Ripping away from her, I almost drowned. Well, not quite. My head went underwater as I kicked to try and get up again. My shock had caused me to sink.
“Come on,” Lilia called as she flip-flopped towards the door.
Placing my hands on the edge of the pool, I hauled myself out. Water ran off me as I almost skipped to catch up. Flinging my towel around me, I didn’t bother to wait. Whispering a relocation spell, I paused when I landed outside Gerard’s room. Gerard was awake? Gerard was awake.
My heart couldn’t make up its mind. One minute it was beating fast, the next it almost stopped. When I had last spoken to him, we hadn’t been in a good place. He had then given up all his magic for me. Would he regret it?
Not caring that I was dripping water all over the floor, I entered the room, my gaze instantly seeking my man. He was sitting up in bed, sipping water through a straw. The colour had returned to his cheeks as Kurt fussed over him. My whole body started to shake as I drew nearer.
“Thank goodness you’re back,” Kurt said, neither of them noticing that I was there. “I don’t know what I would do without you, man.”
My feet paused. I had never heard Kurt be so open with his male colleague. Tears popped into my eyes as I realised how close we had all become.
“You can come over now,” Kurt said, turning to look at me. “Your magic healed him.”
His eyebrows rose as I tucked the towel around me. My wet hair stuck to my neck as I avoided Gerard’s gaze. Why the hell had I come to see him half naked? Now was not the time to be watering the floor.
Chewing my lip, I moved closer as Kurt left us to it. Finally allowing myself to look into his green eyes, I swallowed the lump that rose to my throat.
My partner, Mr Handsome-man, was resting his head against two pure white pillows. He still needed support. I still needed him. And yet, I couldn’t find the words to break the silence.
“Kurt told me that you were able to disarm the bomb.”
No. I wouldn’t allow him to be the agent with me. He had to know that I was sorry for storming out on him.
Sitting on the bed, I grabbed his hand. “I almost lost you.”
His gaze dropped to stare at our entwined fingers. Gently squeezing me, he licked his lips. “I thought I would lose you. You risked your life when you took all that magic into you. You were prepared to die to save all the people that were trapped. You were prepared to die for me.”
A shaky breath left me as I nodded. “I told you. I’ll do anything to be with you. Anything.”
If Gerard chose that moment to tell me that he wasn’t going to be with me, I wouldn’t be responsible for my actions. He had almost died helping me. There was no way he could pretend that he didn’t love me.
“It’s not about me anymore,” he said, stroking my arm as he let me go. “Your problem with magic is not helping our situation. You say that you could give up both links to witch and warlock magic, but I’m not sure that you really mean it.”
“If you’re talking about my addiction, I’m going to work on it. My father has offered to help me. The solstice is so close. Once the warlock link has gone, I’ll basically be in rehab.” The distasteful expression that must have crossed my face made Gerard chuckle.
It was good to see him looking so well. It was amazing to smile with him again. My light mood crashed as my body finally relaxed. Gerard wasn’t dead. A sob escaped me before I could snatch it back. Moving quicker than I could, Gerard wrapped his arms around me, holding me tight against his chest.
“I love you,” I whispered as tears mixed with the water from my hair, smearing across his hunky man chest. “I’m so glad you’re alive.”
“I should bloody well hope so.” His voice was tight.
Pulling away, I looked into his eyes. They were clear, full of clarity. The tinge of colour in his cheeks was the only sign that he was feeling any emotion.
“Devon Jinx,” he breathed. “You’re crazy.”
And, that wasn’t what I was expecting to hear from him. Amazing, yes, without a doubt. Kickass, well, I tried. That he loved me more than his gun. Of course. But, no, he stated the obvious.
“Is that-?”
“I haven’t finished.” His gaze softened as he glanced down the length of me.
My towel was half hanging off, revealing my red swimsuit. I had left a massive patch of wet bed beneath me, although I was starting to dry off.
“I told you before, you’re my crazy. Before you decide to get unlinked from the ley line, do one thing for me?”
One thing. I could do one thing. Couldn’t I? It would depend on what it was, of course. If he wanted me to meet other men, I would put him back into a coma. Or, maybe he would want me to-
“When the warlock link has gone, spend one week without using any magic so you can remember what it felt like before you gained all your power. If you can cope without it, I’ll support your wish to disconnect from both links.”
“Does that mean you’ll marry me?” Where had that question come from? It was supposed to be the man who asked the woman. Or was it? I suppose not, but still… not the right time, Devon.
Threading his fingers into the back of my wet hair, Gerard brought my head nearer to him. His gaze was locked on mine, his breath hitched in his throat. “If you keep running away when conversations get hard, I’m not sure we’ll ever make it to a wedding day.”
The corner of his lips twitched in an attempt not to smile. My fake glare made Mr Not Funny pull me closer. As we kissed, a knock on the door went ignored.
It sounded again louder, causing us to pull apart. Groaning, I stroked Gerard’s hair. “I know you’re worried about my addiction. I am too. I promise that I’m going to deal with it. I’m going to deal with everything so I can be free to live my life.”
His sigh was drowned out as the knocking got more urgent. “Sorry to interrupt, but Gerard needs his rest. Now is not the time to have makeup-”
“Come in!” I shouted before Kurt could finish his sentence.
The whole of the agency building would’ve been able to hear him. As if we needed the other agents to assume that I’d jumped on a man who had just come out of a coma. It might have crossed my mind, but I wasn’t that shallow.
The door opened. Both Kurt and Justina came into the room. I kissed Gerard quickly before getting to my feet. Justina’s frown confused me until she looked down at my towel.
“Oh, I was swimming when Lilia told me that Gerard was awake.”
A slight nod of her head was the only acknowledgement she gave me. “Gerard,” she gushed suddenly, going over to him. “I’m so pleased you’re awake. You had us worried for a moment.”
Ignoring me, she stood beside his bed, her foot tapping the floor. Glancing at Kurt, I held in the mirth that wanted to escape.
“Just bloody hug him or something, woman,” Kurt said, coming over with another one of his herb concoctions. “You’re making it weird.”
Gerard opened his arms, inviting Justina to go closer. She thrust forward, awkwardly throwing her arms around him. Patting him twice on the shoulder, she hurriedly withdrew, her boss demeanour back in place. It took a lot for her to really soften. I felt honoured that she was obviously more comfortable with me. I wasn’t surprised, Gerard wasn’t exactly Mr Warm to anyone but me.
Kurt put his arm around Justina’s shoulder. “Very nice, darling. Why don’t you get on with what you really came here for?”
Three of us laughed as Justina swept Kurt’s arm off her. Ah, so that’s why she’d been so stiff. She trusted Kurt when he said that Gerard was well. Which meant, she was only being polite to her top agent. What was it she actually wanted?
“Fine.” She almost snapped, her head turning to me. “Devon, Mary just called. She’s ready to prepare you for the solstice. We need to go. Now.”
Chapter Four
“It’s weird not having Gerard and Kurt here with us.”
Nodding her agreement, Justina marched across the car park afte
r shutting the van door. Once we’d arrived at Mary’s, the seer had insisted that we drive to Clava Cairns. She had told us in no uncertain terms that she would not be transported by magic. Apparently, it made her sick.
Shuffling along behind us, Mary grunted. Turning back, I took her bag from her, not giving her a chance to refuse. She had tried to make me leave her alone as soon as she stepped out of the van. However, her huffing and puffing was not getting us into the clearing any quicker.
Her grey hair was loose down her back, her hips waddling as her dress swayed. The long lilac patchwork material was threadbare, but somehow it suited the Celtic seer.
“Go through that gate there,” Mary called to Justina.
My boss had stopped by the entrance to Clava Cairns. She was checking something on her phone. Hopefully she would be able to put the case to one side while we got on with whatever it was Mary needed us to do.
“You’re both so interested in modern day technology, you’ve failed to notice the standing stones right in front of you.” Mary tutted as she gestured for us to follow her into the clearing.
The grass was springy under my feet as I got closer. There were several tall standing stones placed in a circle around a circular rocky burial chamber. It was ancient. There was no roof, and the stones were only halfway up. However, there was a little entrance into a small area in the middle.
“There are three Cairns here,” Mary said as we walked up to one of them. “They are all placed directly in line with the sun. They are pagan, of course. Witches used the alignment of the sun and moon to cast their spells and bury their dead. The tall standing stones that are surrounding the Cairns all play their own part.”
Going up to the tallest stone in the clearing, I placed my hand on it. The energy of history was strong, the vibration tickling my fingers.
“That stone was used as inspiration for the television show that has that hunky Scottish man in it.” Mary placed her hand on the other side. “You know the one, don’t you?”
“Seriously? Jamie Fraser is one of my favourite characters.”
“You read?” Justina said, laughing when I growled in her direction.
Her relaxed expression made me smile. She had been on edge ever since Mackenzie had escaped from prison. No one had ever been able to escape. The government were on her back to find him. To say that they were going to make an example of him was an understatement. I hated to think what they had planned.
“These stones hold incredible power on the solstice. They link into mother earth and the moon at the same time.” Mary threaded her arm through mine and walked me towards the other end of the clearing.
“It’s so peaceful here.” My muscles started to relax.
There was something soothing about the presence of so much earth energy. The amount of witches throughout the ages who had probably used these stones made my heart warm.
“Yes,” Mary said, her shoulders lowering. “Ever since that show came out, the stones have attracted a lot of attention.”
“I can imagine that doesn’t help with the natural magic here,” Justina piped up from behind.
Slowing down, we waited for her to join us. She had seemed disinterested in helping me with the link. However, I knew that wasn’t really the case. She was probably way too focused on the drug case to be worried about me. I always had to go and make things more complicated. Not that I had planned on inheriting the warlock link.
“I’m sorry about this,” I said, taking her hands in mine. “I know you don’t need it on top of everything.”
Confusion crossed her face before she smiled gently. Taking a huge breath, she released it before she looked me in the eye. “I know I’ve been distracted recently. It’s not because of the case. It’s something else.”
Sharing a look with Mary, Justina raised her eyebrows. The seer nodded as a sharp laugh came from her thin lips.
Okay, this was just getting weird. If Justina wasn’t distracted because of Mackenzie Dickhead… Oh, that could work. In fact, that was my new mission. I would come up with as many nasty nicknames for Mackenzie as I could. Anyway, Justina…
Snapping back to attention when Justina’s face lit up, I tried not to frown. “What’s going on?”
My boss’s throat moved as she swallowed hard. Looking at the ground, she mumbled something that I couldn’t hear. Tugging her hands, I almost shouted. “What? I can’t hear you. You’re being strange. It’s not like you to be strange.”
“I’m pregnant, Devon.”
As her cheeks glowed pink, my jaw almost hit the floor. Excitement suddenly bubbled causing me to hop up and down while holding onto my best friend. That’s what she had become. Not only my boss, but a best friend.
“I can’t believe it!”
Suddenly throwing off her usual calm facade, Justina squealed as she hugged me to her. My face planted into her boobs as she squeezed me tightly. Almost unable to breathe, I choked out a laugh as Mary cleared her throat.
“I hate to put a downer on things, but-”
“Congratulations,” a deep male voice interrupted our girly explosion of excitement.
Instantly falling apart, we turned in unison, our exuberance evaporating as we spotted the barrel of a gun. A man, probably in his forties, his hair long and tied back, aimed it directly at us.
“Who are you?” I demanded.
My hand rested on my dagger where it poked out of my jacket. I had a lot of magic, and yet, I knew that I had to keep control. Clava Cairns did not need my magic to ruin it. The purity of the place had to be kept intact.
The man was short, barely taller than me. That was a miracle. I was almost tempted to share my height woes with him. It must be a nightmare for a man to be a short arse. Although, if he went around holding pretty women at gunpoint, he would never make it in life anyway.
“You don’t need to know who I am,” he said, staring straight at Mary. “But, you can call me Bradley.”
Huh? I wasn’t exactly the sharpest knife in the weapon cabinet, but had he just completely contradicted himself?
Justina put her hands on her hips. “Look, I’m not in the mood for this. Please state what it is you want.”
The queen of diplomacy may well be a thing of the past. Being pregnant, Justina would have hormones rushing throughout her body. Maybe that meant she would let us fight more. A sliver of adrenaline pulsed through me as I imagined cradling her baby in my arms. How would she be able to keep doing her job if she was going to be a mother?
“It’s simple,” Bradley muttered, coming closer.
Standing in front of Justina, I grabbed my dagger out and held it in his direction. He smirked, his gaze tracing the weapon in my hand. If he dared to underestimate what it could do, I was tempted to show him just for the sake of it.
“He’s a seer,” Mary said, moving in front of me. “What do you want?”
Wait. I had moved to protect my pregnant lady boss. Why had Mary, an ancient woman, put herself in front of me? Didn’t she see that I had an amazing dagger in my hand? What was she playing at?
“I want her.” Bradley’s eyebrows screwed up.
Had the man just confused himself? It looked like he had no idea what he’d just said. Anyway, if he wanted me, he would have to try and catch me. Not that I wanted to play chase right now.
“Wait,” Bradley said, lowering his gun ever so slightly. “No. I want what she has. The link.”
Oh boy. If the male seer wanted the warlock magic, every supernatural being would be after me soon enough. Although, was it even possible for them to access any of the power? Why were people so stupid?
“I’d love to help you with that,” I said, pushing Mary behind me. “But, you see, I’m not going to. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we have something to do.”
His laugh made me pause as I went to turn away. Why? Just why?
“You think that I’m powerless,” he said, his arm lifting again. “I’m not.”
Clearing her throat, Justina drew his att
ention. Her hands were on her slim hips, her hair tucked behind her ears. “You have exactly one minute to get out of here before I arrest you. The government is getting sick of paranormal creatures fighting. This link will go back to the warlocks and everyone will be happy about it. Do you understand?”
“I’ve tampered with the stones. There’s nothing you can do to disconnect the half breed from them without me. Good luck with that.”
Spinning, the seer started to run. My feet were moving before anyone could say a word. Jeez, he was fast. How was he so fast on such short legs?
“Get back here, you little runt,” I shouted, my blood boiling at his interference.
He was an insignificant little fool. If a seer was the one who was going to stop me from getting rid of the warlock magic, I would kill him. No guilt, no shame.
My breath huffed in and out as I chased him to the entrance. My willpower held strong as I fought the urge to use my magic to trip him over. If he had tampered with the stones, I wanted to rip his heart out. Okay, maybe my addiction was blurring the lines of professionalism.
“Stop!”
My shout went ignored as he opened the gate and thrust through. My feet skidded to a halt, my boots kicking up grass as the little man disappeared. He literally pushed out of existence. Shit. How had he vanished? He wasn’t able to cast spells. In fact, it was rare to have a male seer.
“He’s gone,” I called to the others as I re-joined them.
Mary was touching the main standing stone, feeling the energy around it. Justina was doing something with her tablet, holding it in the air and moving it around. I knew that she loved to use her technology, but waving it around wasn’t going to do much.
“We need to get out of here,” she said suddenly, looking at me. “Don’t look at me like that, I was checking the resonance of magic around the borders of the clearing. It looks pretty clear except for one space in the car park. Just a slice of energy that doesn’t belong here.”
“Ah,” Mary said, taking my arm and tugging me. “We do need to get out of here then. Bradley must be working with someone who’s able to open a slit in time. He probably transported through it.”
Hunted Witch Agency Box Set Books 4-5 (Hunted Witch Agency Set Book 2) Page 17
