Justice First Book Four

By Odette C. Bell

Melanie’s never wanted something more in her life. And it isn’t Tyr – it’s answers.
Her past – her true past – was kept hidden from her for so long, but now it begins to shine. Nothing will dare get in her way. Not even Tyr. For it turns out the prodigal son of heaven has his own past, and it’s all wrapped up in hers.
Together they must fight for answers as the necromancers and broken immortals continue to ravage Erebus.
Those answers will shake up everything they know and bring them yet closer still.
....
Justice First follows a gritty witch and the immortal tasked to hunt her down on a quest to defeat heaven. If you love your contemporary fantasies with fast-paced action, non-stop fights, and a splash of romance, grab Justice First Book Four today and soar free with an Odette C. Bell series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Odette C. Bell
• Release date: Jan 12, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005528751

Book preview

Chapter 1

Melanie Rose

It was unstoppable now. The thing growing within her couldn’t be paused. Even if she threw on the brakes in her mind, she would still careen out of control. No, not out of control.

She needed this. Her whole life, she’d wanted answers. They were about to rise.

She knew that a brighter and brighter glow picked up around her body. It wasn’t just in the way that Seth stared at her greedily. Nor was it in the way that Gyna looked on, gobsmacked and shaking.

It was in the sheer power that kept picking up through Melanie. It came in blows like waves. It would depart only to peak again.

None of the other necromancers were chanting anymore. Everybody was as silent as the grave. She imagined this team had blasted through many life forces in the past. They knew what they should look like. But clearly nothing had ever resembled her soul before.

What is she? Gyna asked in a halting, shaking tone that could barely make it out of her suddenly white lips.

She will be mine. That life force will burn inside me. It will be even brighter than Tyr’s. It will give me everything I need, Seth said, his voice becoming steadily quicker. It was like he was listing presents he was about to buy for himself. The look in his eyes was the greed of a simple child in a toy shop. But he was ultimately someone who had no clue what they were actually looking at.

Melanie felt her unstoppable rage rise within her. But even with her glowing light, it couldn’t get far.

Tyr twitched from behind her.

There was no way he could possibly do that. His life had been removed from his body. It hadn’t been taken and absorbed by Seth yet. A mistake – because it could not survive outside the body for long. As it floated there in the air, it started to shift back toward Tyr, its glorious glow lighting up the cracked concrete floor as it moved back beyond the circumference of the now dim candles.

My lord, Gyna screamed at Seth, her lips white with fright, her eyes so large, she could’ve swallowed the earth.

Seth shoved his hand forward. He went to grab Tyr’s life force, but Melanie got there first. She still couldn’t move her hands. That was irrelevant.

She could now move something far more important. As she began to connect with the true power within herself, she realized she could use it with nothing more than a thought.

She had connected with Tyr’s life force on a fundamental level. And that connection could not be removed so easily. You could hit it with a hammer – it would remain. You could drop another planet on it – and it would not budge. And, critically, you could get every immortal in the city to try to wrench it free, but they would fail.

She half closed her eyes, and she simply concentrated on the moment she’d sealed it with her blood in her dream. Then Tyr’s life force crackled brighter. Just as Seth reached toward it, it shot out of his grip.

What? Impossible, Seth roared.

Nothing was impossible when she was involved.

She opened her chest, even though she could not move her arms, and she got ready to accept Tyr’s life force, but at the last moment, Melanie’s real personality rose to the fore. Tyr’s soul wasn’t hers. And if she took it right now, Tyr would die. That gasp she’d heard earlier was his body’s last-ditch attempt to regain life.

But… something inside her wanted to claim his life force – needed its raw power to achieve something great. It didn’t feel like it came from her central personality, though. This was that external force. And it reached towards Tyr’s soul with an almost unbreakable grip.

But in the end, the old Melanie won.

She closed her eyes, and she withdrew within.

Tyr’s life force shot past her. It returned to his chest.

She swore a part of her remained with it the entire way. Swore she even felt the moment it pushed in through his chest wall and coursed through his body like fire. Maybe she wasn’t making this up – because that little scrap of his soul still within her pulsed in her chest, feeling like a growing star.

Speaking of that little crackle of force, the mandala remained on her stomach, though its magic looked different now. It had a greenish tinge.

She’d assumed that she would lose all of his soul. It had already been taken out of her. But clearly some tiny spark remained. Perhaps it could not return to him indirectly. Perhaps it required the most direct route of all – touch.

But to do that, she’d have to break free.

Seth screamed in outraged horror. Then he shot forward. There was nothing preventing him from breaching the semicircle of candles anymore. Their magic had been spent.

He pushed toward Tyr, and it was just as Tyr twitched. He hadn’t roused completely yet.

Impossible. How did he pull his soul back? He should be dead a thousand times over, Seth roared, spittle splashing over his stiff chin and taut neck.

It was her, Gyna snarled as she stabbed a finger toward Melanie.

Melanie remained exactly where she was, strung up like she was a carcass on a hook.

She stared down at Gyna, and Melanie let the anger flow. Here was a woman who purportedly served Tyr and did anything to help him. Yet she was the very force who’d condemned him in the end.

You will pay, Melanie growled.

Though she wanted to believe she was fully in control and she had access to some new realm of power that had previously been hidden from her, she started to hear that other edge to her voice. If Walker hadn’t spent so long telling her she had no clue what was happening to her, she wouldn’t have looked for it. Now it was unmistakable. Melanie wasn’t fully in control of her lips as they twitched and they said that. Nor was she 100 percent in charge of her power.

Something was pushing into her. Something with its own agenda.

Gyna jolted back. Then she snarled, her lips as quick as darting electrons. Hand me the soul knife, she hissed to Seth.

He was busy.

He knelt down in front of Tyr. Then he shoved a hand forward and grabbed Tyr’s ankle. Seth’s fingernails suddenly grew, the sound like scrunching plastic. They became these sharp black claws, and they punctured Tyr’s flesh easily. Melanie heard the pitter-patter of his blood as it slid down his leg and onto the cracked concrete floor.

Seth yanked his hand back and slammed it down over the blood. He started to chant, and a magical circle appeared underneath him. It crackled with this dense, dark black energy that reminded her of the storm from before.

Melanie had to get down and end this. And she had to do it now. Not only was Tyr’s life on the line again, but at some point, the police would come.

She wasn’t even scared of the possibility that they might capture her now. The only thing that mattered was stopping these necromancers.

When Seth didn’t release the soul knife, whatever it was, Gyna got it herself. She twisted her hand wide, and a crackling mandala appeared just over her fingers. Something shook out from a holster around Seth’s hips, hidden under the flaps of his expensive blue jacket. It shot into Gyna’s grip. It clunked there as if her hand was actually made out of stone. Her eyes had a chance to flash – then she was upon Melanie. She stabbed the soul knife right down into Melanie’s heart without any hesitation.

Most people would at least pause before they did something so violent. Even if they could no longer recognize their conscience, it would flicker up within them for a second. Not with Gyna. There was nothing left in her mind but the need for murder and glorious revenge.

Yet murder Melanie she could not. The soul knife impacted Melanie’s chest. It even pushed right through the muscles of her torso. Hell, perhaps it even impacted her wildly beating heart. But it just didn’t hurt. There was no blood, either.

Gyna’s eyes widened even further. Impossible. Nobody can withstand a soul blow.

Nobody but me, apparently, Melanie snarled.

She kept trying to break through this spell. She had no clue how it worked, but its ability to hold her in place was almost unchecked.

No matter what she did, it still gripped around her like chains.

If Melanie had bled, maybe she would’ve tried to use a little of that blood to loosen the enchantment. But she wasn’t bleeding at all.

So she had to use her own damn magic.

She felt connected to it still, even if that other force was trying to push into her mind.

Gyna staggered back. She shook her head and tried again. She plunged the knife viciously into Melanie’s chest, the move so quick, Melanie could practically hear Gyna’s knuckles creaking. No matter how hard she embedded the blade down, it didn’t draw a drop of blood, and Melanie certainly didn’t take her last breath.

What’s happening, Seth? Gyna stammered. Nobody can survive a blow from the soul blade.

Seth was too distracted. He kept chanting, but it was clear from the way his shoulders shook that he knew he only had seconds.

Tyr hadn’t roused fully. At least he was breathing. Melanie didn’t think she had ever seen a more thankful sight.

But if she wanted him to continue, then she damn well had to get down from here and end this already.

She snarled right in Gyna’s face as Gyna stupidly attempted to stab through her again.

What the hell are you? Gyna gasped, her lips so stiff, you could see the white flesh beneath her now patchy lipstick.

Your worst damn nightmare, Melanie hissed. I’m gonna make you pay. She struggled against her magical chains harder than she ever had before. Something began to crack.

My lord, Gyna screamed.

It was clear that Seth couldn’t stop, but just as clear that the prospect of Melanie breaking free couldn’t be ignored.

He turned his head quickly. He spread one hand toward her. He pumped dark necromancy magic into her. It was pulled from the room. It was also pulled from his practitioners. Even Gyna started to stagger and grab her chest.

This was Melanie’s last chance. She either broke herself out now, or she succumbed to the necromancers and they stole her soul for good. The chains holding her to the spot tightened and tightened and tightened until it felt like they were wire someone was wrapping around her heart. She almost couldn’t breathe.

Knock her out, Gyna screamed.

I am trying, Seth snarled.

At the same time, he kept one hand spread toward Tyr as he clearly tried to loosen Tyr’s life force once more. But he couldn’t fight on two fronts at once.

Tyr still hadn’t woken properly. Until now. He opened one eye, and rather than glare down at Seth, he looked only at Melanie. He didn’t even notice Gyna was in the room.

That moment… that moment when he stared at her, it was like they shared more than a simple gaze. She felt his need, his complete desire to break them both out of here. But she also fancied she knew what he wanted her to do.

All of a sudden, Tyr started fighting. Don’t ask her where he found the strength from, but he pushed against his magical chains. He closed his eyes, grinding the skin shut as compression lines of tension spread across his brow.

Seth was forced to jolt down to his knees, open his hands wide, and use every mote of magic he had to keep Tyr in place.

Which meant there was nothing to hold Melanie back anymore. Finally she heard a crack.

No, Gyna screamed.

Yeah, no. It was too late to stop Melanie from breaking out, though. There were two thumps as she landed on the floor. She slowly inched her head up, her messy, mud-caked hair slicing in front of her steely, determined gaze.

Gyna didn’t do anything, but two brave necromancers from behind Melanie jolted toward her. She just pushed down onto her knees, swung her hips around, and kicked them in the legs. They both fell like sacks of bricks.

She pushed up to her feet, every muscle clenched and ready for the fight that would come.

Stop her, Seth snarled.

His snapped words finally broke Gyna out of her fear. She shot towards Melanie.

Though Melanie didn’t want to admit this, Gyna was a formidable foe. The way she’d knocked Melanie out earlier couldn’t be forgotten. Melanie’s skull was still reeling from the blow.

Though all Melanie wanted to do was pull her bow and arrow out, Gyna didn’t give her a chance. She flipped in close, moving so quickly, Melanie couldn’t actually track the movement. Hell, a tactical targeting computer would have trouble.

The next thing she knew, Gyna elbowed her in the stomach. It was a solid blow that saw Melanie rocket forward and almost cough up blood.

Gyna wasn’t done yet. She chanted until a crackling dark mandala appeared over her fingers. Then she swept to the side and punched Melanie across the jaw. Melanie went tumbling. She was thrust right through the center of the necromancers. She stopped 20 meters away, her head snapping back against the concrete behind her and cracking it with an ear-shattering thump.

Then there was the sound of Gyna’s heels as she stalked forward. You’re not so hard after all, she hissed.

I’m only getting started, Melanie replied, her words far darker and more menacing.

She pushed up. She might’ve snarled that one-liner, but it was hard to find her strength to back it up with. Breaking through whatever had held her to the spot had felt like running through an entire mountain made of sand. Her muscles simply wouldn’t play nice anymore. She kept wobbling, cold sweat covering her entire body like ice water.

Gyna reached her, grabbed her up by the back of the collar, and smashed her down into the floor. She broke her nose on the already cracked concrete, and splatters of her blood arced out like spluttering fire. Every single necromancer around her froze. They all stared at her blood as if it was liquid gold. Even Gyna jolted. What the hell is that— She reached toward it with a barely controlled, trembling hand, but by that time, it had already evaporated.

Melanie knew she had one chance.

Maybe she thought she would be able to fight her way out of here. It was rapidly becoming apparent she didn’t have the power.

She just had to escape with Tyr.

She kicked Gyna in the knee. It wasn’t a particularly strong blow, but Gyna was still too consumed by the sight of Melanie’s blood. It loosened Gyna’s grip on Melanie’s collar.

Melanie did the rest. She rolled back. She then darted through the necromancers. She pushed several of them over, ripping their robes back, not because she particularly wanted to reveal who they were, but because she wanted to create chaos and fear. Sure enough, as she tore through some of their robes, they screamed.

She recognized some faces. They were prominent politicians.

They would have a lot to lose.

She took note of every single one of them. Even if she had to run now without defeating them, she’d make them pay later.

Right now she had to get to Tyr, dammit.

She finally reached Seth. She forced an arm around his throat and tried to pull him back, but he just locked his feet down.

He roared.

It was his turn to elbow her in the stomach, and it felt like being hit by a freight train.

Her head jolted back, her eyes closing.

Melanie, Tyr roared.

How he could still be awake, she didn’t know. Someone was playing tug-of-war with his soul. It should take him weeks to rouse. He opened his eyes once more, the skin around them straining with intense emotion. I need… I need my full soul back. All of it. It’s the only way to defeat him.

She heard those words, but Seth pounced upon her. He smashed his magic-covered fist into her face, and her head jolted to the side.

Melanie? Tyr screamed.

Her eyes widened as her head rolled to the other side, and she stared up at him. She wouldn’t say it felt like time stood still exactly, but they certainly got another moment. One that stretched out between only them like a rope that could connect them through the thickest darkness and the most violent storm.

What would she have done if she’d never met Tyr? Right now, she’d likely still be on the run, terrified of the shifters who were hunting her and unsure of what to do about her own power.

To be fair, she was still on the run, and she was still unsure about what to do with her own power. But she had one guiding light, and she was no longer going to shrug away from the fact it was Tyr. She reached her weak fingers out to him.

His hands were still tied to the wall, but it looked as if his fingers tried to stretch out to her, too. His gaze certainly did.

Gyna stalked forward. Melanie could hear her heels, but her hood was now covering her face. Really? She was still trying to hide her identity? Why? When Tyr died, who exactly would she try to hide from? And the plan was to kill him, correct?

No time to think of that. Seth rounded a hand, pumped necromancy magic into it, and smashed it down into her face again. Her blood didn’t splatter out for whatever reason.

Maybe Seth cast some spell on her face. Perhaps he didn’t want to be distracted. It certainly looked like that from the growing fury in his gaze. He would do this – punch her – until she finally broke down for good.

But not if Tyr had anything to do with it. Melanie, just give me back the last scrap of my soul. I will do the rest.

She… she was meant to be powerful, right? All she had to do was damn well draw her bow. But she didn’t have the strength.

She….

Melanie, just hold on.

Hold on to what? Every time she thought she found something to grab hold of in this rapidly changing world, it all just turned to dust in her fingers.

Moments before, when she’d still been trapped, she’d started to remember things from her murky past. But they just didn’t count anymore.

Why did it feel like when she was getting powerful, she was only ever getting weaker?

Melanie, Tyr roared again.

She started to black out. Then she felt Seth lock his cold hand on her chest. It was clear he was trying to draw her everafter out once more. And this time, it might actually work. She certainly felt something loosening from within her. That glow was back, too, and judging by the stillness that spread through the room, it was even brighter than before.

It would be… a good thing to let go, right? It would be the correct thing to do, in a way.

It was time to say goodbye to all of the horror, time to check out before things could get even darker. Erebus could be someone else’s problem.

But while those thoughts rose easily, they couldn’t push past one wall standing resolutely in their way. It was Tyr’s voice as he screamed her name once more.

The tension in his tone, the fear, and the need – they were like an anchor locking her to this world.

They wouldn’t let her sink just as long as she held onto them.

Seth rounded his hand into a fist and smashed it into her face one last time. She felt some strange spark of magic pushing into her. It was like the crackling equivalent of a knife. It would slice down, find the roots of her soul, and loosen them for good like a massive chainsaw chopping through the roots of a grand old tree.

Then Seth would become more powerful than anyone in the higher realms combined. Tyr’s soul was one thing, but Melanie’s soul was another.

Melanie finally opened her eyes. It felt as if she had to fight the very nature of unconsciousness to do it. But she rose, rose unstoppably like a flare, like the sun every morning. She rose, because it was logical – inevitable. The only thing she had ever been able to do.

Seth’s eyes widened.

He twitched, convulsion ripping through his fist as it paused just above her eyes one last time.

That was all the distraction she required. She shoved into him. Her strength was barely there – nothing more than an ant going up against a mountain. It didn’t matter. It counted.

Melanie managed to push him off.

Now there was nothing separating Tyr from Melanie.

He wasn’t high up off the floor, thankfully. She could still reach him if she pushed to her toes.

And by reach him, she meant his lips.

Forgive her, but she knew of no other way to transfer life force. Her body just did what it remembered.

She locked her lips around his. And she let the last of his power flow out of her and back into him.

It pulsed up out of her chest. She didn’t think she had ever felt a more powerful display of magic. As it rose, it was like everything else fell away, as if nothing, nothing would dare to detract from the importance of this. Whole civilizations paled into insignificance. And everyone in this room, no matter how powerful, became nothing more than a blurry backdrop as her lips pressed harder against his yielding mouth.

But she wasn’t doing this alone. Tyr’s need rose up to meet her, too. She felt something opening up within him. Maybe she was being overly