Zoey Rogue - By Lizzy Ford Page 0,3

replied. “I mean, I wasn’t invited. I was at a party down the street and walking to my car. Something just…pulled me.”

“That feeling was the Cambions using their sex magic to lure you in. If you ever, ever, ever feel that again, you run the other way fast,” Zoey said. “You got that?”

The woman nodded, tears in her eyes again. “I don’t want to lose more shoes.”

“Yeah, that’s kind of a minor issue,” Zoey said, unable to stop her laugh at the shocked woman’s words. “I mean, I normally find these bastards at clubs. If you want to talk about being upset over shoes – try kicking someone in the chest with a four-inch heel. The heel snaps off every freakin’ time. I go through like, two pairs of shoes a week. I buy in bulk now.”

The woman didn’t seem to know what to do and then smiled. Zoey’s gaze lingered. She shook her head and rose, feeling bad for her, but happy she was alive.

Wiping off her weapons, Zoey’s thoughts went to Eric. She was going to need a really, really good plan to make this up to him. It was so hard leading a double life; she almost understood why she was the only one she knew who tried. She may have been born a Halfling in a society that consisted of evil and death, but she chose to try to be normal.

“Z, you owe me ten!” Vikki said cheerfully. “You never win bets.”

“Dammit! I’ll keep trying, though!” Zoey said. “How many did you kill?”

“Seven. You?”

“Ugh. Two. So I’m only what? Four ahead of you for the year?”

“You’ve never been ahead!” Vikki snapped.

“The hell I haven’t!”

“Uh, oh. I just got a super angry message from Heidi to return like, now. So, if you’re done killing Cambions, come back to the van,” Ginny interrupted. “She’s blaming Zoey, as usual.”

“Why do I always get blamed?” Zoey complained. With a glance around to make sure no more Cambions were lingering, she trotted through the bottom floor of the house to double-check, before returning to the living room.

“Because you’re short. You stick out.” Vikki laughed.

Zoey rolled her eyes. She was the only half-Succubus – known as a Halfling – that didn’t share the typical Succubus body type: six feet tall, slender and willowy with a gentle shape and a face that was able to stop traffic.

No, Zoey was…cute and sexy. Average height, above average prettiness with an hourglass shape rendered firm by hours of training a day. The other members of Team R, like Vikki and Ginny, were flawlessly beautiful killers.

“Stay here. The paramedics will be here soon,” she said to the traumatized young woman on the couch.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Just be careful. There are a few places around here like this one. Okay?”

The young woman nodded.

Zoey started out the front door, listening to Vikki and Ginny talk, when the girl called out to her.

“Wait!”

Zoey paused, hand on the hilt of a knife, in case there was another attacker.

“I, um, feel like I need to send you…flowers. Or a thank you letter.” The young woman tried to get to her feet, failed and sagged back on the couch.

“It’s okay. I do this for a living,” Zoey replied, not unkindly. “Killing those things is all the reward I need.”

“Can you tell me your name at least?” the young woman asked.

Zoey hesitated then took pity on her. “Zoey.” She reached down to snag the frozen vegetables that had fallen off the girl’s leg and replaced the bag.

“It’s a pretty name.”

“It’s awful. I’m the last one called for everything,” Zoey replied.

The young woman smiled faintly. “I’m Chrissy.” The woman was around Zoey’s age, tall, with cocoa skin and an exotic tilt to her eyes. She was pretty enough to be a Halfling or Succubus, without the glow of sex energy.

“Nice to meet you. I have to go, but be careful from here on out.” Zoey left. She trotted down the front steps and jogged across the street to the waiting van. Vikki stood outside the open side door, stripping out of her bloodied clothes, unconcerned with anyone who might see her flawless body.

“How mad is Heidi?” Zoey asked with a grimace. She climbed into the passenger seat. Ginny was on the driver’s side, dressed similarly in all black.

“Totally pissed. No, epically pissed,” Ginny said. “I don’t know. She’s always a bitch anyways.”

“Vikki! Come on!” Zoey called over her shoulder. “Eric isn’t happy. Need to get home!”

“Whatever,” Vikki replied. “You shouldn’t be dating a human anyways.”

“You