Highland dark magic, p.1
Highland Dark Magic, page 1
Highland Dark Magic
Witch and Demon Hunter: Book 2
Leigh Ann Edwards
Highland Dark Magic
Copyright© 2024 Leigh Ann Edwards
EPUB Edition
The Tule Publishing, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
First Publication by Tule Publishing 2024
Cover design by Covers by Christian
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.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
AI was not used to create any part of this book and no part of this book may be used for generative training.
ISBN: 978-1-962707-16-9
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Dedication
I’m dedicating Highland Dark Magic to my brother, Kerry Edwards, who’s the only other remaining person from our first family. We didn’t get along as children. (That’s an understatement!)
With nearly a three year age difference, me being the eldest, him the middle child, I thought of him as the annoying, pesky younger brother. To him, I was the bossy older sister. He misbehaved to get attention and I thought he was a brat. I was a people-pleaser so he thought I was a goody-goody. Except with him I definitely wasn’t, because we fought tooth and nail. Well, I used my nails, he usually threw something, punched me, or yes when he was younger, he bit me.
Still, we would have defended each other to the death. When the tree branch holding the swing we were on broke, with me standing, him sitting, it was terrifying. Luckily we only suffered a few bruises. We always loved our Friday movie nights and enjoyed time at our family cabin at the lake.
Losing our little brother bonded us as teenagers. Now that we’re adults, I am truly grateful for Kerry and we have far more in common. (Even if he is still kind of a brat and I’m no longer bossy!) We both love nature, movies, music, and dogs. He’s always supportive and far better at calling me. I’m the texter—if I can write, why not? But it is great to hear his voice.
Kerry’s humor, jokes, and ability to make me laugh—no matter how dire the situation (even at the funeral home when picking out the urn for our beautiful, treasured younger sister) are gifts I’d never trade despite our childhood bickering. I’m very happy to have him in my life and proud to call him my brother.
Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Acknowledgment
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 Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Witch and Demon Hunter series
Author’s Note
More Books by Leigh Ann Edwards
About the Author
Acknowledgment
I say it with every book release, but there are always so many people to thank for making this happen. The Tule team is just amazing. I’m still beyond thrilled to have this opportunity to create my stories. I can’t thank Jane, Meghan, Cyndi, and Mia enough. Kelly and Ciela, thank you, too.
To my editors, I am deeply indebted. Roxanne, you’re a delight. You make me dig deep and I have learned so much from you. I value your opinion and bow to your experience. You have helped so much with bettering my stories and strengthening my characters. Helena, my copy editor, is terrific at historical fact-checking even though I do a lot of research, she has found errors. Same with catching me on the different Canadian/US spelling, or my incorrectly spelled character names from previous books. Marlene, I’m always stunned at the typos you catch even after several rounds of editing. You’re so supportive of my stories, too. So thank you.
I’d also like to give a shout out to Christian at Covers by Christian Artwork. This is my third series he’s created covers for. I’ve loved them all, but he’s really outdone himself with this one. They’re fantastic. Thanks also to Lee who is the go-between with Christian, Tule and me. I’m sure it’s a challenge to get it all sorted through, but you make it seem easy.
I’d like to thank Tyler who continues to work on my website.
To my family, Mark, my daughters, son-in-law and grandchildren, you sometimes take a backseat with the amount of time I spend writing, but you are loved and appreciated beyond measure. My pets, too, probably feel like they have to fight for my attention, but they give me the necessary breaks to clear my mind and move my aging, often too sedentary, body.
Thank you to my friends for understanding how taxing it is to spend so much time writing, but for also knowing how I love to get lost in my stories.
Last, but definitely not least, I’d like to thank my readers who continue to support and encourage me. I especially love it when you tell me you’ve laughed out loud or cried when you read my books. That’s such a wonderful compliment. I appreciate the readers who are great at doing reviews. Those and word of mouth are the lifeblood of taking an author’s writing career to the next level. So I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Lots of Love,
Leigh Ann
Chapter One
Fiona Maguire accompanied her friend, Antonio, to his coveted balcony seats at Boston’s Opera House, with far more delight than she’d expected. She rarely went out these days, and softball practice and karaoke nights were hardly dress-up events. Antonio was widowed and okay with just being friends, which she appreciated, as her life was too unpredictable to add a romantic relationship.
Not that she was looking.
She hoped the play would distract her from the restlessness that had been plaguing her lately. LAMB hadn’t sent her on an assignment in over a month. She suspected the agency was still wary of her, given her fury after the last fiasco of a mission. Maybe they feared she’d place a spell on them—she was a witch, after all.
But using her magic spitefully never ended well.
She hadn’t even heard from her partner for a couple of weeks, which was unusual, as he tended to check in often. She never thought she’d say it, but she’d missed him.
Lorcan Wright was a cocky, smart-arse, half-demon nearly twenty years her junior. He swore like a sailor, drank too much, and slept around. Not to mention the heartache his father, the heinous Dark Lord Odhran, had caused her.
Even years after Odhran had been killed, she’d been barely able to look at Lorcan without being reminded of her all-consuming hatred.
Lorcan, however, had proved to be a capable partner, cheerful, likeable, and great with Fiona’s Irish grandchildren, who were also his niece and nephew. Although he was infamous for his inappropriate comments, he made her laugh, too, something she hadn’t done enough of lately. Between the death of her best friend, Genny, and the horrific Battle of Magic, her heart had been heavy for too long.
She sighed, wishing she could visit her family, but a trip to the seventeen hundreds wasn’t likely, given the situation with LAMB.
“Something wrong, lovely lady?” Antonio’s Italian accent was strong despite being second-generation Italian-American. “You seem distracted, my cara amica.”
How lovely to be someone’s dear friend.
Fiona shrugged. “I have lots on my mind.”
“Perhaps the show will let you escape your concerns then.”
It was a production she’d seen several times. Anything to do with witches naturally interested her. Antonio knew she had mediumship abilities, but certainly wasn’t aware she was a witch. Not many people knew that witches and a ream of other supernatural entities existed—and not just in fairy tales, folklore, or nightmares. Magical beings existed in real life; she wouldn’t have a job locating and assessing them if she wasn’t one, herself.
“Did I tell you how beautiful you look, Fiona?”
She glanced down at her gown, grateful she’d taken time with her hair and makeup. “Thank you. You look dashing yourself, Antonio.”
He preened at the old-fashioned compliment. He was a decade older than her fifty-two years, and his silver hair and mustache gave him a distinguished air.
They were about to enter the balcony
Fiona stopped short. He had told her his father insisted his children be educated and raised with culture, but she hadn’t expected to see him here.
Looking like…like that.
Lorcan Wright’s height and build alone put him in the sex-god category. Add a gorgeous face, magnetic smile and intense green eyes, not to mention the English accent, and he made most women lose their minds.
But all that in a tuxedo?
Lorcan turned toward the balcony and noticed her. “Fiona?”
She couldn’t help smiling at the shocked look on his face. He rarely saw her in anything but casual or workout clothes. He’d certainly never seen her in a clingy, sparkly, dark purple evening gown, with full makeup and jewelry. Her natural brown hair was now auburn and in an updo.
“Hello, Lorcan,” she said. “I knew you liked films, but I didn’t realize you attended the theater”
Lorcan speechless was nearly unheard of, but he recovered momentarily and steered his date closer to her and Antonio.
“I have season tickets here in the balcony.” He pointed.
Fiona glanced at the man beside her. “Antonio, I’d like you to meet my partner, Lorcan Wright. Lorcan, my friend, Antonio Morelli.”
The two men shook hands.
“This is Melissa.” Lorcan didn’t mention his date’s surname. Maybe he didn’t know it. He never stayed with women long.
Their escorts smiled and offered a polite greeting.
Then Lorcan spoke to Fiona through telepathy. “You look bloody fantastic, Boomer! Love the hair. But Jesus, who’s the old, short guy? You could do way better.”
Hadn’t she just been thinking about his inappropriateness? He didn’t have much of a filter. People regularly complimented her on looking youthful, but she found it mystifying that Lorcan didn’t care about the age gap. She suspected it deflated his ego that she hadn’t shown interest in him. Maybe getting her into bed was a challenge. Had anyone else ever turned him down?
Fiona couldn’t deny that she was a little attracted to him—she was alive, after all—but preferred to think of him as a friend. Surprisingly enough she liked working with him, something she’d never have believed when LAMB first forced their partnership.
“Antonio and his brothers own the popular Pasta Bella Affair,” Fiona said.
“Are you serious? OMG!” Melissa fluttered her thick eyelash extensions. “I’ve only been there twice, but I love that restaurant! It’s like…my absolute favorite here in Boston. I never thought I’d be fortunate enough to meet the owner!”
Apparently starstruck, she hugged Antonio, who glanced uneasily between Fiona and Lorcan, clearly caught off guard.
“Thought you liked tall men, Boomer? You could have at least gone for a Luigi, not a Mario.” Again, Lorcan spoke through telepathy.
“Don’t be a smart-arse, Junior,” Fiona replied similarly. “You’re the one with Malibu Barbie.”
His smile broadened, and Fiona had to bite her lip, entertained by the secret communication.
“We should probably find our seats,” Antonio said. “It was nice meeting you.” Then he paused, looking at Melissa and Lorcan. “Perhaps you’ve already dined, but Fiona and I are having a late dinner at my restaurant after the show. If you’d like to join us, I’d be happy to have you as my guests.”
“That would be like…really awesome!” Melissa touched Lorcan’s arm and pleaded with puppy-dog eyes. “Do you want to dine with your friend and Antonio?”
Had she already forgotten Fiona’s name?
Lorcan tipped his head and Fiona hoped he wouldn’t accept.
“Dinner sounds very nice,” Lorcan said.
Dammit!
The older man smiled. “Meravigliosa.” Wonderful. “Meet us outside the theatre’s main entrance. My limo will pick us up there.”
Despite being a multi-millionaire with several thriving restaurants along the East Coast, Antonio didn’t usually flaunt his wealth. Was he intimidated by the taller, younger man?
“Great!” Lorcan replied. “Enjoy the show.”
*
Lorcan couldn’t keep his mind on the theatre production or the woman beside him. Melissa wasn’t the bimbo she’d acted like with Fiona and her date. They’d had an intellectual conversation over coffee yesterday prior to hot, mindless sex at her place.
They’d hooked up again earlier today, but tonight would be the last time he’d see her, according to his steadfast rule of three. Three dates, three days together, or three sexual encounters, depending on how well they connected.
Judging by the way Melissa had been gaping at Fiona’s date, she liked older men. Or maybe it was rich men. But Lorcan was wealthy, too. His father had left him an obscene amount of money and although he gave regularly to charities, he seemed to have the Midas touch. He invested wisely and LAMB paid him well. Not that he needed money to attract women. Christ, that sounded conceited…even if it was true.
He took another glance at Fiona. She looked breathtaking tonight. The elegant gown hugged her curves, and her auburn hair complemented her fair skin, making her look even more Irish.
He hadn’t called or texted her for a while, half hoping she might contact him first, half afraid she would.
He couldn’t forget that on their last assignment, the ancient grand elder vampire, Xavier, had threatened to harm anyone Lorcan cared about. Fiona had already been targeted simply because they were partners.
The vamp was locked up at LAMB’s facility, behind warded walls surrounded by ultraviolet rays mimicking sunlight twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Still, Lorcan had a strong suspicion he’d cause more trouble. Would Xavier sense his feelings for Fiona?
The bastard seemed to thrive on Lorcan’s interest in him—always wore that hideous smile that made Lorcan want to knock out his fucking fangs or put a stake through his undead heart. So, he limited his involvement to daily confirmation with the guard outside Xavier’s door that the nasty bloodsucker was still imprisoned.
Lorcan didn’t want anything to disrupt his working relationship with Fiona but when he’d called Henry Dalton, LAMB’s CEO, about the current lull, Dalton claimed they needed time to recuperate from the last mission.
Lorcan didn’t need time.
He didn’t need recuperation.
He was well rested, antsy…and bored.
He blew out his breath, causing Melissa to give him an annoyed side-eye.
“Sorry.” He covered his mouth but was unable to stop his leg from bouncing.
He could only run and work out so much. There were no further improvements needed on his brownstone. He liked the mid-eighteen hundreds, three-story building, and enjoyed renovating it. Maybe he’d buy another property and flip it.
Suddenly, Melissa gasped and grabbed his arm, pulling him from his thoughts. It was a dramatic part in the play, leading up to the intermission. Although witches weren’t his favorite topic for a shitload of reasons, he’d seen the production before and needed a drink.
“Would you like some wine?” he asked.
Melissa didn’t take her eyes off the stage. “That’d be nice.”
When Lorcan got to the bar, he was surprised to see Fiona. Equality notwithstanding, he preferred to cater to the ladies he was with. Was Antonio not such a gentleman?
“So, where’s Mario?” he whispered in Fiona’s ear and she jumped. “Or is he more like Don Corleone of Godfather fame? I’ve heard there’s an Italian Mafia in town.”
“Don’t sneak up on me like that! And don’t generalize about everyone’s heritage.”
She turned to face him, and he couldn’t help staring at her lips. He’d never seen her wear lipstick.
“How did a super-perceptive witch who’s also a highly trained LAMB agent let me sneak up on her?” he whispered. “And how come your geriatric date isn’t getting your drinks?”
“Listen, Junior. Antonio’s closer to my age than you are. It’s the twenty-first century; I offered to get our wine.”
“Are you sure you didn’t intuitively know I’d be here and couldn’t resist seeing me in this tux again?” He touched his lapel and grinned.
