Witches and Wolves
Author: Theophilus Monroe
Date: 2022-07-28 04:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Urban Fantasy; Young Adult; Teen; Paranormal
Description: A local coven is hunting wolf shifters. They're enslaving them, extracting power from their essence... What are they planning? I'm not sure. I would have ignored it... until they captured my... friend. Or, is he more than a friend? I don't know. That kiss... I'm so confused... All I know is that I have to save him. One hedge witch facing off with a whole coven... drawing on the power of the wolves... Do I even stand a chance? ABOUT THE BLOOD WITCH SAGA (SERIES) I'm Hailey Bradbury: Hedge Witch and Vampire. My sire was staked moments after I was turned. As a youngling, the Voodoo Queen took me
Rights: Copyright &#x00A9;2022 byanonymous

Copyright

Copyright © 2022 by Theophilus Monroe.

All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

Cover Design by Deranged Doctor Design

Proofreading/Editing by Mel: https://getproofreader.co.uk/

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

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Chapter 1

When a seven-hundred-year-old vampire king thinks he's in love with you, it's hard not to expect he'll show up around every corner.

For three months, though, I hadn't seen him once. Mercy was looking for him. So was Annabelle. They hadn't turned over any actionable leads, either. Of course, that didn’t mean he wasn’t there in plain sight. We’d never know it. Among Corbin's many skills was the ability to take the shape of anyone he'd recently fed upon. That meant he could blend in and pose as literally any schlep on the streets.

I was sure he was nearby. He’d reveal himself to me, eventually. Corbin thought he loved me. His feelings resulted from Erzulie's influence. Her aspect was now a part of me. I'd used it on him, hoping to prevent him from unleashing a campaign of fear on the world. Winning his heart didn’t temper his ambitions. The vampire king wanted to make me his bloody queen!

His initial plan failed—thanks to yours truly and a little help from my friends. Now he was out there, somewhere, probably cooking up another plan.

Corbin was powerful. He was also something of a sociopath, even by vampiric standards. Why, then, couldn't I shake the image of that night together out of my mind?

Our sweaty bodies slamming against each other in his bed. My nails dug into his chest. The way he grabbed me by the hips. I didn't love him. I didn't even like Corbin. But I still desired him. I craved his touch. Why is it the body so often yearns for what the heart and mind loathe the most?

I half expected he'd show up and spoil the evening. Connor said he had something he wanted to tell me. He asked to meet at the bar we'd enjoyed drinks at the night everything went down—when Baron Samedi took over Bianca. She used his power to turn every human in New Orleans into a vampire, albeit only for a few minutes. Had it not been for Moll's sacrifice, it would have worked. An entire city turned into vampires, spreading across the country looking for prey, would have surely evoked the fear that Corbin hoped humanity might have for our kind. If all the world knew about vampires, and were frightened of us, he believed we'd rule the world. He'd become king, and he wished to make me his vampire queen.

It wasn't what I wanted. It was a delusional vision that only one so warped as Corbin could cook up.

Connor was a wolf shifter. A vampire bite passed along certain enzymes—usually intended to make the wound heal after a feed—that held addictive properties, especially for shifters. I bit Connor once, before I knew my bite was shifter crack. Come to find out, some of the other wolves in his pack were already hooked. Vampires like Corbin used shifters as slaves, exploited their dependency to force them to do their bidding. We intervened. Mercy took care of dispensing their regular doses. So long as Connor was still with Ginny Larson I made it clear there could be no us. He had to make a choice. Try to save his relationship, rekindle a spark with his girlfriend of nine years, or move on. If he did, I’d consider a date or two to see where things went.

Connor was seated at the bar, on the same stool he occupied when we shared a drink there the last time. He was sipping on a tonic and lime. My gin and tonic was waiting for me next to him.

Connor looked incredible. He had a fresh haircut, a little shorter around the ears than before, but not so short to prevent his brown curls from tickling the back of his neck. He was wearing a tight black shirt and jeans. His simple style suited him.

I was wearing a tight pair of leather pants—my wand was in a small pocket I'd sewn into the leg. I had on a small, low-cut red top that showed just enough cleavage to catch the eye.

I took my seat next to Connor and grabbed my drink. "What's a nice boy like you doing at a place like this?"

Connor smiled. "It's nice to see you again, Hailey."

I smirked. "I bet it is. First things first. I need to verify your identity."

Connor tilted his head. “I’m not Corbin, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“Which is exactly what Corbin would say if he were pretending to be you!”

“I could shift. Corbin can’t do that so far as we know. Though becoming a wolf in a busy bar might freak a few people out.”

I pulled out my phone and texted Connor a random poop emoji. Why the poop emoji? Because I didn’t have any other use for it. Who really does?

Connor’s phone dinged. He checked it. “Why did you send me a smiling turd?”

I smiled. “Corbin might look like you if he bites you. Unless he steals your phone, though, he can’t get our text messages.”

“How do you know he wouldn’t take my phone? If he bit me, why not? If he shifted like me, he could use facial recognition or my thumb print to unlock it.”

I smiled. “Corbin is seven hundred years old. The little I know about him, he’s not keen on technology. I don’t think he even has a phone, believe it or not. I don’t think it would even occur to him to steal your phone if he bit you.”

Connor touched my hand. “I’m also warmer than he is. We wolves run hot.”

The heat from Connor’s palm radiated across the back of my hand. I turned my hand around and grabbed his. “And we run cold. The contrast is clear. Alright, I’m convinced. You’re the real Connor.”

Connor laughed. “Glad to hear it. If I wasn’t, I’d be pretty freaked out myself.”

I smiled. “So, what’s the news? What did you have to tell me?”

Connor sighed. "I don't know where to start."

I bit my lip. "I have all night. How are things at home?"

Connor shook his head. "Well, I'm sure you've already heard from Mercy, but we were right about my dad."

I nodded. "He became a vampire."

"He's a nightwalker, still working with that damned Order of the Morning Dawn."

"They're becoming quite the nuisance. Nothing like the old Order, but still a pain in our asses."

Connor nodded. "I upheld our pact. I'm guessing your reunion with your parents went better than it did when I confronted mine."

I shrugged. "They were happy to see me. Ever since, though, it's been one private investigator after the next trying to track me down. If I have to cast one more memory-wiping spell on one of those assholes..."

"They love you. That's more than I can say about my parents."

"I'm sure they love you too, in their way."

"They don't accept me for what I am. They only love who they want me to be."

I nodded. "You should talk to Mercy about that. Her dad never accepted her, either. Tried to kill her. Even had her heart cut out of her chest."

Connor winced. "That's brutal."

I grinned. "Didn't work. All I'm saying is that it could be worse. Maybe your dad's new nature will make him susceptible to persuasion. More than one nightwalker has turned against the Order through the years."

"I don't see that happening. My dad's pretty committed to that whole 'don't drink blood' thing from Leviticus and the 'suffer not a witch to live' line in Exodus."

I huffed. "Does he make your mom sleep outside once a month?"

Connor tilted his head. "No, why would he do that?"

"Leviticus also says that when a woman is on her period, she's unclean for seven days. Don't touch her, or you'll be unclean, too. Sit on the same chair she sat on. Guess what? You're unclean! Best put that woman outside of the camp for a while."

Connor chuckled. "I don't think he follows that principle."

I nodded. "We went to private school. We both studied the Bible. Ever notice how context becomes important when we don't want to follow something the Bible says, but we ignore context when it agrees with us?"

"You think the Bible is okay with witchcraft and vampirism?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. I think when you're dealing with witches who practiced human sacrifice, and you'd never heard of vampires before, using those texts to condemn either today is irresponsible."

Connor chuckled. "Good luck convincing my dad of that. He went to Bible college, after all."

I snorted. "Means he must be right. Makes you wonder why so many people from Bible colleges and seminaries disagree on so many things."

Connor scratched his head. "Yeah. Well, whatever. It is what it is. At least he hasn't found a text yet to condemn wolf shifters. He still thinks I'm a victim of your sorcery."

I smirked. "Well, it was an accident. I didn't even know what spell I was doing, much less did I mean for it to hit you and the others."

"Yeah, the others. About that."

"Is your pack doing well?"

Connor took a sip from his drink. "Now that Will and Anthony aren't dependent on nightwalkers or vampires like Corbin for their fix on vampire bites, things are better. That's sort of what I wanted to talk to you about."

I raised one eyebrow. "You'd asked me to meet you at a bar to chat about Will and Anthony?"

Connor grinned a little. "No, not them. It's about Ginny."

I stared forward and took a sip of my drink. I winced a little. The bartender made it stronger than I was used to. "What about her?"

"We're taking a break."

I raised an eyebrow. "A break, eh?"

"Yeah. I mean, I told her I needed some space to sort things out."

"You didn't break up. You took a break. You realize that's basically bullshit for 'I'm breaking up with you, but maybe if I give you a little false hope that we can get back together later it won't hurt as much.'"

Connor chuckled. "Yeah, she didn't take it well. I don't know why not. For her, there are plenty-o-wolves in the forest. She's the only girl shifter in the pack. She could have her pick of the litter."

I shook my head. "Ginny thinks she's in love with you, Connor. Maybe she is. She thought you two were going to be together forever. I'm not sure she'll let go so easily."

Connor shrugged. "Either way, eventually she'll get it. I told her I wanted to see other people, you know, since we were only fourteen when we started seeing each other. I was thinking, you know..."

I raised an eyebrow. "You were thinking about seeing me instead?"

Connor smiled. "Yeah. I'd like to see if it would work. I know hooking up with a vampire probably comes with a surgeon general's warning or some sort, but I can accept the risks."

I rested my hand on Connor's. "I'll think about it."

Connor narrowed his eyes. "Is that a no?"

"It is what I said it is. It means I'll think about it."

Connor sighed. "Sorry. I was just under the impression you wanted..."

"It's not that I don't like you, Connor. I do! I also don't want to be your rebound girl. How long has it been since you had this conversation with Ginny?"

"It was this morning. First thing."

"You had a break up conversation first thing in the morning?"

"Yeah, I mean. She wasn't getting out of bed and I was laying there. I just blurted it out."

I raised an eyebrow. "So you had just slept together, then you dropped a break up bomb on her?"

Connor snorted. "It wasn't the best timing. I wasn't planning on it. It wasn't like I was using her. We've been together a long time. Everything just felt routine, less than satisfying. So I told her, sort of on the spur of the moment."

"And the first thing you did was reach out to me so you could tell me?"

Connor nodded. "I can't stop thinking about you. Even when I was with Ginny, in my mind..."

I rolled my eyes. "You imagined she was me?"

Connor bit the inside of his cheek. "Is that wrong?"

I scratched my head. "It's not exactly the most romantic way to tell a girl you're into her. Hey, I was boning my ex, but I was pretending she was you! Then, you know what? I figured I’d leave Mister Rodgers' land of make believe and thought I'd try to bone you instead."

Connor chuckled and shook his head. "Yeah, Mr. McFeely isn't really my type. I couldn't ever get into Lady Elaine, either."

I smirked. "Lady Elaine was a puppet, Connor."

"That woman always had some guy's hand inside of her. She couldn't get enough of it."

I laughed. "I suppose that's true. Here's the thing, Connor, if you want to ride this trolley you're going to have to do more than tell me you’re taking a break with Ginny. I need a little more romance than a confession that you’re pretending she’s me when you’re doing her."

Connor took a deep breath. "When you put it like that, I suppose this wasn't nearly as romantic as I planned it out in my mind. I should have stuck to the plan and kept my mouth shut. That damn thing between my chin and nose gets me into more trouble than it's worth."

I poked Connor in the chest.

"What was that?"

"I'm pushing the reset button."

Connor tilted his head. "You're what?"

"I'm going to pretend you didn't say a thing. Other than that you and Ginny aren't together. I'm giving you a chance to go back to your Plan A. How do you plan to woo me, Mister McFeely?"

"It's McPherson." Connor smirked.

I grinned widely. "McWhatever. I know your name, Connor. The question stands. How are you going to sweep this cold-hearted vampire off her feet?"

Connor stood up and extended his hand. "How about a dance?"

I grinned. "How could I refuse?"

I wrapped my arms around Connor's neck. He held me by the waist. We swayed like two fourteen-year-olds at their first homecoming to a song that I didn't recognize. At least, it started that way. Then he pulled me a little closer. His forehead leaned against mine. "I'm obsessed with you, Hailey Bradbury."

I bit my lip and slid my hand down closer to Connor's backside. "The feeling is mutual."

He kissed me softly. It was nice. His lips quivered a little. He was nervous, but it was a cute nervous. Then my lips parted and our tongues touched. It didn't take long before his passion overtook his nerves.

My fingers tangled in his hair. He pulled me in close. If we let this go much further, the bouncer would forcibly remove us from the bar. Then again, we were in the French Quarter. You can get away with almost anything there so long as you're giving the other tourists a show. Still, I wasn't ready to take things any further than that. Not that I didn't want to. I sure as hell did. Every part of my body craved more. But Connor wasn't Corbin. He wasn't some object of desire to use and forget. He was the kind of guy I'd want to keep around for a while. Men only value things they have to work for. I would not give him what he wanted so easily.

I pulled away from him. We were both aroused. He was for sure. The pressure poking my thigh confirmed it. I took a few quick breaths.

"Wow," Connor said.

I smiled. "That was incredible."

"Want to get out of here?"

I smiled. "Not together."

Connor's eyes widened. "Seriously?"

I grabbed Connor's hand and led him to the door. "What are you doing tomorrow night?"

Connor shrugged. "Nothing yet."

"I'll keep my schedule open. I want a date. An actual date. Not just a drink and a dance. We'll see where things go from there."

A wide grin split Connor's face. "I can make that happen."

Chapter 2

I grabbed a hunky fellow on my way out of the bar, enthralled him with my vampiric allure, and bid him to follow me home.

I know what you're thinking. After Connor just kissed me, why hook up with another dude straight away? Well, my intentions with the man were nutritional. I promised Mel, Mercy's latest progeny, I'd grab some carry-out. She was still young enough that she had to feed three or four times a week and Mercy had an orphan to stake. We didn't know where Corbin was, but he was turning young vampires and leaving them to fend for themselves on the streets of New Orleans. Without his guidance, they were feeding recklessly. It fell to Mercy, me, and the rest of the Vampire Council to clean up his mess.

Staking Corbin's younglings wasn't ideal, but we didn't have many options. A sire can exert a great deal of influence over her progeny. Besides, Mercy wasn't exactly equipped to run a vampire orphanage out of Casa do Diabo. We could have committed them to the Vilokan Asylum. They'd helped more than a few younglings tame their early bloodlusts. Annabelle wasn't keen on that idea though. If Corbin showed up again, the younglings would remain loyal to him no matter how much effort we'd put into helping them.

Corbin knew the younglings would distract us from our efforts to track him down. He knew we'd have to stake them. It was murderous and tragic, but what choice did we have? If we didn't stake the younglings, they'd kill dozens of people in their untamed need to feed.

The man I took from the bar wasn't the sort I'd typically choose. I preferred younger fellows, clean-cut with minimal facial hair. This guy was an urban lumberjack. He had dark hair and a reddish brown beard that fell halfway down his chest. He was in a flannel plaid shirt, jeans, and cowboy boots. The way he shuffled his feet and stumbled over his words suggested he was drunk enough to ensure that once Mel had her fill, he'd forget the entire experience. Once Mel fed, his blood alcohol content would go through the roof. He'd wake up wherever we left him with a headache and a healthy sense of embarrassment over whatever he couldn't remember he'd done the night before. All in all, a pretty typical morning after the French Quarter experience.

I led our meal through the front door of Casa do Diabo. Mel was sitting next to Sarah, another vampire member of the council, with hand-held video game controllers in their hands. They were transfixed by whatever game they had going on the screen.

"Dinner is served!" I announced.

Mel ran over, sank her teeth into the man's neck, took a few gulps, and dropped him on the floor. "Thanks, Hailey."

A half-second later, Mel was back in front of the screen. "You killed me, Sarah! I was eating! I call foul!"

Sarah chuckled. "You've killed me ten times in a row. I'll take any advantage I can get!"

I rolled my eyes. I wasn't much of a gamer, but the few times I'd dared to challenge Mel on any of her first-person shoot-'em-up games, she'd slaughtered me repeatedly.

I checked the man's pulse to make sure Mel hadn't drained him more than necessary. He was still alive. No harm done. I'd take him back out on the streets and find a safe place to leave him before sunrise.

Sarah was a few decades older than Mercy. She'd spent most of her vampiric existence in Exeter, Rhode Island. She had a few unique abilities, as most vampires who'd accumulated more than a century of existence often did. She could tap into Baron Samedi's vision and see through the eyes of other vampires. She was an asset to the council. If anyone was up to no good, she could find out what it was. Unfortunately, though, her abilities only worked on vampires younger than she was. She couldn't find Corbin, but she had the ability to see whatever his younglings were up to. Since it took a few hours before a new vampire's metamorphosis was complete, by the time she picked up on the presence of his younglings, he was long gone. Still, at the very least, it gave us a trail to pursue and an ability to stop Corbin's newbie vamps before they hurt anyone.

I glared at Mel. "You're welcome, by the way."

"Right! Cheers, Hailey! Much appreciated."

I rolled my eyes. I had to admit, Mel's British accent, her red hair, and her bubbly personality would have been cute if she wasn't a typical, annoying youngling. She was the little sister I had never had. I loved her, but damn. She grated on my nerves.

"You know, it's a perfectly fine night. Why don't you go outside and play?"

Sarah shrugged. "I'm not really the outdoorsy type."

I sighed. "I wasn't talking to you. Everyone knows you're a hermit. You can't teach an old vampire new tricks."

"Mercy told me to stay home," Mel bashed a few buttons on her controller. "Take that, bitch!"

Sarah threw her controller across the room. It narrowly missed one of Mercy's antique lamps and bounced off the wall.

I snickered. "It's just a game."

Mel and Sarah both turned and stared at me. By the open-jawed, wide-eyed look they were giving me, you'd think I'd committed some kind of sacrilege.

"We have a raid scheduled with our guild in an hour. If Sarah doesn't get her shit together before then, we're dead!"

I grinned. "That's the thing about games. You aren't ever really dead, are you? A few seconds later, you come right back."

Mel crossed her arms in front of her chest and huffed. "You don't get it. If Sarah can't survive the first wave of mobs, our entire legion will be royally fucked! They might kick us out of the guild."

I shook my head. "Such a shame that would be. How could you ever get over that?"

Mel snorted. "Don't be a bitch, Hailey."

"Look, all I'm saying is that you have all day, every day, to play as much as you want. Why play at night when you could be out on the town? You're vampires, for Christ's sake."

"The rest of the guild has school and work during the day. All our raids are scheduled at night."

I narrowed my eyes. "Don't they ever sleep?"

Mel grinned. "You don't know a lot of gamers, do you?"

I took a deep breath. "Alright, well, if Mercy told you to stay in tonight, she must've had a good reason. Corbin is still out there, after all."

Mel nodded, then turned to Sarah. "Grab your controller. We have work to do."

Sarah took a deep breath and moseyed across the room. She picked up her controller off the floor.

"You're almost three hundred years old, Sarah. Mel has been a vampire for, what, a minute, and you're doing what she says?"

Sarah shrugged. "She outranks me."

"What does that even mean?"

"I'm level ninety-three." Mel grinned ear-to-ear. "She's only thirty. And I have guild rank. She has to listen to me."

I stared at the two of them for a good fifteen seconds. "If you're done eating, could one of you at least help me drag this poor man outside? I'm not hauling his drunk ass back to that bar alone. I prepped the meal. The least you could do is the dishes."

Sarah waved her hand through the air. "Don't worry about him. We'll take care of it after the raid."

I turned to leave. If they were going to waste the night playing video games, I was going to go out on the town on my own. I didn't have any plans. I didn't need to feed. Wandering the French Quarter and watching tourists act stupid was infinitely more pleasant an experience than sitting and watching Mel and Sarah play video games.

I opened the front door.

A swift punch to my right eye greeted me.

I turned away and rubbed my eye with my hand. Then I looked back.

Ginny Larson was standing there, her face beet red and her fists still raised. "Where is Connor!"

I tilted my head. "The last I saw him, he left the bar."

Ginny pushed her way past me. Mel and Sarah didn't react at all. They were already absorbed in their game. "He's here somewhere. Where is he? In your bed?"

"Ginny, Connor isn't here. I'm telling you the truth. We had a drink, a pleasant conversation and a dance, and he went home."

Ginny clenched her fists. "He didn't come home."

"Don't even think about punching me again. I'm faster than you. You won't land it and my patience is wearing thin. I'm telling you the truth."

"I don't know what you think you're doing. But I won't let you take him away from me just so you can lose interest, break his heart, and leave me to pick up the pieces."

I tilted my head. "We had a drink. I'm sorry he broke up with you, but that was his decision, not mine."

Ginny grunted. "We didn't break up! We're taking a break."

I pressed my lips together. "I'm not trying to steal your boyfriend, Ginny. He makes his own choices."

"He's under your spell! It's witchcraft. Or maybe it's because of your bite. Whatever it is, we were fine until he found you again. Ever since, he hasn't been himself. We were in love, and now he's gone! I went to his place, and he didn’t answer the door."

I placed a hand on Ginny's shoulder. She shrugged it off. "Don't touch me."

"Maybe he didn't go back to his apartment because he knew you’d find him there. Or maybe he just didn’t answer because he wants his space. You said it yourself, you're taking a break. That doesn't work well when you keep showing up at his place, you know."

Ginny shook her head. "He has no place else to go. All his things are there. And his Escalade wasn’t parked outside."

"What about his parents? Maybe he went to their house."

Ginny huffed. "Seriously? You don't know him like I do. He wouldn't go back there, not after everything his dad has done."

I bit my lip. "Technically, that was Corbin. He bit Connor's dad and used his ability to shape-shift into Mister McPherson’s form back at the church."

"That's not what I'm talking about. Maybe it was Corbin, but the vampire said nothing that his dad wouldn't. Nothing that he hasn't said since. Make no mistake, Hailey, Corbin's dad knows all about you. He and the other nightwalkers are dead set—pardon the pun—on seeing you removed from the picture."

I shrugged. "He wouldn't be the first hunter who wanted me dead. Tell me, Ginny, if that's the case and you really think I'm the cause of everything going on with Connor, why don't you try to stake me yourself?"

Ginny narrowed her eyes. "Believe me, I've thought about it. If I did that, Connor would never forgive me. Besides, I'm conflicted about you."

"Conflicted?" I raised one eyebrow.

"If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't be what we are. We wouldn't be a pack of shifters. Connor and I never would have fallen in love."

I scratched my head. "So, it's because of me you two became a thing. It's also my fault he broke up with you?"

"I told you, it isn't a breakup. It's a break!"

I grinned. "Right. Sorry."

"Will you help me find him or not?"

I tilted my head. "You think I can find him? I thought you knew him better than I did. Why do you think I could help?"

"Because you're a witch. Don't you have some kind of spell you can cast to track people down?"

I nodded. "I do. To pull it off, I would need some of his genetic material.”

Ginny pulled a key out of her pocket. "I have a key to his apartment. I'm sure there's something there. He doesn't clean very often."

I chuckled. "I know. I've been there."

Ginny raised an eyebrow. "You've been to his apartment?"

"Briefly! It was back when we first met. He had to get some clothes after we escaped Corbin's place."

Ginny sighed. "Right. Sorry. I'm a little on edge right now."

"A little? My right eye says it's more than a little."

Ginny smiled. "I'd say I'm sorry about that, but it felt good."

I rubbed my eye again. "That makes one of us."

Chapter 3

Ginny got into her car. I stood there and clasped my hand over my mouth to stop myself from laughing. She drove one of the most recent versions of the Volkswagen Beetle. It was pink.

"Are you going to get in or what?"

I forced myself to suppress my shit-eating grin and climbed in the passenger side. It had one of those three-inch bud vases on the dash with a freshly picked yellow daffodil in it. Ginny grabbed a small can from her cup holder. She shook it and sprayed.

I gagged. "What the hell is that?"

"It's my fruity spray! Don't you love it?"

I coughed. "I don't know about that. It smells like ass."

"It's cucumber melon. I don't know what you put in your ass..."

"I don't put fruits and vegetables in my—"

Ginny giggled. "Then my spray clearly doesn't smell like your butt!"

I snickered. "You know what? I have nothing to say to that."

Ginny sprayed a little more around the car. I pulled my shirt over my nose, but kept my mouth shut.

I don't know how she tolerated it. Vampires have enhanced senses. From what Connor told me, wolf shifters do, too. It's not as intense in human form compared to when they're wolfed out, but they still have more sensitive than average snorters.

Then, again, Connor mentioned before that he could smell vampires. Older vampires like Corbin smelled rich, sort of like a fine, aged wine. Younger vampires, like me, had a sweet smell. If Corbin or Mercy were like dusty bottles of century-old French Merlot, I was Mad Dog 20/20.

I tilted my head. "Are you spraying that shit because of me?"

Ginny curled her lip. "I didn't want to say anything. I was trying to be polite."

"Says the girl who punched me in the face, then asked me for help?"

Ginny giggled. "It was a well-mannered punch."

"What is a well-mannered punch? Did you extend your pinky as you thrust your knuckles into my eye-socket?"

"No. That would be dumb. You could break a pinky finger that way. If you didn't notice, I curtsied after I smashed your face."

"I didn't notice on account of the fact you'd just punched me in the eye."

Ginny grinned widely. "Okay, that was a lie. I didn't actually curtsy. I should have, though. That would have been epic."

"Do I really smell that bad? Connor said I smelled like sweet wine."

Ginny laughed so hard she snorted. "He didn't say that. If he did, he was full of shit. You smell like my toilet after I ate too much asparagus."

"I smell like asparagus pee? You're making that up."

"Alright. Asparagus pee mixed with a hint of iron. Is that better?"

I stared at Ginny's air freshener can, now set firmly back in her cup holder. I had the urge to grab it and spray the shit right in her face. Then again, she was driving. I might survive a car accident, no problem, but then again, we were riding in a bug. I imagined not even my vampirism could protect me if a truck squashed us.

I bit my tongue until we reached Connor's apartment. "I'm willing to bet he's home, now. All this worry was for nothing."

Ginny shrugged. "I don't think you're right. I hope you are, Hailey. But I have a sixth sense about these things. Connor and me. We have a connection."

I raised one eyebrow. "A connection?"

Ginny nodded. "He might not see it right now. You know, distracted by all your blondness and your long legs and your sorcery. But we have a connection."

I snorted. "I don't do sorcery. I'm a witch."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "What's the difference?"

I sighed. "Depends on which Google article you read. I think of it like this. Witches tap into powers drawn from what we think of as natural sources. We use the spirit of places and things found in the world all around us. Yes, in my case, even the power of blood. We connect to the earth. Sorcerer's draw power from another realm. Depending on the source, their magic may be used for either good or evil. In fact, it doesn't matter. Witches, sorcerers, warlocks, vodouisants, whatever."

"So witches are good? Sorcerers are evil?"

I pursed my lips. "It's not the power itself that makes someone good or evil. With value judgments like that, it's the same as it is for any human. We're all a mixed bag. In some of us, our better nature prevails. In others, we're more inclined to wrongdoing. There's rarely anyone who is all good or all evil. That sort of thing only happens in comic books. In my experience, everyone is corruptible and everyone is redeemable. The choices we make are what matters."

"So, you also work with the Voodoo Queen, right?"

I shrugged. "I think of her as a sort of second mother, or maybe like a big sister."

"They don't tap into powers of this world. Does that make them sorcerers?"

I bit my lip. "Not exactly. They don't extract the power from another source so much as they channel the power from demigods known as Loa. Now, there are what are called bokors or caplatas who arrest the Loa and manipulate their power for their purposes. They're more like sorcerers, and mambos and hougans who ask the Loa for help are closer to witches. Make sense?"

Ginny shrugged. "I guess. What kind of spell did you cast that turned us into wolf shifters? That doesn't sound like something natural."

I sighed. "What is natural? Go to the grocery story and buy something that says 'all natural' on it and you think you're getting something healthy. In truth, though, everything in the grocery store came from the earth at some point. It all has natural origins. Despite what you might think about Twinkies and Ding Dongs, they aren't supernatural. They're still natural."

"What does that have to do with the spell that turned us into shifters?"

"Only this. There's a lot that can be done with natural means. Your phone in your pocket isn't magic, but if you took it back in time and showed it to people a century ago, they'd think it was. It is a device that harnesses natural sources of energy. You'd never realize that, though, by looking at your phone and taking it apart. Apple trees don't grow iPhones."

"You're saying that the spell that was cast on us might look like sorcery, even if it was witchcraft?"

I took a deep breath. "It's often impossible to tell the difference if all you see is the result. The spell I cast that night in the woods, though, was relatively simple. It was basically water and a mouse that boiled for three days. When my blood was added to it, there was something in my genetics that triggered the spell and raised Moll. It was a pure accident that some of it splattered on a wolf and also contacted you, turning you into what you are now."

"So what we are comes from your blood?"

"There's a power in my blood that catalyzed the spell. That's all I can say."

"Sort of like sperm fertilizes an egg? Only when the two come in contact will life begin."

"A crude analogy, but I think it's something like that."

Ginny nodded. "In that case, you're our mom, in a way. So, you can't be with Connor. That would be wrong."

I rolled my eyes. "If that's the case, Ginny, you'd be his sister. Just as wrong."

Ginny sighed. "Okay, fair point I guess."

I took a deep breath. "Look, I know it hurts. If your love with Connor is real, then he'll find his way back to you. You are only going to chase him away, though, if you don't allow him to date who he wants, to find out for sure what his heart desires."

Ginny shook her head. "We've been together for almost a decade!"

I nodded. "You were both only fourteen when you got together. You never really dated anyone else. Maybe you should try the same. I'm not trying to steal Connor from you. He might want to date me. Maybe he'll lose interest and want to date someone else later. We don't know that. In the end, though, his heart has to be free to choose."

Ginny parked her car outside of Connor's apartment and pulled her key from the ignition. "He isn't the only one who should be free to make a choice, you know."

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"You talk like everything is his choice. If Connor chooses you, that's it. If he chooses me, so be it. As if we're powerless to make our own choices, to fight like hell for what we want, or to decide to let him go if that's what's best for him."

"That's the point I'm trying to make."

"Maybe. But you're also free to let him go. You cast the spell, intentional or not, that made us what we are. You also are the one who bit him, enslaving him to the need for your bite."

I shrugged. "Any vampire's bite would do."

Ginny tapped her fingernails on her steering wheel. "You're the only one he trusts. If he chooses you because he feels he must, that's no different from telling him he has to choose me because I'm the only choice he has as a fellow shifter. If he's choosing you for the wrong reasons, because he thinks you're the only choice he has, is he really free? Can you really be sure he loves you for who you are rather than what you are?"

I unbuckled my seatbelt and opened the door. "We're getting ahead of ourselves, Ginny. Like I said, we had one drink. I agreed to one date. That's it."

Ginny nodded. "Promise me one thing."

"What's that?"

"Provided we find Connor, and he's safe, don't bite him."

"He needs a bite from time to time."

"Let someone else do it, then. If you really hope he'll fall in love with you, provided you decide you love him, too, it can't be because he's enslaved to his addiction to your bite."

I pressed my lips together into a fine line. "I'll consider it."

Chapter 4

My chest tightened. My stomach sank. I grabbed the handrail alongside the steep staircase leading up to Connor's apartment. My hand slid along the rail, lubricated by sweat.

It was late. We'd probably find Connor in bed. That's what I wanted to believe. Ginny was right about one thing, though. She knew Connor better than I did. If she thought something happened to him, I feared she might be right.

Who would want to hurt Connor?

There was only one candidate. If Corbin saw us at the bar, if he saw our dance, our kiss, he could have abducted Connor to get to me. Or, even worse, he might have harmed Connor out of pure jealousy. Whatever the case, I feared the worst as Ginny inserted her key into Connor's door and pushed it open.

Connor's apartment was a mess. That was nothing new. His lights were still on. If he was in bed, he should have turned them off. There was a white circle on the floor in the middle of Connor's living room.

Ginny didn't see the circle. She stepped into the room. I grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back.

"What the hell, Hailey?"

I pointed at the floor. "See that? It's a witch's trap."

"Witches?" Ginny raised an eyebrow. "Why would witches have an interest in Connor?"

I shook my head. "I don't know. I assumed if anything happened to Connor, Corbin was behind it. Now, I'm not so sure."

"You're saying they trapped him in this circle?"

I nodded. "I believe so."

"Then what? They came and took him away?"

I shook my head. "It depends on how they enchanted the circle. A trap like this doesn't bind someone to a single place. We see through it, but within the circle is a void, something that transcends spacial dimensions."

"So, they teleported him somewhere?"

I scratched the back of my head. "It's possible."

"Then we should go into the circle. We can follow the portal to wherever he is and save him."

"That might not be possible. The circle only suspends someone within it in the void. Another spell is required to carry the prisoner to another place."

"Can you do that spell?"

"It doesn't work that way. I could, but it wouldn't take us where they sent him. It would only take us where I wanted it to send us. The witch who casts the spell controls the destination."

"If we stepped in the circle, could the witch behind it send us wherever she wanted?"

I nodded. "It's possible. They might send us to wherever they're holding Connor. They might also send us to a desert somewhere halfway across the globe, or worse, into the middle of the ocean."

Ginny winced. "Well, that would suck. I'm not much of a swimmer, even in wolf form."

I chuckled. "And I’m not much for sand and deserts. The sunlight is a bitch."

"So it's back to plan A? We find some of Connor's DNA and track him using your spell?"

I nodded. "I think that's the best course of action. Until we know what we're walking into, we have to be careful. We have to find Connor. Then we can figure out what we're facing before attempting a rescue."

Ginny narrowed her eyes. "We need to contact the rest of the pack."

"We're just talking about reconnaissance right now. We can do that later."

Ginny shook her head. "You don't understand. We share a bond. Something isn't right. I think all of us might be in danger."

"You think whoever took Connor might be after your entire pack?"

"I don't know." Ginny sighed. "We've worked with witches before. They hired the pack to sniff out and find various ingredients. Herbs, rare animals, things like that."

"For spells."

Ginny nodded. "We never questioned it. The money was good. It's why we got in over our heads with Corbin and the Order of the Morning Dawn. Perhaps they have another agenda we weren't privy to and they need us again."

"Why wouldn't they just hire you again? Abducting Connor is an act of desperation."

Ginny pulled out her phone. "I'm sending a group text."

"To Will and Anthony?"

"And the two wolves you haven't met. Leland and Rory."

"Do they live together?" I asked.

Ginny shook her head. "Will and Anthony are roommates. Leland and Rory have their own places."

"If these witches abducted them, too, we'll probably find similar salt traps in their apartments."

Ginny raised a finger. "Hold on. Someone is responding."

I released my breath. I didn't even realize I was holding it. "And?"

"It's Anthony. He said he was at his parents’ house tonight."

"Tell him not to go home. Have him meet us here. If the others haven't responded, we have to assume the worst. We'll investigate their apartments later. For now, we need to track down these witches and find Connor. Maybe the rest of your pack. Try to find something of Connor's DNA. It doesn't matter what it is. A hair in the shower drain. Nail clippings. Something tangible. Saliva on a drinking glass won't be enough."

"What about his toothbrush?"

I shook my head. "It might work, but presuming he rinsed it, anything there might be too diluted to use."

I pulled out my phone. "I'm going to call in a little backup of my own."

"The Voodoo Queen?"

I shook my head. "Annabelle might be helpful, but she doesn't have a signal in Vilokan. I can leave her a message on the machine in her office. It's on a land line. She still might not get it in time. I'm going to call up Mercy Brown."

"Another vampire?"

"Mercy is more than a vampire. She's also a witch. If we're facing a coven, we need all the magic on our side we can muster."

Chapter 5

It took Mercy about two minutes to arrive. She's fast. All vampires are. Even I was surprised that she got there so quickly. It took her a half-second to spot the salt circle on the floor.

"Well, isn't that lovely?"

"That's one word for it." I shook my head. "Whoever did this is pretty powerful."

Mercy shrugged. "Not as powerful as you, I'd wager."

I chuckled. "Maybe not, but we're probably dealing with an entire coven. As strong as I might be, my magic can't overwhelm a coven working in concert."

"We should dispel the circle. I'd hate to see someone else get stuck inside."

"It's some kind of salt-infused paint. Usually we could smudge the salt and break the spell."

"I wouldn't try scrubbing it with a wet towel, either. If your hand gets stuck inside, even one finger, you might not be able to pull it out."

"I was thinking a mop might work, but look around. If Connor owns a mop at all, he hasn't used it in ages."

Mercy chuckled. "I don't know what you see in that boy."

"Seriously? He's cute. He has a good heart. There's potential."

Mercy rolled her eyes. "If you say so. You know my feelings about love."

"I know you're jaded. I also know you've spent most of your vampiric life without a heart."

"I'm capable of love, Hailey. I didn't believe it for a long time, especially not now that I'm nearly two centuries old. Some people believe middle-aged vampires are incapable of love. That we've lost too much humanity. There's more than one way to get in touch with your humanity, though, than consuming souls."

"Then why don't you have an interest in love?" I asked.

Mercy shrugged. "I loved someone once."

"Ramon?" I asked.

Mercy nodded. "He was probably the most unlovable vampire I'd ever known. For some reason, though, he won my heart even when I didn't have one."

I sighed. "And now that he's human again..."

"Thanks to the Morrigan, he’s living a full human life. Last I saw, he was married and already had a child on the way. I had to let him go. He deserved to find someone he could grow old with, and he has."

"You're still in love with him, aren't you? That's why you can't love anyone else."

Mercy shrugged. "Maybe. It doesn't matter. He's gone, and it's for the best. Sometimes we have to let go of the ones we love for their own good. Genuine love is selfless like that."

"I suppose that makes sense. Ginny is looking for something with Connor's DNA on it so I can track him."

Mercy chuckled. "Check the wastepaper basket next to his computer. He's a young man who lives alone. I'm sure there are a few tissues in there full of his DNA."

"He doesn't look at porn, Mercy!"

Mercy smirked. "Are you sure about that?"

I moved around the salt circle and grabbed the trash can next to Connor's computer desk. I held it up for Mercy to see. "It's empty. See?"

"As much trash as there is all around the apartment, it's kind of ironic there's none in his trash can."

I laughed. "It's a bachelor pad. Many are the inscrutable mysteries found within."

Ginny stepped out of the bathroom. "It's unbelievable. There's nothing. The drain is clean. The trash is empty. Even his toothbrush is gone."

"Gone?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Witches did this," Mercy said. "They must've known we'd be able to track them with his DNA. Hence, the empty trash can."

I shook my head. "There still has to be something around here we could use. They couldn't have possibly gotten everything."

Mercy bit her nails. "You're right. We have to keep looking."

"That's it!" Ginny stared at Mercy.

Mercy continued gnawing on her thumbnail. "It is?"

Ginny hurried over to Connor's couch. "You and he share a bad habit. He bites his nails. Usually while watching shows. It drives me crazy."

Ginny threw one of the cushions off the couch. She ran her finger along the crevice between the armrest and the fabric that covered the springs. She pulled her finger out. It was covered in gunk.

"Jack pot!"

"Did you find something?" I asked.

Ginny winced as she picked a fingernail clipping out of the ball of lint she'd pulled from the couch. "Will this do?"

Mercy scrunched her nose and spit one of her own nail clippings on the floor. "You're right. It is a disgusting habit."

I held out my hand as Ginny put Connor's gnawed-off clipping into my palm. "But it's a habit that might have just saved his life."

Someone knocked on the door.

Ginny scooted around Mercy and me and opened it.

"Anthony!"

Anthony wrapped his arms around Ginny. "What's going on? You said Connor is missing and I shouldn't go home."

"Witches are abducting your pack," I said. "We're afraid that you and Ginny might be the only two they don't have."

Anthony cocked his head. "Why would they do that?"

I sighed. "We're not sure. We can track him. Between my magic and your wolf senses, it shouldn't be too difficult if he's anywhere within a hundred miles of here."

Anthony nodded. "Then let's go!"

Mercy grabbed Anthony's wrist and bit him.

"What the hell?" Ginny asked.

"He was due for another bite," Mercy said. "Best not go into withdrawals on a hunt."

Anthony rubbed his wrist. "I hate to admit it, but every time we do that, it feels better than the time before."

Ginny narrowed her eyes and looked at me. "I'd rather not think about that."

I shrugged. "You asked me not to bite Connor. I won't. I promise."

Mercy rolled her eyes. "We need to dispel this trap. In case we're wrong, if the other wolves haven't been taken and someone comes looking for Connor, they might get stuck inside."

I grabbed my wand from the pocket on my calf. "If we dispel it directly, the surge of power we used might be siphoned by the witch who cast the trap to begin with. I'd rather not give these witches any more power than they already have."

Mercy pulled out her wand from a strap on her thigh beneath her long, black dress. "Any other ideas?"

"Water. It's basic magic. If we channel our power together, we can blast the salt with enough force to break the barrier."

Mercy nodded and ran over to Connor's kitchen sink. She turned it on. "Give it a second. Hot water will work better."

Mercy held her hand under the faucet for a few seconds. "Alright, let's do this."

Mercy aimed her wand at the water flowing from the sink. I aimed mine at it at the same time.

The spell was one we'd both learned from Moll, albeit with several years in between. We shared the same corny incantation. We spoke it in unison.

"Be it water, steam, or snow, let our magic guide its flow!"

A blue bolt of energy shot from both of our wands and harnessed the water pouring from Connor's faucet. We guided the stream across the room, aimed it at the salt circle, and blasted it against the floor.

"That's it!" I screamed. "It worked!"

Mercy and I released our spell and the water in the air splashed down across the apartment.

Ginny smirked. "So the salt prison won't work anymore?"

I shook my head. "Once the circle is broken, the magic that defines it is as well."

"That was some kind of poem," Ginny chuckled.

Mercy and I looked at each other and shook our heads. "Spells are brewed in cauldrons. We speak an incantation when we charge our wands with the power the spell creates. Technically, we don't need wands to do it after we've cast the spell, but the wand helps focus our power. It also means if another witch takes our wand she can use our spells, provided she knows all our silly poems. Anyway, when we incant the wand, whatever we speak at the time will trigger the spell in the future."

"You could have said anything?" Ginny asked. "Why not just say water?"

Mercy chuckled. "Because if we did that, every time we said the word 'water', we'd fire the spell unintentionally."

I nodded. "Some witches use Latin phrases. Moll liked to use corny poems. She said they were easier to memorize."

"As stupid as it sounds, it works," Mercy said. "You wouldn't ever catch me saying something like that in casual conversation."

Ginny grinned. "That's pretty cool, actually."

I opened my hand. I still had Connor's nail clipping in it. "While I'd love to keep these magic lessons going, Connor needs us."

"This one's all you," Mercy said. "Anything dealing with DNA falls under the purview of bloodwitchery."

I nodded. I touched my wand to Connor's nail clipping. I didn't have corny incantations for any of the spells I'd created myself, but this was basic bloodwitchery. It was among the first spells Moll taught me after I resurrected her from the cauldron. I had a similar spell at my disposal that could lead Connor to me. If the witches had him in some kind of trap, though, it could literally tear him apart if two spells were tugging at him at once. The simpler seeking spell was my only option. "Spirits above and powers below, lead us to the one who made this grow."

A red energy flowed from my hand, through my wand, and enveloped the fingernail in my hand. The magic faded and a subtle glow remained on the tip of my wand. I waved it around the room until I found the direction where the magic shone the brightest. "It's like a compass. I can't say how far away he might be, but he's in that direction."

"How fast can you run in wolf form?" Mercy asked.

Ginny smirked. "As fast as you."

I chuckled. "I doubt that. She's a speed demon. But if he's somewhere in the city, we can get there quickly on foot."

Chapter 6

Mercy and I ran side by side, following the direction my wand revealed. The two wolves, now fully shifted into their beastly forms, ran beside us. They had small backpacks they’d made especially for their wolf bodies that contained their clothes. I suppose after shifting enough times, showing up in new places naked too many times, puts you to task to come up with a solution. Their backpacks were that solution. Still, I imagined, if they were making a shorter trek somewhere, they’d just carry their clothes in their mouths. Underwear and socks excepted, of course, because, you know, ew.

Ginny was right. They were fast. Faster than average wolves. Maybe as fast as me, though not as quick as Mercy. What was a full-on run for me was a casual jog for her.

Unlike humans, who get slower with age, vampires are quite the opposite. The older they are, the faster they run. It was one of many reasons catching up with Corbin would be difficult, even if we found him.

As we followed my wand's lead, it drew us to a neighborhood I knew. I'd been there nine years ago. We approached the white house, the same one where I met the witches who loaned me the cauldron.

After all this time, I remembered that day like it was yesterday. I never forgot their names. Alexandra, Selene, and Eudora. If Eudora was still alive, I'd be surprised. She was ancient, even then. Then again, witches have a few methods to extend their lives. Not indefinitely, of course. Even Moll wasn't able to defeat death. The fountain of youth, as she called it, was vampirism. It's why she arranged that I be turned.

The witches were nice enough. They knew all about Moll—a lot more than I did at the time. They asked me to join their coven in exchange for using the cauldron. Moll forbade it. She said I was better off in the hedge. She was so emphatic about that point I didn't question it. Now, I wondered if maybe I should have. Did Moll know something I didn't? Why did these witches want me to join them? When I met them, I was hardly a witch at all. Then again, they knew what I intended to do. They knew Moll believed I was destined to be the most powerful witch her bloodline had ever produced. The coven understood that the Horned God had revealed as much.

The wolves ducked behind a parked van and reemerged less than a minute later as fully clothed humans.

Ginny narrowed her eyes as we looked at the house. "I know these witches."

I tilted my head. "I do, too. You've worked for them before?"

Ginny nodded her head. "They've hired us several times. I never knew how they learned about us, and the jobs were simple."

"They knew about you because it was their cauldron I used that night in the woods."

Mercy shook her head. "It was a freak accident that made you all wolf shifters. How could the witches know about that?"

I pressed my lips together. "Maybe they were watching us. It was their cauldron. There's no telling how many spells they might have cast from it. It's highly likely they tracked it to the woods."

Ginny clenched her fists. "Whatever the case, Connor is in there. I'm going in for him."

I grabbed Ginny by the arm. "That wouldn't be wise. It's a trap."

"You don't know that! You're just afraid if I save Connor, he'll fall in love with me all over again."

I sighed. "Please, Ginny. Look down at the ground. Look familiar?"

Ginny turned and saw the white circle that surrounded the entire house. "Another salt trap?"

"Can you break the circle again?" Anthony asked.

I examined the circle closer. "It won't work. Look about three feet inside this circle. There are two of them. If we dispel one, they'll know it. They'll activate the second one."

"What would they be trying to trap inside?" Ginny asked. "They already have Connor, and I can sense the other wolves here, too."

"They aren't trying to trap them here. This circle is an escape. There's a witch somewhere else who will pull all of them out of here and take them to God only knows where."

"It's both," Mercy added. "They want you to go inside. All of you. If you do, they’ll have you trapped. Then they can take you all away."

I shook my head. "I'll go in. You stay here."

"That would be dumb, Hailey."

I grinned at Mercy. "They wanted me to join them years ago. I declined. Perhaps I can offer myself in exchange for Connor and the others."

Ginny coughed in her hand. "I'm going with you."

"You can't do that," Mercy said. "They may have wanted Hailey to join them years ago, but they're after your pack, now."

"I agree," Anthony said. "I know our pack needs us, but getting captured ourselves isn't going to help."

"How many witches are we talking about?" Mercy asked.

I shrugged. "There were only three of them back in the day. That doesn't mean they haven't recruited more since then."

"Let's suppose they didn't. At least one witch is off site. Someone has to pull them through the portal if they plan to leave. That means two witches against two witches. Our best chance is if you and me go in together."

"Plus, you guys are vampires," Anthony said. "That has to give you an extra advantage."

Mercy nodded. "I agree. They might expect you, Hailey. They won't expect the two of us."

"You don't know that!" Ginny protested. "For all you know, they're watching us right now."

I sighed. "Look, Ginny. This is the only way. I have my phone on me. So does Mercy. If shit goes south, and they teleport out somewhere else, go to Casa do Diabo. Sarah can find us through her sight. If that doesn't work, Mel can use her phone to track ours."

Mercy nodded. "That's right. She has an app so she can find me anytime."

"We can handle these witches," I added. "Even if they send us half-way across the world, we can get Connor and the rest of the wolves out of there. Whatever you do, though, you cannot go inside the salt trap."

Ginny nodded. "I don't like it, but fine. Just bring Connor back."

"And the rest of our pack!" Anthony added.

I nodded. "Of course."

Mercy and I had our wands ready. We also had our fangs for back up. Or maybe it was the other way around. Either way, these witches had screwed with the wrong bitches. Yeah, that rhymed. I'm a poet, didn't you know it?

We took off at full speed. Then we ran into an invisible wall and crashed to the ground.

"Fuck!" Mercy screamed. "That hurt!"

I rubbed my forehead. "What was that?"

The sound of laughter harnessed my attention. I looked up. Alexandra was standing at the doorway to the witches' house. "You may be more powerful than even we anticipated, Hailey Bradbury, but when facing a witch stronger than yourself, you have to rely on your wits."

"What is this all about, Alexandra? Is this because I didn't join your damned coven?"

Alexandra laughed. "I suppose that's a small part of it. We are not your enemy. We are witches. We need to stick together."

"Then why are you abducting my friends?" I asked.

I noticed Mercy out of the corner of my eye. She was aiming her wand at Alexandra. I didn't know what she was planning, but I had to keep the witch's focus on me.

"Why do you suppose your friends became what they are?" Alexandra asked.

I titled my head. "They were in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"I'd say they were at the right place and precisely the ideal moment."

"What are you saying, Alexandra?"

"We knew the spell you planned to cast that night, that you were raising Moll Dyer. We also suspected she'd never allow you to join our coven. So, we took it upon ourselves to see that a part of both of you might join us, anyway."

I scratched my head. "That makes little sense. My friends were drunk, they were looking for me. They walked into that clearing at the moment the spell was complete."

"There are many subtle ways a witch can place an idea in someone's mind. You know this, Hailey. At least you would if you'd ever had the tutelage of a proper coven."

"Are you saying you made my friends walk into that spell?"

"Selene is adept in the power of suggestion. An intoxicated teenager is easily influenced. Eudora, meanwhile, always had a way with animals. She brought the wolf we needed into the clearing. One mammal, in the cauldron, produced the Moll you knew. Another one, bound to your friends, harbored another sliver of Moll's soul. With it, your blood that catalyzed the spell."

"You made the wolf shifters?" I furrowed my brow. "Why would you do that?"

"We only intended the boy, the one you seem to have your sights on, to absorb the power. When the others followed him into the clearing, it divided the power we intended only for him. It has taken time for the power in each of the six wolves to incubate to the point that we might unify it again."

"Unify it? What does that mean?"

"It means we'd have a new witch. A bit of Moll. A bit of you."

"And what of the shifters?"

Alexandra shrugged. "They'll be human again. Though they might remember nothing that's happened over the last nine years."

"You're saying Connor would think he's fourteen again? He'd forget everything?"

"They all would, dear. It's a necessary sacrifice."

"You're talking about erasing a decade of six people's lives just so you can have some kind of super witch with my power?"

"Yours and Moll's combined. More than enough to defend ourselves against the rising Order of the Morning Dawn."

I shook my head. "They're not that powerful. Not now. We can fight them together. You don't have to do this to my friends to beat them!"

Alexandra sighed. "I wish it were so, but the Order is not as weak as you suspect."

"What are you talking about? We left them in shambles."

"You allowed their leader to become a nightwalker. He was bitten by the one who calls himself the Vampire King. As his progeny, the Order is his puppet. The Order is more than a threat to our coven. It's a threat to all the world. We cannot allow that to happen."

I clenched my fists. "Damn it, Corbin."

"Bring us the other two wolves, and we can stop him. They will listen to you. Bid them to step inside the salt circle."

"You can't extract their power until you have all of them?"

"We have one chance to do this. Without all six, we cannot reunite their essence."

"Let me handle Corbin. You don't have to hurt my friends!"

"I've heard all I need to know!" Mercy jumped to her feet and unleashed a concussive spell at Alexandra.

Alexandra didn't even flinch. Mercy's spell bounced off a reflective field Alexandra had already cast around her person. The shock waves sent Mercy and I flying outside of the salt circles. We crashed into the ground.

Ginny and Anthony shifted into wolf form. With a unified howl, they charged the house.

"Ginny! Anthony! No!" I screamed.

A green tornado of magic swirled around the inner salt circle.

I aimed my wand at Ginny. I tapped into my bloodwitchery and seized her body. She froze in place as Anthony dove into the circle.

The energy continued to churn. Then, everything inside the circle disappeared. Even the house was gone.

"Damn it!" I shouted.

Ginny turned and glared at me through her yellow wolf eyes.

"If she got you, she would have everything she needed."

Ginny returned to human form. "Is Connor in there? Where did they go? I couldn't hear a thing you all were saying."

I shook my head. "I don't know where they went. So long as they don't have all of you, though, we still have a chance to stop them. Except now that no vampire is with them, Sarah won't be able to track them."

Mercy shrugged. "It's a good thing I left my phone inside the circle. It looks like that stupid app will finally come in handy."

Chapter 7

I kept checking my phone to see if Mercy's phone had picked up a signal. I opened my Life360 app. All the vampires on the council had it. It displayed cute little pictures of one another on a giant map. Well, most of the pictures were cute. Sarah had a kind but sheepish smile in her photo. Mel used a selfie she took while dancing with a hottie-turned-meal at a local club. I posed with my wand, twirling it between my fingers. Mercy’s avatar featured her flipping us off.

I guess she wasn’t thrilled by the idea of anyone watching over her shoulder. It wasn’t like she ever did anything we shouldn’t know about. She was old school independent. She hated the app, but she used it so she could track us. Little did she know she could disable her own GPS tracking, but my lips were sealed. If she wanted to turn hers off, she’d have to figure it out on her own.

If one of us was on the move, all of us knew about it. If one of us was missing, we could find each other. The app showed Mercy still where we were standing. While GPS would work with or without service, the app we used wouldn't.

"A quick jump like that. Maybe it takes a moment for the GPS to adjust. Or they could be out of service range."

Ginny tilted her head. "Or her phone was off."

"My phone wasn't off. I know I'm old and not the best with technology. Still, I know the difference between on and off."

I raised an eyebrow. "Battery dead?"

"It was sitting on my charger all day. I took it out with me to stake that youngling, but didn't even use my phone except when you texted me. There's no way it's dead."

I scratched my head. "Sometimes magic can screw with phones. It distorts the signals it sends and receives."

"What about your wand?" Ginny asked.

I retrieved it. I didn't need to use Connor's fingernail clipping twice. Until I used the spell with someone else's DNA, it would remain attuned to him. I spoke the incantation and a subtle red glow formed at the tip. I spun around. It didn't change. "They must be too far away. We'd have to get within a hundred miles to get a noticeable response."

Ginny paced across the space where the coven's house used to be. Now, it was bare dirt. Someone would surely think it odd that a house disappeared in the middle of the night but, you know, NOLA USA. Weird shit happens. "You are witches. There must be another way.

I pinched my chin. "The spell that turned you into shifters wasn't especially complex. The key was my blood."

Mercy's eyes widened. "And they were trying to extract the power of your blood, along with Moll's spirit, from the wolves. They want to combine it to make some kind of combination platter, a witch with Moll's essence mixed with yours."

I shook my head. "Just because my blood catalyzed the spell, and the shifters' power is derived from mine, it doesn't mean they have my blood within them."

"Right," Mercy said. "A child doesn't have his parents' blood in his body just because their DNA combined to create him."

"That's not totally true," Ginny added. "That's why they can match children and their parents based on an analysis of DNA. I did one of those mail-in ancestry things a while back. It identified a distant family in another part of the country I didn't even know about."

I scratched my head. "Still, it's different enough. I can't just use my DNA to track the missing wolves. Besides, the same long-distance problem would apply. We need to get back to Casa do Diabo so I can consult my grimoires. Even if there isn't a spell that does exactly what we're hoping for, I can probably cook something up."

Ginny shifted back into wolf form and the three of us ran back to Casa do Diabo. Ginny followed me into my room. I had more grimoires than I knew what to do with. I still had Moll's. Mercy had accumulated a few through the years, but hadn't experimented with them much. She said for the first century of her vampiric existence she could count on her fingers and toes the number of times she'd cast spells. She was living a vampire's life. From her perspective, Moll was dead. She didn't have another mentor to teach her spells, and her sire happened to be the oldest, and original, vampire, Niccolo the Damned. To say she absorbed herself in vampirism, to the neglect of her skill as a witch, would be an understatement. It was only a few years ago when she picked up her wand again. She was one of the most talented witches I knew. She couldn't wield the raw power that I could, and her skills weren't as diverse, but there wasn't another witch or vampire I'd want at my side. In part, that's because there isn't another witch or vampire I'd fear more if she were my enemy.

I'd pored over these grimoires for years. It was a more productive use of my days than sitting in front of a television playing games or watching shows. I knew it was a longshot before I started. There wasn't much in any of my grimoires that dealt with blood magic. To use my DNA to cast a spell that connected to a wolf shifter who wasn't my child naturally, but only inherited abilities on account of the power latent in my blood, was far beyond anything I'd ever discovered from my books.

What I was looking for wasn't just something to help locate the coven again, but something that might shed light (a phrase that has negative connotations to vampires, for obvious reasons) on what they were planning. Would this witch they hoped to assemble from the wolves be another Moll? Would it be a second me? Perhaps it would only have our genetic components, our power, but would have a personality of its own. The coven could mold and manipulate their piecemeal mega-witch however they liked.

As the sun rose I was still digging through the grimoires. Ginny stayed with us. Until we handled this issue with Alexandra’s coven, she couldn't leave our sight.

She kept rooting through the grimoires on my shelves.

"Can you keep your paws off my books? Some of them are old and fragile."

Ginny snorted. "My paws. You're funny, you know."

I shrugged. "I try."

"So what is it? Nature or nurture?"

I rolled my eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"Witchcraft. How much of it are you born with and how much do you learn?"

I shrugged. "It's a bit of both. Every one has a natural capacity for magic. How much talent one has, how much power one can access, is something you're born with."

Ginny nodded. "Anyone can throw a football. Not everyone can be Tom Brady."

I chuckled. "That's not a terrible analogy. Who knows how many people are born who might have the natural ability to develop into an elite athlete? Some people, though, never pursue it or put in the work."

"Think you could teach me a thing or two?"

I tilted my head. "You want to become a witch?"

Ginny shrugged. "Think about it, Hailey. If your blood gave me my power, if Moll's essence is a part of that, then surely I have some hidden talents I haven't explored."

I closed the grimoire I was looking at and set it on my bed. “You really want me, of all people, to teach you witchcraft?”

“It could be helpful. If there’s anything I can do to help save my pack from those witches, I’ll do it.”

“I don’t know, Ginny. It was just a few hours ago when you walked through my door and punched me in the eye.”

Ginny shook her head. “Okay, that was wrong. I was mad at Connor and needed someone to blame. It’s his choice. You’re right. Whatever happens, I know you care about him enough that you want to save him. I love him. If that means setting aside our issues, so be it. I will not let my insecurities about our relationship put him at risk. If these witches succeed, if we lose the last decade of memories, then everything Connor and I have had will be forgotten. I have to believe he’ll come around and realize he loves me. If he doesn’t though, well, it’s like Shakespeare said. It’s better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.”

I chuckled. “Tennyson.”

“Huh?”

“That’s not a Shakespeare quote. It’s from a poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson.”

Ginny furrowed her brow. “Are you sure about that?”

I smiled. “Positive. I’m a book nerd, remember?”

Ginny scratched her head. “I could have sworn Shakespeare said that.”

I chuckled. “Well, as Abraham Lincoln once said, ‘I never said half the crap people said I did.’”

“Wow! That really showed a lot of foresight on his part!”

I stared at Ginny blankly. I knew she was a bit of a ditz, but she wasn’t half as dumb as she pretended to be. After all, the whole idea of teaching her a spell or two wasn’t bad. If Alexandra and her coven didn’t expect that Ginny might know a little witchcraft, a well placed spell could take them off guard. Further, if they captured her, there might be a spell I could teach her to protect her spirit and fight off the witches’ efforts to extract her power. “We need to get you a wand.”

“Eeee!” Ginny squeaked. “I can be your apprentice?”

I smirked. “Don’t get ahead of yourself, Ginny. We’ll fashion you a wand, teach you a few spells, and see where things go from there.”

Chapter 8

"There's a lime tree in the courtyard. If you can retrieve a small branch, we can use it to make your wand."

"You're going to whittle me a wand?"

I grinned. "Not with a blade, but with magic. So long as life still resides within the branch, I can shape it."

"Wow. That's pretty awesome."

I smirked. "This is nothing. You should see what druids can do when they connect to the trees."

Ginny scrunched her brow. "What's a druid?"

I chuckled. "Never mind. First things first. Let's get that wand made. Lessons on the various schools of earthen magic can come another time."

"How many spells do you think I can master today?"

I smiled widely, covering my mouth so as to not flash my fangs too menacingly. "None."

"None?"

I shook my head. "You'll be lucky if we can forge a connection between your spirit and your wand in a day's time. Even then, the connection will be little more than that. It'll be like an infant learning how to move her legs. It'll still take a lot of time to build up the strength to walk."

Ginny sighed. "Well, that sucks. I was hoping we'd be ready to go after the witches tonight!"

"You're going to need to sleep at some point, Ginny."

Ginny shook her head. "No sleeping until Connor is safe."

"I don't require sleep. Trust me, Ginny. I want to find him, too. I want you to be ready to fight if the time comes. If you're a walking, sleep-deprived zombie, you won't be good for much, especially when it comes to spells. Once we connect your spirit to your wand, whatever capacity for magic you have will gradually grow until you can feel it. Eventually, you won't even need a wand, but that's a long way down the road. Like learning to walk, it isn't that a baby doesn't just lack the knowledge to walk. She has to develop the strength."

"So, I'll be strong enough tomorrow to cast a spell?"

I chuckled. "I don't know, eager beaver. It depends on the person."

Ginny bit her lip. "How long did it take you?"

I smiled. "I'm not exactly your typical case. I could cast a few defensive spells almost right away."

"You think I'm typical?"

I sighed. "I guess you aren't. The point, though, is we don't know how long it will take. Either way, we'd best get started. How good are you at climbing trees?"

"Not great as a human or a wolf. I can jump pretty high, though. Twelve feet or so."

I grinned. "That should do it. There are a few branches low enough. You don't need much. Just enough for a wand. It doesn't matter what shape it's in or if it forks at all. I just need the raw material to make your wand."

"I know you can't go out there with me. Can you watch me from the windows?"

I nodded. "We have UV protection on most of the windows here. That shouldn't be a problem."

I pointed out the tree I was talking about through the window first. It wasn't really hard. We had other trees in the courtyard, but the lime tree was the oldest. From what Mercy told me, back before she knew him, her ex-boyfriend Ramon was quite vicious as a youngling. His brother owned Casa Do Diabo. Of course, they didn't call it that at the time. Ramon's activities no doubt played a role in earning the nickname. Apparently, he had a penchant for dismemberment. He used to bury human body parts under the tree. Later, whenever he lost control, Nico and Mercy staked him and buried him there. They removed the stake and revived him from time to time, hoping a little time out in vampire hell would teach him a lesson. While hell warped most vampires, making them more vicious than before, it had the opposite effect on Ramon.

Ramon's history was a real-life horror. For Mercy, though, it was a love story. She fell for a vampire who couldn't be tamed. She never gave up hope that he'd defy the odds, that he'd eventually get his shit together. You could say Mercy kept him grounded—literally, with a stake in his chest--for much of their relationship. In another sense, though, she was his home. When she was around, he was different. She brought out his better demons. In the end, though, she had to let him go. It broke her heart—more than any stake could.

Still, the lime tree stood as a reminder of the vampire she used to love. The man she loved still.

I found Mercy in her room. She didn't have to sleep any more than I did. Vampires don't need sleep, but we can do it. It passes the time.

I shook her arm. "Hey, Mercy."

Mercy rolled over. "What is it?"

"Ginny wants to learn a few spells. Mind if we use Ramon's lime tree to make a wand?"

Mercy sighed, sat up, and ran her fingers through her hair. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"I know the tree means a lot to you. If you don't want us to use it, we won't."

Mercy glanced at Ginny over my shoulder. "That tree has a bloody history. Nourished by human blood, a wand hewn from the tree might have an affinity for certain kinds of magic most witches won't touch."

"What do you mean? Dark magic?" Ginny asked.

I shook my head. "She means bloodwitchery. The magic I specialize in."

Ginny clasped her hands together. "That sounds bad ass!"

Mercy shook her head. "Hailey can handle it. Most witches wouldn't dare."

Ginny shrugged. "It's a good thing Hailey is the one who is going to teach me, then!"

Mercy looked at me and raised one eyebrow. "Are you sure you're the best one to teach her?"

"Like you said, if the wand opens her up to blood magic, I'm the best one to do it."

"Yeah, but you two... your little cat fight over Connor..."

"Who are you calling a cat?" Ginny asked. "I'm a wolf! I eat cats for breakfast."

Mercy laughed. "Just be careful, both of you. Jealousy can fuel a dark magic that's hard to resist. Since Moll's essence is a part of you already, Ginny, that's a path you might be more inclined to follow than you realize."

I shook my head. "For better or worse, she loves Connor. That motivates her. I believe she'll be fine."

Mercy nodded. "I'm trusting the both of you. You both need to go into this with eyes wide open. If there's any sign that Ginny is following a dark path, you know what you need to do."

I nodded. "I can handle it."

"What does she mean? What would you need to do?"

I took a deep breath and met Ginny's wide eyes with my own. "I'd have to kill you."

Ginny gulped. "Understood."

"Are you sure it's worth the risk?" I asked.

Ginny nodded. "We wolves have a bond. There's nothing I wouldn't risk to save them. If this can help, even a little, I have to do it."

I grabbed Ginny's hands. "What if Connor doesn't come back to you? What will happen then?"

Ginny shook her head. "It doesn't matter. That's his choice. What matters right now is the choice I'm making. My pack needs me. That's all there is to it."

I took Ginny to the back door that led to the courtyard.

"I'm going to do this as a wolf. You might want to turn around."

"I've already seen you naked."

Ginny giggled. "Yeah, but you know, I wouldn't want to make you jealous."

"Why would I be jealous?"

"Because I have a better rack than you."

I laughed. "You do not. You've never seen me naked, you know. My ladies can compete with the best of them."

Ginny giggled. "I'm just giving you shit. Chill out."

My eyes widened. "I'm chill! Totally chill!"

Ginny stripped down and handed me her clothes. I took a step back to avoid any sunlight that might hit me when she opened the door. She shifted into wolf form and took off. I moved to the kitchen and watched her out the window above the sink. Ginny wasn't joking. She really could jump. She bounded toward the lime tree, took a leap through the air, grabbed a branch with her jaws and dangled there a moment. Ginny wrapped her paws around the limb to hold on as she gnawed at it. Eventually, a small part of the branch about two feet long fell to the ground. Ginny fell with it. She grabbed the branch and took off back toward the house.

I met her in the hall several feet behind the door. She dropped the branch on the floor and resumed human form. I tossed Ginny her clothes, and she got dressed.

"Easy peasy!" Ginny exclaimed.

I smiled. "I have to admit, that was impressive."

Ginny bent over, grabbed the branch, and handed it to me. "Is that enough?"

"More than enough. Let's go back to my room and make your wand."

I pulled up my rug. Underneath it was a circle made with salt-infused paint, not unlike the circle the witches used to trap the wolves before. This was different, though. A pentagram was also painted on the inside of the circle corresponding with each of the five elements.

"What's that?" Ginny asked.

"It's not a prison, if that's what you're thinking. Not exactly. It will ensure that the magic I use to make your wand remains focused inside the circle. As you know, when spells aren't harnessed, there can be unintended side-effects."

"Like turning a bunch of teenagers into wolf shifters?"

I laughed. "Like that. It's a pretty harmless spell, but it's best if no magical residue settles into anything else in the room, especially with so many grimoires here. I'd hate to trigger a spell in one of my books."

"That could happen?" Ginny asked.

I nodded. "Some spells require potions to brew. Others are more primal, written into the fabric of the universe. Any witch can cast them. Some spells work with sigils that, if empowered by any magic at all, will take effect. Those books include several such spells. If a little magic got into the books, well, it could be the magical equivalence of setting a fire in a fireworks factory."

"Casa do Diabo go big bada boom?"

I laughed. "Something like that."

I placed the branch from the lime tree in the middle of my circle and sat on my knees in front of it. I placed both hands on it and channeled some of my natural magic into the wood. All I had to do was visualize what I wanted it to become. A green glow passed from my hands into the branch and it took shape. My eyes were closed, but I could feel the wood mimicking the image in my mind. When it was done, I released my magic and looked down at a perfectly hewn wand.

"Ta-da!" I picked up the wand and held it in my hand.

Ginny's jaw was almost on the floor. "Bitchin'!"

I chuckled, stood up, and handed the wand to Ginny. She took it in her hands. She gasped.

"What is it?"

"I can feel it! It tingles!"

I smiled. "That's a good sign. That's the wand attuning itself to your spirit. You'll need to hold it until the sensation wanes."

Ginny waved the wand over her head. "I love it!"

"Careful with that thing," I said. "Like I said, we don't want to fire off any magic in here by mistake. It's best to hold it still."

I stepped out of the circle and pulled my rug back over it. Ginny wrapped her arms around me. "Thank you, Hailey! I can't believe it. I’m a witch, now!"

I gave Ginny a half-hearted hug back. Was Ginny becoming a friend? I had to wonder, how would that work out if Connor chose me over her? I almost felt a little guilty now for kissing him in the bar. I didn't want to admit it, but I liked Ginny. I didn't want to see her heart break. Still, Connor as much as told me he didn't see a future with her. Not the "forever" kind of future Ginny was hoping for. What began as two girls competing for the affections of a single guy was quickly becoming a lot more complicated than I'd expected. All that wouldn't matter a single lick if we didn't save the wolves. Still, I couldn't deny the twisty feeling in my gut that was growing more and more uncomfortable the more I befriended Ginny. Shit was bound to get uncomfortable once we saved Connor. Hopefully, for Connor's sake, that would come sooner rather than later.

Chapter 9

We still didn’t see the location of Mercy's phone on the app. Since my tracking spell still wasn't detecting Connor nearby, my best guess was they were somewhere in the middle of nowhere. They still needed Ginny, so I was pretty sure they weren't in the Antarctic, the Sahara Desert, or on the moon. We also knew that they couldn't do a thing to Connor and the other wolves until all they had all six.

Until we came up with a solution to track them down, our best bet was to prepare for their next move. When they were ready, they'd probably let us know where they were. They'd set a trap somehow and try to lure Ginny into it. We had to do the same. If they wanted Ginny, we had to trap them. Ginny would be both the bait and the trap itself—if I could teach her enough spells to protect herself from the witches long enough that Mercy and I could dispel whatever protections or wards they might use to prevent our interference.

If we could get past the coven's wards, I was a blood witch. Ginny might be able to cast blood magic as well. What little I knew about Alexandra and her coven, bloodwitchery, was something they had little knowledge of. Who would? Most of what I could do Moll taught me, or I'd developed myself.

Ginny spent the day holding her wand. She'd made more progress than I expected. As suspected, whatever combination of Moll's divided essence and my that blood was within her attuned her to her magic in a fraction of the time it took most witches.

That was both good and bad. It was good because we'd be able to get to work right away. It was bad because usually witches come into their power over time. It gives them a chance to practice lesser, harmless spells and adjust before taking on more powerful ones. Maintaining a spell requires discipline of will. It also requires fortitude of the body. One of the reasons Moll arranged to have me turned into a vampire was because I'd reached the potential of what my body could handle. As a vampire, I'd have the capacity to expand my magic and my abilities beyond what any who'd dared to attempt bloodwitchery in the past ever had.

It was too risky to let a new witch capable of so much, but with so little control, to experiment in Casa do Diabo. Once the sun set, we took her to the marshlands. It wasn't a full moon. Manchac Swamp was where the local werewolves often ran when shifted. They were a friendly bunch, so far as werewolves went. I'd helped them out on more than one occasion. Still, casting unrestrained blood magic in the company of other supernatural beings could have unpredictable results. Werewolves weren't like wolf shifters. Under Dr. Cain's tutelage, they'd undergone extensive therapy to tame their beastly natures. When Ginny, Connor, and their pack shifted, they remained of the same mind that they were in human form. Sure, a wolf shifter might not have the same strength as a werewolf, but I knew they were formidable. They'd also only barely scratched the surface of what they might be capable of. Ginny's foray into witchcraft was the first step she and her pack could take to maximize their potential.

Mercy drove us to the edge of the swamp in her hearse.

Something moved in the water in front of us.

"Crikey!" Ginny exclaimed, doing her best impression of the late Crocodile Hunter. "Was that a gator?"

I chuckled. "Most likely."

"Don't worry," Mercy added. "They're more afraid of us than you are of them."

Ginny huffed. "That's easy for a vampire to say."

I grinned. "There are a lot of snakes in these waters, too. Many of them are venomous."

"Shit." Ginny took a deep breath. "Are you sure there isn't a better place to practice?"

Mercy shook her head. "We need to do this someplace remote. There's very little chance any humans will wander into the marsh in the middle of the night."

I grinned. "Besides, there are rumors that these swamps are haunted."

"Haunted? Seriously?" Ginny shuddered.

I smiled widely. "I ain't afraid of no ghost."

Ginny shook her head. "Speak for yourself, ghostbuster."

"Fear is an inherently unstable emotion," I said. "If you can't manage your fear, you'll never be able to handle a spell."

Ginny snorted, took a deep breath, and tugged at her shirt. "Right. No fear. I've got this."

We followed a patch of dry ground through the marsh to a small hill covered in cypress trees. A resinous, sweet scent filled the air.

"This spot should do," Mercy said.

Ginny held her wand in her hand. "I still feel the tingle. It's not as strong as before."

"It will linger awhile," I said. "Eventually, the sensation will fade once you're fully attuned to your magic. After that, you'll only feel it when you're casting a spell."

"I like it. The feeling, I mean. It's oddly comforting."

I nodded. "I know what you mean. Some people believe witchcraft is an abomination. They think we're tapping into powers human beings were never meant to touch. It's quite the opposite. The craft puts us back into touch with something primal, something original to our nature. Most people live alienated from the earth. They strive day in and day out to rely more and more on human inventions, artificial technologies and intelligences. The craft is about connection to and a reverence for the spiritual world that surrounds us, not in some supernatural realm totally separate from our own, but in what is and always has been all around us. Some witches refer to the source of our connection as the spirit of place. The otherworld is not so much separate from the earth as it is a part of it, it's connected to everything. It runs alongside us and when we tap into it, we do so not by trying to escape our material existence but by reaching through it into a power that is and always has been a part of us."

Ginny chuckled. "So you took me into the swamps."

Mercy grinned. "You don't have to be outdoors to do magic. Still, there's something about it that makes sensing the spirits of a place simpler and more natural. This isn't just a place filled with stagnant water and creepy crawlies. The world is its own sanctuary."

"You might think of witches as the priestesses of the temple that is the earth."

Ginny grinned. "Cool! Now how do I make my magic go boom and pow?"

I smiled. "It's best to start with a little snap, crackle, and pop. Boom and pow will come later."

"We will not beat the coven with Rice Krispies, Hailey."

"And we will not save Connor and your pack if you blow us up, either."

Ginny laughed. "I couldn't seriously blow us up, right?"

I nodded. "We're talking blood magic. Extract all the blood out of a vampire and they'll go feral. Drain a human and they're dead."

Ginny snorted. "I suppose you'd know all about that."

I titled my head. "Except if I drain someone as a vampire, I can heal them and turn them. Drain someone with blood magic and there's no coming back."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Let me guess, the same enzyme in your bite that has Connor, Will, and Anthony addicted to the bites is the same enzyme that turns one into a vampire if they're drained and healed."

Mercy nodded. "I believe that's the case. Some humans, to a lesser degree, crave our bites in the same way."

"There are people who want to be bitten?" Ginny shook her head in disgust.

"A lot of old world vampires have whole harems of humans on hand to feed from. They're essentially blood addicts like the wolves."

I snorted. "Did Corbin have harems like that? In Romania, I mean?"

Mercy nodded. "Of course he did. Not all humans develop that kind of dependency and, unlike the shifters, they can get past it much like any drug addict might eventually get through withdrawal. Besides, it usually takes several bites spanning consecutive nights to establish such a dependency."

Ginny shook her head. "You're saying there are vampires in the world who intentionally enslave people and shifters by addiction?"

Mercy nodded. "My sire abhorred the practice. It's also against the policy of the Vampire Council. Enforcing it, though, especially across an ocean, is virtually impossible."

Ginny held her wand in front of her face and narrowed her eyes. "Alright. So we'll do more Riddikulus and less Avada Kedavra."

Mercy tilted her head. "What are you talking about?"

I snorted. "She's referencing spells from Harry Potter. That's not too far off. Though, when you're dealing with bloodwitchery, avoiding the murder spell isn't so simple as refusing to speak the wrong words. Any spell involving blood can become Avada Kedavra if you aren't careful."

"I get it. This shit can be dangerous. What do you suggest I start with?"

"We're going to use the same tracking spell I used to find Corbin earlier."

Mercy bit her wrist. "Dip your wand into the wound."

Ginny did as Mercy asked. Since I formed Ginny's wand, the same spells I'd already incanted into mine were transferred into hers.

Mercy took off through the swamp and disappeared into the trees.

I spoke the same corny incantation I'd used before to find Connor. When I did, my wand lit up, but not bright enough to suggest Connor had come within range. His DNA was still orienting my spell. Ginny's wand, however, was now calibrated to Mercy. When she pointed it in the direction Mercy ran, the glow at the tip of her wand swelled.

"Awesome! Congratulations, Ginny! Your first spell. Sustain it in your will, otherwise it will go out. Do you think you can take us to Mercy?"

Ginny cupped her hands around her mouth. "Ready or not, here I come!"

The same spell still powering my wand, I turned to follow Ginny through the trees when the tip of my wand glowed. I stopped in my tracks. It was pointing across Lake Ponchartrain to the southeast.

Ginny stopped and turned. "Are you coming?"

She saw the glow on my wand and didn't need to wait for me to answer. "Is that Connor?"

I nodded. "That's the direction of the Lower Ninth Ward."

Ginny furrowed her brow. "Isn't that where the old Methodist church that the Order of the Morning Dawn was using as a new headquarters is located?"

I nodded. "It is."

"Why would the coven be there?"

I shook my head. "Alexandra said that the Order was after her coven."

"Do you think Connor's dad rescued him before we could?"

I sighed. "I don't know. Now that Reverend McPherson is a nightwalker, and Corbin is his sire, I'm afraid there's more to it than that. They might have rescued Connor, but it's not for his benefit. Corbin is trying to get to me."

Chapter 10

If Mercy had her phone, I'd have texted her to tell her to abort the training session. Instead, we had to follow through. We still didn't know where Mercy's phone was, but phones can be replaced. We had to go after Connor and hope the other wolves were with him.

Mercy never half-assed anything. With her speed, she'd made it deep into the swamp. Ginny could go faster in wolf form, but we weren't sure if she could maintain her spell while shifted. She put her wand in her mouth, stripped down, and shifted. Her wand stayed aglow.

"Impressive!" I smiled ear-to-ear.

Ginny nodded and took off, bounding from dry patch to dry patch, avoiding the alligators and snakes, while I took up the rear. We found Mercy hiding behind a stump about a mile away from where we started.

Ginny shifted back and I tossed her clothes back to her. Mercy's focus was on my wand.

"Am I seeing what I think I'm seeing?"

I nodded. "Somehow he showed up out of the blue in the direction of the Lower Ninth."

Mercy narrowed her eyes. "You think the Order has him?"

I sighed. "That's my best guess. I do not know how they could have possibly found the coven before we did."

"Why would the Order take Connor to that church? You'd think if his dad found him, he'd take him home."

"I agree," Ginny added.

"Unless he's under Corbin's influence."

Mercy shook her head. "A sire can only influence a youngling so much. It's hard to disobey a sire outright, but more than one youngling has staked his or her own sire in the past. Unless Corbin is manipulating Connor's father constantly, I'd think the reverend's paternal instincts would take priority."

I shook my head. "Corbin is definitely involved. I can't imagine he wouldn't be."

Mercy nodded. "One thing about all of this hasn't sat well with me since we talked to Alexandra. If Corbin is manipulating the order via McPherson, why would they still be hunting witches at all?"

I shrugged. "Maybe because witches post the greatest threat to vampires. Whatever the case, we may not find the other witches there. Rescuing Connor might have been the priority."

Ginny sighed. "In that case, the rest of the pack still might be missing."

"There's only one way to find out. Mercy, we need to get back to your car and get there as soon as possible."

By the time we got to Mercy's hearse we were a mess. Splashing through the swamps, even doing our best to stick to dry land, left our hair caked with algae and other clumps of undefined gunk.

Ginny pinched her nose as she got in the car. "I'm not sure what's worse. Your natural vampire smell or the swamp yuck on all of us."

I smiled. "We could really use some of your fruit spray right now."

"Amen, sister!" Ginny giggled.

Mercy pulled off her army boots and dumped swamp water out of them on the side of the road before tossing them in the back. The stench from her feet didn't help matters much, either. I rolled my window down. Mercy chuckled and did the same. She took off down the road, driving a little faster than usual. I maintained the spell in my wand and held it up as we got closer to the Lower Ninth Ward.

My suspicions were correct. My wand guided us to the old church. No other cars were parked outside.

We drove past the church lest parking there be a dead giveaway of our arrival. No pun intended!

"You should stay in the car. One spell meant to track someone isn't going to be enough to protect you."

"Screw that." Ginny huffed. "If Connor is in there, I'm not sitting back this time."

I sighed. "Stay close to me, then. I'll do what I can to protect you."

If Corbin was there, he'd know it the second we stepped in the doors. He'd probably hear us coming before that. At his age, his senses were more acute than any vampire I'd ever known. He could hear Ginny's heartbeat. He could hear our breaths. Still, just because he heard us didn't mean he'd know it was us.

"There's no sense trying to be quiet," Mercy said. "Even if we sneak in there, Corbin will hear us. If we're tip-toeing around, it will only be suspicious."

I nodded. "I agree. The best chance we have is to act normal, maybe cause a distraction. If he hears noises from different directions, it might help."

"I agree. The acoustics of a place like this are weird. If we split up, it could buy you enough time to reach Connor."

"Split up?" Ginny huffed. "You just said we had to stick together?"

I nodded. "You and me will stick together. We can sneak in around back. I don't know if the door is unlocked. Probably not. It's still worth a try."

"I'll go straight for the front doors. Corbin knows I know he turned McPherson into a nightwalker. He also knows I'm looking for him. It won't be too strange to think that I'd show up here looking for him."

"We don't know for certain that Corbin is even here. Perhaps the witches found a way to use the power within the other wolves, even as I've trained Ginny. For all we know, Connor is here to fight the Order with the coven."

"The plan is still sound. Again, whoever might be inside that church doesn't know what we suspect. It would take no one by surprise if I were here to parlay with Corbin."

"If the back door is not unlocked, I can use a fire spell to burn out the doorjamb and get us inside. Whatever is going on, the mission is the same. We find Connor and get him out of there. If the other wolves are there, we save them, too."

"Once we get in a little closer, I'll be able to sense the rest of the pack. If they're inside, I'll know before we even go through the back doors."

Mercy nodded. "I'll keep them distracted as long as possible. If we're lucky, they'll try to stake me."

Ginny chuckled. "If we're lucky?"

Mercy grinned widely. "They won't stand a chance. But if they pursue me, I can lure them out of the building. If they ignore me, well, I know a few spells myself."

"Something that goes boom and pow?" Ginny asked.

"Precisely. Take it as a sign that they aren't biting on the bait and will head after you."

I took a deep breath. "Now that we have a plan for tackling a completely unknown situation once we open these car doors, we can't speak of it. If Corbin is in there, he'll hear us."

Ginny nodded. "Got it. Radio silent. When I know how many wolves are inside, I'll show you the number on my fingers."

We left the car, closing the doors behind us as quietly as possible. We split up before reaching the church. If anyone was watching, seeing us walk up next to Mercy would be a dead giveaway.

Mercy headed down the sidewalk leading to the church. Ginny and I went around the block, turned right on the next street, and made our way toward the church from the rear.

Ginny placed her hand on my chest. She held up her index finger. Connor was the only wolf inside.

The rest of the pack must've still been in the coven's house. That was as good as saying we didn’t have a clue where they were. If we could save Connor, maybe he could tell us where it was.

As we approached the back door to the church, we heard some shouting around front along with a familiar laugh. Mercy was drawing the nightwalkers out. They were pursuing her. She was playing with them. So far, so good. The plan was working. There'd be no need for any boom or pow.

I turned the knob on the door. It clicked open. I tilted my head. Why was it unlocked?

Ginny and I stepped inside. The hallway was dark, but a single light from the next hallway ahead cast a subtle glow at the end. A figure stepped out of one of the classrooms. She was hunched over, holding a cane. I was a creature of the night. I could see clearly through the shadows. I knew who she was. She was a witch from Alexandra’s coven—the oldest of the three I met before.

"Eudora?"

"Hello, Hailey. I'm glad you came. We have little time."

"What is this about?" I asked.

Eudora looked at me, then fixed her eyes on Ginny. "Alexandra has lost her mind. The witch she seeks to forge from the union of the wolves would harbor the spirit of your great-great-grandmother, Moll Dyer. We know well how she betrayed all of us, how she turned against the Horned God and aligned with Lucifer. Alexandra is a fool if she thinks this new witch would serve our coven's agenda."

I pressed my lips together. "You are the oldest of the coven, perhaps the wisest."

"But in my age, also the weakest. Still, I've done what I can."

"Where is the rest of my pack?" Ginny asked

Eudora shook her head. "I cannot say. They moved again the moment I brought Connor here."

"Why did you bring him here?" I asked. "Of all places, why the headquarters of the shadow of the Order of the Morning Dawn?"

"Given my diminished strength, I only had limited options to help the boy escape. I found this portal in Alexandra's room. I did not know this was where it would lead us."

"What about the nightwalkers? Connor's father was here, was he not?"

"I may be weak, but I'm not powerless. I can cast a simple veil. Unfortunately, healing spells are beyond my current abilities. I could not move the wolf. I only hoped that you'd find us."

"Healing?" Ginny asked. "What's wrong with Connor! What happened to him?"

Eudora shook her head. "I can't say. When we left, he was fine. The moment we arrived, he collapsed."

"A proximity spell." I scratched my head. "Is Alexandra experimenting with blood magic?"

"Not to my knowledge, dear."

I sighed. "Still, that's the only explanation I can imagine. It's a spell Moll taught me. It bind's one's blood to a location. If you move too far from it, well, you pass into a coma."

"Can you heal him?" Ginny asked.

I shook my head. "He doesn't require healing. However, I can break the spell. If Alexandra is not wielding blood magic, though, I can only assume she's convinced another of the wolves to do so."

Ginny shook her head. "I can't imagine any of our pack would betray us. Not again."

Eudora sighed. "I do not think that any of them have. However, Selene is adept at proxy magic. She can harness the power in another and wield it, albeit in a reduced capacity."

I cleared my throat. "I assume you all figured out that the wolf shifters are pretty formidable witches on their own, if they're trained."

Eudora nodded. "Of course, however, none of us are especially experienced with bloodwitchery. There are very few spells of that sort in any of our grimoires."

I sighed. "Just take me to him. Thank you, Eudora. I know it couldn't have been easy to go against the coven like this."

Eudora sighed. "Alexandra has held me out of the loop for some time, now. I've always believed in the goodness of the craft, dear. To do to these young people what Alexandra has planned just isn't right."

Ginny wiped a tear from her eyes when Eudora took us to Connor. He was on the floor in one of the vacant Sunday School classrooms. A sigil on the floor surrounded Connor. It was the portal he took to arrive.

I took Ginny's hand. "Would you like to help me do this?"

Ginny tilted her head. "I don't know. I don't want to do it wrong."

"Hold my hand and place your wand on his chest."

I extended my hand. Ginny placed hers in mine. We both pressed our wands over Connor's heart. When I drew on my magic, I connected to Ginny. I released the healing power into Connor. It wasn't a complex spell, a simple cleansing to remove whatever other magic might infect his blood. Connor gasped.

Ginny wrapped her arms around him and kissed him on the lips. I diverted my eyes.

"Ginny? Hailey? Both of you?"

I nodded. "You're safe now."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," a voice said from the door.

We turned around.

"Alexandra!" Eudora's voice cracked as she said the witch's name. "How did you get here?"

Alexandra laughed. "I've been here the whole time."

"You were at the house when we left. I don't understand."

Alexandra looked at me with wide eyes. She curled her lip. "Hello, my love."

I furrowed my brow. "Huh?"

Alexandra laughed. Then, she changed. Her body expanded. The muscles in her arms and legs grew. Her jawline widened. Her eyes turned red. It wasn't Alexandra.

"Corbin?"

"I knew you'd come for him. I've been watching you, Hailey."

I clenched my fists. "What the hell, Corbin?"

"What did you do to Alexandra?" Eudora pointed her crooked finger at the vampire.

Corbin laughed. "Surely you've noticed she hasn't left that house during daylight."

"You bit and turned Alexandra?" I asked. "Why the hell would you do that?"

"She and I desire the same thing. Do you really think this chapter of the Order is the only threat we face as vampires and witches? They grow in numbers all across the country as more people learn the truth of our kind."

"What have you done with the rest of my pack?" Ginny asked.

"They're fine. Consider them an insurance policy. I've allowed Connor to return to you as a gesture of good will."

I snorted. "What kind of insurance policy?"

"The coven needs a blood witch, Hailey. They could make one for themselves by combining the essence in the wolves. That much is true. However, I promised I'd bring you to them."

I shook my head. "I'm not going with you!"

Corbin shrugged. "Then, I'm afraid, the other wolves might not be long for this world."

I gripped my wand. "You really think I'll love you for this? You're sick!"

Corbin tilted his head. "Everything I do, I do for you, Hailey. Even if you don't realize it yet, some day, you will. When you've lived as long as I have, you develop patience. You'll come around in time."

"If I go with you, the other wolves will go free?"

Corbin grinned, flashing his fangs. "Of course, my love."

"Don't do it, Hailey!" Eudora pleaded. "You don't know what Alexandra has planned!"

"Silence, witch!" Corbin grabbed Eudora by the throat and threw her to the ground.

"You asshole!" I screamed. "She's an old woman!"

Corbin grabbed me around the waist and pulled me into the sigil on the floor.

A green cone of energy swirled around us. A witch on the other side—Alexandra or Selene—was pulling us through the portal.

Eudora aimed her wand at us. It shook in her hand. She screamed something, but I couldn't make out the words. I went flying out of the portal and into the wall.

"No!" Corbin shouted as he disappeared.

Ginny and Connor ran over to Eudora. My head hit the wall, but as a vampire it only rattled me. I stumbled to my feet and ran over to the witch.

"I can heal you!"

Eudora shook her head. "Do not try. I cast what remained of my spirit into the spell to save you. They couldn't take you."

"No, we can try. I know what I can do. I can turn you!"

"Dear, were I a younger woman, I might take you up on the offer. But I don't wish to remain like this forever. Let me go, dear. Only promise me you'll stop Alexandra and Corbin."

"What are they planning? You said I only knew..."

"I cannot say for certain, but now that I know Corbin is involved, and he's turned Alexandra, I believe it is clear."

"They're trying to tap into our power," Connor said. "Alexandra has been casting spells on us, trying to draw it out."

Eudora nodded. "Without a true blood witch, they cannot do as much damage as hoped before. But I believe they intend to blast as many people as possible with uncontrolled blood magic."

"That would kill thousands!" I grabbed Eudora's hand. "Why would they do that?"

"As a vampire, I believe if Alexandra channels that power through her person, it will not kill them. It will turn them."

I sighed. "Of course. That's what Corbin tried to do before. He changed everyone in New Orleans into a vampire. If it hadn't been for Moll's sacrifice, it would have stuck."

"Why would they do that?" Ginny asked.

"It's obvious," Mercy said as she stepped into the room. She was dragging Connor's father behind her. He had a stake in his chest. "Corbin wants to spread vampirism as far as possible, to force us into the open so that the world will fear our kind. It will leave us with no option but to fight for our survival."

I sighed. "And to rule by fear. That's what he's told me before. He wants to make me his queen, to rule the world at his side."

"You must save the wolves before it is too late," Eudora said. "Without you or the combination of the wolves together, they'll have to use as much power as they can. They won't just erase the memories of the other wolves, they'll kill them. When one's entire soul is cast into a spell, there is nothing you can do to bring them back."

I grabbed Eudora's hand with both of mine. "Is there anything you can tell us about where to find them?"

Eudora shook her head. "I don't know where they are, dear. You must find them, somehow."

I shook my head. "If I step in that ring, they'll bring me to them."

"And you'll find yourself trapped in a salt prison," Eudora said. "You won't be able to cast within it. I sacrificed myself to prevent that. You mustn't allow it."

I nodded. "We'll find another way."

"We might have one," Mercy said. "Corbin turned McPherson, right?"

I nodded. "We might be able to trace the bond in his blood to his sire. It won't be easy."

Eudora took a deep breath, and a smile split her face. "Then do it, dear. You'll figure it out, I'm sure of it. Now, this old woman can die in hope."

Eudora's hand went limp in my hands. She gasped once more and closed her eyes as she died on the floor.

Chapter 11

Connor was still trembling from the shock of everything that happened. Ginny held him in her arms. He didn't push her away. It was a shitty time to get jealous or catty, so I buried those feelings deep inside.

"We need to take McPherson back to Casa do Diabo," Mercy said. "It's not safe here. The other nightwalkers that chased me will circle around soon."

"We can't just leave Eudora here." I shook my head. "She saved my life. I won't leave her body to rot."

"We could consume her body with a fire spell," Mercy suggested.

"You're going to burn her inside a building?" Ginny asked.

"We can control the burn," I said. "It might be a fitting tribute. She lived her life devoted to the craft. Fire is an earthen element, one of the five Eudora revered."

"Can I help?" Ginny asked.

"How are you going to help?" Connor asked.

Ginny smiled. "Hailey has been teaching me a few spells. Maybe I could learn another one now."

Connor furrowed his brow. "You're doing witchcraft together now?"

I smirked. "Weird, right?"

Connor stared at me with his jaw dropped. "I don't know. Just surprising. I didn't expect the two of you to work together."

"Hailey agreed to help me learn," Ginny said. "I wanted to help save you. Of course, I punched her in the face first."

"You what?"

I chuckled. "We'll tell the story later. Mercy is right, though. We need to do this fast. I'm not opposed to kicking a little nightwalker ass, but we have bigger issues to concern ourselves with at the moment."

"I wish I could tell you where they were," Connor said. "They've been moving that house every few hours."

I nodded. "Eudora said as much. Perhaps, though, you'll be able to help us convince your father to help. If he's not willing, tapping into his blood to find Corbin won't be easy. If he fights me, it could kill him."

Connor shook his head. "I don't think he'll listen to me. He never does."

"We still have to try," Ginny said. "Think of the other wolves. We have to save our pack."

"And the rest of the world," Mercy added. "If Eudora was right about Alexandra's and Corbin's plans, shit could get serious quickly."

I nodded. "If you want to help, Ginny. Hold my hand as we cast. I'll help guide the flames so you don't burn the whole church down."

Fire magic wasn't hard. Not for me, at least. For a new witch, though, it could be tricky. Creating flames wasn't the problem, but harnessing them and controlling them so that the spell was focused and wouldn't spread was another matter. Still, at least this way Ginny would learn the spell and get a sense for how it felt to wield the flames—even if I was there acting as training wheels to keep her contribution to the spell from burning down the neighborhood.

Connor watched with wide eyes as we cast our spells. I wasn't sure if he was more impressed by our combined triune power or if it shocked him we were basically cremating a body in front of him. It was probably a combination of both.

After we burned up the body and Connor returned to his feet he glanced at me, then Ginny. "Can all of us learn magic like that?"

"Want to learn with me?" Ginny asked.

Connor bit his lip. "I don't know."

"We'll talk about it later," Mercy said. "You three can sort out your awkward love triangle when a nightwalker mob isn't closing in on our location."

The creak of a door opening somewhere else in the church suggested we were running out of time.

"We have to move fast. Connor, do you have the strength to shift?"

Connor nodded. "We'll run right behind you.

Ginny and Connor shifted, grabbing their clothes with their mouths as Mercy grabbed McPherson under his arms. I grabbed his legs.

"Run ahead of us to the hearse," I said. "We'll be right behind you."

Under normal circumstances, Mercy and I would be a lot faster than a group of youngling nightwalkers. That wasn't the case with a body in tow.

I looked over my shoulder as we made it down the street. Three nightwalkers were in pursuit.

"We're not going to make it."

Mercy nodded. "We have to fight."

We dropped Connor's dad on the side of the road and charged the nightwalkers. Mercy and I both had our wands extended.

The three nightwalkers raised their hands. They were holding golden crucifixes.

"They're going to blast us with sunlight!" Mercy screamed. "Don't let them hit you!"

I dove to the ground as a blast of celestially charged sunlight blasted over my head. I extended my wand and blasted one of the nightwalkers with a gust of concussive wind.

I could explode the nightwalker with a little bloodwitchery, but dealing with a feral posed its own challenges.

The nightwalker flew back and crashed into a parked car as his crucifix flew from his hand and hit the pavement. The alarm on the car sounded.

Mercy was dodging blasts from the other two nightwalkers.

I hit one of them with another concussive spell. The third ran past Mercy. He was heading for Connor's dad. He dove on McPherson's body.

Ginny and Connor, still in wolf form, bounded down the street and ripped the nightwalker off of McPherson. They snarled, tearing at the nightwalker's throat.

"Go for his heart!" I shouted. "Ginny! Use fire magic!"

I wasn't sure if Ginny could handle it, but it was the best chance we had to eliminate the nightwalker. You don't have to stake a vampire before cutting out and burning its heart if you have enough firepower. She had the strength and after we burned Eudora's body, the knowledge to do it. Hopefully, she had enough control not to engulf the entire city block.

As Ginny shifted into human form to cast the spell, Connor took off in my direction. I turned. The first nightwalker was back on his feet. He was going for his crucifix. Connor jumped through the air and caught the nightwalker's wrist.

I ran as fast as I could—which was pretty damn fast—and blasted the nightwalker in the chest with fire. His body turned to ash.

I turned just in time to see Mercy do the same to the second nightwalker.

Ginny blasted fire into the third. She used a little too much power. The nightwalker's body exploded and Ginny flew back and hit the ground. I ran over to her and helped her to her feet.

"Good work," I said.

Ginny shook her head. "I can't believe I did it."

Mercy stepped up beside us. "Where the hell is McPherson?"

I looked where we'd laid him. He was gone. Before Ginny killed the nightwalker, he'd removed the stake.

"Damn it. He got away!"

Connor ran over to us, still in wolf form.

Ginny looked at him and ran her fingers through his fur. "Can you track your dad?"

Connor nodded.

Ginny smiled. "Follow us. We'll lead the way."

Ginny placed her wand in her mouth. She re-shifted into wolf form and ran beside Connor as they took off down the street. Mercy and I followed with our wands ready.

We circled around the block. We were heading back to the church.

Connor and Ginny charged through the back door. We made it back to the same Sunday School classroom we were in before just in time to see a green swirl of energy turn around McPherson's body. He was gone.

"Well, fuck." Mercy sighed.

I narrowed my eyes. "The other nightwalker pulled the stake from his chest. If we can find it, we can use his blood to track him."

"If he's close enough. It didn't work with Connor, before. It also presumes the stake didn't get burned with Ginny's spell."

I nodded. "Still, we have to try. We have to find them before sunrise. If not, we won't be able to get there and stop Corbin and Alexandra. We won't be able to save the wolves."

Chapter 12

We made it back to the street. We found the stake in the gutter alongside the road. We were lucky it wasn’t burned up in fire magic. I picked it up and examined it. There was more than enough blood.

Ginny and Connor returned to human form. They'd left their clothes behind somewhere between all the shifts.

"Are you two well?" I asked.

Connor smiled. "Shifting heals us. I feel a hundred percent."

I nodded and pressed the tip of my wand to the blood on the stake. I hesitated. "Ginny, would you like to do the honors?"

Ginny tilted her head. "You want me to cast the tracking spell?"

I shrugged. "Why not?"

"That's bloodwitchery, right? If I do it wrong..."

"You did it fine with Mercy earlier. We'll do it together. We'll both be able to track Connor's dad."

Mercy took the stake in hand so I could join hands with Ginny. We both placed the tips of our wands to the wet blood on the stake. I spoke the incantation and our wands both glowed.

It was a dim, red light. Ginny and I both spun around. It glowed a little brighter to the north.

"They must not be too far. Still, it's dim enough they aren't especially close, either."

"We'll be right back," Connor said.

"We need to get moving," Mercy said. "We don't have time to dick around."

Connor chuckled. "Unless you want my dick around, we need to go get our clothes."

Mercy chuckled and winced a little. "Alright. Hurry, then."

Mercy and I got in the car and waited. It wouldn't take them long.

"You look disappointed."

I sighed. "Well, we lost Eudora. Corbin got away and so did Connor's dad."

Mercy laughed. "Not about that. I think you enjoyed seeing Connor in the buff."

I smirked. "You didn't?"

"He's not my type, Hailey. I can tell by the way you look at him, even when he isn't naked, that there's more you like about him than his chiseled six-pack and perky little butt."

I smiled and licked my fangs. "I like him. I don't know how it will work out, though."

"Because of Ginny?"

I nodded. "She's in love with him. I don't think he feels the same way, but you know, they've been together a long time. They have a history and a bond."

"All the wolves have a bond."

I shook my head. "It's more than that. If I'm being honest, I have a bond with both of them. My blood is a part of what they are."

Mercy nodded. "They're drawn to you. Perhaps that's why Connor is interested in you and Ginny is so drawn to you. Maybe that's why she trusts you and asked you to teach her the craft."

I sighed. "If that's the case, maybe Connor won't ever really love me. Not truly. Perhaps it's the bond and nothing more that makes him think he's interested in me. Maybe once he met me, that's why he lost interest in Ginny. They have a bond, but not in the same way. Her blood isn't a part of him."

Mercy crossed her arms. "I'm old-fashioned. I can't help it. It comes with the territory. I might not be the best to speak to it, but I hear polyamorous romances are in fashion these days."

I covered my mouth as I laughed to stop myself from spitting. "I'm not attracted to Ginny like that. I don't think she looks at me that way, either. It wouldn't work. Nice thought, though. I'm afraid one way or another this is going to end with heartbreak. Someone is going to get hurt."

Mercy nodded. "Then don't rush into anything. That's the thing about living as long as I have. You learn that no matter how hopeless things might seem, or how complicated they might be, that time has a way of sorting things out for the best."

"Eventually, perhaps. That doesn't mean someone won't get hurt in the meantime."

"Take it from someone who hasn't always had a heart, who has literally had her heart ripped from her chest and burned, who survived for decades only by the power of black magic. Broken hearts don't last forever."

"Spoken by someone with experience. I know you still miss Ramon."

Mercy sighed. "My heart aches a little less every day, Hailey. I'm a stubborn bitch. I don't let go easily. Time is on my side and it's on yours. If Connor doesn't love Ginny, you can't rush things. She'll realize the truth in time."

I shook my head. "I don't think she'd ever accept it if Connor and I got together. When I agreed to train her, I also bound myself to her in another way."

"You chose to have Ginny as a friend and apprentice over having Connor as a lover?"

I shrugged. "Maybe. I wasn't thinking beyond the immediate need to save Connor."

"Your heart told you that you had to let go of him if you and Ginny were going to save him together."

I stared out the front window of Mercy's hearse as the two wolves ran toward us, their clothes in their mouths. "I guess that's right. It sucks."

Mercy snorted. "Love sucks. So do vampires."

I chuckled. "Trying to find love as a vampire sucks doubly."

Mercy grinned. "Agreed."

"Is that why you denied your capacity to love for so long?"

Mercy shook her head. "It's more complicated than that. You can't love if you don't trust. If you trust someone and love them, it makes you vulnerable."

"You're talking about your father?"

"And Moll. I know Moll betrayed you once, too. But more recently, she also saved you. You've trusted me, and I've never broken that trust. Neither has Annabelle. I have my wounds. Don’t make mine your own. You shouldn't rush into love. Not now, and certainly not with Connor. That doesn't mean you should give up on love entirely."

I sighed. "I'll try not to."

Mercy nodded. "You'd better not. Your heart, Hailey, is not nearly so dark as mine. I envy that about you."

I raised an eyebrow. "You're jealous of me? You're Mercy Brown! Do you know how many vampires would literally kill to be you if they could?"

"That's only because they don't understand the burdens I shoulder. You do. I hope you've learned a lot from me over the last seven years. I certainly hope you’ve learned the most important lesson of all.”

I smirked. “What lesson was that?”

“Do not become too much like me. Do not repeat my mistakes."

The back doors of the hearse opened and, now fully clothed, Connor and Ginny got inside and sat next to the empty coffin in the back.

"Hey Hailey. Is your wand still glowing?"

I pulled it out and examined it. "A little, why?"

"Does it glow as it should?"

I pointed it to the north. The glow didn't change. "Well, isn't that great?"

Ginny sighed. "I was hoping it was just mine. I thought I'd lost my connection to the spell or something."

I shook my head. "That's not it. They moved again. Now, they're too far away for us to find using that spell."

"What about the app?" Mercy asked. "Check and see if it's getting a signal."

I pulled out my phone and opened the Life360 app. "Still nothing. It shows you back where the coven's house used to be. That’s the last known location."

Mercy narrowed her eyes. "We're going back to Casa do Diabo."

"Why?" I asked.

"Your tracking spell might have a limited range, but they made a mistake when they took McPherson with them. He's a vampire now, and he's younger than Sarah."

I smiled. "That means Sarah can connect to him. She can see through his eyes."

"Corbin doesn't know about Sarah's abilities. That means we'll have an advantage."

I nodded. "That's brilliant. They won't even know we're on the way."

"You'll still need to be fast," Connor said. "Even if we find out where they are, they could move again."

I scratched my head. "I'm expecting they will. If what Eudora told us is true, they'll need to be near the city if they're going to infect as many people as they are hoping for with the spell. My guess is, before they cast the spell, they'll take the house back to where it belongs."

Mercy nodded. "Even if they don't, they'll move in close enough to the city that you can track them."

I pinched my chin. "They could still extract the power from the wolves before they do that. We can't afford to wait for them to show up back here. By then, it could be too late."

Mercy grinned. "Then we need to expedite their efforts. Can you create a teleportation spell like theirs?"

I smiled. "Sure. It's relatively simple. It takes a lot of magic, but I can do it. We'd also need a witch on the opposite side to pull us through."

"Create a portal here," Ginny said. "It's best that not all the wolves go to them, anyway. If they got all of us, it could be bad. Tell me what to do and when you need me to do it, maybe I can pull you to the portal."

Mercy nodded. "We'll get Sarah. We need to force their hand and make them move before they're ready."

"We're not leaving you here alone, Ginny."

"I'll stay with her," Connor said.

Mercy shook her head. "That's too risky. Again, it's best if you're separated so they can't get all six of you together. They’re on Plan B right now. It would be best if they don’t have the chance to revert to Plan A. I'll have someone stay here with you to protect you in case anything goes wrong."

I tilted my head. "You're not suggesting what I think you are, are you?"

Mercy smiled. "Mel will stay with you here, Ginny. We'll follow Sarah's lead and chase them here. When Hailey creates the portal on the other side and we're inside it, you'll know."

"How will I know?" Ginny asked.

"You'll sense it. The same way Alexandra was able to sense it when Corbin and McPherson stepped into the sigil at the church."

"Are you sure I can do it? I don't know if I'm ready for something like that."

I nodded. "You have all the power you need. You just need a little instruction along with the will and determination to pull it off. You have plenty of determination. I just have to teach you the process."

Chapter 13

We had a lot to do before sunrise. All we knew was that Corbin, Alexandra, the coven, and the pack were more than a hundred miles away. We'd lose at least a couple hours getting there provided they were within driving distance.

We arrived back at Casa do Diabo. I retrieved a piece of salt-infused chalk from my room so Ginny and I could practice sigil teleportation. The entire plan depended on her being able to pull it off. If she couldn't, well, she and Mel would be left to take on Corbin and the coven alone. They wouldn't stand a chance.

I tried to convince Mercy to stay with Ginny. I'd take Mel with me. She didn't think Corbin would bite if she weren't there. We had to attack the coven together. That was the only way he'd opt to expedite their plans and move the house back to New Orleans.

She had a good point. Still, leaving Ginny with Mel was a dubious proposition, even if the fate of the world wasn't hanging in the balance. Mel was good-hearted, so far as vampires go, but she was young and impulsive. She was growing stronger all the time, but she'd never been in an actual fight. Not like this. I wasn't sure how much help she'd be if the shit hit the fan, and Ginny needed protection. Still, it was the only plan we had, and we didn't have time to come up with a Plan B. This had to work. If it didn't, well, the pack would be done for and the world would be royally screwed.

A whole city of hungry vampires was a hell that would spread faster than herpes in a frat house.

If you need me to explain that one, you haven't been to college. Of course, I never attended college in an official capacity. Still, I'd made a meal of my share of boys with Greek letters on their sweatshirts. The tales they told were enough to make any mother think twice before sending her spawn to a four-year university stint.

Ever hear of Seven Degrees of Kevin Bacon? Take the principles of the game and pick someone infected in a fraternity. Chances are, you need less than two degrees of past partners to connect everyone in the fraternity.

Apply that principle to vampirism, spreading beyond a city, the drive to feed along with an imperative to turn as many vampires as possible, and there'd be so many young vampires that the Vampire Council, the Order of the Morning Dawn, any clan of rogue hunters, or even the military couldn't contain them.

I made a couple of sigils on the sidewalk in front of the house. Thankfully, we weren't in the busiest part of the French Quarter. We were on the outskirts and there was little chance, if we were careful, that too many people would see our display of magic. If they did, well, I'd find a shoe or an instrument case to set on the sidewalk in front of us. There was a fair share of illusionists and other peddlers on the French Quarter that anyone who saw us would think we were putting on a show hoping to earn their spare change.

I drew one circle on the sidewalk along with a five-point star inside. "We need a unique marking to join the two circles. All you need to do is draw a similar circle maybe fifteen or twenty feet away from this one. I'll let you make the mark, so it's easy for you to duplicate."

I broke my piece of salt-infused chalk in half and gave Ginny the other piece. She bent over the circle I'd drawn. "It can be anything?"

I nodded. "So long as you can duplicate it."

Ginny pinched her chin, knelt down, and drew the letters C and G surrounded by a heart. I bit my lip even as my stomach turned. It was a good thing I hadn't fed recently or I would have hurled someone's blood on the sidewalk and spoiled the sigil.

"Now what?" Ginny asked.

"Watch me. Remember the incantation. Speak the same one over your circle after you draw it."

"Is it another corny rhyme? Ginny asked.

I snickered. "It most certainly is."

Ginny smiled. "Let's hear it."

I touched my wand to the sigil we'd made and spoke the incantation. "By the power of the earth and the elements of space, link this sigil to what's common in place."

A surge of green magic passed from my wand and pulsed through the sigil. The whole thing illuminated in kind before the magic faded. "Remember what I said?"

"Got it! What happens if I screw it up, or get tongue tied?"

I shrugged. "It's not a big deal. You can do it again. The most recent spell will supersede what you cast the first time. All you'll need to do to pull me through the sigil is touch your wand to the new one you draw. Funny thing about sigils, it really doens’t matter what kind of magic you use. Once a sigil is established, it just needs a source of power. Blood magic. Earth magic. Even celestial or infernal magic will do the same job."

"That doesn't sound too complicated."

I shrugged. "It's not, provided you have enough power to pull it off. I'm confident you have more than enough."

Ginny smiled. "Good to know. I think I'm ready. I just need to draw the circle, the five-point star, and my heart."

"With the initials inside." I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

"Of course!" Ginny giggled. "I still believe our love can overcome anything that stands against it."

I bit my lip. "Yeah, that's sweet."

Ginny smiled from ear to ear. "Okay, stand in your circle. I've got this. Easy as pie!"

I chuckled. "Easier, I hope. I've tried to bake a pie before. It didn't turn out well."

"What kind of pie was it? I make all kinds. Sweet potato pies. Blueberry pies. I even make hamburger pies."

"You make cow pies? Gross!"

Ginny rolled her eyes. "You know that's not what I meant."

"Well, if pies are easy for you, then yes. This should be easy as pie."

Ginny tilted her head. "And you trust me to do this? There's no chance your body will materialize as a pig or something, is there?"

"No, but a witch did turn me into a newt once."

"A newt?" Ginny raised an eyebrow.

I grinned. "I got better!"

Ginny narrowed her eyes. "That's weird."

I laughed. "That didn’t happen. It was from Monty Python. Don't tell me you didn't catch the reference."

"Monty who?"

I sighed. "Never mind. Look, nothing bad will happen so long as you follow my instructions. Even if you muck it up, the chances of hurting me are pretty much zero. The worst that will happen is the spell will sizzle out and we'll try again."

"Alright, well, if you trust me, it's your funeral."

I snickered. "I will be fine. And you'll do a great job. You're stronger than I ever expected. It's almost like you'd been casting spells before we ever started training. You're a natural. And besides… I already had my funeral!"

Ginny laughed, nodded and turned around. She walked a good twenty or thirty feet down the sidewalk.

"Doesn't have to be that far!" I shouted.

Ginny shrugged, kneeled down, and started drawing the sigil in front of her. I couldn't see the details from where I stood, but it wasn't all that complicated. I was reasonably sure she'd do it perfectly. If she didn't, well, the worst that could happen was exactly nothing at all.

"You ready?" Ginny asked.

I stepped inside my circle. "Ready when you are!"

Ginny pressed her wand to her sigil. She spoke my incantation. The green magic I expected swirled around me. It usually only took a few seconds to work.

The next thing I knew, I was standing in Ginny's circle. Another blast of green energy glowed in a second circle outside the one I taught her to draw. Ginny held a small stick in her hand, barely the size of a pen. Given the lingering magic on the tip, it wasn't a writing utensil. It was another wand.

"Ginny! What are you doing?"

Ginny stood and took two steps back. I tried to follow her, but it was like walking right into a glass wall. "A salt prison? Where did you get that wand?"

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Please, Hailey. I’m surprised this even worked. When Corbin said to go to you and ask you to train me, I thought it was a lame plan. Then again, who was I to question the schemes of a vampire who has lived so long? It didn’t matter. He promised me if I delivered you, he'd let my whole pack go unharmed."

I dropped my jaw. "You were working with Corbin all this time?"

Ginny shook her head. "I didn't have a choice. I just can't believe you were so gullible to think that while you were busy trying to steal my man that I'd come to you and ask you to help save him, much less ask you to train me! As you can see, Alexandra already taught me a few things. I told you, we've worked with that coven before. She saw potential in me years ago. She taught me a few spells and the rest of her coven was none the wiser."

I snorted. "No wonder it seemed like you were such a natural."

Ginny grinned and shrugged. "Corbin said you'd be blinded by your idealism and your persistent need to see the good in people."

"You aren't a bad person, Ginny! Surely you know what Corbin is planning. How can you help him?"

Ginny shrugged. "Family comes first. Besides, what good is the world if Connor and I aren't together in it?"

"Are you listening to yourself, Ginny? That's desperate. It’s a little bit insane. You’d sacrifice the entire world for your love story? There's another way. Please, Ginny, you don’t have to do this. We had a plan!"

Ginny shook her head. "It wouldn't work. You can't beat Corbin. No one can. At least this way, Connor and I can live in the new world he's making, together. When all is done, you’ll be his queen and out of my hair. Connor and I will have our forever story, just like Edward and Bella!"

"You think he'll want to be with you after he knows what you've done?"

Ginny looked all around. "I don't see him here, do you? I'll just tell them we were practicing the spell and somehow the other witches stole you out of it. They'll carry out the rest of our plan without you. They'll make the sigil here. Mercy will go with Sarah to save you. By then, well, it'll be too late."

"I will not do the spell that Corbin and Alexandra want me to do! This is pointless, Ginny!"

Ginny rolled her eyes. "We'll see about that. See you later. It’s been fun. Thanks for the lessons and the new wand. I have all your spells now, too! I took a picture of several incantations from your notebook. Pretty cool, right? I can’t wait to show this stuff to Alexandra!"

"Fuck you!" I screamed.

My curse only made Ginny laugh more as a green tornado of portal magic swirled around me. I expected the next thing I'd see was Corbin's pasty, but chiseled, face looking at me.

My prediction was accurate. What I didn't expect was that I'd appear with a wall to my back.

"Hello, my love."

I grunted. "I'll tell you the same thing I just told Ginny. Fuck you!"

"Is that an invitation, my dear? It would be my pleasure."

Corbin grabbed my wrists and forced them to the wall. He wrestled my wand out of my hand and stuck it in the back waistband of his pants. It inclined me to speak an incantation and literally light his ass on fire. He fastened shackles around my wrists. The temptation to burn his butt only increased. Still, I needed to be sure the wolves were here. Seduction had given me an advantage over Corbin before and, now that he was magically induced (courtesy of Erzulie’s aspect) to believe he loved me, it would work again. Shooting flames into someone’s pooper isn’t generally taken as a romantic gesture. I mean, I know there’s a lot of freaky shit out there—but that’s weird enough I suspected even the Internet was devoid of such debauchery.

Flame-broiled vampire asshole was off the menu. At least for the moment.

I narrowed my eyes and shook my wrists, banging the chains that bound my wrists against the wall. "I didn't know you were into this sort of thing. What's the safe word?"

Corbin smirked. "You don't need one with me, my love. I'd never hurt you. I just need to make sure you don't interfere with our plan."

I tilted my head. "I thought you needed me to cast a spell."

Corbin nodded. "We do."

"How exactly do you think you're going to force me to cast a spell I don't want to do? You can't manipulate a witch's will. Not even if you have compulsion abilities. Without my will aligned with my magic, I can't cast."

"Trust me, Hailey. I'll make sure you have more than enough motivation when the time comes to do what you must to secure the empire I'm building for the two of us."

Corbin kissed me on the lips. I should have kissed him back. Seduction was my best bet. I couldn’t resist the urge, though.

I hocked a loogie straight into his mouth.

Corbin spit it out on the floor. "That was not pleasant."

I chuckled. "I didn't expect it would be."

Corbin narrowed his eyes. "I'll be back shortly. Don't even think about trying to cast any spells. The witches here have placed wards all over the room. Nothing you try will work."

Chapter 14

Somehow, I needed to warn Mercy what was going on. I didn't know where I was, exactly. This entire house had taken off in a green tornado—and I'm pretty sure it didn't land in Oz.

If I didn't reach Mercy, I knew how it was bound to go down. She'd come here, presuming we were within a few hours’ drive. Sarah would be with her. She'd probably bring Connor with her, but I couldn't be certain of that. She might decide it was too risky to bring any of the wolves. Whatever the case, once Mercy and the rest tried to get in and save me, the witches would teleport the house back to the city. Ginny would follow through with the plan we made before. Mercy would create another sigil and she and whoever was with her would go wherever Ginny sent them. She could teleport them into a sealed tomb. Maybe she'd send them straight into a cage somewhere that would flood with sunlight come morning, or even directly into a furnace. I'm sure there were equally dreadful possibilities I hadn't thought about, but one thing was certain—when Mercy and my friends stepped into a sigil they wouldn't go back anywhere near the coven's next destination.

Corbin might have seized my wand, but my phone was still in my pocket. I could use voice activation to send a text, provided I had service. If Mercy's phone was here somewhere, though, and we'd failed to get a signal from it, there was a chance my phone wouldn't work either. Not to mention, Corbin would hear what I was doing and rush in to seize my phone in a matter of seconds.

Then again, I only needed to get one message through. There was also a chance that Mercy's phone was within range but didn't connect for another reason. Whatever the case, even if I asked Siri to send a text, Corbin would know I warned my friends. Corbin and the witches could re-strategize. I needed another plan.

If Mercy was already channeling McPherson's sight to get a bearing on our location, that meant she was listening. I still had my phone. It was an ace up my sleeve. I'd use that later. I'd only have one chance. This wasn't it. Provided, of course, I could get McPherson into my room. To do that, I'd have to play it sweet with Corbin. No more loogies in the mouth. The only power I had at the moment was the fact that I was Corbin's weak spot. He thought he loved me.

"Corbin, love!" I shouted. "Won't you come and sit with me a while?"

It took less than a second for Corbin to appear in my room. He approached me and raised his hand to my face. He ran his thumb down my cheek. "Yes, my dear?"

"I'm sorry for my behavior before. So much had happened. I almost forgot how sweet you were."

Corbin grinned. "You think I'm sweet?"

"Not really. But I know your feelings for me are real. I know everything you've done is for my sake."

Corbin kissed me on the forehead. "It is true. Some day you will appreciate all I'm doing more than you do now."

"I haven't fed in days. Perhaps we could enjoy a meal together."

"I would like that. However, there are no humans here available, and I cannot risk forcing either of them to serve us in that way."

"Can't you get a meal? Your progeny, the nightwalker, could surely bring us someone to feed from."

Corbin grinned. "Alas, he likely needs to feed as well. Perhaps he could bring us someone after he feeds himself."

"Why not all feed at once? You know how I feel about human lives, Corbin. I'm younger than you. The needless loss of life pains me greatly."

"We may allow him to feed first that we might have our privacy to feed together."

I smiled. "I'd like that. Would you stay with me while he retrieves our meal?"

Corbin ran his hands down my body. He cupped my right breast with his corresponding hand and kissed me on the lips. I resisted the urge to knee him in the nuts and kissed him back. "I'll send him on his way. Then I will return to you while we wait."

"Please hurry, my love!"

Corbin smiled at me and nodded before he left my room. If McPherson left the house and went looking for a meal, he'd see enough that Sarah could surely figure out where we were. He'd get a good view of the surrounding area and show her exactly how to get back to the house. That was step one. After that, I just had to figure out how to pass along the message I needed them to hear. They needed to know Ginny couldn't be trusted.

It must've only been three minutes, but it felt like an hour before Corbin returned. He stepped back into my room and closed the door behind him.

"He will return shortly."

"Are these shackles really necessary, Corbin?"

"I'm sorry, Hailey. I suppose so long as I'm in here with you, removing them is of little risk."

"I won't try anything. I want to touch you. I need to. My desires are overwhelming."

Corbin kissed me on the neck. He reached up and unlocked my shackles. I wrapped my arms around him and kissed him on the lips.

Corbin led me to the bed. We laid down together. He reached up and brushed a stray strand of my blond hair out of my face.

"I'm curious. You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

"What is it, love?"

"Usually a sire's bond is limited. Your progeny will obey your direct command, but you can't control him when he's not with you. Even more, McPherson was a part of the Order of the Morning Dawn. He hates vampires and witches. How can you trust him?"

Corbin laughed. "Don't worry about that. He will not betray me."

"But how can you be certain?"

"When I took his form, I could access his mind, his memories. I always can when I assume the shape of someone whom I've bitten. Everything one knows or remembers is written into the mind. To take someone's shape in total means gaining their mind, their brain, learning everything about them. I knew from the start that there was one thing he cared about more than anything else. It's why he joined the Order of the Morning Dawn to begin with."

"You're talking about his son?"

Corbin nodded. "He only joined in order to avenge his son for the witchery that changed him into what he is."

"He wanted me dead."

Corbin nodded. "I suppose a part of him still does. However, he also knows my power and what I intend to do. Connor is under my protection. So long as my progeny stays in line, so long as he doesn't harm you and does as I say, his son is safe."

I tilted my head. "Since you know his mind, you're certain then that he'll remain loyal for Connor's sake?"

Corbin smiled at me kindly. "Absolutely. Not to mention, I have a few abilities you don’t know about. In time, perhaps, I'll share the full extent of my capacities with you. Suffice it to say, however, that I could end the life of any of my progeny with only a thought. He couldn't protect his son if he was dead."

I nodded. "Then you must bring him in here when he returns."

Corbin tilted his head. "I intended to allow him to feed before we take our meal."

I shook my head. "You need to see how he'll respond when he sees me. What better time to test his loyalty than now, when I'm here, and you're here to stop him if he steps out of line?"

Corbin took my hand in his and kissed the top of it. "Very well. This is wise, I suppose. Though, I truly believe there's very little risk that he'd do anything to harm you, given what's at stake if he did."

"I'd just feel better seeing it for myself. If you intend to chain me up again, it's terrifying to think that there's another vampire in here who recently wanted me dead."

"For your sake, Hailey, I suppose there's no harm in that."

"Thank you, Corbin. I really appreciate that. I have one more question, if you don't mind."

"What is it?"

"What have you done with the hostages? The other wolves. I mean."

"They are in cages. The witches are tending to them, though, helping them access their power."

"Their ability to wield blood magic, you mean?"

Corbin nodded. "Of course. I'm sure you're already well aware of the reason they have such abilities."

"I am. You are telling the truth, then, that they will not be harmed once this is over?"

"If you perform the spell that's required, Hailey, there will be no further need for them."

"Then why are the witches bothering to train them?"

Corbin scratched his head. "They do not share my faith in you. They do not believe you'll carry out your purpose here."

"I suppose they don't know me as well as you do."

"They do not. We'll prove them wrong and assuage their doubts soon enough, I trust."

"You know I don't agree with your plan. Still, I have to trust you. I must learn to accept your wisdom. You've lived as many centuries as a vampire as I have years."

Corbin wrapped his arms around me and pulled me in close to him. "I'm glad to see you're finally coming around, my love. You will make a fantastic queen. The world will fear us both, we will bathe in the blood of thousands together. We will feast on their terror until they relent and embrace our rule."

I snorted before I faked a smile. "I can't wait."

Chapter 15

Ever since I met Corbin, my feelings for him vacillated between disgust, horror, and desire. I hated him in my soul even as every cell in my body craved his touch. The only way to pull off this ruse was to silence my deeper sense of loathing and give in to my body's cravings.

I moaned in ecstasy as Corbin tore at my clothes and traced every contour of my exposed body with his lips and tongue. For a moment, I forgot he was my enemy. A tingle of desire spread through my body. I tangled my fingers through his hair as he nibbled at my thighs.

I wanted him to go higher. He was teasing me. When there was a knock on the door, I could sense his disappointment and I'd be lying if I didn't feel a little let down myself even while the better part of me was relieved.

I pulled a blanket over my body. Corbin sat up. "Come in."

McPherson stepped through the door. He had a young female in his thrall. She was probably in her twenties. She had a toned body and flowing auburn hair. I didn't feed on females. Not usually. As a blood witch, I had a sensitive palate. Estrogen gave the blood a bitter taste. It wasn't inedible, but it wasn't my preference, either. Still, she'd do for our purposes.

"Have you fed sufficiently?" Corbin asked.

"I have, my lord."

"Then you may leave us."

"Wait," I said. "I have a question or two."

Corbin tilted his head. "What must you ask of my progeny that I could not tell you myself?"

My questions didn't have to make sense. My goal was to get my message through to Sarah, and from Sarah to Mercy.

"Ginny betrayed me. She is the one who sent me here. I'm afraid she cannot be trusted. Are you certain that she has Connor's interests at heart?"

McPherson tilted his head. "She loves my son. If his need for your bite did not blind him, he'd have no question about his relationship with her."

"I never meant to make them what they are. You realize it was an accident, right?"

McPherson narrowed his eyes, then he shifted his gaze to Corbin. "May I be dismissed?"

Corbin nodded. "As I said, leave us."

McPherson left the room and closed the door behind him.

"What was that about?"

I shook my head. "Don't let it trouble you, love. It's just that she's more powerful than I expected. Her loyalties are with Connor, not you."

"Some of your loyalties are divided likewise, are they not?"

I took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Corbin. What remains of my humanity sometimes confuses me."

Corbin took my hand in his. "When I was a youngling, I once allowed my remaining humanity to influence me to my detriment. There was a woman I loved before I was turned. I went to her at night. I meant only to tell her my feelings hadn't changed. Then, my vampiric nature took over."

"You fed from her?" I asked.

Corbin nodded. "I drained her completely. As a youngling, I couldn't turn her. I went to Niccolo, my sire, and begged him to intervene. By the time he arrived, it was too late. She was gone."

I gulped. "My God, Corbin. I'm so sorry that happened."

Corbin waved his hand through the air. "That was a long time ago. It took nearly a century before I came to terms with what happened. It haunted me for the longest time. Every time I fed, I could swear I saw her face in the horrified stares of my victims. Eventually, though, those regrets disappeared. What remained of my humanity faded. I moved on."

I shook my head. "Still, that must've sucked for you. To have to live with that memory while you still had human emotions."

"The funny thing is when you restored a part of my humanity, that pain never returned. My love for you took its place."

I placed my hand on Corbin's back. "You didn't have to tell me that. Thank you."

"I only mention my story to express my understanding and to warn you that if you pursue your human desires for the body, it can only end in pain. At least for a time. I'd rather you not have to bear that burden for our first century as the world's emperor and empress."

I winced. "Right. I get that. We have a meal waiting for us."

Corbin took my hand, stood up, and helped me to my feet. "Then, shall we do as humans often say, and dig in?"

"I don't want to kill her."

Corbin smiled widely. "Then, we won't. I require only a taste. You may drink as much or as little as you like."

Corbin bit her first. He took one gulp, wiped the blood from his lips, and brought her to me. I bit her neck in the same place Corbin did. Her blood flowed into my mouth. It was bitter, but there was something different about her. There was also a sweetness to her flavor. I couldn't quite pin-point what it was. It was like kale, but with a poppy seed dressing added, that made her palatable. Corbin didn't exhibit an unusual reaction to the taste. Then again, I didn't notice the sweetness until the third draw. With each bite, the bitterness faded, and the sweetness dominated. I had to force myself to pull away. I didn't want to drain her.

"Would you like to change her?" Corbin whispered in my ear. "Our first child, together!"

I narrowed my eyes. "No, thanks. I'm not ready for that."

Corbin smiled. "Very well."

I looked at the woman. She was in a daze, her body trembling. She was in shock.

"Can you lower the wards? I'd like to wipe her memory. The poor thing is traumatized."

"I cannot. The witches would have to dispel them, and I do not believe they trust you well enough. For your sake, I’ll ask one of the witches to wipe her mind."

Corbin took my hand and raised it to his lips. He gave me his. We bit each other. This was how many vampires, devoid of human sensuality, made love. There was an intimacy to feeding from one another after a common feed that enhanced the entire experience. I'd learned recently that it amplifies the quality of whatever soul is consumed within the blood a vampire drinks. It was how Corbin matured so fast, before. It brought him to the point that Baron Samedi, the patron Loa of vampires who created the first of our kind, could inhabit his body. From what I understood from our prior encounter, whatever happened to Corbin when we pulled the Baron out of him before now made it difficult for him to cycle the power in human souls when he fed.

I fell back onto the bed. The room was spinning as something welled up within me.

"Are you well, my love?"

I placed my hand on my tummy. "I think I just had a little too much."

Corbin kissed me on the forehead. "I'll leave you to rest. Fresh from a feed, you'll be at full strength soon. The witches will show you the spell you must cast."

I smiled. "Can we skip the shackles? I cannot rest while chained to a wall. I fear I won't be ready to do as you ask if you bind me again."

Corbin tucked the hair on either side of my face behind my ears. "Very well. Know only this: if your humanity gets the best of you, if you try to escape, I will hear you. I must still lock the door and we welded the bars on the window in place."

I nodded. "I understand. I only need a short time to allow my meal to settle."

"Very well. I will give you as much time as we can allow. We must begin soon. Our spell would be ineffective during the day and we need time to ensure that all those affected are safe before sunrise."

I nodded. "It shouldn't take long. It's been a while since I fed on a female. I'm sure that's all it is."

Corbin cocked his head. "Clear your mind. Allow the sensation to swell within you. Do not resist it, but embrace it. I've experienced such a sensation often after a feed, though I must confess, it has not been the case as of late. I call it growing pangs. It's a part of your maturation as a vampire."

I bit the tip of my thumb. "I'll do that. I'm sure I'll be fine soon."

Corbin nodded at me, stared at me a moment, then stepped out the door with the lady we'd fed from in hand. I heard the deadbolt click behind him. It's not common to find a deadbolt on a door inside a house. I suppose that's because unless you're a sociopath, you rarely have a reason to lock someone within a room.

Maybe Corbin was right. Vampires sometimes gain new abilities after a feed as they mature. It’s not common. Most vampires don't gain more than one or two abilities a century. I was different. I had a connection to blood most vampires didn't have. I'd also matured myself faster than others, fast enough that I briefly allowed Baron Samedi to emerge the first time Corbin attempted to turn all of New Orleans into his progeny.

My legs were criss-crossed as I sat in the bed. My palms were on my knees. I took a deep breath and released it. I've never been great at clearing my mind. Even when I was human, I often struggled to fall asleep because I couldn't silence my thoughts.

Had Sarah received my message? Was she watching when McPherson was in the room? I had to believe she was. Still, I couldn't be certain. It was a one-way method of communication. I didn't need the coven to train me to do the spell they wanted. I knew what they were planning. Corbin wanted me to be the one to do it. He wanted me to be his queen, to play a role in creating his new empire.

I didn't know the limits of my power. I'd always restrained my bloodwitchery when I used it. Still, if I included a bit of my blood in the spell, spread it into a million molecules, and blasted it across the region, I'd both drain and infect every human in the wake of my spell. What remained a mystery was how the witches intended to heal everyone so that they'd turn rather than die. Perhaps they intended to piggy-back a spell of their own on mine. Whatever the case, the result was bound to be dreadful.

This was how Corbin intended to make me his queen. All those turned would be my progeny. Did he really trust me enough to bend all the turned to his will rather than mine? Surely he had a plan for that as well. He didn't trust me completely. He loved me. I could bend his affections for me enough to convince him to leave me out of shackles this time, but he still locked the door. He knew I still had human emotions and sensibilities that wouldn't permit me to do what he wished solely out of the darkness of my heart. There was a lot to what Corbin, and the witches planned I didn't understand. Not yet. For now, all I could do was breathe.

I did my best to chase all my worries out of my mind. As I did, the sensation lingering in my body after we fed expanded and took the place of my prior thoughts.

Is this what Corbin did when he cycled souls, when he and other vampires gained new abilities after a feed? Most new abilities were relatively useless. Mercy had once gained the ability of compulsion--she could force people to do her will. She'd striven to silence that ability of her own accord. She didn't like to use it. When she manipulated people, it violated whatever humanity she'd regained. It took her to a dark place. She could still do it, but she warned if she ever did that she might not be the same afterwards. It had the undesirable side-effect of making her the kind of monstrous vampire of old horror novels.

If a new ability didn't have such damaging side-effects, many of them were of minimal use. Sarah's ability was useful. I knew a few vampires who could turn into bats. It was one of the more common abilities. Outside of that, I once met a fifty-year-old vampire who could shorten or lengthen his hair at will. Handy if you liked to change your look, and it saved money on hair-cuts, but beyond that, it wasn't especially powerful. Mercy told me of a vampire who'd gained the completely useless ability to turn his hands into feet. Another vampire could channel any odor she could imagine from her skin. Great for pranks, maybe, but beyond that, it had limited utility. According to Mercy, Nico once had a progeny in the sixteenth-century who could communicate with house flies. I hated flies. I could see why such an ability might be convenient—especially back in the day when people only bathed once or twice a year and they dumped their shit buckets on the streets.

I might not gain any new ability at all. If I did, chances were it would be something ridiculous or purposeless. Then again, maybe not. I had to let the soul I'd gained cycle and hope it was worth my while.

The tingle spread through my body as I emptied my mind of thoughts. Then, all at once, the sensation faded.

I stood up and looked around. I waved my arms to see if, by chance, I might be able to fly. I tugged at my nose, my chin, and patted my cheeks. Everything seemed normal.

It occurred to me that now that my hands were free, I could use my phone without alerting Corbin. My pants were on the floor. They moved a little.

I tilted my head. Was there a mouse hiding beneath them? I was about to reach for them to check, to grab my phone, when my phone flew out of my pants pocket and into my hand.

Holy shit...

I also needed to get dressed. I wasn't keen on leaving the room, much less fighting the witches and Corbin in my panties. My pants flew off the floor and into my other hand.

I was moving objects with my mind! What is it they call that? Telekinesis? Of all my skills, it was both new and the one that had the most syllables.

I thought about the chains hanging on the wall. When I did, one of them raised and pulled tight as if it was trying to get to me. Then it yanked right out of the wall and flew into my hand. I dropped my pants to catch it.

Damn! This ability is pretty strong!

I dropped the chain on the bed. I slipped into my pants, sat down, and looked at my phone. Who could I text that I trusted? Mercy's phone was lost, probably somewhere outside the house. Annabelle wouldn't get my message if she was in Vilokan. Connor was a possibility, but if Ginny was with him, she might see it. Sarah was probably occupied, still channeling McPherson's vision to gain as much intelligence about the situation as possible.

I found Mel in my contacts and sent a message. Young vampires have a few advantages. It was the reason I was a member of the Vampire Council. They needed someone adept with technology who could help navigate the modern world. Older vampires, like Corbin, often failed to consider how technology could change the game. This wasn't the first time I'd gained a slight advantage over him because I had a phone and he hadn't thought about it. The first time he tried to trap me in a house, when he brought someone to feed from, I was able to text Mercy and she arrived to wipe the poor man's memory of the incident after we set him free. It was a small-stakes move, I suppose, and Corbin hadn't considered the move in advance. He probably didn't even know I'd done it. Once again, he hadn't so much as considered what advantage having a phone on my person might give me.

I didn't have the same carrier that Mercy did. Perhaps the witches phones didn't work here, either. Maybe Corbin didn't worry about it because he assumed my phone wouldn't work, either. I didn't have a powerful signal, but I had one. I could get a message through.

I reached into my pocket. I probably didn't need to. If I thought about the small piece of chalk I'd used before to draw the sigil on the sidewalk, it might have flown out of my pocket into my hand.

Did Sarah get my message? I texted.

OMG! She did. U ok?

I sent a thumbs-up emoji. Is Mercy still in the city?

She just left with Ginny and Sarah. They are coming for you.

With Ginny? I thought you said Sarah got my message!

Mercy doesn't want her to suspect anything. She took her with her.

I bit my lip. Without a witch, this wouldn't work. Is Connor there?

I waited a few seconds. Mel didn't respond. Connor did.

I'm here! So sorry about Ginny!

You have magic in you, just like she does. I made a sigil outside. If you can dig deep, push just a little magic into the sigil, you can bring me back.

Connor sent back a smiley face. Mercy already made me a wand. She was going to have me do the same thing where the coven used to be to bring them back.

I smiled ear-to-ear. Brilliant. Then, you know what to do. Go outside and do the same thing on my sigil. Give me two minutes to make mine here.

Got it! I'm on it!

I quickly drew a circle on the floor. I wasn't a hundred percent certain it would work. There were wards around my room. They didn't silence my newly discovered vampiric ability. I could only hope that the sigil would work. Thankfully, this house didn't have carpet. The old wood floors weren't even, but I could make it work. I added the five-point star to the middle and the ridiculous heart that Ginny added to the sigil before. I stood in the circle. I thought about my wand. It would come in handy, for sure.

The next thing I knew, my wand blasted through the wall, leaving a small hole in the plaster. I caught it in my hand. It was in Corbin’s pants before. He surely noticed it flying from his waistband. I only had a few seconds to act. I had to take down the other witch's wards. These weren't blood witches. Their wards likely consisted of burning sage. I barely thought about it and envisioned whatever sage there might be blasting into a million pieces. I'd know soon enough if it worked.

I pressed the tip of my wand against the sigil under my feet. I spoke the necessary incantation. My wand glowed.

Holy shit! It actually worked!

I laughed a little as the green magic in my sigil swirled around me.

Connor did it!

Corbin blasted through the door to my room, his eyes wide in shock. I blew him a kiss as I disappeared.

Chapter 16

"Crikey! Welcome home!"

I turned toward the shrill shriek that Mel belted out as my feet hit the pavement. I almost didn't even notice Conner kneeling beside the sigil, holding what I recognized to be one of Mercy's old wands in his hand.

"So I can stop now?" Connor asked.

I nodded. "You can."

Connor jumped up and wrapped his arms around me. He touched my face and kissed my cheek. "I was afraid we'd lost you. I can't believe Ginny did that..."

I shook my head. "She loves you. She thought she was doing this for the sake of the pack."

Connor shook his head. "She was doing it out of envy. I've been slowly growing more distant from her over the years. She sensed the passion waning and tried a thousand times to draw me back to her. Still, I never left her. Not until I met you and I had a reason to."

"We've barely met again, Connor. Are you sure that's what you want?"

"I don't know what I want, Hailey. You're right. I'm not in love with you. Not yet. It would be foolish to think I was. Still, I sense a spark in my heart when we're together. It's something that can be tended to, it can grow into an inferno if we nurture it."

My cheeks were already rouged from my recent feed, but I still felt a flush of blood in my cheeks. "I feel it, too."

"Maybe that spark will fade, burn out quickly. Maybe it won't. But whatever spark I used to have with Ginny was extinguished years ago. She's tried. It doesn't matter how much kindling you throw into a fire pit, though, if there isn't a spark left to ignite it. I want to see where this might lead with you, Hailey. Even if it doesn't go anywhere, though, it isn't because of you I broke up with Ginny. It's because you showed me she isn't my only choice. I don't have to settle for a relationship where the fires are forever snuffed out and the coals are cold."

I shook my head. "I know she betrayed us. I can't blame her. She was heartbroken. She was angry. She thought she had to do it, to turn me over to Corbin and the witches, so that they wouldn't try to use you and the rest of the pack to do what they're planning."

Connor sighed. "That doesn't make it right."

"You're right. It doesn't. But I can understand it. I know you don't love Ginny. Surely, though, you still care about her."

"Of course. I mean, she's a part of my pack. I'm pissed at her for what she did to you, but I don't want to see her get hurt, either."

I nodded. "She left with Mercy and Sarah, thinking that Corbin and the witches still had me in their custody. I'm afraid, though, when they arrive they're going to seize her instead now that I'm gone."

"To attempt to reunite our essences. To make the witch they hope to control."

"They will need all of you. That means they'll still come back here. We have to stick to the plan, but we also have to be ready."

"What are you suggesting?" Mel asked.

"Are you well fed?"

Mel nodded. "Ordered a pizza earlier. A supreme with extra delivery boy."

I sighed. "Please tell me you gave him a drink, or did something to help him forget."

"Don't worry! Mercy hadn't left yet. She handled it."

I nodded. "Alright. Well, we might need your help when the moment comes. Be ready."

Mel clapped her hands. "Yay! I get to help save the world this time? Woot! Woot! Go, Mel! Go, Mel!"

I tilted my head and watched Mel do a little dance by herself. "I'm not sure what Mercy's plan is exactly. Somehow, though, they are hoping to force the witches to move back to the city."

Connor sighed. "Hopefully, Ginny doesn't screw them over."

I nodded. "I know why Mercy brought her along. She probably didn't want to let Ginny out of her sight. Ginny can use blood magic, though. She knows if she releases too much she can expel the blood from anyone's body nearby. If she suspects Mercy and Sarah are on to her, she could turn both of them feral in a second."

Mel shrugged. "Not going to happen!"

"How can you be certain of that?"

"Mercy planned to turn Ginny into a vampire before they arrive."

"She what?" Connor's jaw almost hit the pavement between his feet.

I narrowed my eyes. "She's going to use her sire bond to make her do something. It will also prevent Ginny from hurting them, provided Mercy forbids her from doing so."

"Can we even become vampires?" Connor asked.

I shrugged. "I don't see why not. We know that vampirism has successfully blended with werewolves in the past. There's a mermaid that Mercy turned once. It should work. The only problem, though, is that doing so will make Ginny even more powerful. She'll be compelled to honor Mercy's bond as her sire, but if she weasels out of it, to do something unexpected, she could wreak a lot of havoc."

Mel shrugged. "I'm sure Mercy and Sarah thought about that. They're bad ass vampers!"

I grinned. "They certainly are. Some day, you too can be a badass bloodsucker as well."

"Thanks, Hailey! That's what I want to be when I grow up, seeing as how I can’t be a penguin."

"Keep following Mercy's lead, and you'll get there."

Connor sighed. "I can't believe she's going to be a vampire wolf shifter... can you imagine, what if she tries to feed as a wolf?"

Mel shuddered. "Terrifying. I love it!"

I nodded. "Sarah has a phone, doesn't she?"

Mel bit her lip. "Yeah, but she left it by the game console."

I closed my eyes for a half-second and took a deep breath. "Alright, well, at least she can see through our eyes and hear through our ears. If she's listening in on our conversation, and she probably is, she'll know what we're attempting to do. They'll have to work their plan around ours."

Connor scratched the back of his head. "And what is that plan, exactly?"

"My time in captivity was... educational. I learned a few things that might come in handy."

"Such as?" Connor asked.

"Are your car keys still in your pocket?"

Connor nodded. "Of course. Why?"

I raised my hand and thought about the keys to Connor's Escalade. They ripped right through Connor's pocket and flew into my hand.

"What the hell?" Connor touched the new hole in the front of his pants. "How did you do that?"

"Sorry about the jeans. They're nice."

Connor smirked. "I'm not worried about my pants. When did you learn that spell?"

I shrugged. "It's not a spell. Not exactly. Corbin and I fed together."

Connor rolled his eyes. "The way you fed with him before?"

I nodded. "I happened to gain a soul that came with a handy little ability. I think it's called telekinesis."

Mel's eyes widened. "You can move shit with your mind?"

I nodded. "I can call forth almost anything and draw it to me. I managed to dispel the sage wards that the witches were using to silence my abilities back at their house. I'm not sure the extent or limits of my abilities just yet. But I know if I want something, and think about it hard enough, it will come to me. It's also pretty strong. It will break through almost anything to get to me provided what I'm thinking about is stronger than what it has to pass through. I think that's why the sage wards just tore apart back at the house. They couldn't get through the walls. My wand, however, made it through the plaster of that house without much problem."

"And my keys through the fabric of my jeans."

"Exactly. What if we place some metal stakes, swords, daggers, whatever, all around where the house is probably going to appear? When we bust in there to save the wolves, I might be able to call on those objects. If one of the witches, or Corbin, or even Connor's dad, is in the way, whatever I call will pass right through them."

Connor sighed. "My dad was there after all, huh?"

I nodded. "He is. He believes working with Corbin is what's best for you. That's how Corbin is manipulating him in conjunction with his influence over your dad as his sire."

"So if you do that, you could stake my dad?"

I nodded. "It would only drop him temporarily. Unless my hand is on a vampire's chest when I do that, the stake or the blade or whatever would pass right through. It would only immobilize a vampire for a minute, maybe less. If I did it to Corbin, probably only for a few seconds. Older vampires heal more quickly than younglings."

"What about us?" Mel asked.

"Keep me armed. We'll need to raid Mercy's weapons’ stash. If I use something, try to replace it. I'll need to make sure I have plenty of weapons available from several angles. It's also important I know what I'm reaching for, so we'll need to make sure that everything is set out in a particular order that I can memorize and you can duplicate."

"That could be a lot of memory work on short notice," Mel chuckled.

I grinned. "I've always been an excellent student. I won't say I have a photographic mind, but it's pretty damn close. If we tag all the items with numbers, that should help. I can try to focus on the numbers attached to each item when I call them."

"What do I do, then?" Connor asked.

"They are going to be focused on trying to capture you. They'll want all six wolves. They can't complete the spell unless they can siphon all your abilities. Hopefully, Sarah is listening right now. We need them to capture Ginny, too. The sage wards the coven used gave me an idea, though. I think I can protect you so that they can't cast any spells on you."

Connor raised an eyebrow. "You think?"

I shrugged. "We can test it first to make sure. I believe I can use a common sage ward—and I have plenty in my room to make one—then I can infuse the properties of the ward in your blood. You won't be able to cast any magic yourself, so I'll have to take care of the portal sigil to bring Mercy and Sarah here, but it will also protect you from the spell."

"Could they undo the spell?" Connor asked.

I shook my head. "Only a blood witch could pull it off. Ginny might be able to, but she wouldn't. Her motive in all of this has always been her love for you."

Connor sighed. "Right."

"The only thing I'm worried about is Selene. If she really can use proxy magic, if she can wield Ginny's power, she might be able to undo the wards. It will take them a while to figure out what happened, though. By then, I'm hoping we'll have the witches handled."

"What about Corbin?" Mel asked.

"He's a wildcard. We don't know what he'll do. Still, if we can neutralize the witches, the wolves won't be of any use to him. Whatever he tries, he thinks he's in love with me. That's his weakness. I can use that against him."

Connor snorted. "How are you going to do that? Seduce him in the middle of a battle? Screw him while bodies are falling all around us?"

I rolled my eyes. "No, I'm not going to do that. I just know he won't let anyone harm me. If he thinks I'm in danger, he'll forget about anything else to save me. That's something we might use, somehow."

Connor shook his head. "If anything happens to you, Hailey, this plan won't work. You're the only one with telekinesis. If you can't do that, how will we stop them?"

"I'm not planning on getting staked myself. If that does happen, try to save me. By that time, Mercy and Sarah should be there to help."

Mel nodded. "Alright. I'll start getting all the weapons I can find in the house. We'll have to take Connor's car."

I held up Connor's keys, pressed a button, and the trunk on the back of his Escalade opened. I tossed Connor back his keys. "Load us up!"

"I suppose we need to get this ward set up, then. Will it hurt?"

I shook my head. "You won't feel a thing. Presuming, of course, you aren't allergic to sage."

Connor chuckled. "I don't think that will be an issue."

Chapter 17

Wooden stakes wouldn't do. They might not be strong enough to blast through the walls of the house. Still, Mercy had accumulated plenty of other weapons through the years that we could use. She had daggers aplenty. She had a couple crossbows and several boxes of metal bolts. The bolts would be handy if McPherson was there or, perhaps, any other vampires I wasn't aware of. They'd hurt the witches, too, but if any sort of hand-to-hand combat was required the daggers would do a better job. Mel was busy tagging them with numbers. It wasn't fancy. She was using duct tape and a permanent marker. Who would have thought? Of the many uses of duct tape, fighting witches and vampires with it wasn't something I ever thought about.

I brought Connor up to my room. He looked around and chuckled. "I thought my apartment was a mess."

"This is an organized mess!"

"I think I've seen your room before.”

I raised an eyebrow. “You have?”

“Weren't you once featured in an episode of Hoarders?"

I grinned. "Hilarious. As a witch, though, hoarding comes with the territory. You never know what ingredients I might need to brew up a spell."

"What do we need to do?"

"Get on my bed and take off your clothes."

Connor raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

I smirked. "A pretty girl asks you to get on her bed and get naked, and you're going to question it?"

Connor chuckled. "No, I suppose I won't."

"For this to work, I'm going to need to cover your whole body in sage. I'm going to mix it with a carrier oil so it sticks."

"My whole body?"

I nodded. "It's the only way to ensure that they can't draw out your abilities."

"Even my..."

"Yes, even your six inches down under."

Connor cleared his throat. "Six and three quarters."

I tilted my head. "Excuse me? You've measured it?"

Connor stared at me blankly. "Any guy who says he hasn't is lying."

I smirked. "Then, yes. Unless you want to risk the witches drawing your magic out through your urethra, which I doubt would be a pleasant experience, we need to cover it, too."

I reached into my closet and grabbed a bundle of sage from a plastic storage tub. I also pulled out a blender, plugged it in, and set it on the floor."

"A blender? What's that for?"

I chuckled. "A lot of witches use a mortar and pestle. What can I say? I'm a modern witch. I'm all about efficiency."

Connor started undressing as I stuffed my sage into the blender, grabbed a bottle of oil from a cabinet on my wall, and poured it in until it reached the max-liquid line. I blended it into a thick paste.

I had to rub it into Connor's body before I cast my spell into the sage. If I did that, it might affect my ability to cast. It wouldn't silence me completely. Especially since I wasn't infusing it into my blood, but even a little residue of warded sage on my hands could hinder my magic.

I sat behind Connor and started rubbing it on his back. Then I ran my hands around his chest. I lingered around his pectoral muscles a little before spreading it down to his abs.

Whipped cream or melted chocolate would be more fun, but I can't say I wasn't enjoying this step in the process.

"This will keep me safe from their magic?" Connor asked.

I whispered in Connor's ear. "You know what they say. You should always use protection."

Connor laughed a little. "Right. Can vampires even get pregnant, or carry STDs?"

I shook my head. "Nope. But I wasn't talking about that kind of protection. Look at you, all presumptuous, trying to get into my pants."

Connor smirked at me as I continued rubbing the sage down the front of his body from behind. I nibbled a little at his ear.

Connor's shoulders rose and fell with deeper breaths as my hands went lower and spread the sage across his thighs.

I stopped just short of his six and three-quarter inches. "Should I continue, or would you like to do it?"

"Please do," Connor moaned a little as he spoke.

I slid off the bed, reached into the blender, and grabbed another handful of sage. I pushed Connor back onto the bed. I straddled him then leaned over and kissed him on the lips. He kissed me back as my hands wandered across his body, down his navel, to his thighs, and I took him in my hand.

When he said six and three quarters, he was being modest.

Chapter 18

Sage might be known for silencing spells, but there was plenty of magic between us. We were both covered in it head-to-toe before we were done. My head was still spinning. Connor was out of breath. I grabbed my wand and pressed it to Connor's body. The first step was to activate the sage. It was a basic spell. Most witches knew it. It was among the first Moll taught me which meant we'd brewed it up in a cauldron and incanted it with one of her cheesy rhymes.

"Be it power from heaven or sorcery from hell, empower this sage to quiet the spell."

Connor smirked a little, trying not to laugh as the magic flowed from my wand and enveloped every inch of his body.

"Did you finish?"

I tilted my head. "Three times. But if you're asking about the spell, no. That's just part one."

Connor grinned ear-to-ear. "Alright. I guess the next part involves my blood, right?"

I nodded. "Again, like I said, you won't feel much. Maybe a little warmth."

I didn't have an incantation for this one. It was more about feeling and sensation. I had to guide the magic in the sage into his blood and bind it. My wand glowed red this time. I connected my magic to Connor's blood. When I did, the sage absorbed into his body. Apart from a little oil that highlighted his musculature delectably, he was clean.

"Now, I'm finished."

"Cool! You were right. That wasn't painful at all."

I smirked. "Next time, if you'd like, I can make it hurt. Just a little."

Connor chuckled. "I'm not opposed to that."

I heard a loud knock on the door. "Are you two done in there? I swear, I thought the whole house was going to come down!"

I giggled. "Yes. Are you done with the weapons?"

"I will be. In like, five minutes. We need to get going!"

Connor and I quickly jumped into the shower. No funny business. We didn't have time to waste. We both soaped up as fast as we could and rinsed ourselves off. I was sure we'd missed a little, but at least we'd be presentable. I dried myself off first and tossed Connor my towel. Yeah, sharing a towel can be gross, but at this point, well, it wasn't like it mattered that much. We quickly got dressed and ran downstairs. Mel was at the front door, waiting.

"Damn. You two smell like Christmas."

I giggled. "Merry Christmas to me!"

"Ho, Ho, Ho!" Mel giggled.

"Hey, who you calling a ho?"

Mel smirked. "So long as Santa got his cookie, all is well."

I winked at Connor as he blushed. "He certainly did. I had a few nibbles, too."

"Ah, yes. The wolf needs your bite from time to time, doesn't he? I'm sure it was all very clinical."

I nodded rapidly. "Of course!"

Connor drove. I don't think he let anyone else drive his Escalade. The thing was worth more than the gross domestic product of some small countries, so I didn't blame him. We parked a couple of blocks away. If the witches planned to move the house back there, there must've been a witch nearby waiting for the order.

I made a sigil on the sidewalk that we could use to teleport Mercy and Sarah to. I stared at it long enough so that Sarah could see it and duplicate it.

Mel had to be sneaky. If there was a witch near the site of the old house, she might spot her as she placed all the weapons around the premises. I wasn't sure how far the range of my abilities worked. It wasn't like I'd had much of a chance to test it out. I tried a few harmless spells on Connor. One of them made someone feel like they were being tickled to death. It was silly, but it was a great incapacitator. The spell bounced right off of him. We were good. The ward worked.

I was hopeful I'd get another chance to use that spell on him in the future. If we were starting a relationship, and I found it hard to believe we weren't after what just happened, it was only a matter of time before we'd find ourselves in a tickle war. He was destined to lose. My spell would make sure of that.

I waited in the sigil I made. If Mercy and Sarah activated one on their end, I needed to be there to sense it.

It only took Mel about fifteen minutes to get all the weapons in place. She showed up back at the sidewalk before I sensed anything from Mercy or Sarah.

"I could only find three suitable spots. There are thirty bolts in total and they're numbered accordingly. The first group is facing the front of the house. The second the back.

There's a box of five daggers to the right of the house if you're facing it. I couldn't get around to the left. There's a young woman there. I think she might be a witch.

"A young woman?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Probably twenty."

I sighed. "I'm sure she's a newer recruit to the coven. I only knew of the three witches, but I'd only attended their meeting once and that was years ago."

"How many witches do you think we're dealing with?" Connor asked.

I shook my head. "There's no way to know. Let's hope it's not more than a few. How many did you see when they captured you?"

"I only saw three."

"Alexandra, Salene, and Eudora?"

Connor nodded. "I'm not saying there aren't more. But they are the only three who talked to me. Thank God for Eudora."

I sighed. "God rest her soul."

I wished I'd made my sigil a little bigger. I checked the time. It was four in the morning. It wasn't like we had a lot of time before sunrise. Corbin made it clear, though, that he intended to carry out his plan before that. That was before I escaped. Now, I couldn't be sure. Was he postponing his plans? Did things go awry with Mercy, Sarah, and Ginny? If it did, it probably wasn't on Ginny's account. She was a known threat. If you're ever trying to get the best of Mercy Brown, you won't stand a chance if she sees it coming. Then again, Corbin was something of an older brother. They shared a sire. One reason he disliked Mercy so much was because Nico chose her over him to lead the vampires after he died. I understood why Corbin might be pissed about it. He was over three times Mercy's age. Still, ideologically speaking, I don't think Corbin and Nico saw eye-to-eye on much of anything. Nico chose Mercy because she was loyal. He believed she gave vampires the best hope for a future in a world where it was doubtful that we'd be able to remain hidden much longer.

I glanced at my nails. They were well manicured. I had the urge to gnaw at them, which I never did. Another one of Mercy's habits that was probably rubbing off on me the wrong way. Still, I was anxious. We should have heard something. Unless, of course, they moved the house already somewhere else.

Hell, I'd just assumed New Orleans was the target all along. They could put that house in any populated area, unleash their spell by wielding even limited bloodwitchery through the wolves, and still achieve the desired result. What if they were near Baton Rouge? Imagine if they turned the entire LSU campus into vampires.

They'd still be able to spread fast. Corbin could march his army of younglings on New Orleans or anywhere else and turn thousands in a single night.

There were two reasons I hoped that wouldn't be the case. The first was that Corbin was still hoping he could use me to do the spell. That was his goal. I was supposed to sire this new world of bloodsuckers. The second was that New Orleans was the vampire capital of North America. If he took New Orleans, and the vampires there didn't have any choice but to follow him, his influence over other vampires throughout the world would spread. Especially if he took down Mercy and the council.

A tingle spread up from the ground beneath my feet.

"Finally!" I stepped back, pressed my wand to the sigil, and activated it.

Mercy and Sarah appeared within it.

"Where's Ginny?" Connor asked.

"She's in the house," Mercy said. "They grabbed her. They'll be coming for you next."

"We have that handled."

Sarah stared at me blankly. "I know. I saw everything."

I giggled. "Everything?"

"Everything."

Mercy laughed. "You should have seen her. She went into her daze and she just couldn't come out of it. You two must've put on quite the show. Next time, can I watch?"

Connor's eyes widened. "Um..."

"Of course you can!" I grinned widely. “The more the merrier!”

"What?" Connor coughed in his hand.

I winked at him. "I'm joking. I don't want an audience any more than you do."

"I didn't mean to watch. I just thought there might be something relevant we needed to know."

I grinned. "Sure, Sarah. Keep telling yourself that."

"It's the truth! I'm a proper vampire lady!"

Mel tilted her head. "Is that really a thing?"

Mercy shook her head. "Not at all. Vampire bitches, yeah. We're as common as the cold. Vampire ladies? Some might fool you, but when they get a taste of blood, they're just as ravenous as the rest of us."

I scratched my head. "So I take it you two know the complete plan. We'll go in. Connor will probably get caught. Even if he does, no biggie. They won’t be able to cast the spell because of the ward. That will give us a chance to attack while they're distracted."

Mercy nodded. "They're probably expecting us."

"And they have a few more witches and vampires than you probably realized in that place."

I shook my head. "I only saw the one room."

"I only saw three witches," Connor added.

Sarah shook her head. "I can connect to most of the vampires in there. All except for Corbin. There's at least a dozen, including Reverend McPherson. Then, I'd say eight witches, give or take. It's hard to tell because I can only see through one perspective at a time and I was busy watching you guys."

I stared at Sarah for a few seconds. "You watched us do it when you could have been getting better intel on the house?"

"Like I said! I had to know for sure what you were planning and it wouldn't have made much difference. No matter how long I watched the vampires, too many people were moving around to ever really get a good count. I might have counted the same person twice on a few occasions, too."

"I get it," I said. "It's still a lot to take in. I should be able to handle a lot of them. Worst-case scenario, I could blast the vampires and turn them feral. They'd be a nuisance in the city, but nothing compared to what chaos will ensue if Corbin and Alexandra pull off this spell."

Mercy nodded. "Telekinesis, eh?"

I flexed my right arm. "Cool, right?"

"That's certifiably badass. I'm a little jealous of you once again, Miss Bradbury."

"We have plenty of crossbow bolts sitting around. No crossbows, though."

"I saw that," Sarah said. "It should be plenty to stake everyone if your aim is true."

Connor pointed at the sky in the house's direction. "Is that what I think it is?"

We all turned and looked. A massive green tornado spun over where the coven house used to be. I nodded. "Sure is. Looks like the witches are finally leaving Oz."

Mercy chuckled. "There's no place like home."

Chapter 19

The old house reappeared exactly as it was. I've had weird neighbors in the past, but never anyone who had disappearing houses. One of the dogs in another yard barked the moment the house re-materialized. Then, a chorus of barks echoed through the neighborhood as each dog responded to the last.

It was too late to go around knocking on doors to glean the opinions the neighbors shared about the coven. I imagined it was like the way folks in the French Quarter felt about Casa do Diabo. Legends and rumors of vampires abounded. The funny thing about such legends, though, is that they usually keep people at a distance, even while most folks are ninety percent sure that the tales are false. That ten percent is enough, however, for those familiar with the place to keep their distance. It was likely the same with respect to the coven—only now that the house had disappeared and reappeared, the neighbors were likely to be entirely convinced that whatever rumors or fears they shared about the place were genuine. The witches didn't care. They intended to turn the entire neighborhood, the rest of New Orleans, and eventually much of the continent into vampires.

Or did they? Corbin bit Alexandra. He may have even turned her. Perhaps she agreed to it in the hope that it might grant her access to bloodwitchery. If she was a vampire now, she was as bound to Corbin's influence as McPherson. There was a better-than-average chance Selene was in the same boat. Eudora must've resisted. Hence, why she betrayed her own coven and ultimately gave her life to save Connor.

I didn't know much about the bond between a sire and progeny from personal experience. I was a vampire orphan. I had a sire for a whole thirty seconds, if that. Annabelle staked him before I even realized what I'd become. The sire-progeny relationship was a complete mystery to me. At least it had been. I'd learned a few things. I knew Corbin could only press his influence over McPherson by appealing to the Reverend's paternal bond with his son. That meant there was something bigger, something more primary to a vampire's loyalties and decisions than obedience to one's sire.

We were prepared for a fight. If it came to that, we'd give them every ounce of hell we could muster. First, I wanted to try something else.

"Mercy, I know your style is more Cobra Kai than Mister Miyagi."

Mercy tilted her head. "I don't understand."

I grinned. "You'd rather strike first than fight from a defensive posture."

"I get it," Sarah said. "I've watched those movies and the newer series. Mister Miyagi would say the best defense is never to fight.

I nodded. "I'd like to try talking our way out of this. Corbin needs the witches to pull this off. I can't think of any reason a witch would comply with his plan. I can't think why a minister allied with the Order of the Morning Dawn would want to see the world ravaged by vampires. I want to speak to them. What they need is hope, a belief that there's a better way."

"Any of them whom Corbin has sired cannot directly disobey his dictates."

I shrugged. "Maybe not. But there's always a third way. There must be something that Corbin didn't expect, that he didn't outright forbid."

Sarah sighed. "It is a noble sentiment, Hailey. However, there are too many vampires and witches here who surely have the order to stop us at all costs."

"They won't kill me. Corbin wouldn't permit it."

Mercy bit her lip. "And they won't stand a chance at killing me."

I nodded. "Alright. We may need to fight our way in. But I need to speak to Alexandra. She might be the key to all of this. I think she can stop it."

"What if we run into Corbin?" Connor asked.

I bit my lip. "That could pose a problem. I'm the only one he cares about."

Mercy shook her head. "That's not true. Sarah, I know fighting isn't your thing..."

"I can help Hailey get to the witch."

"You're sure you can distract Corbin long enough? He'll surely hear every word I'm saying."

"Not if he's too busy arguing with me," Mercy said. "Trust me, Corbin and I have a long history. He won't hurt me. He can't. Our sire forbade it."

"He's still influenced by that, even though Nico is dead?"

Mercy chuckled. "A vampire's sire leaves an indelible impression at the core of what we are. No matter how many souls fill the void of the soul we've lost through the years, our spirit remains constant. Corbin can't harm me today. He can't ever."

"I presume that goes both ways?" I asked.

Mercy shrugged. "Not entirely. Nico told me not to kill Corbin. However, while Nico told him never to harm me under any circumstances, he told me not to do so unless I had no other option. Besides, I have an ability I haven't used in some time. If he refuses to speak with me, I'll make him listen."

"Mercy, you don't have to do that. You don't use compulsion for a reason."

Mercy nodded. "Hopefully, I won't have to use it. Corbin knows I could. That's more than enough reason to give him pause and listen to what I have to say."

I shook my head. "He's too smart for that. We need to deceive him."

"Bring me in as your prisoner," Connor said.

"As a prisoner?" Mercy asked.

"He's right," I said. "That might work. If Corbin believes I wasn't content to do this on a small scale, that I was so eager to become his queen that I wanted to make sure we had as much power as possible, if I tell him I needed the wolves so I could combine their power with mine to expand the spell he wants me to cast, he just might buy it."

Mercy bit her lip. "That might help you get to Alexandra and the other witches."

"I agree." I took Connor's hands. "Are you sure you're willing to do this? We might have to play up the ruse a while if he's going to buy it."

Connor nodded. "I understand. I'm willing to do this."

I sighed. "Alright. In that case, let's do this. Once we cross that salt circle, we won't be able to leave. Not without a witch outside who could pull us through a sigil."

Sarah grinned. "I already thought of that. When I was watching you before. I called Annabelle. Would you believe that the Voodoo Queen was in her office even at this time of night?"

I chuckled. "I think she sleeps there half the time."

"She's on her way. She knows the plan. If she has to pull us out of there, she can."

"I suppose the magic she can draw from Isabelle in the Otherworld would do it. How will she know where to find the sigil?"

"She'll be in contact with Mel. If need be, Mel can show her where it is."

I nodded. "Alright. Let's go Mister Miyagi these bitches."

Chapter 20

We crossed the salt circle. There was no going back now. Not until Annabelle arrived. I didn't expect it would take her long. We didn't have time to waste. We only had an hour and a half before sunrise. If it took us longer than that, well, we'd be stuck in the house for at least a day.

I took Connor's hand. "I'm going to harness you with my allure. It's how vampires often lure a prospective victim to follow. It might be a little disorienting, but we need to sell this."

Connor nodded. "I'm already under your allure, Hailey."

I smiled. "Not like that. This is different."

"Do what you have to do."

I locked my eyes with Connor’s. I listened for his heartbeat. I licked my lips. There were a lot of ways to arrest a human with my allure. One way to do it was to maintain eye contact for several seconds. When Connor's eyes went glassy, I knew I had him.

I held his hand as we approached the front door. I turned the knob. It wasn't locked. I suppose they weren't worried about intruders and anyone, like us, who might have the strength to challenge them wouldn't be dissuaded by a locked door, anyway.

We stepped inside. Corbin was waiting for us.

"Welcome, my queen."

"Thanks!" Mercy piped up. "But I'm not royalty. I prefer High Chancellor."

Corbin rolled his eyes. "I wasn't talking about you, sister."

I took a step toward Corbin. "I apologize if my exit earlier took you off guard, my love. It was necessary."

"How was it necessary?" Corbin asked.

I took another step closer to the so-called vampire king and rested my hand on his face. "I'm young and impatient. If we're going to do this, why spend weeks or months corralling younglings? With all six shifters, and my power combined, we can rule the world, at least the entire continent, before sunrise."

Corbin laughed. "I never should have doubted you! But why did you bring Mercy and Sarah?"

Mercy cleared her throat. "You're proposing a new world order, Corbin. If I cannot stop you from completing your design, there are many vampires who might resist your emergence as the emperor. I can help you win them over."

Corbin narrowed his eyes. "Why would you do that? You do not share my vision."

"I share your vision," Mercy said. "I’ve always wanted to ensure the safety of all vampires once humanity learns of our existence. We simply differ on the means to carry it out. At least, we did. Hailey has been quite persuasive."

I raised myself on the tips of my toes and kissed Corbin on the cheek. "You two should discuss arrangements. We are running out of night. I must consult with the other witches to ensure the spell is done properly. I need to know what they've planned and how my magic might work with the spell they've crafted."

Corbin nodded and turned. The house was full of vampires and witches. "Let her pass. Do not harm her or any of my guests. Vampires, come with me."

"You're bringing other vampires?" Mercy asked. "This should be a private discussion."

Corbin smirked. "You're clever as a snake, sister. You're also strong. Do you think you could overpower a dozen of my younglings if you attempted to manipulate me with your ability?"

"I have no intention of compelling you, Corbin."

"So you say. Still, a true Caesar must always be prepared for those who might have the designs of a Brutus."

"Very well," Mercy said. "Let them come. I have nothing to say that they cannot hear."

Sarah and I started walking down the hall, through the kitchen.

"Wait," Corbin said. "Sarah comes with us as well."

I glanced at Sarah and nodded. She turned around and followed Mercy and Corbin upstairs. I passed through the kitchen and found Alexandra sitting at the very same table where I met with the witches the first time I went to the house when I was just fourteen. On that day, they served banana bread. A fresh loaf was on a platter on the table. Several slices were already cut.

"Hello, Hailey. It's high time you took your place at our table."

I snorted. "Where are the other wolves?"

"Someplace safe. Tell me, great-great granddaughter of Moll Dyer, are you prepared for the sacrifice our spell requires?"

I shrugged. "They won't die. They'll only lose their abilities and memories of their time as wolves. Is that right?"

"That is correct. There is no need for unnecessary bloodshed. Not in this house, at least."

I pulled out a chair and sat down. "So, where's Selene?"

"With the wolves. And as I'm sure you're aware, Eudora has left us. She saved this wolf you bring to us now, though it seems her efforts were for nought."

"She didn't just leave you," I said. "You're a vampire now, aren't you?"

"Do my eyes give it away?" Alexandra asked.

I nodded. "That, and that Corbin took your shape when he came to the church where Eudora took Connor."

Alexandra tilted her head. "I wasn't aware of that."

"Then I suppose you also weren't aware of the fact that Corbin killed Eudora."

Alexanda furrowed her brow. "He did what?"

"She's dead, Alexandra. She died trying to save Connor. I was there when she took her last breath."

"His Highness promised none of our coven would be harmed! You're certain he killed her?"

I shook my head. "I won't lie to you. She sacrificed her life, she cast her entire spirit into a spell to save Connor from Corbin."

"Why would she do such a thing?"

"Because she believed in the principles of our craft! She wasn't under Corbin's influence. Not like you are."

Alexandra shook her head. "It was necessary that I allow him to turn me if I was to harness blood magic."

"Did you know the full extent of what Corbin was planning before you accepted that bargain?"

Alexandra sighed. "I did not. Now, though, I must fulfill his command. I have no choice."

"You have a choice! Your sire's bond cannot compel you to forfeit your core beliefs. There's something stronger than his influence within you. As witches, we believe in balance. A balance that connects the elements. Moll once revered the Horned God, a deity I'm told, who stands for the preservation of nature, the life cycle."

"And also the Mother Goddess who embodies the bounty of the earth. In our coven, we revere them both."

I pressed my lips together. "As a Hedge Witch, I'm not so well acquainted with these deities as you are. Still, I know enough to recognize that a witch's duty is to these very principles. We don't take life. We certainly cannot stand idly by and allow vampires to take over the world."

"Has humanity done any better to honor nature than you think a vampire lord might?"

I shook my head. "Humanity is flawed. You're right about that. I'm telling you, though, that Corbin doesn't care a lick about balance. All he wants is power and dominion. He wants to tip all the scales in his favor. That cannot be compatible with the core beliefs of this coven, much less with what the Horned God and Mother Goddess would support. Tell me, is Corbin's influence stronger than that of the god and goddess?"

Alexandra winced. "Eudora was right. I knew as much, but our coven has always sought to understand every path of our art. When he gave us the chance to explore the power in blood, to touch it, to tap into it, I accepted. Eudora did not."

I sighed. "Moll forbade me from joining your coven. Maybe she was wrong. Perhaps if I'd joined you all, we could have prevented this."

Alexandra shook her head. "It's too late for that now. Even as we speak, I cannot disobey what Corbin has insisted I do."

"Then we'll find another way. Help me, Alexandra, and I'll help you. Perhaps I'll even join you, at least for a time. I can help rebuild your coven. There's always something you can do. Something, perhaps, he hasn't foreseen. Anything that might complicate his plans."

Alexandra nodded and reached under the table to the chair sitting next to her. She grabbed a large grimoire and set it on the table. "This is the spell we planned to cast. Corbin wanted me to teach it to you, so I suppose I still have done nothing he hasn't expected."

Alexandra opened the grimoire to a page bookmarked in the middle. She turned the book around and slid it across the table toward me. I examined the spell.

"Where did you get this?"

"The grimoire has been in my family for generations. I suspect it's even older than Moll."

"This is how you created the wolf shifters, how you intervened when I was casting the spell that raised Moll."

Alexandra nodded. "Keep reading if you can. I know it's in Latin, but I've translated most of it in pencil in the margins."

I tilted my head. "This is necromancy."

"The spell you performed by your blood when you raised Moll was necromancy. My ancestors combatted necromancers. This was a spell meant to harness their own power against them."

"It speaks of warriors, knights, who possess the spirit of the resurrected."

"The wolf shifters, yes. My family did this many times in the past, back in Europe."

"Of course. That's why the vampires in Europe enslaved the shifters. They were there because your family has been creating them to fight necromancers for centuries."

"When you came to us so many years ago, I knew right away what you intended to do. Rather than discourage you, which I knew would be of no use, we planned to intervene. We never wished to harm you, only that we might weaken the witch you restored."

I shook my head. "Moll was powerful when I knew her. If that was only a fraction of her power, I can't imagine what she might have been if you hadn't siphoned some of her essence to create the wolves."

Alexandra nodded. "And these wolves played a role in her downfall, did they not?"

"Eventually," I said. "I'm not so sure it did as you hoped. The Moll I raised wasn't true to the Horned God as she once was."

"Perhaps not. She sensed, even if only subconsciously, that she was incomplete. She chose another, darker, path in a desperate move to recover what she'd lost."

"In the end, she sacrificed herself to save everyone."

Alexandra nodded. "Corbin only told me to teach you what you need to know, to understand the spell he wants you to cast. He did not say I should withhold any of this information from you. Keep reading."

I traced my finger along Alexandra's handwriting in the margins. "It's talking about the power dormant in the shifters; about how it might be unleashed and combined with another power to defeat the abomination."

"Only now that Moll is gone, that power won't settle on her. It will spread far and wide. There is only one way to stop it."

I sighed. "A sacrifice of one to whom the power belongs. One of the shifters must give his or her life to silence the spell."

"That is why I could promise that the wolves would not be harmed. Corbin couldn’t allow any of them to die. If he did before the spell ran its course, it would fail."

Connor rested his hand on my shoulder. "I'll do it."

I turned to him. "You will not! You're warded, anyway. If they do this spell, it will be without you!"

"Then remove the ward, Hailey."

"I'm not doing that, Connor!"

"It may be the only way."

I grunted. "Only if we don't save you all before the spell is cast! Where are the wolves, Alexandra? We have to get them out of here."

Alexandra shook her head. "They are not here."

"What do you mean, they aren't here?"

"One of the wolves has been working with Corbin for some time. I’ve been working with her for years, but I didn’t foresee her alliance with the vampire. The wolves are being held in another building at the last place where we went."

"You're talking about Ginny?"

Alexandra nodded. "She's desperate to remove the wolf curse. If this young man gets a fresh start, she believes he will love her again. Ginny believes you've bewitched him, forced him to desire you, and ruined their love."

"That's not true at all!" Connor protested.

"The truth is not what matters, dear. What's important is what Ginny believes."

"So she created a sigil to teleport the wolves here later?"

"All is in place. The moment she brings them here, the spell will begin. There's nothing you can do to stop it."

I shook my head. "Sarah and Mercy know where they are. They went to that house before."

"Even if you could get there to save them, the spell would eventually complete, even if they were not brought here. Alexandra would see to it. They're not far from Lafayette. It's not New Orleans, but many innocent people would nonetheless be turned into vampires before you could hope to save them."

I shook my head. "They'd just die if someone didn't heal them."

"Selene would ensure that they were also healed. She's already channeled that power alongside Corbin's blood into the spell."

"What was the plan, then? Before I came back? You'd engage a sigil here, bring them here, and finish the spell?"

"It is Corbin’s hope that you could channel your magic into it and strengthen the spell even more. Now that you've brought the sixth wolf with you, he'll expect that he'll be prepared to join the rest."

"So even if his power isn't mingled with the others, the spell would still go off."

"Only at a reduced capacity. The power of the six together would spread far and wide. Even with five, however, it would turn much of New Orleans into a city of vampires."

I shook my head. "Even if we let the spell go off in Lafayette, it would be too many vampires to stop. All that would do is delay Corbin's plans by a few days, if that. We have to do this here and now. We have to start the spell and stop it before it infects the city."

"That means I have to die, Hailey. There's no other way."

I shook my head. "No, Connor! I can stop it. I'll add my blood to the spell. That's what Corbin wanted to begin with. Once I do, I can use my power to contain it."

"Are you sure about that? You're talking about far more power than even you should be able to harness."

"If I siphon most of it, I can be the sacrifice. I'm a vampire. Stake me. I'll take the power to hell and leave it there."

"It may consume your body," Alexandra said. "It would certainly drain you of your blood. You wouldn't be able to return. Even if you did, you'd probably be feral."

I nodded. "That's a risk we'll have to take."

"I don't accept that risk!" Connor slammed his fist on the table.

I rested my hand on Connor's back. "At least I have a chance, even if it's slim, to come back from this. If you sacrifice yourself, you'll be dead. There's no coming back from that. Not for you. It has to be me."

Chapter 21

We left the room, passed through the kitchen, and headed toward the stairs. There was a lot of shouting back and forth in the small study off the foyer. That's where Mercy and Corbin were disputing the terms of their hypothetical post vampire apocalypse arrangements. It was best to let them keep going at it. The longer Corbin was distracted the better.

We climbed the stairs. Alexandra unlocked one of the rooms. We stepped inside. It was the same room where Corbin had held me before. Only now, the sigil I'd made was augmented. Under the stupid heart that Ginny first drew on the original sigil she'd written "4ever."

Connor looked at it and shook his head. "This is definitely Ginny's work."

I took a deep breath and retrieved my wand from my pocket. "I'm ready."

Alexanda pressed her wand to the sigil on the floor. Green magic swirled around it. I didn't have much time to act. I needed a knife. I focused on one of them that Mel had placed outside and it came flying through the wall and into my hand. I caught it by the blade and my blood dripped to the floor.

When the wolves appeared in the sigil, I aimed at the wound in my hand with my wand and forced my blood into the spell.

A red magic was spinning around the wolves. They were all shifted as wolves except for Ginny. She opened her arms and welcomed the magic that pulled Moll's essence, mingled with my blood, out of her.

As I drew more blood from my hand, the wound expanded up my arm. I could feel the spell trying to escape.

"You must get in the circle with the other wolves," Alexandra told Connor. "It's the only way."

The room was spinning. I was losing blood faster than I anticipated, but I had to hold on to the spell. I had to draw it all into myself. The magic coursed from the wolves into my chest. My blood didn't return with it. Not all of it. Connor would not be harmed at all. The spell wasn't drawing from him. The ward was working.

I heard a loud bang. The next thing I knew, two arms wrapped around me and pulled me to the ground, ripping my wand out of my hand.

"No!" I screamed.

"This isn't how it was supposed to be!" Corbin yelled in my face.

"I'm sorry!" Sarah cried as I turned and saw her and Mercy at the door. "I told them you were going to kill yourself! I couldn’t let you do that!"

"The final wolf!" Corbin shouted. "The spell isn't pulling from him!"

"He's warded!" Ginny shouted even as the magic continued pouring out of her chest.

Selene was there among the wolves. Corbin didn't even need to command it. She waved her wand over Connor. She was a proxy witch. I was the only witch who could dispel the ward, but she could harness what magic I still had. She dispelled the sage ward I’d infused in his blood.

"Damn you all!" I screamed. I tried to stand up, but I'd lost a lot of blood. I wobbled on my feet as I turned to Mercy. "You can stop this!"

Mercy nodded. "Corbin. Stop the spell!"

Corbin laughed. "You cannot compel me to do something that's impossible. There is no way I could possibly stop the spell!"

I held onto Mercy for balance. McPherson pushed his way past us and ran into the room. "It's okay, son. This will all be over soon!"

Connor rolled over and looked at his dad. "You're right. It will be."

Connor grabbed my knife from the floor. He pressed it to his neck. McPherson dove into the circle and wrestled the knife from him. It fell to the floor.

"Dad! I have to die! It's the only way to stop this!"

Corbin laughed. "Behold! Our blood witch!"

A red translucent form was taking shape in the middle of the room. The combined essence of all six wolves was creating the super witch, one powerful enough to take the spell and spread it across the continent, if not further.

Corbin was between me and the wall where I'd called the first knife. I called a second one. It wouldn't stop the spell, but it was all I could do. I hoped it would hit his chest. If we couldn't stop the witch from emerging, maybe I could plunge a knife into Corbin's heart and he wouldn't be able to control them. My blood was still in the spell. I could make myself their sire. It would be a lot of younglings to babysit, but it was better than the alternative.

Corbin was fast. He caught the knife in mid-air before it hit his chest.

He looked at me and narrowed his eyes. "You gained a new ability after all, my love."

Corbin dropped the knife on the floor. Connor kicked his dad off of him and reached for it.

"No!" Ginny screamed. "Don't do it, Connor! I love you!"

Ginny had the first knife in her hand. I looked at the witch forming above us. She looked like Moll, but younger. A little bit like me. She was a part of both of us. Ginny took the knife and cut a wound in her own chest. She took her lime-tree wand and used the fire spell I taught her before, burning out her own heart.

The witch disappeared. The magic faded. I fell to my knees.

"No!" Corbin shouted. "You ruined it!"

"Ginny!" Connor cried. He rolled over and held Ginny's body as her blood flowed into the floor and her body turned to ash.

"Vampires!" Corbin commanded. "Kill all except my queen!"

Mercy cracked her knuckles. "Now the fun begins."

I focused my mind on the number one. A bolt went flying through the house and caught Corbin in the wrist. He winced. It bought me enough time to call my wand from the waistband of his pants. It shot straight through Corbin’s gut and into my hand. Corbin buckled over, clutching at the wound.

I channeled a quick healing spell. It was the best I could do to try to restore my strength. A tingle swelled over my body. It worked.

"Mercy! Sarah! Stay on the wall by the window!"

They moved over to the wall as vampires started flying into the room. I placed myself between them and started calling forth bolts. It worked. They blasted through the walls and struck the vampires right in the chest.

Corbin grabbed me, barely standing. "What are you doing?"

I called forth more bolts. Several struck Corbin in the back but they missed his heart.

He dropped again to the ground. Mercy and Sarah were fighting like hell. Mercy grabbed one of the youngling's heads and ripped it right off his shoulders.

Corbin crawled over to the nightstand next to the bed. He reached into it and grabbed a vial of blood.

He looked at me. "This was supposed to be a gift for you. Perhaps I'll find you another once you come to your senses!"

"A vial of blood?" I asked.

"Not common blood," Corbin smirked and swallowed the entire contents of the vial. "It's dragon blood!"

I snorted. "What? That's not a thing!"

Corbin smiled. "Isn't it?"

Corbin's body expanded. His skin turned a dark hue of red. Smoke poured from his nostrils. Two wings sprouted from his back as he grew larger.

"What the fuck?" Mercy shouted. "Everyone get out of here, now!"

Corbin grew so large that he was going to break right through the roof. I found the sigil on the floor. It was covered in Ginny's blood. I grabbed the same knife she'd used to slice her chest open and dug the word "4Ever" out of it.

"Everyone in the circle, now!"

Connor and the wolves were already inside. Mercy and Sarah dove on top of us. Alexandra grabbed Selene and pulled her in as Corbin's dragon body crashed through the roof of the house. I could only hope that Annabelle was out there, ready to activate the sigil outside.

Green magic swirled around us. Before we disappeared, I saw Connor's dad lying on the floor with a wound in his chest. One of the bolts I'd called, meant for Corbin, must’ve hit him. He hadn’t yet recovered.

Corbin snapped his jaws at me, trying to pull me out of the portal. Before he could get me, we reappeared in a pile of bodies on the sidewalk outside. I pushed my way through a couple of the wolves and looked back as Corbin flew around the house and engulfed it in flames.

"No!" Connor said. "My dad was in there!"

I wrapped my arms around him. "I'm so sorry."

"Look!" Annabelle shouted. "He's coming for us!"

"No time for tears," Mercy said. "We have to run!"

We took off down the street. "We have to fight him off!" I shouted. "If he doesn't get us, the sunlight will."

I aimed my wand at Corbin. "All the witches, I don't care who you are or who you thought you were serving ten minutes ago, if you want to live, blast the fucker with everything you've got!"

I cast the fiercest blood spell I had at Corbin as he flew toward us, blasting the ground with his flames. He wouldn't kill me, and I was with the other witches. If he wanted to take me, he'd have to dive right in and grab me.

My spell didn't pierce his hide. He had a resistance to it. Maybe it was his dragon blood. Whatever the case, I couldn't pull the blood from his body. Corbin roared in agony as my spell, and several others combined, hit him square in the face.

Which spell hurt him? I didn't know. Probably a combination of whatever we were throwing at him. Corbin turned and expanded his wings. He flew in the other direction as fast as he could.

"He'll be back," I said. "I don't know if sunlight affects him, but it will us. Everyone, get out of here. Go somewhere safe! We vampires need to take cover.

Connor nodded. "Get in my Escalade. I'll take you home."

Sarah, Mercy, and I piled in the back. Mel was running toward us from the direction of where the house used to be. She helped herself to the front passenger seat. I didn't have the care or energy to argue with her about who had the privilege of riding shotgun.

Annabelle was still outside trying to get the wolves and witches off the streets before Corbin doubled back. I imagined he was looking for cover just as we were. Still, we couldn't be sure. Annabelle would probably take them to Vilokan. Corbin couldn't get to them there.

Connor started driving and took us straight to Casa do Diabo. We all jumped out of Connor's car. The sun was just on the horizon. My skin sizzled a little as we ran inside. Connor followed us.

"Holy shit!" Mel piped up. "Was that a dragon? I mean, for real?"

I narrowed my eyes. "It was."

"Are we safe here?" Mel asked.

Mercy nodded. "Corbin is the dragon. He can't attack us here so long as I’m in the house. He's bound to an order given by our sire not to harm me."

Connor walked straight past us and sat on the couch. He lowered his face into his hands.

I sat beside him. "I'm sorry about your dad."

"It's not just him. It's Ginny, too. I can't believe she did that. She killed herself, so I wouldn’t have to die."

I nodded. "She really loved you."

Connor wiped his eyes. "I know she did."

Chapter 22

Connor was the only one of us who could have left Casa do Diabo if he wanted to. Instead, he sat there on the couch staring into space for half of the day. Mel and Sarah played games. They invited him to join, but he declined. I did a little cleaning. The house wasn't dirty, but every time I sat down to talk to Connor he barely acknowledged me. Mopping an already clean floor, wiping off a spotless counter, and dusting the same shelf I dusted two days ago accomplished little other than keeping me busy so I didn't have to sit there with Connor in awkward silence.

Leaving him there, and going up to my room, felt like an insensitive thing to do. Sitting there and forcing him to talk before he knew what he wanted to say, or even if he wanted to talk at all, was just as insensitive. The only thing I could do was be there. Close enough that he knew he could find me the second he needed me. Not so close that he didn't have the space to think. There's no one way to mourn. How one laments a loss is up to them, provided it's not destructive to one's self or others. There was no harm in allowing Connor to park his ass on my couch for as long as he wanted.

Connor might have been a shifter, but physiologically speaking, he was human. His soul was intact. He exhibited all the necessary and sometimes unpleasant bodily functions that any human did. He required food and water.

I was a shitty cook. I could incant spells with dozens of exotic ingredients combined in a cauldron. When it came to cooking food, anything over three ingredients usually resulted in something barely edible. I made Connor a plate of bacon and eggs. The bacon was crispier than intended, and I'd tried to make the eggs over easy. I broke the yolks, said fuck it, and scrambled them instead. It wasn't the best breakfast Connor ever had, I imagined, but it was sustenance. We didn't have any orange juice. Vampires don't have a taste for it. Orange juice after blood is sort of like orange juice after brushing your teeth. I filled a glass with ice and water. I brought the plate and glass to Connor and set it on the coffee table in front of him. I placed a fork next to his plate. I was about to turn to go when Connor grabbed my wrist.

"Thank you, Hailey. Would you sit with me?"

"Of course." I sat down next to Connor.

"I think we need to hit the pause button."

I tilted my head. "What does that mean?"

"On our relationship. Whatever this is."

I took a deep breath. "You just saw a girl who loved you, who you had a relationship with for nine years, sacrifice herself to save your life. If you need a little space for a while, I get that."

Connor nodded. "Thank you for understanding. I also lost my father. My mom lost her husband. I think I'm going to go home for a while."

I took Connor's hand in mine. "Your mom needs you. You probably need her, too."

"Before I go home, I need to go speak to Ginny's family. They deserve to know how she died and why."

I nodded. "Despite her betrayal, she did everything out of love. She died a hero."

"She didn't just save my life, Hailey. She helped save all of our lives. Maybe even the world."

Connor finished his breakfast before he left. We hugged. He didn't kiss me. Someday, I hoped he would again. Connor was right. He needed time. He needed his family.

Most days I hung out in my room, poring over my grimoires and imagining new spells. That didn't feel satisfying. Mercy had council business to attend to. She had reports to read. They came from all over the continent and could have detailed many situations vampires were facing. Most matters didn't require a vote by the council. If there were any younglings running amok, feeding recklessly, she could authorize their elimination or advise their arrest and suggest mentorship. If the younglings lacked a sire, she could appoint a proxy. Mercy only brought the rest of the council to the table if an incident arose that might expose vampires to the world, or might have a significant impact on vampires everywhere.

I was glad I didn't have her responsibility. As of late, I had enough on my plate as it was. Corbin was still out there. I imagined his dragon form functioned a lot like how the wolf shifters changed back and forth. That was just a guess. Maybe he'd changed forever. Either way, there was no telling what kind of hell he could unleash on the world.

For the time being, there was nothing I could do about it. Nothing in any of my grimoires spoke of vampires drinking dragon blood. There was very little in any of them about vampires at all, and even less about dragons.

I played a few games with Mel and Sarah. They created an avatar for me and helped my character progress all the way from level one to eight. It wasn't enough that I could join them on one of their raids, and either of them could surely kick my digital ass with a single hit, but I had to admit, it was fun.

It also helped take my mind off all that had happened with Connor. I knew he needed his space, but my heart still ached for him.

I tended to think that gaming was a waste of time. I suppose, though, that sometimes the best thing you can do with your time is waste it. Everyone needs a brief escape on occasion.

Around eight o'clock in the evening, my phone dinged. It was Annabelle. She asked me to meet her in Vilokan at nightfall.

Once the sun went down, I took off. It was a quick run from Casa do Diabo to Jackson Square. I approached the mystical doorway to Vilokan in Pere Antoine Alley. The door appeared when I pressed my hand against the wall. I made my way down the steep staircase that led to the Voodoo underworld. Annabelle was waiting for me when I got there.

"Follow me, Hailey."

I followed Annabelle through the narrow streets of Vilokan. "What of the other wolves and the witches? Are they still here?"

Annabelle nodded. "They're processing their experiences with Dr. Cain at the Vilokan Asylum. Nothing long-term, but they've been through a lot. So have you. That opportunity is available if you'd like someone to talk to."

I nodded. "I might take you up on that, eventually. For now, though, I have to track down Corbin and stop him."

Annabelle smirked. "That's why you're here."

Annabelle led me to a small amphitheater a few blocks past the Voodoo Academy. She opened the door and led me inside.

A beautiful blond woman, in some kind of black armor, stood there smiling at me.

"I suppose you've met before. However, I must formally present to you La Sirene, Loa of the sea, queen of the merkingdom of Fomoria, and the leader of the Fomorian Wyrmriders."

La Sirene rolled her eyes. "Call me Joni, hun. I was once a regular southern girl, just as you were, darlin.'"

I laughed. "Joni Campbell?"

"In the flesh!" Joni reached for my hand, her knees buckled a little as I took her hand and shook it. "Sorry 'bout that. It's been a minute since I last used my legs. I'm stumblin' around like a drunken sailor."

I chuckled. "Understandable. I suppose you're more accustomed to a tail."

Joni scratched her head. "Seein' as though I was born with legs, one would think it would come natural. Always takes a little time to get my sea legs under me. I hear you've got yourself a dragon to slay."

I bit my lip. "More than that. A seven hundred-year-old vampire who has consumed dragon blood and taken a dragon's form."

Joni smirked. "Sounds like a nasty bugger."

I chuckled. "You don't know the half of it."

"Well, the Fomorian Wyrmriders are at your service, darlin.' And I've got just the wyrm for you to ride. If you’re ready, and you'd like to take her for a spin?"

I tilted my head. "Pardon me for saying so, but aren't the wyrms more like sea dragons?"

"Honey, that's only when we're in the ocean. When we hit the surface, my babies can fly like any other dragon."

I looked at Annabelle. A wide grin split her face. "Corbin won't expect this, will he?"

I shook my head. "He sure won't. Joni, let's give him hell."

The End of Book 2

Continued in Devils and Dragons

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Also By Theophilus Monroe

Gates of Eden Universe

The Druid Legacy

Druid’s Dance

Bard’s Tale

Ovate’s Call

Rise of the Morrigan

The Fomorian Wyrmriders

Wyrmrider Ascending

Wyrmrider Vengeance

Wyrmrider Justice

Wyrmrider Academy (Exclusive to Omnibus Edition)

The Voodoo Legacy

Voodoo Academy

Grim Tidings

Death Rites

Watery Graves

Voodoo Queen

The Legacy of a Vampire Witch

Bloody Hell

Bloody Mad

Bloody Wicked

Bloody Devils

Bloody Gods

The Legend of Nyx

Scared Shiftless

Bat Shift Crazy

No Shift, Sherlock

Shift for Brains

Shift Happens

Shift on a Shingle

The Vilokan Asylum of the Magically and Mentally Deranged

The Curse of Cain

The Mark of Cain

Cain and the Cauldron

Cain's Cobras

Crazy Cain

The Wrath of Cain

The Blood Witch Saga

Voodoo and Vampires

Witches and Wolves

Devils and Dragons

Ghouls and Grimoires

More to come!

Druidess

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Other Theophilus Monroe Series

Nanoverse

The Elven Prophecy

Chronicles of Zoey Grimm

AS T.R. MAGNUS

Kataklysm

Blightmage

Ember

About the Author

Theophilus Monroe is a fantasy author with a knack for real-life characters whose supernatural experiences speak to the pangs of ordinary life. After earning his Ph.D. in Theology, he decided that academic treatises that no one will read (beyond other academics) was a dull way to spend his life. So, he began using his background in religious studies to create new worlds and forms of magic–informed by religious myths, ancient and modern–that would intrigue readers, inspire imaginations, and speak to real-world problems in fantastical ways.

When Theophilus isn’t exploring one of his fantasy lands, he is probably playing with one of his three sons, or pumping iron in his home gym, which is currently located in a 40-foot shipping container.

He makes his online home at www.theophilusmonroe.com. He loves answering reader questions—feel free to e-mail him at theophilus@theophilusmonroe.com if the mood strikes you!

Table of Contents

- Chapter 1
- Chapter 2
- Chapter 3
- Chapter 4
- Chapter 5
- Chapter 6
- Chapter 7
- Chapter 8
- Chapter 9
- Chapter 10
- Chapter 11
- Chapter 12
- Chapter 13
- Chapter 14
- Chapter 15
- Chapter 16
- Chapter 17
- Chapter 18
- Chapter 19
- Chapter 20
- Chapter 21
- Chapter 22
- Also By Theophilus Monroe
- About the Author