The Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance

use that same magic to bend me to his will? Probably. I just hoped he wouldn’t.
    “If you do, it’s over. I won’t be anybody’s meat puppet. Not yours, not anyone’s.”
    “Maybe I don’t care. Maybe having you alive matters more than whether or not you hate me.”
    I wasn’t sure how to answer that. So I didn’t. The silence stretched uncomfortably. I pretended to concentrate on driving, turning left and slowing, my eyes scanning the row of split-level houses for the correct address. When I found it, I pulled the car to the kerb and shut off the engine. I grabbed my briefcase and climbed out of the car. Daniel did the same, following a few steps behind as I strode up the sidewalk to the front porch.
    I rang the bell and Mrs West came to the door. She was pretty; a petite brunette that looked harried. In the background I could hear the sound of children fighting. She took the papers, thanked me and quickly closed the door.
    It was only when I turned to go back to the car that I noticed Daniel wasn’t behind me. Instead, he was standing in the middle of the Wests’ manicured lawn. In front of him was the most striking woman I’d ever seen. She was tall, taller even than Daniel, with a muscular build and harsh features. I didn’t know who she was, but I could guess what she was. And while she was distracting Daniel, Alexander was moving in from behind.
    “I cannot believe you are sleeping with a sheep. God, Daniel. How can you?”
    “Hey, you! Who are you calling a sheep?” I shouted the words as I reached into my jacket, my hand closing around the handle of the squirt gun.
    I had expected her to react, to attack me. She did turn, and would’ve charged, if Alexander’s magic hadn’t struck out at her like a lash.
    “The sheep is mine.” His voice was a harsh caw. His throat might’ve looked whole, but either it hadn’t healed completely, or there was permanent damage.
    I didn’t know what he was doing, but he somehow froze both the woman and Daniel in mid-motion. They stood, like statues, only their eyes moving. Those eyes followed Alexander’s gliding steps as his stalked me across the grass. I kept my head down, and began edging towards the car.
    “Stop right there.”
    I felt his power wash over me, felt him willing me to do as he said. But when the power hit the necklace Daniel had given me it scattered, leaving me in possession of my own mind, my own will.
    It was then that I had a flash of insight. Daniel hadn’t made the charm for me. There’d been no time. No, he’d given me his charm - the one thing that had protected him from Alexander’s power. He’d left himself completely vulnerable to protect me. I knew, too, that if I didn’t stop Alexander somehow, we’d both die.
    Time seemed to slow. Everything was preternaturally clear. I would have to let Alexander get close enough to use the squirt gun. But if he got that close, with his speed and strength, I’d have almost no chance of survival. I might just be able to wound him, maybe even badly enough for Daniel to finish him off. There’d still be the woman to deal with, but there was nothing I could do about that.
    I stayed utterly motionless, barely daring to breathe. He was close now. So close that I could see the glint of moonlight off the buttons of his shirt, smell the scent of old blood on his breath.
    “Look at me,” he ordered.
    I turned, stepping forwards, lifting my head as though to comply, giving him exactly what he expected, right up until the last instant. When I pulled the gun from its hiding place, I aimed for the place where his heart should be, spraying holy water directly into his chest.
    He screamed, an unearthly, high-pitched, keening wail that was nearly deafening. His body jerked back and flames erupted from a spreading hole the size of my fist, burning through his ribcage. I could see his lungs move as he tried to draw breath, then saw him raise his fist.
    I knew that if that blow landed, I would be dead. But it didn’t land. A last squeeze of the trigger took out what was left of his heart, and he collapsed. Flames leaped up from his corpse as though it had been doused in gasoline. The heat was horrendous, and I fell back from it, my arm thrown up to protect my eyes. The stench of burning flesh filled the night, gagging me. Dropping the empty squirt gun, I staggered back, horrified.
    By the light of the flickering flames I saw a battle raging. Magic and blows fell like rain, too many, too fast