Which Witch is Which? (The Witches of Port Townsend)

by Kerrigan Byrne

  “Like I said, you ain’t the first person to believe a man’s lies,” Moira added. “Before I started helping guys on a regular basis, they was telling me all kinds of wild stories.”

  “Why didn’t he just kill me outright, then? Why let me live? Why bring me to your house after he had what he wanted?”

  “Can’t you see?” Tierra shook her head, emerald earrings dancing at her ears. “This was the only way to take your power. If you die, it dies.”

  She bit her tongue as she stared at her sisters. Were they right? Had Dru lied to her to get what he wanted, and she’d fallen for it?

  There was only one way to know for sure. She needed to look him in the eye. “I’m going to get my power back.”

  “Damn skippy! Let’s light a fire under that boy’s ass!”

  “How exactly do you plan to do that?” Tierra asked.

  “I’m going to his house, and I’ll ask for it. If he won’t give it to me willingly, I’ll figure out a way to take it.” She glanced at her sisters. “I might need your help.”

  “Don’t you think we would have done that already if we knew where he was hiding out?” Tierra asked. “Moira and I have been planning a few spells while you recuperated, but we have to wait until we find him…unless you have his address.”

  “I don’t have his address, but I know where to find him.” She touched her chest, near the empty, aching spot inside her. “This will lead me. My power wants to come home. I feel it with every breath I take. I hear it sometimes, calling to me. Sometimes, I think I hear him, too.”

  “It’s not going to be easy,” Tierra cautioned.

  “But it will be funner than mud-wrasslin’ a drunk monkey,” Moira added. “We should try that spell we found in the book Justine kept under her bed. The one that uses gun powder.”

  Tierra shook her head. “No. We can only fight blood magic with blood magic. That’s why nothing we’ve tried so far has worked.”

  “You’ve been trying to get my power back?” The thought that someone would fight on her behalf left a warming tingling in her heart.

  “Yeah, but all we got was smoke and no fire.” Moira frowned.

  Tierra took her sisters’ hands, a grave expression on her face. “I have to be honest. I have very little experience with most spells. None with blood magic. The coven forbids it even in the smallest circles because it’s so dangerous. Aunt Justine always said it could bring hell down on us. If we do this, I can’t promise something bad won’t happen.”

  “Like what?” Claire whispered, fear striking deep inside her.

  Tierra shrugged. “That’s just it. I don’t know. Aunt Justine would never discuss it with me. No one would.”

  “I can’t ask you to put your lives on the line for me. I’ve just found you both, and I don’t want to risk losing you again.” Her sisters were the reason Claire had given up her power in the first place. She couldn’t ask these two women to share the consequences of her decisions. “I’ll do this on my own. I’m not afraid.”

  “Like hell,” Tierra said. “We’re in this together.”

  “Together,” Moira added. “I’ll bring Cheeto just in case.”

  Chapter Twelve

  “Did you get the prickly ash bark?” Tierra met Claire in the kitchen and then directed her to a covered porch just off the kitchen.

  Claire held up the bag of brown wooden crumbles that had been where Tierra had directed her. “Is this it?” The delicious scent of burning wood captured her attention the moment she stepped outdoors.

  Fresh flames licked the logs, beginning the first steps in the renewal of life. She inhaled deeply, the smell and heat infusing her lungs, giving her a boost of energy. Being without her power left her exhausted most of the time.

  “Excellent.” Tierra opened the bag and extracted a pinch, adding it to the miniature cauldron hanging over the fire.

  “This is really how you do spells? It seems so fictional.”

  “It’s how we make potions.” She gave her a mischievous smile. “You should know better than anyone that fire is one of the most effective ways of combining elements.”

  “And water,” Moira said as she joined them on the porch carrying other ingredients. “Rosemary and ginger. Just like you asked.”

  “What exactly is this supposed to do?” Claire asked as Tierra added to her concoction.

  “It’s a compulsion potion. It will make Dru want to give you whatever you ask for.”

  “Kind of like fire did before?” she said, remembering her long and tainted past.

  “What do you mean?” Moira’s eyes flashed with interest.

  Claire glanced between her sisters. “Nothing.” She waved her hand. “Just nothing.”

  Someday she’d tell them. Moira anyway. She wasn’t sure Tierra would understand. Tierra might have grown up without them, but at least she’d known who she was. What she was.

  “How is this supposed to trump a blood oath? It doesn’t seem like it will be strong enough with just plant extracts.” Claire addressed the question to both of her sisters.

  “Don’t discount Mother Earth’s babies,” Tierra responded. “Their power might be understated, but they’re the ones to rebuild after all of your devastation. Not to mention, belladonna will kill people just as quickly as fire or drowning.”

  “True. I’ve seen Tierra in action. Besides, we’ve already figured out the strength part of this potion.” Moira gave them both a sly grin. “Just add our blood to that little pot over there.”

  Claire lifted a brow and deferred to Tierra who seemed to be the expert on the subject.

  “I don’t know if it will work,” she said, her tone grave. “But I think it’s our best option. With the three of us in there together, it should give it a boost of power. In return, it might make us weak for a few days. Or so.”

  “Or so?” Claire asked. She didn’t know if her body could survive another hit, but she had her choices: wither away or go out fighting. “I don’t have my magic any longer, so I don’t know how my blood will help.”

  “Just because you can’t access it, doesn’t mean it’s not there in some form.” Tierra gave the pot a stir before she removed a small dagger from her apron. The sharp silver blade glinted in the afternoon light. “Are you ready?”

  A shiver raced through Claire. She knew so little about the gift she’d been given, but something in her recognized what they were about to do was of monumental importance.

  “Hell, yeah,” Moira said and stuck out her hand.

  Claire lifted hers as well.

  Tierra made a smooth slice in each of their hands. “I think it’s best if we follow the same cut made during the original oath for you,” she said to Claire as the sharp blade followed the festering wound on her hand. Crimson blood rushed to the surface as if it was eager to do its part.

  “We should all let a few drops fall into the pot, I think,” Tierra directed.

  As each droplet hit the simmering brew, it sizzled and spit.

  Tierra stirred as she peered at the mixture. “Maybe a few extra of yours, Claire, since it’s your magic we’re trying to recover.”

  Claire forced a few more droplets of blood into the pot, a small voice in the back of her mind questioning whether they should be playing with such serious magic when even the most knowledgeable of them seemed to be groping in the dark.

  “It looks good, has the right consistency,” Tierra announced. She closed her eyes and began muttering words beneath her breath.

  The ground shook. Cooking pots that hung inside the kitchen clanked against each other. Moira took her hand and squeezed. When Claire met her gaze, she whispered, “Don’t worry. I’ll help you.” Clouds gathered in the once-sunny sky and opened, letting a soft rain fall upon the earth.

  “There,” Tierra pronounced dramatically, giving Claire a start. She used a pair of tongs to remove a congealed red ball from the pot before slipping it into a plastic bag. It reminded Claire of a hard candy.

  “That�
��s it?” she asked, staring at the ball in amazement. “What do we do now?”

  “You’re going to have to get him to eat it. He only needs a taste.” Tierra handed the bag to her, and Claire swore power emanated from it. “But don’t touch it. Otherwise, it might affect you, too.”

  “That don’t sound too hard,” Moira added. “Make him think it’s a breath mint or something. Could even slip it in a drink. Just make sure it’s dark so he don’t see it.”

  “And then I’ll have my power back?” For a dangerous blood oath, that seemed harmless.

  “Sort of,” Tierra replied. “After he eats it, then you’ll need to ask him to return your powers. If this works and he agrees, then your magic will return.”

  Claire pondered the scenario for a moment. It didn’t seem much different from when she made love to a man and asked him for money, leaving his heart open to love in return. “Will it hurt him?”

  “Doesn’t matter,” Moira said, removing the pencil from her hair before twisting the strands again and weaving it back in.

  Claire didn’t want to admit to these women the depth of her feelings for Dru. She could barely admit it to herself. On paper, he looked like a complete jackass, kidnapping her and stealing her power. But there was more to him than that. A deeper, darker connection existed between them that mere words could never explain.

  “Fine. When do we do this?” she said instead.

  “Now,” Tierra and Moira said in unison.

  ****

  Dru focused on the sounds of creatures moving through the quiet forest as he sat beneath a large pine, eyes closed. The red fox was close, he knew. Every time he’d stepped outside for the past few days, the woodland animal had stalked him, watching him from a distance with intense eyes. Dru had left bits of meat as an offering, but the fox never approached. Only watched.

  He exhaled a deep breath, meditating on the surrounding cool atmosphere, trying to overcome the heat burning inside him. His vessel struggled to carry such a volatile power, and it took all his strength and mind-control not to let it reduce him to a quivering mass.

  He could wrestle this force into submission if given enough time, but it would take all his concentration. He could not remember ever facing such a powerful, mental and emotional foe.

  He inhaled again, breathing new life into the fire inside him, bringing home once again the sensation of Claire. Her scent, her essence surrounded him, lived inside him, and taunted him with each breath. He wanted her like no other. The fire inside him begged to unite with her, to meld with her, to become one.

  His own power seemed to succumb to hers, and he fought to keep them separate. They blended so well, his war and her fire, destined to be one eternal fighting machine. But if he let that happen now, he would lose control.

  First, he had to bend it to his will. Then he could command her power.

  He leaned forward as a sharp, fiery pain ripped through him once again, adrenaline forcing all his muscles to contract. Her essence proved to be a worthy opponent, grappling for domination.

  During moments like this, he could feel her. Every inch of her, more powerful than before.

  Fuck. He opened his eyes as realization dawned.

  The time had come. Claire drew nearer to him with each breath he took. Her fire sensed her. Wanted her.

  Gods. So did his body.

  Chapter Thirteen

  The rain stopped, and the sun was back full force by the time the three women reached the spot where Claire told Tierra to turn off the main highway that was surprisingly not far from their home.

  Tierra slowed and turned onto the narrow dirt road. “Are you sure he’s back here? The road looks like it leads to nowhere but a bunch of trees.”

  Claire couldn’t say anything looked familiar about the place. She’d had a hood over her head when she’d arrived, and she had no recollection of leaving. “He’s here. I can feel his heartbeat pounding in my chest.” She wondered if he could feel her as well.

  Her question was answered as they pulled up to a familiar rustic wooden cabin and the front door opened before she exited the car.

  “This will be easier if I go in alone.” Claire opened the passenger door.

  Tierra nodded. “I’ve got my senses on you. If something goes wrong, I’ll know, and we’ll be right there.”

  “I’ve got Cheeto right here if you need him.” Moira petted the sweet, little pig sitting in her lap.

  Claire gave them both a confident smile, though it was only surface-deep. If what Tierra said was true and things went awry, who knew what they’d find on the other side. She exhaled a breath. “Thanks.”

  A swallow lodged in her throat as she advanced toward Dru’s home. The small, red ball in her pocket seemed like an inept defense against such a powerful man. Her strength was a shadow of what it used to be, and she’d had a difficult time controlling him when she’d been fully alive.

  If it wasn’t for the incessant ache to reclaim her fire, she’d turn and leave.

  No. That wasn’t true. The need to see him one more time, to know if there really had been something between was almost as strong as the need for her power. God help her.

  Her boots clomped on the wooden stairs as she moved closer to the open door. She could see furnishings inside the house, but not him.

  When she reached the doorway, she peered inside.

  “I knew you’d come.”

  His deep voice reached out from the darkness of the house, startling her. The same voice that had circled in her head the past few days now wrapped around her like lightning. Her body sang with the knowledge that her power was near. Even though she didn’t house it, she received a burst of energy.

  She took a breath and stepped inside. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the dimness.

  He stood near the ashen fireplace, heat radiating from him like a furnace. He wore nothing but a pair of black boxer briefs, and she raked her gaze over him like a greedy whore. Images of him holding her, touching her, gripped her as though the experience had been real, and she thirsted for more.

  She walked toward him, needing to be closer.

  He watched her with dark eyes, his expression neutral, closed.

  She wanted to reach out, to place her hands on his face. But it didn’t seem right. They were strangers. And yet, not.

  “You knew I would come? Are you happy to see me?” Her sisters had tried to convince her he’d used her for his own gain, but she couldn’t dismiss the pounding in her heart that said otherwise.

  “You shouldn’t have come.”

  His reply was an arrow piercing her armor, stinging with its sharp point, but not enough for her to give up on him.

  “I had to. I need what’s mine.”

  He reached out to her then, drawing a roughened thumb down her cheek, sending a tremble racing through her. “If I give it to you, it will make us enemies again.” His voice seemed strained, almost breathless as though he struggled to maintain control.

  “We’re not enemies now? My sisters disagree.” She touched his bicep, closing her eyes for a second as sweet heat saturated her. She sighed with contentment.

  “Don’t do that.” He took a step back.

  She left her hand where it was for a moment, hovering in the air, before she let it drop. “I can’t resist. You have a part of me that I can’t live without.” She advanced, placing her hands on his pecs, shivering as delicious heat filled her again.

  “Stop, Claire,” he said, but he didn’t move away this time. “Think carefully about what you’re doing.”

  “I don’t know what I’m doing. I just know I need this.” She pressed against him as power swirled through her veins in a dangerous rush.

  This time, he shoved her away, anger pulsing at his temples and in his eyes. “You need to leave.”

  A cold rush of emotion drenched her, bringing her back to reality. “I thought you said we could be friends. You told me if I gave my power to you, I could have my family and we’d be friend
s. But that was a lie, wasn’t it? You didn’t save me from my evil power that would destroy the world. You seduced me, took what was rightfully mine, and left me with this shell. Why? To make yourself more powerful?”

  “Do I look more powerful?”

  He looked like a god. “Please give me back what’s mine,” she said, trying a softer approach. She didn’t want to hate him. Didn’t want to hurt him.

  “I can never do that. It’s better if you leave and never come back.”

  Pain welled inside her, and she fought it, resurrecting the fierce shield that had protected her heart from aching loneliness all these years. The truth stood in front of her, slaughtering the pretty words he’d spoken. He’d used her. He’d stolen from her. There would never be anything between them but a battlefield.

  If that’s how he wanted it, then she’d wage a war against him, the likes of which he’d never experienced. He wanted to play with magic? Play with her heart? Fine. From this point on, there’d be no going back.

  She inhaled a deep breath, sucking energy that radiated from him. Her energy. “Can you not at least consider my point of view?” She took another step closer.

  He moved back, farther into the shadows.

  She advanced again until she’d backed him into the corner. He looked down at her, his gaze watchful and calculating. She had no doubt he could escape her if he chose, but for the moment, he let her have her way. A few moments would be all she’d need to execute her freshly-formed plan.

  She placed a hand on his cheek, reveling in the sensation, watching his gaze grow hazy. She might not have her fire, but she had some kind of power over him. “You need to understand, being here with you is a drug to me. I haven’t felt this alive in days. You said you didn’t want to kill me, but I’m dying, Dru, growing weaker each day without my energy.”

  “You look stronger than you did.” His voice sounded hopeful.

  “Only because my sisters pumped me full of herbs and potions. But it won’t last. I can’t live like this forever. I need my power. I feel it inside you, and I crave it like an addict. Just touching you…” She closed her eyes as she moved her hand down his throat to where the inferno blasted near his heart. “If you won’t give my energy back to me, then don’t deny me this.”