Warlock Brothers of Havenbridge 01 - Spell Bound by Jacob Z. Flores Page B

answer.
    “No,” I finally answered. “I don’t.”
    He motioned for Thad to rejoin us on the couch. “Good. Because we have something far more important to deal with than you questioning our way of life.”
    “Is this about the murder at Mason’s school?” Pierce asked, sitting forward on the couch. He was typically the first to goof off, but when it came to business, he was always ready to get started.
    Thad sat down next to me, studying our father’s expression. Trouble was obviously brewing, and the protector covens were needed.
    “Perhaps. We told the Conclave about it, and they were not pleased.”
    “Wait a minute,” Thad said. “They didn’t already know?”
    Dad shook his head. A curious expression played across Thad’s face. He glanced over at me, as if contemplating something he didn’t want to admit.
    I had no doubt I’d find out what that was about later. “Then what brought them here?” I asked.
    “A great enemy is coming, and we must be prepared.”
    “Enemy?” Thad asked. “Who?”
    He sighed and shook his head. “We don’t know. The Conclave senses a great disorder on the horizon, and not even their combined magic has been able to pierce the veil and reveal the identity of our foe.”
    That wasn’t good. Anything that could hide from them was an opponent not to be taken lightly.
    “Is it the witch hunters?” I asked. They had pursued us since the earliest of our race first cast a spell in front of nonmagical humans. Their sole purpose in life was to exterminate us as well as the threat we posed to their mundane lives.
    “Doubtful,” he responded. “They are thorns in our side, yes. But they don’t have the power to shield themselves from the Conclave. They are just humans, after all.”
    “How can anyone or any thing hide from the Conclave?” Thad asked.
    “They don’t know, but it’s being done. They sensed a riptide within the river of magic that flows from the Gate, and when they tracked it to its source, they realized Havenbridge had suddenly turned into a blind spot for their powers. They have been unable to sense anything that happens here for almost a month.”
    “And that’s why they didn’t know about the murder?”
    Dad nodded.
    “And they didn’t tell us sooner?” Pierce’s temper was ready to flare out of control. “That’s information we should have known from the start.”
    “I can’t argue with that,” he agreed. “We asked them why they waited so long to inform us. Their answer was that they had their reasons.”
    “Of course they did,” I said. Everyone obviously knew what was on my mind. I could see it in the way they stared at me. This was one more reason why we should question everything and accept nothing at face value. Thad’s gaze lingered on me. Why did I get the feeling he might be agreeing with me now?
    Dad snapped his fingers at us to regain our attention. “We’ve been charged with keeping our eyes open for anything or anyone suspicious.”
    “And the woman on the field?” Pierce asked. “What about her murder? We don’t know if magic was involved or not.”
    “The Proctors have been assigned the task of determining if magic was used in connection with the woman’s death. If they find out there was magic involved, they will inform the Council of White, who will notify the Conclave.”
    “That doesn’t make sense,” I said. “You told me warlocks have a stronger connection to death than witches. I may have screwed the pooch this afternoon, but that doesn’t mean we can’t figure it out now.”
    From the tense expression on my father’s face, I could tell he agreed with me and was equally concerned by the Conclave’s decision. “The Conclave believes too much time has passed to manipulate any lingering death energy.”
    “But they don’t know for sure,” Thad said. “They told you they couldn’t sense anything in Havenbridge anymore.”
    “Yet that is their decision. The Proctors are tasked with the murder,