Why would I get angry at them?
He must have read the question in my gaze because he ducked his head and spoke quickly. “We then stood you up, me holding you for support. Kurt did the spell, cut your hand and held it against the stone. It was the best we could do in the circumstances.”
Keeping my face as straight as I possibly could, I didn’t let out the humour that wanted to escape. I could milk his guilt for all it was worth. When he looked up at me, a weary expression on his face, I burst out laughing. Who was I kidding? I’d never been able to hide how I was feeling. I was way too much of an unhinged female.
“That’s pretty genius, if you ask me. Did it work?”
Sitting back, his shoulders relaxed, his tattoos moving as he handed me the box he’d brought in with him. “Yes, it did.”
“What’s this?” Gerard had never bought me a gift before.
Narrowing my gaze on him as I held the box in my hand, I tried not to get excited. Stemming the rush of girly emotions that threatened to overwhelm me, I swallowed hard.
“It’s just something little, don’t get too excited. I made it just before we went to Scotland, before we fell out.”
“Fell out? Does that mean we’ve made up?”
Sitting forward, Gerard gestured for me to open the box. My fingers itched to rip the paper off, but we needed to have the conversation we’d been avoiding since Gerrard had come out of the coma.
“Please,” he muttered. “Then we’ll talk.”
Butterflies flapped in my stomach as I opened the packaging. Not many people brought me presents. Certainly not Mr Dishy Agent Man.
My thumbs were clumsy as I wrenched the top of the box open, gasping when I saw what was inside.
“The little git only just stayed still long enough for me to get it.” Gerard stroked Kingsley’s head where he rested on my thigh.
Picking out the small slab of clay, I instantly sucked in a sob. Footprints of my rat had been embedded into it. It was moulded into a heart shape, a small hole drilled through the top. Kingsley’s name was etched underneath the four paw prints.
“What do you think?” Gerard was sitting on the edge of his seat, his handsome face concerned.
Grinning, I reached forward, cringing when the stitches in my leg pulled. “Come here.”
He moved so I didn’t have to cause myself pain. Our lips met, crushing together as I tried to stop the tears that threatened.
Taking his lips away, Gerard leant his forehead against mine. “Devon, I… I don’t want to lose you.”
“You won’t,” I whispered back. “I told you, I’m going to give up the ley line.”
“That means you’re going to give up everything for me. How do we know that we’re always going to feel the same way?”
He gazed into my eyes, trying to read my soul. My heartbeat increased as a flash of fear crossed his face. I had never seen Mr Hard Exterior look afraid. Of anything.
“Life happens. People get together, they break up. But we have a little more staying power, don’t you think? Most paranormals stick together longer. Something about how we’re wired. Humans used to be the same, but they’ve lost that dedication to growth. They now go after shallow instant gratification. There’s no depth. But, us? We’re much more complex. Our powers or abilities make us look at ourselves more closely. To understand who we are so we can control them. It helps us relate to another person easier. To not give up on them as soon as they trigger us.”
“Who are you?” Gerard whispered with a smile as he kissed me on the nose, then the cheek, then the lips. “Your wisdom precedes you Devon Jinx.”
Cupping his cheek, I flicked out my tongue, just catching the end of his nose. “There, I’m back again. Thank you for my gorgeous present.”
“You’re welcome.” Sitting back in his seat, Gerard took my hands. “So… what next?”
Leaning my head back against the pillow, I sighed. “After I’m rid of the warlock link, I’ll speak to my mother. I’m not sure how I get disconnected from the ley line, but it will have to be fairly soon. Otherwise, the agent at Paranormal MI5 will come knocking.”
Rubbing a hand over his face, Gerard yawned. “Sorry,” he said, shaking himself. “I didn’t sleep. Kurt wouldn’t let me in while he did your stitches. Are you really sure you want to do this?”
The bags under his eyes were bigger than usual. My man had lost sleep over me. Cute. Although, I had basically played vigil by his bedside when he was in a coma, so he owed me at least one night. And a fry up.
“Yes, I’m certain. I’ve gone over it several times in my brain. And, as you know, my brain is quite small, so it didn’t take too long to decide.”
My gaze narrowed on him as he nodded. He wasn’t supposed to agree with me. Although, he wasn’t supposed to placate me with denials either. No wonder men didn’t know what women wanted. I didn’t really know myself. Except, I did. I wanted Gerard. I wanted my agency family. I wanted a family of my own. Eventually.
“I love you.” His statement would’ve been romantic had he not yawned again.
My laughter filled the room as he surged from his chair and shut me up with a kiss. One that quickly deepened.
The sound of the door opening made us pull apart. Gerard grinned at me as my parents hurried in, their faces tight with worry. My mother’s mouth was pinched as she rushed over, almost shoving Gerard out of the way.
I smiled at my man, knowing full well that we’d decided that no matter what, we would stick together. I loved him too. I’d never wanted to be with someone the way I did him. And, if it meant I had to give up my heritage because of that, so be it. He was more important to me than my magic.
“Thank goodness you’re okay,” my mother gushed as she tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear.
“Look what Gerard made me.” I almost gloated as I held up the love heart and grinned.
My parents exchanged a look as Gerard muttered a goodbye and headed off to get some sleep. Why had they frowned? Oh…
“Justina hasn’t been able to trace Vernon Jupiter.” My father quickly changed the subject.
My mother still frowned, her fingers tracing a symbol of some sort on the cover over me. She wasn’t going to let it go as easily as he was.
“The longer you put it off, the harder it will be.” Her face, similar to mine, was drawn, the lines around her eyes thickened slightly.
Being back had probably increased her stress levels ten-fold. Maybe they should go into retirement. That wasn’t a very nice thought. They weren’t exactly old enough for that. However, my skin burned at her suggestion.
“I don’t think this is the time to be-”
My father was cut off by my mother’s hand abruptly raising in front of his face. Woah, talk about passive aggressive. Or maybe it was just aggressive aggressive. Either way, I didn’t want to get involved in their domestic.
“Devon has forgotten her duty.” Coming closer, she perched on the edge of the bed. Her hair was tied up into a bun, her features nice and neat. Not like me. I was the messy version.
“I’ve not forgotten my duty, mum, I…” What could I say?
Now was not the time to tell her my plans. I had to get the warlock link sorted before I even thought about releasing the ley line. Telling my mother now would only cause tension.
Watching her hands as they squeezed together, my mother swallowed hard before she spoke. “I’ve found you a nice male witch who’s descended from Essex lines. He has agreed to meet you for a potential match.”
“You what?!” I roared, grabbing Kingsley as he jumped so high, he almost fell off the bed.
Instantly calming my temper so he wasn’t scared, I tucked my best friend into the pocket of my shirt. I really needed a good shower and change of clothes. The poor boy would probably suffocate from my musky body.
Staring at the ground, my father shuffled his feet. Did he have anything to do with this? How could the people who had broken the law with their love arrange somet
hing so cold?
“You married for love. How dare you try and dictate who I marry! You’re still connected to the ley line, even though you didn’t marry an Essex witch.”
Sliding off the bed, my mother slunk into the chair, her fingers drumming on the wooden arm. “I know. It’s because of your grandmother. The ancestors needed someone stable to take care of our side. They allowed me to keep my role of protecting it.”
“Well, you better cancel that meeting with the potential match. I’ve got far too much shit going on for you to even… Scrap that, just… leave me alone.”
If my leg wasn’t still healing under Kurt’s magical gauze, I would’ve got up and marched out myself. Unfortunately, my parents stayed where they were, watching me.
“We did this to you,” my father whispered, his eyes sorrowful as he ducked his head.
Rage flared within me, the heat of it burning my insides as I clenched my fists by my side. Kingsley pitter-pattered up my arm to sit in the crook of my neck. He rubbed his little head against my jaw, trying to calm the whirlwind of emotion inside me.
“No,” I said through gritted teeth. “You didn’t do this to me. You created me, yes. That was probably a mistake.”
“Never!” My mother jumped up from her seat, her hand grabbing mine and squeezing hard. Almost too hard. “You are my pride and joy. I watch you with these people, see how you’ve become a part of their team. A professional.” She coughed when I raised my eyebrows. “Most of the time.”
“We made it hard for you,” my father chimed up, coming closer. “That’s what I meant. It was selfish of us to have you. We wouldn’t change it, ever. But, I’m sorry that our love caused you so much grief.”
Emotion flooded me. He was right. Being a half breed had made life a lot harder than it would’ve been if my mother had married another witch. However, she hadn’t. She had married my father, and they had been very happy ever since. I was proud of them for standing up for their love. It would’ve been so much easier to push each other away and go with the rules. So why was my mother trying to force me to do what she wouldn’t? It didn’t make sense.
Tears dropped from my mother’s eyes as she stroked my hair. “I don’t want you to lose your birth right. Seeing you as a powerful woman, a powerful paranormal, makes my heart swell with pride. I don’t want to see you struggle again.”
“You believe that if I stay with Gerard, I’ll be weak?”
The incline of her head told me all I needed to know. Where was the vehement denial?
“Let me tell you something,” I said. “As a child, I grew up being bullied because you broke the law.”
My father’s cringe didn’t make me feel guilty. I wouldn’t hold back anymore. All the anxiousness, the pain, and the detachment since they’d returned, bubbled to the surface. I had to speak my truth.
“Devon,” he started.
“No.” Holding up my hand, I refused to let him speak. “It’s my turn.”
I gently pulled my hand away from my mum. She walked back until my father’s arm came around her waist. It seemed he was her support, her rock. It was inspiring, and yet, I had to tell them how I felt.
Pulling myself up to sit straighter, I looked at them. “As a child, your love inspired me. I saw how much you cared for each other. The bullying, I could handle, because I could see why you’d gone against the rules.”
They glanced at one another, their gazes softening slightly. Memories must have been circling through their minds, just like they were in mine. Happier times.
“But when you disappeared, my life shattered. Isaac Senior took me in, told me that you were probably dead. And, do you know what I concocted in my mind?”
They shook their heads, their attention fully on me.
“I believed that the government had finally caught up to you and issued you both the death penalty because you’d broken the law. Well, two laws actually. You’d married inter-species, and you’d produced a child. A half-breed.”
Neither of them flinched at my words. Good. If they showed signs of weakness now, I would have to disown them. I needed them to see the point I was trying to make. But, they had to look at themselves for that to happen.
“Mother, you sacrificed your life for dad. You thought you’d lose the ley line link, but the ancestors let you keep it. It worked out well. I hated you.”
The sudden change in topic finally got a reaction from them. My mother’s eyebrows sank as her eyes filled with tears. My father swallowed, dropping my gaze for a second.
“You had left me. You had chosen each other, dragging me into your life too. Somehow you were still accepted, but only just. Theresa, the leader of the London coven, let you stay. You should’ve been the leader, but because of what you’d done, you were downgraded.”
The thoughts and feelings I’d had in my mind since I was ten years old came spewing out like verbal diarrhoea. However, they tasted a little better than shit. Because they needed to be said.
“Okay, enough of the history lesson.” I huffed, shaking my head. “Let me get to my point.”
Nothing was said as I gathered myself. Perspiration lined my palms as I took a deep breath. “I’ve never forgiven you for leaving me. Firstly, even though I believed you were dead, I blamed you for everything. The reason you were dead was your fault. That’s what my ten-year-old self thought. And then…” My throat closed as I remembered the day I had received the letter from my mother after fourteen years.
“And, then, we just flew straight back into your life.” My father let go of my mother to come over to me.
I waved him away, unable to face physical contact when I wanted to break down. Tears were dribbling down my face as I breathed slowly. “Yes. You were suddenly alive, instantly there. It’s taken some assimilating to get used to it. I’m grateful to have you back. Happy to see that you’re still as in love now as you were then.”
Their shared look was one of regret. Their sorrow evident in the creases around their mouths as they blinked slowly, heavily.
My father gripped his hands together as he looked at me. “That’s what I meant when I said we’d caused all this. We weren’t there to guide you. We left you, even though we thought we were protecting you from Helena.”
Shaking my head, I swallowed my tears back. “When you left me,” I said, stroking Kingsley when he squeaked for attention. “I was a child. Now, I’m an adult. I’ve made choices. I was a rebel as a teen, causing trouble in the witch world. I was careless about the warlock leadership. I joined the agency to try and… I dunno, fit in somewhere. You were not here. I’m old enough to make my own choices, which is why I’m here, with a bullet wound in my leg. Not because of you. Which means, I can also…”
My sentence trailed off when Gerard came in with a smile on his face. He came around the other side of the bed, a tray in his hand. He was seemingly oblivious to the fact that we were having a very serious conversation.
“Look,” he gushed, picking up a plate. “I made you a fry up, and I didn’t even burn anything.”
I grinned at him, almost wondering if mother earth had synchronised the encounter so that my parents could see how happy Mr Agent My Man made me.
“Thank you,” I said, cupping his cheek as he bent to plant a wet kiss on my forehead.
Turning back to my parents, who shared another look, I smiled. “I will make my own choices.”
Gerard frowned as he looked at them, his eyes widening. Grabbing his arm, I squeezed it, silencing him. There were no actual words confirming what I’d meant, but my parents knew what would happen if I chose Gerard. I would lose my link to the ley line, and my inheritance to the Essex witch blood line. And, I would be all the happier, because I’d be with the man I loved.
Chapter Nine
“You’re walking well,” Justina said as I hobbled along next to her.
Her sarcasm was noted as Gerard opened the door for me. My attention was too riveted by the government building. All old style, the gothic architec
ture made my stomach flutter. There were some very powerful people in the building that housed Paranormal MI5.
“I feel like a naughty teenager about to be told off by the head teacher,” I muttered as we were searched by the human guards on the doors.
Odd to have a weaker person guarding those that were part of a force who protected the paranormal.
Biting my lip, I waited to see if the human found my dagger. My heartbeat was erratic as his hand grazed the pocket on the back of my jacket. I’d placed an invisibility spell on the weapon, just in case of this scenario. Yes, naughty to use my magic to fool the government, but there was no way I was going into a place full of crime executives without some protection. Especially when I was technically an illegal species.
“Okay,” the guard said. “Go through.”
Limping into the small, but grand, reception, I almost laughed when Gerard tripped over his own feet. He managed to right himself before his arse hit the ground. Throwing me a shut up look, he went over to the receptionist to book us in.
Apparently, Justina had received a call from the government as I lay recovering in the infirmary. They wanted to talk to us about Cameron Fieldman. They would use the Paranormal MI5 building to have our meeting over video call. A part of me was excited to see all the funky things inside a place that ran such a big operation.
My gaze was tracing the ornate painted ceiling, so I didn’t notice the agent approach until she spoke.
“Good morning, I’m Gemma Abbott.”
Ah, crap. She smiled at each one of us individually. She looked as cool as she had when we’d been on Arthur’s seat in Edinburgh. Her brown hair was down today, her flat knee-high boots tied with laces over shiny leather trousers. Her shirt had Book Nerd written on it. Yep, she was a legend. And, my cousin, apparently.
“Please follow me.”
Gerard looked at me, his eyebrows raised as she wandered towards the bank of elevators at the back of the room.
Hunted Witch Agency Box Set Books 4-5 (Hunted Witch Agency Set Book 2) Page 21