Poison's Kiss (Deadly Beauties 2)

He wipes his mouth, and his eyes flash blue once as a dark warning while he stares down the neighbor he only thought he knew.

"I should have guessed you were one of them, too," the night stalker snarls.

I step out to join Thad who keeps himself between Kane and me.

"Not one of them," he says before letting his eyes flash the yellow proof of a changer.

Kane lets out a laugh, and then he shakes his head.

"A light witch, a dark user, and a damn changer. Unbelievable. Fuck with me again, and I'll let you know what a mistake this whole charade really was."

"It wasn't a-" before I can finish, Thad leaps off the porch, hell bent on showing Kane he's not the average changer.

I expect to have to save Kane's life, since the sun is out and Thad is already too strong, but I'm shocked when Kane catches him midair and slams him to the ground. Thad starts to get up, but a dark, grim smile spreads over the night stalker's lips.

Thad starts gasping for air as Kane kneels before him, not having to touch him to nearly kill him where he lies.

"I warned you."

Gage throws his arms out, but Kane goes nowhere, remaining unaffected. How the hell is that possible? Without moving, he just laughs as he throws Gage's power back at him and knocks him to the ground, pinning him the same way Thad is pinned.

"You don't want to kill them. I've always been your intended target. Leave them alone and do what you want to with me."

He laughs again, an ominous roar ringing out that makes my chills form.

"You're nothing to worry about, Alyssa. Get out of here before I drain you myself. I won't let Castine use your power to fuel her fight against me. I mean it. Go."

He turns his back and walks away so casually, as if nothing just happened. I look around to see a few of my neighbors peering out, and I chant a memory spell to recant the last few minutes of their life.

When my eyes open, Thad and Gage are already rising to their feet, both of them coughing on the air finding their lungs.

"What the hell kind of night stalker can do that?" Thad growls, his usual playful tone banished.

"The kind we don't need to fuck with," I grumble. "Come inside. Get out of sight before the neighbors decide to come investigate."

He rubs his neck as does Gage, both of them questioning what the hell just happened. I've certainly never seen anything like it before, and if that's any inkling as to what I should expect from Castine, I obviously need to get going.

Gage appears with the rest of my stuff in tow as he drops my bags to the ground of the guestroom in his house.

"You can take the master, Alyssa. I don't mind swapping with you."

Sighing, I pull my knees to my chest while resting on the bed.

"The master is directly beside Kane's house. I don't want that view. This one is much better in that aspect. Thanks though. This will work until I can get the paperwork sorted out on that house you found me."

He shrugs, and then he plops down beside me. "So, you need to cast the spell. I can't do it. It could cripple you if I cast a protection spell using my magic and invite you in with your mortal form. I'll go out while you-"

"I've already done it. I did it while you were gone. Of course, I already said you could come in."

He smiles, and then he brushes my hair from my shoulder. "Are you sure it took?"

I see Thad walking outside, making his way toward the front, and I pull Gage's hand in mine to lead him out of the room.

"Let's find out."

He looks a little too excited, and we both eagerly await the proof of some results. The sound of a changer cursing rings out as Thad is launched backwards, almost too forcefully.

He thuds into the lake, splashing the water up and drenching himself. Gage bursts out laughing, his whole body shaking from the explosive release. I giggle a little as I walk to the door.