Free Fairytale Ambrosia (The Knead to Know Series Book 2) by Liz Schulte

burned like embers. “You came into my lair. You killed my lover. You damaged my business and now you dare to threaten me?” Her voice was the dangerous sort of soft.
    I backed away faster, not at all convinced my hunger could save me if she attacked—especially since it seemed to be missing in action. “I think you might have the wrong person.”
    “I guess we’ll find out when I read your entrails. Tell me how a human managed what you did?”
    Well, that sounded terrible. “Um, remind me, what did I do?”
    “You killed four of my guests without a fight and without leaving so much as a mark upon their host bodies. Are you a witch?”
    Ah. That. Four bodies? Sounded like me. No wonder I passed out that night. Obviously one wasn’t the correct number. “Something like that.” She didn’t know what I was. Why would she? Half vampires weren’t supposed to exist. But she knew what I could do. Maybe that was why she hadn’t come after me herself. I could use that. I tried to arrange my face in the most threatening way possible. “How about this? I’m going to give you the chance to walk away and leave me alone before I do to you what I did to them. Or worse.”
    “You will pay for your insolence.” She took hold of my jacket, but I twisted, pulling my arms free, letting her take the garment which turned to ash, moments later.
    Okay, threats, not a good idea. “If you kill me, Holden won’t like it.”
    She laughed, a humorless sound. “You think I do not know everything there is to know about your pathetic life? I know who your connections are. I don’t care.” She swung at my midsection, barely missing. “You attacked me. Justice is on my side. You took what was mine. You could be related to Satan himself and I would still feast on your blood. I will have my revenge.”
    I was almost to the street, just a few more feet and I could run. “Who exactly did I kill?”
    “Do not pretend,” she growled, taking a swipe at me, slicing through my shirt. “The jinni brought you and while I made my deal with him, you took advantage. His soul was mine. They were all mine.”
    Phoenix, that lying son of—
    Her hand slashed at me again, but this time I wasn’t fast enough to get out of the way. Her fingers were like talons slicing across my stomach, scorching hot to the touch. I grabbed her wrist, trying to pull the darkness from her, but touching her was like sticking my hand into a boiler. She reached with her other hand and took me by the throat, lifting me off the ground.
    Unbearable heat flooded over me. My blood bubbled beneath my skin and boiling my internal organs, or at least that’s what it felt like. A scream lodged in my throat just beneath where her hand was burning into my skin. I had to get away or I was going to die.
    I put everything I had into swinging my arms up, breaking her grip. My legs wouldn’t hold me and I collapsed to the ground, gasping for air. Valefor’s head tilted to the side as she watched me instead of trying to grab me again. I scrambled to my feet then stumbled into the street while she was still watching every move I made with too much interest. I glanced behind me to make sure she wasn’t following—
    A crushing hit me from the side. For a moment I was weightless as I flew up into the air in almost slow motion. But just as fast the moment stopped and I landed hard on the pavement, the bone in my leg snapping. My head hit the ground and everything went blurry. Brakes squealed somewhere in the distance. If that was Valefor, I was dead or at least I would very soon wish I was.
    “Who’s out there?” Mr. Court’s voice came from a window facing the alley.
    Oh no. I forced my eyes open. I couldn’t stop now. I pushed past the pain that was lessening by the moment as I healed, a little slower than normal. Valefor’s red eyes burned from the alleyway, but the demon didn’t step out. Instead she stood on the cusp of the shadows, watching me as I dragged myself across the