Spell of the Ball (8 Magical Halloween Reads) Read online

  Carver released me, but I felt rather than saw both Vale and Marcella step up behind us. It was pretty clear that if I so much as moved a muscle, the shit was going to hit the fan.

  “Ladies!” Carver said into a cordless microphone. “Thank you. It’s been a wonderful night, but now it’s time to claim my bride…or brides as the fates may have it.”

  A loud roar of surprise rose from the crowd.

  “It turns out I can’t make up my mind.” He lifted Ida May’s hand in the air and gave her a slight bow. Despite the dirty look she cast in his direction, when she turned to the crowd, she flushed, and her eyes brightened with excitement. After being visible to only me for however many months, she was finally getting her moment in the spotlight.

  Too bad I was pretty certain we were both going to be vamp food in a few minutes. I glanced around, desperately searching for Julius. But the massive sea of people crowded around the floats made spotting anyone impossible. I had to do something. But what?

  I had no phone and no real hope of escaping the float unscathed, though I’d certainly try. My only weapons were the heels on my boots, and…oh! The stake I’d shoved in my bootleg as part of my costume.

  A shudder ran through me. Was I really contemplating staking someone? If I had to, I would.

  “Isn’t she lovely?” Carver asked the crowd. The partygoers cheered him on, drowning out the jeers of the ladies on the float. Then he turned to me and waved a hand. “My other bride is also this lovely lady, Pyper. Tonight, I make them both mine. Forever.”

  Ida May turned into him and, with a sly smile, ran her fingers down his chest suggestively. “I’m all you really need, gorgeous.”

  I rolled my eyes. Leave it to Ida May to ham it up even when she knew everything was one step away from disaster. But then if I’d been dead for almost a hundred years, maybe I would to.

  “But before we can get to the ceremony, we must complete the blood ritual to satisfy the offering to our elders.” Carver grinned, showing off those sharp fangs as he first glanced at Marcella and then lowered his head and made a show of scraping his teeth down Ida May’s neck.

  Ida May stiffened, and fear shone back at me as she met my gaze.

  “Together!” Marcella ordered.

  Vale grabbed my torso, his viselike grip knocking the wind out of me, but it didn’t stop me from flailing my arms and legs. Just as we got to Carver’s side, my foot connected, and Vale let out a loud grunt as we both fell into a heap on the floor of the float.

  “Dammit,” he gasped out, holding his crotch. “Son of a bitch.”

  I scrambled to my feet, and while everyone was still focused on the writhing vamp, I grabbed my stake from my boot and palmed it.

  “Looks like my other bride’s a little feisty,” Carver said into the microphone.

  “Feisty?” I said. “More like pissed as hell.”

  Vale let out a low hiss, and then a second later, he grabbed my booted foot, anchoring me in place.

  “Get off.” I tried to kick out, but got nowhere.

  Vale rose slowly to his feet, his eyes flashing that brilliant blue, the same as Marcella’s had.

  “Enough!” Marcella said. “Just complete the ritual.”

  Vale lifted me off my feet and snarled as he went straight for my neck. My heart thundered in my ears, and my palm was sweaty on my stake. But I was prepared, already going for the vampire’s heart.

  But just before Vale tore into my flesh, Marcella cried, “No!” and flew in between us. The stake landed in her shoulder, surprising both of us.

  “You bitch,” she spat and tore the wood from her flesh. Pale-pink liquid oozed down her arm and over her black-and-silver dress. Definitely not human. Carver and Vale were both cursing, while Ida May, for once in her life, remained quiet.

  “Pyper,” I heard her call, but I couldn’t tear my eyes from Marcella. Tears shone in her eyes as she stared at her now-clawed hand, still holding the stake.

  The chestnut-haired woman’s words from earlier in the evening came flooding back. Beware of the one with claws.

  Chapter 7

  “Carver! Time’s almost up,” Marcella said, her eyes frantic.

  He glanced at her, pain and desperation lining his normally handsome face. Then he scowled, and his fangs descended, turning him into a true monster.

  Ida May backed up, pressing against the railing of the float. But he was on her too fast, a true predator going after his prey.

  “No!” I started to move toward them, but Vale grabbed me around the waist and yanked me back. I flailed, kicking my feet back as hard as I could. “Get the hell off me!”

  Ida May let out a blood-curdling scream, but it cut off suddenly as if she’d been silenced.

  “Your turn,” Vale said, undisturbed by my attempts to free myself. But before he could go in for the kill, Morticia and Redhair jumped him. The shock of their attack took him down in a heap.

  “You bastards,” Redhair cried. “I can’t believe you chose those two over us.”

  “Yeah, they’re nothing special. No guts at all,” Morticia added as the pair of them continued to try to gain control of Vale.

  Christ. Those two really were crazy.

  The urge to flee hit me, but I couldn’t leave without knowing what had happened to Ida May. I skirted around the trio still wrestling on the floor and spotted Marcella. She was slumped in a chair, appearing barely conscious, with the stake resting at her feet.

  I grabbed for it and cried out when her claw tangled in my hair and pulled me up.

  “You bitch, you nearly ruined everything.” Her lips were twisted with an evil sneer. “As soon as Carver drains her, I’ll be brought back to this world, and then you’re next.”

  Rage rose from the depths of my soul. Whatever she was—vampire, demon, or troll—I didn’t care. She was done.

  “What are you going to do now, Pyper Rayne?” She yanked on my hair, contorting my back until the agony of it made my vision blur.

  “This!” I yelled, and with a force I didn’t know I possessed, I reared up, ignoring the intense pain searing through my neck and spine, and slammed the stake into her chest.

  Her mouth formed into a shocked O as she froze. Then a light crackled through her body, lighting her up from the inside out until she finally exploded into a heap of sand.

  Everything around us stopped. I heard nothing—only saw the tiny speckles of earth that used to be Marcella.

  “Holy shit,” I heard Redhair say beside me.

  I cut my gaze to her. She and Morticia were standing over Vale, who was curled into a ball, rocking back and forth as if he were a mental patient.

  “I think we should get out of here,” Morticia said to Redhair.

  “Good plan,” I shot back as they scrambled down the stairs.

  Across the stage, Carver was holding Ida May in his arms, his expression full of frantic concern. “We have to get her to the hospital. She’s been hurt!”

  “Stop right there!” Julius came running up the stairs, his dark, wavy hair flying out from behind him. He twisted and turned, magic crackling at his fingertips, no doubt searching for any form of threat.

  “She needs help,” Carver said again.

  I climbed to my feet, intensely grateful Julius had arrived, even if he was five seconds too late.

  He spotted me and ran over.

  I pointed to Ida May. “You need to help her.”

  “What happened?” he asked as he took her from Carver.

  “I don’t know,” Carver said, his brow furrowed. “The last thing I remember was walking onto the float with Pyper. The next thing I know, I’ve got this woman in my arms, and she’s unconscious.”

  “Not just unconscious,” I barked. “Bleeding.”

  “What? Where?” he asked, scanning her body.

  “Right there!” I pointed to her neck and then gasped as I realized she wasn’t bleeding at all. But I had seen Carver bite her. He even still had red stains around his mouth.

/>   “It’s the ritual,” the chestnut-haired woman said, floating up the stairs.

  I backed up. “Who are you?”

  Julius glanced over at her, frowning. “Bella, what are you doing here?”

  “Keeping an eye on those from the otherworld.” She met my gaze. “You made my night a lot easier. Thank you.”

  “Easier? Are you kidding me? People almost died.”

  “And some almost got a new lease on life. Thanks to you, Marcella and her followers didn’t.” She waved to the other side of the float, the one that had contained the women Marcella had arrived with. It was empty.

  “They’re gone,” I said, unable to wrap my head around what had happened.

  “When you neutralized Marcella, they lost their connection to this world.” She glanced at Julius and Ida May. “Your friend will reawaken in a few minutes. It was nice seeing you again, Julius. Have a good year.”

  No one said a word as we watched her fade away into the ether.

  Ida May’s eyes popped open. She took one look at Carver and jumped out of Julius’s arms, screaming bloody murder. “You ugly piece of stank vampire trash. How dare you try to kill me? Do you have any idea what it’s like to go through life dead?”

  Carver held up his hands and took a step back. “Whoa. I don’t have any idea what you’re talking about.”

  Vale, who’d finally gotten to his feet, rubbed a hand down his face and shook his head. “How did I get here? I thought I was supposed to be on the zombie float.”

  I stared at Julius, helpless. “I have no idea what’s going on.”

  “I do.” He wrapped an arm around my waist. “Let’s get out of here.”

  “Yeah. Let’s go. This float sucks,” Ida May added.

  “Give me just a sec.” Julius walked over to Carver and Vale, spoke to them for a moment, then shook each of their hands, sending a tiny spark of magic zipping into them.

  “Memory spell?” I asked Julius when he rejoined me.

  He nodded. “They were victims of Marcella. All I did was give them a few memories of the night, so they don’t think they blacked out. The float will continue on to the end, but we’re out of here.”

  I let him lead me off the float and into the happy crowd. They cheered for me and Ida May, praising our acting and asking for an encore.

  I shook my head, but Ida May was swept up in the attention and said, “I’m riding this pony for as long as it lasts. Don’t wait up.”

  “Here.” I gave her my tickets to the Night of the Living Dead Ball. “One is for you, and one is for Nissa. She’s on the Daiquiri Dolls float.”

  “Oh, an after-party. You know how much trouble I can get into at one of those?” Her eyes sparkled with glee.

  “Yes. Do whatever you want, but don’t ditch Nissa. I promised her a ticket.”

  “Would I do that?” She smirked and disappeared back into the parade route, to continue entertaining her fans.

  “Want to explain everything that went on back there?” I asked Julius once we made our way onto one of the side streets away from the festivities.

  He took a deep breath. “I had my suspicions when I saw you stake that wannabe vampire, but I didn’t know for sure until Bella showed up. She’s a goddess of the damned. And Marcella, the one you staked? Is that the name she was using?”

  I nodded.

  “She’s one of Bella’s charges. She fancies herself a vampire, but really, she’s a ghost with a damned soul. Tonight, Halloween night, is the only one where she has any power to materialize. Looks like she formed a plan to do just that. But there are sacrifices and rituals involved. Everything from possession to soul transfers. If she’d been successful, she’d have risen again, but since you stopped her, she’ll be out of commission for decades, if not more.”

  I leaned into him, enjoying his warmth. “And what about Carver and Vale? What are they?”

  “Human. She used a soul possession on them to get them to do what she wanted.”

  “That doesn’t explain the teeth or Carver’s ice-cold body temperature.”

  Julius cast me a suspicious glance. “His body temperature?”

  “Please.” I sighed and shook my head. “He kept trying to manhandle me. I couldn’t help but notice.”

  “Sorry,” he said gently and kissed the top of my head. “It’s all part of her illusion. Carver was never really any of those things.”

  I found that hard to believe. I’d seen him bite Ida May. Or had I? She hadn’t had one mark on her neck after he’d broken free of the spell.

  “And Ida May? Why is she in human form? Do you know?” I asked him, deciding I didn’t care about Marcella or whatever whacked-out spells she was using. As long as she was gone, that was all that mattered.

  He smiled. “All Soul’s Night. She’s become human because it’s what she wants most. And she likely went looking for you because you’re the one person on this earth she has a connection to. By midnight, she’ll be in ghost form again.”

  “That’s sad,” I said, unlocking the door to my apartment building.

  Julius followed me in. “Which part?”

  “The part where she’ll turn ghostly again. She’s so full of life. You should’ve seen her.” I laughed. “My goodness, she’s out of control.”

  “When isn’t she?” He followed me up the stairs and held my apartment door open for me.

  “Good point.”

  He closed the door and reached out, gently taking my hand in his. “Are you okay?”

  His voice was barely a whisper, but it reached that place deep in the middle of my chest, warming me from the inside out.

  I turned into him, reveling in the heat of his skin against mine. The events of the night washed away, and all I wanted was to get lost in him. “Yeah. I think so. But you know what will make me even better?”

  He glanced at the bedroom. “Flannel pajamas and a hot cocoa?”

  “Try again,” I said, unbuttoning his shirt.

  “Hot bath and a glass of wine?”

  “Nope.” I pushed his shirt off his shoulders and trailed my lips across his shoulder.

  He sucked in a sharp breath. “Oh, I see, now. Hot sex with your favorite witch?”

  “As long as he’s off duty.” I rose onto my toes and brushed my lips over his. “Interruptions aren’t part of my plan.”

  He yanked me to him and ran his hand along my upper thigh, only stopping when he cupped my backside. His eyes sparked with heat as he said, “No interruptions. At least not until midnight, when a certain ghost shows up, complaining…loudly.”

  I chuckled and glanced over at the clock. “That leaves an hour and twenty-two minutes. You up for the challenge?”

  Julius brought his lips to mine and whispered, “Always.”

  Click here for Hex the Halls, our bewitching holiday anthology. Release date: Nov 17th.

  To read more about Pyper and Julius check out Spirits, Stilettos, and a Silver Bustier.

  To learn about Deanna’s new releases sign up for her newsletter here. Do you prefer text alerts? Text WITCHYBOOKS to 24587 for news and updates.

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  About the Author

  Deanna is a native Californian, transplanted to the slower paced lifestyle of southeastern Louisiana. When she isn’t writing, she is often goofing off with her husband in New Orleans, playing with her two shih tzu dogs, making glass beads, or out hocking her wares at various bead shows across the country. Want the next book in the series? Visit www.DeannaChase.com to sign up for the New Releases email list.

  Other Books by Deanna

  The Jade Calhoun Novels

  Haunted on Bourbon Street

  Witches of Bourbon Street

  Demons of Bourbon Street

  Angels of Bourbon Street

  Shadows of Bourbon Street

  Incubus of Bourbon Street

  Bewitched on Bourbon Street

  The Pyper Rayne Novels

  Spirits, Stilettos, and a Si
lver Bustier

  Spirits, Rock Stars, and a Midnight Chocolate Bar (Winter 2015)

  Spirits, Beignets, and a Bayou Biker Gang (Spring 2016)

  The Coven Pointe Novels

  Marked by Temptation (a novella)

  The Crescent City Fae Novels

  Influential Magic

  Irresistible Magic

  Intoxicating Magic

  The Destiny Novels

  Defining Destiny

  Accepting Fate

  The Witch’s Halloween Hero

  Kristen Painter

  When a spell goes wrong on the night of Samhain for witch Corette Williams, her only hope is the man she loves, Bartholomew Stanhill. But time is running out. As the clock ticks toward midnight on Halloween, they grow closer to the moment when magic will erase him from her mind. Can Stanhill become Corette’s Halloween hero?

  Chapter 1

  Bartholomew Stanhill stood on the front porch of Corette William’s house, not quite sorted enough to knock. He smoothed the lapels of his tuxedo one more time with his free hand. In his other, he carried a small shopping bag that held a box with two Halloween cupcakes in it and a clear clamshell containing a stunning tiger lily corsage. He was totally prepared for this evening; there was nothing to be worried about. After all, his entire life was about preparation.

  Tonight was no exception. He took a breath and lifted his hand, then hesitated and put it down again.

  His nerves weren’t because tonight’s event, the Black and Orange Ball, was the biggest social event of the year in Nocturne Falls. Social events were all part and parcel with living in this town. No, his nerves were because of the small velvet box in his jacket pocket. The one holding the exquisite sapphire-and-diamond engagement ring he’d picked out for Corette.

  Tonight was the night. He was going to ask her to marry him. Granted, their lives would never be normal. Corette was a witch with three grown daughters who were also witches, and between them and her bridal shop in town, her life was a whirlwind of activity. Although she always made time for him.