"What about my family? Aunts and uncles, cousins. Who are they to me?"
"Nothing. Demons who were hired to surround you in this life. Protect you until otherwise told. You have no blood relatives. Not anymore. That's what makes you so valuable. That, and your abilities."
"Fucking demons." I couldn't believe I was buying into this, but it actually felt...right. "I always said Aunt Tricia and Uncle Atticus were straight from hell. Apparently, I've been right all along."
The small chuckle from Jaz had me grinning, too.
"Come." He took my hand, and then I was following him across the room and out the door. "We need to make plans. We don't know who might have seen me come for you, and I need help in protecting you."
How the hell had I managed to end up like this? In a stone castle, with a sexy protector, and with demon blood.
"I haven't got any powers." I was practically jogging to keep up with him as he moved down a dark stone staircase.
"When your father died, the enchantment he gave you to hide your powers stopped working."
"So...what sort of powers do I have?" I was sucking in air like I was doing a full cardio workout. It definitely wasn't anything to do with endurance. I had a stitch the size of the Tower of London.
"Nobody knows until they appear for you," he said.
"And I'm apparently a demon, correct?"
"Yep." We'd made it down to the bottom of the spiral staircase, and now we were outside. The moonlight lit the way as we hurried across a grassy area. I didn't have a chance to look around too much, but apparently, this was all mine? Shit.
"Where are we going now?" I pulled my jeans out of my arse again and cursed my decision to wear them today of all days. I should have known I'd be suffering after my chocolate indulgence—
"Shit, shit, shit."
I stopped, and Jaz was immediately on alert. He pulled out a small sparkling dagger and quickly surveyed our surroundings.
"Woah, I—"
"What have you seen?" His whole demeanour had changed.
"Nothing. I left my chocolate back up in the sky, in that castle. I don't suppose you fancy going back for it for me, do you? I would, but I'm still sucking in oxygen like it's going out of style."
He stood stock still for a moment. I couldn't see his eyes, and I was very aware that we might be in a whole lot of trouble right now. I expected him to be annoyed. What I didn't expect was for him to burst out laughing.
The sweet sound was louder than any of nature's creatures of the night that might have been with us.
I waited for long moments before he finally stopped.
"You, Queen Carina, are one of a kind." He pulled me to him, and his lips met mine in a fierce kiss.
I'm fairly sure my heart fluttered, nipples puckered, and my lady bits roared to life after an age in hibernation.
And I was pretty sure I was about to ask to have his babies if he hadn't suddenly pulled back. I stood there breathing hard as he held me at arm's length.
"Did you hear that?" Jaz's voice was a whisper, and his gaze was everywhere but on me.
I screwed up my eyes, attempting to send blood north to my ears. I could hear fuck all, if I was being honest. I looked back at the man in front of me and wondered if he'd realised he'd made a big mistake and was now making an excuse.
I could see his side profile, and he looked like he'd been chiselled by heaven's sculptor. Yeah, he'd definitely had second thoughts.
Then, it hit me. Literally, something hit me. In the arse. And it hurt like a motherfucker.
And then, it was chaos.
Chapter Three
Screams, shouts, howls, and roars. I heard it all. And none of it made sense to my frazzled brain.
I reached down to touch my backside and found an arrow. A bloody arrow. I pulled it out, and something in my mind admired the feathers at the end. And then I realised my bottom was numb, and my legs were fast catching up.
"No!" My legs gave out, and I was falling to the grassy ground. Before I could completely fall, Jaz caught me and pulled me close.
"I've got you. It will wear off soon." He half carried and half dragged me along with him. "We've been ambushed. They knew everything."
It was a simple statement. But it didn't quite encompass what I was now seeing.
There must have been a dozen people at least. And creatures. And fuck knows what else.
I was in a nightmare, and I couldn't escape because I couldn't feel the lower part of my body. "What do I do?"
I felt rather than saw him glance down at me. "You just allow yourself to finally be you."
Easier said than done. A weird looking troll thing ran at us, and Jaz stopped dead and turned, using his dagger to slice across the creature's belly. It yelled out in pain, squirted black blood into the air, and crumpled to the grass.
I stared, not knowing whether to laugh hysterically at the situation I found myself in, or cry because I was paralysed by a goddamn arrow.
We started moving again. "You said 'we' were sworn to protect you. It might be a good idea to find your buddies right about now," I shouted into Jaz's ear.
"That would have been a good option to have," he said, slicing another creature at the throat this time. "Unfortunately, we're on our own for the time being."
I happened to glance down at Jaz's legs. His feet were now bare and sprouting fur.
WTF?
I didn't have any time to contemplate this new development before a huge thing—demon maybe?—barrelled into us from the side, and I felt the wind knocked out of Jaz as we both fell to the ground and rolled.
In moments, we were surrounded by at least three big dudes in some sort of black armour. My legs were tingling now, and I wondered if I would get the feeling back before I got my head cut off by these psychos.
"Carina, descendent of Mika and bloodline of Serpantia, you have been found guilty of treason and are sentenced to life imprisonment. You have no right to appeal."
The words were a blur, and I struggled to sit up as Jaz was held down by two solid men with spiky pink hair.
"Wait. This is all a mistake. I'm not sure what's going on, but I can disappear again just as easily." I wasn't beyond begging. I was well and truly up shit creek.
"You have been a fugitive of our laws for twenty-four years. There is no mistake." A woman stepped forward. She was dressed better than the rest of our attackers, who were either in armour or in some sort of camouflage. She had silver hair, much like my own, but the similarities stopped there. She was tiny, with large ears which made her look like an elf. I wasn't sure what was real anymore, but right now, I wasn't putting anything out of the realm of possibility.
"We would always find you, Carina. My detectives work overtime to get fugitives like you off our streets and into a secure facility."
"I'm not a fugitive. I've never even gotten a parking ticket, for fucks sake." I had almost all the feeling back in my legs, and I scrunched up my toes, just to be sure. "This isn't happening. What this is," I pointed to the mass of weirdos surrounding us, seemingly at this woman's beck and call, "is all bullshit. And you're wrong. I'm innocent. Please let me and my friend go."
"Your bodyguard will be put to death."
"No!" I sprang to my feet, and everyone stepped back. I came to the sudden awareness they didn't know if I had any powers, and more than that, what exactly they could be. They were nervous. "You will not harm him." The big shit had gotten me into this mess, but he didn't deserve to suffer. And he'd gotten under my skin anyway. "Let him go. Now."
There was a murmuring as they discussed whether to take me seriously. I attempted to play on it. "Before every one of you regrets it," I said quietly.
Jaz was dragged to his feet and let go. I looked him up and down quickly. He seemed in one piece, so I moved to stand next to him. The dagger he wielded was nowhere to be seen.
"Let us go. Now." I was pushing my luck, and I knew it. The woman who seemed to be in charge here looked at me carefully.
"No—" I was too late, as a thug from the side of us stepped forward and planted Jaz's dagger into his side. I managed to grab him as he crumpled, but he was too heavy, and I fell with him.
The wound oozed with blood. "Goddamn it. Tell me you'll live," I whispered into Jaz's ear.
"Don't worry about me, you need to look after yourself if I can't."
"Yeah, well, that isn't going so well at the moment, is it?” I looked at the silver dagger poking out of his body and winced. "You're a fucking wolf thing, and you carry a silver dagger? Do you have a death wish?" Jaz didn't respond, but his lip quivered in amusement.
And basically the reality of it was the mean doggy I kissed earlier was slipping away.
Shit. What do I do?
I looked back at the group of people and the woman in charge, my eyes narrowing as she started talking.
"He will die before sunrise. Come with us, and he has a chance to survive."
"No, she's lying, Carina. I will die regardless." But I didn't think so. I saw his colour had changed for the worse. This was going to be the second death I’d witnessed today, and the second time I couldn't do a damn thing about it.
I closed my eyes, feeling the weight of everything on my shoulders. It was building, escalating to a point which didn't even make sense anymore. My brain switched off as I became angry. Whatever was happening, I was trusting it completely.
"Everything will be okay," I said as I held Jaz's hand. I knew he'd die if I didn't do something. I just didn't know what. Yet.
"Listen, Carina. If you're taken to the facility, you will need to fight to survive. But remember," he gasped, and I didn't know if he could carry on talking. "Everyone is your enemy. Find a friend. You have at least one."
I bent and brushed my lips across his. "I'm okay. I haven't had enough chocolate today, and I'm pretty pissed at the world. And who needs friends?" I got a hint of a smile from him, and then it was gone, and pain was in its place.
"You will be taken to a high security facility. Come quietly, Carina," The woman said, and I instantly hated her high tones.
I climbed to my feet. I didn't feel quite myself anymore. Something, somewhere, had changed. I turned to face the woman, and all who looked at me gasped.
The warriors, big creatures with large weapons, looked unsure of themselves. Whatever I was capable of, whoever I was supposed to be, I guess I was stepping up.
I took my time looking at everyone in front of me. I had one chance. And even I didn't know how this was going to turn out. Or whether I would fall flat on my face.
They were scared of little old me? Well, they fucking should be.
"Here's the deal. You can take me, if you free Jaz. Otherwise, I start killing you all." The woman hesitated. I wasn't sure if this decision was above her pay-grade or something, but she had exactly two seconds to decide.
A heat built inside me, raging hot, setting my blood on fire. I pointed at the ugly fucker next to the woman.
"This is her fault you die." A moment later, my hands were encompassed in fire and so was the creature. I heard his screams in my head as I ripped out his soul.
And I knew exactly what I was doing and what was happening.
Moments later, he'd burned out. He was a pile of red ashes on the ground. Creatures backed away from me, and I really couldn't blame them.
"Save him," the woman bit out, and someone rushed to Jaz and pulled him up onto unsteady feet.
I turned to him. "Disappear, Jaz. I got this." He was shaking his head, but I held up my hand. "Go, I need to know you're safe."
It took a moment, but he eventually nodded. And then he was gone. Surprisingly, I didn't feel alone. I'd been fighting for something my entire life. This was no different.
Well, except maybe a couple of things. I was innocent and going to prison. I was a demon who'd always tried to do the right thing as a human. And it actually looked like I was an evil fucking bitch who could steal souls and burn fuckers up.
I smiled at the woman in front of me and saw a bead of swear appear on her upper lip. Yeah, my inner bitch was finally coming out.
The End
Afterword
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About the Author
LA Fox is a British writer with a passion for tea, muffins and writing romance. She lives with her hairy husband, demonic toddler, and lazy cats. Basically, her life is full of chaos and crap. Writing romance is her escape, and she's been known to stay up all night, crying into her bucket of caffeine, when the story overtakes her.
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Captive Souls
A Hell Chronicles Story
Tina Glasneck
About Captive Souls
The gods are real, and they don’t care about us!
Kristen should be enjoying her final year in college, but everything changed when the dark elves invaded. The invaders destroyed the world as she knew it. America fell, and the magical occupiers now rule with an iron fist.
Caught up in the rebel factions, Kristen is captured when a mana shipment meant for the sick and injured freedom fighters runs afoul.
Kristen must keep her wits about her to handle her entrance into the Supernatural Prison, and a strong right hook to ensure she survives to fight another day!
Escape into Captive Souls by USA Today bestselling author Tina Glasneck, a Hell Chronicles story from the series readers are calling “riveting.”
Preface
“The end of the world shall begin with the mutant, by flame and sword, through the fires of Muspelheim. The inevitable cometh even when unbeckoned.” – Dreki Edda 9, Stanza 1
Chapter One
The gods were real, and they didn’t give a flying fuck about us.
“Are you sure we’re at the right place, Fyre?” I asked the buzzing dis who decided to tag along. She buzzed around me like a little sprite and seemed to know what was happening in all the surrounding neighborhoods. Today, her hair color and style, which seemed to change according to her mood, glimmered with light like that of a firefly or flying embers.
Usually, the small entity gave us directions, but this time, it must have been something she needed to see.
“Remember what I said. The dark elves are doing bad things to all of us,” Fyre warned. “I need to take a closer look.”
I kept to the shadows with my friends—Chi, Ola, Graham and Emili, and my boyfriend, Rust—behind me. We hunkered down in the alleyway, and their camouflaged faces stared back at me.
The museum district was another quadrant we’d searched, where only rubble remained. Although a large swath of what used to be Richmond was now a no-go area, this was a mission we had to complete.
A year had passed since the ground opened up, and the devil came to Earth to enslave humanity and screw us over.
We watched trucks move in and out, unable to see what they were delivering.
The plan was simple: we’d steal part of the latest shipment of mana, the most powerful of medicine on the market, and get Rust to deliver it to those in Shanty Town. We’d been watching this spot for over an hour when finally, the long-awaited armed truck loudly rolled forward.
I saw the blue light from their helmets and heard them
speaking in Elvish, which I still couldn’t understand.
“Kristen, they’re talking about the drop,” Emili whispered to me. “One is to stay outside, while the other goes to get help unloading.”
Luckily, Emili had studied the runes, and without Sif—I shook my head. I couldn’t think about her right now. She, who’d disappeared without a sign of being alive. We’d failed to locate her body, and no one who knew Sif had seen her since. There’d been no spray-painted directions, not even a message with a carrying pigeon: nothing, nada, zilch. I didn’t know if she was thriving in a penthouse in the city’s heart, or if she’d been dragged to whatever hell these things had come from.
These monsters, although humanoid in appearance, sought only our demise. Tonight, the guards had found another set of humans to pull into their web. Clad in full black riot gear, their assault weapons in position, and ready to fire.
Then, I heard them: children singing and skipping along, led by a different sort of guard. This one was shapely, clad in bronze-and-gold armor. She played a flute, and her brass-colored hair fluttered behind her as she skipped along. It was like she was the Pied Piper leading the throng of playful children away…to their deaths.
“Change of plans,” I whispered. “Ola, you create a distraction. Emili, you and Graham, get to the end of that line and grab the children. We can’t let them take them. Chi, with me to the rooftop.”
They each pulled up their bandanas to cover their faces, leaving only their eyes visible, and with a quick nod, we all made our way.
I’d taken point. Someone had to lead. Why not me?
But that had never been my goal. It all started with loud emergency alarms blaring around town—first, I’d thought tornado, until the fighting started.
Hexes and Handcuffs: A Limited Edition Collection of Supernatural Prison Stories Page 29
