Frost & Flame

FROST & FLAME HOUSE OF FROST BOOK 1 M.J. MERCER Copyright © 2023 by M.J. Mercer. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. CONTENTS 1. The Woman in the White Dress 2. The Underground 3. The Fundraiser 4. Decayed 5. The Chase 6. The Hunt 7. Fingerprints 8. The Warehouse 9. A Hint of Jasmine 10. The Blue Mist 11. An Unknown Substance 12. An Unfortunate Situation 13. The Light 14. The Sacrifice 15. I Know What He Is 16. The House of Frost 17. The House of Webb 18. Dreams 19. Chess Moves 20. The Information Broker 21. The Cabin 22. The Council 23. The Black Death 24. The Fire 25. The Snow 26. The Dimension of Light 27. The Stream 28. Limb by Limb 29. The Interrogation 30. The Attack 31. The Prophecy Thank You Frost & Shadow Rise of the Dark Witch Interested in a free bonus chapter? About the Author Did you like this book? Acknowledgments 1 THE WOMAN IN THE WHITE DRESS Brookland. Washington, D.C. Thirty-two-year-old FBI Agent Jess Bryant climbed into the dark sedan and looked across the seat to her partner, Dean Durand. The forty-year-old agent’s suit was impeccable, as always, but there were dark circles under his eyes and his dirty-blond hair was slightly out of place. Anyone but Jess wouldn’t have noticed, but Dean paid a lot of attention to his appearance. And his efforts showed. He was in phenomenal shape, and his natural good looks made him look as if he’d stepped off the set of a Hollywood production. “You okay?” she asked as she shut the door. “Yeah, why?” Dean put the car back in gear and pulled away from the curb in front of Jess’ townhouse. It was small by DC standards, but it had still left her swimming in mortgage debt. “I don’t know. Is it because you look like you haven’t slept in two days?” she asked. Dean smiled. Jess could tell he wasn’t the least bit offended by her remark. The look on his face showed he was proud of his appearance, which meant one thing. “What was this one’s name?” Jess asked. “This one? You wound me, Jess. You make it sound like I’m a slut or something.” “You are a slut. I thought we established that a long time ago.” “It’s called stress release, if you have to know. You should try it sometime. Helps me focus on our cases too.” “I’m sure,” Jess said, and she tried hard not to roll her eyes. “Where did you meet her?” “At the restaurant down the street from my apartment. We were both grabbing Chinese takeout at the same time.” “And you somehow convinced her to come back to your place? I don’t know whether I should be impressed at your pickup skills or be ashamed of this woman. Check that. I should be ashamed of you both.” “What kind of person do you think I am? No, I got her phone number that night, and we went out a couple of times after that.” “Ah, so this one wasn’t just a one-night stand? I don’t know what to say. You’ve caught me by surprise.” “You can say you’re sorry. I’ve turned a corner, I think. From now on, it’s nothing but serious relationships for me. I hope that doesn’t make you jealous.” Jess didn’t respond, at least not at first. Then she burst out laughing a few moments later. “Thanks. I needed that,” she said. “I thought you might. You’re looking more stressed than usual.” “Now who is the one doing the offending?” she asked. “You know I care about you. So, take what I’m about to say as genuine concern from one friend to another. You need to get laid more often.” “How did you not get fired years ago for sexual harassment?” “How is that sexual harassment? Besides, you’re the one who called me a slut a moment ago.” Jess smiled. No matter what, she could always count on Dean to brighten her mood, even when they were talking about dark subjects like their case load and relationships gone bad. She would never admit it, especially not to him, but Dean was potentially the perfect partner for her. His jovial nature was a good counterbalance to her own, which always bordered on being overly serious. Sure, his behavior sometimes got on her nerves, but at this time in her life, it was one of the few things that could bring a smile to her face. She’d been tempted more than once to take their relationship to the next level, but she didn’t want to risk damaging their working partnership. She knew Dean felt the same way. He’d never come out and said that to her, but she’d read it in his thoughts. One of the advantages, or disadvantages, depending on how you looked at it, of being a secret psychic. She’d learned long ago how to turn the skill on and off, but sometimes the other person’s emotions overwhelmed her. Romantic attraction was one of those emotions, and it wasn’t like Dean was ever subtle when he found someone desirable. “Are you sure you want to go all the way to Hopewell to interview this guy?” Dean asked. “It’s over two hours away. I think he’s going to be a bust.” “I know exactly how far Hopewell is, and the direct answer to your question is yes. We need to speak with him.” “Is this another one of those gut instincts of yours because I can’t think of any other reason to see him?” Dean was right, of course. It was a gut instinct of hers, but she didn’t bother confirming what he already knew. The journey to see Peter Randall was the proverbial grasping