Read Online Monster (A Cassidy Edwards Novel - Book 1) by Carmen Caine - Free Book Online Page A

of frustration, I gave up.
    Ricky flattened his ears and glared at me.
    I glared back.
    So much for bonding.
    After a minute, he relaxed and gave me another fake, cheesy grin. I much preferred the ear-flattening to the insincerity staring up at me.
    “So, you’re a spell-finder,” he said, pretending to care. “Nice gig, that.”
    I glowered at him. “How do I get you back in your bottle?” I asked.
    He laughed—his adenoidal laugh. But at the expression on my face, he faltered and did a double take.
    “Blimey,” he said. “You’re really asking.”
    I continued to glower.
    His eyes widened and then he snorted in disgust. “ Has it really come to this?  I’ve been paired with a rookie ?” His voice ended in a screech of outrage.
    I jerked, glancing quickly at the back of Lucian’s head to make sure he hadn’t heard as I clamped my hand over the imp’s mouth.
    Or tried to. He was just a puff of smoke, after all.
    “You’re nothing special yourself, imp,” I retorted.
    He watched me with narrowed, cunning eyes. “I see,” he began to mutter. “I see. I seee.”
    I’d really had enough. Not caring what anyone thought, I grabbed the amulet from my boot, and prying it open, placed my hand palm down and consumed it. It was hardly anything. For a human, it would be like eating a single Goldfish cracker after competing in a triathlon.
    “I seeee,” Ricky snickered as he hopped off his bottle and onto my knee. “You’ve got yourself into quite a pickle, doll.”
    I slapped my hand over my knee, but he escaped through my fingers and reemerged above my hand.
    “We can make this work, love,” he eagerly whispered in a conspiratorial tone. “Help each other out. That sort of thing.”
    So, he was an eight-inch version of the devil. “Not likely,” I snapped.
    “You’re unusual,” he continued with his maddening giggle. “And highly untrained. They’re clueless, aren’t they?” He tossed his head in Lucian’s direction.
    I could see where this was going. Was I even going to have a choice?
    “I’ll help you out, that kind of thing,” he said, sidling forward. “You’ll do the same for me, then, eh?”
    “Can I even get rid of you?” I muttered.
    He laughed and rubbed his hands together in anticipation. “Shall I sweeten the deal?” he asked, hopping onto my shoulder.
    I was about to swat him away when he surprised me.
    Pushing my hair back from my ear with his little hands, he whispered so only I could hear. “You’re a natural, there’s no need to have the collywobbles, love. As a spell-finder, they’re just expecting you to keep them from falling into traps. All you have to do is point out the enchanted objects for them to avoid. Should be easy-peasy for one with your mana abilities, eh?”
    I hesitated. How much did this little puff of obnoxiousness know about me?
    And how?
    “And I’d keep my mana-guzzling habits to myself, if I were you,” he advised. “That’s dangerous business. If Lucian only knew … well, just so you know, he’s activated his wards against you so you can’t smell him and his anymore.”
    A shiver went down my back.
    Apparently, he knew too much.
    And then it registered just  what  he’d said. “Wait, what?” I asked, startled.
    Lucian had activated his  wards  against me? Him and his?
    I looked at Ricky in wonder. Could it be that I had my own talking Charmed Wikipedia? Maybe I could just ask him anything I wanted to know.
    “Splendid, at your service,” Ricky replied, giving me his trademark grin.
    He knew that he’d won.
    “What do  you  want in exchange?” I asked in a leery tone.
    With his eyes shining, he queried, “Know any good Indian takeaways where we’re headed?”

The Dangers of Turmeric

    I woke to Lucian leaning close over me, his strong hands gripping both of my armrests. As I blinked the sleep from my eyes, he slowly dropped his head until our lips were scarcely inches apart.
    “We’ve landed,” he said with a sensual