The Witch & the Bounty Hunter (Federation of Magic Book 1)

by Rachel Medhurst

  “Synthia’s magic is subtle,” Naz said. “As a healer, she’s trained her whole life. Trust me, something happened.” Winking, he turned, waving for me to follow. “Let’s prepare.”

  “Got it!” Zac shouted, almost tripping as he surged from his seat, flapping the piece of paper. “It is Jimmy’s handwriting.”

  Smiling tightly, Naz clapped his colleague on the shoulder as he took the paper. “Good job. Let’s get on with it. We have no idea when Tinniel left or what he saw in his spell.”

  As a group, we crossed the dancefloor and went through the door that led to the training room. Another agent picked up a folder from a nearby table. Glancing at me, he inclined his head in a bow, his yellow eyes widening when I smiled back.

  Naz smirked when the man raised his eyebrows at him before leaving us to it.

  Biting my lip, I took a deep breath in an attempt to calm my racing heart. Why had the man just looked so shocked?

  “He didn’t think you’d acknowledge him. He’s a warlock. Witches used to love their male counterpart. Now, they prefer sorcerers. Who can blame them?” Flexing his arm as he reached for a metal seat, he almost threw it in front of me.

  “Really?” I replied, frowning at his show of male pride.

  Wiggling his eyebrows, he shrugged his shoulders and patted the chair, indicating that I should sit. “If it’s not true, why are you so keen to rescue my brother?”

  Spluttering, I lowered myself onto the seat and held out my hand for the paper. There was no point in justifying his claim with an answer.

  “Right,” he said, keeping the note clasped in his hand. “It’s okay if I pay Your Highness a compliment, but it’s not okay for me to make a truthful, unbiased fact about us sorcerers?”

  “I think we’ve got better things to do,” Synthia interrupted. “Like track Jimmy so we can find Tinniel?”

  Glaring at Naz, I gestured for him to give me the paper. Now look what he’d done, he’d made it look like we didn’t care about Tinniel. Thinking about the long-haired sorcerer made the hair on my neck stand up.

  “She’s right,” I muttered when Naz ducked his head slightly and gave me the note.

  Grabbing another chair, he swung it so the back faced me and then sat on it. “Concentrate. That emotion you’re feeling, use it to connect into the energy of the note. This is going to be tough. I believe you can do it.”

  If I wasn’t nervous before, my whole body shook now. Trust Naz to make me feel more pressure, instead of reassuring me. Getting up from his seat, he nodded at me as he pulled on his jacket.

  My stomach flipped, protesting at the mere sight of him readying to leave. “Where do you think you’re going?” I asked, ignoring the thrum from the piece of paper in my hand.

  Smiling, he shook his head. “I’m going out into the field. That way, I can act quicker with the information that you provide.”

  “What if I don’t get any?”

  Huffing, Naz paused before he came over to me. In a rare show of compassion, he cupped my cheek and looked into my eyes. “You’re Lyla Ford. If anyone can do this, you can. Do it for him.”

  “Okay,” I whispered, dislodging his hand when I nodded.

  Synthia and Zac came to sit beside me, each of them ready to support my magic.

  My insides quivered when Naz left, instructing Zac to keep him on loud speaker the whole time. It was strange not having one of the twins with me. I had come to rely on them.

  “Are you ready?” Naz’s voice floated out from Zac’s phone as he placed it on a table nearby.

  At least I would still have my friend’s voice encouraging me from wherever he went. I had no idea how he would know where to go considering I hadn’t even started yet.

  Closing my eyes, I calmed my mind. “Yes, I’m ready.”

  A hand closed around my fingers, squashing the note tightly in my palm. Synthia’s magic hummed around me before she let go.

  Thinking of Jimmy’s face, I felt into the energy of the note. Cold seeped from the paper and travelled up my arm, almost freezing my skin. I licked my lips as a shudder jerked my whole body. The vampire’s energy was not nice. At all.

  “Make sure to really connect to him,” Naz’s voice sounded through the speaker.

  My back became rigid as tingles made my feet go numb. The darkness in my mind’s eye started to lift, the light slowly growing. My senses were heightened, the sound and smell of blood thick in my throat. Wait, what?

  A rumble blasted through my stomach as an image of a young lady, laid on a couch, her neck exposed, appeared in front of me.

  “Jeez,” I whispered as a thirst unlike anything I’d ever experienced rocked me. Clenching my hands, I tried to back up, unable to move, considering I wasn’t actually Jimmy.

  “Don’t panic.” Naz’s voice came from the distance, soothing me. “Remember, it’s not your reality, you’re just seeing through someone else’s eyes.”

  “She’s hyperventilating,” Synthia called.

  Hearing Naz’s harsh curse word, I sucked in my breath and tried to calm my racing heart. I couldn’t let them down, they had helped me to find who I was. Even if I was still completely confused and pissed at my mother for not telling me.

  “I’m okay.” My words were meek, and yet, I dug deep and allowed the image to become clearer.

  I was looking away from the woman now, scowling low in my throat.

  “What is it?” Jimmy barked at the man who walked into the room.

  Bumbling, the man, who held a gun, pointed in the direction of the window. Jimmy swore as he pushed up from where he knelt on the floor. Dizziness swept through me as he clutched his head, having to pause to catch his breath.

  “What’s happening?” Naz called.

  “He’s hungry,” I said to the others. “No, thirsty and weak. One of his men has just come in, indicating that he should look outside. He’s stumbling over to the window. Gosh, I never want to become a vampire.”

  Zac’s chuckle broke through the thirst. “Luckily for you, you never will be.”

  Jimmy glanced around the room, searching for something. There was a plush bed with a red headboard in the corner. He was in a hotel room and there was an H emblazed on almost everything.

  “He’s in a posh hotel,” I blurted as he moved nearer the window. “I’m assuming it’s a Hilton hotel because there’s H on everything.”

  “Yes!” Naz exclaimed exuberantly. “That’s the exact info we need. Zac–”

  “I’m on it,” the tech guy cut in before Naz even had the chance to finish his sentence. “Searching for Hilton hotels.”

  Their discussion was faded, as if they were in another room. It was hard to concentrate on Jimmy and them at the same time. Light started to fade as I lost focus. Panicking, I gripped the arms of the chair. “I’m losing him.”

  “Stay calm,” Synthia soothed. “And go back to Jimmy.”

  A roar escaped Jimmy as he reached the window and looked out. My heart fluttered, my stomach churning.

  Tinniel stood in the alley below, his gun aimed straight at me. No, not me, Jimmy.

  “He’s there,” I uttered, screaming when the window in front of me smashed, sending Jimmy to the floor.

  The shatter of glass was accompanied by Jimmy’s grunt, Naz’s shout of concern, and a jolt as the connection with my hit was severed, and I was thrown from my seat, landing heavily on the cold lino floor.

  “Are you alright?” Synthia was beside me, moving my hair out of my face.

  Groaning, I blinked as my energy fizzled away from me. The vamp had been tough to hold onto. “Is it bad that I desperately want to overhaul this supposed training room so it’s more like a witch’s den?”

  Zac had picked up his phone and was repeating what I’d said. Why would he tell Naz that I wanted to interior design the arse out of the room? I could just imagine the expletives flying from the sorcerer’s mouth.

  “The Thames,” I croaked as Synthia helped me to sit. “Tinniel just shot the w
indow of Jimmy’s Hilton hotel right near the River Thames. The Shard was nearby. I think…” A shuddery breath released from my lungs as the others stayed silent. “…I think he might have hit Jimmy.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  “There’s two Hilton hotels near the Shard,” Zac said, striding to a motorbike outside the club.

  Yes, the thin man with little features had slung on a leather jacket and stormed outside, in an authoritative manner. We had followed him to the street, ready to aid in the mission to find Tinniel before Jimmy killed him.

  Muscles weak from the spell, I dragged my feet, trying to keep up as Zac gave us Naz’s commands. “I’ll head to the first, you go to the second. Naz is near Bankside, so he’ll check out what he can before we get there.”

  Noticing my lack of energy, Synthia placed a hand on my shoulder and squeezed. Hard.

  Biting my tongue so I didn’t yelp, I nodded my thanks when a warm strength returned to my whole body. Connecting with Jimmy had taken it out of me.

  “Let’s go.” Synthia gestured for me to follow her.

  Waving goodbye to Zac, I trailed along, stopping dead when I saw her mode of transport. “This is yours?”

  A bulky motorbike with a sidecar was parked in front of us. There was a pink slogan reading Hunter Chick emblazoned across the side. Surely, she didn’t expect me to ride with her?

  “Shall I get the bus?” I said, looking down the street.

  Giggling, Synthia shook her head and dug into a compartment, bringing out two pink helmets. When she held one out, I stared at it, quite frankly appalled. “No offence, but it’s not my colour.”

  “Do you want to be a bounty hunter or what?”

  “How will this make me a bounty hunter?”

  Synthia plonked the helmet on her head and climbed on the bike, winking when the engine thrummed into life. “It’s London, baby, we’ve got to get to places quick.”

  Although I couldn’t disagree, I wouldn’t settle at playing sidekick. Well, today I would have to, I had no choice. However, not only did I have a new kickass job, I would have to book myself a driving course.

  “Get in,” Synthia said, laughing when I shoved the helmet on and gingerly stepped into the sidecar, sitting slowly and quickly buckling myself in.

  Without uttering another word, Synthia kicked the bike in gear and sped down the street. Yes, the little minx was a boy racer, swerving around corners, barely stopping at traffic lights and waving at men who looked in our direction.

  I clung on tightly, swearing when my butt smacked the seat every time she illegally sped over a speed bump. Tinniel flashed in my mind, distracting me from the rollercoaster ride through London.

  As my chest squeezed, a bolt of fear shot through me. What if Jimmy had managed to capture Tinniel? Yes, the vampire had probably been hit by the bullet that had shattered the glass, but he was undead. Everyone knew that vampires had to be staked through the heart with wood. Didn’t they?

  “You okay?” Synthia shouted over the rushing wind. “Can you connect to him?”

  Er, right. I should probably keep trying to track Jimmy, instead of thinking of ways to kill him. “Just… Fear,” I muttered, unable to explain the rush of mixed emotions as they came over me.

  Not hearing me, Synthia didn’t reply as she swung the bike around a corner and pulled into a small car park that was tucked between two buildings. As soon as she tucked the bike into a space, I jumped out, grabbing onto the wall of a house to keep myself from stumbling over.

  Beauty still stuck out of the sidecar, a little conspicuous considering we were in the middle of the city in broad daylight. “Don’t worry,” I said as I took her out and tried to tuck her out of sight. “I won’t make you suffer that again.”

  “That’s not exactly going to work, is it?” Synthia flicked her blonde ponytail over her leather-clad shoulder and pointed at the end of my sword.

  Okay, so it didn’t stay tucked in my denim jacket. In fact, the sharp tip poked me in the leg, almost breaking my skin. “I didn’t think this through.”

  A flash of something sparked in my mind. Stumbling, I put my hand to my head. It was an image of running shoes. They were men’s bright red leather shoes, and they were pounding along concrete, faster than I could ever dream of running. “Jimmy,” I gasped, grabbing out my phone and dialling Naz.

  A group of people laughed in the distance as they crossed the road into the car park.

  Synthia reached forward, placing her hand on Beauty and flicking her eyebrows when the sword disappeared. Wait, no. She was still there, I could feel her weight tucked higher on my side. She was just invisible. Phew.

  “Anything new, Lyla?” Naz barked.

  Glaring at Synthia, I cleared my throat. “I’ve just seen Jimmy running.”

  “Where?”

  “Down an alley.” Okay, so it wasn’t the best information in the world. Well done, tracker girl.

  Huffing, Naz spoke to someone in the background. “Zac’s just arrived. We’re outside the hotel. Where are you?”

  Looking around, I spotted the entrance to the other hotel across the street. “We’re here, too. I’m scanning the windows. They all look normal this side of the building.”

  “Same here. Check around the back. Synthia knows what to do.”

  Hmmm, I really should’ve been able to give a better description. How could I be a good witch if I couldn’t concentrate on my skills at the same time as hunting?

  “Give yourself a break.” Naz’s voice was soft as I gestured for Synthia to follow me. “This is all new to you. We’ve thrown you into the deep end, Your Majesty.”

  Puffing as we shot across the road, I rolled my eyes. “Please don’t call me that. Lyla is just fine. Or awesome sausage. That will do, too.” Studying the façade of the building, I smiled when I spotted a porter go around the side of it. “We’re heading around back now. Will let you know what we find.”

  Synthia was one step ahead of me, running before I’d even hung up the phone. Kicking into gear, I dodged around a couple who were kissing farewell. Ugh, okay, so we didn’t all need to know that they were madly in love.

  Who was I kidding? If I could have Tinniel, I would do it. In broad daylight, too. Who wouldn’t want to show off a handsome warrior man? Not that he was mine.

  Slowing as we rounded the corner, I shook my head free of inappropriate thoughts. I would need to ask Synthia for training on how to keep my mind on the job.

  “Hmmm,” Synthia hummed as we came to a standstill in the middle of the alley.

  My chest squeezed as I caught my breath, frowning. There were no windows at the side of the building and it was clear that there wasn’t an alley behind it either, just a small courtyard that backed onto another building.

  A man with red eyes stood at the end of the alley, smoking a cigarette. His black jacket was covered in red. Was that blood? Surely not.

  When his head lifted, his gaze clashed with mine. My breath hitched as he smirked before turning on his heel, fleeing in the other direction.

  Was that someone associated with Jimmy? My thumping heart propelled me to go after him. Maybe he had been a lookout for our hit.

  “Lyla?” Synthia called, her footsteps speeding up behind me.

  The vampire’s back became smaller as he supersoniced out of sight, exiting the alley just as I reached the spot he’d been standing. The sunlight lit his jacket, revealing a deliberate red splatter pattern on the material.

  Halting when I saw a sleeping bag and cardboard box on the ground, I bit my lip. My tracking skills really did need honing.

  “Oh man,” I mumbled, blinking when Synthia joined me and answered her ringing phone.

  “Any luck?” Naz asked over the speaker. “There’s nothing here.”

  Glancing down at the small makeshift shelter, Synthia smiled kindly as she shrugged. “No luck here, either.”

  A frustrated huff blew down the phone, followed by a few choice curse words. “Lyla?” His voice wasn
’t full of disappointment, and yet, it should be. It was my job to trace and track the bad guys. It may well be early days, but Tinniel’s life was at stake. Why would they trust me to lead the way? I wasn’t good enough yet. “Lyla?” he repeated kindly.

  My stomach flipped as I frowned, took a deep breath and replied with a heavy heart. “I got it wrong. I don’t know where Jimmy is.”

  “Try and tune in again. Really try.”

  Moving away from the homeless vampire’s resting place, I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. Flickering water came into my mind. The Thames.

  “He’s near the river.”

  “Good,” Naz breathed. “Keep going. Is there anything nearby that’s recognisable? A landmark?”

  My breathing quickened when my vision blurred. Jimmy was gesturing with his hand, waving towards the water. Blinking, I clenched my hands into fists as I looked around. “He’s on a jetty, hailing a boat. Tower Bridge is nearby, on his right.” A hand took mine, jolting me. Gritting my teeth, I concentrated on the scene through Jimmy’s eyes.

  “Head to the bridge,” Naz commanded. “You’re closer than us.”

  Snapping my eyes open, I nodded at Synthia, who raised her eyebrows. Her calming touch had given me the energy to keep a connection with Jimmy. I couldn’t track and run at the same time, so I just prayed to the witch gods, whoever they were, that I’d seen enough.

  “London Bridge is nearby,” Synthia said. “If we run through that road, we can get there.”

  “We’ll be there as soon as we can.” Naz hung up.

  I didn’t need to be told twice. My feet were moving before I could stop them, my boots slamming against the concrete as we exited the alley and tried to dodge around the pedestrians. Several swore at us, jumping out of the way just in time.

  Up ahead, the traffic slowed as the bridge appeared. My heart thundered as the air rushed through my messy hair, flicking it away from my face. The chill bit my skin, sending a thrill over my muscles and warming all the right places. There was something about chasing a hit that turned me on, I couldn’t deny it.