by Multiple
“Oh, it’s not like that. It just offers a little extra care and safety of your soul and spirit. I’ll create a special “bead” for you to wear that combines the main four elements, sort of like what I’m wearing. It’s not like you’re in danger, but it will help strengthen your resolve if you need it. My father can be difficult at times.”
“Like that blue swirled bead you wear? You touch it a lot. Is that an amulet?” He’d noticed the necklace she wore, but never thought much about it.
“Yes.” She blushed. “My mother made it for me. It’s to help me in my relationship with you. She knows I’m dating a mortal. It was to protect me and to help us find our path. My father is less than thrilled. My mother knows a woman wants what a woman wants. She figured it couldn’t hurt. As a mortal, you see a swirled twist of color in a bead. With my eyes, I see an ocean, a gentle summer’s storm – or as we call it, the warm season— and the wind blows softly.”
“You can see all of that in this tiny bead?” He reached out to touch it.
“Yes.” She nodded. “My eyes are trained for it.”
“Can I?” He fingered the smooth glass bead around her neck. Leaning in closer, he wanted to see if he noticed anything differently when he looked closer. He didn’t.
“You’re not a witch. You won’t see it,” she explained. “It’s just a fact of life.”
“That’s interesting. I guess I have a lot to learn about your world. Tell me about the vow of secrecy and what else I need to know. I meant it, Raven. I love you and still want you to be my wife.”
She locked onto his gaze. He beamed with love. “I’m just nervous now that it’s out in the open.”
“Be relieved. It’s one less stumbling block.” He pulled her closer, exactly what she needed.
Derek rolled up on his side. “Tell me about the elements. Let’s start small.”
Raven sighed. “Okay, but there’s so much more to all of this. This is a basic, elementary way to explain this, sort of a foundation.” She never thought about explaining things like this to someone outside of witches, so it was odd trying to figure out how to put it into words without sounding weird. “In my other world, our witch world, there are four main elements in the universe: air, water, fire, and earth.” She took a deep breath and continued. “Think of earth sort of like your body, maybe stability. Air is your mind, like ideas, dreams, thoughts, or knowledge. Water is more like your emotions, whereas fire is similar to passion, but represents change.”
“A lot of them sound similar— ideas, thoughts, emotions, passion – how do you separate those?” He was confused.
“Right, I can see how it comes across that way. Let me see if I can break it down a little differently.” She pondered the question, something she’d known all her life, and tried to find different words to explain them to someone who didn’t grow up bathed in this knowledge.
“Okay, some witches say there are four main universal elements, others say there are five. One group keeps spirit as a separate entity, where the others think of the four elements all combined together are spirit. It doesn’t matter which group believes what, but in general I’ll speak about the four elements, and just know that the spirit encompasses the four. That’s what my family grew up with, so that’s how I’ll explain it to you.” She continued. “Think of a tree. The trunk is grounded to the earth and offers stability. It’s part of the tree. The tree would be like our body, or our earth element. Water helps the tree thrive. It needs this water to flow through it, so water is like our emotions flowing through our body, helping us thrive. Fire is change and growth. So as we grow, spiritually, emotionally, we evolve in our spirits. This isn’t physical growth like growing taller, but mental and spiritual growth.”
Derek nodded, following along through her analogy. It was hard trying to break it down into little pieces.
“Okay, lastly there’s air or oxygen, which the tree needs to flourish as well. In our case, the air fills us with knowledge, ideas, rustles our leaves a little, helping us grow fully into who we should be.” She shook her head. “That sounds funny. I’m not sure that’s how I want to explain it. Maybe I should try again.” She was getting frustrated with herself. If she couldn’t explain this tiny foundation of their beliefs, how would she get through everything else?
Derek reached up, stroking his fingers through Raven’s dark hair. “There’s plenty of time for me to learn more. I find it fascinating listening to you.”
Ticking the elements off on her fingers, she counted, “Earth is the body, air is the mind and knowledge, water is like your thoughts and subconscious, and lastly fire is kind of like change and energy. I guess that’s the most basic way to say it.” She laughed. “Who knew talking about this stuff would be so weird? See, the thing is, it’s just always been a part of my life, so I understood it like you’d understand what applesauce tastes like. Trying to describe a taste – wet, mushy, cold, maybe sweet, depends on if you use cinnamon…it’s sort of second nature to recognize it when we know it, but to put it into words feels funny.”
“I’ve got a lot to learn. I’m glad I’ve got the sexiest teacher in the land,” he cooed.
“You won’t actually need to learn most of this stuff. It may be more curiosity for you, really. I may practice simple potions and spells here and there, but it’s not something I do all day long. It will seem like I’m cooking in the kitchen making a stew, only it will be herbs and such. I’m really just working on my healing right now. I’d like to offer my abilities to the small animals that need them. They know how to seek me out.”
“That’s pretty amazing stuff, really.”
Raven blushed. “It’s funny to hear it praised. It’s just part of my life.”
“Do you do other stuff?”
She nodded. “I can’t get into all of this, but yeah. My sister is much more evolved, and stronger with many things. She’s pretty amazing, but I have always dabbled with the healing stuff. She took her studies much more seriously than I did.”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Yes,” she encouraged.
“That first time I thought I heard Benji…I did, didn’t I?”
She laughed. “Yeah. We were freaked out. My sister turned you to stone, and we worked out our agenda quickly.”
“What? Stone?” He got cold, obviously freaked out. “What do you mean turned me to stone?”
“Don’t worry. It was just a temporary state, very temporary. It basically held you in time, in place; it didn’t harm you.”
“This is some serious shit, isn’t it?” He was suddenly realizing being around witches was going to be more than he anticipated. What if someone didn’t like him and turned him into stone permanently? Would his life be over? What if he was turned into a dog like Benji was? He hadn’t thought of the implications. It wasn’t all fun and games. There was scary stuff, too. His life as he knew it might be over.
“What?” Raven, sensed something changed.
“I just realized that the witchcraft stuff, the spells, the curses, it can go both ways. What if your dad doesn’t like me? Can he turn me into a dog, like Benji? My life would literally be at the whim of some random person who didn’t like me. That’s a scary thought. Something like magic isn’t “real” in my world. It’s just something of fairytales, and now you’re telling me it’s very real – the good and the bad.”
“It’s a lot to take in. For the most part, we live our lives like you do, but yes, there are risks involved.” The mood had changed. Raven’s stomach twisted.
Derek brought his hand to his hair and mindlessly raked his fingers through it. He stared at the wall in front of him. “Raven, I think I need time. I love you, but I think I need time.”
“I understand.” She nodded, her momentarily happiness fleeting.
It didn’t bode well for her; she saw the change in his face from playful to somber. He was scared. Who could blame him? His entire world was about to change. It almost seemed easier to put him out of his mise
ry. She could create the potion and dissolve this now. He wouldn’t need to make the choice… she’d do it for him. Raven was being selfish and knew it. She wanted him, but letting him go was the right choice for Derek, as much as the truth hurt.
Maybe Ziara was right. She hated to admit it. Ziara was always pushing Miko’s name her way. Ziara’s husband Jory has a brother named Miko. She knew with a love caster potion and a spell, it would resolve things. She’d be in love with him, and her life would move forward. They’d be a couple, have kids…and she’d be happy enough.
It was how things worked in the witch world. The spirit was in everything and everyone, to be respected and loved – but love was not something you “accidentally fell into” and lingered on like a mortal. Not in her brood, anyway.
The problem was that she wanted to choose her own path. She wanted to select her mate. She wanted to fall in love, even with knowing it may end. Falling in love was like breathing; she thrived in the tiny details. She wanted to be bathed in the feelings. In the witch world it didn’t work that way. Click, poof, drink, it’s done. Now that she’d fallen in love with Derek she was terrified of losing him, but she knew she had to let him go, as painful as it was. It was the right thing to do.
“I know you need time, but we only have until the moment you leave. You can’t go with the knowledge and keep it. If you leave, you lose all knowledge and we dissolve. You need to take your time here. I’m sorry” Raven bowed her head.
Derek nodded, but didn’t say anything. “I’m going to take a shower. I need a few moments alone, okay?”
He shifted and climbed out of bed. Heading to the bathroom, she watched his naked bottom disappear from her view. She knew what she had to do. It wasn’t fair, but it was right.
Chapter 9
She figured she had about 10 or 15 minutes to pull it together. Raven headed to the kitchen, tears streaming down her face. Everything inside of her shook. Her chest heaved, her shoulders hunched, and the knots in her stomach told her what she already knew. This was the hardest thing she would ever have to do.
Raven pulled a vial from one of her cabinets. Carefully, she poured a few drops into a cup of tea. Just the act of making this…it wracked her with pain. She knew she had to release him. It was time to set him free. Raven returned to the bedroom with the tea. It was as simple as a few sips. She’d be just another girl he slept with. When he left, he wouldn’t return. He wouldn’t answer her calls when she got weak and tried to reach out to him. This was the simplest solution.
She dried her eyes and busied herself, trying to play off what was happening. Derek entered the bedroom, a towel around him.
“I made you some tea.” Raven pointed to the cup on the nightstand. “I’m going to get my shower.”
“Thanks, love.”
Raven’s knees weakened. Seeing Derek in only a towel, his chest a wall of muscle, he was like a piece of artwork. She forced a smile and readied the water for her shower.
“What did you put in the tea, Raven?” Something felt wrong.
“Sugar, why?” Don’t give it away. Stay strong.
“I don’t want you making my decisions for me. Did you doctor up this tea?”
She wanted to lie. It would have been so easy, a simple singular word – no. “Why do you ask?” It took everything inside to keep her voice from cracking and giving her away.
Derek entered the bathroom. “My instincts. Something just told me not to drink it.”
“Shit, Derek, just drink the tea.” She sounded so cold.
“You don’t get to play with my emotions like that,” he scolded. “You were going to decide for me. Do you realize how unfair that is? You were ready to walk away, take away something I love and hold dearly, because of what….a little fear?” His anger was rampant, but more than anything he was hurt. She tried to end things without his knowledge.
“Derek, this is huge, okay? Your entire world is about to change, and it won’t all be sugar and spice. Do you realize the commitment you’re making? If you walk away now, you have the chance of a normal life.”
“…but a life without you in it. Don’t you get that? I love you. I want you to be my wife. This has to be our choice, not just yours or mine.”
Raven looked away. Tears welled up in her eyes. “I’m scared. I don’t want to ruin your life.”
Derek pulled her into his arms. She clung on for dear life, terrified she’d lose the man she loved. She was torn between what she wanted and what she felt was best.
“Promise me… I mean it, promise me that you’ll never pull a stunt like that again. I make my own choices, okay?” The thought of her tearing them apart to make life easier left him feeling frustrated. All he wanted was to make his own decision. He thought he had. She nodded silently and buried her head into his chest. Her tears turned into sobs as she shook with relief. Derek cradled her close.
“Be my wife. You’re everything that I want.” Wasn’t that enough?
She looked up, embarrassed by what she’d done. Nodding, she whispered. “Okay.”
Breaking free, she needed time. Time to think. Time to heal. Time to know what to do. She didn’t have the answers. This was her fault. She’d fallen in love with a mortal. He wouldn’t be going through this if she’d walked away. Raven climbed in the shower and pulled the curtain closed. She heard Derek at the sink as he poured the tea down the drain. As he looked up, he caught her image in the mirror as she peeked out.
“Didn’t want to take any chances,” he said, and set the tea cup down.
He let his towel drop to the floor, exposing himself. “Is there room for me?” He bent and picked up the towel, and draped it over the door.
Raven opened the shower curtain more, inviting him in. “I’m sorry,” she said again. “Forgive me?” They stood in the water, letting it caress their bodies. Derek nodded. Coming together, their mouths locked in a kiss. She melted. He was everything she wanted. Standing in his arms, she had all of her answers.
Derek took liberties, letting his lips move across Raven’s neck and then to her shoulder. Scooping her breast in his hand, he cupped her. Slowly his mouth moved closer, tantalizing her every moment, suckling, nibbling, and then latching onto her nipple. Raven closed her eyes, lost in the sensation. His fingers squeezed her other breast. Sparks ignited into flames as pleasure coursed through her veins. She needed more. Derek teased her body. Her hips pressed against him, aching for more. Soft moans bounced off the tiled walls, echoing her pleasure.
Derek’s fingers slid down, across her stomach and between her legs. Raven threw her head back. His fingers created magic as he pressed into her. Electricity ran through her. She wasn’t sure how much longer she’d be able to last. As the orgasm uncoiled within her, she cried out. Her knees were weak. Raven collapsed into Derek’s arms, her heart pulsing with pleasure.
Eventually they found the soap and shampoo, but only after they played together a while longer. Finally turning off the water, Derek pulled a towel from the rack and wrapped Raven in it, helping to dry her body. Grabbing his own towel, he followed her into the bedroom.
“If you keep doing things like that, we’ll never finish discussing things,” she teased.
“I’ll behave.” He grinned, and then grew more serious. “I want to discuss the vow of secrecy. What exactly does it entail? Is it just me making a promise to you?”
“It’s a little more complicated than that, but yes, that’s basically what you’re doing. Only you’re not only making the vow to me, but also to the witch community that you’ll keep our secrets safe, and any knowledge you absorb from being around us.”
“Will it make me a witch?” Derek asked, full of curiosity.
She laughed softly. “No, I’m sorry to say. You have to be born into it. Sorry my friend, no magic powers for you!”
“And Raven, no more putting things in my food or drink without my knowledge.” That was one thing he wanted control over, his free will. He understood her fears. It made sense, but he
wanted his own say. This was going to be a choice they made together. She’d have her say, but he wanted his just the same.
“Deal.” She smiled sheepishly. “What if it was some super sexual-enhancing powers?” She couldn’t help teasing him.
“Well, I’m not averse to having a bigger - ”
“It’s perfect as it is.” She reassured.
Derek pulled her back into his arms and kissed her. His lips were soft and tender. When she was in his arms, when he kissed her, everything felt right. She felt loved, safe, and warm. She never meant to fall in love when they first started dating, but after spending more time with Derek, she knew it would be hard to turn those feelings off.
After another long, leisurely kiss, they headed downstairs.
“Looks like it’s going to be a nice day,” she said, glancing out the window.
“The sun is shining and I’m in love. I’d say it’s a great day.” He couldn’t hide his smile. That was one thing he noticed; he was always smiling when he was near Raven. She filled him with joy.
“You’re all gushy and soft like a marshmallow. I think it’s too much sex. Maybe we should cut you off until after the wedding.” She teased him, knowing he’d protest.
“Don’t you dare!” He laughed sheepishly. Their sex was amazing. He loved how she felt in his arms.
She showed her hand way too early with a grin. “I couldn’t hold out either.” She loved being with him, naked and tangled under the sheets. Their bodies fit together perfectly.
Heading into the kitchen, she reached into the fridge for a drink. “This stuff has no place in my world, or shouldn’t! I got hooked on it in the mortal world. Diet soda, dear goodness, it’s my damn vice.” She groaned. She never drank soda as a child, but coming to suburbia and the mortal world, it became a regular instance.
“No soda, huh? What did you grow up having? What about juice?”
“Witch’s brew, tea, water… none of this chemical-laden stuff I’m hooked on now.” She shook her head. Her eating habits had changed dramatically. During her childhood she ate so much better, and drinks were naturally made. Out with the mortals, the markets were stocked with shelves of chemicals and preservatives. It wasn’t real food, not the kind she ate growing up…and yet, it was what her body had become accustomed to. She’d grown lazy, enjoying the convenience of boxed meals, or quick microwavable meals.