Fangs for Nothing (The Nevermore Murder Club and Smutty Book Coven 1)

by Steffanie Holmes

…maybe I can save Black Crag. This is going to be so much work, but already the old castle is speaking to me, whispering that beneath all the dust and grime and stuff is real treasure. Even though this place looks like a junk store had a drunken hate fuck with an Andy Warhol painting, it has a personality, a vibe, a presence. And I could be the one to bring it to light.

“Winnie,” I say. “Please, call me Winnie.” “I’ll call you Winnie if you call me Alaric.” “But you have a fancy title. If I had a fancy title, I’d make everyone use it.” “Would you like a fancy title?” The corner of his mouth quirks again. “I believe I have the power to bestow them. Would you like to be ‘Empress Winifred, Lady of Light and Laughter and Terrible Music,’ or perhaps, ‘Grand Poobah of the Clutter Castle.’” “You are ridiculous.” “The Very Very Reverend Winifred, Mistress of the Storage Containers.” “Stop!” “Galactic Czarina Winifred? Witchfinder General Winnie?” He taps his chin. “I’m certain there is a title that will convey all of your beauty and brilliance…” “Just Winnie! Please!” My stomach hurts from laughing. “Alaric.”

“You don’t need to worry about me. I won’t be by myself. I’ll be in a room with several other women armed with books.” “Books may be wonderful, magical receptacles of knowledge, but they can’t protect you from a killer.” “That’s where you’re wrong,” I grin. “If that killer dares to crash our book club, they’ll suffer death by a thousand paper cuts. I’d like you to sort out these crucifixes.”

“Years ago, I built a forge in one of the outbuildings,” he says woodenly. “You don’t want to go in there. I surrendered it to the spiders. They are the forge overlords now.”