Found (Book One of the Castle Coven Series): A Witch and Warlock Romance Novel Read Online Free Page B

think. She had eaten dinner alone. When she had passed Donato, he had pulled her aside.
    “Your meeting today with the major from the Magus Corps…”
    “Yes, sir?” she asked warily.
    Donato had treated her fairly, even if he had always made it clear that he was unhappy with her presence. Now, though, there was a thunderous expression on his face. He glared down at her from his far greater height.
    “You are still a member of this coven,” he said at last. “Whatever he wants you to do, if you don’t want to do it, if you feel he is crossing lines, I want you to come to me.”
    Hailey stared up at the coven master in surprise before she found her tongue.
    “Yes… yes sir, I will.”
    Satisfied with her answer, he walked on, leaving Hailey staring after him.
    She was touched that the coven master cared to tell her that, but when she thought about it for a little bit longer, she realized what it was. Power struggles between covens and the Magus Corps were legendary. Right now, Donato was probably looking on her as the bone that was being pulled between them. Still, it was far better than he needed to do. Another man might have just turned her over to the Magus Corps without a single qualm, especially if the witch in question had a set of powers as intimidating as hers. Instead, Donato had said that he would stand with her, and that was a comfort.
    In her own room, dressed only in the white nightgown she had brought with her, Hailey brushed her hair thoughtfully. It gleamed by the light of the single bare bulb, and after a moment, she opened the window.
    The cold moonlight streamed into her room. After a moment, a winged creature flared outside and alighted silently on her window sill. Before she had awakened as a Wiccan, Hailey had seen pictures of snowy owls before, but pictures did not convey the real size of these animals. Merit was a young female, and a large one at that. She had a five foot wingspan that could knock the breath out of someone who was caught unawares, and in the faint light of the room, her golden eyes shone.
    “Good evening, beautiful one,” Hailey said softly. “Have you come for a visit?”
    The owl blinked twice and inclined her head so that Hailey could ruffle her horns, the feathery tufts at the top of her crown. There was still something awe-inspiring about the fact that this wild animal had decided to be her familiar. They had been together for almost as long as Hailey had been a witch, and now, though the bird hunted the forest, she still came to see her mistress every day.
    “What do you think, Merit?” Hailey whispered. “Do you think this is going to be okay?
    The owl turned her honey-colored eyes to Hailey, and the sound she made was oddly gentle. She nibbled lightly on Hailey’s fingers with a beak that could easily kill a full-grown rabbit. Hailey smiled. This great predator had never been anything but gentle with her.
    The owl gave one last affectionate peck to Hailey’s wrist and swept off into the night. Her white wings flickered against the dark, and then she was lost to sight.
    “If only I could fly away with you,” Hailey said quietly.
    She closed the window and climbed in to bed. Dawn was coming very quickly, and she wanted some sleep before she had to face the major again.

CHAPTER THREE

    MORNING CAME ALL too soon. When Hailey’s feet hit the stone floor, she wanted nothing more than to climb back into bed. Red was already streaking the sky, though, so she dressed hurriedly. She found a pair of comfortably worn jeans, and she stomped into the heavy boots that had served her so well in the Alpine territory. A thick hoodie finished her outfit, and as she trotted down to the courtyard, she hastily plaited her hair. Flyaway strands escaped her braid, but that was hardly unusual. When she was done, she opened the small gate that lead to the interior courtyard. It was a walled area that in times past had served as a meditation garden for the monks. Now it was the common