A Soul So Wicked (Moon Chasers) Read Online Free PDF Page A

herself there, rather than out in the open where someone might get hurt.
    She carefully eyed her surroundings as she left town, her legs eating up the snow-packed ground as she scanned the press of trees at the edge of the road. Nothing stirred save the swaying branches and leaves weighed down by snow.
    Gradually the itch in her skin faded. Still, she remained vigilant as she entered her house, bolting the door and closing all the curtains. She drew a deep breath and stood in the center of her small living room, chafing her perspiring palms against her thighs. Tense. Waiting. Half expecting a shadow to leap out at her from the walls.
    Several deep breaths later, she finally moved. Balthazar would come when he wanted and there was little she could do about it. Flipping on the television, she welcomed the noise, the distraction, as she unpacked her groceries. She listened to the world news report with only half an ear as she went about shucking and cleaning the corn.
    She was pouring herself a drink when the anchorwoman’s voice penetrated her consciousness. She turned slowly, a sick churning starting in her belly as she gazed at the well-coiffed blonde with inflated lips staring grimly out of the flat screen.
    “With the body count at three, the San Vista Police Department has confirmed that this is the work of a serial killer. The FBI is now on-site, helping local officials with what the residents of San Vista have dubbed the Rose Petal Killer because he surrounds his victims in rose petals…”
    The glass slipped from Tresa’s fingers and crashed at her feet as her nightmare flashed through her mind… the rose petals spread lovingly, with a killer’s hand.
    She’d seen that. Been there. In the killer’s head. It was no coincidence. There was a serial killer out there, and she was witnessing his crimes, living them vicariously through him.
    No . Not him. It wasn’t a man, she suddenly realized. She. Her. They weren’t dreams at all.
    It was Balthazar’s doing.
    He’d taken possession of another witch. That explained why he had suddenly become so disinterested in her. He had someone else to vicariously live through, someone else to do his bidding. Someone more willing to commit atrocities.
    The police had no idea these killings were being perpetrated by a woman. And not just any woman. A woman with powerful magic at her disposal. The odds of them catching her, stopping her, were slim.
    Tresa tore her gaze away from the television and hurried into the small nook off the living room where her computer desk sat. Hands shaking, she logged on, determined to learn everything she could about the Rose Petal Killer.
    Before she left for San Vista, she needed to know what she was up against.
    * * *
    S HE PACKED ONLY ENOUGH clothes for a week. If she stayed longer than that, she could buy more or wash what she had. Hopefully she could take care of this quickly, though. Point the police in the right direction so they could make an arrest.
    She stuffed her toiletries into a small bag, her movements clumsy in her haste. The names of the victims floated through her mind. Taylor, Hannah, Shannan. All murdered at the hands of this Rose Petal Killer. She’d seen their photos online. Their faces, so shining and bright, flashed through her mind and made her stomach churn. A sudden draft of cold air slid over her and for a moment, it didn’t register. She was accustomed to the cold.
    But then she straightened, her hands falling away from her bag.
    A familiar energy hummed at her core, the call of her magic, ready to be used. An instinctive defense, one she hadn’t felt in a long time. Hadn’t needed in a long time.
    Her gift was what gave her away; it was like a homing device within her. It was how Balthazarhad found her in the first place and how he kept track of her still.
    The energy inside her stirred, ready for what her instincts had been warning her about all day. Sucking in a deep breath, she whirled around, almost