Excerpt of The Quest by Mary Abshire

From the main level, I rode an elevator to the basement. As I walked through the tunnel, toward the capital, clusters of government employees passed by. Unlike the other days when I came to work, men and women wore suits and chatted with serious looks on their faces. None of them carried lunch bags in their hands. I wondered if they'd come from a meeting or were going to one.

I reached the elevator to get to the subbasement and hit the button. While I waited for my ride, I scanned the area around me. The empty hall showed no signs of trouble and the voices of those who'd passed recently faded. I breathed in a relieving breath, finding myself alone and safe.

The ding of the elevator alerted me to its presence. The doors opened and a crowd of men and women in professional attire walked out. I stepped aside, staying clear of their path.

"Good evening, Shelley," said an evil voice from behind me.

Since I had vampire hearing and hadn't heard her approaching, the bitch must have misted to appear near me. My blood boiled with anger. I hated the charmed bracelet on my ankle, preventing me from utilizing my demon and angel abilities.

With my jaw clamped so tight my teeth could've chipped, I glanced over my shoulder. She stood alone and dressed in a red suit.

"I didn't hear you coming," I said in a rude tone.

Her lips formed a devilish smile. "You won't."

Heat flamed within me, causing me to perspire. My clothes, damp from my dash through the rain, began to feel even wetter. The demon in me wanted out, wanted to rip her to shreds. Fortunately for her, the angel in me held the demon back.

After a few nods from the people passing, I strode onto the empty elevator. The bitch followed me and stood at the opposite side with her arms crossed. Alone with the Senator, I picked up her demon scent mixed with some other citrus type of perfume. The two odors mixed with the sight of the Senator made my stomach churn.

Once the doors closed, we faced each other. She had a feral look in her eyes, but I felt no fear. I had zero doubt I could kill her with my bare hands. She knew I could too, given she knew I had vampire strength. Her charmed bracelet couldn't freeze all supernatural abilities.

"I'm surprised you decided to show up this evening." Galluzzi smirked.

I clenched the strap of my purse tighter. She obviously knew about the attack on me at Boss's house. Did she think she could provoke me?

I stepped closer to her and stood a foot from her face, glaring at her. "I'm not easy to get rid of."

Emotion drained from her face. "No, you're not, but I have my ways." She lifted her chin, displaying her arrogance. "Setbacks are normal in life, but I always win."

Sweat trickled down the back of my neck. What would happen if I killed her in the elevator? Every bit of me wanted to see her dead now, instead of hung out in front of the world as a criminal. She deserved far worse. She deserved death.