Eternal Bond and Brimstone Read online

  Eternal Bond & Brimstone

  Legacy of Sins Book One

  J.N. Colon

  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

  Read more from J.N. Colon

  About the Author

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  Get the Legacy of Sins standalone novella!

  An evil spirit is stalking me. A mysterious guy with a wicked Irish accent wants my heart. And there’s a cage in Hell waiting to trap my soul.

  Welcome to my summer vacation in Mystic Hollow…

  I’m Cass—not Cassie or Cassandra—and I knew spending two months in some crap town with no friends was going to be torture. And I was right. Literally. Being haunted by a vengeful ghost is serious torment.

  Only, this chick is no ghost. She’s much worse.

  And Seth McKenna is more trouble than I can handle.

  I want nothing to do with the ridiculously hot half-angel. But when I’m nearly killed, Seth decides to become my bodyguard. And I’m finding it difficult to keep my hands to myself.

  Now my soul isn’t the only thing on the line. Seth could very well shatter my heart while saving me from an eternity of torment in Hell.

  CLICK HERE to get your copy of the novella Haunted Games & Brimstone.

  Eternal Bond & Brimstone© copyright J.N. Colon 2019

  www.jncolon.com

  All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

  For all the fans of urban fantasy and paranormal romance. Without you, there would be no one to write for.

  Dark. Wicked. Romantic.

  I’m Lena Raven, and I have a secret. A demon killed me. And an angel brought me back to life. But it wasn’t without consequences…

  I had a normal existence until my dad decided to uproot us and move to Podunk town, USA, population: one thousand. I expected to be bored to tears. What I didn’t expect was my shmexy neighbor or the supernatural freak show unfolding in Mystic Hollow.

  The name should have tipped me off, right?

  Jayson Casteel is infuriating, arrogant, and bossy. It wasn’t love at first sight. I can’t stand him. And I’m determined to find out what he’s hiding.

  Too bad that curiosity got me killed. Now Hell is coming for me, and Jayson is my only chance of escaping a destiny of fire and brimstone.

  But he’ll have to face a powerful demon and an ancient fallen angel to save my soul.

  Chapter 1

  My foot slammed on the brakes, stopping the bumper of my gently used sedan from striking the front of a faded red pickup truck. Holy crapola. I could have died before even making it inside my new teenage hell. Well, gotten whiplash at least.

  I lowered the volume on Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall.” The song had been my anthem all weekend. Seriously, I didn’t need an education. I’d rather give up sugar than immerse myself in this new torture my dad thrust me into.

  Ha! Me, give up sugar? Never.

  I brushed the remnants of my breakfast on-the-go off my lap, the chocolate candy wrappers falling to the floor. I stepped out of the car, my lips sliding into a frown at the small, worn brick building. The parking lot consisted of four short rows, the majority of spots filled by rusty pickups. Could you expect anything else from a Podunk town in the middle of Virginia, population one thousand?

  A brisk autumn wind stirred my short mahogany bob across my face, and I shivered. Everything about this town was the opposite of my warm, beachy Charleston, South Carolina.

  Mystic Hollow was my new home.

  Mystic. Freaking. Hollow. What the hell kind of craptacular name was that? I just landed in a bad supernatural teen drama where I was soon to be accosted by the enemy vampire. Naturally, I’d fall madly in love with my savior, the boy wonder of witches.

  A groan left my mouth, echoing through the empty parking lot. Time to face the banjo-laced music, Lena Raven.

  I stepped away from my car, and a hard yank tugged on the end of my jacket. My body teetered, and I fell back into the seat, smacking my elbow on the steering wheel.

  Son of a biscotti! I rubbed the throbbing spot, gritting my teeth. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the first occasion of clumsiness, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. I was prone to it. My father called it endearing. I called it a disease.

  At least no one was here to witness my stellar gracelessness. They were all inside—because it was the middle of the day. While my dad was busy with his new hardware store, I slept right through my alarm. It was lunchtime.

  I was definitely going to be the loser sitting in the corner of the cafeteria alone reading a book today, which would cement my reputation for the rest of my junior year and probably senior.

  I finally managed to climb out of my car and grab my book bag from the back. The chorus from “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” played in my head as I trudged toward the open thick-metal-and-glass door. I definitely feared something right now. My hell was about to commence.

  Another frigid wind blew, cutting through my corduroy jacket. I picked up the pace just as a dark shadow passed in front of the entrance. The door began to close.

  “Hey. Wait!” I sprinted toward the building. I was the last person on Earth who should be running. A leaf could trip me or even the most minuscule crack in the asphalt. If one existed, my foot would find it.

  The door slammed as I reached it, eerie giggles carrying through from the other side. Blood rushed to my cheeks. Oh, great. Someone decided to screw with the new girl already.

  My lips thinned as I pulled on the icy metal handle. It wouldn’t budge. It was locked.

  I glanced around, my teeth chattering. Of course there were other doors into the school, but I had no idea where.

  Maybe I should go home and start fresh tomorrow. My dad wouldn’t be too upset.

  Just as my foot lifted to start backing away, a pudgy woman appeared through the watery glass window.

  My heart sank. No turning back now.

  As she opened the door, I was blasted with a cloud of flowery perfume so strong my eyes watered.

  “I don’t know how in the world that thing got locked.” She waved me in, giving me a toothy grin. Light crinkles deepened around her brown eyes. “You must be Lena Raven.” She checked her watch. “My stars. Aren’t you a little late?”

  I adjusted my book ba
g. “I overslept.”

  She fluffed her overly teased blonde curls and waved her hand for me to follow. “I suppose you get a freebie since this is your first day. But next time, if you’re late, you’ll need a note.” My boots squeaked on the tile as she led me down the white, maroon, and gray hall.

  “Yes, ma’am.” I swallowed as a few kids darted around the corner at the other end of the hallway. Were they the jerkfaces who locked me out?

  “I’m Mrs. Gracin,” she said, straightening her fuzzy pink sweater. “I work in the main office of Mystic Hollow High.”

  We entered a room with a long, muddy-brown counter stretching from bland vanilla wall to bland vanilla wall. A woman was typing away on a computer, her silver bun so severe it pulled the wrinkled skin taut at her temples. A pair of slender reading glasses perched on the tip of her hook nose. She reminded me of a shriveled bird.

  Her dark, beady eyes landed on me, her lips shrinking to white lines. “I see you’ve finally arrived, Ms. Raven.” Her voice was nasally and bitter. “I don’t know what kind of school you attended in Charleston, but here we expect students to arrive in a timely fashion.”

  “Oh, Ms. Keating, don’t be so hard on her.” Mrs. Gracin shuffled around the counter toward the other woman, her smile warm. “It’s her first day at a new school. Give her a break.”

  Her nose wrinkled. Ms. Keating didn’t look like the type of woman who gave breaks. She gave detentions. She’d smack the back of my hand with a ruler if that kind of thing were still permitted.

  After a long stare down, the thin woman passed a piece of paper over the counter. “This is your schedule for the semester.”

  I picked it up, examining the classes. English, Algebra, Spanish, American History, Theology… “Theology?” I glanced at the two of them. Wasn’t that religion or something?

  “Your father approved your classes.” Mrs. Gracin waved her fleshy hand to fan her face as a light blush colored the round apples of her cheeks. “James is such a nice man. Very charming.”

  “Yes, Mr. Raven was quite pleasant.” Ms. Keating’s wrinkled, bony fingers ran along her pearls, a faint smile curling her dry lips. “Very polite.”

  Oh, gawd. I couldn’t take my dad anywhere. He’d even managed to charm the hostile and dour Ms. Keating.

  I cleared my throat, putting a stop to their drooling. “Do I have a locker?”

  Mrs. Gracin gave a quick shake of her head as if she were dispersing a few more wayward thoughts. “Oh, right.” She opened a drawer and handed me a lock with the combination taped to the back. “You’re lucky one twenty-seven.” She motioned toward the door. “It’s around the corner. Just follow the numbers.”

  “And here’s Mystic Hollow’s guidelines.” The older woman handed me a booklet. She was back to business. “Clearly, you haven’t read the one I gave your father or you would have been on time.”

  Geez. I was late. I got it.

  “Sorry,” I muttered. “I was busy unpacking.” Not true. I’d stayed up all night listening to angry rock music to annoy my dad. It didn’t work though. I caught him dancing in the kitchen as he filled the cabinets with our dishes.

  “It’s okay, dear,” Mrs. Gracin said. “We understand.” She flashed another warm smile and waved me on. “Go find your locker. Each of your teachers will issue you a textbook.”

  I twisted my book bag around and shoved the rule book I wouldn’t be reading inside. “Thanks.” I grabbed my schedule and lock and turned toward the door.

  “Good luck, Lena,” Mrs. Gracin called. “We’re so glad to have you.”

  I trudged out of the office and down the hall. I was going to need more than lady luck on my side to make it through the rest of the day.

  My gaze lingered on the dinted maroon lockers stretching along the walls. One twenty-seven would be toward the left. I turned the corner. My foot entangled with the other one, and I tripped. Pain ricocheted through my butt as I hit the scuffed gray tile.

  Fracken hell!

  “My goodness. You took quite a spill.” A custodian loomed over me, his wrinkled, age-spotted hands clutching a push broom. The name tag on his faded navy uniform read Mr. Freeman.

  Where the heck had he come from? “It happens.” My cheeks flamed as I glanced around, checking to see if anyone else had seen my epic crash.

  Nope.

  A long breath blew out as I struggled to my feet, sharp stabs shooting through my bum. “Don’t help me or anything,” I mumbled too low for him to hear.

  A dry chuckle slipped out of the custodian. “You’re new.” Thin, white tufts of hair barely covered his scalp.

  I grabbed my book bag from the ground, carefully slipping it over my shoulder. “Yep.” I searched the area for my lock. Great. Did it disappear in some supernatural vortex? Ms. Keating wouldn’t be happy if I had to slink back to the office and ask for another one because I lost it in less than five minutes. She already thought I was an irresponsible rule breaker because I missed half the day.

  “Looking for this?” Mr. Freeman twirled my lock around his finger, the edges of his lips curling into a crooked smile.

  “Yeah.” My brows furrowed. When did he grab it? I never saw him move. “Thanks.” I held my hand out for it, but the custodian continued to spin the hunk of metal.

  His blue eyes narrowed. “You’re a little blessing, aren’t you?”

  My head snapped back. “Excuse me?” Had this guy chewed one too many cans of tobacco?

  His deep, raspy laugh sent chills skittering down my spine. He stepped closer. “You should be more careful.” He stopped twisting the lock and pointed to my head. “You wouldn’t want to crack that thing open. It would ruin the chewy goodness inside.”

  I swallowed hard as my pulse spiked. Hannibal Lector much? Was he going to ask me about fava beans and Chianti?

  Mr. Freeman dangled the lock. “You should get going now.”

  No fracken duh. I didn’t want to have my brains eaten by this cannibal. I took the lock, my eyes lifting. His irises were almost black.

  Goose bumps crawled over my skin. Wait a minute. Weren’t they light-blue a second ago?

  “Run along now,” he said. “You wouldn’t want to miss lunch.”

  I nodded and skirted around him, his gaze heavy on my back. I bent and retrieved my schedule from the floor. When I glanced over my shoulder, he was gone.

  My brows slammed together. That wasn’t creepy at all.

  I shook my head and trekked down the hall, finally finding my locker. I’d only been here a few minutes, and I’d managed to get locked out, piss off a lady in the main office, nearly break my ass, and have a run in with Hannibal the Cannibal janitor.

  I pulled my phone out of my bag to see if I had any notifications from my friends back home.

  Nope. They were probably headed off campus for lunch. Mystic Hollow High had a closed campus rule. I did know that one. It was just as well. Where would I go anyway?

  With a sigh, I grabbed my bag to slip my phone back in. My phone had other ideas. It slid from my fingers and hit the floor.

  I winced as it finally stopped bouncing. This was my third phone in a year. My dad would kill me if I broke another. I bent to grab it. Thankfully, it was still intact, and the screen was crack-free.

  Dodged a bullet.

  I stood. Well, I tried. Instead, my head collided with the bottom of my locker door, slamming into it with enough force to make my arms slacken, dropping everything.

  Pain exploded across the top of my noggin while stars popped in my vision. Bells rang in my ears. “Fracken A,” I groaned, grabbing the wall for support. If I had to go to the hospital for stitches on my first day at a new school, I was going to die of humiliation. I wouldn’t be leaving that hospital. Ever.

  I slowly stood, the hall spinning. Oh, shitzu. I was about to go crashing on my face.

  “Woah.” A pair of hands steadied me, keeping me from an epic knock out.

  I was two parts thankful, and one part mortified because
it meant this person had a front row seat to my spastic inelegance. The figure swam before me as I leaned next to my locker, blinking my vision clear.

  All I saw was black. A gasp lodged in my throat. Did I knock myself blind?

  I quickly shook off the stupid. I was staring at a black t-shirt stretched over a muscled chest barely an inch from my nose.

  My gaze traveled up… and up until I traced the edges of a strong, shadowed-with-sexy-stubble jaw, a pair of contrasting lush lips, and carved cheekbones. His eyes were deep hazel with flecks of gold that would make any miner happy.

  My heart thumped triple time like I’d been given a jolt of electricity. Or maybe a shot of adrenaline.

  “T-Thanks,” I mumbled, my tongue thick. Was I doing an impression of The Godfather for crap sakes?

  The guy was a head taller than me with broad shoulders that melted down into a tapered waist. A leather jacket strained against his powerful arms. I was too close to see his bottom half, but I was betting it was just as impressive. I resisted the urge to check my chin for drool.

  Dirty blond locks hung partly in his tan face. My fingers itched to run through the silky strands.

  Maybe I had fallen into a supernatural teen drama. If he were the boy wonder of witches, I’d gladly be his damsel in distress human. Cue the evil, day-walking vampire now.