Lion's Claw: Spirit Sorceress: Book 2 Read online

  Lion’s Claw

  Spirit Sorceress Series: Book 2

  Author: D. L. Harrison

  Copyright 2016. This is a work of fiction. Names, Characters, Places and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons living or dead, is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without permission.

  Table of Contents:

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Epilogue

  Afterword:

  About the Author

  Other books by D. L. Harrison:

  Book Description

  Chapter 1

  I stretched luxuriously when I woke up and exhaled in relief when my back didn’t even twinge. I heard the rain patter against my windows, but even then I reached over and put on my sunglasses before I turned toward the curtains.

  It was definitely cloudy and rainy, but there was still enough sun out there to sting my eyes if I’d gone without. I turned to the clock and saw it was close to ten in the morning already. I felt rested, and ready for the day. Yesterday had been crazy, but at least my shift at Pulse had gone well. I grabbed my phone and scrolled through it, three messages.

  The first was just Lisa, she wanted to know if I was free for lunch today, which I was. Lisa was probably my first friend, ever. Actually, no probably about it. I’d even liked her when she’d been my jailor on that first day at the coven. She worked a day shift guarding the third floor where most of the coven’s businesses were run from, and also where Ceara seemed to always be, in that large lounge room at the end of the building.

  I worked nights, but I didn’t think that would interfere with our friendship too much, the issue working opposite hours, since I planned to only work three or four nights a week. I had two other jobs as well after all. I also think I needed less sleep now as a vampire. I’d only gotten five hours last night, and I felt great. And that was after being up for over twenty-four, and wounded on top of that.

  The second and third pages were more of a shock. I’d written up that document for Ceara with all of Mark’s accounts and passwords, and it had come out as a little over five hundred million dollars. She informed me that was usually a much more drawn out process, when an old vampire was killed it was tradition that the killer inherited the cash.

  Which honestly was a little disturbing, but it was what it was.

  Normally it took a long time to process, and the accountants that tracked it all down were given a five percent finder’s fee of sorts, an incentive for them to find and transfer as much of the assets as possible. The point was, I was now twenty-five million dollars richer, it seemed almost too easy. Ceara had even made it simple for me and had Karen link it to my coven debit visa, along with access via a website if I wanted to invest some of it.

  I snorted, right, simple, all I’d had to do was almost die to earn it, and then do what no one else could, I’d read Mark’s soul for all the information. Still, I couldn’t help but stare at the text and shake my head.

  It wouldn’t change much, outside of picking up a car, and a couple of other things, I didn’t really need much else. I also still intended to work at the clubs, help out security when it came up, and of course punish myself by working with the werewolves as it related to construction on our damaged properties, which seemed to happen with an alarming frequency. Vampires were violent at times, especially rogues.

  Specifically though, I’d be punishing myself to spend time with my soulmate, who I was pretty sure I couldn’t have. Vampires and werewolves instinctively didn’t get along, which was a huge problem even if he was my soulmate. Soulmates didn’t guarantee a relationship, we hardly knew each other really, and all relationships took work. I was insanely attracted to him, but that was superficial. Thing was, I knew that we were compatible, that’s all being soul mates really told me, so if we could get past what we both are it could work.

  Of course, as a spirit sorceress those magical instincts weren’t an issue since my elemental spirit magic shield prevented the air and earth magic from mixing, which was both what gave me hope and made me feel like a fool. Even without that, we could scent what we were, and there’d be a stigma attached by both my coven, and his pack.

  Especially since I could never give him children. He was the alpha and I knew that might be the biggest issue of all. There weren’t that many werewolves in the world, and their reproductive instincts were if anything, even stronger than a human’s.

  Except, that whole mess brought me to the third text message, which was the one that really lit a fire of excitement in my stomach, and turned it inside out at the same time. Jared had called last night to set up a dinner meeting to discuss the schedule of work for Legends, our sport’s bar which had been greatly damaged by fire, smoke damage, and water damage. A vampire, me since I foolishly volunteered, would need to be present whenever they worked on our business.

  The text message was the follow up he’d promised on the phone, it asked if I could meet him at a restaurant on the north side of the city at eight. I recognized it, it was a steak house I’d been warned to stay away from by Lisa, one that the pack frequented and saw as part of their territory. Of course, I’d been invited so I wasn’t too worried about that part.

  I replied that I’d see him there, and held my finger over the send button for a few seconds. I took a deep breath and sent the message. No doubt, I was just building things up in my head, it was a business meeting, not a date. I was sure that he’d just been busy and thought to kill two birds with one stone by sharing dinner. Not a date. I just wished the rest of me agreed with that.

  I spent the rest of the morning in my condo searching various auto websites for a car, which I knew nothing about. There were way too many options. I did know what I wanted though, a luxury car that drove like a sports car. Something that had both a lot of horsepower, and comfort. Vampires liked to go fast, even a car going eighty seemed slow compared to what we could do on foot, so a low horsepower car would be like…

  Torture.

  I also couldn’t imagine stuffing Ceara, a two-thousand-year old vampire, into the back of a tiny sport’s car, which had led me to the luxury part. Sounds simple right? Luxurious and fast. Not so much though.

  I still couldn’t decide, maybe I’d ask Eustice, Jerry, or Tom, weren’t all men car nuts?

  It was getting late, so I jumped in the shower and got ready. I wore black jean shorts and a clingy dark blue shirt with a pair of calf high boots. I slid the throwing knife boot sheaths into them, I swore I’d never go anywhere without steal again. Sometimes vampire speed, or elemental spirit power wouldn’t be enough. I wouldn’t die simply because I wanted to wear sandals.

  No matter how good I looked in those sandals.

  Which reminded me, I grabbed my katana and slipped it inside my black leather pool cue case. I’d head to Tina’s later, and see what she could do about making it so I could wear it, and what it would cost me to have it done.

  I may not have been able to interfere directly without someone asking for help, or if I was attacked, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t investigate, or
be an information gatherer. Plus, not many knew of the tenets of Inari which spirit sorcerers followed. More than that, not many even knew my kind existed at all, spirit sorcerers and sorceresses, which meant most of the vampire rogues who were violent, would usually attack me under the assumption I’d try stop them. Hopefully, word wouldn’t get out about that.

  The only ones who really knew about that were Ceara, Lisa, Melody, Eustice, and a few other of the inner guards who’d been present when it was discussed.

  I checked myself over to make sure the knives weren’t obvious, and then headed down to the second floor to meet Lisa for lunch.

  The dining area on the second floor was busy this time of day, but I felt Lisa’s spirit without even looking as I grabbed my own tray of food. She sat with Jerry, Matt, Eustice, Tammy, Daniel and Ethel. I walked over and slipped between her and Tammy.

  “Hey,” I greeted with a smile.

  I liked everyone at the table except Ethel who seemed to have it out for me. Apparently I’d upset the apple cart by having way too much influence for someone who’d only been a vampire for a week.

  Normally security didn’t mix with other groups in the coven, but Tammy who was a bartender at Pulse was dating Matt now. Eustice of course, was responsible for all the businesses and had to deal with the security teams all the time anyway. Daniel and Ethel… I wasn’t sure why they were here, probably because Eustice was.

  I seemed to be accepted by both the security team, and the vampires that worked the clubs, although out of the latter I think Tammy was the closest to being a true friend.

  Eustice grunted, “Have a nice nap?”

  I grinned at him. He actually met the werewolves this morning, Ted specifically, since he had to sand and paint at Billiards and Beer. It was Eustice’s idea, he’d known I’d been awake over twenty-four hours and needed the sleep after getting home at four in the morning, but apparently he was still holding a grudge. He hated the werewolves, and often referred to them as mutts.

  “Absolutely, I feel great.”

  He eyed the pool cue case, “Is that what I think it is?”

  I nodded. He was there of course, one of James’ lieutenants, but under compulsion to attack as I was. The one time I’d used the case to carry my sword had been when we attacked the coven my second day as a vampire. It was hard to believe that was just five days ago, it felt like much longer.

  “Yes, I want to see if Tina can do something to make it hidden.”

  Lisa grinned, “So the humans can’t see it? You’ll be a menace running around Seattle with that thing.”

  I stuck my tongue out at her, and then popped a French fry into my mouth.

  Eustice chuckled, “Don’t make fun, she really is a menace with that thing, killed three of us in a couple of seconds, and that was before she was a vampire.”

  Jerry raised an eyebrow, “Really? We should spar sometime then.”

  I nodded, practice never hurt, it was necessary actually, or I’d lose my edge.

  “So did any of Mark’s turns check out?”

  I’d suggested to Lisa yesterday Mark’s turns might be a good place to find more guards and security. We all expected the rogue count to go up, simply because Ceara, who was in essence the ruler of vampire kind right now, was here in our coven. The coven needed to beef up its forces a bit to provide more security coverage, and there were fifteen available condos left in the building.

  Lisa smiled and said lightly, “Six checked out, the rest were… eliminated as unsuitable.”

  Eliminated didn’t mean crossed off a list either, rogue vampires weren’t given many chances to straighten up. They were too dangerous as an exposure risk, and not disciplined enough. Not to mention they were usually murderers and treated humans as cattle.

  Matt interjected, “They need training badly. Hand to hand, as well as knives.”

  I smiled, “That sounds like fun, can I get in on that?”

  Tammy sighed, “You guys are crazy, I’ll stick to slinging beers.”

  I laughed, and then changed the subject.

  “So guys, any suggestions on a car? I want luxury and fast.”

  Several minutes later I was even more confused. Apparently there were a lot of luxury cars that also had over six hundred horsepower, and V eights with a bunch of liters… whatever that meant.

  Jerry had championed Mercedes-Benz, and Daniel had gone on about Bentley for quite a while.

  Eustice finally said, “If you don’t want to waste a boatload of cash, I’d suggest the Cadillac CTS-V, it has six hundred forty horsepower, all the luxuries, is a four door that seats five, and comes in at eighty grand or so.”

  Matt snorted and waved a dismissive hand, “No way. Audi S8, or S7, all the way. Cadillac is…”

  I cleared my throat loudly, and then smiled when everyone looked at me, “Thanks for all the great suggestions guys. I’ll choose out of those later.”

  I added car discussions to the same taboo list that religious and political discussions held in my head, but only when it came to guys. They could’ve argued about it for hours no doubt. I just wanted something comfortable and fast to get around in, I wasn’t going to marry the damned thing.

  Tammy laughed and said teasingly, “They’re all going to pout now you know, they have all that automotive wisdom stuck inside their heads that they’re dying to share.”

  Lisa shook her head in mock disbelief, “I can’t believe they didn’t even mention Rolls Royce…”

  She trailed off in amusement at my dirty look and then asked me, “Are you working tonight?”

  I shook my head, “No, but I’m meeting the pack at eight for dinner and to talk about Legends, want to do something after?”

  She nodded and eyed my pool queue case, “B and B? I’ll meet you there. Not really in the mood to dance tonight, the clubs are too packed on Saturday nights, and you carrying that around reminded me I haven’t played in a long while.”

  “I’ve never played, so you’ll have to explain the rules. It sounds like fun though.”

  Tammy sighed, “Saturday is a busy day, which is why I’m stuck working.”

  Ethel gave me a weird look, “You’re having dinner with the pack?”

  I shrugged, “Not the whole pack. We just need to go over the work schedule to get Legends back up and running. Not a big deal.”

  I felt a little defensive about it, at the same time I felt like I was lying. In my head it was so much more than that, and I knew it was probably exactly that, all in my head. What also made it worse was Ethel was the one asking the question, she really got on my nerves but I tried not to show it.

  We chatted some more over the businesses and who would be at Billiards and Beer tonight, which turned out to be Me, Lisa, Jerry, Eustice, and Daniel. I was sure others would be there too, most of the vampire guards went there on their nights off.

  Matt would have gone, but he had to work too, I was pretty sure he arranged his schedule to work at Pulse the same nights Tammy did.

  Chapter 2

  It was close to three when I rolled off the lot with a new twenty sixteen Silver Cadillac CTS-V. I’d given the Audis a look as well, but had trouble justifying the extra thirty grand even if I could easily afford it. I was sure for some people it would be worth it, but this car was fast as hell, and would work just fine for getting me around. I also admitted to myself, that it was rather eye catching.

  It was also an adventure at first, just because I had a license didn’t mean I’d actually driven before. However, between my vampire reflexes, and my spirit power which encompassed all the drivers around me and could read their intentions, I caught on pretty fast.

  I stopped by a store to pick up a computer, so I wouldn’t have to beg to use one on the third floor office whenever I needed to type up a report. Right now I was kind of using my iPhone for everything, which was possible but annoying at the same time. Even if I could type faster with two thumbs than a normal human could with two hands. After the computer store, I headed
to Tina’s candle store and went in.

  I felt a little nervous, I’d never gone to see her alone before. Although, I’d only seemed to annoy her on my first visit, the second had gone rather well, or at least it had seemed so to me. When I walked in, I looked around the store. I loved my condo, and the furniture it had come with, but it was rather bare of personality. More like a penthouse suite in a hotel than a true home.

  I grabbed a basket, and dropped some forest scented candles in it, along with a few knickknacks that caught my eye. It wasn’t much, but it was a start. I’d have to get other stuff, like art for the walls, but that would be another store on another day.

  I smiled at the teenage girl dressed in jeans and a half shirt as I placed the basket up on the counter.

  “Hi Katy, I need these, and I’d also like to talk to your mother about something?”

  She looked up at me from her phone, it looked like she was on Facebook this time.

  “Umm, hi Miku, just a second,” she turned her head and hollered for her mother.

  She started to ring the stuff up and bag it, and by the time I’d paid, Tina walked out of the back.

  “What is it today? Another emergency?”

  I smiled, “Nope, it’s been quiet and rogue free for… almost twenty-two hours.”

  Tina snorted impatiently and asked, “What do you want then?”

  I put the leather case on the counter and asked, “I hoped you’d be able to help me. I want to be able to carry this sword around, in case I need it but…”

  Tina grunted, “But you’d have humans freaking out all the time with a sword strapped to your back?”

  She laughed at the idea, which set me at ease.

  She frowned in contemplation for a few moments, and then said thoughtfully, “There’re two ways to do it. Both fire and air magic can accomplish it, though fire magic wouldn’t work for very long because the magic would run out. I’m pretty sure I can piggy back a spell onto the aura of air magic you put off, or more accurately it will suck in the ambient elemental air magic to keep the spell charged and active. The catch is you’d have to wear it most, if not all of the time. If you took it off longer than a couple of days, the spell would expire.”