Coven by Lacey Weatherford Read Free Book Online Page B

like you—for the last eighteen
years. I haven’t bitten her once.”
    “Tell me the truth, Vance. How many times
have you fantasized about drinking from our daughter?”
    “Don’t be sick!” Disgust radiated through
his voice. “I have never thought about hurting her—ever. Not since
that moment of surprise and weakness right after she was born.”
    “You trained her awfully hard; and I know it
was to protect her from you. That suggests you fantasized about
her.”
    “I fantasize about you, dammit! Are you
happy, now? Her smell reminds me of you. If anything, it makes me
remember drinking from you and how that made me feel. I’d never
hurt Kenna. Never!”
    A defeated sigh escaped my mom. “I believe
you. But you just proved my point. Are you really sure you can
survive with two fresh-blooded witches in the house?”
    “Let’s ask your grandma’s coven—who, I might
remind you, I’ve been living around for years and have yet to drink
from, except for blood they’ve supplied during emergencies. I can
do this, Portia. Trust me. Things are much better for me, now, than
they were back then, and I still managed to keep it under control.
Please just let me try this. Can you imagine what it would be like
to do actual magic with your daughter? Not just tell her about it
or show her what to do, but to actually participate in it with her?
She’s incredible, baby. You’d love feeling how strong her powers
are.”
    “I’ve seen how talented she is.”
    “She gets it from you, you know.”
    “How do you figure?”
    “Because I still have mine.” He teased, and
I heard a playful slap against his arm.
    “There’s that spousal abuse making an
appearance, again.”
    “Whatever! I know that didn’t even hurt you.
It probably felt like a fly landing on this big ole bicep.”
    Something between a growl and chuckle
escaped my dad. “If you like that big muscle I have others I’d be
happy to show you.”
    This was my cue to leave . . . and
to avoid the kitchen area for as long as possible. I was headed for
the grand staircase when the doorbell rang, so I altered my course
to answer it.
    “Oh. Hi, Kyle,” I said, swinging the door
open wider so the handsome, dark haired doctor could step inside.
Dr. Kyle Peck, who was also a fresh-blooded warlock, was like
family. Dad met him while doing his internship in medical school,
and the two had formed a fast friendship. Once Kyle found out about
my dad’s condition, he wanted to help him find an easier way of
life that wouldn’t require him to drink blood from other witches.
Together they invented a synthetic blood that kept my dad from
having to drink real blood.
    When I asked my parents to let me go to high
school, Kyle had encouraged them to let me try it. He even helped
dad pick the location and then decided to join us, as well,
settling for a job at the same nearby Boston research facility as
my Dad. In addition to their blood research, they’d worked together
on many different types of serums for multiple diseases. I knew
their work had been very influential in helping many sick people.
Kyle was also helping on Dad’s “secret” project—looking for ways to
reintroduce my mom’s magic back to her.
    “Is your dad home?” he asked.
    “He’s in the kitchen . . . uh
. . . with my mom.”
    Kyle raised his hand in a gesture for me to
stop. “Say no more. I understand. I’ll be sure to call out before
entering.”
    Giggling, I rolled my eyes and he nodded
with a smile. He knew the drill. If my parents were alone together,
one should always announce themselves before entering a room, just
to make sure the coast was clear.
    Going up the giant staircase, I entered my
bedroom and placed the stack of schoolbooks I’d acquired on the
desk, and sat down. Sighing, I stared at myself in the mirror
behind it. What an intense day. And now I was going to fight a guy.
What could be weirder?
    Glancing at the clock, I decided I better
dive into my homework or I