The Witch's Desire
Demons, darkness and desireâ¦
The only time Demi Chattox, a witch, gets to see her lover, special agent Cal Black, is when they're chasing down demons. When they're tasked with escorting a VIPâa Very Important Paranormalâto a summit meeting in New York, it seems like the perfect assignment. A few days away from the jobâ¦in a Manhattan hotelâ¦just the two of themâ¦
But there's a storm ravaging New York, and a vampire who doesn't want this particular VIP to make it to the summit. As Demi and Cal race to complete their assignment, they're driven by their sense of dutyâand by their desperate need to find some time alone.
The Witch's Desire
Elle James
This book is dedicated to the brave firemen, police and rescue workers who put their lives on the line to save others. Thank you!
Dear Reader,
If you've never been to New York City, you're missing out. It's called the city that never sleeps for a reason. I've stayed in hotels near Times Square where the lights always shine, the taxi horns honk throughout the night and you can count on hearing a siren every hour. The police, firemen and rescue workers who protect the citizens of the city have the toughest jobs. Whether it's climbing towers, pushing through the crowded streets or rescuing people from fates worse than death, they're the heroes you can count on, working in impossible situations.
Imagine if the people they were protecting were a mix of humans and paranormal creatures. How much more hazardous would their jobs be? I hope you enjoy this story about the paranormal investigation team that keeps the city streets safe for all inhabitants.
Happy reading!
Elle James
Table of Contents
Chapter One
“Fire on the rooftop, two o'clock!” Demi Chattox called into the radio headset.
“Got it,” her sister Gina answered. A puff of a rain cloud appeared over the roof, dousing the flame that had just sprung up. “The little bastards are heading your way.”
“Whatever you do, gang, don't let them see you,” Cal Black said, his rich tone crackling over the radio into Demi's ears, sending ripples of hunger throughout her body. How did he do that? No matter where he was, what he was doing, she wanted him. And, lately, she wasn't getting enough of him.
Work, work, work. Did he ever stop?
“We can't let them get away from us this time.” Demi spoke quietly, glancing across at her sister Selena as she held the other end of the fire-retardant netting. The tiny dragon flies had wreaked havoc on Chicago for the past two days, starting fires all over the city. The firemen were worn out and people were complaining the police force wasn't doing enough to stop the arson rampage terrorizing the city. What they didn't understand was that they were creatures, not people, starting all the fires. “Everyone in place?”
“Building up some heat as we speak,” her sister Brigid responded from her position several yards in front of them.
With the chief of the Chicago Police Special Investigations Division's permission, Demi, a special agent on the team, had called in the assistance of her sisters to help corral the pests and put an end to the fear of having another great Chicago fire like that of 1871.
As witches, the five sisters each possessed a magical power they only used in dire circumstances, like rescuing one of their own from an evil chimera or protecting innocents from the machinations of a mind-freezing Medusa. The only two witches employed on the team, Demi and her sister Brigid, worked for the police department as consultants, cleaning up renegade paranorms in order to keep the city streets safe for humans and paranorms alike.
Sometimes Demi called on her sisters when they needed the full power of all five points of their pentagram to stop evil.
“I sense someone else,” Selena whispered.
“Where?”
“Nearby.” Holding her end of the net, she closed her eyes. “In the shadows on a corner. He's pushing the dragon flies.”
“Pushing them?” Demi asked. “You mean they're not working on their own?”
Selena opened her eyes and smiled. “They aren't smart enough to target anything. I think it's a demon manipulating them.”
“Why?”
“I sense anger over something that happened in his past.”
“Cal and I noticed a pattern. All the residences he's targeted belonged to executives of Chicago Bank and Trust. And the bank suffered a fire in their mailroom last week.”
“Dissatisfied customer?” Selena offered.
Demi tapped the talk button on her headset. “Cal, check out the street corners as Gina and Aurai work the dragon flies our way.”
“What am I looking for?” he responded.
“A demon.”
“Just one?”
Demi smiled. Cal was one confident, cocky human, unafraid of the paranormal creatures who could kick his ass in a heartbeat.
“Yes,” Selena answered.
“Any idea what one looks like?” Cal asked.
“Like a regular person,” Brigid said, her tone flat. “Unless, of course, he's a shifter.”
“Thanks.” Cal's voice dripped with sarcasm. “That narrows it down.”
“I see the dragon flies,” Brigid called out excitedly.
“Passing the open fire hydrant now,” Gina said. “Wall of water is up!” Gina's talent as a witch included manipulating water. She could create a rain cloud on a sunny day and a tidal wave using the gushing water from an open hydrant. She made a wave tall enough to discourage the dragon flies from retreating in the opposite direction and make them a little nervous. The threat of a deluge of water would help her herd them toward the alley where Demi and Selena waited with the nets to capture them.
“They're moving fast,” Aurai huffed as if she was running.
“Give them a nudge with the wind,” Demi said.
“Nudging.” Aurai was supposed to stay within sight of the dragon flies. Her skills with wind would help direct the tiny creatures.
A strong breeze pushed through the walls of the alley where Demi and Selena waited, net ready.
“They're turning into the alley!” Aurai exclaimed.
“Raising the water wall to discourage a retreat,” Gina said. “I'm right on their tails. You should see the wallâ¦now.”
“Now, Brigid!” Demi called out as soon as she saw the wall of water.
“Fire in the hole.” Fire erupted in front of Demi, blocking her view of the flying dragons and the dragons' views of her and Selena waiting to capture them.
“They're going for the fire,” Aurai said.
“Get ready,” Brigid said into the headset. “They're through!”
Demi and Selena pulled the ropes and the net fell over the dragons, trapping them, dropping them to the ground.
They fought and blasted out bursts of flames, but the net held.
“Want me to douse them?” Gina asked, the wall of water hovering.
Selena held up a hand. “No. They aren't malevolent. Just malleable.”
“You mean they're friendly?” Brigid stepped closer and one of the dragons shot a stream of flame at her. She caught it in her palm and laughed. “Feisty little bugger, aren't you?”
“What do we do with them now?” Aurai asked.
“You guys figure it out.” Demi tapped her headset mic. “Black, how's it going with the demon?”
Cal didn't respond.
“We shouldn't have sent him off to handle a demon on his own.”
“He's a big boy.” Brigid leaned closer to the tiny dragons. “He can handle it.”
“I'm going to check on him.” Demi took off at a jog.
“I'm with you.” Aurai fell in step beside her. “I saw him a block away when we passed with the dragon flies.”
“We'd better hurry. I'm not familiar with demon powers.”
“I understand they're as varied as witches' powers.”
“Great. No telling what he's up against.”
As a human, he had only a gun and his sharp mind to work with. Sometimes that wasn't enough.
Demi heard the ruckus before she saw the demon and Cal duking it out in an alley a block away. Or rather, the demon was kicking Cal's butt, and Cal was doing his best to survive.
“Can you whip up a distraction?” Demi asked.
Aurai raised her hands and debris rose from the pavement. Slats from old pallets, rocks, nails, garbage whirled in a funnel, barreling toward the demon who held Cal up by the throat and then flung him against a wall.
Cal hit with a thud and slid down, shaking his head. “Nice move, but I can do better,” he muttered, dragging himself to his feet.
The demon laughed. “Give up, human. You're no match for me.”
“Hey, dirtbag!” Demi yelled before the demon could lift Cal off his feet and throw him again.
The demon spun to face the two women.
Demi stood with her hands fisted on her hips. “What he lacks in superhuman strength, he makes up for in intelligence and backup.” She channeled her inner connection with the earth and shook the ground the demon stood on; at the same time she sensed a stray vine poking out of the pavement and gave it a burst of energy.
“Well, well. What have we here?” He sniffed the air. “I smell witches.”
“Damn right you do.” Aurai flung her funnel cloud in the demon's face, the garbage, boards and nails pummeling the bastard until he raised his hands and everything fell to the ground.
“Enough!” he yelled, the sound reverberating off the walls of the surrounding buildings. He raised his hands like a master magician. “I'll have my revenge and serve up two witches with it.”
“I don't think so. Not today.” Demi stepped in front of Aurai to protect her from whatever the demon had in mind. She flexed her inner witch and the vine extended, wrapping quickly and silently around the demon's leg. When it was firmly in place, Demi yanked it with a thought.
The demon's raised arms flailed in the air as he crashed to the earth.
“I'll get you for that.” He waved his hand and Demi flew through the air, landing on her backside, the wind knocked from her lungs.
“Like hell you will.” Before the demon could wave again, Cal swung one of the boards Aurai had stirred up in her whirlwind, hitting the demon's hand.
The demon screamed and rolled to his side, kicking out at Cal.
Cal leaped over the downed paranorm and swung again, catching him on the chin. His head whipped backward and slammed into a wall. The demon lay still.
Standing over the demon like a conquering hero, Cal said, “Don't mess with my girl.”
“And my sisters.” Aurai stepped over to the demon and nudged him with her toe. He moaned but didn't wake. “You might be a demon, but you aren't invincible.”
Demi staggered to her feet.
“You okay?” Cal asked.
“I'd be a whole lot better if I had a day off.” She rolled her shoulders and rubbed her tailbone. “Think Chief Warner would give us some vacation time?”
Cal knelt beside the demon, pulled his arms behind his back and slapped a zip tie around his wrists. “I don't know. There's been such a rise in paranormal crimes in the past few weeks, I don't think he can spare a single agent right now.”
“I'd like to get some rest, get a haircut and maybe a manicure.” She winked at Cal. “And other things.”
“There's nothing I'd like better than doing those other things with you. But duty calls.”
“Damn duty and damn the department.” Demi's restraint snapped. She and Cal had been so tired from working overtime and weekends for the past two months she couldn't remember the last time they'd made love.
“I think someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed.” Brigid joined them, carrying the net full of miniature dragons.
“How can a person wake up if she's not even getting any sleep?” Demi flung her hand in the air. “Or anything else.”
As he called in their location for a pickup van, Cal glared at Demi. When he finished, he stepped close to her and said in a low tone, “It takes two to make it happen. I can't make love to a sleeping woman. And I don't appreciate airing our dirty laundry in front of your sisters.”
Demi knew he was right, but she was tense and tired, so she wasn't giving an inch. “I don't keep secrets from my sisters.”
“Maybe there are some you should,” Gina muttered, jerking her head toward Aurai, the youngest Chattox sister.
Aurai rolled her eyes. “I'm twenty-one, not fifteen. Sex isn't new to me.”
Brigid frowned. “Oh yeah, who is he? I want to meet this man who's taken my baby sister's virginity.”
Aurai laughed. “See? I keep secrets from the rest of you.” She gave Brigid a pointed look. “And, no, I'm not telling.”
Brigid rolled a fireball in her hands, her eyes narrowed. “I have ways of finding out.”