Page 2 of Vampire's Vixen

The woodland quaked with every step he took, as though he were a giant crossing mountain tops. Tears trickled down my cheeks—he was so incredibly beautiful and terrifying. He stopped when he was almost within my reach, staring down at me. His eyes flashed and a shower of sparks flecked the black orbs, emanating from the blinding light that filtered through the slits of his pupils. I wanted to run, to fall facedown, to be anywhere but in his presence, and yet, I could stand here a thousand years in the intensity of his power.

With one hand, he reached up to the trailing feathers of his headdress. “Your priestess petitioned me. She follows my Lady of Phantasms and Nightmares. The dark tides are returning, and the elder gods are waking.” He held out his other hand. On his index finger was a ring, a massive sapphire, the largest I’d ever seen. “If you would join the witches who fight against them, kiss my ring in pledge.”

I finally found my voice. “What oath am I making?”

He grinned then, sly and deadly. “Your oath is to follow those who lead the fight against chaos, even through the Veil. Your honor to the gods who seek to prevent chaos and fury from the ancient world, from rising new in the world. Your Lady, Aphrodite, is one of those who stands against the dark tides.”

I knew he was telling the truth. It resonated on such a deep level it almost doubled me over. Aphrodite, my goddess, was—along with some other goddesses—joined with the Morrígan, and as such, with the Crow Man. I quickly whispered a prayer for guidance, but the moment the words escaped my lips, I knew that this was the direction in which I was supposed to journey.

I looked up at the Crow Man, who waited, frozen as though he was a statue. I wanted him to reach out, to touch my face, but the thought of his fingers on my skin sent warnings through me. If he did, I’d never be the same.

“I will,” I whispered hoarsely. “In the name of Aphrodite, I pledge myself to this cause.”

Leaning forward, I bent toward his hand. As my lips touched the sapphire, a wave rolled through me, painful and beautiful and the most haunting song I’d ever heard echoed around me. I began to cry, as I stood. I’d just bound myself to a task so great that it dwarfed everything around me. As I straightened up, his sly smile turned somber, and he looked almost sad.

“Your pledge has been accepted. By the gods, by the Morrígan, by Aphrodite, I bind you to this task, to this journey, to this mission. May all of the gods protect you, and may my crows pick your bones if you break your vow.” And then, he reached up and drew one finger down my cheek, and I came so hard that I almost fainted.

With a delighted laugh, he winked at me. “Welcome to my world, Maisy. You now belong to Midnight Point, and all the shadow towns under my watch.”

Without another word, he vanished, and the energy streams between the two yews vanished. I was left alone in the forest, wondering what the hell had just happened.

CHAPTER TWO

Aunt Astra was waiting at home for me when Reese dropped me off. I was exhausted, grimy, achy, and filled with wonder. As I gave him a grateful smile and opened the door, Reese winked at me.

“You did good, kid,” he said.

I gave him a feeble laugh. “I’m not exactly a kid,” I said.

“You have no idea how old I am,” he said. “Go rest. You’ve had an eventful night. I can tell, just by your aura.”

As I shut the door, giving him a little wave, and headed up the steps, it occurred to me that I actually wasn’t sure what Reese was. Was he a shifter, witchblood, human, or something else? Nightshade called him a “problem solver,” but nobody seemed to know—or want to talk—about his origins. I unlocked the door and slipped inside. Reese pulled out of the driveway the moment I closed the door.

“You’re home!” Astra jumped up from the sofa. Crystal, my best friend, was waiting with her and she joined her, both looking me over as I wearily hauled my ass into the living room.

“Yeah, and I’m exhausted, and I’m hungry.” I dropped my backpack on the floor and began shrugging out of my jacket. Crystal took it from me and hung it up, while Astra gave me a thorough once-over.

“Just checking to make sure you’re okay,” she said. “Are you hurt?”

I shook my head. “No, just…overwhelmed.” I paused, then asked, “Am I supposed to tell you what happened?”

Astra gazed into my eyes. “No, child. Everyone has their own experience, and we all keep them close to the chest, at least until after we’ve been initiated. Nightshade will know if you passed the test.”

“I think I did,” I said. “If not, I don’t know what else I could have done.” I was wet from the rain and the damp of the forest, and cold, and I wanted a hot shower and then to eat my fill of comfort food. “I need a shower.”

“Go wash up and change, and I’ll put a frozen pizza in the oven. What else do you want?” Astra asked.

“I don’t know…cocoa? And whatever else sounds good and comforting. I feel like a bottomless pit,” I said.

I headed back to my bedroom, stripping as I went. I dropped my clothes in the hamper, then turned on the shower to heat up. The floors had radiant heating and my feet welcomed the gently warmed tile. I spread a towel on the vanity bench and sat down, looking at myself in the mirror. In the scope of one evening, I could tell that I had changed. The Crow Man had changed me, and though I couldn’t pinpoint exactly how, there was a look in my eyes that said I’d never be the same. Finally, I slipped into the shower and closed my eyes as I tried to shake the feeling of the Crow Man’s fingers on my cheek.

So, time for introductions. I’m Maisy Tripwater. Witchblood by nature, I’m forty-three years old, and I recently started over in life. A couple years ago, my husband died. And then, a few months ago when my house burned down and I lost my job on the same day, it seemed like the perfect time to move back to my hometown of Midnight Point and step out on my own.

So I and my twenty-pound Maine Coon, Miss Prance-a-lot (Miss P. for short), moved back with my aunt. Astra had raised me from the time I was seven, when my parents died, so I’ve come full circle.

While I’m a matchmaker by trade and I recently opened Married At First Bite, a matchmaking service for Otherkin, my business isn’t going as well as I’d hoped. I was the best at my business when I worked in Seattle, but the company let me go because I was too good at my job. But Midnight Point is as small as Seattle is large, and there aren’t that many people looking for a matchmaker here.

So I’ve branched out to giving readings—both tarot and psychic—and I take on spiritual house cleansings. But I’m not sure how things will go, and I’m wondering if I made the right decision.

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