by Erin Hayes
Euros looked down at Anastasia, then turned to Jessica with a lopsided smile. “Not what you expected?”
“What the hell happened? What was that?” She gave the still form of Anastasia a wide berth. “Is she dead?”
“No.” Euros held out a hand, and she walked toward him. “She’s alive. She’s still dangerous, but only as a very angry mortal.”
“She’s not magical anymore? Not a shifter?”
“No. The grimoire destroyed her magic. She’s just a mortal now.”
“Just a mortal?” Jessica smirked, but couldn’t hide the curve that lit the corners of her lips.
Euro’s chuckled. “No offense intended, sweetheart. But this is the greatest punishment that could have been given to her. To live in this world, as a mortal… no judge, no prison, no man, will ever hand her a greater sentence than that.”
Anastasia lifted her head. The feral edge to her face was gone, and even though her green eyes burned with hatred, they were dulled somehow, lacking that bright brittle edge of madness.
Euros reached down, and picked up the grimoire from the floor. The knife was still embedded into the book, the blade piercing the silver buckle.
“This…” He held it out to her, but she backed away, as if he were offering her a snake. Glancing at the book, he smiled, then pulled it back. “I guess it’s better if I hang on to this.”
“Where’s Hudson? What did you do with him?”
Euros’s smile faded, and her heart sank. Shit, we were too late. He’s dead.
“I brought him to a safe place, but he was near death. He’ll be in the same state when I bring him back. You should call for an ambulance. For her,” he pointed down to the ground at Anastasia, and then looked up at Jessica, his gaze resting on her wounded hand. “And for you. I’ll bring Hudson back here.”
“He’s alive, though?”
“Barely. She…” He nodded at Anastasia. “She hadn’t managed to kill him, but he’s not in very good shape. I have a healer working on him now, but he’ll need to be brought back to the mortal world soon, before the ambulance arrives.”
“A healer? So, he’s in your world? That’s where you brought him?”
Euros nodded. “Yes, the healer will keep him alive. We need to hurry though, Jess. Call it in.”
Jessica nodded, and pulled her cell phone out of her pocket, thankful to see that the screen hadn’t been cracked, and that the phone appeared to be in working order. She punched in 9-1-1, breathing a deep sigh of relief when she heard the call go through. She quickly gave the necessary details, requesting an ambulance, and immediate back up.
“But should I be here?” She whispered to Euros, covering the phone’s microphone with her finger to prevent dispatch from hearing her.
“Yes, you should. This is your case—it was always meant to be your case… you can do this. You’ve already done it. Now take credit for it. I was wrong about you then… and I’m sorry.” He frowned, his eyes filled with sadness.
The look on Jessica’s face was one of uncertainty, but she removed her finger from the microphone on the phone, and identified herself.
Dispatch hesitated when she gave them her badge number, and she barked at the officer to hurry up, and send help. Disconnecting the call and putting the phone back into her pocket, she looked at Euros. He could see that she was ready to deal with whatever came her way. The tough, kick-ass detective was back.
“They’re on their way. Five minutes.”
Anastasia groaned, and then struggled to sit up, wrapping her arms around her legs. She seemed tame, almost docile, but Jessica wasn’t fooled. She reached for her cuffs, forgetting her hand was badly wounded. She cursed under her breath when the sharp sting moved up her arm, and she pulled her hand back.
“Damn. Euros, I need to cuff her.”
Euros nodded, then turned to Anastasia.
“Hands behind your back.”
The woman stared at Jessica with a mix of anger and disbelief. “You will pay for this.” Anastasia thrust her chin at Jessica, but then turned her head to the side to direct her words at Euros, who was standing behind her, cuffing her hands. “You think by taking away my magic, that you have stopped this?” She rose to her knees, putting her hands behind her back. “There are others. Others just like me, who want to return to our world, and not to have our futures dictated by the likes of Gatekeepers. You think that because the grimoire has been destroyed, it will stop us? Mark my words, they will find another way.”
“Then we will find a way to stop them, too.” Euros replied, his eyes locked on Jessica’s face. His lips curved into a smile, before he quickly slipped the cuffs over Anastasia’s wrists. The sharp click of the handcuffs locking filled the room. Then he pulled the woman to her feet.
The wail of sirens cut through the silence. Euros stiffened. “I have to bring Hudson back now. The ambulance will be here any minute.”
Jessica nodded. “Okay. And then you should…” Tears glistened her eyes, threatening to spill, and she took a deep breath, willing herself to get it together.
“Get myself away from this place? I know, sweetheart.” Euros shot her a knowing smile, before handing Anastasia over to Jessica. Then he turned away, facing the bed.
Jessica watched him, over Anastasia’s shoulder, as a blue light appeared, circling Euros, growing brighter and brighter. In seconds, it was as though the light exploded into a million tiny pieces, the room washed in hues of blue and green. Euros extended his arms to the side, as though he was controlling the beams of light, forcing them into a spiral current. Then the color changed to the brightest white and yellow, and it was like trying to stare into the sun.
Jessica closed her eyes briefly, the light too bright for her eyes, and when she managed to open them again, she saw that Hudson was on the bed, his chest rising and falling, and she breathed out a sigh of relief. Euros was right—Hudson would make it.
Then it dawned on her, the realization that Euros was gone. Her partner. Her friend. The man that she still loved with all her heart.
With Anastasia in front of her, Jessica made her way to the doorway, looking back at Hudson, before walking out of the room, headed to the front door of the condo. Glancing at Euros’s handiwork, she shrugged. Let them think she broke down the door to gain entry. She’d need an explanation, anyway.
“Do you really think a Mage can ever truly love a mortal?” Anastasia’s laugh was harsh. “You’re delusional. Just as delusional as he is believing that he’ll ever stop the others. They will open the portals, if it’s the last thing they ever do… and they will kill every one of the Gatekeepers.”
Jessica’s blood ran cold, but she ignored the woman. It was over. Euros had helped her solve the murders, they saved Hudson’s life, and the portals were safe. She didn’t know what tomorrow would bring, or if Anastasia was telling the truth—that there were others just like her, waiting in the shadows, wanting to pick up where she left off. If that was the case, she would deal with it, just like Euros said. And he would be by her side.
From the hall, she heard the ambulance crew arrive on the scene, the bang and crash of the elevator opening, someone shouting directions. Jessica forced Anastasia ahead of her, keeping one hand on the chain of her cuffs, and the other was tucked against her chest. A dull ache webbed its way through her body. The bleeding had stopped, or at least had slowed down. A man, dressed in white, suddenly burst through the door, followed by a couple of guys pushing a stretcher. Behind them, were three uniformed officers. And bringing up the rear, was Fisher. Jessica heard his voice before she saw him.
“I should have known it would be you, Sharpe, in the middle of something you shouldn’t be in. You go AWOL, and end up at a murder scene.”
Jessica ignored him, breathing a sigh of relief when Derek suddenly appeared in the doorway. He caught her eye, raised one eyebrow in a silent question. Jessica shrugged. Then Derek looked at Fisher out of the corner of his eye, before his gaze returned to Jessica.
“Sharpe. Looks like you stopped another murder from happening in this town. Great job.”
Fisher glared at Derek, then turned his beady eyes to Jessica. “Okay. What you got?”
“Anastasia Kane. She tried to kill David Hudson. He’s been stabbed multiple times, but he’s alive.”
“And you know for certain that this woman… Anastasia Kane, did it? You got any witnesses?”
“Yes, I do. I’m the witness.”
Silence descended. Fisher gaped at her, mouth working like a stranded fish. Derek held back a grin. Finally, Fisher found his voice.
“How the hell did you end up here?”
Jessica shrugged. “Good old-fashioned police work, I guess.”
Derek smirked, ignoring Fisher’s glare. “Fine. Whatever. Just make sure it’s all in the report.”
Jessica nodded. Of course, it would all be in the report—at least whatever made the most sense, and would ensure that Anastasia was charged with two counts of murder, and one count of attempted murder. She moved away from Anastasia, using her good hand to keep pressure on her wounded one.
Fisher eyes travelled to Jessica’s hands, and he saw that she was hurt. With a look that was surprisingly filled with concern, he tilted his head toward her, then grunted. “I’ll take Anastasia Kane into custody. You go get your hand looked at by medical.”
“Thanks, Fisher. I’ll get it looked at.”
There was sudden movement behind her, and she turned. The emergency medical team was wheeling Hudson out on stretcher, and she moved aside to let them go through. One of the members abruptly stopped in front of Jessica, reaching out to pull her hand toward him, wanting to see the damage.
“This needs immediate attention.” He studied the wound carefully, and when he looked up at Jessica, she saw the seriousness in his gaze.
“Okay, sure. Just give me a minute, okay?”
The EMT crew member cocked his eyebrows, not even attempting to hide his annoyance. “Sure,” he replied, before walking away.
Jessica turned to face Derek, and he smiled at her.
“So… You gonna tell me how you ended up here, at the right time, right place, to save the day?”
Jessica shrugged. “It’ll all be in the report.”
“I see.”
She saw, in the look on his face, that something between them had changed, and that he was hurt that she wasn’t sharing the details with him. She wanted to. She wanted to tell him everything—all about her partnership with Euros, how they connected the murders, what brought them here. She wanted to share it all with him. He had been a friend to her from the very beginning at the academy, and she knew that he was one of the few friends she still had. But she also knew that she could never tell him about the Other World, or about the magic.
That—well, that she’d never share with anyone.
“Well, I guess I’ll see you back at the station.” Derek held her gaze a moment longer, and then turned, walking into the hallway. And then he was gone.
“You really need to get that hand looked at, sweetheart.”
She turned around, surprised to see Euros standing there behind her. A smile tugged at the corners of his lips.
“Yeah, yeah, I know. I’ll get it looked at…”
He didn’t hesitate, crossing the space between them. He reached out, not wanting to hurt her—but knowing that if he brought her into his arms he wouldn’t be able to control himself, and there would be nothing gentle about it—so, he brushed his fingers along her collarbone, both hands cradling her neck, drawing soft lines over her skin, as though he were a sculptor and she was his muse.
He smiled at her then, a teasing smile curving his sexy lips… a playful smile that told her that they had a lot of catching up to do, in and out of the bedroom, and that he was anxious to get started. He brushed his fingers across her neck once again, analyzing her features, before drawing his fingers across her check, and then up to cup her chin.
Bringing her face closer to his, his lips grazed her cheek, and she felt the heat of him burned into her flesh. Then his mouth found hers, cutting off whatever protest may have lingered on her lips. The hunger of his lips on hers said so much more than words ever could, and she let herself go and found herself lost in the dizzying wave of emotion that circled around them.
His mouth was hot and mobile, moving over hers, speaking without words. He growled against her lips, and his wordless kiss told her exactly where he was going to spend the night.
The kiss deepened, his tongue meeting hers, his soft lips crushing against her own, but he didn’t touch her, other than to keep his fingers under her chin.
Finally, he broke away with a growl, but let his fingers linger, gripping the base of her neck, his fingers wrapped into her hair, telling her, without words, that she was his—and only his. Then he stepped back, all slow and easy.
“You really need to get that bandaged up. You’re bleeding all over the place.”
Breathless, and still dizzy from the kiss, she took a deep breath to steady herself and bring herself back down to Earth.
“I need…” She needed many things. Needed to get to the station. Needed to file her report. Needed to figure out how to connect this with the Lansing and Parnell cases.
“No. You don’t.”
She looked at him sharply. “Don’t what?”
And there he was, closer again, his lips brushing across hers, reminding her of all that mattered. Then he lowered his mouth to her neck, and she shivered as his heat raced through her body, leaving her desperate for more of him.
“You don’t need to connect the cases, to tie Anastasia to the other murders.” His words were a growl against her neck, and at first, she wasn’t sure she heard him correctly.
“What? But, she’s guilty. She killed the mayor, and Parnell. To not bring her to justice is…”
As he spoke, his lips brushed against her neck again, and she groaned, wishing he would step away from her, so they could have a serious talk about this, but at the same time, she never wanted him to stop.
“You can’t prove that she killed them,” he murmured. “You know that. There’s no evidence that’s not based in magic. And magic isn’t something you can explain.”
“But they’ll be left as open cases…”
He moved his mouth lower, his fingers pushing down the edge of her shirt, so that he could kiss her shoulder. “Anastasia is behind bars. The grimoire is safe.” His lips moved to her ear, sending a shiver down her spine. “And those cases are Fisher’s. Not yours, remember? You were kicked off them.”
Reluctantly, she took a step back, moving just a few inches away from him. She looked into his eyes, intently. “You have a way of putting things into perspective, you know…”
“I know,” he replied with a wink. “Now, let’s get out of here. I’ll take you anywhere you want to go—after you get that hand taken care of.”
It would be so easy to step forward and stretch up, to let her lips brush over his again, but she knew that if she let him kiss her again, she would never want to stop. And he was right, she needed to get her damn hand bandaged up.
“Okay, fine. Take me to the hospital, and I’ll get stitched up. But then…” She let her eyes move very slowly from his face to his chest, to that wonderful part of him that made her scream out his name, and then back up to his face. That sexy smile was curving his lips again. And his eyes...those steel-gray eyes. They were enough to make her forget what she was going to say.
“And then?” His eyes were fixed on hers, and she saw passion, and desire burning bright, lighting up the gray with flecks of silver.
“Then take me home. We have a lot to catch up on… a lot of time to make up for.”
“You read my mind.”
She laughed, shaking her head. “It doesn’t take magic for that.”
The raised eyebrow, and the teasing sparkle in his eyes made her smile. He stepped forward, his lips back on hers again.
“Jessica...the lov
e of my life, and the only woman I have ever wanted. When it comes to you and I, there’s always magic.”
The End
About the Author
NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling Canadian author Catherine Vale loves to write urban fantasy tales of magic and mayhem, and paranormal romance, where guys sprout fur, and gals aren't afraid to bite.
Girls with curves, and guys with growl. What more could you want?
When she isn't lost in one of her fictional worlds of magic and shifters, you can find her watching thrillers, spending time with her friends and family, and dancing to 80's rock.
If you love reading about kick-ass heroines, powerful heroes and their magical adventures, check out Catherine’s website for a full listing of books: http://www.CatherineVale.com
You can follow her on twitter @ValeRomance or on Facebook at http://facebook.com/CatherineValeBooks
Soulless
Monica Corwin
Soulless © 2016 Monica Corwin
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