched through the shadows on the balls of my feet, cutting the distance between me and the not-so-joyful gathering on the other end until I could clearly see every detail of what was happening.
The second man, who looked more like a jacked-up professional wrestler than a kidnapper, paused, his is eyes darting around the alley as if he sensed my presence.
I froze.
“What now?” the other man huffed, irritation clear in his voice as he dragged the poor woman over the pavement in his attempt to get her off the ground.
“There is something here. I feel it,” he said simply, squinting hard at the dark corners of the alley.
“Are you serious right now? You getting paranoid? There’s nothing. Just leave it be,” the other guy snapped, yanking the girl off the ground by her arms and wrenching them behind her back so he could push her in front of him.
Truthfully, even if I’d had time to prepare, I wouldn’t have seen what happened next coming.
The man stared right at me as if he could see me, though I knew that was impossible. I was invisible to everyone, after all. Clenching his hand into a fist, he opened it, a ball of magic forming in his palm, growing by the second. The moment he released it, it barreled toward me, aimed high over my head. Yellow light slammed into the brick wall behind me with a resounding boom, sparks showering over me until I was glowing like a freaking Christmas tree at the strike of midnight.
Both men stared straight at me, one with eyes bulging out of their sockets and the magic-thrower with a knowing smirk.
I grinned.
“Well, that went south real fast.”
2
A split second passed where I was completely frozen, the men staring at me, their gazes intent and as cold as ice. I didn’t think, then. No, I moved.
And I moved fast.
Pulling on the shadows, I tried wrapping them around me again, but whatever magic the ass used made them slippery like melted butter. They fell away almost as fast as I’d gotten myself hidden, regardless of how hard I pulled on my magic.
A groan from the woman echoed through the alley, and I focused on her from the corner of my eye. The other man, though gaping at me as if I’d grown two heads and spikes, was pummeling the girl while yanking on her, trying to hurry her into the van.
No, sir. I don’t think so.
A ball of magic torpedoed at my head, scraping the side of my face and hair. Pain erupted from the spot, and for a moment, I was unable to do much but blink. An unexpected scream ripped from my throat, and I dropped to my knees, grabbing my head. The smell of burnt hair permeated the air, and I didn’t even want to think about what I looked like.
“I will destroy you,” the man hissed like a snake, inching forward with a crooked grin stretching his lips.
Honestly, he might, and I wouldn’t have anyone to blame but myself. I was too busy worrying about staying hidden that the craptastic plan I’d formulated had done nothing more than get me into a bigger mess—one that might just be my undoing.
How stupid could I be?
And why the hell was I wallowing in self-pity when I needed to get my ass up and make sure I lived through the night?
With my newfound motivation, I sprang into action, climbing to my feet. The whizzing sound alerted me to the wave of magic being sent my way, and I ducked and rolled, moving to the other building and pulling on the shadows there, hoping they would answer.
They did.
Flinging my hand forward and opening my palm, the eerie darkness slithered through the space like the living being it was, a cloud of smoke billowing through the air and wrapping around the Magic Mike on the other side. He coughed, clawing at his throat as the fog-like shadows snaked around it, choking him. The darkness spread, stretching to cover every inch of him, and he disappeared as if he had never been there to begin with.
One down. One more to go.
The other man, who was still struggling to get the woman to the van, stared at me in terror with eyes ready to pop out of his skull, so wide that they reminded me of saucers holding a teacup.
As if his sense came back to him, he flung the girl to the ground so he could face me, while she scrambled to the wall of the alley, watching with keen interest as to how this fight would play out, tears trickling down her face.
I would probably be doing the same if I was in her shoes, and in that moment, as I watched the man building a magic ball the size of the largest bowling ball in the world, I wished I was. But it lasted only for a minute.
Heart hammering faster than humanly possible and knees slightly bent, I waited, and it was probably one of the hardest things I’d ever done. If I didn’t move quick enough, that magic would hit me and probably fry the shit out of me until I was extra crispy recipe, but if I moved too slow … well, I didn’t know what would happen, but I knew it would hurt like a bitch.
So, I took him in. His stocky build made him much larger in size than I was, though his height left a lot to be desired. The short black hair on his small head showcased a pronounced forehead that looked too big compared to his snub nose and thin lips. And the false bravado he sported fooled no one, least of all me.
Mumbling under his breath, he glared, and I strained my ears to hear what in the world he was saying.
“Ah, muttering spells against me, are you?” With a sigh, I straightened and planted my hands on my hips, shaking my head as if disappointed. “Sad that you think that’s going to work.”
My eyes fell to the girl scrunched against the brick wall. Her wide gaze was filled with fear, but there was hope burning there, too—hope that I could save her.
No pressure, Brigit, I thought to myself swallowing thickly.
The man grinned at me before extending his hands in front of him, spreading his legs wide before crouching as if he was doing some complex yoga move.
“Ooh. Look at you go Mr. Yoga Man. Is that a farting pigeon or epileptic flamingo pose? Either way, I’m gonna need you to teach me that shit.” I chuckled, maneuvering the shadows around me and praying he didn’t notice.
His eyes darted here and there as he searched for me, finally giving up and blowing out a frustrated breath. “The shadows can’t hide your forever.”
“Actually, yes they can.” He didn’t need to think anything different, but truth be told, I had no idea how long they would keep me in the dark, sort of speak.
At that moment, to add to the shit show, men piled out of the van, and there were many more than I’d originally counted on. Filing toward the woman on the ground, I kept an eye on them and made a decision, creeping through my cover until I stood n
ext to Yoga man. Letting the shadows fall away from me, I revealed myself.
“I would never hide from a good fight anyways.” I startled the crap out of him and lunged forward, taking him to the ground where I straddled him and plopping on his chest. Wrapping my magic around my fingers, I let it mold like brass knuckles as I pummeled his face, over and over again without letting up.
I didn’t realize his hand was moving until a bolt of his yellow magic zapped me in the side, and it was as if he’d stabbed me straight through my ribs and cut me in half. Pain erupted instantly, knocking me to the side as I gasped desperately for air. I heaved, trying and failing to drag enough oxygen in, but my lungs were shriveling and I couldn’t breathe. I listed sideways and fell to the ground, the man taking advantage of it as he punched me straight in the jaw. Agony tore through me from every orifice, screaming through my veins until I felt like I was going to explode. Ears ringing and tears stinging my eyes, I did everything not to pass out.
This was it; I just knew it.
I saw my death in his dark eyes, and it didn’t look like a pleasant one.
Not for me at least.
I couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe, and definitely had no hopes of getting out of this alive. Excitement beamed from the man as his gaze with a manic glint held mine. “Not so tough after all, are ya little girl?”
Men swarmed me.
All I saw were their faces circling above me like vultures. Reaching for my shadows did absolutely nothing. I was too weak from whatever magic the asshole hit me with. Closing my eyes, I released a sigh that was wrenched from the deepest corner of my soul. I didn’t want to face what I knew was coming. My death would not be without pain, his eyes told me as much.
