Wicked Omen (The Royals: Warlock Court Book 1) Read online

  Wicked Omen

  The Royals: Warlock Court Book One

  Megan Montero

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  About the Author

  Also by Megan Montero

  Chapter 1

  Astrid

  “Yay! Happy birthday, Astrid!” Tilly reached across the back seat and pulled a bottle of ginger ale from the mini bar. She shook it up and with a single twist of her hand sprayed the soda at the five other people packed into the back of my dad’s limo. Sticky liquid splashed across my legs. It ran down my skin, leaving a trail of cool drops as it dipped below the tops of my tall black boots.

  “Tilly, really?”

  She poured the golden bubbly liquid into every glass the others shoved at her. She shrugged. “I said champagne, you said soda. You get no alcohol and I still get to celebrate however I want.”

  I ran my hands over the drops covering my legs, trying to swipe them away before they touched my skirt. My lips pulled up into a half smile. There was something about my bestie and her antics that I couldn’t resist even though they got me in trouble on more than one occasion. “Just don’t do to my limo what you did to the one you borrowed last month.”

  Tilly chuckled over the rim of her glass. “First of all, it wasn’t my fault we stole a limo and secondly, well, I don’t care enough for there to be a secondly.” She held her glass out to the others in the back of the car and they all slammed their glasses against hers, screaming birthday wishes at me. Heat flooded my cheeks and I wanted to sink back into the leather seats. I wasn’t shy or anything, but I preferred to linger in the shadows where I could do what I wanted and no one would notice. The spotlight was not where I wanted to be.

  I bumped her with my shoulder. “My birthday isn’t until tomorrow.”

  “Your birthday starts at midnight and so we will start our twenty-four-hour celebration of Astrid now.” She slid back on the leather seat next to me. “I’m sorry your parents couldn’t be here.”

  “What can I say, the south of France beckons.” For more than one reason Tilly and I had been besties for better or worse. My father traveled the world with his clients and spent most of his time in the courtrooms of Los Angeles. My stepmother was more than happy to stay at whatever spa was closest to him. Tilly’s father was a senator for one of those fly-over states, yet she stayed in New York to attend our private school. In the upper Eastside, her penthouse apartment was directly in the building across from our penthouse apartment. If our nannies hadn’t been friends we might not have become the family each other needed but never had.

  “Maybe someday it’ll beckon us too,” she whispered low enough for only me to hear. Our little secret? Both of us would give up the life of a New York socialite for parents who were around.

  The only upside to them missing another birthday was the empty pang of hurt in my chest got a little bit smaller each time they bailed on me. “Yeah, maybe someday.”

  I leaned my head back against the plush seats and watched as the streets of New York flashed by. This had been my home all my life and at times I felt so connected to the city, like it was alive and pulsing with energy. The limo lurched and jostled us as we went over the cobblestone streets of the meatpacking district. More of the soda from her glass spilled on my leg, but I didn’t care. There we were surrounded by kids from our school who thought the best part of their day was the party life, yet when I sat there it all just felt so . . . empty. They preferred couture and I loved anything vintage I could find. Even the black faux suede jacket and skirt I wore tonight cost me less than a hundred bucks. Money was nothing if I didn’t have family. Sure, Tilly and I had money to spare, but as far as family went, we were all each other had.

  “Hey, Red.” Brad or Brody, I couldn’t remember his name, sat forward, calling for my attention. He looked like all the other boys at school, with his overly gel styled hair, perfect white teeth, and Ralph Lauren style. “Why does Ashley Astrid Vandran store soda in her limo?”

  “Just looking out for you guys. You know, trying to keep everyone hydrated for the night.” Why don’t I store liquor in the limo? My father wouldn’t mind or notice.

  Brody-brad rolled his big doe-like eyes. “Whatever you say.” He glanced out the window. “The meat packing district . . . really? I mean, it used to be cool. Isn’t there someplace else you’d rather go, Red?”

  “Nope.” Red, was what more than half the school population called me. Though I preferred Astrid. Red, because of my dark red hair sounded so original for a redhead. It was more like a deep burgundy, not flaming red, not carrot top red, it was freaking burgundy, yet the name stuck.

  Tilly sat up straight. “We’re here because I said so. This is Astrid’s night and there’s supposed to be a lunar eclipse at midnight. The bar I’ve selected has one of the best terraces in New York. It’ll be epic.”

  Brody-brad slid back into place among the others. “If you say so, Queen Bee.”

  Tilly inclined her head like a royal and her blond ringlets bounced and brushed her shoulder. “That’s what’s up.”

  Queen Bee, that was Tilly. She ruled the school with an iron fist. No one, not even Brody-brad, dared to cross her and his dad was like the tenth richest man in the world, or maybe it was twelfth. Who knows? If she told someone to kneel in the middle of the courtyard screaming “I’m a moron sandwich” while holding two rolls over their ears like princess freaking Leia they’d do it. I loved her because she took the attention off me and she loved me because I let her. Most of all we were sisters of circumstance, both fiercely loyal to each other. I saw her for the big softy she was on the inside and she saw me for the weirdo I was. Yet neither of us judged the other.

  Just then the limo rolled to a stop only a block away from our destination. A large truck and five taxis stood stagnant all round it, honking at each other but never moving.

  I knew exactly where we were. “Taboo Downtown. I love this place.”

  It wasn’t the most upscale exclusive club in New York, but it had a great view of the city. The main room was floor-to-ceiling glass and the outdoor area was even more beautiful. The best part about it, it sat at the very top of The Fantasy hotel. I loved how the exterior looked like a metallic piece of art with its huge circular windows and gleaming beveled exterior.

  Josh, our family driver, rolled the partition down. “Miss Vandran, there seems to be a cluster of traffic up here. I can loop around the block again if you’d like.”

  “Yeah, go around again. We should get out at the entrance,” Brody-brad called through the little window.

  “No, Josh. We’ll get out here.” I narrowed my eyes at Brody-brad. “A little walking never hurt anyone.”

  “Yes, let’s go!” Tilly shoved me toward the door. “Time for some fun.”

  Josh jumped out and ran around
the car to get to the handle before I could. I sat back and waited for him. For some strange reason every time I opened the door on my own he got so annoyed with me.

  “Just give Josh a minute. He gets all flustered when I touch the door.”

  “He really does.” Tilly craned her neck to see out over my shoulder.

  He was at the door in an instant. Through the window I saw him straighten his hat and tie. He placed a wide smile on his face and popped the door open. With the sweep of his arm, he ushered us out of the limo.

  Before I could even place my feet on the ground Tilly reached up and plopped something on my head. “Make room for the birthday girl.”

  I reached up and felt the pointy edges. “A tiara? Really, Til? No, I’m not wearing this.”

  “Too late now.” She wrapped her hand in my jacket and yanked me back, then tossed a white sash over my head. “Now we’re ready.”

  I looked down at the birthday sash hanging across my body. “And I’m definitely not doing this.”

  She spun me around and shoved both of her hands into my shoulders, forcing me out of the limo. I tripped forward and barely caught myself before I ate pavement. That was close. I tugged my skirt down into place and pulled my boots up higher on my thighs. My breaths came in light puffs of white fog. Winter was coming and the chill seeping into my skin was proof it was just around the corner. November was one of my favorite months in New York and standing on the corner waiting for everyone to pile out of the limo gave me a small chance to enjoy it. I looked up at the hotel, admiring the exterior, when a flash of blue light coming from an alley caught my eye.

  I turned toward it, but the light was already gone. Instead, all I saw was a boy with blond tousled hair leading three other rough-looking people down the street. I didn’t want to stare at them, but there was something raw and wild about the leader I couldn’t put my finger on. When his gaze met mine, I sucked in a sharp breath and turned to face my group. Pedestrians swerved around them as they walked by.

  One of the boys I’d just seen walked straight through our group and bumped his shoulder into Brody-brad, sending him stumbling back into the two other guys he brought with him.

  He straightened. “Excuse you.”

  The boy froze mid-step then spun around to face Brody-brad. “Maybe next time you all won’t stop in the middle of the sidewalk blocking everyone else.”

  “And maybe next time you move your ass around us.” Brody-brad slicked his hand through his hair. His nostrils flared and his eyes darted nervously.

  “What’d you say to me?” The boy was huge and not just tall but also muscular. Dark black hair hung straight down to just past his chin. His gold eyes sparked with annoyance and his hands curled into fists at his sides.

  Tilly stepped in front of Brody-brad. “You’re about to get your ass kicked, dude.”

  I nodded. “He will crush you.”

  “I got this.” Brody-brad rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck. Standing there in his black dress pants, light blue button-down, and dress shoes I almost felt bad for him. There was no way his preppie ass had ever gotten into a fight before and he wanted to face off against some guy who looked like he could run a biker gang in his sleep.

  I shook my head. “You really don’t have this.”

  Just then the blond boy I’d seen leading them out of the alley walked back toward his friend and wrapped his hand around his shoulder, pulling him back. He whispered something in his ear and the boy gave Brody-brad a cutting look but turned and joined a girl who looked as equally dangerous as he did. Her long black hair was braided down the center of her head in a loose mess. Her onyx eyes were heavily lined, and though she wore what looked like a Wednesday Addams black dress with white collar, I knew if she wanted to she too could crush Brody-brad in a matter of seconds. When she smiled up at him, his tough exterior thawed. She placed her hand on his chest and his face drew into a smile I don’t think I’d ever seen a boy make at a girl.

  Their connection was so intense I could feel it from where I stood. It was funny to think a girl who was barely five feet tall had so much influence over a boy who looked like he could rip someone’s throat out. For a moment I felt myself craving that same connection with someone.

  Brody-brad turned to face me. “See, told you I got this. He’s walking away.”

  “He’s leaving because his friend stopped him from killing you.” I glanced back at the blond boy and found him staring at me. He held up one finger at his three friends, telling them to wait. When he took a step in my direction, my stomach did a little flip flop. Holy crap, he’s coming over here. Crap, crap, crap. I shoved Brody-brad toward the entrance. “Go on. I’ll be right behind you.”

  He held his hands up. “What?”

  “Tilly, I’ll be right behind you, won’t I?” I narrowed my eyes at Tilly then toward the boy walking up to us.

  With one look, Tilly got the hint and started herding the group away from me and toward the door. “Yep, that’s right.”

  They hesitated only a moment but eventually let Tilly get them all the way to the line by the door, half a block away.

  I planted my feet and waited for him to get to me. He was hot, not like preppie hot but like hot, hot. The kind of hot that made a girl forget everything else and hop on the back of his Harley hot. I wanted to be calm, cool, and collected. Instead, my stomach was up in my throat with huge butterflies in it. When I sucked in a deep breath to calm the hell down, it didn’t help. I was still nervous as hell. This kind of thing happened to Tilly, not me. I glanced over the rest of him only to find more hotness. A wicked tattoo covered the side of his neck. The ink was thick and in the shape of a circle, half of it was a moon the other half the sun. Black leather pants, dark navy-blue shirt, and black leather jacket wrapped him up like a perfect present. Happy birthday to me!

  I looked up, and up, and up. He had to be at least six-foot-three. When my eyes met his, all I could do was stare into the ocean blue abyss of his gaze. No, they were teal, not deep blue. Hell, are they simmering? Locks of his surfer blond hair fell into his eyes and down to his chin. It was tasseled and wild like he’d spent his days with a surfboard under his feet riding waves. Even his skin held a sun-kissed glow. His lips were just a little overly plump, which made them that much more kissable. I licked my lips.

  His eyes lingered on my mouth for only a moment before he met my gaze. The moment he got close to me, his clean linen scent drifted around me. It was refreshing compared to the cologne the boys in my school smothered themselves with.

  His lips pulled up in a heart-stopping smile. “Hope we didn’t ruin your birthday, your highness.”

  Heat flooded my cheeks and I fought the urge to pull the stupid tiara off my head. Before I could get one word out of my mouth he winked at me and walked away to rejoin his friends. What the hell was that? And why did I feel the urge to go after him?

  Chapter 2

  Beckett

  Cross’ boots scratched on the sidewalk as he walked up to me. “I didn’t know you had a thing for redheads.”

  “Neither did I.” Yet my eyes were locked on her as she walked away. Those long burgundy locks flowed to just above her waist. I watched as she skipped the whole line and the bouncer lifted the velvet rope and let her right through the door. The line for Taboo was down the street and yet she walked right in.

  Our mission had been simple, get into Taboo and find the last of what we thought was an extinct bloodline. But now I couldn’t just walk in behind her. She was a beautiful mess of trouble I couldn’t afford on a night like tonight. I had a mission and there was no way I was going to let her get in the way of that. No matter how much I wanted to follow her into that club. Maze moved to my other side and pulled his deck of tarot cards from a pocket on the inside of his jacket. The sound of them being shuffled over and over again filled the silence.

  Maze cleared his throat. “I’m ready when you are.”

  As she disappeared out of sight, I sucked in a sigh of
relief. I couldn’t stand there all night and watch her. Even though I wanted to, but a girl was not a distraction I could afford at a time like this. Queen Zinnia was counting on me to get this done. I would not fail her. I wanted to do things on the up and up the way the witch court operated. But we weren’t the witch court and this was warlock business. Though I tried to suppress that side of me for as long as I could, sometimes the darkness rose up and I answered its call.

  “Change of plans.” I turned and started heading around the side of the building. “We go in through the back.”

  Ophelia danced around as she walked in front of me. “Breaking and entering was always my favorite game.”

  Ever since she’d escaped the clutches of her father and reunited with her sister Zinnia, Ophelia had been coming out of her shell more and more. At times I questioned whether she too felt the pull of her warlock powers or if she walked the very thin line between light and dark magic . . . the way we all did.

  The back of the hotel shared an alleyway with the building next to it. Large rolling dumpsters lined the street. They nearly over flowed with garbage and though it was winter, the smell of rotting food and stale beer filled the air. Flattened cardboard boxes lined the sides of the alley, surrounded by blankets and random bags of clothing. Though they were empty now, I knew the bums would come back to claim their sleeping spots soon enough and we had to move quickly.

  Ophelia leaned her back up against the brick exterior of the hotel and pointed to a small box just beside the metal door. “This one is all you, oh fearless leader.”