Publisher: Ellora’s Cave (Twilight)
ISBN: 9781419942235
Length: Novella
Heat Level: Sizzling
Release date: March 1, 2013
Bryanna is far from the perfect witch. Shunned by her coven and her boyfriend for her unruly magic, she seeks a new life for herself in a new town—Charmstone.
When Bryanna arrives in Charmstone, Zeke, a demon gone good, is burning with fire over her. Not only has she set his world ablaze, but he’s found one soul he can save. He’s determined to free her from the insecurities that have damaged her soul.
Together they experience lava-hot passion as they weave their way through a tornado of emotions. But when Bryanna’s ex returns for her, Zeke will need to take a stand and hope that their lust leads to a forever love.
Publisher’s Note: This story was previously published elsewhere under the title Whatnots & Doodads in 2011, and has been revised and expanded for Ellora’s Cave.
Excerpt:
Excerpt
Some Like It Wicked
Copyright
© STACEY KENNEDY, 2013
All
Rights Reserved, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.
A
thump, followed by a ga-jug, echoed within the Volkswagen Rabbit,
then the car rolled to a halt on the side of the gravel road.
“Oh
Blessed Be, this cannot be happening.” Bryanna turned the ignition
key and it clicked. She tried again, but she didn’t hear a spark of
the engine igniting or a purr from the muffler, she only heard
silence.
Dropping
her head against her hands resting on the steering wheel, she
shrieked in frustration and her throat tightened. But when tears
filled her eyes, she straightened up. “No, you will not cry.”
Cursing the now-dead piece of junk, she opened the car door, grabbed
her handbag from the passenger seat and kicked the car’s silver
door shut behind her.
Before
the dash-unit GPS crapped out on her, it had indicated she had
arrived in the West Feliciana Parish of Louisiana. Now she stood atop
a narrow ridge overlooking a river below with blue sky and white
clouds above.
The
beautiful sight didn’t match her wretched mood. She should enjoy
the rich, earthy scents around her, feel rejuvenated to have left the
busy city of Shreveport behind and bask in the gloriousness of the
nature around her. That was, if she was a good Earth Witch, which
sadly, she wasn’t. In fact, her magical abilities were embarrassing
at best. But those kinds of chastising thoughts weren’t important
anymore. Nothing mattered. Least of all what she could or couldn’t
do with her magic.
She
strode forward and her long black satin skirt dragged along the
ground, making her grumble. The gravel road was slightly damp and the
big clouds meant a storm had recently blown through, which only added
to the strong scents around her. Rich moss thrived on the forest
floors to her right. Birds chirped in welcome, but she didn’t know
to where.
Not
as if that mattered either. The only thing that did concern her was
never turning back and always moving forward. Her life needed to
change, which included getting her ex-boyfriend, Layton Brimley,
completely out of it.
A
man built of romantic dreams—beautiful on the outside, blue-eyed,
blond-haired and sexy as sin. But the pretty packaging was deceptive;
his soul was tainted with darkness. He was the reason she’d been on
the road for four hours now and why she’d never go back to the
Shreveport coven.
Above
her, a bird squawked and Bryanna raised her hand to protect her eyes,
watching the hawk soaring on a thermal. She sighed. If only she was
that hawk and Layton was a little mouse she could rip to pieces. It’d
be the sweetest revenge.
She
focused back on the road and increased her speed. On her third step,
her boot caught a stone, causing her to stumble forward. With a yelp,
she nosedived toward a puddle and scraped her hands against the rough
stones. The dirty water soaked her clothing, plastering her skirt to
her skin.
“Oh
for the love of magic.” She pushed herself up, wiped her injured
hands on her wet skirt and took a cautious step forward, but wobbled.
When she glanced down, she noticed the heel of her boot had broken
off.
Drat!
Things
that had been bad so far were only getting worse with each passing
hour. She’d need four sets of hands to count all the mishaps she’d
encountered along the way. Limping forward, she continued on,
determined to get to…well, she hadn’t figured that out yet.
As
the hawk above her squawked again, she also heard a car approaching
from behind and drawing closer with each limp she took. Refusing to
look back at the car in fear of embarrassing herself further, she
stared at the gravel road when a thump caught her attention. The
car’s tire had clearly hit another hole in the road, since when she
turned, a splash came barreling toward her.
If
she were a normal Earth Witch, she could conjure magic to stop the
dirty water from hitting her. Sadly, she was anything but normal.
Instead, she braced herself, shut her eyes and waited for the deluge.
Only
a second later, the frigid water hit her dead center, as expected.
When
she opened her eyes, she discovered her violet-streaked long black
hair dripping around her. Looking down at her black corset, she found
it completely soaked and dirt particles marred her flesh. “That’s
it!” she shrieked to the sky above. “I’ve had enough!”
“You
can either get in or stay wet. Your choice.”
At
the low, velvety voice, Bryanna jerked her head toward the car,
looking at back door of the black Dodge Challenger, which was open.
Get in the car with a stranger? Or stay in these soaked clothes, with
a broken heel on my boot?
The
right decision was glaringly obvious.
With
her continuing limp, Bryanna approached the car, then settled into
the backseat. “Thank you for stopping.” As she leaned against the
back of the seat, she noticed she was dripping dirty water along the
expensive black leather. “Perhaps this was a bad idea. I’m
ruining your seat.”
“It’s
only a car,” the driver stated.
Glancing
up from her soaked clothes, Bryanna examined her savior. He stared
out the front windshield, but then looked at her in the rearview
mirror, and she sucked in a harsh breath. It wasn’t his appearance
that worried her. His short dark-brown hair, the broad set of his
shoulders and even his nicely defined arms filling his pale-blue
T-shirt looked incredibly nice. But it was what lay in the depths of
his coal-black eyes that terrified her.
A
demon.
“The
name is Zeke.” He flashed a grin that, if she hadn’t been
frightened, might have been sexy. At her silence, he chuckled, put
the car in gear and then drove down the road. “Surprised to see a
demon?”
She
gulped, stunned speechless.
Demons
were underworld creatures, stealers of souls and spawns of Satan.
What kind of trouble had she landed herself in?
“Stop
the car!” she shouted, blindly grasping for the door handle that
seemed to have disappeared. She might have looked down to assist in
her much needed escape, but that meant she would have to take her
eyes off the demon, which she wouldn’t dare do. “Let me out.
Don’t eat my soul.”
Zeke
barked a shout of laughter. “I might be a demon by right, but I
have chosen a different life for myself. I won’t eat you.” His
chuckling faded. “And I’ll even send a tow to get your car later.
What’s your name?”
His
reply knocked her off her axis and made her pause. Was what he
suggested even possible? Could a demon deny his heritage? “Bryanna.”
She managed to look away from him and noticed they approached a town.
“Where are you taking me?”
“Charmstone.”
Once
he passed through the metal gates at the entrance, Bryanna spotted an
old wooden sign that hung on a wrought iron stand. Charmstone was
carved into the wood with Established in 1839 written below.
As
the car traveled down the curvy paved road, shops of all kinds
appeared. First, Duncan’s Dungeons, then Scaredy Cat Café and even
Little Shop of Potions. The town had a historical feel, with aged
stores that only built more character. It didn’t look decrepit, but
had an incredible charm. One of those places so memorable that if she
left, she’d definitely return.
After
Zeke rounded a corner, he brought the car to a stop. Dragging her
gaze from the eclectic shops and the few shifters who walked along
the street, she exited the car and stared down the street to her
right. She then looked to her left, totally mesmerized.
The
shops were all huddled together with no sense of organization. They
were nothing like she’d seen in Shreveport. It even smelled
different here, almost like gingersnap cookies. Every shop appeared
to be a little house and each had a different style that somehow made
each one special.
“What
a charming little town.” She glanced over her shoulder at Zeke and
her mouth instantly went dry.
At
some point, he had joined her and he was dark, dangerous, but
gorgeous. He towered over her, staring down at her in a way that
should have sent her running. Instead, she found herself captivated.
Her breath caught in her throat as he gave a smile that was as
devilish as his evil roots.
He
regarded her a moment, giving her a once-over before curiosity filled
his dark eyes. “If you’re a witch, why haven’t you,” he waved
his hand over her, “changed your clothing?”
At
the reminder of her magical flaws, her cheeks warmed. The spell he
suggested was, in fact, the simplest of magic. She considered lying
to save herself from the embarrassment, but why bother? A demon had
no right to judge her. “Because I’m a terrible witch.”
One
sleek eyebrow lifted. “How so?”
A
breeze filled the air, causing leaves to flutter down from the tree
above, making her slightly chilled in her wet clothes. “My powers
are on the fritz. I can command the earth element, but when I do,
something horrible happens.”
His
eyes twinkled. “Show me.”
“That’s
not a good idea.” She scanned the area and while only a couple of
warlocks stood by the café and a few werewolves across the street,
this seemed dangerous. Turning back to Zeke, she admitted, “It’s
best I don’t use my magic.”
He
closed the distance between them, studying her from head to toe. “But
you are a witch.”
To
call her a witch was akin to calling a black cat white. “Yeah,
that’s the problem. I’m only a half-witch.”
He
snorted, folding his arms over a thick chest. “There’s no such
thing as a half-witch.”
“Wanna
bet?” she countered.
The
side of his mouth curved. “Go on.” He leaned against the wrought
iron lamppost and waved her on, which flexed the muscles in his
biceps. “I’m not worried. Show me.”
She
cleared her throat, a little stuck on the sight of his flexing
muscles, before she gave herself hell for looking at a demon that
way. Focusing off him, as well as realizing he wouldn’t relent
until he saw her flaws for himself, she focused inward. “Don’t
say I didn’t warn you.”
He
winked. “Little witch, you couldn’t hurt me if you tried.”
Pointing toward himself, he tilted his head. “Demon, remember?”
There
was that.
Besides,
even if she had perfect magic, she still couldn’t injure him;
exactly why witches feared demons. Although this demon wasn’t
typical, was he? With that thought on her mind, and not wanting to
prolong the moment, she shut her eyes. Years had passed since she
called to her element and she wasn’t confident earth would respond.
Perhaps
some of her agreement had been because it almost felt like the final
act of defiance. Her magic had been wonky since birth and her ex,
Layton, had been right—her spells only caused trouble. Now she was
free of him and could conjure magic whenever she wanted. That was,
when alone and not for anyone to witness her mishaps.
Warmth
began to fill her veins, instantly reminding her of how intimately
her magic touched her, bringing forth a world of guilt. Abandoning
her element had been the hardest thing she’d ever done. But what
else was she to do?
As
a heat wave rushed over her body and settled into her chest,
happiness spread through her equally as powerful. The earth element
appeared as elated as she was to reconnect. When the breeze picked up
and turned into a stronger wind, fluttering her hair, she
concentrated on her clothes. She pictured each article of clothing in
her mind and switched that piece of clothing with something new.
With
a skirt and corset strong in her mind, the blast of heat in her veins
burned wicked hot until it vanished and the wind returned to a gentle
breeze.
Only
a second passed before Zeke burst out laughing.
She
snapped open her eyes, caught sight of him staring at the ground and
then she followed his gaze. The moment she spotted the tiny round
glass jar, she groaned. “See.”
“I
do see.” He picked up the container, pulled out the cork and
lowered his nose to the glass. “It smells like vanilla with a hint
of almonds.” After he closed the jar again, he smiled at her. “Is
it skin cream?”
“Sure
is.” She lifted her chin, forcing herself to remember he was a
demon and had no business judging her. “As I told you, my magic
never comes out right and always gives me these thingamajigs.”
“Thingamajigs?”
She
gave a firm nod. “Yup, all kinds of weird whatnots.”
“Well,
Bryanna.” He offered her the container with gentleness in his gaze
that made no sense coming from a demon. “Must be incredible skin
cream since your skin is beautiful.”
With
burning cheeks, she accepted the jar, unsure if she should thank him
or ignore him. She chose the latter, considering he was a demon,
after all. Sure, a sexy demon with a wickedly charming smile, but
nonetheless, a demon.
She
deposited the cream in the garbage bin beside the lamppost and when
the glass container clanged against the bottom of the metal garbage
bin, she finally looked at Zeke. He stared at her intently and she
became trapped in those same confusing eyes; so dangerous, yet
tender.
When
he chuckled, her attention drifted down to his curved lips, making
her wonder what it’d be like to kiss a demon. Would he be gentle?
Or would he be a devil between the sheets?
The
second she realized it hadn’t been a passing thought, but intense
curiosity, she gave her head a hard shake for even going there.
What
was wrong with her?
“There’s
a store close by that should suit you.” Zeke’s voice had
deepened, his eyes glinting dangerously. “I’ll buy you whatever
you need to replace your clothing.”
She
bit back a curse, seeing he wasn’t blind to her regard of him. Her
most private thoughts always showed on her face. She had to work on
not being such an open book. “I don’t need your money. That’s
one thing I do have.”
In
fact, money was the only thing she had, not that she’d tell a demon
that. What she didn’t have—what she longed for—was everything
that truly mattered: love, acceptance and perfect magic.
She
had lived without the important stuff for twenty-five years and she
couldn’t do it any longer. Those desires made her leave everything
she knew behind in Shreveport in search of a new life.
And
now here she was, in Charmstone with a demon.
About the Author:
Stacey Kennedy writes romance that sometimes gets very naughty. She’s an urban fantasy lover at heart, but she also enjoys losing herself in dark and sensual worlds. She lives in Southwestern Ontario with her husband who gave her a happily ever after. Together, they have two small children who can always make her smile, and who will never be allowed to read mommy’s books. If she’s not plugging away at a new story, you’ll find her camping, curling up with the latest flick, or obsessing over Sons of Anarchy and Games of Thrones.Author Links:
Website|Blog|Facebook|FB Fan Page|Twitter|Goodreads|Amazon Author Page
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