A Member of the Council (11 page)
Read A Member of the Council Online
Authors: Lynn Cahoon
The Council seemed to consider the question or at least their answer for a few minutes. Angel responded with the panel decision. “That’s what we need to know.”
“So after kidnapping her and putting her through your torture chamber, why do you think Parris will even consider working with you?” Ty asked.
“We have two duties for Ms. McCall. We want her to train with you to become a hunter. If she refuses, her grandmother will be admitted to academy.”
Ty went cold. No way Matilda would survive academy. He’d seen teenagers broken and sent to psychiatric wards during their first year. The threat alone would make Parris do The Council’s bidding. He had to know the rest.
“And the second?”
“We think the other bloodline, the bloodline matching Parris’ genetic code comes from her father. The couple was killed to keep the lines pure.”
“The second coven killed her parents?”
“And thought they killed her. Matilda McCall was right to fake Parris’ death.” Angel smiled sadly. “The woman could have been a power in the circle.”
“And you want us to find the other coven.”
“Find and destroy. Before they destroy us.”
Chapter 12
Parris sat on the stairs inside her condo, drained of energy. She was too tired to go upstairs to bed, too tired to stay down. Ty and Derek sat on the couch in her living room. Dragon sat between them. All three stared at her.
“I’m working for The Council now.” Parris stated.
“That’s about the size of it.” Ty responded, rubbing Dragon’s ears.
“And they’ll leave my grandmother alone.”
Derek nodded. “That’s the agreement. You train and work to find the other side of your family tree, your grandmother stays safe. I’ll pull a few protection cards on her too.”
“The three of us are tasked to find a secret coven of witches who happen to be related to me. Then we are to destroy them.” Parris looked at the men on her off-white couch. In a living room she’d designed to be homey. A place to read and relax, drink a glass of wine maybe watch a few old movies. The room she’d decorated to be in a design magazine, not headquarters to Witch Hunt, International.
“Yep.” This time both men answered.
“This secret coven killed my parents, thinking they’d killed me too.”
“You said she wouldn’t take this well.” Derek grinned at Ty. “Seems to me she’s on board.”
Parris glanced around the condo. Around the world she’d built. The world would never be the same. Not after she said yes. Hell, not after she said no. She wouldn’t be able to pretend ever again. Her world had changed over the course of forty-eight hours. If she was truthful with herself, she’d always known this day would come.
Energy flowed into her body. This was to avenge her parents. She stood. “I’m going to take a shower and change. After that, we can get started.”
* * * *
Ty watched her leave the room, speaking to Derek. “This isn’t going to be easy. We have to keep her safe.”
“I know.”
Ty’s cellphone vibrated. He glanced at the caller id. Work. “How’s Mrs. Winters?”
Alex’s voice came loud over the speaker. “She’s fine. Getting ready for a dinner date. The security team is in place so she’s told me I can go. Do you need anything else from me tonight?”
“Nope, good job. Go home. I’ll see you Monday.” Ty pressed the end call button.
* * * *
Down the street from the condo, Alex dialed a second number. He kept watching the shapes of the men sitting on the couch through the front window. He couldn’t see the girl. He hadn’t seen her since the trio walked through the door an hour ago.
“They’re still at her place. I could finish them here.”
Alex frowned hearing the response. “Are you sure? I can kill the men without even going in the building.” He absently touched the high powered scoped rifle on his lap.
“No, your orders are to observe them.” The voice reverberated in his ear.
Alex laid the cellphone on the dashboard, settling into his seat. He’d be here a while. At least until the trio moved. Might as well get comfortable.
“Watch and learn.”
Those were his orders now. But soon. Soon he’d be able to kill the half-breed who was his cousin. Parris McCall would die. This time, she’d stay dead.
About Lynn Cahoon
So why did I want to write about witches? This story probably started during an unplanned admission to the hospital that turned into a three day stay.
Did you know that you can watch about four hours of Charmed straight through by just changing channels?
Seriously, I’ve always been in love with the idea that you can control your circumstances, control your life, and if it comes with hot, sexy warlocks, more the better. Mixing a touch of witchcraft lore and historical events, A Member of The Council let me play with the idea of what happens when someone is different. And of course, Parris McCall loves playing my favorite bar game, darts.
And, like me, she’s considered kind of good for a girl.
Lynn Cahoon is a contemporary romance author with a love of hot, sexy men, real and imagined.
Her alpha heroes range from rogue witch hunters to modern cowboys.
And her heroines all have one thing in common, their strong need for independence. Or at least that’s what they think they want.
She blogs at her website, A Fairy Tale Life.
Lynn’s Website
www.lynncahoon.wordpress.com
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A Member of The Council
9781616504243
Copyright © November 2012, Lynn Cahoon
Edited by Antonia Tiranth
Book design by Lyrical Press, Inc.
Cover Art by Renee Rocco
First Lyrical Press, Inc. electronic publication: November 2012
Lyrical Press, Incorporated
eBooks are not transferable. All Rights Reserved. This book may not be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in whole or in part by any means, including graphic, electronic, or mechanical without the express written consent of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
PUBLISHER'S NOTE:
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.
Published in the United States of America by Lyrical Press, Incorporated
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