Shadow Magic by Yasmine Galenorn

Author:Yasmine Galenorn
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Nightqueen Enterprises LLC

It was my third assignment, and I still didn’t know what I was doing. I had been assigned to a remote location, high up in the Cascades, near Glacier Peak, where the roads had ended and the actual mountains took over. I had been dropped off via a helicopter, at the foot of the glacier-covered stratovolcano. One of the most active of the Cascade sisters, Glacier Peak rose over 10,000 feet to its summit, the land around it built on layer after layer of lahars—the churning mud and debris flows that the volcanoes in the Cascade chain periodically shed. They were like Mother Nature’s menstrual flows.

A short but winding path led up the side of the mountain to a cave. Within that cave lurked an ancient vampire from an ancient time—straight out of the distant past when vampires ruled the night and preyed on people and nobody could do much of anything about them. Back then, the few who could hunt them down didn’t have tech to rely on.

My great-great-great-grandmother Molly had been part of the Crown Magika, and she had hunted vampires too, though back then things were far different. There had been no internet, there were no cars, and there was a vicious animosity against witches and Otherkin.

When Molly went hunting, she wore leather armor, she hunted by torchlight, and she had a rare magical power that the Crown always took advantage of: she could sense when the undead, the unliving, and spirits were around. She could see the aura of death that surrounded them, so even if a vampire was trying to pass, she knew what they truly were.

Now, I carried on her legacy, only I couldn’t see their auras. But I had luck on my side, as well as a plethora of gadgets. And I didn’t have anybody objecting to my career. Great-great-great-grandfather had left Molly when she refused to quit her job. He didn’t like being left at home with the kids. So he abandoned the family, and she was forced to quit. After that, he offered to take her back but she refused, struggling to raise their daughters on her own.

I thought about all of that as I snuck toward the cave. Since it was daylight, the vamp wouldn’t be able to see me, but we weren’t sure if he had any friends or allies who might be watching for him.

Long story short, I made my way to the cave and slipped inside. It took me awhile to find my footing at the base of the mountain and to navigate the narrow path that was barely wide enough for one person. Once I reached the cave, I made two mistakes that could have been fatal—and almost were. I didn’t take my time to look around, and I didn’t check the time of day.

Instead, I saw the casket propped up on two sawhorses and went straight for it. As I opened the lid, someone hit me from behind and I blacked out.

It had to be at least two hours later when I woke, because outside, it was dark.

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