The Witch: Book Two of The Sorceress Saga Taliesin Govannon (best free ereader .txt) 📖

roll to avoid it.  I shot fire from my hands and smelled the scent of burning hair in its wake.  It was still too fast to see.

                I crouched on the path, scanning above me, and holding my hands at the ready.  My assailant, however, was gone.

                So you picked on someone powerful enough to fight back, huh? I thought as a grin spread across my face.  I singed your furry ass, whatever you are!

                Feeling satisfied, I turned back for home.  I’ll have to check Jack’s security cameras. I thought.

                                                                                                *                *                *

                Of all of the things I expected to see upon barging into Jack's basement domain… usually including things like pot smoke and junk-food abuse… Jack wrapped up, naked, with a five thousand-year-old Japanese supernatural figure was not one of them!

                And yet, here they are.

                The door made no sound when it opened, so the two were still sleeping.  Jack’s hair was messy on his pillow, one of the few times I had ever seen him with his hair down in the past few years.  He had an arm curled around Katsu’s naked body, and she slept face-down against his chest. A sheet spiraled around them both.

                “I really hate to interrupt, guys, but… “ I started to say.

                The sound of my voice made Jack open his eyes, going from sleep to shock in seconds.  “Oh! uh...” he said, grabbing at the sheet but unable to find an edge to pull over them.

                I had to grin as Katsu woke up.  “I must say, this is a development.” I said, ready to rib him relentlessly for his compromising position.  Instead, it was my turn to be surprised as Katsu stood up, still completely naked, and stretched.

                “Hi Annabelle.” she said, yawning.  “Something up?”

                “I, uh… “ What the hell, Annabelle?!? I thought furiously. You just spent a month in the Virginia hormone farm with a bunch of horny Fae and one extremely horny vampire, and casual nudity still throws you? I mean, yeah, she’s hot, but… “I tangled with something on my morning walk.” I finally said.  “I think I singed it, but it was fast.  I need to see if it was captured on the monitors.”

                “That shouldn’t be difficult.” she said, putting her hair up in a ponytail.  Katsu crossed over to the main desk, sat down in one of the chairs sitting behind it, and started typing.

                I leaned into Jack, who was using the recently freed sheet around his waist.  "Dude, is she going to put on clothes?"

                “I wouldn’t bet on it.”  He couldn’t hide his grin.

                “Okay.” I said, returning his grin.  “Just put on some pants when I turn around… I feel like I just caught my brother fucking.”

                I walked over to stand behind Katsu as she brought the various screen feeds up on the main monitor bank.  “Where were you?” she asked.

                “I was near the old playground.  Near the Montessori school." I said, and she typed some more.  Soon I saw a familiar bend in the path.  "There!"

                Katsu used the mouse to scroll back.  “And how long ago?”

                “Maybe thirty minutes ago.” I said.  “You’re running the system pretty well for someone older than the pyramids.” I added admiringly.

                “Thanks.” she said.  “While everyone else was globe-trotting, Jack and I were going over everywhere we could find a camera in the world.  I picked up a thing or two while you were gone.”

                “Including one geeky bed-mate.” I said with a grin.

                That one got to Katsu, and she broke into an embarrassed grin, just the hint of a blush on her cheeks. She soon pointed at the screen, however.  “There we go!”

                I looked and saw a dark shape fly across the screen, my fire-bolt coming just inches away from taking out the camera.  "What the hell?"

                “Let me see if I can freeze-frame it." Katsu said, scrolling back.  "Here it is."

                There was just one clear frame, but it said it all.  There, not a foot from my head, was a massive black bat.

                “How big is that?” Jack asked, pulling on his shirt and sitting down by Katsu.  His being fully-clothed only made her nudity more noticeable.

                “I’d say its body is about the size of a great dane.” Katsu answered.

                “Great.” Jack deadpanned.  “Dog-sized bats.  Must be Tuesday.”

                “Maybe we should call a house meeting.” I said.

                Katsu sighed.  “Time to put on clothes.” She got up and walked over to a pile of fabric on the floor and started to get dressed.

                “Really, dude?” I asked Jack softly.

                “I know.” he said, desire and joy written on his face.  “Isn’t she great?!?”

                I rolled my eyes and walked away.

                                                                                                *                *                *

                We almost had the entire crew together.  Vincent and Angelique spoke in a huddle while Hatsu and Katsu stood with Jack, talking and acting far more relaxed around each other than I was used to.  Raina and Gaia were sitting together, enjoying a cup of strong coffee at this early hour.  Trevor and Evelyn had yet to return from South Africa, so they’d have to be caught up when they arrived.

                I sat on a sofa by myself, feeling good to be home.

                “Okay guys,” Vincent said, clapping his hands together, “let’s get going.”

                Everyone quieted down, and Vincent looked at me. “I was out patrolling this morning,” I began, “and I was attacked by something. Something big.”

                “We located the attack on the closed-circuit monitors and found a giant bat." Jack said.

                “How big?” Raina asked.

                “As big as Jack’s appetite in the morning.” Katsu said, making a few of us chuckle.

                “That’s big.” Vincent said.

                “I singed it, and it took off.” I added.

                “Whoever sent that is probably going to know that you’re back in town.” Gaia said.  “I should go with you on your morning walks.”

                “That’s okay,” I said, hand raised, “I