Deceived: Book Three of the Avery Tywella Series

By S. L. Gavyn

Okay, so Avery Tywella isn’t the half-Demon she always thought she was. But she’s still a kickass Human’s Rights agent and this time she just might have more than she can handle.
Witches are disappearing. Normally that wouldn’t be Avery’s division but the Humans who were close to the missing Witches are having their minds manipulated and when the bodies of one of the Witches and her Human husband are found, the killer turns out to be a creature of legend.
With her last case still unsolved Avery is forced to spread herself thin in order to try to find both killers. Luckily, she has a new partner to help her along the way. If only she can manage to keep their relationship professional.
She must rely on her new abilities as well as the help of Atlanta’s hottest Fallen to catch two uncatchable creatures. But when someone Avery is closest to is killed, she will do anything to seek vengeance.
This is book three of the Avery Tywella Series.
Darkened, book one, and Deadened, book two, are now available.
Damned, book four of the series is TBR Summer 2014.

• Language: English
• Publisher: S. L. Gavyn
• Release date: Feb 16, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310138539

S. L. Gavyn

S.L. Gavyn lives in Mobile, Alabama with her husband, three children, two dogs, two betta fish, one guinea pig, and a tree frog that hangs out in her bathroom shower. She tries to write fantasy novels that are funny, interesting and adventurous with just the right amount of romance worked in. You can find her blogging about her books and various other things at slgavyn.wordpress.com.

Book preview

Deceived

Book Three of the Avery Tywella Series

S. L. Gavyn

Copyright 2014 S. L. Gavyn

Discover more information about S. L. Gavyn’s books at http://www.slgavyn.com, like her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/slgavyn or follow her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SLGavyn.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any person (living or dead), business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

Deceived

All Rights Reserved.

Copyright © 2014 S. L. Gavyn

Cover Design © 2018 S. L. Gavyn

This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or other unauthorized use of the material or artwork herein is prohibited without the express written permission of the author.

First edition: February 2014

Available Books by S. L. Gavyn

The Forged by Magic Series

Brimstone

Iron Made

Dragon’s Flame

Ange Noir: A Forged by Magic Prequel Novella

The Avery Tywella Series

Darkened

Deadened

Deceived

Craven: An Avery Tywella Companion Novel

Damned

Devoted

The Fabled Series

The Fabled

Fable City

Fabled Lost

The Fallen–Fey Chronicles

The Darkness

The Cursed

The Light

The Broken

The Driven

Content

Acknowledgments

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

Preview Damned:Book Four of the Avery Tywella Series

Acknowledgments

Like every book, I want to start off by thanking my family for being so supportive. Especially my husband. I really don’t know where I would be without him. Probably in some gutter somewhere. Just kidding.

Next, I’ll thank my bestie and beta reader, Christine Harris. Thanks for your help even if I want to slap you upside the head every now and then. It’s completely out of love.

Also, I’ll thank my other beta reader, Mary Smyly. I have still to this day not figured out how you can proofread a book in under 24 hours. Guess it’s just your mutant ability. But hey, I’m not complaining. I love mutants.

And last but not least Wendy Jo. Without your help and guidance I just don’t know where my writing would be today. Thank you.

One

Damn this Witch was fast. I put on a burst of speed to keep up with her as she ran through the underground mall. All the people crowding the shops weren’t helping my ability to catch her either. A woman was too busy arguing with her husband to pay attention to what was going on around her.

Humans’ Rights. Get out of the way! I shouted as the woman threw her arms out to her sides while explaining the way it was going to be to her old man, about beaming me in the head in the process.

She gave me the stink eye as I passed, so I flipped her off for her bad attitude. Esmeralda ducked into a novelty shop, and I followed. By the time I had cleared the front entrance, I could just make out her shawl flapping in the wind as she ran through the back door. I weaved my way through the displays and customers and entered the door to complete silence.

Using a trick I’ve been practicing, I stopped, pulled a little of my magic out, and used it to cover me. As I did so, I concentrated on making myself not only invisible but completely silent too. Once I knew I wouldn’t be heard or seen, I started through the storeroom. Various boxes were stacked throughout with only thin walkways between. I slowly worked my way through and checked the back door. As I expected, an alarm was set on the door, preventing anyone from opening it. That meant Esmeralda was still in here somewhere.

Esmeralda Loraena Fontaine, you have been found guilty of killing four Human men. As an agent of the Humans’ Rights Task Force it is my duty to end your existence for the safety of the Human population, I said before quickly moving away from where I had been standing in case she decided to attack. Unless I spoke, she shouldn’t be able to tell exactly where I was.

I know you. You are just as dark as me, yet you act righteous. You of all people should understand, she said and it sounded like it radiated throughout the room, making it impossible to tell where she was.

I don’t understand marrying men, then killing them for your sick pleasure.

I had to. The toll is too high to pay. Don’t you see? I needed their souls to save mine.

I laughed. No one can save your soul.

It’s not Hell I’m worried about. She would have taken all that I have.

Who?

She laughed. You know who.

I did? I thought about it. My best guess would be her coven leader. Why would Olivia be taking your magic?

That is the question now isn’t it, little Devil.

She laughed again, and I didn’t really want to kill her before, but I certainly did now. I was tired of chasing her, so I started around some boxes, but she was waiting for me.

She threw a death spell aimed for my face, and I dove to the right to avoid it. I was knocked into a pile of boxes, and they fell along with me and my shield. I scrambled to my feet, but it was too late. She jumped from the top of the closest stack and landed on me. I fell once more onto the boxes with a crazed Witch on top of me. She clawed my face, and where her nails dug in burned. She must have had poison on them. It was an old Witch trick—a dirty one at that.

I tried to protect my face and neck with one hand while pushing her away with the other. Finally, I managed to bring one knee up between us and pushed her far enough away to reach for a dagger.

She looked at it and laughed. Why not use your magic, little Devil? She pouted her lips out. Don’t know how? Well, I will once it’s mine.

She reached back to throw another spell, and I swiped the dagger across her throat. Experienced Witches don’t have to actually speak a spell, but it did require concentration, and it’s extremely hard to concentrate when you’re bleeding to death. She threw her hand to her neck, and I saw her magic as it began healing the wound. I didn’t wait for her to finish. I jumped to my feet, lunging forward with my blade. She twisted, avoiding the knife, and elbowed me in the face. I grabbed her hair and pulled her head to me, then stabbed her in the back with the dagger.

She laughed, but it turned into a gurgle as her life left her, and she fell to the floor. Slowly she began to age. That was the thing about magic. You could use it to heal yourself and make yourself look younger a million times over if you’re strong enough, but once you’ve lost your hold on it, your time debt is paid in full. A similar occurrence happens with Vampires when they die.

Esmeralda Fontaine was a very old Witch because by the time she finished decomposing, nothing but ash and the clothing she had been wearing were left. I wiped my dagger off on her dress then put it back in its sheath.

Damn the scratches on my face hurt. I met Kansas and Davis on my way out to my car.

Damn, chica, did you get in a fight with a cat or what? Kansas asked.

I gave him the evil eye.

I take it the Witch is dead. Do you need some help with your injuries? Davis asked.

I got it. Thanks for the backup, I said sarcastically.

We got here as fast as we could. It’s not our fault we were on the other side of town. Plus, we figured with your infinite powers you could have taken out that Witch easy peasy.

Well, she was stronger than I thought.

The truth was that I wasn’t as fast as I had been right after the change. I was still faster than I used to be, but I remember jumping thirty feet in the air and running fifteen miles in under a minute. These days I’d be lucky to run fifteen miles in twenty minutes, which is still fast but nothing like before. Maybe that’s the way it always is. Perhaps your powers are stronger right after becoming a full-fledged Angel, then level out after a while. It’s been over three months since my change, so this might be the way my magic will stay. I tried to look it up, but there isn’t much information about Angels available, and the only Angels in town I’m currently not on speaking terms with. So I’ll just have to figure it out as I go.

I’m going to clean my cuts. I’ll meet you guys back at HQ, I told them.

They said good-bye, and I made my way back to my car, opened the trunk, and pulled out my first-aid kit, which held several minor spells for cuts and burns inside. I found the cleansing spell, opened the packet, and pulled out the toilette. When I first touched it to the cuts it burned, but almost immediately they stopped hurting. Then I could feel the spell slowly mending the wounds.

Within a minute they were gone, and I closed up the kit, put it back in the trunk, and got in my car. My cell started ringing. I looked at the ID and smiled.

Hey, babe, I answered.

And how is the most beautiful detective in Atlanta?

I’m good. I got my Witch.

Great! That means dinner won’t be cancelled, right?

You bet your sweet Aunt Susie.

He laughed. Good, I’ve been looking forward to seeing you tonight.

Me too. I’m going to go to HQ and write up my report, then head home. I’ll see you at seven.

I’ll be counting the minutes.

You’re such a dork.

Yes, and I know you love it. Bye.

I hung up and started the car.

I arrived at HQ and was called into Cop’s office before I could make it to mine.

You were hurt chasing the witch.

It wasn’t a question. Apparently, he’d already talked to Davis and Kansas. Yeah, it’s wasn’t anything big. I used a cleansing spell to get the poison out then healed it. It only took a minute.

He looked like he was thinking about it. You should have waited.

She was standing ten feet in front of me. I could have killed her and been done with it if I didn’t have to call for backup.

If you had a partner, you wouldn’t have had to call for backup.

Well, I don’t, and there are no other detectives to partner with, so I guess I’ll just have to keep working alone for now.

That sounded like as good an excuse as any.

He smiled, and I knew I was in trouble. It just so happens there is a new recruit coming in tomorrow.

Oh, no you don’t. You know I don’t like people. There is no way I’m training some rookie. Give him to Davis. I’ll take Kansas for a couple of weeks until you can make other arrangements.

No arguments. You did just fine with Callum when he was here.

That was different. He was an experienced warrior. This is some newb who’s going to be asking me a million questions. You know I don’t have the patience for that.

What part of ‘no arguments’ didn’t you understand?

I took another breath to continue my argument, but the look on his face told me it was no use. All right, but when he comes crying to you because the mean Angel girl cussed him out for being an idiot, don’t say I didn’t warn you.

We’ll deal with that bridge when we cross it. I have a feeling you’ll get along just fine.

I raised one brow. The likeliness of that happening was about null. Anyway, I’m going to write up my report on Esmeralda, then call it a day. I think tomorrow I’ll talk to her coven leader. She made it seem like she was being squeezed for power. Of course, there’s always an excuse when it’s time for the bad guy, or Witch in this case, to pay for their crimes.

You’ll take your partner with you.

I left the office mocking him. Childish, yes, but it was the only thing I could do. Guess I’ll be getting a new partner tomorrow. Better celebrate tonight.

Two

As I left my office, my cell rang.

Avery, I answered without looking to see who it was.

Avy, I don’t know what I’m going to do. It’s horrible, Temmy cried.

I stopped walking. What happened? Are you hurt?

Not yet.

Not yet? Is someone after you?

No. I’m-I’m-I’m going to lose my job. She started crying.

Was she serious? What? Temmy, get a hold of yourself. I thought you were in danger. You about gave me a freaking heart attack.

What am I going to do, Avy? I like this job. You know how hard it is for me to keep a job.

Thoughts ran through my head of consoling her after she was fired from her temp job for getting caught having a quickie with a coworker in the copy room, consoling her after she was fired from her cashier job for having a quickie with a customer in a bathroom…come to think of it, that was how she was fired from her waitressing job too, and now that I think about it, she has been fired from every job she’s ever had for getting it on with someone or another. Her job at Halo was the first one she’d managed to keep for more than a couple of months. She has been working there for more than a year.

Wow, Temmy. That is going to suck. Why are you getting fired this time?

I didn’t do anything wrong. Why do you automatically think I did something wrong?

I didn’t say you did anything wrong. I just asked why you were getting fired.

The club’s going downhill. It’s just a matter of time before they start cutting back on all the help. Two servers have quit over the past two weeks, and they haven’t been replaced. Word is they aren’t going to be replaced either.

Maybe they just had too many servers.

Are you mental? The club is on the way out.

Why would the club be on the way out? Darkened was the hottest band this city had, and they only performed at Halo.

Darkened isn’t playing anymore. I heard that Jared quit.

Jared quit? Oh my gods, he’d finally fallen so far he couldn’t even manage to sing anymore. The thought had me taking a seat in the break room. I closed my eyes then asked the question I really didn’t want to ask.

Is he all right?

Who? Jared? I tell you I’m losing the one thing in this world that means anything to me, and you ask about the guy who’s causing it all? Yeah, he’s great. I saw him the other day as he performed the last show, and he looked good.

He did? What did he look like?

Hello, can we steer this conversation back to the crisis at hand? You can fantasize about your boy toy after I’m not freaking out anymore.

I started laughing. Of all the conversations Temmy and I have had, I was always the one trying to keep the conversation on the topic at hand while she was the one mooning over some guy.

All right, Avy. It’s time for you to take over the seat of responsible adult because I’m not really liking it, and I really am freaked out, she said once I’d gotten control of my laughter.

I’m sorry, Temmy. Really I am. But you can find other jobs. Dallas is still doing good business. I’m sure with a recommendation from Halo you could get a job there.

I can’t work there. The club manager and I had a thing. It didn’t end well.

For some reason it never did with her. "Well, try not to worry about it