AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Sixteen.”
Valen was caught off guard. Not because her coven had tried to kill her. There were some witches who feared that the wild magic flowing through the veins of a mage would expose them to the witch hunts that killed so many in the past. At least that was their excuse to hunt down and execute mages. Valen suspected it was a combination of jealousy and fear that drove them to murder. They would never be able to possess or control true magic. So they sought to destroy it.
“You were young to come into your powers,” he said.
“I didn’t stay young for long.”
Valen glanced around, once again aware of the emptiness that surrounded the ranch. “How did you escape?”
She held out her hands, revealing the silvery marks in the center of each palm.
“The wild magic burst out of me, driving them away long enough for me to disappear into the mountains.”
Valen didn’t press for details. At any moment the shock was going to wear off and she would once again be the Peri Sanguis he’d known since her arrival in New Jersey. A prickly, secretive woman who used mockery as a weapon.
“Did they realize you survived?”
“I’m not sure.” Her jaw tightened, a sudden emotion flaring in the depths of her blue eyes. “As you can imagine, the whole trying-to-kill-me thing put a strain on our relationship. I never spoke with any of them again.”
“I assume that means you don’t know why they are dead?”
“Not a clue.”
“Could it have been suicide?”
She laughed. A sharp, brittle sound. “No.”
“You sound very certain.”
“My mother was cunning, ruthless, and consumed with her lust for power. She would kill without mercy if she thought it might give her some sort of advantage.” Her lips twisted into a bitter smile. “But take her own life? Never.”
Valen accepted her words without question. “Then who—or what—had the skill to murder an entire coven?”
With a shudder, Peri glanced toward the barn at the far side of the compound. She was silent for a long moment, as if considering the various possibilities. Valen did the same.
It didn’t take long. He didn’t have enough evidence to develop a logical deduction and he wasn’t foolish enough to leap to conclusions. At last, Peri seemed to come to the same deduction. She shook her head, as if trying to clear her mind, then slowly turned back.
She stared at him, then without warning her eyes narrowed. He didn’t have to read her mind to know that she’d just remembered he was the enemy.
“The more immediate question is why you’re here,” she said in sharp tones. “This has nothing to do with the Cabal.”
He hid a smile. Peri was once again the defiant, pain-in-the-ass mage that had captured his interest. Although she would stab him in the heart if he ever called her a pain in the ass. And oddly, he was fiercely relieved to have her back.
“Twelve witches die under mysterious circumstances. No obvious wounds, no sign of struggle, no indication of an intruder,” he smoothly replied. “Do you think a human could accomplish such a thing?”
She studied him, as if not entirely reassured by his explanation. “You think it was a demon?”
“I’m here to discover the truth.”
“Why you?” she pressed. “This area isn’t even close to your territory.”
“Gabriel asked for my assistance and I agreed.”
“Why?”
“I have a unique talent,” he informed her.
“A talent for showing up where you’re not wanted?”
