Arms came around me from behind. Pulling me back, Gerard cradled me against him. How could he still care?
“I just want the dreams to stop.” My hiccup made my head bump his chest.
I inhaled sharply, the scent of him filling me with… something I didn’t want to acknowledge. Emotions that tried to push through the pain.
He stroked my hair, his breath sighing over my face as I looked at him. His eyes searched mine, looking deeper than anyone had dared go before. The probing made my heart bang against my ribcage. He wanted to see me, to know me.
And, a huge part of me wanted to let him in. Without saying anything, I leant closer to him. He read me well, his head bending slowly. Our gaze was stuck on one another, only moving when Gerard looked at my lips.
Threading my hand into the back of his short hair, I closed the gap between us. Our lips touched, gently at first. The soft brush of skin on skin caused goose bumps to explode over my body. When his tongue flicked out to ask for entrance, I didn’t hesitate in opening my mouth.
Colliding tongues made me pull him tighter towards me. Breath mingled as he kissed me, our mouths in perfect sync with one another. A warm fuzzy feeling broke through all the crap emotions, taking me higher than I’d ever been before.
“Wait!” he suddenly blurted, forcing himself to pull his lips away from mine. “You’re too vulnerable. I don’t want to take advantage.”
“Worrysome Mac-perfect-guy, I think we both know how I feel about you,” I whispered.
Tingles spread across my waist where he squeezed it before letting go. “No, that’s the thing.” Moving away from me, he sat on the other side of the bed. “One minute I think there’s something between us, then the next, you shut me out.”
Frowning, I looked around my apartment. The place had been familiar, safe. And, yet, it wasn’t anymore. My witch tools were spread all over the place, reminding me of who I was.
“You know I’ve been having my mid-twenties crisis. Helena has made it ten thousand times worse.”
My little laugh didn’t lift his mood. In fact, he turned his head to stare at the framed spell that hung on my wall. His tattoos moved as he got off the bed and approached it. Taking it down, he threw it on the floor, smashing the glass all over the carpet. I was about to comment on the tidiness of the place when I realised that it had been ages since the clean-up crew had made it spotless. It was back to being a pig sty.
“I… I have to tell Justina about the blood.” His words were quiet, but his throat was forcing them out.
About to disagree, I jumped off the bed and went to him. Flinging my arms around his neck, I held him tightly. He took hold of my wrists and looked down into my eyes.
“Please don’t tell. I promise not to do it again. Gerard, I…” Dropping my arms away from him, I stepped back.
He was right. I had been holding back when it came to him. It wasn’t fair that I led him on. I was the queen of never getting around to doing things. Yes, my plans had often been scuppered, and yet, I hadn’t really tried to sort out my magic. Not enough to be able to let Gerard in.
“I’m not the only one in this…” Gesturing between us, I screwed my face up. “…partnership?”
Nodding, he crossed his bulging arms over his chest. A small red spot just above his latest number tattoo caught my eye.
“You’ve got a new one.”
He went to hide his arm behind his back, but I quickly whispered a freezing motion spell. His arm was by his side when I bent down to look. A scowl was on his face as he whispered a spell to break it.
“Really? You’re using your limited witch magic to force me to do something I don’t want to do?”
Realising my mistake, I retreated away from him until my legs bumped into the wooden bedframe. I missed Kingsley. It wasn’t right being in the apartment without him. And, Gerard wasn’t being so nice to me, considering we’d just shared a very heated kiss. A kiss that had imprinted so much more than he knew.
“I’m sorry.”
He came closer, his steps weary. “The tattoo is a rope. On one end, there’s my heart. On the other… it’s your hand.”
And before I could answer, his hand shot out, and he flashed us to the agency.
“There you are!” Kurt said. “We’ve been waiting for you.”
They were seated side by side at the breakfast bar. I was still shaking from Gerard’s explanation of the tattoo. How could he tell me something like that and not give me an opportunity to reply?
“There’s something you need to know.” Gerard was going to tell them.
My stomach churned, bile coming into my throat. They would instantly dismiss me, there was no doubt about it. The rules were simple. Keep a clear head at all times. To be an agent, we had to have no addictions to substances.
Justina’s soft gaze turned hard as she looked between the two of us. My hair hadn’t been brushed, and I still wore the same clothes as yesterday.
“Usually I would make a flippant joke about how you’d finally stayed over together. However, I can feel that this is serious. Take a seat.” Kurt leant forward, his arms on his thighs.
Justina stayed where she was, a concerned expression spreading across her face as I quickly sat. My body jerked with every movement. The blood was still affecting me.
“Do you want to tell them?” Gerard asked me without looking in my direction.
As they stared at me, their concern for my welfare clearly written on their face, I chickened out. How could I have done something so stupid? Especially when I had such good support behind me. This whole mission had turned from a professional job to a personal one.
Taking a deep breath, Gerard clasped his hands together. “Last night, Devon went back to the hospital.”
The frowns came in unison. Oh, joy, they would judge me together, like the happy couple they were. A pang pierced my heart. When had I become hateful towards my bosses?
Gerard finally looked at me, raising his eyebrows. Nodding, I gave him permission to continue.
“While there, she met a drug dealer. He was using the place as his den since word got out about it being abandoned.”
The memory of the night before was blurry. At least the blood had been good for one thing, although it was no consolation for the belly pains, the hallucinations, and now, the shaking. It so hadn’t been worth it.
“I took blood.” My burst of confession made them jump before they went still. “I took blood, okay? I wanted to go back to… I don’t know, exorcise the demons. And, the blood… It promised me relief.”
“And, did it work?” Kurt demanded.
His tone was harsh, but his gaze was soft. He understood. He’d probably done something similar when he’d lost his familiar. Being on a downward spiral wasn’t a good thing. It sucked major balls.
“It didn’t stop the anxiety, no. However, I know where the tree is.”
Justina clenched her fists as she sucked her top lip into her mouth. “I will not have you working while you’re in this state. You need some help. Once you’re feeling better, we’ll talk about whether or not you can come back to work.”
Was she angry with me? It was hard to tell. Her expression had reverted to serious business. She had a witch to catch. And, having an agent who was traumatised wasn’t going to help the investigation.
“I’m sorry I let you down,” I muttered.
Getting to his feet, Kurt went to a desk and took out some paper. “If you could write down where the tree is, we can check it out.”
About to disagree, I was interrupted by Justina. “We’ll need Devon to show us where the tree is. The stakes are raising, as you know. The last twenty-four hours have made it even more important for us to investigate every available source.”
“The last twenty-four hours? What’s happened?”
My agent mind pushed forward, ready to work. I had to catch that bitch before she wiped out the warlocks. No matter what happened to me, I needed to protect all the creatures of the under
world.
“You’re not-” Justina started.
“Twenty witches were reported missing yesterday. Your friend Theresa told us that ten of those are from her coven.” Kurt waved away Justina’s protest. “She’s closest to this, I know. However, she knows Helena. She might not remember her, but she’s met her.”
“Ten?” I gasped.
I had known most of the witches in my old coven. They weren’t exactly my friends, considering I had always been shunned, but that didn’t mean I wanted to see them drained of their magic and sold on as slaves.
“I’ve managed to talk Lucia round, but we’ll have to wait until her wounds are healed. We can’t use magic on her because Helena will instantly know that she’s working with us if she feels whose magic it is.” Justina had obviously realised that they needed my help, even if I was a basket case right now.
“If you take me to the tree, maybe we can find out why she’s so desperate to know about it. Just… let me shower.”
“I’m not sure this is such a good idea,” Gerard said as he looked at Justina.
My teeth physically bit down on my tongue to stop myself from speaking. Gerard was looking out for me, I had to remember that. He wasn’t being Arsy Mac-annoying for no reason. He genuinely cared about my wellbeing.
“I’m fine. I made a stupid mistake last night, but the quicker we get Helena, the quicker I can heal. Plus, I’m going as a witness, not an agent.”
Kurt looked impressed, his eyebrows raising in appraisal. “Right. Let’s do this.”
“Hold on. I’m not doing this anymore. We’ve constantly been slack with our agents because we’re so desperate to complete our mission.” Justina’s eyes narrowed. “Devon taking blood to try and fix herself cannot be ignored.”
“And, it won’t be,” Kurt replied. “She’s currently on leave as of today to sort her shit. First, she’s a witness who is going to point to a tree.”
“On leave?” My squeak made the others stare at me. “That’s fine.” I quickly placated them for at least allowing me to show them where the tree was.
“So?” Justina said. “Where is the tree?”
My spirits lifted ever so slightly. Yes, I was banished from doing my job for now, but I would still get to see what was so amazing about a tree. Nature was wonderful. I loved mother earth and hated how humans were ruining her. However, it was a tree. Surely, there wasn’t anything worth knowing about it?
“To find the tree, we have to go back in time.”
A smile lit my face as the others groaned. Ah, maybe I’d get back to my normal self sooner than I thought.
Chapter Eight
As soon as we landed in the park, my body calmed. My parents were by my side, my mother holding my hand. Gerard, Kurt and Justina marched towards the small humans playing on the swings. No wonder people were scared by us, we were intimidating. Not that humans knew what we were, that was still a big hush hush secret of course. But as the three supernatural beings stared down the kids, I wondered if our tactics could be improved.
“That’s the one,” I said, pointing at an oak tree.
It was thick, it’s branches bowed with age. My gaze traced the length of it, pausing when I caught movement from behind it.
“Maxwell?”
“Maxwell Maddocks?” My mother asked, her face turning pale. “I’d forgotten about him.”
My father strode forward, ready to confront the warlock. They were technically the same. And, yet, as soon as Maxwell’s gaze landed on us, he backed up.
“Kevin Jinx. My father told me a lot about you.”
Maxwell looked bigger than he had before. He was already overweight, but the stress of running the coven was obviously getting to him. Was he well?
Offering his hand, my father nodded. “I heard a lot about you when I was in hiding. Isaac Senior always sung your praises.”
My mother held back, her eyes downcast. Justina and the crew joined us, greeting Maxwell in a steely professional manner.
“The fact that you’re here tells me that you know something,” Justina started as she put her hands on her hips.
“Same to you. This is warlock business.” His lips were set in a grim line. “So, there’s only one person here who I can talk to.”
He gestured to my father as he eyed my mother. The look he gave them was akin to disgust, and yet, he trusted my dad enough to want to talk to him.
“Hey! I’m warlock, too,” I whined.
Okay, so it wasn’t helping my cause to be the annoying witch slash warlock. Especially when I had mucked Maxwell around regarding the leadership.
“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 furr
owed 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.”
Magically Betrayed: An Urban Fantasy Novel (Hunted Witch Agency Book 3) Page 6