Spellcaster Wild Card
Nikki Jefford
Publication date: October 1st 2024
Genres: Urban Fantasy, Young Adult
Win the game. Change the world.
Winning the show means living forever. It is the golden ticket to fame, fortune, and a place among the vampire elite.
Being remade isn’t on my wish list. I like being me, and with nearly a million online followers, it’s working. My parents and big sister are the do-gooders in our family who want to make the world a fair and just place for all humans and paranormal creatures. I just want to finish high school and keep doing what I do best—sharing hair and beauty tips while discussing Spellcaster and how the show’s vampire judge Malachi Rayne is the hottest male on the planet.
Then, life as I know it ends. There are evil forces who will stop at nothing to maintain world dominance—indefinitely.
It’s hard to care when I’ve become dead inside and out.
After my family is violently attacked, the host of Spellcaster insists I audition for Season 13. For the first time in the show’s history, they want to represent every species of paranormals. That’s me now. Not human. Not vampire. Not the class of creature anyone EVER cheers for.
This season’s prize is power beyond anyone’s imagination. It is the kind of reward that contestants and their sponsors would kill to possess.
Let the other contestants and judges underestimate me. They can gossip all they want about the hotshot wizard and the alpha werewolf behaving as though I’m another prize to be won. And if Coach Malachi can’t handle a bold influencer with abilities, then he can suck it. I preferred watching him from the other side of the screen. He’s about to discover that Haylee Hutchins is a force to be reckoned with. The whole world will.
Someone thought they could silence my family for good. Instead, they created a monster. I’m still here, and I am much harder to kill.
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EXCERPT:
“What the hell, Malachi? How could you pick that undead thing over one of our own?”
I blink and look over to where Carolina’s outcry originated. There’s no slinking away now, not when I’m the topic of conversation. Instead, I inch closer to the next door, which is propped halfway open. It’s marked Malachi, not that I need to read the name plaque with his raised voice coming from within.
“This is a spellcasting, NOT a species competition, Carolina, and Haylee clearly won,” Malachi intones.
I swallow. Malachi’s praise makes me feel lightheaded again. Be still my unbeating heart.
“She doesn’t deserve to be on the show,” Carolina snarls.
“She deserves it more than you.”
Silence smothers the hall like a black bag yanked over the head right before a body goes missing. It is shortly broken by a resounding slap. I clench my teeth.
Malachi’s voice is low and lethal. I have to strain my ears to hear him. “You dare strike me after I bent the rules to allow you on the show.”
“Allowed me,” Carolina says shrilly. “You forget yourself, Malachi. I’ve been a member of Forever 23 a lot longer than you.”
“I didn’t realize rank existed in F23,” Malachi answers mockingly.
“Exactly! We’re all equals and loyal to one another above all else. You know the damn rules.” Carolina scoffs in disgust.
“When it comes to Spellcaster, you’re on my turf and will not question the decisions I make on the show,” Malachi says with equal scorn.
“Be grateful you don’t have a master to reprimand you, Malachi, but just remember you still answer to F23. We’re a unified group—now and forever. So, enjoy your sense of authority on your stupid show, but remember who got you into your purple chair in the first place.”
I barely move out of the way in time before Carolina storms out of Malachi’s dressing room. She stomps off in a burst of speed. There’s a bang inside the room that sounds like a wall taking a kick from Malachi’s foot.
“I never asked to be in your stupid, narcissistic snub club,” Malachi growls to himself.
Snub club. That’s a good one—not to mention shocking coming from an F23er. He has to be the first vampire in history who isn’t on cloud nine that he belongs to the most exclusive club on the planet.
I start backing away. Yeah, now really doesn’t seem like a good time to speak to him.
When Malachi pokes his head out of his dressing room, I freeze in my tracks. The doorknob turns violently as it’s twisted from inside, but then Malachi goes still. I grit my teeth as the vampire sniffs the air. He releases the door and steps into the hallway, narrowing his eyes in my direction.
“Haylee, I can smell you.”
I’m too furious to worry about being caught eavesdropping. I unspell myself out of invisibility and put my hands on my hips.
“Why? Because I reek of zombie?”
Malachi’s shoulders lift and fall on a heavy sigh. “No, it’s your perfume. It’s nice—whatever it is. I smelled it on you earlier.”
“Well, that’s just—” It takes my brain three words to catch up and realize that Malachi Rayne is in fact telling me that I smell nice.
Author Bio:
Nikki Jefford is a third-generation Alaskan nomad married to an amazing Frenchman. She loves fictional bad boys and heroines who kick butt! Books, travel, TV series, hiking, writing, and motorcycle riding are her favorite escapes. The dark side of human nature fascinates her, so long as it's balanced by humor and romance.
To get in on the fun and adventure, visit Nikki at her website for release alerts, updates, exclusive giveaways, and a free story when you subscribe to her newsletter: https://nikkijefford.com/newsletter/
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