Fury of a Phantom is set to be released December 23rd! Here’s a sneak peek at the first chapter and don’t forget to pre-order your eBook copy through Amazon. Want to get in on the action before everyone else? You can also sign up to be a reviewer!

Chapter 1

*final content subject to change before publishing*

“You know, when I agreed to work with my mom, I didn’t exactly envision … this.” I frowned at myself in the floor length mirror in Kasra’s studio apartment. The navy gown flowed weightlessly down to my ankles, but the loose fabric left me feeling vulnerable. Kasra had selected a style that wasn’t too form fitting, but it still cinched tightly around my chest and revealed too much skin for my tastes. I rubbed my naked shoulders and cringed as I twisted around to take in my exposed back. The stool I was standing on wobbled, and I nearly rolled my ankle in the dressy heels.

“But you look absolutely gorgeous, Zulli!” Catilda clasped a gold bracelet around my wrist, then squealed delightfully when she soaked in the completed vision. Her copper curls bounced along with her excitement, and her alluring blue eyes lit up with amazement. “Although I really wish that cat collar could go …”

I ran a finger under the thin strip of purple leather secured around my neck. “I’m not sure how well this thing actually works, but it’s supposed to contain my overflowing power until I can control it. Probably not a good idea to take it off just yet.”

“Maybe we can hide it with some other chunky piece of jewelry?” Catilda gave a displeased sigh. Although she wasn’t invited to this formal occasion, no one would question her if she tried to stroll in through the front door. Her knee length sundress wrapped around her dainty figure and hung off one shoulder. The marigold yellow matched the warmth and brightness of the spring day outside. Silver jewelry jingled from her wrists, and a heavy application of makeup helped conceal her excessive amount of freckles.

Kasra removed a ruby teardrop necklace that rested against her chest and placed it in my hand. It was the same spelled object I had recently given to her as an apology gift. “Maybe we can wrap the chain around the collar or something? Plus, since you can’t carry your belt with you, at least this will give you some protection if anything goes wrong.”

Despite having been thrown off the roof of a building not more than a few days ago, Kasra was recovering more quickly than anyone could have imagined. Her broken leg was in a cast, but she adapted easily to the crutches, hopping around her apartment like it didn’t even bother her. Thanks to some advanced magic technology, Dr. Fischer suggested it would only take about two weeks for her to completely heal. Kasra was determined to do it in one.

I bunched the silky fabric of the dress in my hands and hoisted it up to step off the stool. Kasra adjusted her crutches and held out a hand to make sure I didn’t fall flat on my face … or more likely to avoid ripping her dress.

“Well, I’m certainly not going to be able to fight in this highly impractical piece of clothing.” I waddled awkwardly over to her massive poster bed, a large piece of furniture that overran her small apartment, and snagged my flannel shirt and jeans from the mattress. Soft voices from the TV in the living room cycled through commercials and provided background noise that cut through what would otherwise be mostly silence.

“I paid a pretty piece of my salary for this masterpiece,” Kasra chided. “There’s magic threaded into the fabric that will help resist tears and stains, but I swear, if you ruin it, Zulli … our friendship is over!” She raised her eyebrows at me and slammed the rubber tip of a crutch into the floor. I honestly couldn’t tell if she was teasing or serious.

Clothes in hand, I eyed the bathroom. Although Kasra and I lived in the same building, her apartment was slightly larger than mine. The furniture in her home was also much nicer, but didn’t exactly fit. Blocking about an inch of the bathroom entrance was an ornate mahogany dresser that looked beautiful, but the drawers were so small I wasn’t sure where she actually fit all the clothes she owned.

Kasra’s voice softened and her concern soothed her tone. “Why are you going to this thing anyway? Isn’t being around your dad the las thing you should be doing right now?”

I stood in the bathroom doorway, clothes in one hand and the other running through the spiky green strands of hair on top of my head. “The fundraiser is a public event, and despite the fact we’re currently at odds with each other, my father specifically requested that I be there to keep up appearances and because he has a special announcement he was certain I’d want to hear. My mom, on the other hand, thinks I should take advantage of the opportunity to snoop around, ask some people questions, and keep an eye on whatever my dad does. She knows I hate mingling with those arrogant pricks, but my mom’s only been searching for Serenity Rose for a couple of days and doesn’t yet have any leads so we might as well make good use of the opportunity in the meantime.”

The familiar jingle of the five o’clock news rang from Kasra’s TV, except it wasn’t Cullin Maddox’s face the camera panned to. My father had tried to control him with Bliss and sway the media, but it didn’t end the way he expected. Upon the news of Cullin’s death from overdosing on Bliss, the station had immediately replaced him with an attractive young female. Kasra turned up the volume so we could hear what was being said. The news anchor started speaking clearly, enunciating each syllable of her words with precision.

The master thief, known as The Phantom, has struck again for the fifth time in the past several weeks. Last night, this mysterious assailant rampaged through a children’s hospital, stealing medicines and supplies critical to keeping ailing children alive. Several guards and physicians on staff were seriously injured and are currently undergoing treatment. One employee death so far has been confirmed. Without these medicines, however, the children can no longer be treated for their life-threatening conditions. The hospital is asking for monetary donations to help urgently replenish what was lost.

A poor quality photo filled the screen. In the foreground were a couple of bleary-eyed best friends after a night of heavy drinking. Behind them was a shadowy black mass slinking across the street, a long trench coat billowing behind him. A deep hood covered his head, a matching dark facemask concealing everything but his eyes. It was difficult to tell from the blurry photo, but authorities pegged him at about five-foot-five. Using magical technology, they enhanced the photo to confirm he had silvery-gray eyes. This picture was the only known picture of the thief, caught completely by chance. Although eye witness reports often described the same Phantom figure, he’s been meticulous at covering his tracks and keeping his identity a secret.

Kasra huffed, blowing a few loose strands of blonde hair out of her face. “What an ass. Those poor kids are suffering and he has the audacity to steal from a hospital. Who does that?”

“Do you think he’s being controlled by Bliss?” I pondered. “Maybe my dad is forcing him to do these things.”

“Maybe.” Catilda peered up at the ceiling, twirling a finger around a curl. “But it doesn’t really add up. The rumor going around is that this person has been around for years but was discreetly stealing small quantities from hospitals and magiceutical companies that no one paid much attention to the missing supplies. From what authorities can tell, he’s not stealing anything other than your common equipment and supplies. Why would Zavyr need any of that?”

I shifted to lean against the doorway. “A distraction? Does anyone really know what goes on in my father’s mind these days?”

“Well, someone must have really pissed him off if he went from stealing a few things here and there to cleaning out entire supply rooms and killing people,” Kasra added. Her frown added crinkles to her brow. “Zulli, what if he’s not being controlled by Bliss and attacks NightFly Technologies? Zavyr has more enemies these days than friends.”

I shrugged. “If you asked me that a month ago, I’d probably camp outside my dad’s office and monitor every little suspicious thing that went on. But now … I don’t know. Of course I don’t want anything to happen to my family, but after everything with Bliss, finding out my mom was still alive, knowing my dad was about to murder a child … part of me thinks he has it coming to him.” Guilt tangled into a heavy ball in my chest. My feelings of wanting to protect those I cared about were constantly at battle with the fact my own father was the criminal attacking them. People were dying because of him, but he was still my father, and despite the fact, NightFly Technologies continued to help a lot of people. Most of the employees working there were good people and shouldn’t have to suffer because of something stupid my dad had decided to get involved with.

“Well, I feel better that Ryker is going with you to this event.” The metal bed frame squeaked under her weight when Kasra plopped down on her back and spread out her arms across the mattress.

“Wait, Ryker is going to this fundraiser?” A devilish gleam flashed in Catilda’s eyes and a grin slipped across her pink lips. “Is he your … date?”

“He is my guest,” I immediately corrected. “And he’s only going because, after I told him no, he went directly to my mom and persuaded her into demanding that I bring him.”

“He did? That doesn’t seem like Ryker at all.” Kasra remained on her bed but pushed herself up and leaned against a corner post. “Normally, he would have either respected your wish or decided to just show up whether you liked it or not. What’s the point in asking your mom for permission? This isn’t high school.”

I rested my head against the doorframe and wilted. Who knew trying on dresses and shoes all day would be so draining? “He’s probably on edge like the rest of us. At least now that I know he’ll be there, I can prepare for it.”

Catilda’s eyes lit up and her mouth opened. Before any words came out, I cut her off. “I don’t want to hear it, Catilda.”

“But you hate dressing up, hun! You refused to let me find you something to wear for the last gala. In fact, you showed up in a poorly tailored pantsuit that I’m pretty sure once belonged to your brother, Maeck. You wouldn’t happen to be going out of your way to impress Ryker, would you?” She batted her eyes adoringly at me.

Heat flushed my face. “I’m doing this because I need to fit in. I don’t know who will be there, and with everything going on right now, I don’t want to draw attention to myself. If everyone else will be dressed formally, then I should be too if I want to blend in with the crowd.”

Kasra snorted. “Zulli, you will find a way to draw attention to yourself no matter what you’re wearing or where you go.” Her teasing laugh turned into a smile that reached her glittering hazel eyes. “You don’t have to be embarrassed about it. It’s okay to want to feel pretty once in a while. And besides … I’m sure Ryker won’t mind it, either.”

“Ugh!” I slammed the bathroom door behind me and dropped my change of clothes on the tile floor. I lifted my arms above my head and struggled to reach behind my back, scratching at nothing but skin. Frustrated, I ran my hands along the sides of the gown, looking for a way to loosen it. I wiggled, shimmied, and jumped up and down but the damn thing wouldn’t budge.

Accepting defeat, I cracked open the door. “Um, I need some help getting out of this death trap.”

Kasra rolled her eyes and hurried into the bathroom on her crutches. She steadied herself on her good foot, then undid the zipper that ran down my lower back. “Have you spoken to Ryker lately?”

“About what?” I hugged the loose fabric against my chest and caught Kasra’s concerned reflection in the mirror. Catilda joined us in the bathroom to offer a third set of helping hands.

“You know exactly what she’s referring to,” Catilda responded in a sly voice while grabbing my hand to steady me as I kicked off the heels.

A frustrated sigh came from Kasra. “Don’t act like we don’t know what’s going on, Zulli. He’s acting impulsively, doing things he normally wouldn’t do. Things like asking your mom for permission to go to the gala. Or stabbing a guy to get to you despite the fact that Zavyr said he’d blow up the prison if anyone tried to follow when you left with Cole.”

“He did what?” I shook my head in disbelief. “I didn’t know that.”

“Oh, yeah. He went completely berserk. After you took Cole and left to meet up with Bailee at his shop, Ryker immediately made up his mind to ignore every order and go after you. I only saw him jump one guy, but there could have been others. The guy’s too nice for his own good. He’ll tell you everything is fine, but deep down, it’s pretty clear there’s something troubling him that he isn’t telling us about. Just … be an adult about it. Talk to him and tell him how you feel. He’s a grown man. He can handle it.”

I pressed my lips together and clenched my teeth. I knew she was right, but confronting people, especially about my feelings, wasn’t exactly a strength of mine. “Fine. I’ll talk to him. But this is between me and Ryker. Both of you stay out of this!” Grabbing my ripped jeans, I pulled them up under the gown and let the dress drop to the floor.

Thinking about Ryker, heat rushed to my face from embarrassment. The truth was, I didn’t exactly know how I felt. His betrayal working with my father would forever haunt me, and I wasn’t sure if I could ever open myself up to completely trust him again. But what bothered me most was the thought of losing my best friend. Going up against my father was dangerous, and all of us were putting our lives on the line every time we dug our noses somewhere we shouldn’t have. The closer Ryker and I became, the easier it would be for him to make more stupid decisions when someone came after me. Or worse … what irrational choices would I make? In the heat of the moment, I had agreed to kill an innocent teenager in order to save Ryker’s life. Where does the line get drawn?

Catilda shook her finger at me. “Remember what I once told you about not having any regrets in life? Ten years from now, would you look back on this moment and hate yourself for not even trying? I know you, Zulli. Sure, it’s a risk, but you’re a risk taker. You need to stop making excuses to avoid the situation and figure out what you want. You deserve to be happy. If that’s being with Ryker, don’t push him away.”

Her words echoed inside my head. Ozcar Thorne had said the exact same thing to me. The manipulative, backstabbing bastard who sold dangerous magic objects to equally dangerous criminals couldn’t be trusted, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t right. Even though I had left the military to secretly work with my mom, my main prerogative was to protect others at all costs. By keeping Ryker at an arm’s length, I had thought I was protecting him. But was I really just putting him in more danger?

“Just think about it.” Kasra patted me on the shoulder. “You both clearly have some things you need to say. It can’t hurt to talk them out. Catilda and I are here if you need us.”

Catilda grabbed the gown and Kasra awkwardly bent down to snag the shoes, closing the bathroom door behind her as she left. I turned on the faucet and splashed some water on my face, drawing in a deep breath. Looking at myself in the mirror, I saw bits and pieces of both my parents. My natural black hair and tanned skin were just like my dad’s, but the emerald green eyes and my rebellious personality all came from my mom. I always felt like I needed to prove myself to them, but Ryker was the first person who didn’t care about any of that. He saw me for who I really was, and always felt I could be myself around him. What exactly did I want? I wished it were that easy to figure out.

In the living room, Kasra and Catilda were putting the final touches on the gown. Kasra was spraying some kind of magical liquid on the fabric, something that I understood would help keep its freshly-ironed shape throughout the night and give it a little extra sparkle in the process.

“Which shoes did you like better?” Catilda held up a pair of heels in each hand, weighing them like a scale.

“Umm, neither. That one’s too glittery and I’ll break my ankle trying to walk in the others.”

“Glittery one it is,” Catidla confirmed, tossing the other pair to the side.

The clock displayed at the bottom of the news feed scrolling across the TV told me I still had some time before the gala later this evening. Shrugging on my leather jacket, I made my way toward the front door.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Kasra admonished. “The party starts in two hours, and we still have to do your makeup.”

I shrugged her off and smiled. “Well, I may not know what I want long-term, but I know what I want right now. And that’s some fresh air, a dozen freshly-baked muffins all to myself, and a magic-brewed coffee from my favorite cafe down the street.”