I was about to open my mouth to object when a rush of intense heat filtered through my body. Falling back against the sofa, I pushed my head into the soft cushion. Gerard must have taken my drink because my hands were empty. Reaching up to my head, I held it as it spun out of control. Not my actual head, but inside my head, like when you’re dizzy. Was I thinking these stupid thoughts?
“Relax,” a sweet voice whispered.
“What have you done to her?” Oh, what a sexy deep voice.
I needed to hear that voice in my ear. All day long. He could whisper insults to me if he wanted, I didn’t care. I just needed to hear it more.
“Devon, what are you doing?” There is was again.
My eyes couldn’t focus on anything as my body was moved. Where were they taking me? Oh, man, the seer had drugged me, hadn’t she? At least I had Gerard there to protect me. Although, maybe he didn’t like me enough to bother.
“I can’t see!” I said suddenly, the darkness too thick to move through.
“That’s because your eyes are closed.”
Ha ha, Sarcastic Mac-bumhead.
“Hey, don’t insult me just because you’re high.”
“Did I just say that out loud? Oops, sorry.”
My giggle vibrated in my ears, making me cover them. I still couldn’t see, my mind struggling to focus on anything at all.
“Listen to my voice,” Becky said, cutting into my flickering thoughts.
Blinking, I forced myself to keep my eyes open. It was a struggle, but I managed it. Becky was still sitting in her chair. Her head was resting against the back, her eyes…looking strange. Her pupils had rolled into the back of her head.
Trying to look around, I stopped when Gerard’s face came into view. He was sitting, and I was looking up at him. Wait, how? Oh…his thick muscular thigh was supporting my head as I lay across the sofa. He was protecting me.
“Close your eyes,” he whispered, his head splitting into three.
No, that was my mind playing tricks on me. Slamming my eyes shut, I tried to relax, focusing on a hand that was stroking my arm. It was soothing. It was…
“I can see what has happened to you recently.”
I inhaled sharply as scenes from the last few weeks played out backwards. The tiniest of details were studied and explored before moving on to the next scene. The body beside the river, the witch and shapeshifter, Lilia, Maxwell. Everything.
“Here…see that?” Her voice sounded far away, but a scene had frozen.
It was me, standing in front of Isaac Senior, a gun pointed at his head. A sob came to my chest as I realised what I was about to do. No, why was she showing me this?
“Please…don’t,” I whispered.
I had blocked the scene out when it had happened a month ago. Thunder Hunter, the man who had ultimately saved me, had given me a chance to live. Dark Crawlers were his enemy, yet, he hadn’t killed me instantly because I’d been able to harbour one without it taking me over completely. Until that moment. The moment that was in my mind’s eye right now.
“You’re not in control here, yet, you made a choice. By killing the leader of the warlocks, you triggered the bloodline in you that has been part of the rulership of warlocks for centuries. Your father gave the line over to Isaac when he married your mother.”
The seer was cruel. She wanted me to relive my greatest shame. To what end? Why make me suffer?
“Please,” I pleaded as the scene shifted and played out.
Watching Isaac fall to the ground made me scream out. My mind had been all over the place in the actual aftermath of the event, the Dark Crawler blurring my memories. But, later that day, Thunder Hunter had used his sword and taken the Crawler out of me. Leaving me to live my life. With complete and utter guilt.
“This choice led you to become completely split. All magic has consequence. Your body can only contain a certain amount of it. When you use one version, the other becomes depleted.” Becky’s voice was strong as I watched myself in the scene.
Is that who I was? A killer who had lost control? Or, was I innocent because something else had control over me?
It was weird to see myself from this angle. The vision had frozen again, pinpointed onto me. My black hair was just past my shoulders, curling slightly at the ends. My wrists were encased in the leather bracelets I loved so much. Fashion wasn’t really my thing, but my mother had given them to me for my tenth birthday.
“How does that make you feel?” Becky asked me, her voice still sounding like she was far away.
Clearing my throat, I took in my clothes as I thought about my answer. My dark brown leather jacket, my strappy vest top accompanied by ripped jeans. And there they were, my favourite ankle boots.
The silence stretched out as I dismissed my own criticism of my wardrobe. Yes, I should probably think about being a little more varied, but Becky had asked me an important question.
“I don’t understand. How can I bring all my magic back to me?”
A rush of air touched my skin, jolting me out of my trance. Sitting upright, I almost fell sideways off the sofa. Gerard steadied me, helping me to turn and rest against the arm. My head was fuzzy, as if I was very drunk.
“Let me help you with that first.” Leaning forward, Becky closed her eyes and whispered a spell. It was odd to see a seer able to perform magic. My head suddenly cleared, leaving me feeling like my normal self. Taking a deep breath, I nodded at Gerard when he asked if I was okay.
“You,” Becky said, pointing at Gerard. “You have a secret. A dark one. If you don’t work through what happened, you’ll put others in danger.”
My heartbeat skipped in my chest. I knew that Gerard had something nasty in his past. He wasn’t the broodiest man alive for nothing. And, yet, the confirmation made me shudder.
Becky closed her eyes, going silent. We looked at each other, unsure of what she was doing. The air in the room changed, going from warm to chilly. Rubbing my arms, I tried to warm myself at the same time as Gerard shivered. He must have felt it, too.
“You can’t go back to the way it was before, Devon,” Becky said loudly, making me jump. “The more you use your witch magic, the more your warlock magic will leave you. The more you use your warlock magic, the more you’ll lose your witch powers.”
What? My breath came in short bursts as what she said sunk in. I didn’t understand. Why would this be happening?
Leaning towards me, Gerard took my hand and squeezed it. He didn’t say anything, but kept his gaze on me as I tried to process the information that would change my life.
“You cannot keep using one or the other. If you do, when either one runs out, you’ll die. Half of you will no longer function. You have a choice, Devon.” Becky’s eyes shot open, her gaze staring straight at me. My heart almost exploded in anticipation of what she was going to say next.
“You have to become a full witch and lose your warlock side for good. Or, become a warlock and no longer be a witch. Time is running out.”
Chapter Twelve
“Is it you that stinks?” I asked Gerard as we made our way to the office the next morning.
For some reason, he had come knocking on my door first thing. Instead of meeting me at the agency, he had decided to walk in with me. He was obviously feeling sorry for me, which would not last long. Not if I had anything to do with it.
The cars honked as I ran across the road, laughing when Gerard swore as he darted out behind me. “Can you wait?! And, no, I don’t stink. I thought it was you.”
His mood had been a little up and down since I had opened the door to him. He was awake, his eyes bright, but something weighed on him. Was it my predicament, or something more personal?
Going down an alley that led to the next street, I frowned when the smell grew stronger. Oh shit, if that was…
“Well, hello!” A clear voice rang out in front of us.
A middle aged man stepped out from behind a jut of a building that lined the alleyway, stopping us
in our path. A Dark Crawler. Great.
Gerard stood next to me as we faced the disgusting human. The stench was coming from the man’s rotting body. Once a Crawler really settled in, the human mind died, but the body stayed alive. For as long as it rotted, anyway. Eventually, the Crawler would have to jump into another body, or risk dying with the one it inhabited.
“We don’t want any trouble,” I said, fingering the handle of the dagger in my jacket pocket.
Holding up his hands, the Crawler laughed in a high pitched voice. “Don’t panic, I’m not going to do anything…yet.”
A growl rumbled up Gerard’s chest. He was about to move forward when I put a hand on his arm to stop him. Glancing at me sideways, he blinked slowly, showing me that he would allow me to take the lead.
“What do you want?”
The Crawler tilted his head, a tooth falling out of his mouth when he opened it to smile. “I heard that you successfully housed one of us without dying. I need a new body, although, not yours. If you can keep control, that makes it a lot harder for us. I want a…”
Not bothering to even listen to the last part of his sentence, I grabbed my dagger from out of my jacket and ran for him. A scream erupted from my mouth as he stumbled back in shock. Reaching him, I swiped my dagger sideways, disconnecting his head from his neck.
Looking over my shoulder before the body had even hit the ground, I shouted at Gerard to disappear. Running as fast as I could, I looked away. If we didn’t get away in time, the Crawler’s evil spirit could jump into one of us.
“You’re a pain in the arse,” Gerard said in my ear as he appeared next to me. He grabbed my arm and flashed us to the doors of the agency.
Stumbling, I scowled when his arms came around me to make sure I didn’t fall to my knees. Pushing him away roughly, I spun around him and stormed into the building. Fire pulsed through my veins. The Crawler had caught me at the wrong time. All the frustration about my situation was simmering underneath my skin. Rage made my heart bounce against my ribs. Instead of going into the library for our morning meeting, I went straight to the lab.
Pacing, I tried to get my breath under control. The smell of the Crawler was on me, making me want to retch. Tugging my jacket off, I chucked it to the other side of the room.
“What was that about?” Gerard demanded as he came in.
Rubbing my arms furiously, I ignored him as I carried on with my pacing. He slowly moved to a stool and lowered himself down. Taking off his jacket, he revealed his muscly biceps. No! I wasn’t going to perv at him when I was having a meltdown.
“I can’t choose,” I blurted, coming to a stop near him. “I’m both. I’ve always been both. They can’t make me choose.”
Slumping to the stone floor, I crossed my legs, closed my eyes and started to chant. The spell would cloak me from everyone else. It was a simple one, one that I’d struggled with the day before. A tingling started in my toes and tried to make its way up my body, but it didn’t come. It couldn’t push through. Speaking louder, I felt the pull wanting to happen. It was ready to come, but something was stopping it. No. I couldn’t not be a witch. I had been a witch my whole childhood.
A sliver of wetness crawled from my nose. Tears came to my eyes, dropping down my cheeks as I carried on chanting. It had to work. I wouldn’t let it go. It just had to work!
“Devon,” Gerard whispered.
He was in front of me, crouching down. I refused to open my eyes. I wouldn’t stop trying to do the spell.
“Devon!” His sharp tone made me look at him.
His hand reached out to wipe away a tear that dribbled down my cheek. I stopped, the energy that had entered me draining back into the ground.
“I can’t do it,” I whispered as the sobs overtook me.
He patted my arm awkwardly as my head dropped forward. I almost smiled at how uncomfortable he was, but then he moved to sit beside me. His arm came around my shoulders and tugged me towards him.
“I’m sorry you’re going through this,” he said as I put my head on his chest.
The smell of him was intoxicating. Confusing. My skin was hot where he touched me, yet, my heart was breaking. It was an odd combination of emotions. I couldn’t talk, my words were stuck in my throat as I tried to get control of my crying. Great, now he would think I was a total nutcase.
“I… I killed my best friend.”
Lifting my head at his confession, I stared into his eyes. They were wide, clear, yet, his thoughts were somewhere else. Staying quiet, I sucked back my sobs.
“We got into a stupid fight over a girl. We were both witches, both training for the agency. And… well, I lost my temper and…hit him with a spell so strong, it killed him.” Gerard was shaking, his whole body vibrating against me.
Reaching out, I touched his chest. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”
Shaking his head, he took my hand and moved it away from his chest. Holding on, he looked into my eyes. “Only a few people do.”
On autopilot, he reached up and wiped the drying tears from my face. The number tattoos on his arm caught my eye.
“Does that have anything to do with your tattoos?”
I couldn’t look away from him as he winced. It was as if I’d punched him in the chest. And, yet, he still held me, comforting me in his own way.
“Yes. Each number represents the criminal I kill or lock up. I figure that if I can get murderers off the street, I’ll… Maybe I won’t lose my soul when I die.” My gasp made him bite his lip. “I know, crazy right?”
Reaching up, I traced a number nine. The shading made it look 3D. A very fine work of art. And yet, the meaning of it was far from artistic.
“And, now you know my secret. And, I know yours.” Ducking me under the chin with his finger, he let me go and got to his feet. Offering his hand, he helped me get up. “Shall we keep this between us?”
Nodding, I took the tissue he offered and cleaned up my bloody, snotty face. “Yeah, I don’t want anyone to know that I’m an ugly crier.”
The laugh was forced, but it lightened the mood. Gerard sighed as he turned to leave. I would take a moment before joining him in the library for our debriefing. As he reached the door, he looked over his shoulder.
“You’re not an ugly crier. You could never be ugly.”
The door swung shut behind him, leaving me speechless. The old dog had some charm in him it seemed. And yet, right in that moment, I appreciated that he’d supported me at my weakest. No one had ever been around to do that before.
My phone beeped, making me jump. Pulling it out, I frowned when I saw Kalic’s name. His message was an apology. He hadn’t been able to track any rogue shapeshifters, but he’d keep looking. Fat lot of good he did me.
Calming myself, I took a deep breath, ran a hand through my hair and went to join the others in the library.
“We’re so close to cracking the spell. We just need more power. Gerard, will you lend your magic?” Justina asked my colleague.
My stomach rolled at the idea that she might ask me to help, too. How could I tell my boss that I no longer had witch magic? She would probably fire me instantly. I had to keep it a secret until I had made up my mind about what I was going to do.
“Of course,” Gerard muttered.
Justina was behind her desk, reading a grimoire. A memory flashed into my mind as she looked up at me. “Are you okay?”
“I think I can help. I have an ancient spell on my wall. It was from my ancestor’s grimoire. It can reverse any spell, no limits.”
Kurt stepped forward from where he rested against the wall. “It would’ve helped knowing you had that spell before. That’s a pretty powerful spell.”
Going over to Justina, Gerard glanced over the page she had been studying. “I’ve seen the spell Devon’s talking about. It’s extremely powerful. But, there’s a reason she hasn’t shared it with you.”
They both stared at me as Gerard carried on reading. I swallowed, my hands now damp as I wi
ped them against my jeans. “I…have to use my blood every time I cast it. It takes a bit of my magic as the consequence. Never to be returned.”
And, that was why it was framed on my wall. Because no witch ever wanted to lose their magic. Yet, I stood in front of them all with hardly any witch power left in me.
“What about if we did the spell together? All four of us?” Kurt asked. “We could combine our magic, use Devon’s blood and reverse the memory spell on Lilia.”
My gaze sought Gerard as he looked up from the grimoire on the desk. Stepping back, he watched me as I tried to keep my expression straight. My heart on the other hand was palpating, causing my breath to go short. Would the others notice?
“It could work,” he said, raising his eyebrows at Justina. “But, we would have to support the spell completely. If we allow our magic to filter through Devon, maybe she won’t lose any of hers.”
The others nodded as a lump came to my throat. Gerard had found a way to help me keep my secret at the same time as doing my job. He might well deserve a medal, although I would never admit that to him. He didn’t need to know that my heart expanded at his kindness. Nope. I would still pretend that I wasn’t impressed by his impressiveness.
“This could well work. Can you go and get the spell?” Justina stood from her seat. “We’ll talk to Lilia.”
“Actually,” I said, getting out my phone. “I’ve got a photo of it. We can work from that.”
A grin split Justina’s lips as she pointed at a separate desk. There was a pad and pen, ready to be written on. Nodding, I went over to the desk and sat down. Finding the picture on my phone, I wrote down the ingredients and directions of the spell.
Kurt came over when I had finished, taking the list to gather the items needed. Justina went to get Lilia, leaving me and Gerard alone.
“Thank you,” I said before he could say anything.
To be fair, it didn’t look like he was going to say much, anyway. He stood, his hands in his jean pockets, staring at the bank of screens on the wall.
“Let’s hope the spell works. We need to get a good lead on these witches.”
Hunted Witch Agency Box Set Books 1-3 (Hunted Witch Agency Set) Page 11
