Beautiful Monster: The Hunt (Book 2) Read Online Free Page A

take any chances.
    Boris left the house and walked off into the thicket of trees surrounding his property in search of a quiet place. He needed to think. He needed to plan.
     
    * * * * *
     
    “That’s it, my love. Keep reading.” Alina couldn’t help but smile. ZoZo had found it; the spell that would free her. As the girl read, Alina repeated the words and concentrated, feeling each and every one of them resonate within her.
    ZoZo scrabbled to her feet, letting the book slide to the floor. “Fire,” she said, pointing at Alina’s ankles, her eyes wide with concern.
    “It’s okay, it’s supposed to happen. Pick up the book and keep reading,” Alina replied even though she felt the sting of the sparks as they began to melt the rope-like material that bound her ankles. She smelled sage, something not typically used in binding, but clearly, it had been enchanted. Alina realized Alexei couldn’t have found the spell in the book ZoZo was reading from, or he would never have left it in the attic for her to find. Besides, the dust moats that choked her when she’d pulled the tome from the shelf were evidence that it hadn’t been touched for quite some time. All creatures of the night have their secrets and spells learned along the way, as did she, but the Book of Spells was like no other.
    ZoZo picked up the book. It took some time for her to find where she’d left off but once she did, she began in her usual careful stammer, pronouncing each word carefully and slowly with Alina repeating them.
    Alina’s ankles blistered beneath the flames, but it was a pain she could endure if it meant her freedom. Finally, ZoZo fell silent, the incantation complete. Alina heaved a sigh of relief as she inspected each leg. There was no sign of the rope that once bound them. Her wrists, blackened with soot, were free as well. A smile lit Alina’s angular face, spreading to her charge. “You did it, Zo. You saved me.”
    “ZoZo good girl?”
    Alina pulled her into a hug and squeezed. “ZoZo is a very good girl, but we’ve got to get out of here.” Alina stood with the girl still in her arms, and then put her back down, settling ZoZo onto her stubby legs.
    The girl took Alina’s hand and began to pull. “We go now. Yes, yes, yes,” she urged.
    Alina scooped up the strange pink book. “Yes, sweetness. Let’s go.”

Chapter Seven
     
    Once safely back in the heart of the city, with minutes to spare before sunrise, Alina and ZoZo settled into a small hotel room in midtown Manhattan. Alina pulled the drapes shut before tucking ZoZo into bed. The child who would ordinarily be awake while Alina slept was so exhausted, she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. She needed a good long sleep. She’d earned it, Alina thought, smoothing the girl’s hair. She wouldn’t dare feed from poor ZoZo, not tonight, not after what she’d just done for her. She’d wait for dusk when the girl would be stronger.
    Her task to kill Alexei was proving more of a challenge than she’d initially thought, but she’d ponder her dilemma when evening came as well as take a good look through the Book of Spells .
    Alina had never worried about failure since her recruitment. She was a confident and efficient killer. Worry was a foreign and uncomfortable visitor, twisting her gut and adding to her troubles though there was something more perplexing running through her mind—Alexei was different . She’d never had trouble getting his engines roaring before despite his predilection for men. She was the one woman he could not resist. But tonight, when they’d kissed, he’d tried to kill her! Why? She’d felt his repulsion pounding at her like ocean waves, strong enough to knock the breath from her. No man or woman had ever rejected her. It was her greatest strength.
    Alina settled onto the other bed in the small room and wrapped an arm around her newfound treasure— Libro Facinis . Although she would have much preferred to be nestled in