Kresley Cole: Pleasure of a Dark Prince

Carrow had actually been considering using her powers to liberate herself. Which was a big, freaking, honking no-no .

With a shrug, she turned to say farewell. “See ya, Moll, Candy Cane, Lexxxie, Chastity. And Exstacey, chin up, your ex is not going to bother you any more. I promise.” Carrow made a mental note to cast a spell on that asshole, making him fall in love with clumping cat litter. Used clumping litter.

Once Carrow had collected her belongings, she donned her jewelry and light jacket, then strung her numerous plastic beads around her neck. Few outside the Big Easy could grasp what a hard-earned and valuable currency those beads were.

Martin gazed on longingly. “You want me to look up who posted you?”

“Hey, I’m not one to look a gift horse in the mouth. Night, Martin.” She winked and blew him a kiss. “See you soon.”

But as she sauntered to the front doors, she thought about that ole gift-horse saying. She’d lied to Martin—Carrow was exactly the kind of person who would look in its mouth.

She grew cautious, building energy in her palms to shoot an enemy if she had to. Mariketa had been teaching her tons of new spells and funneling power to her—since she was on the bench for five decades. Carrow was quite the badass, when she could concentrate.

Stepping outside onto the street, she gazed around warily. No one was out here.

Ah, but the city was just waking for another night. With sirens and food scents and throbbing music, it roused like a beast from slumber. She could sense all the emotions, the excitement suffusing her. Like a vampire, she wanted to drink from it. Wanted to be amidst the chaos, provoking it—

A frying surge of electricity hit her in the face, blasting her through the air. She shrieked until she landed on her back a block away. Her beads had melted all over her, sizzling plastic searing her skin, smoking.

Dazed, nearly sightless from the assault and the smoke, she drew energy in her palms once more. What the hell happened? Males nearing? Can’t see… can’t see to fire on them. They looked like shadows. She shot from her palm, might have hit one. Can’t see…

She tried to rise, to blindly run, but only made it to her knees. No choice but to gasp out the reaper spell, hoping no bystanders were near: “Ooth sbell nooth latoret—”

“Gag her!” a deep voice interrupted.

“Ooth sbell—”

The shadowy hands seized her, shoving duct tape over her mouth. Though she resisted with all the strength in her body, they bound her wrists behind her. She flailed, defenseless, more terrified than she’d ever been.

Carrow’s sight was just returning when she heard that same voice order, “Bag her.”

“No, no!” she screamed behind the tape. They stalked closer with a black sack, rolling it up like hose to force over her head.

And her world went dark once more….