Coveted - Book 3 in the Gwen Sparks Series (9 page)

BOOK: Coveted - Book 3 in the Gwen Sparks Series
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Death has a distinct feel and smell to it. It is the coldest cold I’ve ever felt. It penetrates to the bone, and then come the emotions. The spirits’ feelings smack me in the face and make it hard breathe sometimes, especially if they are trying to get my attention. And the smell? It would be disgusting to most, but it doesn’t faze me. It is the stench of rotting fruit, sweet yet sour too.

A tug of cold emotion came from in front of me. I slowly opened my eyes to find at least ten transparent bodies lingering with watchful eyes. The first time I came to the Flora cemetery, the spirits had been shy, scared almost. They knew what I was and that I could send them to the realm of the dead if I saw fit. After coming back a few times, the ghosts were starting to trust me.

“Where’s your sidekick?” Eddie asked appearing right in front of my face. I jumped back in surprise, holding my heart as it jittered rapidly from the shock.

“Son of a...” I took a moment to catch my breath. “You scared the living hell outta me.” I took another ragged breath. “Dorian is at the apartment.”

“Does he know you’re out here by yourself?” Eddie chided.

“I’m a grown ass woman, Eddie. I don’t need permission to go somewhere.” I walked around him and up the path. “I wanted to thank you,” I told him when he floated to catch up to me. “For alerting Dorian about my attack.”

“Just doing my job.” Eddie’s pale shoulders rose and fell in a shrug.

 I glanced over at him. “Well thank you for doing your job.”

“I also kinda like you and don’t want anything bad to happen,” Eddie admitted and I smiled. The ghost was in his early forties with shaggy brown hair and matching muddy eyes. He died in the seventies and was forever doomed to wear bell-bottom jeans and a blue t-shirt that read Volvo across the front.

“So have you seen any other rogues around?” It suddenly dawned on me that one could be watching me right now. But this time I didn’t feel helpless like I did at my shop. My magic may be waning but I was surrounded by a horde of spirits and could use them to defend myself if I had to.

“No,” Eddie replied. “But I’m sure they’ll be more. Rogues don’t back down easily. The Veil will find out the rogue they sent failed and they’ll send more to kill you. When they’re hired for a job they don’t stop until they accomplish it.”

I walked over to a small, concrete bench and sat while the curious ghosts floated toward me. I smiled as they cautiously came closer, their eyes inquisitive. Seeing them in the period of clothing they had died in was like time traveling. What better way to learn about history than from someone who had lived it? I had no clue why I was so afraid to embrace my spirit walker side. It was pretty awesome. So what if I lost my physical magic? I could control and sense spirits and that was ten times cooler than conjuring stuff.

“Who wants to play hide-n-seek?”

“You cheat at hide-n-seek,” Eddie complained and the other ghosts nodded their translucent heads.

“How do I cheat?” I stood up and placed a hand on my hip.

“You command us to show ourselves,” another spirit answered. He was completely naked which led me to believe he either died when he was a werewolf or been caught with someone’s wife in a compromising position.
Poor guy
.

“Okay, okay,” I said holding up my hands in surrender. “I promise not to order you to show yourselves.” I smiled. “Ready, set, hide.” And just like that the ten ghosts standing before me vanished with the steady breeze blowing through the cemetery.

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.

BOOK: Coveted - Book 3 in the Gwen Sparks Series
9.65Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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