Witches Be Burned: A Magic & Mayhem Novel

by Stacey Kennedy

  From what she’d learned, the castle had been built sometime in the 1700s after the two worlds merged and made the treaty. The need for the Council meant they needed a headquarters, and no one had renovated it since. Nexi didn’t mind so much; she thought the castle had charm, and it reminded her of old Scotland—which she learned was where the leaders of Earthborn supernaturals were located back in the 1700s.

  While Nexi could stay in either the Witches’ House or Guardians’ House, because she was technically both, she had gravitated to the Guardians’ House, since she had trained as a guardian first. But she appreciated her witch magic just as much.

  As a Spirit Witch, she was blessed with all four elements: Earth, Water, Air, and Fire. All other witches other than Spirit Witches gained one element, like Haven, who excelled in the Earth element. Through the training over the few months, Nexi had mastered Air and Fire, and she had the feeling the other two elements were pretty much of no use to her. Or they hadn’t been so far. The witches in the Otherworld coven had told her through training that some Spirit Witches gained all the elements in the beginning, and when the stronger elements developed, the others eventually faded away.

  Lucky for her, the elements she did possess—conjuring Air and Fire without touch—were seriously kick-ass.

  Holding the kitten in her arms and continuing on down the hallway, she passed a couple of witches who strode along the hallway. One smiled. The other looked at Nexi with something close to disdain, but Nexi let it roll off her back. She supposed she understood—she was different from the other witches, being of two races, and she’d discovered that while most accepted her, some of the older generation didn’t. She wasn’t normal, but she couldn’t please everyone—and she didn’t try to.

  Point proven, she smiled at them both, especially the grouchy witch, and then glanced around at the old castle. Moving down another long hallway with stone statues of the four supernaturals who formed the treaty, she passed by the Vampires’ House hallway, then by the Werewolves’ House. Most of the Council’s Guard stayed in the castle, though some decided to live in the small village with their families.

  At the end of the hallway, she passed under the doorway that had Guardians’ House etched into the stone above the archway before she arrived at her destination in a few short strides. The third door on the right was Kyden’s and her apartment, and as she entered, Nexi smiled, enjoying that they had a place together. Before the fight with Lazarus, they lived apart. After the fight, Kyden slept at her apartment and never left.

  She drew in the vanilla scent from the potpourri on the coffee table and shut the door behind her. The castle might resemble old times, but the apartments didn’t. Only the stone walls represented the medieval time period. She had a fantastic chef’s kitchen with dark wood cabinets, a small living room with a large stone fireplace, and big, comfy couches making the space feel homey.

  She moved to the kitchen, grabbing the milk from the refrigerator and taking out a bowl from the cabinet, making a mental note that she needed to go into town to pick up some cat food. Once Nexi placed the bowl of milk on the floor, the kitty quickly drank it up. Nexi began to look about for Kyden—he should be home by now. She walked into the bedroom, her favorite room of the apartment for lots of reasons, but mostly just because it was simple and perfect.

  A dresser sat against the wall and a king-size bed with wrought-iron railings took up the rest of the room. She dropped her scabbard with her sword on the dark oak dresser and heard a splash coming from the bathroom adjoining their bedroom. Instant heat roared through her, and sensual images led her there.

  Kyden was sprawled out like a God in the double-size claw-foot bathtub. Appreciating the view, she leaned against the door frame, gazing at muscles layering muscles. In his presence, it was as if he took over her senses, her thoughts, her desires.

  His head rested against the edge of the tub, his knees poked out of the sudsy water, and she salivated. The warmth in the air from the water mirrored the heat building inside her. Kyden was a man designed from a perfect mold. She ached to run her fingers through his hair and to see those piercing eyes burn with passion for her.

  She sighed with blissful longing.

  For all the danger that surrounded their lives, sometimes she wished they had more moments like this. It was such a simple thing to come home to her man and have a relaxing night, instead of worrying over evil plots and fighting rogue vampires. Even if they fought tonight, it all ended well—for them anyway. A dangerous vampire was on the loose, and now he was dead.

  Done and done.

  Leaning forward, she peered beneath the water to view her favorite part of him, but the bubbles in the water, smelling of eucalyptus, concealed her view. It wasn’t often Kyden took a bath instead of a shower. In the month of living with him, he’d taken a bath only when she had, because she loved her baths, and now he knew that.

  Perhaps he was waiting for her…

  Without opening his eyes, he asked, “Are you going to get in?”

  She blinked away from her outright ogle of appreciation of him, her body humming in desire. Though she also wasn’t kidding him earlier—watching him fight did rev the engines. He was pure masculinity, and gorgeous at that, and, well, she accepted that she didn’t have any willpower when it came to Kyden. She murmured, hearing the huskiness in her voice, “Sounds like you are propositioning me to do very naughty things.”

  He peeked open an eye, the light emerald color stealing her breath. “I am. Get in.”

  Tempted by him, aroused by him, and aching in all the right places for him, she reached for the strap of her leather bra. “If this is what you consider a punishment, then you can punish me any damn time.”

  His heated eyes followed her every move as she dropped her guardian gear and removed her tiny black shorts beneath her kilt. Of course, to make it more sensual, she undressed slowly, teasing him, tempting him. Under his passionate study, her nipples puckered, ready for his perfect mouth.

  Intent to make that happen, she stepped into the tub, instantly surrounded by warm water, and climbed onto Kyden’s lap. His hefty, hard cock pressed between her thighs and it took all her strength not to lift a little higher, taking him deep inside her.

  Apparently, his restraint wasn’t as strong, as he slid his nose against her neck, inhaling her scent, seemingly desperate to drag it through him. While she was tempted to succumb to him then and there, she knew they needed to talk. Sex couldn’t delay this conversation. “Do you think it’s odd to have more trouble in Salt Lake City?” More vampire trouble in the same city as Lazarus’s reign of terror didn’t sit right.

  A low, masculine sound rumbled from Kyden’s chest before he begrudgingly moved away from her neck and rested his head against the tub. “All the vampires connected to Lazarus were not newly made. If they had been, I would lean the way you’re thinking and conclude what I assume you do: that our troubles with those who followed Lazarus aren’t over.” He brushed his thumb over her bottom lip, following the move with his eyes as if he’d planned out a path to kiss her next. “The vampire tonight was suffering bloodlust—nothing more.” His intense gaze lifted to hers, and, oh, how his eyes blazed. “I saw a witch at the house tonight that raises some questions, since Alazar couldn’t track her scent.”

  “You mean she vanished?” At his nod, she asked, “Isn’t that weird?”

  “Very,” he replied, shifting up straighter, sending bubbles to pop as the water rippled. “But the Council knows of it now, so they’ll keep an eye out for her again. That said, it’s not our problem.” His gentle smile that Nexi knew was only for her and no one else spread across his face. “Not to worry, Álainn, any trouble with Lazarus is behind us.”

  She returned his smile, unable to help herself. Kyden could, and often did, make things better, even when things were—and had been—so very bad.

  He dragged his knuckles across her cheek and then added, “We’re sensitive to what happened with Lazarus and drawing
conclusions. There’s no reason to tie it all together. Nothing told me tonight that that vampire had anything to do with Lazarus.” He shifted beneath her, grinding his cock against her sex and sending the water splashing around the tub. “Now, no more talk of vampires.” His voice became harsher, deeper with need. “I need to see to this punishment that you deserve.”

  “Oh, yes,” she mused, rubbing against his hardened length, embracing the zings of pleasure. “Because being against your hot-and-hard body is surely a punishment.”

  He didn’t reply, yet there was an unusual twinkle of mischief in his features—something she forgot in a millisecond as he leaned in and then proceeded to deliciously drag his lips across her neck. Her eyes closed of their own accord as his sexy mouth tickled her flesh in all the right places. Need formed low in her belly as he continued to dance his other fingers along her thigh, and when she finally forced herself to hold the power to look at him, his seriousness became something entirely different—something wicked and intoxicating.

  Her senses zeroed on him, and as his erection swelled beneath her, she nearly gave in, until her mind recoiled. His nostrils flared, drawing in her scent before he no doubt took her to mind-blowing sexual places that he’d proven to excel at, but she jerked away. “Wait. We have to talk.”

  He licked his lips, staying focused on her mouth, before his eyes lifted to hers, and the power within their depths had her biting back a groan. His brow lifted, curious, with a touch of annoyance, too. “About what?”

  She cleared her throat, organizing her thoughts, since he seemed to steal them away so very easily. “You need to stop beating your chest over my going on assignments with you. The Council agreed to let me come back to work. The time to get over it is now.”

  “Hrmph,” was all he muttered.

  Not put off by his response, one she totally anticipated, she ran her hands up the sides of his scruffy face, not wanting to fight, but all the same he needed to understand her point. “You can’t keep me out of this.”

  His gaze went hard, cold. “I want you safe.”

  “I will be safe.”

  Silence fell between them, and she could read the refusal in his expression. Kyden was the Elite Guardian in the Otherworld. He wasn’t used to not getting his way or having anyone argue with him. But Nexi had grown up with humans, who possessed the ability to have adult conversations and shared ideas, discussed options, agreed to meet somewhere in the middle, something Kyden hadn’t ever been subjected to. When he spoke or gave an order, everyone listened.

  His eyes searched hers as his clear thought of Life would be easier if you would just do as I ask shone on his expression. “Do I have a choice? What if I said that I’d like you to stop working for the Council as a guardian and work as a witch?” He hesitated, as if to let that sink in. Then one strong brow arched. “Would you agree?”

  She pondered, thinking his questions deserved to at least be heard and considered. As a guardian she was put in danger more often, considering she had to get up close with the enemy. Plus guardians fought more often, especially against vampires and the odd werewolf. As a witch, she’d fight alongside her coven of witches. She wouldn’t be sent out on nightly assignments to deal with killers whom she physically fought—and in truth, witches didn’t go bad all that often.

  In the six months Nexi had been in the Otherworld, she’d heard of seven cases, at the most. But Nexi wasn’t only a witch—she had to embrace both sides of herself—and she wanted to work for the Council under both roles.

  “No,” she said, adamant.

  He gave a long, exasperated sigh. “Then why are you asking me?”

  “I’m not asking, necessarily.” The point needed to be said, and she hoped he remembered that there would never be a time she’d ask anyone for permission for something that involved her life, though anyone else in the Otherworld would ask his permission, so she let the statement slide.

  She shifted her hips against his hardened length, knowing exactly how to get her guardian to see sense. “But it seems that it needs to be talked about, since you’re all growly whenever I show up.” The tightness of his mouth had her swirling her hips to remove it, and as he groaned, she added, “So I’m talking about it.”

  With his focus intent on her, he held her hips still with a grip that had a bite. “I can’t have you in danger like you were before.”

  “Yes, I understand that, but with Lazarus it was personal,” she gently reminded him, dipping her hands into the water. “He wanted to kill me, and he was stronger because of Tillie’s blood. Like you said, he’s dead—and most vampires are weaker than he was.” Embracing how delicious the bite of his fingers was on her flesh, she forced another shift of her hips. “I’m strong, Kyden, stronger than I was before everything went down with Lazarus. Every fight, I’m getting stronger, and I trust my abilities more than ever. And you’ll be by my side, right? What could go wrong?”

  His eyes blazed, red-hot. “You could die.”

  “You’re right, I could, and so could you.” She softened her voice, hoping to improve his mood. “There’s always the possibility of that, but I can’t live in fear.”

  A pause. Then, “You make me live in fear.”

  The haunted look crossing his face flooded her with a coldness that neither Kyden nor the warm bathwater could ease. Lazarus had created this—and she wished she would’ve made his death more painful, or at least longer than the few seconds it took her to kill him with her magic.

  “I can’t stay in the Otherworld forever and do nothing,” she admitted to him, hoping honesty would help him understand her position. “It feels good to finally get back out there—to be doing something other than mourning everyone I lost. Just as you take pride in working for the Council, so do I.” The line between his brows deepened, the refusal right there on his lips, but she added for good measure, “I need you to support me, not grumble at me.”

  More silence. Then, “I dislike these human conversations you subject me to. It’s ridiculous.”

  She shrugged, not knowing what else to do. What could she say? She had been raised human. In the Otherworld, she’d noticed that some of the men were still stuck in the Middle Ages. They liked beating their chests and protecting what was theirs or mine, as they called it. Well, Nexi lived in modern times, and she would make damn sure no one forgot that fact. Her adoptive mortal parents hadn’t raised her to sit down and shut up, they’d raised her to stand up and fight.

  Kyden stared at her. Right through her. Right into the depths of her soul. “That’s what you need of me? To support you?”

  “Yes, that’s what I want.” Then she threw on the big finale that would push him past his domineering ways. “That’s what would make me happy.”

  With his eyes instantly amused, he snorted a laugh. “You are too damn smart for your own good. You know this, right?” At her shameless grin and nod, he added, “Promise me this: If we fight, we fight together as we did tonight. Don’t be a hero. Don’t save someone else to the point that it puts you in grave danger. Promise me that you will think of your life before anyone else’s.”

  She rolled her eyes, fully understanding—she often acted to save the ones she loved before she saved herself. But she was a guardian and she loved people, and that included being a brash fool at times in the fight against evil. “I promise I won’t put myself in unnecessary danger.”

  His features went all stormy in the way they did when he was in Elite Guardian mode. “That’s not good enough.”

  “Okay,” she said, rethinking, and quickly added, “I promise not to think I’m invincible. Plus, I won’t go jumping into a dangerous case on my own and will wait for backup. Better?”

  “Yes,” he replied with a nod, shifting himself beneath her and sending the bubbles popping around them. “That will do.”

  It took only a split second to realize that the position he was getting himself into would take her to places that didn’t involve talking. All the tension vanished from his
expression in a millisecond and his grin turned downright sinful, making her ache between her thighs. The warmth of the water around her embraced her as he trailed his hands along her back and said, “Now, enough talking about how the fact that I want to keep you safe is a bad thing. Come here. I must punish you.”

  Amused, and turned on, she rubbed her sex against his length, and he became enticingly rock hard. Inhaling the eucalyptus fragrance from the bath, she brought her thighs up against his sides, sending water over the edge of the tub. His groan echoed around her as he tangled his fingers in her hair, as he always did before he claimed her. Slanting his mouth over hers, he took her into a kiss, making the warm bathwater seem cold by comparison.

  Tempted by him, owned by him now, her moans poured from her without control. He drank in each and every one, returning them with low growls from deep in his chest. Wiggling against him, she shifted along his erection, enjoying each burst of pleasure invading her. She angled her head, inviting him, as he ran his mouth across her jawline and down to the sweet spot on her neck. His tongue flicked out, and her eyes fluttered closed with her moan.

  She squirmed against his touches, burning in every place possible, craving more of him as he licked over her hammering pulse. Raging with fire now, she explored his flexing muscles, tracing each and every marvelous curve. He released his fingers from her hair, running both his hands down her back to her bottom, where he gripped her tight and shifted her harder against his erect cock.

  At the hellish type of torture, she rasped, “Stop teasing me.”

  His response was a frustrating deep chuckle as he completely ignored her request, rubbing her against him. Determined to get her way—which was him deep inside her—she ran her hands up his flexing biceps, which were damp from the water. Tracing over each curve, she marveled at how they quivered beneath her touch.

  He paved a delicious line with his tongue up the vein on her neck. “Do you want me, Álainn?”

  “God, yes.”

  “Are you aching for me?”