Sebastian by Hazel Hunter Read Free Book Online Page A

field, but there were no footsteps and there were no hands grabbing at her.
    The air rustled, and with a flutter of wings, Karas landed on her shoulder. He plucked at her hair gently, and she reached up to calm him.
    Tomorrow had come, and it was time to get back to her real life.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

    THE SUN WAS coming up. It was going to be another beautiful summer day, but Sebastian couldn't feel it. He wasn't sure that he was going to feel anything again, though surely that was wrong. In the space of twenty minutes, he had suffered…what? A loss? He had fought a Templar and lost someone that made him feel whole inside. He ran his hands through his thick black hair, wondering when it had all gone wrong. The day he had spent with Nicolette felt more real to him than this did. In some ways, it felt more real to him than the long years before her had.
    He took a deep breath and stood up, pacing back and forth along the length of the wall.  
    In many ways, nothing had changed. She was still a rogue witch. Now he knew that she was a rogue witch with a very rare power. Aura readers could detect the truth in charged situations. They could learn from an enemy and put it to good use. It didn't surprise him that she had been placed with an individual tutor rather than a coven, but what came up when he recalled her situation was a cold and icy rage. He pulled out his phone, and it only rang once before it was picked up.
    “Stephan, I need some information.”  
    “What do you need, Sebastian? Can't be sleep because my watch tells me its not even seven out there where you are.”  
    Sebastian ignored Stephan's jibe.
    “Do we have any information on a warlock named Vacek? Especially one who's trained witches or warlocks in the past few years.”  
    Stephan's response was quick and foreboding.
    “Oh that asshole. What do you need to know?”
    “It sounds like he trained the rogue that I'm after. We had a talk, and he's the reason she's resistant to being brought in.”  
    “Don't blame her. Looks like this guy was operating out in the Pacific Northwest, member in good standing, and all that. He's trained up some people who went on to do just fine, but about a year ago, a witch separated from him, went rogue, joined a coven in Alabama, and then started telling people about the shit that he did.”
    “What did he do?”
    “From the sound of it, beat the hell out of her and did it all in the name of 'real training.' Some people came out and said that that was bullshit, he'd never laid a hand on them, but when all of the people saying that were warlocks, not witches, well…”
    Sebastian gritted his teeth. He had to force his hands to relax out of fists. When he spoke again, it was with a carefully modulated tone.  
    “And what happened to Vacek?”
    This time, Stephan's laugh was a lot more genuine.
    “Died not long after this all came up. Throat slit. Believe me when I say that there were not a lot of mourners, you know?”
    Sebastian felt himself relax by inches.
    “Good,” he said. “Now tell me what we have on known Templars in the area.”  
    “You know, I know things are getting strange when you want to ask about an abusive asshole who's been gone for a while before you ask me about Templars. I was looking over the intel just last night actually, and from what I can tell, nothing. That area should be clean. Are you telling me its not?”
    “Hmm. I've got to go.”  
    “Oh hell, don't do that to me, I have to–”
    Sebastian ended the call and turned off the phone. Technically, it was fine because he and Stephan shared equal rank. In reality, it was completely inappropriate because Stephan acted as the eyes and ears for most of the Corps members in the field. Rendering him blind was generally a pretty poor idea. However, if he had mentioned a Templar in the area, that would mean that the Commandant would likely insist on sending another Corps member in as well. Another Corps member meant that Nicolette might