Magically Bound: An Urban Fantasy Novel (Hunted Witch Agency Book 1)

by Rachel Medhurst

  Chapter 15

  “He’s right, you know,” Gerard said down the phone. “You will have to choose soon. And…well, I have to be honest and say that you should become a full witch. It’s in your blood. It’s…”

  As his sentence trailed off, I sighed. He had made a few comments, here and there, about me becoming a witch and not a warlock. Maybe he had a point.

  “If you’re this powerful without your witch magic, I can’t imagine how you’ll be with it.”

  Leaning my head against Kingsley’s cage, I closed my eyes as I stroked his head. “I’m only powerful because of my warlock magic. I mean, yeah, I’m good with spells. And… I’m missing my powers now. Really missing them. But…”

  The basis of the decision was down to one thing. Did I want to keep using a darker magic, one where its roots weren’t so palatable? Or, did I go back to my pure power? Using mother earth to help me. Consequences came with both, but… witches magic was more naturally balanced.

  “Anyway,” Gerard said. “I’m a witch. And, I’m kind of the best. Which shows you what you could become.”

  A snort of laughter erupted from my mouth, making poor Kingsley jump. His little whiskers moved as he sniffed my finger.

  “Okay, Big Head Mac-Handsome, if you say so.”

  “You think I’m handsome?” His words went quiet, serious.

  “Did you not hear the big head bit? That’s the part you should take note of.”

  We both laughed at the same time, the sound joining down the phone. It had become a lot easier to be around him, almost like we had a bond. Especially after our magic love making. Or, that’s what I was calling it anyway, even if I would never ever say that to him.

  “Are you coming in?” he asked when the hilarity died down. “This mission is going to be… interesting. There’s going to be a couple more agents involved.”

  My stomach flipped with butterflies, the idea of an even bigger raid sending my heart into palpitations. Sweat caused the phone to slip in my hand. Anxiety was such a bitch.

  Taking a deep breath, I shook myself. Anxiety didn’t have a place in my life anymore. I had to let it go if I wanted to be a strong agent. If I wanted to be the best version of me, I had to overcome it.

  “Yes, I’ll be there soon. I’ve got something to do first. It won’t take me long.”

  Either Gerard was psychic or he was too in tune with me, but his rushed out breath put me on alert. “No matter who you become, you’ll always be you. Remember that.”

  Tears popped into my eyes as he said goodbye and rung off. Kingsley rubbed himself against my hand, jumping onto my palm. Taking him out, I cradled him under my chin, savouring comfort from the one being that loved me unconditionally.

  “Is he right, Kingsley boy? I’m so afraid of losing who I am.”

  Looking down at my phone, I quickly dialled Maxwell’s number. If I didn’t do it now, I never would.

  “Surprise, surprise, a call from the woman who has neglected her coven of warlocks.”

  His sarcastic tone was to be expected, especially considering how long I had left it. However, I wouldn’t be daunted by him. I had made my choice.

  “Maxwell, I’d like to meet. Just the pair of us. Let’s talk about this leadership in a civilised manner, shall we?”

  Clearing his throat, the warlock changed his tone. “Well, darling, I’m always a gentleman. I’d be happy to talk man to man. Oh, wait…you’re a female warlock. So strange.”

  Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes as Kingsley nestled into my neck, giving me the strength to do what I needed to do. “Oh, come on. If that’s why you’re so hostile, you’ve got some opening of the mind to do. I mean, haven’t you heard? It’s okay to be different nowadays. Surely, you should know that.”

  His deep chuckle rumbled down the phone, making me smile despite the situation. There had never been any real hatred between us, we barely knew each other. Just a stupid mistake and unwanted family hierarchy had made it difficult. He was probably a very decent man otherwise.

  “Let’s meet, lovely,” he said, irony lacing his voice. “I’m prepared to have my mind opened by you.”

  Shaking my head as I put Kingsley back, I arranged to meet him in a coffee shop between my apartment and the agency. That way, I wouldn’t be late getting to work when I’d finished signing my life away.

  Hanging up the phone, I looked around my apartment. The weather had warmed, so instead of putting on my jacket, I dug the dagger out and tucked it into my leather boots. The sheath I had made out of a sock protected my leg, as did my jeans.

  “I’ve got a hell of a day ahead,” I told my gorgeous boy as I put my phone in my pocket and clipped my bracelets on. If I went anywhere without my kickass outfit, I didn’t feel whole.

  It was time to make sure that I could become a witch again. I wanted to connect to the earth, to feel like I was working with my mother, even though she wasn’t here.

  Bending down to pick up a tarot card as it jumped off the table, I froze when my eyes made contact with it. The Tower. Trouble caused by those around me.

  The crash of my front door splintering had me diving behind my sofa. Someone kicked it open, making it fall off its hinges and smash on the floor just inside the apartment.

  “Come out, Devon, we know you’re there,” someone called.

  Leaning against the back of the sofa, I breathed heavily, closing my eyes long enough to pull a ball of red magic into my hand. No matter who they were, they were a threat. No one exploded a front door if they only wanted a cuppa and cake.

  Turning on my knees, I poked my head above the sofa and threw my arm forward, sending the ball straight into the chest of a tall pale warlock. I could tell he was a warlock from the glow of purple around him. He was pulling on dark magic, using it to find me, obviously.

  Collapsing to the floor, he writhed before going still. My power wouldn’t have been strong enough to kill someone using so much darkness, but it would give me time. About to shove up from where I hid, I paused when the sound of a footstep came just before another man came into the flat.

  “Get out!” I screamed, ducking when he threw his own sphere of power towards me.

  It exploded on the wall, smashing the frame with the grimoire page in it. That was my mothers. How dare he?

  My skin burnt with rage as I shot up, my hands continuously forming balls and throwing them. They pounded into the other man’s chest, sending him flying back through the door and onto the floor outside. Amateurs.

  “If you do that to me, I’ll kill your rat.” The third man came through the door, his hands held up in surrender.

  Kingsley’s cage wasn’t far from the entrance to my apartment. He could very well get to him. Especially as I didn’t have my witch magic to cast a protection spell over him. If he dared to go near my boy, I would rip his crown jewels straight off.

  “I won’t use magic,” I said, instead of doing what I wanted. “What do you want?”

  I stayed crouched low, my eyes just above the top of the sofa so I could watch where he went. The last warlock was medium build, his long hair tied in a man bun. Who knew warlocks could be stylish?

  “We’re here to get you to sign a little contract. You’re not fit to be the leader of the warlocks, which means you need to give it over…” He paused, his eyes narrowing on the small bit of my head he could see. “…to us.”

  My scoff was met with a frown. As if I would just sign away the leadership to a warlock I had never met. Was he crazy? Erm, probably. Warlocks had a little bit of a reputation when it came to the magic they used and their sanity. But, Isaac Senior had done a good job of restoring balance to his coven, making sure that the magic he taught didn’t cause disastrous consequences.

  “I think you’d better leave, before I make you.” My harsh words were met with a laugh as he stepped closer to Kingsley’s cage.

  My fists shook as I clenched my fingers tight. If he took one more step, I wouldn’t be held responsible for my
actions. The police would arrest me because there would be no way he would survive my onslaught.

  “If you don’t hand over the leadership, I’m going to pop out his little eyes.”

  Something snapped in me, making me move without my knowledge or consent. I was over the sofa, my arms and legs moving on autopilot. My hands were stretched in front of me, electrical magic sizzling around my palms. Once I got my hands on him, he would die.

  He took a step towards the cage, his arm outstretched. But, before I had the satisfaction of feeling his life fried under my palms, a gunshot brought me skidding to a halt just before him. His raised arm dropped as his eyes widened and his body slouched forward, reaching for me. Stepping back, I let him drop to the floor, a gasp escaping my mouth when I saw Gerard standing in the hall.

  “What did you do that for?” I asked, looking down at my now normal hands.

  “You’re welcome.” His sharp retort came as he strode into the apartment and surveyed the damage.

  My floor had a spreading bloodstain on it, marking the blue rug that already needed a clean.

  My throat was dry as I tried to swallow.

  “We need to get out of here, just in case any more are on their way.” Going over to the cage, Gerard took out Kingsley and cradled him in his hand. I rushed over, trying to snatch him.

  “You need to gather a few things. You won’t be able to stay here until this is cleaned up.”

  His commanding tone made me pause. My thoughts were buzzing all over the place. Why had the warlocks come for me? I had literally just spoken to Maxwell, but I didn’t get the feeling it had anything to do with him. Was he a rogue warlock?

  Going over to my bedside table, I pulled out underwear, not caring that Gerard could see. I was in a daze as I spun away from gathering items to go over to him.

  “I need to cuddle him,” I said, trying to stop my lip from wobbling. “No one has ever threatened him.”

  Gerard’s tough man gaze softened. Handing me Kingsley, he snatched a bag from the floor and packed random clothes. I snuggled my pet, kissing him all over his little face. If anything ever happened to him, I would never forgive myself.

  “You want any of this?” He gestured to my mystical paraphernalia.

  Picking up the tarot pack, he put them in their box and placed them in the bag. My heart plummeted as I remembered the card that had jumped out just before I’d been attacked. It had been a warning.

  “Are you okay?”

  His question was sudden as he stopped directly in front of me. Reaching out, he stroked Kingsley’s head, making him almost purr. I looked up at him, my saviour. Ugh. How annoying that he just had to come to the rescue at the right time.

  “I could’ve handled him, you know. I was about to-”

  “Yeah, yeah, let’s go.” Tapping my arm, he pointed towards the door. “I’ll call backup to come clean this up. It will take a couple of days, but after that we’ll cast a protection spell so you can come home.”

  Pointing at the warlock who had been shot, I stuttered my words as Gerard tried to shuffle me out. “Surely, the…the police will…you shot him. Some…someone must have heard.”

  “I spelled the gun, humans can’t hear it. See,” he said, pushing me down the stairs. “…this is why you need to be a witch. You’re a wreck when something you care about is threatened. You could’ve hidden Kingsley if-”

  “Alright, Smarty Mac-arsehole. I get it. I’ll be a witch… just stop being…you.”

  Shoving me onto the street, Gerard checked around before marching me to the curb. Hailing a taxi, he waved his hand over Kingsley, who was sitting on my shoulder. It was a good idea to hide him from the human who would be driving us. Just in case he didn’t like rodents.

  “Aw, you love that I’m a witch. We can be witchy friends together. Who else would bail you out and save your arse?”

  Chapter 16

  “Devon, I’m glad you’re here.” Justina wrote something on a clipboard as she spoke, not looking at me. “I heard you had a scare earlier. Can I trust that you’ve left that behind?”

  The van jolted as it came to a stop. A team of us were in the back, ready to make the raid on the mansion in Mayfair. I had refused to let the warlock attack ruffle me. As soon as I had got into the agency, I had turned my agent brain on. Kingsley was safe in a new cage in one of the bedrooms. Lilia had offered to take care of him for me, which gave me a huge sense of comfort. She was an angel, one of the most caring people I had ever met.

  “I’m fine, I’m ready.” My declaration made her smile.

  We hadn’t had much of a chance to get to know one another, but our kinship had grown. Since the moment I’d had the interview, we’d clicked. For once in my life, I felt like I belonged, regardless of what type of supernatural I was.

  “Okay, team,” she said, looking up from her list. “Gerard managed to get an address from the shapeshifter. He’s just a slave too, doing their bidding.”

  There were two other people in the van with us. A man who had been at the agency for two years and a woman who had over ten years’ experience. They had both been polite when I first met them, not really mixing too much. Apparently, it was quite common for partners to stick together. Each set would work on different cases. Yes, apparently there were many of them.

  The other pair were backup. They’d wait outside while the four of us went in. We had been told exactly what to do. And, this time, we were not going in first. Our bosses were taking the lead.

  The back door of the van opened, revealing Kurt. He had driven us to our destination.

  “It’s all clear,” he said. “I’ve alerted the police. Told them that the van is hidden by a spell. They’re avoiding Mayfair for an hour. After that, we have to get out. There’s a lot of very rich people around here, so security is stupidly tight. We have a warrant, so we don’t have to sneak in. However, we’re expecting a fight.” Kurt was so in tune with Justina, he basically picked up where she left off.

  None of us spoke, instead, waiting for our orders. The good thing about working with the agency was that they were so organised, I rarely had to think for myself. It made life a lot easier.

  “Let’s go.” Kurt waved us out, smiling at Justina when she climbed down.

  Gerard helped me out. His face was straight, serious. He was mentally preparing himself for a fight. My own energy bubbled under my skin, a hint of my earlier fury still evident. Whoever dared to cross me would get hit with the wrath of what was owed to the warlocks who had attacked me. Maybe I should have felt some guilt about that. Nope. No guilt.

  A small smile spread on my lips as I almost hoped for a battle. Whoever was in that house was going to get what was coming to them. They had been kidnapping witches and draining their magic before selling them off as slaves. It was disgusting.

  “Keep your head clear,” Kurt instructed, unzipping his jacket, ready for easy access to his weapons. “Let’s go.”

  The other pair stationed themselves on the street outside. A tall gate with security cameras stood between us and the big house in the grounds behind them. We weren’t going to gain access that easily.

  Justina hid behind Kurt’s bulk as he pressed the button. We stood behind them, side by side. Glancing at Gerard, I kept my face straight as our gaze met. My strength had returned since the spell on the shapeshifter had broken, allowing me to feel normal again.

  “Hello?” A voice came over the speaker. The accent was clear in just one word.

  Justina’s back straightened, her hands clenching at her sides. She recognised it, which meant it was Luis Camos. Adrenaline started to pump as Kurt leant forward to speak.

  “My name is Kurt Fielding, I’m from the Hunted Witch Agency. We have a warrant to search this property.”

  The speaker went muffled before we heard him speak again. “Oh, shit!”

  As it went silent, Justina looked over her shoulder, a smile on her face. “Oh, shit, indeed. Let’s get the bastard.”

  Snatchin
g my hand at the same time as Kurt and Justina held hands, Gerard tried to flash us. It didn’t work. Great, they had protected the house with a barrier spell. That was okay, I knew the perfect way to get through.

  Letting go of Gerard, I moved in front of the big wooden gates. They watched me, not questioning what I was doing as I raised my hands, holding them apart. Humming, I pulled magic from beneath my feet. It pulsed through me and out of my hands, forming into a ball of flames.

  My humming grew louder as I increased the size. We had to get inside quickly, before Luis could escape. There was no way he would get away from us. It was his time.

  “That’s incredible,” Justina said to Gerard. “Did you know how good she was?”

  I caught the shake of his head out of the corner of my eye. Pushing them out of my mind, I concentrated, staring at the gates ahead. Gathering my strength, I grunted loudly as I threw the ball forward as hard as I could.

  The wood exploded as the flames hit it square in the middle, leaving a huge gaping hole. The protection spell wobbled, leaving a visible ethereal slit inside the hole.

  “We have to go quickly, before the spell repairs itself.” Shoving my way forward, I slipped inside, grinning to myself when the others followed, clapping me on the back as they passed.

  “Hurry,” Kurt said. “I want to kill that son of a bitch.”

  “No.” Justina grabbed his arm before letting go. “He’s mine!”

  Running up the drive, we went straight for the front door. The huge towering white building had at least four floors. It would take a lot to search them all. The gardens swept back, away from the house, flowerbeds dotted here and there. It was a stunning place.

  As Kurt was about to kick the door open, I caught movement just to the side of the house. Tapping Gerard’s arm, I ran towards the left, my feet kicking up the tiny stones that made up the garden path. Gerard’s footsteps followed me as I rounded the corner, my gaze landing on the retreating back of a man who was trying to escape.