Hiding from the Coven (Daughters of the Warlock Book 2)

by Amelia Shaw

  However, I wasn’t sure where we stood at this point. I didn’t want to make things tense or awkward between us. I didn’t want to ruin this... friendship? Relationship? I wasn’t sure what we were, but I knew it was something.

  Another moment ticked by

  I began to rub my thighs with my hands again. “Um, did you say something about a bounty?”

  Tavlor’s lips thinned as his jaw hardened. “Yes.” Another nod, short and firm. “The Council have put out a notice to every realm that you are to be captured, alive.”

  I guess if there was a silver lining to this, it was that they wanted me alive.

  He paused and I wondered if that was an indication that the Council had considered putting a ‘dead or alive’ clause on the notice. Maybe they wanted to try and take me in alive but if that didn’t work, I would be ordered to be killed.

  “Is it a lot of money?” I asked, my ego strangely putting a lot of weight on his answer. Was I a threat that went for a nice amount of money? Or was I as insignificant as a fly, an annoyance, that needed to be contained.

  He nodded once, sharply. “Yes, it is a lot of money.”

  I couldn’t stop the way my lips turned up in a smile. “I’m strangely flattered.”

  “You shouldn’t be.” He seemed angry and disturbed.

  I looked down at the floor, heat flushing my face. He was right, of course. This whole thing made me uncomfortable. I was starting to say stupid things. I shook my head, trying to rid myself of the shame that filled my body.

  I coughed, clearing my throat. “I understand that,” I forced myself to say. “So how bad is it?”

  I wasn’t sure if I even wanted the answer. A lot of money meant it would attract a lot of attention. Everyone would know my face. I highly doubted they would know who I was, that I was the High Warlock’s daughter. The Council wouldn’t want that information getting out. Not right now.

  “It’s bad,” he admitted. He glanced over at me. It felt as though he was trying to evaluate how I was taking the news. He wanted to make sure he didn’t overwhelm me.

  I would have thought it was sweet if I didn’t want to know the answers so badly. I didn’t want to be protected. I wanted to know what was going on and how I—and possibly my sisters—were affected by this.

  “Every bounty hunter in the known Universe will be after you. Every shifter, some Fae... I can’t stand by and let this happen.” He clenched his jaw so hard that it popped. He looked in front of me, rather than at me. “And my people, Abigail... they will only be able to protect you for so long.”

  He stood up suddenly and shuffled around the tiny room.

  I wanted to ask him what that meant. I wanted to know if I could go anywhere or if it was better that I just stopped running. I didn’t want to risk the people who had tried to protect me. I didn’t want to risk Tavlor or Abigail or my sisters. I even didn’t want to risk my father. If Tavlor wasn’t lying and he was helping, I didn’t want him to push himself to the point where everything he had worked for was for nothing.

  Tavlor continued, almost to himself. “It’s more money than most people would make in ten years. More money than has ever been offered—for anyone. It’s absolutely ludicrous.” He shook his head. His movement was graceful and I recognized the Fae in him, the air of timelessness we magic folk didn’t have.

  I stood up, unable to stay seated while he roamed like a caged animal. He was too big for this cottage. Every move he made filled the space up even more. His hair roamed wildly like the mane of a lion. I wanted to calm him in some way. I wanted to run my fingers through his hair and make myself feel better. Instead, I kept everything to myself, my hands, my words.

  “So, let me get this straight,” I said, shifting my weight from one foot to the other, trying to keep myself out of his way but needing to be on my feet as well. Magic buzzed around me, but I didn’t dare give into it. I didn’t think I’d be able to control myself. Not around Tavlor. “I’m no longer safe here, because the Council has put a massive price on my head, and every bad guy around is going to be hunting me down soon.”

  “Not just the bad guys.” Tavlor stopped pacing and faced me, his intense gaze burning into mine. “Ava, anyone in desperate need of money will be after you. You won’t be able to trust anyone.”

  He stepped forward, so that we were a whisper’s breadth apart. He lifted his hand and stroked my cheek, his touch as warm and light as a summer’s breeze. I leaned into it before I could stop myself. The last thing I expected from Tavlor was gentleness. He was fierce and strong and deadly. To have him touch me like this made me yearn for more.

  Goosebumps ran up and down my arms. I swallowed. My throat suddenly dry.

  I couldn’t stop looking at the beauty of his face, or thinking about how much I’d missed seeing him.

  How could I yearn for someone I barely knew? And yet, I thought I knew him as well as I knew my sisters. As well as I knew myself. It was difficult for me to remember what life was like before I’d met him. Which, to me, someone who had never even been kissed before him, sounded absolutely insane. And yet, that was exactly how he made me feel.

  I went up on my tip toes, bringing myself closer to his face, and leaned forward, hoping he would feel what my intention was and kiss me back. I was being bolder than I usually was. Then again, I had been waiting so long for him to kiss me that I didn’t want him not to. I didn’t know when I’d see him again. I had to make this count.

  He didn’t disappoint.

  His lips pressed into mine, stealing my breath.

  I wrapped my arms around his waist while he cupped my face and held me tight, devouring my lips in a perfect kiss. Despite the fact that I wasn’t cold, I shivered. Butterflies crashed into each other in my stomach.

  It wasn’t enough. I wanted to get closer.

  I pressed myself harder against him and he swept his tongue between my lips.

  Oh, my God, this feels so good.

  He groaned, low and deep in his throat, and grabbed my ass with both hands.

  Heat spread from his touch, straight through my core. I wished that we had all the time in the world. I wanted to go further with him. I wanted to wrap myself around him and forget about everyone and everything else in the world so it was just the two of us.

  But I couldn’t.

  Not when there was a bounty on my head.

  Not when I wasn’t safe anymore.

  Chapter 3.

  For the moment, I let myself enjoy the kiss. I tilted my head so he had better access to the inside of my mouth. If he wanted to explore, I was willing to let him.

  Unfortunately, I needed to breathe and I was sure he did as well. I pulled away from him, though every cell in my overly heated body told me to shred our clothes and take us down to my bed. To lose ourselves in the passion of the moment, and to forget the danger and travesty that awaited us both when we were found. To make myself feel complete in this world—in every realm.

  When I glanced up, he narrowed his eyes at my lips.

  “You don’t want to...” He let his voice trail off.

  Somehow, I knew exactly what he was trying to say.

  “Oh, I do,” I said quickly, probably too quickly for it to come out cool and collected, the way I hoped it would. “I really do. But I’m pretty sure the reason you came here was to tell me that my safe time in this realm had come to an end, so maybe getting into something now isn’t the best idea.”

  His jaw hardened as he extricated himself from our embrace. His hands lifted from my ass. His heat lifted from my body. I suddenly felt cold.

  I wished I hadn’t said anything. I should have let myself enjoy him for another moment longer.

  “Yes.” He gave a cryptic nod, his eyes everywhere but on me. It almost seemed as though he was upset that he’d let himself get too carried away. “You are right.”

  Even though I knew it was the right choice, my heart ached as he stepped away. I swallowed and tried not to think about it. Reaching for him now
wasn’t an option. As such, I stayed back and watched him, still mesmerized by his beauty.

  He shook himself as though trying to calm down. I wanted to believe I had such power over him. Deep down, I knew it could have been more about the danger than the desire.

  I didn’t speak for a long minute, not sure how to handle his reaction. Was it temper, anger at being stopped? Or something deeper? More? I longed to go to him. I longed to wrap myself up in him. But I held back.

  Finally, he stopped walking and looked at me with his usual amount of calm detachment. I almost screamed at him. To go from such a powerful kiss to... nothing so easily... I didn’t know quite what to think.

  I sat back down on the bed, feeling achy in places I usually didn’t.

  “So, what do I do?” I asked, spreading out my arms. I didn’t want to think about the fact that we were suddenly on two different sides of the room.

  He sat down on the couch. He rested his elbows on his knees and stared at me with piercing eyes.

  “I think you need to go somewhere that no-one will find you,” he said. “Perhaps... the realm where you grew up? From what I’d gathered, and what the High Warlock said... your mother created a realm that only you lived in. That is very rare, and more than likely, impossible to track and find.”

  Disappointment swamped me. He wanted me to return to my mother’s realm, where I was completely isolated from everyone and everything? He wanted me to leave everything behind after just finding it for myself?

  “You want me to go back... and hide?” I asked. I tapped my fingertips together, trying to give me something to focus on. “Like my mother did for almost twenty-five years?”

  My breath caught in my throat as I struggled against the rising emotions in my chest, tears filling my eyes. The last thing I wanted was for him to think I was weak.

  Worse, now I was crying.

  What else could I do? I didn’t want to hide. I’d only just escaped, finally finding my way into a world I’d dreamt about my whole life, and now they wanted me to go back in. I had power. I wanted to fight. I didn’t want to run away. Yet, I understood I needed to be safe.

  But at the risk of my freedom?

  Tavlor stood up, walked across the room, and sat on the bed next to me. At first, he was rigid, as though he wasn’t quite sure what to do with me. It almost seemed as though he wanted to hug me but then he stopped and, instead, placed his hands in his lap.

  The bed creaked with the weight of us both. His hand slid to mine where it rested on my thigh. My heart skipped a beat.

  “No, Ava,” he said. His voice was still indifferent, but there was that note of intent, like he wanted me to believe him more than anything else. “I’m not trying to put you in a prison for decades. Please don’t think of it like that. I simply... can’t stand by and watch as the bounty hunters find you. And until your father can find the loophole we’re looking for, we have to keep you safe. I don’t know what I would do if anything were to happen to you, Ava.” His fingers curled into tight fists. “I don’t even want to think of such a thing.”

  I swallowed the lump in my throat, forcing my devastation down. I focused on his hand on my thigh, grounding me to the moment.

  I tried to tell myself that life back home wouldn’t be that bad. I’d be back with my sisters, and I had my magic. I could train, read. Literally do anything and everything I’d ever wanted to do, but my mother had restricted. I would also be safe. I wouldn’t have to put my friends at risk.

  Just your sisters.

  No. I wouldn’t let them put themselves at risk for me. If I was safe, they would be safe. No one would have to know they even existed.

  That idea brightened me up and the locket at my throat heated, warming my skin.

  I didn’t touch it. I knew my mother would agree with this plan. Even if she didn’t, it wasn’t her decision to make. She wasn’t allowed to dictate my life from the afterlife. I needed to start figuring out what I wanted to do without her input.

  “All right.” I sighed. “I’ll go back. If it’s the only place that’s safe. I trust you.”

  He squeezed my hand, his fingers sliding against mine in a sweet caress. His eyes were wide, as though he couldn’t believe I still cared for him, still trusted him. It would be a long road to overcome his own prejudice of himself. It had been ingrained in him since birth, since he was in the magical realm.

  “I think so,” he said. “You father suggested hiding you in a human realm, but your magic would stand out against the humans. I’m afraid the shifters would sniff you out too easily.”

  Shifters? He had mentioned some of the shifters would be after me, but it didn’t occur to me that they would have an advantage over finding me.

  A stray tear escaped my eye, sliding down my cheek. I wiped it away with my free hand, embarrassed by my ridiculous emotions. I thought I had gotten a handle on them, but apparently not.

  “You’re right,” I said. I sucked in a deep breath and let it out, trying to control myself.

  “So, it’ll be easy for you to transport yourself there?” he asked, tilting his head to the side.

  I glanced up at him. “What do you mean?”

  “Can you transport yourself from here?” He said it like it should have been so easy, like this should be common knowledge.

  The truth of the matter was, I had no idea.

  I grabbed for my locket and waited. Surely, Mother would have the answer. If she didn’t... well, I’d worry about that when the time came.

  It took a minute, but then she said,

  No. I’m sorry Ava. But the only way you can access the realm is through the human village. I set it up that way. For our protection. It makes the realm almost untraceable. This way, other magical beings will have to travel through the human realm to even have a chance of getting to us, and that’s only if they know about it in the first place.

  I sighed and let go of the locket that held my mother’s essence. I looked back at Tavlor, his piercing gaze still on me, waiting for a response.

  “Mother said that there is no way to reach the portal into the realm,” I explained. “There is one entrance, and it is through a human realm.”

  His jaw tightened. “That was... smart of her. It is very secure.”

  His tension suddenly clicked with me. It wouldn’t be easy to access, would it? “But not great from out here, right?”

  We were several realms and portals away from the one human realm that would lead me back to my sisters, and the safety my mother had created. I wasn’t sure how long it would take to get us to the correct realm, how dangerous it would be to get through the realms to the final one. And if I had to do it at alone, I worried I was going to get lost. Or worse. I didn’t know the histories of these supernatural entities. I didn’t know which species were friendly and which to avoid. I didn’t know anything.

  And yet, if it was what I had to do, I had to at least try.

  He shook his head. “No.”

  “So, what does that mean?” I placed my hands on my knees, hunching over so I could catch his eye. Surely, he’d thought of a plan B.

  “It means I will probably have to escort you as far as I can,” he said. His voice still had that indifferent tone, but there was a glimmer in his eye that showed perhaps he didn’t mind coming with me.

  And honestly, I was as well. I wouldn’t have to be alone in my journey.

  “You won’t make it far without help,” he said. “You don’t know our world. You wouldn’t know what to look for in a Fae hunter, or a shifter. You wouldn’t know how to hide, where to hide, you wouldn’t know who to trust.”

  I nodded, pushing the teary emotions down and away. My fingers shook. I gripped my knees tighter.

  “You’re right,” I said. “I wouldn’t last two minutes past these walls.” I took a long, shuddering breath, then looked at him with the most confident smile I could muster. “So, when do we leave?”

  He reached up and cupped my face. For a moment, we were silent. H
is gaze moved from my eyes to my nose to my lips to my chin. He curled an errant strand of hair back from my face, letting his fingers linger on my neck.

  I smiled, suppressing a shudder from sliding down my spine. “As soon as possible,” he finally said, his voice low and husky.

  I stared up at him, trying to think of everything I wanted to say to him. I wanted to tell him how I felt, how happy I was to see him, how relieved and grateful I was to know that he would take me to safety so I wouldn’t have to say goodbye to him just yet. I wanted to hug him, to take him in my arms again.

  Instead, I said, “I better get ready then.”

  He dropped a single kiss on my forehead, the move slightly paternal, but also very caring. It was intimate, something I wasn’t expecting from him. I wouldn’t take it for granted.

  “Yes.” He nodded once, pulling away but only slightly. “I will go and speak to the elders and inform Abigail of the plan. She’ll want to know everything, I’m sure.”

  I laughed. “That’s for sure.”

  Tavlor opened the door and sunshine streamed into the room. I closed my eyes and basked in the warmth. My entire body tingled, but whether that was the sun or Tavlor, I couldn’t be sure.

  I looked outside, fear flickering through my veins. I frowned. It was such a beautiful day, and yet, I couldn’t help but feel wary about even appreciating it.

  “So, I step out there, knowing that the Council has set a bounty on me so that random killers want to capture me?” I asked, turning back to face him. I didn’t like to admit I was hesitant.

  He nodded. “Yes, but technically, you knew that before just now.”

  I didn’t think he was referring about himself being hired to capture me. It almost seemed as though he meant that I knew the sort of life I was going to live the second I left my mother’s safe confines and ventured into the magic realm. I had so desperately wanted to know who I was, who my father was.

  “Yeah, but the numbers have drastically increased lately,” I pointed out, not bothering to hide my sarcasm.

  He took my hand in his and squeezed. Then he let go. “But this time, you’ll have me by your side. I won’t leave you until you are safely inside your mother’s realm.”