Page 1 of The Party

THE PARTY

“You nervous?” Nikolai Stanisic glanced at Mae Jin as they passed Goose Island.

She ignored the fluttery feeling that had been lodged in her stomach since they reached Chicago and met the sorcerer’s gaze steadily.

“More curious than nervous. You?”

“These guys are descended from angels and demons.” Wariness crept into Nikolai’s voice as he took the next exit. “I’d be a total idiot if I said I wasn’t worried about meeting them and those beasts.”

It’s alright, my witch, Brimstone huffed where he lay coiled like a pretzel in Mae’s lap. We’ll protect you. He burped gently.

She wrinkled her nose at the smell of tacos. They’d had to make a pit stop an hour ago. It was either that or face a hunger-crazed fox familiar and demonic weapon.

Yeah, Hellreaver hummed on her chest with a faint whiff of burritos. You and your sex fiend of a boyfriend.

Mae pursed her lips.

Nikolai directed a suspicious look at the fox and the weapon.

“One of them just said something insulting, didn’t they?”

“Hell called you a sex fiend.” Mae’s cheeks grew warm. “I mean, he’s not completely wrong.”

Alastair blushed on the center console. Brimstone rolled his eyes hard.

Nikolai’s expression turned smoldering. He checked the sat nav.

“There are some woods not far from here. Should we pull into them and have ourselves a little?—?”

“We’ll be late for the party,” Mae said hastily.

The lustful glow in the sorcerer’s heated gaze abated. He sighed.

“Let’s hope our guest quarters are in a quiet part of the house.”

That damn sorcerer knows we’ll be in the room with you, right? Brimstone said frostily.

Mae ignored the fox.

“I’m sure Violet mentioned there’ll be kids at this thing,” she told Nikolai with a grimace. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to take a raincheck until we get back to New York.”

His expression fell so comically she found herself swallowing a snort. In truth, the way he relished fulfilling his nighttime duties as her consort made her stupidly happy. And not just his nighttime duties. Having Nikolai in her life was like finding a piece of a puzzle she didn’t even know had been missing from her life.

Mae’s heart twinged as she recalled her trip to South Ridgewood the day before. She hadn’t told Nikolai she’d gone to visit Rose Blake’s grave.

Though the headstone where she’d laid a bouquet of her best friend’s favorite flowers stood above an empty coffin, it was still the final resting place of the woman she had long considered a sister.

Memories of Rose’s true fate and her final ending on Brooklyn Bridge still haunted Mae’s darkest hours. She hoped and prayed that she would get to see her best friend again, someday soon.

They drove through a residential area. A park soon appeared on the left. Nikolai slowed and took the turn after it.

A bright winter sun bathed the landscape around them as they drove up the private road leading to Artemus Steele’s mansion, the light reflecting off the banks of snow lining the grass.

It was Christmas Eve.

Though Mae would have preferred spending the festive holidays with Nikolai and her family in New York, she could hardly refuse the invitation that had arrived on her doorstep a few weeks ago.

Two months had passed since the epic battle that had seen her defeat the Sorcerer King and take her rightful place as the Witch Queen prophesied to lead the world of magic in the ultimate battle against the forces of Hell.

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