Witch's Bounty by Ann Gimpel Read Free Book Online Page B

considered apologizing, but since she hadn’t been aware of him culling through her thoughts, maybe he should leave well enough alone. Bubba curved closer to his body, purring. Colleen’s energy pulsed behind him and he felt Jenna drawing up the rear.
    They passed landing after landing. When the stairs stopped on the fifth landing, Roz pushed a banded metal door open. He felt the iron from several inches away. Good thing witches weren’t sensitive to it. It made his stomach roil and his nerve endings scream.
    The witch held the door open far enough that he could scrunch through without actually touching it. He fought back nausea and muttered, “Keeps the demons out, huh?”
    Roz eyed him sharply. “Yes. And other riff-raff too.”
    He bit back a pointed retort. He was here as the witches’ guest, sort of, but not a particularly welcome one. It would behoove him to remember that. Roz led the way down a short hallway. The farther he got from that goddess-blasted metal door, the better he felt. Maybe when it was time to leave, he’d just teleport out of there and avoid the door altogether.
    “In here.” Roz pointed through a curved doorway. Mercifully, this door was plain, old wood.
    Duncan walked through and stopped. The large room tucked beneath the old house’s eaves might have been cozy, with its dark wainscoting and a bevy of colorful cushions scattered about, if a dozen witches dripping with power hadn’t been staring malevolently. An aged crone with long, gray braids and a seamed face stood and pointed a gnarled finger at him. Black robes flowed around her as if they had a life of their own. “Start talking, Sidhe. I warn you. Anything less than the unvarnished truth in response to our questions will earn you a session in an iron clad room with the Irichna we just caught.”
    He looked from one hostile face to the next and kicked himself for his impetuous Sir Galahad moment back in Colleen and Jenna’s shop. Duncan squared his shoulders. “I will do my best, but if you ask for things my people hold secret, I will not be able to oblige you.”
    The witches looked from one to the other. Something passed among them, but magic barred him from their minds. “We shall see.” The crone thrust her chin out. “First question: Why were you hunting for Colleen? What’s really going on in the Old Country?”
    “That was two questions.”
    “So?” She tilted her head. Rheumy, dark eyes pierced him. “Answer them in order.”
     
     
     

Chapter Five
    Colleen took Bubba from Duncan. She used the opportunity of snagging the cat from his arms to touch him briefly and infuse confidence he’d get through the interrogation. She knew better than to go up against Mathilde, head of the Witches’ Northwest Coven and one of the most powerful mages Colleen had ever known.
    She set Bubba down and released him from his cat form. The changeling capered around the floor until Mathilde pointed a finger at him and he shrank to Colleen’s side, wrapping an arm around her leg. She dug in her bag and handed Bubba a set of clothes. He made a sour face, but clambered into them.
    Duncan responded to a spate of questions. Some had to do with why he’d come hunting for her, but others went way back to the original Sidhe decision to conscript witches for what had originally been Sidhe dirty work: keeping Earth free of demons. Crap! Had she and Jenna been the only witches who didn’t know about that? Apparently tired of standing, Mathilde sank back onto her chair, but kept the questions coming.
    Something tugged at Colleen’s innards. With a shock, she realized she felt proud of Duncan. Not only was he holding his own in an intimidating environment, but he was doing his best to be as forthright as he could. This time, he knew she was inside his head because she’d made her presence obvious, but he hadn’t chastised her or chased her out. No, he’d accepted her. A warm glow started in her belly. To her surprise, she welcomed