Fated Box Set

by Stacey Thompson

  I slid quietly from the bed and grabbed my blue sleep pants and tank top. I didn’t want to walk around the house with nothing on for whatever reason. I slid the clothing over me and walked through the door of the room. I closed it behind me and thought about the cookies I’d made earlier. There was one batch that was calling my name. I walked down the stairs and stopped.

  Something wasn’t right.

  The hair on my arms stood up and the air got thick with magick. I glanced at the door a second before it blew off its hinges and slammed into the far wall. I couldn’t move. I was paralyzed with fear.

  Alda waked into the room first. She was dressed in a pair of black dress pants and a purple button down shirt. Her dark and grey hair was pinned back into a bun, but it wasn’t her that made my skin crawl. Behind her was the Demon I’d only faced once before in person. He smiled when he saw me, but stopped just short of the stairs.

  “Caterina, it’s time to come home,” he said.

  I shook my head. “I’m not going with you.”

  “You can come with me or I can make you come with me,” he said.

  I took a step towards him. “Don’t you remember what happened last time you tried to touch me.”

  He smiled. “I’m prepared for that now.”

  “You aren’t taking her anywhere,” Zander said from the second story. Zarrick came up behind me and pulled me behind him. I knew they had to have heard the door hit the wall.

  “You two think you can stop me?” He laughed. “I could kill you in a second. You’re not even a full coven.”

  “That doesn’t matter,” Zander said walking down the stairs.

  “Oh, but it does,” the Demon said.

  Zander raised his hand and the air became heavy with magick. “Get out or I’ll make you get out.”

  The Demon laughed. “I’m not leaving without her.”

  Zander didn’t wait any longer and sent a burst of wind at the Demon. He put his hand up and the wind stopped in front of him. He smiled and pushed it back hard, hitting Zander with all its force. He fell backwards into the railing of the stairs.

  “You are foolish to think you can stop me,” he said.

  He took another step towards us and Zarrick held his stance. I felt the heat in the room rise and the sweat form on my body before a line of fire came from where was standing and at the Demon. The Demon cut it in half so it went around him, but it hit Alda. She screamed as the fire consumed her. She fell to the ground and the fire went out.

  The Demon didn’t say anything, he simply put his hand up and pulled Zarrick to him. The Demon glanced at me and then back to Zarrick. “I admire your devotion, but it will only get you killed.” He slammed Zarrick onto the floor and pinned him there with energy.

  I took a step back and reached for any element I could. Anything that might be able to get me out of this mess. I felt something rising that I’d never touched before. It felt different, but the same as the others. I just held my hand out and looked away. The power raced through me and through my hand.

  I felt it dissipate and looked to where the Demon was standing except he was gone.

  Zarrick ran to me and grabbed my shoulders. “What was that?”

  “I don’t know,” I said honestly. I’d never had anything like that happen before. I honestly had just figured I was going to die in that moment and there was nothing I could do about it.

  Zander groaned and sat up on the floor. I rushed to him and put my hand on his head.

  “Are you okay?”

  He opened one eye and looked at me. “Are you?”

  I smiled.

  “We can’t stay here,” Zarrick said. “It’s not safe.”

  “I’m not sure anywhere is,” I said.

  “There is one place,” Zander said. “It’s in Washington State. That’s where Zane is.”

  “I knew you guys were up to something,” I said.

  “If it’s where I think it is, then it’s a bad idea,” Zarrick said.

  “We don’t have much of a choice. We have to keep Cat safe until we know how to kill this Demon. It’s not going to stop.”

  Zarrick didn’t argue, but didn’t look happy about it either. “I’ll get some of our things.”

  “I’ll get the car,” Zander said.

  I stood there wondering if this was going to be the end of all of us or worse, the world.

  Five

  We were quiet most of the way up the coast. I watched the darkness wishing I could see the water as it hit the rocks. The sight was amazing and reminded me how powerless we were against nature. In the short time, I’d been working with the elements, I learned how we were all a part of it and how dangerous it could be.

  “I swear this is a safe place,” Zander remarked after a long pause.

  “I know,” I answered simply. “I knew they would never leave me someplace they thought I would get hurt, but I also knew there had to be something going on at this place if Zarrick didn’t think it was a good idea. He wasn’t one that thought anything of working with the dark side of things.

  “These guys are a little… rough, but they will help us,” Zander said.

  “Rough?” I asked.

  “They don’t work with the council like we do,” he said.

  I laughed and shook my head. “So, they do bad things.”

  “Not all grey magick is bad. It’s just misunderstood.”

  “What does Zane have to do with all this? Does he know them?”

  “Very well,” Zarrick said.

  I glanced through the window as we took a sharp left and made our way down a country road. It wound into the mountains and through woods with huge trees. I’d never been this far north, but it was amazing to look at. The trees didn’t give way to anything. They were simply there, guarding this unknown area and keeping it safe. I felt like this was an okay place to be trapped for any amount of time.

  “It’s just ahead,” Zander said.

  We turned up another dirt road and it wound around a big oak tree in the distance. I took the tree in and a figure came into view.

  Zane.

  I smiled and jumped out of the car as soon as it was stopped. I’d missed him so much and no one would tell me what was going on with him.

  “I guess you missed me,” he said when I ran to him and gave him a hug. His sweet scent filled my nose and I closed my eyes.

  “You can’t do that again. I couldn’t find you,” I said without thinking.

  He squinted his eyes at me. “What does that mean?”

  “Another time,” I whispered.

  “They’re ready for you guys. I told them you were coming,” he said.

  “Good. I don’t like to surprise people,” Zander said. “Do they know about the Demon?”

  “Yeah, but Erik is not a fan.”

  “He never is,” Zander said walking to the house.

  The house was old fashioned with a porch that wrapped all the way around it. It was painted a bright white that looked odd considering it was sitting in Washington. I thought maybe they were trying to imitate a house in the south. The pillars gave it that old southern feel and the green shutters on all the windows completed it.

  A blond met us at the door. He had his arms crossed and a very menacing look on his face.

  “Erik,” Zander said.

  “You can’t stay long,” he said without warning. “We have other things we need to keep hidden from. I don’t want a Demon getting to know our home.”

  “No one does,” Zander said. “We just didn’t know where else to go to get off its radar.”

  He shifted his gaze to me and looked me up and down before sighing and walking into the home.

  It was as grand on the inside as the outside. The entry opened into two large rooms. To the left was the sitting room and to the right was the kitchen. A set of winding stairs sat just in front of us. The trim on the walls was an old stained wood and the floors were totally original hardwood floors. The air smelled of cologne and wood from th
e fireplace in the sitting room. The furniture was older, but functional and an old candle chandelier hung from the ceiling.

  “There’s two connecting rooms upstairs you can share. Owen will be back sometime this evening and we can have dinner,” Erik turned to Zander. “Don’t do anything stupid.”

  Zander just smiled and we walked up the stairs to the two rooms. They agreed to rotate rooming with me and Zane would take the first night. I wanted to go to sleep and forget this was happening, but they insisted on training.

  “You have to be able to control the fire part inside you,” Zarrick said. “I know things have been getting stronger. You are unique in that you have more than one element to control.”

  “I wouldn’t call it unique,” I said.

  “Do you remember when I took you out into the desert?”

  “Yeah, I tried to blow everything up,” I said. I sighed. “I don’t know how to control any of this.”

  “That’s why we train to use it,” he said. Zarrick pointed at a tree not far from where we were standing. We were far enough away from the house that I probably wasn’t’ going to cause any issues with that, but it was still scary to try to light a tree on fire after everything.

  “Light that tree on fire, but don’t destroy it,” he said.

  I nodded and looked at the tree for a moment. It was a beautiful creature of its own. The trunk was twisted only slightly and the branches went in every direction. It was something I didn’t want to destroy.

  I closed my eyes and thought of the winding bark of the tree and the fire I was calling to me. I felt the air around me rise with heat and my skin tickle with the energy of it. It started in my feet and made its way up my body and through my skin until it was resting at my hand, waiting for me to let it go.

  I pulled my hands back and pushed them forward, releasing the energy that had built. I let it all race through me until I felt the cool air against my skin again.

  I opened my eyes and looked that the tree. It wasn’t the only thing on fire. The ground from where I stood to the tree was burning and every leaf on the tree was on fire. I watched as some of them fell, still lit with flame.

  Zarrick didn’t even have to put his hand in front of him to pull the fire back. The smell of burnt wood filled my nose and I sighed. I’d failed again.

  “I told you this wasn’t going to go the way you want.”

  “You just need more time,” Zarrick said. “Elements are hard to control. You’re bending nature your way and it doesn’t want to be bent.”

  “I just don’t think I can do this. There has to be something else,” I snapped.

  “There isn’t. This is what was given to you.”

  Right, so I could stop a Demon that wants my power,” I spat.

  “I don’t know if that’s it,” he said.

  I wrinkled my nose. “What do you mean?”

  “I’m not sure. It’s just a feeling.” He smiled. “Let’s get something in your stomach and you can train more tomorrow.”

  I smiled and let him take me in his arms. The smell of burning wood was heavy on his skin, but this time it didn’t make me want to shudder, it made me happy. My fire God was right here with me and he would help me get this right. One way or another.

  Zarrick knew exactly what I needed. We sat at the table and ate the best chicken I’d had in ages. I just had to ignore the dirty looks Erik was giving Zander. I wasn’t sure what had happened there, but it was big and Erik wasn’t about to forget it.

  “So, where’s Owen?” Zarrick asked.

  Erik shifted his gaze to him and took a bite of his food. “He should be here any minute.”

  “Isn’t it strange splitting everyone up like this?” Zander asked, leaning back in his chair.

  “I don’t think so. We’re busy men.”

  “But with the threats that you’re facing you would want to be at your strongest,” Zander pressed.

  “We can handle any threat,” Erick said with force. “I don’t need you telling me how to run my coven.”

  “It’s just Owen is new and I wanted to make sure he was safe for Zane.”

  “I’m not the one putting out calls to bring Witches to me,” Erik said.

  I suddenly realized he was talking about me. I glanced at Zarrck who shook his head.

  “This Demon is powerful. I was just trying to keep my people safe,” Zander said without missing a beat.

  “I’m sure that’s all of it,” Erik said taking a drink of his water. “Zane, you know if you ever want to leave this band of loser, there is a spot here for you.”

  Zane smiled. “Thanks Erick, but I’m happy where I am.” He looked at me and we shared a smile.

  Erick slid his gaze to me and laughed. “This is why you are so quick to run.” He shook his head. “You should stay and fight. There is no Demon that could kill you if you were all together.”

  “That’s my business, Erik,” Zander said.

  “We should get some rest,” Zane said. He glanced at me and I smiled and followed him from the room. “They can fight without us.”

  Everything felt vastly different from earlier when I was frying a tree. Zane was upbeat and happy. We both knew what we faced, but it was nice not to think about it for at least a little while.

  He opened the door to our room for the night and leaned against the door jam. There was no way for me to get through without moving him. I raised my eyebrows.

  “I should be training,” I said.

  He smiled. “We can.” He pulled me to him. “Not everything can be learned with magick.” He kissed me and I felt like everything in that moment was right. There was no Demon that wanted to kill me and there was nothing else to do, but be there in that moment.

  He pushed me into the room and closed the door behind us. He pushed me down on the bed and let his weight settle on me. His lips tickled my neck as he spoke. “Control is important in magick.” He kissed my neck. “And sex.” He pulled my shirt from my body without hesitation. Zane’s lips danced down my neck to the strap of my bra. He bit at it and reached around to unsnap the clasp. He pulled it off and tossed it on the floor.

  “You have to learn to control yourself before anything else,” he whispered into my ear as his fingers traveled up my side to the bottom of my breast. He kissed lower and lower until his lips were around my nipple. He bit gently and I reared back.

  I reached for his jeans, but he pulled my hands above my head.

  He bit a little harder sending jolts of pain and pleasure through me. I bucked against him, but his body held me down. He worked his way down to the top of my jeans and pulled them off without a fight. His hand rested on the top of my pussy as I writhed against him. Zane pulled the wet panties from my body and just allowed his thumb to graze the top of my clit. Every small touch sent electricity through my body and I whimpered at his touch.

  He slid a knee between my legs and let his hand and fingers explore my wetness. I moaned and pushed against his hand. He kissed my stomach and worked his way down until his tongue lightly nipped at my clit. I almost screamed with need.

  He pulled me to the edge of the bed and opened my legs before letting his tongue roam over my clit and my swollen pussy.

  I grabbed at the bed and pulled at the sheets between my fingers. I wanted nothing more than him inside me, but something told me I wasn’t in control tonight. I was being given the pleasure I wanted, but I would only get what Zane decided to give me. He was in charge of my body and he could do what he wanted with it.

  He lightly flicked my pussy until I was thrashing against him, fighting my own release. It felt so good, I didn’t’ want it to end. He sucked my clit hard and I exploded in ecstasy. I reared my hips up and met my release with a scream of satisfaction.

  He crawled up my body and kissed my lips, the taste of my orgasm fresh on his lips. He continued to send me over the edge until my ripples of release were done. I fell asleep well satisfied and ready to face whatever came tomorrow.

  I felt th
e air around me grow with my will. It danced against my skin, chilling it only slightly when it touched me. I opened my eyes and glanced at Zander who was watching me closely.

  “That was a good start,” he said. “I know you’ve been using it for communication and learning things.” He took a step towards me. “There are two sides to the element. Now you have to learn to use it with fire.”

  “What happens if I can’t?” I asked.

  “You have to have enough power to control fire with air added in. This way it will be strong enough to kill the Demon,” he said.

  He glanced at the tree I’d burned yesterday and back to me. “I want you to use air and fire to light the inside of the tree on fire and nothing else.”

  I swallowed hard and nodded my head. “I’ll try.”

  “You can’t just try. You have to do it. There’s no time for mistakes.”

  I jerked my head to him. “I haven’t been doing this long. You can’t expect me to just be able to kill a Demon in such a short time.”

  “It would have been worse if we hadn’t found you when we did,” he snapped. His gaze softened. “Look, I know I’m hard on you, but I just want you to make it through all this. I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to you.”

  I didn’t say anything, I simply nodded and closed my eyes. The first breath I took, I felt the heat on my skin and held it there. I reached for air and felt a faint breeze on my skin. I gently pushed the two together and felt them strengthen each other. They mingled together like they were one. I smiled at the revelation and concentrated on holding them together and sending them through the air at the tree, but not to burn the outside, the inside.

  I opened my eyes and released the power. It traveled along the grass, burning as it went. When it hit the tree, it shot straight up the trunk and into the sky, before coming down and lighting every existing branch on fire.

  I put my hands up. “I quit,” I said.

  Zander reached out and pulled the air away from the fire, killing the fire instantly. “Fire can’t function without air. That’s the problem. You have to find a balance between the two. Too much air and it gets out of control. Too much fire and air will be consumed.” He put his hands on my shoulders. “It takes time.”