Fire Within Read online

  Table of Contents

  ~ Acclaim for Ally Shields ~

  ~ Look for these titles from Ally Shields ~

  Copyright Warning

  ~ Dedication ~

  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

  Epilogue

  ~ About the Author ~

  ~ Coming Soon ~

  ~ Also by Ally Shields ~

  ~ More Fantasy from Etopia Press ~

  ~ Acclaim for Ally Shields ~

  Praise for Awakening the Fire (Guardian Witch #1)

  “I can't wait for the rest of the series from this exciting new author because I will definitely be reading them all.”

  5 Stars from The Romance Studio

  “If you love paranormal and a good mystery, then I can't recommend this book enough.”

  5 Stars from Paranormal Romance Guild

  “Vampires, werewolves, and witches oh my! In a journey through a magical world...a witch named Arianna will have you lost under her spell.”

  5 Stars from I Heart Books

  ~ Look for these titles from Ally Shields ~

  Now Available

  The Guardian Witch Series

  Awakening the Fire (Book 1)

  Coming Soon:

  Burning Both Ends (Book 3)

  Blood and Fire (Book 4)

  Fire Within

  Guardian Witch Book Two

  Ally Shields

  Copyright Warning

  EBooks are not transferable. They cannot be sold, shared, or given away. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is a crime punishable by law. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded to or downloaded from file sharing sites, or distributed in any other way via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000 (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/).

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are fictitious or have been used fictitiously, and are not to be construed as real in any way. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales, or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  Published By

  Etopia Press

  1643 Warwick Ave., #124

  Warwick, RI 02889

  http://www.etopia-press.net

  Fire Within

  Copyright © 2013 by Ally Shields

  ISBN: 978-1-939194-41-1

  Edited by Nancy Cassidy

  Cover by Amber Shah

  All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  First Etopia Press electronic publication: March 2013

  ~ Dedication ~

  To the readers who have embraced Ari and her world, I can't thank you enough. To my critique partner, Kathleen Marsh, who challenges me to do better; my family and friends who are incredibly supportive; and to the wonderful people who brought it all together: editor, Nancy Cassidy; cover artist, Amber Shah; and the entire staff at Etopia Press.

  Chapter One

  Eddie West, crime reporter for The Clarion, slumped in the hard plastic chair of the Olde Town jail’s visitor room. His round, human face, usually boyish and open, reflected exhaustion, even depression. And something else Ari couldn’t quite identify. His negative energy sent spider feet across the back of her neck, and she stifled an urge to rub the sensation away. To stop the distraction, she locked down part of her extra senses.

  Ari studied the prisoner while she tried to think of what to say. Shouting and screaming wouldn’t help. Eddie’s freckles, usually an appealing feature which made him look much younger than his twenty-five years, popped out like chicken pox, and beads of sweat dotted his upper lip and forehead. Red-rimmed eyes looked everywhere but at her.

  If it had been a normal interrogation, Ari would have relished his discomfort. Nervous suspects tended to give themselves away. But Eddie was a friend. A good friend. And a witch in her line of work didn’t have that many. Not everyone was willing to befriend a supernatural cop with powers that usually made humans twitchy. Ari turned her face away, waiting until she had control of her expression. Sympathy wasn’t what Eddie needed right now.

  “I thought about this all the way over,” she began, shaking her head, “and I still don’t believe it. Murder?” She glared at him. “What the hell were you thinking? What kind of solution is that?”

  Eddie’s gaze darted to her for an instant. His jaw set in a determined line. “You can’t fix this, Ari. It’s too late. Just leave me alone.”

  She blinked in surprise. What was with his attitude?

  Eddie wasn’t finished. “In fact, why the visit? I didn’t call you. Didn’t ask for help. Because I didn’t want to talk to anybody.” He hesitated and his Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. “So, why are you here? Think you can make this go away with a little bit of magic?”

  Ari snorted. For a guy who didn’t want to talk, he was rattling on about nothing. Nerves, maybe. He’d never been in jail before. She knew because she’d checked his rap sheet. Two old speeding tickets. She noted his copper hair was scruffy this morning; his jail clothes crumpled from tossing and turning in his sleep, if he’d slept at all. He’d spent the night in a cold, uncomfortable holding cell. In another person, that might explain the belligerent attitude, except this was Eddie—usually steady and easy going.

  “It’ll take more than magic to get you out of this mess. You’re in serious trouble.” Ari sighed, crossed her legs, and pushed a strand of long blonde hair behind one ear. “You know why I’m here. You killed a vampire. That’s my territory, my jurisdiction. Did you think you wouldn’t have to face me?”

  Eddie squirmed in his seat; one hand rubbed the knee of his ill-fitting blue jumpsuit. The hand trembled. Ari refused to concentrate on his obvious distress, ignoring her urge to offer support.

  “There’s nothing for you to investigate,” he muttered. “I already told them what happened. Go home.”

  “Oh. Well, fine. We’ll just let them lock you up for most of your life. Or worse. No reason to do my freaking job. Or worry about my friend. You’re being held for the first degree murder of a vampire. You know what happens if they find you guilty.”

  Eddie flinched but said nothing. She took it as a good sign. Maybe he’d realized how bad this was. Under the 1990s amended version of the McFarland treaties—named after the first U.S. Senator who pushed for recognition—and the New Civil Rights Act, the vampires and other races with extended life spans had demanded control over the penalty phase of Otherworld murder cases. In exchange for immediate execution sentences for a number of crimes against humans by vampires, the vampires had received the sole right to determine the punishment for murdering a vampire. With a penalty that stiff, vampire hunting, once considered a safety precaution or even a sport, soon became nearly extinct.

  Reactions to the treaties and legislation changes had been mixed—still were—but both sides had accepted that you couldn’t kill anyone without severe punishment.

  Ari tilted her head in an effort to read Eddie
’s face, maybe catch his gaze, but his focus remained glued to the table. “I heard you confessed. And they found you with Jules’s body. Do you have a lawyer?”

  He shook his head. “Don’t need or want a lawyer. I can handle this.”

  Ari gave an impatient flip of her hand. “Yeah, right. You’ve shown such good judgment up to now. Get yourself a lawyer.”

  She was walking a fine line. As the investigator for the Magic Council, the governing body for the magical races, she needed to ask questions, get the facts. As Eddie’s friend, she didn’t want to push him into confessing again or giving her the damning details. If he did, she’d have to report his admissions to Lt. Ryan Foster, her human police partner on joint investigations. And Ari already had more than enough to report. She sighed, wishing Eddie had never confided to her about his troubles with the now-dead victim.

  “What could a lawyer do? Maybe you should have helped me when I asked.”

  She looked at him sharply. “So, you blame me for this?”

  He kept his gaze averted, smoothing his jumpsuit again. “I tried to tell you.”

  Ari leaned back in the chair and watched his discomfort. Eddie’s words explained his sour attitude. A month ago he’d come to her office seeking advice as a friend and complaining that the victim was dating his sister Lorraine. Eddie wanted the relationship to end. “I think she’s agreed to a vampire bond,” he’d shouted. Ari had been stunned by his vehemence, and she’d tried to reason with him. Consenting adults, the course of true love, all the arguments for Eddie not to interfere, but he’d been adamant that Jules was ruining his sister’s life.

  “Are you suggesting you had no other choice? When I told you the bond was permanent and could only be broken when one of the two died, I didn’t expect you to go out and kill him.”

  “She’s free now, isn’t she?”

  Holy crap. Until today Ari had assumed Eddie had adjusted to the situation. Now the vampire was dead, and Eddie was under arrest. Ari wondered if she had inadvertently suggested the solution.

  She drummed her nails gently on the cool top of the metal table, her bracelet of protective charms—silver cross, vial of holy water, amulets—jingling against the surface. When Eddie glanced at her hand, she stopped.

  Ari allowed the silence in the cramped visitor’s room to lengthen. The black-and-white NO SMOKING sign bolted to the stark white wall seemed to be the only thing interested in making a statement. She crinkled her nose against the scrubbed, antiseptic smell and checked her watch. Not much time left in the fifteen-minute visit. Of course, she could extend it, but Eddie’s anger and evasiveness had her baffled. When she had arrived, she’d hoped he could convince her this was a mistake, that he had an alibi. Instead, he’d offered nothing at all.

  “Fine, if that’s all you’ve got to say, you can deal with the PD. But don’t fool yourself that refusing to talk about last night will get you out of this. They have your confession and corroborating evidence. All they need is a strong motive, which we both know you had.” Ari shoved back her chair. “Maybe Lorraine can tell me what tipped the scales. Give me some reason that could lessen the charge or the punishment.”

  Bringing up his sister’s name was a calculated risk.

  Immediate anger flashed across Eddie’s face. “Leave her out of this! I’m warning you, don’t bother my sister. She doesn’t need any more grief.”

  “You think I don’t know that? But you’re leaving me no alternative. The police will talk to her, too. And whose fault is that?” She studied his pinched face and tried again. “Let me help you. Make some sense out of this.”

  She saw him hesitate, waver, then his chin rose. “Forget it. And stay away from my family.” He got to his feet, his back rigid, unyielding. “Where’s the guard? We’re done.” He pounded on the metal door until the guard came.

  The grim-jawed jailor rapped his baton on the door and motioned for the prisoner to back away. “Finished, Ms. Calin?”

  She shrugged. “I guess.”

  They left, and Eddie didn’t look back.

  Annoyed with the course of the interview, Ari followed them down the hall, then turned toward the stairs to the main building of the Riverdale police annex. What a way to start the morning. She rubbed her temple. It was about to get worse.

  Ari exited the stairway onto the third floor of the four-story building that housed the Westside contingency of the all-human Riverdale Police Department. The main building was in the new downtown area several miles away. As she approached Lieutenant Foster’s office, the 1900s gray floors and mostly barren walls did nothing to lighten her mood. She noted the framed photos as she passed: retired Chiefs, mostly dead now, and officers killed on duty. The only break in solemnity was a cartoon someone had taped across Ryan’s door. A cop says to a suspect in custody, “You got an alibi?” Suspect: “No, sir.” Cop: “Don’t worry, your lawyer will give you one.” Ha, ha. Cop humor.

  Ryan Foster half rose in his desk chair and grinned when Ari stuck her head in the doorway. “Figured I’d see you this morning. Coffee?” He reached for his phone without waiting for an answer and ordered two cups. They’d worked on enough joint investigations that he knew her fondness for caffeine. Coffee, diet cola, chocolate.

  She pulled up a chair. Despite her absorption with Eddie’s problem, she couldn’t help admiring the scenery across from her. Six foot and lean; curly, blond hair—the kind a gal itches to run her fingers through—and blue trust-me eyes. That was the surface. Underneath lived the decorated Marine with the steely eyes that showed during interrogations.

  Ryan and Ari had dated three or four times in the last few months. River boating, hikes along the cliffs. They shared a cynical sense of humor, and she enjoyed his company. But the spark wasn’t there. She viewed him as a buddy, a good buddy. Most of the time anyway. Ryan harbored other ideas but wasn’t pushing it. Claris, her best friend and confidant, thought Ari was nuts not to snap him up. Claris could be right.

  “How was your holiday?” he asked.

  “Spent it with Claris and her boyfriend Brando. Grilled steaks, did a few sparklers. Nothing big.”

  “No date?”

  Not very subtle, she thought and returned a dismissive shrug. “Somehow guys are turned off by females who could obliterate them with fire and habitually carry guns and knives. What did you do?”

  “Family barbeque. Ate way too much. My pager kept going off from all the disorderly conduct arrests. Mom took the interruptions in stride, until I got called away on this murder case.”

  “At least you got a call. I didn’t. No one paged me until this morning. What happened with that?”

  His face creased with immediate remorse. “Just a crazy mix up. I thought they’d called you. And dispatch thought I’d made the call.” He shook his head. “What can I tell you? It was the 4th of July. Too many calls, too many chances for error. It was our screw up. When you didn’t show at the scene, I figured you were out of town at your grandparents. My mistake. Next time, I’ll check.”

  Huh. Ari wanted to protest—remind him she’d never gone out of town without notifying him, but instead, she said, “It’s OK.” It wasn’t, of course, but complaining now was a waste of time. What was done was done. “But it’s going to take me time to catch up.”

  “I appreciate you not making a big deal of this, but it’s not OK with me. Especially on this case. I have a dispatch officer tightening our procedures so it won’t happen again.” His office door opened and a clerk interrupted with their coffee. As soon as the woman was gone and they were fortified with caffeine, Ryan leaned backed and crossed his arms, watching Ari. “Have you talked with Eddie yet?”

  She noted the defensive posturing. It took her a minute to realize Ryan thought she might be angry with him over Eddie’s arrest. Or maybe a little worried she’d think they deliberately kept her from the crime scene. Well, the thought had crossed her mind. Oh, yeah. But Ryan wouldn’t do that. She accepted the screw-up explanation because she knew her pa
rtner. He was born a boy scout.

  “I just came from seeing Eddie, for all the good it did.” Despite her frustration, she forced warmth into her voice. She didn’t want Ryan to misinterpret her mood as a grudge over the botched notification. “He won’t talk to me. Any clue what that’s about?”

  Ryan’s eyebrows shot up. “No, I figured he’d spill it all as soon as you got here. In fact, I counted on it. We don’t know exactly how or why this happened. I’d sure like to hear his side of the story.”

  “That makes two of us. But no luck. What did he tell the responding officers?”

  “Hardly anything, except the confession. They found him in the parking lot standing next to the dead body. When they asked what happened, he said, ‘I did it.’ Then he clammed up. Now all we get is name, rank, and serial number.”

  She nodded absently. “Same attitude I got. The desk officer said it was a shooting?” She flipped her hair back to avoid dunking it in the coffee cup and sipped the hot liquid. When she realized Ryan hadn’t answered yet, she looked up. “Is there a problem with the cause of death?”

  He cleared his throat. “There could be.”

  “Why?” Ari frowned, puzzled. “What did the medical examiner say?”

  “Not enough.” Ryan sighed and met her gaze. “It was a night of mistakes. The patrol officers didn’t know anything about vampire biology.”

  Ari groaned. She knew what was coming. She’d had enough contact with the Riverdale Police Department over the last thirteen months to realize that regular patrol cops had limited experience with vampire deaths or Otherworld forensics. Most recruits and even experienced PD officers had never seen a vampire corpse. The vampires maintained a secretive community, and the rare deaths—usually at the hands of another vampire—weren’t reported to outside authorities, not even to her bosses at the Magic Council. The officers wouldn’t have known the basics.