Witch's Promise : The Witching Hour Series Book 4

by Joanna Mazurkiewicz

  "My name is Julian Savage, and these are my friends. We do apologise for the intrusion, but I believe the person we’re looking for works for you."

  The woman didn’t smile or acknowledge that she understood his questions in any way. She tossed her hair behind her and sat down on the vintage chair.

  "What exactly is this about, Mr. Savage?"

  Jasper kept his hand on his wand, squeezing it tightly, like he was aware that something wasn't right. The woman in front of us was either immune to Julian’s spell or she was hiding her true nature.

  "We were told that the girl we’re looking for works here. Nothing has happened; we just want to talk to her. We’re interested in her gift."

  The woman paled a little, clenching her fists tightly. It looked like Julian might have struck a nerve.

  "Why are you looking for Emily? People in the village have been talking, right?" she asked and then stood up waving her hand. "It doesn’t matter. I knew. I tried to keep it a secret for as long as possible."

  When the maid came back into the room, the woman added, "Diana, please bring tea for everyone."

  I was going to say that I was fine, but the maid disappeared shortly after that. Julian smiled.

  “It's nothing serious. We just want to talk to her, that’s all."

  "Emily has been working for me for over ten years, since my youngest child was born. She doesn’t like strangers."

  Right, now I was totally confused and lost. Maybe Julian had made a mistake. The white witch couldn’t have worked for a human as a baby-sitter. This whole thing sounded absurd.

  Julian didn’t look discouraged, continuing to smile widely.

  "So, she works for you as a nanny?" he asked with a hint of disbelief.

  "Yes, she has been working for me for a long time. She’s part of the family. There had been some incidences, but… I don’t regret anything."

  "She healed your son, didn't she? When he fell off the pony?"

  I opened my mouth to say something, but no sound came out. Julian knew more than any of us. It looked like he scored. The colour drained from the woman’s face. All of a sudden everyone went silent. Then the maid walked back in holding a tray. She placed a beautiful set of china on the coffee table. I thought I needed a drink to kind of digest everything that was going on.

  Her eyes darkened, moving from Julian to Jasper, finally settling back on Savage.

  "My husband didn't believe me, and I tried to keep it a secret, but my staff talked. Then the gossip started. Emily hasn’t been going out much since then."

  I put some sugar into my tea and inhaled, feeling the magic settling back around the room. I couldn’t believe that I’d finally found the white witch. She was in this house. Dad was going to live.

  When I lifted the tea to drink it, my hands were trembling with anticipation.

  "Emily is very special. She hasn’t done anything wrong. We just want to speak to her," Julian pressed.

  The tension rose, and I was ready to cast a spell on this woman if she refused to allow us to talk to Emily. My mind was so clouded, but I felt relieved; the search was finally over.

  "Carla. Call me Carla, and please have some tea. Emily works for me, so I can’t forbid her from seeing you."

  Julian relaxed then and nodded for Jasper to drink. All the tension eased, and my breathing went back to normal.

  Carla talked to us for a little longer, asking where we were from. She was trying to keep the conversation going, most likely out of politeness. I knew we had to go through this whole pretense before we could see the white witch. It was around twenty minutes later when she left, letting us know she was going to ask Emily if she was all right to see us. When she finally left, my stomach heaved with anticipation. Jasper and Julian were talking, but I couldn’t concentrate on what they were saying.

  Carla came back alone.

  "She will speak to the girl, only to her," she announced with a strangely calm expression.

  Jasper tensed his arms and got up probably to disagree with Carla, but Julian pushed him back to his seat. I could see that my ex-boyfriend was moving his hand under his jacket, probably to charm our new acquaintance.

  "Fine, I’ll speak to her, please," I said with a confident voice. Those two needed to quit bossing me around. I hated the fact that Jasper made this entire search about him.

  Carla didn't really give them a chance to tell me what to say. She just left the room. I followed her upstairs to a room in the attic. My palms were damp with sweat as she showed me the white door.

  "She might be a little nervous."

  I thanked her and went in, not waiting around. The room was cozy and there were a lot of toys lying around. I didn't feel any energy in the air, no tingling or soft breeze. Emily sat on the sofa reading a book. Her hair was cut short, close to her skin.

  "Emily?" I asked.

  She lifted her eyes and said, "Yes, I'm Emily and you’re Julia. Your father is dying, and you need help?"

  My jaw dropped and for a moment I stared at her, unable to say a word. Her eyes were hazel, lighter than Nathaniel’s, but she had a kind face.

  I didn't understand what had gotten into me, but I dropped on my knees and crawled to her.

  "Please, if you’re the one, the white witch, you’ve got to help me. My best friend and my father, their souls are lost, and they haven’t got much time."

  Something was happening, something bad and good at the same time. I felt drunk and ready to do anything to get her back to London. She just had to give me two days.

  Her eyes shimmered with resentment. There was pain in them and guilt. I couldn’t move, wanting her to do something.

  "I'm not the person who you’re looking for."

  I opened my mouth to say something, but my voice hitched in my throat. Magic left me. It vanished, and my blossoming anger faded into disappointment. She was still holding my hands and her skin was incredibly cold.

  "No, no, no… you healed Carla’s little boy; you’re the one who I need and want."

  She was shaking her head; tears were streaming down my face because I didn’t believe her. Jasper had everything right, even Gordon. The location was accurate. After all this time…no, this wasn't happening.

  "My name is Gemma. It was my twin sister; she was the white witch. Our grandmother had some magical genes, but we were both humans. Emily didn’t understand anything. Our mother hid her gift for many years, but the magic always found its way to her. At the age of sixteen she found out about the "other" world and wanted to become a real witch."

  I wanted to put my hands over my ears and didn’t want to listen to her anymore. She was wrong—this woman in front of me was lying to me.

  "She started working here, then moved away from the North. She healed animals and kids if they were hurt. Then there was more gossip, but Carla treated her like family. Then she came back for a little while and begged me to take her place. She didn’t want to disappoint Carla."

  "But Julian was sure and everyone else. This couldn’t have all been for nothing?" I sobbed.

  "No one knew, and Carla never even noticed, besides, I can pretend to be her."

  "So, where is she now? Do you have her address? I must find her, please."

  "Emily moves around a lot; she has been abroad for some time. I think she might be in London."

  CHAPTER 21

  A HUGE MISTAKE.

  She’s in London… London… Her words echoed in my head. Snickers and whispers, I felt them all around me, mounting in my head. My mind felt clouded, as if there were thousands of butterflies, each of them flickering their small wings and whispering to me. I wanted to scream. I didn’t know what was happening to me. My breath came short and cold sweat coated my body. Emily’s sister closed her eyes and pulled away from me.

  "I had to cut someone’s finger off to find you and now you’re telling me that you don’t know where your sister is?" I shouted, tangling my hair in a vicious rage, wanting to wake up that deadly energy and attack. Sh
e was lying to me. I felt it. Anger was burning my chest, but my magic seemed lost, taken away from me. I lifted myself from the floor, determined to get any useful information out of her.

  Emily or Gemma, whatever the hell her name was, narrowed her eyes at me.

  "She cut all contact with me; she didn't want to be human anymore," she said. "I'm sorry, I can’t help you."

  "London is a huge city. How do you think I’ll find her? Your sister’s the only person who can save my father," I said, feeling like my hope had been destroyed, replaced with emptiness. The whispers intensified, letting me know that Dad’s soul was already lost. There was no mercy; his life was slowly ending.

  "Can you contact her in any way?"

  Gemma shook her head. Tears filled her eyes.

  "Emily wouldn't have helped you anyway. She changed, became bitter and resentful to all humans. She became a monster."

  I couldn’t believe what she was saying and continued pleading but got nothing out of her. She kept telling me that she simply didn't know. London would’ve been Emily’s final destination. That was all she could tell me.

  My head was pounding when I went back downstairs. Carla wasn't there, and when I revealed to Julian what Gemma told me, Jasper lost his temper. Screams and magic filled the house and I sat on the sofa feeling lightheaded as the two paranormals fought.

  I started feeling cramps in my stomach; then someone dragged me out of the house and I was back in the car. We were moving. Julian was gone, and Jasper was talking to me, but I was so confused. I was lost in my own world, drifting away into blackness.

  The voices were there laughing at me, preying on my energy, taking it away. I wanted to feel as if all my problems had gone away, that I fulfilled my promise to Mum. Currents of energy burst in front of my eyes. Jasper kept talking, but his voice sounded like it was coming from a broken radio.

  I responded to him. He didn’t say anything then. Deep down I knew that something was wrong with me, that we didn’t find what we were looking for, but I felt so trapped; the voices were like dead creatures, whispering and staring back at me. I began slipping back into an unconscious state, moaning.

  "We’re going back to the hotel," I heard him say. I didn't reply, nodding as this sounded like a great plan. I needed to be away from that house, away from any deadly power.

  Then he drove, and I closed my eyes, seeing colours, feeling his and my emotions. Every part of me wanted to be touched. Jasper kept glancing at me from the front seat.

  "Are you feeling all right, Julia?" he asked, once he parked the car outside the hotel.

  I didn't remember what I said in response. My fingertips were sparkling; then the sparks turned into flames. Jasper told me to keep it together, that we didn’t want to bring unnecessary attention to ourselves.

  He helped me get out of the car and wrapped his hands around my waist. Spice, cinnamon and oriental fragrance swirled around me. We were back in our room then. Jasper laid me on the bed gently, whispering loving words, letting me know that everything was going to be all right and I didn’t have to worry. He kept talking about Gordon, Julian and that human woman, Carla, promising that this wasn't over yet.

  I didn't understand how much time had passed. My mind was clouded, raw and dark energy, thrummed through me, waking up my warmth and my deepest desires. Then night came. Jasper was in and out of the room. I heard the door opening and closing.

  "Let me undress you, baby." I heard him whispering in my ear. I laughed, forgetting about why I was with him, erasing toxic memories and tossing them away.

  It felt like he was pulling my clothes off, my shoes, my T-shirt and jeans. I was laughing the whole time. Magic flew in the room, igniting the lust, leaving me breathless and heated. I needed to feel his lips on mine, feel his pounding heart against my own.

  "Julia, I want to kiss you," he said. I felt a slight pulsation between my legs, gut-wrenching heat. Nathaniel didn’t love me anymore; he had someone else.

  "Let me remember our love."

  That was my only whisper. His lips were on mine then. It was gentle at first, just soft playful kisses.

  When his fingers slipped into my hair, I moaned and pulled him on top of me. Desire enhanced me. I wanted to be loved, cared for. His rough hand traced the lines of my thighs, moving up to my stomach. This dream seemed so real, my skin prickled as his tongue began its journey over my body, sucking and moulding my breasts. The voices echoed, singing, embracing me with warmth and the care of his heart. I felt his hardness between my legs and I needed to have him inside me.

  Jasper’s kisses deepened, and I needed to feel more of him. I moaned as his hand traced the naked skin of my breasts.

  His lips moved down my neck, biting me until I cried out with pain. Jasper had always liked rough sex. Years passed by and he was still the same, unpredictable, dangerous and obsessive.

  We weren’t really making love, this was a dream. In this mirage Jasper whispered to me that I was the most beautiful creature and that he loved me.

  He took all his clothes off and situated himself between my legs, kissing my stomach. I moaned, feeling overwhelming desire, knowing that my energy was floating through me faster than ever.

  When he thrust himself inside me, I cried out. His movements were vicious, barely pleasurable and the whole time I was thinking about Nathaniel.

  My energy had never been released when Jasper made love to me. He panted, and my breathing was erratic. He kissed and touched every part of my body.

  I closed my eyes, drowning in my own pain, not having anything else to be happy about. In my mirage I was making love to my ex-boyfriend, Jasper and I truly hoped that it was just a dream.

  WHEN I WOKE up in the early morning I didn’t want to open my eyes. The strong smell of oriental fragrance that I knew so well invaded me quickly. I reached for my head, feeling a sudden, creeping pain and massaged it, easing the pulsing, aggravating ache. My skin felt too tight, sweat soaked the damp sheets.

  My heart skipped a beat when I felt a body next to me. A warm male body that I recognised. Then the memories came back to me. Flashes of yesterday’s events, voices, emotions—and I released a gasp of terror.

  I wanted to scream. Jasper was lying on his side sleeping peacefully. We were both naked and really close to each other. My mind started racing, moving through the images and conversation from yesterday. I didn’t want to believe what happened, but the harder I thought about everything the realization of it all kept hitting me like bullets from an automatic gun.

  We didn’t find the white witch. The girl who was supposed to be her revealed that she was her sister. Icy fear and hollowness seized me, and my heart felt like it was going stop.

  All of a sudden, I felt like I didn’t have enough air to keep breathing. I slipped out of the bed discreetly, trying not to wake Jasper. I didn’t understand what happened to me after I left Gemma’s room. Everything was so blurred. I remembered Julian, drinking tea, after that I only recalled a few bits and pieces.

  That woman, Carla; she was human. Was it possible that she could have slipped something into the tea or maybe it was her maid? I had no idea.

  Nothing made sense and I didn’t want to believe that we failed to find the white witch, that her sister was somewhere in London. Then a few other bits flashed through my mind and I inhaled, keeping steady on my feet.

  My thoughts were saying one thing but my body another. I thought this was only a dream. I had been very clear with him from the beginning that I wanted to wait, and the proposition was only a “maybe.” What the hell had he been thinking?

  "Julia, are you all right?" Jasper asked, waking up all of a sudden, while I stood in the middle of the room naked, trembling.

  I quickly lifted some clothes from the floor and dressed, staring at Jasper, who was watching me with a hungry expression on his face.

  "What happened between us yesterday?"

  It was a straightforward question and I needed a straightforward answer. For a really l
ong time I didn’t think he was planning to say anything.

  "We made love."

  I inhaled sharply, for a brief second losing my balance.

  "So, you used me, knowing I wasn't even thinking straight, that I was poisoned?" I hissed, wanting to throw myself off the building. How could I not remember that I had sex with Jasper?

  He got up so fast that I didn't have a chance to move aside. Naked and close to me he put his hand behind my head.

  "Used you? What are you talking about? You wanted it as much as I did."

  I laughed in his face, knowing that he could kill me, even without his magic wand.

  "That woman or her maid; one of them slipped something into my tea. I felt high and drunk at the same time," I yelled, losing control. "And you thought that you could use the situation and sleep with me while I wasn't fully aware of what was going on?"

  His eyes gleamed with green light and I stepped away. He ran his hand through his hair, working his jaw in confusion, pretending like he didn’t understand that I wasn't myself yesterday.

  "You were a little odd, but then we both had a few drinks. In the end… fuck, I thought you wanted this."

  I couldn’t fucking believe it and then I remembered something else. My energy came to me like a tsunami wave—anger, thick and intimidating—it rose. I was shaking, creating waves of dangerous power.

  "You knocked me out and gave my blood to Julian, right? This entire trip was never about the white witch? It was always about something you needed from him!"

  Jasper narrowed his eyes and closed his mouth. A roaring source of power washed through me and I called for more. Anger blinded me, but I needed to know if Jasper used me the way I thought he did.

  "I was just trying to catch two birds with one stone, that’s all. Julian stole something from me years ago," he said, watching me. "I'm sorry we didn’t find her, but Gordon was right all along. The white witch used to live in that house. No one knew she left."