Light's Keeper Book Two

By Odette C. Bell

There’s no going back when your destiny pushes you forward. And Jane has reached the point of no return.
Not only is magic real, but it’s up to her to save the city and stop the Council. She can’t do it alone. But she can’t reach out to the only man who can help her. Reach out, and he’ll catch her.
Jane’s never been caught in a game of cat and mouse before. Now she’ll never escape.
As she’s thrust further into the city’s secrets and the shadows of lifetimes past, she’ll need to learn to navigate her powers – and her heart – to have a chance.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Odette C. Bell
• Release date: Jan 1, 2024
• ISBN: 9798215814352

Book preview

Chapter 1

Julian

No one in Nice could take that brooch from me. There was no one in Nice who would dare go up against the Council. Yet someone still took the brooch.

Someone still defied me.

I shot forward through the vault room.

I heard a click.

I felt a spell discharging. I reached out, forcing my body against the cloud of smoke around me.

It was a strong spell.

It couldn’t withstand my magic, though. It roared up from my veins, matching my anger then burning stronger.

As a scream parted my lips, my fingers brushed past a door just as it disappeared.

The thief escaped. For now.

The smoke dispersed.

I spun on my foot.

The case was empty. The glass wasn’t broken. But the cushion and the brooch were gone.

I stood there, frozen, as I wondered who’d done this. Then one thought struck me.

No. It was impossible.

Very few creatures could simply reach through magically protected Perspex like that and avail themselves of an equally magically protected brooch. Not without breaking the glass. Not without running into the full force of the spells protecting it. Yet someone had. Someone—

Abruptly, the room recognized the brooch was gone.

An alarm sang into life then screeched. Its cacophonous roar split the air.

Behind me, the door thrust open, and more guards spilled in.

They couldn’t believe their eyes. The brooch was gone.

I stood there, untouched, unscathed, but reeling. The thief couldn’t be….

I couldn’t even form the sentence, let alone truly think through the consequences. I didn’t have the time.

I heard the sound of ferociously clicking heels. Then the door thrust open one last time, and Cherry appeared.

She wasn’t running the auction. That didn’t matter. Technically she was here as a representative of the Council.

She looked across at the empty Perspex box then straight at me. You secured the brooch, she assumed.

I said nothing. I stared across at the box, then at the point where that door had disappeared.

Why wasn’t I searching for it? It would still be in the building, right? Just far in the interdimensional realm. I couldn’t see it, let alone begin to predict where it had been taken to.

I slowly curled a hand into a fist, one finger then the next. I’d never be able to ease the tension out of my digits. It felt like they were consumed by a fire angrier than any I’d ever lit. Because it couldn’t… couldn’t be her.

Even as I thought it, I shook my head.

It simply couldn’t be her.

She would’ve had to find out that magic existed within the space of several hours.

She hadn’t known it when I’d seen her on the steps of this very building today.

She would’ve had to learn about it – and started practicing it – all before tonight.

I shook my head and turned to Cherry.

For just the slightest moment, I was happy.

The Council had failed to get their hands on the brooch.

I’d frustrated their plans. Then I reminded myself with a hard breath I hadn’t frustrated anything. Someone else had. Some unknown practitioner strong enough to reach right through protected glass and steal the brooch without consequences.

Cherry finally caught up to what my expression meant.

I watched as her cheeks stiffened, watched as that stiffness traveled further. It yanked her lips open. She could barely breathe as she hissed, You better be joking, Council dog, she snapped.

Only today she’d promised I wasn’t a dog. But it all depended on how my master wanted to treat me. Right now said master reached out, clutched my arm hard, turned her nails against my skin, not that they could cut me, and hissed in my ear, Tell me you have the brooch.

I didn’t shy back from staring right into her eyes. I don’t have the brooch. Someone stole it.

Who? she hissed wildly.

She turned. I heard more footfall approaching, and my nostrils flared. I quickly recognized it was Mr. Hirota. It was his brooch, after all.

I could’ve stiffened. I didn’t see the point. I wasn’t the one who’d lost the brooch. Yes, I’d failed to protect it. Or had the Council failed?

My head ultimately wasn’t on the chopping block.

Cherry’s was.

Mr. Hirota took one step into the room, sliced his gaze over to where the empty box stood, then took one aggressive step up to Cherry.

His eyes flashed a deep yellow gold. Then, right in the center, I saw flecks of green like a far-off field.

Even if you didn’t understand magic, that green would be evocative, would take your mind and spirit it away to some other plane.

Cherry didn’t have time to be spirited away anywhere. I watched as fear rose through her expression, stiffened her cheeks, and lifted her hands wide. There’s been a problem—

You stole my brooch, Hirota said flatly.

The Council would never do something like that.

He pointed to the empty box. The brooch isn’t there. This is your land, he hissed. This building is your responsibility. And you, he flicked his calculating gaze over to me, though it lost a little of its hard edge, provided security. It was substandard. Essentially, by failing to protect it, you stole my brooch. And you will pay the consequences.

He spun on his expensive shoe, the squeak of the sole against the polished floor echoing through the room. It sounded like a slap. And it was one – a prelude to an attack far harder.

Cherry shot forward and tried to grab his arm, but one of his guards, a female shaman, twisted. Her eyes flashed this deep blue. Almost mesmerizing, it was also a warning.

Cherry lifted her hands and spread them hard, her manicure glinting under the powerful downlights of the room. All they served to do was prove the fact the brooch was gone.

She sliced her gaze over to me.

Her eyebrows flattened. Even though I wasn’t privy to Cherry’s thoughts and never wanted to be, I knew what she was thinking, knew what that twitch meant.

Who could reach their hand into a Perspex case surrounded by true magic and pull out a brooch as fast as they had? While leaving no evidence behind?

Only one person.

We’ll get to the bottom of this. We’ll find the brooch. I’ll personally hand you her head on a platter, Cherry snarled. Her perfect plush lips sparked wide. I didn’t mean twitch. I meant she spat that with so much vehemence that magic coalesced around her flesh and shot into the air just before her.

The shaman ignored her. Hirota didn’t. He shoved a hand into his pocket, appeared to consider the floor beneath him, then turned, one eye flashing, the other returning to normal. Her? You already know who the criminal is?

I have a suspect, Cherry said as she turned and stared right at me.

… It couldn’t be Jane.

The word Jane… I often didn’t let myself think it, couldn’t even begin to allow the word to manifest in my mind. It was like a vortex. One that would suck me into my past. One that would take the powerful Hell-Hexed vampire from today and return him to the instinctual beast of yesteryear.

The word Jane echoed in my ears, anyway.

Echoed as my gaze sliced back toward the empty box. I shook my head one last time. It couldn’t be her. Unless she had powerful help. And no one in the world would be stupid enough to help her underneath my nose.

I shot Cherry a dark look. Perhaps she pretended that she was a fearsome creature on the inside. She was playing a game, however. I really was one. I could back my gaze up with as much ferocity as I wanted to. It wasn’t violent. It was just there. It was like someone opening a door a peek to show you their weapons arrayed along every single surface and piece of furniture. Maybe you had your own gun. You wouldn’t have your own army like I did.

I took one small step up to her. You couldn’t class it as threatening. My hands weren’t even clenched into fists. They were loose by my sides. The power was still there, sparking in the center of my eyes. I have no idea who committed this crime. I can’t confirm if they are male or female, and neither can you, I said, voice settling lower. I knew I shouldn’t challenge Cherry – especially not in front of Hirota – but that didn’t matter.

Hirota seemed to like it, tipped his head back, and laughed melodiously. Then he lifted a hand, pressed a finger just beneath his nose, and smiled. I’ll leave the details to you. But, Miss Walker, isn’t it? If you don’t get me my brooch back by the end of the week, you will make an enemy out of me and my entire clan. The Council of Nix may be powerful. But nobody can exist alone. You’re one Council. He lifted his finger, twisting it around from underneath his nose and proclaiming a point like someone speaking on behalf of heaven.

Cherry’s cheeks paled.

She straightened. Her eyebrows inched up a few microns, then flattened.

She hated her power being challenged. Anyone from the Council did. To be fair, anyone from any magical clan worldwide hated their power being challenged. It was a very fundamental fact of the ego. Even humans hated it. When you have some kind of grand force and someone else threatens to take it away from you, you fight back. But Cherry couldn’t fight right now. All Cherry could do was tilt her head back, fix a fake smile on her lips, and nod. The Council of Nix, she said, slowing down every single syllable, understands the importance of contributing to the magical community and ensuring peace. I’ll get you your criminal. I’ll hand her head to you on a platter. By the end of the week, Cherry added as she flashed her gaze over to me.

I stood stiffly, staring straight ahead. I didn’t make eye contact with her. Didn’t see the point.

I sharpened my senses instead. It wasn’t obvious. I didn’t let my nostrils flare, didn’t open a hand and start to swipe it methodically through the air around me. I just concentrated, using my attention like a scalpel and running it through the room.

It couldn’t be her. Just couldn’t be her. I kept running through that like it was a prayer.

When I stopped long enough to assess the details, I realized it honestly couldn’t be her. Even with help, she couldn’t be this powerful. Not yet. So some other creature had slipped into Nice. Some other creature had gone after the brooch. And in going after the brooch, though they had frustrated my enemies’ plans, they’d ultimately gone after me too.

Because that brooch was personal and always would be.

Though I could’ve stayed here and enjoyed the show, enjoyed watching Cherry being put in her place, I took a step forward. I drew alongside Hirota. Slowly, he tilted his head toward me and let his eyes follow equally languidly. You are off to hunt? he asked, probably stopping short of calling me a dog.

Ultimately, he was a fox. I imagine it probably wouldn’t be an insult in his books, anyway.

I let my gaze sharpen. Then the slightest smile plucked at my lips. When have I ever stopped hunting?

He chuckled once. Good luck, then. Remember, I want the criminal’s head on a plate by the end of the week.

And if they no longer have a head? I demanded.

He gestured wide. Any body part will do. With that, he turned, but not before flashing Cherry another challenging look.

I took one step away from the door. Cherry leaned over, grabbed my arm harshly, and wrenched me around. Fire played in her gaze, and that was not overemphasis. Genuine flames leapt around her pupils, diving down into the black milky masses then rising up like leviathans from the deep. It’s her. It has to be. Oh, little dog, she said, clearly beyond insulting me now, what are you going to do? I’ll tell you what you’re going to do, she said as she leaned close, let her stare slide down to my feet, then slowly looked up at my eyes. You’re going to do exactly what Mr. Hirota said. You’re going to deliver her head on a plate. And if she doesn’t have a head, any body part will do.

She leaned around, patted me on the shoulder, straightened her jewelry, and walked from the room.

I stood there, cold on the inside, raging, too, but as stiff as a statue outside. Then I took one echoing step away, and the door slammed behind me.

The hunt was on.

Chapter 2

Jane

I knelt, pressed up against the library window, one hand on the glass, my entire body shaking.

Beside me, abandoned on the small table next to the leather recliner, was the brooch. I hadn’t touched it. It was still pinned to the velvet cushion. It called to me. Not with words – with little fractions of visions. It kept sending these tendrils of images through the room. Stray through one of them or accidentally pluck them up with my fingers, and I’d get these momentary bursts. Images would flash through my mind. But I didn’t want them.

Not yet.

As another cold sweat picked up across my brow, I flattened my hand harder against the window. I could just pick up what was being said in the vault room. The journal was helping. Maybe it was really good at reading lips. I don’t know. It probably had some other sense. It was connected to the house, which might have its own set of ears.

The house was… still in the vault room. I know that sounded incredible. The house was a giant townhouse. It had two levels, a basement, and those adorable shuttered windows. You’d think you’d notice it in a vault room, right?

No one did. Including him.

… Julian. Whenever his name so much as rose in my mind, I tried to force it away. It would just buffet back into me. It was like playing a game of squash. Whenever I hit it as hard as I could, it rebounded right into my chest. And speaking of my chest, as I watched Julian