The Witch With An Attitude (Federation of Magic Book 2)

by Rachel Medhurst

  As the clear fizzy liquid was poured, it bubbled gently, glowing in the light that shone down from the top of the boat.

  I studied our surroundings as I tried to calm my racing heartbeat. A hot tub and a small swimming pool were surrounded by plush sunbeds. A set of double doors to my left led to a living area that housed a television big enough to fit into a cinema. A bar, lined with several million bottles of booze, was tucked in the corner. Jeez, who needed that much alcohol?

  “Please,” Amera said, indicating the glass with a sharp painted nail.

  Licking my lips, I picked up the flute and downed the fizz in one go. Of course, Amera, all ladylike, sipped it delicately before placing it back on the table. What could I say? Fighting had made me thirsty. Not only that, the nerves were kicking in.

  “Let’s get to the point,” I started, “where’s my mother?”

  A chuckle fell from her chest, sending warmth through my skin. Shit, I wasn’t gay, but she was making me feel all sorts of things. No wonder vampires were able to manipulate humans so easily. If I had half of her charm, Tinniel would’ve taken me to bed as soon as he’d met me. Not that I wanted to be her, obviously. She probably had a really sucky life. Literally.

  My gaze travelled over the luxury that rammed itself down my throat. For a small yacht, it had more floor space than any of the homes I’d previously lived in. There was no chance Amera had a bad life. In fact, from where I was sitting, my butt extremely comfortable, she had everything she could ever wish for.

  Inclining her head, Amera gazed at me through thick eyelashes. “You know it doesn’t quite work like that, Lyla.”

  Ah crap, she knew my name and everything. Who was she? One of the leaders of the human trafficking trade?

  “I need you to kill Jimmy for me.” Picking up the glass again, she poured the champagne into her mouth, gulping as it slid down her throat.

  She must have had some sort of magical sexual power, her vampirism making it impossible to say no to her requests. However, I wasn’t her ideal target. I was connected to Tinniel in a way that would keep me grounded. Hopefully.

  Wait. “Sorry, what?” Sweat lined my palms as I clasped my hands in my lap. Had I heard her right or had I made it up in my crazy mind?

  “I want you to kill Jimmy.” Holding up her arm, she waved towards the deck above.

  The engines fired up beneath us, the vibration jolting me to my feet. “What are you doing?”

  As the boat reversed, I spun, ready to run and jump. As much as I wanted information about my mother, I wasn’t going to be a prisoner of a sexy female vamp.

  A hand grasped my shoulder, nails digging deep into my skin, piercing my jacket and shirt. Kicking backwards, I smiled when my boot cracked into the woman’s knee at the same time I surged forward, ripping out of her grip and trying to get my feet in sync.

  “Not so fast, feisty one,” she crowed, appearing in front of me and laughing when I bashed into her.

  Her solid figure jarred me, forcing me back. I grabbed for Beauty and swung it in an arc, aiming for her head. Naz had told me that the only way to actually kill a vampire was to cut off their head. Not exactly immortal, were they?

  Rolling her eyes, Amera flashed out of the way, appearing next to me. Seizing the blade of the sword as I pulled it back towards me, she hissed when the silver slashed her palm. As she released it, she shoved me away from her, cradling her hand against her.

  “What is that?” she whispered, clicking her fingers.

  Several male vampires materialised, closing in on me.

  Amera was huffing, her hand on her chest as it rose and fell with her breath. Her eyes were wide, staring at the sword in my hands. I tucked Beauty away before she attempted to take her from me. My weapon was my pride; I wasn’t going to let anyone near it.

  “Take her to her room.”

  Before I could protest, arms grabbed me, hauling me off my feet and dragging me through the luxury living area. I pushed and shoved, desperate to get away from my captors. Alas, it was useless trying to fight three men who could tear my throat out in one swift bite.

  Moving my head to the side, I caught a glimpse of Amera, who stared after me. Her spine was straight, her composure clearly returned. Crap. It seemed I had found the vampire’s weakness. Although, how could my sword be strong enough to stop her?

  My head pounded, the ache coming on strong as the woman went out of sight. Grunting, I punched the vampire who held me as a last ditch attempt to get free. He didn’t even flinch as we made our way down a small corridor lined with several doors.

  “You better do as she says,” the man said, thrusting open a door and dumping me on the floor.

  He reversed out of the room before I could even get to my knees, locking the door behind him.

  Lunging, I smashed against the wood, banging against it with my fist. “Let me out!”

  Vamps had super-hearing. Would she hear me shouting for her? Would she know that I was panicking, my insides churning at the idea of being away from Tinniel and the others for the night?

  Tears trickled into my eyes as I turned away from the door. A queen-sized bed with a mass of pillows, dominated the cabin. A couple of steps led to a sunken bath, which was tucked under a window.

  My headache lifted as I smiled to myself and rushed over to my new escape route. Standing in the bath, which was more like a pool, I searched for the handle of the window. Shit, there wasn’t one.

  Straining, I pushed the glass, trying to get it open. Maybe it was just caught?

  “Come on!” I shouted, picking up a vase that sat on the sink nearby and shoving it against the window.

  It rebounded off the glass and fell into the bath, miraculously staying intact when it hit the crystal taps. Crystal taps? Talk about showy, arsehole!

  “Even the glassware is indestructible. Fuck.”

  Heaving air into my lungs, I moved away from the bath, searching the closet space and the shower room. Nope, no escape route. Just more and more bloody luxury. They even had a bar of gold-coated soap in the shower dish. Who would need such a thing?

  Oh, bloody hell, I was trapped. Grabbing out my phone, I cursed when the signal bar disappeared. Of course, the bitch must have captured a ton of people and kept them in the boat’s prison cell.

  Dialling emergency services was an option. Maybe if I gave them Tinniel’s name, they would be able to trace him and tell the Federation where I was. We were working with the police, after all.

  A smile crossed my lips as I pressed the button. It soon dropped when my phone beeped in my ear, refusing to connect the call. Great, she’d even disconnected me from the bloody police.

  “What to do,” I muttered to myself as I sat on the bed.

  Wow, the mattress was softer than soft, instantly hugging me in its embrace. I collapsed back. Might as well recuperate while I came up with a plan.

  So, Amera wanted Jimmy dead. Why? I was convinced that the woman was in cahoots with Jimmy. Although, now that she knew he was in our custody, she might have another reason to eliminate him. Was her name on his chest?

  I couldn’t understand why she would ask little old me to kill him. If I agreed to get rid of Jimmy, would she release me so I could go back to the club and do the job? That’s where they were probably holding him until he was taken back into police custody.

  If I agreed to kill him, I would get out. In the meantime, I had to let Tinniel know that I was alive. He would know what to do.

  Sitting up, I traced my gaze over the lines of the cupboards, pushing up from the bed when I spotted what I was looking for. A heavy door with a thicker handle. The fridge.

  Would the sexy vampire be kind enough to supply beverages? Or would she let me die of thirst? The fight had taken it out of me, I needed a drink.

  Opening the fridge, I bit my lip. The shelves were full of soft and alcoholic drinks. A clip on the door next to it drew my attention. Flicking it, I gasped as the cupboard opened, revealing posh chocolates, snacks and eve
n popcorn.

  “I have to admit, Amera,” I said, “you’re a good host.”

  Snatching out a coke and beer, I downed the soft drink before snapping open the can of lager. Errr… was that…? Shit, there were a couple of blood bags tucked at the back of the fridge. The coke threatened to push up my throat as I took several bags of snacks and the posh chocs onto the bed.

  No wonder the male vamps loved her. Not only did she have a stupidly amazing bod, she supplied cooled blood on board the most awesome yacht I’d ever seen. Not that I’d seen many boats in my limited life.

  “Okay,” I whispered, shoving a delicious chocolate into my mouth. “Let’s do this.”

  Fuck me, even the chocolate sent thrills down my spine as I closed my eyes and savoured the blissful delight. Now, I was ready to harness my magic.

  Taking a deep breath, I steadied my nerves as I pictured Tinniel in my mind. His brooding face, his thick wavy shoulder-length hair. The green of his eyes twinkled as his eyebrows creased together. It was hard to picture the warrior with a happy smiley face. It didn’t matter, it was who he was.

  A zing of electricity tickled the skin on my arms as the charge was ignited. Surely that would help me to connect to him?

  “Lyla?” his voice sounded in the distance.

  Blinking when an image appeared in my mind’s eye, I smiled to myself. Tinniel was in his bedroom, pacing by his bed. I had snuck a little peek inside when I’d been staying with them. It was decorated in dark green and white, reminiscent of a medieval castle. It definitely needed a feminine touch. Preferably mine.

  “Tinniel.” The word was just above a whisper, travelling on the air expelled from my lungs.

  Clearing his throat, the sorcerer went to the mirror and stared into his eyes. “I can feel you. Where are you?”

  “I’m in a fancy yacht on the Thames,” I said, keeping completely still in case I lost our connection.

  His brow creased in the mirror, his lips pursing. “I think you just said something, but I can’t hear you. How can we make this work?” As his eyes closed briefly, I felt the relief that flooded his muscly frame. “I’m so glad you’re alive.”

  Tears threatened as I clenched my hands. A flood of unfamiliar emotion pushed the water through my tear ducts, forcing it down my cheeks. It was incredible to feel how much he cared about me, even though we hadn’t known each other for long.

  It had been a while since anyone had shown me they were concerned about my welfare. Even my mother had stopped asking how I was. Although, I had bitten her head off every time she had tried to talk to me.

  “How can we do this?” Tinniel said as he looked around the room.

  Seeing a notepad on his bedside table, I unconsciously moved towards it. Tinniel stepped in perfect unison to my thoughts.

  “Woah, how are you doing that?” he gasped when I lifted my arm, pointing at the pad and pen.

  His arm rose, doing the exact same motion. Oh, my gosh, I was actually controlling Tinniel’s body. Tracking was already one hell of a gift, but this? I could branch out in my abilities as a Ford witch and bounty hunter.

  “You want the pad? Go on, take it.”

  A chuckle rumbled his chest against my will. He was still partially in control. Maybe his body was allowing me to move it because we were so connected. It might not be as easy with a bounty.

  Still, I had to try.

  “Challenge accepted,” I said, smiling to myself as I harnessed my power.

  Without even thinking, I walked to the bedside table and scooped the notebook into my hand. No, Tinniel’s hand. His strong fingers grasped the paper as I turned and sat on the bed.

  “This is weird. I like it.”

  I flicked open the book, hesitating when I saw the scrawled handwriting. What had he been documenting?

  “Ever heard of a thing called privacy, Lyla?” he mumbled, his hand taking control and flipping the page.

  Swallowing, I nodded, my chest tight as I took the pen and placed it on the paper. I hadn’t dared read his words, as tempting as it had been. Was Tinniel the type to journal his thoughts and emotions? Or was it a log of bounties he’d brought in? If it was the latter, I would view the sorcerer in a completely different light.

  “Don’t tell Naz about my book, he’ll want to read it.”

  A tingle spread up my arm as I started to write, dragging the pen over the page. I was a little clumsy at first, but the more I wrote, the easier the words came.

  He knows all your thoughts.

  His bark of laughter shocked me. “Don’t you think, after twenty-odd years of living with my twin, I’ve learnt a trick or two? He doesn’t know everything.”

  Chuckling along with him, I shook my head. Well, his head. This was confusing. Still, it was crazy knowing that I was kinda inside the sorcerer. Did that mean I could yield his magical powers? Wow, that would be an interesting experiment.

  Instead of letting him know this, I started to write again.

  I’m on a yacht on the Thames with a vampire called Amera. She’s asked me to…

  Pausing, I held the pen in mid-air. Did I tell Tinniel about her request? What made me hesitate? Would I be enticing her wrath by letting the Federation know? Would she somehow cotton on and not give me a chance to find out where my mother, and maybe Henrick, was?

  “What is it? What has she asked you to do? As soon as this conversation is over, I’ll get Zac to find the boat.”

  I couldn’t see Tinniel’s expression, but his voice was tight, worried. I understood his panic. I had felt it when he had been taken on a boat by Jimmy. Was it the same boat?

  Frankenstein said that Amera knows where my mother is. I want to follow the lead to see if I can get information. I’m assuming her name is on Jimmy’s chest.

  Air rushed out of Tinniel’s lungs as he took control of his hand and scratched the stubble on his jaw. I went with it, enjoying the connection between us. “Has she hurt you? We have to find you. It’s not safe for you to be there alone.”

  No, I wrote quickly, she hasn’t hurt me. In fact, I’m currently in a plush bedroom with tons of alcohol and chocolate.

  “If she wasn’t keeping you captive, I would be happy for you,” Tinniel quipped, his tone deadpan. “Seriously, I’m not leaving you there.”

  Ugh, I desperately wished I could talk to him for real. It would have been easier to persuade him if we were face to face. I could’ve tried to flutter my eyelashes, although, I somehow doubted it would’ve worked on Tinniel, considering he was a miserable sod, impervious to my charms.

  What if Henrick is with my mother? Would you just run away and not try to find him?

  Emotional blackmail. Hit them right in the balls with their weakness. Cruel… but necessary.

  My own chest squeezed, an unfamiliar pain filtering through me. I had never known what it was like to have a sibling. I’d been on my own for so long, I didn’t even know how to hug a person anymore, let alone care enough to cry for someone. And yet, that wasn’t exactly true.

  The strange contradictory emotions that flared up when I thought of my mother were real. I remembered the time we were close. It was only resentment on my part that had driven us apart. Okay, and maybe a bit of lying on hers.

  Still, if I found her, I vowed to rebuild our relationship. After I had given her a lecture on how she should’ve told me about my magical abilities.

  “Henrick…” Tinniel sighed. “I… I trust you, Lyla, I do. I just don’t have any faith in vampires and their empty promises. If this person is friends with Jimmy, she’ll probably want to use you.”

  Er… she does.

  Tinniel’s hands shook as I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. I couldn’t lie to him or avoid the truth. If I didn’t tell him, he wouldn’t trust me. And I wasn’t prepared to risk our friendship.

  She wants me to kill Jimmy.

  A masculine humph rose from Tinniel’s chest. “That changes things. Why would she want Jimmy dead? Oh, her name must be on
his chest.”

  Exactly my thought, too. Maybe she worked with Jimmy to hold my mother and Henrick?

  “Yes. Why would Frankenstein, as you call him, tell you Amera had your mother if she didn’t?”

  It was hard to know what was true in the underground world of paranormal criminals. However, if there was the slightest chance I could get my mother back, I would certainly attempt it.

  I think I should hear her out. I tried to bargain with her, but she cut me down. Give me twenty four hours.

  My hand flew across the page, the pen weighty in Tinniel’s palm as if it was my own. Our hearts both thundered at the same time, the connection strong.

  “Lyla,” he breathed. “I’m worried about you.”

  I know.

  My chest squeezed, my tummy flipping in excitement at his confession. It wasn’t just work colleague concern, it was more. I could feel it in his essence. Although confused about the charge, he couldn’t deny it.

  Man, I was so going to jump his bones when all this was over. If he let me, of course.

  This is my chance to be the bounty hunter I’m supposed to be.

  Sighing, Tinniel got up, taking the pad and pen to the dresser. His handsome face peered into the mirror, his gaze staring into mine. Well, not mine, obviously, but I could tell he was trying to see me.

  “Twenty four hours,” he whispered, shaking his head as he blinked slowly. “Then I’m coming to get you, no matter what.”

  Grasping the pen, I scribbled my final note to him. You better. I’ll be waiting for you.

  Chapter Seven

  “Amera requests your presence at breakfast,” the male vampire said, bowing as I came out of the bedroom.

  As hard as I’d fought it, sleep had taken me quickly. The bed had been so divine, I had literally conked out. If the vampire had wanted to hurt me, she’d had the perfect opportunity. Luckily, no one had come knocking during the night.

  The light of day shone through the living area, the large floor to ceiling windows enticing the sun to stroke every comfy sofa and armchair.