M&L03 - SS Read online

  Books by Stacie Simpson

  The Myths and Legends Series

  Releasing the Dragon

  Destined for Time

  Tempting Magic

  The McKenzie Chronicles Short Stories

  A Naughty Christmas Eve

  Tempting Magic

  Myths and Legends, Book Three

  Stacie Simpson

  Tempting Magic: Myths and Legends, Book Three

  Copyright 2014 Stacie Simpson

  Kindle Edition

  All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.

  License Notes

  This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Amazon.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Disclaimer

  This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously.

  Adult Reading Material

  Acknowledgments

  I would like to thank all my readers, especially those of you who have written reviews or reached out through social media to let me know how much you enjoy reading my books. Your continued enthusiasm is what motivates me to keep writing. Another big thank you goes out to my friends and family, as well as my beta readers Marcia, Diane, Katy and Lin. Once again, I’d like to tip my hat and say thank you to Fiona Jayde Media for the wonderful cover image.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Epilogue

  Author’s Note

  More to Come...

  About the Author

  Prologue

  ~ Solomon ~

  Here I was again, on the same street, in the same town, in the same maddening dream I’d been having for months now.

  Going by the old stone buildings and the narrow road winding between them, I would guess I was somewhere in Europe. It was late at night or early morning when everything was quiet and there were very few lights on in the windows.

  The sense that I needed to be somewhere, to find something, was stronger than ever but I still had no idea where or what.

  Taking advice from Donovan Drake, our king who was affectionately known as Dragon, I stripped down to let the fox out. Once he was free, he immediately began trotting down the road. He stopped several times to take in the scents around us but continued his trek until the homes and businesses crowded together in town were nowhere in sight. After several miles of countryside, he finally turned left onto a dirt path that led to a small house surrounded by lush green trees and beautiful gardens.

  It was a two-story house with white exterior walls and natural stone steps leading down to a thick wooden door. Wrapping myself in the shadows, I crept around the building looking for another way in. On both side walls there were long rectangular windows about five feet off the ground and another one just like them on the upper level in the front of the house. The three windows were equipped with sturdy shutters that would effectively block out the sun during the day. Moving around to the back yard, I was finally able to get a good look inside because the entire back wall of the structure was made of glass.

  The floor plan inside the house was open but warm with cozy furnishings, wooden beams lining the ceiling and smooth hardwood floors. Just inside the glass there was a large stone fireplace and a sunken pool of water with steam rising from its surface. A few steps down from there, a large area was being used for both a living room and a dining room. Just past that was a small kitchen. On the left, was a door that I suspected led to a bathroom and a corkscrew spiral staircase was located between the dining room and the kitchen. The upstairs was a loft with a sitting area and a bedroom beyond that, which I could see a portion of, but the door was only slightly ajar.

  The house and its surroundings had a European flare, possibly Italian, with a good mix of country charm thrown in.

  The gothic images covering the walls however, made me think the occupant of this home wasn’t entirely fond of the country or its charm.

  Seeing no movement inside and no way in through the glass wall, I went back around to the front where I heard singing coming from the upstairs window. The voice was female and utterly hypnotic. I didn’t recognize the song but the words weren’t important anyway. It was the voice that I came here for - the sound of an angel whispering on the wind.

  The fox wanted me to go to her right away but I couldn’t move a muscle no matter how hard I tried. Eventually I realized that was only true as long as my intent was to approach the owner of the voice. The instant my intent changed I was free to move again.

  Circling the house, I looked for anything that could be used in a spell to block me from entering the house. On my third pass, I finally found what I was looking for. Peering in through the glass wall at the back of the house, I saw a small amulet hanging above the front door. It was well hidden and almost looked like part of the painting it was attached to, but I had no doubts as to what it was, or the reason it was there.

  Someone was using magic to keep me away from my mate.

  I tried for hours to get her attention but nothing worked, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t go to her. Eventually I decided I needed another approach, a way to counter whatever magic was being used against me. I was about to leave when I took one last look inside and saw her bare legs start down the spiral staircase near the kitchen. Hope sang through me as she continued her descent and my eyes drifted slowly up her shapely calves, then her creamy white thighs...

  I came awake in my bed gasping for breath.

  No! I was so close to finding out who she was.

  With a furious growl, I leapt from my bed and went straight to my library to research the amulet. It was vaguely familiar and though I couldn’t quite recall where I’d seen it before, I knew I’d find it in one of these books along with a way to circumvent its power. Then I’d be able to approach my mate and once I knew her identity, I’d be able to find the person who was keeping me away from her.

  Then we’d see who could wield the best magic, because no one would get away with keeping me from my mate.

  Chapter One

  ~ Solomon ~

  I was supposed to be watching the TV screen in front of me and the music videos playing on it, but I couldn’t seem to tear my eyes away from the beautiful young woman sitting beside me. Two months ago, I received a call from my friend Arthur, an earth demon I knew from way back, telling me he had someone he
thought I should meet. He knew I’d been looking for an assistant and he thought she would be perfect for the job. As it turned out, he was right, only I wanted far more from her than any employer should ever want from his employee.

  Renee Jacobs was everything I could ask for in a woman and a partner.

  She was small and thin with subtle curves, and in her opinion nothing special, but hers was the kind of beauty that came from within and drew me like a moth to a flame. I could drown in her emerald green eyes, get lost in the silken strands of her long, auburn hair, and forget to breathe when she sends me one of her enchanting smiles. Every part of her was beautiful right down to the adorable little freckles sprinkled across her nose.

  Beyond her beauty, Renee was funny, outgoing and energetic. We enjoyed the same music and food, movies and television shows, and we both loved to entertain people whether we were onstage or behind the scenes.

  Renee glanced my way, and then her hand flew up to her head. “What are you staring at? Do I have something in my hair?”

  I smiled and reached over to stop the playback. “Your hair is fine Renee, it’s just, there’s something I’d like to talk to you about and I’m not sure how you’re going to react.”

  She swiveled her chair towards me, her face alight with curiosity. “I’m all ears.”

  “First I’d like to say that I’ve really enjoyed working with you for the past two months. You’re energetic, adaptable, creative and efficient and nothing gets past you. You’re also a talented dancer, a fair singer and a brilliant choreographer. I’ve seen the tapes of every music video and stage performance you’ve choreographed and you have a lot of fresh ideas that I find very interesting.”

  Swinging her chair back and forth, she gave me a shy smile. “Thank you Solomon, I’ve enjoyed working with you too.”

  “That’s good because I’d like to continue working with you.”

  “But I thought you had to leave in the morning.”

  I met her curious green eyes, gauging her reaction when I said, “I do, and I want you to come with me.”

  Her mouth opened then closed again.

  “Look Renee, I’m the Entertainment Director for all the properties owned by Drake International. That includes various clubs, hotels, resorts and restaurants. I need an assistant, someone who can keep me organized and on track, but who also understands what drives me creatively. I want someone I can bounce ideas off of that will give me useful feedback, someone who really gets what I’m trying to do and understands what it takes to stay on top in the entertainment industry. That someone is you.”

  After a moment, she let out a breath and said, “While I am flattered, I can’t just leave Arthur high and dry. He’s been like a father to me.”

  “Arthur asked me here specifically to meet you because he knew I was looking for an assistant.”

  Her face fell. “Why would Arthur try to get rid of me?”

  I shook my head. “That’s not what he was doing Renee. Arthur loves you as much as you love him. He told me he believes you deserve more than an ordinary life and he knows I can give that to you.”

  Lines creased her forehead as her brows drew together. “What does that mean?”

  Now came the hard part. How do you tell someone you’re a nightshifter - a cursed fox shifter who can no longer change shapes that was turned into a vampire against his will? Or that you’re a four hundred thirty-eight year old sorcerer and there are hundreds of thousands of supernatural beings like yourself living amongst the humans in this realm?

  Before I could come up with the right words, there was a knock at the door and I turned around to see Tracey and Stacey standing in the doorway. Tracey was wearing a short iridescent green mini dress with a zipper that started between her breasts and snaked down and right to the hemline where it was left undone up to the very top of her thigh. Stacey’s dress was the same style but fuchsia instead of green. Both women wore four-inch heels, a pound of makeup and their long blonde hair was teased to perfection.

  “I guess playtime with Skipper is over, the Barbie twins are ready to go,” Renee remarked.

  I chuckled and asked her to give me a moment while I went out in the hall and asked the twins to go on to the club without me. I’d spent a lot of time with them while I was in town but tonight I wanted to focus on Renee.

  When I came back into the room Renee was standing and I stopped directly in front of her. At five-ten, I wasn’t used to towering over people, not even women, but Renee was only five-two and to date, I’d never seen her wear anything but high-top sneakers. She liked to wear them with tight jeans and sweatshirts that hang off her shoulder like the Misfits one she was wearing now.

  “You’re not leaving?” she asked.

  “We weren’t finished with our conversation.”

  “Oh, I just figured... Well you know... You always go out with them or the other women I’ve seen you with.”

  Was that a hint of jealousy in her voice? A man could only hope. “While the twins and the other women have been entertaining, they’re not the ones I’m asking to leave town with me.”

  “But that’s just a job offer right? You don’t expect me to do what they do for you - right?” She put her hands on her hips, which she now had cocked to one side. “Because I’ll tell you now, we won’t be sleeping together if I decide to work for you.”

  I had to smile, so much spunk in such a little package. “That’s not part of the job description, but I can’t promise I won’t try to change your mind from time to time. You’re a beautiful woman Renee and I’d love to get to know you better on a personal level, but for now we can keep things professional.”

  Her head tilted to the side while she studied me with narrowed eyes for a moment. Finally, she asked, “And you were going to explain the ordinary life comment now weren’t you?”

  My smile widened and I decided what the hell, I may as well show her all my cards. If she took it badly I could always erase her memories later, although I fervently hoped it wouldn’t come to that. “Yes I was, but first I want you to tell me something. Say you could go anywhere in the world right now. Where would you go?”

  “What...”

  “Just humor me, please.”

  “I don’t know... The Statue of Liberty. Aren’t you supposed to help your friend David make it disappear next week?”

  My heart sped with a mixture of anticipation and trepidation as I wondered how the next few moments would play out. “Yes I am. Now take my hand,” I said offering her my hand. When she only raised an eyebrow I added, “I promise not to bite unless you ask me to.”

  She laughed and came forward to take my hand. Holding her tiny hand in mine, I whispered the ancient words that would open a portal, making sure I added the necessary incantation for humans to travel through when accompanied by supernaturals.

  When the shimmering rainbow of colors manifested in front of us, Renee gasped. “What is that?”

  “Look through it Renee. What do you see on the other side?”

  She peered through the translucent barrier then turned to me with wonder in her wide eyes. “Is that the Statue of Liberty?”

  I nodded. “Do you want to see it?”

  Her head turned back towards the portal and she started to pull her hand away from mine.

  “If you let go, you won’t see it anymore and you won’t be able to travel through it with me.”

  “What is it Solomon?”

  “It’s a portal; a gateway through time and space that I’ve created so we can go to the Statue of Liberty.”

  From the way she was looking at the portal I knew she wanted to go through it, but something was holding her back. I whispered in her mind, “You can trust me Renee. Let me show you a whole new world of possibilities.”

  Her head spun towards me so fast I was surprised she didn’t get whiplash. “How did you do that?”

  “That’s only the tip of the iceberg Renee. There are so many things I want to tell you and show you, all you have to
do is say you want to join me in my extraordinary life. Tell me you’ll work for me, and trust me to take care of you.”

  Her green eyes met mine, open and sincere, “I trust you Solomon. I don’t understand why, but I do trust you.”

  “I’m glad to hear that Renee,” I told her, then after a quick reassuring squeeze of her hand, I led her through the portal to Liberty Island...

  “Earth to Solomon. Is this it?” Rachel asked.

  “Huh?”

  “Solomon, were you daydreaming again? I swear you have the attention span of a two year old these days.”

  I sat up straighter in my chair. We were seated at the thick mahogany table in my private library. All around us, the shelves reaching from the floor to the ceiling overflowed with ancient tomes and magical texts. For the past three weeks, I’d spent almost every waking moment combing through these books, searching for a way to break the spell that was keeping me away from my mate.

  Rachel tossed a book across the table for me to look at.

  “Rachel please be careful, some of these books are thousands of years old.”

  “Sorry,” she said smacking her gum. “Maybe you should start scanning them into the computer before they all turn into piles of dust.”

  “That’s actually a very good idea. Perhaps after we return from the annual tournament you could get started on that project.”

  Since graduating from high school a few months ago, Rachel had been working here at the resort learning the various jobs and filling in wherever we were shorthanded. She enjoyed the assignments that allowed her to flirt with guests, but whined and complained when she had to do actual work. She did that now, and I tuned her out to compare the amulet in the book to my memories of the one in my dreams.

  “Are you paying any attention to me?”

  I met her annoyed gaze and said, “I’m sorry Rachel, and no, this isn’t the right amulet.” I placed the book gently back in front of her. “It’s very similar, but it’s not quite the same.”

  “I don’t know why you’re going to all this trouble anyway. Every time you walk out of this apartment there are women lining up for a chance to sleep with you. And hell, if I thought you’d give me the time of day I’d be right there with them.”