So I decided vampire-schmampire. I looked into his dark blue eyes, leaned in, and kissed him for all I was worth. The kiss started out soft, he hesitated slightly. I wrapped the fingers of my good hand in his hair and pulled him closer, making him give in to the moment. He put his arms around my waist and pulled me against him and kissed me like he meant it. When he gently pulled away I was left flustered and without breath. He smiled a small smile and stroked the side of my face.
“You have visitors,” he said. He gently kissed my forehead, and then, just like that, he was up and out the window. A heartbeat later there was a knock at my bedroom door.
“Come in,” I called.
The door swung open and there stood Lucy and Allison.
Allison came hobbling into my room and gently climbed onto my bed beside me, obviously still in pain from last night. “Good morning sunshine,” she said to me smiling. “Glad to see you’re looking better. Non-human healing is so unfair.”
Lucy walked over to my bed with lowered eyes, and sat down beside me. When she finally met my gaze, there were tears in her almond eyes. I waited for her judgment, waited to be called a murderer, a monster.
“Thank you,” She said.
I looked a question at her.
“You saved me Xoe, you all saved me, but you most of all. None of us would be here if it weren’t for you.”
I closed my gaping jaw and grabbed Lucy in a hug. I let her go reluctantly. Allison scooted closer to the wall and I scooted to the middle of the bed, giving Lucy room to lie on my other side. We all lay there looking at the ceiling.
“So,” Allison began, “now that you’re a full-fledged half-demon and all, are you finally going to get over your hang-up about Jason’s past?”
I turned my nose up. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said with a haughty air. I knew I’d eventually have to tell them about Jason and me, but for now, I could do without them making girly noises and kissy-faces at the mention of his name.
“Oh come on Xoe, he is so in love with you.”
“You know what Al?” I replied, ignoring her statement. “I think maybe you’re the demon.”
With that we all burst into laughter, and for just a moment were able to forget that our lives as we knew them had been turned completely upside-down.
Chapter 22
Jason had to leave town for a few days to report back to Dan’s pack and get whatever they were supposed to pay him, and to fill out some forms of all things. I didn’t ask how much he was getting; however much they gave him, it wasn’t enough. He has since returned to Shelby and he’s staying, at least for now. He got himself a nifty apartment and everything. I’m pretty ecstatic about it, though I’ll never admit it out loud. The whole dating thing is kind of new territory to me, but I seem to be doing okay. I finally had to tell Lucy and Allison. They would have found out eventually. The teasing has been ceaseless.
Brian’s still not talking to me. I’m afraid that he never will. I can’t really blame him for not wanting to get involved. I’m sad about Brian, but at least I still have Lucy and Al . . . and Jason. Max still hangs around. He follows Al around like a lost little puppy, no pun intended. She pretends not to notice.
I’m still learning to control my powers. I’ve accidentally lit a few things on fire, but luckily nothing living. Hopefully my luck continues, not just with my powers, but with everything else. Fingers crossed.
Accidental Ashes, Book 2 in the Xoe Meyers series, is available at your favorite online retailer.
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Stronger Than Magic
Melinda VanLone
When Tarian Xannon is blindsided by a demon-like creature who steals her blood it launches a chain of events that unravels her life. She has no idea who he is or why he attacked, but it becomes increasingly clear that he’ll stop at nothing to steal her power. And somewhere in the shadows, another enemy plans to take advantage of the situation.
In this action/adventure thriller, Tarian works to unravel a diabolical mystery that strikes at her very core, while trying to save her family, her life, and her magic. But will her own power be enough? Or are some things Stronger than Magic?
Chapter 1
Tarian Xannon lay back on a long white towel spread over black sand and let the sun soak her body. She took a deep breath, inhaling the scent and taste of gardenia, hibiscus, and salt. Nothing felt better after a long swim in the most beautiful water on Earth than to lie here alone, surrounded by rocks, lush tropical trees, and privacy. She sighed, her contentment complete as her arms and legs melded with the hot sand. If paradise existed, it was surely a beach in the Pacific.
Her long, hard workouts strained every muscle, but were accomplished with the best friends in the world: dolphins. They didn’t judge, didn’t complain, seemed happy with life in general and with her, specifically. They bobbed just off shore as they watched over Tarian now, content to simply be. This pod, always present, always steadfast, escorted her on countless explorations of the ocean since before she could walk. They were more than friends at this point. They were a part of her in a way she couldn’t explain.
Today they’d giggled their way over to the Big Island of Hawaii alongside her. She pushed her body to the limit, adding a bit of magical power near the end just to be sure she made it instead of drowned. They’d kept pace easily, chatting the entire way in clicks, honks and squeaks. Her workout complete, one of them had given her a ride home by offering a fin. She’d grasped it, and enjoyed images of deep sea aquatic games sent via the dolphin’s own special mind to mind communication while he rushed her through the ocean back to her own private island. While she touched him, she didn’t worry about drowning. She didn’t need air when surrounded by dolphins. They provided it, just as they provided a boost of natural energy which replenished her.
Tarian raised up onto her elbows to look out over the waves kissing the shore to see which dolphin did most of the talking now. As she suspected, it was the one she’d named Roger because to her ears, every time he saw her he shouted “Roger” both as a name and a statement, and he sported a scar just above his left eye like a detective from an old movie. He wiggled in the water as though tickled by some unseen feather.
“I almost got you this time!” She called to him. He bobbed and nodded and flipped around. She knew that meant Not a chance, and Let’s race again. If she were in the water with him right now, he’d bump her with his nose to send her an image of him winning their race across to the island on the other side. That’s why she had these debates from shore. He couldn’t argue back without touching her. Not in a language she understood, anyway.
The sound of sand crunching beneath unsure feet behind her made her stifle a groan. She knew those footsteps. It was never good when they found her out here. She looked up to squint at Jonus, her mother’s chief advisor. He looked stiff in his slick black hair, skinny black suit, and snotty attitude.
“What have I done now?” Tarian raised a hand to shield her eyes from the sun so she could read his expression. What she saw in his eyes confirmed her suspicion. He’d been sent on a mission to fetch her.
Jonus sniffed. “It appears to have escaped the Scion’s notice that her presence is required at the monthly leadership meeting.”
Tarian groaned. Two more hateful words were never uttered in one sentence. “Leadership” and “meeting.”
“How late am I?” She glanced up at the sun.
Probably very late.
“The meeting convened an hour ago, Scion.”
Damn.
“May I inform Keeper Marielle and the assembled that you will attend in a few minutes?” Jonus looked out over the ocean as though he waited for a decision. She knew he really waited for her to get up, dress, and follow him.
“Don’t bother. I’m coming.” She reached for her towel and stood. Rather than take the time to dry off, she wrapped the towel around her still wet b
ikini and ran fingers through her soaked hair. It tangled and fought the attention, but she persisted as she walked up the beach with Jonus following after her.
The House of Xannon, home to her family for generations, rose up out of the rock as though vomited there by an ancient volcano, clunky and awkward. From a distance, it looked like a jumble of black boulders tumbling down to the black sand beach. Behind the group of rocks, the house’s entrance, formed by a natural cave, yawned. She’d heard they once performed human sacrifices in what was now their entry alcove. It seemed vaguely ironic to have visitors arrive and depart from the very spot where people used to be killed in the name of religion, in order to appease gods who didn’t seem to care whether they lived or died. Ironic because the magical Society as a whole honored the power of nature above any mythical being in the sky.
Tarian passed through the open door and into the cool, slightly damp, air of the entry alcove beyond. Two Sentinels, part of an elite guard who protected the house and all of the inhabitants, stood at attention like chess men in white shirts and pants, their bodies a looming presence in the small space. Two indentations in the walls behind them, created so that those traveling by magic could create a travel portal directly to the heavily guarded and fortified seat of power for the region, waited empty beside them. She thought briefly about using one of them to go somewhere besides the meeting, but forced her sand coated feet through the entry and into the larger welcoming rotunda of the house instead.
Rough rock walls curved to a round skylight and formed a cavernous space into the rotunda. It was her favorite room in the entire complex, aside from the beach and the Arena, neither of which really counted as rooms at all. Bright tropical plants and flowers adorned every nook and cranny. Their vivid reds, golds and purples vibrated against the dark walls which sparkled in the sunlight. A few benches perched here and there, allowing visitors to the House a place to relax or anticipate their meeting. Sentinels stood at all exits from the room, mostly to ensure that the magical safeguards embedded within the rock, benches, and floors didn’t harm someone accidentally.
To her left, a long hallway led into the bedrock and several bedrooms, including her own. To the right, another long hallway led to the kitchen and, after a few turns, to the arena courtyard where the Sentinels trained and where she worked out when she wasn’t swimming.
In front of her, with two overly large doors ajar, the Receiving Hall beckoned and sported a disapproving look, as though the doors knew how much trouble she was in.
Jonus cleared his throat. “I’ll inform your mother.” He proceeded through the doorway. She didn’t hear him say her name, so he must be hurrying to the front to whisper to her mother, rather than shout to the crowd that she’d arrived late and underdressed. Again.
She could simply continue on to her room. Nobody would drag her through the doors. Nobody would force her to interact. She was sure they all wished she wouldn’t. Except her mother, of course. Her mother would demand that she meet each and every one of the attendees, and then there’d be a quiz later to see if she remembered their names, home towns, and talents. She should go to her room and change clothes. With luck, the meeting would be over before she’d made herself presentable.
Not that I’ll ever be presentable.
After a long pause, Tarian squared her shoulders, adjusted her towel to be sure it covered all the important bits, then crossed the rotunda and entered the room.
Chapter 2
Tarian waited just inside the doorway of the Receiving Hall and tapped her foot. Usually the hall stood mostly empty, with only her mother, Advisor Jonus, and a few others sitting at a table at the far end of the vast space. Today it contained circus freaks. She snorted to herself. That wasn’t fair. They were people, of course.
More than that, they were leaders from all the major regions and continents, including North America, here for the monthly Society meeting her mother held as a way to exchange information and solve problems among magic users. Tarian had met most of them, though she hadn’t enjoyed the experience. All of them wore disapproving expressions exactly like her mother’s. She knew what they thought about her. She didn’t measure up as leadership material. The endless droning about trivial details bored her to tears, and the overload of personal power signatures radiating off so many in one spot gave her a headache. Not to mention the different scents of sweat, deodorant, after shave, and perfume which clashed with the natural floral scents in the air.
It just doesn’t get any more pointless than this.
Tarian surveyed the room. Same leaders, sitting at the same long tables, discussing the same boring problems. Advisor Jonus stood at attention next to her mother. Keeper Marielle led the meeting from the Dolphin Throne, an ornate chair topped by a medallion of dolphins swimming nose to tail in a circle, imbued with magic ancient as earth itself. Marielle’s eyes caught Tarian’s, and flashed in irritation. Tarian glanced down at the towel she had wrapped around her body to catch the water from her wet bathing suit. A small puddle formed underneath her. She thought it better to arrive wet than not at all. Obviously her mother didn’t share the same thought.
As Tarian once again debated going to change her clothes, the meeting ended, and muttered conversations started up as the people stood up from their chairs and prepared to leave. Her mother made her way through the crowd, smiling and nodding, ever the gracious hostess.
What a lie. Tarian knew better. Her mother was far from a gracious mood at the moment. She could sense the waves of disapproval as surely as she could read the expression written in the small lines around her mother’s mouth. She should have stayed in the ocean. If she was going to get chewed out anyway at least she could feel the waves lapping at her body while it happened. Damn. She’d been in such a good mood. Until now.
Tarian looked up at the the three round skylights currently open in the ceiling, hoping to find balance in the serenity of the outdoors. If the room were quiet, the salted air, filtered through hibiscus brought with it the sounds of the sea. She usually loved being in this room. The thousand year old tapestries extending from the high dome to the floor depicted scenes which still mystified her, and her personal symbol etched into the center of the floor made this particular room, the center of the House, feel like home. Unless there was a meeting. The hum of voices overshadowed even the calm of the ocean, and the occasional laugh sent a jolt through her spine, not to mention the small pulses of unintentional power from the guests. Today she’d rather be anyplace else. Prison would be preferable. Meetings like this one did little to enhance her state of well being.
Clunky footsteps behind her preceded the scent of after shave and a signature which radiated a warm tingle up her arms, followed by a deep, lilting, Hispanic voice. “Chica, you missed the meeting again?”
“I wouldn’t say I missed it.” Tarian turned to grin at her friend, Alex. He wore the standard Sentinel uniform, black pants, white shirt, belt with weapons and clunky black boots, so he must have come from work. “How can anyone miss acting like a stuffy puppet doing the bidding of an invisible puppet master?”
Alex looked into the room, then back at Tarian. “It’s a job, chica. Like any other. You think I like all the parts of my job? Sitting in that Cellar day in, day out ain’t all that.”
“You get to go where you want, do what you want, without someone constantly looking over your shoulder or judging every action you take. You have freedom. I have a rock tied to my foot and people spying on me everywhere I go. I’d take your job any day.”
Alex snorted. “It always looks pretty on the other side of the ocean, but that don’t mean they don’t shovel their own brand of shit. Look, when the Keeper is done reaming you, I need a favor.”
“Ask now. By the look on her face it’ll take her awhile to calm down.” Tarian leaned against the doorway, the carved wood digging into her bare back, and fiddled with the towel to make sure it stayed in place.
“You shouldn’t get her so riled up, chica. She’s you
r Madre. You only get one.”
Tarian crossed her arms. “Are you going to ask your favor or not?”
“Whatever. It’s your head.” Alex shuffled his feet. “One of the newer recruits lost his snitch, and can’t seem to find him again. I wouldn’t ask, but if the Captain finds out, he’ll get booted. It’d be his third strike. This month.”
“Sounds like maybe he should get booted, Alex.”
Alex grinned. “He’s a school buddy. He ain’t a bad guy, he’s just a slow learner. He ain’t got your skills.”
“Flattery? You must want this pretty bad. Why don’t you go fetch this skipper?”
Alex dropped the grin. His suddenly serious expression made her pulse jump a beat.
“Tried. Can’t find him. The collar’s good at hiding, but he ain’t dangerous. He’s a drunk. It’s hard to find a drunk. They don’t take logical steps. He’ll be an easy mark. An easy snatch and grab. Plus, we know he’s in Philly. And I know you love Philly, chica.”
At last, a bit of light at the end of a long, tedious tunnel. He was right, she did love Philadelphia. The grit. The grime. The coffee. Oh, heavens, the coffee. She could almost smell it on the air now. She pictured PJs coffee shop in her head, along with a mug of that glorious liquid.
Demons & Djinn: Nine Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy Novels Featuring Demons, Djinn, and other Bad Boys of the Underworld Page 112
