Read Online Abandoned (Book Two of the Castle Coven Series): A Witch and Warlock Romance Novel by Hazel Hunter - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Hazel Hunter
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forgot me.
She was only aware that she was crying when tears started running down her cheeks. She was breathing hard, her breath coming in silent gasps. She knew that if she continued like this that she was going to hyperventilate, so she slowed herself as much as she could.
Hailey told herself that she hadn’t forgotten Kieran. She hadn’t. How could she forget someone who was so important to her? How could she forget the man who had seen her for what she was? More than anyone else in the world, he had changed her mind about what she could do, what she was capable of. He had touched her without fear. He had been the first to do so while completely aware of her powers.
She shifted, and felt the Castle’s master next to her. Her gut clenched.
Was it a betrayal to be with him when Kieran had turned from her? Was it a betrayal when she might not see him again?
The questions tore at Hailey’s mind. She swiped furiously at the tears that would not stop. Feelings of guilt and rage twined through her spirit, threatening to tear her apart. Was she traitorous? Was she a fool? Was she heartless? Was she being used?
Her stirring woke Piers, who seemed to take in her distress immediately. He wrapped warm arms around her, murmuring soft words. For a moment, she allowed herself the comfort of his arms, but then she pushed him away.
“Hailey? Can you tell me what’s wrong?”
She opened her mouth to speak, but instead she only sobbed again. Instead of taking her in his arms again, Piers took her by the hand, staying silent and watchful.
Finally, she shook her head.
“We…we shouldn’t have done what we did.”
Piers breathed out a long sigh, and his hand tightened slightly on hers before relaxing a little.
“We rushed things. We moved very quickly. I understand, I–”
“You don’t!”
Hailey’s words broke the air like a piece of glass. She pushed Piers’s hand away even though there was nothing she wanted more than to throw herself into his arms.
“You don’t,” she continued. “It doesn’t matter how fast I did it. I shouldn’t have done it at all.”
“Hailey?”
Hailey shook her head hard.
“He was the one who took me out of that dark place. He was the one who refused to let me accept less for myself. He saw me for who I am. You can’t understand that, Piers. I betrayed him.”
Piers’s words were careful.
“Someone you promised yourself to? Is this someone from your old coven?”
Hailey shook her head.
“I promised myself to him, but no, it wasn’t someone from my own coven. Hell, most of them wouldn’t have spat on me if I were on fire before he showed up. No. It was Kieran, the Magus Corps major who came to bring me here.”
She felt Piers stiffen.
“Hailey, you’ve done nothing wrong. The members of the Magus Corps don’t make promises, and if they do, they certainly don’t keep them.”
The venomous tone in Piers’s voice made her forget her torrent of emotions for a moment. Hailey looked up, startled.
“There are no promises that can exist between those in covens and those who have sworn to uphold the tenets of the Magus Corps. You have made no promises because he never accepted them in good faith. He brought you here, for which I owe him a debt of gratitude, but there is no way that you can promise yourself to him anyway. There were no promises broken.”
Hailey stared at him in horror.
“What are you saying? You don’t understand what we did together. You don’t understand what we had. You don’t even know him.”
“I don’t have to,” retorted Piers. “I know the Magus Corps, and I know how they operate. Hailey, there are many reasons that I am building the Castle, but one of them is that our dependence on the Magus Corps to protect all Wiccans everywhere is not acceptable. They are an antiquated paramilitary force that was given too much power to oversee Wiccans as a whole. We didn’t consent to their rule, and if I have
She was only aware that she was crying when tears started running down her cheeks. She was breathing hard, her breath coming in silent gasps. She knew that if she continued like this that she was going to hyperventilate, so she slowed herself as much as she could.
Hailey told herself that she hadn’t forgotten Kieran. She hadn’t. How could she forget someone who was so important to her? How could she forget the man who had seen her for what she was? More than anyone else in the world, he had changed her mind about what she could do, what she was capable of. He had touched her without fear. He had been the first to do so while completely aware of her powers.
She shifted, and felt the Castle’s master next to her. Her gut clenched.
Was it a betrayal to be with him when Kieran had turned from her? Was it a betrayal when she might not see him again?
The questions tore at Hailey’s mind. She swiped furiously at the tears that would not stop. Feelings of guilt and rage twined through her spirit, threatening to tear her apart. Was she traitorous? Was she a fool? Was she heartless? Was she being used?
Her stirring woke Piers, who seemed to take in her distress immediately. He wrapped warm arms around her, murmuring soft words. For a moment, she allowed herself the comfort of his arms, but then she pushed him away.
“Hailey? Can you tell me what’s wrong?”
She opened her mouth to speak, but instead she only sobbed again. Instead of taking her in his arms again, Piers took her by the hand, staying silent and watchful.
Finally, she shook her head.
“We…we shouldn’t have done what we did.”
Piers breathed out a long sigh, and his hand tightened slightly on hers before relaxing a little.
“We rushed things. We moved very quickly. I understand, I–”
“You don’t!”
Hailey’s words broke the air like a piece of glass. She pushed Piers’s hand away even though there was nothing she wanted more than to throw herself into his arms.
“You don’t,” she continued. “It doesn’t matter how fast I did it. I shouldn’t have done it at all.”
“Hailey?”
Hailey shook her head hard.
“He was the one who took me out of that dark place. He was the one who refused to let me accept less for myself. He saw me for who I am. You can’t understand that, Piers. I betrayed him.”
Piers’s words were careful.
“Someone you promised yourself to? Is this someone from your old coven?”
Hailey shook her head.
“I promised myself to him, but no, it wasn’t someone from my own coven. Hell, most of them wouldn’t have spat on me if I were on fire before he showed up. No. It was Kieran, the Magus Corps major who came to bring me here.”
She felt Piers stiffen.
“Hailey, you’ve done nothing wrong. The members of the Magus Corps don’t make promises, and if they do, they certainly don’t keep them.”
The venomous tone in Piers’s voice made her forget her torrent of emotions for a moment. Hailey looked up, startled.
“There are no promises that can exist between those in covens and those who have sworn to uphold the tenets of the Magus Corps. You have made no promises because he never accepted them in good faith. He brought you here, for which I owe him a debt of gratitude, but there is no way that you can promise yourself to him anyway. There were no promises broken.”
Hailey stared at him in horror.
“What are you saying? You don’t understand what we did together. You don’t understand what we had. You don’t even know him.”
“I don’t have to,” retorted Piers. “I know the Magus Corps, and I know how they operate. Hailey, there are many reasons that I am building the Castle, but one of them is that our dependence on the Magus Corps to protect all Wiccans everywhere is not acceptable. They are an antiquated paramilitary force that was given too much power to oversee Wiccans as a whole. We didn’t consent to their rule, and if I have
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