Living Hell Read online

  LIVING HELL

  CHAOS ENSUES

  Witch’s Brew Series

  Book Three

  N.L. HOFFMANN

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Living Hell: Chaos Ensues (Witch's Brew, #3)

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Living Hell

  Copyright © 2019 by N.L. Hoffmann

  This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. It may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, please return it to your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1979, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written consent of the author.

  Cover Art: Y. Nikolova at Ammonia Book Covers

  Editing: Kim’s Fiction Proofreading & Editing Services

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  I have far too many people to thank... First I would like to thank my friend and beta reader, Amy for helping me talk through ideas and keeping me motivated. Without you things would never be done!

  My friend CJ for always being there when I need her. Our writing sprints have helped me through many blocks!

  As always, thank you for my beta readers that always have the time to read through the books (Maria, Ruth, Christy, Christie, Amy, Pamela, Tanner, Trista). I love you guys!

  I would also like to thank my favorite author, Darynda Jones for always listening, encouraging and helping out when I ask. You’re a brilliant writer and I wish there were more people like you.

  As always, I want to thank my husband for dealing with the many long nights of my writing. You’re a special man and I love you.

  Thanks to my mom and dad for the constant support and sharing of my books. I love you guys.

  To an amazing girl who is growing into a truly beautiful woman inside and out. Thank you, Lilly, for making me feel like a better writer.

  Chapter One

  Oh, my gods. I just kicked Ethan in the face!

  We were just sparring. I didn’t mean to kick that high, nearly knocking the poor guy out.

  Rushing over to him, I bent down. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to kick you there.”

  Quickly, he grabbed me. I squealed, grunting when I landed on top of him. He started laughing. Trying not to laugh myself, I struggled to get up, but he kept pulling me back down.

  “We’re supposed to be training! Not playing,” I said, smacking his arm.

  “But this is much more fun. A pretty girl on top of me. What more could a guy ask for?” He rolled me over so I was on my back and he could gaze down at me.

  I squirmed, trying to get out from under him. Judging by the look in his eyes, I could tell sparring wasn’t on his mind anymore. “This isn’t fair, Ethan! We’re supposed to be serious right now.”

  “We’ve been serious all week, Sophie. I need you.” He lowered his lips to mine, brushing them softly.

  Pushing on his chest, I grinned. “Someone feeling neglected?”

  Supporting his weight on his arms, he suddenly dropped down to his elbows, causing me to squeal. “You have no fucking clue.” He moved his hips, grinding himself into me.

  “Mmm...” My eyes rolled back into my head.

  I made him hold off while we trained. It was the only way I could concentrate. Too much Ethan on the mind clouded my judgment. The situation with my ex, Drake, was serious. Not only possessed by a demon, but he was now on a killing spree, leaving a slew of bodies in his wake. Someone had to stop him, and I made it my mission.

  Ethan wrapped his sweaty arms around me and rolled.

  Feeling something soft underneath me, I looked around, realizing he had transported us back to his bed in the hotel. “Hey! You cheated!” I laughed.

  Nibbling on my ear, Ethan chuckled, his hand gliding down my side to my thigh. “I’ve been watching you all week, Sophie. I can’t take it anymore.”

  During the week, we had gone on several missions to find Drake. Instead, all we found were bodies. Unfortunately, people had started to take notice. There was only so much Ethan could do as a Mage. Part of his responsibility was to erase the memory of humans who’d been exposed to Witch secrets. Now we had a demonic vampire on the loose.

  It didn’t make sense to me. Why would the demon want to kill so many people? What was he searching for?

  “Stop thinking so much. Let me distract you,” Ethan whispered, kissing down my neck, gently biting me over the pulsing vein. I moaned, wishing he could sink his teeth into me like I did him. As he moved farther down, he pulled my sports bra over my head. The cool air caused my nipples to harden instantly. His mouth took one in, tongue flicking softly until he heard me whimper.

  His fingers moved toward my waistband, inching my pants down. Desperate to feel his skin on mine, I used my feet to kick them off. Ethan chuckled as he undressed, pleased that I was suddenly as frantic as he was. He positioned himself between my legs. I raised my hips to meet him, feeling his hard length.

  Pounding on the door made us both jump. Heart pounding, I grabbed a blanket to cover myself. Ethan groaned, sliding off the bed. He grabbed a robe from the couch, put it on, then walked toward the door. Moving as quickly as I could with a blanket tangled around my legs, I ran into the bathroom.

  Ethan swung open the door. “What are you doing here?” he asked, annoyed.

  “I need to speak to Sophie. It’s important.”

  Mikey sounded really tired. He’d made it his mission to inspect every location Drake supposedly appeared. It was nice to have such a dedicated best friend. He knew how much I wanted to save Drake, so he did everything he could to find him before Carlos, the demon hunter, did. Carlos would do anything to stop the demon from killing more people. I wasn’t sure I could cope with that. I still loved Drake, and even though he betrayed me by keeping his marriage a secret, I missed him.

  Ethan sighed loudly, irritated by the interruption. I was kind of relieved, though. The man was amazing in bed, and once I started, there was no stopping me. He was pure addiction.

  Wrapping a robe around me and tying the sash, I walked out to the main living area. Mikey was tall and gorgeous with his red hair and green eyes. I especially liked that he had started growing a goatee. There was never anything serious between us, we’d been friends since childhood, but I could admire him. There was no denying that he was sexy as hell. Unfortunately, because he knew that, he took full advantage when it came to women.

  Mikey scowled at me, then glanced at Ethan and shook his head. “Rabbits! That’s what the two of you are.”

  Ethan laughed, leaving me and Mikey in the living room. I sat
down on the edge of the couch, waiting silently. I was suddenly very tired, wishing I could lay down and take a nap.

  Mikey sat on a chair across from me. “Sorry to interrupt, but we nearly trapped him. Unfortunately, Carlos was also there, so Drake ended up severely wounded.” He sighed. “I’m trying my best to get to him first, Sophie, but Carlos is determined to get there before I do.”

  I frowned, not sure what to do. If I pulled Carlos off the hunt, that could mean more lives lost. There was no guarantee Mikey could capture Drake without problems. Ethan had difficulty binding his magic the first time. The second time, the demon completely avoided it. He was amazingly powerful, and I feared the demon hunter might be our only hope.

  “I can’t pull Carlos back, Mikey. Drake has to be captured.” I swallowed. “Dead or alive.”

  He rubbed a hand down his face. “I can’t believe we’re doing this.”

  I quickly stood. “We have no choice!” My anxiety had started to reach levels in hadn’t in a long time. “I don’t want to do this. I don’t want Drake to die, but what is one life compared to many? I have to think of our people.” As I started to pace, Ethan entered the room again, a pair of sweatpants hanging on his hips.

  “I thought you loved him. There has to be a way to save him. I refuse to believe Merlin is right and there’s no way to destroy this demon.” Mikey gave me a pleading look. “I hate Drake for the way he hid his marriage, I’ll probably never forgive him, but he was good to you. For that, I’ll always be grateful. Somewhere in there, I know Drake is trying to break out. He wants to come back to us.”

  I sighed. My father, Merlin, had told me that the demon and Drake were one, meaning it would be hard to separate them. He explained that Drake was lucky to escape the first time, but the binding was stronger now.

  When Drake was younger, he had become possessed by the same demon. It couldn’t completely keep him from breaking through to communicate with people, though. Once he was lucid enough, Drake went to a Witch, who helped him expel the demon, but not entirely and not without a price. In the process, she lost her powers and became blind. Fearful of being discovered, Drake killed her.

  He did a lot of things through the years he said he regretted, but in light of recent events, I had to wonder if the monster still hid within him.

  “Do you still have it, Mikey?” I asked, referring to a metal object Ethan had given him. It boosted his Witch powers in order to detain Drake.

  Mikey pulled out an egg-shaped object with beautiful, intricate designs. I’d seen it in action, remembering its eerie, blue glow. There was one problem, though. Whoever held it could easily become addicted, using it for selfish reasons. Just being around it had my hands twitching, wanting to hold it. It made me anxious, as if I were a drug addict in search of her next fix. I didn’t know how Mikey could stay sane carrying it in his pocket.

  As if noticing my expression, he nodded. “I can feel it’s power. It wants me to use it. I tried when I saw Drake escaping out the back of the warehouse, but I was too late. It was difficult to put it back into my pocket.” Mikey frowned. “This thing is hazardous, but I’m willing to use it if it helps get Drake back in one piece.”

  “Just don’t let anyone else get a hold of it. In the wrong hands, it’s a dangerous weapon. The only reason I let you use it is because Sophie trusts you. That’s all that matters,” Ethan said, sitting by me. He took my hand in his and rubbed his thumb over the back of it.

  We all startled at more pounding on the door. When I stood to answer it, Ethan strode in front of me, motioning me to stand back. This whole protective thing was really starting to wear thin, considering I didn’t like being told what to do. But as High Mistress, I needed to ensure my safety. Ethan had lectured me about it several times. He finally got me to realize that my leadership would help us advance the Witch/Vampire relationship. Of course, I had rolled my eyes at him. I didn’t see myself as someone with so much influence, but I agreed, just to keep him off my ass.

  More pounding had Mikey walking to the end of the hall and gathering his magic, just in case. He was prepared to fight, ready to defend me. I sighed, longing for the days I was allowed to protect myself.

  When Ethan looked through the peephole, he blew out a breath, seemingly disappointed. Maybe he couldn’t see who it was, but we couldn’t just hide in the hotel room forever. When he finally opened the door, someone fell in, landing on the floor near his feet.

  I gasped. “Drake!” I ran in his direction.

  Ethan grabbed me around the waist to stop me. I knew running to him was completely insane, considering his demon status, but I couldn’t help it. Ethan forcefully, yet gently, turned me toward the living area and released me with a soft push. I stumbled toward the couch, then spun to see Ethan standing there, waiting, hands raised in Drake’s direction.

  “Sophie...,” Drake groaned, rolling around on the floor. He was a bloodied mess, wearing the same clothes I last saw him in.

  Is the demon careless? Does he not want to take care of the body he possesses?

  Mikey squatted down next to him. He slowly rolled him onto his back, examining the dirty face. “Drake?”

  “Demon. Gone,” he whispered. His eyes rolled back into his head and he passed out.

  Managing to dodge Ethan’s hands, I rushed over to Drake’s side. Kneeling, I studied his injuries. “Do you really think the demon is gone?” I asked, looking at Ethan.

  Can it be that easy?

  He shrugged, coming closer. “Let’s pull him inside so no one else sees him.”

  He seemed agitated, and I had to wonder if it was because of me. I constantly rushed to Drake when Ethan just wanted me safe. Even so, I had a hard time allowing people to control me.

  Mikey grabbed Drake’s arms and started pulling him into the room. It was hard to watch someone I cared about so broken. I wanted to take care of him, but I knew it was dangerous. We had to be sure the demon wasn’t still around, just biding his time. It wouldn’t be the first time he pulled a trick like that.

  Suddenly, the door flew open, smashing against the wall, Carlos standing there, eyes wild with determination. He had his sword drawn, several necklaces around his neck glowing red.

  “The demon is in the room! Get out of the way!”

  Chapter Two

  Before they could react, Carlos pushed past Ethan and Mikey. Seeing Drake lying on the floor, he raised his sword. I scrambled to cover Drake’s body before he brought it down.

  “Get out of the way!” he shouted.

  “Carlos, stop!” Ethan grabbed his wrist, preventing him from using his weapon. He then glared down at me. “What the fuck are you doing? He could have sliced you in half!”

  Mikey came over and dragged me away from Drake, my legs and arms flailing as I tried to break away. When he dropped me down to the floor several feet away, I scrambled to my feet and strode to Carlos, shoving a finger into his chest.

  “He is unconscious! You were going to kill him! I told you to bring him in alive, if possible.” I narrowed my eyes. “I should kill you where you stand.”

  Ethan shook his head, staring at his friend. He was the one who brought Carlos in to help us, so it would have also been his fault. “Carlos, you agreed to bring in Drake alive if you had the means to.”

  He lowered his sword, nudging Drake’s body with his foot. “The demon wouldn’t have let go of his body so easily. They become one if allowed to coexist for too long. The only solution is to kill him before he murders anybody else.”

  “Well, he says the demon is gone,” I told him, inching closer to Drake. I couldn’t keep my gaze off Carlos because the moment I did, he’d probably cut off Drake’s head.

  “Can’t you sense if the demon is still in there?” Ethan asked Carlos, who couldn’t stay still. It was like he was itching to take care of Drake. There was a murderous glint in his eyes.

  Sighing, Carlos put his sword away. “You’re really going to make me back off? I can’t just let a demon go, you
know. We didn’t catch the possession early enough, so there is no saving him. What don’t you all understand about that?”

  He knelt, placing a hand on either side of Drake’s head. Then he closed his eyes, as if concentrating. As his expression turned to one of bewilderment, I couldn’t help but smile. The demon had to be gone. Why else would he look confused?

  Finally, brows furrowed, Carlos pulled away and glanced at Ethan. “There’s no trace of the demon. I can’t find it.”

  Ethan threw up his hands, face contorted in anger. “I thought you said there was no way the demon would leave the body. You insisted we couldn’t save Drake. Yet here he is, completely cured!” Ethan’s relationship with me was on the line.

  Relationship? Shit.

  I thought spending time together was just supposed to be good fun, but now I thought of him as my boyfriend? Whatever happened to just enjoying our time together? I had let another man into my life before I got over the first one.

  I started inching away from Ethan, trying to create some distance between us. He gave me a slightly confused look, then turned to refocus on his friend.

  “This should be impossible!” Carlos stood. “I don’t understand.” He placed his hands on his hips, looking down at Drake. “I’d like to watch him for several days before we allow him to live normally. I’m not sure I completely buy this. Something seems...off.”

  “You just want to kill him,” I muttered, crossing my arms over my chest. Everyone ignored my comment, so I walked to the couch and sat, crossing my legs. Were we just going to leave him on the floor? I was afraid to touch him. After my experience with the demon, I was fearful he would snap again. Maybe take off my head with one swoop.

  Ethan grabbed his phone from the table next to the couch. He started scrolling through his contacts, then put it to his ear. Listening to one side of the conversation, I knew he was calling in the Magicteers to take Drake to the prison. We would have to put more safeguards on it this time so if the demon reappeared, he couldn’t escape again. Would he reappear?