Hunted Witch Agency Box Set Books 1-3 (Hunted Witch Agency Set)

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Hunted Witch Agency Box Set Books 1-3 (Hunted Witch Agency Set) Page 39

by Rachel Medhurst


  Gerard stepped around Justina. Reading the spell in front of me, he concentrated for much longer than necessary.

  “We need to do a memory spell on Devon,” he muttered, turning to Justina again. “If she can remember how this spell came to be in the book, it might help us in the investigation.”

  Why were they treating me as if I wasn’t even in the room? Before, he would’ve asked me. Now he was treating me like they had treated Lilia when she was first rescued. Almost ordering her to do their bidding.

  “My daughter gets to decide what she’s going to do to help the investigation.” My mum got to her feet. “Ever since she’s been rescued from my mother, you’ve told her that she’s not allowed to work, and yet, you’re using her for all she can give. I won’t tolerate it.”

  Tears popped into my eyes unbidden. Letting my hair fall forward, I wiped the threat away from the corner of my eye.

  Justina came to sit next to me again. “Julia, you’re right. I’m sorry, Devon, I was supposed to be helping you with your trauma. And, instead, I’m taking advantage.”

  “No. I want to work. I know I shouldn’t get away with taking the blood. I know I’ve been reactive. But, I’m feeling better every day. This is giving me focus. I understand if you don’t want me in the field, but I can do this.”

  I wasn’t lying. I had to stop my grandmother before she got to the tree. Now that I was aware of what she wanted, I knew that she would stop at nothing to get it. She knew. She wasn’t stupid. If she finally found the location of the warlock’s source of magic, nothing would stop her from destroying them.

  “Okay, can everyone leave the room? I’d like to do this with Devon alone.”

  The others did as Justina asked, not bothering to look at me as they left. I got it. They probably thought I was such a nut case; they didn’t want to be there when I broke apart. Or, maybe they actually thought I could handle it, so I didn’t need their pity. Either way, I was glad to be alone with Justina.

  “Let’s get you comfortable,” she said, indicating my favourite chair in the room.

  Going over to it, I settled, curling my legs under me. Justina sat opposite, her blonde hair tucked behind her ear, her gaze soft. The hard agent act was gone.

  “I’ve had this spell done on me. The night my father was killed, I went into complete shock. My mother was a good witch, but she wasn’t great.”

  “Was?” I asked, only just realising that she hadn’t spoken much about her mother.

  Her gaze dropped for a second before looking at me again. “I rarely tell anyone this, but she committed suicide after my father was killed.”

  With my stomach churning, I slowly got up to my feet and went over. She frowned when I bent down and wrapped my arms around her. A hiccup escaped her as she hugged me back.

  “Why didn’t you tell me she committed suicide?” Tears ran down my cheeks as I left her to go back to my chair.

  Her small smile was hidden as she wiped her eyes. “Because it’s painful. My father’s death was caused by someone else. My mother chose to leave me behind.”

  Cuddling my knees to my chest, I watched her shoulders drop. “Sometimes people’s emotions are so very heavy and dark, they don’t feel like they have a choice. They don’t realise that emotions change every single day.”

  The twitch of her eyebrow made me fear that I’d said something wrong. When our gaze met, she nodded briefly as she cleared her throat.

  “You sound like you know the feeling.”

  Looking at the leather bands around my wrist, I tugged on one. “I think most people have those thoughts at some point in their life. I always remember Isaac telling me that no matter what I feel today, without fail, it will feel different tomorrow. So, when it feels like it’s the end, it’s good to reach out to someone, because they will show that there is always a new beginning.”

  Justina buried her head in her hands, her sobs echoing in the room. I didn’t get up again, instead allowing her grief to feel free to run. My own throat was tight, the tears trickling down the side of my nose.

  “Thank you,” she eventually said, lifting her head once she’d calmed. “That makes me look at it in a different way.”

  Her blotchy cheeks were pink, her eyes red. I smiled as I took a deep breath, ready to get to work.

  “I know I’m not in the best place, but the more I focus on catching Helena, the better I’m feeling. I’m ready to do the work needed to get better from my trauma. If you want me in therapy every day, so be it, I will be there.”

  Inclining her head, Justina closed her eyes briefly. “I want you working, too. However, since Lucia was attacked, I have to keep you out of the field. I’m happy to sign you up for therapy with someone else. Every day until you’re ready to work properly again. In the meantime, you can do background work with your parents.”

  “That sounds reasonable to me. Please, can I just ask? How did you cope with losing your parents? Especially your mum. I’ve been struggling to try and not feel resentment for mine. I understand why they thought they were doing the best for me, but I wonder if that was the case.”

  My inner child was hurting. The pain in my chest was laced with anger towards my whole family. I felt completely betrayed.

  “I resented my mother for a long time. I was old enough to look after myself by then, but I went off the rails. Ended up getting addicted to vampire blood-”

  “What?” Her confession caused me to sit up.

  Her gaze was haunted, the paleness of her cheeks returning. Wow, that wasn’t something I had ever expected of her. I thought I knew her. I was queen at figuring people out. Or, so I thought. Maybe I wasn’t as amazing as I’d allowed myself to believe. Maybe I was just a girl trying to figure out life.

  “Yes. Not long after I lost them, I got in with the wrong crowd. I’d been skirting on the edge of those types of groups for a while, which was part of the reason I met Luis in the first place. But, it sent me over the edge.” Justina wrung her hands together in her lap, her strong boots tapping on the wooden floor.

  Putting my hands in my hair to stare at her, I kept my mouth shut. What could I say? She hadn’t judged me harshly for my indiscretion.

  “I was able to break free of my addiction once I befriended an agent. He showed me the ropes, helped me see that finding the bad guys was rewarding.”

  “Kurt?” My grin stretched my lips.

  Shrugging, Justina tucked her feet under her on the chair. “Yes. He might be a bit pig headed, but he’s my best friend. He brought me out of the darkness. Devon,” she said as she leant forward slightly. “Trauma can either destroy you, or it can make you the best version of yourself. You get to choose which way to turn.”

  The profoundness of her words made me suck air into my lungs. “I want to be an amazing agent. Not for me, not for my family, but for those that need our help. For people like us who don’t have the agency to rescue them.”

  The words sounded superficial to my ears, but as a warmth started to grow in my numb heart, I knew they were true. I just had to work on becoming that person.

  Justina’s hand came to her mouth as her eyes filled with tears. “Then let’s get going with this spell.”

  The pounding of my heart gave me a new lease of energy. My shrunken posture straightened as I stretched my spine. Justina had inspired me. If she could move through the shit she’d experienced in her life, then I, Devon Jinx, still half witch, half warlock, could become just as good an agent as my boss. Or, maybe even better. Maybe.

  “Let’s do this.”

  Closing my eyes, I listened to Justina speak. She was whispering a spell. My head started to pound, the pain piercing my ears. It suddenly dropped as dizziness took over. Ah, I hated hallucinations. They had become a part of my life that I needed to leave behind.

  “I want you to go back to the memory of the grimoire. Can you tell me what you see?”

  The book appeared in front of me, the paper soft to the touch. I glanced up to look at the f
igure in front of me, smiling when grandma stroked my cheek.

  “Now, my darling, do you remember what I taught you to do?” Her cheeks were flawless, the skin stretched tightly, exactly like I’d seen her in the hospital. She hadn’t aged at all.

  “Yes, Grandma,” my little self replied. “I need to touch this dagger and concentrate on the ancestors.”

  Reaching out, I did as I had said. The dagger was cool under my little fingers. Helena came around the table and put a quill that had been dipped in ink into my free hand. “Good girl. Now whisper the spell I gave you and write what you see.”

  My little mouth opened, Latin emerging. I had no idea what the words meant, but as soon as the first sentence had finished, I leant forward, trying to reach the top of the grimoire page. Grandmother helped me by lifting my butt off the chair.

  “Can you see it, my angel?” she whispered, anticipation strong in her voice.

  Nodding, I started to copy the words I could see in my mind’s eye. The language was unfamiliar, Latin again. And, yet, my small body shuddered several times as I wrote. The dagger grew warm under my hand.

  “It hurts,” I said, going to take my hand away.

  “No,” my grandmother snapped. “Keep it there until you’re done. I can feel the ley line connecting you to our ancestors. You must finish the spell.”

  A gasp shot through me suddenly, drawing me back to the present. My whole body shook as I stared at Justina. She was on her feet, going to the grimoire. Her hands shook as she brought it over to me.

  “You wrote the spell, Devon. It was you who created the spell that could wipe out the warlock race.”

  Chapter Ten

  The bucket knocked over as I stumbled in the dark. My heart leapt into my throat as Gerard caught me around the waist.

  “Be careful,” he hissed, the air from his mouth blasting over my forehead.

  “I’m sorry, but you did insist we didn’t use a torch. Which is crazy! I told you, they’re using this place as a drug den now.”

  We were back at the abandoned hospital. Yes, really, we were completely and utterly insane. But, that wasn’t new knowledge. Sneaking out after dark, Gerard had agreed to help me. It had been a week since I had found out that I was the one who had channelled the fatal spell through my ancestors. Being locked up had driven me a little cuckoo.

  “Why are we here?” Gerard whispered as we navigated the corridors. “The agency already swept the whole hospital of evidence.”

  His hand was in mine as we relied on our night vision, which wasn’t great, to guide us around the hospital.

  “I need to go back to that cell. I know it sounds mad, but there’s a distinct memory that I can’t grasp. Something that I think will help.”

  Okay, so I was reaching but being out of the agency building was refreshing. When John had marched me down the corridor, a picture had fallen off the wall. I knew the picture. And, yet, I didn’t know why.

  “Devon, have I told you how much I-?” He stopped speaking suddenly.

  “Love me?” I tried, ever hopeful.

  His hand squeezed my fingers. “Listen,” he whispered.

  The sound of very faint shuffling made me freeze, fear literally spiralling through me and rooting me to the spot. Just as I was about to freak out, the lights flickered on.

  “Shit,” I squealed, jumping out of my skin when Gerard’s face appeared right near me.

  Shoving away from him, I almost tripped over something else on the floor. Adrenaline pounded through me as the lights blinkered. Looking down, I almost smiled when I saw the painting at my feet.

  “What are the odds of that?” I asked Gerard.

  He was still in place, listening. Ah, yeah, the fact that someone had obviously just turned the lights on was extremely fucking terrifying. Grabbing the painting, I backtracked over to my partner again, gripping his arm when I reached his side.

  “Ouch,” he said, trying to prise me off. “What are you doing? You’re supposed to be the all-powerful Devon Jinx.”

  “I am,” I whispered as I studied the painting of the mansion. “I just enjoy touching your skin.”

  Something stirred in me as I traced the fountain in the lawns. I recognised the place. Had I been there before?

  “There you are,” a female voice drawled.

  Spinning in unison, we faced the woman who stood down the corridor. Her long brown hair was braided down her back, her clothes were dark which matched the black tattoos on her arms. It was Gerard’s female counterpart. Sort of.

  “We don’t want any trouble,” Gerard said.

  He assumed that she was part of the drug gang, but my instincts told me otherwise. The way she eyed me, her gaze full of hatred.

  “You might not want it,” a male voice said. “But, you’re going to get it.”

  Great. One witch. One warlock. What were they doing hanging out together? It wasn’t exactly the place for an intermixed party. Unless they were hooking up, of course.

  “Devon Jinx was the one who created an evil spell.”

  Er, or not.

  “It’s time we left,” I muttered as we backed up a bit.

  A high-pitched laugh made my skin bloom in goose bumps. They had a dark crawler with them? What the hell were they playing at?

  “This is our friend, Eddie,” the woman said as she took a step towards us. “He’s agreed to possess you. And, he’s not as weak as the one who possessed you before.”

  The stench hit me as an old man came around the corner. He was limping, his leg almost hanging off from rot. It was a good job my stomach had got stronger over the last few months, otherwise I would’ve been heaving by now.

  “Stay away,” Gerard shouted, holding up his arm.

  He was about to cast a spell, but several other supernatural creatures came up behind the little mob. Oh shit, there was no way we would be able to defeat all of them. Even if I was fully powerful, like I had been before, I would’ve struggled taking on the growing number of people that now stood in front of us.

  Whispering a transportation spell, I swore when it didn’t work.

  “Justina’s placed a tab on us,” Gerard said as he squeezed my hand. He had stopped me from performing the spell. “We can’t flash anywhere without her knowing.”

  About to curse my boss, I stopped when those in front of us took a step forwards.

  “Best course of action?” I asked Gerard.

  He had whisked us around before he answered. “Run!”

  My leather boots gripped the lino flooring as we bolted down the corridor, towards a ward at the end. Would it lead to anywhere? Or, would we be cornered?

  “They’re witches and warlocks. They know I wrote that spell in the grimoire. How did word get out?” I was puffing as we lunged around a corner, straight into the ward.

  “This way,” Gerard indicated another corridor. The place was like a maze.

  My heart pounded in my ears as I followed. There was no way I would be possessed by a dark crawler again. I would prefer to die first. Especially after what had happened the last time I was taken over.

  “They’re frustrated,” Gerard said, hardly out of breath as we rushed towards a fire exit.

  Chills ran down my spine as soon as I saw the door. Something about it made me think it wasn’t going to be that easy. Extending my energy, I shot back with such force, my body slammed into the wall.

  “The door is spelled shut.” My grimace was followed by swearing when the sound of the crawler’s high pitched laugh reached us. “And, they have no right to be frustrated at me.”

  Yanking me from the floor, Gerard pushed me through another door. We didn’t have time to cast a spell to break through the barrier. And, my warlock magic was too risky, especially since I’d not practiced much witch magic lately.

  Gasping for breath, I almost laughed when I spotted another door. Gerard was already there, going through it before I could catch him.

  “We’re going to kill you, Devon Jinx,” someone shout
ed from the corridor behind us.

  Several whoops of confirmation followed.

  My palms were wet as I dove through the door and into another corridor.

  “We need to hide,” Gerard said. “You’re low on witch magic.”

  “How do you know?”

  The question was stupid considering he was a powerful witch. He could obviously feel that my magic was barely there.

  “I need to see Becky,” I muttered as we checked for another exit.

  There were none as we turned left at the end of the corridor. This hospital went on forever. How many rooms were there in this hellhole?

  “Down there!” someone shouted from behind.

  Shit, they had seen which way I had gone. And, there was nowhere to go from here except into…

  “Is that the fucking morgue?”

  The words left my mouth as Gerard shoved me inside. The adrenaline that pumped through my body wasn’t enough to stop the sudden terrifying fear that laced every inch of me, making me shudder.

  “It’s the fucking morgue,” Gerard muttered.

  Keeping by his side, I clung to his arm as he led me over to the wall of drawers. Usually, my partner was pretty level headed, but if he was about to suggest-

  “Get in.” Tugging the door, he grinned when the drawer slid open.

  Backtracking, I hugged my small arms around myself. They weren’t big enough to give me any comfort. “No. You’re crazy. They’ll lock me in there and starve me to death.”

  “I’m going to cover your energy with a spell, so they can’t find you.”

  Shaking my head, I held my finger up. “No. You’re still crazy. I’d rather be taken over by a crawler than be stuck in there.”

  Okay, so I didn’t need to tell him that I’d just had the thought that I’d prefer to die before being possessed. But, we hadn’t been in a fucking morgue when the thought had run through my mind.

  “Devon, it’s you they want. You have to trust that I’ll protect you.”

  His tattooed arms and gorgeous head wasn’t going to persuade me to get into the place where dead bodies had been. Ever. He could split up with me as his agent partner, it still wouldn’t work.

 

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