Blood Flame (Flame 1)

“Is that a spell?” Connor asked quietly, drawing her gaze back to the bridge.

“Yes, it is. But I don’t know all that it’s hiding.”

Some of the black smoke on the bridge dissipated suddenly, enough to reveal a lean figure, dressed all in black. He stood balanced on the bridge railing, legs spread wide, his leather duster flapping in the light breeze.

He held a sword in his hand similar to the one Connor owned.

Connor flew slowly in the direction of the vampire and as he did, Iris focused on the spell. It was evil in nature, a conjuring of one of the dark witches. Her heart hammered in her chest.

“This is oppressive,” Connor murmured.

“It is. But keep going.”

“I am. We need to face our enemy.”

Iris swallowed hard as the distance to the bridge shrank. Evil surrounded them now.

But when Connor was only thirty feet from the bridge, the spell shrouding the vampire’s face, dissipated.

Iris stiffened in his arms. “Oh, my god, I know him.”

“You do?”

“It’s Evan. Evan Pierce. Connor, I think I understand the connection and it all makes sense now. The woman you shot and killed had to be Evan’s wife, Heather.”

CHAPTER SIX

Connor halted midair, fifteen feet away from the man he’d seen at Gary’s club. His eyes were green and glinting with a terrible light, something that went beyond a sole need for revenge. Evan was enjoying himself, the control he had over them both right now, and that he’d surprised them.

“So, you’re the moral Border Patrol officer above taking the usual bribes.”

Connor saw no reason to deny who he was. “I am.”

Evan frowned slightly, his gaze fixed on Connor.

Every warrior instinct Connor possessed rose to high alert. Now that he faced his enemy, the man intent on killing them both, adrenaline flooded his veins. His gaze made a sweep of the man, his stance, the relaxed state of his hands, the way he held himself.

Evan had confidence, more than he should if he was alone and facing a seasoned BP officer.

Which meant, Evan had someone with him.

The dark cloud hanging over the entire area, including the vampires partying below, confirmed Connor’s belief the man had been corrupted by a witch. Or maybe it was the other way around.

Evan shifted his gaze to Iris. “So, we meet again, yet under very different circumstances.”

“You don’t need to do this, Evan. We were friends, once, remember?”

“Well, that was before you helped kill my wife.”

“You know I did no such thing.”

“Oh, but you did. You ended the investigation.” Evan continued in this vein, apparently wanting Iris to know how badly she’d failed him.

With Evan’s attention shifted away from him, Connor was able to focus on Iris. She was in an unusual state and seemed relaxed yet every sense she possessed had reached out to her environment, including the spell. She might be talking with Evan about past events, but she was analyzing everything around her.

It seemed odd he knew this, but Iris had been trying to tell him something similar in the garden and he began to get what she meant. He shared a connection to Iris now, an awareness of her intentions and her desires.

Evan addressed Connor once more. “You were more directly involved, having shot my wife in the chest point blank.”