I needed his friendship as well as wanted it.
“Thank you! I will begin practicing on this today, when we get back. If the vampires are going to attack on the next full moon, I don’t have much time to learn control. Or even how to create a mage ball.” There was still so much for me to learn, now I had a great place to start.
We finished up lunch which turned out to be a great time. Jeeves was a wealth of information, and he was more than willing to share. I hoped I could return the favor to him one day.
I probably should let him bring Marco to our next meeting. I couldn’t be sure, I just had the impression it would do us good to get on Marco’s good side. One meeting with the right hand man of Rebecca might not be a bad idea.
“I think I should focus on the magic. Maybe later, if there is time, I’ll try shifting. What do you think?” We had just got back from lunch, and Damien wanted me training already.
“As much as I want to see your wolf form, I have to agree. Magic is going to be your best friend in the fight if it comes within the next couple of months.” Damien met me outside dressed for a workout.
“Should we head to the clearing I saw in my dream? I’m kind of afraid I might set a house on fire or something.” I shrugged. Until I could get a handle on the magic part of my blood, an out of control fire was a good possibility.
Damien chuckled. “Of course, we can. Let’s head by the gym and get some dummies. I want to set up an obstacle course, of sorts, for you to practice.”
We took his truck to the main complex where they housed a full gym. Inside was a large area with mats for sparring. There was also an area with exercise equipment like treadmills and elliptical trainers.
Another room housed the weights. In the storeroom were several dummies made out of canvas and filled with sand. We took those and loaded them in his truck.
Once we were at the field and had the dummies set up, I worked on conjuring a mage ball. I wanted it to be fire first. However, I would have taken any element.
I focused on my outstretched hand and tried to call forth a fireball. Nothing happened, except for Damien’s laughing.
“You’re concentrating too hard. Looks like you’re trying constipated. Relax and think of your dream. What did you do then?”
“I called forth a ball.” I started a moment, when a tiny blue ball of water showed up in my hand.
“Whoa! Check this out?” I threw it toward Damien who ducked and gave me a dirty look.
“Never throw your magic at me or any ally.” Damien stood up and brushed the grass from his pants.
The ball landed just behind where he stood, and it splattered water onto the grass. No big deal.
“Damien, it was just water. Don’t be such a baby.” I tried really hard to stifle my laugh. He was just too easy to tease.
“You don’t know what your magic will do yet. Be smart about this, Kat.”
“Fine, I won’t send any more water your way, even if you’re on fire.” I stuck my tongue out at him. I was excited to use my water magic for fun. Maybe once I got a handle on it, the kids here would enjoy playing in it.
“Try again. This time think of an electrical ball, like in your dream.”
I faced the line of four dummies and imagined a blue ball of electricity in my hand. A small sphere no larger than a quarter showed up.
“Ha! I did it!” I turned my hand so Damien could see it.
“Good job. Can you make it bigger?”
The sphere was still in my hand, and I looked at it willing it to grow. I jumped when it grew to a size larger than my hand.
Somewhere around me Damien yelled, “Make is smaller!”
I was already thinking it needed to be smaller.
When it began shrinking, I could feel something inside of me pop. I jumped and threw the ball toward the dummies. I didn’t put enough gusto into the throw, so the ball only made it about half-way between me and the dummies.
By then, it was the size of a baseball. It exploded as it hit the ground. Well, it was more of a fizzle than an explosion. Even a small spark, from a fizzle, can cause dry grass to explode with fire.
“Well, each try gets you closer and closer.”
I focused on my hand and imagined a water sphere. It showed up but was again small. The ball was about the size of a ping-pong ball. I needed something larger than a baseball, a bit bigger than a softball would be perfect.
The rest of the day was spent trying different types of mage balls. Only once did it get the size of a baseball. The rest were too small to be of much use.
“Kat, don’t worry. It’s just your first day. We have over two weeks until the next full moon. If you keep at this every day, you will have it this month. We don’t even know which full moon they’ll attack on. It could be next year for all we know.” Damien knew it was coming sooner than next year. He was just trying to be supportive.
“I know. I’ll be out here every day until they show up.” I helped him pack up the dummies, which were never touched by my attempt at offensive weaponry, and put them in his truck. Maybe tomorrow I would actually hit one.
The next week was pretty much the same. Damien swore the balls were increasing in size, but I didn’t think so. I did, however, get them to last long enough to make it to the dummies. One of them was completely destroyed within a week. I guess it was progress.
Each night I hoped to have another vision. When morning came, I discovered I had slept so hard I couldn’t remember dreaming at all.
“Kat, eat your breakfast. Stop worrying. The fate of the war doesn’t rest on your shoulders, or any one person’s shoulders. We all have a part to play. You won’t be expected to kill them all on your own. You do know this, right?” Damien kissed my temple and sat next to me at the kitchen table.
“Of course, I know it. I just want to be the best I possibly can. Is it too much for me to expect myself to have the abilities I saw in my vision before the night of the fight?” I really hoped I could get my skills together in time to actually have control of them.
“No, it’s not. Tell you what. Let’s see if Jeeves can meet us for lunch later today. I think you need an afternoon off.”
“I can’t. I have to practice. You know this better than anyone.” I shook my head and took a bite of the scrambled eggs Damien made me.
“Your problem is most likely mental exhaustion. You spend at least ten hours a day in the field practicing your magic. It has to take a toll on you. Let’s just meet with Jeeves. You can ask him questions. Maybe he knows why you haven’t been able to make your mage ball larger.” Damien did have a point.
“Alright, let’s call him after breakfast.”
The morning practice went the same as the other days. My balls did last longer than a week ago, so there was some progress. Most were now making it to the dummies before dying. Some even exploded, or fizzled, on the dummy. My aim was true, I just needed more power in the weapon itself.
Jeeves was a bit busy today, so we just met for coffee and beignets at Café Du Monde. Another place where the witches, obviously, shared ownership. They also had set up an account for the council members and Jeeves.
“Good to see you, Jeeves. Will Marco be able to join us?” I had told him he could invite Marco today if he wanted to.
“Yes, he’s not far behind. We had a council session this afternoon, and it went longer than expected. How are you doing with your magic?” Jeeves whispered his last question so no one would hear.
“I’m not sure. I was hoping you could tell me.” I bit my lip, wondering if he would be able to know how I was doing since not many had my special power.
“Tell me what you have been working on, and I will see what I know.” Jeeves took a sip of his coffee before a bite of his pastry.
He was like a grandpa I never knew. Or what I think grandpas should be like. He was really patient with me and always had a smile. Today was the same as lunch, he insisted on paying.
When I began to tell him about my training, he was
supportive and offered little bits of advice. Not once did he tell me I was doing anything wrong or said I was stupid.
“Kat, my dear, I think you have come a long way in just one week. In fact, I’m rather surprised at how well you are doing. Please don’t beat yourself up over this. My suggestion would be to relax and take more breaks. Too much stress isn’t good for you.” Jeeves even had the grandfather voice down. It was deep and slow with a hint of a southern drawl.
“We don’t have time for me to slow down. I have to get these mage balls mastered before it’s too late. Since the witch’s council refuses to help, I feel like I have to be at my best in order to help the pack, and humans, survive the vampire apocalypse.” Maybe I was taking too much on my shoulders, but someone had to be responsible.
“I wouldn’t go so far as to call it an apocalypse. War? Sure. It’s not the end of the world as you know it.” Jeeves wasn’t cruel in his rebuke. He was just honest.
“Does this mean I should take time to smell the roses?” Now I was being a bit snarky, and he didn’t deserve this treatment.
“Yes, actually it does. Enjoy your time with Damien and the rest of the pack. Something tells me you will do just fine once the day arrives. You are your mother’s daughter after all.” Jeeves winked at me and finished his pastry.
“How well did you know my mom?”
“Well enough to know you are so much like her. She would be so very proud of you and who you are becoming.”
“Thank you.” I wasn’t sure why, but his comment hit me hard. I think it was the approval from my mom.
“Okay, I promise to cut back on the training, a little bit.” I smiled over my coffee cup.
Damien smirked and kicked my foot under the table. “I’m going to remember this.”
I looked him in the eye. “I would like to see you try and make me slow down.”
His eyebrows rose, and his smile told me he accepted my challenge. Or was it the sparkle in his eye? Either way, I was about to have some fun.
When Marco showed up my playful mood disappeared. It wasn’t like he had been mean to me or anything. He just represented the group who killed my parents and bound my powers. No reason whatsoever to be leery of him, or so I kept telling myself.
“Hi, Kat, and Damien. Good to see you both again.” He put his hand out for me to shake.
I looked at Damien who shrugged, so I took Marco’s hand. If we were going to try working together, I might as well attempt to be nice.
Damien shook his hand next. When Marco looked to the girl behind the register, she smiled and nodded. The next thing I knew all of our drinks were being refreshed, and a fresh plate of beignets had been delivered.
If I wasn’t so worried about the coming war, I probably wouldn’t have taken a second fattening pastry. Oh, well. I knew I would be working it off anyway. How was one expected to say no to the best puff pastry with powdered sugar the world has ever seen?
“Kat, Jeeves tells me you have been practicing your magic. How’s it going?” He asked between sips of his café au lait.
“Fine, I think. I just wish my mage balls would be bigger.” I shrugged.
“Don’t we all.” Marco smirked.
“Anyway,” I rolled my eyes. “I can make them a bit bigger than table tennis balls. Most of them make the target before exploding. I need to know how to make them bigger and last a bit longer, so they will hit my targets from a distance. In my vision, they were great. Just larger than a softball, and I could be at least twenty yards away and throw with accuracy. The magic hit my targets and killed on impact.”
“It takes time to get them down. I have seen witches practice for years. Somehow, I think you will have it mastered in only a couple of weeks.” Marco was trying to be supportive, which I appreciated.
“Rebecca heard from the vampire queen, and her spies think the rogues will be attacking this full moon. A lot of strange vampires have entered the city over the past week. She has lost several acolytes as well as seen multiple humans drained and left at her doorstep. She’s convinced the rogues are going to try and pin something on her before they attack.” Marco was looking at Damien, whose nostrils were flaring.
“Why weren’t we notified before about this? We have people patrolling every night. The queen’s neighborhood has been avoided, since she requested it. We should begin patrolling there again. Maybe we can prevent them from increasing their numbers even more.” Damien was very emotional. I could hear it in his voice.
He took out his phone and stepped away from the table. “Excuse me. I need to call this in to Rico.”
“Damien,” Marco shouted, “I just heard this today.”
“It’s really going to happen, isn’t it?” I asked.
“I’m afraid so.” Marco sighed.
“And your council won’t help? Not even send a few of your best offensive witches to fight?” Surely they understood how important it was to stop the vampires.
“We are discussing it. Rebecca is adamant we follow the old ways. I wish there was more I could do. If you want, I could work with you on your magic. I suppose it’s one way I could help.” If Marco was on the council, he had to be very good at magic. This might help.
“Alright. If you can come out to the pack’s compound tomorrow, we are practicing in a field. Damien can give you directions better than I can.” I knew how to get there; I just didn’t know how to explain it.
Go to the large oak then turn left until you get to the magnolia tree. I doubted those type of instructions would work for Marco.
“I can see it in your mind, if you let me.”
“What? You can read minds?” Oh, please don’t let this be true.
“Only if I’m touching your head. So, you see, I need permission to do so.” He better be telling the truth.
“I don’t want all of my private thoughts out on display for you. How do I know you will only take the image of the field?” What else could he do?
“Think about what you want me to see, and that image is all I will take.” He better not sift through my head, or I would kill him.
“Alright. Do we do this now?”
“Sure, if you like.”
I took a deep breath and thought about the path from the main building to the open field. “It’s in my head right now. Should I just walk to it from the main building? Or drive the truck? It’s not far.”
“Driving would be fine,” he replied.
Jeeves was sitting there quietly watching the entire conversation and sipping his coffee. When I looked at him, he smiled encouragingly and nodded.
“Alright, I’m ready.” I focused on the main building in the compound, until Marco put his hand on my head.
Once his hand was on the top of my head, I slowly went through the process of driving to the field. I was careful to show him all of the landmarks I could remember.
It was only a few seconds, and he released my head. “Thank you. I have the path to your field. I will meet you there early afternoon tomorrow.”
Damien walked in as Marco took his hand away. “What the heck is going on?”
“I showed Marco how to get to the field where we practice and where I believe the vampires will attack. He’s going to come over tomorrow and help me with my magic.” I scrunched my nose when I looked up at Damien’s angry face.
“You will not come to our compound tomorrow. We will come here. Pick a park or somewhere else we can practice. I have to be in town all day tomorrow, so this will work out better.” Damien took his seat and grumbled about his coffee being cold.
Jeeves motioned for the girl to come fill all of our cups.
“What’s wrong? Was I out of line to invite Marco over?” I had never seen a witch on their property. Where they not welcome?
“No, I’m upset with what’s going on with the vampires. Apparently, the queen didn’t want us knowing about her issues. Rico thinks it’s because of how she spoke to him last time. She was very dismissive of his help. I swear, I’ve never met a mor
e conceited and arrogant chick in all my life.” Damien ran his hands through his hair, and I could feel the anger coming off him.
Was it because we were so close? Or had my wolf senses started to kick in?
“Thank you both for meeting us here today. I have to get back to the compound. Please call me with a time and place tomorrow afternoon, and I will make sure Kat is there.” We both stood to leave.
I gave Jeeves a warm smile and hug before turning to shake Marco’ hand. I still wasn’t sure how I felt about the man. I think he was starting to grow on me.
23
Kat
“Tonight’s the night, isn’t it?” I could feel the energy of all of the wolves around me. There was an electrical current zapping through the air with all of the tension.
Everyone was geared up for a fight tonight. It was the first full moon since we discovered the vampires had been creating werewolves. While we weren’t positive it was happening tonight, the events of the past week made us think this was at least phase one of their operation.
After the day at Café Du Monde, we discovered the vampire queen had been keeping secrets from the pack for a while. She knew about the werewolves and thought her soldiers would be able to get it all under control, at least until all of the dead humans piled up on her doorstep.
Somehow, the news hadn’t reported the disappearances yet. Mostly, the bodies belonged to elderly, homeless, or very low-income people. The type of person who wouldn’t be reported missing right away. They also weren’t the queen’s favorite so the witch’s council was convinced it wasn’t her vamps.
Our vampire queen was picky when it came to her “food” or acolytes. She preferred twenty-something men and women in good shape. Her coven followed her preferences.
Damien and I were sitting in the main compound watching the news. Since the discovery of the dead bodies we had been taking shifts listening to or watching the local news as well as national news.
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