by Apryl Baker
I picked at my salad, dreading the taste. I didn’t do rabbit food. I really, really wanted that cheeseburger.
“Here,” Brandon laughed and plopped half his burger down on my plate. “I think you need this more than I do.”
I stared from the salad to the burger and back again. What was more important at this moment? Being a Stepford child or appeasing the protests in my stomach by wolfing down the greasy yummy goodness that stared back at me?
My stomach won, hands down.
“Oh my God, that is soooo good!” I sighed after three large mouthfuls.
All three girls stared at me like I’d just grown horns and a tail. They could piss off for all I cared. The burger had my name on it, and it was going down.
“I have an extremely high metabolism,” I told them after wolfing down the burger and confiscating Brandon’s Dr. Pepper. “I have to eat a lot of proteins and carbs or I get sick.”
“Why didn’t you say that in the first place?” Madison asked.
“All you guys got salads, and then I figured I could at least try it too. Go with the flow and all that nonsense.”
Sebastian threw an arm around me. “You’re going to fit right in, Melinda.”
“About time we got another super-nerd,” Brandon said with a wink at me. “Super-hot, super-nerd.” Sebastian grinned. “So what’s this I hear about you having a date tonight?”
“How do you know that?”
“I overheard you telling Xavier this morning,” Brandon told me, looking abashed.
“He’s a friend visiting for the week,” I said carefully. “He asked if I’d show him around town, and I told him I would. We’re going to a movie after.”
“I thought you just moved here?” Mandy’s eyes narrowed.
“My Gran lives here. That’s who I’m staying with. I visited her every summer, so I’m pretty familiar with the area.”
“How did we never meet?” Sebastian frowned. “I thought I knew all the girls around here.”
That would be because I’d always made a point of avoiding the locals like the plague. They were not very interesting to begin with, and I’d seen no reason to make friends with boring people.
“I guess I spent more time cooped up with books than I did hanging out,” I said instead. Kinda the truth.
“Learning how to do magic?” Mandy leaned forward.
Here we go. I wondered how long it would take them to ask me about being a witch.
“Sometimes, sure. I’m a science geek too, remember? I spent just as much time reading books on physics and robotics as I did learning to do magic.”
“Sometimes it can be just as hard to learn magic as it can be to understand quantum physics,” Brandon sighed.
“I thought you didn’t believe in magic?” I asked him. “You did say I was insane.”
“I never said I didn’t believe in it, only that I thought you were insane. What I should have said is that you’re insane for openly admitting you’re a witch.”
“Why is that insane? I’ve never hidden what I am. This is the twenty-first century you know. It’s not like people go around screaming ‘burn the witch!’ They’ll either accept me or they won’t. It doesn’t really bother me one way or another.”
“Can you prove that you’re a witch?” Lori spoke up for the first time since we sat down. Her blue eyes were intense and burned with the same darkness that Mandy’s did. Dark witches. I hated dark witches.
Though, I might be on the road to becoming one myself. I did tend to use a lot of dark magic these days. It really was about choices. I could do the same thing with white magic that I could with dark magic. It was just easier with dark magic. I’d been opting for the easy button for a long time. The thought didn’t sit well. It typically didn’t bother me, but Xavier’s soul gaze, as I’d dubbed it, made me rethink a lot of stuff.
“Why would I want to prove it?” I asked, staring her directly in the eyes. One thing I’d learned from Dad is you never, ever let a dark witch think you’re the least bit hesitant or afraid. They used it against you.
“If you want to join our Coven, then you need to prove yourself,” Madison told me.
“First, you’re assuming I don’t already have a Coven, and second, you’re assuming that I’d want to join yours anyway. Why should I?”
They all seemed taken aback, everyone except for Sebastian. He just grinned down at me like a loon. “That’s it, you and I are so gonna be friends.”
“What?” I asked, startled.
“I thought about getting into your pants,” he told me, “but then I changed my mind the more you talked. You and I are gonna be friends instead.”
“I’m not sure if you insulted me or not.”
He laughed. “It’s a compliment, trust me. I’ve never met anyone with the balls to stand up to the Three B’s before.”
“The Three B’s?”
“The Three Bitches,” Mandy said icily with a smile to match.
I smiled one of my own smiles. Madison and Lori flinched a little. “Well, you’ve just met the Queen Bitch, so again, why would I want to join your little Coven?”
“For the same reason every witch wants a Coven,” Brandon spoke up quietly. “Comfort, security, fellowship. We need to help one another.”
None of them were real witches, born with the gift of Witchcraft in their veins. They were playing with fire, but staring into Brandon’s eyes, I could see that he meant what he said. There was a possibility, a slight possibility, that he knew nothing about their dark magic. There wasn’t any darkness in his eyes. They were clear and honest. Maybe there was a chance I could save him from becoming like the others.
They were all staring at me expectantly. This was why I was here, this was what I’d worked for, so why did it bother me so much now that I was about to really put my plan into action? Xavier’s dark eyes invaded my mind, and I pushed them away. I would do this.
“Earth and Fire,
I summon thee
to do my bidding.”
The Elements flowed into me, and I closed my eyes at the feeling. Every time I felt them, it was like being touched by something holy. It was a gift to be able to feel this. Not everyone could. My dad told me it was rare for anyone to actually feel the Elements the way I did. I loved it.
Opening my blue eyes, I knew they were brighter, almost glowing with the power of the Elements coursing through me. I looked around and nodded. Concentrating, I sent heat into every liquid in the room. They started to bubble and fizz as their temperature rose. People were shouting as the carbonated drinks exploded and foamed over like a shaken pop can. Next, I felt the strength of Earth center me. I laid my hands on the table and focused only on our table. It started to tremble and then shake as the earth beneath it churned. I created a mini-earthquake for the Mega Elite.
“Fire and Earth,
I thank thee for thy service
and release thee from my bidding.”
I stood up and released the Elements. Everyone in the room gaped at me. I smiled down at the Three B’s, now covered in exploded pop. “Good enough for you?”
I picked up my bookbag and calmly walked out of the lunchroom.
That should do it.
Chapter Ten
~ Christmas Surprise ~
December 25, 2012
This has been the best Christmas ever! No, scratch that, this has been a Christmas beyond anything I could have imagined! Sebastian came over to my house today with a Christmas rose just for me! OH MY GOD! He brought me a rose! I didn’t think he’d even call me. I mean it’s been DAYS since school let out and nothing. Then out of the blue he shows up on my doorstep wearing that killer sheepish grin and bearing a present. I mean, come on! Sebastian Caine!
He was wearing those worn out jeans of his, and I could see his blue tee-shirt peeking out above the zipper on his leather jacket. His beautiful eyes were full of warmth and his gorgeous hair looked windswept. Though the wind from the incoming snow storm might have helped,
but it doesn’t matter. It made the butterflies in my stomach launch and go into overdrive.
I called Susie as soon as he left and she was screaming into the phone. She’s the only one who knows how bad of a crush I’ve had on him since freshman year. I can’t believe he is so sweet! I am still smiling about it. He told me that he tried to find something as beautiful as I was to give me, but even the rose paled in comparison. I nearly fainted on the spot. If it wasn’t for Dad glaring holes into us, I think I might have. Sebastian has a reputation, but he was so nice and so romantic and just so…his smile just makes me melt.
I told Mel all about him and she just raised that eyebrow of hers. I don’t care what she thinks. Sebastian is the hottest guy in school and there is no way I’m not paying attention when he comes around. And let me say it again, he’s so sweet! I can’t believe my luck. I feel like I am literally blessed this Christmas. I have my sister, who is a little weird, but still, she’s my sister and I love her. I have great friends, my family, and now the one guy I always wanted is interested in me. IN ME! Best Christmas ever!
Chapter Eleven
~ Protector ~
I spotted Xavier as soon as I stepped out of the school. He stood by my car, his face pensive and a little sad. I almost turned around and went back inside, but the devil in me wouldn’t hide, even if he was a Hunter sent here to stop me. Danger emanated from him and made me all the more cautious. My dad didn’t raise a fool.
Or maybe he did. Despite the fact that Xavier had the potential to be a lot of trouble for me, I found myself drawn to him. I wanted to run my fingers through his hair, of all things. I had never reacted like this to anyone, and it made me need to find out more. So, me being me, I did what I always did when I got scared. I went on the offensive.
I marched over to my car and gave him my best hell just froze over glare. “What do you want?”
“To save you.”
I frowned, startled. That wasn’t the answer I expected.
“Are you a Witch Hunter?”
He laughed. “No, I am most certainly not a Hunter. I’m a Protector.”
“A what?” I scrambled my brain cells trying to force them to remember if I’d ever heard of a Protector before, but I came up with nada.
“A Protector,” he told me solemnly. “I’m your Protector, Melinda Rose James.”
“How do you know my full name?”
“Because…hmm, I think you’ll have to go out with me if you want any more answers, my little Rose.”
I rolled my eyes. I thought for a second we might actually be getting somewhere, but no. He just had to go and ruin it, didn’t he?
“Why would I even want to go out with you?”
“Because I’m exceptionally handsome?”
Well, he was, but still. “High opinion of yourself?”
He grinned, and I felt my knees go all weak. I leaned against my car for support. Warp drive, speed five had ignited with that smile, and I wasn’t prepared.
“Very.” He smiled rakishly and then leaned into me. “So will you have dinner with me, Miss James?”
His scent engulfed me, and I wanted to sit and just inhale it. His smelled of books and mahogany and strangely enough, stone. My dad used to tell me that stones didn’t have a scent, but they did, even if it was hard to describe. At least, I could smell it. It’s dark and comforting all at the same time.
“You’re turning out to be very stalkerish, you know.” I opened my car door, forcing him to move. I breathed a little easier when he wasn’t so close.
“So you’ll go out with some strange guy to help him make a girl jealous, but you won’t go out with me?”
How in bloody hell did he know that?
He laughed at my dumbfounded look. “There are so many things I could tell you, Melinda, if you’d just agree to go out with me.”
My hinkey feeling went on high alert with that statement. The Fates knew what he could do to me if he got me alone. Then the hormones in the same breath wondered what he could do to me if he got me alone. I shook my head, confused. The guy knew way too much.
“Why is it so important that you get me alone?”
“So I can ravish you?” he questioned in a completely devilish voice.
How could he go from serious and dangerous to arrogant and teasing in the space of five seconds? If he meant to keep me off balance, he was doing a right and proper job of it.
“No one is ravishing me today.” I got in my car and rolled down the window. “When you decide to be honest with me, we’ll talk.”
He bent down so he was eye level with me. “Trust me, Rose.”
“I don’t know you,” I told him, my heart beating wildly at the predatory look in his eyes.
His lips twitched. “When you decide to trust me, we’ll talk.”
“How can I trust you if I don’t know you?”
“Exactly,” he said, grinning. “You need to get to know me so you can trust me. Let me take you to a movie, and we’ll get to know each other.”
I should have known he’d come back round to that. Before I could say anything, someone cleared their throat behind Xavier. He turned his head enough for us to see Brandon standing there. He was frowning at Xavier.
“Mel, you okay? The guy bothering you?”
Xavier gave him a curious look and then stood up. I expected him to smart-mouth him, but to my surprise, he didn’t. “Bothering is putting it mildly,” Xavier said with a laugh. “I am trying to get her to agree to go out with me, but so far no luck.”
“Then maybe you should take a hint and leave her alone.”
That came from Sebastian, and he definitely had an edge to his voice. My eyebrows shot up at the level of testosterone coming off him. His eyes were hard, and I saw a hint of the darkness swirling in them I’d seen in Mandy’s. That boy could hurt someone.
“No, guys, it’s fine,” I told them to try and head off trouble. I wasn’t sure exactly what Xavier could do, and I didn’t want Brandon hurt, at least not until I figured out if I could save him. “Xavier is an ass, but he’s harmless and he was just leaving.”
“I’m far from harmless, Rose,” he whispered before jamming his hands in his pockets. “If I thought she really wanted me to leave her alone, I would. See you around, Rose.”
I watched him walk away, whistling as he went. I had no idea what to make of him, but I would find out exactly what he was and then figure out how to deal with him.
“You okay, James?” Sebastian had taken up Xavier’s spot crouched in front of my window. “You look like you want to hit him, but you look like you want in his pants too.”
“I definitely want to hit him,” I growled. He was exasperating. But did I want in his pants? Maybe.
Sebastian laughed. “So, you want to meet up after your date? I want all the gory details.”
“That is such a girl thing to say.” I grinned. Despite what I knew about Sebastian, he was easy to like. I could understand why my sister had been infatuated with him.
He grinned right back. “You betcha, babe. Friends kiss and tell.”
I saw Brandon glowering at us out of the corner of my eye. I couldn’t afford to have him mad at me or anyone in their little group right now. “Hey, Bran, thanks for checking on me. It was really sweet, and I appreciate it.”
“No worries, Mel. It’s what friends are for.” He gave me a tentative smile.
“I’m not sure what time I’ll be done with my date, Sebastian.” I turned my attention back to the boy in front of me. “I’ll tell you tomorrow, okay?”
He gave me a pouty look, but Brandon perked up when I didn’t rush to spend time with Sebastian. Guys are so typical and even more predictable. I wanted to roll my eyes, but refrained. I was supposed to be a blonde Barbie sweetheart, not a Goth bitch. I missed the Goth bitch, though.
“Fine, then, make me wait. Always a bridesmaid and never a bride.” He sighed dramatically.
“What?” I laughed. Where did that come from?
&nbs
p; “Isn’t that what all the girls say when they don’t get the guy?”
“Man, I think you’ve lost it,” Brandon said, laughing.
Sebastian winked at me, and then I understood. He’d picked up on Brandon’s feelings and was trying to make sure he didn’t feel, well, jealous. I think he was trying to be a good friend.
“What?” He gave us both an injured look and stood up. “I’m in uncharted territory! This is my first real attempt at being a girl’s friend. I’m doing the best I can.”
I saw some of the tension ease out of Brandon. I think he started to believe that Sebastian wasn’t interested in anything but friendship with me. The boy had a crush on me. If only he really knew what I wanted, he wouldn’t be so eager. That thought sobered me, and I forgot how charming Sebastian could be. I needed to remember what he’d done to Jenny. Letting him charm me would only make what I had to do harder, especially with Brandon. If I couldn’t save him, I’d kill him. I’d regret it, but I wouldn’t let them hurt anyone else.
“See you guys later,” I told them and rolled up my window.
The drive home was short, but my mind kept trying to come around to the fact about how much I was growing to like Sebastian Caine. Not butterflies in your stomach like, but like as in a good buddy to spend time with. He was charming, funny, and even considerate. For Jenny, who adored him to begin with, he’d have bowled her over, and she’d have been helpless to resist him.
The Sebastian from her journal and the Sebastian I’d been talking to seemed like two different people. I was starting to get a little troubled about what I was planning. What if Jenny’s journal hadn’t been an accurate account of what went on? What if she truly had been depressed or delusional?
No. I shook my head violently. I knew my sister. This was all Xavier’s fault. He was making me feel regret and shame for taking another person’s life when they deserved it. They killed Jenny, and now they would pay for it, charming or not. She deserved justice. Even if I gave up a part of my soul to accomplish it.