vampires mage 02 - witch hunter by c n crawford Read Free Book Online

life.”
    Caine’s eyes narrowed, and his lips stopped moving. Behind her, she heard Drew’s body fall to the floor—probably dead.
    She stared at Caine, lowering the gun. “He thought you were responsible for that slaughter. Something about revenge—” She paused, her fingers still tight around the grip of the Glock. “You weren’t responsible, were you?”
    “It’s fascinating that you’d ask me that.” Venom tinged his voice. “All along, you’ve been eager to believe that I’m a monster. I see you’ve found yourself a new, more human friend.”
    “Can you just give a straight answer? I told him it wasn’t you, but the whole ‘Ravener’ thing is news to me. You never told me that you were a billion years old and have a history of queen-slaughter.”
    “This new friend of yours told you all about me, didn’t he? It seems you’ve become awfully close with him in the past two weeks, while I’ve been hunting for your sister.”
    “You locked me in the mansion! Anyway, that’s not the point. The point is—” What was the point? She had so many questions to ask him, she didn’t know where to begin. “Did you find Miranda?”
    “No. I can’t sense magic like you can. That’s why I need your help.”
    I could have helped you if you hadn’t locked me up. She glanced at Drew, who lay in a heap, his eyes bulging. “Is he dead?”
    As soon as she took her eyes off Caine, she felt a cold stream of magic sing at the nape of her neck. She raised the gun. Caine now stood less than a foot from her—but she’d felt his magic, and she’d been ready for him. At the sound of the gun’s hammer cocking, he raised his hands, just inches from the barrel. “Your reflexes are getting faster.”
    “Were you trying to disarm me?” She frowned. “You don’t trust me with a gun?”
    “You seem a little unhinged.”
    “That’s exactly what Orcus said.” She took a deep breath, sadness tightening her chest. “You should know that Hunter bullets killed him during the ker attack. I’d tried to pull him away, but he wasn’t listening to me.”
    Caine sucked in a long breath, something dark flickering across his features. “He’s in the shadow hell now.”
    “I’m sorry.” She tucked the gun into the back of her pants again, then pointed to Drew. “He did save my life.”
    “He’s still breathing, but only because you stopped me with that gun of yours.”
    She exhaled. “So what happened at the keres attack? I know you were there. I felt Miranda there, too.”
    “I was hunting around the Chambers for your sister when a powerful aura drew me in, and I felt the demons drawing closer. You can’t possibly believe that I was behind the attack.” His voice dripped with disdain.
    She studied his stunning face. Firelight bathed his skin in gold, sparking off his gray eyes, and the flickering light danced over the beautiful planes of his face. In the V of his black T-shirt, she could see smooth, unblemished skin, marked only by his tattoos. His seductive, loamy scent drew her in. “No, of course I don’t believe that. Drew was just confused. And I’m a little on edge. I haven’t been sleeping.”
    “You were hurt? Why did he need to save your life?”
    “I was shot by a Hunter.” Outside, helicopters beat overhead, and she could her someone speaking into a megaphone, but she ignored it. “I just don’t understand. How can you be so old? I thought Malphus was your brother, and I remember him as a little boy.” Half-brothers, perhaps.
    “It’s not important right now.” He paused, listening to the rotors. “But you know what is important? There are armed helicopters flying overhead. And you’re wondering why I can’t knock them off course like I did before. That’s because they’re laden with bombs—small ones, granted, but large enough to destroy a house like the one we’re in. So we can let them bomb this house while we’re in it, or we could teleport out first. Those are our