Phantom 2.0 Spotlight

 

Title: Phantom 2.0

Author: Leah D.W.

Blurb:

 

“I am a phantom. Barely human with the duty to get rid of the possessed. That is why beings like me were created, why we were bred”

In a dying city filled with a deadly plague and even deadlier creatures, Déjà hides from a past drenched in blood and the only family she has ever known. She hates what she is and her cravings to spill fresh blood drives her away from anyone that gets too close. Living out her life wearing lace corsets and working in an underground nightclub keeps her secret from hurting others, until a bounty is placed on her head by a mystery benefactor.

Now she is stalked by an assassin that threatens to steal her heart and discovering a family of powerful beings that hold the key to her past, Déjà has no choice but to embrace what she truly is in order to battle the secrets that the city holds within its shadows.

In my hurry I trip over an extended leg and fall with my face planted in grime. I taste the city, filth between my teeth and rot rolling down my tongue. Gaging, my heart gives a heavy beat as I quickly get onto all fours, spitting and choking, and don’t see the leg heading my way.

A foot cracks a rib and I tumble to the ground, wetness soaking my hair as I lie there staring up at two men with white blank eyes. They are smiling, one missing a few teeth and the other with a scar down the side of his ruddy face.

Toothless kicks out again, this time smacking me across the face and sending me back down again. His friend grabs a handful of my hair and yanks me up onto my feet. I cry out as they stare into my face, smiles even wider.

“Pay up!” toothless laughs. “Told you she was a muncher.”

“How should I know the difference, ey?” his friend grumbles, digging out coins from a pocket in his ratty old coat. “She looks human! That bet was unfair.”

“A bet is still a bet even if you are an idiot,” toothless laughs harder, tucking the coins into his own pocket. “Now it is dinner time!”

I swing out a punch and toothless smacks my hand away. His friend pulls harder on my hair and I bite down on my lip to keep myself from screaming as I feel the crack in my rib ache sharply. I can’t draw any attention to us; three possessed in one area is a rarity so there could be more hiding in the shadows.

White eyes peer close to my face as toothless gives me a sniff. “This one is older than I like.”

“Don’t be picky,” the other says. “This is the first one I have seen in years!”

“Too bad for you,” I say as I kick out and yank my hair free.

Toothless grunts. Quickly reaching down, I pull out my dagger and point it at them, stepping back cautiously as they stare at me. Toothless looks at his friend then back at me.

“Seriously?” he arches a brow. “You think you scare us?”

“Well,” I look between the two of them. “Don’t I?”
They burst out laughing and my cheeks heat up. When I see toothless double over, wiping at his eyes, I ball my hands and let my dagger fly. The blade sinks into soft flesh and scar face cries out. He pulls the dagger out from above his collar bone and throws it to the ground. Blood seeps out bright red and my eyes latch onto it hungrily. My heart beat slows. I blink.

Jumping forward and grabbing his hair, I slam his face into my knee. When he is down I turn to toothless and swing my leg up to connect my boot to his jaw.

Both are down on the ground and I pick up my dagger to point it at them again. They aren’t laughing this time. Their wide blank eyes watch me closely, mouths turned down in disgust and blood still painted across their filthy skin.

“So,” I brush hair from my eyes. “Are you scared now?”