Easy Bake Coven by Liz Schulte Read Free Book Online Page B

powerful. I can find lost keys, maybe do some minor healing . . .”
     “They don’t want you for what you know. They want you for what you’re capable of doing. You were one of the most powerful half elves I’ve ever known. That magic combined with the capabilities of human magic makes you a force.”
    “Okay . . . so assuming I believe you, believe any of this . . . Why don’t I want to help them? I mean I understand why you don’t want me to, but obviously, I agreed with them at the time. Perhaps 3000 years is long enough for one family to rule.”
    “You think they’d be better than us? Let’s look at what they’ve done so far—not even being in power.”
    Cheney was anything but impartial, yet I listened, trying to see how I could possibly be some grand weapon waiting to be used.
    “They’ve enslaved trolls and tortured and murdered countless sprites and nymphs for their lack of support—not to mention the threats they’ve made against houses who refuse to support them.”
    A small, pained sound escaped me much to my annoyance. I wanted to be convinced based on facts, not an appeal to my emotions.
    “My family has peacefully governed the fae community for thousands of years without violence or even the threat of violence. I should be with them now, helping my people, but instead I’m here with you, trying to keep you from doing something stupid—a task I was never successful at in the past.”
    Obviously this was a point of contention—at least for him. “I take it you’ve known me a long time,” I said evenly, hoping the anger in his eyes would ebb.
    He sighed. “A very long time by your standards.”
    “Why did I side against you?”
     “You were angry.”
     “That sounds rather petty given what’s at stake.”
     “Your human half makes you emotional. The rebels used your emotions to their advantage. They clouded the issue and convinced you I was your enemy.”
    It was funny to think that my human half made me more emotional when I had led a fairly unemotional human life. “But you aren’t?”
     “No, not now. Not ever. You make me angry, and I may yell at you, but I’m not your enemy.” He looked like he had more to say, but he shook his head and quietly stared off into space.
     “So those women who came here were part of this rebel group? The one said she couldn’t feel me. What does that mean?”
     “The people who came here are bounty hunters. Meadow and Bella are elves though, and they couldn’t sense you because I’m here.” He frowned and paused for a moment. “So far only the elves have made it this far, but I assure you more are coming.”
    “How does your being here make a difference?”
    “You had second thoughts before you went through with this, and you asked me for help. I wanted to fight them and end the problem, but you refused. You said if you didn’t go through with it, they would get another half elf to. I bound myself to you so I could protect you when you became a changeling.” He stood and prowled around the room.
    “But why would you do that if you didn’t want to get involved?”
    Cheney sighed and shook his head. “You were placed with your actual human family line. The woman you call your grandmother is really your great, great, great, great—I forget how many greats, but you get the idea—niece and an extremely powerful witch. I explained to her what happened, and she took you in.”
    I bit my lip to keep the steady stream of disbelief in my mind from pouring out of my mouth. My gram, a witch? A powerful witch? Her being my great-whatever-niece didn’t throw me at all—but a witch ? You could’ve knocked me over with a feather.
    Cheney didn’t seem to notice my shock. “You’ve grown up with protection spells surrounding you at all times. Fae cannot touch you, unless you touch them first—as we discovered—and you cannot be seen or smelled as anything other than human by any fae. While I am with you, I can further that protection