Chapter 1

The air was arid as I walked across the dry desert area miles from my home. I was on a quest to stop the bitch who was the absolute curse of my life. The dry wind blew out of the south, a hot tongue of dryness that tried to suck any moisture from anything it touched. I had miles to go just to reach the border of her forest, then I had to struggle even more miles through the thick tangle of underbrush. It was going to be tough going considering I couldn’t really run now, not after what she’d done to me, plus the fact I couldn’t really let anyone see me.

Me? I’m Tyrome Greenstick, retired cop and modern mage extraordinaire. Well, I was till a few days ago. It all started when I met the true bane of my life. Hell, I thought my ex-wife was bad, huh! This bi ... woman mage though, damn good looking and a sweet time in bed, was as alive as a cold, dead, fish. To see her in and out of bed you’d have sworn were two different women. So anyway, a week ago I met her in a bar. You know, knock a few back, watch a game on the tube. I, like every other guy at the bar had to pick his jaw off the floor, when in the front door walked this vision. Slender hips, deep blue eyes, the kind you don’t mind getting lost in, legs that started at her feet and seemed to go on forever.

Her hair was like a fine silk that shimmers in the sun, and her blood red lips had every man in the place hurting for even a taste. About now I was thinking why was a good-looking woman like this, downtown in some seedy bar? Then the biggest shock of all when she stopped in front of me and spoke, “excuse me sir, is this seat taken?” Hell, who was I to say no? Right now, I felt like the luckiest bastard in the place.

“Sure,” I said, “here let me dust it for you,” pulling out a hardly used handkerchief, I cleaned the stool for her.

“You’re very kind,” she said. Then she pulled something from her purse, I immediately recognized it as a spell charm. “There, I think that ought to give us enough time to speak.” Looking around at everyone frozen, I knew we had ‘bout half an hour. “I am sorry I had to resort to this, Mage Tyrome, but you were exceedingly difficult to locate,” she said smirking at me. “I have an address, you could’ve mailed me something faster than working up a freeze spell charm, unless you need the practice?” I hinted to her.

“You might say that I’ve heard around that you, you have a certain set of skills that are required for an uh ... hum ... rescue mission,” she said demurely looking out through her long-painted lashes.

“Mission? I’ve heard no word of rescue missions from the council,” I replied a little taken a back.

“That’s because the council are the ones who are holding my sister captive, you remember that ice caper last month. She was taken prisoner by some low-level mage.” She spit out.”

I wasn’t about to break her bubble since I was the mage to capture her, it had been my last case. I had finally grown tired of the danger and life-threatening jobs I had to do. Looking at her though, I didn’t figure her for just another pretty face getting by on her looks and powers. No this one was up to something; I had the feeling between my shoulder blades that this wasn’t going to end well at all.

“Alright,” I spoke up, “what do you need me for? I heard they had a solid case against her, not much I can do.” “Ah, but there is, strong as my magic is, I’ve heard that you are one of the strongest around,” she said giving me a sorrowful look. Yup, she definitely had something up her sleeve.

I looked at her real close. She was good, but I already knew that her sister was guilty. I had gotten all the evidence against her, as far as I knew, though no one else did.

“Tell you what, let me think on it,” I told her, “Let you know tomorrow.”

“I am afraid Mage Tyrome; I need an answer tonight. We move tomorrow, meet me here and we can discuss, everything and a reward,” she said running her hand up the length of my hardening organ. “I’m sure I can think of something for us to do when we’re done, if you’re up for it.” Damn, I always was a sucker for a tight ass like hers, plus the hypnotic sway of her hips as she moved off. Shaking myself, I was a little worried about what would happen when the charm wore off. A moment later everything was normal.

Everyone acted as if nothing happened.

Getting up, I headed to the back to make a call. Knowing that the woman would have me watched, this would be the only real chance I got. Exiting the bar, I headed back to my little apartment. The second I hit the street I felt the cold, dead eyes of the watchers she had tailing me. Thought I had her pegged right, I knew her type, all smiles ‘til they felt you had betrayed them, then they dealt the most hideous and painful death they could. Yeah, there wasn’t too much in this world as bad as a pissed off bitch. Sighing, I decided I’d better get changed though every one of my senses were tingling with danger, more than I cared to admit. Rounding a corner, I felt a second set of eyes on me. My guys, good, they’d gotten the message.

Changing clothes, I decided that though she wanted this done tomorrow night, I might be safe from her doing anything tonight. Hmm, maybe I’d get lucky after all, then an afterthought, I started working my enchantments anyway. Last time I took a situation for granted, a damn troll almost crushed my head, that was a hundred years ago. Recently the work had started to bore the shit out of me, making me less attentive to everything around me, a sure way to get killed or locked away in some hellish prison. Moving past the window, I could still feel eyes in the street following my shadows every move. Looking at the time I decided I had a few hours for a nap, that is if the dreams would leave me alone. Setting every ward and alarm I could think of, I laid on the bed. Rest would definitely give me an edge.

Several hours later, I jerked awake when I felt my outermost ward shifting from someone entering it. As I sat up, I awaited the inevitable scream that I knew was coming. Sure enough, a minute later there came an ear-splitting scream of terror rising from the bottom floor. Waving a hand at my mirror, I saw the idiot who was trapped in my ward trap. Shaking my head, it always surprised me when people overlooked wards. Most, now a days weren’t that strong. Thing is though, I used a lot older magic than most of the modern mages. Not only didn’t they know it but didn’t know about the older magic. I smiled as I watched the fool start to strangle, then choke. Sighing I released him, wouldn’t do to have the human cops poking around and getting killed. They might be useless dealing with the scum I did, but they did serve a worthy purpose.

Walking down the stairs I watched as the, hmm, not sure he was, tried even harder to escape. Turning off the wards, the ... thing began to spit and curse at me, “You’re next, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! No one can escape her! You can’t..., AAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!”

The next thing I knew he just dissolved, huh strange. Looking where he was, I saw there wasn’t even ash, hell nothing. I had started to reach in to grab my phone, when i felt another pair of dark eyes upon me. Damn, figured a woman like her probably had a multitude lined up to do what she wanted. Hmm, wonder what she’d promised them? Probably wasn’t good for them in the long run. Turning, I went back up to dress for tonight, not sure what she was expecting of me but my senses were telling me to pay closer attention than ever before.

I wasn’t that sure what she was or what she had in mind. It seemed the woman had an unnatural beauty and charm to her. I headed back to the bar; the sound of my foot falls heavy in my ears. Awful quiet for this time of the evening. Walking into the bar, there were only two others there besides the bartender from the looks of them they were well into their cups. Stopping a moment, I thought of this afternoon. Walking past the two men, I noticed neither wore the stench of alcohol, now I was glad I had prepared.

A few moments later she seemed to float in the door, I tried not to stare at the shorter hem line she was now sporting. Like earlier today, every man in the place had to pull their jaws off the floor.

Sitting in a booth, I sat across from her. Slowly she pulled another charm out, effectively freezing the bar.

“Now,” she sexily smiled, “Here’s what I have so far.” For the next twenty-nine minutes she described, in detail, the prison I knew intimately from working there. Standing she took my arms as I stood, the bar was back again, and we exited. Hailing a cab we took a half hour trip out of the city, stopping before a large two-story building, actually a mansion. I had to say this one was well connected to say the least.

Walking in we were met by more of the ... still couldn’t identify them, imagine a large puppet with small horns, a small ridge of spines down the back, short fangs, and more hair than I’d seen on even a few werewolves that I’d worked with. Walking in, I saw she has a small army of these things. Huh, the lady had been busy.

“Now that we’ve got the plan down, let’s say we relax,” she said as she waved her hand and was suddenly naked before me. Damn! I had to say she appeared to be perfect. Her tight butt, the untouched breasts, her trimmed pubic hair, hell her organ was drooling and the odor coming from her was starting to work on me. Snapping my fingers, I too was naked. Picking her up, I carried her upstairs. Every one of her army watching me, a sinister, twisted look coming from each and every one of them.

By now I was to the point, I didn’t care, nor was I noticing the warning signs. Placing her on the bed, I decided I should start before she changed her mind. Pushing her legs apart, I feasted on her beauty until she was begging me to take her. Rising up, I drove full length, into her. Her screams of pleasure causing me to go harder and harder in her until she shrieked, she locked her legs around me. I felt her body convulsing her muscles squeezing my member, trying to draw my seed out. Finally, she started bucking even harder as I began to pass a large amount of my seed within her. Both of us exhausted, I tried to stay awake, I managed to place a dozen wards before I passed out.

I jerked awake an hour later as several of her army were trying to break through my wards. Two were already dead with a few more about to join them. I reached over to wake her but found nothing there. Looking around, I saw that she’d gone out another way. Snapping my fingers, it took a moment for my clothes to come. I should have headed to the council that moment, then this would have been over within two hours, did I? Hell no! As usual, I really didn’t trust the council now, especially after an ex-lover of mine had been elected to it and I had turned them down again for the tenth time in a hundred years.