Read Online Possessed (Book One of the Hollow City Coven Series): A Witch and Warlock Romance Novel by Hazel Hunter - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Hazel Hunter
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the fire. The scavengers would make short work of him. He knew that this man would not have any electronic equipment or supplies to scavenge. None of the three others had anything either. They had come on this mission as clean as possible.
When he returned to the campsite, Gillian lay where he had left her. He was struck by how small she looked. She had curled over on her side, making herself as compact as she could. She looked like a street child, hiding from the eyes of those who would do her harm.
He came to sit next to her, and found her leather glove on the ground. For a moment, he looked at it. He lay it in front of her so that it would be the first thing she saw when she awoke. He was coming to some conclusions about what she could do. No matter how much he wanted to hold her, no matter how much he wanted to pull her into his lap and cuddle her, he had to hold back.
Shayne hesitated for a moment, and then made a decision. From where he sat, he eyed the perimeter line of their camp. It was mostly bare rock and gravel except for the area where they rested, which was cushioned by the parachute and some pine boughs. There would be nothing that would catch fire. Under his watchful gaze, a line of fire flared up, surrounding them. The flames burned with a soft orange glow, entirely under his control. Slowly, the temperature of the space they inhabited warmed. Soon, it was as cozy as a cabin. The curtain of flames protected them from the wild beasts and from the chill of the night.
Now that they were safe, Shayne felt his body slowly come down from its towering height of adrenalin-fueled rage. He could be calm now. He could do his real job, which was to protect Gillian.
“I haven’t done such a great job, have I, Granger?”
He wanted desperately for her to respond. He wouldn’t have cared if it was with one of her sharp-tongued quips or even a single suspicious look. Instead, there was only silence. Something had scared her badly, and he didn’t know what it was. He didn’t know how to fight it. But it was more than just not knowing how to handle the situation, he realized. Ever since he’d first met Gillian Granger, ever since that first glance on the train, she had made something stir inside him. He didn’t know what it was. It was as if there was a connection between them. No matter where she was, he couldn’t take his eyes off her. Even when he had been roving the darkness, intent on the kill, there was a strange awareness of her in the back of his mind. And in a sudden moment of clarity, he now knew it would always be like that.
Shayne had once known a Wiccan woman who had sailed with the Vikings. At first he had thought that she was a captive, taken from the fair green lands to serve in the frozen north. When he revealed his misconception, she smiled, invited him into the courtyard, and taught him exactly how helpless she wasn’t. She had been a skjaldmaer , a shieldmaiden, one of the sisterhood who fought. He’d barely been able to fend off her barrage of blows with his buckler. One night, while they sat with the fire between them, she had told him about wyrd.
“It’s more than fate,” she had said, her eyes golden through the flames. “It’s a calling. When you find it, it tells you who you are and what you are meant for. There’s no quarreling with it because it’s you. There’s no resisting it. You might as well tell the blood in your body to run backwards.”
He had scoffed at her. He was his own master. He had found his way to the Magus Corps because they would give him the tools to do what he liked best. He liked to fight Templars, he liked to help those who deserved it, and he liked to wander. He had never thought of the Magus Corps officers as his masters. In some ways, it was a miracle that he had worked for them as long as he had. Shayne knew no master.
He looked down at Gillian. Something connected them. What had the shieldmaiden said? You will know what you are meant for.
“I
When he returned to the campsite, Gillian lay where he had left her. He was struck by how small she looked. She had curled over on her side, making herself as compact as she could. She looked like a street child, hiding from the eyes of those who would do her harm.
He came to sit next to her, and found her leather glove on the ground. For a moment, he looked at it. He lay it in front of her so that it would be the first thing she saw when she awoke. He was coming to some conclusions about what she could do. No matter how much he wanted to hold her, no matter how much he wanted to pull her into his lap and cuddle her, he had to hold back.
Shayne hesitated for a moment, and then made a decision. From where he sat, he eyed the perimeter line of their camp. It was mostly bare rock and gravel except for the area where they rested, which was cushioned by the parachute and some pine boughs. There would be nothing that would catch fire. Under his watchful gaze, a line of fire flared up, surrounding them. The flames burned with a soft orange glow, entirely under his control. Slowly, the temperature of the space they inhabited warmed. Soon, it was as cozy as a cabin. The curtain of flames protected them from the wild beasts and from the chill of the night.
Now that they were safe, Shayne felt his body slowly come down from its towering height of adrenalin-fueled rage. He could be calm now. He could do his real job, which was to protect Gillian.
“I haven’t done such a great job, have I, Granger?”
He wanted desperately for her to respond. He wouldn’t have cared if it was with one of her sharp-tongued quips or even a single suspicious look. Instead, there was only silence. Something had scared her badly, and he didn’t know what it was. He didn’t know how to fight it. But it was more than just not knowing how to handle the situation, he realized. Ever since he’d first met Gillian Granger, ever since that first glance on the train, she had made something stir inside him. He didn’t know what it was. It was as if there was a connection between them. No matter where she was, he couldn’t take his eyes off her. Even when he had been roving the darkness, intent on the kill, there was a strange awareness of her in the back of his mind. And in a sudden moment of clarity, he now knew it would always be like that.
Shayne had once known a Wiccan woman who had sailed with the Vikings. At first he had thought that she was a captive, taken from the fair green lands to serve in the frozen north. When he revealed his misconception, she smiled, invited him into the courtyard, and taught him exactly how helpless she wasn’t. She had been a skjaldmaer , a shieldmaiden, one of the sisterhood who fought. He’d barely been able to fend off her barrage of blows with his buckler. One night, while they sat with the fire between them, she had told him about wyrd.
“It’s more than fate,” she had said, her eyes golden through the flames. “It’s a calling. When you find it, it tells you who you are and what you are meant for. There’s no quarreling with it because it’s you. There’s no resisting it. You might as well tell the blood in your body to run backwards.”
He had scoffed at her. He was his own master. He had found his way to the Magus Corps because they would give him the tools to do what he liked best. He liked to fight Templars, he liked to help those who deserved it, and he liked to wander. He had never thought of the Magus Corps officers as his masters. In some ways, it was a miracle that he had worked for them as long as he had. Shayne knew no master.
He looked down at Gillian. Something connected them. What had the shieldmaiden said? You will know what you are meant for.
“I
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