Hunted Witch Agency Box Set Books 4-5 (Hunted Witch Agency Set Book 2)

by Rachel Medhurst

  “I asked for your help because I wanted to stop this,” he called as he drew nearer. “I had no choice but to bring him down.”

  Ah. He thought that by killing people, he would bring attention to Cameron. The coven leader was the brother of the witch that Mackenzie was in love with. In a way, his plan had worked. Well, it had worked perfectly.

  Glancing over my shoulder, I checked that Gerard was holding his own. He was trying to break up the fights, not getting involved himself. The door behind Mackenzie burst open, Justina and Kurt blasting through it.

  “It’s him,” I shouted, pointing directly at Mackenzie.

  Without pausing, the warlock threw up his hands and released a whole bunch of magic balls towards the witches. His magic was small, unable to kill, but still effective in maiming.

  It seemed he had a personal grudge against the witches of his lover’s coven.

  As they were injured, the witches slowly realised what was happening. Diving forward to attack him, I threw my arms around his legs.

  Justina and Kurt came in from behind, but he suddenly disappeared.

  His laughter came from the other side of the room. A woman stood beside him, her hand grasping his. That was obviously Cameron’s sister. Shit. Would the witches be on our side or theirs?

  The room went still as everyone assessed the situation. Quickly throwing off our uniforms, the agents in the room made themselves known.

  "We’re from the Hunted Witch Agency!” Justina announced.

  Oops. Wrong thing to do. Witches started to run in all directions at the same time as throwing spells all over the place. Fire ignited as water poured from the ceiling. Barrier spells were placed so that people couldn’t go anywhere. This had to stop. Especially as Mackenzie was currently climbing a ladder that was attached to the wall at the back of the room. A trapdoor above would lead to his escape.

  "They're protecting him," Justina said to me.

  Were they? Or did they think that they would be taken down for fiddling with the drugs? They must have known that what they were doing was illegal, even if they didn’t understand. They were made to believe that they were working on medication, but in their hearts, they knew it was a lie.

  "Devon," Kurt called. "Stop them."

  He was pointing at the warlock Mackenzie as he thrust his arms through the trapdoor. Feeling into the earth, I grasped the warlock link. It was hard to explain how I could access so much powerful magic, but it thrummed through me as I dragged it up from the ground.

  "Take cover!" I screamed as I crouched.

  Almost in slow motion, my feet left the floor, my body launched into the air, and then came back down. Anyone watching wouldn't have known that I was pushing the warlock magic down through my feet creating an energy field that would crack the plate lowdown in the earth.

  When my boots made contact, the floor underneath our feet rocked so violently that as we fell, so did the walls. The crash of crumbling brick made me curl into a ball. Cries and screams resounded around me as my blood rushed in my ears, making my stomach churn. That had been too much power.

  Lifting my head slightly to watch as the world erupted around me, I gasped as something hit me in the back of the skull.

  The world went black.

  Chapter Fourteen

  The coughing was the first thing I heard. Prising my eyes open, I emptied my throat of dust just as the others were. My bones ached but nothing was broken. Wiping white plaster from my eyelids, I blinked to try and see the damage I had caused.

  “Devon?” Gerard shouted as he rushed over.

  The pounding in my head eased slightly as he came into view. Thank goodness he wasn’t hurt. I could never forgive myself if my stupid attempt at stopping Mackenzie had killed my partner.

  “Are you hurt?”

  Brushing my hair back from my face, he looked me over. I spat goop from my mouth as I sat up, my gaze searching the room. Walls had crumpled to the ground. Part of the roof had collapsed. The magic I’d channelled was a shit load more powerful than I’d realised. I had only meant to knock Mackenzie off the ladder.

  “I’m fine,” I said, scrambling to my feet when I heard Justina shouting.

  Ignoring the state of ourselves, we picked our way over the debris. Several people laid beneath the rubble, their hands or feet sticking out. Nausea rolled in my stomach, making my gag flex. No! I didn’t mean to do this.

  “Help them!” I said to Gerard as I landed on my knees next to the young girl who had made eyes at me.

  His hand took my franticly digging arm. “There’s no point. It’s too late for them.”

  Gerard’s voice caught as he wrapped his arms around me and dragged me to my feet. A sob burst from me as I counted at least five people who would not be going home today. Because of me.

  “Devon?” Justina’s voice was strained.

  Letting me go, Gerard ran towards the other side of the room. Following, I wiped the tears that fell down my cheeks as we rounded a partial wall. The breath left my lungs as my gaze landed on our bosses.

  “Help me lift this!” Justina struggled with a piece of the roof.

  Kurt lay under it, his teeth gritted in pain. He was conscious, which was a good sign. Going to the other side of the bulky material, I got hold of it at the same time as the others tried to shift it.

  “Shit! It’s far too heavy.”

  Gerard bent down to talk to Kurt. Their murmurs were quiet as I surveyed the rest of the room. People were running around, trying to help those that were trapped. Mackenzie was nowhere to be seen. The little bastard had escaped after all.

  “Just get her to do it!” Kurt snapped.

  Justina tried again, her hands turning white where they tugged. She was so intent on getting the roof off him, she wasn’t listening to the others.

  Frowning, I went round to see what they were talking about. Gerard shook his head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  “What’s going on?” The shake of my body intensified when I saw blood coming from under Kurt’s leg.

  “I want you to use your magic to get this off me,” Kurt hissed through clenched teeth. “But, lover boy thinks it would be better if you didn’t.”

  He did? Why would Gerard think that? I would do anything I could to help my friend. The only reason I hadn’t yet was because I was worried about the damage it could cause Kurt.

  “Of course I’ll help.” Bending down to grasp Kurt’s hand, I squeezed. “What shall I do? I don’t want to make it worse.”

  A smile came to his lips. “It’s simple. Imagine a big empty field with this roof’s name on it and send it there.”

  Why hadn’t I thought of that? “See,” I said, getting to my feet. “That’s why you’re the boss.”

  Putting a hand on my shoulder, Justina almost shoved me. “Do it. I’ll be ready to tend to his wounds as soon as it’s gone.”

  Her blonde hair was covered in white dust. Her cheeks were bright red from where she’d overheated from trying to help her partner.

  “Stand back,” I told them as I placed my hands on the highest part of the crushing object.

  Tingles ran along my spine when Gerard shook his head, walking away completely. Why was he leaving us?

  “We haven’t got all day, woman,” Kurt said, laughing when I nudged his free arm with my boot.

  It was my version of telling him off without telling him off. I was scared that as soon as the pressure came off, he would…

  Cutting the thought, I closed my eyes and envisioned an empty green field. Whispering a transference spell, I almost stumbled forward when the roof disappeared. Arms wrapped around my waist from behind, hauling me away from where Kurt lay. Gerard’s scent filtered into my nose as he spun me so he could hold me against him.

  “I got the ambulance crew to see to Kurt first,” he muttered against my hair.

  The police were on the scene. Justina would have a lot of explaining to do, but at least they’d be able to work with the government to
end this particular branch of the drug trade. I sometimes forgot that only the law enforcement and government knew about our existence.

  Clinging to Gerard as a medic assessed Kurt, I held my breath. Would he be okay?

  “He’s lucky. This metal table stopped the roof from crushing any vital organs. His legs will need surgery, though.” The medic called his team over. It was best to let the humans treat Kurt for his injuries. Once they’d set his bones and stitched him up, he would probably be able to heal himself quickly. The blessing of being amazing in herbology.

  “I can’t believe I did this,” I whispered as Justina came over.

  “I must admit,” Gerard said, stroking my back. “I’m surprised, too.”

  Coughing as she reached us, Justina looked at Gerard. “Take Devon back to Mary’s. Once the dust has settled…”

  Not one of us cracked a smile.

  “…we’ll hunt for the man who was trying to escape.”

  “It was a warlock named Mackenzie.” Gerard stepped away from me as a policeman approached.

  Rubbing a hand over her face as she watched the medics stabilise Kurt, Justina sighed. “The Mackenzie who gave us information about Cameron’s coven?”

  Tears were prickling my eyes as I watched forensics take pictures of those who had lost their lives. It was my fault.

  “Go,” Justina said when she turned to face the policeman. “I’ll deal with this. Don’t forget to write up your statements.”

  Without waiting for me, Gerard flashed away. A gulp escaped me as I thought of the bathroom at Mary’s and flashed myself there.

  Locking the door as soon as I landed, I undressed and climbed into the tub. Turning the shower on, I sat down. Hugging my knees to my chest, I cried it out. Warm water rained on me, turning the dust into rivers of white as they drained down the plughole. I’d lost control. The magic had taken hold, clenching me in its addictive grip. I hadn’t underestimated my power, I’d be unable to stop myself from taking too much.

  “Devon?” Gerard called through the door. “Let me in.”

  Gulping as I tried to breathe, I ignored him. I had just killed five people. For no reason. They didn’t deserve to die.

  The sound of the shower curtain being pulled back made me jump. Gerard had found a way into the bathroom. So much for privacy. What if I’d been on the loo?

  “Don’t ignore me at a time like this.”

  Almost ripping his T-shirt off, he climbed into the tub. Water rippled down his muscled chest, caressing the tattoos on his arms. Arms that held me tight every night.

  “Please,” I cried as he sat down awkwardly.

  Without saying anything, he gently entwined his arms around me, and dragged me to sit between his legs. Slumping into him, I buried my head in his neck as I released the grief. Images of the pretty young girl talking to me made me cringe into myself. If I hadn’t have interrogated her about the newest employees, she wouldn’t have led me to Mackenzie. It was all my fault for quizzing her.

  “What have I done?”

  Kissing my forehead, he rocked me slightly, his strong arms keeping me safe. What had I done to deserve him?

  “This is part of being an agent. There’s been many incidents of accidental casualties. You need to be tough, angel.”

  Angel? He’d never called me that before. I was no angel. I was tough. Wasn’t I?

  “I need to get rid of this warlock link,” I replied, filing the nickname angel away for a later conversation.

  His chest rose as he inhaled. “I had a suspicion that you were struggling with it. I didn’t want to say anything.”

  The water started to run cold as we sat there. My sore heart started to ease, ever so slightly. Lifting my head, I looked into Gerard’s beautiful green eyes. “What did I do to deserve you?”

  The corner of his lip lifted into his cheek. “Sometimes I wonder.”

  Hitting his chest lamely, I leant down and kissed the same spot. His breath hitched as his hand came to the back of my head. The adrenaline of the last hour, mixed with the headiness of the steam and his arms around me made me grab the back of his head.

  Our lips clashed, almost bruising each other as we kissed. My body moved to lay on his as he ran his hands up and down my back. We’d been holding off from this because of the nosy seer above, but I couldn’t hold back anymore. I needed him.

  “This is probably completely inappropriate.” He laughed as I attempted to tug his wet jeans off.

  The bathtub wasn’t exactly the most romantic place to get freaky, but my emotions were running wild. I needed grounding, I needed connection with my man.

  For a split second, in those moments where he flipped me over and took me slowly, passionately, I forgot it all.

  His breath on my cheek as we lay there made me feel whole. My insides had been fragmented since I found out that I was part warlock, part witch. The only time I felt like I was a complete person was when I was in his arms. I could never give that up.

  “I had a private session with Mary,” I said quietly as I stroked his wet hair away from his forehead.

  Glancing up at me from where his head rested on my chest, he blinked away the fog of bliss. “You did?”

  Rolling my lips together, I debated whether to tell him what the ancestors had said. It had been eating away at me for days. It was time.

  “She had a message for me from the ancestors. One part of it was about the dagger.”

  “The dagger? Oh, yeah, it’s the Essex dagger. What did they say?”

  Tracing his bottom lip with my nail, I grinned when he gently caught my finger between his teeth. The gesture was so affectionate, I debated changing my mind.

  “I need to channel witch magic into it, not warlock. It’s the only thing that will kill another Essex witch, although they didn’t mention that.”

  My leg was starting to ache in our cramped quarters. We had things to face, reports to write. Reality to set in.

  “What was the other part?”

  A smile crossed my face. “They said that to stay connected to the ley line, I would have to marry an Essex witch.”

  As Gerard’s eyebrows sunk low, he shifted, bringing himself into a seated position. I reached out for him, but he pulled away. “Why are you smiling as you say that?”

  Ah, he had totally misread my happiness. “Because I’m not going to stay connected to the ley line. I’m not giving you up because someone told me to.”

  Thrusting from where he sat, Gerard clambered out of the bath. What was happening? Why was he being weird? I understood why he might be angry if I’d listened to the ancestors, but I wasn’t prepared to give in to them.

  “What’s the matter?”

  A towel flung around him as he swept it from the rail. I got to my feet, dragging my own towel from the radiator.

  “You can’t do it.”

  Freezing, he stayed faced away from me.

  “Can’t do what?” I was so confused.

  Drying his hair furiously before he wrapped the towel around his waist, he stayed silent. I waited, not daring to move.

  When he finally turned to face me, he brought his hand up and cupped my cheek. “You can’t disconnect from the ley line. Firstly, it will make you weak again. Secondly, it’s your birth right. You can’t take that away because of some man…”

  “Some man?” I spat.

  Heat warmed every inch of skin on my body as rage bubbled in the pit of my gut. “Are you telling me that what just happened was with some man? Not my man? Not my lover? Not the man I love?”

  His gaze dropped to the ground. The tattoo of my silhouette on his arm taunted me. He wouldn’t have that on his body if I didn’t mean something to him.

  “No, I…” He swallowed as he clenched his fists at his sides. “I won’t be the boyfriend that stops you from fulfilling your potential.”

  Pinpricks stabbed at my arms and my eyes as I tried to hold back the wave of emotion that wanted to burst from me.

  “I’ve just tol
d you that I love you, and you’re telling me you won’t be my boyfriend. What are you saying?”

  Reaching out, he tried to take my hand. Batting it away, I moved around him to get out of the bathroom. The air was cold as it hit my damp skin. I needed some space to think. One moment, I had been killing people, the next, I was in heaven with the man I loved, and again, back to having my heart ripped out. What the fuck was going on?

  Not bothering to close the bedroom door, I rushed to pull clothes on, swearing when they got stuck on my damp legs.

  “Devon,” Gerard started when he came in the room. “Your father was the one who made it quite clear that I wasn’t suitable for you. This explains why. I don’t want to let you go. I want you to be mine. You are mine. And, yet, it would be selfish of me to make you disconnect from the ley line. I won’t do that.”

  “I’m not asking you to make that choice. I’ve made it myself.” My words were bitten through my teeth, my temper only just hanging on.

  “Have you thought about that seriously? When you disconnect from the warlock link, you’ll have your ley line, and your original warlock power source. You’ll be a little uneven but better balanced. However, if you disconnect from the ley line too, you’ll have to choose which one to be. You won’t be able to stay both. You can’t have forgotten what that felt like. It’s only been a moment in time that you’ve had this extra magic.”

  Coming closer, he brought his sexy body to stand right in front of me. I was sitting on the edge of the bed, pulling my boots on, trying my best to ignore what he was saying. For so long, I’d wanted someone to accept me for me. Gerard had done that. He had fallen in love with who I was, not what I was. Why couldn’t he stay in love with that?

  “I don’t care,” I whispered as a lump came to my throat. Getting up, I put my hands on his chest, shoving him gently. “But, it seems you do.”

  Before his fingers wrapped around the top of my arms, I flashed away. Only a short time ago, I’d needed to be close to my man. Now, I needed space from him. It seemed that no matter what I did, my genetics were out to get me. This time, they might ruin me for good.