Free Jackson by Hazel Hunter

out to the main road he dialed the number for the guest house, which rang through to the voice mail box. He then dialed her mobile, and when she picked up he said, “Audrey, I don’t have a girlfriend.”
    “That’s funny,” she said in a remote tone. “I chatted with Becky just this morning.”
    “It was a tasteless joke by someone hoping to keep us apart,” he assured her. “That’s all.”
    “Look, I’ve got a lot on my plate right now,” she said. “Why don’t we talk about this later?”
    Arguing with her might only aggravate the situation, so he said, “I need to see you for a few minutes. Are you at home?”
    She sighed. “Yes, but I’m leaving to go with Aunt Hannah to Portland.”
    He was only a few miles from the estate. “I’ll be there in five minutes. Wait for me.”
    “Jackson, I’ll be back tomorrow–”
    “Please, Audrey.” When she didn’t say anything, he added, “It won’t take long, but it’s important.”
    After another long silence she finally said, “I’ll tell Aunt Hannah I have to buy some stuff for the trip. Pick me up at the corner with the big pine tree.”
    Jackson drove past the estate and stopped at the corner, but first saw no sign of Audrey. Then she emerged from behind the tree with her barn owl on her arm, and had to shoo him away before she climbed into the truck.
    “What’s wrong with your famil– pet?” he asked.
    “You can say familiar. Mariah told me you were one of them.” Audrey stared ahead with a stony expression. “And Aunt Hannah explained the whole animal bonding deal.”
    He took a left turn and headed for the safe house. “What did Mariah say I was?”
    She waved her hand. “A witch, or Wiccan, or whatever.” She eyed him. “Are you saying you’re not?”
    It was almost a relief to tell her. “I am a warlock, and a captain in the Magus Corps.”
    She blinked. “Is that a witch soldier, or a witch cop?”
    “Females are witches, males are warlocks––and no, I am not a soldier or a police officer. I am an investigator.   I was sent to Seattle to determine who is killing and burning humans in the south end.” Jackson suspected she was already suffering from information overload, so he said, “I also have a familiar like your Plato. She’s a red hawk named Dallas.”
    “That’s nice.” She returned to staring through the windshield. “So why are you investigating me, Captain Warlock? Is it because I won’t dance naked with you in the moonlight, or something else?”
    He tightened his grip on the steering wheel. “Trust me, Audrey, if I dance naked with you, it will be in a bed.”
    “That reminds me,” she said, “should you really be screwing kinda-sorta witches like me? Because you know what that does, right? I mean, after the unimaginable bliss and ecstasy and all that crap.”
    Jackson wanted to pull over and drag her under him and fuck her until the only thing she could say was his name. “I protected you last night.”
    She nodded. “Good policy. Use condoms, keep them human. Makes half-baked witches so much easier to dump.”
    “I am not dumping you.” He tightened his jaw, and then tried again. “What more did Hannah say?”
    “Oh, apparently my mother was like this, and I have absolutely no choice but to become some herb-slinging naked-dancing moon worshipper like Mom.” She uttered a sour chuckle. “Did I mention that I’m actually a direct descendent of the moon goddess, what’s-her-name?”
    Beneath her sarcasm Jackson heard a note of despair, and his anger evaporated. “She has many names and aspects, but I was taught to call her The Lady Diana.”
    “That’s her.” She propped her arm against the door and rested her hand on her head. “I can’t believe this is happening to me. I’m a paramedic, for God’s sake.” She squinted at him. “Wait, do we even have a God?”
    “We have two,” he said gently. “The Lord and Lady.”
      “Gender equality, huh? Cool.” As he slowed down she