Free Amethyst Flame (The Flame Series Book 2) by Caris Roane

truck entered one of several pine forests planted by alter shifters years ago. Wolves preferred forests. It took a lot of water initially, but the city built a reclamation plant just to serve the acres of pine. Better to keep wolves happy than have them busting out of Five Bridges and terrorizing the Phoenix population.
    The roads were rough and the original cement and asphalt city blocks long gone. The truck bounced like it did, because it traveled over a lot of dirt.
    But what did this truckload of teenage girls have to do with Loghry?
    The truck finally began to slow as it drew near a small strip center, though the area was still completely surrounded by pine forest. The driver got out and looked at his watch. “We made it just before midnight. We get a bonus.” He was a tall, lean warlock who did a happy dance in the middle of the uneven dirt road.
    Rage rolled through Emma at his antics. The bastard was delivering human females destined for the Savage sex trade and he was smiling because he’d be paid extra for being early.
    His partner, another warlock, called to him. “Get moving. You know I don’t trust these damn shifters to deliver on their promises. They’d as soon kill us as pay us.”
    “You ain’t shitting on my good mood. I’ll have money to spend in the clubs tonight. You ever been with a shifter female? They’re real animals in bed.” He laughed at his joke.
    The images took Emma over the top of the truck. The men went inside a rundown building that used to be a real estate company. Half the lettering on the glass window was faded. Pine needles covered most of the landscape in a reddish brown haze.
    The warlocks returned a moment later. A shifter came out with them, a burly man chewing on a cigar and wearing a stained, white tank top. He moved to the truck, opened the doors and peered inside, then immediately afterward slammed the door shut.
    “Next time, use the damn delivery entrance, morons.”
    The warlocks hopped back in and drove the truck around the corner.
    Once more, the image sent Emma into the air and over the building. The rear area was a short alley with what looked like storage rental units behind. The truck maneuvered and began backing through the gates.
    Her heart rate rose as she saw the sign inside the yard: Daniel D. Loghry, Proprietor. No Trespassing. All Violators Will Be Prosecuted.
    Suddenly, the images scrambled like her neurons started misfiring. Pain rushed through her head, and she sat up screaming.
    Vaughn dropped to his knees beside the chaise-longue, then wrapped her up in his arms. She clung to him, shaking.
    “You’re okay. You’re okay.” He repeated the words over and over until she began to calm down.
    The ghosts hovered nearby, barely moving at all. She had a sense they’d been affected as well.
    “I feel like something evil pressed on me and disrupted what I was seeing.”
    She rested her head on his shoulder until the trembling passed and the pain was gone. Even then, she stayed put because it felt so good to feel his hands rubbing up and down her back.
    She slipped into telepathy. Thank you. I don’t know what happened. I could see all the images as clear as anything. Then suddenly, it felt like I had an electric eggbeater inside my head.
    She felt him chuckle. I don’t mean to laugh, but that’s some picture you just painted. And I could tell it hurt.
    She sighed heavily. It did.
    Was it possible another witch or warlock had messed with her spell? Some of the covens were deep into dark magic and she was so untried, she had no clue what she was doing. Vaughn, what if it was Loghry?
    He didn’t respond right away but continued to rub her back gently. Maybe he’s been hunting for you through his spellcasting ability and found you.
    I suppose it’s possible, but this is uncharted territory for me. She squeezed her eyes shut and once more opened up to her power. Reluctantly, she focused on Loghry, but she needed to figure out what happened.
    As she