Page 10 of In the Line of Fire
“That was the first time the dark practitioners found me.” I squeezed his hand, struggling to wrap my head around the fact that he’d been trying to find me for as long as I’d been on the run. “I was in the middle of a moss study in the forest to the north of Bear Creek when I ran into them. I’m not sure how I missed the nearby covenstead when I set up camp a few days earlier. My phoenix didn’t sense anything off when I circled the area, and there wasn’t a hint of magic in the air.”
Damien tugged me against his side. “Don’t second-guess yourself. Dark practitioners expend a lot of magic to keep their secrets. Their covenstead would have been protected by layer upon layer of spells. Even the most skilled witch who knew the circle was nearby could have easily missed it.”
“Thanks.” I took comfort in Damien’s words since he didn’t strike me as someone who would tell me what he thought I wanted to hear just because we were fated mates. “I sure as heck noticed when they came to the woods for a gathering, but it was too late. One of the witches sensed my presence before I could put enough distance between us. Their initial attack was brutal, and I didn’t stand a chance. They left me for dead, having no idea that I was a phoenix shifter. Which should’ve been perfect for me, except their gathering must’ve lasted a freaking long time because I crossed paths with one of the warlocks as I was leaving the woods after my rebirth.”
“And the bastard recognized you?” Damien asked.
I shuddered at the memory of that confrontation. “Yeah, I was lucky that he was too drained to cast a strong enough spell to attack me because he figured out that I was a phoenix shifter way too fast. His magic must’ve been strong enough to get a message to one of his coven members, though. Because my secret didn’t die with him. They’ve been hunting me ever since.”
“No more,” he growled.
“Damn straight. It’s past time this ended,” my dad agreed.
They bickered back and forth over the best way to approach my situation. It was difficult to concentrate on the conversation while my phoenix pushed hard for me to claim my mate. I zeroed back into what they were saying when Damien’s grip on my hand tightened. “As my mate, you can be damn sure that finding the dark practitioners who have been hunting Soleil will be the top priority for both the shifter and witch councils. She’s going to have support and protection from the fiercest alphas in the shifter community and four powerful witches, as well as their packs and covens. Informing them of the situation is a necessity.”
“Fine,” my dad huffed, crossing his arms over his chest and jutting his chin out. “But I’m not sure she should go with you.”
