Antique Instincts: The Complete Series

By Odette C. Bell

They say some things can’t wait. One is destiny. The other is murder.
Sonia tells herself she’s normal. She isn’t. A rare witch with a rarer skill – she can sort out the temporal order of anything.
While that might be incredible, it can’t catch his eye.
Rushford Halsey is the most powerful vampire in the city. A resolute man heading up Vampire Pharmaceuticals, he shouldn’t care about her. But there’s a problem. He’s her one-true vampire. Destiny has dictated they will be together. So what does Rushford do? Marry someone else.
He has no interest in Sonia – other than to keep her as far from his murky world as possible. When a dangerous drug hits the streets and she’s dragged into the case to stop it, Rushford loses and they’re thrown together.
But destiny can be a fickle thing. It’ll give you one chance at happiness. Lose or ignore it, and you will do so at your peril.
...
Antique Instincts follows a plucky witch fighting to win back the heart of her one true love. If you crave your urban fantasy with charm, danger, and a dash of romance, grab Antique Instincts: The Complete Series and soar free with an Odette C. Bell series today.
Antique Instincts is the 5th Your True Vampire series. In a world where vampires know their true love at first sight, love brings trouble. Packed with action, wit, humor, and a dash of romance, you can read them separately, so plunge in today.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Odette C. Bell
• Release date: Aug 18, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215919583

Book preview

Prologue

Sonia stuck her nail in her mouth, driving it down to the cuticle, her sharp front teeth marking her once pristine nail polish.

A fat rain droplet splashed onto the shimmering royal blue paint of her old hatchback. And where there’s one, there are usually millions more.

Crap, it’s going to be a deluge. Isn’t it? Inching her neck back as if she were about to stare at some kind of horror show, she winced at the sight of the billowing gray and blue rain clouds. With a booming crack of thunder, they opened up like a sardine can at the paws of a massive lion.

Sonia shoved her trembling hand into her pocket and yanked out her keys. They slid around in her grip, and just before she could shove them into the old, rusted lock, she dropped them with a squelch into the glistening mud and flattened grass beside her. Why she’d come here to one of the remotest out-of-the-way parks at dusk, she didn’t know. Okay, she did. The camera she’d already lovingly and quickly stashed away in its waterproof case hanging on a strap around her neck was proof that some photos are just worth it. She’d snapped some insane pics of the prettiest dusk she’d seen in a while – all burning purples, blazing oranges, and reds darker than the most crimson blood.

This park, for all its inconvenience, had a lovely open area that allowed one to glimpse out over the sprawling metropolis of glimmering steel stacks, glass towers, and ancient sandstone manors. Get lucky enough to be here for dusk or dawn, and you’d see it lighting up the city, its long light sliding around every reflective surface and gilding them with the liquid of the sun’s gold. It was just a heck of a schlep to get up here.

And sometimes, if you didn’t have your wits about you, the mountains behind would conjure a heck of a rain cloud and dump it on your head like a plane getting rid of its solid waste with the tap of a button.

Come on, Sonia bemoaned as she shoved down to her knees, her sodden blue jeans splashing with mud. It was now raining so hard – in the space of a second or two – that she could barely see the shimmering metal ring of her car keys and the happy little kitty cat charm attached to them. If you believed her mad flatmate, a charm like that was meant to attract kind strangers. And if you were really attractable – not the right use of the word, but Jacqueline never let correctness get in the way of anything – the charm might bring you Mr. Right.

Sonia snorted now as her stiff, cold fingers finally snatched up the keys and they splattered mud all over her white blouse and tangled locks. Yeah, right. There was no such thing as Mr. Right. That was just a myth advertising agencies sold you to keep you perpetually unhappy and in a constant state of searching for something better. Who knows, maybe buying that new pair of sneakers or getting your hair cut just right would finally attract Him.

There’s no such thing as destiny, Sonia muttered through blue lips as she finally yanked her door open, the hinges protesting like an upset orchestra, and rammed her sodden body into the front seat.

She carefully removed her camera case and placed it on a towel in the back seat. Only then did she close the door, sigh at her outfit, and crane her neck to stare up at the clouds. She had to upgrade her assessment. It no longer looked as if she’d strayed into a storm. She’d strayed into the Giant Red Spot on Jupiter instead. The clouds now thronged together above her, tightly packed like swarming bees and likely just as pissed and out for revenge.

Sonia palmed her face, turned the car on with a grunt – it was that or listen to the ignition splutter like a popped lung – and threw the gearstick into reverse. As the car madly swung out of the gravel and grass carpark, she saw something glint to her left.

Now the storm had settled in, the lighting was poor. The kind of poor that would see even a shifter with bang-on night vision and regular beta carotene injections rubbing his eyes and walking into holes. Still, there was something out there, wasn’t there? … Was it a guy in a dark hoodie, the fabric thickest just below his eyes, only a slice of his mouth visible? A slice with two teeth as sharp as hatchets and just as strong?

Sonia slipped a shaking hand off the steering wheel and slapped herself lightly. Can you just have a rest for one night, paranoid mind? she berated herself. Jacqueline might always say the wrong thing and mix her metaphors like a trainee chef at the spice rack, but Sonia’s one foible was arguably worse – she got scared. Easily. Often. And sometimes uncontrollably.

She twisted her head around and tried to catch another glimpse of the guy, but it was too dark, and her windscreen was lashed with another round of ballistic fire from the gunmetal-gray clouds above. She had to pay attention to the road, too – she almost fishtailed coming onto the bitumen of the road beyond. Yanking the wheel, hunkering over it and controlling the car, a blast of her hot breath pushed back across her face in a sheet of white, and she stared back in the rear vision mirror.

She couldn’t see a thing. Even as she reached up and wiped the marching condensation from the glass, it was thankless. Either the guy wasn’t there, had never been there, or—

Something lurched onto the road in front of her. She saw a flash of a dark, thick hoodie, a lean, strong body, and a set of gleaming vampire canines drawn like cocked guns. She glimpsed it all in under a second – the same heart-destroying moment it took her to yank hard on the wheel and skid to the left. The road around these parts was treacherous. The ditches were massive and as deep as the Mariana Trench to accommodate all the rains coming in off the mountains behind.

Sonia knew she’d strike one, and there wasn’t a darn thing she could do about it. With a spine-shaking smash, the car fell into one, the airbag engaging and slamming up into her face, forcing her back against the headrest with an ear-ringing whoomph.

Her tires spun, churning up mud that splattered over her windows… because her foot was still on the accelerator.

She….

She was vaguely aware of a shape beside her. Someone there. Right there next to her car.

She turned to ask for help.

But you shouldn’t expect help from murderers.

The guy settled one long finger on her handle and yanked. That was it – all he needed to crumple the steel and pull the door off with all the ease of someone throwing leaves into a shredder.

As Sonia’s heart pounded and blood slid down her brow, she turned her head to see those same vamp teeth glimmering from underneath that same dark hood.

No… you…. She couldn’t finish her words – couldn’t finish her breath. Both were trapped somewhere near the top of her throat like a cork someone had shoved down a wine bottle neck. There would be no drinking the wine – not unless you cracked the neck and got to the contents that way.

Apt.

That’s exactly what this vampire wanted.

Another ripe throat, he hissed darkly as he leaned in, slid one pale finger with a long, rough nail down her throat, and nicked her skin.

She felt a single bead of blood blossom over her clammy skin and slip onto the guy’s waiting nail. He used it like a spoon to scoop it up to his mouth. A few crackles of bright yellow magic protected it from the pounding rain like plastic wrap ensuring some snack didn’t spoil in the fridge.

She watched, her ears still ringing, her head still thumping like someone was playing football in there. As one calamitous shake pushed from temple to temple, she waited to black out.

The guy wouldn’t let her.

Reaching in, he pulled her out of the car with one hand as he delivered the blood to the tip of his waiting tongue with the other. She was treated to the horrifying sight of him ingesting her blood like some crack addict throwing back their latest hit.

His mouth opened wider, his body stiffened in a wave, and he shuddered through a gasp.

Then he pulled her out of her car, dropped her onto the rain-slicked bitumen, and searched for the closest trees.

He grabbed her by the back of her collar, tore the fabric with his long nails, and dragged her towards the pines and birches that lined the road.

Sonia tried to scream. Her body knew this was it. If she couldn’t call for help, she’d….

Calm down, prey, he muttered, slipping one finger up and back as he clutched her collar with a cast-iron grip. His dangerously sharp thumb nail cut the back of her neck, and she felt something transferring into her skin with a shaking jolt.

Her eyes started to roll into the back of her head, the movements grinding like gears that were down to their last threads.

Sonia was going to… going to die. This was it.

She’d had dreams, fantasies, heart-felt wishes – you name it. She’d always wanted to make something of her life, maybe of other people’s lives, too. Now she would be just another statistic.

Her mind might not work right now – it might be fighting off the twin effects of last-ditch adrenaline and whatever the vamp had slipped her – but she could tell who this guy was.

The Hooded Serial Killer. She’d read an article on him just the other day. He was most active at dusk, apparently. Oh yeah, and no one had ever survived.

With a shaking, raw jolt, Sonia realized she was seconds from being murdered. Brutally.

She started to blubber, but the movements of her lips were weak, and the flesh jolted around like frayed rope.

They reached the tree line. Sonia could smell the scent of disturbed dirt, feel the mud sliding under her unresponsive legs, and hear the guy’s steady breath and the unnerving sound of air rushing past his extended canines.

Sonia had once been to a fortune teller. She didn’t believe in them. Nonsense, right? Magic existed – sure. But nothing could ever tell the future unless it had the power to make the future real through actions, not mere predictions. Not her point. The fortuneteller, all dressed up in mounds of fake blue velvet and with malachite rings glinting on her fingers, had told Sonia one thing – her future would be wrapped up with a vampire. Entangled was the exact word she’d used. And Sonia could see it and hear it now – the way the woman’s old, corrugated lips had pulled apart around that word like someone thrusting a fist through a wall, then the hiss of her slurred syllables.

Entangled, ha?

The fortune teller had been right. The vamp, now far enough behind the tree line, far out of sight of the road, leaned down, pulled Sonia’s hair all the way out of her limp ponytail, and wrapped it around her throat.

Sonia screamed one last time. She squeezed her eyes closed, she clawed her last hope up from her heart, and she forced it into her cry like someone trying to drive a car on blood, not gas.

She had no power to stop this, no magic to try – nothing to save herself with other than this last scream.

But once it was out, the guy just squeezed harder, and Sonia was treated to the moment her throat closed off around her words like a noose.

Everything became blurry, the world narrowing down, blackness seeping in, as dark and sticky as tar, and just as hard to escape from. She clutched at her hair with unresponsive fingers, the knuckles losing all their grip, her wrist following with a shudder a second later.

Just as Sonia went to give up, just as her vision blackened the whole way, she heard one last plaintive cry from her soul, and she heard something else, too. A grunt. She… it wasn’t because it was loud – loud enough to cut above the charging rain, the cracking lightning, and the steady hiss of her killer’s breath. It wasn’t even that it was different – the equivalent of a white flag in a sea of blood. It was… it had come for her.

Sonia had never felt too many moments of utter connection in her life. Maybe when she was taking some of her best photos. Perhaps the day she’d picked up her camera and realized it was the perfect way to express her usually messy, uncoordinated thoughts and fears. But nothing like this.

She shouldn’t be able to move, and God knows her muscles should be too unresponsive to do anything other than crumble for good, but she still opened one eye. She still stared up. She still saw.

A man in a dark suit shoved through the trees, faster than anything Sonia had ever seen, moving like the wind itself. He reached her attacker, looped an arm around the guy’s middle, and smashed him into the closest tree.

Sonia…. Her mind wanted to shut down. But her heart couldn’t. It received this sudden rush of blood, this adrenaline-hit of pure emotion. As it surged through her chest, as it rushed up high, reaching her lips and parting them with a shaking sigh, she watched the guy.

At first her eyesight was too bleary to notice anything other than his shape, his broad shoulders, his powerful chest, his shoulderlength sandy blond hair that whipped around him, thumping against his ropelike neck as he rammed her attacker up against another tree.

But the more she stared, the more clarity returned.

Her throat had almost been crushed. The vamp had been pulled off her half a second before he’d managed to kill her, but Sonia should still black out. She couldn’t. The sight of her savior kept her anchored, not just to the spot, but to the land of the living.

She watched him reach a hand around. Magic charged across his skin. From the light of it, from the sheer burning power that looked as if it could match any furnace on Earth to the rapidity with which it appeared, it was the power of a vampire.

You’d think she would freak out. A vampire had just tried to kill her. Now another one had appeared.

But there could be no freaking out.

Nor could there be any questioning one pertinent fact. This guy was here to save her.

So he hurried up and saved her.

The serial killer grunted one last time. He sent vampire magic blasting up over his own skin, and while her savior’s light was startling, like cognac diamonds set alight, her soon-to-be murderer’s fire was like a crematorium.

But it didn’t matter what it wanted to burn through. It was not stronger.

Sonia’s savior proved that fact as he jolted forward and smashed his fist down into the serial killer’s upturned hand. The guy tried to hold on, but he couldn’t. Not only was he struck down by the physical blow, but the magic pounded into him half a second later. It threw him back against the closest tree, and there was this satisfying thunk. Sonia watched the guy’s head roll back, smash into the old, gnarled wood with the power to break it, then slip to the side as unconsciousness settled in. And Sonia….

Hold on, her savior said, words strong but nowhere near as strong as his hands. He pushed down onto his knee beside her, his suit pants ruined by the mud. Grass covered them, and it covered his fingers too as he slipped them underneath Sonia’s rigid back.

She was coming around, second by second, then faster and faster. Coming around so quickly, in fact, it was like she’d turned into a plane the second this guy had touched her. She could now set off to any destination, rise to any height, and critically, never fall down again.

She blinked her eyes open, focus returning with a slap. She stared… she stared into one of the most handsome faces she’d ever seen. A strong jaw and cheekbones and sharp, sharp eyes. Was it… was it the features that mattered? No. There was something else. There….

As the rain continued to pound down around them, Sonia watched as the guy’s green eyes opened wide. There was this moment of sheer energy, of undisputed force. And of magic. Light, solid, beaming, gorgeous, it ran around his irises in a flash.

She watched them being illuminated against the backdrop of the rest of his eyes as if they had been rimmed by angel halos.

His arms stiffened. His attention doubled. His mouth parted. You….

Sonia got a sudden urge – an uncontrollable, crazy urge to reach forward and kiss him. No. She wasn’t some old-fashioned damsel ready to throw herself at any strong brute brave enough to have saved her. But… the light. His eyes. His body; his scent. Something about him screamed to something in her in a language she’d never heard before. She’d been busy telling you that destiny didn’t exist several moments before. Now….

Sonia couldn’t stop herself. Something had awoken within her, and it was the strongest biological mechanism she’d ever felt. She did it. In the driving rain and the penetrating cold, she locked her hand around his chin, and she locked her lips over his half a second later.

Time slowed down. Then it danced, faster than it ever had. It gave her mind, her body, every single part of her attention the power it needed to write down every detail of this. From the feeling of his lips, to the heat just under his muscles, then there, right between it all, connecting it like bones – desire.

A desire only for her.

The guy didn’t throw her off. His eyes snapped open even wider, and she saw the light rimming them once more.

You’re… my true mate? That’s why… I heard you from the car, even through the storm? he stammered.

Sonia heard two words. True mate.

Then she heard the police sirens. Presumably this guy had called them before he’d attacked the serial killer.

But did that matter?

Nope.

It felt like nothing would matter now.

Sonia had found the one thing she’d apparently always been looking for but had had no clue she’d needed until now.

The guy hefted her in his arms higher. It brought her closer to his face.

She imagined she would remember every single detail for… what? Forever?

She might be addled right now, the cold and rain and fear might be getting to her, but she could recognize several salient facts. If this guy really was her one true mate, then….

Headlights cut through the thick trees. She heard cars skidding to a stop on the wet asphalt beyond.

Her vampire looked down at her once. His lips twitched. She waited for that look – the one all the vampire romance novels told you would come next. Sonia might not believe in destiny – or at least, before this point in time, she might have pooh-poohed it. But she still understood what a vampire’s true-mate response was, and yeah, just like the other girls growing up in high school, she’d fantasized about it too. From now on, everything would be different, right? They’d go into their courtship phase, then….

Then nothing, apparently.

She watched as his cheeks twitched, as this look came over his eyes. She’d seen disappointment before. She was no stranger to it. She’d hardly had the safest upbringing. Most people she’d known – including family members – had died tragically long ago. There was something about that look that reminded her of the dismal way she usually considered her reflection in the mornings.

It didn’t matter what you’d found. It certainly didn’t matter what you wanted. You couldn’t have it.

His head jolted up. It was just as armed police officers came streaming in through the trees, their torchlights cutting across Sonia’s pale cheeks and expectant expression.

Even as several settled on her face and almost blinded her, she forced her bleary gaze to stare past them.

Sorry, her vampire savior said once, disappointment filling him, as bitter as lemons, as brutal as rusted nails. But I’ve already made a deal with another. Sometimes destiny is too cruel, isn’t it?

With that, he wordlessly handed her over to a police officer. Then he walked out of her life forever. Or at least that was the plan.

Chapter 1

Can you please turn that off? Sonia asked as she rubbed her face.

Nope. Jacqueline slipped further into her couch, the cushions eating her with scrunches. She was so surrounded by them, only a little glimpse of her petite body rose above like an iceberg, her brown bob scrunched up around her ears, her arms crossed hard. It’s about to get to the good part. Why the heck would I turn it off now?

Sonia made a face. By the good part, do you mean—

The money shot. You know. The part where the vampire adoringly stares into his one true mate’s eyes and professes his true love for her.

Sonia rolled her eyes. Don’t bring that up. Come on. You know I am the one person you cannot bring that up with.

Jacqueline laughed. Hell was it a mean cackle. She proceeded to pick up one of the cushions – the least plush cushion with the scratchiest beadwork and gold threads – and throw it right at Sonia’s head. Sonia was uncoordinated most of the time, especially after she’d just woken from a lousy night’s sleep. The cushion smashed into her face, and even though it was a light blow, it sent her tumbling down to her knees. She rubbed at her butt. Really, Jacqueline? First you make me watch this claptrap about vampire true-mate responses, then you attack me with a cushion?

When Jacqueline realized that Sonia looked just fine, she grabbed up the cushion, fell back down on the couch, hugged it, and shrugged her shoulders. Come on, it’s not all that bad. One of these days, you will get to pick one of your many adoring suitors and fly up into the clouds with them, leaving all us ordinary poor folk behind to pick over the scraps of your brilliance.

Sonia rolled her eyes, putting as much effort into the move as someone madly churning butter. They’re not real suitors. They are just after the shop, and you know that.

Yeah. The entire damn city knows that. Speaking of which, you’re late for work. Go, go, go. Your special magical skills must be put to good use. Speaking of which, could you pick the groceries up on the way back? I am fresh out of cash.

Sonia could have said something. Like the fact she’d been paying most of the bills for the past year. But she would never do that. For years Jacqueline had carried her, and it was kind of nice to have it around the other way for once in their friendship.

Anything special you want? Sonia plucked out her phone, ready to make a list. Even if Jacqueline wanted the most expensive groceries from the most upmarket delis, Sonia would pick it all up.

Wrap me up one of your nice vampire suitors to go, thanks. Life sure is getting boring in this town. She crossed her arms and sighed, glancing back to the TV in time to see the so-called money shot as some handsome vampire faced his soon-to-be wife, eyes alight with the ancient magic of desire.

Sonia thought of one thing, but she shoved it out of her mind so fast, it could’ve hurtled into space in the blink of her eye.

That guy. The one who’d saved her. The guy who’d had his so-called true-mate response long before everyone else. But the guy who had ignored her ever since that day. The one vampire in town, in fact, who wanted to have nothing to do with her.

She’d looked him up after that event – Hell, finding him and thanking him and giving him the opportunity to sweep her up in his strong arms had been the only thing that had gotten Sonia out of bed. It hadn’t taken long to get a name – a face, too, and the bio of one of the most successful vampires in town. Rushford Halsey. The CEO of the great Vampire Pharmaceuticals group. Yeah – that Rushford.

She closed her eyes now, though briefly and she was smart enough to turn away from Jacqueline. Sonia pressed her fingers against her eyelids and pushed in as far as she could before stars swamped her vision and pain shot through the back of her skull.

It was pretty easy to draw up the memory of Sonia rushing to the VP group campus downtown, pretty easy to remember her slipping past security only to get into his office, and only for him to stare at her once, then turn away without a word. No, I’m glad you’re still alive. No, I’m sure happy that guy didn’t murder you, and you don’t need to thank me for saving your life. And critically, no, you’re my one true mate, and now we will never be apart.

He’d just called security, told her to leave, and had ignored her since.

Sonia’s lips twitched. She had to drag her mind back into the conversation and remind herself of what Jacqueline had just said. You work for the police, Jackie. How on earth could life be getting boring? Isn’t this town choking under a never-before-seen crime spree or something?

Did I say boring? I meant dark. Jacqueline fixed her focus forward like a horse wearing blinkers, though it was easy to see from her empty gaze that she wasn’t watching the vampire on screen pashing with the only woman who’d ever make him feel alive.

Jacqueline couldn’t say a word of what she did for the police. She was a specialized forensic psychologist witch. Lord knows what kind of dark minds she had to peer into, day by day, but it usually meant that when she had downtime, she spent it literally. Either she watched TV, or she went out, and she spent money – phones, clothes, booze, you name it. Again, Sonia had to stop that thought before it became too bitter. Jacqueline had carried her for so long, so Sonia would stoop to any low to pick her friend back up out of the mud.

Have a good day at work, Sonia said as she patted down her blouse. Don’t get into too much trouble, she tried.

She shouldn’t have mentioned it. Out of the both of them, Jacqueline was the most likely to run into trouble. Because it was literally her job to go and find it and try to peer through its mind to track its darkest secrets.

Sure, but don’t marry any vampires just because they tell you they love you, Jacqueline shot right back. It must be thinning out now, anyway, right? Surely they realize that you’re not going to blush and marry the first hot vamp boy who shoves a ring on your finger and promises bliss as long as you share your assets with him, right?

Sonia sighed. She had to place a hand on the wall and breathe in as hard as she possibly could. No, it’s not slowing down yet. Sometimes I wish Winston had given his shop to someone else.

Sure. Sometimes you wish you hadn’t inherited one of the most valuable antique stores in the entire country. Poor you, Jacqueline said. She even brought up a hand and pretended to rub her eyes. Then, when that wasn’t pointed enough, she pretended to play the world’s smallest violin.

Sighing even harder now, wondering if she was one heavy sigh away from ripping her intercostals in half, Sonia at least pushed off the wall. I don’t know. Sometimes I wish I could just go back to the past, you know?

Maybe it was something about the look and Sonia’s epic, chest-crunching sigh. Jacqueline abruptly stopped playing games. She had a cushion in her hands, ready and loaded like a bullet in a gun, but she placed it down. What do you mean, kid?

Sonia didn’t need the careful note in her friend’s voice to realize that abruptly, their dynamic had changed. Sonia was the patient again. How appropriate.

Jacqueline might have the hard job, but Sonia by far had been forced to endure the harder life. Then, because destiny is a cruel monster, amongst all the heartache and broken families, a serial killer had tried to murder her.

It had taken Sonia a good three years to get over it. If you could say she was truly over it now. She still shivered uncontrollably whenever she saw someone in a thick dark hood that covered their eyes and nose.

But it was in the past, because so much had happened since. She’d met Winston, for one. Oh yeah. She’d also discovered she had one of the rarest magical abilities around. One Winston had been searching for his entire career. When he’d found it – and her – he’d trained her up and gotten ready to hand the business over to her for good.

Winston’s Antique Store was legendary. Not just in this country – in most modern magical countries. It traveled around, see. It also had pretty much every damn thing you could think of. From ordinary magical fare like candles, skinks, and fireproof bottles, to anything you would need to create your spells – to an entire floor of ancient and rather angry weapons.

There were other floors, too. Floors the public didn’t know about. Hell, considering Sonia hadn’t actually inherited the store yet, she imagined there were floors she didn’t even know about. Their mysteries would be revealed to her in time.

Go to work. Isn’t today the last time you’re gonna see Winston in a while? Isn’t he off to become a grey nomad for a couple of months? It’s going to be a Hell of a hard thing for you to manage the store all on your own. Go pick his brains one last time, Jacqueline said. Her tone was strict, but my oh my was it kind.

Jacqueline knew just how hard Sonia had been forced to work after her incident.

And she knew just how far Sonia had come.

There’d been a time not so long ago when Sonia had been on that couch every darn day. She might have dragged herself up to take a couple of photos, but that was it. Now she would inherit one of the greatest magical collections in the country. Eventually.

And what did that lead to?

Sonia’s phone pinged.

Thinking it was Winston, she pulled it out. She rolled her eyes. Another one, really?

Wait, is some incredibly handsome, rich, and successful vampire messaging you with a proposal again? Jacqueline cackled.

Sonia didn’t want to nod. She settled for shoving her phone back into her pocket. She crossed her arms. You know I’m not gonna marry any of them, right? I don’t care how many of them have their so-called true-mate responses in front of me – it’s not gonna happen. They’re not gonna get their hands on my store.

Jacqueline stood up on the couch, clapped her hands, and even hooted. That’s it. That’s my girl. Now go out there. She pointed at the door. And preside over the greatest magical collection in the land. Only you can do it.

Sonia sighed. But she did not tell Jacqueline she was wrong. Because weirdly… only Sonia could do it.

She scratched her ear, thumbed her hair behind her glasses, reached the door, grabbed her jacket on, and momentarily faced the weather. It looked like it was gonna rain today.

She almost shivered, but she stopped.

Yeah, for a while there, she’d hated storms, and god knows she didn’t go out to parks on her own anymore. Ever.

But everything had settled down, especially since she’d found her power. Yeah… her power.

The drive to the store wasn’t that far. Primarily because she could move the store as close to her house as she wanted. When things got complicated in her life, as they were now, she ensured it was just around the block. Maybe that wasn’t the best for the store – as it wasn’t as if she lived in a fancy part of town. But then again, people would come from far and wide, regardless of where the antique store was situated.

Speaking of which, there was already a queue.

As she pulled up in a small car park just behind the store that was only for her and delivery trucks, she cast a watchful eye over the crowd. Far too many of them were handsome vampires. And one or two even had ring boxes in their hands.

Really? she spat angrily, drumming her fingers on her steering wheel. You’d think that word would’ve gotten around by now.

But here’s the thing. Word would never get around. Regardless of how many vampires Sonia turned down, they would keep coming. The reward was just too great.

Winston had been controlling his antique store for… what, well over 100 years? You wouldn’t think he was that old. But he was a very accomplished, ancient wizard. It was nigh time for him to retire. He just needed the perfect person to replace him.

If you’d asked Sonia back when she had been a spotty, unsure-of-herself mundane in high school whether she would one day inherit crazy powers and one of the most powerful magical stores in the world, she would’ve laughed in your face and babbled that there was no chance.

Sonia was the one who was perpetually down on her luck. Sonia was the one without a single power to her name.

But then that fateful night three years ago, something had changed. Some deep biological process had been set off, and it had gathered pace ever since.

She slid out of her car, locked it, and hurried in through the back door. It was open. To her, at least. Her store – sorry, Winston’s store technically – was coded to those who worked there. If Sonia wanted, with little more than a word, she could kick people out of it magically. They would be flung from the doors and windows in charges of unstoppable wind. Then she could lock them, and she’d be able to withstand a nuclear frigging winter safe within.

Or, you know, end-to-end proposals from vampires.

Winston stood behind the counter. There was some kind of vampire celebrity in front of him, leaning against the bench, a Photoshopped smile in place – presumably it having been magically attached by the equivalent of glue. A rock star, right? Sure, he was handsome. They were all handsome.

And she didn’t darn well care anymore.

As soon as he saw her, a smile exploded over his expression, consuming his lips and moving up to his eyes. It was a surprise they didn’t ping out of his skull. The first time vampires had started proposing to her, Sonia had been beside herself. Now a year had passed, and things were getting so old, she didn’t even bother looking at the guy. I haven’t had breakfast yet. I’m just going to head into the break room, Winston. You deal with this guy, she sighed.

Winston shot her a knowing look. But this young man is here to propose to you, Sonia, he said somewhat playfully, lips curling around every word.

She looked at the rockstar once. It would be a Hell of a thing to marry him. All of her bullies in high school would probably gag if they saw Sonia fronting the pages of the gossip mags with this guy.

But Sonia had been honest to Jacqueline. She would not marry.

Not for anything other than….

She stopped herself in her tracks. Not just in her mind, but physically. She skidded to a halt, and the rockstar vamp took the opportunity to grab her shoulders, slip his hand down to hers, and actually cram a ring on her finger. Just hear me out. We would make the greatest pair. And you’re my true mate, he added in the same breath.

She took the ring off him, dumped it on the floor by his feet, and shook her head once. I’m not gonna marry, she said. She didn’t add any caveats. She would simply not marry.

The guy picked up his ring. He looked a little pissed. Presumably he’d believed he wouldn’t be like the rest. Maybe he thought just because he was famous, Sonia would take one look at him and fall head over heels.

Yeah, but you can’t fight destiny, can you? he asked sullenly.

I’m not gonna marry, Sonia said firmly.

But Winston doesn’t make mistakes, the rockstar shot back.

Sonia took another step and paused. She waited for Winston to come to her defense, but here’s the thing. Winston had started this mess in the first place. It wasn’t the part about her inheriting the store from him. It was the part about him giving a prophecy.

Apart from being one Hell of an accomplished ancient wizard, he could see the future occasionally – but only when it mattered. And unlike the two-bit fortunetellers who hung out on the corners of most streets in this town, his prophecies always came true. The second he’d seen her, and the day that he’d hired her, he’d told her – and most of the rest of the city – that one day she would inherit the store, and her vampire husband would inherit with her. The problem – the big fat problem there being that Sonia didn’t have a vampire husband.

Apparently, according to Winston and his ability to see the future, she would. She was destined to be one powerful vampire’s true mate.

So every single vampire in the city was trying every trick in the book to make that him.

Sonia glanced to the side. The day’s paper was folded up neatly on the counter. It didn’t matter that the photo at the front was scrunched. With a look of fear that kicked up her stomach, shot into her crumpled lips, and reverberated around her head with a clang, she knew who was there on the front page.

That would be Rushford.

And presumably the photo would be from his wedding. He’d married on the weekend, see.

The rockstar grabbed her hand.

Again he slid his grip around, though it was more possessive than kind. Clearly this guy had never had a real relationship, one where he had to show any ounce of respect or actual affection for the people he apparently loved.

Come on, consider my offer. It could be better than most of the other offers out there. I’m one of the richest vamps in town. No one can mess with me. I will do whatever you want. You just have to share your inheritance. That’s it.

She looked at him. Was she tempted? No. She was hungry, and her stomach took that exact moment to growl. Though she could appreciate it wasn’t just her stomach. Her heart did this weird kicking thing. She was certain it loosened itself from her chest, shot into her mouth, tried to escape, then failed and fell back down again with a clang.

She wanted to inch over, grab up the paper, and stare at Rushford.

She could tell herself now that his response three years ago had been an act, like every other vampire’s faked feelings since. But… it had come before all of this.

That didn’t matter, she countered bravely. Because she had an even bigger and better but.

Vampires, once they had their true-mate responses, don’t turn all cold and dead like Rushford had.

You don’t kiss your only chance at true happiness to then dump them in the arms of a police officer and refuse to see them ever again.

Sonia, are you considering this rockstar vampire’s offer? Winston asked with a knowing smile.

The guy looked so hopeful.

So it was time to crush him just like Sonia had been crushed three years ago. No, I’m not. I’m afraid I will have to be firm on this. I’m not gonna marry – ever. My dear boss’s prediction is wrong. Sometimes destiny does not exist, after all.

With that, she slipped past the rockstar.

He swore meanly, but when he tried to grab her again, Winston bustled out from behind the counter, coke bottle glasses slipping down his nose, framing his thin, pencil-like frown.

Who cared who this vampire was? He couldn’t win. Not against Winston. Not in this store. His fun was over, and it was time for him to sing a tune elsewhere.

Sonia made it to the break room.

It was her oasis. Especially these days.

It had a beautiful antique table set up with two recliners in front of it. There were two magical mugs, all brightly painted in golds and reds. She plucked one up, secured it in a rather firm grip, and pressed it against her lips. Coffee. Double strength, she muttered. Honey and milk, she added.

It took half a second for the coffee to brew itself. It flowed into the cup as if poured from an invisible hand. She closed her eyes, breathed in the dancing steam, and took a sip. Did it successfully calm her nerves? Well… kind of. She didn’t technically have nerves. She just had pressure.

Pressure so big and fat it just kept raining down against her like a storm.

Ever since starting to work for Winston, she’d realized how powerful he was. And seriously powerful wizards like him don’t make mistakes around fateful predictions.

So what was going to happen here? Was Sonia actually gonna marry a vampire? Was she going to cave one of these days? Maybe. Perhaps if the right powerful vamp came along and she really needed something he had… she’d just wed him to get rid of all of this mess.

Sometimes life’s like a key, right? Sorry, like a problem. You’ve just got to find the right lock for it to fit into.

Did she mean that the other way around? Hard to tell. She was too tired.

She rubbed her face and leaned back. But then something scrunched underneath her butt. Sinking her fingers underneath her tight blue jeans, she pulled it out. And it would be the paper again.

Why did Winston have two copies? Surely one would be enough? It wasn’t like people read actual newspapers anymore.

She didn’t dump it on the floor quickly enough, and she saw the photo on the front. It was exactly what she expected – a photo of Rushford’s wedding to Bethany Jones.

And who was Bethany Jones? Someone a vampire should marry, of course. A seriously, crazily powerful witch who came from one of the most important covens in town, a model to boot, and a scientist, just like him.

A match made in heaven, right?

She considered Bethany in her perfect white dress. She did not, however, pay too much attention to the way that Rushford stiffly held her hand, knuckles white, skin dappled.

The photo was almost perfect. But the lighting didn’t quite pick up the greens of his eyes. From the wrong angle, they looked like dull brown dirt. You had to be right up close and personal, and hopefully with a little bit of backup lighting to see their emerald hues.

She ignored that stupid thought, threw the paper onto the floor, and petulantly glugged down the rest of her coffee. It didn’t matter that it was so hot, it burnt her lips.

When she was done, she slammed the mug down. Right. Time to learn the last ropes.

She marched out to find Winston by the door, ready. He had bags in his old hands, sunglasses on, and the kind of smile someone might have if they were closing the figurative door on work for the rest of their lives.

She blinked wildly. Ah, Winston, what are you doing? Come back here. This is meant to be my last day. You’re meant to show me the last ropes. She spread her arms out wide. You need to teach me all about the last secrets of this mysterious place and give me a clue as to how to look after this crazy building.

He shrugged. He thumbed his glasses further up his nose. He clapped one hand on his rotund belly, his paisley shirt crumpling, then laughed. You will figure it out. You always do. Use that magical power of yours, he said as he dumped his bags and twiddled his left and right hands, okay? That’s all you really have to do. If the stock is correctly ordered, then the store is happy. And if the store is happy, you will sell well. That’s the only secret.

She spluttered even louder now. It sounded like she was an engine and someone had just inadvisably stabbed her. She might be able to get a mile or a little further, but she certainly would not be able to go the distance. Especially with this place.

She gestured a little too wildly, and she knocked several books off the rack to her side. Rather than fall with thumps, they clunked down with extraordinarily heavy clangs that suggested they were made out of metal.

She glanced at them out of the corner of her eye as they began to twitch, and she realized they were trap books. They were the kind of stock you sold to folks who needed to catch people. You know, bounty hunters and the like. The idea was you settled the book down in front of some unsuspecting perp, they opened it, and they were instantly sucked inside. They were not the kind of things that you had on racks – or anywhere near the public, for that matter.

She grabbed them up quickly. She squeezed them closed in her hands, and she told them mentally that they needed to behave, then she placed them on the counter.

When that didn’t work, she let a little of her magic rise.

Sonia couldn’t cast fireballs. She wasn’t the kind who could spread her fingers and call down lightning from the heavens. There were plenty of impressive witches out there, but she was not part of their ranks. Sonia could… okay, strap in, because this was weird.

Sonia could tell what came first. Yep, you read that right. That was a magical skill these days, apparently. She certainly hadn’t known until she wandered into Winston’s life. It’d taken him a good week to convince her of her powers, and it had only been after demonstrating it in front of others that she’d finally understood.

With her left and right hands, Sonia could order things. She could temporally locate events and objects with simple touches.

Sounded impossible, right? But there were crazier witches out there with even crazier abilities at the tips of their fingers.

Or so Sonia told herself.

Winston twiddled his hands again. Like I said – it’ll be easy. You just need to ensure that the stock is ordered correctly. Remember, the older something is, the more powerful it is. That is the only rule in this store that matters. Truly powerful stock must go upstairs, and weak stock goes downstairs. You order from the left to the right of the room, the older going toward the left. That’s it. That’s all you need to know. He waved cheerily once, movements big and grand like somebody telling a plane to take off. He went to leave. He actually went to leave.

Thankfully he paused at the door. He turned, thumbing his glasses up his nose again, this manic grin spreading across his lips. One more thing.

You’re going to give me the keys to some of the secret rooms—

He shrugged and chortled as if that were the stupidest thing he’d ever heard. I have every confidence that you will figure it out yourself. The secret rooms will let you in if they want to let you win. No. Invite me to the wedding, he said, clapping his hands wildly. I do so love a true mate wedding. Yours won’t be the first one I’ve been to, you know.

She was done spluttering. She was done reacting. Winston had transformed her life for the better. And she was thankful. He was just so… ah. She couldn’t even answer. She clapped her hands on her hips. You can’t be honest, Winston – you can’t leave me like this. I don’t know what I’m doing.

Yes, you do. You can figure it out. You are very resourceful, Sonia. There is no one quite like you. Like I said, invite me to the wedding. Have fun. He walked out of the door. He closed it.

Sonia shot over, and she didn’t think she’d ever moved faster. Her white shoes could’ve torn up whole sections of the floorboards. She had to grab onto a rack for purchase. She pulled it over, and yellow postcards fell all over a rug.

The rug proceeded to gobble them up.

There were certain items in this store that were protective charms – like the rugs and wallpaper. Because of the powerful magical objects that were kept here, the charms had to act defensively to prevent any accidents. Disturb too many objects in the wrong way, and sometimes you could get a bang very soon afterward.

As the rug gobbled up the postcards, while it stopped a magical fire, it also gobbled up stock.

Oh yes, and it affected the store.

Because the store was… alive? It was a complicated fact, but it certainly wasn’t alive in the way that other things are alive. It didn’t breathe, didn’t smile, and it didn’t talk. But it had feelings – precious little feelings. And if she was ever stupid enough to compromise them in any way, the store would seek revenge.

Hurt the store too much, and it would leave her.

She couldn’t stoop to pick up the last few postcards. She reached the door. But by that time, Winston had already gone.

She could taste magic in the air, and she could see a few crackles of yellow sparks darting through a gap in the pavement.

He’d already ported away. And true to his word, he probably wouldn’t be back for months. If at all.

Winston, she called breathlessly down the street.

But he was gone.

By appearing outside, it gave all the vampires in line the time to clamor for her hand in marriage.

The store isn’t open yet, she managed as she threw herself back in, shut the door, locked it, and slid down onto her butt. She jammed her thumbnail into her mouth, closed her eyes, and sighed like the world was ending. Fair enough. It was ending. Or was this just a very horrible beginning?

She looked up at the store. Dust motes hurtled through the air. They didn’t drift like dust motes ought. No. This was no ordinary store, and even though she was no ordinary witch, she would not be up to the task.

Trust her. Something would go wrong. Because something always went wrong in Sonia’s life.

Today might be the beginning of a new chapter. But perhaps it would be the beginning of the end, too.

With her, who could tell?

Chapter 2

It took too long to clear the line of vampire suitors. Fortunately most of them bought things. This store had a secret trick, you see. It could reorganize certain magical objects – at least the stuff upstairs that wasn’t so powerful that it could rip a hole in the ceiling.

It was like the greatest advertising algorithm ever. It could just tell based on the way someone moved and spoke and held themselves what they wanted. And usually that very object would appear on the counter right in front of them. It was a great way to distract vampires. It also meant that regardless of the fact all of them came here for the same thing, they left with something they paid for.

By the time the line was gone, it was already 11 o’clock. Sonia flopped down onto the counter. She thought she heard the bell tinkle by the door. She looked up, as expectant as a meerkat, but it wasn’t Winston. It was just the wind. Because Winston isn’t coming back. She crammed her thumbnail into her mouth and chewed down on it so hard, it could’ve split. You’re on your own. You can’t manage. Because you can never manage, she sighed. You have a nose for trouble, and even when it’s not working, it isn’t like trouble doesn’t try to kill you, she muttered dejectedly as she turned, crossed her arms, and leaned against the counter.

She made the mistake of closing her eyes. A visceral shiver ran across her shoulders. You guessed it – she thought of that fateful day, the moment the vamp locked his knuckles around her collar and dragged her away.

Excuse me, someone said.

No. Not someone. Never just someone.

Sonia could now recognize Rushford’s voice. She didn’t know how. She’d met him preciously few times – so few times, she could remember every detail, as if she had taken footage and learned it and relearned it like the most attentive student.

Maybe it was the tone. Maybe it was the way it specifically shook through her stomach. Or maybe it was the fact they were connected.

She had to control herself. She couldn’t.

As nerves rushed through her stomach, they grabbed hold of her muscles, and they yanked her around fast enough that her heel almost fell out from behind her.

She looked at him, hair flaring around her face, cheeks cold with expectation. But just as energy had a chance to tingle up to her lips, she saw he wasn’t alone.

There was his wife.

Unmistakable. She was somehow prettier in person than on the news.

She was statuesque, too. In other words, everything Sonia wasn’t.

She looked perfect beside Rushford, almost as if no matter where they went and no matter what lighting they went into, they were always in a staged photo.

Sonia knew she had to control herself. She had no relationship with Rushford. And Hell, he’d probably forgotten her, right?

That had to be the case. He didn’t look at her, just slightly beside her left ear. There were some rather pretty magical talismans on the wall behind her.

You…. Sonia couldn’t add anything.

He was here. But he wasn’t here to see her. And unlike every other vampire in town, he wasn’t here to propose. He was already married.

I’m going to have a look. I don’t think it’s here. It’s a waste of time, Bethany said. She strode off, heels clicking over the dusty floorboards. This place is a lot dirtier than I expected for a place so apparently important.

Sonia would’ve winced. Occasionally people did comment about the dust. When she was brave enough, she would pipe up and mention that the dust was part of the magic. Winston had kind of explained it to her once or twice, but it was pretty complex. It was like the dust was the little parts of the shop’s mind. Bees from a hive, if you will. As it moved through the air, always settling on shelves only to be whipped up again when somebody opened the door, they formed an integral part of the store’s spell. Sonia could clean them. But two things would happen. They would return, and the store would seek its revenge for her getting in its way.

Still… it was good that Bethany walked away, good that she continued to mutter to herself about the dust, and good that she gave Sonia some… time.

Time to do what?

Stare over at Rushford as he stood there in an immaculate navy blue suit. The color complemented his hair. It looked like flax glowing under the setting sun.

Sonia had never looked at dusks quite the same way after her run-in with the Hooded Serial Killer, but the image wouldn’t leave.

There was something about Rushford’s hair, everything about him, in fact, that gave one the impression that even if night came, it would always be followed by the day.

You…. Sonia just couldn’t speak.

She was usually a blabbermouth, but not around Rushford.

He still wouldn’t look at her. His gaze was settled just a few centimeters past her right ear now. She wondered what she would have to do to actually get his attention. Stand up on the counter, throw her arms out wide? Or, you know, kiss him again.

She flinched even thinking of that.

He was here to ask a question. So why did he just stand there, swallowing uncomfortably, hand in his pocket, his eyes always just beside her, but never brave enough to actually settle on her face?

You… Sonia tried again. She grabbed her hair. She pulled it down in front of her. She slid her fingers over her tense shoulder. No matter what she tried, she couldn’t get rid of her tension, and it couldn’t kick her into saying anything other than the word you.

Her body wanted to reply that of course that was the case. She didn’t need words right now. She needed actions. But no action, no matter how desperate and no matter how heartfelt, would ever get Rushford to look at her again.

He regained his control, stood up straighter, and pulled something from his pocket. It was his phone. He flicked through to a photo. Do you have this? Now he stared at the counter. It looked like he tethered his gaze there. Come wind, rain, or snow, it would not move. Even if a vampire serial killer came and tried to wrench it away.

It took her too long to actually pay attention to the photo on the phone.

He shifted his hand. And you guessed it, her gaze sliced toward his wedding ring.

It was perfect.

It was magical, and it was ancient. There had been a time when Sonia hadn’t been able to tell those things. Then she’d started working here, and she’d begun to learn her powers.

He was wearing two rings. One was a signet ring. It had been his long before the wedding ring. The wedding band was new to him, in fact. It must’ve come from Bethany’s family.

The signet ring was ancient. Sonia got the impression it was over 2000 years old. And she had to be careful – because it wasn’t necessarily an impression. It went back to her power, didn’t it?

If she wanted to secure that as a fact, all she would have to do was reach forward and touch it. Her left hand gave her information on things from the past – her right hand on things closer to the present. It was complex, but if she