It’s finally release day!!!
I started writing Soul Eater back in June, thinking I should write a short Halloween story… That’s how it normally starts, isn’t it? I had this idea, I would say probably around this time last year, that I should write twelve short stories, one for each month. The plan wasn’t for them to be related in any way other than them being paranormal stories and one taking place in each month of the year.
In the beginning, I was thinking I could have them all take place during the night and call them something with dark or midnight or the witching hour or something. In my bujo, I called them A Year of Shadows. I still think that’s a good idea, and I might do it one year, but not now.
Scary Gary was the first story I wrote, thinking it should be part of this series, but then life came in the way. I still had my ideas written down, though. To let you know how much of a planner I am, when I say I have them written down, each story had two or three words. Now I’m cursing myself because I’m sure vamp chiropractor, Precog bodyguard, and werewolf’s killed mate all would be awesome stories if only I could remember what I was thinking.
Anyway, Scary Gary was one of them, Elevator Pitch was another, and then we had witch wolf familiar. So Scary Gary is 5.3k, Elevator Pitch is 11.5k, and Soul Eater is 51.5k… I have this with short stories down pat.
I wonder where Ghost barkeep, Smell Death, Demon Key, and Earth Shaker will become.
But back to Soul Eater!
We have Rockshade’s Paranormal Investigations Department, where Thaddeus Ezax works. They get cases once the human cops have deemed there to be a paranormal link to them. Someone is murdering young women and places them in circles with wings attached to their backs.
Ric Hunter, a detective in Rockshade’s PDI, is convinced they’ve already caught the killer, but when another woman disappears, they have to act.
The Rockshade PDI is a divided department, the detectives do not work well together, but Captain Kol Jaecar forces them to. Thaddeus finds a lead, but the killer is always one step ahead of them, pulling strings, nudges them in the wrong direction.
Thaddeus Ezax stared at Captain Kol Jaecar, dread curling in his gut. His hands shook as he wrapped his fingers around the cool, too-thin manila folder.
“You can’t be serious.” Wulfric ‘Ric’ Hunter leaned against the desk, scowling at Jaecar.
Ric was head of the shifter team—there wasn’t an official shifter team, but when he spoke, the shifters working in the department obeyed. Except for Jaecar, of course. It always fascinated Thad. If anyone else objected to what Ric said, there’d be hell to pay, but if Jaecar so much as looked at him, Ric fell in line.
“We want to solve the case, don’t we? You can’t give it to the psychs.” Ric’s eyes flashed in the icy blue of his wolf.
Thad swallowed the objection wanting to be voiced. He was a magic user, but he didn’t have any psychic abilities, not one. His partner, Elora Long, was a clairvoyant, so he kept his mouth shut. Plus it never did any good to get into a discussion with Ric.
Werewolves were so stupid. It was amazing they could carry on a conversation at all—thickheaded, crack-brained, cocky, idiotic wolves—they always thought muscles and a good nose solved everything.
Thad looked away so he didn’t get caught staring at Ric’s broad shoulders and strong arms. He’d lost himself in a daydream while watching him on his first day working in the department. Never would he forget how Ric’s eyes had shifted to icy wolf blue before he’d announced to the entire floor that Thad was a fag who lusted after him.
It wasn’t his fault Ric was heart-stoppingly hot.
It had been a nightmarish first day, but he’d had worse days since then.
Ric might look like a wet dream come true, but looks weren’t everything, and since he was an utter ass, Thad had mostly forgotten he’d once found him attractive.
Most people, both humans and magical beings, feared Ric. Thad didn’t, and he’d almost managed to make himself believe it, too. If things went bad, he could always turn him into a toad, and Ric knew it. Though he was a lousy wizard, and if Ric wanted to rip his throat out, he’d do it before Thad could cast a spell.
Slumping on his chair, he did nothing to try to muffle his sigh.
Jaecar straightened his back and stared Ric in the eyes—not many did for more than a second, but Jaecar didn’t lower his gaze for anyone. A sizzle went through Thad. There was so much power hidden beneath the disheveled surface.
Jaecar was a shifter too, but Thad had no idea what his animal was. Something solitary since he didn’t belong to a pack, pride, or family group.
“If I’m not mistaken, you’ve requested a couple days of vacation, starting about half an hour ago.” Jaecar’s voice was cool and controlled, and while Ric didn’t move a muscle, it was as if he deflated.
“Yeah, but a woman’s life is in danger.”
“And Ezax and Long are looking into it.”
Ric snorted. “Might as well tell her family to contact the funeral service, those two will never solve a case. They’re fucking useless.”
Jaecar didn’t respond, but Thad suspected he agreed with Ric. He chanced a glance at Elora who had shrunk several inches during the conversation. Elora couldn’t afford to lose inches, she was short for a woman, and Thad, who was relatively average in the height department, appeared tiny next to the shifters.
Pre-order in the JMS-shop. JMS is having a Hallween sale, all ebooks are 40% off through the weekend!
Detective Thaddeus Ezax is in over his head. He’s the only wizard in Rockshade’s Paranormal Investigations Department, and it was his name that got him the job. The Ezaxs are known as some of the most powerful wizards in the world, but Thaddeus isn’t your average Ezaxs. Is it any wonder his family shuns him?
When a kidnapping case is dropped into his lap, Thaddeus must act fast. While most five-year-olds can cast a location spell, Thaddeus can’t and is forced to get creative. When he finds himself in possession of a black market werewolf skull with a ghost trapped inside, accidentally releases the spirit, and somehow forms a connection with it, things get even crazier.
Sandulf Hunter doesn’t remember dying, but he remembers the last thing he saw before everything went black—a wizard. All wizards must die! The only problem is, the wizard standing next to him smells too damned good, so good Sandy thinks he might have to keep him.
And since wherever Thaddeus goes, Sandulf finds himself yanked along, he might not have a choice in the matter anyway.
Ofelia Grand 