Legacy & Spellbound Read Free

simple physical gesture to help her up. Holly gripped Sasha’s wrist and let her pull her to her feet. She hissed from the pain in her ankle.
    They both looked up.
    The shimmering lead bird seemed almost to disappear against the moon as the others became small, moving lines … and then they disappeared. Whether they had truly vanished to another place or continued to fly until they were no longer visible, Holly couldn’t tell.
    They might come back.
    Not willing to take any chances, she limped forward, gesturing with her hand that the others should do the same. She could hear their footfalls, heard one of them faltering and turned around to see Kari stop, looking panicked and confused. Tommy grabbed her hand and yanked her forward; she shook her head again and stayed rooted to the spot.
    She’s freaking out.
    Amanda glanced at Holly with something like exasperation, then ran back to Kari and took her other hand. Silvana made encouraging gestures while Tommy kept hold of her and, together, he and Amanda pulled her forward like a horse on a lead line.
    Holly glared at Kari, but Sasha gave her a little tap as if to say,
Ease up on her.
Then she slung Holly’s arm over her shoulder and helped her forward.
    On their side of the street, about a hundred feet away, a door opened.
    A man peered around it, saw them, and raised his hand.
    Sasha and Holly looked at each other. Holly mouthed,
A guy?
    They had expected a woman; the only man they had seen attached to the Mother Coven had been Tommy, in the temple for the ceremony to renew them after their battles with Michael Deveraux and the long flight in the Mother Coven’s private jet to Paris from Seattle.
    The man was young, maybe Holly’s age, and he gestured to them to hurry. Sasha wordlessly propelled Holly along; Holly shut her eyes tightly against the pain, and glanced over her shoulder to make sure that the others were following close behind.
    They were, and they had caught up with Holly and Sasha by the time the two reached the door.
    The moment Holly stepped across the threshold, her ankle healed. She raised her brows in delighted surprise.
    After everyone had entered the building, the man dipped a little bow and said to Holly, “Blessed be.” He added, “It’s safe to talk in here. The place is very heavily warded.”
    â€œThank you,” she said gratefully, skipping for the moment the traditional greeting of the Mother Coven.That was rude. It was immature of her, perhaps, but she was angry at the Coven for not providing them better protection for the journey. “And
you,
” she said, wheeling on Kari. “Don’t you ever put the rest of the coven in danger again.”
    â€œOr what?” Kari demanded, her eyes flashing. “You’ll throw another fireball at me?”
    â€œHey.” Amanda stepped between them. Then she said to the man, “Blessed be,” enunciating each syllable as if to remind Holly how to say the words.
    â€œBlessed be,” Silvana and Tommy added.
    Silvana extended her hand. “I’m Silvana, and this is Tommy.”
    â€œI’m Joel,” he said, shaking with her. Holly detected a bit of a Scots burr in his voice. “I’m a male witch.”
    â€œAs opposed to a warlock?” Holly filled in, a little perplexed.
    â€œAye,” he told her. “I worship the Goddess.”
    There was a moment of silence in the Goddess’s honor.
    â€œWe were told to expect a woman,” Holly said. Then she realized they hadn’t been actually told whom to expect. Maybe she’d just assumed it would be a woman.
    He frowned. “That’s odd. As you can see, I’m not one.”
    Holly and her coven stared edgily at him. He held out his hands; in each palm was incised a moon, symbol of the goddess. Holly remained unconvinced.
    â€œIs there some way you’re to contact the Mother Coven?” he asked. “You can check my