Just A Little Wicked: A Limited Edition Collection of Magical Paranormal and Urban Fantasy Tales
Page 76
She even thought fondly of her once loving parents. They pampered her as a child and were her biggest fans when she graduated from high school with honors. The image of Lewis's face breezed by. Countless Netflix and chill dates blurred together to create one orgasmic memory. Mari recalled playing dollhouse and other pretend games with her childhood best friend. Mari always envied her friend’s button nose, her best friend in turn wanting darker skin like Mari’s that could easily endure a day of fun in the sun. She remembered the one and only Jordan family cat. Mari named him Fox because of his long brown fur and bushy tail.
No bright white light, dense fog, or angels appeared. Then, she wondered, Am I going to hell for all that I’ve done? I only seem to hurt the people close to me. But the world didn’t dim. Mari didn’t sink, fall, or get sucked into a hellhole. The world didn’t heat up or burst into flames, and no demon of death appeared. Didn’t anyone want to claim her soul? Was she damned or redeemable?
There was nothing romantic or sensual about the transformative bite Marigold received. She once imagined Rhett holding her tenderly and whispering sweet nothings into her ear as she transformed. She was excellent at daydreaming and awful at predicting her own fate. Delirious from her venomous snake bites, and shocked by the brutal death of her master, she allowed herself to be bitten above her right collar bone without fighting for her life or embracing the promised metamorphosis.
“You know where to find me.”
Those were the parting words of the Master of the Land as she looked down at Mari with fresh blood on her lips. Too wounded to answer, Mari blinked slowly. When she opened her eyes again, she instinctively knew that time had passed. Was it 30 seconds, three hours or three days later?
Mari sat up with ease. Her dry throat felt sore. While her bones cracked and creaked as she stood up, the fatigue, dizziness, and muscle aches were done. While she knew it wasn’t possible, Mari felt as if she’d slept for 100 years, or at least eight hours. She touched her neck and collarbone. No lacerations. No oozing bite marks. If it weren’t for the blood stains on the collar of her t-shirt dress, she’d wonder if was bitten at all. She heard that newly created vampires held onto their human traits until their first feeding, and now she knew it to be true.
The third room in Rhett’s suite was a full bathroom. Mari went there to examine herself in the full length mirror. She stripped, discarding her dress and panties. She looked like her usual self, albeit properly hydrated, well nourished, and toned. No elongated fangs. She washed up and dressed in her former master’s clothes. Covered in a loose tunic that concealed a bit more than her green dress did, she looped a cravat around her waist a couple of times. She looked decent. Dressed completely inappropriately for the winter weather, but dressed nonetheless.
One change assured her that she was indeed a newly created vampire. Marigold could feel the oppressive, energy-draining weight of the morning sun. Since her former master’s well ventilated suite contained no windows to the outside world, she was amazed by her awareness of daytime.
Not wanting to spend another second in Rhett’s decimated and abandoned residence, she prepared to walk away. If not for the dead bodies and terrifying memories, the smoke and smell of burnt plastic was enough to drive anyone away.
Fully prepared to use the underground tunnels to travel by day, Marigold jumped out of her skin when the front doors flew open. Three firefighters and two police officers broke in using a modern day battering ram. Standing in the open doorway to the outside world, they looked ready to charge into danger, and completely surprised to see a single, underdressed female crossing the foyer.
“Miss? Are you okay?”
Stunned, Marigold remained frozen.
“Miss, are you injured?”
She couldn’t believe it.
“Miss, are you alone?”
Behind the men and women responding to the destruction of Rhett’s home and business, sunlight poured into the lobby and illuminated the open area.
“Miss? What happened here?”
Marigold didn’t concern herself with their urgent quest to rescue any survivors and arrest any lingering criminals. She was preoccupied with the warm sunlight coating her exposed skin. She gasped, and then smiled. The fact that she had immunity to the sun sank in. She told herself that it would probably go away after her first taste of blood. That’s when she realized that her heart still beat as it pumped wildly in her chest, causing her digits to tingle and her cheeks to flush. This she had never heard of before: a vampire with a heartbeat.
“What happened, ma’am?”
For the first time in years, Marigold smiled from ear to ear.
“I got my Christmas wish and so much more.”
The End
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About the Author:
Azaaa Davis is an International Bestselling American author of urban fantasy & paranormal romance novels.
She fell in love with reading as a high school freshman and continues to read, write, and draw today. Her background in social work helps her portray realistic characters in otherworldly—and sometimes terrifying—situations. A New York native, Azaaa currently lives in New Hampshire (USA) with her husband and daughters.
Azaaa is working diligently to finish writing more fantasy novels while raising her daughters. Thank you for showing an interest in her stories!
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Read More Books By Azaaa Davis:
Nadira Holden, Demon Hunter
Urban Fantasy | Trilogy
This Time, Book 1
That Night, Book 2
These Moments, Book 3
Never Marry A Shifter
Paranormal Romance |Duology
Jilted, Book 1
Scorned, Book 2