Enchantress: The Giver of Life Trilogy, #2

By Kristy Centeno

Fate brought them together. Will evil break them apart?

Leah Parker’s visit to her hometown is supposed to bring her closer to the truth behind her identity. What she doesn’t anticipate is the handsome stranger with almond eyes claiming to be her Pair.

Her world once again upturned with the arrival of the man chosen to be her life partner, Leah is pulled between the feelings she’s always had for the friend she left behind, and those for the compelling stranger determined to save her from certain death—at whatever the cost.

With an ancient evil out to finish what it started twenty-one years before, will Leah find peace within her troubled mind and heart to fight back and win? Or will her disconnection with her newfound powers hinder her only chance at survival?

His sacrifice…is her salvation.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Inkspell Publishing
• Release date: Mar 1, 2018
• ISBN: 9781945910562

Kristy Centeno

Kristy Centeno loves to spin tales of creatures that go bump in the night, with a sprinkle of romance to top them off. Her passion for writing stems from a lifelong enjoyment of reading and the pleasure derived from the magical worlds created by authors like her. She prefers her female leads strong, independent, and stubborn who will stop at nothing to save their loved ones and protect those they care for.Kristy currently resides in Pennsylvania with her five kids, a quartet of noisy parakeets, and a spoiled puppy. When she's not working or writing, she juggles her free time between raising a handful of minions and pursuing other career goals.

Book preview

Chapter One

The bus dropped me off at the Elwood Station sometime after 11pm. The bus dropped me off at the Elwood Station sometime after 11pm. From there I ventured out into the cold, crisp night on my own. I turned left and followed the sidewalk down a desolated part of town. Houses were scarce in that area. The streets not well lit. The atmosphere perilous.

Growing up in Elwood, I knew this neighborhood well, and understood getting home was a priority. The last thing I wanted was to be mugged in a place where dangerous thugs and gang activity were abundant. I scurried along, shoving my hands into my hoodie’s pockets as I discreetly surveyed the quiet and empty roads for any sign of a potential attacker hiding in the darkness, ready to strike an unsuspecting twenty-one-year-old traveling alone.

As far as I could see, nothing stirred. The only sounds I picked up on emanated from one house or another, where the tenants were still awake and moving about. If it stayed that way, I was confident I’d make it to my destination without a hitch. Not that I expected the rest of my night to go by without incident. I’d only been kidnapped, shot, taken to a warehouse full of Soul Devourers intent on feeding upon my essence, and forced to use powers I had no clue I possessed in order to save my childhood friend, all in a matter of a couple of hours. As far as I was concerned, today had dragged out too long.

As luck would have it, the day was not over with yet.

Think positive, Leah. I was still alive. Confused, and facing a mega identity crisis, yes—but alive, nonetheless. It could have been worse. I mean, I’d lost Brandon to his intended. Found out that I’m some form of magical being with powers capable of destroying upper-level demons.

How was that for an unforeseeable twist?

Everything I’d grown up to believe was a lie. Perpetrated by...I had no answers for that, either. No one could fill the blanks better than Lynn Parker, the woman who, until a few hours before, I’d thought had given birth to me. That was what this spur-of-the-moment trip was all about. Finding answers. She owed me that much. If only she’d be inclined to provide me with the information I needed.

Something told me this conversation wasn’t to go as well as I hoped it would. The woman despised me. I’d been in my hometown just under a week ago, trying to mend our long, broken relationship. Her response was to chase me out the door while yelling at the top of her lungs to never return. Getting her to spill the beans could turn out to be a bigger challenge than anticipated this time around.

I filed along, keeping a watchful eye around me. It paid to be vigilant and I wasn’t taking any chances. Being put to the brink of death more than once tonight was more than I needed or, wanted. I crossed the street and continued past a series of homes.

Something stirred in the air.

I halted next to a stop sign and listened. The hairs at the nape of my neck bristled. I became aware of a slight difference in the atmosphere around me. I shifted a little to my right to gaze down a one-way, narrow street. A blur of movement immediately caught my eye.

The nature of my newfound magical abilities escaped me. Despite my inability to control my powers, and my lack of understanding on how to use them, it didn’t stop me from detecting an evil entity nearby. I’d caught only a glimpse of a figure, but it was enough for me to identify it as malicious.

Following my instincts—instincts that although new, continued to grow at a rapid pace in such a short time span—I turned to my right and trekked down the sidewalk, subsequently tracking the trail left behind by the creature running loose in town.

The trajectory the entity took was easy to follow. The trace it left behind as it moved was clearly visible to my once-sightless eyes, which had recently been opened to the magic around me. The foggy track led me down a couple of left turns, farther away from civilization, and toward woodlands notorious for housing the local population of homeless people.

Swallowing my apprehension, I soldiered on. In the back of my mind, I was positive a Soul Devourer was the one on a hunt for a victim. This was a huge concern. What if it attacked? I hadn’t the slightest idea how to summon the fiery inferno within me to destroy it, should I have to.

Forcing myself to remain calm, I sped along the path marked by the easily visible trace and made mental note of the streets and landmarks in case there was a need of a hasty retreat. The dead silence all around did little to calm my fears. Seriously. Why was it so damn quiet? Where were all the people? I’d just passed by an abandoned house when an ear-splitting screech resonated from somewhere nearby, causing my heart to race. I paused, trying to identify the location of the scream. Another shriek spurred me into action and I bolted, sprinting across the front yard of a trailer. I turned left and used the trace to track down the screaming person in distress. After zigzagging through a series of properties, I rushed past a boarded-up gas station, and continued to the rear of the building.

My mouth dried up at the sight of a white-haired, pale-eyed, fanged Soul Devourer dropping a lifeless man to the concrete floor. The tall, lanky beast had long arms and lean fingers with glossy fingernails that looked sharp enough to eviscerate me right on the spot. He caught me approaching, and hissed like an upset jaguar. Then he turned, and legged it across the lot to the nearby woods.

Letting out a grunt of frustration, I charged after it. I tossed my bag over my left shoulder, and tried to ignore how it bounced against me as I ran. I weaved around trees and to an adjacent road, all while wondering how on earth I’d find it in me to perform my duties without getting slaughtered myself. Part of my abilities as an Enchantress—a Giver of Life—was to retrieve a soul once it had been consumed by a Soul Devourer. With everything that had happened in the past few hours, finding time to learn the basics hadn’t been of much importance. I regretted that now. Regretted refusing Brandon’s offer to accompany me. What the hell had I been thinking? What if my first night as an Enchantress turned out to be my last?

Pushing aside my insecurities, I darted out of the woods and sprinted to yet another desolate street filled with crumbling homes that had seen better days. I scanned the area for any signs of the man-creature. The Soul Devourer had jumped into trees in a pathetic attempt to lose me. His efforts were futile, however. I could faintly make out his fleeing figure at a distance.

I pursued him to another abandoned structure, this one in far worse condition than the ones closer to the bus station. The decrepit two-story house seemed to have been uninhabited for a while. The shutters on all the front windows were either missing or hanging sideways. The left side of the porch had caved in. Trash and debris littered the overgrown lawn.

Whoever lived here had departed in a hurry. Large, bulky furniture had been left unclaimed on the side of the porch that hadn’t yet collapsed. There was a chain link fence around the property that separated it from an empty lot to the right and the woods to the left. The gate was padlocked, but when pushed, there was enough of a gap that I could easily squeeze through. I had to maneuver my bag around to keep it from getting stuck, but eventually made it in.

I took a quick look around while catching my breath. Definitely needed to exercise more often. The chase had left me wheezing like a chronic asthmatic, which wasn’t good in a life-or-death situation. If my depleted strength didn’t get me killed, my loud, exaggerated panting would give my location away. If the Soul Devourer didn’t already know. So much for going incognito.

I surveyed the lot for signs of the creature. His trail ran across the side of the house and out of view. It was a trap. But what choice did I have? There was no way I’d allow that pasty son-of-a-bitch to keep the soul he stole after what I’d witnessed.

The Soul Devourer’s trajectory led through a broken window at the side of the house into what looked like a room. With every corner engulfed in darkness, it was almost impossible for me to pick out the shadows of inanimate objects from those that might belong to a being.

This is the night I’m going to get killed, I whispered to myself.

I crawled in through the very window the Soul Devourer had used to access the house, and scampered to my feet to examine the room. Apart from the visible trail of particles that marked the Soul Devourer’s clear path, I couldn’t see much. Fishing my phone out of my pocket, I used the flashlight to illuminate what had once been used as a living room. Save for a broken-down couch, and half a coffee table, the space was empty.

I ventured out into the landing right across the hall to a single wooden staircase, the first three steps of which were cracked. The Soul Devourer hadn’t escaped up to the second floor. His trail led everywhere but up the stairs. Given the awkward layout of the house, I could see the pale little bastard had run around in circles, snaking in and out of the hallways.

Where did you go? I hurried out into the hall, illuminating one end of the corridor before shifting the light toward the other. I couldn’t tell where he’d gone to first, nor determine what end of the hall he’d crawled to last.

I stepped forward but stopped as my entire body broke out in goose bumps. My throat tightened. An unexpected wave of heat coursed through me with an intensity that took my breath away and left my mind reeling. Sweat broke across my palms and my vision blurred instantaneously.

Assaulted by a sudden bout of dizziness, I backed up a few paces and closed my eyes. I settled my right hand on the wall to keep from toppling sideways, and breathed in and out slowly. Something was off. It was freezing outside, but I was burning up.

No one gets sick this quickly, do they?

The smell of burning wood compelled me to open my eyes. I peeked up to see my right hand engulfed in bright blue flames, which had begun to spread to the wall. The blaze swiftly worked its way to the ceiling and the support beams keeping it all together. I screamed, shoved my phone into my pocket, and shook my blazing limb to try to put out the fire—to no avail. Within moments, the bluish fire had already begun consuming the dilapidated home.

Oh, shit, I exclaimed. I’m an idiot. What made me think I could hunt down a Soul Devourer and retrieve the essence of the person he’d fed on? It hadn’t been two hours since I’d come into my powers and here I was, trying to play the hero.

A pair of hands grabbed me from behind, lifted me clean off my feet, and tossed me to the other side of what was once a spacious living room. I landed on my left side, the impact sucking the air right out of my lungs. White flashed before my eyes. Sharp pain speared through me as my head, shoulder, and knee connected with the hardwood floor. I was temporarily disoriented, confused, and scared.

Doubts resurfaced with a vengeance as realization hit me like a slap to the face. If I didn’t try to fight back, this nightmare on legs would suck my soul out and I’d be trapped in its grotesque body for eternity. Not how I expected to spend the rest of my life.

I detected its presence nearby, skulking closer. It growled with menace, as if to taunt me. I glanced up quickly and locked eyes with the man-beast.

There you are, I whispered.

It took me a second to focus my eyes on the approaching peril, scarcely identifying its emaciated form ambling in my direction. I scrambled to my feet, ignoring all discomfort for the sake of survival. I waved my enflamed arm from side to side, hoping it would deter him from pouncing. He gazed at me with wide eyes, a sinister smirk on his ashen face, but he didn’t get closer.

What do I do?

I’d managed to tap into my Enchantress powers without being aware of the fact, but I had no clue how to use them. The Soul Devourer gave me no time to come up with a defense as he exposed a set of unusually long fangs, and then bounded forward. I jumped aside in time to miss its talons as they tried to nab me, and turned to face him. He lashed out before I could react, clawing right through my clothes and skin as I raised my arms to protect my face. Blood poured out of the open wounds. I counter-attacked, rushing at him with my enflamed limb. He shimmied to his left, too fast for me to do much more than brush by him.

The Soul Devourer poised himself for another go. A glimmer of silver sliced straight through his arm, dismembering him in one quick, clean cut. The man-creature squealed like a wounded pig and rotated on his feet in confusion for a second before he was kicked to the floor, and trapped under a booted foot.

I whipped my head around. My gaze collided with that of a tall, lean individual with a beautiful set of almond-shaped eyes, wielding a sword engulfed in blue flames from the handle to the tip of the blade. Something in me clicked into place, as if whatever had been taken from me had been returned at last. Why did I feel as if I’d found a missing part of myself?

Chapter Two

The bizarre set of events that led to this moment were hard enough to assimilate, but to find a sword-wielding individual with a dangerous glint in his dark eyes was a little out there for me.

Take it out, he demanded as he settled the tip of his sword to the Soul Devourer’s neck, only inches away from where the jugular should be. The Soul Devourer responded by shrieking in earnest, eyes staring wildly at the flaming blade. Hurry, before the whole roof caves in on us.

Stunned, the only thing I could do was stand there and gape, like a complete moron. The flames had spread from wall to wall. Smoke continued to fill the space. A dark cloud hung just above our heads, but I was transfixed by the young man. Where had he come from?

What are you waiting for? The roaring fire made it easy for me to see him clearly, even the look of disbelief he tossed at me. Are you deaf?

I noted the accent, but disregarded it as pieces of wood started dropping from the ceiling. One narrowly missed my left shoulder by inches.

Snap out of it, Leah!

I kneeled next to the hissing Soul Devourer, but hesitated with my blazing hand inches from its chest. How was I supposed to remove the soul without destroying the vessel it was housed in? If I burned him, I couldn’t save the essence he’d consumed.

Do it. Now, the stranger demanded more forcibly, breaking me out of my stupor.

I don’t know how. I glanced up at the man, only to find his forehead creased, his eyes narrowed and gaping at me with what I could only describe as undisguised shock.

What kind of Giver of Life are you?

Not a very good one, obviously.

I... I should have told him right then and there, but I shut my trap instead, too embarrassed to reveal I hadn’t learned how to tap into my powers.

If you don’t retrieve the soul, we’re all going to die here, the stranger stated angrily.

Okay, okay. Give me a minute.

We don’t have a minute, he retorted.

I squeezed my eyes closed and concentrated, as I’d done at the warehouse. I focused on the sound of the woman’s voice—the ghostly female figure who had talked me through the process of emptying my mind—and instead, allowed myself to be absorbed by the fiery energy within my very core. It wasn’t easy shifting from my Enchantress abilities to those of my Giver of Life, but I finally achieved my goal after a couple of tries. Putting out the flames that had accidentally leaked out, I managed to change my limb into a translucent arm—a barely outlined specter designed to go through a person’s body without causing damage of any kind.

I pushed my arm, up to the elbow, inside the Soul Devourer’s chest and concentrated on finding the essence he’d stolen. Unsure of what to look for, the search proved challenging. The Soul Devourer’s shell was overrun with a darkness so deep it had no beginning and no end—a complete contrast to his chalky skin and pale hair. And soon it was clear that unless I located and retrieved the stolen soul, it would be lost within the murky depths of the beast’s insides, impossible to be recovered.

What’s taking so long? the stranger asked with a hint of impatience.

I’m trying, I responded, growing a little exasperated, myself. It wasn’t like this was a picnic for me, either.

Going in blind was terrifying. Doubts swirled in my head as I repeatedly attempted to separate whatever good there was among all the bad, which was nearly impossible. There was nothing remotely good about this being, and the more I searched, the more my paranoia escalated. Time was ticking by. Precious seconds separated my path to success from the road to failure.

As I tried to guess what to aim for, I sensed it: an energy force different from mine. It pulsated with a vibrancy of its own, contracting and expanding as if begging for my attention. I made a grab for the source and removed it, shocked to see it was a perfectly round, luminescent orb about the size of a golf ball. This is it, I whispered in awe.

Took you long enough, the stranger countered.

Jerk, I murmured under my breath. Now where was I supposed to store this thing while I returned it to its owner?

Back off! the stranger yelled as he raised the sword.

I scurried to my feet and out of the way. On instinct, I stowed it in the hollow in my chest for the meantime, then willed my arm to return to its normal state. As it transitioned, I glanced up to see the stranger bring the sword down and chop the Soul Devourer’s head off. Disgusted by the sight, I spun around in search of an exit, trying to ignore the sound of the head rolling across the hardwood floor. I sprinted to the window the second I spotted it, and jumped out. I landed on my knees and somehow managed to tear my pants in the process. Dismissing the discomfort, I got to my feet and dashed toward the gate. I pulled on it enough to squeeze through and worked on crossing to the other side of the fence.

Hurry up! he shouted! They’re coming. His voice startled me and I jumped. I hadn’t noticed he’d followed me out.

I paused to listen. Police sirens blared off in the distance. Crap. That was all I needed right now, to be arrested for arson, unintentional though it might be.

Panicked, I made it out and charged in the direction of the woods, hoping to take cover among the tall trees and darkness that prevailed in this area of town. But as I slowed my pace, intending to hide behind a large pine tree, the stranger grabbed my left wrist and towed me behind him as he ran.

Wait! I couldn’t see where we were going and continued to lose my footing as he dragged me along like some misbehaved child. Hold on. I yanked myself free and stopped to catch my breath.

The strange young man whirled around to look at me, providing me with perfect view of his glowing blue eyes. Hadn’t his eyes been dark brown or black, just moments before?

We’re not too far from the house. If we stay here they will find us, he said, ambling in my direction.

You really think the police will come looking for us?

He snorted. "Us? You were the one that set the house on fire, not me."

It was an accident. I raised my chin in defiance.

He lifted his brow. I got that. You nearly got yourself killed, too. What kind of Giver of Life makes such a careless mistake?

He’d clearly never heard or seen anyone like me. He was in for a load of surprises tonight, that was for damn sure.

I— The sound of voices in the distance cut my response short.

Let’s go, the stranger whispered.

Wait. I gripped a handful of his long-sleeved jacket. I can’t see where I’m going.

Then use your eyes, he snapped.

I gazed up at him expectantly, but he merely shook his head before grabbing on to my wrist.

Follow me, quietly, he commanded as he hurried along the woods at a steady pace, putting more and more distance between ourselves and the inferno we’d left behind.

Once we couldn’t see the flames or hear the chaos of loud sirens, shouting men, and the roar of the fire, he released me and shifted slightly to his left to look at me. You can’t make your eyes glow to light the way?

Um, no, I answered softly, cringing inwardly at his expression.

What is wrong with you? he asked, with a wrinkle of his hawk-like nose. When I failed to respond, mainly because I was too ashamed to think of something witty to say, he asked, Where did you leave the victim?

I pointed to my right. West. Behind a gas station.

Come on, he tossed over his shoulder as he spun around and started toward the exact opposite of where I’d indicated.

You’re going the wrong way. I rushed after him. He stopped abruptly, forcing me to careen into his broad back. Ouch, I blurted out, in irritation.

I’m circling around the location to fool whoever tries to trail us. He clasped his long, lean fingers around my wrist yet again. Let’s get out of here. Once we hit the road, you lead the way.

He didn’t wait for a response, but pulled me along instead. It took a good five minutes to navigate around the area and find the street I’d taken when trailing the Soul Devourer, but once we were on our way to the gas station, I began breathing a bit more easily. He had released his hold on me by then, and walked silently next me. His warm touch disconcerted me a little too much. But I managed to convince myself my relief was due to narrowly avoiding arrest. Not that I necessarily thought we were in the clear yet. Something told me I was bound to find trouble anywhere.

If we spot headlights, it’s best to take shelter among the trees. You look like you’ve been in a fight. That might arouse suspicion, should police be looking for whoever set the house on fire.

I scoffed, earning a sideways glance from him. You’re carrying around a sword and I’m the suspicious-looking one? Although the weapon wasn’t up in blue flames anymore, anyone paying close attention could easily identify it for what it was.

My companion lifted his right hand while grunting under his breath in apparent discontent. He wasn’t impressed with me in the least. The feeling wasn’t entirely mutual. He’d stunned me a few times thus far.

With his hand hovering over the weapon, he transformed the sword into an umbrella with just a quick shake of his long, lean fingers. I stared, dazed. Apparently, he had a lot more tricks hidden up his sleeve. How did you do that?

He gawked at me. He didn’t have to say a word. I was certain he thought of me as stupid.

You can do it, too.

I laughed softly. I’m pretty sure I can’t even save my life, let alone use magic to disguise an item as something else.

He sighed exaggeratedly. Why doesn’t that surprise me?

I wrinkled my nose. That smug look on his face made me want to kick his ass. The gas station is just down the street. I moved on without waiting for a response.

Are you sure? You don’t seem too certain, he remarked with a hint of skepticism.

I’m not all that familiar with this area of town, but I’m sure as to where I left the poor sap that had the misfortune of turning into Soul Devourer chow tonight.

Before I could take more than a few steps, a figure ran past me. It took a moment for me to identify him by the blur of his shoulder-length black hair blowing in the wind, the blue of the jeans he wore, and brown leather jacket.

Hurry up, little butterfly. Time is almost up, he shouted as he rushed by me.

I did a double-take. What was he talking about? Did I have to return the soul before it became a part of me? I shuddered. That wasn’t a responsibility or a perk I wanted.

Heart pounding, I sprinted after him. He fell back once I’d caught up to him, allowing me to take the lead. We arrived at the gas station a couple of minutes later, to find the deceased man still in the same