A lot of the spells required a lot of power, at least relatively. Most she thought were actually close to four or five, and there were a few more powerful than that. She’d figured out that trick to stretch out the spell, but that wouldn’t help her one bit in a fight.
The stunning spell she thought was doable, but any witch worth their salt could deflect it away with personal wards, or even a one word spell of deflection, it was less a true spell than simply spraying out a burst of magic to stop incoming. No, the stunning spell was made for use against shifters, whose only defense against it was moving quickly.
She went through it all in her mind. She could generate a really small fireball, or a ball of air for a punch, although nowhere near the magic needed to throw someone, it would be effective if she hit the person in the throat, or solar plexus, or even lower on a man. They would be distractions at the most.
There were some spells that did serious damage, but they took too much magic and she couldn’t afford a slowdown in a fight. Plus, if she had that much magic she could generate a really big fireball, or a massive punch of air. That sounded better to her than the other nastier spells in here. She did eventually find something that would help besides distraction techniques.
They were battlefield wards, much like the store but cast on an object to be worn. It would deflect both physical damage and magic… to a point. Like anything it could be overwhelmed, but she thought it might give her enough time to close with a witch and simply punch their lights out.
After all, she was a shifter too. For some reason it also sounded a lot more satisfying. Still, she would be happier when she could control her magic, she just couldn’t afford the weakness until that happened. For all she knew it would take years.
She’d never been big on jewelry, more a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl. But she did have her ears pierced with silver studs. Silver doesn’t really hold magic well, in fact it’s more what would be called a magic insulator. It was why silver weapons hurt shifters more than any other; the magic that went into healing their wounds faster just… didn’t work as well.
Still, she needed something else. She was conflicted with feelings when she went upstairs and pulled her mom’s jewelry box out. She opened and went through it. There was a necklace she’d always liked, but that would probably get broken when she shifted, and a ring would probably get lost, she needed earrings.
She found some diamond stud earrings mounted on twenty four karat gold. She thought that would do nicely. It felt strange though to pick them up, she could remember her mother wearing them and it was bittersweet. Good memories mixed in with her loss.
She sighed, took out the silver studs and put the box back, then went downstairs. It was nearly closing time, but she thought she had enough time. She reviewed the spell one more time to make sure she had the words right, she may have total recall when in a trance, but she couldn’t cast from a trance.
Channeling magic was too much of a rush to maintain one.
She looked up and no one was at the front, and she hoped no one came in. She started casting the spell, like the others in the war spell book, this required no components. The spell would also last as long as she lived or until it was dispelled by another’s power, as long as she didn’t take them off for too long. She guessed it would take a week for them to completely fail if they were away from her.
The spells she cast on the diamonds and while being worn on her body, would be constantly recharged passively from her magic. She felt she’d at least have a chance now if she fought another witch.
When she was done, she put the book back in the floor safe, and locked up the store…
Chapter 20
“Hey darling, you ready for tonight? I’m not going to go easy on you,” he drawled as she walked into the gym.
She snorted, mixed signals much? Maybe he was the crazy one. Silva agreed.
She pulled out her earrings as they would interfere with training.
She grinned, “Okay sweet cakes, let’s see what you’ve got for me today.”
He shook his head in amazement, “First things first.”
Then he took her through a number of throws and blocks, all different from her first training session. Her muscle memory and her strong acrobatic body learned incredibly fast, but it still took time. He started to throw, trip, and otherwise knock her down over the next hour. When she started to learn counters, and even attempt a few throws, he backtracked to the first night and started mixing different moves together in new ways.
He had told the truth, he wasn’t easy on her at all. She was a little frustrated she couldn’t get the better of him, but she also loved every minute of it. He only called it a night when she’d been able to block a ten move combination that involved four throws.
He backed up, “Enough, for tonight. Don’t forget to eat.”
She sighed, “I won’t, so what comes in two days, I assume cat training tomorrow?”
He nodded slowly as he gathered his thoughts, “I’m training you like a human would learn, but a lot faster. Usually they learn one or two moves, and then practice it for hours and hours before moving on. Shifters though can learn faster, I’m trying to show you much more per night.”
She asked, “How long until…”
He shrugged, “Until I teach you all I know? Well I’ll be done teaching you moves and throws, punches, and blocks in a few weeks.”
She raised an eyebrow, “That fast?”
He nodded, “But that’s just so we can get started.”
She slipped an earring in, “Get started? What was tonight then?”
He grinned, “Well honey, once you know all the moves, that’s when you start to learn how to fight. Learn new ways to string things together, multiple defenses based on where you want to go and where you think your opponent is going next. That takes… well a long time, I’m still getting better.”
She sighed, “So you’re teaching me the basics now, and then to improve we just fight? That sounds… good. So this would be considered part of your workout regimen?”
He shrugged, “Pretty much. It isn’t easy finding a partner so I train fight when I can. My sister isn’t always available, and I hate training with wolves.”
She tilted her head and put in the other earring, “Why?”
He snorted, “They go all alpha on me when I beat them, and it’s even worse if they win. It’s in their blood. Cats are different that way, as authority doesn’t impress us all that much. Even in a mock battle a wolf will expect you to submit if you lose a fight. A cat doesn’t give a shit.”
She snickered, “True enough. Well unless you leave town, I don’t see myself stopping. Is there anything else I should be doing, I ran ten miles this morning.”
He shrugged, “Time is a real issue for us, make sure you run faster rather than farther. Not a sprint speed, but build up your stamina for a high output of effort. I’m sure you could go ten times farther than that in one shot if you jogged. I wouldn’t bother with weights, maybe an elliptical to build upper body stamina and strength.”
She asked, “Why not weights?”
He frowned in thought, “Speed and stamina matter much more than raw strength for shifters. You’re already strong enough to hurt me badly if I take a punch wrong, or correct for you. You’re incredibly strong, all shifters are. It’s the faster moving one that can fight the longest that will win a fight. Of course, the fighting itself will teach you accuracy and how to use that speed and stamina.”
She cleared her throat, “Okay, I’m going to get some sleep. I’ll eat something first though.”
She really needed to leave. His scent was driving her crazy, and she was… turned on by the physical activity. It was clear he either wasn’t affected at all, or was hiding it for some reason. The intensity of it was just too much for her to do the same anymore. It was frustrating to say the least.
When she tried to leave he cleared his throat.
She asked exasperated, “What is it?”
<
br /> He looked… really uncomfortable, “Sit down a minute?”
She shrugged and sat on a weight bench.
He sighed, “Normally this talk is given mother to daughter, so it’s going to be really awkward, but it will explain why I’ve been keeping you at arm’s length, even though… I very clearly don’t want to.”
She raised an eyebrow, “So this is a cat shifter talk?”
He blushed, “Sort of. You’ll understand when I’m done. So my sister, we both have the same mother, but not the same father. We don’t count halves, there really isn’t much of a point because most of us are. In our species it is the full brothers and sisters that are rare.”
He blew out a breath, “We do fall in love. Strongly, passionately, and deeply. But we are also independent, a couple of years is about all we can manage before two tiger shifters are pushed apart. That doesn’t mean they won’t get back together and start where they left off for another two years farther down the road.”
He paused and she nodded.
“I’m very interested in seeing if we… work that way. But I’m sure you know something is holding me back.”
She rolled her eyes, “You already said that, get to the point.”
He coughed, “Well, you see we have a DNA registry, cats that is, and you aren’t in it so I don’t know…”
She frowned, “Don’t know what?”
She froze as it hit her and the question came out in a horrified whisper, “If we’re related?”
He nodded clearly unhappy.
“I’d say it’s unlikely, but we aren’t a huge race, there are maybe fifty thousand of us altogether, and only a few thousand here on the east coast of America. You could be my sister, you could be my sister’s sister, or the most likely thing is we aren’t related at all. But there’s enough of a chance that… I’ve been holding back, and completely avoiding this conversation.”
She shook her head, working out all the implications. She really hoped he wasn’t, she didn’t want to find out all those thoughts she’d been having was about her own… She was suddenly angry, she should have been told immediately before she’d gotten her emotions mixed up with him.
“So what do you want me to do?” she asked coldly.
He shrugged, “Normally when a cub is born the mother submits the child to a DNA test and gets it registered. It’s something we do when we move around, see who’s in the area and if they’re related. It prevents… well, awkward conversations like this.”
She shook her head, “So… get a DNA test, and send the results to your sister?”
She could hardly believe this, but it kind of made sense. How long do those tests even take?
He nodded slowly.
She walked home in a daze, the crazy part was she still wanted him badly, but she’d have to wait. She really hoped though that he wasn’t related, that would be really… bad for her sanity. She was crazy enough already.
When she got back home she redirected it by pulling out chocolate ice cream with chocolate chunks and fudge.
When she went to bed, the container was empty, and she was confused about what to do. She just wasn’t sure how long she could tolerate it. The chocolate helped, but she knew redirecting emotion toward food wasn’t exactly healthy. She’d have to get that test done and soon…
She woke up from another nightmare. Tom again and the words that refused to make sense.
You’re dead bitch, I don’t know how you did it, but you’re gonna pay and I’m gonna enjoy it.
How she did what? Crazy damned wolf. He was dead, why couldn’t she let it go? She let out a few choice curses as she saw it was only ten until two in the morning. She tossed herself in the other direction and punched the pillow. Her heart rate eventually settled and she closed her eyes to try and get back to sleep.
That’s when her cell phone rang. Crap, really?
She rolled back over, didn’t recognize the number at all. Probably some drunk hit the wrong numbers. She sighed and hit answer just in case.
“Hello?”
“Help me please,” a feminine voice whispered into the phone.
She jumped up, it was Elaine.
“What’s happening?” she asked as she punched speaker and grabbed some random pair of jeans and a shirt.
She was already pulling them on when Elaine whispered, “His enforcers are here, Gerald’s I mean. I’m not sure which ones yet, they’re trying to take down my wards right now from the front and back door. Did you mean it, will you help me?”
She sighed, “I’m on my way, but it will be about fifteen minutes, take a deep breath and start feeding your wards, make them hold. I’m on the way, but I need to hang up and call Ed.”
Elaine whimpered, “Please hurry,” and then hung up on her.
She was out the door and started the car as she brought up Ed’s contact entry and hit talk. She’d put it into gear and took off down the street like a bat out of hell and hoped she wouldn’t be pulled over. Ed answered while she was chanting a quick glamour to make the cops ignore her. She filled him in when the spell was finished, and his response was less than thrilling.
Ed said sternly, “You need to wait for me. I haven’t been able to verify anything yet, but I’ve got some calls in to other covens in New York State.”
She growled, “Then you’re the reason they got here so fast, one of those must have tipped him off. Who knows what kind of covens they have up there.”
Ed replied, “But…”
She cut him off, “No but. If they already knew and haven’t interceded, then they don’t give a crap and are probably on his side. If they didn’t know, they probably called him to question him and he was tipped off. Either way is a loss.”
She heard Ed’s car start as he said angrily, “Then how would you have verified it?”
She shrugged, she already had with her nose. But she couldn’t exactly say that could she.
“I’m not sure, maybe a good revealing spell, if she was mind controlled for four years there is probably a fading residue of it. Ugh, sorry for snapping, she sounded so damn terrified when she called and I’m taking it out on you. I won’t shoot first, what’s your ETA? I’ll be there in about ten.”
He growled, “Twenty, you really shouldn’t do this alone, you’re good, but your too new and there are two of them right?”
She nodded, “Yes, but I’m sure Elaine isn’t completely helpless.”
He was silent for almost a whole minute, “Damn it, be careful, and try to delay them for a while.”
She grinned, “You’re really worried about me, aren’t you?”
He grunted and she could imagine his annoyed face almost perfectly.
“Yes, who else am I going to get to act as a buffer for Paul? He drives me nuts.”
She laughed, “Liar, you’re worried about me,” she said teasingly.
What the hell was she doing? Flirting with Ed while driving ninety in a thirty five on her way to a fight? Jeez, she really needed to work out the Paul thing, fast. Her libido was on overdrive.
He sighed in frustration, “Fine, yes I am. So be careful,” he said shortly and he hung up.
She looked at the phone in disbelief, he really did care…
Ten minutes felt like forever, her tires squealed as she pulled into the apartment complex, she didn’t bother finding a spot, just stopping there in the parking lot and jumping out. She ran between the buildings and saw nothing there. She felt the magic though, an illusion glamour. She muttered a couple of words and it ripped away.
Instead of an undamaged closed door that looked like the neighbors, she now saw a door that was open and partially ripped off the hinges, it obviously wouldn’t close again without repairs. She ran inside and there was no one there. Elaine was gone. She growled, but didn’t panic, merely started to look around for something personal. She finally found something in Cheryl’s room that looked promising, a beat up stuffed animal that had obviously seen a lot of mileage out of the kid.
&nbs
p; She picked it up and brought the hunting spell to mind. Since she had time, she could do the drag out the spell plan to minimize magic flow. It was the one she had been afraid of trying in front of other people. She didn’t really have a choice but to try it, she’d run out of her home without supplies.
She chanted it slowly, dragging out each syllable but enunciating it clearly. She felt her magic taste the energy on the stuffed animal, then go out and hunt for it. This was the direct connection spell and it took her almost her entire ten minute lead to cast it, when normally it would take less than one.
She felt her magic lock in on Cheryl, and her internal magic would continue to fuel that connection until she dispelled it. She didn’t even have to concentrate on the connection, after all, it was used in the war to hunt shifters so it was better to stay alert while doing something like that.
She dropped the stuffed animal and ran down the stairs, jumped in her car, and took off while dialing Ed again. As soon as he picked up she started talking.
“They got her, the bastards got her before I got there. I’ve got a spell on Cheryl and I’m heading toward the airport by Charlotte.”
He replied, “The airport?”
She said, “It makes sense, they’re heading that way. They got here very fast, so maybe they have a Cessna or other private plane. Either way we need to stop them before they leave our area.”
He took a deep breath, “Alright, I’m headed that way now. I’m tracking you too, but not with magic, phone app.”
She snickered, “Whatever gets the job done. If I’m wrong and they drive past, I’ll call you back.”
She hung up returning his earlier favor, dropped her phone on the passenger seat, and then went even faster…
She started to second guess herself, she assumed a private plane because she was sure Elaine would be fighting them, or had been knocked out, but if her husband used mind control spells his enforcers might as well. She was getting angrier about it as she drove and Silva wasn’t helping her control it at all, the great cat sharing her mind seemed to be lashing her tail and thinking violent thoughts.
Witch's Moon: A Celia Winters Novel Book 1 Page 14