“Hardly, darling,” Maxwell chimed, gesturing for my father to follow him.
Justina stepped forward, Gerard at her side. “You will not discuss anything without an agent present. Otherwise, we’ll arrest you.”
Grinding his teeth in annoyance, Maxwell threw his hands in the air. “Fine! I’ll just tell all of you. It’s not like Kevin will keep it to himself anyway.”
Something clicked in my head as the leader of the warlocks kept eyeing my father. Technically, my father had been next in line to lead the coven. But, because we’d assumed he was dead, he had been taken out of the equation. Did Maxwell think that my father would challenge him?
Clearing my throat, I got everyone’s attention. “There’s just a small matter that needs to be cleared between Maxwell and my father. It’s personal.”
The energy that pulsed from my agency team made me smile apologetically. I wasn’t taking sides, I was just trying to get us on the right track.
My father looked at me. Nope, he didn’t have a clue what I was talking about. I was about to blab it out when my mother grabbed his hand.
“The leadership, Kevin.”
A resounding ‘oh’ went around the small group. Everyone stepped away to give the pair some privacy. Gerard stood next to me. The heat of his body kept me warm, and yet, the tattoo that glared at me told me something about myself I had never known. I was playing with his heart.
“I’m sorry,” I said, taking his hand and leading him away from the others. “I keep making promises about sorting my life out, but not following through. I want to be the best partner possible. In all ways.”
He had been watching the warlocks to make sure there was no trouble. Looking down at me, he searched my gaze with intensity.
“I mean, I’d like to be a good work partner. And, well, hopefully a romantic partner. Well, not good, but amazing. Really amazing.”
“I get it,” he muttered as a small smile threatened to spread.
“Yes, you will get it. All the time. I may tire you out.”
A full blown grin came to his face. “Okay, okay, that’s overkill. Just… get yourself better.”
Taking my hand, he stroked my thumb before letting go and moving away. I was left confused. He hadn’t said he wanted me to be more than his work partner. No wonder he didn’t know how I felt, I didn’t know how he felt either.
Kicking at the leaves, I frowned to myself. I had just made a complete and utter twat of myself. Seriously, that could’ve been one of the most embarrassing things ever. I threatened to tire him out. What an… Oh, that was a pretty leaf. Bending down, I picked up the red hued leaf and tucked it into my pocket.
“Devon, we need you,” Justina called from beside the tree. “You’re sure it’s this tree that your grandmother wants to know about?”
Going up to it, I went to reach out. My hand sizzled with energy as Maxwell grabbed me, pulling me back.
“It’s definitely that tree. Why is it full of magic?”
Maxwell looked around us. “We need to move away from here. If anyone sees me, they’ll know something’s up.”
Casually walking away from the tree, the whole group congregated around the swings. Sitting on one, I started to shake as the memories of the video came back.
“Look, Mama,” I whispered.
My mother frowned down at me as I glanced in her direction. Her dark eyebrows furrowed as she sat on the swing next to me and took my hand. I had told her all about the video, every single detail. She knew what I was remembering.
“Maxwell, it seems you know something about the tree,” Justina stated as the warlock checked around us, yet again.
He ran his hand over his hair to make sure the strands were in place. Resting his other hand on the bulge of his stomach, he glanced at my father. “As you know, warlock magic comes from a different source than witches’ magic. You use the ley lines…” He gestured to my mother. “…And, we connect to the darker energy in mother earth.”
We didn’t need a history lesson on the origin of magic. Every single one of us accessed mother earth’s power. Every single one of us knew where it came from blah blah.
“No need to look so bored,” Maxwell snapped when I yawned.
Waving away his bitterness, I almost screamed at him. “Please, just tell us about the tree.”
Our scowling match was interrupted when Gerard waved a hand in front of my face. Why was he taking the warlock’s side? He didn’t like them at all. Well, he pretended not to like them. Maybe he had a soft spot for them now he had to accept that I was still part warlock. Aw, Hard Mac-cagey was softening in his old age.
“I can’t believe Helena managed to erase this from your brain,” Maxwell told my parents. “The tree is our link to the earth’s warlock magic. It’s a bit like our own ley line, except it goes down, instead of across.”
Oh, wow. Now, that was information I hadn’t been expecting. And, neither had the others if their shocked expressions were any indication as to what they were thinking.
“No wonder Helena wants to know where it is. She’ll probably sever it somehow, which means…” My sentence dropped off as my mouth went dry.
“The spell,” Justina said. “She’ll use the link to your power source to disconnect you all. Effectively killing the whole race off. The open line will shrink back into the earth, making sure that the warlocks can never exist again.”
Jumping from the swing, I clenched my fists at my sides. “We have to stop her. The spell. We need to gather all of the spells from my mother’s grimoire and study them. Rather than wait for her to make a move, we need to be ready to counteract it. So, we need a spell that will protect the tree completely.”
“You’re talking about using a witch spell to protect warlock magic?” Maxwell asked, his eyes wide.
Kurt cleared his throat. “That’s not a bad idea. We’ll just use the Essex witch.”
“Excuse me?” My mother choked. “Use me?”
Shrugging, my boss kept his face impassive. “Yes.”
My father put a hand on my mother’s shoulder when she went to step forward. “No one uses my wife. Ever. She’s a powerful Essex witch and has offered to help in any way she can. However, she deserves the respect of at least being asked.”
Bowing his head, Kurt actually looked apologetic. “I’m sorry, Your Majesty. Would you mind terribly if we asked you to help us protect the whole of the warlock race, including your husband, with your super-duper powers?”
My mouth dropped open, my gaze flying to Gerard as he put a hand on my arm. Was he holding me back?
“Well, as you asked so nicely,” my mother said, an amused smile coming to her lips. “I’d be happy to help. Minion.”
Laughter exploded around us as Kurt grinned. I had never seen my mother make others laugh. She was quite a serious witch. Now I knew why. The pressure of being one of four witches in charge of the ley lines must rest heavy on her shoulders. A part of me wished I could help her with the burden, but I quickly shook the thought away. I’d learnt my lesson in responsibility when I’d been leader of the warlocks. And, I’d decided that I wasn’t grown up enough to handle it. I was better off just being a measly agent.
“Right, Maxwell, are you happy with our proposal?” Justina cut through the mirth.
Wiping his eye, he agreed, a jolly expression on his face. A weight had lifted away, instantly making him lighter.
The sound of a bullet ricocheting off the pole above our heads made us duck in unison. Kurt circled to the right, Gerard went left. My mother held my arm tight, stopping me from moving. There was no way I was staying out of a fight if there was one.
“Get under cover,” Justina told us as another bullet whizzed past my ear.
Boy, that was close. Adrenaline pulsed through me as I shoved my mother behind me. We needed the Essex witch more than the half breed. Plus, it was my mother. I’d lost her once, I wouldn’t lose her again.
“You need to get out of here,” I said, pushing
her to go as I got my dagger out of my pocket.
“I told you,” my mother said, gesturing to my hand. “You need to stop using the Essex dagger.”
The memory of her telling me that when she first saw it came into my mind. I couldn’t remember what explanation she’d given for her warning, but I hadn’t heeded it.
“We’ll talk about it later.”
My mother squeaked as another bullet hit the ground near our feet. They were aiming for us. Looking over my shoulder, I searched the field. There wasn’t anyone in plain sight. Ah, so they were hiding. Were they afraid?
My father grabbed my mother’s hand and dragged her behind the climbing frame. It wasn’t exactly perfect, but it would do. The bullets were still landing around me. Either the person wasn’t trying to kill me, or they were an awful shot. Either way, they hadn’t followed my parents, which meant I was the target.
“I’m going,” I told Justina as she hid behind a bin.
Running across the park, I held my dagger tight as I spotted someone behind a car that was parked on the road beside the grassy area.
Gerard and Kurt were searching the park, not taking any notice of the vehicles just outside it. Stupid agents. I wasn’t even on duty, and yet, I was heading straight towards the subject.
The bullets were smacking into the earth behind me. Behind me? Ah…
Whispering an invisibility spell, I laughed to myself when the bullets slowed. They couldn’t see me. Perfect.
Approaching the car, I hunched over to make myself smaller. The others were still searching for the shooter. The man behind the black hatchback was staring at the park. He hadn’t even been watching me. In fact, he was whispering a spell.
My dagger was held before me as I stepped right next to him and dropped my invisibility spell. He backed up, his hands covering his face. My feet stuck to the ground, unable to move at all.
“Release me, or I’ll unleash my own magic,” I said through clenched teeth.
His arms lowered as I flung the dagger towards him without letting go, releasing a stream of yellow magic. It wrapped around his wrists, trapping him. Dropping his arms slightly, he muttered something. My feet softened, the spell now broken.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
The bullets were no longer being fired. Had he been controlling them? Maybe he’d planted a gun somewhere and hidden so he could perform his magic away from the weapon.
“I’m an ambassador from Paranormal MI5. I’m protecting your mother.”
What now? I’d heard Justina mention the Paranormal MI5 several times, but they dealt with murders and serial killers. Why would they send someone to protect my mother?
“Here, look at my ID.” He got it out, flashing it in a flamboyant manner. “Don’t look at me like that. Why do all agency agents judge us?”
Er. I wasn’t judging any one. Stupid MI5 agent with his high powered job.
“You need to come with me.” Going to take his arm, I swore when he flashed away.
Ah, crap, I’d let my guard down. Just because he was an agent, didn’t mean I should’ve been light with him. Wait. How did I know he was an actual agent? He could’ve stolen the ID.
“Devon?” Gerard came around the car, his gun held out in front of him. “Who were you speaking to?”
Tucking my dagger away, I stamped my foot. “An MI5 agent just claimed that he was protecting my mother. Did you catch the shooter?”
Frowning, Gerard checked over the car and opened the door, pulling out documents from the glovebox. The vehicle did have a government smell to it.
“Yes, it’s a warlock who knows the secret. He thought Maxwell was selling them out to the agency.”
Rolling my eyes, I stepped back as Gerard came closer. His mouth was set in a grim line. Was there a reason he was looking unimpressed? With me?
“You’re not supposed to be working.”
Waving away his words, I bit my lip. I wasn’t technically working, I was running away from gunfire. That didn’t count.
“Gerard,” Kurt called as he approached. “Take the gunman into custody, please.”
Doing as he was told, Gerard ignored me as I followed him. My gaze accidentally traced his tight bum as he bent to pick something up from the floor. I missed the easiness between us. Well, it hadn’t ever really been easy, but…
“You,” Kurt snapped, pointing at me. “I know you’re trained to automatically protect, but you’re supposed to be off duty. Especially after your blood stunt.”
“It wasn’t a stunt!”
When he came to stand in front of me, his hands on his hips, I pretended to zip my mouth shut. There was no point in getting defensive with Kurt. He wouldn’t accept it. Ever.
“You’ve been given orders.”
Straightening my spine, I stared him in the eye. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have got involved. I’m not very good at being protected by someone else. Acting the damsel isn’t my style at all. Have you seen what I’m wearing today?”
Eyeing my tatty, ripped, dark purple jeans and black military jacket with short sleeves, Kurt screwed up his face. “What has that got to do with anything?”
Justina joined us, her light eyes shrewd as I stood there, looking between them. All sorts of explanations came to my mind, but I decided to shut up and let them chastise me.
“Gerard’s given me these documents from that agent. I’ll ring MI5 and find out what the hell they were playing at. You…” She pointed at me. “…Meet me in my office in an hour. It’s about time we found out the origin of the spell that’s going to wipe out the warlocks.”
Chapter Nine
“Mother, you know this grimoire better than anyone,” I said, gesturing for her to join me at Justina’s desk.
Her cheeks turned pink as Justina turned to stare at her. Kurt had taken Maxwell home, while Gerard questioned the shooter. I missed my man. Well, my partner man. We hadn’t been the same since I had been rescued from Helena. Maybe we never would be.
“I never studied that grimoire, darling,” my mother said, coming over. “It’s not my grimoire. I stole it from Helena just before we were taken. It’s been under your protection ever since.”
My gaze clashed with Justina’s. “That would explain why there were spells ripped out of it. She must have taken them before you got hold of it.”
Opening the book, I scanned the first page. The paper was thin, soft to the touch. The writing was script, formed from a quill and ink. A warm feeling washed over me as I looked over the letters.
“I always assumed that this was your grimoire.” I looked at my mum as she sat next to me. Justina lowered herself into a chair on the other side of me. “But, this is much older.”
“Exactly. Did you never look at it?”
Dropping my gaze to the page when she tried to search it, I read the Latin words. These were spells I had learnt as a child.
“No, I couldn’t bear it.”
Her arm came around me, her fingers stroking the hair back from my face. “I’m sorry, lovely. I promise we’ll never leave you again.”
Something in her gaze made me trust her. I’d felt a little disconnected, unsure. My trust issues had stemmed from abandonment, which made sense, and yet, my parents were here.
“We need to find the strongest protection spell in the book.” Justina interrupted our gazing session.
Flipping the page, I studied the spells. Barrier spells, invisibility spells, and even a love spell. Wow, women had always been obsessed with getting men to love them. Why all the fuss? Men were smelly, and irritating, and…
Gerard walked in, his hair tussled and the stubble on his chin longer than usual.
…And, completely irresistible. Ugh.
“The shooter was one of Isaac’s friends. He knew the secret and guarded it with his life. When he saw that Devon was close by, he was afraid she was going to steal the leadership back from Maxwell.” And, his voice was so deep and husky.
“There,” my mother said
, slamming her hand on the book to stop me aimlessly turning the pages as I stared at Protector Mac-amazing. “That’s… Devon, is that…?”
I was almost at the end of the book. The pages were just as stained of age as the others, and yet, there was something about the writing that was different.
Leaning over my shoulder, Justina gasped as her finger traced the ink. “That’s your writing.”
Slapping my tongue, I reached for a glass of water to wet my dry mouth. It certainly looked similar. It couldn’t be, though, it was slightly messier, if that was even possible. I’d never been a magician at writing or spelling. But…
“That is your writing,” my mother said. “I’d recognise that anywhere. Darling…” She called my father who was reading the newspaper. “Will you go and get the letter I’ve held sacred, please?”
Looking over his glasses, he nodded once before laying the paper on a side table. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to help us, but he had learnt it was better to let the witches deal with witch business. It was a favourite saying of his when I was a kid.
“How can this be my handwriting?” I stared, unable to comprehend what I was seeing.
My Latin wasn’t very good. Since I’d embraced my warlock side, Isaac hadn’t kept up my witch training, which meant my witch skills in reading spells were no longer as good as they used to be.
Justina’s sharp intake of breath made me glance at her. Shoving from her seat, she paced in front of the desk, coming to a stop in front of Gerard. “The spell is the one created to kill a type of race. The ingredients are pretty simple. The source of magic. Blood from someone born of the race. And, a hell of a lot of magic.”
“It’s like we thought,” Gerard said, his gaze not leaving Justina.
They had been speaking without me? Of course, that made sense, but it still hurt. My grandmother had caused me more pain than she realised.
An image came into my mind suddenly. I was a girl, sitting at a big wooden table. The grimoire was in front of me.
“Devon?” The sound of my mother’s voice brought me back suddenly.
Shaking my head, I looked at her. “I had a flashback. I wasn’t there long enough to know what was happening, but I was a child.”
Hunted Witch Agency Box Set Books 1-3 (Hunted Witch Agency Set) Page 38