Going Under

by Lauren Dane

  “Stop that. I can’t concentrate when you flirt.”

  “You’re frowning.” He kissed her quickly and her magick filled her to her toes and then up her torso out to her fingertips. “Ah, I can see it. Hmm, it responds to my magick.”

  Her magick was as easy for him as the rest of her apparently.

  “Now, let it fill you all the way to the top of your head. Once it does I want you to use it to see. When you open your eyes, keep relaxed, let the magick do the work.”

  Gage knew that with other witches who hadn’t had a few lessons, the first time using othersight wasn’t always successful, or it only worked halfway. But the witch he faced was the biggest control freak overachiever he’d ever met. She’d get it because she’d never allow anything else from herself. Her magick had to be just as bossy as she was.

  He felt it, the rush of heat as her magick began to radiate outward. Her aura was clear and blue with some green here and there. Her scent seemed to envelop him in a wave, sucking him under as his own magick rose. She called to him in ways very few others did.

  Probably no one else.

  Then she opened her eyes and her mouth, that luscious, delicious mouth of hers made a little O.

  “Wow,” she whispered. “It’s like a filter you use with digital pictures. The colors are . . . different. Everything is, I don’t know, layered maybe?”

  “You’re seeing magick all around you. The plants give it off. Partly because they’re living things and are conductors for our personal magick, which is sort of a key to our lock. But also because they’re here on Owen land and witches come up here all the time to meditate and work. There’s a lot of recharging going on up here. Powerful witches too. So if you look carefully you can see that, the smudge of all sorts of magick up here. Meriel’s has its own signature just as mine does. As yours does.”

  “Can I turn it on and off at will? Does it use up my energy like a lot of spellwork does? Should I only use it in emergencies?”

  She continued on with the questions. On and on as she thought and he answered as they went along. Of course she’d want to know everything. That was who she was.

  “Will people know if I’m using it?”

  “A lot of witches, especially those who grow up in a clan will use it at least occasionally. I use it all the time, just to check things out. Like when I go into your hotel room I check to see if any magick but yours and mine has been used. Let it become second nature when you enter a room. I’ll have you use it when we go testify the next time. Plenty of villains when we do that so you can see what negative energy looks like too. That’s why I’d like you to practice and use it all the time. It’s not going to wear you out like a lot of spells would. But I would also encourage you to come up here and recharge at least once a day.”

  “I don’t even pull magick from the Font. I don’t use that much magick to deplete my own. Are you sure I need to?”

  “When you come up here it’s more than just charging your battery. You’re cleansing yourself and your energy. It’s good up here, can’t you feel it?”

  She nodded slowly. “Yes.”

  “You’re dealing with a lot of negative stuff right now. Coming up here will help you.”

  She chewed her bottom lip. “I don’t know how. Is it the same as pulling magick from the earth at my feet?”

  He took her hands. “Sort of, yes. Can you see all the wisps in the air? Sort of like little ribbons?”

  She blinked and looked all around, nodding.

  “That’s magick. Just hanging in the air. Lots of witches don’t realize how much ambient magick is all around them. Up here it’s supercharged. To bring it into yourself you just call to it. Like you do through your feet, only through the air. I always just sort of breathe it in and it sticks to me and absorbs. But that’s just the imagery I use. Try it.”

  She took a deep breath and he used his othersight to watch her draw all that magick to herself.

  “It feels like snowflakes.” She smiled when she said it and he noted the magick seemed to melt against her skin before it disappeared.

  “That was beautiful. You did great. How do you feel?”

  “Awake. Alert. Like I just drank a quad espresso only without the jitters.”

  He smiled. “You did it right.”

  “This is the coolest. Thank you for showing this to me. I feel like even though I know how to use my magick in the basic sense, there’s so much I missed.”

  “Your power is second nature. Really it’s about letting it do what it needs to. Like I said, it’s part of you. Witches make the mistake of thinking they have to control it and then they blunt their power. You’re not going to blow up the gym or anything. I’m happy to show you things, but the key is to trust your magick. First and foremost. Everything else is a matter of style.”

  Chapter 16

  SHE walked side by side with Meriel as they headed toward the door of the restaurant they’d be having their meeting in. The Others had all created a unified governance council and Meriel was their representative. Molly was, in turn, the media person who was the liaison to them and from them to the media and humans in general.

  Faine and one of the others who stood in for Lark were also along for the trip serving as guards. Gage and Lark were just a few feet away in a smaller dining room meeting with the enforcement arms of different groups of Others.

  No matter how much she knew it was necessary to have guards, it was still something she had difficulty getting used to.

  Meriel interrupted her thoughts. “You get used to it. I’m sort of shocked at how easy it is to get used to.”

  Molly started. “Am I that easy to read?”

  “Not really. Not usually anyway. Lots of adjustment for us all of late though. I’m not sure how we process it all without losing our shit half the time. I’m glad of it, don’t get me wrong.” Meriel gave her a quick smile. “As for guards, after a while you do let go of the knowledge that they’re there and you can get past it. Or that’s how it’s been for me.”

  “You’re like the head witch. Haven’t you had guards your whole life?”

  “Not really, no. Until the last year or so it’s been pretty safe and mellow here for us. My mother”—Meriel paused to lick her lips before speaking again—“she never had guards either. But after the mages and then the Magister, well, we had to do it.”

  “I get the whys of it. And I know they’re doing their job and stuff. But it’s . . .” She stopped, not wanting to continue this conversation in front of anyone else. “It’s a reminder of how much things have changed I guess. My life won’t ever be the same.”

  Meriel’s smile turned up a thousand watts and Molly had no idea what she’d said to merit that. “You’re making me nervous, Meriel.”

  Meriel hugged her quickly. “That’s the first really personal thing you’ve shared with me. I’m just happy. Because I like you and I like being your friend and I want you to share stuff with me. Selfish I know.”

  “If I shared it all I just might start crying and then not know how to stop. I’d be a red-faced puffy mess. We’re better off that I don’t, trust me.”

  “Thing is, I do trust you. And I want you to trust me too. This isn’t the place, I know, but why don’t you come over for dinner tonight? Dom and I wanted to do a check in with you anyway and this can be away from the office. You don’t have to share anything.” Meriel grinned. “But I’d like to get to know you better and Dominic likes to cook so you’d give him an excuse.”

  “All right. I’d like that.”

  * * *

  THE room was full of Others once they walked into the small private dining room. She used her othersight but even without it she would have guessed those in the room had magick of some sort.

  She couldn’t wait to tell Gage about it. Through her othersight she detected the musk of the cats and the loam of the wolves, even the cool taste of the vampires.

  Othersight was the coolest thing she’d learned about her magick in ye
ars.

  Meriel’s power seemed to vibrate from her and Molly realized she was just as powerful as any Other in the room. She just wore it differently. She didn’t need teeth or claws. Meriel had a metric ton of magick.

  The thought buoyed Molly. She had magick too. Oh sure, not on the same level as Meriel did. But enough to defend herself if she needed to. It was the first time she really understood it and the relief rushed through her.

  The vampires took up a great deal of time until Meriel sighed heavily and shifted, as everyone else was. They were losing momentum.

  “If I may?” Molly stood and several different Others, clearly relieved at the interruption, recognized her.

  “All your points are good ones. But to keep this moving forward I’d like to suggest we address the items on the agenda. And then if we have time left we can take up these issues afterward.”

  That was quickly approved and Meriel indicated she continue. “There are two major pieces of legislation I want to speak to you about today. In Virginia there’s a bill set to register all Others with the state. Sort of like the draft. They claim anyway. No one will say with any clarity just how this information will be used or go into any detail about the penalties for nondisclosure. I’ll be testifying there next week, but I’ve prepared talking points and sent copies of the legislation along with any supporting documentation to each one of you.” She pulled out folders and pushed them across the table to each group. “And I brought hard copies today as well. It would behoove us all to get working on this. Letters, emails, calls, visits to legislators on all levels.”

  “And what good will that do? They’re already just doing whatever they want,” Franco, the verbose vampire, interrupted.

  “We need to be in their faces. We need to help them understand we will not let this happen to us. We will not sit idly by while they legislate us into second-class citizenship. Or worse. Right now, those of us who were citizens before the Magister are still citizens. We need to act like it.”

  “She’s right.” Nina shrugged. “I’ll speak with National and we’ll get some of our people down in Virginia working on this. Get some opinion papers written. I see you’ve included a sample. You’re really anal.”

  Molly started and Nina snorted a laugh. Megan, Nina’s sister-in-law and the Enforcer of the pack, sighed. “She’s got a weird sense of humor.”

  Nina just smiled. “You’re organized. It’s a good quality. The Alpha female of National is just as much of a tightass as you are. She’s a bitch in heels and a scarier female I’ve yet to meet. So you’re in good company. We’re on it.”

  “The second piece of legislation is actually something happening in four states right now, the result of which would nullify union protections for Others in public positions. So teachers and other public workers would be terminated and then reclassified. They would then have to reapply for those positions and be hired by a panel of appointed citizens. They’d lose pensions and retirement funds and any seniority they’ve built up over the years.”

  “Why aren’t we just killing them all?” Franco shrugged. “We’re stronger and faster. They’d certainly get the point, no? We can spare the ones who aren’t trying to harm us, of course.”

  “That’s a refreshingly old-school solution. But how about we try it without the killing part first?”

  He smiled her way, amused, and she breathed a little easier. Vampires were wild cards, one never knew just how far they’d go on some issues.

  Franco wasn’t quite done though. “We won’t be lying down for humans who come onto our property trying to harm us. We’ve conveyed this information to the local authorities, who informed us they couldn’t be there to protect us at every moment and suggested guards. We suggested they remember that should anyone break into our homes intent upon doing us harm, they would meet harm in return.”

  “That’s fair. And as it happens, the law anyway.”

  They spoke about some of the other legislation and she was able to mobilize them with promises of action. Gage and Lark were just next door dealing with the different security groups for the Others, talking about how to keep everyone safe. She bet it was far more interesting over there.

  * * *

  “HOW’D it go?” he murmured as he met up with them outside the dining room.

  “You know if you have a meeting in a dining room one expects lunch.”

  He tried not to laugh but failed. “You’re food focused. I like that.”

  “I do require sustenance to survive.” Molly’s expression was prim but humor danced in her eyes.

  “Shall we stop somewhere then? To grab you some sustenance before you fade away into nothingness?”

  Meriel reached them. “Don’t get too full. I texted Dom that you’re coming over for dinner and he’s already at the grocery store. Prepare for a feast. Lark and Simon will be there too. Gage, you’re invited as well.” Meriel waved over their shoulder to Nina Warden as she left.

  Well, if Molly was going she’d need a guard anyway. So it would be smart for him to be there. Though of course Simon and Lark would be there along with Meriel and Dominic and of course they had full-time guards around the entire property. But none would be her guard specifically. It was responsible of him. Plain and simple.

  “Sounds good. I can give Faine the night off.”

  Meriel smirked for just a brief moment but said nothing else. She leaned in to kiss Molly’s cheek and squeezed her hands. “You did an amazing job in there.”

  Molly blushed. “Me? No, all of you have such bigger jobs than mine. I just helped people stay on task, that’s all.”

  Gage snorted as Lark approached. “Ready to go back to work, Boss?”

  Meriel had a full-time guard. Two of them actually. But Lark or Gage accompanied her to meetings like this one as well. Her safety was paramount to the survival of Owen.

  “You have that town hall meeting, right?” Meriel turned to Molly.

  Molly looked at her watch. “Yes, in half an hour.”

  “We’re going to that. There’ll be a pretty large Owen turnout I think.”

  Lark sighed, knowing it was part of the job, but she and Gage hated the exposure. Not just for Meriel, but for Molly as well.

  “I hadn’t realized it was that late. I have protein bars in my bag. I can make do. But I need coffee.”

  Meriel grinned and joined her arm with Molly’s. “Me too. There’s a place on the way. We can walk.”

  “Do you think that’s a good idea? There’s bound to be a crowd gathering already near the town hall.” Lark glanced to Gage briefly.

  “I think I’m sick of being caged up in a car with bulletproof windows. Especially on a rare sunny winter day. It’s full daylight. We’ve got four guards.”

  Molly spoke up. “And I don’t think we should allow the PURITY people to push us off the sidewalks of our own city. We have the right to enjoy it like everyone else.” She allowed Gage to help her into her coat, which held her scent, and he had to work to keep from leaning in and sniffing her at the nape of her neck where her magick seemed to gather.

  “You’re right.” Lark nodded and looked back to Meriel. “Let’s go then.” She called over the other guards and they all headed out. The car would meet them at the event, which was truly only blocks away.

  But those blocks nearly gave him a heart attack. The sidewalks were crowded with other Seattleites who wanted to take advantage of the sunshine too. So there was much jostling. Six months ago it wouldn’t have caused him a moment’s concern. But now? Well, things had changed. He and Lark combined their magick to form a protective circle around the women as they walked, talking and laughing. Molly looked particularly beautiful, her hair shining in the sun, a big smile on her face.

  He was glad as hell when they arrived at the coffee shop.

  “Oh, I need that muffin.” Molly smiled up at the counter guy, who nearly tripped over himself to give it to her. He also drew a pretty design in chocolate on the top of her latte. Gage sent him
the eye, but he missed it because he was staring at Molly so hard.

  He and Lark sat with them at the table, backs to the wall, eyes always moving.

  “I try to pretend I’m in a movie of the week. Like a princess or something who is trying to live a normal life in the United States while she goes to college.”

  Meriel cocked her head and then laughed. “What?”

  Molly waved a hand toward the guards. “You know with all the guards around. It’s better than knowing they’re here to protect us from whatever crazy loon who wants to harm us because of who we are.”

  Meriel nodded. “I like the way you think. I just think it’s nice to look at Gage and Faine and the others. Lark makes me laugh and when she’s around; Simon often shows up and he’s definitely nice to look at.”

  “Well yes, that too. I was trying to be more subtle about that part because Gage is here and all. Oh and also because Lark is pretty badass and I’m afraid of what she’d do if she knew the thoughts her man inspired.”

  It was Lark’s turn to laugh. “I can’t lie, he is mighty fine to look at. I could tell you what a handful he is, but that doesn’t even begin to blunt the visual impact.” She winked and Gage would have frowned if Molly hadn’t agreed so readily to him being nice to look at too.

  “I’d like to think things will be normal again at some point.” Meriel looked out the windows. Across the street and half a block up, a crowd was building around the town hall space.

  “There’ll be a different kind of normal I think. But I think what we had before? It might never be the same again.”

  It got quiet for a while as they finished up.

  “Let’s go to it then.” Molly stood and Meriel followed.

  Molly stood tall but kept close to Gage.

  “Use your othersight,” he murmured. “It’s going to be fine.”