Wild about the Witch by Cassidy Cayman Read Free Book Online

“Such a shock. A little nip will take the edge off.”
    Catie wondered if that’s how she would do it, get her under her power through food or drink. She pushed away the proffered glass and turned back to Lachlan.
    “Why did ye come here?” she demanded. “Why did ye leave?”
    His face fell and he rested his hands on the table. She saw him thinking, deciding what he was going to say. What lies he was going to tell her. She was sick of it.
    “What’s happened? Has something happened to Quinn? Tell my why ye’re here, and alone.”
    She choked on a laugh and shook her head. He wasn’t even going to lie, just ignore her question altogether. “Nothing’s wrong with Quinn,” she said. Even in her intense anger, she couldn’t let him think there was something wrong with their brother. Not the way both of them had let her think he was dead for months. “I want to know why ye left.”
    Piper put her hand on his arm to keep him from exploding at her, but Catie couldn’t feel grateful. “Oh, Catie. It’s such a long story. Maybe we should all get some sleep and Lachlan and I can explain it to you in the morning,” she said.
    Catie refused to look at her, continuing to glare at Lachlan. “I am so verra sick of being lied to.”
    He wiped his hand over his face and nodded to Piper, who looked like she might try to intervene again. “It’s fine, love,” he said, patting her hand and smiling at her tenderly before turning to Catie.
    Catie stepped back, stunned. Lachlan was in love with Piper. He wasn’t bewitched, just besotted. She should have been happy. She tried to be grateful that all was well, but only felt stupid. She’d acted the way they treated her, like a reckless child. She’d ruined everything.
    “I do want to go to bed,” she said, new tears flooding her cheeks. “I dinna want to speak anymore tonight.” She felt ashamed at putting off the confrontation. Another childish move.
    “Of course, honey,” Piper said. Her kindness scraped like ragged fingernails on Catie’s nerves. “Lachlan, tell her it’s all right.”
    Before her brother could say another word, Catie ran to her room and slammed the door.

Chapter 5

    Even though they were supposed to be besties now, Wodge still tied Lizzie to a tree and she was achier than ever throughout the ride the next day. He was giddy at how close they were and near dusk, he pointed out the castle to her.
    “The witches do it in the woods,” he said, spurring his horse to go faster.
    She almost laughed, thinking that should be a bumper sticker. However this ended, she wanted it to end already.
    “Why?” she asked. He’d been chatty all day, but hadn’t said anything useful or even lucid. She’d almost given up hope on getting any solid information. “And how do they do it?”
    He shrugged. “There’s something about that land,” he said. “Probably an ancient evil. Evil’s how they do it, by the way.”
    She nodded, used to the evil talk after five days of it. “How do you do it?” She’d asked that question and he’d ignored it so many times, she didn’t think he would answer.
    “Portals,” he said impatiently.
    “Yes, but how?” she pushed.
    He shrugged. “I honestly don’t know. I know where they are though, and where they go, and that’s what matters.”
    Indeed. She prepared her face for a possible wallop. “How did you first find out about them? Was it an accident, like what happened to me?”
    He whirled around fast and she flinched. No matter how prepared she thought she was, she didn’t want to get hit again. He stared at her and chewed on his thin bottom lip.
    “My father disappeared into one when I was fifteen. I found out he’d been doing it for a while. However, that time, he never came back.”
    “And you’re trying to find him?” She frowned, oddly disappointed.
    “Something like that.” Wodge’s lip curled unpleasantly, clearly lost in his memories.
    They paused while he took a long drink from his canteen,