The Warlock & The Witch (Fate of the Ten Realms Book 8), page 1
The Warlock &
The Witch
Fate of the Ten Realms
J. S. Striker
Copyright 2023 by J. S. Striker - All rights reserved.
In no way is it legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher.
All rights reserved.
Respective authors own all copyrights not held by the publisher.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Next Book
Chapter 1
Pearl Sutton loved Broom’s Isle, but there were moments when she wished she wasn’t here—like right now. She hated that the sea breeze was about to be gone, and she could no longer enjoy the feeling of the wind on her face or the smell of sea salt in the morning. She hated that, on dry land, she had responsibilities as the eldest of her household, even though she was far from the eldest.
Most of all, she hated that she had to be greeted by none other than the Lyra clan.
“Good morning, Miss Sutton. We weren’t expecting you early.”
Ryan Lyra greeted her with cheer, perhaps the only one in that clan who didn’t hate her. But then again, Ryan was nice to everyone. She smiled at him.
“Good morning, Ryan. Didn’t I tell you to call me Pearl?”
His cheeks turned pink. “Well…”
“It’s much better sounding than Miss Sutton. Anyway, it was a seamless trip. No unruly pirates to harm me, no vagabonds to distract me, and no Fae to cause mischief to. Or with.”
Ryan looked like he was ready to ask a lot of questions, but he caught himself at the last second and nodded politely. “I’m pleased it was a seamless trip.”
“So am I.”
“The Council wants to talk to you.”
The third voice came from somewhere behind Ryan, where a sterner figure lurked before showing himself. Her smile turned into a frown. Gunther Lyra might attempt to be as polite as Ryan, but she wouldn’t return the favor.
“Tell them I will visit them later.”
His mouth opened, then closed. He frowned too. Unlike Ryan who was cheerful and fresh-faced, Gunther had the polished, pampered, and golden good looks of a prince charming—someone who didn’t need to smile to get chicks to flock his way because his stature and title were enough.
“It’s the protocol to adhere to their orders.”
This time, she smiled at him, sharp and sweet. “I’m sure it is.”
His gaze narrowed, even while he maintained his polite tone. “You can’t just talk to the Council like that.”
Pearl tilted her head, not breaking eye contact.
“I had a task. The Council added a smaller one, since I was going to leave the island, anyway, and both tasks needed that. I’m done with the Council’s task. But I’m not done with the original one and I need to get it done now.”
Silence. She waited him out until he broke the eye contact first, but didn’t feel triumph from it. Annoyance glinted, reminding her that that was what the man was all about: running away. Just like when he had dumped her sister and run away.
“Pearl—” he tried again, but she cut him off immediately.
“I will see them later. And you don’t have to be there. Bye, Ryan.”
The exchange visibly baffled Ryan, so Pearl gave him a wink before she casually walked away from them. The urge to announce what Gunther had done while her family’s reputation had been in shambles was at the tip of her tongue, but she changed her mind because of two things: one, her sister Emerald was over it and didn’t want her to be petty, and two…Emerald didn’t want her to be petty.
It wasn’t Pearl’s business that Emerald and Gunther had kept the relationship a secret, including the engagement and the eventual dumping. It wasn’t her business that the Lyra family didn’t like her family just because she was a Sutton—a name that once held glory but was now considered a disgrace by the nobler families.
“Whatever. Not my problem that these dumb assholes are assholes,” she muttered.
Ten minutes later, another asshole in the form of Lennie Serving tried very hard to point out the things Pearl had done wrong today.
“It’s not working. Why wouldn’t it be working unless you got the wrong ingredients for me? You must have gotten distracted and didn’t follow instructions. Were you with a guy on your trip or were you visiting Fae land again? I know those brutes are good at manipulation and a weak female like you would be easily susceptible.”
Client, her mind reminded before she pasted a smile on her lips.
“Those are the exact ingredients you asked for, down to the amount and shade. I didn’t miss a single ingredient.”
“But it’s not working,” Lennie insisted. The warlock was a paunchy, middle-aged man with graying hair and many wrinkles, indicating he had messed with some aging spells one too many times. “It’s supposed to be working.”
“What do you need it for?”
At that, Lennie’s lips thinned. “That’s confidential.”
Pearl shrugged. “If it’s for an aging potion, it’s missing two key ingredients and I have them at home. I also have the potion, though it’s a temporary one. There’s no permanent immortality unless you’re from a powerful clan…oh, or a vampire. Or a Fae.”
Lennie had turned red in the face, highly offended. “Who said I needed it for an aging spell? I’m not that old.”
“Just let me know if you need a potion. Extra payment, of course.”
“I said I don’t need one.”
She hummed, nodded, and held out her palm. “Then my task is done. I need my payment, Mr. Serving.”
“Absolutely not. You did nothing right.”
Pearl stared. “I followed the list.”
“You followed it wrong. They said you were the best mission-taker on the island these days but it looks like you’re just another weak female.”
Oh, he did not just…
Whatever politeness she had been trying to cling to popped like a balloon as she narrowed her gaze.
“The list is bound by the contract and didn’t specify what you needed the ingredients for,” she said firmly. “My job is to deliver what was in there and I did. In turn, I need payment for the service of hunting down those ingredients outside of Broom’s Isle.”
“No.”
“Then you leave me no choice but to take this to the Council. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind reviewing the contract and checking every single thing I got right—and paying me for it, of course.”
This meant that Lennie would be obligated to pay the Council instead and it would put a dent in his clean records. The man gasped, perhaps unused to the concept of not getting his way. Black eyes bulged as he stepped closer.
“Have you always been this difficult?” he bit out.
Pearl tilted her head. “I don’t know. Have you always been this much of a jerk?”
His energy sizzled in the air, outraged. So did hers. It occurred to her that she was much more powerful than he was and could beat him in a single match, but power didn’t just come from magic. The moment she hurt him, she would be messing with a higher figure and could kiss her newly-built reputation goodbye.
“Why, you little bit—”
“Pearl! Mr. Serving! Why are you both standing under all this harsh sunlight? It’s not good for the skin.”
Ruby Sutton strode into the scene, orange-toned hair flying in the wind and cheeks flushed. Despite Ruby’s smaller stature, the woman exuded an aura of confidence and absolute unflappability, emphasized when she casually placed herself in between the two. Lennie glared at her while she smiled.
“Mr. Serving, it’s so nice to see you again after last week. I hope your livestock is in good condition and the traps that Maddox made are working well.”
Lennie glared further. Ruby continued smiling.
“I also hope that the magical spells I put in place are working as the best alarm for your property. They’re my best work as of late and they are most effective when the property owner and the magic setter are in a harmonious relationship.”
The glare disintegrated slowly while Ruby’s smile widened innocently. There was a struggle in Lennie’s form as he looked like he still wanted to smack Pearl, but now had an obstacle in his path: Ruby, who was infinitely more powerful than either of them, and proved it when she had saved the island from a demon attack a few years ago. Lennie also knew this, which was probably why he acquired her services…and why he subtly backed out of the confrontation, head held high and huffing.
“They’re working. A good day to you, Miss—”
“Payment,” Pearl called out shortly.
Oh, if looks really could kill. The man slapped some coins into her hand, the spark from his skin flashing hot. But he held back from burning her and stalked off, steps brimming with fury and defeat. Pearl wanted to crow in victory, but it didn’t feel like one.
“I ha
“If you mean you were about to burn him to death after you beat him to a bloody pulp, then sure, you had it handled.” But Ruby didn’t sound disapproving, just curious. “I take it that was your first time dealing with Mr. Serving?”
“Yeah.”
“He’s…eccentric. And he would have gotten you into trouble if you took it to the Council.”
“It’s not my fault that he’s a jerk,” Pearl muttered.
“There are a lot of those around here, but I find it best to just ignore them.”
“But—”
“Saph and Em believe in maintaining peace and building up our clan’s good name.”
And that was the gist of her holding back: because it was what their two older sisters, Sapphire and Emerald, would have done—and it was what Sapphire, their oldest sister, had done when the woman had been the Sutton household head for years.
“Our brother did nothing,” Pearl found herself saying for the nth time. “He was accused of evil sorcery and punished for it. We proved he was innocent in the end, but here we are, still suffering the setbacks. Still in disgrace.”
“It’s improving,” Ruby insisted gently. “Maddox was accused of a lot of things, too, but with good behavior and a stellar record of helping out our magic folks, they don’t see him as a monster anymore.”
Belatedly, Pearl glanced at a shady corner, where she glimpsed a figure lurking beside a tree and studiously watching them. She waved. The half-vampire waved back, clad in all-black and looking so intimidating that no one would have expected him to be one of the kindest people there was.
“Maddox is a sweetheart. Anyone’s an idiot not to see that.”
Ruby’s brown eyes softened. “He is. Our family’s not that bad, either, and it’s no longer the disgrace it once was perceived as. Patience is key.”
“Good for you. Unfortunately, Ruby, I have a short fuse.”
“Pearl—”
“And I have an appointment with the Council, where there are members with shorter fuses. Catch you later?”
Ruby opened her mouth to argue, then closed it and sighed. “Dinner at our house and drinks at the bar later. Join us if you’re free.”
“I’ll try, sis.” She kissed her sister on the cheek and sent Maddox a wink. “Or maybe just some drinks. A truckload of them.”
Before either of the two could lecture her, she marched away, zoning in on the direction of the Council’s headquarters—a place she wouldn’t have been caught dead in years ago. Pearl used to not care, throwing it all to hell and letting her siblings handle the politics of it. Sapphire used to handle it with quiet perseverance while Emerald handled it with inherent grace. Silver Sutton, the original head, handled it with confidence and a crazy amount of charm. Now the three were gone, off to lead happy lives away from Broom’s Isle, and all the better for it.
And it was up to Pearl to put her free spirit aside for a while and push the family name to the glory it once had.
“That was good and fast work, Miss Sutton. Very impressive, especially after such a short preparation time.”
“I agree. You have steadily been acing tasks and delivering good results to us, most of which have been very helpful to the community. I daresay you’re even better at it than Emerald with your tenacity.”
“I agree.”
The praises kept coming, some laced with a bit of malice and disapproval, but most in good nature. She noted the ones who looked their noses down on her while she stood before them, then addressed everyone with a polite nod.
“It’s my pleasure. And thank you for the prompt payment and signatures. I suppose this means that my brother’s debt regarding Mr. Moriarty’s properties has been paid?”
“Yes, they have.” John Wheel folded his hands. “Which brings us to your brother’s debt on a bigger property. We have a task that might just eliminate it.”
Ursula Tiempo leaned forward. “I don’t think she’s ready for it. And she’s not powerful enough.”
“I’m ready for anything,” Pearl piped in, looking the frowning woman in the eye and waiting for yet another malicious remark. On cue, Ursula scoffed.
“John, I’m telling you, this isn’t the right task for her.”
“Why isn’t it the right task for me?” Pearl asked.
“She’s unpredictable,” Ursula continued, ignoring her. “And her reputation precedes her.”
Pearl’s back stiffened and her voice went soft. “What reputation?”
She knew what: a party animal, a free spirit, a bossy bitch to many. A man-eater, one who didn’t care about anything other than sex and having a good time. It galled that not committing to a relationship wasn’t seen as problematic on others, only on her, and that a fellow female would bring it up here.
“You know what,” Ursula shot back.
“Why don’t you elaborate on it, Mrs. Tiempo?”
Ursula sputtered, looking around for support and seemingly motivated when she spotted a male council member nodding encouragingly.
“The task needs dedication and you’re always in bars and…out.”
“Wait, so is it in or out?”
Ursula blinked. “I meant…”
“Come on now, Mrs. Tiempo. Tell us what you mean.”
Ursula’s nostrils flared while Pearl narrowed her gaze. John looked ready to break up whatever was brewing, but the double doors opened before anyone could make a move. Footsteps clicked and she glimpsed two figures passing her on their way to the Council seats. Her body stilled.
“I’m sorry I’m late. Some matters needed priority and Gunther needed to accompany me.”
The voice was low and smooth. It was also clipped and no-nonsense as if the owner couldn’t be bothered wasting time on pleasantries. She glimpsed Gunther first, dressed in the same attire he had been in earlier and smiling at the Council—obviously eager for those pleasantries. But the man beside him went straight for a chair and frowned at Gunther until Gunther hastily found a seat too. Silence filled the space.
If Gunther was the clan’s prince charming, then this man was the beast. Ironically, Henry Lyra was the eldest of the sons and poised to take over the clan when the time came, starting with his attendance of Council stuff instead of his grandparents. The visible shift in the atmosphere had her biting back a shiver—Henry’s aura at work, one that told everyone who was in charge. Trepidation slithered in her stomach.
John didn’t share the sentiment, relieved to have them there. He gestured.
“Ah, here are the two best suited to discuss the task, Miss Sutton.” Her eyes widened, but John didn’t notice. “If you may, Henry and Gunther?”
Henry didn’t say a word. He didn’t even look in her direction, as if he couldn’t be bothered. Pearl bit back a hiss, then glanced when Gunther cleared his throat. The man sounded as polite as ever when he spoke.
“My family needs to hire a witch or a warlock, one who could investigate a clan issue we have at discretion. You were recommended multiple times. I can’t say I know you enough considering I have never dealt with your lot on a personal level, so I thought a Council proposal would be the best avenue.”
The nerve. The nerve. Never dealt with them? The man who secretly dated and slept with her sister? The man who offered marriage to Emerald, only to dump her later and pretend she didn’t exist? Rage simmered in her belly, threatening to jump out. The word was out of her mouth before she could mull over it.
“No.”
It was short, firm, and final. Several heads turned to ogle her at her response, but her gaze was fixed on the brothers. Only Gunther watched her, disbelief in his features.
“No?”
“No. I can’t accept the offer.”
There was a hiss, then Ursula was glaring at her as if indignant for the Lyras. “You refuse such an honorable offer?”
“I decline the offer for personal reasons,” Pearl corrected.
“I thought you were ready for anything.”
Oh, this woman. Pearl took a deep, inward breath and channeled calm.
“I am, but I just realized I have some things to do.”
Gunther frowned. “Some things…to do.”
“Yes. Is it an emergency?”
“What?”
