This story was going to be in an anthology but it wasn’t dark enough and we also felt that it would not fit into the word count limit. So most likely when it’s finished it will be released as an E-book.
James Augustine closed his eyes and rocked back and forth on the soles of his feet, swaying gently. He could feel the invisible walls of the pentagram around him, the magic solid and thick, streaming upward and downward. An impenetrable barrier. He could feel it, he could touch it – it would hurt like hell, but he couldn’t feel his own feet. Life was not fair.
He took a deep breath and blew it out. He couldn’t feel that either. He just went through the motions, following a muscle memory.
Bored. Bored, bored, bored. So mercilessly bored.
Around him the basement lay steeped in gloom, the thick stone walls patterned with a lattice of light and shadow, filtering through the wooden grates guarding the basement windows. A mouse scurried in the corner and paused to wash her nose with tiny hand-paws.
“You stop that,” James told her. That’s all he needed. Mice gnawing on the walls.
The mouse looked at him with beady eyes.
“Shoo. Leave. You’re not welcome in my house.”
The little beast appeared unimpressed.
James heaved another sigh and concentrated. A small chunk of rock in the corner shivered and shot across the floor in front of the rodent. The mouse jumped and dashed away. James chased her with the rock all the way to the wall where a strand of ivy had made its way down into the basement through the broken window. The mouse jumped, trying to get to the ivy, but the vine ended too high up. James dropped the rock. His magic reached out like an invisible hand and gently closed about the mouse. The animal squeaked, flailing. James held it tighter – mice could squirm through the smallest openings and this wasn’t his first time at the rodeo – levitated the mouse up to the window, where a corner of the glass pane had broken out, and gently pushed her through the hole. The mouse darted out, no doubt feeling for its life. He concentrated, flattening the magic into a narrow plane and sliced at the vine, severing it neatly at the window.
Well, that was fun.
He pondered the vine and began stripping the leaves from it, one by one. What marvelous entertainment. What delightful pastime. Why, he would have to pace himself or he might earn himself a fit of apoplexy from all this excitement—
A rumble of the car engine slowing to a stop.
James froze.
Maybe they just had a flat tire.
The tires crunched rolling over twigs in the old driveway. The motor fell silent. A car door swung open.
He had visitors. Oh yes. James grinned and shot an astral projection of himself straight up, through the two floors to the round attic window. A silver Audi had pulled midway up the driveway. A tall redhead had stepped out of the driver side door and peered at the house. Mirabelle Heath, the picture perfect real estate agent. Real name Shirley Heath. He’d snuck a peak at her driver’s license the first time she came to assess the house. He guessed Shriley just didn’t go with the entire super-agent persona.
Mirabelle’s bright red hair was pulled back into a ponytail. A female buyer then. For men, she curled it and left it loose. Dark grey Armani pant suit over a crisp white shirt, ridiculous platform shoes. Probably Ferragamo. At least that’s what it said on the inside of the one he’d pulled off her foot three months ago, when she tried to sell the house to some idiot with a midlife crisis. That shoe was real kidskin too. Judging by the way she wigged out when he tossed out of the window, it was expensive as hell.
His memory served up the shoes flying out into the yard. James chuckled.
Mirabelle frowned at the house for another half a second and popped open the rear door. A boy jumped into the grass. About eight, dark hair cut short. Oh Mirabelle, you sleek devil you. Trying to pawn me off on some unsuspecting family.
Another child emerged into the light. A girl with dark blond hair, about thirteen, leading a two or three year old child in overalls. Could be a girl or a boy.
Full house, huh. Two point five children – the toddler counted for only half. Where are the parents?
The front passenger door of the vehicle swung open, and a woman stepped out.
She was… lovely. There was probably a better, more precise word to describe her, but he couldn’t think of one. She was about fifteen pounds on the right side of plump, and her blouse and ankle-length jeans hugged her figure. Her hair was a deep, rich brown, a kind of sun-tinted cloud around her head. Her face… there was something so captivating about her face. He couldn’t explain it. She was somehow so… alive. It must’ve been the big dark eyes. He was always a sucker for a woman with dark eyes.
She took the toddler by the hand. James noticed the way she bent, the curve of her neck, the way her hair fell… He watched her move across the grass, suffused with sunshine. He couldn’t even remember what it was like to feel the heat of a summer day. Rage boiled inside him, the same rage that landed him in this damn purgatory. In that moment, if he let it lose, it would exploded like a fireball, bursting the house until only splinters remained.
Get a grip, James. It’s just a woman walking with her child in the grass. One day, you will walk out there again.
At least he wasn’t dead. Everything else, well, it was temporary.
They were walking up the front door. He faded his projection, turning himself invisible and sank through the floor. This ought to be good.
Ooh I like! I hope you get to finish this one I’d definitely buy it as an ebook. Good twist I assumed he must be a ghost
“wasn’t his first time at the rodeo…” I love it!
I can’t wait for the rest. Thank you for sharing it with us! You guys are always so nice to your fans.
Is there no current title for the story?
No not really. Right now it is just the “haunted house” story.
Absolutely lovely. ^_^
I agree as soon as all y’all decide to make it an eBook it’s added to my book budget.
That was pretty awesome! I assumed he was a vampire, then a gohst until the very end. that’s awesome that all y’all for the Friday Treat
**Ghost** sorry spelling erro
“Budget”?!? What is this word? Whatever it is, it seems wrong to connect it to “book”. How can this be?
I likey too!!!!
It would be a good ebook
Nice! Thanks for the treat – looking forward to more.
Oooooooo new story!!! And now so many questions, how did he get trapped? Is he going to get out? Is he going to cause problems for the family that buys the house?
And there may be a spelling mistake (feeling should be fleeing for its life?) Not trying to nit-pick, absolutely love it so far.
It is a rough draft, I am sure there are some spelling and or grammar mistakes. It happens.
I know, as said not trying to nit-pick, I’m the spelling error queen and don’t normally notice them at all.
I’ve been fluent in typo from time to time myself. I adore your short stories as much as I adore the longer novels. So, please bring them on typos and all.
Thanks for the snippet. I’m excited to read the rest!
Thanks for the Friday snippet!! Just what I needed after a long work week. However, now it’s just something else I have to wait for from you two!
(But you’re always worth the wait!)
Thanks for the snippet! Definitely on the TBR pile as soon as you finish it.
I am intrigued!!! When will we be able to buy?
Love snippets on Fridays!! Thanks so much. Sounds super interesting
MinnChica recently posted..Review – Badlands by Seleste deLaney
Thank you for the snippet-y goodness! You hooked me in — I would definitely buy the e-book!
“tossing out the window” huh. Hope that meant her shoes
Love it, cant wait to buy
shannon recently posted..Morning Madness
Thanks for a day maker! Love it so far. I will definitely buy it on e-book.
So who or what trapped him? Are the family in danger (not from James) from the trapper? I love anticpating these things and will look forward to the e-book. Good luck with the anthology story.
Loved it! Thanks for the snippet, it sounds like an interesting story.
More, please! I can’t wait for the eBook!
Yeah, Snippets! Gem me, gem me, gem me. Just another reason to love Friday’s. Can’t wait to see the rest!
Thank you so much for thinking of us. Oh, and hope it gets to be an audio book, too.
Rawr! Me love snippet!
mmm cookies *wanders away following the scent*
Great so far – looking forward to the rest.
Friday snippets ROCK!!!
So much fun! I got so sucked into the story that when I came to the end I looked up going “What? What?” and realized it was only a snippet.
thanks for sharing. Keep working on it because it looks like I’m not the only one who wanted to keep reading.
Thank you. I enjoyed the snippet. It “hooked me” and makes me want to read more. What a nice start to my weekend!
Wow, totally cool to get an unexpected snippet! You made my Friday so much better. Can’t wait to read the finished product…I am intrigued.
Very nice! Thank you for sharing.
Ack! It ended too soon! …and this is why the devil horns on the panda – you’re evil! Love the snippet. Please make it an e-book soon! Will bribes of wine and chocolate work? What about Milk Bone treats for the beloved babies? Firstborn children? Prime rib? Catnip? ANYTHING!?! Arrrgh!
Absolutely awesome. I can’t wait for you guys to put this out there.
Looking forward to the ebook, please list on amazon.co.UK
thanks
Feel like I’m in limbo when waiting for the next book… Just love your books
Wheeeeeeeeee! Sounds interesting
Just hope I’ll be able to buy it in Germany 
Oh, very intriguing! More please!
I can not decide if the guy doesn’t have a body or if he has one and can’t use it. Still it is an interesting snippet. All hail the snippet king!
Wonderful……but this was as bad as reading a snippet from an upcoming Kate book…….You guys are such teases!!! Thank you!!! It definitely has me intrigued.
I’m intrigued! so far this really looks very interesting! thank you for posting the snippet
Intriguing, I would definitely buy the ebook. Please finish it. : )
Oooohhh, is this a piece of the haunted house novella that Ilona has talked about bouncing around in her head?
I look forward to the chance of reading the whole thing.
Thank you for the snippet! You guys rock!
Yes it is that one. We were going to use it for a P.N. Elrod anthology but it is not really dark enough and we don’t want to cut a lot out to fit the word-count, so it’s just going to be its own thing.
How can anyone reject this?? (‘Not dark enough’ – Some people just don’t know a good thing when they see it). This snippet made me want the rest of the story. (Hopefully soon =) )
Everything you guys write is the best.
I have to confess, since I finished Magic Burns (late 2008/early 2009) I haven’t been able to get any decent urban fantasy/other paranormal books to read, because I was constantly comparing them to the way you wrote the Magic Series. All the other books were just so plain and uninteresting.
So I read a few other uf books in between the other Kate & Edge books, but ultimately, I have moved on to the fantasy gender. Its not as action packed as Kate & Curran’s books, but better than the other tacky & clichéd paranormal books. (lol, not that any other books will ever get close to Kate & Curran).
*sigh* If only Curran really existed and I happened to be like Kate….. A girl could wish <3
Oh no, it was not rejected, Ilona and I just looked at it and decided it was not the same tone as what P.N usually takes and even as the story we did for her before. This one was turning out a bit lighter and a bit funny. I love heroic fantasy, it has a ton of action. David Gemmell is my favorite. Also, Robert B. Parker’s Spenser books are quite good. Funny with lots of violence.
It’s sad that both Parker and Gemell are no more. Their books were great.
Thank you for the snippet.
ukridgethinks recently posted..KALs cartoon The Economist
Wow thanks for the snippet I sure hope you finish this sometime soon as I’d lov to find out what happens, does he scare them off? Does the woman save him? What happened to him that he’s where he is and why is he in a pentagram in the basement? If he is supposed to be evil why did he help the mouse out the window? Questions, questions thre is always more questions then answers. Anyway thanks and can’t wait for the finished book.
Belinda Wolf-Whitaker recently posted..Of Swine and Roses and Site Changes
Oooh, looks like fun. You guys come up with the best lines (“Here kitty, kitty… ” / “wasn’t his first time at the rodeo”) that make your books a pleasure to read and re-read (think I’m up to 5th read of Magic Bites…). Will look forward to buying the ebook when it’s released. I just hope it will be available to Australians!
Very nice. Hope you continue this story. (So long as it doesn’t rob me of my Kate and Curran
)
Any idea when this will be released? I can’t wait to read the rest!
A great read! Excited to read the final copy! Kepp it going but…a title. For a good peice of art: it is unnessecary, for a great one: optional but a spectacular one NEEDS a title. THIS is one of those is need. Loved it.
I’m curious about the publication for this story. I’ve read everything to date by Ilona Andrews, but this is new for me (I’m going through all the old snippets). Thank you!