Witch With a Target, page 1
part #4 of Witch Warrior Series
WITCH WITH A TARGET
WITCH WARRIOR™ BOOK 4
TR CAMERON
MARTHA CARR
MICHAEL ANDERLE
This book is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Sometimes both.
Copyright © 2022 LMBPN Publishing
Cover by Fantasy Book Design
Cover copyright © LMBPN Publishing
A Michael Anderle Production
LMBPN Publishing supports the right to free expression and the value of copyright. The purpose of copyright is to encourage writers and artists to produce the creative works that enrich our culture.
The distribution of this book without permission is a theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like permission to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), please contact support@lmbpn.com. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.
LMBPN Publishing
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Las Vegas, NV 89109
Version 1.00, August 2022
ebook ISBN: 979-8-88541-198-1
Print ISBN: 979-8-88541-877-5
The Oriceran Universe (and what happens within / characters / situations / worlds) are Copyright (c) 2017-22 by Martha Carr and LMBPN Publishing.
DEDICATION
Dedication: For those who seek wonder around every corner and in each turning page. Thank you choosing to share the adventure with me. And, as always, for Dylan and Laurel, my reasons for existing.
— TR Cameron
THE WITCH WITH A TARGET TEAM
Thanks to our JIT Readers:
Christopher Gilliard
Dave Hicks
Wendy L Bonell
Dorothy Lloyd
Diane L. Smith
If we’ve missed anyone, please let us know!
Editor
SkyFyre Editing Team
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
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Author Notes - TR Cameron
Author Notes - Martha Carr
Other series in the Oriceran Universe:
Connect with The Authors
Books By Michael Anderle
CHAPTER ONE
Cait had slept fitfully on the knowledge that trouble was brewing in the streets of her new city. Even though the marshals would not normally be a part of dealing with criminal organizations, except when lawbreakers interacted with the judges and facilities under their care, she felt like she was squarely in the center of the fracas between the Dragons and the Roses. That is not a good place to be.
Well, you definitely stuck your nose right in the middle of it, Aza observed from his position around her neck. Her partner had disguised himself as a silver dragon necklace with carved scales. His tiny wings remained folded along its body; his eyes stayed closed.
She sighed and replied telepathically. Guess I’m thinking loudly again.
Is that what you were doing? Thinking? First time. You lack experience. It’s difficult, I know.
Shut it. The subway car lurched, and she swayed, her grip on the metal bar that rose from floor to ceiling keeping her upright. She used the moment to survey the other passengers. There was a standard assortment of young professionals on their way to work, school-aged kids on the way to their version of work, and a number of tourists who had gotten an early start on their day’s adventures.
Cait was due at the police precinct on the far side of Chinatown in a half-hour, which was what occasioned her to take the normal subway rather than the magical one in the basement of the ubiquitous coffee shop chain. A stop on that transport probably also existed near her destination, but she didn’t have the local patterns figured out yet, and the signage on Boston’s light rail was far better. She chuckled inwardly.
Need to get some magical librarian types in here to make it better.
She checked her phone for the time, then slid it back into the inner pocket of her suit jacket. It’s going to be close.
Aza snorted. Like it matters. It’s only Bradley. And, seriously, does he know police everywhere around town?
Seems like. I guess he’s just good with people.
Well, that leaves you out.
You do wonders for my ego, buddy. Thank you for that.
I’m only holding up a mirror to your truth.
She laughed, and the surrounding people avoided making eye contact.
Great. They think I’m crazy. Although I guess I am communicating with a voice in my head.
She spoke to Aza again. No more classic Doctor Phil reruns for you. The last thing I need in my life is a sassy dragon throwing psychology jargon at me.
Sounds like someone’s in denial.
Cait looked down at the floor and suppressed a sigh. Continuing this conversation would only earn her more stares or avoidance. She’d done her best to fit in and be unobtrusive. Her wand bracelets were hidden farther up her arms than usual, so they wouldn’t show on the train. Her jacket was buttoned to hide her shoulder holster and the pistol she carried.
She’d been recognized once or twice from the video of Aza saving her from a long fall out of the building. After all this time, it was still making rounds. She hoped to remain as anonymous as possible to avoid more questions about her scaly partner.
She twisted the pinky ring her sister Aisling had given her as the train hissed to a stop with a squeal of brakes. The doors slid open to the sound of an automatic announcement, and the normal exchange of bodies happened. Among the newcomers to the car were two hard-looking men with dark suits and Japanese features. She frowned and checked the transit map. As she suspected, the station was on the edge of the Dragons’ territory.
Those look like street soldiers to you? she asked Aza.
Definitely. Want me to burn them?
She’d expected the comment; burning was her partner’s first solution to every problem. Cait ignored it.
I’ve got a bad feeling about this, Aza. She watched the newcomers as they scanned the car, clearly looking for potential trouble. She covered her mouth and whispered the spell to amp up her muscles and senses, just in case. Coffee breath and oil from the car collided with the slight ozone smell from the electrical feed to the train.
Before Aza managed to reply, the door connecting her train car to the one behind it banged open. Her eyes flicked toward it as two figures shoved their way through. Several of the nearest passengers flinched away.
The street soldiers spun toward the new arrivals and drew short blades from under their coats. They weren’t interested in hand-to-hand combat, though, and raised pistols they’d pulled from behind their legs, holding them at arm’s length.
Cait reacted instantly, creating force bubbles around both groups of men to lock them, and hopefully their bullets, away from the crowd in the car. Screams barraged her ears, so she had to shout. “US Marshal. Everyone, move to the front of the train, out of this car, immediately.”.
People flowed around her as they followed her orders, but she kept her concentration on the locked-down combatants. Neither seemed interested in testing the shimmering shields that covered them. For a moment, the situation appeared salvageable. Then another pair appeared from behind the two intruders she’d captured. Cait recognized one of them instantly, as they’d met on a rooftop not too long before.
“You,” she growled. The wizard grinned as if fate had given him a present. He flicked his wand, and her shields shattered.
Guns went off, and she slammed force protection around herself, creating a barrier between the attackers and the retreating civilians. Both presumed Dragon soldiers had rushed forward when her barrier dropped, and they fell to the gunfire, blood oozing from their abdomens. She dismissed drawing her pistol. Even though it was loaded with anti-magic bullets, the potential for a ricochet was significant. Despite her skill, she knew it would be wiser to wait until the car was empty of innocents.
Cait hurled a blast of force magic with both hands. It slammed the two gun-wielders back into the other late-arriving magical, who was launching his own attack. His fireball struck the roof and spread out rather than punching through, setting the advertisements along each side of the car aflame. She snarled a curse and waved her left hand, using her wand bracelet to spill frost over the flames. With her right, she reached out telekinetically and grabbed the familiar wizard’s wand. He was quick enough to solidify his grip, but her yank pulled him off balance.
She darted ahead, carefully dodging the thrashing limbs of the two bleeding men in dark suits, and delivered a simple front kick. Her amped muscles sent him flying backward and upward. He crossed the six feet to the
The other wizard dispatched lightning at her, and she snapped up an extra force shield to defend against it, extending it to protect the fallen Dragons. Her foe sustained the attack as he backed out of the car, followed by the gunman, who was still upright, who fired several rounds her way before leaving. They struck her shield and deflected off, most of their velocity lost. Didn’t anticipate fighting a magical, which makes it all the less impressive that they brought along their own. Good tactics, but hardly fair.
She must’ve let her thoughts slip again because Aza replied, I don’t think they’re inclined to be fair. I wouldn’t be in their position.
She looked over her shoulder to verify no civilians remained in the car and said, Jump out so you can watch over these people.
The necklace slipped from around her throat and turned into the dragon as it fell toward the floor. By the time he landed, he was the size of a corgi and still growing. She hit the emergency button on her phone, and Sabrina instantly answered, “I’m here.” Thank goodness for signal amplification in the tunnels.
“Subway, gang fight, magicals involved. Got my location?”
“I have it. I’ll send backup.”
She looked down. “And ambulances. Multiple gunshot wounds.”
“Yours?”
“Neither giver nor a taker this time. But it’s still early.” The gunman she’d put down twitched, and Aza leapt into the air and landed on him, drawing a groan of pain. The dragon flicked out a clawed foot and knocked the man’s weapon away from him and the men in black.
Good job, buddy. Keep an eye on them.
He winked. Call for help if you need it.
You know I will. With a brief pause to be sure her shields were fully reinforced, she opened the door and headed for the next car.
CHAPTER TWO
A barrage of magic met Cait as she climbed inside the car. She growled mentally, Bastards came in force today. Wonder what they had in mind other than ambushing Dragons on the subway.
Aza replied, Perhaps everyone has decided to try to kill you?
They probably would have shot at me first, then.
Good point.
Her shields held up against the sustained blast. When the electricity and force magic fell off, the magical taking a moment to switch tactics, she countered the attack. One gunman was still up, and she reached out with her telekinesis to rip his weapon away even as he pulled the trigger. The round went into the ceiling, punching through. A whistling sound filled her ears.
She stepped forward and slammed down a wall of force, shouting for the civilians to get out of the car behind her. Before she could follow up her attack, the now weaponless human dashed back to another car, and the magical threw up his own shield as he did the same. She said to Aza, I’ve got them on the run.
So, you failed to capture them, you mean?
You suck.
I’m happy to say that mine are still down. The wizard tried to get up. His head made a lovely ringing sound as I smacked it off the floor.
I don’t think heads can ring. At least not externally.
Whatever.
Cait braced herself, opened the door to the next car, and darted through. The subway train still moved fast, lights flashing in the otherwise dark tunnel as she wove between the cars. She grumbled inwardly. The next car was also filled with civilians. She immediately summoned force shields to protect them as she ordered them out of the car.
With a smile, she noted the back window showed only tracks, meaning her foes had run out of room to retreat. Their attacks smashed into her shields but failed to penetrate as the others escaped. When the area was empty of noncombatants, she called, “Deputy US Marshal. Put your wands and other weapons on the floor, lay on your stomachs, and put your hands behind your heads.”
A not insignificant part of her hoped they wouldn’t listen, and they didn’t. The two wizards threw opposite magics at her: fire and frost. She used both of her bracelets to summon a fused shield of those elements for protection. The way that the pair’s gaze flicked past her made her think they might be waiting for reinforcements, and she advanced to the middle of the car to be further away from any surprise additions.
Cait’s eyes widened as the man whose gun she’d stolen pulled open his jacket. The parted garment revealed a bulletproof vest with grenades attached to it. He also had shoulder holsters hanging under each armpit and extracted both weapons in a smooth draw. She dove forward and rolled to avoid the shots, certain that if the Roses had brought magical protection, at least one of the pistols would be loaded with anti-magic rounds.
The blazing line of fire that drew itself across her calf as she tumbled confirmed that suspicion. Her body twisted involuntarily from the pain, and she was knocked up against the right-hand seats, narrowly avoiding smacking her head against a metal pole.
Ringing indeed. Cait focused her power through both of her bracelets, calling up a force shield to block a renewed magical attack coming at her right while sneaking her left arm around to throw the strongest burst of force she could manage at the man with the pistols.
Her position caused the blast to strike him at an upward angle, and he flew up and back to slam into one of the subway car’s windows. It shattered under his weight, and she thought he’d fall out for a second. Fortunately for him, and probably unfortunately for her, it didn’t completely fall out of its frame and bounce him back into the car. He fell onto his face, groaning as his pistols slid away from his hands.
Cait rose, extending her shield to cover her entire height, and snarled at the remaining pair, “Last chance. Put them down. Now.”
They responded, this time with electricity and shadow magic. She stuck with force, counting on her layered shields to protect her despite their magic not matching the magic of the incoming attack. She tried telekinesis again, but their wands didn’t move. Must have used magic to lock them in their hands. Gotta remember that. Could be useful.
She twisted to her left and launched a forceful burst into an unbroken window. It shattered, and before the shards could escape, she grabbed them with her magic and hurled them at her enemies. The sudden flurry of sharpened glass forced them to focus on their own defenses, and their magical barrage fell away. She used the momentary distraction to come close to hand-to-hand range, leading with a double burst of lightning in case their response to the glass fragments allowed her to find a way past their protective magic.
The wizards managed to reassert their defenses in time to receive nothing more than superficial shocks from the lightning. They’re good; I’ve got to give them that. But, since that was only the start of her plan, it wasn’t a problem. She snapped out a low kick at the one nearest, and he flicked his wand, putting a force barrier in front of it. Her leg stopped short, and he gave her a smug look of satisfaction. The expression turned first to alarm, then agony as the handful of glass she’d kept hidden behind her back suspended with force magic flew at his face.
The man hurled himself backward, but the shards still struck, and blood from his new lacerations splashed onto the wall. Confident now that she faced even odds, she turned to face the other, summoning a barrier to deflect his fire back at him. Cait moved toward him with slow steps, and he backed away at the same rate until his spine banged into the rear door. She met his gaze with hard eyes. “Last chance. What I have in store for you is way worse than what your friend got.”
