Free Anna's Hope Episode One by Odette C. Bell

a
grimace.
    “Now why don’t you start from the
beginning, Miss Anna, and tell me exactly how you got down there
and exactly how you managed to fight off that wizard?”
    Though Anna could have lied, she didn’t. She
told Scott the whole truth, even if it revealed every one of her
numerous weaknesses.
    She’d enjoyed the impressed smile he’d given
her when he’d thought she’d taken down that wizard on her own.
    Now his face stiffened with concern and
alarm. “You shouldn’t have been down there, let alone bounty
hunting with Merry. You could have gotten yourself killed,” he
reprimanded harshly.
    She pressed her back into the cold brick
wall behind her. Playing with her hair distractedly, she nodded. “I
know that,” her voice was weak.
    Scott harrumphed. “Right. I can’t say it
surprises me, though – like I said, Merry will drag anything in off
the street and give it a job.”
    Anna withdrew.
    She’d had a tough night. Now this guy was
accusing her of being dragged in off the street like a stray
dog.
    “Okay,” he conceded after a lengthy pause,
“that came out wrong. I didn’t mean it like that. But, Anna, this
is a dangerous profession. Okay, you don’t usually come across
mythical soul catchers that aren’t meant to exist anymore, but
every day brings more trouble. If you aren’t up to it—”
    Anna pushed herself up, standing despite
how wobbly her legs were. “Thanks for helping down there,” she said
in a subdued tone, “if you look after that witch, I’ll head
home.”
    Scott stared at her. His head tipped to
the side slowly. He tilted his head an awful lot – he clearly saw
the world from a different perspective to most people. “I’m not
going to let you walk home alone – not in your current state. You
hold up, I’ll deliver this witch to MEC, and I’ll take you home
myself.”
    “I’m fine,” she tried.
    He snorted. “You are not fine. You almost
got kidnapped by a seriously powerful wizard, and then I spent a
good five minutes rudely insulting you.” He latched a hand on his
jaw and manipulated it back and forth. “Which I’m kind of sorry
about. You don’t need me harping on at you right now.”
    Anna blinked. She was used to being
insulted, but being apologized to was new. She stared at Scott
warily, waiting for him to chuck his head back, laugh, and continue
to berate her. When he didn’t, she pushed her lips together and
shrugged. “Okay then. But there’s something I’ve got to warn you
about.”
    Scott raised an eyebrow inquisitively.
“What?” His lips kinked into a half-amused, half-intrigued
smile.
    “I have a cat,” she said
seriously.
    He cracked into a grin and laughed. “Ah,
thanks for the warning. But I’m not allergic.”
    Anna bit her lip. “You’ll understand when
you meet her.”
    Scott shot her an odd look, shook his
head, then leaned down to pick up the witch. “You’re a pretty weird
one, Anna. I’ll text Merry and let her know you’re okay. Now let’s
get this done so we can get you home.”
    Despite everything that had
happened tonight, and everything he’d said to her, Anna found herself
smiling.
    She didn’t know why, and she didn’t have
to.
    She just smiled.
     

Chapter 6
     
    Once Scott dropped off the witch at the
MEC HQ, and their team of magical medical personnel saw to her, he
walked Anna home.
    By the time she made it to her street, she
was utterly spent.
    “Alright you, we’re almost there.” Scott
shot her a careful look, no doubt checking to see she wasn’t about
to fall headfirst into the ditch.
    Anna managed a groan as she pushed her
hair from her face.
    The medical personnel at HQ had checked her
out to ensure she hadn’t been injured. Apart from a chronic flare
up with her allergies, and her general weariness, she was fine.
    “So which one is your house?” Scott looked
around him, peering into the dark.
    This street didn’t have any functional
street lamps. The evil seeping up from Anna’s house had