Heat in the Air

by Serenity Snow

  “Damn it,” she snarled and closed her eyes and struggled to regain her calm.

  Rich people always thought they could mess with other people’s lives when the chips didn’t fall where they wanted them to.

  Camille shook her head as she walked a short distance from Tylor. “I don’t want to face legal action.”

  “You won’t,” Tylor assured her. “I’ll make sure of it, but I can’t promise you won’t be job hunting. Hell, I can’t promise you we won’t both come out of this unable to teach again.”

  Camille stifled a scream and a breeze blew around the office and droplets of water fell. “Why—what’s so important about dragging me into the coven? I mean besides the obvious?”

  “She’s from an old family line, but she has her own coven of twelve including her granddaughter. If they can gain you, tie your power to the coven’s, they’ll have more power.”

  “They’ll be able to tap into my power?” she asked, concern twisting her stomach.

  “Some of it. All aurai-marked inherit a grimoire that contains powerful spells that only they or those they share their book with can use.”

  “Me and my book aren’t pawns to be used and discarded at her discretion,” Camille muttered.

  “We’ll talk about this later. Class will be starting soon.”

  “You bet your boots we will,” she muttered. “I want to know everything.” Her gaze drifted slowly over Tylor in her dark suit pants paired with a pale-yellow blouse and vest for a tailored look.

  Her hair was sleekly styled, the blue highlights noticeable. She was gorgeous as usual and like always Camille wanted to touch her, to mark her in a way that every woman or man who looked at her with lust in their minds knew she was taken.

  The urge was even stronger after that dream.

  “Nothing’s stopping you, baby.”

  Camille’s eyes flared wide and her cheeks flamed. “Stay out of my mind,” she said testily and lifted her chin haughtily.

  “Go ahead and play hard to get,” Tylor said silkily.

  “Maybe I’m not playing anything,” Camille replied. “Maybe I just want to be mad for a while.”

  “I didn’t do anything,” Tylor said calmly. “You got pissy and threw me out.”

  Camille made a face, irritation gnawing at her. “Whatever,” she muttered. She did believe Tylor hadn’t changed her, mostly.

  “Yeah.” Tylor said and reached out, grasping a handful of Camille’s hair. She pulled her close. “You’re a beauty with your hair like this, but you need to put it back up before you leave the office.” Tylor kissed her, hard, stealing her breath.

  Camille moaned, her uncertainty starting to crumble under the delicious weight of the kiss. Maybe this was her Carina because no other woman had such an effect on her.

  Camille broke the kiss, panting, and Tylor licked her bottom lip.

  “Have you changed your mind or do you want to be mad for a little while longer?”

  “I’m not mad,” she admitted. “I’m frustrated with the thought of losing control of my life.”

  “It is a problem we all face at times,” Tylor murmured. “It’s scary, but what’s scarier is this—what could happen between us.”

  “Why? Because of our jobs?” Or maybe she was talking about their past life together. Maybe they always died before they had a chance to really live and enjoy each other’s love.

  “Because I couldn’t really care less about that when I’m this close to you,” she said. “And last night I might have stepped out of line more out of fear than anything else.”

  Camille’s brows furrowed. “I don’t understand.”

  “I don’t want to share you.” Her fingers slid from Camille’s hair to cup the side of her neck. “Having to share you with other aurai is all I can bear, but witches, human witches can ruin so much before it even has a chance to start.”

  Camille searched her face. “What aren’t you telling me?”

  “We’ve been here before, and witches took you from me,” she said and pressed a quick kiss to Camille’s forehead.

  She shook as she braced her hand on Tylor’s waist. “Your tat is similar to mine,” she said. “Are you—it’s too crazy, but I have to know. Were we together in a past life?”

  “Many and this is the first time we’ve been together again in nearly seventy-five years.”

  She sighed roughly. “I—”

  “Not here. We both have to get to work.” Tylor headed for the door. “I need to make sure kids aren’t lingering.”

  ****

  Selene considered her options as she went over the file Necron had given her. There wasn’t much in it on the aurai-marked. Camille Bay was without a doubt utterly alone in the world and in possession of great power.

  Killing the girl so he could be that much closer to accomplishing his plans wouldn’t get her anything. He’d have her killed when he was tired of dealing with her. She wasn’t going to go quietly. So, she’d have to get more information and there was only one person who could fill in the gaps for her.

  Grace.

  Selene sat back in her chair smiling. She could drain Bay of all of her magick as she fed off her and if by chance the teacher’s wind powers had awakened, Selene would have enough power to take on Necron and defeat him.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Camille was starved when lunch rolled around. She hadn’t even had her usual morning cup of tea today, so she headed for the cafeteria to see what they were serving. Out in the hallway, she spied Tylor striding toward her with a bag in hand.

  Her stomach flip-flopped, and her breath caught as she was once again struck by the beauty of the other woman. She virtually floated and her hips swayed gently, though there was nothing understated about the sex appeal oozing from her.

  And what was even more startling was that Tylor wanted her.

  Camille wanted to rush into her arms, despite the issues their romance was facing. However, she managed to keep her steps measured and unhurried in case another teacher spotted them.

  “Hi,” Tylor murmured. “Heading down for lunch?”

  “Yes. Why don’t you join me?”

  Tylor held up the bag. “Why don’t we share this in your classroom? If anyone stops by we can just say we’re talking shop.” She smiled.

  Camille eyed the bag and her stomach rumbled. “What else could we possibly be talking?” she asked coyly and flashed a grin.

  They went back to Camille’s classroom and Tylor set the bag on the desk. “I ordered portabella burgers and sweet potato fries from that deli down the street.”

  “I love those,” she exclaimed. “I feel like you read my—you did,” she said, not certain she liked having a lover who could read her mind.

  “Not this time,” Tylor told her with a shrug. “I remember you ordering them before.”

  “Oh.” She nodded studying her, searching for signs of truth, but saw nothing more than humor in those beautiful gray eyes flecked with silver. “Right.” Camille opened her desk drawer and removed two packets. “Here.”

  Tylor took one and opened it using the moist wipe to clean her hands before taking their meal to the front row of student desks. She removed her jacket and draped it over a chair and Camille watched, thinking how economic and graceful her movements were.

  Tylor turned and caught her watching and Camille averted her gaze momentarily as she took the desk next to Tylor’s.

  “Why are you embarrassed by watching me?” Tylor asked curiously.

  “I’m not,” Camille said quickly and met Tylor’s gaze. She saw no recriminations there only an intensity that left her breathless. “Is it different? Each time we meet?”

  Tylor held her gaze, lightning causing her eyes to glow, but there was warmth in her stare not anger. “Yes. It’s always different, but the intense attraction is always the same.”

  “Do we always die before things get really good and hot?”

  Tylor laughed. “We didn’t die on the boat, Cam,” she told he
r quietly. “It was years later when our child was nine. You and she were both killed by witch hunters.”

  She always died then, Camille mused. “So, this Amara, she’s a high priestess?” That was a depressing thought that she didn’t want to dwell on even as she hoped she lived a very long time this time.

  “Yes, her coven is Spring Skye, and it’s well known in magical and supernatural circles. As I said last night, trouble is brewing in the underworld and aurai-marked are targets.”

  “Why?”

  “Because of your potential power. Once you come into your powers you’ll be able to fight against them effectively. We helped witches defeat them before. Another defeat won’t go down easy for the underworld’s leaders, especially Kryto. His last defeat came at the hands of witches helped by aurai.”

  “He’s an underworld leader?”

  “He’s the leader, the boogeyman of their kind, the human version of the devil,” Tylor told her. “If the leaders of other factions start an uprising against him which attracts witches, he’ll have to fight on two fronts, and he’ll lose. That will give some faction incentive to take over. He can’t risk losing again and looking even more ineffectual.”

  Camille took a bite of her burger. “The best offense would be a good defense,” she murmured.

  “In theory, but he’s already garnered the disapproval of his people by agreeing to a dual Witch’s Congress which will take some of the power to attack witches without sanction out of his arsenal.”

  Camille chewed thoughtfully. “Why would he agree to do that? I wouldn’t unless it was a calculated move to get witches off my ass while I planned my attack on my underworld enemies. I’d use the witches to help me defeat them and then withdraw from the dual Congress.”

  “A genius move,” Tylor said. “But I bet the idea didn’t come from him, plus that can’t be his only plan since he’s attempting to kill aurai.”

  “What better way to restore his power than by feeding off the power of a newly assimilated aurai?” Camille asked. “But he couldn’t just snatch one, and the best way to find out our identities is to infiltrate the witch world.”

  “He could learn who the guardians of the stones are without ever having to attack a single witch and tip his hand,” Tylor finished giving her a surprised look. “Feeding off one of you would not only strengthen his powers and give him new ones, it would give him access to the streams of knowledge we have access to.”

  “It’s like the Akashic records, right?” The information data base of the world assessed by psychic means for those who knew how to tap into it.

  “Correct,” Tylor said with a smile.

  “How many more aurai-marked are being targeted?”

  “One that the witches know of, but he wouldn’t need to kill you all at the outset,” Tylor murmured. “He only needs to make a good strong psychic connection with one of you while he feeds and steals your psychic power. If he then takes your stones, his connection to aurai as a whole will only be strengthened.”

  “He’ll be able to kill the race easier?”

  “Yes, we are immortal, but we can be killed, at least most of us. Storm aurai will rise with the first breath drawn by our killer or the first stirrings of air anywhere. While a high level non-storm aurai will rise with the first breath a child anywhere takes.”

  “You’ll have to rebuild and retrain the non-storm aurai which will enable the dark ones time to build their empire on earth and below it.”

  “Yes, and it means we’ll have to kill our enemies to preserve our race, so we’re going to war.”

  Storm gray eyes stared at her, but Camille saw pride in their depths and Tylor reached out to caress her cheek. Camille turned her head into the caress and put her hand on Tylor’s and gave it a light squeeze.

  A funny feeling inside her, deep in the recesses of her being, made her tingle. Tylor was right. Things were about to get complicated.

  “You’re right to be concerned,” Tylor told her. “The last war lasted more than seven hundred years, and it’s about to begin again. Witches won’t go quietly even without our help. Humans could be caught in the crossfire again—a world war.”

  “That’s what I’m afraid of,” Camille said softly. “They’ll stop at nothing to destroy the aurai which will be impossible according to you.”

  Tylor shrugged. “I will protect you until you’re ready to lead a fight,” she assured her as she leaned towards her. “I want you to accompany me to the country club Thursday evening.”

  “What?”

  “Thursday is Mabon Eve, and there is always a celebration at the country club. It’ll be a good way to interact with some of the enemy. If I do things right, we’ll take out many of the enemy before they can execute their plans which will give us and the witches the upper hand.”

  Camille sighed. “Are you sure you want me to go with you? The school could get wind of it.”

  She shrugged. “Yes, all the board members will be there. We’ll sue their asses if they fire us or force them to give us a tidy settlement to tide us over while we decide where to go from teaching.”

  Camille gave her an uncertain look. “I love teaching.”

  “So do I, but Camille, if we don’t come out now, we won’t have a leg to stand on when they do fire us, citing your involvement with Caroline and my covering it up as the reason.”

  Camille blew out a harsh breath. “I don’t know if I’m ready for it. I’ve never been out in my life. I mean not to bosses or the general public.”

  Tylor smiled. “Hold on to me, I won’t let you fall.”

  “You promise?”

  “Yes.”

  Tylor kissed the corner of her mouth and a soft breeze caressed Camille’s cheek before Tylor drew back.

  “Then, let the games begin.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Grace pushed out a sigh that was harsh in her ear. “Grace, there is no choice,” Selene told her coldly.

  “I don’t want to do this,” she said leaning against the wall in her classroom. She liked Camille. She was a good person, and she’d never done anything to hurt her.

  “I know how you feel, but all I’m asking you to do is plant the bug in her office and try to find out what her plans are over the next few days. I’d really prefer to snatch her in public than from her home.”

  She closed her eyes and squeezed her fingers around the small clear quartz crystal that had been enchanted. Selene would be able to listen in on their conversation and Camille would never suspect the crystal of being anything more than what it was.

  “Why can’t you take her from home? Wouldn’t that be better?”

  “No. Camille will be strongest at home and she’s good. She won’t want to expose her kind by using magick in public.”

  True.

  “I don’t think this is right.”

  “If I don’t do this, Necron is going to put a kill order on the entire coven,” Selene told her patiently. “Are you ready to fight for your life?”

  The kids would be in danger because of her, so she’d have to quit her job and go into hiding.

  “I’ll do it,” she said angrily. This didn’t sound much like Selene. When she made up her mind not to do something, she didn’t.

  “Good. I want to get this behind us,” she said. “Go to her now.”

  “I wonder why you caved,” Grace murmured. “What are you personally going to get out of it?”

  “My freedom to choose,” she replied impatiently. “Now, go to her before lunch is over.”

  “I’m on my way.” She pushed away from the wall and ended the call before putting her phone in her desk drawer. Lunch would be over in thirty minutes, so she’d have to set things up without just jumping in.

  ****

  “I hate to eat and run, but I have a meeting in five minutes,” Tylor told Camille.

  “Marion’s problem?”

  “Right,” she said with a smile. “I’ll see you tonight?”

  Camille nodded slowly. “W
hy don’t we grab something at the food court in the mall or something? I don’t have a thing to wear to a party,” she said and wrinkled her nose.

  Tylor gave her a grin as she got to her feet. “Fine I idea, I can pick up a shirt to match your dress.”

  “You don’t wear dresses or skirts?” she asked curiously. “I mean that lingerie you had on was so sexy.” She ran a finger down the front of Tylor’s shirt wanting to undress her right here and now.

  “I’ve never liked skirts and dresses though I’ve been known to sleep in a nightgown,” she replied. “But I can’t wait to watch you model for me.”

  Camille smiled. “Hmm. Maybe I won’t model, and you’ll have to wait to see,” she teased.

  Tylor shrugged and took a step back from her, leaving her cold and Camille frowned while almost losing her balance, but Tylor steadied her. “Someone’s coming,” she said and kissed the palm of Camille’s hand.

  “Oh.” Camille withdrew her hand quickly.

  Tylor gave her a wink and then headed for the door. “Do you want to meet or shall I pick you up?”

  “Umm, you can pick me up around five.”

  “I’ll see you then,” Tylor replied and pulled open the door. “Miss Miller.” She gave her a nod.

  “Hi, headmistress.” Grace gave her a smile and Camille cringed at what Grace might be thinking as the other woman stepped inside and closed the door behind her. “Well, well, well,” Grace said in a teasing tone. “Lunch with the headmistress?”

  “She was saying how important it was for me to—” A knock at the door drew her brows in a frown.

  Grace gave her a questioning look before moving away from the door and opening it.

  “Ladies,” Amollia Holt greeted them with a smile. “How are you?”

  “Good,” Grace said. “How are you Ms. Holt?”

  “Fantastic,” she said. “I just wanted to stop by to see Ms. Bay.”

  “Check up on is more like it,” Camille muttered. “As you can see I’m not alone with a student.”

  Amollia gave her a serene smile before glancing around her classroom. “I’m interrupting your lunch?”