Illusions: Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance (The Seekers Book 1) by Carina Wilder Read Free Book Online Page B

you.”
    “Perfect. That sounds just perfect.”
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    S era happened to be looking out the window when the stranger disappeared from in front of Hedy’s place. Or perhaps more accurate would be to say that she’d hardly stopped looking out the window during his entire visit. It seemed as though the two had been speaking for hours.
    When he was gone, she went to check on Circe in her room once again. “Will you be all right if I leave you for a little?”
    “Please,” said her sister. “Leave. While you’re gone I’m going to repaint the house, and possibly build some new furniture.”
    “You are feeling better, aren’t you?”
    “Yes,” Circe said as she drew her legs out of the bed. “Thanks to my sister.”
    “What can I say? I’m a genius.”
    “I wouldn’t go that far. Now go talk to Hedy about whatever it is that’s so important that it warrants the second visit in a day.”
    Sera laughed. Like Hedy, her sister always knew more than she let on; always had. It was possible that she had a gift of mind-reading, though she’d never talked about it. To Sera it seemed that she was simply incredibly intuitive and empathetic, much as Nyx was. A human Familiar.
    Sera walked once again down the path to their neighbour’s, Nyx on her shoulder. The ferret stood on his hind feet, his small front paws twined in strands of her golden hair. When she arrived, she found the door open, Hedy inside preparing tea. She’d already pulled two cups from the cupboard.
    “How did you know that I’d be coming…” began Sera, stopping herself before finishing the stupid question. Of course she knew.
    “The young man is intrigued by you and you by him. It hardly takes a Seer to realize such a thing. And you, being intrigued, would naturally want to come by and ask me what we’d been talking about.”
    “And yet you are something of a Seer, so you probably know a thing or two.”
    Hedy poured the tea and pulled out a chair. “My skills have waned over many years. There are far better Seers than me in the Sisterhood. Your sister, for instance. Now sit,” she commanded.
    Sera sat down, Nyx sprinting off her arm and leaping to the floor, his small nose in search of crumbs.
    “So, don’t keep me in suspense. What did he say?” she asked as the older woman took her seat.
    “You know that I won’t tell you that, Serafina. Let’s call it Crone/man confidentiality. But I will say that he’s…well, he’s interesting. Not like the other men around here; he is intelligent and fearless, unthreatened by the world. Either he’s never been properly challenged by it or he’s more powerful that even I could read.”
    “You think he’s powerful?”
    Hedy looked at her reproachfully. “Tell me something: You met him. What do you think?”
    Sera recalled the brief encounter during which she’d wanted nothing more than to push him away because if she didn’t, she might have to invite him in for a very long visit.
    “I was a little afraid,” she admitted. “But not of him. I never had the impression that he wished me harm, even for the few seconds when he seemed aggressive.”
    “You were afraid of your attraction to him. That’s natural; he’s a very handsome fellow, and when a man who looks like that sets his mind on you it’s easy to fall victim to his charms.”
    “But you don’t think he’s affiliated with the Guild, or that he’s looking to hurt me?”
    “On the contrary,” said Hedy. “I think that man would give his life for you.”
    “But we just met.”
    “It doesn’t matter. When a man like that finds the woman he thinks he’s meant to be with, he assigns himself the role of protector.”
    “Well, whoever he is, I don’t want his protection,” insisted Sera. “I’m coming into my own. Just today I used a healing rune on Circe, and it seemed to work. No, it did work.”
    “And you transferred your vision and saw through Nyx’s eyes,” said Hedy. “Yes, I know. And well done.”
    “Well,