Free Sassy Ever After: Kissing Sassy (Kindle Worlds Novella) by Gracen Miller Page A

sorceresses, a witch is the hybrid offspring born to human and sorceress.”
    Confused by everything, he rubbed his nape. “I might need a handbook on all this.”
    “Just bear with me. I’m trusting you with the long version.”
    Realizing the significance of the trust she placed in him, he flicked her another glance. “Go on.”
    “I didn’t have parents to tell me about sorceri history. An event in my teens put me on the run and looking for answers. That’s when I came to America. I didn’t come because I wanted to live here, but because it’s where the sorceri Temple is located. It has all the original documents, and I needed information about my ancestors and why they wanted me dead. So, I disabled their locks and wards and stole every copy of the Chronicles of Life. More than a dozen in all.”
    “You make it sound like it was easy to disable their magic.”
    “It was. They were as puny as cobwebs. That’s the moment I realized I was something more than just a sorceress. I didn’t even know there were different levels of sorceri. The Chronicles of Life detail the history of our kind, even lists all offspring born to each Sorceress. My mother was a Key, my father one of the most powerful mages born, and their union was forbidden by the Gathering.”
    “The Gathering is?”
    “A dozen of the most powerful sorceri elected to govern all sorceresses. Keys need not apply because we’re branded as dangerous, and the only good Key is a dead one. It’s complicated. Anyway, my parents escaped to Australia and disappeared until the Gathering found them and eliminated them. I can’t figure out why they left me behind. They knew about me. My birth was documented in the Chronicles.”
    “This Gathering caused your parents’ car wreck?” He didn’t want to interrupt her too much because he didn’t want to disturb her story, but it was a question he needed clarified.
    “Yes. That was in the Chronicles too, along with the sorceress responsible for their murder.” She sighed. “As you can see, my history is riddled with death and hatred. And like Lael said, there’re five Keys born in every generation. A Cleric has innate power, but only one main power associated with one of the four elements. A Key’s magic comes from all four elements.”
    Cajun nodded, taking a left-hand turn onto a back road that would turn into a dirt road before they reached his residence. Admiring the ease with which the luxury vehicle operated, he thought he could get used to driving the high-priced car. “So what you’re saying is you outgun all sorceri except for the other four born in your generation.”
    “Yeah. I don’t know how many of my generation remain, but all of the Keys in previous generations have been murdered. At one time, the five Keys ruled all sorceri, until a bunch of Clerics came together to eliminate them one by one. They were the first Gathering.”
    “How’s that possible if you Keys are stronger?”
    “Espionage, trickery, you name it. A Key can’t defend against a mob of sorceri either. We’re not superheroes, but can be killed before our time with magic. The Chronicles tell how four hundred years ago all five Keys fell by various means, all by paranormals. One by vampire, one by dragon, and the other three by bear, tiger, and wolf. They joined with the Clerics to eliminate us because of promises the Gathering made to them.”
    His head snapped to the side, her face in profile as she stared out the windshield. “It was your relation that was attacked by the wolf.” It wasn’t a question. Given the way her powers were useless against a wolf he knew the answer . “What I can’t figure out is why the Gathering want all Keys dead. Is it just a matter of them wanting all the power?”
    He felt her nervousness. Whatever she’d confess, would be the ass-kicker.
    “I can control the weather pattern, the way the earth’s crust moves, cause earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, and any other