“Did you see James?” Matthew said casually, though his voice nearly cracked at the end, causing Mirabelle to grin.
“Yes. He wanted to patch things up. Couldn’t believe he let me go.” She teased.
“Well, I agree with that. What’d you say?” Matthew pressed.
“Truthfully? I told him a small lie to get him to go away.”
“Are you going to tell me the lie?”
“No. I am going to make it a truth before I tell you.” Mirabelle said mysteriously. Dinner carried on as most first dates; they talked about different things they liked, flirted a lot, ate a little, and time flew by. They walked back to Matthew’s truck holding hands, and Matthew even put his hand on her knee while he drove. Mirabelle felt wonderfully tingly the whole time, and was very much enjoying this new relationship. They listened to the Grateful Dead, which Mirabelle didn’t mind as much as she thought she would.
When they pulled into Anona’s driveway, Mirabelle stopped him.
“Stop here.”
“I’m going to walk you to the door, not leave you a half-mile away from the house.” Matthew explained.
“I know. But I want to make out with you before that, and I don’t know if Anona will be weird and like come out or something. Or if Hedgie will be out and stare at us.”
“Oh, you want to make out with me?” Matthew teased.
“I do. Move your seat back.” She commanded. “I mean, I want to really make out with you.” Matthew did as asked, and Mirabelle climbed across the cup holders to straddle him. “See this is so much better.” She whispered before crashing into him. His strong hands found the small of her back, pulling her even closer. She grasped his shoulders, her hair falling around their faces. Her skirt bunched up around her thighs, but it was loose enough that she didn’t feel trapped, or like she was going to rip it. And with that, she lost herself in the sensations.
Mirabelle didn’t know if she liked Matthew so much more than James (or any other guy) or if they were more physically compatible or if their magical abilities were affecting this, but kissing him was an unreal experience. When she kissed Matthew or he grabbed her hips or grazed her spine or chuckled while she kissed his neck, she felt alive and like the world was spinning and they were the only thing standing still.
“Okay, you should take me home.” Mirabelle said, breaking away after what felt like hours, but was probably closer to fifteen minutes.
“Why?” Matthew asked, his hands tangling in her hair.
“Because I forgot to check the calendar and see if it’s some weird natural holiday. So we probably shouldn’t let it go any further tonight.” Matthew laughed.
“I’ll take you home, but I wasn’t going to let the first time I slept with you be in the front seat of my truck. That seems wrong, considering how insanely crazy you make me feel.” Mirabelle laughed. Matthew tapped her butt lightly. “Jump back over, witch.” Mirabelle laughed and pressed one last, lingering kiss against his mouth.
“Whatever you say, warlock.”
“How was your date?” Anona asked excitedly.
“Wonderful. Please make me a calendar with all the dates I cannot sleep with Matthew. I will be needing it. I will also be calling my doctor tomorrow to send my birth control prescription to your pharmacy unless you have some herbs that would be more effective.” Mirabelle said all this while taking off her boots.
“If there were herbs that were as effective as the pill, a lot of unplanned pregnancies would have been prevented in the last 4,000 years.” Anona said, laughing. “I’m glad you had a good time. Now, go hang up that dress and take a cold shower.”
The snow let up slightly the next week, and a single day coming in at 40 degrees began a mini-thaw on the farm. Basically that meant that the snow was now heavy, wet, and muddy. Mirabelle pulled on rain boots with woolen socks beneath them to do what she thought a very mean job. Anona assigned her to dig out the sugar maples to prepare for the syrup harvest. On a Saturday. While she drove into Philadelphia to see Sam. And, last but not least, there were fifteen trees. Dragging a shovel behind her, which kept getting stuck in the pneumonia-inducing snow, Mirabelle trudged to the smattering of sugar maples.
The trees were on the farthest reach of the farm. She rarely wandered over here. The fastest way from the house to the sugar maples was through the area of dense woods on the farm, but with the snow, Mirabelle thought it would be easier to go around. She didn’t want to risk tripping on some frozen over roots and breaking her ankle.
The air was the worst kind of damp. With every inhale, Mirabelle felt the terrible burning on her lungs which quickly changed into the sensation of swallowing blood as she dug. She tried to keep her scarf over her mouth as to only inhale warm air, but it kept slipping down as she moved.
“Fuck this!” She finally yelled, exasperated. She stuck the shovel in the ground and began to walk home.
“Mirie?” She heard Matthew’s voice call, and she instantly smiled.
“Over here!” She shouted back. Matthew emerged from the woods, grinning. He was back in normal farming clothes, his winter coat nearly doubling the size of his chest.
“Hello.” He said quietly before giving her a quick peck. “How goes the digging?”
“I’m done. It’s too hard and I feel like I am going to die. I planned to go back to the house, make some tea, and take a hot shower. Care to join me?” She smirked.
“I would. How many trees did you dig out?” He asked, peaking over her shoulder.
“Two.” She admitted. “The snow is really heavy. And I am not that strong right now. I’ve been laying around for two months.”
“All right. Why don’t you walk back to the house and shower and make some tea. I’ll dig out three more as fast as I can.” He turned to begin.
“You don’t want me to wait for you to shower?” Mirabelle replied boldly.
“Mirie, you’re killing me. I am trying to be a good guy here; I’ve only taken you on one date.” He paused. “But I do plan to get some help from you in warming me up once I get back.”
Mirie took a very quick shower and did not wash her hair. She put on her favorite underwear and the only bra she owned that included lace. They didn’t match, but she looked hot in an “I just threw this on” way as she glanced in the mirror. She stared at her clothes knowing she could not just stand in the kitchen in her underwear. She settled on a very long t-shirt and knee socks, a look she had always thought flattered her. It covered parts she didn’t love (her chest) and revealed those she did (her legs).
She put the kettle on and sat on the couch. She tried to look casual flipping through a National Geographic magazine, but was pretty sure she looked ridiculous.
“Woo! It is windy!” Matthew barreled through the door. He began unlacing his slush-covered boots over the doormat. “Looks like we might get another freeze tonight. The stairs are going to very slippery-” He looked up at Mirabelle perched on the couch. “Hello.” He said slowly.
“Hello?” She raised an eyebrow. It was an odd thing to say, but he didn’t seem upset.
“You are not wearing clothes.” He commented, taking off his wet jacket and hanging it next to the door.
“Yes I am. This here is a shirt. These are socks.” She pointed out.
“I would like to amend my statement. You are not wearing pants.”
“Hm. That seems to be true. But you are still wearing all your clothes, and your hat for good measure.” She teased. Matthew pulled his hat off his head.
“You look beautiful.” Matthew finally blurted out with an exhale.
“Thank you. I will be less romantic and say you look hot.”
“I’m freezing.” Matthew laughed. He sat next to her on the couch and set his hand on her leg.
“Holy shit, you are freezing! You need to buy warmer gloves.” She exclaimed.
“I think I just need your legs to warm me up.”
“That’ll probably work.”
“So what other weird stu
ff have you seen since learning you were a witch?” Matthew asked while absentmindedly playing with Mirabelle’s hair. They were snuggled under a blanket on the couch in front of the fireplace. After a very fun (but not too serious) hook-up, Matthew had bravely risked the porch to bring in firewood.
“The Fae trying to suck my life-force out of me has definitely been the strangest thing. I did see a mythical creature wandering around the property, but he was friendly and seemed like someone I should respect.”
“Anyone I’ve heard of?” Matthew asked, pulling her to lay against his chest.
“The Holly King?”
“I guess I need to brush up on my otherworldly creatures. If it isn’t Greek, I haven’t heard of it.” Mirabelle snuggled against his neck. She was extremely relaxed, lying against Matthew. She didn’t feel self-conscious or uncomfortable at all.
“I haven’t seen any gorgon sisters or hydras in the backyard yet, but if I do, I know who to call.” Mirabelle teased.
“Just because I’ve read about them doesn’t mean I know what to do. You should probably just magic them away.”
“Haven’t learned that spell yet. I’ll let you know when I come across it.”
They spent the next few hours entwined on the couch, until Mirabelle finally resigned herself to the fact that Matthew had to leave, or she had to test her boundaries with Anona. She doubted very much Anona would immediately be cool with Matthew sleeping in her bed, and Matthew’s mother might worry about where he was overnight.
“I don’t want you to leave…” she began.
“But I need to.” He kissed her on the nose and stood up, the blankets falling away. Mirabelle wrapped herself in the blanket watching him collect articles of clothing from the living room floor.
“This is not mine,” he said, throwing her bra at her, soliciting a laugh. He pulled his shirt over his head and sighed. “I wish I could stay.”
“I wish you could too.” Mirabelle did the awkward dance of getting dressed beneath a blanket. Now that the moment of passion had ended, she was suddenly aware of how well-lit the room was, and just how exposed she was at that moment.
“You’re going to get dressed under there? I’m not getting a goodbye peak?” Matthew teased.
“Oh shut up. We’re a few hook-ups away from me boldly walking nude in front of you.” She spat back.
“I look forward to it.” Matthew said, giving Mirabelle a rosy blush. He pulled her to stand, blanket wrapped around her body. “I had a wonderful day with you.”
“So did I.”
“I will come by tomorrow. Help you finish digging out those trees.” He slid his hands around her waist.
“Good.” She snuck her arms around his neck.
“Goodbye.” He gave her a goodbye kiss that didn’t say goodbye; it said, I want to stay and throw you over my shoulder and roll around your bed with you for the next six hours. But, he broke away, threw on his outerwear, and he disappeared into the snow.
Mirabelle got into a cozy pair of pajamas, even though it wasn’t quite 6 in the evening. Anona had promised to bring home Mexican food from the city, and Mirabelle wanted to be wearing very comfortable pants while she stuffed her face with tacos and enchiladas. The fire Matthew built was down to embers, but she couldn’t quite force herself to turn the lights on. Instead she sat on the couch, staring out into the white of the land.
Matthew was right; another frost was coming. Spiderwebs of ice slowly spread across the windowpane, appearing out of nowhere. Mirabelle sighed. She already felt the absence of Matthew. She wished they had met at college, where they would have been able to spend night after night together, even if it caused their roommates anguish.
Hedgie ran out of Anona’s bedroom, where she had hidden the last few hours, and perched next to Mirabelle on the windowsill.
“Hello, Hedgie, dear.” Mirabelle said, stroking her back. “Are you finally warming up to me?” Hedgie responded with a harsh hiss.
“What? I’m just petting you.” Mirabelle answered defensively. As if motioning to her idiot human, Hedgie smacked her paw against the window. Mirabelle glanced past the cat and saw him.
Blondie.
“Shit! Shit!” Mirabelle sprang up from the couch. She didn’t have her wristlet on, or anything other than sweatpants and a t-shirt for that matter. She ran to the closet and grabbed her scarf, whipping it around her body. For good measure she put her hat on, walked to her room and grabbed her wristlet, as well as a quilt from Anona’s bed that their mother had sewn.
She crept back to the window and searched for the Fae. He was still there. He hovered, just past the barn, staring at the house. What did he want? Was he hoping she would come outside? Mirabelle had learned her lesson. The door was locked, and was staying that way. Nothing short of a detrimental fire would get her out of this house. She grabbed Hedgie and held her close.
“I know you hate this, but I am scared. Please just let me hold you.” Mirabelle begged. Hedgie seemed to understand because she only squirmed for a minute before calming.
“Anona!” Mirabelle blurted out. Anona would be coming home soon. She would be outside with Blondie. Mirabelle let Hedgie run free and pulled the herbology book off the shelf. She went straight to the chapter on protection spells.
“Chamomile protects the home… we have some for tea I think.” She muttered to herself, reading over the list of herbs and their uses as fast as she could. “Lavender, home and marriage… might work… rosemary, protection for the home, especially women.” Perfect. Mirabelle tore into the kitchen, opening up the pantry filled with dried herbs. She found all three, as well as the twine Anona used to create the cleansing sticks. Mirabelle had no idea if this would work, but she had to try. She had no idea what Blondie would do if Anona was caught off guard.
She laid the herbs on the counter, quickly tying the together with the twine. They didn’t look as pretty as Anona’s, but right now she didn’t care.
“Salt!” She exclaimed. Matthew had thrown salt at Blondie before and he had not enjoyed it. She grabbed their giant jar of sea salt, a lighter, and her stick. She tied her scarf tightly around her neck, and opened the door.
“Hey!” She yelled as menacingly as she could. “Asshole that tried to kill me! Get off my fucking property!”
“That is not a nice way to address your betrothed.” He retorted. He was at least 200 yards away, but he didn’t shout. His voice oddly carried. “We are destined to be together, my dear witch.”
“I am not marrying you. You can’t drug me with your aura or whatever and then expect to hold me to my crazy rants. If I can figure out how to kill you, that would be a thousand times more likely than me ever marrying you.”
“You’re adorable.” He answered, shaking his head.
“You’re a pain in my ass.” Mirabelle lit her cleansing stick. She stuck it in her mouth to pour a handful of salt. She took a strong step off the porch. She had faith in her mother’s protection.
“Wouldn’t you like to see what lies beyond?” He baited her. Mirabelle thought about Johannah and all her travels. Mirabelle would like to see those places, but not with Blondie.
“Get off my property and out of my realm!” She screamed, throwing her first handful of salt.
“What are you doing?” Blondie’s voice faltered, but he didn’t move. She poured another handful of salt.
“I don’t know, what does this do, burn you? That’s what I’m doing.” She answered, throwing her second handful. The stick was beginning to give off a good smoke.
“Stop that, Mirabelle. Darling, we can talk about this.” He coughed. The smoke was choking him. The next handful of salt hit his arm, and Blondie shifted from man to buck, and darted off into the woods.
“That was a mind-fuck.” Mirabelle murmured. She kept the stick lit and poured another handful of salt for good measure. She trudged back to the porch, setting the cleansing stick in one of the empty clay pots next to the door. Hopefully it would last until Anona got home. Then,
she made a nice thick line of spilled salt along the path Anona would walk to the house.
Mirabelle kept her hat and scarf on, and took her post on the couch to wait for Anona. She grabbed the herbology book, suddenly feeling that the knowledge in this book was much important that the tales of Johannah’s travels.
She began at the beginning (a good place to start), which was mostly about tending to your herbs: where to plant them, how much to water, etc. Basically, she was reading a beginner’s guide to gardening.
“Did you have sex in here?” That was what Anona chose to say first when she came through the door with intoxicating Mexican food.
“No. I want to eat. And we had an evil Fae hanging around. Don’t worry I protected myself, the animals, and you with my quick-thinking cleansing stick and half our jar of salt.” Anona raised both her eyebrows.
“We need to talk about that, but the house, it’s definitely giving off a passion vibe right now. Actually the whole farm is. If it was warm out, I would think you and Matthew had been shagging all over the orchards as well as the house.”
“We didn’t have sex. We did other things, but my non-existent virginity has not been taken by Matthew.” Mirabelle opened the bag, and immediately ate a taco. No plate, no napkin, just delicious beef, cheese, onions, and lettuce.
“What happened with Blondie?” Anona got plates and napkins out like a civilized human.
“He’s getting bold. He called me his betrothed.”
“That,” Anona said between bites. “Might be a problem.”
“How so?” Mirabelle stuffed another taco into her mouth. “I told him I was no longer interested in marrying someone who coerced my answer.”
“Fae are weird about contracts,” Anona was piling her dish high was rice, beans, enchiladas, and tacos. “He most likely thinks you answer was binding, whatever state you were in.”
Welcome to Witchhood (Sister Witches Book 1) Page 12