The Witch and the Huntsman by Rod Kierkegaard Jr J.R. Rain Read Free Book Online Page B

Hood!”
    “ That wasn’t me. And to deceive you at that level, bonded as our spirits are, would require an almost unearthly power ...”  
    “ A demon?”
    “ A demoness—no male spirit could impersonate me. Either that or a very powerful witch, even stronger than us. What they used to call in the Old Country a strega or a veshtitsa ... this is worse than I imagined, Allison. Even at the height of my moon-drawn strength, I’m not sure I could help you ward off that kind of evil. And now without Ivy...”  
    My heart sank. I’d caught sight of something emerging from the trees, a dark outline, a glimpse of motion. And something else. I suddenly realized that this was the same view I’d ‘far seen’ in my moments of clairvoyance during Marisa’s phone call. This was where she’d been hiding, terrified and alone, when she’d been hunted down by whoever or whatever had cut our conversation off. This was the last sight she’d seen . And she’d only had me to witness it—just as I only had Millicent in my head right now if something went tragically wrong...
    A light sprang to life behind me, flooding my little shelter and exposing me to the night. It was only an LED Maglite, but it seemed as bright as a searchlight in that moment. I was so surprised—and terrified—I tried to scream.
    But the sound only came out as a loud, strangled squeak.
    The light changed, its source moving around to the open side of the lean-to, where I’d come in. “I can see somebody in there. Come on out very slowly with your arms empty and spread wide. I’m holding a gun—don’t make me use it.”
    A gun? I’d seen a crossbow. Kev had told me earlier that hunting with guns was banned at the lodge because of the fear of starting avalanches; that’s why all the guests and their guides used bows.
    “ Out where I can see you.” A man’s voice, very twangy and Western-sounding, like a cowboy’s. I peeked my head out and saw the shape of a hat with a wide brim.
    “ State police, ma’am.” Even as I felt a flood of relief, I was still pissed off at the ma’am ! Jesus, did I really look like a ma’am?
    What happened next was like a minor miracle. The officer lowered the beam of his Maglite, and I wasn’t blinded any more. Even better, his next words were, “You wouldn’t happen to be Ms. Allison Lopez, by any chance, would you?”
    “ Yes,” I said. My voice was still squeaky and my teeth were chattering from the cold.
    “ I got a follow-up call from your friend Detective Smithy down in LA tonight. He told me to be on the lookout for you, and gave me your description. He also said you might be doing something hare-brained like wandering around out here all night, looking for that missing girl. I’m Sergeant Rob Doberman.”
    I’d never been so glad to see a policeman in all my life.

 
    Chapter Eight
     
    Sergeant Doberman—and was there ever a cooler name for a cop?—was maybe not as hunky as Eric Jaeger, but he seemed like a really nice guy and walked me all the way back to the annex. He gave me his card and said to call if I needed him. I snuck inside just before the sun came up and grabbed about five hours’ sleep before I had to report back to the lodge for my first ‘training’ session at noon.
    Which turned out to be conducted personally by the Wicked Witch of the East herself, Regina Jaeger. Only today she was suddenly acting like my BFF. First she took me on a guided tour of the whole place, then explained the ‘exciting new concept in resort hospitality’ I was joining. I was already a ‘valued member of the team’; she and Eric had been very impressed by the way I’d thrown myself into the work right away. She could tell I was a good candidate for promotion and had a bright future with them.
    Oh yeah? Like Marisa? I thought, but didn’t say aloud.
    “ Today you will be participating in our Titanium Club corporate retreat program. We think your good looks and demeanor make you an excellent