Read Online Something Witchy This Way Comes: A Jolie Wilkins Novel by H. P. Mallory - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: H. P. Mallory
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now!”
I heard Varick’s voice coming from downstairs, followed by the sound of heavy footfalls and Mercedes demanding to know what the hell was going on. I’d just started brushing my teeth, so I spat out the toothpaste, laying the toothbrush down on the counter as I cupped my other hand and washed the remainder of the paste from my mouth. My heart started pounding in my breast, echoing through my head. I took a deep breath as I tried to fathom what the hell could have upset Varick so badly. I mean, he wasn’t the type of person to get irate easily, so something huge had to have just gone down. And that thought wasn’t exactly comforting.
I started for the door to my bedroom, but once I was in the hallway, I glanced over the balcony to see Mercedes, Klaasje, and Varick arguing as Trent joined them.
“What’s all the excitement about?” Trent asked casually, as if he wanted nothing more than some good gossip.
“You cannot think to burst into the Queen’s quarterswithout first going through me,” Mercedes demanded, clearly more interested in propriety than whatever had brought Varick here in the first place.
“Damn your—” Varick started as Klaasje interrupted him, her hands stretched out before her, ever the peacemaker.
“Varick, what happened?” she asked, but her question fell on deaf ears. Apparently, Varick had only one goal in mind and that was to see me.
“I will see the Queen now!” he roared.
“This behavior is outrageous!” Mercedes chastised him as I took the stairs two at a time. I watched as two of my werewolf guards suddenly approached me from either side of the stairwell, obviously afraid that Varick might have lost his mind.
“I am not going to harm the Queen, you bumbling fools!” he railed, and then turned his outraged eyes on me. “You must call an assembly at once.”
“What’s going on?” I asked, remembering that I was dressed in my pink jammies with red-and-white-striped Christmas socks. I wasn’t exactly equipped to receive guests.
“What is going on,” Varick started, enunciating every word, “is that twenty vampires in your kingdom have simply … disappeared.”
“Disappeared?” I responded at the same time that Klaasje inhaled deeply and placed her hand over her heart.
“Holy shit!” Trent said, shaking his head in apparent disbelief.
“Lurkers?” Mercedes asked, her eyes narrowed on Varick as she folded her arms across her chest, still visibly disturbed by his outburst.
Varick raised a brow at her, offering her a duplicate of the frown she’d just given him. “I do not know.”
Jolie!
It was Rand’s voice in my head. He must have felt my apprehension and concern through our bond.
Is everything all right?
I don’t think so
, I responded, shaking my head even though our conversation was a telepathic one.
There are twenty vampires missing and Varick has just asked me to call an assembly
.
I am leaving now
, Rand’s voice was determined.
I will be there momentarily
. He had spent the better portion of the day at Pelham Manor.
I turned to face Mercedes. “Can you alert Odran and Mathilda?” Luckily for me, it had been decided that my panel of representatives would all live in close proximity to Kinloch Kirk for situations such as this one, where immediacy was required.
She nodded. “Of course, my Queen.”
“Then I will meet all of you in the library in thirty minutes,” I said, and turned around, starting for the stairs again. I mean, it wasn’t like I was going to lead a meeting dressed in my pajamas.
“Something must be done—” Varick started, his tone urgent.
I turned around to face him. “Something will be done, Varick, just as soon as my panel is in full attendance.”
He said nothing more, so I took a deep breath and closed the door behind me as tears threatened my eyes. I leaned my back against the door, feeling my breath constricting, like a snake was eating me from the feet up.
God, please don’t let Sinjin be in
I heard Varick’s voice coming from downstairs, followed by the sound of heavy footfalls and Mercedes demanding to know what the hell was going on. I’d just started brushing my teeth, so I spat out the toothpaste, laying the toothbrush down on the counter as I cupped my other hand and washed the remainder of the paste from my mouth. My heart started pounding in my breast, echoing through my head. I took a deep breath as I tried to fathom what the hell could have upset Varick so badly. I mean, he wasn’t the type of person to get irate easily, so something huge had to have just gone down. And that thought wasn’t exactly comforting.
I started for the door to my bedroom, but once I was in the hallway, I glanced over the balcony to see Mercedes, Klaasje, and Varick arguing as Trent joined them.
“What’s all the excitement about?” Trent asked casually, as if he wanted nothing more than some good gossip.
“You cannot think to burst into the Queen’s quarterswithout first going through me,” Mercedes demanded, clearly more interested in propriety than whatever had brought Varick here in the first place.
“Damn your—” Varick started as Klaasje interrupted him, her hands stretched out before her, ever the peacemaker.
“Varick, what happened?” she asked, but her question fell on deaf ears. Apparently, Varick had only one goal in mind and that was to see me.
“I will see the Queen now!” he roared.
“This behavior is outrageous!” Mercedes chastised him as I took the stairs two at a time. I watched as two of my werewolf guards suddenly approached me from either side of the stairwell, obviously afraid that Varick might have lost his mind.
“I am not going to harm the Queen, you bumbling fools!” he railed, and then turned his outraged eyes on me. “You must call an assembly at once.”
“What’s going on?” I asked, remembering that I was dressed in my pink jammies with red-and-white-striped Christmas socks. I wasn’t exactly equipped to receive guests.
“What is going on,” Varick started, enunciating every word, “is that twenty vampires in your kingdom have simply … disappeared.”
“Disappeared?” I responded at the same time that Klaasje inhaled deeply and placed her hand over her heart.
“Holy shit!” Trent said, shaking his head in apparent disbelief.
“Lurkers?” Mercedes asked, her eyes narrowed on Varick as she folded her arms across her chest, still visibly disturbed by his outburst.
Varick raised a brow at her, offering her a duplicate of the frown she’d just given him. “I do not know.”
Jolie!
It was Rand’s voice in my head. He must have felt my apprehension and concern through our bond.
Is everything all right?
I don’t think so
, I responded, shaking my head even though our conversation was a telepathic one.
There are twenty vampires missing and Varick has just asked me to call an assembly
.
I am leaving now
, Rand’s voice was determined.
I will be there momentarily
. He had spent the better portion of the day at Pelham Manor.
I turned to face Mercedes. “Can you alert Odran and Mathilda?” Luckily for me, it had been decided that my panel of representatives would all live in close proximity to Kinloch Kirk for situations such as this one, where immediacy was required.
She nodded. “Of course, my Queen.”
“Then I will meet all of you in the library in thirty minutes,” I said, and turned around, starting for the stairs again. I mean, it wasn’t like I was going to lead a meeting dressed in my pajamas.
“Something must be done—” Varick started, his tone urgent.
I turned around to face him. “Something will be done, Varick, just as soon as my panel is in full attendance.”
He said nothing more, so I took a deep breath and closed the door behind me as tears threatened my eyes. I leaned my back against the door, feeling my breath constricting, like a snake was eating me from the feet up.
God, please don’t let Sinjin be in
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