Power of Three: A Paranormal Urban Fantasy Series: Daughters of Hecate, #3

By Meredith Medina

Being a vampire isn't all it's cracked up to be. Am I really supposed to just wait tables and sling beer to punk kids for the rest of eternity? I don't think so. Considering it wasn't my idea to end up immortal in the first place, this is definitely not the spoopy life I had planned for myself. I'm tired of being told what to do by people who don't know what the hell they're doing either and it's obviously time that I took matters into my own hands. I need to get the hell out of this city and figure out what I'm supposed to be doing for the rest of eternity.

Lacey Duncan didn't ask to be a vampire, and when it comes to being immortal, it's not surprising that she's feeling a little unprepared, and maybe even a little abandoned. It's not easy having a punk rock superstar for a mentor. Ophelia Turner is settling back into her own life, and with the added bonus (?) of having a new witch to train, she's also been given control of Haven, the coffee shop she's been working at for the last five years. Feeling more than a little left out, Lacey is determined to find her own path, and maybe even sort out her own place in the world. If that means leaving New York for a little while? So be it.

The only problem? Finding a new mentor isn't like swiping left, and sometimes, the price of admission is too high.


Power of Three is the third installment in the Daughters of Hecate series featuring witchcraft, ancient witches, a few vampires, and a healthy dose of attitude. Follow the misadventures of Opheila Turner and her friends with the Daughters of Hecate. 


*DAUGHTERS OF HECATE SERIES*
PROLOGUE ~ Witchmark
BOOK 1 ~ Sticks & Stones
BOOK 2 ~ Moonlight Burns
BOOK 3 ~ Power of Three
BOOK 4 ~ Vampire Punk
BOOK 5 ~ Haven
BOOK 6 ~ Sands of Time

• Language: English
• Publisher: FireHive Media
• Release date: Aug 29, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393983507

Book preview

1

Lacey

"M y life was never very complicated. Well, not until I met Ophelia Turner. I used to be content to just go to work and make coffee, lie to my da about the classes I was going to, and plan fun girly weekends away for my friends and me. I liked my little life just fine.

I could do my own thing, whatever that was supposed to be. Sometimes that meant yoga in the park, and sometimes it meant skipping class and going to a matinee so I could eat popcorn for breakfast. That’s what being an adult is all about, right? Drinking cheap wine at 10am and then having a nap and waking up bright and shiny for work by 2pm. That’s a routine I can get behind.

Everything was just the way I wanted it to be, and I was well on my way to hitting all of my New Years resolutions (except for that gym membership thing, but who does that anyway?) and living my best spoopy life.

And then... well, I guess you know how that turned out... HEY!"

Suki had sneezed in my face, cutting off my very heartfelt speech, and then just sat there, staring at me with her emerald green eyes. I didn’t know whether I should take it personally or not.

I’m sure you hear this all the time, but you’re a really great listener, I said quietly, rubbing Suki’s ears gently. Ophelia’s familiar purred and settled herself onto the cushion I’d put out for her. Just having her around made me feel better about everything. Maybe I just needed to vent without anyone offering advice I didn’t want or couldn’t take.

---

So, here it was, Friday night and I was lying on my stomach on Ophelia’s living room floor listening to Maia talk to the Laudan who was supposed to be teaching me about what I was supposed to do with all of my newfound bat-based powers. Except, he just never seemed to have any time for me.

Are you talking to the cat again? Ophelia’s head appeared in the doorway and I smiled sheepishly.

Maybe?

You mean definitely. I’m not deaf, y’know, I know when someone’s talking to my cat... She disappeared back into the kitchen and I stuck out my tongue in her direction and rubbed Suki’s ears again.

At least you listen to me, I whispered. Suki blinked sleepily and purred louder.

I rested my chin on my arms and looked over Suki’s furry shoulder to the fire escape. Maia and Eli were talking as though they’d known each other for years. I knew that Maia was a superfan of his music, but I couldn’t help but feel a little left out. Sure, Eli and I were the same, kind of. But he had been turned so long ago... longer than I’d been alive. He and Ophelia had whatever it was they had together, and Maia was Ophelia’s protégé. I couldn’t compete with that.

I know I shouldn’t be ungrateful, I mean, Fee didn’t have to take me in, but she wouldn’t let me go back to my apartment, and I honestly didn’t want to clean it... I mean, October was a bit of a blur, and what I did remember, I kind of just wanted to forget. That should have been easy; the forgetting part, but it was harder than it sounds. Eli told me that I should let go of everything that I was... but before I’d woken up soaking wet on the concrete in front of a burning warehouse I’d kind of liked who I was and where my life was going.

I slid my phone out of my bag and scrolled through my contacts. I wondered if any of the people on my friends list had noticed that I hadn’t posted anything in a while. I mean; there was a selfie at Spiral that I’d put up when I got my new job, and another when I’d dyed my hair... but that seemed like forever ago.

I tapped out a few quick text messages and then waited, stroking Suki’s black paws distractedly with a fingertip while I waited for a reply.

Just as my phone buzzed, Maia laughed at something Eli had said, and I could smell cigarette smoke wafting through the open window. I guess being concerned about lung cancer wasn’t a thing anymore. Mortal problems.

I jumped to my feet and shoved my phone into my bag. Fee, I’m going out! I shouted as I raced through the apartment and out the door, slamming it shut behind me.

I didn’t have to turn to see my friend’s confused expression, I could feel it. As I thundered down the stairs I realized that I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been out with my friends. We used to meet for 1am breakfast all the time, sometimes still drunk from our club hopping.

I had spent the better part of the last few months trying to tell myself that I didn’t care about everything I’d left behind, but that was a really big fat lie.

I missed my apartment. I missed my friends. I missed... I missed being me. The old Lacey Duncan didn’t stay home every night worried about breaking vague rules that made no sense.

The old Lacey.

Newsflash, Lace, the old you is dead.

Ew. That wasn’t a very encouraging thought.

I turned towards the subway station and pulled my phone out of my bag. Another text message glowed on the screen.

Same place, same time? I’ll get the girls together. We miss you, chica!

Maybe this was just what I needed. A little reminder of what I’d left behind.

Left behind. That made it sound like I’d wanted this... whatever this was. I wasn’t mad about it, at least, I didn’t think I was. Who wouldn’t want to be 21 forever? I’d be the same Lacey I’d always been; I was just a little different.

I remembered the oily taste of the water I’d been soaked with on Halloween. No amount of toothpaste could get rid of that.

A tall guy with pale blue eyes passed me on the path, pausing to look me up and down and smile.

Damnit.

I did my best to ignore him, but my stomach growled.

The old Lacey might have winked at him and asked for his astrological sign… new Lacey wondered if he’d mind being a blood donor.

Not cute.

Okay, so maybe I was a lot different. I wasn’t supposed to feed outside of Spiral. That was Bishop’s rule, not Eli’s, so I felt like I had to follow it. I was pretty sure that Eli made up a lot of the shit he told me just to shut me up, but I had no intention of second guessing anything that came out of Bishop’s mouth.

It’s for your own safety, he’d said.

I’m sure he just meant that it was easier for him if I didn’t get caught. That would be hard to explain, and I had a feeling that Bishop had done his fair share of getting fresh Laudan’s out of jail when they got a little too… enthusiastic. I wrinkled my nose; the thought of being in the backseat of a cop car was not an appealing one. And I didn’t want to make trouble for Bishop, or myself.

I made a frustrated noise and increased my pace, shoving my hands into my pockets. I could wait to have a snack. Spiral was open ‘til dawn anyway… plenty of time.

I squeezed into the subway car just as the doors were closing; waiting another ten minutes would mean I was late… later than usual, also not good. The group text that Crystal had added me to was vibrating non-stop as each of the girls chimed in.

Where were you on Halloween, bestest besties? I thought bitterly. I’d invited all of them over for wine and tarot that night… at least, I thought I had. I mean, I was pretty sure. I remembered making the invitations and painstakingly cutting out each one of the little glittery black cats that represented our little coven.

Coven.

I snorted as my phone vibrated again. A flash of my ruined apartment hit my thoughts and I grabbed onto the pole beside me to steady myself.

Gross. I never touched those things with my bare hands. New York germs.

As though those mattered now. Had I always been this ridiculous? I let go of the pole and stared out into the darkness and the lights of the approaching city. Some habits die hard.

Norma’s, or Noma’s as we called it, had been ‘our place’ since the moment I’d take up Crystal on her invite to a study group. It wasn’t really a study group, I mean; we studied our nails and the boys in our classes and read each other’s horoscopes obsessively. It was like an extension of high school, only better because we could drink and go out on Friday nights.

I hopped up the stairs from the subway platform to the street, trying to convince myself that this was going to be fun. Just like old times.

Well. Was it? I ran my tongue over my teeth, conscious of the fact that my canines were a little sharper than normal and that my eyes would shine a little funny in the fluorescent lighting of our favorite shitty diner.

Noma’s was close to missing another neon letter and I smiled. If it lost another letter we’d have to come up with something else to call it. The ‘a’ flickered weakly as I paused to peer into the window. I don’t know if the owner just really didn’t care, or if she just liked it that way. Norma had been in charge of that place for longer than I’d been alive, and I was pretty sure she didn’t do anything by accident.

"Little late for you to be out on your own, moja draga..." A dark male voice curled out of the darkness of the alley towards me. He reached out, his fingers sliding along the collar of my jacket.

I rolled my eyes and slapped his hand away. Look, I’m going to stop you there, I snapped. This isn’t going to end with you sucking on my neck. I know what you are.

The man stepped into the sickly green neon glow from Noma’s signage. He was tall, taller than me... but then again, everyone is. He had dark hair and a dark goatee, the kind of guy who wouldn’t look out of place in a vampire romance novel. Ugh. I remember when I used to think those guys were so dreamy and mysterious. What a crock of shit.

I can smell you, I said, tapping my nose. Takes one to know one. I stepped closer and stared up at him so he could see the shine on my eyes. The Laudan’s lip curled as he realized his mistake and I saw a flash of his sharp teeth. He held up his hands and stepped backwards, turning to walk away from me.

Hey! I called out, what’s your name? I’ll have to tell Bishop that he’s got a contender for this year’s Worst Facial Hair award. I’m pretty sure we’re giving out prizes at the end of the month... new moon or whatever.

The Laudan grunted and walked faster. I smiled and tucked my hands into my pockets with a little bit of pride. I really was different. Old Lacey would have screamed and run away, or tried to hit him with her bag... at least, I hope old Lacey would have done that. Come to think of it, old Lacey would have probably ended up as a midnight snack. That’s depressing.

"Lace? Is that you?"

I spun around to see Crystal, Charlotte and Vy staring at me with their mouths open. I hadn’t seen them for months... October seemed like so long ago. Charlotte held up her phone, showing me the photo she’d taken of the Laudan I’d been shouting at.

"Who was that? she asked, tapping her finger against the screen. Why were you making fun of his beard? I mean, it was a little patchy, but nothing that wasn’t fixable—"

I missed you guys, I said, cutting off Charlotte’s question as I jumped at the trio of girls, throwing my arms around them.

That was true. I had missed them. I’d missed someone giving a shit about me. Not that Fee didn’t care; but she was different. Maybe she’d come to Noma’s with me sometime...

I’m starving, I wonder if Noma has a special tonight... Crystal said, freeing herself from my hasty embrace.

Crystal, you know her name isn’t Noma, said Vy cautiously.

Charlotte rolled her eyes and pushed open the door. Of course I know that, but she’s never corrected me, so I’ll keep doing it until she does. Lighten up.

No matter what time of year it was, Noma’s was always freezing. Sometimes the air conditioner was broken, and sometimes it worked way too well. But never when it was supposed to. It was the middle of August and the diner was frigid.

Our usual table was a booth at the back of the diner. There were only seven of them, and we always sat in this one. Always.

The other girls slid in to the booth ahead of me, and I perched on the edge, trying to ease back into the camaraderie I’d been missing so much. Their lazy chatter filled the space between us and I realized that I’d missed their laughter, and the emptiness of their conversations.

After months of being weighted down by shit that was way more serious than anything I’d ever dealt with in this history of ever, it was nice to just... float.

Norma arrived in her stereotypically grease and food-stained apron to take our order with her typically disinterested expression and monotone voice. Fries and shakes. That’s all we ever ate. Crystal ordered for me. A side of fries with extra salt and a chocolate shake to dip them in.

Just like old times!

I’d smiled weakly in response. Old times. Sure. I didn’t even know if I could eat this stuff anymore. I hadn’t even tried. Every bad food craving I’d ever had had disappeared at dawn on All Saints Day. Every single one. No more dreaming about mini-donuts or pizza or being tempted by sketchy hot dogs from street corner vendors.

I hadn’t thought about burritos in what seemed like forever, but my stomach growled when I walked by a cute guy who smelled like a universal donor. I’d have to add that to the list of things I still had to talk to Eli about. I still hadn’t gotten a chance to ask him about anything that had happened while we were in Spain... but maybe it was better that I didn’t.

Norma was just depositing our fries and shakes on the chipped formica when Charlotte dropped her phone on the table and shouted for us all to be quiet.

Judgment day and the a wild immortal arrives