Sharon Karaa The Last Challenge (Northern Witches Series #1)

by Unknown

  Daniel had turned up the night before, bringing with him a necklace with a large citrine stone that had been charmed. Apparently, it would help to protect me, but it would also vibrate whenever it was in the presence of a malevolent spirit. It was hideous but I was under strict instructions to wear it at all times. I was fairly sure it was deliberately ugly to ensure I wasn’t tempted to wear low cut tops.

  I dragged myself out of bed that morning to the sound of Agnes and Natalia arguing in the kitchen. I ignored them both and made my way into the bathroom for a shower.

  By the time I had dressed (in my grey suit with surprisingly colour-coordinated pink blouse) and arrived in the kitchen, a truce seemed to have been called. They both looked up cheerfully at me as I made myself a coffee and took a seat at the table. Natalia was wearing my favourite Rag and Bone black dress and appeared to have attempted some sort of makeover on Agnes. Agnes had obviously resisted and the lipstick travelling halfway across her left cheek gave her a lopsided grin. False eyelashes had adhered themselves to her spectacles. Who knows, maybe they’d prevent them from slipping down her nose.

  “Good morning, sweet cheeks!” she said. I grunted and continued to ignore them both. Not having had much sleep, I was decidedly grumpy. Agnes gave a sideways glance at Natalia who cleared her throat. I felt a speech coming on.

  “Lauren, I really, truly apologise for my behaviour lately, and I promise I will try harder to be a useful and productive familiar for you,” she said, eyes down on the table. I could tell it had almost killed her to apologise and I wondered what Agnes had threatened her with.

  Again, I grunted. Finishing my coffee and ignoring the plate of food Agnes had set before me, I got up and put on my coat. I was almost at the door when Agnes came up behind me and dropped the necklace over my head.

  “I know you don’t like it, but it’s better safe than sorry!” she said, brooking no argument. She would get none as I didn’t have the energy. She kissed me on the cheek, almost breaking my back to bend me so that she could reach, and then shoved me out the door.

  As I made my way in to work, I couldn’t decide if my current mood was because I was tired or because of the Daniel situation. I didn’t understand what I had done to him but he had been cool toward me yesterday, not once looking in my direction.

  There must have just been something in the air, because I walked into a tension as thick as a knife. Jack and Vaijayanti must have had words as they both sat silently fuming. I was just grateful for the peace and quiet as I didn’t think I could cope with a full on battle in my current state.

  I booted up my computer and attacked the myriad of important emails I had received. (One of which was for a penis extension, the other offering me a huge discount on Viagra). I then responded to the helpdesk requests submitted by clients before getting on coding instant chat functionality for a website we were building for a new client.

  At lunch time, Vaijayanti got up from her desk and slammed out of the room. I looked over at Jack to see him staring after her.

  “What’s going on with you two?” I asked him.

  “She tinks I was flirtin wit one of her friends. I swear I wasn’t, I was just tryin to get her attention,” he said morosely.

  “For fuck’s sake, Jack, just go after the woman and admit you’re in love with her. Give us all a break,” I sighed in exasperation.

  Jack looked at me like I’d gone crazy. “Are you out of your bloody mind, woman! I’m not in love wit anyone! I’m just a single lad wanting to have a bit of fun!”

  It might have been a throwaway statement if Vaijayanti had not been standing in the door.

  Boy, if she was upset before, she was absolutely livid now. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that shade of puce on a living body. What was more worrying, though, was the very quiet way in which she just backed out of the office and closed the door gently behind her.

  Jack jumped up and looked at the closed door. The conflicting emotions clouding his face made him look like he was grimacing one moment and ready to cry in the next. He ran round the desk, pulling the door open so forcefully it bounced off the wall and just barely missed hitting him on the arse as he sprinted down the corridor after Vaijayanti. I hope she gave him hell. What was it with men and their games?

  And speak of the devil.

  At that moment, Daniel appeared, sitting on the corner of my desk and staring out after Jack. I looked up at him and scowled.

  “What do you want now? Checking to see I’m appropriately dressed? Or are there more names you want to call me?” I snapped.

  Daniel jumped up from the desk and raised both of his hands in surrender.

  “I… I…” he stuttered. I jumped in.

  “Don’t make excuses, Daniel. I accept your apology, now piss off!”

  He dropped his hands and looked at me angrily. Then before I knew it, he was pulling me up out of the chair by my shoulders. My lips were on his before I realised what was happening. My hands, of their own volition, wrapped themselves around his neck, digging my fingers into his head and devouring him with my mouth. His tongue slid hungrily over my lower lip and I groaned. His hand cupped my waist and he pulled me to him. I felt his need pressed against my pelvis, sending Jolene into a frenzy. I was beyond controlling her now. I ground my hips into him, pulling his tongue into my mouth with a hunger I didn’t know I was capable of. He responded in kind and his other hand cupped my breast, his thumb rubbing back and forward against my erect nipple. He groaned and I felt the liquid heat pooling between my legs as I dropped my hand to his delectably firm backside, pulling him in to me.

  I would have let him take me over the desk, if he hadn’t pushed me away. He held me at arm’s length for a few seconds whilst we both tried to get our breathing under control. Then he simply disappeared.

  I do believe, if I’d had a mirror, I would have been the same shade of puce as Vaijayanti.

  It made for a fun afternoon when Jack and Vaijayanti arrived back, still not having sorted their differences, and the three of us worked in silence for possibly the first time in history.

  By the time we were ready to go home, I pulled on my coat, feeling particularly drained, frustrated, and embarrassed. Daniel obviously meant what he’d said to Agnes and I really wasn’t his type. He had meant to kiss me in punishment and I had practically devoured the man. I sighed and glanced at the clock, realising I would have to face him at some point.

  I grabbed my bag and grunted goodbye to my sulking colleagues. I could see Jack ready to pounce on Vaijayanti the minute I walked out the door and silently wished him luck convincing her he wasn’t a man slut.

  As I made my way out of the building, the jewellery around my neck started to vibrate softly. I stopped in my tracks and I stared down at it, confused. Then it hit me like a tonne of bricks.

  Malevolent spirit alert!

  Just as realisation dawned on me, a hand flashed out of the air and grabbed my left shoulder. I whirled around, stifling a scream, but luckily, it was just Daniel, pushing me behind him.

  “Stay down,” he demanded as he stood, legs akimbo and arms outstretched.

  A hazy outline of a very large man took shape about ten yards in front of us. Daniel raised his hands a little higher and energy shot from him palms, aimed at the heart of the spirit. It didn’t flinch, but just raised its hands and bounced the energy back at us, hitting Daniel directly in the shoulder. He lifted off the ground and flew backwards, slamming into the ground behind me, and leaving me exposed before the spirit.

  My legs felt like jelly but I pushed myself up and ran across to Daniel. I saw what looked to be a burn about the size of a saucer on his shoulder.

  “Go to the car!” he shouted as he struggled to get to his feet. “Get out of here!”

  “I’m not leaving you!” I said, trying to help him.

  He pushed me out of the way and stood, half stooped and hands raised. He shot another arc of energy towards the spirit then shoved me roughly in the direction of the c
ar. “Just do it!” he yelled.

  I ran toward the car, at the same time trying to pull the keys out of my coat pocket. An energy arc sizzled past me and I ducked, the keys getting stuck as I tried to wrench them from my pocket. Eventually, I tore them free and pressed the release button to open the car door, throwing myself into the driver’s seat as another arc of blue light flashed toward me.

  I saw Daniel in the rear view mirror, back on his feet with both arms raised and energy streaming from his hands. I put the key in the ignition and started the car, almost stalling the engine in my haste to get away. Something hit the door on the passenger side, rocking the car violently, and I floored the accelerator. The car jumped backwards and I wheeled it around as I pushed the gear into first. Within seconds I was zooming towards the spirit. I didn’t know if knocking it over would have any effect, but anything was worth a try. I gripped the steering wheel with desperate determination and pushed my foot flat to the floor.

  Out of nowhere, a car pulled out in front of me and I jerked the steering wheel to avoid a collision. Before I knew what was happening, I found myself sailing down the embankment. The car hit a tree and I was thrown forward. The impact deployed the airbag, but not in time to prevent my head from hitting the windscreen as I was wrenched out of the seat and thrown forward.

  The last thing I remember was the windscreen shattering into a million pieces.

  I woke up in my own bed, my body aching and Agnes’ face inches from mine. I started in fright.

  “Shhh, you’re safe now sweet cheeks,” she said, rubbing my arm.

  “Where’s Daniel, is he ok?” I asked, my hand going to my head.

  “Daniel’s fine, don’t worry about him. How are you feeling?”

  “I think I’m ok, but I feel like a bag of shite,” I answered. My head thumped and I felt bruised all over. “I saw him this time, Agnes. It was only a shadow, but I definitely saw him.”

  “That’s because your powers are growing. Hopefully, by the time you finish your training, you’ll be able to see them as well as you can see me. You can recognise them from their auras once we show you what to look for. Ugly looking little fuckers,” she replied.

  “How did I get back?”

  “Daniel transported you, which is another reason you feel so sickly. It can make you feel crappy if you aren’t used to it. First time I did it, it was coming out of both ends for a good three hours afterwards. Have you shat yourself, by the way?” she inquired casually, pushing her spectacles back up her nose.

  “Argh Agnes, honestly!” I grimaced, trying to sit myself up. Then I suddenly remembered the crash and looked at Agnes. “What about my car?”

  “Daniel had it towed. You can ring the garage when you’re better,” she soothed.

  Natalia came into the room wearing black leather trousers and a vest, her mane of dark red hair cascading in waves down her back. She looked like she was ready for war.

  “You ok?” she demanded, studying me up and down.

  “Fine, stop worrying, just let me get up.” I tried to pull the covers from my body only to discover I was naked apart from my underwear. I quickly pulled the covers back over myself as Daniel came marching in behind Natalia.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing? Get back in to bed!” he ordered.

  “Don’t tell me what to do. I’m not a child!” I retorted, but then immediately regretted it when I saw the burn mark on his t-shirt and the worry in his eyes. “I suppose I should thank you,” I said belligerently, dropping back into bed and collapsing on to the pillows.

  Daniel walked over to me and Agnes moved away to give him space. “I’m going to heal you now which means I have to put my hands on you,” he said, eyes still blazing in anger.

  “Don’t put yourself out on my account. I’m sure I’ll be fine after a good night’s sleep,” I countered, equally pissed off.

  He ignored me and sat down on the edge of the bed, taking me gently by the shoulders. When he was sure I wouldn’t resist, his hands moved down my arms then shifted to my hips. The only thing separating us was the duvet. Looking into my eyes, his hands went to the top of the blanket to pull it from me. I snatched it back up to my chest and scowled at him.

  “I need to be touching your skin for this to work,” he explained. I was too sore to argue so I loosened my hold on it and he gently pulled it from my body.

  Daniel explored me with his eyes and then his hands followed. I felt the heat of his touch leave a trail across my shoulders and down my torso, avoiding my breasts, before his hands moved back to my hips. The pain of the first touch caused me to gasp and Daniel’s eyes moved from my hips to my face in question before he continued, both hands moving to my left hip which was a mass of dark bruises. When he was sure I wasn’t going to slap his hands away, he looked back down and continued to gently caress my skin. The heat from his hands travelled through me and melted away the pain, moving from my hips to my nether regions. I groaned with pleasure. My body was suddenly on fire and the intensity surprised me. As Daniel’s eyes came back up to mine, the angry scowl left his face and his lips twitched in a smile.

  “Sometimes that happens,” he said, his eyes twinkling. I flushed in embarrassment and went to slap his hands away as Agnes giggled. He pushed my arms back down.

  “Let him finish, Lauren, you’ll feel better for it and you need your strength because you’re going into emergency training after this,” Agnes instructed sternly, crossing her arms.

  I sighed and dropped my arms in resignation as Daniel continued his ministrations, my lips clamped shut to prevent any further expressions of lust. Daniel’s face up close held an expression of intense concentration as his hands moved up my body to my head.

  “Turn over now,” he said throatily and I wondered if this was affecting him now as much as me.

  I did as I was told and struggled to lie flat on my stomach, conscious of the fact that I was again wearing cheese wire underwear and my rear was now fully exposed to him. I heard his intake of breath and smiled secretly to myself. Serves him right, I thought.

  Not being able to see made the feel of his hands even more erotic as they travelled gently down my back. As he reached my damaged hip, the pain startled me and I jumped. His hands stopped for a moment to give me time to adjust, before the heat started its healing and I felt the pain disappear. The feel of his fingers gently caressing me drove me insane as he moved from my hips down my thighs, exploring for more damage. Jolene was on the verge of passing out and I was almost at fever pitch when suddenly he stopped. It was only the presence of Agnes and Natalia that prevented me from spinning back around and devouring him.

  Daniel’s hands came to rest on my waist and I felt a slight shudder. He then slapped my rear and jumped up off the bed. “You’re done,” he said hoarsely, and all but ran from the room.

  Agnes and Natalia followed him out, allowing me privacy to dress. I felt much better, but I was still a little sore and my legs were only barely strong enough to support me.

  I gingerly pulled on a t-shirt and jeans and made my way into the kitchen where all three were sat at the table, drinking coffee. Daniel stood up as I arrived and pulled out the remaining chair for me. As I sat, he pushed a coffee toward me, retaking his seat. I could really get used to the caring and sharing version of him, but I steeled my spine.

  “Nice underwear there, Lauren,” Natalia grinned and winked at me.

  “Yes, you have to tell me where you buy them from Lauren, quite took a fancy to them myself,” Agnes earnestly implored me, pushing her spectacles back up her nose and folding her arms across her ample chest. I managed not to snigger as Daniel turned a funny shade of green.

  “The good news, Lauren, is that we caught the bastard,” Daniel popped a red glass vial down on the table in front of us. “Meet Thomas Shevels. Witch pricker extraordinaire.”

  “But you can just call him prick,” Natalia smiled.

  I stared into the vial. “Is it safe? Can he get out?” I asked, s
crunching my nose up.

  “There’s no way for him to get out of this vial unless we open it,” Daniel replied, balancing his chair on two legs with his arms crossed in front of his muscled chest. Agnes grabbed the back of the chair and tipped him. He landed in a heap on the floor, looking surprised and pissed at the same time.

  “Let that be a lesson to you! Sit properly on the furniture,” Agnes admonished him.

  Daniel picked himself up, righted the chair and sat back down; muttering under his breath as I sipped my coffee to hide my smile.

  “So what’s the plan? Do we have to wait until the others attack me before we can capture them? Because I want it on the record, I am really not up for that,” I said, exasperated.

  Agnes leaned over the table on both elbows, almost in Daniel’s face. “Well if you would get off your arse and find the other two, then we might be able to go on the attack!”

  “It’s not that simple, oh mighty warrior,” Daniel replied, arching his eyebrow at her. “We have people tracing their surviving relatives but there’s no guarantee they will even go there. It looks like we have to play the long game and just take precautions.”

  “That’s easy for you to say,” Natalia bristled. “It’s not your G-string on the firing line!”

  “Well, I suppose it is what it is,” I sighed and pushed back from the table.

  Agnes leaned forward. “We just have to continue with the training and make sure you’re ready for them. Then when they come for you, we can capture the fuckers and give them a good kick in the man tools before we pop them in the bottle and take ‘em back to Hell where they belong.”

  “Once you learn how to harness energy, you’ll feel a lot safer Lauren. But we have to do that out in the open so it has to be at my place over the weekend.” Daniel looked at me as though he expected a fight. I was no happier about the situation than he was, but after being attacked twice now, I realised I had to buck up and get on with it.