Free Heart of Darkness by Lauren Dane

spell, she wouldn’t achieve full-council status. Such a thing would be impossible to hide. She was doubly glad they hadn’t had sex the night before because her mother would have noticed the change in her energy. Hell, even right then Meriel knew her magick had ripened, thickened, rising within her and ready to join with someone else’s.
    After she’d eaten the fourth piece of candy, two after she’d told herself, “Only one more,” she sat back and allowed herself a deep breath. He called. She smiled.

Chapter 8

    SHE tried not to be annoyed when her phone rang as she was still goopy with lotion. If it was Dominic calling to cancel, she was so going to hunt him down.
    But it was 401. Rodas Industries.
    “Meriel Owen.” She hoped she sounded commanding enough. A little difficult when standing naked and slicked up with lotion.
    “Ms. Owen, my name is Arel. Gage would like us to add him into a three-way call. Would that be all right with you?”
    “Yes, go on. Give me a moment, please.” She put the phone down and grabbed a robe, also picking up her glasses and a notepad as she got settled in at the nearby table.
    “I’m back.”
    “Sorry to bug you on a Friday night, but when I spoke with Arel I knew you’d want to hear this.”
    She sighed. “Comes with the job. What’s up?”
    It was Arel who spoke. “Had some excitement last evening on my side of the country. We got a call from a witch up in Boston, asking for help against some mages who’d been stalking two sisters, also witches. As a result of this call, we now have a few mages in our custody.”
    Unease slithered through her. “Are the witches all right? The sisters?”
    “Yes. They’re both fine. Took some hits. One was partially drained. She turned the draining spell around, drained the mage. Caught him off guard, but it was a great response. Still, she spent several hours puking it all out as her body had to reject all that wrong energy. Spent time with her today. She’s also a shifter so it didn’t hit her as hard as it would have otherwise.”
    She had no idea there were such a thing as witch shifters. Fascinating. “I’d like to meet her, if possible. It sounds like she’s got some skills we could use.”
    “I explained to Arel about your desire to work with other witches to share knowledge and spellcraft,” Gage said.
    “I’ve told Kendra, that’s the witch I’m referring to, about this and she’s enthusiastic to meet you. Since it’s all right with you, I’ll make an introduction later. You should know them and they you.”
    She made a quick note to herself about that.
    “All right. Thank you. Did she terminate the mage she turned the spell back on?”
    “No. But she could have. Scared him enough to be forthcoming about what they were all up to though.”
    “Good to know. By in custody do you mean still drawing breath?”
    “For now.”
    “As it should be.”
    Gage laughed in the background. “I told you.”
    “I approve of bloodthirstiness in this time and place. There are dark things on the horizon.” Arel cleared his throat. “We’ve been watching some mages back here who’d been on the move, settling in, stalking witches, draining them and moving on.”
    This was what she’d been worried about.
    “They’re more organized than we’d assumed. And after some rigorous questioning, I can tell you they’ve been working with anti-Other hate groups to target witches ripe for the draining. Not only that, but working with disgruntled paranormals.”
    That stopped her pen. “What? How?”
    “The mages had been working with a shifter, a cat. The brother-in-law of the witches attacked last night. He led them straight into the heart of their community. Set the witches up.”
    “Why? I don’t understand this. Why would someone do that?”
    “That cats handled that part, so all I know is what I’ve been told. This was a third brother, never going to run the jamboree. But also a little loopy and got caught up in the