Coveted - Book 3 in the Gwen Sparks Series Page 7

  I crept around the base of a large oak, bracing my hands on the rough bark as I closed my eyes and tried to detect where the spirits hid. My eyes snapped open and a smile lifted my lips. Six feet to my left, behind a tombstone that had the name MORRISON engraved on it, a ghost lingered.

  “Ready or not here I come,” I called out. I just hoped no one wandered into the cemetery this late at night. It wouldn’t look good that it appeared I was talking and playing a game by myself. I could almost hear the whispers of the townsfolk now, “There goes crazy Gwen Sparks. I hear she prowls the graveyard at night to play with ghosts.”

  I inched forward, the sensation of death getting stronger the closer I got to the tombstone. A rush of icy coldness raced across my back, and I whirled around to search out the apparition making a run for it. Float for it? They were keeping themselves hidden though so I rushed forward, reaching out a hand and tagging the ghost behind the MORRISON tombstone. The spirit appeared beneath my grasp, a woman in her late twenties with a side pony and eighties garb.

  “Got you, Maureen,” I exclaimed with a smile before turning and running after the fleeing ghost. “No changing spots,” I called out. “That’s cheating.” A phantom laugh carried on the wind and taunted my ears. I recognized that laugh—Eddie.

  I raced through the cemetery, dodging the protruding stones as I ran after Eddie. In my pursuit I ran straight through a cold spot. Cringing, I turned around and gave an apologetic smile to the spirit who had been hiding there. The naked ghost slowly pieced himself back together, the air coming together to form his body again.

  “Sorry,” I told him.

  The spirit looked down at himself like he was making sure all of his bits and pieces were there. Looking up, he smiled and said, “That’s the most action I’ve had in ten years.”

  “Awesome,” I deadpanned. Making ghosts frisky was on my do-not list. Yuk! Ignoring the amazed naked man, I turned and began walking at a brisk pace. I lost track of Eddie and now needed to sense him again. I tagged four more ghosts on my walk, their transparent bodies forming as soon as I made touched them.

  The crunch of footsteps behind me had me pausing. Looking over my shoulder, I scanned the area but no one was approaching. Swinging all the way around, my eyes tracked the darkened landscape. Gravel being shuffled under someone’s feet sounded to my left and I turned my body in that direction. I latched onto the spirits around me, connecting with their energy and ordering them to my side. Multiple translucent bodies floated forward, circling around me like phantom soldiers.

  “Someone is here,” I whispered to my team of ghosts. I didn’t like taking away their rights and controlling them, but if it meant saving my life then I would do it. Their bodies hovered stoically as they waited for my command. The buzz of my magic still ran beneath my skin, though not very strong. I concentrated on it and forced it to my hands. I would use what little I had left while I still had it. It might not faze the rogues but I could use it to throw objects at them, and I was pretty sure getting smacked upside the head with a granite tombstone would stop their attack on me. Or at least I hoped it would.

  “I see you’re finally taking precautions,” Dorian said, stepping from out behind a tree with vampire Barbie. My body sagged from its tense position and I glared at Dorian. A thought occurred to me and, I’m a tad embarrassed to say, it brought a smile to my face. Ignoring both of them, I channeled the connection to the spirits and began whispering my orders. One by one they floated away from me and toward Dorian and Lauren. The vampire couldn’t see the spirits but Dorian could. Everyone could see ghost if they chose to show themselves, but these guys were staying hidden from Lauren. Dorian’s right eyebrow arched, peeking over the rim of his sunglasses.

  Lauren was flung back, landing hard onto the ground. The ghost lingered around her, waiting for her to regain her footing. She snapped up in a blur, her blond hair whipping wildly around her head as she searched for the threat.

  “What the hell was that?” she snarled, reaching beneath her pant leg and extracting a silver dagger.

  “That,” I said, stepping closer, “was all the security I need. How are you supposed to defend me when you can’t sense all of the threats?” I crossed my arms and stared at her with a satisfied smile.

  “The rogues aren’t ghosts, Gwen,” Dorian supplied.

  “You’re right,” I told him. “They’re worse, they’re demons. Can she detect those?” The ghost swirled around her, a haunting breeze stirring up her hair. Lauren’s eyes darted in every direction, her knuckles tightening around the handle of her blade.

  “You’re being petty,” Dorian reprimanded. “Yes, they are demons, but they’re in a host body. Lauren will not have a problem fighting them.”

  He was right. But I didn’t trust the Playboy vampire. Whatever wiles she used on Dorian weren’t working on me. I eyed both of them, my gaze landing on the skittish blonde and then back to the Dorian. His defense of her soured in my stomach a little, and I tried my damnedest to ignore the unsavory feeling. Dorian and I were friends, and I had no claim on him, or him on me. Still, that didn’t stop me from smiling at the fear on the badass assassin’s face. She talked a good game, but when her threats were invisible she looked about as menacing as a baby bunny. Her big blue eyes were wide orbs as she listened to the whistling of icy cold wind surrounding her.

  “What the hell?” Eddie appeared beside Dorian, his hands crossed in front of his chest. “You guys are gossiping like a bunch of girls while I was hiding? Thanks for telling me.”

  Dorian spared him a glance before looking back at me. I ignored the indignation on his handsome face and instead brought my attention to the ever-complaining ghost.

  “You cheated,” I accused.

  “Wha—did not,” Eddie shot back.

  “You’re supposed to find a spot and stay there,” I told him.

  “I found a better spot,” he shrugged and I shook my head.

  “Who the hell are you talking to?” Lauren asked, her eyes still volleying around the shadowed landscape.

  I looked at Dorian and rolled my eyes. Hadn’t Lauren been debriefed on who she was protecting?

  “We’re in a cemetery,” I told her with a bit of sarcasm.

  “Yeah?”

  “And I’m a spirit walker.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Add it up, Barbie.”

  “So you really can speak and control ghosts?”

  I shot another you-have-to-be-kidding-me look to Dorian. “For a vampire assassin you’re a little slow.”

  You would think a bunch of supernaturals wouldn’t fear much, and you would be wrong. For some reason, spirits put them on edge. Maybe it was because a lot of supeswere over confident with their super powers. Vampires are quick, lethal and fast healers. However, they can’t fight what they can’t see or touch. If a ghost were evil enough, it could hurt them and they wouldn’t be able to protect themselves. Vampires didn’t like feeling vulnerable—hence the fear. As for the other supes, it was pretty much the same—the idea of not being able to see what was around them. Hell, I had just gotten use to the idea of seeing them.

  I didn’t wait for either one of their responses. I shoved past Dorian and headed back down the path that would lead to the exit, releasing my control of the spirits as I went. Lately I had been very agitated: a ball of angry nerves threatening to go over the edge. I had done a good job at keeping my emotions under control, but I could almost feel the damn walls tremble under the pressure of putting on a fake smile. I hated it, hated feeling so unsure of myself.

  “Gwen,” Dorian called behind me. I looked over my shoulder but I kept walking. When he caught up to me, his hand closed around my arm, yanking me to a stop. I was furious with him and that confused me. He hadn’t done anything wrong, but looking at him made my insides burn, and not in a good way.

  “If I didn’t know better I would say you’re jealous.”

  I snorted. “Don’t be ridiculous. I just don’t trust her. And you
shouldn’t let that head,” I pointed to his crotch, “think for you. Something’s up with her.”

  He stepped closer, his hand still on my arm. With his free hand he brushed my hair back and tucked a strand behind my ear. His soft fingertips caressed the sensitive skin, leaving tingles in their wake. My shoulders shook as a shiver skirted up my spine, and I hoped it appeared that I was cold rather than affected by his touch. I still wasn’t sure how much I could trust Dorian.

  “The only person that head is thinking of is a stubborn brunette with azure eyes.”

  I stared up at him, wondering if I should be offended or turned on by his statement. Dorian might have been an angel but there was nothing holy about him. He did what he wanted, took what he desired and raised his middle finger to the world—all while charming it with that damned smirk.

  “Appealing as always,” I mumbled, tugging out of his grasp. A small smile ghosted across my lips. I began walking again and was tugged backwards. Dorian’s large hands encompassed my face, his fingers slipping beneath my hair. He leaned forward and before I could put two and two together his mouth was on mine. Out of shock my body wanted to fight, until his tongue slipped through my lips and weakened my knees.

  My insides relaxed and my body slumped against Dorian’s hard frame. My veins hummed with a strange buzz as his tongue did clever circles around mine. He smelled like lavender and some sort of spicy wood, cedar maybe. It was divine. The surge of energy rushed through my body like a live wire, zapping and awakening my desire. I sighed against his mouth when he wrapped an arm around my waist and tugged me closer still. His body was solid, hard muscle against my soft frame.

  “Down!” Someone yelled and it pierced through the little world Dorian and I had created. My eyes slowly peeled open and I looked up at him, seeing my hungry gaze reflected back in his aviator sunglasses.

  Dorian’s eyebrows drew together, his mouth forming a hard line. His arm shot out, shoving me behind him so quickly I stumbled over my feet and fell backwards. A blade sailed through the air, right where I had just been standing. My breath hitched when I saw the large man Dorian was fighting. Grunts and snarls sounded up ahead. Lauren was fighting another large man, his skin so dark it blended into the night.

  Quickly standing, I reached out and latched onto the surrounding spirits without a second thought. But before I could direct them to take care of the rogues, heavy footsteps echoed through the night. Five more men were running through the graveyard, daggers drawn and fury in their obsidian eyes as they rushed toward us.

  A twig snapped just behind me, the sound more menacing than the scene before me. Hot, sour breath assaulted the back of my neck. I whipped my body around, bending down and sweeping my leg out. The rogue hadn’t been expecting it. His feet went out from underneath him and he tumbled to the hard earth. His coal eyes pinned me in my place, emanating enough hatred and fury to chill me to the bone. But I couldn’t hesitate when dealing with these bloodthirsty monsters. I took off running for a clear space, hoping that none of the rogues were chasing me. Adrenaline coursed through my veins, amplifying my fear as I reached the clearing. The attack at Broomsticks was still fresh in my mind, making it difficult to focus. A flash of my reflection at the hospital flitted through my mind, the ugly sneer of my attacker and the hopelessness I had felt. It was enough to push the fear away and snap me back to reality.

  I eased my rapid breathing, sucking in deep breaths and releasing them slowly. Off in the distance Dorian and Lauren were occupied with their own rogues. Lauren moved so quickly it was difficult for my eyes to track her. Dorian held one rogue by the throat while holding his arm out to the other. He wasn’t touching the rogue, but he stopped in his tracks all the same. His inky eyes shot wide, his lip curling over his teeth in a feral snarl. White and black mist lifted from his body, twirling and spiraling in a sluggish cyclone. The man fell to his knees, a piercing screech breaking through his trembling lips.

  Another man, no taller than 5’3”, was heading my way. Fifteen feet separated us and I was running out of time. I stretched my senses, willing the hiding ghosts to my side. Using my spirit walker powers were a lot like using my normal witchy ones. Both buzzed beneath my skin, but while my witchy magic was warm, my spirit walker magic was cold. My skin prickled and itched as the coldness filled my hot hands.

  White mists twirled around me, slow but agitated. The spirits’ foggy energy continued to surround me, picking up speed the closer the rogue got. He stopped just outside of the protective ring, his eyes squinting as he tried to make sense of the display in front of him.

  My hair whipped out around my shoulders, and my chest rose and fell heavily as I fastened onto the power surging within me. A satisfied smile bent my lips as I locked eyes with the rogue. I wasn’t defenseless this time. This rogue would not get a chance to hurt me like the other had.

  He stepped forward, his hand securely wrapped around the handle of his dagger. Stopping just outside the line of the swirling ghosts, he stabbed his knife forward and into the misty bodies. The dead sped up, whirling around me like an angry tornado. Strands of my dark hair blew across my angry eyes.

  The rogue stepped forward, and I lifted my chin the slightest bit. The spirits rushed forward and the man was flung back and thrown a good ten feet. I stomped toward him, fury racing through my veins and warming my skin.

  “Gwen,” Dorian called as he ran over to me. “Stop.”

  My eyes flicked up at him and then back down at the snarling man. The spirits pinned him to the frozen ground. His onyx eyes were like black glass. Bending down, I tried to grab onto his shirt but my hand fell through his chest cavity. I was instantly filled with a sense of despair and depression. I fell forward, clutching the earth as tears filled my eyes and fell over my heated cheeks. Thin inky vines crawled up my forearm, encircling as they ascended up my arm. My shoulders shook with my sobs and then I was yanked away.

  I lay on the ground in the fetal position, my body shivering as the overwhelming depression ebbed. A screech sounded just behind me, making me wince. Someone knelt in front of me, fingers sweeping my hair out of my face. I looked up and into a pair of blue eyes. Lauren smiled, her blond hair falling over one shoulder.

  “Come on,” she said, reaching her hands out to me. “Let’s get you up and off that cold ground.”

  I sat up, wiping away the streaks of tears on my cheeks and let Lauren pull me up.

  “What the hell was that?” My eyes shot to my arms and I released a relieved breath to see the blackness was gone. Dorian was searching the pockets of the rogue, who lay dead just a few feet away from me.

  “This one was using a meat suit,” he replied, looking up at me.

  “Do I even want to know?” I wrapped my arms around myself and looked over to the right. Multiple dead bodies lay strewn haphazardly amongst the tombstones and oak trees.

  “Demon inhabiting a freshly dead guy,”’ Dorian said as he stood up. “The soul was already gone.”

  I nodded, cringing in remembrance. While in Moon I had accidentally lifted Aura’s soul out of my cat’s body. Dorian explained that since her spirit didn’t belong in the cat’s body, I was able to connect to it and release it. Now I was left with a normal cat and lost my familiar when Aura moved on.

  “So what I was touching was a demon?” I would have to take a few scolding hot showers to erase the feeling it gave me. I didn’t even know that kind of depression existed. An involuntary shudder trembled through my shoulders.

  “I tried warning you.”

  “You could have tried saying something like ‘If you touch him, your hand will be swimming in demon gunk’.”

  “I’ll remember that next time,” Dorian responded.

  My eyes fell to my forearm again. “What were those black vine things?”

  “My guess is that the demon was trying to inhabit your body because it knew its host would be killed,” Lauren replied, staring down at the dead rogue. A few deep scratches lined her neck and cheeks but were a
lready in the healing process.

  “She’s right,” Dorian replied. “You’re lucky I got here before that happened.”

  I nodded, swiveling my head to see all of the dead rogues. “You think they’re working for Holly?”

  “I don’t know, but Flora isn’t safe anymore.” Dorian walked to my side. “Let’s head back home.” He placed his hand on the small of my back to turn me around, but I held my ground.

  “We can’t just leave dead bodies lying around.”

  “Aren’t dead bodies supposed to be in a cemetery?” Lauren said and she and Dorian shared a laugh. I glared at him and his laughter ceased but an amused grin remained.

  “Do either one of you have a cell phone?” I asked.

  Dorian slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He held it out but when I went to grab it, he tugged it away. “Where’s yours?”

  “At home,” I said. “I didn’t think I’d need it.” I tried to grab it again but he held it up and over his shoulder.

  “Have you learned your lesson?”

  “That I shouldn’t invite annoying men to move in?” I asked. “Yes, lesson learned.”

  Dorian grinned. “Admit it, if we hadn’t come to your rescue you’d be in a serious shit.”

  “Give me the phone.” I reached my hand out, palm side up. Dorian quirked an eyebrow and smiled when I frowned at him.

  “Fine,” I snapped. “You and Lauren saved my hide. Thank you, oh-powerful-ones. Now give me the damn phone.”

  Dorian chuckled, placing the cell in my hand. Shaking my head, I turned away from the smugness on his face and dialed the only person who could handle a cleanup this bizarre.

  “Who are you calling?” Lauren asked from behind me. I held up a finger in a ‘wait’ gesture. It was a little after midnight, but I knew Micah kept his cell right next to his bed in case of emergencies.

  “Hello?” His raspy voice answered after the second ring.