Just A Little Wicked: A Limited Edition Collection of Magical Paranormal and Urban Fantasy Tales

by Lily Luchesi

  Alice laughed, “You think I’m the mole? The one who has been planning the attack against Femnora?”

  Mitchie stood, pushing her chair back with a squeal of legs across the tile, “Of course I do. The Board wrote to you before they ever reached out to me. And while I don’t know how many times, they emailed you about the threat I do know you never responded. That sets of warning bells. You’re unhappy with me being here and even though this is your territory, your words not mine, the Board is not reassigning me. How else can you get rid of me?”

  The headmistress scowled, “Mitchie, you have always been too smart for your own good. Did you write back to the Board and let them know you though the mole was me?”

  The Academy instructor shook her head, “When have I had time to write back to the Board? I just recently read to you what they wrote back to tell me. I haven’t sent a reply email yet and I don’t have the time to do so now seeing as I have to keep you from destroying what has been built over centuries for our kind in Arrowcrest.”

  Alice walked toward the door, “Trust me, Mitchie, when the attack comes you and those students of yours will not be able to stop it. We are more powerful than you and the Board.”

  She stopped in the doorway and turned to look at Mitchie, “There is nothing that you or the Board can do that will keep the Awakening from happening. The students have been preparing for this day and the humans have no idea what is on the way. Witches have been in hiding for far too long and it is time that we came out of the shadows.”

  The Academy instructor said nothing as the headmistress walked away, letting her believe she had the upper hand. What Alice didn’t understand was the preparations were already underway to stop her so called Awakening, to protect the humans, students and Femnora alike.

  The End

  * * *

  About the Author

  Born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1977, DJ Shaw was 17 before she was able to see most of the United States. When she was 17, she decided to join the fair, traveling with them to Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. Once the fair arrived in Lake Charles, DJ had decided it was time to go home, that she had had enough of traveling with the fair. She much rather preferred to sit around writing, or even telling, the lives of the people who lived in her head. She had been good at story-telling from the time she was about ten, when she scared herself so bad with her story of the Boogey-man that she couldn’t move off her bed. Her siblings would come to her for their scare fix, because they knew she could come up with something on the spot.

  Having found what she loved to do at an early age, she continued to write down her stories and any poetry that came into her head. She had stacks upon stacks of notebooks filled with her work. Her love of horror movies made her stories that much more chilling.

  When she’s not writing, she’s listening to music, supporting her favorite adopted brother and his band “Traveler in Pain”, playing with her five children, spending time with her husband of thirteen years or watching horror movies in the middle of the night just for the scare factor.

  Want to hang out with the author, win book prizes, see the cool covers first, and support DJ’s books on social media? Join The Demons of DJ, DJ’s street team on Facebook!

  You can also sign up for DJ’s newsletter here sign up for Margo’s general newsletter here.

  HISS, RATTLE, AND BITE

  Azaaa Davis

  About Hiss, Rattle and Bite

  An Urban Fantasy Novelette

  Pick a master and serve.

  Serve them well and die.

  Marigold wants to die the right way.

  She wants a transformative bite from her master.

  Vampires have it all:

  the statuesque look, the immortal life, and the power to enchant others.

  All she has is debt, a distracted boyfriend, and a desire to be more than human.

  When unwanted holiday gifts are exchanged between two master vampires,

  Marigold’s wish might come true if she can survive until dawn.

  Sunset on December 24th

  Getting stabbed by an overzealous vampire hunter sucked. Piss poor aim stopped the living, breathing Marigold from dying a slow, painful death. She pulled the homemade wooden stake out of her pectoral muscle. It hurt, yet the chest wound didn't bleed as much as she expected. Glancing around to confirm that the streets were still unoccupied by residents, she summoned the little bit of magic it took her a week to gather.

  With a deep sigh, she mumbled, “Heal.”

  Although spoken at a volume only she could hear, the word screamed in her mind. It knocked concerns out of the way and overshadowed other thoughts. Seconds later, silence. Then, ambient noise from being outside resumed. Mari blinked rapidly and then narrowed her eyes as she sought the owner of the stake.

  While she vowed to never harm a vampire, Mari made no such promise to the unenlightened and misguided people that made it their lives’ mission to rid the world of supernatural beings. She bent one knee and slid the other leg back as she moved into a warrior two pose. With balance and concentration, she repositioned the bloody stake in her hand and threw it at the hunter that injured her. The startled jump, outraged cry, and loud thump of a body hitting pavement assured Mari that she hit her mark despite the setting sun’s glare.

  Mari smiled while dusting off her hands. She wore a long, loosely flowing green dress with tights and brown ankle boots. Her leather jacket matched her boots in color and material. She zipped up her jacket, anticipating that the tight fit would increase pressure to her wound and reduce blood loss.

  Her paltry magic kept her alive, and now she needed time to mend. Magic drained too much energy for her to use it regularly which hindered her ability to get better with practice. Mari shook her head slightly, already accepting her fate as the worst witch ever.

  The cold weather and threat of snow kept most people indoors today. She still didn’t want to linger and risk being seen by a concerned neighbor. After checking to make sure that her hands were relatively clean, she picked up the package by her feet. Grateful that leaving no trace of the supernatural was no longer part of her job description, she walked away from the scrimmage.

  Today, Mari’s master tasked her to discreetly deliver this oddly-shaped package to the home of his former lover. Break-ups were hard. The break up of a romantic relationship during the holidays was harder. Without judgement, Mari would deliver a gift a day if her master requested it.

  Wrapped in thick, brown paper and secured with glossy, black ribbon, the hexagon-shaped package was large and heavy. There was no postage label or return address. The most remarkable detail, however, was the fact that the weight of the package shifted occasionally as if something inside moved. She reminded herself that it wasn't necessary for her to know its contents when she heard a faint hiss. It was only necessary that she follow instructions to successfully drop off the package at the large townhouse with brick veneer on the corner of Hillcrest Road.

  Eight minutes later, she arrived. It was bad luck that she interrupted a battle between an inexperienced hunter and a newly created vampire a mere four blocks from her destination. The quiet, affluent neighborhood seemed like the last place a supernatural creature would settle into; and, yet, Collines Vertes was the home of the Master of the Land. It was also the residence of Mari’s master’s former lover.

  Feeling like a scared trick-or-treater, Mari jogged up the front steps and rang the doorbell twice. No one answered. Her instructions stated that she needed to hand the holiday gift directly to Boone or his servant. Without a plan B, she tried knocking as well as ringing the doorbell again. Still nothing. Injured, in enemy territory, and knowing vampire hunters roamed the streets, Mari decided she couldn’t wait for the household to wake up and she certainly wasn't going to break in. She placed the unassuming package on the top step, ignored the way the package seemed to wobble on its own accord, and walked away.

  Innately worried about her role in a dangerous lovers
’ quarrel between two master vampires, Mari prayed the gift she left on the doorstep didn’t come back to bite her.

  * * *

  Grateful that she completed her last daylight task, Mari hurried to the nearby bus stop. Too far away to commute to her tiny apartment with it’s empty refrigerator, she decided the Tex-Mex restaurant where her boyfriend worked as a sous-chef was close enough. Not wanting to lose an hour commuting from this end of town to her place in Graystone and then back again, Mari hoped Lewis would appreciate a surprise visit from her despite her disheveled appearance.

  Unlike her, the public transportation in her small town was always on time. Resting her head against her overstretched arm, she held on tight to the rung above and grinded her teeth. The twenty minute bus ride felt longer and bumpier without a seat.

  With her eyes closed, she wondered when her luck would turn around. She didn’t own a cell phone, car, or house. At twenty-four years old, she never would have guessed that her life would be so unremarkable. Unconventional, true, but also filled with untapped potential and unrealized dreams. As a child, she wanted to be a journalist, lawyer, or judge. Mari once imagined she'd lend her voice to those who were disadvantaged. She wanted to be on the right side of justice, making a positive impact in people’s lives.

  Nowadays, she was a college dropout, estranged from her family, and busy running day errands for her vampire master. Somehow, she became one of those disadvantaged people. Living paycheck to paycheck, worrying if her bank card would be declined the next time she swiped it, and limiting her shopping sprees to the Five Dollars or Less store was exhausting and depressing.

  The pre-recorded, matter of fact voice speaking through the bus’s sound system heralded, “Arriving at Maple Street. Maple Street bus stop.”

  Mari blinked rapidly, irritated by the feeling that imagined sand kept her eyes from staying moist. Her empty hands felt as if she stubbornly carried four grocery bags up six flights of stairs in one trip. She needed sleep, relaxing and rejuvenating sleep. Working for her master all day and then wanting to socialize with supernatural beings all night left no time for sleeping, eating, or dating. Mari was lucky her boyfriend worked in the restaurant business and kept odd hours too.

  Stepping off the bus and into the downtown area of Stone Throw, New Hampshire, Mari straightened her clothes and patted down her hair. Her white-tipped black hair remained in loose pigtails. There was nothing she could do to improve it without hair products, a mirror, and half an hour.

  With their last two dates being cancelled, Mari was in desperate need of attention and affection. She wanted to toss aside her role as servant for a moment and simply feel special to someone, to her someone.

  The alleyway for the restaurant never failed to be dimly lit or stink of rotten food. The wide, side door was meant for deliveries and moving equipment in and out. Mari usually stopped by around closing time and was greeted by one of Lewis’s many colleagues on a smoke or phone break.

  “Lewi, Lewi, Lewis! Your girl is here!” Emmanuel nobbed at her, announced her presence, and continued smoking his cigarette, all while pacing and talking on the phone.

  More often than not, Mari was greeted by Lewis with a kiss at the door. He rarely took her inside. He said it was frowned upon, hectic, and too crowded to have non-culinary staff hanging out in the kitchen area. He’d hold her hand and they’d go for a long walk through the neighborhood. They conversed while making a twelve block loop that encompassed Main Street.

  If the weather called for being indoors, as it did more often than not during the long, cold weather months in New Hampshire, he’d often slip off his chef’s coat and walk into his restaurant through the front door. Like any other paying customers, they’d wait to be seated, order drinks and appetizers, and tip generously when done.

  Today, Lewis did not rush out to greet her eagerly. Knowing her free time was limited, she approached the side door with the intent of searching for him. She pulled on the cold, metal door knob. She expected some resistance from the heavy, steel door. Instead, it swung open swiftly and Mari stepped back in haste as an attractive woman stormed out. The raven haired beauty with sun-kissed skin had puffy eyes and a deep pout.

  The words she thought to say were verbalized by someone else.

  “You okay?” Lewis said from somewhere inside.

  Then, he stepped into the alley as well. Looking around, he froze when he saw his girlfriend.

  “Mari. This is not the time.” He continued looking around until he spotted his fleeing coworker. “What did that customer say to you, Vivian? I’ll kick him out right now!”

  Vivian stopped walking away long enough to turn around. “It’s not your job to defend me. I was clumsy, spilling an expensive bottle of wine that I cannot afford to have taken out of my next paycheck. And that guy called me a bitch. Ugh. I shouldn’t let rude customers get to me, but it’s been a rough day. Anyway, I’m off.”

  She waved at them all, tightened her trench coat, and then made a left turn down Bellevue Street.

  Lewis blew out of his nose, and it was cold enough that his breath was visible. He locked his jaw and clenched his fists too. Then, he turned to head back inside.

  “Wow! Lewis, I’m here to see you.” Mari wanted to reach out and touch her boyfriend, but he was visibly upset. “I know you’re busy, but I was in the neighborhood and wanted …” She realized she didn’t know how to end that statement without sounding needy and so she let it trail off.

  “Wanted what, Mari? Free drinks? A meal? To hang out with us ordinary people?” He shook his head at her, but he didn’t make eye contact. In fact, he kept looking towards the alleyway entrance where Vivian stood a moment ago.

  “I don’t need you to feed me.” She ignored the rumbling in her stomach that reminded her boiled eggs and carrots for brunch should not be her only meal for the day. “You’re my boyfriend. I need you to spend time with me.”

  “Time?” He raised his eyebrows and his voice. “You stood me up not once but twice, and I’m the one not giving you time? I’ve never met someone as distant and reckless as you.”

  “Lew, don’t do this.” She stepped forward and held his muscular arms. “Don’t be mad at me. You know how busy I am trying to prove myself. This is the most important thing I’ve ever done. I need your support.”

  He shrugged and her hands slid off of him as he intended. “I’m an ordinary guy, and I want an ordinary girl. I want to start a family one day, marriage, house of my own, a dog … all that. You just want comfort and sex on demand from some fool that’s blinded by your beauty.”

  Mari shook her head vehemently in denial.

  Her boyfriend continued. “You don’t want a future? Fine. Then step aside so I can have mine.”

  “You are unbelievable!” Mari said, stung by his words. “I open up to you about my hopes and dreams, and you do this? You resent me for being busy chasing after my dream. Don’t punish me for wanting more out of life than becoming a wife and mother.”

  “More? Do you hear yourself? Mari, you told me that you want to die!” He said that a little too loudly for her comfort, but he was not wrong. “You told me that your greatest wish is to be bitten and reborn as a freaking vamp!”

  “So it’s okay for me to know a few spells and hang out with supernaturals? But when I say that I hope to become one of them, that’s where you draw the line?”

  Mari placed her hands on her hips and tilted her head. She didn’t come here to fight. But, apparently, a hot meal and the company of her beau was too much to ask for.

  “Like I said, this is not the time. Goodnight, Marigold.”

  She stood there, staring at the closing side door. He left her standing there. Worse, he was falling out of love with her. Today was the first day since they started dating last year that he didn’t kiss her. Her eyesight blurred and her heart ached. That pesky chest wound ached, too. Unwilling to stay where she was unwanted, Mari turned to leave.

  Lewis’s smoking coworker slid his
cell phone into the pocket of his coat. Done with his phone conversation and cigarette, Emmanuel leaned against the wall of the restaurant and leered at her.

  “You looking for a replacement?” Emmanuel asked while a huge grin spread across his face. “Because I’m the kinda fool that can provide some comfort, food, and sex on demand.”

  “Bite me.” She rolled her eyes and walked past him.

  “It’s not my bite you want, you fang banger!”

  * * *

  Sunset meant that the end of Mari’s shift had begun. A vampire servant had three primary roles: protect the sleeping vampire you serve during the day, procure fresh blood upon request, and complete tasks that aid your vampire in running their household and business.

  Mari spent her precious money on a taxicab ride to ensure she made it back to her master’s home on time. Waiting to be called upon, she sat patiently in a receiving room connected to her master’s bedroom. All servants understood that missing a vampire’s awakening each night was a terrible offense that could lead to punishment and possible dismissal.

  “Come in, Marigold,” Rhett called out from his bedroom, expecting his servant to be ready and willing to serve him.

  Mari rose. She walked over to the door that connected the two rooms, turned the knob and entered. In the few minutes she had to spare as the winter sun faded from view around five o’clock, she’d freshened up. Knowing her master was a stickler for appearances, she quickly applied dressing to her chest wound, wiped all of her body parts that emitted a detectable odor, and slipped into a long, form-fitting gray dress. Her hair was now neatly braided into four, jumbo Ghana braids that ended in two low buns.

  Mari found her master standing near his open walk-in closet, examining himself in the well lit mirrors along the wall. The steam coming from under the bathroom door in the master bedroom indicated that the half dressed vampire completed his weekly bath.