by Valia Lind
Witch Unchained
Blackwood Supernatural Prison #2
Valia Lind
Contents
Witch Unchained
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Next in the Blackwood Supernatural Prison series
Note from the Author
Do you like academy adventure romance?
Want more from the Hawthorne Witches?
About the Author
Also by Valia Lind
Copyright © 2020 by Valia Lind
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
Cover by Gombar Cover Designs
Witch Unchained
Blackwood Supernatural Prison - Book Two
Valia Lind
Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.
Winston Churchill
Chapter 1
I've been sitting in the same spot for an undetermined amount of time, trying to process what just happened. There's no easy way to wrap my mind around the fact that my best friend, the girl who had been as close to me as a sister... the same one I felt bleed out in my arms... is alive.
Alive.
Kelsey is alive.
A glass of water appears in front of me. I jerk my head up to see Eric placing it on the table. His expression is unreadable, but I'm thankful it's not filled with pity. I'm feeling pretty pathetic right now as it is. I don't need a visual reminder.
"Want to talk about it?" he asks, sitting down in the chair on the other side of the table. I don't answer right away, studying his features slowly. From the first moment I met him I thought he was gorgeous. There's something about those dark locks falling into his blue/grey eyes. His jaw can cut glass, and right now, it's set in the firmest line as he watches me. Belatedly, I realize this kind of study can appear as a challenge to a shifter. I bring my eyes to meet his and then I don't think at all. It's like a comfort blanket wraps around the both of us, cocooning this moment in time. He infuriates and calms me at the same time. It's a fascinating reaction and one I'm not sure how to respond to most of the time.
His left brow twitches just a tad, but it's enough to bring me out of my funk. Reaching for the water, I gulp down half the glass before I bring my attention back to Eric and the question he asked.
"I have no idea what to say," I reply as the shifter continues to watch me quietly. "I should have plenty to say. How I don't understand anything that has happened. How it's impossible for Kelsey to be alive. How I kind of wish I was back at Blackwood, just so I wouldn’t have to deal with any of this. Does that sound like I'm running? If that makes me a coward, then I guess that is who I am. Glad we got that covered."
"You are not a coward."
His soft words break through my mini panic attack. I shut my mouth and look at him. He hasn't moved an inch, but he delivered that statement as if he was presenting it to the Council. Firm and true.
"I'm glad you think so, but I'm not so sure anymore," I comment once I give myself a moment to let his words sink in. "Maybe it's a good thing I didn't become a Protector. Can you imagine me trying to protect anything? I'd probably crumble into a crying mess on the floor anytime I was faced with a tough situation. Or you know, any time one of my dead former friends comes to kill me."
"Is that really how you see yourself?"
Okay, his attitude is really starting to get under my skin.
"Of course that's not how I see myself!" I snap, jumping to my feet and proceeding to pace in front of the table. "I may second guess everything about myself, but I've never second guessed my abilities as a soldier."
"So why are you doing it now?"
"Because my best friend is alive and a traitor! How did I not know this? How did I not see?" I yell, slamming my palms on the table and leaning toward Eric. "What good am I to the Council if I can't decipher who's evil and who's good?"
"Maybe it's not so black and white."
"Your calming tone is really annoying," I say, leaning back and crossing my arms in front of me.
"Would you rather I shout?"
"Yes, actually. I'd love to see you a bit out of control." I grin down at him, and for some reason, the tension in my chest loosens a little.
"Sorry to break it to you, princess, but it'll take a lot for me to lose control."
I roll my eyes, but I accept the challenge. Whether he realizes it or not. But I do feel slightly better, so I take a seat again. The bracelet around my wrist catches my eye. I run a finger over the intricate design.
"Have you heard from Tom on how to take this thing off?"
"Not yet. But we will."
That's as reassuring as Eric will get, that much I already know about him. But I would appreciate getting this thing off me sooner rather than later. I can already feel the magic buzzing around it, infusing with my bloodstream. I'm not sure if it's feeding on me or I on it, but I don't want to find out. I have enough problems on my plate already.
"What's next?"
Just then, the door opens and Letty walks in.
"I have great timing," she announces, catching my question. "We have to move."
Mitch pulls up to the curb, and we pile into the SUV. I'm not exactly sure where these people keep finding transportation for us, but I'm not about to complain. Eric and I left our vehicle behind. I assume someone will go get it later. Honestly, this whole secret society slash task force is too new for me to even begin to understand. It's like, the moment I left prison I was thrust into the middle of a story. Now I'm playing catch up.
"We're going to drop you off at a safe house," Mitch begins, jerking my attention back to the here and now.
"What? Why? I thought we were going back to the compound."
"Because of that thing," Mitch replies, nodding at my wrist. I glance at the bracelet again, frustrated that it's still attached.
"I don't get it."
"We don't know how it works or what it does. It would be dangerous to bring you, and that magic, back to the compound when it could ultimately put everyone in danger."
The big guy isn't wrong, but he softens the blow with a quick smile. I can't really be mad at him for following orders. But I was still hoping they could get the bracelet off at the compound. Like, right away.
"Eric will stay with you," Letty adds from the front seat. I glance over at the guy sitting quietly beside me. He meets my eyes briefly before turning them back to the outside. He's tense, on high alert. I should be too. But right now, I just feel tired. Emotionally and physically.
We drive in silence after that. It's about an hour later when they finally pull up to a row of apartment buildings. We're in a quieter part of the city, farther
away from the center. The apartment buildings here are right along the side of the street, and right across the way is a small park.
"Is that water?" I ask as we get out of the SUV.
"Yes. That's Neva River. It flows throughout the whole city."
From what I can see, there are a few smaller cruise ships docked along the harbor with tourists pouring off them in droves. Vendors are set up along the way, eagerly peddling handmade souvenirs. Such a simple life. But I don't envy them, per se. I feel more determined to protect them. Letty and Mitch say a quick goodbye before leaving us at the curb.
We walk a few buildings down, away from the water. Eric leads the way. It seems so surreal being here, in another country, walking the streets. Kelsey and I planned a lot of travel for our future after we finished the academy. But that's not something that will happen now.
Even though she's alive.
I'm not sure I can get over seeing her, walking so casually away from me. And the look in her eyes. She looks nothing like I remember her.
So smug and cold now.
We walk up a few flights of stairs and then Eric is unlocking the door. Somehow, I missed the majority of the outside, but I know we came around the building.
"What is this place?" I ask, stepping inside and glancing at the small corridor in front of me.
"Tom has apartments all over the city in case anyone needs to crash undetected. This is one of those."
I do a quick study, passing an empty room on the left. I find the other room on the right has a bed, small couch, a dresser, and a TV. Two other doors are in front of me. I push the first one open, noticing a bathtub.
"What about a toilet?"
Eric points to the other door. Past it, I find a toilet. Farther to the left is an open doorway, so I step inside, glancing around the small kitchen.
"It's cozy," I state, coming back into the main room.
"It's one of my favorites," Eric replies as he shrugs off his jacket. Even though the room is a good size, Eric still seems to take up much of the space.
"You can wash up and get some rest," he continues as he walks over to look out the window. There is a park across the street and a large warehouse structure on the other side of that. Public transportation is huge here, and I can hear the tram on the tracks right outside the window.
A part of me wants to stay and ask a hundred questions. It seems I'm being pulled in a million directions. Instead, I take off my jacket and shoes and head for the bathroom. There's a shower hanging over the tub, and I sigh happily. I'm not about to take a bath with Eric on the other side of the door.
I reach for my shirt. Before I can pull it over my head, a knock sounds at my back. Opening the door, I see Eric holding a stack of clothes.
"You'll need these. There are towels in the cupboard."
Then, he turns and walks back into the room as I shut the door.
He's the strangest person I've ever met, that's for sure. Quickly, I strip and get under the shower, hoping the water can wash away my problems as well as it washes away dirt. I let the stream beat at the back of my neck, working at the tension there. My eye catches on the glint at my wrist. I pull it toward me.
The braided bracelet is still wrapped around my wrist, as if it's found its new home. I run a finger over the design, feeling the power underneath my feather of a touch. If this little thing holds so much magic, I can't even image what the rest of the relics can do.
Of course, I've heard stories of the king, back when stories were my thing. My dad is a great storyteller. He's been known to perform a ghost story or two. Except the king was always a warning. A shifter/witch hybrid, one of the rarest forms. He can wield magic like I wield a sword and shift into more than one animal form. There is always a debate on which forms he uses, but the popular ones are a wolf and an eagle. If he truly is real, and he got his hands on the relics, I can't imagine the havoc he would unleash upon our worlds.
With that thought, I realize I have to stay focused on him. He's the priority. It doesn't matter that Kelsey is alive. It doesn't change what needs to be done. Somehow, I must turn off that side of me and focus on the task at hand. If I don't, I'll never survive this.
Chapter 2
When I finally leave the bathroom, my body is so tired I can barely drag it to the next room. Eric is by the windows doing a quick scan, but he turns when I walk in.
"There's some food for you." He points to the bedside table and the sandwich on the plate. I say thanks and devour the food, not realizing how hungry I am until this moment. All the hours of the days are blurring together. I can't believe it's been less than two weeks since we left the prison. My life looks a lot different now.
"Do you need anything else?" Eric asks. I look up to see him near the doorway, his own change of clothes in his arms. I shake my head. After another tense look my way, he leaves.
Now no longer hungry, I'm even more tired than I thought. Laying back against the pillows, I listen as the shower on the other side of the wall turns on. He probably fills up that room even more effectively than this one. What am I thinking? Closing my eyes, I push all thoughts of Eric away and concentrate on the plan.
Because I desperately need one.
So far, all I've been doing is following someone else's lead. True, as a Protector, that would've been my job. I would've been assigned a post and given a mission. But these people are near strangers to me. Regardless of the fact that they know my parents.
I can't exactly leave all of this behind because, as much as I don't know or trust them, I do trust the mission. Protecting the relics from the king and his followers is the most important part. But I still need answers.
My mind races over my options. The only people that I know will give me the answers I crave are my parents. Even though they've clearly kept things from me, they owe me an explanation. But I can't exactly call them up.
Just then, the noise from a tram going by sounds. It gives me an idea. Not sure how long Eric will be in the shower, I have to move fast.
As quietly as I can, I grab my shoes and tiptoe toward the hallway. Glancing at the closed bathroom door, I try and listen for anything that might indicate Eric is finishing up. But the water runs smooth, so I hurry.
Slipping out the door, I move a flight of stairs down before I put on my shoes. I'm not exactly dressed to be going outside in my sweats and a hoodie, but I don't have time to change. The moment I'm outside, I concentrate my magic. Nothing seems to be out of the ordinary around me, so after a quick look both ways, I take off to the right.
I pass two apartment buildings before the opening to the street comes into view. Once there, my eyes zero in on the river and the small cruise ships parked at the dock. After crossing the street, I pause, doing another scan with my magic. Still nothing. But I know I need to hurry.
Moving down to the walkway near the ships, I pass tables set up with souvenirs. Scanning the items, I move as close as possible to the group standing in front of the table. As they turn, I bump into a couple.
"Sorry!" I mumble before I think twice about the language barrier. But I immediately realize these are tourists, and they understand me just fine. I receive a glare, but nothing else as they move away. I continue perusing the tables, as I move in the other direction from the group. A smile lifts the corner of my mouth. The phone I pick-pocketed sits comfortably in my palm. I slide it into the inside of my sleeve. If I make the call quickly, I can return the phone no problem. I left a little bit of a magic imprint on the man, so I could find him again.
But before I can take two steps, someone grabs me by the arm. Without a second thought, I spin into a defensive move. Right before I slam my elbow into his face, I realize it's Eric.
"What are you doing?" I hiss, barely stopping the blow. He blocks it with his hand and simultaneously pulls me close to his body.
"Did you really think you can run?"
"Does it look like I'm running?" I snap, glancing down at the space between us, which is nearly nonexisten
t. I raise my other hand, holding up the phone. "I'm just trying to make a call."
Eric's stance does not relax as he glances at the phone and then back at my face. I can't read the range of emotion in his eyes, but man, I want to. He's a storm brewing, and I am curiously fascinated with the actual downpour.
"It's too dangerous."
"Says who?"
"I do."
"I hate to break it to you, but you are not the boss of me." My voice is dangerously low. There’s no way I’m backing down from our stare-down. Eric watches me for a moment longer before sighing.
"Make your call here."
I yank my arm away and pull up the phone. It's locked, but that's nothing for my magic. I throw a protective spell at the phone and then I'm dialing the number.
"Dad," I say the moment I hear my father's voice.
"Cordelia?" Then Mom is on the line as well.
"Oh, we've been so worried!"
"I don't have time, but I'm okay. I need you to tell me if I can trust them."
I glance up at Eric. The shifter is once again focused on our surroundings, but I can see his jaw twitch. I know he's listening and knows exactly what I'm asking.
"I'm sorry we didn't tell you. There is so much to say. But yes. You can trust Tom. You can trust them."
"We need to get back inside," Eric comments without looking at me. This is all I'm going to get, but at least it's something.
"I'll call again when I can. Love you."
I don't have time to listen to their reply as Eric reaches for the phone and pulls it out of my hands.