Alix (The Coven's Grove Chronicles #1) (19 page)
Read Alix (The Coven's Grove Chronicles #1) Online
Authors: Virginia Hunter
Tags: #Warlock, #fantasy, #Urban Fantasy, #Demon, #Wizard, #sorcery, #Paranormal Romance, #shifter, #mage, #Magic, #shapeshifter, #Top 10 Paranormal Romance, #Witch, #Thriller, #Steamy, #Sex
“I can’t say for certain.” Hannah chuckled. “But I do know that, the more you use it, the more powerful it becomes. Also, someone in your ancestry was a witch at one time or another.” She looked Alix up and down. The young woman was short, cute and full of energy. She had tattoos of purple flowers running down both of her exposed arms, and a single purple gerbera daisy surrounding her belly button. Hannah’s gazed lingered on the gaudy, skull belt buckle at Alix’s waist. It radiated with power. “You have a focus, that’s good. We won’t have to create one for you.”
Alix arched a brow, and scrunched up her nose. “A what?”
“A focus.” Hannah pointed to the jewel-encrusted buckle. “You’ll need that.”
The purple fringe in Alix’s otherwise jet black hair dangled close to her eyes, as she looked down at the buckle. “This old thing? It’s nothing but a piece of costume jewelry my grandmother had.”
Hannah stepped closer for a better look. “It definitely has power, and I don’t think that’s costume jewelry.” She wasn’t an expert, but the stones embedded into the golden skull looked like real diamonds to her. “You might want to take extra care with that.”
Alix’s eyes bulged. “You mean, all this time, I’ve had a fortune hanging above my crotch and didn’t even know it?!”
Hannah shrugged. “You can get it appraised by a professional to make sure, but it looks genuine to me.”
Alix continued to stare at the sparkling jewels in disbelief. “Holy shit, I’m rich.”
“I would advise against selling it,” Hannah said hastily. “You’ll need it to help you expand your power.”
“What do you mean?” Alix asked, tearing her gaze from the buckle.
“When first starting out, most of us can only use our power by touching the thing we want to effect. Over time, a focus can help you work your power from a distance.”
“No touch?”
Hannah shook her head. “No touch.”
“That’s awesome!”
“A focus can also increase the effectiveness of your power, your natural affinity
and
incantations,” Hannah added.
“We can cast spells, too?” Alix set her bucket down, and stared at Hannah, flabbergasted.
“That look is priceless.” Hannah laughed. “Yes, we can cast spells too.”
Alix’s mouth opened and closed, but nothing came out. Hannah thought that she might be having a nervous breakdown, until the little sprite of a woman leapt into the air, pumping her fists. “Fucking kick ass!” After a few moments of hopping up and down, Alix came to a gasping halt. “Miranda had hinted a few times, but hasn’t come out and said it.”
“She’s not only trying to protect you, but us as well,” Hannah said. “Most people don’t react kindly to witches. We have to be careful.”
“I totally get that.” Alix sobered. “Hank...a guy I knew. He’s gone now, but he saw me use my power once. I don’t think he understood what I’d done, but it freaked him out.”
Hannah nodded. “You understand, then. No one must know about what we can do. Even those closest to us are a risk, and pose a potential threat.”
“I don’t have anyone close anymore, except Troy. And even he was freaked out when he first found out. So yeah, we’re on the same page.”
Relief washed over Hannah. “Good. It’s important you understand.”
Alix frowned. “What about Troy? I mean, is he okay? Miranda said he could stay, too. Is that alright?”
Hannah smiled knowingly. “Yes, it’s okay if he stays. Just keep some clothes on him...”
Alix snorted. “Okay.”
“You’ve bonded with him. I can sense it.”
“Miranda mentioned that a few times. She also said something about him being a guardian. Still don’t know what all that’s about, but it sounds like it doesn’t have anything to do with the tattoo I imprinted on his chest.”
“Yeah,” Hannah replied. “That’s something different.” She hadn’t been able to get a close look at Troy’s tattoo, but she knew it was magical, and it was something neither she, Rhea nor Miranda had ever seen before. “Guardianship is a spiritual connection. A powerful bond between a witch and her chosen companion.”
Alix nodded. “Miranda had said that, too.” She put her hand over her mouth and mumbled, “Sorry, continue please.”
“Well, from what I’ve read, a guardian is like a soulmate, but amplified.” Hannah picked up another bucket of water. “Once you’ve bonded one, they get stronger and tougher. A super bodyguard of sorts.”
“You’ve read about it?” Alix scratched her head. “You mean, you don’t have one?”
Hannah shook her head. “Miranda has a lot of information on our kind, but none of us have found the right match yet. There’s supposed to be a signal, a yearning pull or an electric charge, when the pair first touch—”
“I’ll say,” Alix interrupted. “I wanted to rip my clothes off the first time Troy and I touched. And the aftershock is a doozy, so be careful with that part.”
“What aftershock?” Hannah furrowed her brow. “There isn’t suppose to be an aftershock.”
“There was for us. It blew Troy across the room. I thought I’d killed him.”
Hannah frowned. “We’ll have to look into that further, if you stay, of course.”
Alix gave her a wry smile. “Always the sales pitch, huh?”
Hannah gave her a serious look. “I’ll tell you what. When I get back from my seminar, we can take a closer look at what’s going on with your bond. But, you need to seriously consider becoming part of the coven in return, okay?”
Alix nodded vigorously. “I will.”
“Good.” Hannah smiled, and looked down at one of her hybrids. She reached out to it with her mind, asking it to bloom.
The pod-shaped bud popped open instantly, unveiling a vibrant, purple lily. The bloom was easily twice the size of a dinner plate. The stem stretched toward Hannah, as it struggled to reach her.
Hannah leaned down, and took a deep breath to partake of the wonderful, sweet aroma. The lily’s long petals snaked out to caress her cheeks, chin, and nose.
“Whoa,” Alix whispered. “That’s so cool.”
Hannah nodded. “Imagine what we could all do together.”
Coming Soon!
The Coven’s Grove Chronicles
Book Three is already available on Amazon!
Paige, the fourth installment, will release later this year.
Thanks so much for reading!
About the Author
Virginia L. Hunter
Was born in St. Louis, and has traveled much of the United States during the course of her life. Her journeys have allowed her to experience many wonderful things, and make many lifelong friends. Married for 19 years, Virginia met her husband in college and knew upon first laying eyes on him that she would bewitch him and become the mother of their two children.
Virginia has always enjoyed her supernatural stories to be flavored with a bit of steamy romance. The many stories she has read over the years inspired her to write about the things she loves most—titillating tales about sexy witches and the men lucky enough to be chosen by them. Her hope is that her readers will enjoy her stories as much as she has enjoyed reading the stories of countless others.
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