Marked By Lies: A Reverse Harem Series (The Marked Series Book 1) by Paige Orr (the red fox clan TXT) 📗

then Melissa would be here right now. That’s why she’s currently sitting on the floor, doing a tracking spell repeatedly. Wanting something to do so I don’t go mad with worry, I approach her to see if there is anything that I can do.

“Hey Annika, anything I can help with?”

“No. I just keep getting the same answer, and it doesn’t make sense. I keep tracing her back to where we last saw her, but that’s not possible!”

“Is there anyway that the cults Witch could be messing with your spell?”

“Yes, and no. Magic is a very complicated thing, as I’m sure you’re already aware. They could divert the spell, but there are ways to get around those types of things, and I’ve done every single one.”

“Then is there anything else that could be stopping you from finding here?”

“Of course, but I’m pretty positive that their little Witch isn’t strong enough for that type of shit.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Believe it or not, the spell work they have been performing to wipe auras and stuff, that’s Witch 101. Tracking and the spells that can stop pitfall under divination, which is a lot harder to do. Shit, some Witches never fully gain an understanding of it.”

“So what your saying is, that any magic she does know is self taught after growing up without a coven. Especially if our guesses about her being brought up in the foster system are correct.”

“Exactly! My computer is running a programme that I made myself to narrow down the suspect from the list of possible Witches that are or were in the foster system. Being a rogue Witch isn’t as simple as some might believe.”

“When do you think that the programme will have the results ready for you?”

“Probably another half hour to an hour. There are a lot more Witches that slip through the cracks than I thought. All that’s needed for the Witch gene to be activated is for one of the parents to have even one ancestor who had any magical ability.”

I can see that talking things through has helped to center her a little, and I must admit that it’s cleared some of the red fog from my own mind. We just have to be patient and wait for these results. The more we know, the easier it will be to locate them.

“Alright, let me know when you find something.”

She absently nods her head at me and I take that as my cue to leave her alone. Heading back to my chair, I think over everything that has happened since I met Melissa. From catching her stealing from Cailean, which I thought was hilarious, to carrying her back here after she was shot.

Which inevitably makes me think about the kiss we shared together. It may sound like some cliche bullshit, but when our lips touched, it was like electricity shot through my veins. I’ve never had such a visceral reaction to a woman before, and I don’t think I ever will again. Her body moulded against mine so fucking perfectly, and if I was any less of a gentleman, then I would have taken her right then and there against that tree.

Well, saying that I’m a gentleman isn’t exactly true. If it was any other woman, I wouldn’t have cared about propriety, but I could never act like that towards her. The first time I have her, I want to spend hours getting to know every nuance of her delectable body.

There definitely hasn’t been a dull moment since I caught sight of her standing out from the crowd at Cail’s party. It’s amazing how I feel like I’ve known her for a lifetime, and being as old as I am, that’s such a rare occurrence. After three hundred and fifty-six years alive, and between Faerie and Earth, I’ve never met anyone quite so remarkable.

My attachment to someone that I’ve just met is beyond my comprehension. Even Morpheus had to spend years building up his trust with me. That’s something that I learned from an early age, being the only heir to the throne. You never really know who is worthy of your trust.

I know that might seem like a harsh way to look at life and those around you, but too many things have happened to show me that it’s a smart outlook. Fae are good at getting what they want, and they never care about those that they hurt in the process.

I shouldn’t let my mind go down that dark path though, after all these years, there are way too many people that I wish to never think of again. It was a good distraction while it lasted, but even all the horrible shit that’s happened over the years isn’t truly enough to keep my mind off of Melissa.

There is nothing more that I can do until we know more, so I try to catch up on some work on my phone. I just hope that she’s okay.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Melissa

I crouch down to make it harder for anyone to be able to spot me, and keeping my back to the wall, I slowly make my way down the rest of the tunnel. What I see when I reach the end of the tunnel though, has me freezing in place.

Stationed around the room, I can see at least three Harpies standing guard over the cult members as they continue with their ritual. Leaning against the back wall is a young girl who looks bored out of her mind as she picks at her nails with a pocket knife. Since she’s not participating in the ritual itself, I can only assume that this is the Witch that they have convinced to work with them.

She barely looks legal to drive, fuck I’ve seen shit older than her, never mind being involved in mass slaughter. I can’t even