Magic & Mistletoe: 15 Paranormal Stories for the Holidays Read online

  “How much did you bring me tonight?”

  The boy held out his hand and a small sack appeared. Impressive. He’d kept it cloaked outside.

  The man peered inside the bag and narrowed his eyes at Oliverio. “This is all?”

  Oliverio bit his lip in an effort not to cry. “Yes, sir.”

  I winced as the older man smacked Oliverio hard across the cheek. “Do better tomorrow or I will deport you myself. Understand?”

  At that moment, Petra alighted from the loft. She looked about thirteen. Her hair was long and blond and she wore a dress that was far too mature for her tender age.

  Oliverio stiffened as she approached them.

  “Rodrigo says I am to work tonight,” she said.

  “Start with the big hotels,” the older man said gruffly. “Promise them an evening filled with magic.”

  She bowed her head and headed for the door.

  “You’re on watch, Rodrigo,” the old man ordered.

  I grabbed Flynn’s hand and we trailed them outside. Once they rounded the corner, I turned visible again.

  “We have to put a stop to this,” I said.

  “Let’s call PAN,” Flynn suggested. “They have agents here in Miami.”

  “And leave poor Petra to spend Christmas Eve on her knees? Not a chance.” I was willing to bet that all those children were magicians. And the old man had threatened Oliverio with deportation, so they were likely undocumented.

  “So much for our calm, romantic evening,” Flynn said.

  “There will be plenty of time for us.” But for now, rest and relaxation would have to take a backseat.

  He kissed my forehead. “A lifetime.”

  I considered the nervous vibe I got from Rodrigo when he spoke to the old man. “Let’s go find our friend in the linen suit and have a little chat.”

  Flynn arched an eyebrow. “A persuasive chat?”

  “Is there any other kind?”

  We located Rodrigo in an alley behind one of the larger hotels. He was holding up his phone in the dim light.

  “Gods above, I think he’s playing Pokémon Go,” Flynn whispered, peering around the corner. He turned back to me. “How do we play this?”

  “Hard and fast,” I said. “Just the way you like it.”

  “Got it.” He leaned over and pressed his lips to mine. “Wish me luck.”

  “You’re not exactly going into battle. The guy is wearing linen.”

  “Do I need the excuse of impending death to kiss the most beautiful djinni in the world?”

  I gripped his belt loop and pulled him closer. “If you promise to be good, I’ll let you unwrap me later.”

  His breath was warm on the curve of my neck. “If you promise to be naughty, I’ll let you do the same.”

  He looked around, making sure the coast was clear before shifting into a white wolf.

  “Really?” I queried. “I thought you’d go bigger.”

  The wolf cocked his head.

  “Nah, you’re right. A bear’s too big for this alleyway. You’d get stuck between the dumpster and the wall.”

  Flynn didn’t wait for a signal. He tore down the alley, snarling and gnashing his sharp teeth. Rodrigo barely had time to glance away from the phone before the wolf was on top of him. I waited until he was firmly pinned beneath one hundred pounds of lupine muscle before I made my appearance. I summoned a khopesh, just to make the moment more intimidating. The Egyptian sickle-sword had a way of making humans talk, although I had a feeling the lone wolf would be enough.

  “Season’s greetings, Rodrigo,” I said. “My name is Alyse Winters and this is my boyfriend, Flynn.”

  Beads of sweat streamed down Rodrigo’s temples. “Please. I don’t want any trouble.”

  “Neither do we,” I said, “yet it still seems to find us.” Always.

  “I’m not the man you want,” he insisted.

  The wolf growled and lowered his teeth closer to Rodrigo’s throat.

  “You’re close enough. Who’s the boss on wheels?” I asked, and raised the khopesh above my head. “And I don’t have time for lies, so don’t risk your life.”

  “I’m already risking my life by talking to you,” he said hoarsely.

  “Seems to me one threat is far more imminent than the other,” I said, pressing the curve of the khopesh against his head. “Now talk.”

  Rodrigo struggled to speak with a wolf on his chest. “His name is Nikolai. He runs a few businesses in town.”

  I laughed. “Businesses? I hardly think employing children as thieves and prostitutes counts as businesses.”

  “They are orphans,” Rodrigo said. “They’d be living on the streets if we didn’t take them in.”

  “And this way is so much better,” I said snidely.

  Rodrigo’s expression darkened. “No, it isn’t.”

  The khopesh dissipated and I gestured for Flynn to shift.

  “Stand up,” I told Rodrigo.

  Flynn materialized beside me in human form. “The children are all magicians—is that right?” he asked.

  Rodrigo nodded and drew a deep breath. “They’re refugees from colonies that don’t have strong Enclaves. They come here thinking they will find a home and be free to practice magic.”

  “But Nikolai has other plans,” I said.

  “Once they’re here, he uses them to commit crimes and threatens them with deportation or worse if they refuse.”

  “They’re unregistered,” I said, and he nodded. Magicians are required to register with their local Enclave once their abilities become evident.

  Flynn grabbed him by the tie. “How did you get involved, M-Rod?”

  Rodrigo and I both shot him a quizzical look.

  “M-Rod?” I queried.

  “Miami Rodrigo,” Flynn replied with a shrug. “Didn’t want to confuse him with Cleveland Rodrigo.”

  “I used to travel for business,” Rodrigo explained. “In South America, I met a young mage who was desperate to come to the U.S. so she could be her true self and practice magic. I wanted to help her, so I found a way to smuggle her in. Then I met others just like her. Nikolai promised to help me set them up here with new lives. I believed him at first.”

  His phone buzzed.

  “Don’t answer that,” I warned.

  “I don’t need to,” he said. “It’s Petra’s signal, telling me she’s hiding in the bathroom of the hotel lobby.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “Wait. What?”

  He heaved a sigh. “On the nights I escort Petra, we pretend. I use money I’ve skimmed off the top of Oliverio’s income to present as payments.”

  I turned to Flynn. “You stay with him. I’m going to find Petra.”

  As promised, I located her in the lobby bathroom. She stood in front of the sink, staring into the basin as though she could will herself down the drain.

  I approached her cautiously. “Petra?”

  Her head jerked toward me and she quickly backed away.

  “I’m not here to hurt you,” I said, and held up my hands.

  “I’m not supposed to be in here,” she said. “Nikolai will…” She stopped abruptly and stared at me. “You’re a djinni. I see your blue aura.” Her brow lifted. “A Marid?”

  I nodded. “And my boyfriend, Flynn, is with me. He’s a Jann. You can trust us. We want to take you to the Enclave to register you.”

  Petra’s fearful expression melted into relief. “But Nikolai swears he will find us and…”

  “Once we get you all to the Enclave, you’ll be safe. Nikolai won’t be able to touch you.”

  “All of us?” She broke into a smile and I noticed a couple of broken teeth. “Oliverio too?”

  “Yes, especially Oliverio. If it weren’t for him, we never would have found you.” I hesitated. “Petra, you know Nikolai and Rodrigo are only human, right? Twenty kids with magic—why did you not use it to rise against them?”

  Her head drooped. “We are young and untrained, with little knowledge o
f spells. And Nikolai threatens us with a horrible fate.”

  “Does he have the Sight?” I asked.

  “No, but Rodrigo does,” she replied. “That is one reason Nikolai relies on him so much.”

  “Good to know.” For my plan to work, I was going to need Rodrigo’s help.

  “I want you to take me back to Nikolai,” I said.

  Petra’s blue eyes widened. “I cannot. He will kill us both.”

  I closed my eyes and melted my body into a smaller form. “Now you can.”

  Petra’s hand flew to her mouth. “I have never seen…” She reached out and touched my braided hair. “You are young like me.”

  “Pretty enough to work for Nikolai?” I asked.

  She nodded mutely.

  “Alright then, Petra. Here’s the plan.”

  We met Flynn in the lobby of the hotel. His brow lifted when he noticed my new human form.

  “You’ll change back tonight, right?” he asked. “I can’t take you to bed like this.”

  “I’d be concerned if you could,” I said, and told Flynn his role in my plan.

  Petra and I returned alone to Nikolai’s lair. She placed her hands on the brick wall just as Oliverio had and we stepped inside.

  “Petra, you’re back too soon,” Nikolai said, wheeling over to us. His gaze flitted to me. “Who is this?”

  I ducked my head. “My name is Aleksandra. Please forgive me, sir. I have nowhere else to go. My mother is dead and I never met my father.” I pretended to look nervously at Petra. “My new friend says you offer food and shelter to mage orphans.”

  A slow smile spread across Nikolai’s sharp features. “It’s Christmas. What kind of monster would I be if I didn’t?” He snapped his fingers. “Oliverio, escort this beautiful young lady to the soup bowls. She needs food.”

  Oliverio appeared at the top of the loft. He squinted when he saw me, likely recognizing my aura, and I quickly put a finger to my lips.

  “Yes, sir.” He waved me up to the loft and I took Petra’s hand, determined to make sure she wasn’t sent out again tonight. Not on my watch.

  The moment we were out of sight in the loft, I gathered the children around me and shifted back to my usual human form.

  “I’m with PAN”—sort of—“and I’m sending you all to the local Enclave,” I whispered. Their expressions ranged from disbelief to pure joy. “I want you to join hands and walk out of here in a single file line. Help will be waiting outside.”

  Oliverio wasn’t convinced. “Nikolai won’t let us go.”

  “No, he won’t,” I agreed. “But you’re not asking permission.” I summoned a pump-action shotgun and a few children gasped. “Field trip, kiddos. Let’s roll.”

  I came down the steps first, holding the shotgun. Nikolai’s eyes widened at the sight of me. “Who are you?”

  “A Christmas miracle.” I motioned to the children to keep walking. “Sorry Santa, but your elves have unionized. They’re officially on strike.”

  “Stop,” Nikolai cried. “You will regret it. I will find every last one of you.”

  I clucked my tongue. “Promises, promises.” I aimed the shotgun. I had no intention of shooting him, but I wanted to make sure every last child left the building before my ruse became apparent.

  “You think you are the only one with surprises?” he asked. A shiver ripped down my spine when his lips parted in a malevolent smile. “I will make sure you are the first to suffer an excruciating death.” Nikolai rubbed the jade pendant on his necklace.

  “If you’re rubbing that for luck,” I began, “you’re shit out of…”

  Shit.

  A beastly form materialized in front of me. About six feet and seven inches of lumps and bumps.

  “You bound a Ghul?” I said in disbelief. Ghuls are the most depraved of all djinn. Like vampires, they’re driven by a lust to feed and not much else. Butt ugly and dumb as a box of rocks but—gods above—ridiculously strong.

  “Kill her,” Nikolai commanded.

  The djinni regarded me with his dull, lifeless eyes. I wanted to know how an old codger like Nikolai managed to bind a Ghul to his will. That took some serious mojo. No time for questions now, though.

  I began to spin, twisting and turning until my body merged with the air around me. I moved my mini-tornado toward the Ghul, hoping to blow him back to the Plasma Plane, or at least out of the building. Nikolai wasn’t immune to the strong gusts of wind either. His wheelchair skidded backward and bumped against the far wall.

  The Ghul was even stronger than I anticipated. He held his ground and reached into my cyclone, trying to locate my essence. I needed to change tacks. I shifted back to human form and dropped flat on the floor in front of him. He tripped over my body, falling forward. I leapt to my feet and put as much distance as I could between us.

  It wasn’t enough.

  The Ghul came at me like a rocket, headfirst. His lumpy head hurtled into my abdomen before I had time to shift again and I felt the drywall and plaster behind me give way. We crashed through the wall and into the adjoining building. The cries of surprise barely registered around me. I shifted to mist and reformed on the far side of the room to buy myself time.

  Holy Plasma Plane. The room was filled with supernaturals and humans in the middle of a poker game. Judging from their slicked-back hair and pastel suits, the humans appeared to be members of Miami’s crime syndicate. I also counted two Janns, a Hinn, two magicians, and a handful of thugs. No more Ghuls, praise the gods.

  Flynn appeared in the cracked opening of the wall and shook his head mournfully. “Well, this can’t be good.”

  The Ghul grunted and launched himself in my direction. I summoned a sledgehammer and swung it down on his head. A loud crack ensued, followed by applause.

  “A hundred on the Marid,” someone yelled.

  “Flynn…the kids?” I asked, keeping my gaze fixed on the Ghul.

  “Safe at the Enclave. M-Rod is with them.”

  The sound of laughter erupted behind him. “My Ghul will track them anywhere,” Nikolai said. “You think they are safe while I am still alive?”

  “No,” Flynn said flatly. “I don’t.” His fist shot straight through the old man’s chest and then withdrew, still clutching his beating heart. Nikolai’s head slumped to the side.

  There’d be no need for an unbinding spell now. The old man’s death would break his hold on the djinni.

  I watched as the realization sank in. The Ghul stopped mid-attack and looked around the room, seeming to notice our audience for the first time.

  “Think fast,” Flynn said, and tossed the heart into the Ghul’s awaiting hand.

  “PTF,” a voice boomed, and the room was suddenly flooded with PTF officers.

  I shot a quick glance at Flynn. He’d just removed a human heart in front of multiple witnesses. Under the paranormal penal code, Nikolai should have been given a fair trial.

  “What happened to him?” one of the officers asked, jerking a thumb toward Nikolai.

  I opened my mouth to speak.

  “The Ghul did it,” one of the djinn interjected. A Jann, like Flynn. The others mumbled in agreement.

  The officers swarmed the Ghul as he grunted his displeasure. If he were any other caste of djinn, I would have spoken up. But I knew Ghuls and this big fella would be out on Christmas Eve, preying on the living and the dead. Miami didn’t need that tonight. They deserved peace on earth and more than a little goodwill.

  Flynn and I didn’t wait around to see whether the illegal gambling posed a problem for PTF. We gave our statements about Nikolai’s criminal activities and headed back to the penthouse for a much-deserved rest.

  “I’m sorry I bought you that clutch bag,” Flynn said, once we were back safely in the luxury penthouse.

  “I’m not,” I said. “We’d never have known about those magicians otherwise.”

  “True, but I know you really wanted a relaxing holiday.”

  My fingers inched down his
bare chest. “Yes, but not too relaxing.”

  He cocked an eyebrow. “A little energy yet to spare, Miss Winters?”

  I pressed against the length of him. “For you? Always.”

  “Let’s make it interesting, shall we?” Flynn summoned a red blindfold and tied it around my head.

  “Pin the tail on the ass?” I queried.

  “Not quite. I’ll be right back.” I heard the click of the door. Blindfold still intact, I removed my clothes and summoned a few strategically placed red bows.

  I heard a knock on the door and felt my way across the wall to open it.

  “Please, sir,” I said with a fake British accent. “I want some more.” I reached down and grabbed his…package.

  “Whoa’kay. Since you asked so nicely.”

  My hand recoiled. That was not Flynn’s voice.

  I ripped off the blindfold to see M-Rod standing in front of me in the hallway, smiling broadly. “And a happy Christmas to you, too.”

  Just then, Flynn emerged from the bathroom, his body covered in shiny wrapping paper. M-Rod doubled over with laughter.

  “You two are a match made in heaven,” he said.

  Flynn gave me an appraising look. “Nice embellishments.”

  “Same to you.”

  I summoned a more respectable outfit to speak with M-Rod. “Are the kids okay?”

  “The Enclave promises to take good care of them.” He glanced from me to Flynn. “I just want to tell you that I…I tried several times to do the right thing. Nikolai always summoned that damn Ghul when he wanted to threaten one of us. I’d seen firsthand what it was capable of.” He cleared his throat. “But I’m starting over now. I’m gonna set out to do the work I started. Help bring underage magicians to colonies where they can safely register and start new lives.”

  We shook hands. “Technically, we should be turning you over to the authorities,” I said.

  M-Rod regarded me. “Then why don’t you?”

  “Because I believe you. And I believe you can do more good out in the world, instead of sitting in a dank prison cell awaiting trial.”

  Flynn shrugged. “And I’m not much of a rule follower.”

  M-Rod laughed again. “Like I said, a match made in heaven.” He winked at me. “Nice grip, by the way. Have a magical night, you two.”