Page 32 of Guarded By the Orc

I gasped, reaching forward to slap her arm and she laughed. I joined in, having missed this closeness. Most of the witches inour coven were still young and they were all single.

I’d never seen any of them dating. They were very cautious when it came to males and I hadn’t noticed it until I’d started dating and they were all overprotective.

“Aren’t you going to warn me away from them the way you used to when I was younger?” I asked Tabitha, laying my head on her shoulder.

She stroked her fingers through my hair and laughed. “Not this time. Fated mates are different. I know he’ll protect you. I’ve seen the way he looks at you,” she told me, and I held my breath. IknewI was his mate, but I hadn’t admitted it to myself yet. I was living in a state of eternal denial.

I forced a smile and then looked away. “There’s a lot of orcs in their clan,” I told them, trying to change the subject. “I haven’t met all of them yet, but I know three of them well. They were living on the plane that Veron had taken me to.” I scowled, but shook my head. “They’re great. I’m going to have to scry for their mates. I promised them.”

“Scrying for mates takes a lot of focus,” Tabitha warned, “and concentration.”

Focus and concentration. Shit. The two things I’m the worst at.

“I might need your help with that,” I admitted, giving her a guilty smile. She snorted out a laugh, hugging me close again.

“I’ve missed you,” she told me, and Floria and Hanna nodded, sending winks my way.

“Okay, here we are,” Tasia said, making her way over with the pouch of ground herbs and crystals. “This is everything. We’ll need to sprinkle the herbs and water on every cornerstone of the building and bind the crystals to the cardinal points.”

I nodded, leaning forward and taking a deep breath while squeezing the hands of Tabitha and Floria again, preparing myself to join the circle—for the first time. “Now how do I dothis?” I asked them, looking around and their eyes—which had been closed, popped open with shock.

Tasia released a snort and then laughed, shaking her head. “You say the spell and Tabitha will focus your power, just like your mom. The circle will enhance the power and it’ll spread to where we need it,” she explained after she’d settled.

“Right,” I said with a firm nod, taking a deep breath. I read the words, the magick symbols familiar to me. I’d read the book from cover to cover at least three times when learning under my mom’s tutelage. “I’ve got this.”

“You do,” Tabitha agreed, nudging my shoulder with her own, keeping a firm pressure on my hand. “You’ll do great and even if you don’t get it the first time, we’ll just keep trying.” That took some of the pressure off of me, so I sucked in a calming breath before I began chanting the spell. I felt my power grow, the words activating it inside me, and I closed my eyes, repeating the words.

Everyone began murmuring them with me, our hands getting warmer as the connection grew. The sense of oneness that I’d always wanted to be part of was filling me up. Their presence was making itself known as our magick combined. I opened my eyes to look around me at the others in the coven, grinning as I kept up chanting.

Their eyes were closed and their brows were drawn in concentration. I should be concentrating too, but I was too excited to just be part of it. Much lessin chargeof it. I started as swirling lights began circling us. I kept saying the words, keeping my eyes on them, but they didn’t come closer. Movingoutwardinstead. I couldfeelTabitha channeling my power through herself, focusing it in a way that I still had to learn how to do.

I was awed by it, watching the sparkles grow brighter and larger, moving around the room in swirls, pushing away from usas the circle got bigger and bigger. It kept going, out of the room, but I couldfeel it.The power was growing, moving to protect the building. Squeezing my eyes shut, I kept chanting.

CHAPTER 17

Rudgar

Ipaced up and down Dristan’s living room. He was cuddling a pregnant Pen while Rok and Becca were snuggled on a chair together.

“So there’s a coven here?” Becca asked, nuzzling against her male’s shoulder. “That’s good, right? It means that they can help keep Zara safe.”

“It also means that if the warlocks are going to attack, they’ll definitely do it here,” Dristan pointed out and I turned a glare his way.

He shrugged at me and I rolled my eyes. I didn’t needlogicat the moment. I needed aplan.

“Yes, but what’s the plan if theydoattack?” I asked, and Dristan sighed, scrubbing his palm over his face.

“We should attack them right back,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest. “We’ll be the physical force and the coven will provide the mystical stuff.”

“The magick,” Dristan offered and I nodded.

“Yes, that,” I confirmed.

“And what will we do?” Pen piped up and Dristan narrowed his eyes. He parted his lips to speak, but I cut him off before he could shove his huge foot in his mouth.

“You’ll be the emotional and moral support who cheers us on from a safe location,” I told Pen and Becca, pointing at them. “Here specifically. You won’t leave this penthouse.”

Pen and Becca both started in with simultaneous complaints, and I shook my head.

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