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

by Unknown

  “We have to finish your training, for a start,” said Agnes.

  “I want to learn how to transform into an animal,” I said excited, turning to Daniel. “How do you do that?”

  “It takes a lot of practice; you might not get that one down in time and I’m not sure how useful it would be to you.” He squeezed my leg.

  “Well I at least want to try,” I huffed.

  “You need to learn to control the elements,” Agnes said seriously. “That’s more important and probably more useful!”

  “I need to bring the sisters by to meet you all,” said Daniel, scratching his five o’clock shadow and grimacing.

  “Selina, your talent is in your potions. We need to focus on that,” Agnes instructed.

  Catching on to the energy and momentum of the conversation, Natalia tossed her hair back excitedly. “Well what can I do while you’re all training?”

  Agnes turned to her, looking grave. “You can do the shopping and the laundry.”

  Natalia’s face fell and her eyes narrowed.

  “… and don’t mix the whites with the coloureds!”

  The next morning, I woke up to find myself wrapped around Daniel, my face resting on his chest and our legs tangled together. His morning glory was poking me in the stomach and I contemplated taking advantage of him, but Agnes’ ribbing at the table yesterday stopped me. I didn’t want to put on a show for the rest of the house. Again.

  I tried to ease myself out of his arms without waking him but found myself suddenly pulled in tight, his arms going round me like steel bands.

  “Where do you think you’re going, woman?” he said, gruffly, without opening his eyes.

  “There will be no repeat performances, Mr. Hunter. Not until we have the house to ourselves, so forget it,” I said, chuckling.

  “Argh, you are the worst form of torture, you know that?” he said, kissing me on the top of my head and jumping out of bed, striding towards the door and pulling it open.

  I gave him a few minutes’ head start to finish in the bathroom and then followed.

  By the time I arrived in the kitchen, everyone was up, bar Geordie, who was still snoring on top of the t-towels in the partially open kitchen drawer. After his antics yesterday, no one wanted to let him bunk with them. Shocker!

  Selina was at the stove, cooking, and she looked over her shoulder and smiled in greeting. The smell of bacon wafted across to me and my stomach rumbled. Daniel jumped up from his seat and pulled me in to his arms, kissing the top of my head. I basked in the warmth of his embrace for a moment before pinching his seat and taking a drink of his coffee, laughing at the mock betrayal on his face. He pulled me to my feet, sliding in behind me and sitting me back down on his knee.

  Geordie made a gagging noise from the drawer and I looked across to see him with his arm hanging over the side, pretending to shove his fingers down his throat.

  “Behave yourself, little man,” said Natalia, who was reading a newspaper and doing her best to ignore us.

  “Apparently, a mechanic in Newcastle ended up in the hospital after falling into his own car well last week,” she said conversationally, a smile crossing her lips as she looked up slyly at me.

  I tilted the paper towards me and looked at the picture of the slime ball who had fixed my car and gouged my eyes out with the bill.

  “Daniel, you didn’t!” I said, shocked, turning to look at him.

  “What?” he asked, confused.

  “If my recollection serves me, it was Natalia who went with you to work, that day,” said Agnes as she pushed a fresh coffee in front of me. Natalia rustled the paper as she turned the pages, burying her head.

  “Nothing to do with me,” she said, refusing to make eye contact but grinning inanely.

  “Can someone giz a hand?” Geordie squeaked and we all looked over to see him dangling precariously from the front of the drawer. Selina grumbled then grabbed him around the waist and set him down on the table. He was back in his brown trousers and shirt and I wondered how that had happened.

  “How did Gerwyn change his clothes yesterday?” I asked as Selina set a plate down in front of us.

  “She manipulated energy to make her own version of reality,” said Daniel. I looked at him confused. “I’ll show you later,” he promised, rubbing his hand up my back. I wondered what version of reality he would create and Jolene growled.

  Selina dropped a thimble of coffee on the table in front of Geordie and he grinned at her as he picked it up and drank.

  “Thanks, pet, a needed that like,” he said as he wiped his mouth on the back of his sleeve.

  After we’d finished breakfast and cleared up, it was time to get down to business, and despite the camaraderie, it was worrying to note the sense of purpose surrounding my new little family.

  Selina and Agnes had pulled out the cauldron and a heap of bottles and herbs, ready to work on their spells and potions. Daniel took me by the hand and led me out into the garden.

  We practiced energy arcing for the first hour. Being in love had affected my game, and my energy arcs weren’t nearly as powerful as they had been before. Natalia stood observing from the patio doors.

  “Hey Daniel, there’s a blonde at the door for you!” she called out just as I took aim.

  An extra-large energy arc leapt from my fingers but missed its aim as I’d turned to glare at her. I heard Daniel’s cry of pain as the energy leapt to the left and grazed his shoulder. A small fire broke out where it landed, burning a patch of grass then petering out.

  “Oh shit!” I shouted, running across to where he had fallen to his knees, lifting his shirt to inspect his shoulder. An angry burn was blistering its way to the surface as Natalia stalked over to us, smirking.

  “It’s not bloody funny! I could have killed him,” I yelled at her.

  “Don’t get your knickers in a twist, he’ll be fine. Besides, this is a great opportunity for you to learn healing,” she said.

  She knelt down beside me and talked me through the process of pulling the pain out through energy transfer. It sounded easy enough and I raised my hands over the burn and repeated it.

  Daniel screeched and pulled his arm back. “What the hell? Are you trying to make it worse?”

  I moved my hands back in fear, afraid to hurt him more than I already had.

  “Try again,” demanded Natalia. Daniel hesitantly pushed his shoulder forward for my second attempt. I took a deep breath to calm myself then raised my hands over the wound and tried again. I’d barely started when Daniel screamed and pushed my hands away.

  “Interesting,” Natalia remarked offhandedly. “You can’t heal.”

  “Maybe I just need to practice,” I replied, sitting back on my feet, a look of consternation on my face.

  “Well you’re bloody well not practising on me,” Daniel swore, trying to get to his feet. Natalia pushed him back down.

  “Stop being a baby, come here!”

  She rested her hands on his wound and within seconds, the burn disappeared. Then she slapped Daniel on the head and stood up.

  “I am so sorry! I never meant to hurt you!” I said as I pulled myself to my feet and offered Daniel my hand. As I pulled him up, Natalia laughed throatily and turned on her heel, going back into the house.

  Daniel smothered a smile and came over to me, wrapping me in his arms.

  “Don’t worry sweetheart, its fine now. And for your information, there’s only one woman for me, I don’t need anyone else,” he crooned, rubbing my face and kissing me soundly. He smiled down into my eyes before his lips found mine again, kissing me softly. Grinning, he gently nipped my bottom lip. I could quickly see this progressing to somewhere we couldn’t let it go in a public place, so I laughed and pulled myself out of his arms.

  “I’m bored with this, teach me how to transform into an animal,” I begged. He looked at me thoughtfully for a second then relented and I squealed with excitement.

  “It’s all about manipulating the energy a
round you to conform to your reality and not the reality that is,” he said as I looked at him confused. “You have to see yourself as whatever animal you want to be in your mind’s eye, and then believe it is so. You have to feel as the animal would feel, take on their worldview, how they would feel. It’s not as easy as it sounds,” he said. I think I lost something somewhere because that didn’t sound easy to me at all.

  I decided to try for a dog and closed my eyes, trying to think how a dog would feel. Hungry? Playful? I tried to imagine I had four paws and the pads of my feet were enjoying the feel of the grass. After a minute, I opened one eye and looked down. Daniel laughed as I stared in consternation at my feet. Damn! I tried again, concentrating harder this time and closing my ears to the sounds around me as well. Still nothing. Daniel kissed my nose.

  “I need to make a call, you keep practising,” he said, and I heard him stride back to the house.

  I was determined to prove him wrong by the time he returned, so I renewed my efforts. I thought hard about being a dog; how my fur would feel too warm in the surprisingly balmy heat of the day. I panted like a dog would in this heat. If I was hot I would want a drink, so I imagined myself thirsty. I looked down at my trainers, mocking me. Damn, damn, damn! I cursed as I stamped my foot.

  Not ready to throw in the towel, I thought about what Daniel had said about worldview. I got down on all fours and tried again. Heat, thirst, saliva, grass on my paws. I looked down but I was still just a silly woman on all fours in the grass. Closing my eyes, I growled in frustration.

  Suddenly, my hearing seemed to become sharper. Afraid it was just my imagination, I kept my eyes closed a moment longer and focused my concentration. I heard the birds twittering in the trees and the insects crawling in the grass. Then came the smells. I could discern the scent of Daniel, not surprising since he had rubbed all over me. But there was something else, a sweet scent of grass. I could smell the grass? I opened my eyes and barked with excitement! I’d done it!

  I ran around the garden, my tail wagging furiously and saliva dripping from my mouth as my tongue lolled. I spotted my tail and took off after it, spinning in circles until I was dizzy, and then rolled over in the grass, panting with exertion. I jumped up and barked again as Daniel came running out of the patio doors.

  “Lauren? Lauren?” he shouted.

  I bounded over to him, tail wagging like crazy now and he stared at me in disbelief.

  “Is that you?”

  Suddenly, a smile a mile wide broke out on his face and he grabbed me by the head, wrestling with me as I nipped his hand gently with my lovely, canine teeth. He chased me around the garden and I ran, barking, dodging, and turning away from him. Agnes and Natalia came to the doors to watch us cavorting about, Agnes slack jawed in shock.

  I jumped up at Daniel, sending him sprawling on his back, and then jumped onto his chest, licking his face. He scratched my fur, still laughing, then looked over at Agnes.

  “She’s done it! She has bloody done it!” he said, laughing and trying to catch his breath.

  Then, as abruptly as it had happened, my new canine body changed and I was a woman again, lying on top of Daniel. How did that happen? I hadn’t tried to change back! Nevertheless, I was amazed I’d managed to do it and I kissed Daniel firmly on the lips, laughing.

  Agnes walked over to us, tea towel still in hand.

  “You have more power than I gave you credit for.”

  I rolled over onto my back and looked up at her, protecting my eyes from the sun.

  “Agnes, it was amazing! But I couldn’t hold on to it, I changed back!” I said, still panting furiously.

  “Lauren, no one from our line has ever been able to make the transition. The fact that you did it at all is a bloody miracle,” she applauded. Then she abruptly wacked me over the head with the tea-towel, turned and walked back into the house. “Now stop slacking and do the exercises I told you to do! Command the bloody elements!”

  Daniel pulled me into his arms and hugged me, then climbed to his feet and pulled me up to him for another embrace. I looked up into his eyes and thought, no matter what else happens, today has been a perfect day.

  Daniel and I worked for the rest of the morning, as instructed, on commanding the elements. Flushed from my earlier success, my failure to command earth, air, fire and water didn’t disappoint me as much as it could have, but Agnes was furious with me. She felt that I’d wasted time and energy on a skill that wouldn’t be as useful in terms of saving my skin. I took the telling off on the chin, then took myself off to the living room to contemplate.

  I sat alone feeling ashamed that I had disappointed her. She was right. Everyone was here for me, I had no right to be messing about and wasting my time. I wasn’t sure how long I’d sat there, but eventually Daniel came in to find me, hunkering down in front of me and taking my hands.

  “Don’t be so hard on yourself,” he said, his brown eyes gazing in to mine. “You deserve to let loose once in a while. This isn’t a situation many people find themselves in, so no one should judge you.”

  I leaned forward, saying nothing, but wrapped my arms around him, taking comfort from his closeness. After a few minutes, he pushed himself up onto the sofa and pulled me into his arms. We sat there, holding each other and saying nothing, until Natalia came in and announced lunch was ready. And apparently, the sisters had arrived.

  “They’re here? I didn’t hear the door,” I said, confused.

  Natalia chuckled. “They’re witches Lauren. They don’t exactly knock!”

  “That was the call I made earlier,” Daniel explained. “Sorry, I should have warned you.” He grimaced again and I had the feeling it wasn’t because he was worried about the timing. I pulled myself to my feet and we made our way into the kitchen.

  I was surprised to find four, not three, women waiting for us, and quickly realised that Daniel’s mother had also come visiting. Agnes elbowed Daniel in the arm and nodded her head towards me. Remembering his manners, he came forward.

  “Lauren, this is my mother, Beth,” he said.

  A tall, dark haired, female version of Daniel came forward, her eyes smiling as she took both of my hands in hers.

  “Lauren, what a pleasure it is to finally meet you. We’ve heard so much about you over the years, and you are as beautiful as Daniel said you were.” She pulled me into a gentle hug and kissed my cheek.

  “… and these are my sisters; Megan, Imogen, and Felicity.” Each woman came forward to greet me. Megan was obviously the eldest sister, but I wasn’t sure if she was actually older than Daniel. She hugged me warmly.

  “It’s lovely to meet you, I’m just sorry it’s not in better circumstances,” she said. Her eyes were an exact replica of Daniel’s, brown with golden flecks. I smiled at her. Imogen, I suspected being the youngest daughter and probably around my age, gave me a warm hug next, but Felicity just glared sulkily at me and Imogen nudged her sharply.

  Imogen also had a strong resemblance to her brother, but Felicity must take after their father. Her hair was a lighter brown, and where her siblings’ eyes were brown, hers were a piercing blue. She came forward and hugged me lightly, but something told me she didn’t want to.

  Geordie took that opportunity to announce his presence to the world.

  “Wey man if ya finished ya lesbian love fest, can we eat noo? Am fuckin starving me like!”

  Selina picked him up and dropped him in the flour bin, slamming the lid shut.

  We all carried plates and serving bowls laden with food into the dining room where we could sit at the larger table comfortably, and Daniel brought two spare chairs in from the kitchen. Unfortunately, that still meant I had to sit on his knee. At any other time that would have been a bonus, but with his mother sitting at the same table, I squirmed uncomfortably.

  Beth broke the ice, complimenting Selina and Agnes on the fine spread and generously offered to serve up. As food was put on plates, we all settled down to eat.

  Felicity regard
ed me maliciously. I could almost hear the wheels turning in her mind, and I wondered what the hell her problem was.

  “Daniel told us you were attacked recently, Lauren. That must have been awful for you.” she said, eyes dancing with glee.

  Selina’s eyes shot up, but before she could jump in to save me, bless her, Beth came to the rescue.

  “Not appropriate table talk,” she said, sternly.

  Felicity dropped her eyes and Daniel squeezed my hip in support.

  Natalia eyed Felicity curiously. “So where are you all from?” she asked, transferring her gaze to Megan as she started to respond.

  “We all live quite close to here,” said Megan. “Mum and the girls live on Crossfell, and I live on the Wynd with my husband Josh and two daughters.”

  “Oh, for some reason I didn’t think you were from around here,” I said.

  “Their father originally came from Devon, and I moved there to be with him when we first married,” said Beth. “When we split up, I moved back here and the children all came with me.”

  Her eyes gave nothing away but I could sense a tension around the table.

  “How old are your daughters?” I asked Megan, trying to quickly change the subject.

  “Jessica’s five and Tabitha is two, almost three,” she said, smiling. “Josh’s mum has them at the moment, thank God. As much as I love them, they can be a handful!”

  “Yes, well, like mother like daughter,” Beth said, smiling. “Remember the shed you burned to the ground when you were practising your craft?”

  “And what about the time you brought Barbie to life and she broke Daniel’s arm when he fell over her car?” Imogen chimed in, laughing.

  “He should have been watching where he was going!” laughed Megan.

  “She was speeding, I never stood a chance,” Daniel added as he spearing a potato and put it in his mouth.

  I watched as they traded memories of who had been the naughtiest child, smiling and wishing I’d had a large family to have adventures with. Not that my childhood hadn’t been fun, but it was kind of lonely being an only child. I looked up at that moment and caught Natalia watching me, a frown on her face. She looked away and I wondered what she’d been thinking. Then I remembered, she could read my thoughts. I pursed my lips and made a mental note to find out how to block my mind, next chance I had.