Zadie

By Crystal Perkins

Zadie was raised to be the perfect woman, obedient and good. When she started rebelling, she was punished and the fires began. After running from her family, she finally had a life she was happy with. Getting called to help battle evil is nothing she expected, but she embraces the challenge and the chance to finally harness her power. If only she didn’t also want to embrace the uptight mayor who lives to frustrate her.

York has spent his life trying to be perfect. As one of the youngest mayors in the country, he takes his duty to the city of Bern very seriously. Too seriously for Zadie, who loves to push his buttons. But he knows if he steps out of line, everything he’s built for himself could fall apart. He’s committed to helping battle evil, but now he’s also battling his unexpected feelings for a fiery witch.

When evil comes for them both in different ways, will they be able to fight it off together, or will they succumb to its allure and sacrifice everything?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Crystal Perkins
• Release date: May 13, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463779002

Crystal Perkins

Crystal Perkins has always been a big reader, but she never thought she would write her own book, until she sat down and did it. She lives in Las Vegas, where you can find her running author events when she isn’t reading, buying too many Sherlock t-shirts online or watching the Vegas Gokden Knights. A mac and cheese connoisseur, she travels the country looking for the perfect version, while attending book conventions and signings as a cover for her research. She writes Romantic Suspense, New Adult, Romantic Comedy, Young Adult, Paranormal Romance, and even a little Horror!

Book preview

Prologue

Zadie

A witch from New Orleans is the ultimate cliché, and I’ve spent my life doing everything I can to not be a cliché. So, imagine my surprise when I accidentally set the table on fire during Thanksgiving dinner when I was 18. I mean, no one else knew I did it, but yeah, it was me. I felt it. I felt the anger towards my parents—and my brother—and I felt the fire as it manifested from that anger. Luckily for all of us, there was a fire extinguisher nearby, because I couldn’t control the fire back then. Hell, I can barely control it six years later. But now, I know it’s there, I honor it, and as cliched as it sounds, I am one with it. Most of the time.

Right now is not one of those times, and as the flame I brought to life speeds toward the soft white couch in the middle of my loft, I feel a moment of panic. That panic seems to cause the flame to laugh at me, if that’s a thing. It flips and twists, but just as it’s about to touch the fabric, a knock sounds at the door.

Zadie, he yells when I don’t answer right away, and the panic leaves me, replaced by annoyance.

That’s all it takes for the flame to turn back and calm down. Me being calm. I know this, and yet in the moment of truth, I still panicked. Dammit. I take a moment to breathe and extinguish it, relishing in the calm it brings me.

Open the door, Zadie, or I’m using the key Law gave me!

The fuck? I think, storming to the metal door and sliding it open.

Took you long enough, York says, his ever-present smirk mocking me even more than usual today as he brushes past me into the loft. Was there a problem?

York Willis is just as arrogant as his name sounds. Being the mayor doesn’t keep his ego in check, and neither does the fact that’s he’s one hot motherfucker. Dark skin over lean muscles, plush lips, an ass to make you believe in God, and the sexiest brown eyes I’ve ever tried to avoid looking into. Think a younger Idris Elba times ten and you’ve got York. It really isn’t fair, but I doubt he cares about fairness when it comes to me.

Just you being here.

"Hmm, the scorch marks on the floor would suggest