“I’ve never seen anything like that, have you?” Bridget was next to Duke, watching as Hazel chatted with the rest of the interns.
They were excited, giddy, peppering her with questions. Hazel’s face was crimson, her hands out in an attempt to calm them down or stop them, or get away.
“She’s something else,” Duke admitted. “It’s amazing Mother Knight has kept her so contained for all these years. With power like that.” And amazing that she’d been able to sneak out all those times to see him.
“Mother has a vested interest in keeping that kind of power a secret.” Bridget didn’t say it with any kind of tone. She wasn’t normally a political woman. Everything she did was to service herself first, and staying neutral on the topic of Hazel and her Mother was the best way to ensure an elevated position at White Willow and the confidence of the Great Healer. “It will be interesting to see what more she can do. What a boon for us, if only for a limited time.”
Before she joined the Circle went without saying. Before her power was shared with all of Healer-kind.
Duke nodded. Even without his magic bolstering her, Hazel’s power was impressive and also scary. That kind of magic could feed generations of witches, could help harness powerful spells. He could see the allure. He could see the sacrifice too. And why the Mother thought it was best to give her daughter over to the Circle instead of herself. Hazel’s power was unmatched. It was intoxicating. Any smart leader would recognize that potential, even if it was self-serving at its core. Mother Knight was not only doing this for all of Healer-kind—she was doing this for herself too.
Hazel would lose her youth and vitality with each year she spent in the Circle. They’d drain her dry until she had nothing left to give, certainly nothing left for herself. They needed her. He knew that. Especially since the Promised Ones in the Circle and most Healers in general ignored the power that the human witches could provide. And natural magic, well, it just didn’t give enough of the kind of power they needed or wanted. So Hazel was the answer. The Circle would keep her alive, sucking from her for centuries. Like a rechargeable battery that slowly loses its ability to regenerate over the years. Hazel would give everything she had. Willingly. For her mother, for the Healers.
The idea of that scared the ever-living shit out of him. It made him more determined to convince her that staying with him was the better option. What they could do together, for witch-kind, the humans included, was much more important than what she would do for the Circle. Her talent, matched with his powers, could save many lives. Lives Mother Knight didn’t think were worth saving. She had such a distrust of the magical humans whose power stores could bolster the Circle. If only Mother Knight would act as the conduit she was born to be, rather than rejecting that side of her powers and forcing her only daughter, a powerful witch in her own right, to take her place. And besides, if that’s what Hazel wanted, like really wanted, to join the Circle, she didn’t have to do it now. She could do it once she’d lived her life to its fullest because even as an elderly witch, she would likely still have so much to offer all Healer-kind.
Duke was beginning to understand all the different ways Hazel Knight was being pulled and why such a battle waged within her mind. It didn’t make him want to stop his pursuit though. No way. Hazel was a treasure, sure, but she deserved a chance to choose, really choose, what her destiny should be.
7
Okay, so, Duke’s empathic power was very intoxicating. She could identify it now that she understood it was coming from him. The boosts of power she always felt, the buzz along her skin, weren’t her feelings for him getting out of control like she’d come to believe over the past year. It was his power. He’d been feeding her his magic, making her think it was all about the romance…
She sighed. Yeah…right…keep telling yourself that, honey. He hadn’t known she was a witch, so he couldn’t have been doing it maliciously. Did their magic speak to one another? Hell yeah. Had it been the entire year of their affair? Most definitely. But convincing herself that it had been the only thing going on between them was delusional. And she wasn’t into distortions of reality.
She winced. Okay, so plan keep-Duke-away-from-Hazel was a based on a lie…but that hadn’t been her idea in the first place.
Hazel slowly chewed the granola bar Mahdyia had given her, resigned to the turmoil of her thoughts.
Her life had suddenly gotten super complicated and it was only ever meant to be simple. That’s what her mother had planned for her, anyway. If she hadn’t disobeyed by venturing out into the human world, answering to the magical call that had spoken to her all those years ago, then she wouldn’t be in the mess she was in. No Duke either. As much as she wanted to convince herself that the simple life was a preferred life, everything about the man was very un-simple, and attractive, intriguing, deliciously tempting.
She’d wandered off from the group, seeking solitude so she could gather her thoughts, recharge her power from the trees around her. The rock she was on was covered in a soft moss that hummed to her as she ran her fingers over it. All around her was lush greenery, twittering birds, buzzing insects and magic, so much magic. Unfiltered, natural waves that pulsed around and through her. She called to it. Soaked it up. It wasn’t a skill unique to her—every witch could call the power from the air, the water, the earth. Most didn’t, though. They undervalued it…including her mother. Human magic, natural magic, was not as potent as magic that came from the Circle, drawn directly from the Promised Ones.
A branch cracked, a sound made on purpose so she wouldn’t startle—that was obvious. She wasn’t surprised to see Duke come around a large tree. She felt him just on the periphery of her awareness, his power complementing what she was taking in from the forest around her.
“We need to talk,” he repeated his statement from earlier. Before Tate had intervened.
“No, we don’t.” Talking would lead to more complications. Talking would lead to other things too. Touching. Kissing. Lusting… She gulped down another bite of her food, trying to keep her emotions in check.
He plucked some of the hanging moss from a branch before leaning against the tree. “You can’t avoid me forever.”
Just his leaning was sexy. The black T-shirt he wore was tight enough to define his muscles. A chiselled chest she’d licked many times before, thick biceps that were flexing just the right way as he reached up to pull some more moss down to twirl around his fingers. He looked good in those pants too. Jeans that were a dark wash, form fitting enough to show off his ass—ets.
She shoved the rest of the granola bar into her mouth and washed it down with some water.
“I can try.” She laughed bitterly. And fight every urge in her body to run to him, let him embrace her, take her away from it all. Wait, where did that come from?
“You’re pretty special.” He was mocking her, his tone light, a smile tugging on his lips. “Extraordinary. I can see why your mother has pinned so much on you.”
“Stop.” She rubbed her hand over her eyes, pressing with her fingers until her eyes hurt. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Everyone knows your destiny, Hazel. We’ve all been led to believe that some all-powerful heir would be stepping to the Circle, providing unlimited power for centuries to come. This special witch who we would draw from, who would give us bolstering like we’ve never experienced before.” He scoffed lightly. “I don’t think anyone ever really believed it, the mythical Promised One of all time. I sure didn’t. Not until today. Not until I met you for real.” He took a step away from the tree, the smirk gone. “She’s using you. You know that, right? Probably has been using you since you were born. Siphoning power from you to bolster her own and now she’ll use you again when you’re forced to take her place.”
Hazel frowned. Was he talking about her mother? Wait… “What?”
“No one thinks it’s valiant on her part. Even without knowing you, most witches don’t agree. They think your mother s
hould be taking her destined role, not foisting it on you.”
Her mother had prepared her for this kind of talk. Witches who lacked the ability to envision a future with her in the Circle. Unable to see what her power could do to help Healer-kind. She couldn’t blame them; as her mother pointed out, they’d never experienced a witch like Hazel before. Once she became one with the Circle and they felt what she could give them… Well, then they’d understand.
“I don’t expect you to get it.” She sighed, pity behind it. “I don’t require you to, either. I have to complete this trial, this year of testing and training and then I’m going to be doing my duty. I’m going to fulfill what I was born to do. You’ll see. It’s what’s meant to be.”
So Mr. Perfect wasn’t so perfect after all. He was just what her mother had described—a man lacking vision.
“You’re throwing your life away. Your talent.”
“No, I’m not. I’m sacrificing it for the greater good.”
“The greater good?” He flipped his hand up. “Propaganda. You don’t really believe that, do you?” He closed the distance to her, yanking her up from the rock, not releasing her hand once he had her at eye level. “Hazel, after everything we’ve shared, you don’t really believe that you only have one destiny, do you? One that would take you away from all this.” He waved his other hand around while pulling her closer. “From me? You say sacrifice, but I say slavery. And I know that’s hard for you to see right now but it’s true. No one should be asked to give this kind of sacrifice. But that’s just it—you were never asked were you?” He lifted his hand to touch her cheek, his tone softened. “Sweetheart, I don’t want to lose you. Not when I just found you.”
Hazel frowned, not at all liking the feeling she had in her stomach. Those butterflies. That anguish. His words affected her. I don’t want to lose you… The look in his eyes, such passion. A feeling she shared. The romance of it all tormented her, knowing that what her heart wanted couldn’t be.
What did her heart know anyway? Stupid heart.
She tugged her hand away then skirted around him, ready to use magic to keep him away.
“Stop running, Hazel. Stop pretending that you don’t know what I’m talking about. Your mother isn’t here. Let your guard down. Be with me like before, in the village. I know that’s the real you. Show me that girl again.”
She froze, let a shudder run through her. And when she turned, she made sure he saw the truth on her face. “You should be angry with me. I lied to you. I misled you. I just wanted to experience something a little different. I wanted to experience life a bit before my training at White Willow began. There was never any possibility of a future with me. What we had… It was fun, but it wasn’t ever going to go beyond the village. I’m not hiding anything from you. My guard, as you put it, is down. See for yourself. I’m putting my time in here because it’s required and then I’m joining the Circle. It’s better if you move on. Find someone else and forget about me.”
She let her words sink in, saw the flicker of emotion cross his face. Disbelief maybe, sadness, perhaps, and then a flash of anger. That’s where it needed to be. Enough anger so that he would leave her alone.
“Hey, Haz…oh….right…” Chanda came to a crashing halt just in front of them. She took in the scene, then grabbed Hazel by the arm and tugged her back. “I’ll get you out of this.” She put herself in between Hazel and Duke. “Listen, buddy, she doesn’t want your attention. She isn’t interested. Got it? If you don’t back off then I’ll report you to the disciplinary panel and it’ll be you going to the Scrub!”
Hazel opened her mouth, shock rolling through her. It was like a train wreck she couldn’t stop from happening… And yet, she wanted it to happen, didn’t she?
Duke’s face was a mask of real anger now. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
“She told us all about your propositions, your grabby hands! Speaking as a woman, it’s appalling that in this day and age, witch-kind hasn’t done away with men like you. Using your position of authority on someone like Hazel. She isn’t interested, okay? She’s freakin’ special. Exceptional. And she’s destined for greater things than you. So back off, mister.”
“She told you…” Duke gritted his teeth. He wasn’t looking at Hazel any longer but she could tell by his expression that he was seething. The air around them changed, charged perhaps with his mood swing. “Well, no worries there, sweetheart. I understand Hazel’s destiny as much as the next witch and I would never dream of derailing her from that path. Especially if it is unwanted attention. My mistake. I was only after a bit of fun. No hard feelings.” He gave Chanda a heated once over, pulling a startled giggle from her in the process. Hazel was intimately familiar with that look. “I certainly hope her feelings aren’t shared by everyone. Not that I would think of abusing my power, but with a willing partner? Well, I’m sure you could see the benefit of such an arrangement.”
Chanda moved a little closer to Duke, giggling again as she did.
Hazel shook her head. So childish. And yet…why did she feel like she wanted to push Chanda out of the way? Knock her aside so that it was Hazel getting one of those heated looks from Duke. Better than the burning hatred she saw now flashing her way.
Ugh. Men.
Instead of indulging the behavior she walked away, leaving Duke and Chanda to pursue whatever would come. She’d told him to move along, right? That there was no future with her. So that’s what he was doing.
Moving right along.
She stumbled through the forest, no path there to help her out as she tripped and trudged back to the small clearing they’d landed in earlier. Quiet talking stopped her up short and she circled a large tree. She saw Bas and Bridget lounging on the forest floor, nestled on a bed of moss that cascaded from a rock. Most of their clothes were on but looked dishevelled, like they’d hastily put them back on recently. Bas had his head resting in his crooked arm, looking smug, or at least satisfied. Bridget was running her fingers up and down his bare torso which had an impressive display of abs. Hazel moved backward a step, concealing herself behind the tree.
So this is the way things were for the interns? Sexual trysts with their superiors?
If Mother only knew.
“I don’t care what anyone says, that chick is seriously freaky,” Bas’s voice wafted toward her.
Hazel frowned and leaned closer.
“Hazel can’t help it, Worm. She’s been blessed with a powerful gift and has also been sequestered her whole life. She doesn’t know what proper witchly interaction is. Showing off is just something she was raised to do. Her mother… Well, from what I know, she encourages flagrant displays of prowess. I’m sure it’s not the last we’ll see this year. But you should feel indebted to her in the end, right? She’s going to do great things for all of us when she joins the Circle. Just look at what she accomplished here, now, without harnessing the Power of One.”
“Indebted to her? Nah, I feel sorry for her. She’s obviously whipped by her mother if she’s willing to devote herself to that kind of servitude. It’s creepy. She’s creepy.”
Servitude, slavery. What was with the men around here thinking her sacrifice wasn’t worthy of praise?
“Oh, get over it. So she was in your head, who cares? You scared she’s going to see something dangerous in there?”
“To her, yeah probably,” Bas grunted. “Highly inappropriate shit going on up there, especially where you’re concerned.”
“Shut up, Worm,” Bridget said with a laugh. “There will be none of that.”
“Oh yeah? How about some of this?”
Bridget moaned, then laughed.
Hazel used the opportunity to move away, Bas’s words circling in her head. She was creepy? She didn’t understand how to interact with witches? How could that be? She’d been sneaking out of her house since she was a teen, meeting new people all the time, mostly in the village, mostly human witches. But she’d gotten along with all of them. She even ha
d some friends…well, people who she talked to regularly. She knew what was going on in their lives even if they had no clue what was going on in hers. Even Duke—she’d gotten along with him, up until that morning. She wasn’t that strange. And everyone had needed her help earlier. Their powers had been completely depleted and she was capable of restoring it. Should she have not done that? Should she have let them suffer?
She frowned as she reached into her pocket and fingered her mother’s amulet. She could use some counsel. Had she overstepped? Hadn’t she done what was required of her? She hadn’t meant to slip into Bas’s head. He was just so…open.
And she hadn’t seen anything in there that was bad. Quite the contrary. What she’d seen, what she’d felt was an affinity with magic that she envied. The man could manipulate magic in a way that she would never be able to. Sure, she could absorb it, but Bas… He could change it, speak to it, unify spells. It was a nurturing method of spell casting, one he’d probably learned at his mother’s knee, perfect for a team of Healers. To have a witch capable of unification was a boon for their group. If she had to guess, she would say that he had strong spell mixing abilities as well. Taking natural ingredients to manufacture potent spells in interesting ways. A lot like the humans did. That was nothing to be ashamed of. Sure, it wasn’t the most glamorous skill, nothing flashy about bringing people together. But proficiency with unification to the degree that Bas seemed to have would make him an asset to any department in the hospital. Not a superstar probably, but the backbone.
Hazel sucked in a deep breath. Yeah, okay, she got it. He felt emasculated by his power when compared to others in the group. His insecurity was speaking back there. She could understand why he didn’t want anyone poking around in his head, especially her.
“Hey, Haz.” Mahdyia came out of the tree line. “You get lost or something?”
Sight for sore eyes. Hazel finally understood that sentiment. She gave her cousin a hug.
The Witches of White Willow Page 6