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  I was a marked woman.

  And I wanted to know more. Why did they want me dead? Maurice said they wanted my magic. Was this true? Or did they consider me dangerous? I just wanted more answers. I hated being in the dark. I knew I could never go back to the witches. That part of my life was over. My coven had betrayed me in the worst possible way and my heart ached.

  Betrayal’s a bitch.

  I hadn’t just lost my coven, but I also lost the love of my life. I lost everything I knew that was familiar. My old world had slipped through my fingers. And I wasn’t even sure how it happened. My mind spun. I was a wreck. My hands shook. I had nobody to talk to and nobody to confide in. I couldn’t call my friends. They’d trace the call and find me pretty fast. I knew that much.

  I felt so lost, so abandoned, so alone.

  And I had these new powers the witches had activated. How did they work? I couldn’t believe I had them. I pondered long and hard about these powers. I thought about the electricity that flew from my fingers. Everything played back in my mind.

  I had powers.

  What a thought to comprehend.

  I tried to get my magic to work.

  Nothing.

  I thought about my mother. I wished she was here to guide me. Not having her all these years hurt so much. I thought about her often, even if I didn’t remember her. She died during childbirth. And I missed her every single day. She was always in my heart and mind. And it didn’t matter how old I was, I missed her just the same. I suddenly remembered I left her picture behind on my dresser.

  Damn.

  They’d probably burn it. It was all I had left of her. My aunt told me all about her and I’d hang onto those precious memories.

  I love you, Mom. I miss you.

  My eyes felt heavy. It was time to go to bed. I’d deal with all this later.

  The moment my head hit the mattress, I was out like a light.

  When I woke up hours later, the sun was just beginning to set. The last escaping strands of light reflected burnt orange off the steel walls of the skyscrapers and filled me with a sense of mounting dread.

  It was night. Again. Who knew what would happen this time?

  Think positive, Blair, I reminded myself. Think like a survivor.

  I rolled my eyes and climbed out of bed. If I made it through all this, I was never talking to my subconscious again.

  * * *

  Chapter 8

  Wally wasn’t at the front desk as I made my way out of the lobby, but I was hardly surprised. I imagined him locked in his own room, snoring loudly or jacking off to sticky comic books. With a stifled shudder, I headed out into the frigid air.

  Whoa—first things first—I needed to buy a jacket.

  I hurried and shivered my way up the street, into the slightly-questionable-but-still-nicer part of town, and ducked into the first clothing shop I saw. It was a welcome change of pace.

  A well-working heater blasted away in the corner, rows upon rows of pristinely hung garments were framed nicely by trimmed ferns, and a capable-looking woman in a power suit flashed me a smile as she made her way over.

  “Good evening,” she greeted me.

  “Hi.” I tucked my hair nervously behind my ear and hoped I’d gotten all of the blood off.

  She smiled warmly. “I don’t want to rush you, my dear, but we’re about fifteen minutes away from closing. Is there anything specific I can help you find?”

  Tori’s bounty hunter cash pressed eagerly against my leg and my eyes swept the tiny store. New jacket be damned. I was getting a whole new look today. Something you’d find in one of those badass vampire movies. Something Tori would be proud of.

  ...not to mention, I still wasn’t wearing any shoes.

  “Yes.” I smoothed out my baggy shirt and tried to look more confident. “I’m going to need the works—a whole new outfit. Shoes included,” I couldn’t help but add.

  The woman’s eyes flickered down to my bare feet, but she had the decency not to say anything as she gauged my size and disappeared amongst the fabric.

  “Anything particular?” she called.

  “Oh you know,” I fiddled with some earrings on the counter, “something...cool, fitted, fashionable.” The streetlights flickered on and that same dread suddenly washed over me. “But practical,” I hastened to add. “And warm. Something I can move around in. Something that won’t draw too much attention...”

  I bit my lip and frowned. I wasn’t sure any of that really made sense.

  Nevertheless, the woman popped up out of nowhere holding a variety of samples. “How about you try some of these on and tell me what sticks?” Her eyes twinkled.

  In the end, I opted for dark jeans with a metallic tank top paired with a long, leather jacket. And combat boots. I couldn’t resist.

  I ripped off the tags and brought them to the counter, leaving my other clothes in a bedraggled pile in the corner of the changing room.

  The saleswoman gave me a once over and looked pleased as she began ringing up my things. “That’s much better,” she said, casting a look outside. “You would have caught your death of cold without a coat in this weather.”

  I nodded in agreement and played absentmindedly with the same earrings as before. The movement caught her eye and she smiled.

  “How about we throw in the amethyst?” she asked, selecting the jagged stone. “Brings out the purple in your eyes.”

  I glanced up in confusion. “My eyes are brown.”

  She flashed me a curious glance, but dropped them into the bag and bid me goodnight as I hurried off down the road. The night air was iced and chilled, but it wasn’t long before I caught sight of the flashing sign for the Wasted Rabbit. An unfortunate image of a collapsible white bunny half-slumped into a beer stein. I shook my head and yanked open one of the heavy metal doors. Where did people come up with this stuff?

  A blast of warm air hit me the second I stepped inside. Followed quickly by the familiar smell of beer, salted nuts, and a hint of vomit. I took another step and smiled.

  Tony and I used to frequent bars in Salem. I was his designated driver. But I had the time of my life watching as he talked louder and louder and got worse and worse at pool. By the end of the night, he’d be hanging on to me for balance and I’d be in tears laughing at some of the ridiculous things he’d say. That was back before we talked about moving to the city.

  ...back before he tried to kill me.

  The smile faded from my face as I pulled the door shut behind me and headed to the counter. There were just a few patrons, no one too flashy. The night was just getting started and I figured most of the clientele was bound to show up later.

  There was, however, one unavoidably handsome man sitting at the bar. He was curved forward so his elbows rested on the counter. The wine sitting in front of him was untouched, and he had his eyes trained on the television—something about a nuclear waste plant in China. He flashed me a polite half-smile as I sat down, his eyes lingering on certain parts, before turning his attention back to the screen.

  Maybe he’s Wayne, I thought hopefully. No, Blair, you only wish he was Wayne.

  My eyes swept the tiny room as I considered the obvious problem. I didn’t know who the hell this Wayne guy was. He could be the owner, he could be a regular. He could be the homeless man sitting outside on the curb for all I knew. I silently cursed Tori as I turned my eyes back to the bar. Way to gloss over the specifics, sis.

  The door opened again and a rush of cool air stood up the hairs on the back of my neck. I shivered and pulled my jacket tighter around me. What was I supposed to do now? Was it safe to just ask someone? Hey random hot-guy-at-the-bar, do you happen to know a—

  “Wayne!” a crotchety old man called from the far corner. “You’ve got a customer.”

  I whirled my head around, catching the amused gaze of the man sitting beside me.

  Well, that was convenient.

  The next moment, a little beetle of a man popped up from a room b
ehind the bar. He nodded with familiarity at the man before shifting his attention to me.

  “What can I do you for, sweetheart?” He gestured at the racks behind him. “We’ve got all the usual: whiskey, beer, vodka, a wine list limited to either white or red...”

  “Actually, I just—”

  Then all at once, he leaned forward and sniffed at my hair.

  “Oh, beg your pardon. We’ve got blood, tonic water, or if you’re one of those weird fairy kids, I think I’ve got some nectar in here somewhere...”

  I leaned back with a start. I’d never seen someone be so caviler about what I was. About what...we were? The door swung open and another group of rowdy patrons entered the bar. The man sitting beside me smiled into his glass, and all at once, I wondered what kind of bar my sister had sent me to.

  “I’m sorry, but I think you got the wrong idea.” I smiled shyly. “It’s just, well, Tori sent me.” The man blinked at me in amazement and I quickly elaborated, “Said I should talk to Wayne...?” He remained dead quiet and I got up swiftly from my stool. “I’m sorry. It seems that I got the wrong idea—”

  “No, Blair, you didn’t.”

  My mouth fell open in surprise. “How did you...? I didn’t think she’d have time to call you before—”

  The next second, his hand was on my shoulder, pulling me gently but firmly to the back room. The handsome man from the bar glanced at us curiously, but returned to his drink. His blood, I realized.

  I followed meekly behind, hovering behind Wayne’s desk as he locked the door to his office.

  “Your eyes are violet,” he said as we walked inside.

  I glanced at my reflection, gazing into a mirror hanging on the wall. “My gosh!”

  “It’s the magic inside you,” he said. “Until you get it under control, your eye colors will change from that color to your normal eye color.”

  “This is crazy!”

  “That’s magic,” he said. “You must be harvesting a lot if it can affect your eye color like that.”

  “How do I get it under control?” I asked.

  “I’m not a witch, so I don’t know. And no witch has powers like that.” He looked at me long and hard. “Not unless their hybrids. And I don’t see many hybrids these days.”

  He gave me an almost stern once-over before he pushed me gruffly aside and started rummaging around in the drawers.

  “Listen,” I began, “I didn’t mean to—”

  He held up a finger, still rummaging.

  I tried again. “I’m sorry, I didn’t want to cause any—”

  “Any trouble?” He found whatever it was he was looking for and set it face down on his desk, taking seat and gesturing for me to do the same. “But Tori sent you, huh? Those two sorta go hand in hand.”

  I blushed and folded my hands in my lap. “That’s what I’m coming to understand. Look, I don’t want to trouble you. I didn’t even know that Tori would be calling with my name—”

  “She didn’t, kid.” He gave me a hard look, before flipping over the paper he’d just retrieved from his desk. Confused, I leaned forward, only to see the last thing I ever expected.

  A picture of me staring back.

  “What the hell?” I whispered, grabbing it toward me.

  It was a ‘wanted’ poster, like in the old west. Cowboys and Indians...and vampires, apparently.

  WANTED

  BLAIR GRIFFIN

  DEAD OR ALIVE

  $50,000

  “Where the hell did you get this?” I stared at the picture stamped into the worn sepia. It was my mug shot from the hospital. The one on my name badge. I’d always thought it made me look very young.

  “Every witch, wolf, and vamp on this side of the Mississippi has this picture, love. It’s how I knew your name.”

  Fifty thousand dollars?! Who the hell would pay fifty thousand dollars just to see me dead? Oh yeah...my fucking father.

  All at once, the weight of my situation hit me like a ton of bricks. Tori was right. There was nowhere safe. No one I could trust. Hell, for fifty thousand dollars, I might kill me. How on earth was I supposed to rely upon the goodwill of strangers with such a price on my head?

  And speaking of...

  I looked at Wayne in a brand new light. He was pacing back and forth, eyes flickering between the poster and the curtained window. I remembered his grip as he had led me back here. Not painful, but strong. Too strong for a human, although I wasn’t sure exactly what he was.

  I crumpled the poster into a ball and kept my eyes trained on him as I slowly curled my fingers into fists. If it came to a fight, he wasn’t going to take me so easily.

  “Yeah, calm down, warrior princess, nobody’s fighting anybody. I just have to think.”

  Holy fuck! Did he just—?

  “And watch your mouth. This is a place of business.”

  I automatically clamped my fingers over my mouth and stared at him in shock.

  “You’re a... I can’t believe it. You’re a—”

  “A telepath, yeah that’s right, kid. That’s how I knew you weren’t lying about Tori. She doesn’t send people my way often, you see. A guy can never be too careful.” He continued pacing, glancing every few seconds at the window. “And how is it that you and our charming little bounty hunter friend are acquainted, huh? Seems an unlikely pair. With your face on that poster, seems like Tori would be the last person you’d want to meet.”

  She’s my sister, I thought before I could stop myself.

  He raised his eyebrows and stared at me in surprise. “Your sister? Really?”

  “Hey!” I put a hand on my forehead as if to block his invasions. “I never said a thing.”

  He grinned and returned to his pacing. “Yeah, yeah. So Tori’s baby sis comes to me looking for help. But wait, if you’re Tor’s sister...” His eyes travelled to the crumpled poster and rested on me with pity.

  “Yeah,” I finished for him, “my dad put out the hit.”

  “I see.”

  It was quiet for a long time. Too long to be normal, but he didn’t seem to mind. Instead, he just stared between me and the window. Like he was trying to decide something.

  After another minute, he got abruptly to his feet.

  “So what kind of package are we talking about here?”

  I blinked in surprise. “I don’t know what you mean.”

  “Is this going to be a runaway situation? Like witness protection? You need papers, money, a place to stay? What?”

  A huge smile broke out over my face. “You’re going to help me?” I felt a surge of gratitude so strong it literally flushed my face with the warmth of it.

  “Okay, kid, just don’t get all mushy on me.”

  “You don’t understand,” I struggled to collect myself, “that’s just really...decent of you. I haven’t been around a lot of decent people these last few days.”

  Wayne blushed. “Yeah, well, a friend of Tori’s right? Mi casa es su casa, and all that.”

  I contemplated hugging him, but sat back down when he read my mind and shot me a warning glance. “Sorry.” I grinned.

  He shook his head with a bit of a smile himself. “Sure don’t act like Tori’s sister.”

  “Do you know her well?” I was suddenly intrigued. Now that I had at least one person in my corner, I was eager to get every detail that I could.

  “As well as anyone can.” He shrugged as he started pilfering through the office, gathering up little sticky notes and papers with official-looking script. “I met her five years ago. Helped me out of a tricky situation with some vamps, a wizard, and a deck of rigged cards... Let’s just say, I owe her.”

  I mulled this over, buzzing with fresh energy. My sister had come through for me after all. There was a light at the end of the tunnel. My old life might have shattered apart, but what kind of life was it anyway? Loving a man who didn’t love me? Living with a group of people plotting my demise? I liked my job at the hospital, sure, but there were plenty of other hospital
s out there.

  It was time to start over. Take a leap of faith. See what else the world had to offer.

  “You know,” I grinned with new confidence, “I think I will have a drink. One glass of O-neg, if you please. To tell you the truth,” I lowered my voice conspiratorially, “I’ve never had blood outside the house before. Not that I’m some kind of shut-in—”

  “And as much as I’d like to host your little coming out party, I’d very strongly recommend that you stay right where you are until I get this paperwork sorted. You forget, I’m not the only one who got that poster. You need to stay out of sight until I figure out a safe place for you to go. And a way out of the city...”

  My face fell and I looked down at my hands. Of course he was right. Damnit Blair, keep it together. One kind man didn’t make up for a forest full of monsters.

  “Aw, honey, please, stop with all the emotions.” He tapped his finger against his temple and flashed me a pained smile. “I can hear, remember.”

  “Of course,” I muttered, “I’m sorry. I’ve never met a telepath before. It’s really incredible what you can do.”

  Kid, you don’t know the half of it.

  I half-stood in alarm as his voice echoed in my brain. “What the hell?! Did you just—”

  He flashed me a genuine smile and I found myself grinning back.

  “Incredible,” I repeated.

  “Yeah well, there’s time enough for parlor tricks later. First, let me find you some kind of apartment—”

  His words were drowned out by a sudden crash inside the bar. We both jumped up in alarm, but he put a quick finger up to his lips, warning for silence.

  * * *

  Chapter 9

  The first crash was followed by another, then another. Glasses were shattered, and by the sound of retreating footsteps, I guessed that the bar was quickly emptied of patrons. At the same time, a warm, husky scent spilled in from under the door.

  Wolves.

  I don’t know if Wayne thought it or me. But one thing was certain: this wasn’t good.