Kick The Candle (Knight Games) by Genevieve Jack Read Free Book Online

Did you know it could do that?”
    The raven gave a rhythmic caw that sounded a lot like a laugh.
    I peeked at the open page. “ Connecting to the Earth ,” I read. Poe stretched his neck to see the spell. “ Although Hecate draws her power from the night air, it can be useful for her to connect to the Earth during the day. This is possible by drawing on her connection to her caretaker and his earthly bond. To do so, she need only concentrate on the bond and direct the resulting energy into the form she requires .”
    Poe fluffed his wings. “Sounds easy enough, even for you.”
    “Hey! Aren’t you supposed to be more supportive?”
    He shrugged.
    I plopped down on the floor, opening my connection with Rick. Poe flapped down from his perch and crawled into my lap. “What’re you doing?” I asked him.
    “I’m your familiar; I’m amplifying your power,” he drawled.
    I sank my fingers into his feathers, reflexively massaging the muscles around his neck. Eyes closed, I pictured Rick and took a deep breath. Our connection opened. I saw him in the shower, rinsing his hair. He paused and looked directly at me, as if he could actually see me. Was my mind creating this or was it real? Mentally, I shifted my attention to the house. I needed something to happen to scare my father and Mr. Nekomata out. Focusing on the basement where they were, I channeled my will.
    With a violent start, the house began to shake, foundation rumbling until the windows rattled. Three floors below, my dad cursed. Uh oh. I forgot about the wine cellar. My eyes popped open. I hoped I hadn’t cracked a bottle of Shiraz with the earthquake I caused.
    The house gradually stopped shaking. “That should do it,” I said to Poe.
    He bobbed his head. “Well done, Spell-Casting Queen. My pleasure to have assisted you.” His words carried more than a tinge of sarcasm. He flew up to his perch next to the book and tucked his head back under his wing.
    That was all the help I was getting from Poe. “Thanks,” I said impassively. I jogged down two flights of stairs and met the two men as they came up from the basement. Dad was whiter than the ghosts that used to live in my attic, but Mr. Nekomata seemed even more elated with the place.
    “I guess you noticed the rumbling. It’s been happening sporadically since I moved in. The residents of Red Grove tell me the house is built over a sinkhole. Could go at any time.” There, that should do it.
    Mr. Nekomata nodded and walked toward the door. Good, he was going. Only, he didn’t. He turned at the stairs. “Show me upstairs, Mr. Knight,” he said.
    “But…but, aren’t you worried about the sinkhole?” I stammered.
    “No. My company plans to demolish the place anyway. This town needs a modern bed and breakfast.” He started up the stairs.
    Holy mother of all clients who would not leave! This guy was killing me. I chased after my father who still looked like he might vomit but was forcing himself up the stairs. I still had one ace up my sleeve, and I was about to play it. I rushed past them to the curtains I kept drawn on the second floor landing.
    “I’m so sorry to have wasted your time, Mr. Nekomata, but this property is all wrong for a bed and breakfast. No one would ever pay money to stay here.”
    My father gave me stink-eye, but I didn’t quit.
    “Why do you think so, young lady?” Mr. Nekomata asked.
    Dramatically, I threw back the curtains and pointed at the backyard. “The house backs right up to a graveyard. It will scare away the customers.”
    The old man approached the window, wrinkled hands moving gracefully to couple behind his back, gaze falling softly across the rows of snow-covered headstones. Seconds ticked by. Dad looked like his head might explode, he was so mad at me. His face was bright red, and he kept doing this clenching thing with his jaw. The bottom eyelid of his right eye twitched.
    “I don’t think so,” client from hell said. “No backyard neighbors means