A Witch's Trial (Witch's Path Series: Book 3) by N. E. Conneely Read Free Book Online

paramedics a while to circle back to me.  
    "Michelle, how are you?" Queen asked.  
    "A little cut up, but I'll be good as new in a few days," I said, leaving off the part about being completely exhausted and ready to go home.  
    She nodded. "Briggs is going to be fine. He's got a long list of injuries, but werebears are tough."
    I glanced at the dent in the wall and shuddered. If I'd been thrown into a metal wall with enough force to leave a body impression, I'd be in the morgue.  
    Queen continued talking. "Michelle and I will examine the building for magical trouble, and then it's evidence collection and paperwork."
    I nodded absentmindedly. Maybe if I asked nicely, Dad would give me a new wand. However, explaining how the last one died had its own issues. Considering they'd told me to keep a low profile, admitting to flaunting my power was going to be a less than fun conversation. Granted, it was a conversation that would happen at some point. The first time Dad saw my new wand, he'd want to know what happened to the old one.  
    "Are you ready?" Queen looked at me expectantly.  
    Snapping out of my reflections, I realized the rest of the group had dispersed. "Sure."  
    She smiled, and we walked into the building. If anything, the smell of alcohol had gotten stronger in the interim. The air burned my nose, and I switch to breathing through my mouth, hoping to reduce the uncomfortable sensation. The thick air stung even more that way, so I shut my mouth to reduce further exposure.
    Queen stopped a few feet into the building and out of what had been the main path. I picked my way around the bottles to stand next to her. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. After widening my stance and closing my eyes, I sent out tendrils of power. They raced through the building, touching and tasting as they searched for magic. Finding nothing, the power flowed back into me. Opening my eyes, I swayed. Next to me, Queen opened her eyes and rolled her shoulders.  
    "I didn't find anything," I said.  
    "Me either."  
    "Do we need to do anything else in here?"
    "Nope."
    Instead of replying, I marched out of the liquor store and took deep, gulping breaths of fresh air. Behind me, Queen giggled. I twisted around to glare at her.  
    "I'm sorry. It's just, well, do you think I should recommend gas masks or hazmat gear?" She laughed.  
    "Gas masks would be a prudent suggestion." I pointed at her. "Your eyes are as red as mine. That place is toxic."
    "It is; it really is. I hadn't noticed how bad it was until I left."  
    I rolled my eyes. "That's for the best. Truly. I've made three trips in there, and it smells worse every time."
    She wrinkled her nose. "Nasty. You look beat. Go home and rest."
    "Yes, ma'am."  
    I was in my car and on my way home before she could change her mind. A couple of miles down the road, I called Amber.  
    "Hey, it's Michelle."
    "Am I late? I didn't think we were meeting for another hour."
    "No," I reassured her. "You're not late. Could we move lunch to my place? I had a case come up, and I'm not restaurant ready."
    "You're place is fine as long as we're eating Landa's cooking." Amber laughed.
    "We won't be eating my cooking, that's for sure. Also, would you mind helping me bandage a few cuts? I can't reach all of them." A few might be an understatement, but this didn't seem like the time to detail my wounds.  
    "What happened?" Amber demanded.
    I sighed. "There was some broken glass, and I got banged up a little. I'm fine. I'll tell you all about it over lunch and bandages."
    "I want the entire story."
    "And you shall have it," I promised.
    "I'm going to hold you to that," she said before hanging up.
    The rest of the drive was spent thanking my past self for putting seat covers in my car and spelling them to repel dirt. Even with blood seeping from my cuts, the covers wouldn't need more than a quick spin through the washing machine. The rest of me wasn't going to recover as easily. Even with a healing