Read Online Witchrise by Victoria Lamb - Free Book Online

weight of a very mortal being.
    I prepared myself, my heart racing, my mouth suddenly dry as I considered the various outcomes of being discovered with a book as dangerous as this.
    A face appeared, frowning up at me from the narrow hole in the floor.
    ‘I don’t believe it!’ I lowered the hazel wand with a mixture of irritation and relief as I recognized my stealthy visitor. ‘Did you follow me all the way here?’
    Richard glanced at the wand, then hauled himself into the loft. He seemed unconcerned by the swaying and groaning floorboards, limping towards me without any change of expression, his hand held out as though for a gift.
    ‘A simple tracking-spell. It works best with deer,’ he said drily. ‘But you would not have been hard to find even without it, the clear trail you left behind.’
    ‘Go back to the house, Richard. I came up here to be alone.’
    He raised his brows, for my tone had been sharp. ‘Missing your one true love?’ he sneered.
    I glared at his outstretched hand. He had not bothered with gloves, despite the cold weather. ‘Why are you here? What do you want?’
    ‘I want you to give me that wand before you do yourself a mischief with it.’ Richard halted in front of me, then crouched down, reaching for it. Before he could take it though, I muttered a word and the wand disappeared. His frown deepened. ‘Don’t behave like a child, Meg. Give me the wand.’
    ‘It’s mine.’
    ‘I do not doubt it. But you must let me take it. It’s too dangerous, it’s not for a novice. You can have it back when you’re an adept.’
    ‘I am hardly a novice, Richard. You have seen what I can do with my voice and hands alone. My skill is equal to the task. Besides, the wand is mine and I will not let you take it.’
    ‘Have you ever worked magick with a wand before? Do you even know the properties of wood from the hazel tree?’
    ‘I know it is the wood of white magick, that it protects the witch and helps her see far,’ I told him, struggling to answer his questions while keeping my spell steady to prevent the wand from reappearing. ‘I know it brings healing, and . . . and great wisdom.’
    ‘And that a circle drawn by the hazel wood is one of the strongest barriers against evil,’ he added, then nodded grudgingly, dropping his hand to his side. ‘Very well. If you will not relinquish the wand, so be it. But try to be sparing when working spells with it, Meg. You may find its effects more powerful than you intend.’
    ‘Thank you. I shall bear that in mind.’
    ‘You should not have disappeared today without telling anyone where you were going.’
    ‘I wanted to be alone.’
    ‘Marcus Dent is still out here somewhere. And he wants you dead.’
    ‘Sometimes I think everyone wants me dead.’
    ‘I don’t.’ His mouth twisted. ‘And nor does Alejandro. Though your doting Spaniard will want me dead if anything should happen to you again in his absence.’
    ‘Better make sure it doesn’t, then.’
    His frown disappeared at that and he grinned, seating himself before me. ‘That is my plan.’ He looked at the grimoire. ‘So, what have you discovered?’
    ‘Not much,’ I admitted, and passed him the book.
    He flicked through the pages as I had done, almost idly, then paused, raising his eyebrows.
    ‘What?’
    He shook his head. ‘Nothing.’ He turned a few more pages, shrugging. ‘There was a spell to see from a distance, that is all.’
    I stared, not understanding, then held out my hand for the grimoire. ‘Let me read it.’
    ‘No.’
    ‘The book belongs to me, not you. May I have it back, please?’
    ‘No point,’ Richard said shortly, turning the pages with a distracted frown as though looking for something. ‘It won’t work. My master tried to develop a similar spell some years ago and it was a disaster. I doubt a country witch would have fared better than the Queen’s conjuror.’
    ‘A country witch?’ I gasped. ‘Richard!’
    ‘How else would you describe her?