Coven Betrayed (The Silver Legacy Book 4) Read online

“I thought it better if we told them everything together.” Her accent was as polished as his.

  The limo lurched forward into the horrific London traffic.

  “Very well. For weeks now, Felicity has foreseen the coming of the witch hunters. Their appearance actually awoke her screaming from a dream.”

  “I am not faint of heart, mind you,” Felicity said, leaning forward. She seemed to be addressing only Iris. “I’ve seen enough in my time. But I knew they were coming. I just didn’t know why.”

  “Do you now?” Denny asked.

  Felicity leaned back and studied Denny a moment before answering. “You are quite young. I hadn’t expected you to be such a novice.”

  “Felicity—”

  “That’s okay, Sebastian,” Denny said. “She’s right. I am young. But in the six months since I discovered I am possessed by a Legacy demon, I have aged considerably.”

  This prompted a chuckle from the man. “I most certainly understand that, Golden Silver.”

  “Denny, please.”

  “You know all about my hunter?” Iris asked.

  “As a Legacy, I am aware of all other Legacies, so yes. She is well known here in England.”

  “We are not too fond of nicknames here,” Sebastian said, not unkindly. “I do hope Golden will suffice.” He paused, then carried on. “We all start out young and new when we realize that the lives we had planned for ourselves will not come to pass. The harsh reality of being a Legacy hunter is that it is all-consuming.”

  “What my husband is trying not to say is, welcome to the club of the damned.”

  “Felicity—”

  “It really is fine, Sebastian,” Denny said. “I am young, not stupid, and yes, I’ve seen the fabric of my life change greatly since I realized what I am.”

  Sebastian held a hand up. “Not what. Who. There is a fine distinction, Golden, that you may as well get used to right now. What is one’s job, duty, service, vocation. Who one is boils down to the essence. The skin we wear every hour of every day.”

  “I am a witch,” Felicity continued. “It is who I am every minute of every hour. It defines what I do, and how I look at the world. The same is true of you hunters. Your demons are ever present. They are the core of your being. They are every bit as vital to you now as your heart or lungs.” Felicity grabbed Denny’s hands. “And you are going to have to rely on your demon now more than ever.”

  “Felicity, do not get ahead of yourself.”

  She smiled tenderly at Sebastian, “Yes, dear.” Then she released Denny’s hands and leaned back once more.

  “I’m sorry,” Iris chipped in. “Can we get back to your story. You had a dream the witch hunters were coming—”

  “Not coming. Here. They are here.”

  “Here in England?”

  “Here in London. They are always here, but someone has made them active.”

  Denny shook her head. “I don’t understand.”

  “We, Golden—you and I—must hunt demons in order to feed our own. We are active in the pursuit of these demons. Not so with witch hunters. They, like us, hail from long lines of witch hunting families. Unlike us, however, they do not actively pursue witches.”

  “Unless called upon to do so.” Felicity took Sebastian’s hand. “They have been called, Golden, and are, at this moment, devising a plan to go after a witch they deem too dangerous to themselves and society.”

  Denny instinctively reached over and took Iris’s hand.

  “No, no, hunter, your witch is not who they are after at this moment. She is far too young and inexperienced for them to pursue right now. They will. Mark my words.”

  “Then why were they after us?”

  Before Sebastian could answer, the limo pulled into the circular driveway of an enormous mansion. A four-tiered fountain stood regally in the center of the driveway. The mansion, painted white with grey trim, was a three-story monolith surrounded by a row of tall, green, perfectly coifed hedges. Grey shutters framed every window and a row of roses lined the inner circle of the driveway.

  “Wow. Is this where you live?”

  Sebastian chuckled. “No, this is my home. We often live places that are not houses.”

  “Well, your home is beautiful.”

  Felicity tilted her head at Denny. “You are...”

  “Amazed? Perplexed. Awed.”

  “Ah, yes. You wonder why Sebastian and I live so...” She waited for Denny to supply the word—but it was Iris who finished the sentence.

  “Large.”

  Felicity chuckled. “Large is so American, but yes.”

  The driver got out and opened the door.

  “We live opulently and in grand style, Golden, because the ‘larger’ I live, the harder it is to kill me. The more difficult it is for my enemies to come after me. Unlike American hunters, European hunters live fully in the open. Not as hunters, mind you, but as society’s elite.”

  “It’s easier to kill a rat in the gutter than it is an elephant on center stage.” Felicity waited for Sebastian to get out and offer his hand to her.

  Iris giggled. “What an apt analogy.”

  “Well, we’ve had thousands of years to perfect it. You’re not yet three hundred years old. It will take you a while to figure it all out.”

  “So, you’re hiding in plain sight.” Denny slid out of the limo.

  Sebastian said something to the driver before helping Iris out of the limo. Then they walked toward enormous double doors, intricately carved with panels that appeared to be scenes out of the Bible.

  “This is gorgeous,” Iris said, running her hands over the carvings.

  “It is a replica of my favorite piece of art: the Ghiberti doors on The Baptism in Florence.”

  “Amazing.”

  The doors opened to reveal a butler dressed in archaic garb of long tails and uncomfortable shoes.

  “Welcome home, sir. Madam.”

  Sebastian took off his top hat and handed it to the butler. “Winston, please get our guests a change of clothing and set them in the guest bath.”

  “As you wish. Madam, would you like your afternoon cocktail?”

  “Please, Winston, and bring Iris something as well. Iris?”

  “Iced tea would be great, thank you.”

  “Excellent. When you finish with your shower, Golden, we’ll meet you in the library. Take your time. The guest bath is lovely.

  As they climbed the circular stairs, Denny reached for Iris’s hand. “You okay?”

  Iris nodded. “I feel ten steps behind them, like we are minor leaguers compared to them. I mean, look at this house, DH. It’s magnificent.”

  Denny stood at the top of the stairs and looked down at the white marble floor of the atrium foyer. A glass ceiling allowed light to cascade upon the statues housed in small alcoves. At the center of the atrium was a larger, circular table upon which stood a clear vase filled with a variety of roses.

  “Yes it is.”

  “Do you...do you think we can trust them?”

  “I’m not sure we have a choice, Iris. We are really, truly out of our element here. We need their help. Are you okay with that?”

  “Okay? Geez, DH, I’m not sure I’m okay with anything, but we came here on a mission to finally free you from worrying about the safety of your loved ones. If they can aid us in that quest, then who are we to argue?”

  Smiling, Denny followed Winston into a room larger than the bottom floor of her home in Savannah. “Oh. Wow.”

  “You take a shower first, DH. I’ll stand watch.”

  Denny cocked her head to the side. “Stand watch?”

  “Trust is one thing. Blind trust is another. Let’s not be stupid here.”

  Denny gazed into Iris’s eyes and laid her palm on her cheek. “Thank you for coming here with me.”

  “I’m your witch. Where else would I be?”

  “Safely in the United States?”

  “Safety is over-rated, DH. You, of all people, should know that.
Go on. Take a shower, change your clothes, and let’s go see if these lovely, yet slightly eccentric, people can help us find your father’s family.”

  Lowering her hand, Denny nodded. “Why do I have the feeling that they are going to find us?”

  “Maybe because they already have.”

  SIX DAYS AGO

  “You have to go. You have to get out of here.” Denny climbed the stairs to the lair with Iris in tow. Rush was nowhere to be seen.

  “Why? There’s no one after me, DH.”

  “But Cassandra said—”

  “I know what she said, and I think she might be mistaken.”

  “Iris, I was there when the succubus practically said your name. I won’t argue about it. There are witch hunters in town, and whether or not they’re after you, I need you to distance yourself from me until I get this sorted out.”

  “What did Ames say?”

  “He’s doing the legwork on it now.” Denny did a retinal scan and waited for the door to slide open.

  Iris stood at the entrance to the lair. “What about the others? Are they leaving town as well?”

  Denny nodded. “Cassandra has everyone packing. She’s concerned that the witch hunters are working with demons. That’s a serious combination to have to face.”

  “I get that, but to move the entire coven?”

  Denny sat at her desk and looked around for Rush. Rush may have been a ghost—a supernatural being—but she did not like witches.

  At all.

  “Cassandra said it’s been over three decades since a witch hunter has hunted in Georgia, so they aren’t taking any chances.”

  She narrowed her eyes at Iris. “Neither are we. You’re to go with the coven and assist Cassandra any way you can.”

  Iris stared at her. “I can’t believe this shit. Are you...are you ordering me to go with the coven?”

  Denny nodded. “Actually, I am. You’re my witch. My job is to take good care of you.”

  “And my job is to protect you. How can I do that from afar, hiding like some little scared mouse?”

  Iris started into the room. “After all we’ve been through, after seeing me hold up my end of a battle, after—”

  Suddenly, Rush appeared, standing with arms akimbo between Iris and Denny. She was wearing the green fatigues soldiers wore in the Vietnam War. “Just hold on there, sweet cheeks, and bring down the volume a notch or two. You may be her witch, but I am her ghost and her best friend and no chick gets to raise her voice in this house unless it’s me.”

  “Rush—”

  “Uh-uh, Den, I won’t be shushed. Your little witch here needs to understand how this works, and how this works, sugar, is the hunter is the boss. This hunter is your boss. Are there any questions?”

  Iris shook her head, turned, and headed down the stairs.

  “Damn it, Rush.”

  Rush whirled around. “What? If you’re not going to step up for yourself, I sure as hell will. She is your witch. She protects you. She can do so with respect. If she can’t understand that, you might need a ‘come to Jesus’ meeting.”

  “I’m pretty sure that just happened. Can you go smooth things over? I’ve got work to do.”

  Rush made a noise of disgust before slowly disappearing.

  Denny opened her laptop and started looking into witch hunters. She called and left a message for Ames, then called Lauren.

  “Yo, big time demon hunter, ’wuss up?”

  “You know, there’s nothing more pathetic than white folk trying to be black.”

  “Wow. Okay, Ms. Silver, however can I help your royal assholeness?”

  Denny laughed, then launched into what had happened and what she needed.

  “Whoa. Wait a sec. You’ve got witch hunters after your friends?”

  “Yeah, why?”

  “And your coven lovin’ booty call buddies don’t know why?”

  “Uh...no.”

  “Then I strongly suggest you contact Valeria. Or have you already sent up smoke signals to her?”

  “I have.”

  “Then you’re missing the obvious.”

  Denny frowned. “And what’s that?”

  “Those mystery chests in your sanctuary. They appeared right around the time your little witch showed up. Let me see what I can find out about carved chests, witches, and witch hunters. You go do something fun...something, or someone, more supernatural.”

  “Like?”

  “Seriously? I have to start telling you how to have fun? Aren’t you going out with Brianna tonight?”

  Denny jumped up from the desk. “Holy shit! Thank you so much for reminding me.”

  “Oh my God. If you stand that poor woman up one more time, it’s over. Kaput. Done. The fat lady is singing.”

  “Thanks for the reminder.”

  “Get laid, Den. Release some tension. Have fun. Your witches will be gone in the morning, so enjoy her while you can. I’ll get right on this.”

  When Denny hung up, she turned to find Iris standing at the door.

  “All better?”

  “Rush was right. I can best protect you by not being a target. If we’re all out of harm’s way, you can focus on the task at hand. I’m sorry, DH.”

  “No sorries, Iris. I’d feel better knowing you all were whisked away to a safe house somewhere.”

  “Why can’t they just leave you alone? Just a week?”

  “Because I’m a new Legacy with a powerful demon inside, and a seventh of seven witch who is also very strong and quite dangerous. I should have known they would come after us.”

  “It doesn’t sound like it is ‘us’ they are after, but I get it. I apologize.”

  “No need. Now, I have a date with Bri, and I am going to try to overcome our failure to launch.”

  “How did you get this past Cassandra? You know how she loves to act like she’s not even remotely interested in a commitment until someone else shows an interest? It makes me nervous.”

  “You too?” Denny chuckled. “She really is quite a force.

  “She’s bonded with you whether you want to admit it or not.”

  “I just told her it wasn’t up to her, and if she punished Bri for dating me, our friendship would suffer for it.”

  “Oh...yeah. I can see where that might get her. She has it bad for you. Really bad.”

  “Nah, she just likes the sex.”

  “Eww. Maybe so, but she’s claimed you. She may not ever admit it, but she has. Just be careful.”

  “You too.”

  “When will I see you again?” Iris stood in front of her.

  “When we get this witch hunting bullshit put to bed. Think of it as a little staycation.”

  Iris grinned slightly. “Stay safe, DH.”

  “You, too, kiddo.”

  Once Iris was gone, Denny showered and changed. When she came out of the bathroom, Rush hovered over the bed, appraising her.

  “Well?”

  “Don’t try so hard, baby. She already knows you, already adores you, and you’re going to make it awkward by being uptight.”

  “Speaking of uptight, what’s with the fatigues?”

  “Oh, these? We were watching a Vietnam War marathon. Apocalypse Now, Platoon, GI Jane.”

  “Uh, GI Jane wasn’t Vietnam.”

  “Who cares? She was smoking hot in that.”

  Denny smiled at Rush. “You do realize we are going to be together until the day I die.”

  Rush hovered a little higher. “I’m sure your girl will have a few things to say about that.”

  “It’s not up for discussion. I’m not leaving this house, Rush. Not ever.”

  Rush smiled back. “Good. I’d hate to have to break in a new family.” She floated over to Denny. “You look fantastic, love, you really do.”

  “Thanks. Is it...you know...”

  “Hard for me? No. What’s hard for me is watching you be unhappy. You know you truly love someone—truly, deeply, in a way that trumps all other emotions—if you giv
e up what you want so they can be happy. That’s how this is. It makes me happy when you’re happy. So go be happy. As for me, I’m off for round two of our movie marathon. If you want to bring her back here, go for it. I won’t cock block you tonight.”

  A laugh escaped Denny’s mouth. “Cock block, eh?”

  “Be happy, my love. That’s all that matters.”

  Then she was gone.

  Grabbing the battered leather jacket that had once been her mother’s, Denny filled the inner pockets with her weapons. She put on her watch that emitted a light shield, checked herself in the mirror, and muttered, “Most women check their purses for lipstick and hair products. I need a new life.”

  Denny drove to the coven house, singing a song she couldn’t remember the name of, nor how or when she’d ever learned it when her phone rang. “It’s Denny. Speak to me.”

  “Yo, Silver!”

  Denny felt an enormous grin split her face. “Annalee! How the hell are you?”

  “Good. Good. Was just wondering if you changed your mind about keeping that awesome face tattoo?”

  “That’s not why you called. You’ve missed me.”

  “Are you nuts? Trouble follows you wherever you go. I don’t miss that in the slightest. You’re a problem magnet. Standing next to you can be a dangerous place. So, how are you, really?”

  “Can I plead the fifth?”

  “No. Even as we speak, there’s a shit storm heading your way.”

  Uh-oh.

  “What are you talking about? The witch hunters?”

  “Yeah. I was just wondering if you need all hands on deck for this one.”

  Denny thought about it a moment. “Actually, I think we’re good. The coven is heading to a safe house.”

  “Then how do you expect to find the witch hunters without your blood hounds?”

  “Those hunters are running with some demon hunters. They’re leaving loaf-sized bread crumbs.”

  “Wait. They’re what? That’s insane. That means—”

  “This is some serious shit, yeah. I appreciate the offer, but I’m hoping to quell a revolt and send their pieces home in body bags.”

  “Now that’s the hunter I know and love. Have you been following Peyton?”

  “I try, but she’s been virtually non-existent since I saw her.”

  “Because she’s trying to regain some balance in her life. You should try it.”