Kissed by Fire Read Free

what with throwing people in dungeons and the daily
floggings. Not to mention the weekly beheadings.”
    Kabita snorted. “Yeah, whatever. Listen.” She
shoved a file across the desk. “Trevor Daly was in this morning and
brought me this.”
    I rolled my eyes. Trevor, despite being
seriously gorgeous, was a royal pain in the ass if I ever met one,
but I took the file anyway. That was the deal. The government paid
us big bucks, we did what they wanted. Mostly.
    “There’s a Keres loose in the neighborhood,”
she continued.
    My eyebrows went up. “No kidding?” Keres were
death spirits. Incredibly rare and incredibly difficult to kill. It
usually took a witch. A witch like Kabita.
    “Why me? That one’s more up your alley.”
    Kabita shook her head. “Not this time. I have
some things I need to take care of.” Again that flash of something
in her eyes. There for a moment, then quickly hidden.
    I eyed her over the file. Fine lines between
her eyes told me there was something going on. Something wrong.
“Tell me.”
    She sighed. “My cousin. I haven’t seen her in
several years, but we were close as children. I got a call from my
brother Dex last night. She was murdered two days ago.”
    “Shit, Kabita, I’m sorry.”
    She shrugged. “These things happen sometimes.
She knew the risks.” It sounded cold, but I knew better. Kabita
kept her pain to herself. It was just her way.
    I frowned. “The risks? Was she into drugs or
something?”
    She gave me The Look. “Don’t be daft, Morgan.
She was MI8.”
    Well slap me with a wet noodle. MI8 was the
British intelligence agency responsible for handling paranormal
activity, mythical creatures, and things that go bump in the night.
MI8 had “officially” ceased operations after World War II, but they
continued their work in secret though they didn’t have the power
they once did. They were the ones that locked my ass up back in the
day to see if I would turn after my attack. I guess that explained
why Kabita was able to get me out of MI8 custody. Go Kabita.
    “Double shit. Vamp? Demon?” MI8 agents didn’t
get murdered by normal people. Mostly because normal people didn’t
even know MI8 existed.
    “I don’t know, but Dex asked me to come.” Her
face turned hard and cold, which was sort of spooky on a face made
for laughter and smiles. “I’m going to kill the son of a bitch who
hurt my family.”
    Oh, yeah, this was serious. Kabita never
swore. “Fine. Sounds like a plan. I’m going with you. Give me two
hours. I’ll do this hunt while you make the arrangements. You are
not doing this thing alone.”
    Her smile was tight and her eyes hard and
sharp as flint. “Thanks.”
    I shook my head. “That’s what friends are
for.”
    “I know what this might cost you.”
    She meant going back. Returning to London
where I’d died. Or not-died. Or whatever. But she was wrong. I
loved London. Always had. I was drawn to it.
    Plus the vampire that had killed me was still
out there. It was time for a little payback, not just for Kabita’s
cousin, but for me.
    “You’re wrong Kabita.” I stood up and headed
for the supply room. I’d need some salt and a few other bits and
pieces if I was going to hunt down a Keres. At the door I turned
back. “It won’t cost me a thing. I plan on collecting on an old
debt.” I could feel the smile stretching across my face. It wasn’t
a happy smile.
    For the first time Kabita looked just a
little bit scared. I wasn’t sure if she was scared of me or for me.
Then she smiled back. “Two hours.”
    And her smile was fearsome.
     
     
     

Chapter Two
     
     
    Two hours wasn’t much time to take care of a
Keres, especially since I wasn’t a witch. So I made a quick phone
call.
    “Majicks and Potions. Eddie here.” Eddie
Mulligan ran an occult shop in Portland and had helped me out on
more than one occasion. It had been Eddie who’d taught me what he
knew about the Darkness and how to control it. More or less.
    “Hi,