Wicked Grove (Wicked Grove Series Book 1)

By Alexia Purdy

Supernatural nuisances are easy to exterminate, but in Wicked Grove, magic runs wild.

As operatives of the elite Wicked Grove Supernatural Regulatory Agency, three fiercely independent and unstoppable siblings, Amy, Jay, and Craig, know the risks that come with the job. Get contaminated by one of the magicals, and you’re screwed. Scratched by a werewolf? You’re going to be howling come full moon. Bitten by a vampire? You might as well stamp “bloodsucker” on your face. You certainly won’t be welcomed at the agency anymore. It’s a no-brainer.

When Amy is captured by a malevolent faery tribe unlike any encountered before, the race is on to rescue her before she’s assimilated and lost forever. These creatures are not easily swayed, but there is one who can possibly help her escape. He also wants to return to the human realm, and he is tied to the faery tribe. It might backfire, but with Amy’s memories fading with each passing moment, she’s forced to make a desperate choice which could incite an unprecedented preternatural war and destroy all of Wicked Grove.

This is the first installation of a new, breakneck, supernatural thriller series from USA Today Bestselling Author Alexia Purdy.

Book 2: Renegades is coming soon!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Melancholy Muse Press
• Release date: Aug 23, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370268634

Alexia Purdy

Alexia is a USA Today Bestselling author who currently lives in Las Vegas and loves spending every free moment writing or hanging out with her four rambunctious kids. Writing is the ultimate getaway for her since she's always lost in her head. She is best known for her award-winning Reign of Blood series, and A Dark Faerie Tale Series.Sign up for email updates and exclusive giveaways: http://smarturl.it/AlexiaPurdyNewsAlexia's websites:www.alexiapurdybooks.comhttp://alexiaepurdy.blogspot.comTwitter: @AlexiaPurdyAlexia Purdy Fan page:https://www.facebook.com/AlexiaPurdyAuthorA Dark Faerie Tale Series by Alexia Purdy FB page:https://www.facebook.com/ADarkFaerieTaleSeriesReign of Blood Series FB page:https://www.facebook.com/RoBbooks

Book preview

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

Bonus Wicked Grove Story: Bitter

Sneak Peek: Twice Bitten

Sneak Peek: Marked by Sight

About Alexia Purdy

Also by Alexia

Chapter One

Three days ago

Amy

Grab your gear. We’re almost ready to go, Jay hollered out to me. He was dressed in full hunting gear: cargo pants, black shirt, and a whole slew of knives sheathed across his chest on a bandoleer. A quiver stuffed full of arrows crisscrossed the belt of knives, making him look like a black ops soldier.

Not just like one, he was one. We all were. Just a different kind of soldier. Operatives of a special agency designed to stop supernatural infestations and exterminate magical nuisances gone awry. My brothers, Craig and Jay, and I worked for the S.R.A., The Wicked Grove Supernatural Regulatory Agency. Our job was to keep the magicals in line, hidden from the human world, and make sure the pacts were honored to keep everything running smoothly.

If only it were that simple.

Nothing supernatural could be out in the open. We were real-life monster hunters, fixers for anything which had to be kept under wraps, especially when things got out of hand. We were the ones they called to clean up the messes that ensued. Yep. We were the maids of the hidden worlds of sorcery, spells, curses, natural and unnatural magic. No matter how big the mess, we were the cleaners.

They said I could be anything when I grew up, but hunting the supernatural creatures surrounding Wicked Grove wasn’t what I’d had in mind. I’d been a kid who adored her big brothers and wanted to be just like them. Everything they did, I followed in their footsteps.

Moronic, right? Well, I can’t say that I didn’t enjoy my work; it was far better than being stuck behind the counter of a clothing store selling subpar knock-offs to snooty trust fund teenagers. Trust me, I did a short stint of that to prove to myself I was not cut out for the normal kind of life, let alone a normal monotonous job. So, there I was. Err… there we were.

Even though we three had been born consecutively, each a year apart, everyone at the agency called us the triplets. My guess was because the three of us were obviously siblings, with our dark hair and stunning light-brown eyes, but we had a sort of familiar intuition about each other that’s usually only shared by twins and triplets. Connected even more by precognitive tendencies and telepathic abilities, we were tight. Not only that, we were pretty much the most undefeated offensive team the S.R.A. had to offer.

We ruled the world. Sort of. Kept it safe from the preternatural madness? You bet.

Groaning, I walked to the back of the truck and grabbed my hunting gear—which matched Jay’s but with a more feminine style—and snugly strapped it on.

Seriously, why do these things always have the worst timing? I was heading toward the mall to hang out with my girls. What’s going on that you guys had to screech on over here and interrupt my perfect evening?

Jay threw me a look of feigned shocked before tossing a bow at me and snickering. I caught it in my hands, but the hilt dug into my palms.

I think this is much more important than shopping for shoes. Priorities, missy.

I glared at my brother, wishing I could just slap the living daylights out of him. He never cared for anything but the hunt. Sometimes being a hunter had its downside. Especially when all I wanted to do was be an ordinary teenager, spending money at the mall and listening to music into the wee hours of the morning, eating junk food while my metabolism burned right through it, and wasting time like I was getting paid for it. I sighed. At least this time I’d remembered to wear decent shoes. Hunting in heels was up there on my list of things I’d rather not do again.

Heads up! Craig called out from the cab of the truck. A flashlight went sailing at me, near my head. Catching it at the last second, I cursed him under my breath. He prided himself in making me flinch, which was a feat unto itself since none of us scared easily. I made a note to pay him back for almost giving me a goose-egg or a black eye. I owed him for much more than that. We had an ongoing tally on who made the others jump to the skies with fright. If I recalled correctly, I was losing, but there was always next time, right?

Watch where you throw things. You could’ve killed me! I stuffed the flashlight into its assigned loop on my belt and stomped closer to Craig’s massive F-150 black truck, which he prided, treating it with joyous care and constant polishing. I swore it was his real girlfriend. Any flesh and blood girl had quite a competition to catch up to the standards of that shiny hunk of metal. I briefly wondered if Ridley, one of the commanders at the Agency he’d dated on and off, had any idea how bad he had it for his truck. If only he’d spend more time outside the Agency, he could find someone special instead of doting on a piece of metal like it was his precious. It was pathetic, really.

Plopping onto the passenger seat, I glared at my older brother Craig, making sure he knew just how much I loathed him at times. Seething, I tried not to glance longingly at the mall in the distance, past the railroad tracks where we had stopped to gear up. It would disappear beyond the horizon when we sped off into the ominous and mystic forests surrounding Wicked Grove. My heart had been set on a deep blue sweater blouse that probably wouldn’t be there tomorrow. Plus, it was buy one get one free at Sandy’s, my favorite style boutique. I grumbled.

Darn it.

Sorry, Pudge. Didn’t mean to take your head off with that flashlight. Just helping you prime your lightning-fast reflexes. It’s going to be a doozy tonight! Scratching his head, Craig threw me a wink as he whistled and drummed his other hand on the steering wheel. It was a sure sign he was nervous but excited for the hunt.

I wished I could get that excited for the hunt, but there was something in the air I didn’t like. It brought a knot to my stomach. We got under way, and I shifted in my seat, staring out the window at the scenery speeding by. Maybe it was that greasy hamburger take-out I’d had working its way through my intestines and not the inconsistent precognition which hit me now and then.

It wasn’t long before we arrived at our destination−the edge of Harlow’s Lake. It was surrounded by thick redwood forest, and the sky was quickly darkening as dusk fell. Craig stuffed a flashlight of his own into his jacket before hopping out and yanking his weapons from the bed of the truck. I did the same, slipping my own jacket over my shoulders as the evening’s crisp air, primed with dense fog, swirled over us. I slammed the truck door closed and scurried toward the back to find him and Jay scoping out the woods.

Hey, don’t I get a say in the game plan? This isn’t a ‘boys only’ club, you know. I’m as trained and effective as you two brutes. Oh, and one more thing—I sighed, turning to scan the darkening woods before us— don’t call me ‘Pudge,’ Craig. I elbowed him hard in the ribs, catching him off guard. Too bad he was wearing Kevlar or I might’ve broken something. My elbow complained from the impact, but I ignored the ache.

Ow! He rubbed his side and grimaced. Ignoring my rant, he continued scanning the thick, inhospitable woods. Staying focused was one of his positive traits. He could always be counted on to steer us back to the mission at hand. I was the queen of deviation, always living from one attention deficit episode to another.

A trail on our left led deeper into the trees, disappearing from sight after the first turn. There, the brush had grown over the path. It was tangled with weeds, tall grasses, and fallen saplings which twisted across the path in a dangerous, ankle-cracking mess. Far from welcoming, the place felt haunted and sacred. Nothing could make me shudder more, and the pit of my stomach agreed as it continued its violent protest. Shaking off the dread and clutching my belly, I prayed it would calm as I followed my brothers into the forest, letting the truck disappear behind us. The forest swallowed us up like quicksand embracing its victims. Sweat beaded along my hairline, but I refused to wipe it away.

I knelt to study the dirt and shrubs lining the path, looking for any disturbances. Are you sure there were sightings in these woods? I don’t see any tracks yet. The twigs and dead leaves cluttered the forest floor and made it difficult to identify any tracks. I studied it intensely until a small splash of dirt across some sapling leaves betrayed our prey. Narrowing my eyes, I felt a grin widen across my face as my heart raced in anticipation of the hunt. The sick feeling dissipated immediately.

Gotcha.

This way, I whispered, motioning for my brothers to follow me off the path, confident I had discovered the right tracks. There was no way they were getting away from us this time. This clan of faeries had evaded us time and time again in the vastness of the woods surrounding our town of Wicked Grove, but these tracks were fresh; I could literally smell them. It was a lot like a mixture of ozone and mulch still moistened with morning dew, with a bitter hint of sulfur in it. Pleasantly poisonous.

We tracked them for about an hour, treading tediously through undisturbed foliage while the dusk sucked the daylight away. The trees rustled in the cool evening breeze and made it harder to hear any movement around us. As the night approached, a series of reflective lights shined in the distance, sharpening as we made our way farther and farther into the woods. They were the retinal reflections of luminous faery eyes, shimmering in the moonlight. I shivered.

Checkmate, I snickered and counted the pairs of lights, estimating there had to be at least fifteen of them. Nearing twenty counted. There have to be more right behind them.

Faery lights, whispered Jay, motioning toward the darkness beyond. In the distance, firefly-like glowing orbs blinked, iridescent and ethereal. I sucked in my breath, steadying my bow as I clicked off my flashlight and counted the floating pinpricks again. This tribe had caused several disappearances lately, thus keeping us hunting them regularly. How they’d avoided us so far was a mystery, but we had to put a stop to it or risk losing more and more of our city’s inhabitants to them.

It made me wonder, were they cannibals? What were they doing with the humans they took? These questions floated across my mind and sped up my heartrate as I considered every possibility. They were magical beings, capable of unbelievable things. Why would they need humans, who lacked any kind of power? The faery clans we had worked with before kept far from the city limits and refused to interfere with the mortal world. Especially the Sidhe fae, who were a lot more humanlike in appearance. Other faeries were less likely to obey the treaties between the humans and the leagues of supernaturals of the surrounding areas.

Fortunately, my siblings and I were impervious to faery charms. Call it a genetic mishap or even a spur of evolution, but this ability paved the way for us to become the best regulators of the supernatural world for the Agency. Even at our young ages, me being seventeen and my brothers eighteen and twenty, we’d seen more than any nightmare could present.

Craig and Jay were on full alert, guns and arrows pointed toward the flashing targets as they grew closer and amplified in size. Those once-miniscule pinpricks of light now glowed with fury, the size of candle flames. They knew we were there, and as we closed in on them, their outlines came into focus along with their stoic faces and unusual features. More and more of them gathered together and waited, curious yet knowing our intentions.

They watched us approach, not wavering from their positions. If this was an indication of how much they feared humans, their confidence made the hairs on my neck stand on end. These faeries weren’t easily spooked like the other creatures we’d encountered before. Other, more docile faery clans would’ve been wailing with retreat calls by now. But not this one. These creatures held their ground as we approached, as still as statues while their ever-observant eyes gleamed and moved to watch us, taking in every step we took.

The eerie silence of the forest animals and the presence of their glowing eyes unnerved me, and my stomach began to roll once more.

Chapter Two

Amy

Amy, take the left flank, Craig whispered. I’ll take the ones on the right, and Jay, you’re the center point man. Don’t spread out too much. Stay together, within view, and switch safeties off. He carefully stepped toward his right as we expanded our perimeter.

I nodded without looking at him; we all knew the drill. We’d done formation drills hundreds of times, but never toward an adversary so willing to face us. We were usually the more aggressive of the opposing sides. This wall of fae made my skin crawl, and I fought to not furiously rub at my arms.

Craig, they’re not moving.

Formation, Amy. Don’t lose focus.

Now! Jay gave the command, as he had many times before. Craig and I obeyed, and a cascade of arrows flew into the darkness, sailing toward the glowing targets nearly surrounding us.

The infernal screams which followed were deafening. Even the loud roaring wind through the tree canopy was swallowed by the animal wailing all around us. I wanted to fall to the ground and hold my hands over my ears to muffle the screeching. It swept toward us and felt like a ram splintering against my head. I gasped, pushing to keep my focus. This band was louder and madder than any we’d extinguished before. A gnawing, terrible feeling spread through me as my control over my terror wavered.

I nocked an arrow into place, aiming for one creature who had moved into my line of vision, holding an axe. His feral smile crept up as he prowled forward. He looked like a panther, ready to pounce on a weaker prey. I let the arrow fly in his direction, and he leaped, dodging the point mere milliseconds before it hit him. Instead, it hit another fae lunging forward behind him, and he dropped to the ground with a heavy thud.

I swallowed, retreating a few steps and swinging my bow at the faery. The others continued to hit them with arrows and bullets—Craig had switched to his handgun. My bow cracked against the fae’s side, sending him flying head-first into a nearby trunk. He fell to his knees, his head lolling in a strange position, but I was already shooting off my gun as rapidly as I could. I watched as the mass of dark faeries changed their stances and began to bum rush right at us as I finished off a magazine. They loomed far too close and were upon us before I could reload.

Crap!

I pulled a hunting knife from my belt just in time to slash one across the chest and smack another over the head with the butt of my gun. Their bright blue-green blood splashed across my face and arms as their veiny skin burst open under my blade. Swinging hard, I caught another across his arm where he’d been holding a long, shining blade meant for me. His screech pierced my eardrums, disorientating me with a ringing that spun the world. His glowing eyes narrowed on me as his sharp blue teeth flashed in my direction.

I’d never seen one up close, and their appearance was off-putting. I inhaled sharply, blinking through the tears of pain as the ringing faded somewhat and I took stock of how many remained around me. Shocked to find more approaching, as though they’d been magically replaced, I stepped back, hoping to get far enough away to gain some ground.

Their hair was made of twisted twigs and thistles, while their skin was green, like an emerald forest in spring, with veined leaves that spread across their bodies like emblazoned tattoos, creasing along bent appendages formed much like a human’s. How different they appeared yet still so very humanlike. They wore moss and long grass woven into capes and pants. Their eyes glowed like cats’ eyes at night, their feral orbs reflecting the moonlight. They fought us bravely, falling into droves as our weapons got the best of them. Iron arrows and lead bullets were more efficient than their crude hand weapons.

Their sheer numbers pushed me farther from my brothers as their army also spread apart. We fought to keep up with the rampage. Sweat gathered on my brow as my heart hammered in my chest, muscles tiring from the constant action. If we didn’t end this soon, we’d be no match against them. It was looking more hopeless with every second that ticked by as bodies covered the ground and we grew weary.

As though they’d heard my thoughts, the attack slowed, the warriors backing away in bunches as I continued to swing my knife through the air and fire the handgun I’d somehow found a second to reload. The faeries gave me a wide berth, curiously eyeing me as they created a thick wall of bodies, effectively trapping me. I fired off my last round, and the lack of gunfire from the darkness told me Craig and Jay had run out of ammo too.

I glanced at Craig but couldn’t see Jay anywhere near us. The silence was alarming and sent panic searing through me like flashing lightning. I held out my knife, its blade dripping with sticky blue-green blood, but it was all I had left of my arsenal.

One faery reached out and grabbed the hand holding the knife, squeezing it hard enough for me to yelp out in pain as I let go, the dirtied blade dropping onto the drenched mulch below. He moved fast, in a blur as he twisted my arm painfully backward, holding it tight. Bucking, I grunted and tried to push him back, but he was like a rock buried in the ground, unmoving. My muscles screamed and burned from the effort, shaking as they gave and I tired from the fight. I had nothing left. This had to be the end for my brothers and me.

I felt him grip me tighter before shoving me forward, deeper into the forest, away from the sudden outburst of calls from my brothers. The pain in my arm shot through me, making my eyes tear up as I stumbled against his impatient coaxing. Where was he taking me? What little energy I had left was used to take each painful step forward as my vision blurred from the constant agony shooting up my arm.

We approached a clearing, and he shoved me down to the ground, where I caught myself before my face smashed into the forest floor. Struggling without success to get back onto my feet, I felt the tiny pricks of sharp rocks and twigs dig into my hands. It was pointless to continue to squirm. I chanced a look up, and my eyes rested on yet another faery, who stood staring down at me intently.

Let me go! I yelled. His still face remained unmoving and his gaze bore down into mine. I tried my best to look away, knowing from our research on faeries that staring back into the glow of a faery’s eyes was to become a prisoner of the faery. I pulled my gaze away, tears spilling down my cheeks as I fought to keep my eyes on the ground.

Please don’t hurt my brothers, I wheezed. The pressure from the faery holding me down was working all the oxygen out of me. I’ll go with you, but please don’t hurt them. Let them go. My voice quivered as my body shook, exhaustion and terror crawling over me and threatening to drain the last bit of strength I had left.

I waited, glancing back up briefly to study his features, which were like the rest of his kind. But he was somehow different. He wore a crown of twigs and vines laced with moss. His eyes glared at me, seeming to suck my soul into him as the world swam around me. My eyes fluttered as the swaying overwhelmed me. Fearing I’d pass out, I closed them until the seasick sensation ebbed away, but something else replaced it. I could hear a haunting whisper flittering in my head as he softly spoke inside it. Reaching out, he tenderly touched my cheek.

Don’t be afraid. You’re home now. There will be no more fear or suffering. Just let go.

A searing pain ran from his touch and down my neck, setting my body writhing in pain. It burned through my bones, like a raging inferno eating away what was left of my humanity. A moment later it began to recede. Lying on the ground, I blinked back into consciousness, the sway of the tree branches above lulling me back to awareness.

What’d you do to me? I asked, but my voice was lost in the rustle of leaves and wind.

Slowly getting up, I stood and stared at the woodland faery king. He gave me a curt nod before turning back toward the forest and motioning for me to follow. The clan didn’t speak, but instead communicated through some sort of telepathic connection. Glancing down at my hands, I realized that the same leafy green texture of their skin was now tattooed across my own.

Reaching up, I touched the twisted twigs and vines that were now my hair and felt the mossy softness of the grassy dress that had replaced my cargo pants and shirt. Gulping, I watched the faeries retreat behind their king. The pull to follow tugged at my mind, but I fought it for a moment and turned away. I saw my brother Jay tied to a tree, watching in terror everything that was happening before him.

Amy, no! Don’t go with them. Don’t let them take you. No, no, no! His head was bleeding from a wound, wetting his dark locks and trailing down his neck. Craig lay sprawled on the ground near him, knocked out