Free Electric Heat by Stacey Brutger Page A

today. They’d sacrifice their own
children for more power.”
    That gave Raven pause. “Do you think that’s why there are fewer
than a hundred students?”
    He snorted in response, his voice gruff when he spoke. “Even
less, if they had a choice.”
    Raven brushed at her clothes, wishing it was as easy to dispel
the remnants of the spell. “What do you mean?”
    “Witches have rules in place that require them to give birth
to a certain number of children. A lottery of sorts.”
    Raven nearly tripped at the disclosure. “You’ve got to be
kidding me.”
    Durant scratched the stubble along his jaw, not bothering to
look at her as he scanned the area for possible threats. “Spell casters are
rare, one or two born every few years. Only the most powerful witches are able
to conceive them. Something happens to their magic during pregnancy. Some say
the child absorbs it, others say the magic is used to create a gifted child,
but no one really knows. To prevent the loss of power, witches use spells to
ensure they don’t conceive. There are a small few who don’t care, but the
majority had worked too hard to willingly lose status. Even if the child isn’t
born…gifted, it can take the witch years to recover the loss of status. Most
children are then farmed out to be raised.”
    “That’s horrible.” She couldn’t imagine having a child
ripped from her arms. She’d fight tooth and nail against anyone who would dare.
    Durant touched her arm as if to hold her back. “It’s the
mother’s choice. Most of the time, it’s safer for the child.”
    “They resent the loss of power.” She couldn’t believe a
mother would ever resent her child for something like that, but the proof was
the existence of the school itself. Something Luca said came back to her. “The campus
is more of a boarding house for the best and the brightest who have earned the
right to be trained.”
    He gave an absent nod. As they drew near their cabin, Durant’s
posture stiffened infinitesimally, his expression giving nothing away. Raven wanted
to be anywhere but alone in the cabin with him, not fooled in the least by his
calm demeanor. He was ready to explode.
    She was right. As soon as the door shut behind them, Durant
whirled on her. “What the hell happened back there?”
    He stalked her across the room with determined steps, spoiling
for a fight, his single-minded focus fixed mercilessly on her. He wouldn’t be
put off with half answers.
    Sudden anger at her situation took over, and she crossed her
arms. She would not be pushed around any longer. “I don’t have a clue. You’re
the one who seems to know everything. Why don’t you tell me?”
    A barely-there scratch at the door stopped her tirade short.
    Durant immediately became all business, straightening,
growing bigger, until he seemed to suck up all the air in the room. He tucked
himself behind the door and gestured for her to open it.
    As she turned the knob, the door banged open. The jaguar shifter
sat crouched in the doorway, uncertainty clinging to him like the autumn air.
He faltered when he saw her, ducking his head to avoid her eyes, as if worried he
would be found lacking. Durant huffed. Before he could slam the door in the
cat’s face, the shifter scampered inside on all fours.
    He skirted the room, leaving a trail of blood in his wake.
His chest billowed, his eyes locked on her as he huddled in a corner, terrified
she would force him to leave. Pain hovered around him, so intense she feared one
touch might shatter him.
    His blood on the floor appeared slightly congealed, almost
putrid. Even if he wasn’t a full shifter, he should’ve begun the healing
process. The damage must have been more extensive than she first guessed.
    She’d only taken two steps to investigate when Durant
marched across the room and grabbed her arm. “Leave him.”
    “He’s injured.”
    Durant scowled back at her. “He isn’t yours.”
    “Actually, I believe he became mine as soon as he