Corrigan Magic (Corrigan: Blood Destiny Book 2) Read Online Free

disappearance out on other people either.  Since Audrey’s frank assessment, however, I’d thought of little else.  If I could just find her and talk to her…
    It wasn’t the first time that I’d done it, but I tried my Voice again anyway.  Mack?  Where the hell are you?
    As per usual, there was no response.  In fact, I was certain she didn’t even hear me.  I had been stretching my ability to communicate, however.  A few days ago, I managed to reach the local Alpha in Newcastle.  Mack might be on the other side of the world, of course.  I wasn’t sure I’d ever be strong enough to make the Voice reach that far.  I pushed my chair back and punched the desk.  There was an ominous sounding crack as the wood split.  The neat desk tidy, containing an array of multi-coloured pens, along with a sheaf of paper, slid to the floor.  Goddamnit.
    I exhaled loudly and got back to the mind-numbing paperwork.  With the desk ruined, however, it was difficult to find a space where I could properly work.  I was about to give up on my office and find somewhere else when the phone rang.
    “This is Corrigan.”  I could hear the anger in my tone and forced myself to calm down.  Whoever was on the other end of the phone had nothing to do with my sharp-clawed kitten.
    “My Lord Alpha, this is Andrew Farnam.  I’m the…”
    “The Alpha in Somerset,” I finished for him.  “We have met.”
    “I didn’t think you’d remember.”
    “As I recall we had a particularly interesting discussion about the merits of Way Directive 49.”
    “Yes.”  He sounded strained.  Clearly he wasn’t calling to pass the time of day or to debate the finer points of shifter law.
    “What is it, Andrew?”
    “We’re having some problems here, my Lord.”
    I sat up straight, ignoring the drop in my stomach.  “What kind of problems?”  I prayed to the heavens above that it wasn’t another portal and another damned demi-goddess.
    “A lot of the pack here have been sick.”
    I frowned.  Whatever I’d been expecting, it wasn’t that.  “Go on.”
    “We’re not sure how it started but two weeks ago three of our shifters came down with a fever.”
    I grabbed a notepad.  ‘What kind of shifters?”  Different ailments affected different groups.  Knowing who was involved could rather dramatically change any kind of treatment offered.
    “A were-lion, werewolf and werefox.”
    That made no sense.  “Okay.  Tell me more about the fever.”
    He cleared his throat.  “It only started with the fever.  Unfortunately it didn’t stay that way.  Their skin turned red.  Then the whites of their eyes.  They kept complaining of thirst.  We thought it might be food poisoning.  Or some kind of flu.”
    “But?” I prompted.
    “But then their liver and kidneys began to shut down.  They were in agony.”
    “Andrew,” I said quietly, “you’re talking in the past tense.”
    “Yes, my Lord.  This morning all three of them passed away.”
    I squeezed my eyes shut.  For several heartbeats both of us were silent.  Eventually, however, I found some words.  They sounded weak and trite though. “My condolences to the families.  And to you.”
    “Thank you, my Lord.”
    With deepening dread, I suddenly knew that he wasn’t finished.  “More are sick?” I guessed.
    “Yes.” He spoke heavily.  “We kept the first three isolated but they must have passed on the disease somehow.  We have another five who are complaining of symptoms.”
    “And yourself?  How are you?”
    “I’m okay.” 
    I took a deep breath.  Whatever this was, it was damned serious.  The cogs of my mind whirred.  What would be the best course of action?  I had to be decisive.  Somerset needed strong help, not a weak leader.  “Right.  The most important thing is to quarantine everyone.  I’m going to set up an exclusion zone.  No-one is to be allowed outside.  We can’t risk passing whatever this is onto other people.  You’ll