“Look, Jill, I know I haven’t been easy on you since Mom died. But I want to change that now. Life is short, and people aren’t always who we think they are. I’ve realized how important family is, and I want us to be close again like when we were kids.” There was a tear in her eye as Caroline spoke, and she quickly wiped it away with the back of her hand.
“That’s what I’ve always wanted, Car, but it’s been hard on me too with Mom gone. I feel like you turned your back on me when we both came into our power; you wanted nothing to do with it, and you resented that I wanted to be trained,” Jilly said with some force behind it. Caroline opened her mouth to speak, but Jilly raised a finger to stop her. “let me finish, Caroline, then you can have your say. It broke my heart when you walked away from what you are, from what we are as sisters. All of the women in our family have a gift, and we can do with it what we will. I have used mine to help people. I never asked for it, but I live with the hand I was dealt. I think what you did was dangerous; without training, your power can come out in ways that you can’t control. You’ve been lucky so far, but I think you’re being reckless. It’s like getting into a car and trying to operate it without knowing how to drive. You can kill people just as easily as if you hit them with a car.” Jilly was almost shouting when she finished speaking.
Caroline stood in stunned silence for a minute before replying. “Mom always said it was my choice. I chose not to cultivate what you call power, and I’ve never regretted it, Jilly. How dare you call me reckless. You know nothing about me anymore.”
“You’re right, Caroline, I don’t. You made damn sure of that when you left after Mom died. You left me, Caroline, you shut me out. We were barely nineteen, we were still kids practically, but you just walked away from me and Dad and never looked back.” Jilly was screaming at her sister now. She hadn’t realized how mad she was until that moment.
“I’m sorry I left, but I can’t change that; all I can do is fix what happens now. I never realized how my leaving would affect you or Dad; I was so lost in my own misery. Don’t you think I was hurting too, Jilly? She was my mom too. You’re right, we were kids, and I was still trying to figure out who I was. You always were so sure of yourself, so sure of what you are; I’ve always envied that,” Caroline said as she wiped away her tears.
Jilly walked around the counter and stood with her back against the refrigerator. “I was sure of myself because I accepted what I am. I’m a witch and so are you. The sooner you accept that, the happier you’ll be.”
“Give me some time, Jilly; I’m going through some stuff right now; I don’t need to throw in this witch business too. I just need to deal with one thing at a time. Can you give me that?”
Jilly walked over to her and hugged her. “Yeah, I can give you that. Take all the time you need. I’ll be here when you’re ready. But in the meantime, I’d like us to try being friends. I’ve missed you so much, Caroline.”
*
At six sharp, the bell rang, signaling that William was right on time. He was dressed in jeans and a green sweater; Jilly felt a little jolt when she saw him. “Hi, come on in,” she said as she moved aside so he could come in the house. “Dinner’s almost ready. Can I get you something to drink before we eat?”
“What have you got?” he asked.
“Well, Caroline bought some wine, and I think we may have something in the liquor cabinet; I’m not much of a drinker. I prefer soda,” Jilly said with a shy smile.
“I would kill for a Coke if you’ve got one.”
Jilly arched an eyebrow and led the way to the kitchen. “Do you want ice and a glass? Or just the can?”
“The can is fine.”
She grabbed a few cans out of the fridge and brought them over to the big chairs by the fireplace. “We can sit here until dinner is ready if that’s ok with you?”
William gestured towards the chair opposite him and sat down. “Have you been thinking about our recent conversation today?”
“Well, I’ve been busy today, but yes, I’ve had some thoughts about it.”
“Would you care to share them with me?” he asked as he set down his soda.
“I think that if Sabine really wanted to hurt me, she could have done it already. Also, you haven’t really told me why I should be afraid of her yet. You saw for yourself, I’m not exactly helpless.” She rubbed her palms together lightly with her eyebrows raised.
“I know I haven’t been as informative about Sabine and myself as you would like, but we’re very secretive, and I was waiting to see if I could really trust you before telling you everything.”
Caroline came down the stairs into the kitchen before Jilly could ask any more questions.
“Well, I guess we’ll talk more after dinner,” she said as she rose from her seat. “Caroline, this is my friend William. William, Caroline. Ok, now that we all know each other, let’s eat.”
William walked over and shook Caroline’s hand; he dropped it immediately as though he’d been burned. Jilly looked over at Caroline, who had a puzzled look on her face and was rubbing her hand.
“What was that?” she asked in a shaky voice.
“We’re not exactly sure of that yet, but apparently it’s not just me, its both of us,” Jilly said as she walked over to stand next to her sister.
“Jeez, it felt like my hand was on fire. I’ve never felt anything like it,” she said as she splashed cold water on her hand.
“That’s a bit different than what I feel. I feel like I’ve been electrocuted.” Caroline gave Jilly a weird look. “Like I said, it’s new to us too. We’re trying to figure it out; that’s why William came over tonight. I would invite you to talk with us after dinner, but I know how you feel about all of this right now. I don’t want to push you.”
“I appreciate that. I think for now I’ll pass on the after dinner chat; you can fill me in on whatever pertains to me in the morning. Why don’t you guys go and sit down, and I’ll serve dinner.”
The food was amazing. Both Jilly and William had second helpings of the hearty stew. Caroline was quiet, but Jilly assumed correctly that she was a little overwhelmed by everything that had happened to her in the last week.
Caroline quickly excused herself when everyone was finished eating. William insisted on helping Jilly clean up, and when they were done Jilly led him upstairs to her office. She gestured to the couch next to the fireplace, and they sat down to talk.
“What is it that you’d like to know first?” William asked as he settled himself into the cushions.
Jilly seated herself at the far end of the couch with her feet under her. “I guess I’d like to know what it is you can do. Also, what can Sabine do that makes her so dangerous?”
“Well, Sabine can control one’s mind; she can make you do what she wants, or she can make you see what she desires you to see. She’s very dangerous; she can make you feel pain that makes you wish you were dead without ever laying a finger on you. I’ve seen her take down an entire crowd of people without batting an eye. I wouldn’t underestimate her, Jilly. I don’t know what she wants with you, but I do know she’s not someone to trifle with. I cannot stress that enough. I’m sure she’s not here alone either; she’ll have one or two of my kind with her. We’re not all bad, but Sabine is very persuasive when she wants something from you.
“As for me, I can move things with my mind, and also I can do this.” He looked over at the fireplace, and fire sprang out of nowhere, bathing the room in a soft golden glow.
“Well, that was interesting,” Jilly said as she sat up straight, looking into the fire. “I see why you would want to keep that a secret. Do all of you have abilities like that?”
“Everyone like myself that I have met has had an ability that is above that of a normal human, but I cannot speak for those who I do not know. There are those who share Sabine’s vision of domination and power, but most I have met just want a quiet life, observing those around them.” William leaned forward toward Jilly and reached out for
her hand. “I don’t mean to scare you with all of this, but I feel that you have a right to know what you are up against.”
“I’m not scared; I’m just trying to take all of it in. So, I had the dream because Sabine wanted me to see you together? Why would she show me that, and not when you were happy?”
“I’m not sure why Sabine does the things that she does. She had her reasons, I’m sure, but she’s always been very hard to read.”
They sat in silence for a while, staring into the fire. Finally, William stood up and walked to the door. “I think I should probably be going; I’ve maybe shared enough of my secrets tonight, hmm?” He said the last bit with a wink, so Jilly was certain he wasn’t really upset.
She got up as well and led him back downstairs to the door. As she was turning her head toward the door, he caught her chin in his hands, lifted her mouth up to his, and kissed her softly. She felt as though she was burning alive from the inside out, and her legs felt like rubber. She let herself melt into him, molding her body against the hard planes of his. When he finally pulled away, the surprise on her face was apparent.
William smiled and said, “The next time we meet, I’d like it to be for pleasure instead of business.” He caressed Jilly’s cheek lightly with his thumb and walked out the door.
After shutting the door, Jilly leaned back and let her body melt down to the floor like butter. She sat thinking for a few minutes, her head leaned back against the door. Was it really her he saw when he looked in her eyes, or was it Liza?
*
Caroline found Jilly sitting on the floor when she came down the stairs ten minutes later. “So,” she said, “how was your little chat with Mr. Handsome?”
“Informative,” Jilly said weakly as she pulled herself off the floor. They moved to the couch and sat on opposite ends, facing each other. “I guess I know what I’m up against with Sabine now. Plus William made his intentions toward me pretty clear as he was leaving.” Caroline arched an eyebrow in question. “He kissed me before he left,” Jilly said while trying to hide the grin that was spreading across her face.
“Did he? Well, I’m not surprised at all; the way he looked at you during dinner made it pretty clear he wasn’t interested in just being friends.”
“I guess we’ll see what happens there. I’m not really in that big of a rush; I don’t really know him yet.” Jilly stood up and stretched while yawning and said, “I’m beat. I’ll see you in the morning, Car.”
“Ok, sweet dreams, Jilly,” Caroline said with a smile.
Jilly headed upstairs and got into her pajamas before heading into the bathroom to wash her face. A few minutes later, she was settled in bed with a book in her lap. She made it two pages before her eyelids started drooping and she turned off the light and went to sleep.
When she opened her eyes again, she was in an unfamiliar room. Well, isn’t this new and different, she thought to herself as she got up from the bed she had been lying on. She looked down at herself, and she was dressed in an ornate silver gown. She went over to the mirror and found a blue eyed blonde looking back at her.
She looked around the room, trying to figure out where she was. There weren’t any clues, but she assumed it was in the past again.
A few minutes later William walked through the door. “My love, you look ravishing, as usual. Are you ready to leave? The carriage is waiting for us.”
Jilly nodded, not sure what to say.
William leaned in and kissed her quickly before taking her hand and leading her out of the room.
The house they walked through was amazing. Jilly tried not to gawk at everything as they made their way to the front. When they finally emerged, there was a black carriage waiting for them. The footman helped her inside, and William quickly followed her in sliding onto the seat with her.
“You are very quiet, my darling.”
He tipped her chin up and kissed her, his mouth hungry. He pressed kisses down her neck to her collar bone. Jilly gasped in surprise and pleasure. William took that as his cue to move further down her décolletage to her ample cleavage. He buried his face against her soft flesh, pulling her onto his lap. Jilly tried to extract herself from his clutches, but he held her too tightly.
Finally they arrived at their destination, and Jilly breathed a sigh of relief. She had enjoyed herself, but she had to keep reminding herself that it wasn’t her he was kissing.
William emerged from the carriage first, and Jilly looked out the window at the enormous house they had come to. It looked like a castle, but probably wasn’t. There were millions of candles and torches lighting the night, and it looked like a fairy village. Jilly sighed and put a hand to her heart, it was so beautiful.
“Sabine?” William called, and held a hand out to her. “Come, love, let’s go and dance until we can’t stand up anymore.” The love in his eyes was evident as he helped her out of the carriage.
As soon as Jilly’s foot hit the ground, her body was shoved backward into nothingness. “He will always be mine,” a voice called out through the darkness.
Chapter 4
Jilly woke up at seven the next morning, feeling strangely energized. She had tossed and turned all night after her dream, and was surprised she wasn’t more tired. She quickly jumped out of bed, changed into her running clothes, and ran downstairs to put on her shoes. Caroline apparently had the same idea; Jilly found her sitting on the small bench next to the door, lacing up her shoes. They finished putting on their shoes and stretching in silence before heading out to the back porch.
“How far do you want to run today?” Jilly asked as they both rubbed their arms, adjusting to the cool autumn air.
“I think maybe six; three there, three back.”
Jilly nodded her consent as they headed down the stairs and took off into the forest.
They made it about a mile from the house before Jilly started to feel like something was wrong. The hairs on the back of her neck were standing at attention. She motioned for Caroline to stop, and looked around into the trees to see what was out there.
“You may as well come out,” she called. “I know you’re in there.” Both girls scanned the trees for any trace of movement.
Finally, off to their left, a figure emerged from the thick brush. It was a man neither of them recognized. He was short and wiry, with bright red hair and freckles. Jilly thought he was almost too adorable to be afraid of. Almost being the operative word. He came to a stop about six feet in front of them and held up his hands in a gesture of peace.
“I don’t mean you any harm,” he said, reiterating the gesture. “I’m only here to set up a meeting between you and Sabine,” he said as he nodded his head in Jilly’s direction.
“And what if I don’t agree to this meeting? Will you mean us harm then?” she asked as she slowly rubbed her palms together. She felt the familiar reassuring tingle in her fingers.
“Sabine doesn’t want you hurt. She just wants to talk, but if I have to hurt you I will.” He walked a step or two closer. The look on his face was anything but friendly.
“I’d stay where you are if I were you,” Jilly said forcefully. “You really don’t know me.” She rubbed her palms faster. Her palms and fingers were glowing by now.
The man looked at her and shrugged before charging toward her. Jilly put up her hands and grabbed his arm; he went down fast. She kept a hold of his arm until she felt the warmth in her hands start to fade, and yelled for Caroline to make a run for it.
“No, I’m not going to just leave you here with him,” Caroline yelled.
“Does it look like I’m helpless?” she shot back. Caroline looked at her with narrowed eyes and Jilly said, “I’ll be right behind you, just go!”
Caroline nodded and took off running as Jilly started to rub her palms again. She shocked the man once more to make sure he stayed down for a while and took off after her sister.
She caught up to Caroline a little ways off from the house. They both ran at full speed the rest of
the way back and up into the house. Caroline slammed the door and threw the deadbolt.
“Right,” Jilly said sarcastically, “do you really think something like a locked door is going to stop them if they really want to get in?”
“I don’t know, it just seemed like the right thing to do,” Caroline said in a nervous voice.
“I need to call Emily; I’m going to need help strengthening the protective wards on the house.”
Caroline nodded numbly and collapsed into a chair.
First, Jilly shot off a quick text to William telling him what happened in the woods, and then she dialed Emily’s number.
Adam answered the phone on the first ring, sounding completely disoriented. “Jilly? Is everything ok?” he asked.
“No, it’s not. I need Emily to come over if she can, and soon. I need help with the wards on the house.”
By this time Adam was fully awake, and he sat up in bed, nudged Emily awake, and passed her the phone. “Jilly?” she said sleepily. “What’s wrong?”
Jilly filled her in on the events of the morning and told her to come over as soon as she could and hung up the phone.
Caroline was sitting at the kitchen table, staring at the floor. Jilly walked over and sat next to her.
“Look, I’m sorry that you were with me today; I know that must have been scary for you,” she said as she put an arm around her sister.
“Scary? Yeah, I think that’s a bit of an understatement. A crazy man comes after us in the isolated patch of forest behind our house and you call it scary,” she said a little too loudly. “Is this a normal occurrence for you?”
“No, this is very out of the ordinary for me. I guess you chose the wrong time to come home,” Jilly replied with a weak laugh.
“I’m going upstairs to take a sleeping pill and pretend this never happened,” Caroline said as she got up and left the room.
There was a knock at the back door and Jilly jumped a little at the sound. She walked over and saw William’s face looking in the window as she opened the door. He rushed in and hugged her close to him, cradling her head against his shoulder.
Mark of the Witch (Boston Witches) Page 5