1
The Midnight Witch
“Siren to Alpha: Mission accomplished,” I whispered, dipping my head in the direction of the planted mic. “I have the data.”
A voice crackled in my ear. “Great job, Midnight. Now get that cute little ass of yours back to Headquarters so we can get to the lake house, stat!”
I smiled to myself growing excited at the thought of our Valentine’s Day getaway to the St. Lawrence lake house. The name was deceiving because it was the size of a small mansion and existed on its own private island. The boys had lived there for the last year while I attended the academy.
Focus, Midnight. I chastised myself. My name is actually Evangeline Midnight, though I’m not actually a Midnight after all. Don’t worry, we’ll get into that later. Most people just call me Evie.
I was on my way across the hotel room to the balcony, with all the stealth of a guilty man sneaking out after a one-night stand, when I heard a terrible sound—a knock at the door.
“Mr. MacDougal?”
Fuck! That wasn’t part of the plan. Time to go.
Climbing over the balcony’s rail as fast as my little legs would take me, I tied off the rope. I was ready to make my hasty exit when the knock sounded once again.
Harder this time.
“Housekeeping. I’ve come to polish…” The woman’s voice trailed off replaced by the jiggling of the door knob.
Bang! Bang!
Damn! This woman really wanted to polish something and I had a feeling it wasn’t the furniture.
She tried to open the door again with another thud. Thankfully, the chain prevented it from opening all the way. “Ewan? What are you doing in there?!”
I glanced at the incapacitated sleaze ball snoring like a mac truck on the bed and wondered what she saw in him. He wasn’t handsome or charming and as the go-between scum in a black market world of stolen magical creatures and artifacts, he certainly had no morals or integrity. Money—I could only assume was the key factor.
Her voice took on a high-pitched squeal. “Ewan! Why is this door locked? You’d better not have another girl in there.”
Ugh-oh. She’d dropped the cheesy accent. It was the assistant I’d seen watching us earlier. Time to vamoose. I lowered myself to the bottom rail of the balcony readying myself to shimmy down the rope like one of Colten’s class exercises. And that’s when I looked through the bars and noticed I’d somehow dropped my lipstick when I’d crossed the room.
I could just hear my boyfriend, former hell-hound, Bodhi Remoussin’s chastising words now: Rookie move, Midnight!
Now, you’re probably wondering why I care about some silly lipstick. Three reasons. One: it’s my favorite shade, two: it has my DNA on it, and three: it doubles as a data transfer stick that now contained the location and buyers involved in an underground magical artifact & creatures trafficking ring which we, the Supernatural Elite, were trying to infiltrate.”
In other words, that data was the reason I was here and losing it would be devastating to my new precarious position on the monster squad. I hadn’t done anything this dumb since I was twelve and stole from Grand-mere Delphine—who by the way is an all-seeing witch. Big mistake.
The chain rattled and my fingers ached under the strain of holding up my own body weight. And there was more…I could feel a sharpness in my back which meant my wings were about to pop out and wave hello. Considering faeries could fly, disappear and glamour, this wouldn’t have been a bad thing except for the fact that my grandmother—the Queen of the Winter Court—didn’t know of my existence. I’m Half-Fae, Half-Necromancer and raised by Witches and completely illegal. I’d been extensively warned not to use my Fae magic for this very reason. Thankfully, I had a few other tricks up my sleeve. I just needed to high-tail it back over this rail, scoop up that memory stick and get the hell out of Dodge before Ewan MacDougal’s horny help broke down the door. I swear I’m normally much better at these things. Well, I guess that wasn’t exactly true. This was my first official assignment as a monster hunter.
But I’d been involved in their missions before. Not to mention, I was also top of my class at the academy. Sure, it was a specialized program designed for me but whatever.
Oh, that’s right, you’re probably wondering who the hell I am: Evangeline Seraphina Midnight, at your service. Daughter of the famed New Orleans Necromancer who broke out of hell and attempted to start an apocalypse. Also daughter of a royal Fae Changeling and most importantly, loyal girlfriend to the monster hunting team. That’s right, I said team.
***
An hour earlier.
He was watching. Probably burning a hole in my ass.
I balanced the circular rose-gold tray in my right hand and sashayed through a horde of penguin-looking patrons gathered at a swanky hotel for a local charity event, swinging my hips like a Kardashian on the red carpet.
“Watch out for the assistant,” My boyfriend—and head tech guy—Zephyr’s voice crackled in my ear. Ewan’s assistant—the scorpion as I’d dubbed her—threw me one of her ‘stinging’ looks.
She raised a sparkling glass to her lips and scanned the ballroom looking right past me.
One of the perks of posing as the help is that usually you were pretty much invisible.
Not something I had the luxury of anymore, in my own life. After my father’s part in the undead uprising, I had a reputation. People tended to get the hell out of my way, although not so much right now, I thought, elbowing a 200lb mustached man who’d just stepped on my toe.
Maybe being Evangeline Midnight wasn’t so bad.
Shifting my gaze over to the far mirrored wall, my lips curled into a soft smile as I caught my reflection. The creep was still watching me—Ewan MacDougal with his black tuxedo and crisp white shirt. He sat with his tall bar chair swung to the side like he was some sort of Don Juan. Looked more like Dom DeLuise to me. I pretended not to notice his vulturine gaze.
Instead I acted demure. Honey brown eyes batting innocently from underneath lavender hair that had been pulled back into a ponytail. I hardly recognized myself, but that was the point. I was playing a role. Ewan, criminal broker extraordinaire knew everything there was to know about the underground market. He was the man in New Orleans who connected the notorious thieves to the sketchiest of buyers… information I needed.
I’d served him twice over the last few weeks while we did recon, the last time being yesterday, which is how I knew he had a weakness for waitresses. He knocked back drink after drink boasting about his accomplishments and ranting about those who crossed him. His loose tongue had been most helpful.
In contrast, most of my aggravation came from his female assistant. She was clearly carrying out an affair with her boss and cared more about his dalliances than his wife.
He was on the phone now as I circulated closer.
“That’s right,” he said. “The product will improve your species and all species. Don’t you want that? Don’t you want better fighters for your ring? Think of what the advancements will do for your business alone,” he paused, noticing me once again. He winked and I turned away, pretending to serve a nearby couple.
“Good. I’ll tell his highness it’s a go… yes, the lair. Of course. I haven’t been able to locate it yet. I’m working on it. ”
He nodded as if the person on the other end of the phone could see him.
“Once I get the location figured out, it will be easy to open up a rift.”
Looking down, I adjusted my blouse, making sure the buttons were accidently undone so it showed off the black lace trim of my bra and turned back around.
Setting my tray of empty champagne glasses on the bar for the bartender to fill, I turned my head toward MacDougal and favored him with my most flirtatious smile. “Well, hey there, handsome. Mind if I squeeze in?” I batted my eyelashes.
He tilted his head, which had been locked on my chest, upwards.
“Of course. You look tired, my dear. Why don’t you sit fo
r a moment and take a break?” MacDougal’s gaze drifted from my face to my cleavage.
“Oh, I would love nothing better but I’m afraid I’m working.”
“Come now dear, I insist. Let’s get you hydrated while we’re at it.” He snapped his fingers and two glasses of champagne appeared before us. I looked away, pretending to be concerned with the idea of my boss coming to catch me. In reality I was giving him ample opportunity to lace the drink with a date rape drug, as I knew he would.
“You know, I know your boss,” he said a moment later, cuing me that the deed was done. “He’d be more upset if you didn’t have a drink with me. I am his best customer so come and relax. Those shoes look awfully uncomfortable.”
He wasn’t kidding. What kind of server wore stilettos? Of course, I had my reasons.
I fake giggled and leaned between his legs pretending to trip while slyly rubbing my hand over his lap in distraction. “Oops. My bad. I haven’t eaten much today.” I giggled again, scooping up his champagne glass instead of the one he meant for me. I raised it in the air. “To being naughty,” I whispered.
“To being naughty,” he agreed grabbing for his own and he slipped a hand around my waist. “What’s your name, darlin’?”
“Ruby,” I said holding my hand out to him. “Ruby Siren.”
MacDougal’s lip twitched as he studied me. “Siren eh?”
Sirens were dangerous magical creatures with enchanting voices worth a lot of money in the trafficking business. I figured that would pique MacDougal’s interest even more.
I nodded my head, then hiccupped and giggled again.
“Ewan MacDougal.”
I reached out my right hand thinking it would force his left hand from my waist but he outwitted me. Simply taking my right hand in his own and kissing it.
I saw one of my boyfriends, teammate Bodhi Remoussin across the room. I could only imagine the jealousy coursing through his fiery veins. Bodhi was a dragon shifter. I fought to keep a seductive smile in place.
Finally, MacDougal withdrew his hand. I took another gulp of champagne, and then started to fan myself with my free hand.
“Is it hot in here?”
“I think it’s just you,” he said, leering.
I smiled and looked around the room, then turned my attention back to MacDougal leaning in closer. We needed to get this show on the road. “No, I think it’s all the people. Don’t you wish we were alone?”
MacDougal’s sweaty fat face turned pink and I recognized the rapacious look in his eye. He was buying it, hook, line and sinker. He put his hand over mine seductively and leaned in to whisper.
“I know a place upstairs where we could be alone,” he suggested.
Revulsion tickled my insides as the pungent smell of cheese and shrimp hit me. Mercifully, I maintained my cover, giving him my most sultry look. His eyes widened with understanding as I tilted my head toward the elevators with a wink. MacDougal bolted up faster than a rocket taking flight, nearly toppling the stool he’d been perched on. I turned and walked. MacDougal followed close behind me, placing his hand on the small of my back.
I saw a heated look on my other boyfriend, Colten Ryu’s face as we passed. I almost tsked at him. He was after all a gargoyle. I would have expected a more hardened expression from him.
I wondered how the others were doing. If they wanted me to be the team’s honeypot, they were going to have to get used to this.
I sashayed toward the elevator doors. Just as we got there, I felt Ewan’s hand touch the small of my back encouraging me to step inside. My eyes met another’s in the mirror above the elevator as I took the final step and my heart kicked. I turned in time to see it was his assistant and she was following us. Did she suspect something?
I let out a sigh of relief as the doors closed, effectively leaving her behind. “I’m on the top floor.” MacDougal whispered as he leaned forward conveniently grazing my boob as he pushed the button.
“I love being on top,” I whispered back doing my best to ignore MacDougal’s hand that had slipped around to my backside. He was now squeezing it so hard I was tempted to ask him if he thought he was checking melons for soft spots.
When I said nothing, he turned and pushed me up against the elevator wall, running his hand up my thigh as if he were looking to lift my skirt. Thank goodness it was calf-length. Still, panic nipped at me as his face hovered inches from mine. I was trapped and I couldn’t stop him out here. Too public…
As luck would have it, the ding of the elevator doors interrupted things.
“Stop teasing me!” I squealed in mock-pleasure as I wiggled out of his grasp and into the hall. “We need to get inside.”
MacDougal nodded, swallowing extra hard as he grabbed my hand and dragged me down the hall. He fumbled for his key and slammed the handle down, opening it with his hip.
Here we go. You can do this, Midnight!
I was barely inside when he banged the door shut behind us, turning and locking the chain on the door as if I might have second thoughts. Then pinning me once again against the wall he began his assault.
I giggled though his hands pawed roughly at me. When his fingers encircled my breasts, I playfully pushed him forward until we were next to the bed.
It wouldn’t do to have him prick himself early and hit the floor. “Slow down, big boy,” I whispered, pushing him down on the bed, and hiking up my pencil skirt to straddle him.
“A woman in control. I like it.”
I smiled, undoing one of the buttons on my blouse and setting up the trap. “Good. Now, what do you say, you help me get out of this thing. It’s so restricting.”
MacDougal grinned, his bulge pulsating in rhythm with his excited breaths. He obediently reached for the next button where a tiny needle pierced his thumb.
“Oww.” He jerked his thumb back, sticking it in his mouth only to pass out.
How cute. I thought. Just like a sleepy, little baby.
I didn’t waste any time. I pulled on the rubber gloves I’d hidden on the inside of my dress and headed straight for his laptop copying the data. If what Zephyr said about the potion I’d just injected him with were true, he’d wake up cranky in about twenty minutes. He’d have no memory of me, but even if he did, he’d never connect the purple-haired server girl to the real me. And if the hotel tapes were reviewed, they’d simply see him drinking the champagne, he himself had tainted. Too much embarrassment there to pursue.
Which reminded me, it was time for my transformation. I removed my server’s blouse, careful not to poke myself with the stealthy little needle in the button and pulled the custom made black pencil skirt off. Turning it inside out, before tugging it back on and up to my chest. It unzipped at the bottom so it was now a shorter patterned tube top dress with more of a flared hemline. I then pulled the spandex leggings that had been scrunched up around my knees to my ankles.
The blouse zipped into a purse complete with straps so that I could now wear it as a tiny backpack.
Looking in the mirror, I decided the new outfit was good but the purple hair was still a dead giveaway. I removed the pins and turned the wig inside out going from lavender to blonde. My real hair was dark. Well, it had been before my Fae powers had been activated, leaving it bright pink. But that’s another story for another time.
Squinting into the mirror, I placed my hands over my eyes, reversing the color change spell I’d applied earlier. There! Much better. I thought as my own bright blue eyes stared back at me.
Across the room, the phone beside the bed squealed like a banshee, sending a wave of adrenaline through me. I bolted across the room for it, slamming the receiver down before removing it altogether. I couldn’t risk any further interruptions.
MacDougal groaned as I sat on the edge of the bed. Oh no, was he waking up?
Too soon. I held my breath and he went back into a steady snore.
Now for my final Houdini move. Twisting the heel on my custom made stiletto, I detached it, replacing it wi
th the click of the flat heel cap.
I did the same with my other shoe, then threw the sole support and heels into my new tiny backpack and took one last glance around the room. All was in order except for that scabbard on the table. It was glowing. What the hell?
I hurried over to it. Curiosity fueling me. This wasn’t part of the plan but I couldn’t explain the pull. Something inside of me was shouting…no…screaming for me to take it. Was it the sword itself communicating with me? Oh geeze, I sounded crazy. I grabbed it anyway and slipped in over my head, cross-body style. Beaming with pride now, that I was about to accomplish my first official mission as a monster hunter, I grabbed my lipstick tube which doubled as a data transfer stick from the USB port of the laptop and blew the incapacitated man on the bed a kiss. “Enjoy the headache, asshole,” I whispered as I tapped the button on my blouse.
“Siren to Alpha: Mission accomplished.”
***
And now that you’re all caught up. Back to the problem at hand—or hands, very sore hands because I’d been hanging here for like sixty seconds.
I shifted my grip stifling my inner faery the best I could.
Bang! Bang! I moved to the right so I could see through the open balcony doors. It was a thin chain and if she didn’t break it, I was slightly worried she’d wake him. The sleeping concoction I’d dosed him with wasn’t all that strong and the phone had already shaken his slumber.
Shit! Shit! Shit! Change of plans. I thought as I pulled myself back up and threw a leg over the rail racing to retrieve the memory stick, placing it in my teeth and climbing back over the rail in one swift move. A bead of sweat fell from my forehead just as I heard the door bust open.
I yanked the rope loose to avoid leaving behind evidence just before I threw myself backwards off the balcony into what I’d like to imagine was a graceful swan dive, but was probably more of a flailing belly flop, narrowly catching the rail below with a thud. Thank the Goddess, I hadn’t miscalculated. Unfortunately, I had created quite the racket almost ripping the iron rail right out of the wall. Hissing in pain through the memory stick in my teeth, I scrambled up and out of sight.
Sticks & Stones Spell Werewolf Bones: A Why Choose Academy Romance Page 23
