“What is it that you want from me?” he asked.
“That’s simple.” the man snarled, “I want you dead and out of the way so I can take what should have rightfully been mine. Until you’re gone, I’ll never be the true leader of the valley.”
When Justin only stared at him, he went on. “Bet you didn’t know that you had a half-brother, that your father got an innocent woman pregnant, then deserted her.”
Annabelle could see that Justin was stunned, but he managed to recover quickly. “So, you think that you should be the head of the family, that simply by being born you’re entitled to the valley and its people? You haven’t earned it, brother, you don’t deserve it, and I’m going to see to it that you never set foot in the valley again.”
“Oh, I’ve earned it. I earned it all those years I had to live hard while you lived like a king. Do you know what it was like to grow up knowing that you weren’t where you belonged, that your life should have been different? Now it’s my turn to live like a king, to rule over the weak and innocent like your father,” he said, then began reciting the spell again.
Annabelle felt the power building in the amulet, felt its destructive forces beginning to coalesce into something powerful and unstoppable. Knowing she had only one chance to stop it, she stepped in front of Justin just as the amulet exploded with a piercing light that hit her squarely in the chest, knocking her to the ground. She lay on the ground trying to get her breath; the impact of the burst of energy from the amulet had stunned her, but not as much as the feeling of having all her energy sucked from her.
Justin felt the impact almost as much as Annabelle did and fell to his knees, but he was instantly back up. Feeling the extra power Annabelle’s life force had given him beginning to drain away, he knew that he only had one chance to stop his half-brother. But he knew that Annabelle was growing weaker and weaker, the life force being drained out of her by whatever had been released from the amulet, and he was torn.
Finally, he did what he knew Annabelle would have wanted and sprang at his brother, morphing into a mountain lion in mid-air. The impact when he hit him sent them both sprawling, but Justin came out on top, his anger so refined that it fueled a strength he never thought he was capable of. Without the amulet, which had exploded in his hand, it took Justin only seconds to pin his brother to the ground and deliver the fatal blow.
He momentarily felt bad, but then he looked over his shoulder to where Annabelle lay on the ground, her chest dangerously still. Joslin was bending over her, crying and reciting one spell after another in a desperate attempt to stop what was happening. Dropping the body to the ground, he ran to Annabelle and knelt next to her still body, tears running down his face when he saw how pale and lifeless she was.
“Don’t leave me, Annabelle. I need you. I love you,” he said, over and over, then noticed that his scar was burning as if to remind him that this woman had saved his life twice.
Then he remembered the open wound on her hand and scrambled to find it in the darkness of the clearing. When he spread her fingers, he saw that it was still open, the flesh as raw as the day she’d cut herself to save him. Without questioning the decision, he pulled out his knife and cut his palm then placed it directly on the wound, then began to chant her name over and over, calling out to the forces that moved the Earth to save his love.
When Annabelle sucked in a huge breath of air, he cried out to the night, his cat’s cry bringing an answering response from around the clearing. He could feel his energy seeping into Annabelle, feel her strength returning little by little, but he held on tightly to her hand, until spent, he collapsed on top of her.
Annabelle’s first thought was that she couldn’t breathe, so she shoved at the weight that had her pinned to the ground, only realizing after the second push that it was Justin. Alarmed, she scrambled out from under him and put her hand on his chest, relieved to feel his heart beating steadily under her hand. When his eyes came open and locked on hers, she gave him the smile she reserved only for him.
“Here I am dying and you decide to take a nap,” she said, throwing herself onto his chest, then frantically kissing his face. “I thought you were dead.”
Justin finally managed to sit up, then gathered her into his arms. “I thought you were dead,” he countered, a small smile on his face. “We really have to communicate better with each other.”
“I was dead. How did you bring me back?” Annabelle asked, searching for her last memory.
Justin picked up her hand and turned the palm to face them; the angry wound that had refused to heal was nothing more than a scar across her palm, then he showed her his palm, which had an identical scar. Annabelle stared at their scars, understanding, and joy washing over her.
“Someone’s been looking out for us,” she said. “It wouldn’t heal because it wasn’t time. You gave me life just like I gave you life; now we’re bonded forever. You do understand that, don’t you?”
“It didn’t take these,” he said, gesturing to their scars, “for me to know that. I’ve known since I smelled you in the woods that first night.”
“I love you, Justin,” Annabelle said, unable to say more.
“I love you too, Annabelle,” he said, helping to her feet. “Now I think we’d better figure out how a witch and a shifter are going to make a life together; bonded or not, I’ve got plans for you, starting with making you my wife. I’m thinking a twilight service would be perfect.”
Jake: Fairplay Shifters
Book 2
Chapter 1
***Joslin***
Pushing open the big double doors, Joslin slipped inside and made her way down the aisle and sat down next to her sister. Annabelle was sitting next to her fiancé Justin, looking calm, but Joslin knew that she was anything but calm: that inside she was nervous about standing in front of the witches’ high council to answer to the charge of using black magic.
No one was sure who had reported the events that had occurred in Fairplay to the council, but Joslin had her suspicions that it was Deacon, Annabelle’s ex-fiancé. Of course, there was no proof that he’d done it, but there was no other explanation for how the council had heard of Annabelle saving Justin by giving him some of her life force. The spell they’d used wasn’t really black magic, at least not the way they’d used it, but once a complaint had been made, the council had no choice but to investigate.
Penny, Justin’s sister, was sitting next to him, looking as unhappy as Joslin had ever seen her. The entire family looked unhappy, but Joslin couldn’t blame them; being in a room full of witches was never an easy thing for a shifter thanks to the long-standing distrust between the two communities. She and her mother had done their best to make Justin and his family feel welcome; it wasn’t an easy task, not only because of the prejudice on both sides, but because of her father’s attitude.
He’d been determined not to like the Brooks family from the very beginning, especially Justin, who had ruined his plans by sweeping Annabelle off her feet. There had been many whispered conversations between her parents, and sometimes she wondered if her father had been the one to report Annabelle.
Looking at him now, a smug smile on his face, she was almost convinced that he was responsible. She wished that she could tell him that it wasn’t going to do any good to try and break them up. Annabelle and Justin shared a love that nothing would destroy. Deep down she was a bit jealous of what they had together and hoped that someday she might find that kind of love.
Forcing her thoughts back to the problem at hand, she looked around the room, which was packed, recognizing not only the members of their coven but several faces from other covens in the area. It had been a long time since the council had been called together to decide a witch’s fate, especially one who was destined to become the leader of her coven, and people had come to watch the spectacle.
She and Annabelle had discussed the possibility that she’d have to step in and take over for her sister, but Joslin was sure that it wouldn�
��t come down to that. What they’d done, they’d done out of love and nothing more; there had been only one thing to gain: Justin’s life. The council would see that and dismiss the charges as soon as they heard the entire story. She was sure of that.
At the appointed time, the council filed into the barn from the back door and began to take their seats. Everyone in the room had their eyes glued to the empty seat, the one her father should have been sitting in, to see who he had chosen to take his place. When Deacon walked out in his black robe and sat down, there was a gasp, and then everyone began whispering.
Joslin couldn’t believe what she was seeing; her father had chosen the one man who would love to see Annabelle stripped of her power within the coven. She glanced over at Annabelle, whose face had taken on a mask of hurt and anger, but it quickly passed when Justin squeezed her hand, the calm expression returning to her face.
The room finally grew quiet, and all eyes were focused on the council seated at the front of the room, their black robes signifying their power. Joslin was tempted to get up and leave, to just disappear until the inquisition was over, but that was impossible. She had to be there for Annabelle, no matter how difficult it was going to be, she and Penny were the only ones who could clear her sister’s name.
“I call this meeting to order,” Minerva said, using a voice that cut through the barn, reaching the people all the way in the back. “We’re here to discuss Annabelle Simons use of what many consider to be black magic.”
Joslin had always like Minerva, who besides being the head of the witch’s council ran a summer camp for adolescent witches. Today, however, the woman wasn’t her friend; she was her adversary, and that was a little scary.
“The council and I would like to make it understood that this is not a formal inquisition and nothing will be decided here today; we simply would like to get some information,” Minerva said, then turned to her left. “Byron will be conducting this part of the meeting; when he’s finished, we will listen to any other business the coven may have with the council.”
Byron Masters was a man few liked; a ruthless but honest man, he’d been on the council almost as long as Minerva. “We’d like to hear from Annabelle and Justin first, then we’ll hear from the other witnesses,” he said, gesturing for them to step forward.
Joslin could feel her sister’s legs shaking as she got to her feet and tried to send her some positive energy, knowing she’d succeeded when Annabelle reached down and squeezed her hand. As Annabelle talked, she could see the council being swayed, and several nodded their heads in understanding when she explained that she had no choice but to use the spell to save Justin.
When it was her turn to speak, she stood in front of the council, looked them right in the eyes, and recounted the exact same story that Annabelle and Justin had. Penny then backed her story with her own, and she could see that the council was going to rule in their favor, but then Deacon spoke.
“I, for one, am not convinced that this was done purely in the name of love. There was a great deal at stake here: not just a life, but an entire empire,” he said, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest.
“What do you mean by that?” Minerva asked, clearly annoyed that he’d spoken.
“Well, Annabelle stood to lose a lot if Justin died and another shifter pack took over the ranch,” he said triumphantly, then added, “I’m not sure I believe the true love, meant to be together part of this story; after all, it hasn’t been that long since she was engaged to me.”
After his words faded away, there was whispering in the room, which quickly died away when Bryon banged his fist on the table and yelled, “Silence.” Then he turned to Deacon, “What would it take to convince you?”
“I think a formal inquisition into the matter is called for and I propose that until it’s completed, Annabelle and Justin should be barred from getting married,” he said, a look of satisfaction on his face.
The room suddenly erupted with chatter, the outrage in the room palpable. “I don’t think that’s going to be necessary,” Minerva said, “And I’m not sure we have that kind of power; this isn’t the old days, and if they want to be married, we can’t stop them.”
Some of the satisfaction drained from Deacon’s face. “I still want a formal inquiry,” he said. “These are serious charges that can’t be ignored.”
***Jake***
Jake had been absently playing with a frayed spot on his shirt when he heard the call for a formal investigation. Groaning, he shifted in his seat thinking that they were going to be there for a while. He didn’t really understand why he was there anyway; he’d only come out east to attend his brother’s wedding, nothing more, and now it looked like he was stuck for a while.
His annoyance drained away and quickly turned to anger when he heard the suggestion that the wedding be postponed. He knew who had suggested it, and that made him even angrier. Justin seemed to be taking everything in stride, and Jake knew that his brother wasn’t taking this very seriously, so he let the anger slide away.
Anger was still a very dangerous emotion for him, could cause him to shift at the most inopportune times. Not only was it embarrassing, but it could be dangerous if it happened here among so many witches. Justin had promised him years ago that it would get easier to manage the gift as he got older, but so far, that didn’t seem to be happening.
When the strange-looking witch in the center of the table rejected the idea of postponing the wedding he breathed a sigh of relief. But his relief was short lived when the man spoke up again, demanding an inquisition which he knew would take weeks. He’d been surprised when Justin had asked him to come with them, but now he understood why; they were going to be here for a long time and they all thought he was the most expendable.
He didn’t blame his brother for not wanting to be alone with all these witches, but it bothered him that his family thought that he was that easily replaceable. As the youngest, no one ever gave him the credit he was due; in fact, most of the time they still treated him like a child.
At nearly twenty-four, he’d never been given much responsibility on the ranch, had, in fact, been treated more like an amusing pet than anything else. Now he’d be here for weeks, following Justin around doing absolutely nothing when he should be back home proving himself.
He’d been so lost in his thoughts, he didn’t hear it the first time that his name was called, but soon he became aware that everyone was looking at him. Fighting off a moment of panic, knowing that he’d missed something important, he got to his feet.
“Jake Brooks,” the woman in the middle of the table said. “Your brother has chosen you as his personal representative. The council would like to know if you’ll accept the responsibility.”
“I…I guess,” Jake stammered, feeling like a fool.
“Step up then,” the woman said, clearly annoyed with him. “Jake Brooks, do you agree to represent your brother in these proceedings, to abide by our laws and to do your best to see that the truth is revealed?”
Jake swallowed a lump in his throat. “I agree,” he said, louder than he intended.
The woman nodded her head, “Let the record show that Justin Brooks is to be represented by his brother Jake Brooks. Now, Annabelle, you must choose a representative as well.”
“I choose my sister, Joslin,” Annabelle said, with no hesitation.
Joslin got to her feet and walked to the front of the room and stood so close to Jake that he could smell her perfume, a mix of something spicy with just a hint of sweet. Unable to help himself, he took several deep breaths, letting her scent wash over him, wondering what the perfume she wore was called.
When she spoke, her voice was clear and musical, with just a hint of the playfulness he knew she possessed. Since he’d met her on the night his brother almost died, he’d had a crush on her, had gone out of his way to spend time with her. He knew that there was no chance that she’d ever see him as anything but Justin’s little brother, but that did
n’t stop him from nursing that crush.
“I accept and promise to act in my sister’s best interest while obeying the rules and laws of the coven,” she said, then bowed her head to the council.
Chapter 2
***Joslin***
She’d known walking in that night that she might end up having to represent her sister if there was an inquisition, but now that it had happened, Joslin wasn’t so sure she was ready. Dealing with the council had always been her sister’s problem; after all, Annabelle had long ago been designated as the next coven leader.
She’d been just fine with that because it meant that her parents basically left her alone, let her do her own thing. It had never really bothered her that her sister got so much more attention; Annabelle was clearly the stronger witch and much more suited to leadership than she was. She might have felt a few pangs of jealousy when Annabelle had become engaged to Deacon, but that hadn’t lasted when they’d discovered what he was really like.
Looking at the man sitting so smugly at the front of the room, she wondered again what her father saw in him, how he could have fooled someone like him so completely. Even when she and Annabelle had gone to their father and told them what they’d found in Deacon’s apartment, he’d refused to believe them, had made excuses for the evidence of black magic.
No longer able to stomach looking at the man, she got to her feet and headed for the door, needing a few minutes to herself; she didn’t wait for the family but instead headed for her favorite spot on the compound. The night was far from over; her father had some explaining to do, and she couldn’t wait to see what he had to say about putting Deacon on the council in his place.
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