Hungry Earth: Elemental, #2

By Rain Oxford

Devon Sanders, a private investigator known for his efficiency and discretion, is determined to become a master wizard. He returns to the paranormal university ready to learn magic and uncover the history of the castle. Unfortunately, life at Quintessence is never that easy.

When a student dies of no apparent cause, the search for a witness leads Devon to discover there are more secrets buried under Quintessence than he ever realized. In order to save the paranormal world he is now part of, he will face an enemy that can use his own power against him. Devon must rely on more than his exceptional intuition to solve this case.

Magic is elemental.

Content Advisory: This book is intended for mature audiences and contains violence, disturbing imagery, and strong language.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rain Oxford
• Release date: Jun 16, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386832560

Rain Oxford

Rain Oxford is a retired teacher who has been writing stories since she was twelve. She attended Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto, Japan. Some of her interests include magic, psychology, and ancient history. She has four children: a Maltese, a Chihuahua, a Great Pyrenees puppy, and a Golden Retriever puppy. The only thing missing in her family is a dragon. When she’s not creating worlds, she enjoys reading, playing the piano, or photographing exotic wildlife.

Book preview

Previously, in Elemental...

I was a perfectly normal private investigator... who happened to have supernaturally accurate intuition and could communicate with animals. I was known for my discretion, so my talents were often utilized in fascinating cases such as embezzlement, cheating spouses, and the occasional inheritance scandal. It was boring and I liked it that way.

The alternative was to deal with paranormal cases, which I refused to do. Among humans, there also lived wizards, fae, vampires, and shifters. They were secretive, but as far as I knew, they were everywhere. Swing-a-cat type of everywhere. Fortunately, paranormals in the United States were most prevalent in the northeast. Unfortunately, that was where I lived.

Shifters could only change into one animal, it was a full shift (they didn’t have a partial, man-beast form) and they weren’t controlled by the full moon. I had only seen predatory shifters, predominantly wolves and large cats. Some of them (like wolves) lived in packs with an alpha whose word was the law for the entire pack.

Fae were like wizards in that they could do magic, except the magic was limited to just a few powers. However, they were much better at those powers than wizards were. Also like wizards, they looked human. The rest of my knowledge was based on rumors.

Vampires, like human lore suggested, had super strength, speed, and senses. They could also thrall people, which was akin to mind control, but I wasn’t sure of the exact rules, because I avoided them. In fact, they were the reason I had always avoided paranormals. What I was sure of, however, was that garlic, holy water, and crosses did nothing to them, but sunlight could kill them. As if they weren’t bad enough alone, they typically lived in covens.

Wizards, obviously, blended in the best with humans, which was how I got into the mess I did in the first place. They could do magic naturally, without tools. Their magic was based on the elements, so while an untrained wizard could whip up a nice little fireball, a master of wizardry could turn a person inside out. Wizards in North America were governed by a council of thirteen men.

None of this is the reason I refused to involve myself with paranormals. My childhood friend was a vampire named Astrid who killed my father and nearly killed my mother when we were eleven. After I let her into my home, I found the person I trusted more than anyone else, sitting on my kitchen floor, drenched in the blood of my parents.

Then I got myself emotionally attached to the cop who cared for me after the incident. Astrid had followed me, and when a car crash nearly killed Cody, she saved him by turning him into a vampire. I didn’t learn this until almost twenty years later.

I ended up back in the paranormal world against my will when John Cross came to me and asked me to find his daughter. I agreed, not knowing that he was a powerful wizard on the council. When I found Reagan dead, covered in blood with fang punctures on her neck, I assumed it was vampires to blame. I received a blatant warning and figured I was next, so when Vincent Knight sent me a letter saying he would offer protection in exchange for me taking his case, I jumped at the chance. I would trust my neck to wizards over vampires any day. This began a journey of magic, danger, and self-discovery.

I went undercover as a wizard in Quintessence, the only paranormal university in North America. Logan Hunt, the owner of Quintessence, also ran a children’s school and an orphanage for children of paranormals. Vampires were the only paranormals excluded from the schools. Hunt was friends with Vincent and had a problem he couldn’t take care of without alerting the council. Ironically, Vincent was also a council member.

Five students of Quintessence were killed before the semester began, all apparently killed by vampires. During my investigation, five more people died, including four students and a professor. However, there was too much evidence that pointed to a vampire as the culprit, so I looked at the bigger picture and learned more than I’d bargained for.

John Cross was no mere wizard; he had a unique, powerful, and deadly ability. He could control minds. I learned that he had used spiders to spy on the school and his ability to make students kill for him, effectively framing vampires. John passionately hated vampires.

Like father like son, apparently.

It turned out that my ability to talk to animals was just the tip of the iceberg. The truth was that I was actually a wizard, John was my father, and I had inherited the ability to control minds. Also, Vincent was my uncle.

To become a halfway decent wizard and not follow in John’s footsteps, I had to let love into my heart again. Water was the first element I had to master, which was characterized by healing and love. My roommates were vital in doing this, because they were the first paranormals after Astrid that I really trusted.

Henry, a jaguar shifter who could turn invisible, had a huge secret of his own. Darwin was a defective throwback, as his father was a wolf shifter and his mother was a forest fae. Supposedly, he couldn’t do magic or shift, but I knew better. When I was attacked by a wolf shifter under John’s control, Darwin came to my rescue with claws, teeth, and fury. Darwin was also a super genius, so he helped a lot in solving the case.

The first five victims were advocates for vampire rights, so John wanted them out of the way. The second five were randomly selected to frame vampires. As a backup plan, he kidnapped Hunt’s daughter, Remington. It was a threat to back down, but it backfired on him. I killed him and absorbed his magic.

In the end, Remington was saved, I embraced my wizardry, and the council realized they were being prejudiced against vampires. Their response was to require Hunt to allow vampires into his university.

Chapter 1

It was pitch black and I could sense a malevolent presence surrounding me. This wasn’t a living enemy that could be killed. I felt the firm handle of a torch in my grasp, so I drew on the power inside me, focused on the heat of a flame, and directed it into the tip of the torch. As fire engulfed the top of the torch, shadows were chased back. There was something unnatural about it, like the shadows were moving away instead of being penetrated by light.

My intuition was never wrong. I was being watched— hunted even.

I was in a dry cave and the floor sloped upward steeply. Behind me was a wall, so there was only one way to go. I carefully trekked through passageways that were as wide as trains and gaps that I could barely squeeze through. The further I traveled, the colder and dryer the air became.

Finally, after what felt like hours, I came upon an enormous cavern with a stone tower in the center. The tower was fifteen feet in diameter and forty feet in height. Spaced evenly around it were massive wooden doors, each carved with peculiar symbols and designs. While none of the doors had any obvious locking mechanisms, they also had no doorknobs. I pushed against one, but it wouldn’t budge.

I studied the symbols on the doors more carefully. When I approached the last door, my palm started to sting, so I held my hand out a little towards the light to see it. There was nothing on my skin, but I felt like something was burned into it. It only took me a moment to realize that the lines I could feel burning in my hand were the same as on the fourth door.

I was a cautious man by nature, so it was a surprise to myself that I turned my palm out to face the door.

A hand pulled my arm down and another closed over my mouth to stop my startled shout. I wouldn’t do that if I were you. The second you give them what they want, they will no longer need you.

Although the voice was familiar, the English accent wasn’t and prevented me from identifying the man. As if it were overcome by darkness, the flame of my torch died with a sudden, violent flicker.

* * *

Something patted me softly on the mouth. It was odd, but light and non-threatening, so I ignored it. It nudged against my cheek more insistently. Fluffy...?

Then I heard a shrill hiss only a second before sharp teeth burrowed into my ear. I cursed and swiped at the demon cat, but he managed to avoid my half-conscious, flaying arms. Damn you, Ghost! I told you not to do that!

I got an irritated growl in response.

I’m not getting up until my alarm—- I was interrupted as my alarm started chirping. With a sigh, I reached for it blindly and ended up smacking the cat instead of the clock.

He bit me.

I smacked him harder.

He pounced on my chest, causing me to groan in pain. The demon cat was heavy and his claws were extended. He was a mischievous and hideous beast, but he had technically saved my life... by giving me chalk.

I finally opened my eyes in time to see him vanish. In his place was a letter, which I knew I needed to read immediately. The only letters Ghost brought me were from his master; my uncle, Vincent. The letter was wordy, as usual, and written in a spidery script with dark green ink.

––––––––

Dear Devon,

The time has come for your second circle at Quintessence. I hope you have adequately prepared yourself to work alongside your new vampire classmates. As you know, a number of students at Quintessence, primarily fae, have decided to drop out rather than to continue their education amongst vampires. Because this is the exact intolerance we have been trying to rid the paranormal community of, Logan and I hope that you will act as an emissary.

I regret to inform you that the wizard council has decided to grace Quintessence with their presence. They believe their involvement is vital to the successful integration of vampires into the rest of the paranormal community. I suspect they have ulterior motives and would like you to investigate.

Currently, I am unavailable to deal with the council myself. Ghost can assist you instead. Although I understand your personal conflict with vampires, I believe you are the best person for the job and would not ask anyone else.

As you know, your second semester begins on the twenty-sixth of January. However, due to recent events, Logan and I decided that certain safety precautions are called for. Therefore, Logan will reach you at your residence, and you should not leave your apartment until his arrival.

Best Wishes,

Your Uncle

––––––––

I sighed. Personal conflict... That was an understatement. I had learned the way of water, according to Remy. I could trust people... but I couldn’t trust vampires. As much as I wanted to, I couldn’t forgive Astrid for what she did. Every time I thought of trusting a vampire, I saw my mother bleeding out on the floor.

A grouchy meow let me know Ghost had returned. Absentmindedly, I stroked the cat’s head as he approached me on the bed. He purred and flopped onto his side. I retracted my hand just in time to avoid his sharp claws. I hate you, cat, I said.

He glared and purred harder.

Ghost was not a regular cat; he was Vincent’s familiar, which meant Vincent could see through his eyes and he could appear wherever and whenever he wanted to. Ghost had one light blue eye, one gold eye, a scar across his nose, and missing clumps of his dirty gray hair.

Damn temperamental weirdo. Tell Vincent I’ll be the vampire diplomat as long as they keep their fangs to themselves.

He vanished... and left behind a second letter.

––––––––

Dear Devon,

Also, Ghost says you have a visitor coming. You should hide.

Best Wishes,

Your Uncle

––––––––

A visitor? I stared at the letter until it began to crumple in my fingers. Like a paranormal visitor, or what?

My cell phone rang, startling me. I started to reach for it and caught myself. I had to be careful. My clients thought I was trashing my phones on purpose, but one unfortunate side effect of my new power was that energy sometimes sparked from me like electricity. Similar to electrical surges, it took out small or intricate electronics, including my cell phone.

These sparks had also killed my office computer, which I hadn’t bothered to replace because I figured it would get fried as well.

I waited a moment and then carefully picked the phone up from my nightstand. My little Moto was barely more than a throwaway. I checked the caller ID, not surprised to see that it was private. I pressed the screen to answer it. Hello?

Hey, man, I thought you’d be gone by now.

I sighed. Then why are you calling me?

Well, you told me to watch over your mother while you were gone. I thought I should let you know Regina was getting her worked up the other day. The nurse said Regina was talking about babies and how you two were working things out. This might not be the best time for you to go on your trip.

Shit.

You know, if you moved to Chicago, Regina would follow you... I figure it would be a matter of days before she pissed off the mafia... I mean... it’s just a suggestion.

I’m not moving to Chicago. Now, I’m hanging up. Remind Danielle that Regina is not allowed around my mother. Tell her she will be fired if Regina gets within fifty feet of my mother again.

I hung up. It wasn’t rude; we had a three-minute rule. Marcus and I never spoke on the phone for more than three minutes and were extremely careful not to give away his true identity. Whereas I recently killed my own father and was practically praised for it, Marcus watched his father murder his mother and was nearly assassinated for telling the police.

A knock sounded on my door and every instinct screamed of danger. Some vicious creature of malice was waiting outside. So, of course, I opened the door.

What the hell are you doing here? I asked the bane of my existence.

Regina rolled her eyes and walked past me into my apartment. Is that any way to talk to your wife? How long are you going to play this stupid game? You’re being so ridiculous. She wrinkled up her nose in disgust as she swept her gaze over my humble apartment.

Regina was five-three, slim, with fluffy white-blond hair and big hazel eyes. She was exceptionally beautiful on the outside. She wore a light gray, open-necked, fitted, thin shirt that went nearly to her knees with black shorts peeking out under it. Her shirt was thin enough that I could see her black satin bra through it. Knowing Regina, I bet the shirt cost more than a month’s rent.

Between her looks and her innocent smile, a man could think he found a real catch with the woman. I had.

Unfortunately, Regina was a snake in many ways. She was a master of manipulation in that she could act so naïve and selfless, when she was actually as friendly as a rattlesnake on the inside. She only heard what she wanted to, which was why she believed our divorce was just a phase I was going through.

I don’t see why you have to work through your issues in a dump like this. Seriously, our neighbors are starting to talk.

She would know; she spent ninety percent of the time that she was at home spying on the neighbors. Of course, the majority of the time she was out playing bingo, gambling, or shopping. I sighed. What are you doing here? I asked, resigned.

Don’t you take that tone of voice with me, Devon Sanders. I don’t care what this is all about, she said, waving her hand in a gesture of my apartment. You have bills to pay at home. Now, I was talking to your mother and she agrees with me on this. We decided that you should see a therapist. I mean, I know it’ll be expensive, but it’s worth it. Obviously, this was all brought on because you were working too hard, and so I found a good therapist to help you get past this.

Regina, I left you because you were cheating on me, not because I was working too much to pay for your gambling. I went into the kitchen, wishing I could slam a door between us. Since it was an open floor plan, I grabbed a soda out of the fridge and slammed the fridge closed too hard instead. An amusing image came to mind of stuffing her in one of those deep freezers. Alas, I didn’t have one.

Her face suddenly morphed into the very essence of hurt. How could you bring that up? You know I forgave you for never being home and you know it was your own fault for not giving me the attention I deserved. I didn’t cheat on you; I simply found someone else to give me what I needed.

She paused and waited for me to agree with her.

When I said nothing, her eyes narrowed with anger. I’m sick of your selfish behavior. I know you’re up to something because you haven’t been to see your mother in over six months. You will come home tonight. Even Maria is ashamed of how you’re treating me. Your appointment with the therapist is at nine tomorrow morning. I told our neighbors we’re starting yoga classes, so that explains why you’ll be leaving every morning.

I poured half my soda down the sink drain and rested my elbows on the metal rim. This was when things went wrong; heat was rising in my chest. I tried to think of sitting by the lake and feeding the kappa or sitting at my table with a cup of coffee in the morning... but Regina wouldn’t shut up. Every thought I could find of serenity was sucked away by her relentless complaining, criticizing, and demanding.

I tried to think of the good times with her... any good time... yet nothing came to mind. There had to be good times, right? Our first date maybe or when we met... I remembered the diner I met her waitressing at. Sitting alone with my head in the case I was working on, I didn’t look twice at my waitress until she brought me the check.

She was gorgeous and her smile was so sweet. She spoke softly and respectfully, shyly even. She left her number on the receipt, and I assumed the fact that my skin was crawling had to do with the case.

... Obviously they think you’ve been away at work. I mean, they could never know that you’ve been goofing off in some midlife crises. Oh, and about that car. The newest model comes in that metallic blue I like, so I made the order, but there was something wrong with your credit card. I was so embarrassed, you have no idea. I had to call them and explain to them that I’m your wife and that—-

Regina! My control snapped, my power lashed out, and the lights flickered violently. Get out! I looked at her in time to see her face change to shock before she turned and started for the door. Guilt overcame me for using my power on her. Wait! Stop. Shit, I thought when she froze. I didn’t really want her to stop.

Before my mind could actually start to read her thoughts and memories, I forced myself to let go. It was easier when she wasn’t talking. She stumbled and had to steady herself by grabbing the coffee table.

I’m sorry, I said. I didn’t mean to do that.

She sat carefully on the table, clearly shaken, and wouldn’t look at me. You’ve never yelled at me before. You really don’t love me anymore?

I wanted to tell her that I never loved her, but I stopped myself. Although she needed to move on, I didn’t want to emotionally scar her. No, I don’t.

You met someone else, right? Flawless crocodile tears welled in her eyes.

Is there a problem here?

We both turned to see Clara Yocum standing outside my open door, which I thought I had closed. Clara was on the list of the top ten most gorgeous women I had ever seen, as well as the list of the top five people I never wanted to see again.

Her light complexion was flawless, her facial features were perfect in proportion and shape, and her dark burgundy eyes looked more exotic than unnatural. Her long hair was dark purple the last time I saw her, but she had changed it to dark blue since. She wore a blood-red top with black leather pants and a fitted black leather jacket.

If Regina was a snake, Clara was an atomic bomb. The woman was not only a vampire, but a regal one. She could slaughter an entire city and nobody would stop her. And she was in charge of the vampire division of Quintessence.

Aren’t you going to invite me in? Or do I need to knock first?

She knew about Astrid. I would invite John Cross into my apartment before you, I growled.

Oh, you sweet talker. Her voice lowered seductively. Come on, Devon, you know you want to. She looked me in the eye, completely unafraid of my power.

Leave him alone, Clara, Remington said, pushing the vampire aside.

Like Clara, Remy was an eleven out of ten on the scale of attractiveness. She was in her mid-twenties with a shapely, athletic figure, long, chestnut-brown hair, and striking green eyes. Her irises were the lightest green in the center, with dark green rings on the outside. She had a naturally tanned, smooth complexion. She would also shoot me in the face if I pissed her off and if I asked her out, her wolf shifter boyfriend would eat my face.

Remy entered my apartment easily and eyed Regina like a cat would a flea. Who is this? she asked me, obviously not impressed with my company.

I wanted to make a comment on hers, but I held back. Regina.

She sneered. Your ex-wife? Really?

Regina stood, her face reddening with anger. Devon, I will not be looked down on by your floozy friends. You will explain to them that I am still your wife, and then we will go home and put this stupid game behind us.

What part of our divorce did you not understand? I am no longer your husband and you will never be my wife in any way, shape, or form again.

How can you talk to me like that in front of these people? Regina screeched.

Devon, are you really not going to invite me in?

Why are you here? I asked.

She sighed. I didn’t want to burst your bubble. She stepped inside, paused, and approached Remy. It’s a myth that we need an invitation, she explained with a smirk.

I eyed the hallway. If Clara attacked, I didn’t have a chance to reach my gun. I had seen how fast a vampire could move. Where is Hunt? I asked.

My father got detained talking to your landlord, Remy said. Clara and I heard you had a visitor and thought we should see if you needed a hand. Rosin has to take care of the school since Rebecca is gone and April is in hiding from the council, so Clara had to come with us.

I didn’t know Clara enough to predict what she would do. I knew it wasn’t likely that she would attack my ex-wife or me in front of Remy. However, I could never have predicted what she actually did; Clara grabbed Regina’s shirt collar, pulled her close, and kissed her.

Regina moaned and grasped Clara’s leather jacket weakly, not pulling the vampire closer or pushing her away. It was probably rude to stare, but it wasn’t often that two gorgeous, evil women kissed in front of me.

Remy cleared her throat. Clara pulled a few inches away from Regina until my ex opened her eyes. Clara grinned. Now, you are going to go home and not bother Devon or his mother again.

Regina blinked vacantly and walked out without another