"You're the one turning her," I argued, but I'd rather Harlee was connected to me than Rafe.

  "With your magia," he stated. "I advise against this."

  That just made me angry.

  "Do it. Tell me what you need."

  "Catalin."

  "Do it. Please."

  He closed his eyes and nodded his head, and then shocked me by touching my cheek again; softly, carefully, longingly.

  My eyes met his. They blazed violet. Mine reflected off his white hair and pale cheeks; blue.

  I stood on my toes and kissed him.

  He kissed me back as if I were the reason he lived.

  Was I manipulating him? Or did I really want to kiss the beautiful, deadly creature before me?

  No, it was the kiss. Definitely the kiss.

  We parted. His eyes were half-lidded. He cupped the back of my neck and said huskily, "We'll finish this later." A promise. A vow.

  Deadly.

  I nodded my head and turned back to Harlee.

  "Once this is done, we must hide our escape," Rafe said.

  I'll help, a little boy's voice said inside my head, but by the look on Rafe's face, not inside his.

  "Mikel," I said. "I'm so sorry."

  It's okay. I've got time before they indoctrinate me and you'll find a way to get me out. I know it.

  Such faith. Blind faith.

  You were made to protect us, Cat. It's what you are. A babeslea. You can't help it.

  "Babeslea?" I asked.

  "Protector," Rafe translated. "Does Mikel think you're a babeslea?" No one could say Raphael Nonpareil was not quick. He'd picked up on the fact I was having a telepathic conversation and that could only mean it was with Mikel.

  Yes, Mikel said and I shook my head in denial, probably confusing Rafe.

  "I'm a cop, sure," I argued, "but not some preordained saviour."

  "He might be right," Rafe said, not confused in the slightest.

  "Never mind that," I said. "Mikel, how long have you got and can you protect yourself in here?"

  They don't indoctrinate the children until they turn fifteen. And I'm a telepath, Cat. What they see on the outside barely touches what's on the inside. They can't get to me. Plus, I can be your eyes and ears in the castle.

  He was too good for me. I would find a way to rescue him.

  And the others I'd promised?

  I pressed a fist into my stomach and swallowed back bile. Rafe placed his hand on the back of my neck, centring me; grounding me.

  I could get used to that.

  He's banpiro, Cat. The kid said. You can't trust him.

  We share a bond, I argued, switching to telepathy for privacy.

  A maisu/morroi bond. He's the maisu, you're the morroi.

  Are you sure about that?

  Yes.

  Damn, there went any hopes of my…uniqueness twisting that particular bit of magic up.

  I'll be careful, I promised.

  Okay. I'll provide a distraction once you save Harlee.

  Can you do that and keep your talent secret? He hadn't been prepared to before. Why would he now?

  The otso are easily swayed. They won't know what hit them. I'll be safe.

  He was going to use the werewolves as a distraction. Good plan. I had to trust he knew what he was doing.

  Stay strong, Mikel, I said, not promising anything I couldn't be sure of delivering. But God, I hoped I could.

  Crouching down by Harlee, I said aloud, "Mikel's going to provide a distraction, so let's do this."

  "Are you sure?" Rafe asked. One last try to sway me, I thought.

  "If I can save her, it'll be worth it." It had to be.

  So much loss. So much heartache. And I was sure there would be more to come. What had I got myself into? It had seemed like the right thing to do when faced with Ama and her threat of indoctrination.

  But I'd been indoctrinated anyway. Mikel had been taken and shoved in some creche where they'd propaganda the shit out of him in preparation for his fifteenth birthday. And Rafe. Rafe had been used by Ama in the most despicable way.

  I hated this place. I hated these people. But Mikel was right. Not all of them were bad and those that were, some of them had no choice in the matter.

  The All-Mother was The Involition's curse.

  Ama needed to be dealt with, but from what had transpired today, I knew I needed a better plan than surprise on my side and a healthy dose of vengeance.

  I needed allies. I needed to be trained. I needed to know the lay of the land better than I already did. I needed to know their history.

  Hell, I needed to know who my parents were and why exactly they'd hidden me.

  Was I different? Was I a protector? A babeslea? Is that why my tattoo changed and my eyes returned to blue — not violet — when I used my magia? Precognition and telepathy; Rafe had said that combination was unique. Was there more to who I was? Why I was here of all places?

  I didn't have any answers, but I knew if I were going to go up against Ama for real, I needed them.

  If I was going to go up against her curses.

  "What do you need?" I asked Rafe as he joined me at Harlee's side.

  "All you can give me," he said gravely. "Skin to skin helps."

  He placed his hand on Harlee's still chest. I covered it with my own. Violet eyes met mine and then he lowered his head to her neck, fangs flashing down, and bit her.

  It was uncomfortable to watch, but in no way sexual. What Ama did, what the witches did, was disgusting. This was just perfunctory but also quite invasive.

  And then he pulled his fangs away and wiped his mouth on the sleeve of his jacket; even going so far as to spit the blood out. I watched as Harlee's blood trickled from the puncture marks on her neck. But there was no heart to pump it and Rafe wasn't — clearly — going to suck it out.

  "Now we use magia to drain her," he said as if he knew what I was thinking, "cleanse her blood from my body, and when my blood hits her tongue, change her."

  "Okay," I said, sounding unsure.

  Rafe looked at me. "It's important I have none of her blood in my body when she tastes mine. The bond will therefore be between your magia and her."

  "You don't want to be connected to her," I guessed.

  "She will not want me to be connected to her. And I already have one priceless bond. I do not wish to taint it with another."

  I wasn't sure how to take that, but nodded my head.

  "Cleanse her blood from your body. Got it," I said.

  Will the words true. That's magia in a nutshell. I knew now I could do that. I'd done it so many times since I'd discovered this twisted world, that I knew I could do it.

  So I did.

  I willed Harlee's blood from Rafe's body, and then when he sliced his wrist and held it above her slack mouth, I willed Harlee to change.

  Blue blazed around us. Magia thrummed in the air. Maybe because it was mine, I could feel it. Maybe because I was expending so much, the thrumming was my body shaking with exhaustion and in desperation that I had enough.

  I willed this to work. I had to save Harlee. Something had to go right for once.

  And then with a burst of blue light, her body arched, her hands fisted at her sides, and her eyes squeezed shut as if in pain.

  She made no sound, which I was thankful for.

  But then she opened her eyes and blue light shone behind her stunned gaze.

  "Harlee?" I said. "Are you okay?"

  She stared at me, then flicked those blazing blue eyes to Rafe.

  "My teeth hurt," she mumbled.

  "That would be the fangs," Rafe advised.

  She narrowed her eyes at him. I'd never seen that look on Harlee's face. No more sweet innocent dimwitted Harlee.

  In the distance, a wolf howled.

  "Come on," I said. "We're getting out of here."

  I stood up and held out my hand to the senior operative. She took it and bounced up easily to stand on her feet; a surprised look on her face.

  I almost laughed. Harlee was standing. Alive again. It had worked. I wanted to bask in the moment.

  But I couldn't help thinking of all the mistakes I'd made.

  I'd failed terribly. I was indoctrinated into The Involition and cursed in a way I didn't yet understand. I'd lost the kid, promised to find others, and had a permanent watcher assigned to me, in the form of a banpiro who thought he was in love with me but was bespelled to report my every move to Ama. And then there was Harlee, who I would have to hide from the All-Mother, and I wasn't even ready to think about what Harry would say.

  What a fucking day.

  But I was also a telepath, and I had it on good authority that what you saw on the outside was barely a fraction of what lay underneath.

  I would burn down this house and every rotten being who worshipped it. I was an Involition Witch now, and they had no idea what was coming. Neither did I, but that wasn't saying anything.

  My fingers tingled and for once I welcomed the sensation. Maybe I did know what was coming.

  In a strange, magical, Marco/Polo kind of way.

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  Fool For The Devil (Via Website Links)

  Fool For The Devil at Goodreads

  Find out more about Nicola Claire books at: nicolaclairebooks.com

  What’s Next?

  Coming 2024!

  Definitions

  The Involition was founded by a league of mystical people originally from the Basque region of Europe. Their history has been lost to time, but their language is considered older than Neolithic. They still speak it today.

  Ama - Mother; the All-Mother, supreme leader of The Involition

  Babeslea - Protector; a witch who protects all life

  Banpiro - Vampire; the blood bearers of eternal life

  Barrandari - Spy; seekers of the unclaimed

  Eterrera - The Ether; where magic works on the normal world

  Ezkutuan - Hidden; the unclaimed supernaturals

  Gudari - Warrior; the last resort, The Involition's fighting force

  Ituna - Pact; a magically binding agreement

  Jagole - Watchman; assessors of the unclaimed

  Lotu - Binds ; bracelets that bind a spell to the wearer

  Magia - Magic; the power wielded by all supernaturals

  Maisu - Master; a vampire who holds a morroi in their thrall

  Maitia - My love/sweetheart; term of endearment

  Maskara - Mask; supernatural compulsion

  Morroi - Servant; the thrall of a vampire

  Otso - Werewolf; the intractable devotees of witches

  Sorgina - Witch; the supreme rulers of all magic wielders

  About the Author

  Nicola Claire lives in beautiful Taupo, New Zealand with her husband, two teenage boys and a miniature schnauzer named Rudy.

  A bit of a romance junkie, she can be known to devour as many as half a dozen books a week if she drinks too much coffee. But her real passion is writing sexy, romantic suspense stories with strong female leads and alpha male protagonists who know how to love them.

  So far, she’s written over 70 books. She might have caught the writing bug; here’s hoping there’s no cure!

  For more information:

  www.nicolaclairebooks.com

  nicola@nicolaclairebooks.com

  Also By Nicola Claire

  Paranormal Romance:

  Kindred

  Mixed Blessing Mystery

  Blood Enchanted

  Fey Touched

  Wicked Witch

  Elemental Awakening

  The Involition Curses

  Science Fiction Romance:

  Lost Time

  Citizen Saga

  The Sector Fleet

  The Sector Wars

  The Sector Files

  The Sector Salvagers

  Contemporary Romance:

  Sweet Seduction

  44 South

  H.E.A.T.

  The Summer O'Dare Mysteries

  Historical Romance:

  Scarlet Suffragette

  Standalone Titles:

  In Sheets Of Rain

 

 

  Nicola Claire, Fool For The Devil (The Involition Curses, Book One)

 

 

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