“You were going to kill that man,” Gerard said, pointing to the warlock on the floor.
Looking around the men, I hid my cringe when I saw the head of bright red hair. Mackenzie. Ugh. Could this get any more complicated?
Spitting on the floor, the leader of the little group eyed Gerard. He was around the same height as my partner, as were all the men. There were five of them, all dressed in suits. Yes, they were actually on their way to work. If they were able to beat up a warlock while pristine in suits, what else could they do?
“Why is it any of your business?” The man had a point.
If Gerard had told me what he was about to do, I would have stayed in the taxi. Although, that wouldn’t have been fair to either him or Mackenzie. I was an agent. I had sworn to protect all underground creatures. No exceptions. Well, except for dark crawlers. Those bastards could die whenever they wanted, I wouldn’t bat an eyelid.
Moving ever so slightly on his feet, Gerard kept eye contact with the main man. “I’m an agent. I serve and protect.”
The scoffs of the group made me bite my tongue. Okay, so we sometimes came across as a little arrogant when announcing who we were, but it was true.
“Well, I’m glad you’re here, then.” Cocking his head to the side, the leader glared at Gerard. “I often need help from witches, don’t I, friends?”
My heartbeat started to rise when one of the warlocks got his phone out and held it up towards me. What was he doing? Whispering a spell, I flicked his wrist so the phone fell to the floor. Gerard frowned at me before understanding spread across his face. Yeah, he finally realised what he’d done. He wasn’t so smart now, was he?
“That’s her,” the warlock said, his gaze shooting to his leader at the same time as he rushed towards me.
My feet backtracked before I even thought about it. Oh shit, this was going to be a shitfest. Before I could move, the rest of the group were heading in my direction. Gerard threw a punch as they tried to get past him. It landed on the leader, sending him sprawling to the floor.
Spinning, I started to run. Their shouts of excitement made my skin crawl. They wanted to catch me so they could get… what? The magic? Or, had Maxwell Maddocks offered a reward? It wouldn’t surprise me.
“Devon!” Gerard shouted. “Fight them!”
What? Was he being serious? I was rubbish at combat. Why would he tell me to fight? A sudden build-up of witch energy burst through my feet. Where had that come from? Gerard. He was telling me to fight with the magic. Oh boy.
“No point running.” The laughter that came from the pack caused sweat to break out on my palms.
How far would the warlocks be prepared to go? That wasn’t a question I wanted to find out the answer to. Gerard was right, it was time to fight with magic.
It had been a while since I had felt safe enough to be as powerful as I used to be. Adrenaline buzzed through every vein in my body at the thought of what I could do. It wasn’t about hurting them, it was about defending myself. And having a little fun at the same time.
“Incendia,” I whispered, coming to a halt as a huge wall of fire shot up behind me.
Turning, I couldn’t help the grin that came to my lips when the warlocks shouted out a warning. They were able to stop, just in time. Shame.
“Are you sure you want to fight me?”
A part of me hoped that they would back down. No matter how hard it was for me to associate myself with these people, I was still a warlock. They were still my people.
“I would die to taste the magic that you can access,” one of them said.
Looking through the fire, I checked that Gerard was handling himself. He was having a fist fight with the warlock leader, preventing him from using the physical magic that we were so prone to forming. Warlocks were powerful, but sometimes they let their ego get in the way. That was exactly why the men in the alleyway were prepared to die.
About to open my mouth to lecture them, I froze when a ball of white and orange magic flew past my ear. No, they wouldn’t give up that easily. No matter how much I nagged them.
Letting the fire drop, I faced them. My knees crouched ever so slightly as I waited for the onslaught. Feeling into the ground, I hooked into the ley line that ran across the earth. A tingling sensation filtered through my legs as pure witch magic filled me up. Next, I felt for the warlock magic, almost falling to my knees as the powerful darkness crawled and swirled over my skin.
“There’s nothing you can do,” one of them said, his eye twitching as he held his arms up and conjured two long streams of yellow magic.
Reaching into my pocket, I took my dagger out and filtered some of the warlock magic into it. Yellow flames flickered from the blade as I held it out towards the men. Some of them laughed at my weapon. One of them raised their eyebrows, clearly impressed by the way I had attached warlock magic to a physical item. No one else could do that. Physical magic took form in the air, rarely able to affect solid matter. Not like witch magic, which could do anything.
Waiting, I watched the warlock who held his magic, expecting him to launch it at me. Instead, he reached for his friend with his free hand. They stood side by side, joining hands in seconds. They were… oh, crap.
Ducking, I rolled away as they released one long line of magic. It stayed connected to them as it shot out, retracting when it didn’t hit anything. My dagger would not be enough in this situation.
“Come on, oh powerful one!” someone screamed.
Unable to believe that they were ganging up on me, I got to my feet and took two quick breathes before I decided what to do. My hair was flapping around my face, completely free of its band. That was going to take even more time to repair. Did they know how long it took me to put it up? Time to end this stupidity.
One of the warlocks flew forward just as I extended my dagger, throwing the flames straight at him. He screamed as he fell to the floor, his clothes bursting into flames. Wow.
I didn’t have time to think as another one came for me. He held out his hand, throwing a ball of green swirling magic. Holding my hand up, I shouted a reversal witch spell.
“Shit!” The man’s exclamation was followed by a scream as the ball instantly flung back, straight into his face.
Exploding, it sent sparks flying around him as his body hit the floor. The speed the ball had travelled was beyond anything I had ever been able to create before. This magic was stupidly strong.
“I’ll get you!” the third muttered as he picked his friend up for cover and came for me.
His strength was phenomenal. He was literally holding his dead friend up as a shield. The melted face was too much for me to look at. Stamping my foot, I whispered an earth moving spell. The ground shook so violently, I ended up on my knees.
“Woah,” I mumbled as everyone fell over. “This is insane.”
Jumping up, I looked for Gerard. He was brushing himself down as he got to his feet. The leader of the pack was on the ground, either knocked out or dead. Mackenzie was sitting up, watching me. His eyes were wide, a line of blood running from his nose.
The way he stared at me made me shiver. He looked… afraid. How could anyone actually be afraid of me? I was…
A tile fell from the roof above us, smashing onto the head of the guy who had used his friend to shield him. He grunted as he passed out, his head falling hard against the ground.
Making eye contact with the last man, I waited to see what he would do. Instead of gunning for me, like they had threatened, he stumbled to his feet and backtracked. Gerard was about to grab him, but I shook my head.
“Leave him,” I called as he ran off down the alley.
Limping over to me, Gerard ran his hands over my head. He then looked down at my body to check if I’d hurt myself. Smiling as tears filled my eyes, I looked up at him. “I’m okay.”
His eyebrows lowered as he ran a thumb under my eye, catching a rouge tear. “Why are you upset?”
Emotion overwhelmed me as Mackenzie shuffl
ed to his feet. He wiped his nose as he came closer, his eyes still plastered on me.
“You’re insanely powerful. You need to be careful.”
Swallowing the lump that rose to my throat, I cringed when Gerard’s hand tightened on mine. He was protective, rightly so. Now that Mackenzie had seen what I could do, he was a risk.
“Don’t panic,” he said, raising his hands. “I’m not interested in having anything to do with that link you’ve got. I couldn’t handle it.”
The energy that pulsed through me was making me warm. The feeling crept over me, engulfing me. The sensation was… enticing.
“You need to leave. We’ll clear up this mess,” Gerard said. “If you speak to anyone about this, we won’t help you.”
“Does it look like I’m getting on with my coven? They’re suspicious about my secret, which is why they beat me. I kept quiet though. I’ve got to keep her safe.”
Gerard looked at me, his eyes tracing my face. He knew exactly what Mackenzie was talking about. He would do anything to keep me out of danger. If our new friend was telling the truth, we had to help him.
“Give me your number.” Gerard got his phone out. “We’ll be in contact. In the meantime, keep your head down.”
When Mackenzie had finished reading out his phone number, he left us. My fingers traced up Gerard’s muscly arm as he looked at me again. My breath hitched as the green of his eyes heated. Something about the magic that had coursed through my veins made me extremely heady. I wanted to rip my man’s clothes off.
“Don’t look at me like that,” he hissed, bending down to kiss me swiftly.
About to wrap my arms around his neck, I froze when I heard a whistle. The warlock who had run had obviously gone for backup. A crowd of young warlocks came into the alley. Before I could react, Gerard grabbed my hand and started to run.
“The damage is done,” he said, not bothering to turn around when they shouted.
“We need to flash out of here.” I panted, not fully recovered from having so much energy in my system.
Nodding, Gerard closed his eyes briefly before we landed in another alley. It was silent, hopefully nowhere near the one we had just left.
A spark of excitement zapped through me as I remembered the feeling of having so much power. Shit, I could see why people found it addictive. I needed a distraction.
Shoving Gerard’s chest, I looked up at him, licking my lips. He frowned at first, but I backed him against the wall. My small frame wasn’t powerful enough to control him, but he quickly realised what I wanted. No, needed. My hunky man was going to take care of the adrenaline that ran through my veins.
Spinning, Gerard lifted me. I wrapped my legs around his waist as he pressed my spine against the cool brick wall. His lips connected to mine as my heartbeat played the loudest tune in my ears.
“You were so sexy,” he breathed, reaching between us.
I gasped as he manoeuvred us into a position that could get very interesting. His tongue traced my jaw as he pressed against me.
“We’re going to be late for our appointment,” he said, pulling away slightly.
Gripping his shoulders, I held onto him. “It’s okay,” I murmured, running my hand up his arms. “I’ll be quick. Then, we’ll go and see Cameron Fieldman’s little bitch.”
Chapter Six
“Keith will see you now.” The pretty secretary waved us towards the glass doors.
My arse was extremely settled into the unbelievably comfortable sofa. I mean, how could people afford such luxury for a waiting room? I literally didn’t want to get up.
“Thank you,” Gerard said, winking at the woman.
That caused me to spring from the seat. The crafty git smirked at me when I joined him. Had he done it on purpose to get a rise out of me? This lifestyle was getting to our heads. I wasn’t usually a jealous person. There was no need to be. Gerard was lucky to have me. Probably.
“Hello, there,” Keith greeted as we went into the office.
My mouth had trouble staying closed. The outside walls were made of complete glass, overlooking Edinburgh city. The buildings weren’t high rise, but even so, the views were impressive. It looked like a living room. A fake fireplace was on one wall with sofas in front of it. A big glass desk was on the other side of the room, covered in paperwork. For some reason, I would’ve thought the top dog would have mad organisation skills. It seemed not. A good thing to note for future reference.
Striding over, Keith Powell offered his hand to Gerard. He was an older man, in his late forties. It was obvious he kept fit, his body powerful as they shook hands in greeting.
“Thank you for seeing me, Keith. Wait, didn’t I see you at the golf club the other day?” Gerard feigned innocence.
I also faked my dumbfoundedness. Okay, it wasn’t exactly fake, but the place was impressive. The white walls were pristine, but the numerous frames of pictures and CDs were social proof of Keith’s success.
“Gerald Godman, isn’t it?” Keith said as he nodded.
Inclining his head, Gerard put his arm around my waist and brought me forward. “Yes, and this is my wife, Deirdre Godman.”
Deirdre? What the fuck? Since when had we decided on such a-?
“Hello, Deirdre, it’s nice to meet you.” Taking my hand in his, Keith squeezed it gently.
“You too.” My cheeks were warm as I plastered a false smile to my face. Gerard may have just laid down the gauntlet for who could be the best actor. Or, actress. Or, whatever.
Keith gestured for us to follow him to the sofa area. Unbuttoning his black suit jacket, he sat in an armchair.
Gerard, or Gerald as he was now called, tugged me to sit next to him. When my jean clad butt hit the chair, I sunk into it, resting my head against the back.
“So, I’ve heard rumours that you’re a pretty good singer. When your agent reached out for an interview, I was actually excited to hear from him. I have offices in London, as I’m sure you know, but I prefer being in my hometown.” Checking his hair, Keith relaxed, crossing one knee over the other. He looked like a typical businessman.
Putting his hand on my thigh, Gerard grinned. His pretty boy act was kind of annoying. I had to up my game.
“Gerald’s been singing his whole life. His coven was dismayed that he wanted a career in the public eye. We’ve kind of been banished.” I tilted my head to the side. “But, we’ve heard great things about you. One of your artists recently got a number one around the world.” Blinking, I grinned and shrugged my shoulders in excitement. “Wouldn’t that be amazing, darling?” I giggled as I glanced lovingly at my fake husband.
A twitch caught in Gerard’s jaw before he smiled, nodding enthusiastically. I just caught the warning look he threw me. “It would be fantastic.”
“I’m sorry to hear that your coven wasn’t supportive of your artistic dreams. My coven is the complete opposite. We’re encouraged to go after what we want.” He studied us, his eyes running the length of my legs.
Was I going to have to pull some ‘don’t even think it’ shit? There were mob bosses, then there were wankers. Yes, I said it. The word wasn’t one I used often, considering how offensive it was, but I didn’t like the witch’s vibe.
“Would you like a drink before we listen to your demo?” Getting up from his seat, Keith didn’t wait for an answer.
Going over to the… was that a mini bar? Yep, it bloody well was. Who had a mini bar in their office? Record label directors apparently. Lucky man. I’d have to talk to Justina about putting one in the agency library.
“What’ll it be?”
Well, I had just kicked the shit out of some warlocks. I deserved a drink. It had taken me another half an hour to tidy myself up in the public toilets before coming for the interview. Gerard had come away from the fight pretty unscathed. My man was still looking pretty. Too pretty. I wasn’t into pretty boys. I couldn’t wait to get him back into his agent gear.
“Two beers, please,” I said when Gerard didn’t
answer. “And, a Margarita for him.”
Reaching into a fridge, Keith chuckled to himself as he brought over three bottles. Handing one to each of us, he sat back down. I hadn’t been joking. Why did he think it was funny?
“I like your wife,” Keith said, holding up his hands when Gerard’s eyebrows rose. “No, not like that. She’s amusing.”
Slapping Gerard’s leg, I laughed a little too loudly. “Gerald doesn’t find my jokes funny all the time, but we’re made for each other. Our coven said that we would never last, but here we are, ten years later.”
“Your coven doesn’t sound like the most encouraging of people.”
Nodding woefully, I frowned. “Yes, we’ve been struggling with them a lot recently. I’ve heard other covens can be really supportive.”
“They are. I’m very lucky to have a coven that only want the best for its members.”
I was getting into my character. Deirdre was fun to play.
Gerard didn’t look happy as he glanced between the pair of us. I was better at going undercover than I thought. And, it was fun. A lot of fun.
As Keith turned to Gerard, I studied his profile. He had said that his coven wanted the best for their members. It was an interesting turn of phrase. Basically saying that they looked out for their own. It was true for most covens, but other witches would never admit to it. We were meant to be an inclusive species. That’s what we’d been taught, anyway.
“What are your dreams?” Keith grew serious as he stared into Gerard’s eyes.
Sitting forward, Gerard leant his elbows on his knees. “I want it all. I want the world to hear my songs. I want people to relate to the lyrics and have a dance if it calls for it. I just want to share who I am, you know?”
Woah, he almost convinced me that he wanted to be a singer. Where had the passion come from? He was upping his game in the acting department. If he appealed to Keith’s business mind, he would hook him in. We had to find out as much information as possible, and we were both doing the job well.
“That’s brilliant. I can tell when someone is serious about their work. I can see that in you. You’re based in London, right?”
Hunted Witch Agency Box Set Books 4-5 (Hunted Witch Agency Set Book 2) Page 5