High Witch (High Witch Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

no time.

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    They rode quickly for a few hours, then stopped by a river. They led the horses to take a drink, then sat on the riverbank. Brayden put his arms around Ariel, leaning her back against his chest. She took off her glasses and nestled against him. He kissed her hair.
    They sat for a long time, listening to the sound of the water flowing by, and the leaves rustling in the trees above them. Brayden kept softly kissing Ariel’s hair, holding her closely to him. She sat quietly in his arms. He felt a strong urge to protect her, to shield her from the bad things that could happen. She was so kind, so sweet, so fragile. The last thing he wanted was for someone to hurt her. He just wanted to sit there all day, holding her, comforting her. But he knew she had questions. It was his job to answer them.
    “How are you feeling?” he finally asked. She sighed.
    “I’m okay,” she said. “But you need to tell me what’s going on.”
    He bit his lip. This was going to be horrible for her to hear. It was horrible for him to know.
    “Julius must have discovered somehow you’re a High Witch,” he began. “I don’t know how — maybe he saw you use your powers — I don’t know. He would have started a plan to capture you, but there’s more to it than that. He doesn’t just want to catch you, Ariel. This all works better for him if — if...” He shut his eyes. His heart broke in two.
    “Ariel, you know I care about you, don’t you?” he pleaded. “I know this is so sudden, and quick, and we should just be getting to know each other instead of fleeing together. But, please, please believe that I care about you, on my own. I — I...”
    She turned in his arms to look at him. Her eyes were filled with concern. “I care about you, too,” she said. “Brayden, I know you care for me — you’re showing me, by being with me. By leaving with me, protecting me. What’s wrong? What did you mean, ‘on my own’?”
    He felt so much pain he could barely stand it. He took a deep breath. “Julius has planned everything. He told your uncle he wanted to marry you, knowing you’d flee. Knowing you’d go to the inn. Knowing you’d meet me. He wants to capture you and put you through the test, but what you don’t know is that the bond between you and him will be so much stronger, if...if...” Brayden wanted to strangle him. “If you kill the one you love.”
    Brayden watched as Ariel’s expression turned to shock, then dismay. She looked at her hands, not saying anything for several moments. Brayden let go of her, not sure if she’d want him to be holding her. She finally met his gaze.
    “How would he know?” she asked softly. “How would he know we’d develop feelings for each other? You can’t control that.”
    Brayden looked at her closely. “His witch probably had a vision of us together. That’s how Julius would have known we’d meet. But she also helped things along slightly. I’ve been — dreaming about you. For about a month. Every night.”
    She looked at him in horror, and moved away from him. Her expression turned to anger. “She saw me go to the inn, and gave you dreams so you would want me!” she cried. “What if you’d never had the dreams? Would you have looked at me twice? No other man has wanted me — this is all, all — you’ve just been tricked into this! Why didn’t you tell me!”
    “I didn’t know it was you at first!” Brayden exclaimed. “I wanted you from the moment I saw you, without knowing you were the girl from my dreams. But it doesn’t matter — I’m not under some kind of spell, some kind of trance. I’m looking at you, the real you, and I care about you so much. You’re good, and kind, and sweet, and I’d want to be with you if I’d never dreamed about you. Would I be here if I didn’t?”
    Ariel sat there, breathing heavily, as if she was trying to calm herself down. She looked away, staring off into the distance. Her hands were clutching her skirt