The Wizard King Read Free Page A

three months had been exhausting, and she was beginning to run out of options. But what else could she do? Her family needed to be stopped before anything else occurred. She couldn’t allow them to hurt the Becketts, not even if it meant her own life.
    Deep golden eyes, the color of warmed honey, filled her mind’s eye.
    No. She couldn’t allow the Godwins to cause the Becketts any further harm, and not just because most of them had accepted her with open arms. She strapped the gun to her hip, shivering at the familiar weight of it. She prayed she wouldn’t have to use it, but it never hurt to be prepared. Most magics would expect just that: magic. Bringing the gun was a security most wouldn’t think of. “Yes, I believe so.”
    “Hmm.” Kerry Andrews leaned back and eyed Gen, her expression filled with misgiving. “It might be me, but the Beckett boys don’t seem like the type to forgive a woman for putting herself in harm’s way for them.” Kerry shrugged. “Which makes me like this plan a little bit more, but still. You’re absolutely, positively sure this is the right thing to do?”
    “What would you like me to do, Kerry?” Gen shrugged on her typical tweed jacket and hoped it would hide the bulge of the gun. “Zach just moved to Cleveland and is acclimating at the witch court, and the others are not Hecate’s Own. My brothers would eviscerate them on sight.”
    “And Gareth?”
    Gen shot the human an unfriendly look. “And Daniel?”
    Kerry sighed. “Touché.”
    “It’s a sad state of affairs when the man you are in love with wishes to salt the ground you walk on.”
    Kerry scowled. “I am not in love with Daniel.”
    “Of course not. And I don’t love Gareth.” And maybe if she kept telling herself that, the overwhelming sense of loss would eventually disappear. Thank the Goddess she wasn’t a witch, or her emotional state would seriously interfere with her spell casting. The more emotional the witch, the stronger and more unstable their spells became. A warlock like Gen pulled on power outside themselves. Emotion, while a strong motivator, did not factor into their spells. Only the strength of the outside source and the warlock’s own willpower defined how strongly they cast.
    Gen picked up her practical beige purse and slung it over her shoulder. “How do I look?”
    Kerry tilted her head. “Uptight.”
    Gen smothered the hurt that filled her at the familiar taunt. She wanted to look uptight, at least today. She was going to meet someone who was the very definition of uptight and would not appreciate a casual appearance. Gen’s expensive tweed jacket, simple silk blouse, tan slacks and beige pumps would fit right in where she was headed.
    The gun was a simple precaution, because her contact was not only uptight, but cold as well. This could very well turn into a battle royale rather than a social tea.
    “If Lana finds out I’ve been helping you I’m in deep shit.”
    Gen, her thoughts on her destination rather than her companion, was startled. “Why?” When last she’d seen the Evans witch, she’d been happy that her family was alive and safe. Gen hadn’t gotten the impression that Lana blamed Gen for any of it.
    She didn’t have to. Gen blamed herself.
    “For keeping it secret.” Kerry and Lana were best friends. The very human Kerry had gotten a serious education on the magical world when she’d been kidnapped and nearly killed by members of Gen’s family, but like Lana, she didn’t blame Gen. It was one of the reasons she’d agreed to help Gen, to give her a safe place to rest when she wasn’t hunting. But she didn’t like putting Kerry in the position of lying to Lana, never mind that Kerry was the one who’d decided to keep quiet about her aid.
    It wasn’t like Gen could go home, though. Hugh and Arthur had seen to that. And going to the Becketts was out of the question. As long as Gen hunted Hugh and Arthur, they were safe.
    She hoped.
    Kerry had offered to