“I really enjoyed today. Thank you,” Addison said, taking a bite of her donut.
“Me, too. I believe it was certainly warranted after the week we’ve had.”
“I agree, but your dad is right about the training. You can’t always rely on your magic. Tomorrow we will get back to it.”
She had to agree with her. The day had been wonderful and fun, but this wasn’t a joke and it was time to get serious about what was happening. She hated to admit it, but before K.G. died, she was only going through the motions. Now she needed to invest a hundred percent, if only to honor her memory. The future held many unknowns, but it was time to embrace it and stop shying away. The Paisley of a few weeks ago would have crawled into a ball and cried herself to sleep, but that woman was gone. “Grab the rest of the snacks. It’s still early. Let’s gorge ourselves on all this food, watch a movie, then get a good night’s sleep. I believe we’re going to need it.”
****
“Paisley, wake up. Paisley!”
Paisley swatted at the hand that touched her face and rolled over in bed, covering her head with her pillow. Ignoring her mom’s voice, she burrowed deeper under the covers, then shrieked a second later when the covers were ripped off her body and the pillow was pulled away from her head.
“Get up. Now.”
Paisley narrowed her eyes. Her mom’s voice held an edge she wasn’t used to hearing from her, one that was laced with fear. Her eyes searched out the clock and she groaned when she saw what time it was. “It’s only seven. Give me a few more hours and I’m all yours.”
“We don’t have a few hours. We must be at the Council house at eight thirty. Paisley, this is serious. The Council has summoned you. It is unexpected, and your grandmother and I need to go over a few things with you before the meeting. So, get up, shower, and meet us in the living room in fifteen minutes.”
“Whatever.” She sat up and watched her mom walk out of the room. Everybody was getting good at telling her what to do. After her shower and pulling on a pair of well-worn Levi’s and a light blue, long-sleeved sweater that depicted a cat floating in space, she headed to the living room in her bare feet. Grams and her mom were seated on the couch and Addison was standing by the window. “Good morning, everyone.” She sat down in the recliner across from the couch. She thanked her dad when he handed her a cup of tea, then he went down to the basement. “I guess it’s just us girls, then.” Neither one of them smiled.
“Paisley.”
“Grams.” Paisley smirked.
“The Council’s request to see you is a surprise. We were hoping you would be gone before a summons arrived.” Her mom wrung her hands together.
“What’s the worst thing that could happen? They already said they wouldn’t punish me for Gloria’s death.” She squinted when her mom fidgeted on the couch.
“Actually, that’s not what we’re worried about. We’re more concerned with the people you will meet who make up the Council.”
“Oh.” She eyed them over the rim of her cup.
“Yes,” Grams said. “One member to be exact. Alexia.”
“Who is she?” She sipped her tea and regarded them both. After the pleasant day at the Potato Festival she was feeling quite relaxed, despite her rude awakening.
Her mom stood up and started pacing. “She’s a powerful witch. Even though she is on the Council, she has never pledged her allegiance to any one section. It’s a bit unusual. She is— “
“Evil,” Grams finished.
“Evil?” That seemed a bit excessive, even for them.
“She is a despicable person. She will do whatever she deems acceptable to gain the upper hand. She is only out for one person: herself. She talks a good game, but don’t let her fool you.” Grams shook her finger at her.
“She is an old, bitter woman. Steer clear of her. She kills without cause.”
“If she’s so powerful and evil, why doesn’t the rest of the Council do something about her?” They were starting to put a damper on her good mood.
“Her seat on the Council was passed down from her mother. Members are not voted in. Her seat is secure.”
Paisley finished her tea and set the cup on the coffee table. “So, she doesn’t have morals. She’s evil, old, bitter, and a killer. Did I miss something?” Whoever this woman was, she had gotten under their skin. She’d never had a reason not to trust them before, but after everything that had recently happened to her, she would form her own opinion on the matter.
“She is a first-class bitch,” her mom supplied. “She has done nothing but criticize anyone who doesn’t share her values. And maybe the most important thing: it’s never been documented, but there are rumors that she practices dark magic.”
Paisley squinted. “You mean like Lord Voldemort?”
“This isn’t fiction, Paisley,” her mom snapped. “Please take this seriously.”
“It was just a question. I am trying to understand everything. Don’t bite my head off. When do we leave?” Her good mood vanished in a cloud of dust.
“P.J., you don’t have any questions about dark magic?” Grams patted her on the knee.
She had dozens of questions but was afraid to ask them. They both were out of sorts over this Alexia woman, but her mother seemed especially irked. She couldn’t wait to meet this bitter, old, evil witch. “Maybe later.”
“Well then, let’s go.”
By the time they had made it to a warehouse in the downtown area, Paisley just wanted to crawl back into bed. Her mom and Grams hadn’t said a word since they left the house. “This is it?”
“Come along.” They walked in through a back door of the warehouse. Paisley fiddled with the sleeves of her sweater. She had wanted to change, but her mom convinced her to wear the long sleeves to hide her bracelet. Even though Addison protested, Paisley had ordered her to stay back at the house, at her mom’s insistence. They let it be known that under no circumstance should the Council know she was bonded to Lana. Paisley didn’t care, but she was tired of all this cloak and dagger shit. She was just tired. Once she was finally allowed to sleep she was confident she would do so for a week straight.
After a quick ride on an elevator that had seen better days, they passed by several closed doors until they reached the end of the hallway and turned left. Directly in front of them was a long wall of windows that led into a large conference room. Several people were already seated at the table that sat in the middle of the room.
Paisley took several deep breaths, then followed the others through the open door. She only just managed not to jump when the door shut behind her. They were directed to three seats on one side of the table. She wasn’t crazy about the fact that her back would be to the door, but she didn’t argue when a man held her chair out for her. “Thank you.” He nodded and took his seat at the head of the table. There was a chair at each end of the table, and four on either side. All the seats were filled except for the one directly across from her.
There were three men and three women, not including herself, her mom, and grandma. Of the three women, only one of them was of advanced age. She wanted to ask her mom if this was the infamous Alexia, but she kept her mouth shut. Although, by the relaxed posture of her mom’s body, she had a feeling this wasn’t her. Everyone was looking at her with what she could only decipher as curiosity. She swung her head around when the door opened, and she sucked in a breath when Gloria’s mother stepped into the room. The chair-holding man, who now looked slightly familiar, directed Catherine to a seat that was set up in one corner of the room. Paisley pushed down the nausea that churned and resisted the urge to jump up and run out of the room. She hadn’t expected her to be here.
“Good morning,” the man said. “Paisley, I’m not sure if you remember me, but my name is Jeffrey and I was there the night Gloria died.” That’s where I know him from. Paisley nodded. “Good. I will go around the table and introduce everyone. Across from you is Larry, Brandon, and Anita. At the other end is Lucille, and si
tting beside your grandmother is Stella.”
So, no Alexia. That was interesting. Paisley nodded at everyone and gave what she hoped was an endearing smile, but she wasn’t sure she pulled it off when her mom pinched her leg. “It’s nice to meet you all.”
“And,” Jeffery said. “You know Gloria’s mom, Catherine.” He pointed to the corner and Paisley nodded. “We are expecting one more, so we will wait a few minutes to give her time to get here. Alexia was running late this morning.”
Paisley bit her lip and closed her eyes. After a few minutes, the air around her changed, her eyes flew open, and she jerked her head around to the door just in time to see the sexiest woman she had ever laid eyes on walk into the room. Paisley gulped and ran her eyes down the woman’s body. She wore a dark blue Chanel button top, slim legs were encased in a pair of black Carolina Herrera trousers, and a gold belt completed the look. No jewelry was noticeable. On her feet, she wore a pair of five-inch red Prada pumps. Oh, holy fuck.
Paisley swallowed and ran her eyes along the woman’s torso and was met by a pair of the bluest eyes she had ever seen. A pair of amused blue eyes that sparkled and conveyed just a hint of laughter at Paisley’s expense. Paisley’s eyes shifted downward and she couldn’t help but notice the first three buttons of her top were left unbuttoned and showed an impressive amount of cleavage. Paisley gripped the arms of her chair and fought the urge to fan herself.
When she lifted her gaze a moment later, a smile curled on the woman’s lips and Paisley had to remind herself to breathe. Her blond—almost white—hair, sprinkled with just a touch of gray, was short and wavy, and a lock of it kept falling over the woman’s forehead. Paisley had an overwhelming urge to reach out and brush it out of the woman’s eye, but she caught herself at the last minute. Paisley’s heart thudded in her chest and she took a deep breath as the woman walked toward the table, pulled out the seat across from her, and sat down, her hands clasped loosely on top of the table.
Paisley glanced down and swallowed when she noticed the woman’s fingernails were manicured and painted a deep red. Oh, my god. It felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room. Lana was a beautiful woman, but she didn’t hold a candle to the woman seated across from her right now. She chanced a glance up to find the woman smirking at her. Paisley didn’t dare look away from her gaze.
“Paisley.”
Paisley couldn’t take her eyes off the woman.
“Paisley!”
“Ow.” She tore her eyes away to glare at her mother, who had pinched her. “What?”
“Jeffery called your name three times.”
“Oh.” She could feel the heat rise in her cheeks and decided that not looking in the stunning woman’s direction would be the smartest move. She turned her head and zeroed in on Jeffery. “I’m sorry. Did you have a question?”
“Since Alexia is here we are going to get started. Let me start by telling you that you are not going to be punished for the death of Gloria, but we did have a few questions.”
“Okay.” She could feel Alexia’s eyes on her but she kept her own on Jeffery. Play it cool, Paisley. Play it cool. It was hard to keep calm when her heart felt like it was going to jump out of her chest. She didn’t know what the hell her mom and grandmother were talking about. Alexia was not an old woman. From her looks, Paisley placed her in her late forties or early fifties. Maybe twenty years her senior, but she certainly wouldn’t have a problem being bent over a table by the older woman. She shivered deliciously at the images in her mind’s eye.
“Good. It has come to our attention that you just came into your powers, and by the way you acted on the night of Gloria’s death, I would have to agree that certainly seems consistent.”
She wasn’t sure that was a question, but the last thing she wanted to do was piss these people off. “Yes.”
“Your family has explained things to you?”
“Yes.”
“How are you faring so far?”
“Okay.” She debated elaborating, but decided against it.
“I know some of the other members have questions for you.”
“All right.” Paisley fought with herself not to turn in Alexia’s direction.
“Paisley,” Lucille said from the end of the table. Paisley turned toward her and kept her gaze averted from Alexia. If she would have been alone she would have patted herself on the back. “You must be feeling overwhelmed by everything that has happened, but you must realize that everyone in this room, including your family, has seen and done much worse, but not over a single person’s death. Why did you lose your temper over such an insignificant one?”
Paisley bit her lip, closed her eyes, and counted to ten. When she opened her eyes, Alexia was staring at her and she couldn’t decipher the look on her face. It was slightly out of focus. Paisley blinked a few times, shook her head, then turned back to Lucille. She stretched her fingers on top of the table, then shook them out before she reached up and adjusted her glasses. “I am not sure how you would like me to answer that. On the one hand, I can be straightforward and tell you to go to hell, but I’ve been there the past few days, and besides the drab décor, it wasn’t such a bad place. Or I could tell you that she was my best friend and seeing her die in front of me has irreversibly changed me. I am not the same woman as I was a week ago, and I’m not sure that is a good or bad thing. Or I could say that seeing my best friend murdered right in front of me was the worst thing I have ever witnessed.”
She glanced past Lucille to Catherine. “And it was murder. But I don’t think any of those answers would be sufficient for you. Everyone is important to somebody. Contrary to popular belief, someone who considers themselves unworthy or unloved will always have someone missing them. To you, she was a nobody. To me, she was my first kiss and so much more. I have been through a lot in the past week, but I can honestly say I hope I never get to the point where I think anyone’s death is insignificant. I don’t even think that way about Gloria’s.” Lucille blinked, then nodded.
Jeffrey coughed and the man directly to Alexia’s right nodded at her. “You seem to be having trouble controlling your powers.”
She fought back the urge to roll her eyes, but grinned when Alexia did it for her. “Yes.”
“Why is that?”
“Well.” She ran her hand through her hair. “I just found out I had powers a few days ago. You don’t expect a baby to walk straight out of the womb, do you? Give me some credit. It’s not like a destroyed the town or anything.” Paisley jerked her head to the corner when Catherine’s chair toppled to the floor.
“No, but you did kill my daughter.” Alexia raised her hand without looking away from Paisley. Catherine’s mouth was moving but no sounds were coming out.
Jeffrey sighed. “Catherine, we agreed you could be here, but you need to sit back down.”
“I have a question.”
Paisley felt goosebumps pop out all over her skin with the sound of Alexia’s voice. It was soft, but held an edge that seemed to float in the air before it swirled around Paisley and disappeared into the depths of her core. Holy hell. She had to get her shit together. It was just a voice. What was wrong with her? She ran her hands through her hair and squirmed in her seat.
“Alexia, go on.” Paisley looked up into the eyes that she knew would haunt her dreams for the foreseeable future, and she almost lost her shit when Alexia lifted a pair of black-framed glasses and slipped them on, scanning a piece of paper in front of her. They took her sexiness to another level altogether. If she wasn’t already flustered, this would have pushed her over the edge.
Alexia tilted her glasses and looked at her over the frames. “If given the chance, would you do things the same way again?”
Paisley sighed, took off her glasses, pinched the bridge of her nose, then slipped them back on. She knew it wasn’t a simple answer. She had a feeling that her response would determine what type of woman she was in Alexia’s eyes, and she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she w
anted her approval. “I…” She tapped her finger on the tabletop.
“It’s a simple question.”
Paisley shook her head. “It’s a trick question.”
Alexia cocked her head, slipped her glasses off, and leaned forward on the table. Paisley had to force herself not to look down at the cleavage she knew was amazing. “Is it?”
Before the silence rose to unbearable limits, Paisley spoke. “Yes. To both questions.”
Alexia nodded and leaned back in her chair. “I’m satisfied.” Everyone at the table nodded and looked at Jeffrey.
“Good, now to one other matter. Your training. It is this Council’s opinion that you need a mentor, and we have chosen one from among us to teach you.”
“What?” Grams spoke up. “Paisley should be the one to choose.” Paisley had a feeling Grams wouldn’t be saying that if she knew who her choice would be.
Jeffrey shook his head. “It has been settled. Alexia will teach Paisley everything she needs to know.”
Paisley knew exactly what she wanted Alexia to teach her.
“No,” her mom said, jumping up from her seat.
“What?” What just happened? She needed to pay more attention.
“P.J., don’t worry, I will handle this. You will not be taught by her.” She pointed at Alexia, who was still seated and relaxed.
“No.” Paisley stood up and looked at her mother.
“Paisley, I’ve got this.” She touched her arm, but Paisley threw it off. “P.J.?”
“All anyone has been doing this past week is make all of my decisions for me. I am a grown woman. I can make my decisions myself.”
“Paisley.”
“Stop! God.” She ran her hands through her hair. “Just stop. I love you both, but it is partly your fault I’m in this mess to begin with. Don’t look at me like that. You said so yourself the other day. My powers are obviously more than I can handle. I need help.”
“I agree, but not from her.”
Paisley growled and turned toward Alexia. “When do we start?” Alexia smirked and stood up, pointing to the only empty corner of the room. Paisley stepped away from the table when her mom stopped her with a hand on her arm.
The DragonWitch Tales - An Unexpected Beginning Page 9