The Underground Witch (Incenaga Trilogy) by Debbie Dee Read Free Book Online Page A

read the letter. If you want to keep your people safe, you have to let me go. This will never stop.”
    “Emmeline, I don’t care what you are. I love you and I will do whatever it takes to protect you.”
    “ But Dolmerti shouldn’t have to pay for your choice of bride. There will always be someone seeking to use me as their personal witch. As long as I am here, Dolmerti will be in danger. You know I don’t have control over my power once a master claims me. I will be at the mercy of whatever they command me to do.”
    “It won’t come to that. I won’t let it. We’ll get to the bottom of this threat and then we’ll figure out a way for you to harness your power. If no one can control you then threats like these will cease to exist.”
    “ But we haven’t been able to find anything on how I can keep anyone from controlling me. Perhaps a solution doesn’t exist.”
    “It does. We just haven’t found it yet.”
    “I can’t live my life wondering if I’ll ever be free from this. I can’t live in fear for when I’ll kill next. Or who I’ll kill. You saw what I did to your brother, and I’m sure you’ve heard about the Pamizakian soldiers.”
    Erick nodded.
    “The fire consumed me. I had no choice.”
    “Emmeline, it wasn’t you, it was Mahlon. He controlled your power. In the case of Weldon, I am to blame. I wanted him dead. He had hurt you and would continue hurting you if I hadn’t stopped him. I made that choice for him to die, not you.”
    “I won’ t have a choice when this army comes for me. If I take on any heat, I won’t be able to stop. The fire’s call will consume me.”
    “Don’t take on any heat. It’s as simple as that. ”
    Emmeline threw up her hands. “And watch Dolmerti suffer while I stand back and do nothing?”
    Erick took hold of her shoulders. “My guess is that whoever wrote this letter will know that your eyes need to shine for someone to claim you. Can you take on enough heat to help, but not so much that it makes your eyes shine?”
    “ Obviously not, or Mahlon would never have won control over me.”
    Erick hung his head. “I will do all in my power to protect you. We’ll get through this and then we’ll find a way to keep you safe for once and for all.”
    Emmeline nodded, but she wondered if it would be better for everyone involved if she just buried herself underground, somewhere deep enough that no one could find her.

     
     
     

Chapter 7. Deliberations
     
    “We need to speak with your father,” Erick said. “He has dealt with this type of situation before.” He looked away. “When Harskell came for your mother,” he added.
    Emmeline swallowed. Did Erick know she was thinking about her mother? Did he know that she too was planning to eliminate herself from the situation? Albeit she hoped it would be a different way than what her mother had chosen, but she couldn’t be certain anymore. Not after the dream she’d had that afternoon. A shiver ran up her spine.
    Erick took hold of her hand and led her into the corridor. A cold draft circled around her skirts and chilled her skin before it escaped down the hall. She hugged her arms around herself, glad when Erick put his arm around her shoulder.
    “It’s fine. Everything will be fine,” he said as he rubbed her arm. “Your father will know what to do.”
    Orrin Durandi had arrived at the Dolmerti palace only days before. He had come for the wedding, which would take place in less than a week. If they were all still alive, that is.
    He r father had an intimate appreciation for the dangers of falling in love with an Incenaga and had mentioned more than once how thrilled he was that Emmeline had accepted the hand of a man who could protect her. The hand of the man leading the strongest army and the greatest resistance. Until now, it seemed.
    Eri ck knocked on Orrin’s door and the sound jolted through Emmeline like a sharp slap. She had forgotten the late hour. Without the usual hum of activity to