Bryanna was worried, Zeke wasn’t nearly so. He’d seen enough Black Magic witches and demons alike to see the danger they could unleash on the world. Bryanna didn’t have any amount of evil in her body. Even if her magic didn’t come out correctly, he still doubted she’d actually injure anyone.
He knew this was the key to her recovery--the way of getting her soul back. A witch’s magic is ingrained. To deny it would eat away at that witch until there was nothing left of her, which is exactly what he expected to happen here. And he could understand it, because he felt it for a while. That need to go and strip a soul from someone--the lust of evil to devour it. So, he could sympathize with what she felt here. The difference? He fought because he wanted to, not because others told him to.
The other complication with her was all just emotional garbage. Once she discovered her true self again, the damage done by Layton and the others she’d been around would be meaningless. She’d see for herself the beauty she was. He didn’t doubt that.
He took her just off Gamma Boulevard where two plots had yet to be built upon. He suspected she’d appreciate the open space and it would calm her worries. “You’ve got nothing to fear in this area,” he told her. “So have a go at it, let me see what you’re capable of.”
She scanned the area a few times before turning back to him. “You really want me to use my magic here?”
He nodded, amused by the concern in her eyes. “Yes, I really want that.”
“Why?” Her confusion was obvious. He liked the idea of leaving her breathless and surprised. “I’m just curious about what all the talk is about. Why you’ve disowned the very part of you that makes you who you are.”
She sighed, glancing from side to side. He held his chuckle as he watched the hesitation on her face. It was like he was asking her to commit murder. “Okay, I’ll do this so you’ll know, but only this once and you’ll never ask me to do this again, right?”
As if it was going to be that easy. He gave her credit for trying, but this was only the beginning of her using her magic. But he wouldn’t divulge that to her now. “I want an hour.”
“An hour?” She gasped in apparent horror.
“Yes, an hour of you using your magic, showing me exactly what it is you can do. Once that hour is up, if you never want to use your magic again, I won’t push the matter.”
She pointed her finger at him, her eyes narrowed. “Promise your finger on it.”
“A blood oath.” He laughed, wiggling his finger at her.
Her expression became resolved, not so put off. Truthfully, it surprised him she had agreed in the first place. Knowing what she’d been through, she showed trust in him. And he felt the honour of that settle in.
He studied her as she walked toward the center of the field. What was it about this woman that captured him so much? Before, he wanted to help her, to give him that one soul he thought worth saving, to prove to himself that he still denied his evil past. But now, it was more than that. He truly wanted to see her well--wanted her to find her place in Strange Hollow and be happy here. Was he doing this for himself? Yes, there was that. Still, there was something more--some reason he’d yet to discover that urged him to continue.
As she turned around and smiled at him, the answer hit him. He cared for her. His want to see her well came from reasons that surrounded his heart. But what did she think of him? Could she see herself waking up next to a demon every day? He doubted it, and wouldn’t think himself so lucky.
What he could do was give her this, and that should appease him. Maybe that was why he did this, an offering for her to witness the other side of him. To see past his demonic heritage and learn of the man he was. He suspected that was exactly why he did this now, even if he hadn’t started out with that intent.
She stopped in the center of the field. His laugh came when it was apparent that she’d put the distance between them to protect him from her magic, and he found that endearing. She’d have to do a hell of a lot of magic to end his demonic life. Magic he didn’t think her capable of conjuring, no matter how hard she tried.
“What do you want me to do?” she called out, her tone high in annoyance.
He wasn’t quite sure. His knowledge of witches wasn’t extensive, but since her element was Earth, he figured it worked around that. “Make a flower grow.”
Her brow furrowed as if what he asked was impossible--she even added in a snort. “Right--a whatnot coming up.” She closed her eyes, and the air shimmered a little around her as she called her magic forward. The wind picked up, and her hair blew around her face.
Zeke’s cock hardened at the sight of it. He’d seen witches work magic before, but he didn’t care for any of those witches, and she was breathtaking. He still ached for her, but he’d given her an intense orgasm, she had been sedated. He wouldn’t have been able to give her that again with the same intensity so soon after. No, he would wait for her to rest before he sank inside her. Not until her arousal had risen again would he indulge himself.
He shifted on his feet to ease the tension resting in his jeans, and to remove his thoughts of her naked sweet skin. His focus came back to the present as he waited, quite curious about what would appear. He suspected it wasn’t going to be a flower, yet he hadn’t completely figured out what it was she produced--skin cream, yes, he’d witnessed that. But was it only thing she could conjure--skin care products?
Suddenly, a gust of wind rushed through the field causing him to take a step back. When it settled, he burst out laughing, unable to stop it. Nothing could have prepared him for this, nothing at all.
Bryanna snapped open her eyes and scowled. First at the cheetah-print chair that resembled a high-heeled shoe, then to him. “If you’re going to laugh at me, I’m so not going to do this.”
He raised his hands in surrender, but couldn’t stop his laughter. Of all the things he thought she would conjure, such a strange piece of furniture just wouldn’t have been something he could have imagined. “You cannot deny there is some amusement in this.”
“Yes, I can.” She huffed. “There is nothing funny about my magic. It’s embarrassing.”
“All perception,” he told her again as he approached her. Was she a classic witch? Of course not. But just because her magic wasn’t what it should be didn’t mean there wasn’t significance. He just needed her to see through the black and white. She needed to live in the gray. Every Strange Hollow resident did. She had to discover where she fit in, and he wanted nothing more than to help her find it. But he couldn’t quite get a grasp on what it was her magic did. “Is it always like this? With no real sense of order?”
“Always.” She swayed around as if this was uncomfortable for her to talk about. “I think of a flower and this is what I get.”
He considered that a moment, trying to grasp her talents. “If you tried again would it be the same thing or something different?”
She shrugged. “Never really tested it out before.”
“Go on, try again.” He bit his lip in hope that he wouldn’t laugh. He didn’t want to upset her; he’d just never seen anything like this before. He stayed next to her now, and was pleased she didn’t ask him to move away.
She worked her magic again, the wind came and went, and what stood before her were two tables that matched the chair. The material was steel, yet was designed like a high-heeled shoe. Zeke held his breath, trying so very hard to not laugh. Not only had she created a chair, but apparently her magic always came out different. Yet somehow, it matched.
She sighed, a very annoyed sound. “Go on, laugh, I know you want to.”
“I’m sorry.” He burst out laughing. He keeled over, grabbed onto his stomach and held it tight. “I’m not laughing at you.” Tears filled his eyes from the strain of his laughter.
If her expression could have flipped him off, it just did. “You’re laughing with me, right?” she sneered.
He nodded and sighed away the laughs. “All right, sorry.” He raised his hands in
a peace offering, hoping she’d forgive him. “It’s not that you’re having difficulty in doing what you want that I find amusing, it’s the items themselves. They are quite original.” With that one sentence, a little thought poked its head up--an idea presented itself. Had he found the answer to it all? Oh, by the Devil himself, he’d swear that he had.
* * * *
An hour--a very long, treacherous hour--passed, and Bryanna scanned all the things that surrounded her. Everything and anything--from furniture to candles, bath oils, odd jewellery--all things that had nothing to do with her Earth element. “There, satisfied?” she snapped at Zeke.
He approached her with a smile on his face. “Yes, thank you for that display. I’ve never seen quite so many little whatnots and doodads, as you called them.”
Oh, by the elements, this was mortifying. Really, she couldn’t produce a single leaf, flower or create an earthquake. Instead, she produced things that were useless--even a damn silk scarf. She needed this to have been over an hour ago. “So, we’re done here?”
Zeke had a twinkle in his eyes. “Yes, we’re done.” He took a seat on the ridiculous high-heeled chair, patted it next to him. “It’s very comfortable.”
She snorted, but went and joined him. “Now you know why using my magic is pointless, it gets nothing.”
“I’d say it gets you something.” He smacked the heel on the chair and laughed. “It gets you a chair.”
Without thought, she laughed with him not wanting to see the amusement in this all. However, in truth, it was kind of funny. “Maybe I should do some advertising: Don’t need any more flowers? Come to Bryanna and she’ll give you a weird chair.”
“That’s some slogan.” Zeke wrapped his arm around her and pulled her in close to him as his laughter came boisterous.
“Nonetheless, pointless.”
He ran his hand down her arm in such a tender gesture. Things like this surprised her about him--a demon shouldn’t touch in a way meant to comfort someone, should he? “But it felt good to use your magic again?”
She couldn’t deny that it felt wonderful. Not using her element was probably the most strained part of her old life. More than what happened with Layton, even more than how she was laughed at. It was like her heart had returned. But what would it get her? Nothing but fun poked at her. “The magic felt good, yes, I can admit that. Earth has a real strong sensation that comes with it.”
Her mind drifted back to when she called the element forward and it reunited with her. The way her breath whooshed from her lungs as the wind danced along her skin. How it tingled right down to her toes. But it was more the length of time she used it, a whole hour of calling her magic again and again, exhilarated her. Maybe now, living here in Strange Hollow, she could come to this field and be away from watchful eyes, and indulge herself once in a while.
It did ease her mind to know that she doubted anyone would make fun of her here. From what she’d seen, they all had flaws in their magical abilities. That gave her a sense of freedom to act without thinking there was something wrong with her. “Maybe I could come out here once in awhile. It’s safe enough, I suppose.”
“Bryanna,” Zeke chastised. “You couldn’t hurt a flower that lay in this field. You need to stop thinking of yourself as broken.”
But she was broken, not that she admit that out loud to him. “I know.”
He backed away, steeled her with a hard glare. “And you need to stop that. Stop agreeing with others. I’d suspect you’ve done that for too long.”
She tried to understand where he was going with this, but kept coming up short. She needed him to explain. “What do you mean?”
He gave her a knowing look, his lips pressed into a thin line as his eyebrow arched. “You just lied to me a moment ago.”
“I did not...” she began, but when his eyebrow arched higher, she stopped. “Okay, well, maybe I do think of myself as broken.”
He gave a nod of approval that he’d gotten the truth to spill from her lips. She wasn’t nearly as thrilled. His breath drew out softly and his expression became gentle as he asked, “Why? Because others have told you so?”
She shrugged. A lump formed in her throat, not wanting to admit this, but somehow not able to keep the truth from him. “Well, they’re right.”
He brushed his fingers across her cheek, his eyes soft. “You’re wrong.”
“And how do you know that?”
“Because I’ve been where you are. I’m a demon. I belong in the pits of Hell, and have been labelled a ruthless murderer of souls. If I listened to what others said, then I wouldn’t believe that I could exist the way I do.”
So, he had a point. He wasn’t at all what she’d known about demons. Not a single part of him. There was no sign of evil, no urge to cause harm. If anything, he’d shown her nothing but kindness. “So, you just ignore what they say about you?”
“No, I don’t ignore it. I beat it.”
Like knock some sense into them? “How?”
“Because I live it. Others might think badly upon those who reside in this town, call us outcasts, abominations of the supernatural. In truth, we’re the ones who are truly living. This life is the life we’ve chosen. We haven’t morphed ourselves to be what others think we should be. We accept ourselves for what we are.” He pointed to his heart. “In here. We’re not flawed, we’re special.”
She snorted. “Yeah, special, that’s one way to put it.”
He frowned, clearly irritated. “Do you know of another witch who can do what you can do?”
“No.” Sadly, she did not.
“Why do you believe that is not a gift? There is only one of you. Only one witch who has been gifted in a way no one else has. I’d say that makes you about as special as they come.”
“And you really believe that?” As much as she wanted to believe what he was saying, it was hard to. This was something she’d never heard before and doubt surrounded all of what he said.
He nodded firmly. “I do. Everyone here does. No one thinks anyone here is flawed, because they aren’t. They’re who they are and they’ve all accepted that.”
She couldn’t deny that this all sounded nice, to be in a place where she was accepted because her magic was flawed. To not have anyone else judging her, pointing fingers like she had a big wart on her nose. But it was hard for her to not be critical of herself after doing it for so long. Maybe one day she’d see it like Zeke did, share the same views as him, which was indeed a good one. But for now, she couldn’t get there.
However, if she was going to live here, she wanted to be productive. Continuing along, she asked, “So, about this job, can I go and see Jacinda?”
He nodded, but something registered in his eyes, like he knew something she didn’t. “Yes, you know the way back to the Town Hall.”
She stood up, determined to give back to this town that had obviously been destined to be her home, but his answer had surprised her. “You’re not going to come with me?”
“No, I’m sorry.” He shook his head slowly, staying put in the chair. Again, he gave her a look she couldn’t quite decipher. “I’ve got another matter to attend to.”
A little unhappiness fluttered through her, disappointment, for sure. The feeling stopped her. Why did it matter that he didn’t want to spend more time with her? She couldn’t care about a demon more than just a sexual attraction? No, that’d be insane. She’d only known him a day and stuff like that just didn’t really happen, right? “Well, I guess I see you later.”
He grinned. “Indeed you will.”
The determined set of his face had her belly flipping and flopping. What was that expression all about? Okay, so it made her elated that she’d get to be with him again. They still hadn’t finished what they’d started, and the memory of the orgasm stayed in her mind. If he could do that with his fingers, she could only imagine what he could do with his dick. “Um...” She snapped herself back from her naughty thoughts. “Later, then.”
; His grin took on a dangerous edge. “Later.”
And with that, she left, trying to figure out what had him all serious and beaming with excitement. Was it just the heat between them that had him wanting more? He appeared to be up to something. But what? Oh well, all things she would find out later. Now, it was on to becoming a productive citizen of Strange Hollow. Maybe she could do gardening within the town. No magic, of course, but hey, she was an Earth Witch after all, getting her hands dirty sounded like a whole tsunami of fun!
Chapter Six
Zeke had made a quick call to Jacinda after he’d left Bryanna to ask permission for what he had brewing in his mind for her employment here in Strange Hollow. Of course, as he suspected, Jacinda agreed. He also had another favour to ask. He needed her to stall Bryanna. He had plans for her. It hit him when he sat on the chair and stared out at all she created. There, he realized exactly what she needed, and he set his plan in motion.
Now, a couple hours had passed and the night crept around him. Strange Hollow was brought to life. Most creatures that lived here came out after dark. He neither minded the sun, nor needed sleep. So days were endless for him. But he enjoyed it when the town awoke.
Standing outside the Town Hall, he peered through the window. Bryanna sat with her chin resting in her hands, appearing bored. Nevin, another one of Jacinda’s right-hand men was off on some conversation that Zeke could see Bryanna held no interest in, and suspected she’d stopped listening long ago.
As he waved his hand, Nevin caught sight of him and sighed. It appeared he was more than eager to stop his chatter. He said something to Bryanna, and she peeked over her shoulder, smiling when she saw Zeke. Immediately, she shot up and trotted out of the room.
The door slammed behind her and she steeled him with a hard stare. “What on the Earth’s axis was that?”
He arched an eyebrow and played stupid. “Jacinda wasn’t there?”
“No, she wasn’t and that goblin,” she pointed toward the Town Hall, “spoke for hours and I still have no idea what he was talking about.”
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