Free Possessed (Book One of the Hollow City Coven Series): A Witch and Warlock Romance Novel by Hazel Hunter Page A

towards them to land on Shayne’s open palm, where he blew it out gently.
    “You’re awake,” he said. The relief in his voice was evident. “I was worried that…you might not.”
    “I…um, that’s happened before. It’s really not something to worry about.”
    Shayne scowled at her. “Really? You looked like you were having some kind of seizure or stroke.”
    “I don’t owe you an explanation,” she snapped. “I’m sorry that it was inconvenient for you.”
    He reared back, the hurt obvious in his eyes before it was drowned out with frustration.
    “Inconvenient nothing,” he snarled. “I was terrified out of my wits. I didn’t know what you were doing. I didn’t know what was happening. I couldn’t do anything for you–”
    “Nothing!” she shouted. It echoed against the cliff face.“Nothing, I don’t need anything!”
    She sprang to her feet, ready to stalk off into the forest. At least, that’s what she tried to do. But moving too fast made her dizzy. When she tried to take that first step, her legs buckled. She would have gone down in an ignominious pile if Shayne hadn’t caught her.
    The moment he touched her, it was as if an evil spell had been broken. From the moment she’d opened her eyes, she had been enveloped in a cloud of wrath.
    “Oh god, I’m so sorry,” she whispered.
    She knew she should sit up and try to explain, but instead all she could do was sit there. If she opened her mouth, more of that poisonous anger might come out.
    For once, Shayne didn’t seem inclined to argue. Instead, he settled her on the softest part of their small pallet, sitting down by her side.
    “Here, have Max back.”
    To her surprise, her rat crawled out of Shayne’s things to climb back into her pocket.
    “He usually won’t leave my side,” she murmured.
    “Then we’re even because Vlasti usually won’t go near anyone who’s not me.”
    They sat together in silence for a long while, letting the morning grow warmer. Shayne broke apart a protein bar, handing her bits. He didn’t feed her, like with the eggs, though part of her wished he would. It might have been out of place, but it would have been better than the silence between them.
    It was Shayne who spoke first.
    “Gillian, I need to know what happened. For your safety and for my own, it’s important.”
    “You’re calling me Gillian, you must be serious,” she said weakly, but then she shook her head. “No, you’re right. You’re entirely right. You have a right to know what you’ve brought along and what’s happening to me.”
    He sat next to her, silent as the cliff. After a moment, she leaned against him. The warmth of his body made her feel more like herself.
    “I’ve heard,” she began slowly, “that some witches and warlocks wait a long time between awakening and their skills becoming known. I knew right away. I was young. I was stupid. And I got into a situation with a man that I didn’t really care for. It wasn’t rape, but the reason I was sleeping with him was because I was too tired and afraid to be on the street anymore.”
    She looked up at Shayne to gauge his reaction. A few people, after she’d made the same confession, had cringed away from her as if she was something dirty. Shayne only looked saddened. That gave her a little bit of courage, and she continued.
    “I stumbled up from the bed, and I guess I tripped or something. I reached for the radiator nearby to steady myself. It wasn’t on, so I didn’t get a burn, but what happened next was terrifying. Suddenly, I got an image of a woman, falling hard. She might have been fine, but she hit the radiator on her way down. The corner of the radiator cracked against her temple, and she slumped to one side, broken like a doll. Beyond her was a man who was screaming, his fists balled up.”
    Even now, Gillian had to shudder at that memory. She could still see it all, the splash of blood on the corner of the radiator, the enraged man.
    “I don’t think it