Witch Infernal (Infernal Hunt Book 3) (5 page)

I double-checked the address that Quin had given me as I looked at the plain white wall, the purple heather perched on the external window sill. It sat neatly between two far more traditional buildings
,
with their ornate plasterwork and faces staring down at us with peculiar serenity. I opened the modern white door and stepped into a bright and airy space with white walls and white-washed wooden flooring. The shelves were carefully stacked with brightly coloured hardback books and powders displayed in elegant bottles with twists and ornate stoppers. The floor space was optimised, with only a couple of large tables, each with arrangements that clearly displayed all of the wares. I looked around
,
wondering if I'd fallen through a portal to a different time or country.
 

A broad man with a sparkling smile and thick straw-blond hair approached us. I couldn't help but notice the slight sway to his hips and the way his lips were a soft blush colour; how I wanted to run my fingers along them before I kissed him. His navy blue shirt hugged his muscular form, the rolled up sleeves displaying his strong arms. I chewed on my bottom lip; the visit was looking up. Lysander growled behind me
.
I took a step towards the man and smiled.
 

"Lucian?" I said hopefully.
 

His smile broadened as his placed his hands on my shoulders and leaned down to give air-kisses on either side.
 

"And you must be Evie,” he said.
 

Lysander kept shifting his weight behind me, growls rumbling in his throat.
 

I ran my hand up over Lucian's arm
.
"Did Quin say why we're here?"

I couldn't help but fall into his pale brown eyes; I was about ready to break my own rule about not sleeping with anything magical. I'd heard delightful things about witches and their quite literal magical touch
,
too.
 

His mouth tightened a little, but his eyes danced. “Your brother? Said that you're here to speak about the new witch in the city."

I grinned and ran my tongue over my lips
.
"He's my brother, yes. Do you happen to know anything?"

Lucian gestured towards a set of padded stools around a small table at the front of the shop
.
"Would you like some tea?"

"Just water
,
thanks
,
" I replied.
 

He may have been sexy as sin
,
but he was still a witch; there was no reason to risk anything unnecessary.

Lysander refused to take a seat, leaving me dangerously close to Lucian as I leaned my forearms on the table and watched him closely. He smiled and placed his hands on the table on either side of mine. He hadn't even acknowledged Lysander's presence.
 

"There is a new witch in the city, a rather unusual thing
,
as it happens."

I tilted my head a little
,
listening to the lyrical nature of his voice and the unusual accent. There was a distinct musicality about it that I couldn't quite place; it wasn't local. I quickly concluded it didn't matter where he came from as long as he continued to talk
.
I slipped between his words and reveled in the pleasure buried in the notes.
 

"She came to the city entirely alone, without a coven."

I sat up a little taller; as far as I understood it
,
witches were intimately connected to their covens and their bloodlines. For a witch, particularly one strong enough to concern the celestials, to move alone was unheard of.
 

Lucian's fingers brushed my temple
.
"You shouldn't frown like that, you'll get wrinkles."

"You never gave us the water
,
" Lysander growled.
 

I smiled sweetly and squeezed Lucian's hand as he pulled it away
.
"No worry, we can survive. You were telling us about the new witch."

His hand paused with mine
.
A small electrical current ran between us. So what they’d said about the magical touch was all true
.
I shifted my weight
,
trying to focus on the task at hand.
 

“I’m sure you’re aware that the coven witches are very attached to their covens
.
They bond early in life
,
and it takes a lot to break those bonds. I’m afraid I don’t know much more.”

“That was still helpful, thank you,” I said.
 

Lysander muttered something under his breath.
 

Lucian pulled out a notebook and made a show of writing his number down for me
.
“I’d love to see you again
,
Evie.”

I ran my fingers over the back of his hand when I took the piece of paper. “I’m sure we can arrange something.”
 

With that I stood and left
.
Lysander was out the door before I’d turned to look for him.
 

"Was that really necessary
,
Evelyn?"

I crossed my arms and leaned back against the wall; I wasn't moving until everything had been resolved.
 

"I could ask you the same thing,” I growled back.
 

"You have no interest in non-humans, why is he so different?"

I took a deep breath and calmed myself. "This is not a public discussion."

He ground his teeth together
,
but gestured towards the tram stop. “Than let us go home."

I pushed off from the wall and headed to the tram stop; the conversation was bubbling away within me, and there was no escaping it that time.
 

Lysander sat in the seat behind me on the tram. I looked out the window and watched the city go by. People wandered down the streets and looked in the windows
,
admiring the latest fashions and delicious-looking foods; it looked so simple for them. The tram lurched to a stop. Everyone groaned when the driver hit the brakes for the second time in as many minutes. I had to assume that it was his last route of the day
,
given his erratic driving, for lack of a better term. Not that that helped my mood any. An older woman tried to push past me on my way off the tram, almost knocking my balance. By the time I opened the gate
,
my mood was darker than the incoming storm, which seemed very fitting as Lysander growled and grumbled behind me.
 

Ten

I slammed the door behind us and threw off my boots, the soft thud of them hitting the wall only punctuating Lysander's huffing.
 

"Speak
,
hound,” I snapped.
 

"I have done nothing wrong
,
" he shouted back.

He was right, I knew he was, but I didn't know how to express it. He paced around the living room area, his fingers dragging through his thick black hair, his muscles tight and his gait short and sharp.
 

"I have done all I can to make you happy, and you pull away, you deny me, for what? Because I am the wrong species? I feel your emotions, your desires, and you still drive me away. Then, you openly lust after a witch!"

I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself. "The witch is still a human, not a beast."
 

His flinch stung me.
 

"I drive you away because I'm scared, I'm terrified. I do not know what I'm supposed to do with you! I have never known a happy relationship, I separated myself from the world to protect it. To protect Quin. Then you came along!"

Tears tumbled down my cheeks.
 

"I am not to blame for your decisions Evelyn."

"I cannot help my fear
,
Lysander. I saw what you did."

His hands wrapped around my upper arms. "And you saw what I have done with and for you. You cannot hold my past against me." His voice dropped to a whisper. "Please."

My legs trembled, the weight of the world heavy upon my shoulders. The regret of my decisions, of the path I'd carved for myself weakening my increasingly weary muscles. He held me close to him, his arms gentle around me, keeping me safe as the tears fled down my cheeks and leapt off my jaw.
 

"I can't lose you. I can't have my heart broken again. I am weak, I couldn't survive it. It almost killed me with Christian."

He pulled back from me a little and delicately brushed the tears from my face. “I swear to you Evelyn, I would never do that to you."

"I need time, and space. I'm not ready. I need to clear my head, I need to figure myself out. Give me that."

He rested his chin on the top of my head. "I'll be waiting for you."

I sighed and leaned into him, embracing the security and sanctuary he offered me.
 

Softly he asked, "And the witch?"

I couldn't look him in the eye
.
"I won't deny that I am attracted to him, that I would sleep with him given the chance."

He simply nodded and kissed my forehead. "I understand, as best as I can."

He stepped back and brushed away the last of my tears. "I'm going for a run, mistress."

With that, he left. I was alone with my thoughts, the emotions roiling within me. Why couldn't anything be simple?
 

The sensation of my heart breaking returned to me as I remembered finding Christian in bed with the nymph. I'd thought he was the one, my other half, the one who completed me. Yet he'd thought nothing of throwing it all away. I knew the hound could speak no lie, not to me, but that didn't mean he could see the future. He thought he'd never do that to me, but he didn't know. Not really.
 

The feeling of intense loneliness settled over me. Quin was with Kadrix, Elise was in her church, and my hound, my dear hound, was running through the city. I gazed out the window to see the dark sky throwing rain down upon the city as though punishing it for my deeds, my mistakes. Taking a deep breath
,
I pulled myself together and retrieved the witch's number from my pocket. I needed to escape, to lose myself in something pleasurable. I had no interest in getting drunk, but him, I knew I could lose myself in him. He replied within seconds, eager to see me again, or so he said. It was set. The decision made.
 

I went through the motions of making myself pretty. Not that it mattered, really, we both knew what we were meeting for. Eyeliner and red lipstick wasn't going to change that one way or the other, but the act of it soothed me. I was putting on my mask for the world, for him. Really, I was putting it on for myself. I was hiding from what I was doing. I didn't remember the last time I'd worn so much make-up, and it was wonderful.
 

The journey went by in a blur, my mind sharp and focused on the witch's smile. We went through the shop in a haze of intense kisses that burnt down my neck while his hands explored my body. His muscles were taut beneath my fingers, his skin smooth and soft. We made it to the hallway before I made short work of his shirt, discarding it on the wooden floor. The need built within me, kisses turns to bites, I clawed down his firm back while he threw my skirt on the stairs beneath us. Fire burnt up through my core, pleasure filled my mind, and everything else faded to nothing.
 

Eleven

I woke up tangled in the witch’s arms and sheets; an unfamiliar warmth and relaxation had spread throughout my body. I rested my head on his broad chest and listened to his steady heartbeat and breathing before he stirred, his hand slowly running down my back. I wriggled against him
,
wondering what my chances were of a repeat performance. His scent of warm bread and clary sage filled my nostrils
,
and the spell was broken
.
I wanted the scent of hot metal and petrichor. He must have sensed the change in me; his arms pulled back from me
,
leaving the cool air to lick at my exposed skin.
 

His thumb ran along my bottom lip, his eyes slightly dulled. “You really love him
,
don’t you?”

I tilted my head and frowned
,
trying to figure out whom he meant. His smile came so easily.
 

“The witch is originally from Iceland, she comes from an ancient bloodline with more power than I’ve heard of from anywhere else. She’s cut-throat, cold, and there’s a rumour that she’s turned from the crone.”
 

Seemingly satisfied
,
he wrapped his hand around the back of my head and pulled me into a deep kiss; my body leant into him while my mind wandered. We got dressed with only mild embarrassment and discomfort
.
I did my best to tidy up the mess that had once been my beautiful mask of make-up before we left with a light hug. I told myself that I didn’t regret it, that I felt better for the entire experience. Admittedly
,
my body felt looser and my mind clearer; unfortunately
,
my mind wanted only one thing.
 

The sun had long since risen and the air was crisp and fresh. The cool breeze tickled my face and tugged at my hair
,
adding further tangles and knots. I thrust my hands into my pockets and wished away the thoughts of Lysander, yet they only came harder and firmer. A burning sensation bloomed in my chest and slowly swept outwards, tingling down my arms until I felt as though I were on fire. The people around me were bundled up in thick coats and tall boots, yet I had to strip down to my thin shirt and skirt. I couldn’t bear it. The heat prickled my skin. Imaginary flames crawled up my spine, my breath became shorter and more difficult. My vision blurred around the edges. Thoughts slowed to a sedentary pace. There was nothing but the feeling of burning, of becoming nothing more than fire.
 

My heart thundered in my ears. Strong arms wrapped around me and pulled me to a firm chest, the familiar scent of hot metal and petrichor surrounded me. My muscles relaxed and air flooded my lungs. Thoughts re-emerged. Lysander’s breath trickled down my neck as he whispered soothing words with no meaning past the sensation of safety. I pressed tighter to him willing away the tears and the fear.