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His wide grin showcased a set of perfectly white teeth—including the fangs.
Shit.An immortal.
Mystic Hallows drew them in like a moth to a flame.
This wasn’t some alternate reality where no one was aware of supernatural beings, yet they roamed the streets every single damn day. No, immortals were a part of society. It was nothing new. Humans mixed with the paranormal since before Salem, especially the old families in Mystic Hallows. The most prominent being the original thirteen witches executed for witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials. The same bloodlines that now ruled this town.
There was a lot of magic and monsters that mixed together in Mystic Hallows. Mayhem was a part of life, reaching its zenith during the Festival of the Dead, also known as the Feast of Ancestors.
Cue the vampire.
I should have sensed his dark power long before he set foot in my town.
Some immortals—the powerful ones—could wield dangerous magic. The kind that confused witchy abilities like my own.
The vampire must have sensed my apprehension. “Damian Rockcastle, at your service,” he introduced, bowing slightly at the waist while clicking his heels together and ticking his chin up slightly in a mock salute. “Pleased to meet you, pet.”
Something about him felt off.
Maybe he used compulsion or another trick on me, but I blocked any attempt before he would gain control. His use of the wordpetannoyed me. I wasn’t some simple female to fall at his feet in adoration. The bloodsucker would figure that out quickly enough.
I didn’t dignify his blatant attempt to annoy me.
Damian was predictable from the start—a little too cocky and darkly attractive, brooding and flirtatious, and I couldn’t resist the smirk on my face. He was eyeing me like his next treat, which was more than a little disconcerting.
No thanks, fangboy.
“I’m Cassie,” I blurted in response while trying extremely hard not to roll my eyes, “and I’ve enough to do today. I’m not accepting whatever invitation you’re handing out. Excuse me for cutting this conversation short. I have a busy day ahead.”
Damian lifted his hands and moved out of my way, but I knew for certain I would see him again, probably much sooner than I wanted. Mystic Hallows was a supernatural hot spot. Immortals of every type flocked here, lured in by the quaint town and plenty of mystical energy.
Tucked below a mass of mountainous peaks, the city rested in a valley of plush green trees and sweet breezes, complete with several prominent and well-known haunted houses and cemeteries. Mystic Hallows appeared on more than one paranormal investigation show. We were listed in the top fifty most haunted locations in the world.
During Samhain, people flocked to Mystic Hallows to experience paranormal phenomena and the abandoned buildings that stood as ghostly specters full of secrets.
Because of this, I wasn’t surprised to meet the vampire. This time of year–thanks to the annual festival of Samhain and the dead–naturally increased the number of those who wanted to experience the thinning of the veil. For us witches, it was a month-long celebration where we honored our ancestors and the spirit world. Of course, it also included painting our faces with skulls, hosting various activities and parties, and dabbling in plenty of magical angst. We burned candles, spoke incantations, and paraded in the streets.
To say I loved Samhain would be an understatement.
Struggling to hold onto the five bags of ingredients, herbs, and candles for Aunt Gwen, I nearly dropped them all when my cell phone began to ring loudly, echoing into the empty street. The early morning hadn’t roused many of my neighbors. Now that I thought about it, the sunshine should have prevented the vampire from moving freely in the daylight.
Odd. I’d return to that mystery later.
“Hey, sweets,” I greeted my cousin as I balanced the heavy bags, “I was going to call you in a few minutes.”
“Where the hell are you? I called five times!”
Gypsy–don’t ask me why my aunt and uncle named her that–was asleep when I left the house this morning. Glancing at my phone, I noticed about a half dozen missed calls, but I never heard the phone ring while I shopped.Strange.
Maybe the vampire worked his mumbo jumbo after all. Some of his kind had unusual gifts.
“I had to run to the store. Why aren’t you in class?” Gypsy was a high school senior and hated being reminded of her age. “I’m not taking you to the party tonight if you ditch again.”
“Please,” she scoffed in dismissal. I heard a groan and a few mild curses on the line before her tone softened. “Cas, come on. It’s the first day of Samhain. How can I possibly be expected to attend school and miss all the fun?”
She had a point, but I didn’t want her to skip classes. Although my aunt and uncle weren’t super strict, they still expected both of us to graduate. Me, from college. Gyps, from high school. I’d taken Gypsy under my wing and protected her, felt responsible for her in ways that I couldn’t explain since we were kids. Maybe losing my parents when I was little had something to do with it. I tended to hold on to those I loved a little tighter than most.
“Gyps, I swear if you try to skip again this month–”
