The Damned Read Online Free PDF Page A

Draped over Eriko’s back, Jamie was pale as death. Skye gave them all a magickal boost of energy, but she was exhausted. She couldn’t go on much longer.
    “Goddess, help us,” Skye murmured. “I am your faithful daughter. Grant me this boon.”
    And then, as they passed a large house of weathered brick with concrete medallions and a sloping tiled roof, Skye felt . . . nothing.
    “Jenn, here,” Skye whispered sotto voce. She stopped in her tracks and pointed at the ancient structure. Jenn raised a hand, and the others stopped too.
    Very slowly, a broad wooden door edged with wrought iron creaked open. Leading the way, Jenn crossed the threshold, the others following. The door slammed shut behind them, and they stood inside a dark foyer.
    Then the foyer melted away, and they were in a parlor, where half a dozen men and women had risen from dark wooden chairs set around a table covered with tarot cards and a crystal ball. The scent of burning sage—a cleansing herb—wafted in the air. Between oil portraits and landscapes on the walls, and on the bare stone floor, dozens of signs and sigils, markings of protection, had been painted or carved. Skye read them, understanding them at once, as she had been classically educated in the Art. These were medieval symbols designed to ensure the safety of the house and its inhabitants by making the house seem uninteresting. It was that void created by the markings that she had felt. Most places gave off their own vibe, much like people did, but this house was neutral, missing its echo of time and emotion. Only magick could do that to a house as old as this one.
    “I’m a White Witch.” Skye addressed the coven as a whole. She held up her ring, a crescent moon, and the Spaniards reacted, murmuring to one another.
    A woman in a black dress decorated with silver crescents identical to Skye’s ring opened wide her arms. “Welcome, hermana,” she said in heavily accented English . “The blessings of the Goddess upon you.”
    “Jenn, we’re among friends,” Skye told her leader.
    “We’re hunters,” Jenn said, panting. “I’m the leader. Please help us.”
    “The vampires seek you, eh?” the woman said.
    “Sí,” Jenn replied. “We were in the bullring. We helped a lot of people escape, and now the Cursed Ones know we’re in town. If you can keep us safe until they’re gone, we would be grateful.”
    “Of course,” the woman said. “My brothers and sisters, we must help these people. Carlos, Amalia, por favor.”
    Her words galvanized the group. A man and a woman rushed to Eriko’s side. They led her to an upholstered sofa, where she carefully laid Jamie down.
    “Are you resis—,” Jenn began, but Skye cut her off. If these witches were involved in the fight against the Cursed Ones, they would not join a resistance cell. They would be members of the Circuit, and she, as a Circuit member, had pledged never to reveal the existence of the group of witches dedicated to the freedom of humanity.
    Of course, she’d broken that vow, blurting out the truth to Jenn. And after New Orleans, Skye had confessed as much to the Circuit, and they had cut her off, refusing to help her anymore.
    “I am the High Priestess of this coven,” the woman in the dress informed Jenn. “We will shelter you until the search is called off and you may safely leave Pamplona.”
    “Blessed be,” Skye whispered.
    “Merrily met,” the woman replied.
    “Not so much,” Jamie muttered, his lids fluttering, and Skye’s heart leaped. Jamie was as snarky as ever, which meant that he’d live. He sat up on the couch and yawned, as if their near escape from death had been a trifling bore.
    “Don’t suppose you could spare a bit o’ sumpin? Pint of ale, a bit of whiskey?” he asked the High Priestess.
    The High Priestess’s mouth twitched. “I suppose,” she said. “But please, everyone, sit down before you fall down. All of you. Eva, Estrella, see to their injuries. I will get a