Autopsy of a Fairytale (Autopsy of a Fairytale, #1)

by Nicole Scarano

Cerberus still growling at the woods,

That instrument is owned by Stone, so his print on the key is not exactly the smoking gun we were hoping for.”

the judge issued a warrant for his house.

His skin begged to be pressed against hers; his lips dared hers to accept their invitation.

Her body craved his in ways that terrified her.

it was as if he knew she was there. As if he smelled her fear. Heard her terror.

She flew deeper into the forest, feet racing after Eamon, but within ten minutes she knew it had been a stupid decision. He had vanished, not a single trace of him remaining to guide her path.

“Okay, so who else in town has carpentry abilities?” Bel refused to let it go.

“Abel Reus’ father made furniture as a hobby years ago, but before you get too excited, he passed away. Abel didn’t follow in his father’s footsteps. He works at a bank. Doesn’t have a single handy bone in his body.”

“That’s why I’m keeping you in the loop, Emerson.” Griffin’s voice softened. “Don’t make me regret that decision.”

the massive form hovered over her as if at war with itself. It twitched and growled, fighting an unseen battle.

That’s when she saw them. Eyes she knew all too well. Eyes that haunted her nights and stalked her days.

The New York City detectives never found her assailant. He had vanished without a trace, and since the trauma caused her memory loss, they had nothing to go on.

She knew who her attacker was, and he had followed her to Bajka.

Let Eamon Stone see how much he enjoyed being hunted like a beast.

How could anyone willingly live in this monstrosity? Evil practically oozed from its pores.

it was a pretty young woman slipping into Eamon’s house. The same blonde from The Espresso Shot’s surveillance. The one who legally didn’t exist. * * * Alcina Magus.

I can only lead you to water, my stubborn horse. Drink before there are consequences.”

“You shouldn’t be here, Detective.” Bel froze as Eamon’s powerful voice echoed through the house, booming off the walls and slicing into her nerves. “You can’t hide from me, Detective. I can smell you.”

“There’s nowhere you can hide that I won’t find you, my little Detective,” he spoke against her ear, his lips brushing her skin as if he was declaring his undying love and not death threats.

How much it makes me want you?” With each word, his mouth dragged lower, lower, lower, until it pressed a soft kiss against her scar.

when something stepped out of the trees, blocking her path. The blonde woman lunged from the darkness, and stifling a scream,

“Detective, stop!” Eamon’s voice had changed. Gone was the menace, the seduction, the dominance, replaced by genuine alarm.

“Isobel.” Her name on his tongue was a beautiful warning. “Isobel, stop! Don’t go into the woods!”

as she began the slight descent toward her cabin, she saw a figure standing among the trees.

“Vera?” Bel’s voice was hoarse, and her elderly neighbor looked up at her in surprise. “Oh, thank God!” she raced for the woman. “Please help me.”

“What on earth is going on?” “We have to go.”

“Eamon Stone is chasing you?”

“Good.” Vera’s body stiffened against Bel’s, and the detective froze, leaning her head away from the elderly woman to stare

“That’s wonderful news. A good hunt usually buries his conscious.”

And then, right before Bel’s eyes, Vera’s body began to mutate.

Vera completely vanished, leaving the blonde Alcina Magus in her place.

Omg!! THAT WENCH

Vera? Alcina? They were the same person? Dizziness overtook her, and her shoulder slammed painfully into a tree trunk. How was this possible? What was happening?

That was magic, but magic existed only in fairytales.

Bel’s entire body we...

“Or maybe you should fight,” the woman laughed. “He will enjoy the kill more.”

invisible bonds,

“This is why they didn’t fight back. Magic.”

“It’s such a shame you have to die. You are an incredible specimen.” Alcina shook her head. “Gorgeous, smart, resilient, but it must be done.”

“It’s time,” Alcina said, a sickly smile plastered on her lips. “It will hurt, but it’ll be over soon.”

Her fingers curled as if they were claws, and the pain ripped through Bel again as her skin tore further.

It had been magic, an invisible force carving them open.

“That’s it,” Alcina soothed. “I prepared her for you. Made it easy. It's time to finish what we started.”

All traces of humanity were gone from his gorgeous face, replaced by pure, unadulterated hunger.

“Eamon,” Bel coughed through the pain as she weakly grabbed his face. “You don’t have to do this. You resisted once before. You can again.”

if he had fought whatever bloodlust this was before, perhaps he could now.

“Drink.”

in pain, in sorrow, and with every scream, her decibels quieted as she died.

Cerberus? Surely Bel’s eyes were tricking her, because flying out of the darkness like a demon was her pitbull.

“Go, dog! Get her out of here.”