Read Online Beautiful Monster: The Hunt (Book 2) by Jeanne Bannon - Free Book Online
Authors: Jeanne Bannon
Ads: Link
treasures courtesy of Jack. Jack had given new meaning to the phrase “Jack be nimble. Jack be quick.” Alina and ZoZo had waited outside an all-night convenience store while Jack whizzed past the shopkeeper faster than any human eye could see. Alina watched as he dashed up and down the aisles, helping himself to whatever he felt like. She laughed when he even managed to grab a few bags in which to deposit his pilfered items.
Once he’d taken them home, Jack went out to feed and Alina took advantage of the quiet to read through the Book of Spells , picking up where she’d left off the night before. Her frustration grew at not being able to find exactly the spell she needed. It was not a spell in her personal arsenal that she sought. Everything she’d learned had been the old fashioned way, from others and through experience. Most of the spells in the book were foreign to her. Though she did turn down the pages on a few of the more interesting ones, including the necromancy spell Jack had stumbled upon.
There were spells for binding, spells for making people forget whatever it was one needed them to forget, spells for conjuring familiars and low-level demons, love spells and even curses—these were already known to her and so she read through them quickly. She also knew they were meant for mortals and that most, if not all, would probably not work on creatures of the night, but Jack, being newly made, might be susceptible; at least, she hoped so.
Then she came upon something interesting—it was a spell of discovery. Perhaps, Alina thought, she should try this one to find the masking spell, if it existed within the pages of the book on her knee.
As soon as she read the words, a small eddy whipped up around her despite the fact the windows were not just closed, but sealed and wrapped in canvas. Surprised but not enough to lead her to distraction, Alina watched as the pages of the book turned of their own accord, fluttering quickly to the very end of the book, stopping at a picture of a man, his head covered with looked like a mask.
Alina fought the urge to jump to her feet. “I found it,” she said to the air around her. “I found it!” Carefully, she turned down the corner and added a page from one of ZoZo’s coloring books as a bookmark. A smile found its way to her lips. She would sleep well this day and then she thought of something else, more than anything, she wanted to tell Jack about her discovery, to share her excitement with him. She drew in a few deep breaths. It was unlike her to be excited about anything and even more unlike her to want to share it with anyone. She mustn’t let Jack take hold of her. He had no place in her life. He was just a means to an end.
But, when Jack arrived home moments later, Alina’s news spilled out of her like an excited child. She showed him the spell knowing he wouldn’t understand a word of it but she’d read it and it was perfect. It was exactly what she’d been searching for.
“We’ll try it out at nightfall tomorrow,” she said to Jack, trying to keep her voice steady. “I’ll cast the spell and see if I can read your thoughts. If not, then—”
“You can read my mind?” Jack asked, stunned. He brought his hands to his head as if trying to keep stray thoughts from escaping.
“Of course, I can. Anyway, if it works, then we’ll have to find a spell to use on Boris. That spell will have to be extraordinary, or at least, last long enough so I can, well, you know.”
“Can you really read my mind?”
Alina slapped him and he laughed. “What am I thinking right now?” Jack smiled and threw her a flirty wink.
“I wouldn’t have to be a creature of the night to read your mind right now,” she said returning the wink. She was giddy and even a little turned on. Jack was going to get lucky tonight. A reward might solidify his commitment.
He sat down on the floor beside her and she took no time in straddling him, pushing her body close enough to his
Once he’d taken them home, Jack went out to feed and Alina took advantage of the quiet to read through the Book of Spells , picking up where she’d left off the night before. Her frustration grew at not being able to find exactly the spell she needed. It was not a spell in her personal arsenal that she sought. Everything she’d learned had been the old fashioned way, from others and through experience. Most of the spells in the book were foreign to her. Though she did turn down the pages on a few of the more interesting ones, including the necromancy spell Jack had stumbled upon.
There were spells for binding, spells for making people forget whatever it was one needed them to forget, spells for conjuring familiars and low-level demons, love spells and even curses—these were already known to her and so she read through them quickly. She also knew they were meant for mortals and that most, if not all, would probably not work on creatures of the night, but Jack, being newly made, might be susceptible; at least, she hoped so.
Then she came upon something interesting—it was a spell of discovery. Perhaps, Alina thought, she should try this one to find the masking spell, if it existed within the pages of the book on her knee.
As soon as she read the words, a small eddy whipped up around her despite the fact the windows were not just closed, but sealed and wrapped in canvas. Surprised but not enough to lead her to distraction, Alina watched as the pages of the book turned of their own accord, fluttering quickly to the very end of the book, stopping at a picture of a man, his head covered with looked like a mask.
Alina fought the urge to jump to her feet. “I found it,” she said to the air around her. “I found it!” Carefully, she turned down the corner and added a page from one of ZoZo’s coloring books as a bookmark. A smile found its way to her lips. She would sleep well this day and then she thought of something else, more than anything, she wanted to tell Jack about her discovery, to share her excitement with him. She drew in a few deep breaths. It was unlike her to be excited about anything and even more unlike her to want to share it with anyone. She mustn’t let Jack take hold of her. He had no place in her life. He was just a means to an end.
But, when Jack arrived home moments later, Alina’s news spilled out of her like an excited child. She showed him the spell knowing he wouldn’t understand a word of it but she’d read it and it was perfect. It was exactly what she’d been searching for.
“We’ll try it out at nightfall tomorrow,” she said to Jack, trying to keep her voice steady. “I’ll cast the spell and see if I can read your thoughts. If not, then—”
“You can read my mind?” Jack asked, stunned. He brought his hands to his head as if trying to keep stray thoughts from escaping.
“Of course, I can. Anyway, if it works, then we’ll have to find a spell to use on Boris. That spell will have to be extraordinary, or at least, last long enough so I can, well, you know.”
“Can you really read my mind?”
Alina slapped him and he laughed. “What am I thinking right now?” Jack smiled and threw her a flirty wink.
“I wouldn’t have to be a creature of the night to read your mind right now,” she said returning the wink. She was giddy and even a little turned on. Jack was going to get lucky tonight. A reward might solidify his commitment.
He sat down on the floor beside her and she took no time in straddling him, pushing her body close enough to his
Similar Books
