Familiar Territory Read online

  Familiar Territory

  RELUCTANT FAMILIAR MYSTERIES, Volume 1

  Sam Cheever

  Published by Electric Prose Publications, 2017.

  This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

  FAMILIAR TERRITORY

  First edition. November 2, 2017.

  Copyright © 2017 Sam Cheever.

  ISBN: 978-0999170335

  Written by Sam Cheever.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Familiar Territory (RELUCTANT FAMILIAR MYSTERIES, #1)

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  CHAPTER ONE

  WHAT’S NEXT?

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  INDEPENDENCE IS THE most important thing to LA...but can she live with herself if her freedom ends up costing her family their lives?

  She’d watched a friend succumb to the smothering control of another magical user. She’d made a promise to herself it would never happen to her. For centuries her family has worn the badge of Familiar proudly, serving a long line of powerful Witches and becoming as formidable as the ones they served. But LA doesn’t believe she needs a Familiar alliance to be strong.

  Until people she cares about begin disappearing...turning up dead.

  Until a powerful and handsome male Witch walks into her life and forges an inadvertent magic bond while trying to save her life.

  Now she finds herself in exactly the position she never wanted. But she quickly realizes she can’t save her friends and family alone. So it comes down to losing her independence or watching everyone she cares about die.

  Will LA find a way to keep her independence and still save the people she cares about most? Or will her burning need for freedom be the cause of their deaths?

  I don’t give away a lot of books. But I value my readers and, to show it, I'm gifting you a copy of a novella from my fun Silver Hills Mystery series just for signing up for my newsletter!

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  CHAPTER ONE

  THE STUPID CAT WAS going to be the death of me.

  He crouched beneath a rusted out cabinet and hissed whenever I moved. Every time I spoke to the bedraggled creature it spat at me and backed more deeply into the shadows underneath the cabinet. All I could see was the glow of his large green eyes. Beautiful eyes. Just about the only attractive thing about the ugly critter.

  Including his personality.

  “Come on, buddy. I promise I only want to help.”

  The cat yowled fervently, ending the long complaint with a hiss that promised me pain if I tried to get any closer.

  I sighed my frustration, sitting back on my heels to think. I’d been chasing the recalcitrant feline for almost a week, and I’d been unable to lure it out with any of my usual tricks. The difficult creature had already snubbed kibble, tuna, even a can of delectable anchovies I’d dug out of the back of my pantry. I was at a loss. He didn’t seem in the least inclined to let me “save” him.

  I had only one last option and I was reluctant to use it. It was too easy and way too tempting. But it was starting to look like I wasn’t going to have a choice.

  Standing up, I quickly glanced around to make sure I wasn’t being watched. The fenced in lot was empty except for me and the cat, and the street beyond the fence was quiet. Most of my neighbors were already at work, and the ones who weren’t were probably still asleep.

  The coast was clear.

  But was my conscience?

  I eyed the cat and earned another hiss for my trouble. That hiss twanged my last nerve. “Okay, fuzzface. That’s it. You and I need to have a meeting of the minds.”

  The cat moved slightly forward as if drawn by my angry tones. I was surprised, but then the animal hadn’t done anything I expected so far. It made a twisted kind of sense that he would continue to catch me off guard.

  I gave it one more second’s thought and then made my decision. The cat watched me as I walked to a spot several feet away and sat down, crossing my legs and spreading my hands on my knees.

  The feline’s intelligent green gaze was filled with anticipation, as if he knew what I was about to do. I don’t know how. Even I wasn’t entirely sure if I was actually going through with it. I only knew I needed to do something or the cat underneath the cabinet would be lost.

  So I closed my eyes and focused my thoughts inward, searching for the core of energy that pulsed in my breast. My tentative exploration was all too eagerly received. As I’d feared, the magic flared toward my tentative touch and grabbed hold, surging outward far too fast.

  I panicked and clamped it down, gritting my teeth as the energy tried to break free. I barely managed to wrestle the magic back so I could control it. When I opened my eyes again I gave a yelp of surprise.

  The cat was sitting right in front of me, its wide green eyes narrowed. I clasped my throat. “You scared me half to death.” I smiled. “But I’m glad you showed up so I didn’t need to use...well...you don’t care about that, do you?”

  The cat stared at me another moment and then, when I reached for it, growled and slashed at my hand, ripping several long slices across the back.

  “Ow!”

  He leapt into the air and took off. Before I could even move, the critter had scampered through the gate I’d apparently forgotten to latch, and disappeared.

  “Dammit!” Jumping to my feet, I cradled my bleeding hand, briefly considering trying to go after him. But I couldn’t even see the damnable creature anymore and I had no idea where to look.

  “Are you all right?”

  For the second time in moments I jumped in surprise. I swung around to find a tall man with dark, nearly black hair coming through the gate.

  “I’m sorry to interrupt...” He swung his hands around as if to indicate the area. “...whatever you’re doing here. But I heard you cry out.” His dark silver gaze slid to my hand. “You’re hurt.”

  I covered my hand and pulled my pride around me like a shield. “I’m fine.” Starting toward the gate, I gave the sexy stranger a wide berth, determined to keep my distance. Unfortunately, he reached out and snagged my wrist before I could move past. Electricity surged between us, spitting from our fingertips and merging over our hands in a silvery-blue arc. A jagged volt of energy sliced through me, causing the magic at my core to flare painfully to life.

  To my horror, my cheeks started to sting and my fingernails burned.

  His gaze shot to mine and held. For just the briefest instant, I thought I saw something feral move through the silvery depths but it quickly slid away.

  In a panic, I jerked away from his touch, all but running for the gate. He called out to me but I kept going. Whatever he was, I didn’t like the way he’d affected me and I was going to make sure it never happened again. I didn’t even slow until I reached the shabby, careworn brownstone I called home. Diving through the front door, I slammed it shut and locked it, leaning against the cool wood surface as I tried to calm my pounding heart.

  What had just happened?

  Had I really joined energy with a perfect stranger?

  The im
plications made my stomach tighten with dread. Shaking my head, I pushed away from the door and hurried through the house to the sanctuary in the back. I’d lose myself in work...forget all about the husky-voiced hottie with the intense, silver gaze.

  What had happened between us was just static electricity. Nothing more.

  That was my story and I was going to cling to it with everything I had. Because the alternative was too terrifying to contemplate.

  AN HOUR LATER, AS I was cleaning out a large kennel filled with soiled newspaper shreds and spilled food, my phone rang.

  I pulled my cell from my pocket and looked at the ID, hitting the Answer button. “Hey, Mom.”

  “Peaches. How are you?”

  Judging from the probing quality of her voice, I realized it wasn’t a throwaway question. “I’m fine. Why?”

  “It’s just...well...I felt something a while ago. Something shifted in your universe.”

  Closing my eyes, I fought for calm, understanding that my mother, one of the strongest Familiars I knew, would hear any sign of stress in my tone. “I’ve been trying to catch this stray cat...”

  “No. It’s something else. What happened, LA?”

  Biting back a groan, I tried again to throw her off the scent. “No really, this cat has really been stressing me out.”

  “LA, if that cat doesn’t want to be caught you should respect its wishes. You of all people should understand that.”

  “I know, but it’s so skinny and looks so sick. I’m really afraid it doesn’t have long to live.”

  “You run a sanctuary, Peaches, not a prison ward. Respect the cat’s desire to die on its own terms.”

  She was right. I knew that. But it was killing me. “I know. You’re right.”

  “Now tell me what really happened.”

  Sighing, I rubbed a hand over my eyes, suddenly oh so weary. “It was nothing.”

  “Trust me when I tell you it was something.”

  “The cat scratched me...”

  “Yes?”

  “And this guy asked me if I was all right.”

  Silence beat through the phone lines and I wanted to scream. She was doing exactly what I knew she’d do...assuming the encounter was important somehow. “It was just a guy.”

  “What happened between you?”

  The woman was a Pitbull and she had my life firmly between her teeth, jerking fiercely. She wouldn’t stop tugging until I told her what she wanted to hear. “He was just worried about my bleeding hand. That’s all.”

  “LeeAnn Kristin Mapes...”

  Oh gawd! Not the full name thing. “It was just static electricity!” I shouted into the phone in desperation.

  Unfortunately there was no missing the huge gasp from the other end of the line. “You’ve found him!”

  My head was shaking even before she finished the sentence. “I didn’t find anybody...”

  “You finally found your Witch, LA.”

  “I haven’t found anything of the sort...”

  “What does he look like? Is he handsome?”

  I scrunched up my nose. “What difference does that make?”

  “It makes no difference, but it doesn’t hurt if he’s cute.”

  Rolling my eyes, I looked down as a sleek black cat slipped along my calf. “He’s very cute. Does that make you happy?”

  “Oh, yes!” She actually giggled. I thought I might puke. “I have to call your grandmother.”

  Seeing a way out of the current conversation I eagerly agreed. “Okay, I’ll talk to you lat...”

  “Go see him right now and tell him you’ll do it.”

  My eyes went wide. “Do it?” Good god, don’t let my mother be telling me to have sex with a perfect stranger. My psyche would be permanently dented. I’d never recover.

  “Offer your Familiar services. If he needs references let me know. I have a whole binder full of them.”

  “I don’t even know if he’s a Witch.”

  “When you touched, electricity arched between you, correct?”

  I frowned, unwilling to verify the event for her. “Mom...”

  “Your magic flared didn’t it? You sprouted whiskers and claws?”

  “No, I...”

  “LA, stop denying reality. It’s not healthy. And denying your birthright is even less healthy. Go talk to your Witch and make your blood pact. Now I have to speak to your grandmother. There are many plans to make. We’ll have to have the joining ceremony at Grandmama’s house. This place is under construction...”

  “No, Mom...” But it was no use, I was suddenly talking to air as my mother disconnected, off to run my life for me since obviously I was unable to run it correctly myself.

  If the doorbell hadn’t rung in that moment I might have been able to sit down and figure out a way out of my predicament. But its insistent blaring through the brownstone was impossible to ignore.

  And the person waiting for me on the other side was dangerous to my sanity.

  CHAPTER TWO

  THE DEMON STANDING on my doorstep was the epitome of dangerous. His dark hair shone with blue light as if burnished by the sun, though the day beyond my door was overcast with a coming storm. His midnight gaze flashed and smoldered as he gave me a predatory smile and I steeled myself against his poisonous charm, knowing from experience how vulnerable I was to it. “Hello, lovely.” Brock’s sexy English accent only added to his deadly charm, but it was far from necessary for him to beguile. All he needed to do for that was stand there.

  “Brock. What can I do for you?” Even as I said the words I cringed inwardly. It wasn’t like me to give him an opening like that. Apparently the morning’s events had taken more out of me than I’d realized.

  He leaned closer without even appearing to move. The dark-eyed Demon let his gaze heat as it skimmed over me, making me feel undressed. “I’m glad you asked.” And he really was, because full Demons were just below Familiars in the hierarchy, as destined to serve us as we were destined to serve the Witches.

  Not for the first time, I wondered if that destiny rubbed Brock the wrong way as it did me.

  I stepped backward to escape his heat. “I’m really busy. Did you need something?”

  He chuckled huskily and I closed my eyes, knowing things weren’t going to get better any time soon. “Let me rephrase that. Whatever you’re here for, I’m not interested and I can’t help. But hey,” I grabbed the edge of the door. “Have a nice day.”

  He stopped the door with his foot and pushed inside, forcing me back. “I’m afraid this can’t wait. I’m here at your grandmother’s behest.”

  I barely kept from rolling my eyes. Celeste Mapes was an incredibly intelligent woman, even more powerful than my mother, and as charming and beautiful as she’d been at twenty, but where Brock Duarte was concerned, she had no more common sense than the stupid cat I’d been stalking that morning. “Celeste sent you?”

  He inclined his head and suddenly he was standing wayyyy too close, the heat from his long body like the fires of Hell. “She did.”

  “Why?”

  “We have a situation downtown.”

  “What kind of situation?”

  “I really shouldn’t tell you. This is Celeste’s show...”

  I grabbed the door and tried closing it again. Unfortunately there was a tall, impossibly annoying Demon in the way. “Goodbye, Demon.”

  He tipped his head, giving me a smile that made my bones melt. “But since it’s you and I have a weakness for your cranky, abrasive charm...”

  “Brock...” I warned softly.

  “Missing Familiars.”

  My eyes went wide. “More than one?”

  “Many more. As near as we can tell there are a dozen magical souls missing from the shared web.”

  I frowned, suddenly realizing he was right. I’d felt the difference in the energy the last time I’d connected. Though I’d ignored it because I figured some of the missing were simply cloaking themselves. “Maybe they don’t want to be fou
nd.”

  “Like that cat this morning?”

  I blinked, a knot forming in my gut. “What do you know about the cat?”

  “I know it wasn’t just a cat.”

  I swore softly. On some level I’d known that too. “He was a shapeshifter.”

  “Yes. A Familiar. But he was scared and injured. He’s running from something.”

  “Dangit,” I murmured. “I should have seen it.” The intelligent, probing gaze...the seeming ability to read my actions and anticipate how to avoid them. “You’re right. That cat didn’t want me to catch it.”

  “He doesn’t know whom to trust.”

  In that moment I realized Brock knew more than he was telling me. “What’s going on, Demon?”

  He turned away, heading toward the door. “I’m not at liberty to say.” The annoying creature opened my front door and turned back, his perfectly sculpted lips curving upward. “Celeste needs to see you today. She told me to tell you not to even think about ignoring her summons. If you do she’s perfectly fine with descending on your little sanctuary here.” He stepped through the door. “And she won’t come alone.”

  The door closed softly in his face without him even touching it. I swore again. Hopefully none of my neighbors saw his arrogant little display.

  I shoved the worry back as bigger concerns flared in my mind.

  I’d been summoned by the Queen of Familiars.

  And I realized I’d rather bite my fingers off, one by one, than honor that summons.

  THE SUN WAS BACK, TURNING the water that had gathered on the streets after the heavy rain into a muggy blanket. The humidity made the ninety-degree day almost intolerable. I pulled my elderly two-seater MG into the parking garage beneath my grandmother’s office building and parked in a VIP slot near the elevator. It was one of the few perks I allowed myself that came as the result of my family’s position. And I rarely took advantage of even that in my ongoing efforts to remain my own person, distant in every way from the calling that dogged the members of my family.