Halloween Flash Fiction from Delta James


The night was crisp, and the air buzzed with excitement. It was Halloween, and the streets of New Orleans were filled with the laughter and chatter of trick-or-treaters of all ages. Children, decked out in costumes of ghouls, superheroes, and monsters, darted from house to house, clutching their candy bags with gleeful anticipation. Orange lights flickered from the porches of houses, casting eerie glows over the sidewalks.

Broussard watched from the shadows, his keen eyes glimmering under the moonlight. He had always enjoyed Halloween. The chaos of the night meant fewer people noticed the unusual things lurking in the dark. It was a night when monsters were expected, but Broussard was no ordinary creature. He was a dragon-shifter, able to shift between his human form and the magnificent beast that dwelled within him.

The cool breeze rustled the trees as he leaned against the fence of his yard, hidden just beyond the edge of the streetlights. He was watching the small group of children, maybe five or six of them, in their colorful costumes approaching his home. Their laughter rang out, carefree and innocent.

"Dare you to knock on that one," said a small boy dressed as a skeleton. He pointed toward Broussard's home, his voice laced with the bravado of youth. "I heard no one ever goes there. Bet it’s haunted!"

A girl in a witch costume giggled nervously. "Haunted? Maybe the guy inside's a vampire or something."

Broussard couldn't help but smile. If only they knew.

Just as the children gathered the courage to step onto his lawn, a gust of wind swept through the street, stronger than it should have been. It wasn’t any ordinary wind; it was the pull of ancient magic. Broussard tensed, feeling the change ripple through him before he could stop it. His skin tingled, his bones ached, and before he could fully grasp control, his form began to shift.

The dragon within him stretched and roared for release, its power surging through his veins. The swirling mist of the shift gathered dead leaves as it came up to mask the change as his human shape contorted, his skin turning to scales and his limbs elongating into powerful legs with claws. Wings burst from his back, unfurling with a great gust of wind. He was changing—within the maelstrom, but if one looked closely the children could see it happening with their wide, terrified eyes.

The group froze, eyes like saucers, their Halloween joy dissolving into sheer terror. The smallest child dropped his candy bag, the colorful contents spilling across the ground. As the controlled storm fell away, the children stood wide-eyed and opened-mouthed.

"DRAGON!" screamed the skeleton boy, pointing shakily.

Broussard's dragon form towered over them now, his eyes glowing in the dim light. He let out a low rumble, more of a warning than a threat, trying to contain the wild power now coursing through him. But to the children, it was a terrifying roar. They scattered in every direction, their once playful screams now filled with genuine fear.

For a moment, Broussard stood there, massive wings tucked close to his body, watching the fleeing trick-or-treaters disappear into the night. He hadn’t meant to scare them; he hadn't meant to shift at all. But Halloween had always had a funny way of letting the unusual blend into the ordinary.

With a deep sigh, Broussard reigned in his dragon, forcing the shift back. His wings folded into nothing, his scales melted into skin, and soon he was just a man standing alone in the yard once more. 

He looked down the street, chuckling softly to himself as he watched the children vanish into the distance. “Happy Halloween, I guess,” he muttered.


Magic Unleashed
The Grimm Files
Book One
Delta James

Genre: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy
Date of Publication: 9/20/24
Number of pages: 131
Word Count: 32,000
Cover Artist: Dar Albert, Wicked Smart Designs

Book Description: 

Mysterious deaths. Impossible magic. And the sexy dragon who might drive her to murder.

In the shadowy heart of modern-day New Orleans, where the supernatural simmers just beneath the surface, Phoenix Duvall is a force to be reckoned with. As a formidable fairy enforcer, she stands as the city’s last line of defense against the demonic threats that prowl the night. She’s trained from childhood and is armed with lightning-fast reflexes, mastery over fire, and deadly weapons, Phoenix knows she’ll only come into her full power when she finds and bonds with her fated mate. But Phoenix has never been one to wait for fate—until it throws her into the path of Griff Broussard, a hard-nosed dragon shifter detective with secrets of his own.

Griff has been investigating a series of gruesome deaths that defy all logical explanation. As their paths intertwine, Phoenix is forced to confront the truth: Griff is her fated mate. Together, they form an uneasy alliance to combat a rising demonic cult. But as their chemistry ignites, so too does the danger surrounding them.

Griff becomes possessed by the very demon lord they’ve been hunting. Phoenix faces an impossible choice: uphold her duty as a fairy enforcer, or risk everything—including her life and the fragile balance between worlds—for the man she’s come to love.

As the battle for New Orleans intensifies, Phoenix must confront her deepest fears and make a heart-wrenching decision in a final showdown that will determine the fate of both worlds.

Magic Unleashed, the first book in The Grimm Files, is a gripping paranormal romance where love is a double-edged sword, and the price of power could be everything.


Excerpt:

With no warning whatsoever, Phoenix bolted after it—whatever it was. She might be some badass faery enforcer, but he wasn’t about to let her go alone. Griff flung a handful of bills at Finn and bolted out the door behind her.

The muggy night smacked him in the face like a slap as he emerged, keeping one eye on the retreating figure and the other on Phoenix. Whoever or whatever it was, was fast, but Phoenix was faster. She seemed to levitate just above the ground—even without her wings—as she closed the distance.

“Phoenix!” Griff called, but to no avail. Phoenix didn’t break stride, turn around, or even slow down. The figure ducked into an alley, and Phoenix followed, the darkness swallowing her up.

Griff raced to catch up with her, rounding the corner just in time to see the figure disappear through a door at the end of the alley. Griff saw Phoenix skid to a halt. He could feel the presence of magic in the alley. Many parts of the city felt as if magic had been mixed into the mortar that held the buildings together.

Griff caught up to her, breathing heavily as he glanced at the door. “Looks like we found our lead.”

Phoenix nodded, her grip tightening on her knives. “And it’s not going to wait for us.”

With one last glance at Griff, she pushed the door open, stepping into the unknown.

Griff Broussard wasn’t a stranger to darkness. It lingered at the edges of his life, always threatening to swallow him whole. But tonight, as he stood at the threshold of the old door, staring at the door Phoenix had just disappeared through, that familiar darkness felt different. It was alive, pulsating with magic and danger, pulling him into its depths like a predator sizing up its prey.

The metallic tang of the night air filled his lungs as he pushed through the door behind Phoenix, muscles tense and instincts flaring. His senses sharpened. Even in human form, his dragon nature simmered beneath his skin, the beast pacing impatiently, ready to be unleashed at the first hint of a threat. He couldn’t help it—not here, not now, not with the echoes of his father’s unsolved murder still whispering at the edges of his mind.

Phoenix was already a few steps ahead, her movements fluid and silent as she navigated the narrow hallway beyond the door. Griff’s gaze swept the space, noting every detail—the cracked tiles on the floor, the flickering overhead light, and the faint trace of something old, something ancient lingering in the air. Magic. He could smell it, thick and oppressive, curling around him like smoke.

“Phoenix, wait,” he hissed, his voice low but urgent.

She glanced back at him, her eyes sharp and alert, but there was a flicker of impatience in her expression. Phoenix always charged headfirst into danger, relying on her instincts and speed.

Griff had always been the opposite—calculated, methodical. He needed to understand what they were walking into before they stepped too deep. But there was no time for planning now. The person they’d been chasing—their only lead—was somewhere ahead, and they couldn’t afford to lose it.

Without another word, Phoenix continued forward, her hand brushing the wall as she moved. Griff followed, the tension between them thickening with each step. He knew she could handle herself—hell, she was probably better suited for this than he was—but that didn’t stop the protective instinct that flared in his chest whenever they were in a situation like this. He hated that about himself. Hated how being around her always made him feel more… vulnerable. More aware of the fact that she was a storm he could never quite tame.


About the Author:

Delta James is a USA Today bestselling paranormal and contemporary romantic suspense author, whose goal is to captivate readers with stories about complex, curvy heroines and the dominant alpha males who adore them. For Delta, romance is more than just a love story; it’s a journey with challenges and thrills along the way. 

After creating a second chapter for herself that was dramatically different than the first, Delta now resides in Florida where she relaxes on warm summer evenings with her loveable pack of basset hounds as they watch the birds, squirrels and lizards. When not crafting fast-paced tales, she enjoys horseback riding, walks on the beach, and white-water rafting. 

Her readers mean the world to her, and Delta tries to interact personally to as many messages as she can. If you’d like to chat or discuss books, you can find Delta on Instagram, Facebook, and in her private reader group 













a Rafflecopter giveaway

No comments:

Post a Comment