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

or so, reaching back too far to see the end.

                “Where are we?” I gasped.

                “A friend of mine’s place.” Trevor said, standing up.

                “Calling Jexo a ‘friend’ is stretching it a bit, don’t you think?” Evelyn asked, her eyebrow cocked.

                “Well with what I know about HIM, he doesn’t want me as an enemy, that’s for fucking sure!” he retorted acidly.

                “Oh, because taking refuge in the idea of ‘mutually assured destruction’ rocked so many people to sleep in the late twentieth century!” Jack said, rolling his eyes.

                “Yeah, well,” Trevor said, “Jexo’s a sentient, semi-reasonable human. You have at least a snowball’s chance in hell of talking sense into him.”

                “Trevor’s got a point.” Evelyn said, shrugging. “After all, Jexo may be a violent bugger with more bodies to his name than you lot have had hot meals, but there’s a surprisingly… sensitive side to the old geezer.”

                “You know, you could also be describing a serial killer who’s also a furry.” Jack said.

                Trevor leaned into me. "He's not far off." he whispered.

                Lovely.

                Trevor and Evelyn started down the path. “Okay, children,” Trevor said as he walked, “try to keep up. We have a bit of a walk ahead of us.”

                He wasn't kidding. After the first half-hour of the endless concrete tunnel, I started noticing my mind wandering. Only instead of daydreaming, I started to stretch out my consciousness to the world around, and above, me.

                I could sense life all around me… root systems of plants and trees above me, and all manner of burrowing insects and earthworms all around.

                I soon also felt the life force of fish and other water creatures above me. We must be going under… yes, a lake! I stretched my perception further… It's a medium-sized lake, and it looks like it's by… a mountain.

                I was both excited and bothered… excited at using my abilities better and better, but bothered by what they told me.

                A mountain fortress? How super-villain.

                We soon came upon a heavily fortified steel door, and we gathered around as Trevor hit a small red button on the wall.

                “Who is this? What do you want?” an angry voice spat out from a hidden speaker. The hiss of the open line echoed on the concrete walls around us.

                “Trevor Hawkins and company,” Trevor said calmly, “seeking aid and shelter from your boss.”

                “Hold on.” the voice barked, and the speaker went silent.

                “Well, here goes nothing.” Katsu said, holding Jack’s trembling hand.

                “You don’t know the half of it.” Evelyn said, her voice low.

                Trevor was about to say something back when the hidden speaker crackled to life again. “Wait there.” it commanded before going silent again.

                We heard the sound of several bolts sliding into place, and then the door in front of us opened.

                We were greeted by the sight of twenty heavily armed and armored people, automatic weapons cocked and aimed right at us. We froze in place, eyes wide.

                All except Trevor. “Jex, what’s this shit?” he said, annoyed.

                A male voice piped up from the back. “Trevor Hawkins, you son of a bitch.” he said with a thick New Zealand accent. “You’re not setting foot in here until any non-human or non… non-traditional humans identify themselves and their threat level!”

                “This shit? Again? Now?” Gaia said softly, disgusted.

                “What’s ‘this shit’?” I asked.

                “Old protocols.” Evelyn answered. “Vampire hunters and general occult punters like Jexo tend to see non and extra-human folks as categories rather than people. Early interactions between mundane human and paranormal worlds used to be governed by these kinds of declarations, and throwbacks like Jexo still put stock in them.”

                “It’s degrading.” Gaia said. “It’s why I don’t do missions in the distant past anymore.”

                “Maybe we should all declare.” Jack said.

                We all nodded.

                “We will all declare!” Evelyn announced, loud enough for all to hear. “We stand with our extra and non-human friends!”

                “Very well.” Jexo replied.

                “I am Evelyn Hawkins,” she said first, “human, and sister to this lot!”. She jerked her head Trevor.

                “My condolences.” Jexo called back.

                “You’ve faced me.” she continued. “You know my code.”

                “That I do, indeed.” For the first time, something approaching respect crept into Jexo’s voice.

                Katsu stood straight. “I am Katsu, five thousand year old Japanese Witch.” she said. “Not dangerous unless my party or myself come under attack.”

                “And I am Jack Stillwagner,” Jack said next, “human, boyfriend to the Witch, and a computer geek who’s badly in need of a bathroom.”

                “So, mostly harmless.” Evelyn added.

                “Gaia, Twilight Fae.” Gaia said, standing straight. “You know our code as well. Or you should.”

                “That I do.” Jexo replied.

                Evelyn elbowed Trevor in the side.

                “What?” he whispered, annoyed.

                “Go on, your turn!” she said back.

                “What? He knows who I bloody well am!”

                “It’s for solidarity!”

                Trevor rolled his eyes. “Trevor Hawkins, human.” he said out loud, not even trying to hide his disdain. “You fucking know me.”

                “Hence the guns.” Evelyn said with a grin.

                “I’m Annabelle.” I said simply. They’re not getting my last name… it’s the same as my Mom’s! “I’m the Sorceress.”

                There was a pause. “No bullshit?” Jexo said tentatively.

                “None in the slightest.” Trevor replied, grinning.

                “Weapons down!” Jexo commanded, and the assembled troops lowered and un-cocked their guns. I watched as a grizzled, muscle-bound man stepped out from behind the armed throng and walked towards us.

                “I take it that’s Jexo?” I asked Evelyn softly.

                “That’s him.” she replied.

                He looked like something right out of a Hollywood action film. Camo pants that did squat to hide just how buff he was, an olive drab wife beater that didn't even try, and a scruffy gray beard that melded seamlessly with his close-cropped gray hair. The smoldering stub of an oversized cigar was clamped in his teeth, and a wickedly big-looking sidearm was strapped to his waist.

                “Jexo, so good to see… “ Trevor started, but Jexo brushed