The Seer's Lover (The Seven Archangels Series)
Read The Seer's Lover (The Seven Archangels Series) Online
Authors: Kat de Falla
Tags: #Paranormal, #Fantasy, #Demons-Gargoyles
Thank you for purchasing this publication of The Wild Rose Press, Inc.
The Seer’s Lover
by
Kat de Falla
The Seven Archangels, Book One
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.
The Seer’s Lover
COPYRIGHT © 2014 by Kat de Falla
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or The Wild Rose Press, Inc. except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
Contact Information: [email protected]
Cover Art by
Debbie Taylor
The Wild Rose Press, Inc.
PO Box 708
Adams Basin, NY 14410-0708
Visit us at www.thewildrosepress.com
Publishing History
First Black Rose Edition, 2014
Print ISBN 978-1-62830-298-1
Digital ISBN 978-1-62830-299-8
The Seven Archangels, Book One
Published in the United States of America
Praise for
THE SEER’S LOVER
“Kat de Falla has created a well-written, sensual and suspenseful page-turner in a luscious tropical setting that had me from start to finish. I loved the sexy danger at every turn for the character of Calise Rowe, who has to wrestle with the realization that everything is not as it seems—including within herself and with her lover. This is a dynamic couple begging for a sequel or movie.”
~Christine DeSmet,
author, writing instructor,
University of Wisconsin-Madison Continuing Studies
~*~
“Kat de Falla has written an excellent debut novel with a new approach to angels and demons. Her strong characters, combined with evocative descriptions and intertwined with a fast pace and tightly woven plot pull the reader into a heart-pounding story from the first paragraph. Ms. de Falla’s first book is impressive, and I can’t wait to read what she comes up with next.
~Ashantay Peters
,
author of Death Stretch
Dedication
My heartfelt thanks goes out to The Wild Rose Press for believing in my novel and all the support from Rhonda Penders, RJ Morris, and Lisa Dawn. Thank you to my amazing editor Lill Farrell and my incredible cover artist Debbie Taylor.
Thanks to Tim Grandy for being the best high school English teacher a girl could ask for.
Thanks to my beta readers Jody, Amy, Rachel, Joe, my sister Lisa, and the wonderful Christine DeSmet from UW-Madison.
Also hugs to my loving parents and my kids for their patience when “Mom is writing.”
But more than anything, I thank my muse, my soul mate, my husband who makes every breath worth taking and every minute we spend together strengthen our love, loyalty, and friendship that will last infinitely in this beautiful universe.
Additional Information
Visit
www.bayafaya.com
for FREE music downloads that accompany this book.
~*~
A portion of the proceeds from this book
will be donated to www.iorphan.org
Chapter 1
Don’s Drug Store—Friday night
Wauwatosa, Wisconsin
A stain of a human being shoved through the front door of Calise Rowe’s pharmacy with just ten minutes left before close. Trying to hide her annoyance from the customer, she smiled tightly at him, feeling a twinge of unease and chills run down her spine. She didn’t need her secret senses to know the devil himself would shudder at the sight of this guy. A filthy smile peeked out from under his moldy beard. He slid a narcotic prescription known on the streets as “hillbilly heroin”—toward her.
Pure evil.
She pushed down her aversion to do her job as his legalized drug dealer. Her all-too-familiar
feelings
hit her like a punch in the gut. Close proximity with this guy made her skin crawl. Nothing about him in particular—not his stringy black hair, body odor, or dirty fingernails—clued her in to his black soul, but something deep within her said he presented a threat and she needed to get him out of her pharmacy—fast.
“Ignore it. It’s nothing.” Calise’s mother’s words replayed in her head. But she couldn’t suppress an inherent ability. Powerful waves of energy flowed around certain people. Not a day went by Calise didn’t wish to tear away the veil of lies and find the truth. She wanted to
see
for once, what she could only feel
.
She glanced at the crumpled prescription. “Give me a few minutes, Mister…Parker.”
He licked his cracked lips, and she cringed when his tongue touched an oozing cold sore. “No worries. I’m in no hurry, baby.”
Pharmacology ran in Calise’s family. Her father had an unexpected heart attack while she was a senior in high school and stepped down from his position as co-owner of Rowe’s Pharmacy. She knew then that logic and practicality expected her to get her doctorate in pharmacology and join the family business.
She’d worked at Rowe’s Pharmacy as a cashier at sixteen after sweeping the floors at night in grade school. Her Uncle Don was getting excited about his own retirement now that he could hand his niece the reins. Dealing with drug addicts and the incessant discussion of elderly people’s bowel habits had her rethinking her career choice.
“Have you had prescriptions here before?” She typed his name into the computer and began to process the prescription. Damn her technician for calling in sick and leaving her alone.
Never taking his eyes off her, Mr. Parker leaned on the counter and drummed his long nails. “No, babe, I’m a virgin with your pharmacy. But with a hottie like you working alone on a Friday night, this might become my new favorite hangout.” Bloodshot eyes and mammoth pupils stared at her with cool confidence mixed with callous indifference.
She held her breath to escape the wretched mix of cigarette smoke and halitosis that burned her nostrils. Her mind screamed at her to hurry up and get rid of him. She handed him an information form to fill out.
He completed it and slid it back with an insurance card.
She finished processing the script and then retrieved the medication to count it.
“You can put a few extra in there if you want.” He pushed open the unlocked half door and headed toward her. Being lax with security would have to be corrected after this. “Like this.” He picked up the stock bottle and dumped the entire bottle into the amber pill vial. One fell on the floor. He leaned down, picked the green pill up and popped it into his mouth and began to chew.
Calise went from worried to panic in a millisecond. She backed away from him slowly only to be stopped by another counter three feet behind her. “I don’t want any trouble.” She pointed to the pharmacy safe. “Take what you want.”
“Steal from my new dealer?” he snorted. “No way.” He took his time peeling and placing the prescription label on his chock-full bottle. He withdrew a greasy one dollar bill from his front pocket. “That should cover my co-pay.” He shoved the bottle in his coat and stepped closer to her. “About time for you to close, isn’t it? Go lock the front door, and I’ll walk you to your car.” He threw a set of keys at her.
Her glittery palm tree key chain hit the floor with a clank and lay sprawled by her feet. Where did he get
those
?
Calise was sure they’d been in her purse in the back of the store! She reached down to grab them and bolted for the front door. The local police station was only a block away.
“Not so fast.” His voice somehow whispered in her ear mid-stride causing her heart to skip a beat.
All at once Mr. Parker’s arms snaked around her shoulders, holding her fast. Shivers of fear sliced down her back while he forced her sideways down the narrow cough-and-cold aisle. Calise had an escape move in mind as soon as she had more room.
Thank you, Mom for the karate lessons.
She knew exactly how to break his hold. In her mind, she played out how it would go down. She’d step left then throw herself right to throw his balance off. At the same time, she’d lift her forearms, spin around, and slice him upwards between the legs. Then she’d run.
The longer he held her, the more Mr. Parker’s arms felt like immovable lead. His limbs radiated a heat that seeped through her smock and began to burn her flesh. They were almost to the end of the aisle where she would have more room. Calise tensed—ready to make her move in three…two…
The bell on the front door jangled. An older Latino man with a weary smile on his clean-shaven face walked in.
Time stopped.
Something not quite tangible permeated the air between them. Like Newton’s third law, a visible pull of two opposite and opposing forces drew the men together, even though they fought like hell to stay apart. Calise’s peripheral vision went black, and all she could see were the men frozen in a stare down, their bodies connected by some strange force field. Her head swam. She fought to stay conscious.
Mr. Parker tightened his grip on her. The rank smell of his body made her gag. He broke the stalemate. “What is it, old man?”
Both men held their ground posturing like wild animals bent on determining the pack leader.
The Latino man spoke. “Let her go.”
The moment ended as soon as Mr. Parker released her. Her head cleared and everything returned to normal—well, Calise’s normal, which was weirder than anyone else’s.
“See you soon, gorgeous,” said Mr. Parker. “Turns out I have other plans tonight, and my fun with you will have to wait.” With one last dirty grin, he pushed past the other man, opened the front door, and melted into the darkness, leaving only his lingering odor and the chiming bell behind.
When the door shut, Calise started shaking and gasped for breath. She grabbed a shelf for support. The Latino man rushed to her side.
“Thank you,” Calise huffed.
He took her by the elbow and helped guide her to the back of the store. “Are you all right, miss?”
“What just happened? What
was
that energy between you two?” Her only thought was of going home, taking some ibuprofen, and lying down. Something was so wrong with her.
“I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about. Is it too late to pick up my prescription? Last name is Torres.”
Mechanically, she retrieved his prescription bag and placed it on the counter. She needed answers before ibuprofen. After removing the medication, she leaned toward him. “Mr. Torres, what happened over there? Please tell me.” She rolled the prescription bottle over in her hands—blood pressure pills. Mr. Torres knew more than he let on.
He grasped her wrist. “Why? What did you see?”
She tensed, willing him to release the death grip his callused hand had on her wrist. His wild eyes held fear.
She swallowed. “That man was pure evil. Wasn’t he? And you…You are—”
“After what I just did to the bad one…” Tears welled up in Mr. Torres’ eyes. He turned his head away. “…I am a dead man.” He mumbled the last part then untangled their hands. “Don’t leave alone tonight. Call someone to walk you out.” He laid a ten dollar bill on the counter, picked up his medication, and turned to leave.
The bad one? He’s a dead man?
“Wait!” Let me help you.”
He paused and looked over his shoulder. “No one can help me now, except my cousin, Carmen. But she is far away.” In a hushed voice, he added, “Never reveal yourself. Never.”
“What did you mean about the bad one?” Something about this man and what he was saying clicked.
“Evil lives among us. Can’t you see them?”
She shook her head. “I don’t see them, I feel them.”
“If you want to live, hide your gift.
El hombre
was one of them. I have to go. Remember what I’ve said because you’ll never see me again.” He continued toward the door.