Dark Moon Magick [The Moon Series: Book 4]

by Rose Marie Wolf

  She put the kettle on the stove and turned it on. As it heated up, she gathered up a couple mugs and spoons. She set them on the table. “Do you want honey, sugar, cream?"

  "Sugar's good, thanks.” Aurora rested her arms on the table, pulling her backpack closer to her chair with her foot. Thankfully, she didn't have to worry about the power pulsing and taking her over, like it had earlier when she seemed entirely controlled by magick, because the book was dead again.

  Dr. Nesbitt set the sugar bowl on the counter and took a seat across from her. “So, how are your studies going?"

  Aurora shrugged and looked into Dr. Nesbitt's eyes. Her eyes were serene and blue. There was something compassionate in there and Aurora felt immediately calm. She even smiled a little.

  "Things are all right. Having a little trouble in English. I wanted to get Rose to help me on it, but then, well, with everything that happened...” She trailed off. Dr. Nesbitt nodded.

  "I understand. She's under a lot of stress and asking for her help in schoolwork, well—don't take this the wrong way, dear—it's only adding to her stress."

  Aurora nodded. “That's why I didn't ask again. I didn't want to bother her. I figured I could handle it myself. I figured wrong."

  Dr. Nesbitt chuckled. “What is it you need help with? Is that why you're here?"

  Aurora took a deep breath and exhaled. “Not entirely. I came here to talk to Rose, or Glen."

  "She's gone to stay in a hospital for a while."

  "I know. Davis told me. He also told me that Glen was in a meeting.” She paused. “With Nola."

  "I thought that was her.” Dr. Nesbitt didn't say anything else, but Aurora had a feeling she wanted to. Aurora opened her mouth to say something but closed it.

  The tea kettle began to scream and Dr. Nesbitt stopped their conversation to take it off the heat and get the tea.

  Aurora closed her eyes and lowered her head.

  Take it easy. You can do this. Nothing to it. Just ask her about the book.

  "Aurora?” She opened her eyes and lifted her head. Dr. Nesbitt stood in front of her, holding the tea kettle. Concern showed on her face.

  "Yeah, I'm fine.” Aurora offered a small smile as the doctor poured the water into the tea cup, over the tea bag she had placed there.

  "Are you sure? It seems to me you have something more on your mind than schoolwork."

  Aurora took another deep breath to calm her sudden anxiety attack. “There is, actually.” She stopped, watching as the doctor dipped her tea bag in her own cup of hot water. Then she lifted her gaze and met Dr. Nesbitt's eyes. “There's something I wanted to ask you."

  "Feel free to ask me anything. If I can help in any way, I certainly will."

  "Okay.” Here goes, she thought to herself. “A few days ago—actually, it was the day Rose fell on the staircase—I was in the library doing some research. I had been having some strange dreams, or at least I thought they were dreams, and I was hoping to find some explanation or meaning to it in the magick books kept there."

  She paused, looking to see the doctor's reaction. She didn't seem mad or upset. On the contrary, she looked interested. She nodded for her to continue.

  "Anyway, I was looking in these books when I found one that was, well, different. It had power coming from it. I could feel it, you know what I mean?"

  "Yes, I know what you mean. Go on."

  "Anyway, it was freaking me out more than just a bit. I don't know how I knew it, but I knew this book was important.” She stopped here and pulled her backpack up by the strap so that the heavy thing rested in her lap. “So, I kinda took it."

  Dr. Nesbitt kept her face neutral as Aurora unzipped the bag and pulled out the heavy book. This was the first time she had let anyone else other than herself and Slater have a long look at it.

  She sucked in her breath as she pushed aside her cup of tea and laid the book in front of Dr. Nesbitt. “That's it. Have you ever seen it?"

  Dr. Nesbitt set down her tea and licked her lips.

  "May I?” Aurora nodded and she pulled the book to her, gently running her hand over the cover.

  "This book does look familiar. You said it was in the library?” She slipped on a pair of reading glasses that hung on a chain around her neck and opened the book to the first page.

  "Yeah. It was in the section with all the other magick stuff. But it doesn't have a label."

  "It's a Book of Shadows. It wouldn't be labeled. For that matter, it shouldn't be in the library. It should be in the home of the witch it belongs to."

  "I found that strange, too,” Aurora said. She watched as Dr. Nesbitt flipped through the pages, settling finally on the words written in Emily Camille's handwriting. Aurora continued. “I did a little research, read some of the book. It belonged to a witch named Emily Camille and she had two daughters."

  "Yes. I read that. I also can feel the power you spoke of. It's very—” She cut herself off, as if not sure how to continue. That unnerved Aurora.

  "Very what?"

  "Very strong,” she finished. “Very strong, indeed. Is this all you wanted to tell me?"

  "No,” Aurora admitted. “It's only the beginning I'm afraid."

  "What else is on your mind? Does it involve this book?” Dr. Nesbitt was getting curious now. She looked up at her, her blue eyes magnified by the lenses of her glasses.

  "Yes, sorta. I don't know. I tried to find out the explanation to the dreams I had, but I couldn't find anything. Then, just this morning, I felt compelled to look again.” She climbed out of her seat and crossed to Dr. Nesbitt's side. She leaned over her and began flipping through the book until she found the spell. “I was somehow drawn to this spell. I mean, I couldn't stop myself from moving toward it. And the power coming from the book was so strong, even more so. It knocked me back—"

  "Did you read the spell?"

  Aurora cleared her throat. “Like I said, I was drawn to the spell. I couldn't stop myself. Yes. I read it."

  "Out loud?"

  Aurora nodded.

  Dr. Nesbitt didn't look very pleased. She pursed her lips and looked up at Aurora. “Playing with magick, especially magick you are unsure of can be considerably risky. You have to be careful."

  "I know.” Aurora sighed. “I've heard this a hundred times before. I was being careful. The power was just—"

  "The power is too strong. What happened when you said the spell? Was there any immediate effect?"

  "Immediately, no.” Aurora returned to her seat and stared down at her tea. She removed the tea bag and stirred the liquid. She realized she didn't really want to drink it. “Not right away. A woman sorta ... appeared..."

  "Appeared?"

  "Yeah. I said the spell and a few moments later, the woman appeared. At first, I thought she was a ghost, but she was solid, real. She was the same woman I had seen in my dream."

  "The woman was from your dream?"

  "Yes. She was exactly the same. Anyway, I talked with her, asked her why she came and she told me it was because I had called her. She said the reason she had come to me before was because she needed my help. She said her name was Amelia. She called me Leslie, which was my mother's name. And she said that was her sister's name. Then she told me her sister was Leslie Warren, which was my mother's maiden name and—” She stopped to take a deep breath, realizing she was rambling.

  "And you discovered something you're not entirely sure of?” Dr. Nesbitt supplied. Aurora nodded.

  "I think I'm a witch."

  The words sounded so absurd, she was almost afraid Dr. Nesbitt would burst out laughing. When her mouth curled into a smile, Aurora braced herself for the laughter.

  "My dear,” Dr. Nesbitt began, the smile remaining just a smile. She closed the book and lowered her glasses. “You are a witch."

  Aurora felt as if she had been punched in the gut. All the breath went out of her. To hear it externally validated made it too real.

  "I am?” she squeaked.

  "Yes. I had
my suspicions a few days ago, when you took the book—only, I really didn't know you had stolen the book. I could feel the power and I knew you felt it. That in itself was a sign you had great power. When Rose was hurt, from the staircase fall, I tapped into your energy. There was so much of it, and in a way, you helped to heal her."

  "Are you a witch, too? I don't know any witches."

  "No, I am not a witch. I am a psychic healer. Though there is a common genetic link, witches possess more to their abilities than a simple psychic. They can invoke change, do spells. If you were able to speak the words on the page and make something happen, you are indeed a witch. This woman you speak of said her name was Amelia?"

  "Yes. And that my mom was her sister. That would make her my Aunt."

  Dr. Nesbitt nodded. “I knew a woman named Amelia. She was a witch. I'm not sure if she had a sister. It's been years since I've seen her.” She shook her head. “I don't know what happened to her."

  "So, I am a witch then?"

  Dr. Nesbitt laughed. “Yes, my dear, and it's nothing to be worried about. You have an amazing ability and combined with your werewolf traits, I think you could do amazing things—in time. But, you still must be careful when it comes to spells and magick. You never know what you may invoke and it may end up doing you more harm than good."

  Aurora let out a breath. She felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from her chest, but she was still confused. “So you don't know anything else about Amelia?"

  "I could look into it. I may have some old records in my office. I'll see what I can do.” She drained her tea and looked at the book. “I'd put this away, for the time being. Better to keep it safe and away from impressionable young women who may not know what they are doing."

  Aurora smiled, knowing that was a comment on her part, but she didn't let it bother her. She slid the book back into her bag and zipped it up. “Thanks, Dr. Nesbitt. You've really helped me out. Only thing is I don't know what to do with this new knowledge about myself."

  "Just mull on it for a while. Let it sink in. I know it's a big shock for you.” Dr. Nesbitt got up from her seat and put her mug in the sink. “Would you like to accompany me to my office? You could help me look for any records."

  "Sure.” Aurora slipped off her seat and grabbed her bag. Dr. Nesbitt led the way out of the kitchen and she followed her down the hall and to her office. All the while, she smiled. Now that she knew the answers, she felt better.

  She only hoped it was a feeling that would last.

  [Back to Table of Contents]

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Alana's high hopes of finally ending this today were dashed the moment she stepped into the PRDI. She had expected open hostility when she entered the doors, in fact, she hadn't expected them to even open the doors, but they did.

  Davis had been seething. He almost threw himself on her then and there. If it hadn't been for Glen stepping in, she would've had to deal with him herself. It had been easier than she thought to convince Glen to talk to her alone, especially when it appeared she wanted to plead her innocence over the situation.

  Once alone in his office, she turned on the charm. She smiled, flipped her hair and used body language to convey her desire for him. She leaned over more than a few times to accentuate her cleavage and nothing. Glen was unfazed.

  She had considered he was gay. How else could any man resist her charms? She had to try anyway. It was only when she started rubbing his back and talking with him about something other than the accidents that he began to respond. He leaned his head forward as she massaged the back of his neck and shoulders.

  "Do you think later you could show me around the PRDI a bit more? I'm afraid our tour was cut short by the events of this weekend. What do you say to an extended look around?” she said the words seductively into his ear and Glen chuckled.

  "I'm sure I can arrange something.” He moved her arm away from him. “But right now, I have a lot of work to do."

  "I know, but can I count on you for tonight?"

  Glen smiled. “If I get these forms done, definitely.” His face became somber suddenly. Gently he pushed her back from him. “I want to thank you for having the courage to come back here. We all had our suspicions that perhaps you were the one behind the attacks."

  "Glen, we've talked about this. I would never dream of hurting someone. It's simply not who I am,” Alana lied through her teeth even as she smiled. “Rose is a friend. Why would I hurt her?"

  Finally, she was getting to where she wanted to be. She settled herself onto Glen's lap. He looked surprised by the seductive attention, but he didn't push her away. She wrapped an arm around his neck and leaned into him. “Speaking of Rose, I haven't seen her today. Is she resting in her room?"

  Glen tensed under her, but not in a good way. Alana tilted her head.

  "No, she's not, Nola,” he began. “She's gone to the hospital for a few days, to rest there."

  "Hospital?” Alana repeated. She slid off his lap and stood to her full height. “Has she gone into labor? Was she injured in the explosion? Is she all right?” She feigned concern while secretly inside she was seething. Rose wasn't here?

  "She's fine, just a little shook up. She's gone for a few days to rest."

  "Which hospital?"

  Glen blinked a few times and shrugged, turning back to his paperwork. He didn't answer, which Nola found very suspicious. She narrowed her eyes a little.

  "Which hospital is she staying in?"

  "One of the bigger ones in the area. More like a center for pregnant women than a hospital."

  "She's not in a hospital, is she?” Alana asked, unable to hide the tone in her voice. Her anger was growing. “Where is she?"

  Glen turned to face her, sighing. “Nola—"

  "Just tell me where the fuck she is,” she demanded, her voice rising in shrill tones. Realizing she was blowing her top and her cover, she took a few deep breaths. “I'm sorry. I just get a little worked up about things."

  "I understand,” Glen answered in a disbelieving tone. “But I'm afraid I can't tell you where Rose is."

  Not the right answer, buddy, Alana thought angrily. She kept her cool this time by tightening her hands into fists. She let out a breath. “Okay. Where's Jason? Everyone keeps talking about this Jason, but I've never met him."

  "Jason is gone. No one knows where he is."

  Bullshit, she wanted to say but kept the comment in her head. She glared instead. “Seems like a lot of secretive stuff going on here. First, you won't tell me where Rose is then you claim you don't know where Jason is. Do you know anything?"

  "Nola, calm down.” Glen stood.

  "I am calm,” she snapped. She held her hands up in frustration. “This is getting nowhere,” she muttered. She looked up at Glen. Any hope of seducing him had been dashed. He looked pissed and suspicious. Definitely not good.

  "Look, just tell me where Rose is. I know she's not in a hospital somewhere. Who is she staying with? Aurora? Cheyenne? What are their addresses?"

  "Nola, I can't—"

  "Never mind. I'll find it myself.” She moved past him, no longer caring about her cover or being discovered. She was frustrated and tired of all her plans failing. She began shuffling through papers on Glen's desk, looking for addresses.

  "Hey, what are you doing?” Glen grabbed her arm as she swept an armful of papers to the floor, but Alana yanked away from him. She found a Rolodex on the desk and grabbed a handful of addresses.

  "Nola!” Glen shouted, spinning her around. She glared at him as he grabbed hold of her wrists. “What the hell are you doing?"

  "If you won't help me find her, then I will."

  "Why do you need to find her so badly? What's going on?” He glanced at the handful of addresses in her hand and yanked them out of her grasp. He tossed them back on the desk and resumed glaring at her. “Rose is my cousin. Someone is out there trying to hurt her and I have to admit, I'm beginning to change my mind about you."

  "What, are
you joining the band wagon and accusing me now?"

  "No, I'm not, but I'm keeping my eye on you. I want you to leave here, now. As of right now, your membership here is revoked. Pack your stuff and leave.” After saying that, he let go of her. Alana stumbled back. She resisted the urge to charge at him and claw his eyes out, but instead she turned and stormed out of the room.

  She slammed the door and cursed under her breath once she was outside. She had seriously lost her cool. Miguel would be pissed, but she didn't care. At the moment, she had other things to worry about.

  Rose was gone and so was Jason. She was at a dead end. If Glen wasn't going to tell her where either of them were, she would have to find someone who did. Davis was out of the question. He would just fight with her. There had to be someone else.

  The good doctor may have some answers, and maybe a few members of their little pack would, too. She wasn't sure if any of them were even here. She would have to do some investigating.

  Alana stormed down the hall and down the stairs, passing the broken part of the banister that was left from her earliest failed attempt. Davis wasn't in the foyer as she had predicted and she was thankful for that. She crossed the foyer in a few steps and started down the hall. She would visit Dr. Nesbitt first.

  She stopped just in front of the office door and bent to retrieve the gun from her ankle holster. She flipped the safety off and leaned against the door. She could hear the soft sound of voices rising and falling. The doctor wasn't alone, but it didn't matter. Alana would take care of it.

  There would be no going back now.

  She turned the knob on the door and threw it open. Dr. Nesbitt was seated in her desk chair and the young woman, Aurora, was next to her, looking through a heavy stack of folders lying on the desk. Both women looked up, equally shocked to see her standing there. She lifted her gun and aimed it at the doctor.

  The door swung shut behind her, leaving the three of them alone in the tightly enclosed room.

  "Rose. Where is she? Tell me now."

  "Nola, what are you—” the doctor began but Alana cut her off.