Power and Prey: Portals of Asphodel Series, The Hunter: A Short Story: Portals of Asphodel

By Sadie Anders

Shifters have always made good bounty hunters, and I'm one of the best.
 

But when the Furies of Asphodel send me on a hunt for a hunky wizard on the run, it's not simply another day on the job. I have to pursue my toughest enemy yet while tearing through the streets of San Francisco and beyond, all while avoiding the wrath of some of the deadliest vampires out there.

 

Can I make it back to Asphodel with the fugitive and my heart intact?

 

If you like exciting action, hot shifters, and an adventurous chase, then Power and Prey, a short story in Sadie Anders' Portals of Asphodel series, is for you.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Coquelicot Press
• Release date: Mar 19, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393845522

Book preview

Power and Prey

Portals of Asphodel Series, The Hunter: A Short Story

Sadie Anders

Copyright © 2020 by Sadie Anders.

Published by Coquelicot Press.

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Contents

Power and Prey

About the Author

Also by Sadie Anders

Power and Prey

Books flew from the shelves as I came through the portal, a tornado of yellowed leaves and aged bindings. The aquamarine waves of the gateway swirled and popped as it closed behind me.

Phew.

Made it in time. Wouldn’t want to get sliced in half. That would’ve been an even more dramatic entrance than the one I had just executed.

Fortunately, not a soul was in the rare books collection of the bookstore right now to see it, as it was after business hours. The portal keeper should’ve been waiting, but he was nowhere to be seen. That wasn’t good. He’d be punished severely if he were found asleep on the job. Lucky for him, I wasn’t the kind to snitch to the authorities.

I minded my own business, and that had worked out fine for me. Most of the time.

I popped on my little l.e.d. flashlight and took a look around the shop. Nothing. Not a fugitive in sight. I hoped that he hadn’t killed the portal keeper.

Tables of books lined the path to the store entrance, and I ran my fingers along their interesting covers as I made my way to the front. I opened the door of the bookstore and emerged onto the street, the shop bell tinkling behind me. The street lights cast a faint yellow glow in little circles along the empty sidewalk.

West Portal was a sleepy neighborhood, even if poorly named. It wasn’t super discreet in hiding its most important secret, but I’d bet nobody was the wiser. Most of the people of San Francisco didn’t even know about portals. Or Asphodel, a realm of ancient creatures and magic that would blow most people’s minds.

There was no way that this fugitive could have gotten far. He had eluded me all throughout Aporia, Asphodel’s lower city, but I had jumped into the portal only a few seconds behind him, before it had even closed.

How could he be hiding so well?

Then again, time worked differently in Asphodel. A split second there could mean minutes, hours even, here. Realm hopping was no easy matter.

A chilly wind was blowing east from the ocean, and I tried to get my bearings. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to sniff out my quarry. A hint of cigarette smoke wafted into my nose. I peeked one eyelid open.

Of course.

There you are, Benny, I said.

The portal keeper rushed over, snuffing out his cigarette on the sidewalk as he made his way to me.

Crap, Joss. I didn’t know anyone was coming through tonight, he said.

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