Forget Me Book One: Forget Me, #1

By Odette C. Bell

In a world of ubiquitous magic, I despise powers. Until I get them.

When I discover I have a prophesied ability to make anyone forget, I wake up to a world that will do anything to capture me. Only one powerful, handsome vampire can save me. But I can't trust him. So I make him forget. And the less he remembers, the further away he gets.
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Forget Me follows a witch with the power to make anyone forget her as she fights for freedom from any and all who'll use her. If you love urban fantasies that fight destiny with action and guts, grab Forget Me Book One today and soar free with an Odette C. Bell series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Odette C. Bell
• Release date: Apr 15, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393266297

Book preview

1

CHRISTOPHER BELFORD

I got out of the car. The wind raced around me. The rest of the city was calm, but not this bit – never this bit.

We need to be quick, I mumbled as I flattened my tie down and tucked it under the lapels of my long jacket. My shoulder-length flaxen hair whipped around my neck as I turned up to stare at the clear sky. It was clear to everyone else. I could see the hints of shadows racing across it. I pulled up my collar and hid further underneath it.

My driver and bodyguard, Barney, raced ahead.

His footfall thumped melodically on the uneven cobbles. He reached the construction tape, ducked underneath it, and lifted it for me.

I crunched under, despite my tall form.

I gazed up at the security cameras on poles. Has anyone disturbed them?

Barney shook his head, his silver-flecked beard catching the moonlight. Not a soul. The rest of the town still thinks this area is getting developed – albeit at a snail’s pace.

Keep it that way. Shoving my hands deep into my pockets, I tried to chase away the nerves climbing my back.

You wouldn’t think a man like me would ever feel nervous. I was the top vampire in the city. I came from the most prestigious family. Of the elite races present in town, I was by far the strongest.

But with strength comes knowledge, and with knowledge comes an acceptance that no matter how powerful you are, there is always something out there stronger.

A few latent crackles of magic tingled over my bare wrists as we approached the low sandstone building.

I ignored it. Barney didn’t.

Damn aura field, he muttered as he locked his arms around his middle and let his teeth chatter freely. It’s getting worse.

I’m sure it is, I whispered.

We reached the gate. On the outside, it looked like nothing more than an old wrought iron structure that led down a set of chipped, ancient stairs.

From the inside, it was hell.

Barney fumbled in his pockets. He soon pulled out a ring of gleaming keys. My eyes locked on one. There were other keys that were more impressive. There was even one depicting a tiny skull. If you brought your face close, it would whisper deathly promises in your ear.

But the key he plucked out and shoved into the lock with sweaty fingers was nothing more than a smooth slice of metal. Its simplicity belied what it held back.

As the door creaked and opened, I shivered.

I’d faced murderers, gangs, jealous vampires, and God knows how many corrupt elites over the years, and not one of them had ever made me shiver. Now it was uncontrollable. I had to curl my hands into fists and sink my nails all the way in just to get a modicum of composure.

I nodded at Barney. Wait here.

Barney looked immeasurably relieved, but he still went through the process of contorting his expression and shaking his head. I should be with you, sir, he promised weakly.

I ignored him. I walked down the stairs, grabbed the gate off him, and closed it.

Turning slowly, my white-knuckled grip still on the bars of the gate, I faced those dark stairs. My eyes adjusted immediately. It didn’t matter how dark an area was, a vampire could always see perfectly. It was one of our old, throwback predatory skills. It was hardly useful in today’s round-the-clock illuminated world, but at times like this, it came in handy.

You could not shine a light down here. Things you did not want to attract would come for you.

I reached the base of the stairs. They were long, and the trip took at least a minute, but it seemed to be over in the blink of an eye. My mind was already skipping ahead – not just to what I would see, but far ahead to what would come if I failed in my duty and let the city fall.

I turned and walked into a room. There was another gate. Barney didn’t have the keys for this one. It required blood.

Pulling my hand out of my pocket, I yanked my wrist up and sliced it with my long vampire canine. A few drops of glistening blood pooled down my skin. I wasted no time in flicking them forward. As soon as they splashed on the metal, they sizzled. They sunk in past the chunks of flaking rust. There was a creak, and the door opened itself. It accepted my offer.

It would want more – but I would not freely give it.

A vampire’s blood was some of the most powerful of all the magical races. Not only could it turn another creature into a vampire, but it had inherent magical properties. If you were stupid or down on your luck, you could allow yourself to be milked. No one had ever tried to do that to me – and they never would. Belford blood was some of the most powerful. My family was one of the oldest. Originally harkening from England, we could trace our roots back to the very first wave of vampires. That meant my blood was a cut above the rest.

I usually hated using it in magical ceremonies, but this one was necessary.

As the door creaked open and I slipped on by, I faced a room. It was a grotto. It was roughly carved out of thick, chunky gray-black rock. Though there was no light down here, I fancied that if any ever made it this deep, it would be absorbed by the rocks. They were so pitch black, they looked like gaping voids.

The rock was irrelevant, however. The small well dug into the center of the room was everything.

I’d shoved my hands back into my pockets. Now I freely curled them into fists. I sunk my nails all the way in. As they indented my palms, I had to slacken off just before I cut myself again.

It took a long time, but I gathered the courage to step forward. I stared down that pit. There, at the bottom, I saw that dark green writhing mass.

My cheeks became as pale as new snow. My heart stopped beating for several seconds. I closed my eyes. My feet were right on the edge of that well.

I heard the whispers. Unstoppable, deadly, coming for all.

The time is near. We can’t be held back forever. We will swamp this world – but we will start with your city. We will come for you, Belford. We will come for every last drop of your blood. There is no one who can save you now. Accept your demise. Sacrifice yourself.

The floor shuddered ever so slightly. A few stones fell out from underneath my feet. I almost teetered forward, but I threw myself backward just in time.

I fell to my knees and slowly tilted my head up. You’re wrong, I spat in a tight whisper. There’s one person who can save me.

You have no chance of finding her in time. It’s over. The future is set in stone. Sacrifice yourself willingly, or have every drop of your blood stolen. It is your choice.

I pushed to my feet. I didn’t stare back at that well once. I left the room, locked the door, reached the gate above, and silently followed Barney back to the car.

He kept shooting me worried glances. It took until he opened the back door for me until he gathered the gumption to part his quivering lips. How is it going, boss?

Not well. I pulled myself into the back seat and slowly did my seatbelt up. My grip was too strong, and I accidentally cracked the plastic. I automatically moved over to the seat beside it.

Barney took one look at the cracked plastic, then back at me, and paled. How long do you have?

I wouldn’t make eye contact with him. A month at most.

Barney staggered forward and grabbed the door. A month until the end of the world?

I finally made eye contact with him. A month until the end of the world, I repeated.

2

CYNTHIA FAIRWATER

You know, magical surgeries are so much easier these days. They’ve come a long way since we were kids. Patricia leaned in, scooped her arm through mine, and pressed her lips flat. You should really consider it. I know I keep saying that, but come on, she gestured forward to the rest of the bus then out the window to the city beyond, the world is changing, and if you don’t keep up, you’ll be left behind.

I sighed. The thick winter jacket I wore rubbed against the broken fabric of my seat and squeaked. We talked about this. I don’t….

What? Want to get a decent job? Want to be able to defend yourself? Her voice dropped with cracked emotion this time. Want to have a good life? Her big brown eyes scanned mine. I worry about you, kid.

She might be all of three months older than me, but she took pleasure in calling me kid. She didn’t even smile wryly this time. It was clear she meant what she’d said.

My shoulders deflated, and I rubbed my face with a flat palm. Can we not talk about this? Can we concentrate on the night market?

She sighed. You can’t keep dodging this. Times are changing fast. Ever since the surgery became available, non-ies like you are getting so much rarer. Now there’s no excuse. She didn’t need to say what there was no excuse for – she made her point as she opened her fingers and a crackle of magic darted across them.

I stared at it in that way I always did. Yeah, she was right. Society was changing, and there was magic everywhere these days, but I’d always thought Patricia’s powers were fantastic. I had the first day I’d met her in kindergarten, and I would until I died.

She hooked her arm further through mine. She let her gaze dart up and down my face. I worry about you, she repeated. What if you get mugged again? Her voice shook, her grip on my arm tightening.

I patted her hand. I’ll be fine. There’s always the police.

But they can’t be everywhere at once. You were mugged in daylight, she hissed. Who’s to say that won’t happen again?

Well, I looked it up, I said industriously, and muggings are pretty rare in this city. Statistically—

Don’t give me your statistics crap, she growled. Actually do something to protect yourself. Get the surgery. If you can’t afford it, I will pay. It’s not that expensive.

I went quiet. I darted my gaze up and stared at the street. We were winding into downtown. The traffic was much thicker now. It’d rained earlier in the day, but a team of weather magicians had spelled the clouds to keep them back. The streets were still glistening wet. As cars and other buses wound their way past us on the cramped roads, their headlights reflected in the puddles.

I glanced up to see a billboard as we stopped at a set of red lights. It was none other than Christopher Belford. He pretty much ran this town. He was the most powerful vampire. And considering vampires were the most powerful of the elite races, he was it – the top of the top.

I stared at his indisputably handsome face.

It didn’t take long for Patricia to lean in. She snorted. You know he’s more attractive in person, right?

I whipped my head around to face her. I’m sorry, but you’ve actually met him?

Yeah, my firm was thinking of offering security for one of his towers downtown. And let me tell you, she bit her lip, even though it was a girly thing to do, and she usually hated that, he is absolutely astounding. You can feel his power.

I wanted to correct her and point out that no, she could feel his power, but I couldn’t. According to anyone magical, power was all that mattered about a person’s personality. They could have the greatest looks, but if they didn’t have the power to match, those looks became irrelevant.

I glanced back at Belford. You know, I’ve got a job interview with his main company tomorrow.

Really? I could tell she was trying to sound hopeful. She was doing a bad job. She couldn’t even muster a slight smile.

I chose to ignore that as I nodded. Yeah. Just a small secretarial position in the marketing department, I think.

She patted my arm again. Her fingers were stiff. I’m sure you’ll get it.

I kept staring out the window.

I would not get it. She was right. On the job application, it had demanded that the successful applicant would have powerful magic. I did not. But no matter what happened, I wouldn’t go through with the surgery to get it. I didn’t care if it was cheap and effective. I didn’t care if there were no known side effects. All that mattered was that it… felt wrong.

A rush of tingles escaped up my arms, and I pulled up my sleeves to see I had goosebumps.

Fortunately Patricia wasn’t paying attention. She still ogled the billboard with Christopher’s handsome, smiling face. Seeking all single powered individuals for incredible opportunities, she read the billboard by-line. Damn, if I had a single skill, I would be there. She rubbed my arm. Single users are so rare and kind of boring in the grand scheme of things, but I would give up all of this, she twiddled her fingers, and tiny puffs of flame, air, and water, raced around them, for the chance to get closer to him.

I frowned at her. Why is he even seeking single users?

She shrugged. Don’t look at me. I might’ve seen him in person, but that was down a corridor. And I certainly can’t peer into his mind. I couldn’t begin to tell you what he’s after. But still, I’d give all this up, she wiggled her fingers once more, to get closer to him.

I frowned and looked up at his face just as the light turned to green and our bus thundered down the wet street.

I tilted my head and stared at him from a different angle. He was still as handsome, but I still couldn’t feel the power everyone else could.

It didn’t take much longer to reach the night markets. Patricia shoved in close as we got off the bus. I’m so glad you agreed to come. It’s been years since I’ve gone to one of these. The atmosphere is insane.

We hadn’t even reached the gates yet. They’d been erected around downtown. There were magical bouncers there, checking that people weren’t too dangerous. I caught sight of some elites. They had to sign a waiver before they were led inside.

Patricia took a deep breath. Her chest punched out against her silk blouse. "I know you can’t experience this, but trust me, it’s like drugs. All the power