Shadow RitesJane Yellowrock #10
Slaying vampires is child’s play for skinwalker Jane Yellowrock. But handling the complicated politics of New Orleans’ supernatural players is another story...
Jane is keeping the peace between visiting groups of witches and vamps in the city, but then trouble comes knocking on her doorstep. When her house is magically attacked, the wild chase to find her assailants unearths a mystery that has literally been buried deep.
A missing master vampire, presumed long deceased, is found chained in a pit...undead, raving mad, and in the company of two human bodies. Now it’s up to Jane to find out who kept the vampire hidden for so long and why, because the incident could tip already high supernatural tensions to an all-out arcane war.
Short Story pt.5:
IT’S JUST A DATE Part FIVE
From the world of Jane Yellowrock
Copyright Faith Hunter
The
purple smoke trailing along the middle of the aisle didn’t act like
regular smoke. It didn’t spread out and dissipate into the room. It
didn’t rise as if heated. It moved almost as if with purpose, in a
straight line down the aisle, past our booth, toward the entrance of
Stephan’s. And Commander Walker and his wife who were being seated.
“Problem,” I said, interrupting the waiter’s patter.
“Witch working?” Bruiser asked. He had already seen the smoke.
I sniffed. “Smells like it.”
In
an instant everyone moved. Bruiser ducked out and under the purple
smoke, to the front of Stephan’s to warn the commander and start
clearing the space. Eli went under the table instead of over it and was
in the aisle before I noted he had moved, a small weapon at his thigh in
a two-hand grip. In a fast, bent-kneed walk, he moved to the rear of
the restaurant. The instant he was past, Wrassler stood and pushed the
waiter down and to the side. “Get out!” he whispered in a stage
whisper that carried through half the restaurant. Everyone nearby looked
up. When they moved too slowly, he grabbed up the couple nearest, and
started clearing the place physically. Syl followed Eli, weapon drawn.
Jodi was calling in the local magical HazMat team.
For
once, I stayed seated and took pics, sending them to the Kid and to
Molly, my BFF witch friend with the text, “Problems. Smoke spell.
Suggestions?”
Instantly,
I got a reply from Molly. “GET OUT!!!” All in caps with three
exclamation marks. Instead, I darted into the kitchen and grabbed the
head chef, a sous chef, a desert chef and three scullery types. With the
words, “Terrorist attack. Get out and get under cover,” I shoved them
toward the loading exit, an extra door directly from the kitchen into
the delivery alley. Terrorists was a lie, but terrorist was much likely
to result in compliance than saying magical attack.
“The burners!” the head chef said, pulling away.
“I’ll
get ‘em.” I yanked his collar and shoved harder to the back, bunching
them into a herd and heaving them into the dark. Shutting the door so
they’d think twice about coming back in.
I raced over and cut everything that was hot off. Cow!
Beast thought. The smells were delish and Beast wanted to taste
everything in every pan, especially the half-raw steak. I ignored her
and spun back to the restaurant.
But my way was blocked. By a purple wall of smoke.
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Under the pen name Gwen Hunter, she writes action-adventure, mysteries, and thrillers. As Faith and Gwen, she has 30+ books in print in 29 countries.
Hunter writes full-time, tries to keep house, and is a workaholic with a passion for travel, jewelry making, white-water kayaking, and writing. She and her husband love to RV, traveling with their rescued Pomeranians to whitewater rivers all over the Southeast.
Find Faith online at www.faithhunter.net, her blog, on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads; also www.yellowrocksecurities.com, and www.gwenhunter.com.
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Tour Wide
1 complete set of the Jane Yellowrock series (all 10 novels!), plus one $100 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card.
http://www.ltpromos.com/2016/03/13/faith-hunters-shadow-rites-blog-tour/
US only, no PO Boxes
