Read Online The Red Witch (Amber Lee Mysteries Book 6) by Katerina Martinez - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Katerina Martinez
Ads: Link
witch’s eyes.
An instant later she pushed the front door open and brought the autumn in with her. Brown leaves and twigs and bits of loose dirt spilled into the house as if they were toys being mindlessly thrown into a child’s toy box by a frustrated parent.
“Pardon,” she said when the wind died down to a mere suggestion, “I will clean zis up.”
“What did he say?” I asked. Cleaning up was farthest from my mind.
Collette closed the front door and came into the living room, standing before us with her hands crossed over each other at her belly. She nodded. “He has agreed.”
My heart leapt into my throat, and then soared. I threw myself at Collette, hugged her, and thanked her. “What else did he say? Were there any conditions?” I asked.
“None, only zat we make haste to Berlin. He would like zis business done swiftly, and I do not blame him.”
“No,” I said, “Neither do I.”
“Berlin, then,” Frank said, “I’ve always wanted to try a real bratwurst.”
“You’re not going,” I said, turning around sharply.
“What? I call bullshit. Why not?”
“Because I need you here. And you need to be here too. All of you.”
Aaron didn’t say anything, but as I looked into his blue eyes I found not the cool sensation of first snow on a winter’s eve, but the burning touch of ice so cold it could take the flesh right off a man’s bones. My throat went dry and tightened, but I fought through it.
“You all have things to do here,” I said, “Frank, someone needs to run the store. Damien, you have a job and your studies; you too, Aaron. If we all go then we’re gonna make a big thing out of this trip and I’d rather just get it over and done with as soon as possible. Get in and get out.”
“Funny, that’s all I wanted to do too,” Frank said.
I knew what I was doing to Aaron. I could see it on his face. The last time I had some dangerous trip to go on—when I ventured into the Underworld to rescue Collette’s soul—I had left him out of it and he had hated the feeling of impotence. I told him I would never do it again, that we were a team. And here I was… breaking my promise.
As if I needed to add insult to injury.
That thought brought a catch to my throat. I could feel the warmth of impending tears travelling up my throat, past my cheeks, and into my eyes. I didn’t want to look weak in front of them, though; they had put me in charge, after all, and what good was a leader who balked when it came time to make a difficult decision she knew not everyone would agree with?
“Collette,” I said, “Pack your things. I’m going to book us the earliest flight I can find. We’re going to Berlin.”
CHAPTER 8
Flying to Europe brought back memories of my original trek into the old world. I hadn’t been able to sleep on the way there the first time, and I hadn’t been able to sleep this time either—though I slept like a log on the way back and probably would again this time. I guessed it was the excitement of going to a new place, the anticipation of experiencing new things, and the high of it. If going to a new place brought on a high, though, then coming back home was the crash.
Although I shouldn’t have been thinking about crashes… not that I was scared of flying or anything, far from it, but I didn’t want to tempt Fate.
Luckily there had been no crashes, no accidents, and no mishaps. And some twenty hours after having set out from Raven’s Glen to SFO International in San Francisco, with a stopover in London, we were touching down on German soil at the international airport of Tegel located about an hour’s drive west of downtown. It was just like last time; the wonder and the sense of adventure. Like a breath of fresh air or a hug from an old friend. Only now I had another witch to share it with; a sister bound in blood and magick.
After landing, we marched our way through the terminal, rushed through
An instant later she pushed the front door open and brought the autumn in with her. Brown leaves and twigs and bits of loose dirt spilled into the house as if they were toys being mindlessly thrown into a child’s toy box by a frustrated parent.
“Pardon,” she said when the wind died down to a mere suggestion, “I will clean zis up.”
“What did he say?” I asked. Cleaning up was farthest from my mind.
Collette closed the front door and came into the living room, standing before us with her hands crossed over each other at her belly. She nodded. “He has agreed.”
My heart leapt into my throat, and then soared. I threw myself at Collette, hugged her, and thanked her. “What else did he say? Were there any conditions?” I asked.
“None, only zat we make haste to Berlin. He would like zis business done swiftly, and I do not blame him.”
“No,” I said, “Neither do I.”
“Berlin, then,” Frank said, “I’ve always wanted to try a real bratwurst.”
“You’re not going,” I said, turning around sharply.
“What? I call bullshit. Why not?”
“Because I need you here. And you need to be here too. All of you.”
Aaron didn’t say anything, but as I looked into his blue eyes I found not the cool sensation of first snow on a winter’s eve, but the burning touch of ice so cold it could take the flesh right off a man’s bones. My throat went dry and tightened, but I fought through it.
“You all have things to do here,” I said, “Frank, someone needs to run the store. Damien, you have a job and your studies; you too, Aaron. If we all go then we’re gonna make a big thing out of this trip and I’d rather just get it over and done with as soon as possible. Get in and get out.”
“Funny, that’s all I wanted to do too,” Frank said.
I knew what I was doing to Aaron. I could see it on his face. The last time I had some dangerous trip to go on—when I ventured into the Underworld to rescue Collette’s soul—I had left him out of it and he had hated the feeling of impotence. I told him I would never do it again, that we were a team. And here I was… breaking my promise.
As if I needed to add insult to injury.
That thought brought a catch to my throat. I could feel the warmth of impending tears travelling up my throat, past my cheeks, and into my eyes. I didn’t want to look weak in front of them, though; they had put me in charge, after all, and what good was a leader who balked when it came time to make a difficult decision she knew not everyone would agree with?
“Collette,” I said, “Pack your things. I’m going to book us the earliest flight I can find. We’re going to Berlin.”
CHAPTER 8
Flying to Europe brought back memories of my original trek into the old world. I hadn’t been able to sleep on the way there the first time, and I hadn’t been able to sleep this time either—though I slept like a log on the way back and probably would again this time. I guessed it was the excitement of going to a new place, the anticipation of experiencing new things, and the high of it. If going to a new place brought on a high, though, then coming back home was the crash.
Although I shouldn’t have been thinking about crashes… not that I was scared of flying or anything, far from it, but I didn’t want to tempt Fate.
Luckily there had been no crashes, no accidents, and no mishaps. And some twenty hours after having set out from Raven’s Glen to SFO International in San Francisco, with a stopover in London, we were touching down on German soil at the international airport of Tegel located about an hour’s drive west of downtown. It was just like last time; the wonder and the sense of adventure. Like a breath of fresh air or a hug from an old friend. Only now I had another witch to share it with; a sister bound in blood and magick.
After landing, we marched our way through the terminal, rushed through
Similar Books
