by Trim, Brenda
I didn’t jump this time when the bell jingled over the door. I looked up, and my jaw dropped to my chest. A perfect male specimen stood in my doorway. His blonde hair was artfully messy, and his grey eyes made me think of a stormy day on the cliffside. The jeans on his muscular legs left little to the imagination. He was hung like a damn horse.
My inner slut sat up and started panting. Down girl. He’s not someone to get involved with. I snapped my mouth shut and pasted a smile on my face. Whoever my visitor was, he had immense power. It surrounded him like a cloak. It’s wasn’t dark, so I stopped myself from grabbing my customer and taking off.
“Welcome to Pleasure Bound. How can I help you?”
From the corner of my eye, I saw the woman stop at the end of aisle three and drop the books in her hand. Part of me wanted to rush to her side and help her. Self-preservation won out, and I remained rooted to the spot.
“Violet Brevil. You’re a difficult witch to track.” Those stormy eyes looked at me with a mixture of appreciation and suspicion. It was off-putting and made my heart race.
I narrowed my eyes at the handsome devil. He wasn’t about to frighten me out of my own store. “I’ll be right with you, sir.”
Without giving him the benefit of a response, I crossed the shop to my customer. “Do you need help finding anything else?” I picked up one of the dropped books and handed it to her.
She shook her head from side to side. “Umm. No, this will do it.”
I leaned toward her. “He’s too pretty for his own good. Am I right?”
That broke the tension. I had worried she heard him call me a witch. She was just mesmerized by his good looks. “It should be criminal to be that perfect.”
I chuckled and strode back to the counter and moved behind it. I felt better having the obstacle between him and me. The display case was my version of armor, and it made me feel better.
I scanned the barcodes with the camera on the iPad I use for my cash register as the woman set her selection down. I was painfully aware of his eyes on me as I put her purchases into a paper bag. “That’ll be forty-eight-twenty-three, please.”
The woman handed me her credit card. “It was the paste in the tub with a purple label that you recommended, right? I appreciate your advice.”
“Anytime. My twins love Thai food, and I spent several years finding shortcuts. Enjoy your dinner.” I watched my customer as she took her bag and left the store. Her cheeks turned pink, and she bumped into the jamb as she exited my shop.
I inhaled, hoping to center myself. Ever since I opened the Pleasure Bound, the smell of paper, ink, and old leather had been my Zen. Finding that sense of calm had been shattered when this guy walked into my store.
I picked up the dirty cleaning wipe and tossed it in the trash. “I don’t know who you are, but we don’t go around announcing what we are. No one wants to relive the Witch Trials. And if you think you’re immune because you’re not a witch, you can think again. Humans will fry anything that frightens them.”
He stepped closer. His energy stung me before he was within a few feet of me. “Funny that a Tainted is lecturing me about proper behavior. You have no idea who you’re dealing with.”
I ground my teeth together and clenched my hands into fists. My magic had gone wonky on me and refused to cooperate most days. Still, I wasn’t one of those nasty witches that stole power and mutated their energy into something malicious.
“Who the hell do you think you are? I’m not Tainted, and I resent you coming in here and accusing me of being one of those awful witches.”
His eyes flared ever so slightly. “Think more Underworld. I’m Thanos Sarkellis. I’m here investigating demonic activity. I discovered your essence saturating a park where a witch was attacked. If you didn’t steal her power, can you tell me what happened?”
The tension leaked from my body, and a sigh deflated me. “Took you long enough to get off your ass. I thought you guys were on top of all veil breaches. Why am I not surprised a UIS Agent would mistake me for one of the Tainted? Now, pay attention, so you don’t get this wrong. I stumbled across Faye and her attacker while walking home one night. My friends and I have been doing your job, and I called Fiona to come help. Your demon told me it was looking for me and tried to suck my magic from my body. Your demon skittered off, and we took Faye to the council.”
A muscle along the edge of his jaw twitched. “How do you know about Underworld Investigative Services? We aren’t well-known?”
I shrugged my shoulders. The fear I had of him had vanished when he confirmed he was an agent. From what I had discovered, they were here to help control violent demons. “I have friends in high places.” He gave me a flat stare.
His frustration amused me to no end, and a smile bloomed on my face. “My best friend has a friend in the United States that is having problems with demons, and she told us about the agent working her case. Are you guys having a problem controlling your borders or something? I had never heard of demons coming to Earth, and suddenly I hear about two.”
His eyes darkened, and that twitch was back. Seemed like I hit a nerve with that one. “There have been unprecedented events. A dark creature opened a veil in several places across the globe, and we are scrambling to locate all of the demons that were let loose while also trying to locate the one responsible.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. Thanos was fun to poke. And even better eye candy. “Perhaps you should spend more time monitoring your demons and less time primping in front of a mirror. The veil wasn’t opened near Cottlehill. I’d have felt the magic. The council would have noticed it and taken action, as well. How many lives were lost while it made its way to our little town?”
He snarled and lifted one corner of his lips, baring his teeth at me. “Get this straight. You have no idea what you’re talking about. The Dark magic it takes to open a portal to the Underworld requires a skilled and powerful practitioner. Such a person would be capable of masking their actions to ensure they aren’t discovered. What I find most curious is that this particular demon hasn’t left a string of bodies behind.”
That wasn’t all that surprising. During my reading, I consistently came across information that said Dark magic required power and sacrifice. “There have been many victims in Cottlehill. Like I said, I’ve been investigating for months. You should have known sooner.”
He leaned one hip against my counter in a casual pose that made me think of billboards and models. “If this demon had been killing in your town for months, we would have been alerted. And it would be too strong to be contained by its summoner anymore. The fact that it hasn’t torn through the entire population tells me it hasn’t been killing for months.”
That made no sense. The first victim was a human. The Constable Lance was still breathing down everyone’s necks, searching for clues that would lead him to the perpetrator. “That’s not possible. A human was killed months ago, followed by supernaturals. Are we looking at two different killers?”
“The demon wouldn’t start with a human. They are attracted to the power of paranormals. Once they run out of supes to feed on, they move onto the others. I would say the culprit sacrificed the human to conduct a Dark spell to give him or her more power. Has anyone in town undergone a significant personality change in the past six months or so?”
I hadn’t come across any information on sacrifices and blood magic, and I was glad. My stomach turned with the thought of taking someone’s life for any reason. I killed Fae while fighting in Eidothea, and I still had nightmares about it, even though I did what I had to survive. It bothered me because I would do it again if I had to, which didn’t make me feel all that great.
Or maybe it’s because you’re cursed. I didn’t need to be reminded of that little nightmare hanging over my head.
Ignoring that reminder of my current dilemma, I focused on Thanos. “I assume you’re asking if someone suddenly became a hateful shrew. There are a handful of onery townspeople. They’ve al
ways been that way, though. Several have become even more grumpy, but I can’t picture any of them sacrificing a human to gain Dark magic.”
Derek’s voice infiltrated my mind and almost made me change that opinion. He was the most challenging member of the council. He was pissed when Fiona moved to the area. He didn’t like her being the new Guardian. I didn’t understand why, but he never made sense to me. He might have been involved, but I wasn’t going to say anything until I had more information. I was already a target of the council.
The bell over the door jingled, making me jump. Thanos noticed and lifted one eyebrow as he watched me. I swallowed and laid my hands on the glass countertop, so they didn’t shake, then turned my attention to the woman that had entered my store.
Her grey streaked red hair was pulled into a low bun, but my eye was drawn to the thick scar transecting her throat. It was vicious and told anyone looking at her that she wasn’t just a sweet old lady. I smiled and lifted my hand. “Hi, Mae. How are you doing?”
Mae’s black eyes shifted from me to Thanos, and an appreciative light lit their dark depths. Her slender figure lilted to one side in a way that pushed her breasts out. “I’m good. I have information but can come back later.”
Thanos shook his head from side to side. “Don’t mind me. Violet told me where to find the books I’m looking for.” He flashed her a smile, then stood straight and walked down the right side of the store where fiction was located. Most of what I carried were romances. Everything from young adult to erotica lined the shelves.
Mae scurried over with her gaze on Thanos’ retreating backside. “Who is he?”
I pursed my lips and looked at the guy. “Not exactly sure. What brings you here today?”
Mae’s avarice vanished, leaving her with a solemn expression. “I was talking to Derek at Phoenix Feathers last night, and he told me that Faye is close to dying. He’s pissed and worried.” The older siren leaned closer to me. “He blames you, Violet. What the heck did you do?”
I was acutely aware of Thanos walking around my store. I wanted to tell Mae to leave. She wouldn’t listen, so I didn’t bother. “Ungrateful asshole. You’d think he would be happy I stopped a creature from killing Faye, but no. He blames me and starts spreading rumors. I was walking past the park and came across a demon cutting into Faye. I had no idea what was going on and called Fiona for backup right away. The damn thing attacked me in the process, and yet he still blames me.”
Mae’s dark eyes went wide, and her raspy gasp carried every ounce of drama I’d come to associate with her. Without her in town, I wouldn’t get half of the information about what was going on in the area.
“A demon? Are you sure? I’ve lived in Cottlehill Wilds for fifty-two years and have never heard about one hunting in our town. How did it get here?”
Mae knew everything about everyone living here. She was a fount of information. I didn’t want to point the finger at someone innocent, so I needed to be careful in what I asked and said.
“I don’t know much. Demons are summoned by a Dark magic user that pierces the veil between our realm and the Underworld. I have no idea who here might be evil enough to do such a thing. I mean, just because Dereck is grumpy doesn’t mean he’s gone Dark.” I chuckled to tell her I wasn’t serious.
Mae laughed with me. “I swear that man was born with a stick up his butt.” Her hand went to her throat, and her eyes took on a faraway look. “If Patrice still lived here, I would say it was her for sure. I agree. No one here fits the profile. I bet the demon came here because we are a town with seventy-five percent of its population being supernatural.”
She went on to talk about how she saw Bruce at dinner with Ravena and that they looked cozy. The two had danced around each other for years. I hoped they were finally giving in to their desire.
I listened to Mae and watched Thanos walk around my store. What the hell was he? He found the section hidden to humans. It contained books for supernaturals. I wasn’t surprised he could see it, but it didn’t tell me what kind of creature he was. He was too pretty to grow fur. He could be a vampire, but their skin was easily ten shades lighter than his.
His presence unsettled me and threw another wrench into my life. He had me in his sights, and he wasn’t going to leave me alone anytime soon. I had to find the source of my curse and locate the demon so he would go home.
While he was prowling around, all I could think about was how dangerous and attractive he was. My mind should not be appreciating the guy’s chest or laughing grey eyes. Despite the storm clouds, he exuded a generally happy demeanor.
Chapter 7
“What’s up, Vi? What’s up? Is it time to kick Dathan’s ass? I’m ready.” That was my best friend. Always willing to support me no matter what. Regardless of the miles of ocean that had separated us until seven or eight months ago, Fiona and I had remained close to each other.
“That’s a tempting idea, but this time it’s not him. I have been summoned to the council, and I’d like you to accompany me to the meeting. You arrived when it was trying to consume my power and might be able to add insight.” I needed the armor her presence provided me. She made it easier to let their snide comments and venom slide off me before they dug into my brain and planted seeds of doubt.
Those tended to sprout and flower at the worst moments, making me question myself and my power.
“I’ll be there. I wish I could bring Grams. She’d make those old biddies bite their nasty tongues.”
I chuckled. Isidora would flay them alive for focusing on the wrong issue when we were clearly facing an emergent situation. “That would be fabulous right about now. Especially since it seems we are facing a much bigger issue than I previously believed.”
“Why? What happened?” Fiona’s voice lost every ounce of levity. Her words left her mouth with a bite.
“I’ll give you the low down when I see you. The meeting starts in fifteen.” Thanos’ face flashed in my mind. His piercing grey eyes looked right through me. They invited me to play while promising to eviscerate me if he discovered I called the demon.
“Alright. I’m on my way. See you soon.” I heard the car door shut before the line went dead.
My head was pounding. The last thing I needed after the day I’d had was to be called before the freaking council. They were a bunch of rigid assholes. Before racing out the door, I stopped and grabbed the book I read through earlier in the day. It had sections on ghouls and resurrection.
None of us dedicated hours to researching Grams and whether or not she is truly alive. Things had been too chaotic lately, but I used my need for a distraction from Thanos and demons and my insane attraction to the Underworld Agent.
After locking the door to my bookstore, I jumped into my car and started the engine. I was down the street and turning into the cloaked parking lot within two minutes. If you didn’t know where the council’s chambers were hidden, you wouldn’t be able to find them.
Car tires squealed behind me as Fiona took the corner too fast. She had only been here once before. I waited while she drove her vehicle into the spot next to mine. “Almost miss the turn?” I asked Fiona when she opened her door.
She laughed and climbed out. “I was looking for the shrub I noticed last time. By the time I saw it, I was almost past it. Do you know why they called you?”
I handed her the book before I forgot to give it to her. “Before I forget, I found this today and wanted you to see it. There’s a section on ghouls and reincarnation. I’d lean more towards Isidora being a ghoul than resurrection. Anyway, I’ve been praying Faye isn’t dead ever since I got the call. Mae came by today and was more than happy to inform me that Faye was dying, and they blamed me. Oh, and a sexy Underworld cop came by to inform me he was hunting the demon in our area.”
Fiona grabbed my arm and swung me around right before my hand grasped the door handle. “I’m not sure which of those little nuggets to unpack first. What the hell? Life was supposed to slow down and return
to normal now that we took care of the evil rulers in Eidothea.”
“What is normal? I’m pretty sure this is our new normal. It’s so much my head might explode. I just want to go home and drink a glass or ten of wine.” Life hadn’t been the same since Fiona moved to Cottlehill, and I had no desire to go back to the way things used to be. I loved solving problems with my besties and running around like kick-ass detectives.
Fiona put the book I gave her in her bag and pulled out a dagger. She handed the dark grey weapon to me—power pulsed from the blade. My fingers tingled when I grabbed it.
“This is beautiful. One of Bas’s?” I traced the runes engraved on the blade. They were words of power. They gave the knife an edge and would help me in a fight.
Fiona smiled widely and bobbed her head up and down. “He made it for you and spelled it to injure demonic flesh. Neither of us likes the thought of you being out there without anyone looking out for you. I would ask you to move into Pymm’s Pondside with Grams and me, but I know better. Though the invitation is there if you want. So, what’s this about an Underworld Agent?”
“His name is Thanos, and he’s here because he tracked a demon to our town. I’ll tell you more after we face the council.” I pulled the door open and gestured for her to enter before me.
The conversation was at a low murmur as we entered the building. No one noticed until we were halfway down the aisle toward the dais where the pompous jackasses sat at a long table.
They quieted, and each took their seat. Camille looked from me to Fiona and inclined her head. That was as much of her acknowledgment as we would get at the moment.
“You weren’t summoned, Ms. Shakleton. Please take your leave,” Derek said after a moment of silence.
“Yes, I was. I’m not going anywhere. And, I’m surprised someone in your position of power doesn’t want to have every source of information at his disposal. Then again, foresight has never been your strong suit, has it, Derek?” Fiona stood there with her hands loose at her sides. Nothing was challenging or threatening in her stance, yet everyone in the room felt the sting of her words.
