Hartman House (Hartman House Saga Book 1)

by A L Wright

  These options greatly stretched the occupancy limits of the house, but they were still going to come up short on room. They talked of moving a couple of the 2nd floor classrooms down to the east wing of the basement to let the bigger families of wolves have the enormous rooms. They would just split up the classes to make up for the smaller room size. And there were currently no vampires in the east wing.

  And when they picked up on more vampires needing shelter? Well they would have to address that when it came up.

  It didn't seem fair at first that the werewolves would have such priority over the vampires, but even Alarin had agreed that since the wolves were a natural creature that sustained the circle of life they should be given the accommodations.

  Alarin hunted vampires just as often as he saved them. Keeping the balance, he called it. Rodelle wasn't so sure of his true agenda sometimes, but she kept the thought to herself.

  Alarin and Dirk sat in on the meeting but were not allowed any arguments. They could speak up in favor of ideas or to help grow ideas, but otherwise were to sit and listen to the witch's opinions. This allowed all to speak freely and without fear of judgement or consequence.

  The Masters of the house would then reconvene later to discuss all that was said amongst themselves.

  It was now late afternoon after the meeting was closed but not yet dinner time. So, the trio of friends talked Rodelle into accompanying them to Leticia's magic Shoppe. After completely ignoring her arguments as to why she couldn’t go, they ushered her out of the house and into the street.

  Rodelle wasn't sure she was ready to be out in the world around normal folks, and sincerely hoped that with her new friends around her it would be alright.

  It turned out to be the four of them and two male witches that she had not formally met as of yet. One of the guys kept casting her side long glances as they walked behind the others. He looked so sheepish she couldn’t help but to smile at him.

  “Ah ha! There it is, I knew I could make you smile.” The guy laughed.

  “Indeed, you did. Why go to such effort to make me smile?” Rodelle asked him.

  “Because I thought to myself ‘I bet she has a beautiful smile’. And I was right.” He grinned at her as she blushed fiercely.

  Stunned, she had no idea what to say. She couldn’t help but to keep smiling though. She sure wasn’t used to having someone compliment her.

  “My name is Guy. It’s nice to meet you.” He reached his right hand out across to her.

  “Guy, huh? Just Guy? That’s a different type of name. But I’ve heard a few different names since I’ve come to the House. My name is Rodelle. It’s nice to meet you as well.” She gently shook his hand.

  “Ah well the full name is Guymon, but I really hate it. And you’re one to talk about different names. Rodelle is unique. I’ve never heard it before.”

  “I’ve never known anyone else by that name, so I guess it is unique. I just never really thought about it. And I didn’t know very many people, honestly, before coming here.”

  They walked in silence for a few moments. Guy glanced at her a couple of times, curiosity on his face.

  “I hope you’ll forgive me for being so straightforward, but your eyes are an incredibly striking color. They are such a rich brown color. Very bright.”

  “They are?” Rodelle was a bit startled. She hadn’t thought about her eye color in a few days. This morning, drawing power from the nexus, that was a big deal. Of course, her eye color would be changed.

  She peered out of the corner of her eye and saw that Guy was still watching her.

  “I take it that’s not normal then?” He asked her.

  “Well lately it seems to be. It would be nice if they would coordinate with my outfits.” They both laughed. She had just met him and really didn’t want to dive into the reasons why her eye color changes. She quickly changed the subject.

  “Do you have a specialty?” she asked him. “In magic, I mean.”

  “Yeah, yeah I guess I do. I’m a bit of an empath. I’m not strong with it yet, but I can pick up on moods. Which I’m sure doesn’t sound impressive.” Guy smiled. “But I can also influence moods. Make sad people feel happier. Lonely people feel cheery. I can influence all moods really.”

  “That sounds amazing! You could help so many people.”

  “Yeah, it’s nice to help. Morgain wants me to become part of the rescue team, so I can help calm those who are frightened. Dirk thinks I am too dangerous, though. He demands I train more before I’m allowed to go. Which is unfair, I’ve been here for years. I should have been picked next.” Guy frowned a bit.

  “I’m sorry. Dirk seems like a real control freak.” Rodelle reached out and squeezed Guy’s shoulder.

  “Yeah he is. And now there are people who have been at the House a much shorter time up for a spot on either the search or rescue team. I really wanted to be in on the wolf village rescue.”

  Rodelle squeezed his shoulder again before letting her hand drop. “If it’s practice you need, I would be happy to help you. I could use a lot of cheering up lately. I won’t go into detail now, but if we work together then I’m sure you’ll get the story out of me.” She smiled brightly at him.

  “I think you may be part empath yourself, ‘cause you just made me feel a lot better.” Guy winked at her and threw his arm around her shoulder in a quick side-hug.

  “But seriously,” he said after letting her go. “That’s really nice of you to offer. I’d hate to hold up your studies though.”

  “It’s not a problem, really. I haven’t started in on any classes yet. It seems they are giving me some time to adjust. And I need the time before jumping in. So, we’ll be helping each other, really.” She looked up at Guy and he smiled at her. She felt a small warmth bloom in her chest as she looked at him, making her smile back.

  “You did that didn’t you?” Rodelle demanded, laughing.

  “Ah. You caught me. As long as that is ok, I will continue to try to keep you smiling. We’ll get you ready for studies.”

  “Ok, it’s a deal.”

  ---

  Leticia’s shoppe was bigger than she imagined it to be. It was full of everything she could think of, and many other things beyond. Herbs and spices, incenses and candles, books and scrolls. Shelves of crystals and stones, statuettes and figurines, wooden boxes and velvet pouches. Jewelry and tarot cards, charms and potions, altar cloths and bells.

  Rodelle had never seen so many magical items in one place. Of course, a lot of the items there weren’t magical yet. The most potent magic items were empowered by the witch that uses it. However, if your talent doesn’t lay in a certain area you could have the item empowered. For a price. It seemed that was how Leticia made most of her income.

  There were several customers in the shoppe when they came in. All normal humans, milling about, wishing they had the magic to conjure up whatever they wanted. Or wishing the love charms they were looking at actually worked.

  Rodelle was drawn immediately to the shelves of gems and stones. She had lost all of hers in the run from the hunters. Replacing them could help her regain some focus. Her powers seemed heightened at the House. So maybe she could make her spell stones work better than they used to.

  “I take it your specialty has something to do with these gems and rocks?” Guy had leaned against the wall next to her.

  “Yeah, it does somewhat. I’m pretty good at most basic magic, but the stones really help my focus. The right stones can make the spell I’m casting or helping with very intense.”

  Guy’s eyebrow went up. “Wow that sounds amazing. Sounds like something we could try when you start helping me with my training.”

  “Well, yes, it would probably work pretty well actually.” She said a bit absently as she turned a large quartz in her hand, catching the light refractions through it.

  She laid that one along with the other eight quartzes, next to the pile of stones she had picked already picked out.

  Leticia c
ame over to the shelf to check on her customers. “Have you picked out what you need? Would you like a drawstring bag to put them in?” The older lady’s bayou accent was a bit thick. Rodelle suspected it was on purpose. Leticia probably got a lot of tourist types in her shoppe.

  “A bag would be great. Oh, I would actually need a few smaller bags as well. For one stone at a time.” Rodelle said.

  Leticia gave her an interested look. “My, you are working spells upon the stones, then. Very useful magic. I would be happy to write all of this into the House ledger, if you would spell some stones for me in the future. My talents lie elsewhere, other than gems and stones.”

  “Oh, that’s awfully kind of you. I would love to help make spell stones for you. It would give me some good practice.” Rodelle was shocked that this older witch would ask her for help.

  “Good! Real spells turn quite a profit, you see. And I promise you they will be nothing dangerous. Keep to the Code, I do. And I can cut you in on the profits once your ledger is balanced out.” Leticia had finished bagging up the stones and reached out to hand them to her.

  “I definitely wasn’t expecting that when I came in to your shoppe, but thank you so much, Leticia.”

  The owner of the shoppe handed Rodelle the bag, then closed her hands around Rodelle’s.

  “I can tell you are a good person, with a very old soul. But wary, because of your past. You are so young to be so jaded, my dear. But you have a very large role to play now that you are here. Be careful of some of those around you. Trust your instincts now more than ever. You have power that some will be very jealous of.” Leticia let go of her hands but continued to stare intently at her.

  Rodelle looked around to see Guy several feet away looking at a display case of athames.

  “Jealous? I’m trying to keep a low profile. I don’t want to run again,” she said nervously.

  “No, you should not run. Like I said you are needed here. Just be careful.”

  Rodelle nodded and turned to find the rest of her group as the older lady walked away. She jumped as a hand came down on her shoulder from behind. She spun around to find Guy standing there looking confused.

  “I didn’t mean to startle you. I just felt you get a little scared, and I came to see what happened.” Guy put his hand back on her shoulder.

  “Yeah Leticia is just really intense. Wait, you felt me get scared?”

  “Yeah, I’m tuned into you now, since we agreed to help each other. I can feel your emotions if you are nearby.” He grinned at her.

  Suddenly a bit uneasy, she turned back around so that his hand fell from her shoulder. “Let’s find the others and get back. I’d like to set one of these stones to brewing tonight.” She walked towards Alayna and Mary Ellen who were already near the exit, letting Guy trail along behind her.

  Chapter 9

  Rodelle was finally getting used to waking up in her new bed. After a few weeks of not running from Hunters she was letting herself get comfortable being in one place for so long of a time.

  Rising out of bed, she reached over to her bedside table and pulled open the drawer. She grabbed a candle and a stick of incense and lit them both with a snap of her fingers. After placing the candle in the middle of the table she walked around her room with the incense before returning it back to the table.

  She knelt in front of the table and said a quick prayer to her lost friend. There wasn’t a day gone by that she didn’t miss Laren fiercely.

  After her prayer was finished and a further moment of silence, she got up and began getting ready for the day. Rodelle had explored the first nexus point for several days and was ready to explore another one.

  She started walking east from the back side of the house, reaching out with her magic to sense any energy nodes or nexus points. She walked slowly around each corner of the house until she reached the same node and nexus point she had already studied.

  Odd. She knew there had to be other points, this one alone wasn’t strong enough to maintain the spell over the house. But if this one was active in the mornings then maybe the others were active at different times of day. Rodelle sighed, reluctant to give up but decided that she would come back out at noon and look again.

  As she turned to go back to the house she spotted Dreven walking her way. Her heart suddenly began to pound, and her palms began to sweat. She almost laughed at herself, acting like a crazy star struck teenager.

  She couldn’t help but to smile at him as he approached her, and he smiled back in that lopsided way of his. His silver eyes were especially bright this morning.

  “Mornings greetings to you, Rodelle.” Dreven purred in his amazing accent. Her heart thumped again.

  Forcing her voice to be calm, she replied. “Good morning to you as well. What brings you out here so early?”

  “I spotted you strolling around the yards and I thought you might want a bit of company.”

  “Well I was thinking about drawing some energy from this node. I’m afraid I am not much of a talker when I’m meditating. But you are more than welcome to join me.” She wasn’t sure if vampires meditated, but she really didn’t think they did. She was a bit disappointed in herself suddenly, thinking that she might have just chased him off.

  Dreven looked down at her in a curious way. He smiled at her again. “Well I have never before meditated, but if it is anything like the brooding we vampires tend to do then I think I could catch on quickly.”

  “Good! I was afraid I’d chase you away with something that sounded so boring.” Obviously, her attempt to control her excitement wasn’t working.

  “You are never boring. If you ever wish my company, you have but to ask.” He gazed at her intently.

  Odd how his gaze was never a glare, just intense. And he always looked her straight in the eyes; she had never caught him looking her over in a sexual way. Did she want him to?

  Her heart sped up again, and to hide her embarrassment she turned away to look at the node and think about how they should both sit.

  “Ok here let’s see. Usually I sit directly on top of the nexus point, but I think if we sit facing each other with it rising between us that should work just as well.”

  She sat down cross legged to where the swirling beam came down right in front of her crossed ankles. Taking the hint, Dreven sat down in front of her, legs also crossed. As he settled in and their knees pressed together, she almost forgot to breathe.

  “Is this the right way? I cannot see this nexus as you do.”

  She released her held breath. “Oh! I’m so sorry, I tend to forget.” She held her hands out towards him. “Here, take my hands and maybe I can show you.”

  Dreven hesitated a bare second before taking her hands. His hands were a bit cool, but it was not uncomfortable. He watched her eyes for a reaction to his touch.

  “I apologize if I am cold. I have not fed in a few days.” He seemed reluctant to share that with her, but his honesty was refreshing.

  “Doesn’t the spell work to keep you sated for a long time?” Rodelle thought very briefly that maybe she should be wary sitting here all alone with a hungry blood thirsty creature, where no one would find her soon. But she really wasn’t concerned one bit.

  “Well, now, the spell does not really work on me. You must not tell anyone, though. People here are already frightened of me and I do try to maintain a calm outward appearance.”

  “I’ve never seen you anything but calm. I promise I won’t tell. It will be our secret.” She squeezed his hands and smiled at him.

  He smiled again at her, and she felt the calm creep up around her as it had before. She usually would have felt it long before now, before he even approached her. Her recent dealing with Guy must have her wary of false feelings. Brushing Guy away from her thoughts she refocused.

  “Ok, I want to try something. Look at me and relax your mind. The nexus point is here between us and the power node is rising up from the ground and arcing up to the corner of the house.”

  Dreve
n shifted his legs just a bit to get more comfortable and began to intently stare at her face. Having his silver-blue gaze settled upon her as they held hands was almost more than she could bear. She felt so drawn to him.

  Clearing her throat, she removed her gaze from his and looked at the white and yellow currents rising from the ground. She traced their weave with her eyes and moved their hands just to the perimeter of the node. Rodelle began to draw energy from the node into herself, letting it churn within her chest and diaphragm before pushing it down and outwards through her knees and into Dreven.

  His slight but quick intake of breath caught her attention. He was no longer looking at her, his focus was directly in front of them on the node.

  “I can see it. It is beautiful. This is magic, then?” He whispered.

  “Some of it is. The swirls are a magic pattern, part of the spell on the House. The node itself is very natural. The creators of the spell drew upon its energy to keep the spell upon the house thriving.” It felt so nice to be able to share this part of her magic with someone. No one else here had understood her when she spoke of power nodes.

  “So, this single point powers the entire spell?” Dreven’s gaze was back on her face as he asked.

  “No, I don’t believe so. I think there are four anchors, one on each corner of the house. For that to be true, whoever built this place had to have picked just the right location. I haven’t had the chance to explore the other three points.”

  “Do they all look like this one?”

  “I am not sure. I think they are tied to the sun and moon phases. So, the next one would become active around noon. I’d like to study that one today, if nothing else comes up.”

  “You are a most amazing woman, Rodelle. None before you in this House has figured out even that much of the spell.” Dreven’s gaze never let her as he spoke. “With practice you may become more powerful than Morgain.”

  “Oh, I don’t know about that, she’s pretty amazing.”

  “Well I hold you in much higher regard than I do her.” Dreven smiled at her, making her heart flutter once more.