Free Witch Hunter Olivia by T.A. Kunz

and has her blonde hair pulled back into a tight bun. I’m guessing she’s the housemother, since everyone else in the room looks like they’re in college. “I’m Hattie, Alpha Nu Gamma’s housemother.” She extends her hand to shake mine.
    I’m cautious to give her my hand, but after a few seconds, I take hers and give it a delicate shake. There’s no jolt or even the slightest of tremors through my abdomen. She isn’t a witch. How is the housemother of a predominately witch-run sorority not one?
    “It’s so nice to meet you, Olivia. Angelica hasn’t stopped flapping her gums about your heroics last night. May I speak with you in private so the girls can get back to their house meeting?” she asks while gesturing toward the hallway I just came from.
    “Uh, sure,” I reply and wait until she leads the way. I send one last disapproving look to Tara before following Hattie out of the room.
    “Let’s chat in my office, shall we?” she calls out over her shoulder.
    She stops in front of a set of open doors. She waves her hand toward the room and allows me to enter before her. I hear the doors slide closed, which causes me to spin around. Her face is inquisitive and seems to have a hint of frustration spread across it. Gone is her cheery demeanor.
    “Can you please explain to me what in the hell happened last night?”
    Her question and tone surprise me. Two seconds ago, she was this prim and proper lady, and now she resembles a scorned woman.
    “There I was,” she huffs before continuing, “on my first date in what seemed like forever last night, with the most perfect man I might add, and I get a phone call from Angelica asking me to pick her up. She was at the university because the sorority house had been shot up by some unknown assailant.” I try to butt in and explain, but she cuts me off. “Do you realize I had to spend the remainder of the night wrangling up all the students who attended the party in order to have Angelica perform memory wiping charms until the wee hours of the morning? And then I had to clean this place up. Thankfully, we got everything tidy by the time the police arrived, and were able to explain it was a hazing prank gone awry and was blown completely out of proportion, just in case anyone had reported what actually happened.” She takes a deep breath after her rant and then focuses her attention solely on me, waiting for me to say something.
    I can’t really tell her what happened because then I risk implicating my brother, and possibly starting a war. “I have no idea what happened last night. All I know is bolts were fired into the living room, but I never saw who did it. I just pulled Angelica out of the way, that’s it.”
    Her upturned eyebrows let me know she isn’t buying it. “Well, speaking of those bolts, they were nowhere to be found when I got here. And Angelica told me you plucked the first one right out of the air. I’m sorry, but that sounds like you have some skill. So, who are you exactly? And no, I won’t believe it was a lucky catch.”
    “Sounds like Angelica was confused when she told you what happened. I ducked and covered just like everyone else,” I reply.
    Her probing stare slams into me like a ton of bricks. “You’re not fooling me, my dear. I’m not like most humans in this town who are completely oblivious to the other world right beneath their noses.”
    I sigh, realizing I have to tell her who I am. “All right, you got me. I’m an ex-Witch Hunter, but I’m trying to start my life over. I had nothing to do with what went down last night. I’ve turned my back on the Guild and have absolutely zero ties to them now. Please, you can’t tell anyone. The last thing I need right now is this getting out more than it already has.”
    “Your secret’s safe with me, dear. I have a little secret of my own,” she says. “I’m Miss Angelica’s keeper appointed by her mother, who’s one of the seven High Priestesses. I’m sure you’re