Excerpt

Prologue

Gods, let this work.

The silence in the workroom was deafening. Spells infused into the walls, and thick tapestries that covered them ensured the silence. Sascha stood motionless as she studied the notes in her Book of Shadows. She was trying to make sure that she had the steps to the spell in her mind before she cast it. Any missteps could cause the spell to implode, killing her at the least, or at worst, possibly condemning her to an afterlife in service to any being who could catch her soul. She allowed herself a shiver at the thought of a demon catching her soul.

No one was present in the workroom to see the movement. Had there been anyone else present, she would have tamped down on the urge. The queen of the Nightshade Vampires could show no weakness. The supernaturals who flocked to her court always watched for any sign of weakness and would use it against her.

She picked up the Book of Shadows and moved it over to her altar in the center of a pentagram inlaid in brass on the stone floor. The pentagram was not complete. The small piece of brass that would close it was also on top of her altar. She would place it so the pentagram was closed before the start of the spell.

This spell will work, or it won't. She picked up her cell phone and hit speed dial. "Darius, please bring in the subjects," she said in her deep, husky voice.

The door to the workroom opened, and her human assistant came in, dragging a woman chained in enchanted cuffs that glowed to Sascha's magic sight. Those cuffs kept the bound magic practitioner from casting any spells and drained her of physical energy. While Sascha hated doing that to the woman, it was necessary. After all, the magician wasn't willingly taking part in the spell. She had been a prisoner of the magician council. Sascha didn't give a rat's ass about the reason for her imprisonment. If the spell worked, the magician would become part of her court, and if not, well, she would have a cocktail made from magician-spiked blood if she survived and the magician did not.

A Nightshade followed the pair in. She nodded respectfully to the queen. Valentina had volunteered for the spell. She was a made Nightshade and very loyal to Sascha.

"Darius, no one is to enter until I open the door." Sascha watched as he handed the chain to Valentina. She then handed her phone to him, and he departed. The queen turned to the magician.

"Your council gave you to me as a criminal." The magician glared at Sascha, who just gave her a gentle smile. "I really don't care what your crimes are personally. I'm here to give you another chance at freedom."

The magician stopped struggling and just stared at Sascha. "If you're willing to hear me out, I'll release the silencing spell on you." She waited until the magician nodded her head. Sascha spoke the word that broke the spell, and the magician took a deep breath. "What is your name?"

"Diane."

It relieved Sascha that the magician seemed willing to listen to reason. It would make her spell a lot easier to cast if the victim was willing. The three of them might live beyond the next hour. Time to dangle the lure in front of her. "I'm told you were were up for execution. I'm going to attempt to bond you to Valentina here. If you survive, you'll be a part of my court."

"You'll keep the magician council from dragging me back to death row?" Diane looked at Sascha and then at Valentina, who was holding her chains.

Sascha could see the hope rising in the magician's eyes. "Yes. No one touches anyone under my protection." Sascha knew she had the magician in her hands. Self-preservation for the win.

"Why me? There are at least ten magicians currently on death row."

Valentina looked at her queen for permission to speak. Sascha approved with a nod. "I chose you. A long time ago, you saved a little girl from her dad."

The magician looked flabbergasted. "That was you?"

The Nightshade nodded. "When I found out who you were, you were already on death row. It's my turn to repay you."

Sascha was impatient. She didn't have time for idle chitchat. If the spell worked, the pair would have centuries to talk. She wanted to see if this would work. "Release." With that word, the spells binding the magician's powers faded. "It's time. Valentina, please remove her chains."

Valentina pulled a key from her pocket and unlocked the chains from around Diane's wrists. "We both need to be inside of the pentagram."

Without a shred of hesitation, Diane stepped into the pentagram, stopping in front of the altar, and looked around. "I've only seen a few Adepts who have a permanent pentagram."

"Because most of them don't want to put in the work required for one." Sascha had trained with one of the best Adept magicians in Russia before she'd come over to the New World. She knew a lot of secrets that the modern magicians would commit murder for.

Like Diane. She had been on death row for supposedly murdering her master over his Book of Shadows. But Sascha suspected that the excuse the council gave was false.

Valentina stepped into the pentagram beside her. Sascha then placed the brass tile into the opening on the floor. Light sprang up, following the lines of the pentagram. Power snapped around the outer edges of the pentagram, sealing them in.

The Nightshade queen stepped back from the edge of the pentagram and stood behind the altar. "I call on Hecate, Goddess of the Night, protector of the Nightshade and Lady of the Moon." Her husky voice rose as she spoke. She raised her hands to eye level and started sketching diagrams in the air. Each completed diagram hung glowing rainbow colors in the air before fading.

"I ask of thee to tie the two before me in the union of Nightshade to shadow. Vampire to magician. Heart to heart. Soul to soul."

Again, Sascha traced symbols into the air, these more elaborate than the last. But this time, the symbols didn't fade. They rose into the air and started circling around just inside of the pentagram. Each time they completed a revolution, the power increased.

"Please bless this union and tie these two together in our most sacred bond." Sascha raised her arms high, hands spread apart. A ball of light formed between them, and the swirling symbols started spinning around the pair in front of her.

An external force pushed the two women together until they were standing breast to breast. The rotating symbols were going so fast now that they just appeared to be a swirl of light. The hair and clothing of the three women were blowing in a fierce wind that came from nowhere and everywhere all at once.

Sascha let the power build around them until it was unbearable before bringing her hands together in a mighty clap, causing the ball of light between her hands to shatter.

An explosion of light and power tore through the room. The explosion flung the three women out of the pentagram in different directions.

I hoped this worked, Sascha thought as she slammed against the wall.