her eyes. The glaring light shimmering around him lit up the dim kitchen.
“We’ve got serious trouble, sweetie. Call it a Code Hecate. I’m sending the members of the coven who are nearby your house as we speak. Whatever you do, don’t panic. I know you’re not good at the combative side of the magical arts but Marion, Nicholas and Finley are. They will protect you until the Magical Authority here in Halifax can reach you. It seems you have some nasty witch hunters after you, my darling.”
She dropped the mug and distantly heard it shattering on the hardwood floor.
“No,” she muttered, weakness invading her body. The terrifying stories her Aunt Angelica had told her in her youth flashed through her mind. Fear clutched her in its viselike grip. How could she possibly hope to evade the might that witch hunters wielded?
She wasn’t like Anya. She couldn’t just transform them into wax dolls without breaking a sweat.
“I told you not to worry. We’ll take care of you. I know you’re alone and you’ll be seen as vulnerable by those bastards coming after you, but they don’t know you have friends in high places ready to do whatever necessary to keep you safe. Unfortunately, I can’t leave my post but I’m going to maintain this link until Marion, Finley and Nicholas get there.”
“Are they slave traders, Clifton? And if they are, how the hell did they get past the security checkpoints?” Her legs wobbled beneath her. Her already frayed emotions juxtaposed with her precarious mental state.
“Don’t jump to any hasty conclusions, Dallas. You are in no danger. Everything will be fine.”
How could he say that? He knew as well as she did that she was in potential peril, or else he would not have contacted her with such urgency. Nor would he be sending retired agents of the Halifax Magical Authority to her doorstep. She had always thought he had a special place for her in his heart as he never failed to flirt with her whenever he had the chance. She had to be mistaken though because he just wasn’t digesting the severity of the situation. Didn’t he know what witch hunters could do to her?
Now she knew why she’d felt so bloody depressed all day. She wasn’t usually so maudlin. She was getting ready for one hell of a vision to swamp her mind like a thick soul-sucking mud.
“I’m sorry to interrupt your important conversation with Master Parr but you have another urgent communique coming through on a secure line. It’s Anya. I’m sorry but this message is audio only and it’s been recorded.”
“Play it please. If you could stay and listen with me, Clifton, I’d appreciate it. I don’t think I want to be alone right now.”
He nodded. “I told you I would stand by you until the others arrived and I’m a warlock of my word, Dallas.”
“Thank you, Clifton. Tilly, play the message for me, please.”
“Dallas, darling, I have huge news for you. Damien and I have sorted out our differences and we’re headed back to Earth. We’re going to settle somewhere near the family house. I can’t wait to see you. We’ve got so much to catch each other up on. I can’t wait for you and Damien to finally meet. He’s going to love you like a sister I am sure. I’ve got so much to tell you I dare not say over this channel. I’ve sent a surprise birthday gift ahead for you and it should arrive shortly after you hear this. I do hope you’re happy when you see it. Expect us in about two weeks, until then, keep your head down and your hands steady.” Static played as the message was cut short. The “head down and hands steady” remark was something only the inner family circle would understand and it brought a smile to Dallas’s lips despite the apprehension rolling through her.
“That’s the entire message, Dallas. Would you like me to save it so you can listen to it again later?”
“Yes, I would like that greatly, Tilly.” If there was a later for her. With the way things looked now, she just might not survive the night.
Anya wouldn’t arrive in time to help her defend herself against the witch hunters. Despite her disappointment at not having her kick-ass cousin at her side for the upcoming battle, hope surged through her. She was finally getting all her heart had ever desired—her family was coming back to her. No longer would she be the