Witch Hunt, A Paranormal/Urban Fantasy (The Maurin Kincaide Series) Read Online Free PDF Page A

while I pulled out the chair next to his and sat down. Apart from an occasional handshake, that was the most physical contact that I’d had with him in all the years that I’d known him. If it hadn’t been so necessary under the circumstances, then it would have been as awkward as hell. I wiggled out of my coat and hung it over the back of my chair as well.
    “He is here,” Mahalia continued, “b ecause the bodies were left for the police to find. The media has already gotten wind of the situation. They were all over the second crime scene. Matthison can help us by keeping the media at bay. We will use him to steer the media away from anything related to the Others or the Council.”
    Agrona wasn’t fooled. She knew that Matthison had strong-armed his way into this meeting. Mahalia wouldn’t have brought him otherwise. She took it as a sign of weakness.
    “I was under the impression that we had Maurin to handle things like that,” Agrona said.
    “It was never intended for Maurin to deal with the media. You should know this, since it was you who worked out all the details of her position with me. The fewer people who know of her the better. Why did you call this meeting, Mahalia? What would you have of the Council?” Roul asked, ever the voice of reason.
    “The coven will need protection. I must cast a recollection on the dead girls and it will leave the entire coven weakened. I also ask for the protection of another, a person not of the coven but equally essential to performing the recollection,” Mahalia replied.
    “We are always willing to help the co ven. I offer you and your associate the protection of the pack for the next forty-eight hours. After that, you are on your own. I’m sorry, Mahalia, pack business. You understand. If there is nothing else that you require of the pack, then I will excuse myself and Olwyn from the rest of this meeting,” Roul said.
    The two rose before any objections could be made. Matthison watched them leave and then turned those steely cop eyes upon me. We all knew what Roul meant by pack business. Including Matthison. If we all walked away from this, then I’d have some explaining to do about Cash and his pass.
    Agrona leaned across the table with her usual feline grace. This meeting was far from over.
    “Who is this stranger that requires safe passage, Mahalia? I can’t recall the last time you asked for such a thing.” Agrona was suspicious.
    “Her name is Graive Larrick. She is coming to help us with the recollection and, if needed, she will stay until the murderers are caught and punished.” She glanced at Matthison as she spoke that last word.
    “Why are you avoiding a direct answer to my question?”
    So Agrona noticed that too. It was pretty obvious that Mahalia was skirting around something; she was giving up just enough to avoid lying.
    “You are deliberately leaving something out. This leads me to believe that my Queen will not be happy about whatever it is you are hiding. Let us not have lies or deceit between us. After all, it was you who came to us for aid,” Agrona’s husband said.
    “Kedehern, I am not lying or being d eceitful at all,” Mahalia replied cautiously.
    “Splitting hairs, aren’t we? Intentionally withholding information is the same thing as lying,” he growled.
    I wasn’t sure what was going on. Kedehern was doing all of the talking, which usually meant that Agrona was too pissed off to speak.
    “Spit it out, Mahalia. My Queen is getting irritated and we all remember what happened the last time she lost her temper at a Council meeting,” he warned.
    Matthison looked at me again. At some point I would have to regale him with the story of how the Vampire queen had kicked my ass. I was hoping that the ward would hold if Agrona lost her temper. The last thing we needed was for the shield to drop and the bar patrons to see what was really happening in the back corner of the bar.
    “I believe I mentioned that the spell we will be