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    The Hunter and the Witch
    The Hunter and the Witch
    The Hunter and the Witch
    Ebook43 pages35 minutes

    The Hunter and the Witch

    By Rachel Chanticleer

    ()

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    About this ebook

    ~A Crescent City Arcana short story.~

    A lethal stranger hunted Bethany Hayes down and nearly killed her. But without uttering a single word, he spared her life and vanished, turning her world upside down. Left with newfound abilities and visions of her attacker, Beth tried to make the most of this second chance.

    Lucius Sempronius Asper learned to kill in the amphitheaters of ancient Rome. Enslaved and bound by the dark magic of a powerful witch, he spent centuries eradicating innocent witches at her command. Though made immortal by her enchantment, he was as good as dead inside.

    All Lucius knew, what he thought he’d become, changed with Bethany. His one impulsive act of salvation linked them in ways they never could have imagined.

    Will Beth be strong enough to free him, or will the hunter become the hunted?

    ~This short story chronicles how Beth and Lucius learned of the existence of magic, and of each other.~

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRachel Chanticleer
    Release dateApr 27, 2015
    ISBN9781311028983
    The Hunter and the Witch
    Author

    Rachel Chanticleer

    Rachel Chanticleer is a writer who sees beauty in darkness, and can find a love story where you'd least expect it. Her stories often feature worlds where the paranormal hides just out of view—until it's time to turn the lives of her characters upside down. Rachel lives in a former steel town along the East Coast's revitalized Rust Belt.

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      Book preview

      The Hunter and the Witch - Rachel Chanticleer

      The Hunter and the Witch

      A Crescent City Arcana Short Story

      By Rachel Chanticleer

      Copyright © 2015 Rachel Chanticleer

      All rights reserved.

      Smashwords Edition

      With the exception of brief quotes used in reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the author.

      This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either a product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, events, business establishments, or locales is entirely coincidental and not intended by the author.

      Cover design by the author, using images courtesy of Fotolia.

      Smashwords License Statement

      This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each reader. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

      To my friends and fellow romance fans on the site Goodreads:

      Thank you.

      For more information about the author and her work, please visit:

      rachelchanticleer.com

      Sign up to receive news and updates via email at:

      Rae’s Reading Room

      CONTENTS

      Prologue

      Chapter One

      Chapter Two

      Chapter Three

      Epilogue

      Infernal Embrace Excerpt

      About the Author

      Prologue

      The Imperial City of Rome

      December 21st, 47 CE

      The cloaked woman pressed two dozen denarii into the guard’s sweaty palm and slipped into the shadows. One by one, her torch lit upon cells holding imprisoned men awaiting trial, or more likely, death. The stench of desperation and all things foul assailed her nostrils and she covered her nose with the side of her hood.

      Maddened wails echoed across the cold stone walls, falling on deaf ears. Condemned souls pled for freedom. Others begged for an end to their misery. These wretched creatures would find no such relief from her; Helena’s mission tonight had but one purpose. She sought a man who should by all accounts be dead—his blood spilt and swept away along with the fetid sand of the arena.

      Instead, Lucius Sempronius Asper lay unconscious in the farthest and darkest chamber, sprawled over a crude mat on the floor. Alive, she noted. But just barely. She glanced into the blackness behind her before snapping her fingers once over the iron lock. The mechanism inside turned over at her will and she lifted the latch. With some effort, she pushed open the door to the cell, sending several rats darting from their refuge.

      Firelight danced over Asper’s prone form as Helena slid the torch into a wall sconce. The gladiator was impressive up close, maybe even more

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