Midnight Shaman, Fire Witch
by Serenity Woods
Midnight Shaman, Fire Witch
Text copyright 2012 Serenity Woods
All Rights Reserved
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is coincidental.
Also Available by Serenity Woods
Black Hawke Down
Surrender Your Heart
Something Blue
White-Hot Christmas
An Uncommon Sense
Come Rain or Come Shine (anthology)
Stranded with a Scotsman
Remember Me
Seven Sexy Sins
Coming Soon
Whistling Dixie
Making Sense
Mr. Insatiable
Six Naughty Nights
Reviews for some of Serenity’s other books
Black Hawke Down (an excerpt is provided at the back of this book)
“Black Hawke Down by Serenity Woods is the best short story I've ever read.”—Two Lips Reviews
An Uncommon Sense (an excerpt is provided at the back of this book)
“This book was an unexpected delight… I’ve never read a book quite like this one and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Hats off to Serenity for a completely romantic read!”—Close Encounters with the Night Kind
Seven Sexy Sins
“Seven Sexy Sins by Serenity Woods is the epitome of perfection in a friends turned lovers novel. With the humor, hot sex, and chocolate a plenty, you will not be able to resist this absolutely delicious story… [It] kept me up late into the night, and even after I finished it, I still couldn’t go to sleep due to the humongous smile that wouldn’t leave my face.”—Sizzling Hot Book Reviews
White-Hot Christmas
“Highly recommended”—Library Journal’s XPress Reviews (their first ever starred review of a digital-first book)
To Tony and Chris, my Kiwi boys
Chapter One
Before he even saw her, Damien sensed her as a powerful pulse of energy across the dance floor. It vibrated up through him, unmistakable in spite of the pounding music, the hundreds of bodies moving in rhythm, and the dark atmosphere. He inhaled sharply, caught off guard as his blood rushed with the sensation. It had been a long time since he’d felt a surge as intense as that. Leaning on the railing of the raised balcony that ran around the nightclub, he scanned the crowd with impatient eyes.
He’d been tracking her for days, a task that had soon turned from an interesting diversion into an obsession. Her power intrigued him and made him uneasy in equal measure. Did she belong to a coven? None he’d spoken to had admitted to knowing her. Having a renegade witch on the loose—especially such a powerful one—could be disastrous in the current climate. He had to find her, and soon, before the vampire he also hunted tracked her down.
He studied the people dancing below him, bodies bouncing to the insistent beat of the music. He could feel her, but trying to pinpoint her location with the energy of everyone else interfering had proved as difficult as picking out a song from a hundred iPods playing at the same time. He could only think of one way guaranteed to be successful.
He looked to his left and right, making sure nobody was watching him, and then closed his eyes. Surreptitiously, he touched a finger to the spot between his eyebrows, opening up his portal to the otherworlds.
A surge of power shot through him from the crown of his head down through his chakras, those spinning vortexes sending strands of energy racing to the ends of his fingers and the tips of his toes. Sexual energy flooded him, hot and fierce—a by-product of opening the portal, but as a skilled channeller, he suppressed it easily, like calming a wild cat.
Speaking of wild animals… He opened his eyes and saw Storm sitting by his feet, watching him with his glowing yellow gaze. He nodded to the wolf, who stood, ready to move. His animal spirit guide shivered, his white coat shimmering in the laser lights from the stage.
“I know,” Damien whispered, so as not to draw attention to himself. “I can feel her too.”
He looked down once again at the dance floor. To his eyes, the room now shimmered with light, every person surrounded by their vivid auras, which glowed a rainbow of colours from dark greens and blues to vibrant pinks and yellows depending on their mood. He scanned the crowd, searching for the girl. She was close—he could feel it in the pulse of his blood, in the throb at his temples, like sensing thunder in the air.
And then he saw her, dancing toward the back of the floor, in the darkest part of the room. Small and slim, she had shining dark hair that swayed like a silk curtain as she turned her head from side to side with the music. Storm alerted, and Damien knew the wolf had seen her too. He watched her for a moment, the teacher in him studying the way her power manifested, the man in him examining the curve of her breasts and hips. She wasn’t the prettiest woman on the dance floor—there were others far more voluptuous, and with much finer features. She had a wide mouth, which shone with gloss in the flashing lights, and an almost boyish figure, her breasts small and high. Her clothing didn’t particularly attract attention either—she wore a red T-shirt and dark jeans, by no means the most revealing, expensive, or fashionable clothes on display.
And yet she drew the eyes of all those around her. Both men and women cast sidelong glances at her, and he smiled as he surveyed her aura. Larger than everyone else’s in the room and much brighter, it swirled with orange and scarlet, like two pots of oily paint left to mix and blend. As he watched, it pulsed with gold, and now the ripples of the pulse washed over him in a wave, and he shuddered. The dancers near her felt it too, glancing around as if looking for a draught, confused by the feelings she aroused in them. They had no idea she attracted them as a magnet attracts iron filings, inexorable as gravity, powerful as a black hole.
He snapped his fingers at Storm, who followed him down the stairs and onto the heaving dance floor. Damien moved quickly, afraid she would sense him coming and disappear. As he reached the back part of the floor, however, he could see her lost in the music, caught in the rising sea of energy from the full moon outside. He weaved through the dancers, his breath coming more quickly as he neared her. Gods, but she was a powerful creature. Pulses of energy continued to flood from her in golden waves in time to the music, and tendrils of smoke-like light snaked from her, wrapping themselves around the legs of those dancing nearby.
Why could they not sense it? It always puzzled him why others couldn’t see the magic when it appeared so clear to him. He paused behind her. She moved sensually, rhythmically, almost in a trance, her aura now a deep red, glowing with sexual energy. Her figure was clearer now—she was young and very slim, but her curves were obvious beneath the tight T-shirt and jeans—a woman’s figure, not a young girl’s.
Heat began to rise within him in spite of his tight self-control. Storm stood in the darkness, watching them, tongue lolling out of one side of his mouth. I know, Damien answered in response to the wolf’s unspoken warning. I’ll be careful. He touched his brow again briefly. The wolf vanished, and the light around him faded, throwing him into darkness.
Kimi was hardly aware of the other people on the dance floor. She’d come alone, intent only on satisfying the irresistible urge to dance. The beat of the music had captivated her completely, and all she could think about was the pulse of it in her blood, the throb of it in her ears. Something was happening, and she didn’t know what to do about it. There had been occasions in her past when she’d been conscious of the sensation of energy rising through her, but a couple of hours
on the dance floor had usually been enough to burn it off. But it had never been this powerful before.
She felt incredibly… What? She ran her hands down her body as she continued to move. Sexy. She was so turned on, it made her breasts ache, and she had a dull throbbing between her thighs. Her heart pounded, and fear rose within her. What was wrong with her? Half of her wanted to head for the nearest door and go home, but her feet seemed leashed to the floor, leaving her only enough room to writhe like a chained animal in heat.
Not really knowing what drove her, or how to direct it, Kimi moved to the beat, turning on the spot as she raised her arms above her head. She nearly danced straight into him—he stood so close behind her. She stopped and gasped, staring at the stranger who watched her so intensely. He wasn’t dancing, seemingly oblivious to the pounding music and the people nearby.
Wow. She ran her gaze down him. Tall, much taller than her, and slim hipped in his dark jeans, he wore a black T-shirt that clung tightly to a powerful chest. An intricate spiral tattoo curled around his left upper arm. His hair was dark blond, closely cropped at the back and sides, brushed up at the front. He was gorgeous, with intense, dark blue eyes and strong, handsome features, a slight hint of stubble on his chin.
Why was he staring at her? Normally she would have told a guy—even such a gorgeous one—who stared at her so boldly to get lost, but under his intense gaze, every cell of her body tingled. Without thinking, she began to move again just inches from his body, winding her shoulders and hips provocatively, heat radiating between them.
Slowly, he began to move with her, echoing her rhythm, his body mirroring hers. His hand came up to rest on her hip, and she shivered, closing her eyes as the music began to overtake her once again. What was with her tonight? She opened her eyes to see him watching her with his dark gaze, and she bit her lip as her breathing quickened. She wanted to press herself against him, to feel his hands running up her body, stroking her breasts. She wanted him to kiss her, to gather her up in his arms, to crush her to him. She had a fever, a terrible thirst, and instinctively she knew only he could quench it.
Desire rose within her, sweeping up through her, flushing her cheeks, and she tipped her head back with a sigh.
When the stream of energy shot from her, she was completely helpless to stop it. It erupted from her forehead like a firebolt, a beam of gold light, hitting him squarely between the eyes.
He swore, loudly. Electricity fired between them, exploding in a shower of sparks where their bodies touched as if she’d pushed her fingers into a live socket. Every inch of her sizzled, and her muscles tensed erotically, making her gasp. The row of coloured light bulbs high above them burst, popping one after the other in a line, scattering glass across the dance floor, and several women screamed. Kimi froze as he grabbed her arm, his face showing his fury. As people began to move away from the broken glass, he strode toward the back entrance of the club, pulling her with him.
Her mind spinning, and having little choice as he had such a tight grip on her arm, Kimi stumbled after him. Her heart thumped and her mouth went dry as he opened the door, taking her outside into the cold, English, October night air.
“Not here,” he snapped, walking away from the busy high street toward a quieter side road.
Kimi tripped along next to him, not sure whether to be frightened or indignant at his aggressiveness. She decided on indignant and opened her mouth to scream blue murder, but as she looked down and saw the white wolf trotting at his heels, her voice vanished. The wolf looked up at her with glowing yellow eyes, and Kimi’s head spun. Who owned a wolf for a pet in London? And what was with the blue sparks that still crackled where the guy held her arm? Did he have a Taser strapped to him or something?
Pulling her into the side street, the man spun her around in his grip so she faced him and pushed her not-so-gently up against the wall, keeping a tight hold on her arm. “What happened in there?” He towered over her, anger making his eyes even darker.
Kimi stared at him, hardly hearing him. She shook with fear, but at the same time, the moonlight that slanted across him in bands of pearly white captivated her gaze. His skin glowed with silver, and his eyes glittered. He was so…fascinating. Something stirred in her blood, something she couldn’t control. The fever she’d felt inside the dance club rose inside her again, and her breathing quickened. She’d never wanted anything more than she wanted him at that moment.
Stepping up to him, she kissed him full on the mouth, desire coursing through her uncontrollably, and she pressed herself against him. Sparks erupted between them, crackling audibly, sizzling her lips, but still she couldn’t stop.
He grasped both her upper arms. She thought he might push her away, but instead he pulled her to him roughly, crushing her to his body. She placed her hands on his chest, touching his firm muscles beneath the T-shirt. His erection pressed hard against the flat of her stomach. Exultant pleasure flooded her as she realised he was as hot for her as she was for him.
She slid her arms up around his neck, opening her mouth and sighing as he brushed his tongue against hers. Then, just as suddenly, he wrenched himself free, thrusting her back to the wall.
“For Herne’s sake!” he exclaimed.
“I can’t stop it.” She gasped, burning as if on fire, and smeared her lips with the back of her hand, his kiss imprinted on them as if he’d branded her.
“Close your portal,” he yelled.
“What? What are you talking about?” Anger surged through her, overriding the lust temporarily, and she pushed herself off the wall, taking a step toward him. “Who are you? And why is there a wolf sitting by your feet?”
His eyes widened. “You can see Storm?”
“Of course I can see him—he’s sitting right there.” She pointed, then exclaimed at her hand, amazed and frightened to see sparks jumping from the end of her fingertips. “What’s happening to me?” Her hair lifted around her face, crackling with static, like a black silken tablecloth shaken at one end.
He stared at her. Then he said, a bit more gently, “Come here.” He placed his hand on her forehead with his palm over the space between her eyebrows. Sparks popped, making her jump, but he ignored them. He closed his eyes.
Kimi opened her mouth to say something, but the words didn’t come out. The fever rose within her again. It crept up her body and every muscle tensed, drenching her in sweat. For a moment she felt as if she were on fire and wondered whether she would spontaneously self-combust.
A strange pressure grew between her eyes as the energy gathered in her brow. His hand burned white-hot, and she gasped as all the passion, the frenzy that had been driving her that evening, drained from her as if he’d sucked her dry. His head dipped, and the ends of his hair brightened and turned scarlet, like strands of wire heated on a flame.
He muttered something beneath his breath. An odd sensation tickled her brow, a feeling of completeness, of closure. The sparks jumping between them began to fade, and gradually she returned to normal, the static electricity vanishing from her hair, which now hung limp around her shoulders. She sagged back against the wall, exhausted, breathing heavily, and looked up at him in shock.
He stepped back into the road. The wolf had vanished, but the stranger now glowed as if he’d swallowed a light bulb which illuminated him from the inside out. When he stared at her his eyes were so hot, so passionate, she gasped.
He stood several feet from her, closed those flame-filled eyes, and tipped his head back, spreading his arms, palms upwards. With a long sigh, he exhaled, releasing the energy to the stars. It filtered from his skin in a golden cloud, dispersing into the night sky like sparkling dust.
When he’d finished and the glow around him had paled, he dropped his head to look at her. He didn’t seem the least bit disturbed by the transference of energy that had just occurred. He touched his forehead between his eyes in the place where the bolt of energy had erupted from her to strike him in the club, and then he sighed.
&
nbsp; “Are you all right now?” He studied her face with concern.
Kimi felt like a wrung-out rag. She was also acutely embarrassed. Her cheeks burned as she thought of how she’d kissed him and pressed herself against him. She covered her embarrassment with fury, deciding attack was the best form of defence. “What’s going on here?”
He looked up. “It’s the moon.” She followed his gaze to the white swell of the satellite high in the sky, casting them both in its silver light. “She’s full tonight.”
“What are you talking about?” she demanded. “What’s the moon got to do with this?”
“Geez,” he said, “you’re one little firecracker even with your portal shut, aren’t you?”
Kimi wanted to shout at him, but she didn’t have enough energy. She pressed the heel of her hand to her forehead, her head spinning.
“Hey, careful.” He stepped toward her. “You don’t want to go opening it again, not yet.”
She had to get away. She couldn’t think clearly with him nearby.
He held out a hand toward her, but in spite of her shaky legs she twisted under his arm and began sprinting along the road toward the high street.
Behind her, he swore, loudly. He yelled a few words in a language she didn’t understand, then something tangled in her legs, and she fell forward onto the hard concrete. She had a brief glimpse of white fur and kicked out, but the invisible wolf only growled, refusing to let her get up.
The handsome stranger appeared above her. He glared at her and held out a hand, palm down, muttering something under his breath.
Kimi tried to protest, but sleep overcame her before the words could leave her mouth, and, like a blanket shaken out at a picnic, she sank down slowly onto the path.
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