Witch's Betrayal

by Crystal Ash

  DEJA

  The guys gave me space to nap for a while in the study. After I got tired of laying down, I went to the kitchen to see what these demons had that resembled food and tea.

  I opened a few cupboards and wrinkled my nose at a box of Lipton tea bags. Hopefully, they had some halfway decent loose tea, not that shitty excuse for sawdust. I was so intent on rummaging through their stuff, I didn't notice someone coming up behind me until a strong forearm wrapped around my waist.

  "What're you looking for, love?" Ash's breath fanned across the back of my neck.

  "Food." I kissed him looking over my shoulder. "And good tea, not that Lipton shit. Can you conjure up some for me, angel?"

  He chuckled into my nape, the bristles of his beard tickling me there.

  "No, doesn't work like that. That trick I did with the coffee? It was actually just a transportation spell."

  "Oh yeah?" I turned to look at him. "You were just trying to impress me then?"

  "Maybe a little," he teased. "Okay, yeah. I made a cup of coffee here then went to the shop to see you. And just zapped it from here to there."

  "Ah-hah." I pressed a finger against his chest, enjoying watching the blush rise in his cheeks at his confession. "You thought you were so smooth, weren't you?"

  "It's been a while since I tried to impress a girl. Give me a break." He took my wrist that pointed at him and swept a kiss across my knuckles. "But yes, I can get you some dried up twigs and leaves to drink if that's what you prefer." His eyes flashed and heat pooled in my body. I liked this relaxed, teasing Ash with a sense of humor.

  "Um, excuse me but tea is not drinking twigs and leaves." I crossed my arms in mock anger. "All tea is made from the plant Camellia sinensis, with different subspecies and treatments during the drying process to produce the different varieties of tea."

  "Alright, I'll remember you're sensitive about your livelihood," Ash laughed, pulling me into his chest. "Typical human," he teased, kissing the top of my head.

  I tilted my head up and stuck my tongue out at him, which he replied to by kissing me slow and deep. Time seemed to stand still as I clung to him, wrapped up in his smell, his arms, and his delicious mouth.

  "I came down to ask you something," he murmured when he pulled away, stroking a thumb against my cheek.

  "Mm-hm?" I noticed his voice and demeanor turned stoic and serious again.

  He spent a moment just stroking my face and searching my eyes with his before speaking. One thing I was quickly learning about Ash was he did not speak before thinking first. It made me wondered how such a thinker handled all the memories in his own head, but then I had to remember he didn't carry a human brain. Maybe he was better adapted to it than me.

  "Move in with us."

  I pulled back to look at him clearly. "You're serious?"

  He nodded. "If the coven really does find out about you, you'll be safer here than alone at your place. And anyway," he shrugged. "It's your choice of course, but we love having you here."

  I snorted out a laugh, prompting confusion on his handsome face.

  "Sorry, it's just--" I took a deep breath. "I was about to say I've only known you guys for a few weeks but I guess that's not true, is it?"

  His icy eyes flickered to the ground as his jaw clenched. "If you don't want to, that's fine. I'm just worried--"

  "Stop." I threw my arms around his neck and jumped on tiptoe to kiss him, snaking my tongue into his mouth. "Of course I'll move in with you."

  His adorable grin returned and his shoulders sagged with relief. No words came but he cupped my face sweetly and kissed me, again and again in his slow, passionate way. When the bulge in his pants began to harden and his hands started moving, I reluctantly pulled away.

  "Angel, you know I want you. I always do but," I licked my lips to quell my own heat rising within me. "I'm still hungry and I need tea." His chest vibrated with laughter and I mentally kicked myself for stopping him. "And if I'm going to be moving in, I should probably grab some stuff from my apartment."

  "Fine," he sighed, pulling away from me reluctantly. "Go grab what you need and I'll get us lunch and tea for you."

  "Thank you, my love." I reached out to him for a parting kiss and found his frozen eyes burning into mine, with the iron grip of his hands on my shoulder.

  "Be careful," he warned. "There's no telling what that shadow witch might do. If you sense anything weird, reach out to us." He tapped his temple. "We'll anchor our auras to yours and be there in seconds."

  "I will, angel," I promised, running my hands across the short bristles of his beard.

  He kissed my palm and smirked. "I'm starting to like that nickname."

  "Good." I planted a final kiss on him. "'Cause you're stuck with it."

  12

  DEJA

  A half-hour later, I opened the door to my apartment above the tea shop and looked around at everything longingly.

  I walked through and tried to mentally catalog everything, deciding what I should sell or keep. The guys' house was big enough to fit all of my furniture if I wanted to bring everything with me, but I didn't see the need. I pieced my apartment together slowly over time. Before my shop made any money, I slept on blankets on the floor. As my business became established and grew, I slowly added more.

  But that stage of my life already felt like so long ago, I realized as I ran an affectionate finger along the back of my thrift store IKEA couch. I didn't need to bring this all with me because I was starting a new chapter in this lifetime. My goal was no longer to make it through another day with a few dollars in my bank account. With my newfound powers and my memories of my past lives to guide me, my purpose became much bigger.

  I was created to rebel, to push back against those who sought to control. To instill burning curiosity and the pursuit of knowledge to the human race, and use the power granted by Lord Lucifer to achieve that goal. I was meant to educate the ignorant and deflate massively oversized egos.

  And I didn't need my ragtag, mismatched furniture to accomplish that. Just some clean clothes, toiletries, and my stash of tea.

  I threw my essentials in a weekender bag and took another look around my place. My eyes rested on my tiny herb garden in the window and those plants pulled to me. That tall, bushy Thai basil plant was my first manifestation of earth magic. After a neighborhood squirrel chewed it down to a two-inch stem, I grew it back to its full glory before I even knew what earth magic was.

  I shifted my bag on my shoulder as I hesitated by the door. I'd have to bring those plants with me. One of the guys could help me take them back to the house another day.

  Just as I turned to leave, a shock of white hair flashed in my peripheral vision and I stopped dead in my tracks.

  "Diana!" I gasped.

  My grandmother stood squarely blocking my doorway, arms folded and face tense. More recently she began to look a lot less like the sweet mother figure I'd been missing, and more like, well, a crabby old witch.

  "Back at your own place, I see," she said casually, although her tone was cold. "Or are you leaving again?"

  "Yes, leaving," I answered just as coldly. She didn't need to know I'd be moving out for good. "Did you need something?"

  She lifted her chin at me defiantly. "There's an emergency coven meeting in the woods. Laurel asked me to fetch you."

  My heart dropped into my stomach but I kept my expression the same. "Emergency meeting about what?"

  "I guess we'll find that out when we go." She jerked her head to the exit. "Let's go."

  "Seriously, now?" I demanded. "I'm kind of in the middle of something."

  "Yes Deja, now." Her patronizing tone sent my blood simmering. She spoke to me like I was a misbehaving toddler.

  I stood my ground, tightening my grip on my back as I began reaching out for Ash with my aura. Diana would likely be able to see it reaching out for communication, so I focused hard on using its invisible shadow side.

  "Why did Laurel send you for me?" I ask
ed, stalling for time. "You're not even part of the coven."

  She huffed out a sigh, clearly at the end of her rope with me. "Because I'm the only one who knows where you live and Laurel is my good friend." She fixated a narrow-eyed gaze at me. "Really Deja, have I done something to warrant this attitude of yours?"

  "My attitude?" I repeated, incredulous. "How about you showing up to my place unannounced and trying to dictate my time? Scheduling lessons without consulting me? Demanding I come to emergency meetings with no notice? I'm adult, Diana. I have a life and a business. I won't just come when you tell me to jump."

  Her face softened and I saw the grandmother I recognized once again, the one who opened the witching world to me and taught me the basics of my powers.

  "I'm sorry, dear. I just--" She ran a hand down her face and her large amber eyes watered. "You remind me of your mother so much. I just worry about you." A shuddering sigh escaped her. "I panic and have these moments of needing to know desperately where you are and who you're with. I couldn't bear it if I lost you to the same type of evil I lost Deidre."

  Torn, I bit my lip. She was referring to my guys. Damn, why did I have to tell her I hung out with demons back then? It was so profoundly naive of me, but I didn't know any better.

  And as she cried softly there on my doorstep, I didn't know how to tell her that it most likely wasn't demons that killed my mom, but another witch.

  Slowly, I reached out and patted her back and shoulder. She turned and enveloped me in a tight hug.

  "Come on, Gran," I muttered. "Let's see what this meeting is about."

  "Ah, yes." She wiped her eyes and smiled sheepishly. "Forgive me, dear. I'll try to be better about respecting your space."

  I nodded. "Sorry for reacting so harshly."

  She patted my hand and together we went down the stairwell. I used the opportunity to connect with Ash.

  Hey angel, small delay. Apparently, there's an emergency coven meeting. I'll head back as soon as it's over.

  That doesn't sound good, love. His tone was worried.

  I'll keep in touch if anything goes down. We're meeting in the woods where my initiation ceremony was.

  We'll be standing by. Are you with your grandmother?

  Yeah, proceeding with extreme caution.

  Good girl. And damn, she really loves cockblocking me.

  I stifled a giggle as Diana and I got into her Subaru, then pulled my phone out of my pocket. A quick text to Juno confirmed this mysterious coven meeting. She, Erik, and Seth were already there. Not that I truly believed Diana would really make this up to interfere with my relationships. Her thinly-veiled prejudice against my guys did come from a place of wanting to protect me.

  I glanced over at her wrinkled hands gripping the steering wheel as she drove, and found myself sad that she wouldn't have another lifetime after this one. If she did, I might be able to prove her wrong about them.

  13

  DEJA

  Everyone else seemed just as clueless as me about this emergency meeting. People whispered to each other, shrugged, and looked around to others for clues.

  Meanwhile, Laurel, John, and Seth stood in the center of the clearing with grim expressions, waiting for everyone to gather. I spotted Juno with her boyfriend Erik and quickly went to stand next to them, eager for a bit of breathing room from my grandmother.

  "Any ideas what this is about?" I asked them.

  They both shook their heads. Juno looked worried while Erik rubbed her arms comfortingly.

  "Even the elder coven members are saying this has never happened before," she whispered, her brows knitted at her forehead. "Every official meeting goes by the moon and seasonal cycles. This is unprecedented. It can't be good."

  I shoved my hands in my pockets, bouncing on my heels as I waited for the coven to fill the clearing. Some people stood like us, others sat on large rocks and fallen trees. The grass in the center still carried some of the white chalk from my initiation rite. Laurel and John talked quietly in the middle of the clearing to themselves while Seth paced like a caged animal. His gray eyes lifted briefly but looked away as soon as they met mine.

  Shit. The feeling of my heart in my stomach seemed to collapse in on itself like a black hole.

  The whole coven is here, I mentally reported to Ash. I'm safe but doesn't seem like the news will be good. Seth is looking guilty as fuck.

  We're here with you, love. Raum is right above you and Sal is watching from the woods. I'm cloaked nearby and we're on high alert.

  Roger that.

  I stifled a giggle that would have sounded profoundly inappropriate with everyone looking so grim. I just found it funny we were talking to each other like telepathic secret agents.

  Sure enough, a "Caw! Caw!" rang out as a large, handsome black raven settled on a tree branch just behind me. Several people turned to admire the magnificent bird. A few whispers of Odin carried in the air, making me smirk knowingly much like Raum did in human form.

  The bird turned its glossy black head toward me and I swore it winked.

  "Thank you all for coming on such short notice," Laurel's voice carried out from the clearing. "I see your faces, feel your energy, and wish I could offer better news for this gathering."

  Everyone seemed to hold their breath at once.

  "There have been reports of increased demon magic in the San Francisco area."

  Near me, Juno gasped. Erik's arms encircled her protectively. Low, nervous murmurs began to rise from the crowd. Seth, standing off to the side of Laurel like a statue, still refused to meet my eye.

  Laurel raised her hand for silence to continue speaking.

  "While this city is known for its openness and tolerance of all kinds, there are many who still associate our craft and beliefs with that of the devil," she went on. "They would not hesitate to start yet another tragically misguided witch hunt. They may not publicly burn us like centuries ago, but keep their sick, twisted practices behind closed doors. And that, frankly, scares me even more."

  She paused to let her words sink in.

  "As long as I am High Priestess, I will not allow one more innocent witch to become a scapegoat for true evil," she declared. "For our safety, we must chase the demon scourge out of San Francisco for good." She stepped back and gestured to the stormy-eyed man next to her. "Seth has called in reinforcements from all around the country. Experienced demon hunters will be hiding in plain sight, blending in with the humans and demons, until they are eradicated from our city."

  She nodded at Seth and he stepped forward, preparing to speak. Meanwhile, my hands clenched into fists in my pockets and my teeth ground against each other. I should've known he would stoop so low as to run and tell them right after seeing Sal.

  "For those of you who can see auras, remember many witches have similar darkness in theirs as demons," he began. "They can blend in with us and ordinary humans very well. So how do you spot one?" He raised his hand and began drawing a sigil in midair. Black shadow magic drew from his fingertip like ink and my blood turned to ice as I recognized the upside triangle and diagonal lines crossing through it.

  "This is the sigil of Lucifer," Seth declared. "All demons wear this as a tattoo, among other sigils possibly. It provides a direct link to Lucifer himself. If you see anyone with this on their skin, contact me or another hunter as soon as possible. Do not approach them yourself and until we've gotten rid of them all, do not go anywhere alone."

  The sigil slowly faded from the air and he resumed his hands behind his back like a dutiful soldier.

  "You should also know there are some witches who are demon sympathizers." He paused to let his words sink in. "Your closest friend or family member may have been seduced by an incubus or succubus. Their behavior is not unlike someone addicted to drugs. That's due to their seduction magic." His jaw ticked for a moment before relaxing. "No one wants their loved ones to get in trouble but you have an obligation to report these people to us. For the safety of all witches in our community
."

  "What'll happen to the sympathizers?" someone called out.

  Seth turned his head in the direction of the voice. "My team will do our best to detox the seduction spell out of the person. If we're successful and they are an ordinary human, their memory of the demon will be erased and they'll return to society. But frankly, it depends on how tight the demon's hold is on the person's mind. Remember, shadow magic is their specialty. They can read and manipulate people far better than us."

  "So why should we trust you, master of shadows?"

  All heads turned to me as I bit the inside of my cheek. Fuck, that was probably the wrong thing to blurt out and definitely at the wrong time. Laurel and John watched me coolly while Seth looked at me with a dark, menacing scowl on his face.

  "Because I'm the only chance we have of surviving the witch hunts that will surely follow," he growled and snapped his attention away to address the rest of the crowd. "That's all, everyone. Please be safe out there."

  The crowd began to disperse, some people casting nervous glances at me, or Seth, or both. The man in question made a beeline straight for me, the scowl still present on his face. With a surprisingly gentle hold on my elbow, he led me away from Juno until we were out of earshot of everyone.

  "What the hell is wrong with you?" he seethed, practically spitting in my face. "You're the newest coven member and you're trying to undermine me? That'll get you nowhere fast, new girl."

  "Yeah? So why are you so pissed?" I shot back, yanking my arm from his grip. "Maybe someone should challenge your authority. Wouldn't want these coven members to be manipulated into following you blindly."

  His jaw clenched as his stormy eyes seemed to search mine for the answer to some unknown question. Thankfully I wore a long-sleeved sweater so that he couldn't read my shadows without touching my bare skin. If he did, he'd know exactly how seethingly pissed I was.

  "Look, I know what you're thinking," he said in a much lower voice. "And for what it's worth, you're wrong. I didn't breathe a word about what I saw the other night."