Page 54 of Seduced By Moonlight

Kayden recoiled sharply in his chair, his eyes wide with disbelief. “Oh my god, are you serious? Are you okay? You look okay!”

He scanned Ward’s face for any signs of injury, which was dumb, because Ward was a paranormal. Any wound would’ve healed quickly. His mind raced back to the moment he’d glimpsed Ward on the television screen earlier. He’d basically looked fine then too, just pissed.

Ward cringed. “You saw me on—great.”

“I did. But the camera didn’t stay on you long.”

Ward let out a relieved sigh. “Well, I guess that’s a blessing.”

“So, some random big rig tried to run you over?” Kayden asked. Even he could hear the disbelief in his voice. “Is that what you’re telling me? I get the feeling it wasn’t an accident.”

“Yes, someone tried to hit us. But no, I don’t think the driver intentionally did it. In fact, from the quick glimpse I got of him, I don’t think he was aware of what was happening at all.”

“Um, there is a hidden meaning in that, but I’m not getting it,” Kayden admitted as he attempted to unravel the layers of the message.

“I understand. Listen, I have something important to tell you, and once I do, you’ll be able to decide whether you want to stay on this job. You asked if your team is at risk. The answer is, I’m not sure.”

Kayden shifted uneasily, torn between curiosity and apprehension. His grip on the arms of his chair tightened as he sat on the edge of his seat. “I need you to explain that.”

“I know.”

Kayden listened, partly captivated but mostly horrified, as Ward spun a chilling tale of black magic, witches, and a sinister plot involving an attempted ritual sacrifice. He shivered. There was danger, and his crew was in the middle of it.

Ward finished speaking finally.

Kayden stared at him, the words hanging in the air between them. “Let me get this straight. Four witches tried to sacrifice someone in your territory about a week ago.”

“Yes.”

“And the individual those witches attempted to sacrifice was actually a witch who somehow transported herself here from another realm?”

“Yes.”

“And the hunters promptly kidnapped that witch, then did experiments on her. Because of that, she ended up with this Power of Three thingy.”

“Yes.”

“She escapes and finds her way to a coven of witches in San DeLain, but they end up capturing her too because they desire the superpower she now possesses.”

“That’s it in a nutshell, yes.”

“You said her name was Rihanna, and she pledged to your clan.”

“Yes. She is under my protection now.”

“And because you interfered with the coven’s attempt at sacrificing her, you think they have it out for you.”

“That’s what the head priestess implied. At least, I’m assuming the witch who survived was the head priestess. She transported herself away.”

Kayden leaned back in his chair, his mind racing as he tried to process this astonishing revelation. The world they inhabited was already famous for its peculiarities and hidden depths, a place where mysteries lurked around every corner, but this was beyond anything he had ever imagined. It was utterly wild.

“There are several covens in San DeLain. Do you, by chance, know which one is gunning for you?” Kayden finally asked.

“It’s interesting you bring that up because when I explained the situation to Kage and Hudson, they asked the same question. I don’t know the coven myself, but I described the surviving witch to Kage. He has a magic user in his clan who might be able to identify her.”

“Huh.” Kayden pursed his lips, thinking. “You have some pretty impressive wards here. I’m guessing you also have a magic user? I mean, before Rihanna.”

Ward raised an eyebrow. “Yes. And before you ask, no, she didn’t recognize the description.”

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