Warlock Brothers of Havenbridge 01 - Spell Bound Read Online Free PDF Page A

centering myself as my father had instructed. To access my power, I had to become one with myself. I had yet to learn how to truly accomplish that particular task, but the strange scent tugged at me, daring me to follow its trail back to its source.
    It was a challenge I wasn’t about to let go unanswered.
    That wasn’t what a warlock did. If I’d been a holier-than-thou white-magic witch, I’d have been burning sage and anointing myself with patchouli oil in order to establish a connection with whatever crept around the outskirts of ordinary perception. I’d have been conjuring up a spell to create a bond and connect my spiritual force with whatever was out there.
    That wasn’t lame at all, right?
    Thankfully, black magic was more about manipulating the energies instead of trying to create some kind of magical kumbaya. I just had to find the right words that would lead me to the source.
    As I was about to speak the incantation that would spirit me away to whatever lurked in the forest beyond the house, a jolt of electricity sizzled into my left shoulder and sent me tumbling down the steps to the warm carpet of grass below.
    I shook the haze from my vision and rubbed my aching shoulder before snapping my attention to my attacker. From the top of the steps, Pierce snickered. His eyes were mostly dark blue except for the small brown spot I knew to be at the top of his left eye. They narrowed as he waited to see how I would respond. He’d obviously done that partially as payment for screwing up at school earlier today. Being my pain-in-the-ass big brother, however, was the main reason.
    “Dammit, Pierce. I was just about to do something.”
    “Like what?” he asked, nonchalantly crossing the distance between us. As the most powerful of my brothers, Pierce feared nothing except our father’s disapproval. “Were you trying to hex someone from school again? You know how well that worked the last time.”
    As if I needed to be reminded. Accidentally turn yourself into a roach one time, and no one ever lets you fucking forget it.
    I rose and charged forward, but before I took two steps, ice formed around my feet and held me fast. Just my luck, Thad was getting in his hits too.
    “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” I asked Thad, who approached from the side of the house.
    “Keeping you from getting hurt,” he replied coolly as he brushed a strand of his strawberry blond hair off his forehead. He was still annoyed with me.
    I’d had just about enough. “ Dimitte me ,” I said with a wave of my hand. The ice Thad had used to stop me broke away and crumbled in response to my release spell. I had to admit, I was pretty damned impressed. “I’ll take the both of you on right now.”
    “And you’d lose,” Thad said matter-of-factly.
    My pretend anger suddenly turned real, and I couldn’t stop the snarl that curled my lip. Thad’s cold fish routine always pissed me off. I uttered the Latin word propellit , and Thad flew off his feet and skidded on his ass across the lawn.
    Another point for me.
    Pierce broke into hysterics at my side. He slapped my shoulder with his big oafish hand. At six foot four, he was six inches taller than me and at least double my muscle mass. While he might be the strongest, both physically and magically, it had always been tough for him to get the drop on Thad, who was the cleverest of us all.
    “I wouldn’t be laughing if I were you.” I was feeling a bit cocky now that I’d managed two successful spells in a row. Why not try for a third?
    Pierce studied me while I recited a spell that should have caused Pierce’s pants to drop around his ankles.
    Wouldn’t you know it? My streak came to an embarrassing end.
    Pierce doubled over in laughter as I stood there completely naked from the waist down. My dress slacks and boxers suddenly appeared in the branches of a tree about ten yards away.
    Thad, who’d sprung to his feet to retaliate for being knocked down, joined Pierce in