Words of Power (Alice Gray Book 3)

1

The sickening crunch told me that my nose was broken well before the pain set in.

From my crouch, I twisted and then swept my leg out behind me. There'd only be a fraction of a second to catch my opponent off balance. She corrected her stance from the high kick that had felled me and then darted back.

Only the very tip of my big toe connected.

Crap.

I sprang up from the floor and danced back, only avoiding half of the sharp jabs that were aimed at my battered face. Taking advantage of my raised hands, she landed three strong blows to my exposed stomach.

Doubling over, I knew what was coming even though I was powerless to stop it.

Her knee came up to meet my face, the resulting squelch telling me that my bone structure might be gone for good this time.

Pretty. That'll match the black-eyes and the limp.

A slow clap came from the space above me where I knew that she'd be waiting, a mocking smirk stretching out her beautiful face.

However many times I saw it, and however badly injured I was, I could never stop myself wondering at the contrast between her delicate features and her lethal strength.

Meeting her eyes through the slits of pain that mine had already swollen into, I was surprised that instead of the usual derision there was a flash of something that looked a lot like pride.

"You nearly got me that time," Emily said "Your toe touched me. Just a fraction faster and you would have brought me down. Well done, you're improving."

I rolled over onto my back, legs still held to my body, unwilling to unwind from the protective coil even though I knew that the session was over. Large, steady hands slipped under my arms and pulled me up to standing, the warmth of the pack bond drawing a sigh as I leaned into my Alpha.

"Think you've done some permanent damage this time Beta," Lucas said, twisting me round and peering at my destroyed nose.

"Nah, it'll heal," Emily said dismissively.

Neither of them seemed particularly concerned about my state of agony, never mind the destruction of whatever claim I could make to attractiveness.

I mean, I wasn't vain, but a decimated nose and two black eyes was not the look that I wanted to sport for my primary hearing scheduled in three days' time.

Surely serious and professional would be better than deadbeat brawler. They'd better be right about the healing or it looked like the choice had been made for me by the magistrate herself.

I still hadn't quite got my head around how my small pack's Beta could also be one of the magistrates hearing the trial against me for witchcraft. But apparently Emily's pack status was irrelevant as she was the first human recorded as a member of a werewolf pack. Quite why Lucas's wolf had chosen to claim witches and humans instead of shifters still remained a mystery.

Emily strode purposefully towards the exit, not a mark on her. Smooth blonde hair tickled her shoulders like she'd just stepped out of a salon.

Actually, Lucas's choice wasn't as strange at it seemed. A human agent with mad combat skills and strong ties to the Department of Paranormal Affairs. She was perfect.

The DPA thought so too, or they had when they nominated Emily for magistrate. The top brass in the three main paranormal groups: witches, vampires and shifters, had voted. Emily had won her position fair and square, and it was safe until someone challenged her fitness for the role.

When she turned, the steely glint in her blue eyes sent a shiver down my spine. Most would think twice before hazarding Emily's wrath. The blood congealing on my swollen face told me that I certainly should have, but it was too late for me.

Emily said that she was teaching me self-defence, giving me a way to protect myself while my magic was prohibited, but each blow came with a grunt of contentment and a feral smile. Emily was having too much fun for this to be about my welfare. She was frustrated and hurt, and I was the punching bag that had driven a wedge between her and her best friend and business partner, Stephen.

I'd made Stephen hate me, and when Emily tried to make him see that certain events weren't entirely my fault, he'd hated her too.
Emily's eyes narrowed when it was obvious that I wasn't going to try and stumble out of the large training room. I looked away, my bruised limbs slowly sinking back to the floor. She could despair of me all she liked, I was done.

"I've got you," Lucas said, as he lifted me and walked out with me cradled to his chest. His body tensed when the DPA guard flanked us. Lucas took a deep breath before continuing on to the black SUV that would take us back to our lodgings.

The only time I was without a guard now was during our court appointed training sessions. Even criminals like me are allowed physical exercise; the paranormal branch of Amnesty International had been in touch to ensure my nonhuman rights.

I wasn't convinced that you could call the daily beatings Emily doled out exercise. But it was the only chance our pack had to be together, and the relief of belonging was worth the pain.

Unfortunately once out of the training room we always had company. And it wasn't the friendly kind.

Oh dear, things aren't all rosey for Alice as she waits for her trial to start! Let's just hope she can survive her own pack!!

Thanks for reading! Updates will be every Friday. If you've stumbled upon Words of Power don't forget to check out Alice Gray books 1 & 2!