Minerva looked a little surprised to see the man, but she hid it quickly. “Quinten, we didn’t expect to see you here. We sent you a message that your skills wouldn’t be needed in this matter; it’s been settled to our satisfaction.”
Penny could only stare open mouthed at the man, sure that she’d seen him somewhere before, a sense of recognition washing over her. She couldn’t see his face, but when he began to talk, she knew instantly who he was, and her heart began to beat heavily in her chest.
Chapter 4
***Quinten***
Quinten had gotten the message that he wasn’t needed anymore, but he’d ignored it, and now he was glad he had. Clearly the council wasn’t aware of the danger they were all in, but he wasn’t about to tell Minerva that. Instead, he was going to use a subtler approach and hope it got him what he wanted.
“I’m sorry, Minerva, but I couldn’t stay away. The council called upon me to investigate the use of black magic, and as you know, as an inquisitor, I take that very seriously. I’ve already opened up the investigation, and I would be derelict in my duty if I didn’t follow through,” he said, trying to sound pained by the necessity.
“I see. So even though we’re satisfied that the issue has been resolved, you’d still like to investigate?” Minerva asked, a dangerous edge to her voice.
Quinten knew that he was walking a thin line, that any second Minerva might explode, so he backed up a few steps. “I mean no disrespect to the council, but procedures must be followed, blanks filled in. I only ask for a little time to take care of the paperwork.”
“I believe that everything you need is in the council’s notes, so I don’t see the need for this matter to take up any more of our time,” Minerva said, dismissing him.
But he wasn’t going to give up. “Don’t you think that all of this is a little strange? First the use of black magic, then one of our own disappears under mysterious circumstances,” Quinten asked, then added. “And all of it is tied to the shifters. It’s my sworn duty to protect this coven and its witches, and something about this bothers me. Why isn’t the accused here to face the council?”
Minerva sighed. “Quinten, all of us on the council are in agreement that this matter has been settled; we let Annabelle go with our permission. She has a representative here, but that was only a formality.”
He knew that the situation was quickly spinning out of his control, but his conviction that something more was going on was even stronger. “All I ask is that the council hold off on their decision until I’ve had a little time to investigate. That you give me a little time to do the job I’ve been called to do.”
There was a long silence while she considered his words, then her face softened, and she looked to the council members on either side of her. He saw a few nods as her eyes scanned the faces, and knew that he’d won, at least for now.
“The council will allow you your investigation,” she said, making his heart leap with joy. But then she added, “I think since all the concerned parties have given their complete testimony, the only thing for you to do is to go to Colorado and investigate there.”
Quinten stared at her open-mouthed; this wasn’t what he had expected at all. But then he realized that the shifters were his main concern and that there was no better way to find out what they were up to than to be in their midst. “I suppose that might be a good place to start,” he said, bowing his head to Minerva.
“Very well then, we’ll expect to hear from you soon,” Minerva said, getting to her feet. “I believe the shifter who represents Annabelle should be able to help you in your investigation.”
When Minerva’s eyes traveled to the crowd, Quinten followed her gaze only to find himself looking at the woman from the bonfire, her green eyes just as startling as in the dim light of the meeting hall. “I’d be happy to help in any way I can,” the woman said, then gave Minerva a slight bow.
“This is Penny Brooks. I’m sure she’ll be able to aid you in your investigation,” Minerva said, then turned and walked out of the meeting hall, followed by the rest of the council.
Quinten couldn’t help but stare at Penny; he’d never dreamed that he’d meet his mystery woman, and wasn’t sure that he’d wanted to. But then he really looked at her and realized that she was even more beautiful than he’d imagined, her green eyes just as luminous, her hair a golden blonde that shone in the dim light of the hall.
Unable to help himself, he let his eyes roam over her body, discovering that she was just as curvaceous as he’d thought. His body began to respond, and before he knew it, he’d taken a step closer to her. He could see the confusion in her eyes, but also a glimmer of desire as she stared at him. But then he remembered Minerva’s introduction and that the woman’s last name was Brooks.
“Are you Justin’s sister?” he asked, unable to believe that he’d been kissing a shifter the night of the bonfire.
“I’m his twin,” she said, her voice trembling with an emotion he couldn’t name.
“I see,” he said, then added, “I’ll expect to see you here first thing in the morning. I have some questions for you.” Then he turned and walked away without even a goodbye, shocked at himself for behaving that way, but desperate to get away from her.
When he pushed through the big door and out into the cool night air, he took a deep breath and headed straight for his car, needing to put even more space between himself and the shifter who had affected him so deeply. It just didn’t seem possible that the first woman who’d been able to distract him in years was a shifter: one of the creatures he distrusted most in the world.
He got in the car and slammed the door and started the car up, then sat there thinking about his options. The council had already made their decision: he could just walk away from the investigation and Penny Brooks, or he could stick it out, avoid being alone with her.
But then he realized that she was probably a part of whatever was going on and that he might be able to use their attraction to one another to his advantage, might be able to get close enough to her to figure out what was going on. He’d just have to be careful not to let himself get tangled up with her, but he was a grown man and should be able to control his desires, even if Penny Brooks was the most alluring woman he’d ever met.
***Penny***
Penny stood rooted to the spot, not quite sure what had just happened. Disappointment surged through her, the kiss the night of the bonfire was no longer so exciting now that she’d met the man who’d given it to her. She felt Suzanne step up behind her and turned to face her, anger quickly beginning to replace her disappointment.
“What just happened?” Suzanne asked, staring at the meeting hall doors which were still standing open.
“I just met the biggest jerk in the world,” Penny said, heading for the door.
Suzanne followed her, not sure what to say. When they got outside, and it was clear that Penny wasn’t going to say anything more, she asked, “What did he say to you?”
“He ordered me to meet him here in the morning, then stomped off,” Penny said, heading for Annabelle’s house.
Suzanne had to walk fast to keep up with her. “Are you going to go?”
“I don’t think I have any choice,” Penny said, then took a deep breath as if she was going to say something more.
Suzanne stared at her friend. “There’s something you’re not telling me,” she finally said.
“He’s the one who kissed me at the bonfire,” she finally blurted out.
Suzanne grabbed her arm and pulled her to a stop. “What? Are you sure?”
Penny nodded her head. “Oh, I’m sure. I’ll never forget those brown eyes or that deep voice. It was him, but tonight when he found out that I was a shifter, he looked a little sick, like he’d just smelled something bad.”
Suzanne put her arms around Penny and gave her a big hug. “I’m sorry your knight in shining armor turned out to be a frog.”
Penny couldn’t help but laugh. “I guess that’s one way
to put it,” she said.
They walked on in silence for a while, then Penny said, “Maybe it’s for the best. I mean, I’m a shifter and he’s a witch; we’re two totally different people.” But even to her, the words sounded false.
“Yeah, he’s a rude jerk, and you’re a nice person,” Suzanne said.
***Quinten***
Quinten was beginning to worry that Penny wasn’t going to show up, and he wasn’t sure what he could do about that. He had no power over her, couldn’t force her to talk to him, and that gave her power over him: a circumstance he didn’t like. But finally, she strolled in, more than an hour later than he would have liked.
Her face showed nothing but annoyance, but that didn’t stop his body from responding to her, a wave of desire washing over him when she sat down across from him. “Thank you for coming,” he said formally, striving for some control.
“I don’t really see what the point of this meeting is; we’ve all given our testimony several times, so you can’t possibly expect to learn anything new.”
Clearly this was going to be harder than he’d expected. “I understand your frustration, but sometimes it helps me to hear the testimony directly from the witness, although I guess you’re more than a witness. I understand that you participated in the spell to save your brother’s life, and I’m sure I don’t have to explain to you that the use of black magic is strictly prohibited,” he said, then leaned back in his chair with an air of superiority.
Penny leaned back in her chair, her face calm. “To witches, maybe, but I’m a shifter. I don’t really care what Annabelle did; all I know is that my brother is alive and for that I’m grateful,” she said, then gave him a forced smile.
“Nevertheless, Annabelle has to answer to the charges, and since she isn’t here, it’s up to you as her representative to do that,” Quinten said, beginning to think this was more of a negotiation than an interview.
“And I have, time and time again,” she said, annoyance beginning to creep into her voice.
“Then it shouldn’t be that hard to do it again,” he said, feeling like he’d won this round.
Penny sighed. “I’m going to tell this story one more time, but this is the last time I will ever tell it, so make sure you’re listening closely,” she said, then stood up and began to pace around the room.
Quinten was a bit disappointed that she’d given in so easily, but decided that was just as well; the last thing he wanted to do was fight with her. It wouldn’t help the investigation, and it did something strange to his insides when she was defiant and angry. He watched her pace around the room a few times before she went to the window and looked out; he wondered what she was thinking, if she was trying to figure out how to deceive him.
Then she took a deep breath and let the story of how Annabelle had saved her brother, fought Deacon and his demon, and lived happily ever after. She explained why her brother Jake had married Annabelle’s sister, Joslin, only to fall in love with her after the fact. It only took her ten minutes to lay it all out to him, and when she was finished, he discovered that he was sorry it didn’t take longer.
Her husky voice, a voice that some might call sexy, had captured him, and he couldn’t take his eyes off her as she paced around the room. He could see the events in his mind, the horrible wolf-shifters with the strangely glowing eyes, the water demon and the torrential rain, Annabelle and Joslin standing together, facing evil, until they’d beaten the demon and sent it screaming back into the underworld.
When she finally fell silent, it took him a second to remember that he wasn’t on her side, that he was here to expose the shifter’s plan to take over the coven. He’d come very close just then to believing her, and that would spell disaster for his investigation. There had to be more to the story than everyone was telling him, another reason that the shifters had broken the taboo between the two peoples and intermarried.
Chapter 5
***Penny***
When she was finished, Penny sat down across from Quinten and stared at him, waiting for his reaction. He stared back at her for a long time, the electricity between them palpable in the air, then he got up and crossed the room to look out the window. She could see him taking deep breaths and was glad that he felt as uncomfortable as she did.
A little smile of satisfaction appeared on her face, but she quickly erased it when he turned around. “I need to see these places; all I have is your word that all this happened,” he said, shocking her.
“You want to go to Colorado?”
“The council seems to think I should, and I would like to see for myself where you supposedly fought the wolf-shifters. You do know that it’s unusual for shifters to band together like that.”
Penny shot him a dirty look. “Not that unusual these days.”
“Nevertheless, it’s my duty to determine if your story is true,” he said, sitting down across from her again, packing up the supplies he’d spread over the table. “Tomorrow we’ll leave for Colorado and you can show me where all this happened.”
Penny had been anxious to get home, but now that she’d be bringing Quinten home with her, it didn’t sound quite so appealing. “You do realize that its winter in Colorado, don’t you?” she sneered at him. “Those places you want to see are already going to be under several feet of snow; there won’t be much to see.”
Quinten shrugged his shoulders. “I’ll be able to see what I need to.”
“How exactly do you plan to get to these places? Have you ever ridden a horse?” Penny asked, becoming angrier by the second.
“We can figure that out when we get there; now I need to go get packed, and I suggest you do the same; we’ll be leaving first thing in the morning,” he said, then picked up his briefcase and again walked away from her without a backward glance.
Penny wanted to scream at his retreating back but held herself in check. Screaming at him would only give him the advantage; the best way to handle him was to cooperate, then it would all be over quickly, and she could get back to her normal life. She was finally going home, and once she got there, she wasn’t leaving for a long time.
***Quinten***
Quinten’s hands were shaking when he walked out of the meeting room, not from anger but from desire. It made absolutely no sense; the kind of women he liked were always soft-spoken, dainty, and certainly never challenged him. But Penny Brooks, with her strong personality and fiery temper, had captured his interest like none of those women had ever done before. It would be a true test of his willpower to spend any time around her and not want to take her directly to the nearest bed.
The worst part was that he’d heard the sincerity in her story, the fear in her voice when she described the wolf-shifters, knew that she was telling the truth, at least about what had happened over the summer. Then it occurred to him that she might be innocent, that whatever her brothers were up to, she wasn’t a part of it. That made him even madder, both at her for being so gullible and at her brothers for pulling her into their plot.
As he drove to the hotel, he let himself fantasize about Penny: her green eyes, her luscious body. But even if she was innocent, she was still a shifter, and no shifter could be trusted, he reminded himself as he got out of the car. He’d have to be very careful in Colorado, remember that she was one of them; aware or not, she’d protect her family if necessary.
Looking around his cheap hotel room, he knew that he couldn’t stay cooped up inside all day; after his meeting with Penny, his emotions were a mess. He needed some clarity, and fast, or this investigation might be the end of his career instead of the beginning. He’d been trained to ignore his feelings, to think logically, but that was becoming more and more difficult when it came to Penny.
He had plenty of work to do, reports to write, files to finish. But instead he put on his riding clothes, telling himself that he was only going riding to refresh his skills, but deep down he knew that Penny’s challenge had hit home. He’d ridden before, but not for a long time; his magi
c and his car provided all the transportation he needed these days, and the last thing he wanted was to show any kind of weakness to Penny.
***Penny***
When Penny got back from her meeting with Quinten, she was fuming. Mad not only at him but at herself for still being attracted to him, if you could call what happened to her when he was around attraction. It felt more like her body went haywire, her heart rate out of control, desire blossoming even though she didn’t like the man, and that strange buzzing in her head that just wouldn’t go away.
She found Walter and Evelyn in the kitchen with Suzanne; they all had a cup of coffee in front of them, a plate of uneaten cookies in the center of the table. When they saw her and the look on her face, Evelyn jumped up and rushed over to her, put her arms around her, and steered her over to the table.
“Sit down here, and I’ll get you some coffee, although from the look on your face something stronger might be in order,” she said, pushing Penny into a chair.
“I’m going to assume that your meeting with Quinten didn’t go well,” Walter said, sliding the plate of cookies closer to her.
She picked one up, took a bite, then decided sugar was not what she needed right then and put it down on the table. “You’d be right. That man is impossible, and now he wants me to take him up into the high country, in the snow, to see where everything happened. We won’t be able to see anything, and I can’t imagine how he’s going to cope with the ride up there,” she said, hating the whining note in her voice.
“Oh, I’m sure it will be fine. Quinten can take care of himself,” Evelyn said, surprising Penny.
“You almost sound as if you like him,” Penny accused, “I can’t help but feel that he’s out to get us. He’s trying so hard to keep the investigation open, and I don’t understand why. The council seemed to be satisfied with our explanation, but he won’t let it go. He made me repeat everything all over again.”
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