Demon Witch (Paranormal Hunter Academy Book 3) Read online

  Demon Witch

  Paranormal Hunter Academy Book 3

  Rae Hendricks

  Copyright

  © 2020 by Raven Heidrich

  All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any from or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

  Acknowledgements

  I can’t believe I am starting the very last book in this series. It feels surreal, and it hasn’t quite hit me yet.

  This series has opened up a whole new world for me in so many ways. It taught me that I can do this – I can write something that I love that readers also love. It has given me confidence beyond measure where even me, an admittedly confident person in the industry felt inside like I was falling short – failing at what I was supposed to be great at.

  But I didn’t do this alone. This series is special in that way too. I needed encouragement, mentoring, and people believing in me every step of the way to do this, and so I think it’s time to give due credit for those people.

  Thanks to Rebecca for leading a horse to water that made me grow my unicorn horn. I know that you think it’s just giving people the formula to do it right, but I literally thought it would just never do anything for me.

  Heather, I know we don’t talk a ton, and I know you feel like you’re kind of the person in the background, that you may not bring as much to the table, but when I was in that box set and when I put the very first one of these up for pre-order I felt nothing but encouragement from you. You were there to tag me in opportunities and show me that I was finally doing something right.

  Chandra and Bronwyn, you’re always there to tell me that my work is good and to help promote it. Somewhere along the way, you finally made me believe it.

  To my family who took care of me during so many illnesses and did everything in their power to allow me to get this series done anyway, even my daughter asking what magical thing Mommy was writing about.

  To Addison Moore for writing a series of books that pushed me into finally writing books of my own. That taught me how to put a little bit of me into this series and who still after he success is so humble.

  To the two crazy women, Liz & Rae, who were there to hear me complain and be concerned every trip to the hospital, telling me I could still do this.

  To everyone who bought book one and showed me continuing was worth my time.

  I am not sure that this is where Riley’s story will end, and I am leaving it in yours, the reader’s hands, to let me know if you want to see beyond her time at the academy.

  Here’s to both endings and new beginnings for Riley and her men.

  Other Books by Rae Hendricks

  Prophecy of the Stars Series

  DESTINED

  LOYAL

  TRANSFROMED

  Paranormal Hunter Academy Series

  BLOOD WITCH

  AURORA WITCH

  DEMON WITCH

  Mirrored Prophecy Triunity

  DAVINA’S QUEST

  DAVINA’S ASCENT

  DAVINA’S PREVAIL

  Blackwell Academy Series

  ALMOST DEAD

  ALMOST LOST

  ALMOST BROKEN

  Academy of Dark & Light Series

  LEGENDARY TRIAD

  LEGENDARY DARKNESS

  LEGENDARY WAR

  LEGENDARY GRADUATE

  Keep up with all of Rae’s latest releases via her website!

  http://bit.ly/rae-hendricks-author

  Coming Soon by Rae Hendricks

  ACADEMY OF OLYMPIANS SERIES

  SOUL ACADEMY SERIES

  BOUND BY THE COVEN SERIES

  RILEY’S PARANORMAL HUNTERS

  VAMPIRE DATING GAMES

  WITCHES OF MOON GATE

  THE COVENANT CHALLENGES TRILOGY

  Table of Contents

  Rae Hendricks

  Acknowledgements

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter One

  “Just do it, you have to do it! She’s going to die!”

  “Get Jake out of here. Take him to his dorm or to her apartment. Go!”

  “What if this doesn’t work?”

  “It has to.”

  The words don't make any sense, and they come at me in bits, like memories. I think I have been in and out of consciousness, this whole time, is why.

  There is more than just Kagan and Jake in this apartment now. I know those voices, and every time I hear them, they lull me back to the darkness because they make me feel safe.

  Adriel can fix this. Dru can fix this.

  I keep hearing those words in my head over and over.

  This time, a loud whimper in my ear, that’s so sad it hurts my heart, causes me to open my eyes instead of going back into that void, whatever that is.

  Part of me instantly regrets it since I feel pain everywhere. It’s like Hellfire has been injected into all of my veins.

  I find the source of the whimper and see that Ursula is laying her head against my chest.

  I place my hand against her fur for comfort, stroking her in a fluid motion, back and forth. It keeps me here and keeps me calm through the waves of pain.

  She barks twice to alert the others I am awake, but I don't move or try to talk. I have to focus on surviving the torment of this feeling, before I can handle anything else.

  “Good girl, Ursula,” Dru tells her. I blink and look around in my immediate surroundings. I am still on the floor of Kagan’s apartment, but the only faces I can see are Dru’s and Adriel’s. Maybe it was Kagan who was tasked with taking Jake out of here.

  “Don’t try to move, my love,” Adriel says, and I can feel his hand sitting on top of mine. “Your body is in transition right now. I’ll explain everything, but for now, I need you to focus on staying awake, whatever that means.”

  I raise my finger up to poke into his palm, so he knows I understand. At least, I understand what he wants from me.

  For once, I don't press the matter of my curiosity. I am afraid to know what’s happened to me now. Haven’t I been through enough?

  I don't know if it's minutes or hours that I lay there, waiting for the pain to subside, until I finally feel a difference. There is still a slight burning, and my whole body aches, but I can move a little. I can think; have words to say.

  “What happened? Where is Jake?”

  “Jake tried to kill you, that’s what happened,” Dru spouts, and Adriel turns to give him a damning look.

  “Jake has been taken away to keep you safe, but he’s with Kagan. He’ll be fine
. It’s you we need to worry about right now.”

  “Why?”

  I look at Dru because I know Adriel is never forthcoming, though he looks truly shaken this time. Did I almost die? For real? What can kill an angel?

  “The Hellfire was going to kill you. Adriel and I had to bind our blood together with a spell and then force feed it to you in order to save you. I’m sorry. We had to make the decision.”

  “Wait, if you gave me demon and angel blood bound together, what does that make me?” I croak out, not ready to be something different again. The experiments ran through my head all over again, and I just can’t do it.

  “Don't worry. It doesn’t leave this room,” Ursula assures me, hearing the distress of my thoughts.

  “A Demon Witch, I guess. It doesn’t really exist – a witch with both angel blood and demon blood. You’re something new. I didn’t even know it would work, but it was the only thing I could think of,” Adriel explains.

  “We can’t tell anyone. The Magistrate can’t know this time,” I beg, making sure they both look me in the eyes, so they know I am serious. I force myself to sit up even with the pain, and Ursula sits dutifully next to me, her chin up in the air.

  She’s proud of me.

  “For once, I think we can all agree,” Adriel scoffs.

  “Something is going on with Jake. Something happened to him.” They both nod and say no more. “The Magistrate did this?” Again … nods.

  “Then, I want to find out what they are up to and expose it. I won’t let them play games with me or the ones I love anymore. I don’t know which of them are corrupt and which are not, but one corrupt member means it's poisoned. We can’t trust the good guys anymore.”

  “It’s about time,” Dru says, clapping his hands together. “But if we’re doing this, there are things you need to know.” He looks up at Adriel expectantly.

  “Not here. After classes. I’ll find a place.”

  “But I can’t go to classes like this.” They both point to my wounds, and I look to see that other than blood stains on my clothes, there is no sign I was ever injured.

  “You have to. You have to keep up appearances, Riley. Can you do that for me?” I look at Adriel and am tempted to tell him I would do anything for him, but that’s probably a bit much right now.

  “Yes, I can. Just get me a clean uniform from my apartment.”

  “I’ll do it,” Dru volunteers, slipping out the door.

  I look at Adriel, and I can see the red stains from the tears he must have been crying this whole time, thinking he could lose me.

  “It’s time for me to know it all, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, it's time.”

  ***

  I literally count the steps that it takes to get from my last classroom to the field where we are supposed to be training. Ursula is by my side, her actual voice silent, but she is sending me as many good vibes as she can.

  I spent the whole day paranoid that someone would know. Someone would notice I was different. More.

  No one knew what this would look like, and if I was asked to use my powers, it could have revealed something about the part of me that was now demon.

  Or I could go insane like Jake and hurt people.

  I just didn’t know.

  But, as much as possible is about to be demystified if my men were telling me the truth, and I doubt they would lie to me at this stage in the game. I am afraid about what I might hear.

  Having a bad feeling and having it confirmed are two different things.

  The text message from Dru tells me we are using the furthest field from campus – something about the others being booked already. I am sure it is no coincidence, but I don't reply. I don't know if I could be watched, if our phones could be bugged. I don't know anything about my world anymore.

  Part of me worries for my uncle. His heart couldn’t handle what’s happened to me, how in danger I am, much less knowing the life he is living could be a lie. He is serving the Magistrate, has most of his life. If they are the bad guys, what does that mean for him?

  “One thing at a time,” I whisper to myself.

  Ursula jumps up so her head brushes against my right hand. I look down into her glowing, purple eyes and I am in awe of how in such a short time we have become a team. We aren’t that strong in battle yet, not like we need to be, but we are strong in heart, which is a lot to say when she is the most powerful and ornery familiar I know of.

  My head held high, taking strength from Ursula and the fact that I have survived believing I was a Blood Witch, being experimented on as an Aurora Witch, and loving three very different men at the same time.

  When I get on the field, I zero in on Dru waiting for me. I see no one else. He is at the other end, hanging back and making me come to him. I don't ask questions because I know anything I say could hold us back from me learning the whole truth. We can’t just sit and chat about these dark secrets all day without raising suspicion, and I don't think I want to go another day agonizing over it.

  “Right this way, milady,” Dru says in his condescending but sexy way, as he gestures to a small shack just a couple of yards behind him. It’s like some old storage building, the kind that might actually be used for human sports.

  He follows behind me, and I find myself cramped inside with two of my men; Dru and Adriel.

  “Where’s Kagan?” And I was thinking I could keep from asking questions.

  “He said he would text you,” Adriel answers, and as if on cue, my phone buzzes with a new message.

  Adriel filled me in already. I will be seeing you soon, but for now, I am taking care of Jake. Be strong.

  I hope I can be. I think as I look back at the two sets of eyes on me without replying. “Let’s get this show on the road, then,” I say, taking on a fake it smile; I make it attitude.

  “I agree. It’s past due,” Dru agrees. “But I think it should be you who runs this show.” He points to Adriel who looks more down than I ever could imagine such a beautiful being looking.

  “None of this was random, Riley. I wish I could have been truthful from the beginning, but if you were going to do what you were meant to, I had to make sure you knew nothing.”

  “Then, why tell me now?” I challenge him.

  “The plan changed. Evil will win if we don't do this now. And then I will lose you anyway.”

  Chapter Two

  I blink, holding back, the best I can, from not interrupting with a protest or a million questions. I’m sure I’ll have more as the story goes along, and I need to be patient so that they can get this out.

  I don’t know how long Dru has been in the loop, but Adriel’s history of hiding things from me has gone on for a long time. And the thing I want to know most, call me selfish, is why.

  Why me? But also, I want to know why Adriel has chosen to hide it from me. There are many hints that it would be dangerous or would ruin the entire plan if he told me, but I need to understand. I just can’t imagine anything being that critical that I can’t tell the person I love the truth.

  “Are you sure that you don’t want to tell her about Jake and what happened there first?” Adriel asks. He glances up under his eyelashes at Dru who is hanging back, leaning against an old set of lockers with his arms crossed over his chest.

  Adriel sits across from me on these wooden benches that are old and warped from weather wear. This place hasn’t been used in a long time. Almost completely forgotten.

  “I don’t want to risk you delaying it anymore. You know how I feel about the way you’ve been keeping stuff from her. I get that you have your reasons, but the minute I got here you knew what I thought. I thought you should tell her. So, if I need to leave for this, tell me; you two need to have your moment.”

  I look over at Dru curiously. He’s always seemed the type like he would be jealous, but it’s really been Kagan to be that way. As sweet as he is.

  But Dru is offering us our time together; he wants Adriel to be truthful with me. Even
though I’ve been so certain I’m in love with all three of them, I’m beginning to wonder exactly how much I don’t understand about Dru. We still have a lot of catching up to do.

  “Fair enough. No need to go anywhere.” Adriel places his hand on my knee, but makes no other move for intimacy. “I want you to know that I completely understand if you hate me after I tell you this. I know it was a blow when you found out I was the one that did this to you to begin with. If I thought that there were any other options, any other way to stop what is coming, I would’ve taken it. And know that I will always love you even if it has to be from afar. I know that I have been good at pushing you away in the past, but I think we both agree that’s pointless.”

  Boy, is that an understatement.

  I nod, encouraging him to go on.

  “The Angels, there is a reason that they have a spot on the Magistrate. When the Magistrate formed, the Angels didn’t trust it. Or at least it was a tentative trust. For the time being, it needed to be done. There was a lot of chaos without rules being enforced. Too many paranormal running around unchecked. But, with power can come great corruption, and technically, Angels are the incorruptible. Which is why, even though I love you, I have done possibly horrible things in order to make sure that justice is served and good prevails. I was chosen among my ranks to be a part of the Magistrate, recently, to come and shake things up, to be a spy. They want someone young and someone powerful. And what we found out is unacceptable. It is at the level of corruption that we can’t let it continue. But as you know, Angels no longer directly interfere for many reasons. Do you know exactly why?”

  I don’t like that he’s quizzing me like I’m some kind of child that he’s teaching a lesson to. I just want all the answers. “Yeah, everyone knows the story. It’s because, in order to get rid of demons, they had to make it so that humans forgot about them and mistrusted anything that wasn’t of this Earth directly. Anything that wasn’t mortal. And so, Angels decided to step back for the greater good. If one was known to be on Earth, humans would be suspicious and possibly attack them. It’s also why demons started making vampires and using them and things like Blood Witches instead of influencing directly.”