Read In the Company of Witches Online
Authors: Joey W. Hill
In the Company of Witches
PRAISE FOR THE NOVELS OF JOEY W. HILL
“A great urban fantasy romance, as the cast is fully developed and the poignant story line filled with plenty of action, including erotic scenes that enhance the relationships…Joey W. Hill writes a super angst-laden…thriller.”
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Genre Go Round Reviews
“This is erotic writing at its best. Not just steaming hot sex on every page; there is a caring and nurturing story line (with threesomes and bondage). There is as much pathos in this…novel as there is romance.”
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RT Book Reviews
(Top Pick)
“One amazingly phenomenal sexy novel that will keep the pages turning, your imagination running, your dreams carnally vivid and your partner very happy.”
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Bitten by Books
“Ms. Hill is a talented writer with a style that can only be deemed exclusively hers. All of the books in this series are ardently poignant romances at their finest.”
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Risqué Reviews
“More than a reader ever needs to indulge in a world where connection with the characters is amazingly intense and all-consuming, leaving you very, very satisfied.”
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Fresh Fiction
“This has to be the best vampire novel I’ve read in a very long time! Joey W. Hill has outdone herself.”
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ParaNormalRomance
“Had me in its thrall. Joey W. Hill pulled me in and didn’t let me go.”
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Joyfully Reviewed
“Superb…This is erotica at its best with lots of sizzle and a love that is truly sacrificial. Joey W. Hill continues to grow as a stunning storyteller.”
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A Romance Review
“[Hill] never ceases to amaze us…She keeps you riveted to your seat and leaves you longing for more with each sentence.”
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Night Owl Reviews
Berkley Sensation titles by Joey W. Hill
A MERMAID’S KISS
A WITCH’S BEAUTY
A MERMAID’S RANSOM
SOMETHING ABOUT WITCHES
IN THE COMPANY OF WITCHES
Berkley Heat titles by Joey W. Hill
THE VAMPIRE QUEEN’S SERVANT
THE MARK OF THE VAMPIRE QUEEN
A VAMPIRE’S CLAIM
BELOVED VAMPIRE
VAMPIRE MISTRESS
VAMPIRE TRINITY
VAMPIRE INSTINCT
Anthologies
UNLACED
(with Jaci Burton, Jasmine Haynes, and Denise Rossetti)
LACED WITH DESIRE
(with Jaci Burton, Jasmine Haynes, and Denise Rossetti)
IN THE
COMPANY OF
WITCHES
Joey W. Hill
THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP
Published by the Penguin Group
Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA
Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.) • Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England • Penguin Group Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.) • Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.) • Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi—110 017, India • Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, Auckland 0632, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.) • Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa
Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
IN THE COMPANY OF WITCHES
A Berkley Sensation Book / published by arrangement with the author
PUBLISHING HISTORY
Berkley Sensation mass-market edition / May 2012
Copyright © 2012 by Joey W. Hill.
Excerpt from
Something About Witches
by Joey W. Hill copyright © 2012 by Joey W. Hill.
Cover design by George Long.
Cover art by Don Sipley.
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
ISBN: 978-1-101-58518-4
BERKLEY SENSATION®
Berkley Sensation Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
BERKLEY SENSATION® is a registered trademark of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
The “B” design is a trademark of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”
ALWAYS LEARNING
PEARSON
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
It’s always amazing, the types of information you need when you write a story about characters who have an array of skills, experiences or even hobbies the author knows nothing about. I’m therefore exceedingly glad I have a wonderful network of friends with far more diverse interests than this author, who rarely sees the light of day beyond the glow of her computer screen.
My deepest thanks to Arwen, who, through her Tarot by Arwen site, was kind enough to provide a comprehensive tarot reading on my hero that revealed an amazing side to Mikhael, as well as created a great scene opportunity to open Raina’s heart to him further.
On that same note, I also thank Bernie, the father of my childhood friend. He intrigued me with his enthusiasm for model trains, such that they found their way into this book in an unexpected way—and tempted me to buy a train myself! My additional thanks to him for reviewing that portion of the story to ensure I didn’t make any faux pas related to this delightful hobby.
Last but not least, my thanks to Ted, my brother, for soldiering through a chapter of romance (written by his sister—ugh!) to help tweak my understanding of poker.
As always, any errors are entirely my own. My thanks to everyone who added to this story to make it the best journey possible for the readers.
Table of Contents
1
S
OMETHING WAS COMING
. D
AMN IT ALL TO HELL AND
back.
Every time she planned an evening for herself, the Underworld had to vomit out some kind of trouble. A hundred million places it could go, but no, it oozed right to the doorstep of her bordello.
“All I wanted was a cup of tea,
People
magazine and a movie.” Raina cast an irritated eye toward the heavens. “What? You don’t get enough Me time, so I can’t have any, either?”
Yeah, pissing off the Goddess right before trouble arrived was a winning plan. The wind picked up, bringing a wealth of messages with it. Nothing clear except one thing—danger.
Stepping to the edge of the porch, Raina saw heat lightning flash, heard the distant rumble of thunder. A gust blew across her velvet skirt, rippling it against her legs.