Isla Stone: Witch way

by Ellis Maton

  The brightness from the sun blinded me as my eyes opened. I felt a tingle in my stomach as I went over the events of last night. I turned over to see Tobias fast asleep next to me. My family would kill me for what had happened but I knew the messages I was getting from my mother were true. He didn’t kill her so there was no way that my love for him would be forbidden. I just needed to find a way to show everyone he was not the man who killed my mother.

  A part of me felt a bit sick at the thought of what I did last night considering I had not even questioned who he was or even asked him about my Mothers death. But, my attraction for him was too strong to ignore.

  Tobias twitched his eyes. He was waking up. I knew I needed to question him about why everyone was saying he was the killer.

  “Good Morning you!” his husky voice croaked.

  I knew that if I did not blurt it out now I would never get round to asking him.

  “Why do they think you killed my mother?” I asked nervously.

  My body started to tremble. I wanted it not to be true but for the first time I considered he might answer with “Because I did.”

  “Why do you keep asking me this? I have never killed anyone! I need you to believe me. I have done a lot of bad things in my time but I would never end someone’s life. Especially not a mothers.” It was good to hear him say that. I believed him. I was so in awe of his presence that if he told me he created the earth I would believe him.

  “I believe you.” slipped out of my mouth.

  He moved in towards me. Once again he kissed me. I had been waiting for it since he had woken up. My stomach tossed and turned as he rolled over on top of me. I didn't want my lips to ever stop touching his. As much as I never wanted this to happen to me and even though I barely knew Tobias I think I was falling in love with him. Even his horrendous morning breath was not putting me off and for once in my life I felt comfortable enough to not care about my own.

  I realised that I did not know what Tobias even was. I still had not asked him if he was a witch.

  “What are you?” I asked.

  “I'm a keeper” he replied with what I assumed was his idea of sarcasm.

  I had to give it to him. He was a funny guy.

  “I'm sure you are.” I laughed as I answered him back.

  Tobias looked confused as I sat there laughing at his joke. I did not know how someone could be so perfect from his looks to his touch to his husky voice which made me melt inside and now to add to the list his wit.

  “No, I don't think you understand I am a keeper. That is what I am. I am a power keeper. I don’t have any powers of my own. I just look after other powers. I am whatever the person who hires me wants me to be.” He revealed.

  This has got to be the most stupid I have felt in my entire life. I remember reading about keepers once before. As far as I was aware they were pretty much humans but had the ability and mind to look after a power temporary before being past on to the right being. Unlike witches keepers were classed as human and if they chose to could live a normal life. There was so much I wanted to ask Tobias about his role as a keeper but I knew I had to leave.

  As soon as the door shut behind me I wanted him even more. I just wanted to run back inside to be with him. It hit me. I had fallen for this guy I barely knew and I had fallen hard. This was so out of character for me. But then reality hit as I realised my wedding to Samuel was creeping up on me.

  4.

  “Where have you been?” screamed my Father and Mika simultaneously as I walked into the hallway.

  “I am and adult I do not need to inform you where I am twenty four hours a day.” I snared back.

  “When you live under my roof and in the community that we do, Yes you do. Your mothers killer is out there he has visited us once already who is to say he is not on planning on killing you next?! I have been worried sick!” shouted my father.

  “Dad, he never killed her! You have no evidence he did and for your information I was with him and I am going to prove to you all he is innocent.” I cried.

  “Isla, if this is true you need to inform us of his whereabouts.” a familiar voice alerted me. The prime minister came from out of the sitting room door.

  For the first time I had just realised how serious what I did actually was. In their eyes I had just met up with a killer. Not just any killer but my Mothers killer. I needed to lie to them they could never know about me and Tobias.

  “No, I was not with him. What I was meant to say was that I am determined to find him so that I can be the one to give him what he deserves.” I announced to them even though I did not mean a word of it.

  They took me into the living room. There was a government agent sitting down along with Willow Fenn.

  Well I never thought I would see the day Willow Fenn would be sitting in my house she was my arch enemy some would like to say. Yes, we are both on the same side but she hated me and to be quite frank I probably hated her more. We learnt our craft together when growing up, basically I was better than her and she did not like it at all. We had not seen each other in around a year or two. In the whole two years in the witch academy that we trained in I was top of the class and she hated it. But, when we left for some strange reason she got the job I wanted. She worked for the government agency that controlled supernatural events in the UK. To be honest, she was a good witch and I was probably just jealous. More to the point I wanted to know why they were both in my house.

  “Isla these are my two agents that I have working on your mothers death. They have decided that the man responsible will die and we have all come to the decision that when we get hold of him that is the best outcome. We need to keep this country safe and getting rid of him is the only way we can.”

  My heart sunk. The thought of them getting hold of Tobias and killing him before I could find a way of showing them he is not my mothers killer hit me hard. I needed to find him and keep him hidden.

  After they left the house I told Mika and my father I needed to do last minute wedding things and abruptly left. I got in my car and sped off down the driveway.

  I arrived at Tobias' apartment. I ran up the stairs and immediately noticed something was not right. The hallway was full of broken glass. I saw some blood smeared on the floor. The door to the apartment was off its hinges. I ran into the apartment. I saw Tobias slumped on the floor. A man was standing over him. My witch instincts took over I raised my arm and shot the man with lightening. He flew over the island in the middle of the kitchen and smashed into the cupboards on the wall.

  “Tobias!” I yelled.

  I ran over to his lifeless body on the floor. Rolled him over and noticed a cut down his face. The man ran out of the apartment which I found strange because normally they always fight back.

  “Isla Stone, You are always rescuing me from death.” Tobias smiled.

  “we need to leave now. Take whatever essentials you have to but we are going in the next five minutes. Before anyone comes back.” I did not even take a breath mid sentence. I needed to get him out and that is all I cared about.

  “Isla, relax. They attack all the time I am used to it. I have enough power inside me right now to protect me, stop worrying.” he calmly replied.

  “The government want you dead. As far as they are concerned Mika saw you the night my Mother died therefore you are her killer. They will kill you as soon as they find you. I need to take you somewhere safe.”

  I did not even have a plan. I did not even know where I was going to take Tobias. I just knew it was not safe here for him any more.

  Alex! I thought. I would leave him at Alex's house she would not tell anyone he was there. She was my best friend and I knew she would do anything for me. Even though she wasn’t a magical being herself I knew Tobias would be fine with her as they would never look for him there.

  Samuel was due back from his trip within a few hours and I did not want him to think anything suspicious was happening so my plan to marry him was going ahead for as long as I neede
d to keep Tobias protected.

  I burst into Alex's house and explained the situation to her. She was not very happy about it and told me that this was not right. I explained about the book and my mothers vision, she trusted me and did as I asked. She took me outside to speak to me on my own. I knew it was going to be to give me one of her pep talks.

  “Isla, are you sure you want to ruin everything you have for this man. What about Samuel?” She asked curiously.

  “Please just trust me. I know he is innocent. Please.” I whispered to her as I kissed her on the cheek goodbye.

  I was home just in time. Samuel pulled up in his car not long after me.

  I did not want him to realise anything out of the ordinary was happening. I ran over and told him how much I missed him as I kissed and hugged him. Being with Samuel made me realise how strongly I felt for Tobias. With Samuel it was bland but with Tobias I felt everything, just from a kiss. I did not want to break Samuels heart but I knew it was the only way I could keep Tobias alive.

  I loved this house. Waking up to the sound of the animals in the country was the best. The birds tweeted away in the trees. Samuel had already left for work. The sad thing was that he was probably missing me and the only person I was thinking about and missing was Tobias. I walked downstairs the house was empty and I could not hear anyone else. I walked into the kitchen.

  “I was wondering how long it would be until you got up. I know your dirty little secret.” Mika said as she gritted her teeth. I jumped with surprise as I thought the house was empty.

  How did she know. My head crammed with thoughts of her telling everyone and them killing Tobias. I started to go weak I took a seat as my knees started to tremble. I felt sick.

  “I know what you think but you have to trust me, please. Mika do not do anything you will regret you need to trust me. Please I am begging you don't tell anyone.” I begged.

  “Wow. Isla, chill out. I am on about your dress for the wedding I saw the price tag.” she cheerily said.

  I could breathe again. I thought she knew about Tobias. It made me realise what protecting him was going to cost me. My family would hate me along with everyone else. But, if I told them the truth I would get into major trouble as they would say I broke the law by using a psychic power to contact my mother and god knows what would happen to me. Either way it was too late now. I am screwed whatever the outcome.

  Alex and I met up in town to finalise some of the wedding stuff. She told me how much she liked Tobias and said she thought I should cancel the wedding. She said about how he was more like me than anyone and how she had conversations with him that she has had with me. It was nice to know Alex was on my side. Its better to have one person than no one. At least at the end of all of this I would still have my best friend.

  I passed her a package to give to Tobias from me. It was an emergency hamper. Basically some potions I put together if they were to get attacked. I put two emergency exit potions in there which I learned to make illegally from a book I found in our attic. It was a teleportation device and would take him where ever he wanted to go.

  I got home to the best news ever. Samuel had to go on one last trip away before the wedding. He would be gone for four days. Meaning that was four days I could spend with Tobias. The next time I would see Samuel would be at our wedding.

  We waved Samuel off and I pretended to cry as he drove off to keep up pretences for my father and Mika. Mika went back inside and I turned to follow her. My father gripped hold of my arm tightly. The pain shocked and thrashed my body harshly as it was so unexpected and I gasped. I looked at my fathers face. He was angry. He knew. I knew he knew. What was I going to do.

  “You are lucky you are my daughter Isla. Now I am telling you once. If you ever protect that man again I will see to it that you are locked up as well. One of my men was at his apartment the other day and nearly got him. He came back to report to me that my own daughter used her powers to protect a killer. You are lucky I lied and told him you were with me at the time so it could not of been you. Now explain yourself Isla stone.”

  what was I going to say? My mind went into overdrive. I was so shocked. I knew there was no way I could lie about being there now but, there was also no way I was going to tell him where Tobias was.

  “He is innocent. I don't care what you say. She told me herself. Mum would not of sent me to him if he wasn't. Please dad believe me.” I was so upset my father had never looked so disappointed before.

  “I am going to tell you once and once only. You are wrong, you never received any message and once again you want to be centre of attention and will do anything to be in the spotlight. Think about your actions Isla. You are banned from going near him again. You are lucky it was not one of the prime-ministers men or you both would be dead. You are to stay away from him and you are never to speak of these fabrications about your mother again. You will marry Samuel and that is final. I have worked too hard for this for you too ruin it with your meddling.” he gritted his teeth. I felt some of his spit hit my face. I knew he was serious and I would not dare argue back with him.

  I carried on to tell him that I did not know where Tobias was now and that I only went there to get answers and let him go until there is one hundred per cent evidence he was actually responsible for my mothers death. There was no way I was getting out of the wedding now. It was going to happen and as far as my father was concerned my opinion no longer mattered.

  5.

  It was a good job no one would ever think that Tobias was staying with Alex. As I told my father I was staying with Alex for the night he did not even bat an eyelid although he did tell me he would drive me there and pick me up in the morning.

  When I knew my dad was well and truly gone I ran through the door and saw Tobias waiting for me. I had never missed anyone as much as I had missed him. It had only been a day. I was definitely in love. Obviously, I was not going to tell him that. I did not wanting him thinking I was one of those obsessed needy girls. I gazed into his eyes they were so amazing just like everything else associated with him. I closed my eyes ready to kiss him. My body started to tingle again. I could feel his breath. I missed it. Are lips were just about to touch, then Alex burst in.

  “Isla! I didn't know you were here already! She shouted. With a grin on her face, clearly knowing she was interrupting.

  Alex, Tobias and I sat together and watched a film. As bad as it sounded I just wanted her to leave so I could rip Tobias' clothes off. We glanced at each other through out the night and both of us could not help smiling. Even after my fathers warning and everything else that had happened I did not care. When I was with Tobias it was right. It was about me and it was about him and nothing or no one else mattered. It seems like he and Alex are the only people on the planet who know me properly. He gets me.

  In a weird way the fact I was being told by those around me to stay clear of Tobias just made me want him even more. We were officially bound in a forbidden love. Tobias and I both knew the risks involved with us being together. Witches and Keepers had never been allowed to be together due to the powerful children they could have. The risks were all worth it though. I knew this is what I wanted. He was who I wanted and nothing was going to get in my way any more.

  This was the last time I would see Tobias as Miss Stone, I was quite sad at the thought I would be someone else’s wife. But I needed to carry on living normally until we could prove Tobias did not kill my mother.

  “Security! Security! Security” I heard my father scream down the hall way.

  My eyes opened. Today was the day. Shit! I said to my self out loud. As I overheard my father going over the security plan with the guards about letting anyone who does not know about magic near the house.

  I looked out of the window and the sun was blaring over the grounds of the house. The white marquee had been erected not to far from the house. The most powerful magical beings on the planet would be attending the wedding along with a few psychics who used to practice with
my mother.