by Shona Husk
Embodied
Coven of the Raven
Shona Husk
Copyright © 2019 by Shona Husk
Cover art by Studioenp
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
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Contents
Other books in the series
Back Cover Copy
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Epilogue
Excerpt: Cursed
Excerpt: Hunted
About the Author
Other titles by Shona Husk
Other books in the series
Back Cover Copy
A love potion gone wrong leads to a goddess hijacking Alexis’ body. Driven by the goddess, Alexis will do anything to catch her boss’s eye. It’s unfortunate that he starts to notice her for all the wrong reasons. Such as the army of cats following her around.
Peyton Kilpatrick has always kept his relationship with Alexis professional despite the simmering interest. But something has changed: she crackles with magic and she wants more from him than he’s able to give. As a witch and a lawyer his life is complicated enough, throw in a hellhound bite that causes all kinds of side effects around the full moon and he really isn’t boyfriend material.
When Alexis finally gets Peyton in bed, things get hairy. Peyton reveals what he is and convinces her to give up her new-found power. If she doesn’t get rid of the goddess inhabiting her body she’ll die.
Chapter 1
Alexis Carlson gathered up the mail and put the envelopes in the in-trays of the three lawyers she worked for, leaving Peyton for last. Of the other two, one had already gone for the day and the other was on the phone.
Peyton was working, his fingers moving fast over the keyboard. She paused for a moment to watch and admire before stepping into his office. He glanced up but didn’t stop, so she moved quickly toward his desk to drop the mail. This wasn’t the time to ask what plans he had for Valentine’s Day.
He was single, as far as she knew. But she wouldn’t be surprised if he’d received dozens of offers. Or maybe he had a function to go to. Some fancy country club event. He was so far out of her league she shouldn’t be wondering, but there was something about him that had always made her heart lift and her breath catch. A glint in his eyes or the way his mouth curved into a half smile.
Peyton was also the most eligible man in the firm. Which was another reason she shouldn’t be thinking of him as anything other than a lawyer, and her boss.
He stopped typing and looked at her; his dark hair was never out of place. She’d never seen him be anything but composed. He didn’t have temper tantrums like Reggie Holt, or curse like a sailor the way Ben Campbell did. Or leer the way some of the older men did. If he had any bad habits then she hadn’t discovered them. Yet there had to be a reason he was single.
“Got anything exciting for me, Alexis?”
“I don’t think so. Latest journal and a few letters.” She handed them to him rather than putting them in his in-tray.
He smiled as he took them and added them to a pile that wasn’t his in-tray.
She hesitated. Maybe she was imagining this vibe between them. However, she didn’t have this sensation with anyone else. She could get in an elevator with any other man and not hope they’d be trapped. With him she always hoped for a few minutes alone so he’d make a move. He never had, and the tension had never lessened. When he lifted an eyebrow her heart tripped over itself and her mouth dried.
She could fantasize all she wanted, but she doubted he’d ever seen her as anything but the woman who dealt with his paperwork. There must be something wrong with him; what, she couldn’t imagine. He didn’t even chew with his mouth open at staff morning teas.
“Did you put in your application for the PA job with Stevenson?”
Alexis blinked and her brain had to stop wondering why Peyton Kilpatrick was single. “Um…not yet.”
There’d be other people applying. People with more experience.
“You should. I’ll give you a reference.”
“Trying to get rid of me.” She laughed, trying to make her words a joke, but the laugh was more of a snort. Could she be any more awkward?
Peyton shook his head. “No. I don’t know how I’d live without you, but you deserve the promotion.”
If she got the job, she wouldn’t be able to see Peyton on a daily basis. Which might help her obsession. “If I didn’t get it, I don’t know how I’d be able be able to turn up.”
His lips parted in understanding. “I wouldn’t hold it against you.”
He might not but word would get around. Everyone would know she’d tried and failed. She’d have to find a new job and she liked this one. And not just because of Peyton. Mostly because of Peyton. Before she’d done the interview for this job she’d thrown up twice. She wasn’t ready to go through that stress again. The risk of failure was too great.
“Think about it, Alexis.”
She nodded. She’d thought about it and had decided no. The extra money would be nice, but there was more to life than money. And now she was standing in his office like some kind of chatty annoying coat rack. She licked her lips and she was sure his gaze dropped just a little. What did she think was going to happen?
That he was going to reach over the desk and pull her close?
She’d had that thought a few times. But it wasn’t going to happen. Couldn’t. He was her boss. And he was trying to get her to take a job working for someone else in the firm. …Maybe he was interested and he wouldn’t do anything while she worked for him.
“Got plans for the weekend?” It was Valentine’s Day on Saturday. But she wasn’t going to ask about that directly.
“Catching up with some friends.”
“Yeah, me too.” Her best friend had put together a coven and they were making love potions or something. She didn’t believe in magic. She was there to make up numbers. Most times she wished she was home in the bath with a romance novel and a glass of wine. That was a better way to spend an evening instead of sitting on the floor surrounded by candles and chanting or meditating to raise energy or whatever Bethany had planned. She always felt odd afterward, like her skin wanted to run a marathon. The incense didn’t agree with her. Bethany called her overly anxious.
Bethany was probably right.
“Well, I hope you have a good weekend.” She took a step back before the conversation could get any more strained. Fifteen minutes until she could leave for the day. She was sure she could find something to do at her desk.
“You too.” He gave her that smile and for a moment she believed he liked her as more than a secretary. Which was ridiculous. His family came from money, her family scraped by. Her father had always reminded her not to overreach but be happy with what she had. Advice she’d taken to heart.
It was better to have something than nothing, and at the moment she had the hope that Peyton liked her. If she asked him out and he said no, that hope would be crushed. And if he did like her, he’d never ask her out because she worked for him and he was too honorable. She smiled to herself as she walk
ed to her desk. Really, they had the perfect relationship.
As requested by Bethany, Alexis dressed in pink and had matching roses. Of all the silly things she’d done for Bethany and her coven, this had to top the list. It at least made the top three. The six other women were also in pink and there were rose-scented candles everywhere.
She sniffed, but the sneeze never eventuated even though the tingle remained. Bethany wanted to create some kind of love charm because it had been a year since she’d dated anyone, and she was tired of scrolling through dating sites only to find men who wanted a hook up. Another of the women wanted to put the spark back in her marriage.
Alexis wanted Peyton.
But she couldn’t say that. She’d never admit to that crush. It wasn’t as though she was totally dateless. She’d gone out, she’d let her friends set her up, but the men never measured up to Peyton. Her father would tell her she was aiming too high. Her mother would remind her that it was better to have something than nothing and ask again why she couldn’t be happy with some of the other men she’d dated. It wasn’t that she was holding out. She just wanted something…more.
But she didn’t know what that was. Her whole life she’d been searching for something, and so far she’d and never found it. Probably because it didn’t exist. The first few meetings of Bethany’s coven had been fun. Conversation and champagne, less about spells and more about catching up with friends and having fun. It was an improvement on the book club Bethany had tried to get them all involved in before this. They’d never been fun books. Truthfully Alexis had never finished any of them. She wasn’t sure Bethany had either. Sandra totally had and made sure that everyone knew.
Despite the pink and the incense, this was definitely better than book club.
Tonight could be fun. She’d make a charm and then come up with a colorful story about how it worked that they could all laugh about next month. She was sure some of the others would do the same. It wasn’t like this was a real coven. None of their spells had ever worked—not when the witty stories were removed.
Bethany kissed her cheek. “Champagne?”
“Yes.” She’d agree to everything and have fun. Even if she didn’t believe that Bethany’s chosen goddess, Freya, was actually going to listen to them. What had happened to all the old gods and goddesses? Had they retired or been killed? Did gods die? The whole concept was kind of odd.
“This time tomorrow no man will be able to resist us.” Danika’s glass was almost empty, her eyes were bright. How many champagnes had she drunk?
More likely they’d all end up with a hangover and spend Sunday eating chocolate and watching rom coms in their PJs. Which didn’t sound like a bad way to spend the day. Alexis took a large drink of her champagne. “So, when do we start?”
“Just waiting on Jayne. Then we’ll ask Freya for some help.”
Alexis grinned like it was the best plan Bethany had ever come up with. If Alexis was an ancient goddess being dragged out of retirement to help a few women who couldn’t get a date, she wouldn’t be very impressed. Although it might be nice to have worshippers again.
She checked out the circle and altar in the living room, decorated with a Freya statue, pink candles, and something to represent each element. Each time it was more elaborate as Bethany did more reading on how to be a witch. As long as they didn’t accidentally summon a demon—not that she believed in them either—they’d be fine. She was sure Bethany knew what she was doing. Alexis snagged a chocolate-coated strawberry from the plate on the coffee table that had been shoved against the wall.
Bethany had gone all out with the theme. Rose petals on the floor, pink sheets covered the usually brown sofa, chocolate and champagne. It was very date like, like a planned seduction. She couldn’t imagine doing anything like this in her apartment. Or even trying to seduce a guy. Bethany had told them all to wear sexy lingerie, and the best Alexis had been able to put on was a pink t-shirt bra and matching thong. They matched and they were pink, so that kind of fit the requirement. From experience, no man had ever bothered to appreciate her underwear when they were getting naked.
Jayne arrived in cloud of pink tulle and a feather boa. She downed her champagne in one big swallow and then topped up her glass. “I’m here. Let’s do this. There’s a hot thing at the gym that really needs to notice me.”
“You can’t do this with someone in mind,” Bethany said. “Free will, remember?”
Jayne pouted. “Fine. There’s plenty of them. I guess any of them will do. It’s been so long I’ve forgotten if my bed squeaks.” She rolled her hips just in case someone didn’t understand what she was implying.
Alexis tried not to roll her eyes. She doubted it had been more than a month since Jayne had been single. She, on the other hand, hadn’t gone on a date in three months. No one had caught her eye and the man she really wanted was the one who never looked twice at her. Or if he did look twice it was so subtle she didn’t notice.
His smile filled her mind. She couldn’t think of him.
What did it matter? This wasn’t going to work. The money charm hadn’t worked. The spell they’d done to help Bethany get a new job had failed. Nadine getting pregnant had more to do with biology than magic.
But Alexis took her seat at the edge of the circle and watched as Bethany raised a circle and greeted the four elements. The first time Bethany had done that, Alexis had stifled a giggle. Now it was soothing, almost like the church rituals her parents had made her sit through as a child. They still prayed for her, but she couldn’t be bothered going. There was no point in praying to a god that did nothing.
That included Freya.
Bethany had written something they were all supposed to chant, repeating the lines after her. Alexis didn’t pay attention to the words. She said them by rote, having done this enough times before. After this they were going to watch a movie and have some nibbles and hang out. That was why she was there. That was why she came every month and sat through this part. She liked being with her friends and this was the one night a month when they all got together.
The flames flickered and grew long for a moment. The hairs on her arms stood on end. The urge to sneeze was back, but if she broke the spell Bethany would be annoyed. The incense tickled the back of her throat and her skin was doing that tingle like there were spiders running over her flesh.
She shuddered.
If Peyton knew she was doing this, he wouldn’t have offered to write a reference. He’d be laughing his ass off. She quickly tried to erase thoughts of him before she did something to break his free will—but that would imply she believed in this stuff and she didn’t. Did she?
She said the last word of Bethany’s chant. Silence filled the room. It seemed to swell and consume everyone like a living thing. She couldn’t breathe. The room became unbearably hot, as though she were baking in an oven.
“Are you all right?” Bethany peered at her and the room was sideways.
Alexis blinked a few times. “Fine?”
The lights were on and everyone was staring at her. It was then she realized the room wasn’t sideways, she was lying down. She struggled to sit up.
“How much did you drink?” Jayne sat on the sofa and sipped her champagne.
How much had she had? “Just one glass, I think.” She shook her head and tried to clear the noise in her ears. “I’m fine. It was the incense. It always makes me feel a bit…” How did she describe it? “I might be allergic to it.”
Bethany stared at her. “You fainted because of incense?”
“I got light headed. I’m fine now.” She smiled as brightly as she could manage. She had no idea what had happened. Or what was wrong with her. She didn’t feel one hundred percent fine. Her skin was buzzing like she was made out of one thousand bees. Maybe the room was too hot, and there was still too much of that damn incense scratching at the back of her throat. “Can I get some fresh air?” She used the sofa to pull herself up to standing. “Did you finish the spell?”
>
But even as the words left her lips she was sure it had worked. Something was different this time.
Bethany glanced away. “You were breathing so I finished. I couldn’t let all that magic go to waste.”
No, of course not, that would be silly. Magic should be used after being gathered. Alexis held herself still. She didn’t believe in magic, so why did it matter? Where had that thought about magic gathering come from?
It must have been something Bethany had said.
Jayne handed her a glass of water that she gratefully accepted, gulping it down like it had been hours since she’d last had a drink. She was still too warm and her heart was beating too fast. Definitely allergic to the incense. She tugged off the pink sweater, glad that she’d put a pink singlet on underneath. Bethany opened the window and Alexis leaned out and drew the cold air into her lungs. For a moment she was as light as a feather. If she jumped she’d fly, not shatter on the ground.
Those thoughts were not like her at all.
Maybe she was getting the flu. It was spring, but it could be a late flu. Except she didn’t feel sick. She felt…invincible.
Chapter 2
Having spent Valentine’s Day at the Uncommon Raven Agency (the business name of his coven) getting his ass kicked all over the mats by Noah and then Sunday reading through a blood contract for them, going into the office on Monday morning was something of a break for Peyton. He needed to spend more time with his coven, work more cases with them, but unlike the rest of them he had an outside job. He didn’t work for the agency. His father would turn in his grave if he did. Peyton had a partnership coming his way, in another ten years or so, because his grandfather was one of the founders of the firm.
