by L. A. Boruff
Grabbing the armchair, I tug it close and sit down, then lean forward to take her hands. "You're flooded with power that you should've been learning to use your entire life. I can help by channeling away some of it, but it'll make both of us tired. It'll take a few days to build that power back up, and we can work on your control while it does. If you can't handle it when it builds back, I'll funnel more off again until you're caught up, okay?"
Callie nods, squeezing my hands. "Thank you."
I let my power reach out and caress hers. "You have to be open to this." Her power regards mine suspiciously. After being locked away for so long, it doesn't want to leave Callie.
"How?" she whispers. Her magic rockets around inside her, anxious to get out and play.
"Tell it to come play with me."
She opens her eyes and looks at me like I'm a lunatic.
"I'm serious." I laugh at her disbelief. "Magic is childlike. It will mature in time, but it loves to be used. Yours has been compressed for nearly twenty years. Encourage it to go with my magic."
Callie arches an eyebrow at me, but she closes her eyes and breathes deep. After about a minute, her magic reaches out to mine and pokes at it, like tentacles from a playful octopus. I let mine dance around, just out of reach, and it works. Her eager magic follows, back to my body, where it swirls around inside me. I perform a simple spell and shoot colorful sparks into the air. They're not flammable. They're just for show, but it lets her overzealous magic have an outlet.
I funnel as much as I can through me and out into the room while Callie watches in amazement. "I can see what you're doing," she whispers. After several minutes, she lifts a finger and points it into the air.
Bright pink sparkles shoot from her finger.
Will grins. "You're a natural."
I'm amazed she's picked it up so fast. "Try this." I channel her magic again, pulling more and spinning my hand very slowly as I release the same sparkles. They create a tornado, which floats in midair. I blow it, with magic, toward Callie and it spins around her head, lifting her hair and twisting it around and around above her head.
She squeals in delight. "Do it again. Let me watch it again."
I repeat the motions, but this time I put the sparkles around Will's head. His hair ruffles, as if the wind is playing with it, but the pink glittering tells a different story. This is nothing natural. It’s magic.
Callie leans forward and presses a kiss to his cheek as he rolls his eyes at my choice of who to make sparkle.
I have to cut it off then, because if I take much more, she'll start to feel the pull. It can be painful. A strong enough witch can completely pull the magic from another and with the right spell, make it permanent. I doubt I'm strong enough to really hurt her, but better safe than sorry.
When I let go of her magic, she blinks. "Whoa. I am tired."
I nod as fatigue washes over me. "Channeling magic is tiring. You can funnel it to me, which for some reason isn't as bad, but if I take it, we'll both be wiped out."
"Could someone take it if I'm not encouraging the magic to go? It didn't want to go with you at first." She looks scared. Now that she's got it back, she doesn't want to lose it.
"Yes, but it's extremely hard to do. And you're safe behind the wards." James squeezes her.
I hold out my hand. "Come on. Let's go sleep for the rest of the night and we can practice more tomorrow now that you're not so full of power."
She nods and climbs out of James's lap. "Thank you both." Callie presses a kiss to each of their lips.
I'm shocked because her actions don't shock me. Her affection for my brothers, friends, seems right somehow. I take her hand and we tuck into her bed without another word, both Callie and I falling asleep in seconds. And that also feels right, being curled around Callie as I drift off. But I'm too tired to analyze it.
Chapter Two
Callie
Wake up, wake up, wake up. The voices chant around my head. I'm aware they're nothing more than the remnants of a dream, but that doesn't make them sound less urgent.
Wake up, Callie. Wake up, little witch.
"Go away," I mumble sleepily, unsure if I say the words aloud, or if they're in my head.
Wake up, or people will die. The words sound urgent now, as if they're desperate for me to listen to them. And if they're telling the truth...
We are.
My eyes snap open, the voices are gone, but they’ve been replaced with a feeling of dread in the base of my stomach. I search the bed with my hands while looking around the room for one of the guys. They promised they'd be by my side the whole night, so where are they now?
"Hank? Will? James?" My voice comes out as nothing more than a croak.
A loud whoosh sounds outside, followed by a crash and a wave of power through the house.
I jump to my feet; sure this is what the voices in my head are trying to tell me about.
Pfft, I have voices in my head. It's an amusing thought but considering all the strange things that have happened recently, it's nothing too concerning. Besides, it's only the same as sharing my body with a cat, right?
A pang of sadness washes over me. My cat is gone. I've known that since I woke up with the guys yesterday. She's no longer a part of me, and I miss her already. I push the thought away. I can grieve for my cat once I've figured out what's going on right now.
"Will? Hank? James?" I call out again, my voice stronger now. "Are you there?"
None of them answer, but shouts come from outside. I recognize the voices. Relief floods through me at that, glad they're not ignoring me. Until I remember the protection charms they put around the house. If they're outside, there's a reason for it.
I’d gone to bed in my tee and boxer shorts I normally slept in, but sometime in the night I’d gotten overwhelmingly hot and thrown the shirt, sleeping in my sports bra. Can’t run outside in that.
I grab a sweater from the pile of clothes at the end of my bed and pull it on. It falls past my ass, so must be one of the guys'. They won't mind me wearing it, and I don't have time to get another one.
My footsteps thunder down the stairs in my rush. No one is around, only adding to my certainty something is wrong.
Small tendrils of smoke creep in through the open front doors. I search inside myself for magic. Even if I don't know how to use it, I feel better having access to it. I let it pool in my hands, the pink sparks the guys showed me yesterday are now sitting there, waiting for me to tell them what to do.
In theory.
I slip my shoes on and leave the house. The smoke is instantly thicker. And not magical. I’m not sure how I know that, other than the color and smell, but I’m certain it hasn’t been made by a spell. There’s still something odd about it though. Perhaps this is a dream? No, it can’t be. I’d have more answers if it was.
The protection spell has to be stopping the smoke from going near my house. I can see most of it at the border of my property, where the protection spell ends. It’s accumulating like an invisible dome is stopping it. Anybody that goes by will see it, and if they’re magical, they’ll know exactly what it is. This smoke could give our location away to the wrong people.
Hopefully, when I get further away from the house, it’ll clear up more. Is that a good thing, or a bad one? I'm not sure. If it's being stopped, then I suspect it's magical smoke, which is bad news for anyone whose home is burning. But it doesn’t feel magical. I’ve had my magic for half a second, it’s not like I recognize what magic feels like.
My heart sinks. Is it the fire station? I don't know what the guys will do if it is. That place is their home. No doubt they'll move in with me, but that's not the point. That would rush this extremely tentative, flirty, sexy thing we’ve got going on.
"Hank? Will? James?" I don't shout this time. I don't want to attract the wrong kind of attention.
I step out of the protection spell and onto the street. The smoke isn't as bad here, it must be collecting at the boundary of the hous
e. Weird. Lights flicker through what’s left of the haze on this side of the protection. Definitely not magical smoke. The guys must be at the site of the fire, doing their duty as firemen. They wouldn’t have left me for any other reason.
Relief sinks in as I realize it isn't the firehouse which is ablaze, but the building next door. Damn it. I should have looked out of one of my upstairs windows instead of rushing out here, but I only focused on getting outside and finding the guys. Panicked. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
A figure emerges from the smoke, and it takes me a moment to recognize her, despite the fact her being here makes total sense, she works with the guys. She’s always going to be where the fire is.
"Callie? What are you doing out here?" Sugar asks, coming to a stop beside me. She's kitted out in the fire-fighting gear and looks like she's ready to tear someone apart with her bare hands.
I almost laugh, despite the seriousness of the situation. No doubt it’s a result of not being awake long enough for that part of my brain to catch up, or not enough sleep.
I bet Sugar could do it too, rip someone apart. I've never met a dragon before. Which makes sense, considering I didn't even know my true nature until recently. Perhaps I have met a dragon before, I just didn't recognize them.
"What's going on?" I ask instead of answering her question.
"The guys won't be happy if they find you out here. You have to stay inside," Sugar warns me.
I wave her concern away. "The guys aren’t in the house, so tell me what's going on, please?"
She sighs loudly, but I don't miss the small smile on her face. She's not as disapproving of me risking myself as she pretends. "There's a gathering place used by some of the coven to pray to the goddess Gaia next to the firehouse. Someone's set it on fire."
My stomach feels as if it's full of lead. "Is anyone hurt?" I whisper, the words almost catching in my throat.
She shakes her head. "I don't think so. No one will have been there at this time in the morning."
So, it’s a message. I grimace. That doesn't make any sense, though. What would be the point of lighting it on fire? Or was it an accident?
"Sugar?" someone calls through the smoke, I think it's Will, but it's hard to tell with all the noise going on.
"I have to go." She turns toward the source of the smoke. "But stay out of the way, Callie. Go back in the house and stay out of harm's way. I don't want to see what those men would do if you get hurt."
I nod, but don't move. How can I when an important place for witches is being burned?
But I'm weak, and I don't know how to use my powers. Surely that makes me more of a liability than anything else. That's the last thing I want, given the danger of the situation already. This is so much more difficult without my cat automatically taking over.
I turn towards the house. I’ll be sensible and not make another mistake like going to my uncle without telling anyone. Those are the sort of mistakes that get people killed in movies and novels.
"No!" A shrill scream cuts through the night, the fear in the tone piercing my heart. I spin on my heels without a second thought.
Someone is in the burning building. Someone is hurting and scared. Someone I need to help. I must help.
The smoke clogs my lungs as I rush toward the continued screams, but I don't worry about it. If I come from a line of powerful witches, then I doubt this'll hurt me. Right?
As I get closer to the source of the flames, the heat washes over me, warming my face and hurting my soul. How can someone do something so cruel? Of course, I know the answer, even if I don't want to admit it to myself yet. He promised the witches in town would be safe.
And I trusted him. I'm a fool.
I break through the wall of smoke and the building, which looks like just another house, comes into view. I’m closer to the burning house than I realized before I saw it.
I stop my progression when I realize my guys aren't hosing it down any longer. People are emerging from their houses, no doubt woken by the sights, sounds, and smells of the fire. A small crowd gathers around the fire engine, though none of them say anything. They have their eyes on the front of the building, many with tears in their eyes. No one looks away. I follow their gazes, confused.
The flames are mostly gone now, but some orange light flickers through the broken windows. It will be a while before it's completely out. My three guys, along with Sugar, are frozen, staring along with everyone else.
The charred doorway of the building swings open and frames two witches marching out of it in outfits of matching black, a woman gagged and bound between them. Her feet drag along the floor as she struggles. Even from here, I can tell she’d rather take her chances with the fire than the men. There's no doubt who sent these men. Or why they're here.
One of the men pushes her forward so she falls to her knees with a muffled cry. My heart breaks for her.
The woman shivers, her thin nightgown torn and billowing in the light breeze. If I were closer, I have no doubt I'd see fear in her eyes. These aren't the kind of men who take prisoners and treat them fairly. If she's in their charge, then death is the only way out.
I can't let that happen. No. I won't let that happen. The days of torment are over. The false King promised me no one would be hurt, and I'm going to make sure he sticks to that.
"Step away from her," I demand, pushing through the crowd so the two men in black can see who I am.
Will lurches forward, but I hold a hand up to stop him, hoping the gesture is enough.
"We won't," one of the men says flatly. "We do the bidding of our liege."
The second man pulls a lethal-looking dagger from a sheath at his waist, and waves it around.
I raise my hand, calling the magic I know I have inside me. I have to stop this. Even if I don't know how.
"Callie, stop," James whispers in my ear.
I whip my head around to where the voice came from, but no one is there. One glance confirms James is still standing by the guys, one hand cupped over his mouth.
"How?" I whisper.
"It doesn't matter now; I'll fill you in later. But you can't use your magic, there are humans here."
"I don't care," I whisper back, hoping it carries over the space between us. "I'm not going to let someone die because I'm worried humans will see some magic."
"Maybe not," he answers. "But you don't have control of your powers. If you interfere with your magic, the woman will almost certainly die."
I ignore him and step forward once more, fixing my eyes on the men in black and ignoring James' insistent whispers in my ear. Deep down, I know he's right, but I can't bring myself to stand by as someone gets hurt. It should’ve been me leading them. Protecting them.
"Step away from her," I demand again, my voice stronger this time.
"No," the second man replies this time. "We don't disobey our orders. Step aside, girl."
"You can, though," I suggest. "We can offer you protection."
The first man scoffs. "Enough with this. Do you think His Majesty would send someone weak-willed to do his bidding?" He sneers, looking me up and down.
I swallow the lump forming in my throat, because I know the answer to that one. If the King ordered this, then the woman is as good as dead.
"He promised me," I say, more to myself than to anyone else.
"Then you should be more careful who you make deals with," the first man says while the second one slashes the woman's throat.
It takes me a moment to realize what's happening, but then people begin to scream around me. The two men disappear in a puff of smoke, and I rush forward to the woman.
I cradle her in my arms and try to staunch the blood coming from her neck, even though I know it's too late. They cut too much and too deep. She’s already mostly gone.
A fat tear falls and splatters on the woman's rapidly cooling cheek. It unlocks the rest of the dam, and more tears follow as I hold her dying body.
A hand rests on my shoulder. I don't have
to look up to know my men are around me as the woman’s life leaves her body.
"He broke his promise," I say through the lump in my throat.
"I know," Will says softly. "We're sorry."
"You knew it would happen, didn't you?" I clutch the woman’s body. This woman I should’ve protected.
"It seemed likely." Bitterness lingers behind James' words, but I don't question it.
"Hank?" Sugar says. I look up to find her holding out her phone to him.
He takes it, but frowns, as confused as I am about it.
"Your Dad," she explains.
"Oh." Hank puts it to his ear and walks away to talk.
I ignore him. He'll tell us what it's about when he gets off the phone. Instead, I stroke the hair away from the dead woman's face.
"Who is she?" I ask the others.
"Her name is Stephanie," James answers. "She's always kept to herself, and never hurt a fly."
"Does she have anyone?" I don't know if I want the answer to be yes or no.
He shakes his head. "Not that I know of. But I'm sure someone will come for her. Word of this will spread quickly."
"Where can we take her until then?" I ask, focusing on Stephanie's body instead of the anger building inside me.
"I'll take her into the firehouse," James says. "I'll put her in the medical bay."
Sugar and Will both nod.
"I'll go double check none of the humans saw anything," Sugar says, walking away before we can respond.
"Can she do that?" I ask.
Will gives a short laugh, more from shock than true amusement. "Never underestimate a dragon, Callie."
James scoops Stephanie's body into his arms and strides off into the smoke to put her somewhere safe and away from harm, as Hank reappears.
"Is everything okay?" Will asks.
"My family is going into hiding," he says flatly.
"Oh, Hank, I'm so sorry," I whisper as I get to my feet.
"It's not your fault," he assures me. "This has been brewing for a long time. Covens aren't meant to be run the way the King is doing it."