Ignite me, p.1
Ignite Me, page 1
Ignite Me
AN IMMORTAL VICES AND VIRTUES NOVEL
HEATHER RENEE
Ignite Me
Heather Renee
Published by HRB Publishing LLC
Copyright © 2022 HRB Publishing LLC
Immortal Vices and Virtues Universe Copyright © 2022 Kel Carpenter LLC.
Edited by: Jamie with Holmes Edits and Amy McNulty
Cover design by Yocla Designs
ISBN: 979-8361338566
All rights reserved.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Epilogue
Immortal Vices and Virtues World
Stay in Touch
Also by Heather Renee
About the Author
Corrupt Me Excerpt
Dedication
For the family I’ve found along the way.
Thanks for never giving up on me.
Chapter 1
GRAYSON
Coming home to a package on my doorstep didn’t give me the same joy it once had. A decade ago, when I’d begun offering my services in trade for the things I needed, there’d been a thrill that the hunt had given me.
As I stared at the black envelope waiting for me, I’d much rather have pretended I didn’t see anything and headed inside my cabin. It was in the remote parts of No Man’s Land, a place where the wise people left me alone and the stupid ones provided me with target practice.
As I reached for my metal doorknob, magic from the envelope that had found its way to me sent charcoal tendrils of energy up until they wrapped around my wrist.
Well, that wasn’t normal for a package.
The power encouraged me to bend down and take the invitation inside, overruling my stubbornness. I could have disregarded the spell with my own strength, but someone had taken extra efforts to make sure I considered this request. That piqued my interest.
When I bent over, the magic dissipated, and my fingers grasped the thin envelope. I stepped into the doorway, then listened and scented for anything that didn’t belong, just like I did every time I came home.
I wasn’t part of any of the Houses, and I preferred it that way, but that didn’t mean they weren’t aware of who I was.
Grayson Barrett. A wolf shifter tracker who had never failed a mission. Also a sometimes-assassin when the reward and justification were tempting enough.
Though, there was one little secret of mine that nobody knew. The source of my success, yet, some days, the bane of my existence. The dark part of me that gave me additional abilities and that very few knew existed.
Once I’d confirmed nothing was out of place inside my one-bedroom cabin, I moved past the entryway. I eyed the small wooden table to my right, then the couch and fireplace to my left. Given the sender had used higher-level magic to deliver the letter, I decided a seat in front of the fire would be better for whatever I was about to read.
My heavy-booted feet carried me toward my worn, brown leather couch. I sat on the middle cushion, kicking my legs up onto the already dented, metal coffee table.
With a flick of my thumb and middle finger, flames lit the logs in the fireplace, then I settled in to open up the offer.
The ebony paper was thick with no writing on the front, but when I flipped it over, there was a wax seal, crimson in color, with no logo, just a circular imprint over the flap. I swiped the pad of my thumb over the soft substance, and something pricked my skin.
Pulling back, I considered throwing the envelope right into the fire, but then it floated out of my grip, hovering above the coffee table as it began to unfold.
Interesting. That had never happened before.
The aged parchment seemed to be attached to the black envelope as everything came undone at the same time. There were no words on the tanned paper, but swirls of white mist grew around the would-be message until a distorted man’s voice began to speak.
“Mr. Barrett, my name is Johnathon. I require not only your services, but your discretion as well. As you may be aware, the House of Fire and Fluorite has suffered immensely over the last year. Due to their lack of proper leadership, a witch has been able to infiltrate them. Powers have been stolen, and children have been sacrificed.”
That was quite the accusation and would require proof before I believed it.
The voice continued speaking while the mist seemed to grow bigger and thicker around the paper. “We would like the target dealt with quietly and swiftly. If you can return her to No Man’s Land, we can take things from there. If that’s not possible, death is a viable solution as well. We merely require her body to be brought back with you as proof of completion of the assignment.”
“And what do I get out of this?” I asked, assuming the magic was capable of answering back. Though, I was already intending to decline the job regardless of what they offered.
My ability to tell fact from fiction wasn’t sensing any lies, but omissions and carefully worded sentences were always something of a red flag.
The mist shifted, and an image of a silver ring with a clear stone in the middle appeared. “This would be your compensation.”
I scoffed. “I don’t wear jewelry.”
The voice’s haunting laughter echoed around the room. “But this is no ordinary piece of jewelry, Mr. Barrett. This is a shifting House ring.”
I watched as intricate lines changed directions with each transformation and the colors of each House flashed at the center. Red for Blood and Beryl, the home of vampires and misfits. Green for Earth and Emerald, another popular place for witches and people that like to be left alone. Then, there was an iridescent color for Fire and Fluorite, the House currently most likely to fall apart, filled with hot-headed shifters.
The ring disappeared before it finished showing me each of the Houses that had once been what the humans called states and countries.
“This ring will allow you to move through the Houses without hassle,” Johnathon said. “It is the only one of its kind and will be yours upon completion of the contract, should you accept.”
My eyes stared at the mist where the ring had been pictured. No Man’s Land had its problems, but I’d done enough damage to be left alone for the most part. While the idea of being able to slip in and out of the Houses without making noise was tempting, I still wasn’t sold.
Just as I was about to reject the offer, the mist shifted again, showing more images. First, it was a burning building with blue flames, then it was a young woman with light-blonde hair blowing behind her. I couldn’t see her face, but the energy she was shooting around was dark and ravaging everything in its path.
The third was of three small children, all younger than the age of ten. Two boys and one girl with tattered clothes and dirtied, bruised faces. Their lifeless bodies were tangled around each other inside a metal box, eyes thankfully all closed.
The image changed to a video. The witch was holding a little girl in her grasp, one with rosy cheeks and dark hair just like my little sister had.
My jaw cracked, and every inch of me burned with fury as I blinked, reminding myself that the girl in the video wasn’t my Addie, but she was still someone’s daughter and maybe sister. An innocent soul that hadn’t deserved to have energy sucked from her as I watched the witch do.
As the color faded from the young girl’s face, the witch carelessly dropped her to the ground. Just before she turned around, the scene faded away.
“These are just a few examples of the disasters we’ve stumbled upon,” Johnathon spoke darkly, his tone matching my decreasing mood.
I sat up from the couch, my shoulders stiffening, and my feet dropped back to the carpeted floor. I didn’t know these children. They were nothing to me. But that didn’t matter, not after what happened to my sister. Anyone who would harm children deserved to die. Mercilessly.
“Where do I find her?” I demanded.
The glee in the disguised voice wasn’t to be missed. “She’s hidden in a coven. Her story is that she has hardly any magic, but do not believe her lies. No truths pass between her lips.”
After seeing all those children, that wasn’t going to be a problem. My hands squeezed shut so tightly that my knuckles popped.
“Send me the coven information and I’ll leave straight away,” I said, my voice gravelly.
“Very well, Mr. Barrett.” Another image began to appear. “One last thing. This is the witch you will be looking for.”
Within the mist was a portrait of a woman in her late twenties—maybe early thirties—with long hair that wasn’t as blonde as I’d thought before. It was more of a platinum-white, ending just above her hips.
Her red lips were full and cheekbones sharp, giving her an exotic look when combined with her glowing, beige skin. Lastly, her eyes captured my attention. A light blue with a darker outer ring framed by long, thick lashes.
I wouldn’t deny she was stunning to the eye, but I also knew her image could have been concocted. False beauty to further help the witch’s search for power that didn’t belong to her.
The mist began to retreat, and the edges of the parchment started to burn.
Whoever had sent this request had gone through a lot of effort to keep their identity hidden. That was normally a hard pass for me, but seeing those children had flipped a switch inside me.
This witch had to pay.
“That is all we have for you,” the voice said. “The coordinates, along with any pertinent details, will replace this message. We’ll be in touch once you’ve returned home.”
As soon as he’d stopped speaking, ashes fell onto the floor between my legs, then a piece of paper floated down on top of the pile. I stared at it for several moments.
As much as I’d wanted to leave this alone, I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep after seeing what I had. I needed to figure out what the hell was going on.
Not for me, but for the memory of Addie.
I’d find the witch who had killed those kids, and I’d deliver the suffering that was rightly deserved.
Chapter 2
KINSLEY
I sat at the edge of my coven within the House of Earth and Emerald, staring up at the bright moon. The surrounding trees hid me from the view of the coven, and I closed my eyes, trying to soak up the energy I could feel moving around me.
After all these years, one would think I’d have accepted my lot in life, but I hadn’t been able to. Well, not entirely.
There were pieces I’d grown used to, like accepting how people had first seen me as nothing more than the orphan witch to be pitied. When I’d grown older, their view of me had changed to the weak…broken one to be kept at a distance.
Nobody wanted to be friends with a witch whose parents had abandoned her and who couldn’t fully access her magic. After being kept at arm’s length from my fellow coven members, I’d finally learned to stop caring what they thought and focus on what I believed.
Hiding in the woods, staying home by myself, training in the gym, talking to the moon as if it was my only friend… I had to discover what else was out in the world.
Though, my lack of a House ring prevented me from leaving anytime soon. Unless I wanted to risk No Man’s Land on my own.
I’d been told that I wasn’t allowed to have a ring for my own protection. That it wasn’t safe outside of the protection of our coven for a nearly no-powered witch. That I was best with the ones who protected me.
There seemed to be a thin line between protection and captivity.
Though, No Man’s Land was no joke. I wasn’t naïve enough to think I could survive that cesspool on my own, and I’d yet to make any friends I could rely on that would watch my back when I finally fled the coven.
With a heavy sigh, I pushed up to my feet and gave the moon one last glance. “I guess it’s time to go back to my cell…house.”
If I were being honest with myself, I’d admit that the coven hadn’t treated me badly. I’d been given food and clothes and always had a roof over my head, but there had never been a “home” for me.
No pseudo parents who gave a shit about me, merely rotating caregivers who made sure I never got into trouble. Once I’d become an adult, and it became clear that I wasn’t going to be some remarkable witch, I’d been transitioned from living with different families every few months to a small studio space above the coven’s gym.
My feet began carrying me back toward my apartment, and I shoved my hands in the pockets of my jeans as I trudged through the grassy field.
When I’d made it a dozen or so feet from the treeline, something stirred behind me. My shoulders stiffened and I glanced up, spotting the main part of the coven a mere fifty yards ahead of me. If I was a normal witch, I could simply teleport back to my house, but of course, I couldn’t even conquer the most menial of magic abilities.
Knowing that and hearing whatever was behind me getting closer, I tilted my chin up, hung my arms loose at my sides, and strode forward as if I didn’t have a clue that someone was lurking in the shadows.
If I was attacked, I wouldn’t be completely defenseless. A benefit to failing all of my magic teachings was that I’d at least used those disappointments to excel in combat classes. Plus, living above the gym gave me all the after-hours access to training that I could want.
Physically, I could take down a couple-hundred-pound man, so there was at least that.
Another ten feet closer to the coven and my chest was feeling a little lighter. Maybe I’d just been imagining whatever I thought I’d heard in the trees…or maybe not.
“Kinsley Ash,” a deep man’s voice said from behind me.
I couldn’t have heard him correctly. Nobody would ever be out here looking for me specifically.
A random attacker, sure, but someone using my full name? Not likely. I kept walking.
“Stop,” the same voice demanded.
My left foot paused in the air, almost as if his command were laced with magic, but it didn’t quite stick.
I slowly turned around, widening my stance and preparing myself for a fight.
If this guy wanted me, I wasn’t going to be taken easily.
He stepped out of the shadows from the forest, and I sucked in a breath when my eyes took in his dark glare.
My heart momentarily stopped before it began racing again, and I felt myself being drawn toward the rigid stranger.
Mate.
This man… He was… Mine.
Feelings erupted inside me that I’d never experienced. My skin heated and my mouth ran dry while my heart felt like it was going to beat right out of my chest.
Was he going to take me away from this lowly existence I’d been living? Was this the answer I’d been searching for all these years while standing under the night’s moon?
“I’m going to kill—” His words cut off as I assumed he’d finally realized the same thing I had.
We were mates. A bond created by the fates that could tie us together for life.
Yet, I hadn’t missed the malice in his previous words or the way the moonlight showcased dark, menacing eyes directed right at me.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” he snarled. Then he quickly added, “I reject you, Kinsley Ash.”
Five words. That was all it took to cut me down.
To smother the softer emotions I’d so easily clung to for those brief seconds.
To shred any hope that I’d had for a life more than what I’d always known.
