How to be a Mermaid (The Cotton Candy Quintet #1)(47)
The Falling in Deep Collection Scales by Pauline Creeden Ink: A Mermaid Romance by Melanie Karsak Of Ocean and Ash by A. R. Draeger Deep Breath by J. M. Miller At the Heart of the Deep by Carrie Wells The Mermaid’s Den by Ella Malone How to be a Mermaid by Erin Hayes The Water is Sweeter by Eli Constant The Glass Mermaid by Poppy Lawless An Officer & a Mermaid by Blaire Edens Cold Water Bridegroom by B. Brumley Before the Tide by Emily Goodwin Immersed by Katie Hayoz Siren’s Kiss by Margo Bond Collins To Each His Own by Anna Albergucci
The adventure continues with Jordyn’s story in...
Coming October 2 as part of The Witching Hour Collection.
BONUS Sneak Peek:
Damned if I Do
The Harker Trilogy Book One
by Erin Hayes
Coming September 14, 2015
Preorder it from Amazon
They killed my sister and infected me.
Now I have to pick up the pieces before I die.
I’ve spent the last five months trying to find the bastard who did this. Yet, even with the help of a hot amnesiac vampire named Jude, I’ve had zero luck.
Until now. And it could change everything. Even though I grew up in a family that hunted the supernatural, there were still things I didn’t believe in.
Now I have to hurry for the slim chance that I could save us all. Because when you fight against immortal vampires, you’re the one who’s running out of time.
“Edie, did you have to go with something so...loud?” my older sister Meghan asks me as we walk out to the car.
I shift my shopping bags to my right hand so I can flip my long, pitch black hair with blue highlights over my shoulder in an exaggerated fashion. My hair has been freshly dyed during our shopping trip for last-minute Christmas gifts as a present to myself.
“I kinda like it.”
Meghan rolls her eyes and fishes her keys out of her pocket. “We both know the truth.”
I snicker. “That you’re jealous?”
“Uh huh, Edie,” she says with a good-natured grin. “Sure.”
It’s just after six o’clock on Christmas Eve, and Barton Creek Mall’s parking lot is empty of all cars except for Meghan’s CR-V. We spent a lot longer than expected gathering gifts for Amelia and Graeme, Meghan’s daughter and husband. We have more bags than what’s appropriate, but I’m feeling pumped at the prospect of seeing my three-year-old niece’s face when she opens these gifts. I picked out a camo bear at Build-A-Bear Workshop for her and dressed it in an adorably cute tutu with a tee that says, “I’m Unbearably Cool”. It’s perfect for Amelia despite Meghan’s protests that the camo is for boys.
The shadows lengthen as we near the CR-V, throwing the whole eastern side of the mall into twilight. We’re having a family dinner with Mike, my boyfriend, and we’re running too late to cook anything. I imagine there will be a spruced up Boston Market rotisserie chicken in our near future.
A chill runs down my spine, as if there are eyes on me. I glance back at the mall, wondering if anyone else has left the building behind us.
I see no one.
I look back at Meghan to see if she senses it too, but she’s too busy checking Facebook on her phone. I hurry my pace and grab her arm.
“Come on.”
She looks at me in curiosity, then, at seeing my face, she immediately goes alert. “What’s wrong?
“Something’s not right. Don’t you feel it?”
She takes my hint and quickens her step, somehow walking faster than me in high heels. I see her hand digging in her purse. Her keys are already out, so I know that she’s digging in there for something else.
“Meghan?” I ask, hoping that I’m crazy and there’s nothing wrong.
There’s a clatter, like someone has kicked gravel behind us.
Meghan whirls back on me in fear, our eyes with their identical shades of hazel clashing against each other. Her eyes plead with me to do something, anything.
Although what, I’ll never know.
They pounce on us.
Vampires.
I don’t even see where they come from as talon-like claws grip my arms, pulling me backwards and separating me from Meghan. I scream her name and flail, helpless in their grasp. I’m strong, but I’m not strong enough to throw off eight vampires holding me inert.
“Edie!” Meghan shrieks, finally freeing what she’s been looking for in her purse.
A wooden stake.
She uses it much like a person with a dagger, flashing it about with deadly efficiency. She manages to catch the closest ones in the chest, the speed of her retaliation surprising our assailants. As she stabs them in the chest and pulls out the stake, they crumple to the ground, gasping in pain as blood spurts forth in an uncontrollable fountain of thick ichor.
Still, more take their place. It’s a full on assault. I can tell that they’ve pulled out all the stops to attack us.
Both Meghan and I have trained for situations like this all our lives, but their sheer numbers overwhelm us. Since I’ve been ambushed and incapacitated, I can’t help my older sister fight them off.
Instead, I’m forced to watch as Meghan spins and fights, parrying their attacks. She’s in a ballet of death at the moment, reminding me why she’s the best at what she does. And she hasn’t even pulled out the big, scary weapon yet. Vampires fall in heaps around her. They may have her outnumbered, but they can’t match her passion.