by Mona Hanna
Brayden gritted his teeth and then he heard the front door slam also. Great, she’s gone. He groaned again and put his head in his hands, wishing he could take back the fight. But he felt he was right, felt Ariel should see his point of view. What if she was in danger? He could lose her, lose them both… The thought made him sick to his stomach. He had to convince her to do this before it was too late.
***
Ariel stormed down the road, her fists clenched at her sides. A cold wind interspersed with drops of rain whirled around her, diminishing the effect of the warm spring evening. The air grew colder as she hurried along, the sky darker, the rain heavier—then she stopped, realizing what she was doing. She shut her eyes and took calming breaths, trying to stop the storm she was inadvertently creating. After a few moments she felt a warm breeze and opened her eyes to a clear sky. Dammit. She had to stay calm or she’d start a hurricane. Had to stay calm, because she didn’t want to stress her little girl.
Ariel leaned against a tree by the side of the road, not understanding what was going on. She knew it was her duty to find the other High Witch, so she was upset about the spell not working, but she was so confused about what her child was doing to her. She was so happy she was pregnant, felt such love for her baby, but didn’t know how she was going to cope with the next handful of months. She knew her baby was good, knew she wasn’t trying to hurt her, but Brayden was so worried. Was she being stubborn, like he said?
He didn’t understand, didn’t know what it had been like for her, having to keep her magic hidden all her life. Didn’t know what it had been like to have to bind her own powers in a way, to always have to hold herself back. To try not to get too emotional, denying so much of who she was for fear she would hurt someone. For fear of rejection. For so many years, she had to keep herself bottled up, and now that she was finally free—well, she wasn’t about to inflict any kind of restriction on her child. She wasn’t a fool—she knew binding the baby’s powers wouldn’t hurt her. But what if the spell couldn’t be reversed? What if she damaged her little girl forever? Stopped her from becoming who she was meant to be? What if she took away who she really was? Would she ever forgive herself? Would Erica ever forgive her?
Then she remembered her dream-vision. Erica was sitting with her at age six, and she had her powers. She was a High Witch. And she was so sweet, so beautiful. The dream had lessened her fear that she would die when Erica was born—was the vision also telling her it would be okay to bind her child’s powers? That her daughter’s magic would be fine? Was it the ultimate reassurance?
Ariel didn’t know, but she knew she had to go home and sort this out with Brayden. She didn’t want to argue with him. He was her love, her passion, the other half of her soul. She couldn’t be cruel to him, disregard his feelings, push him aside. They would talk about this, discuss it, and come to some kind of resolution.
She straightened and began the walk home when an overwhelming pain entered her head, and she was brought to her knees by the scenes rushing through her mind.
A young woman.
A man, tied up.
Their captor, a tall, young man, cruelty in his eyes.
And a blinding, enormous, destructive spell.
Ariel knelt there, panting, the vision taking her breath away. She stood shakily, trying to calm down. Taking slow, deep breaths, her mind worked to make sense of what she saw. Whatever it was, it was happening tomorrow. Whoever the girl was, she was a High Witch. But their captor… he made Ariel feel a chill in her bones. That was no ordinary warlock. He was familiar in a way she thought she’d never see again.
He looked just like Julius.
Chapter 10
Hallie sat with Nicholas quietly, waiting for him to say or do something. They were still in the dimly lit room, sitting there in silent tension. There was nothing on the table save for some candles and a black leather book, its pages faded and yellowed. Hallie didn’t know what to say. She didn’t know how to behave. Was Sean alright? Had Nicholas hurt him? What was going on?
“Tell… tell me what you want with us,” Hallie said, her voice shaky. “It’s the least you could do. I’m here, doing as you asked. Why do you want me and Sean?”
“It’s you I want, Hallie,” Nicholas said. “Sean is just my leverage over you.”
Hallie felt fear run through her. What could Nicholas possibly want with her? She was no one, nothing. She cleared her throat. “And why do you want me?”
Nicholas gazed at her with his dark eyes, his jaw clenched and his entire body tense. “I’m not going to reveal everything. Suffice it to say capturing you is a means to an end. You needn’t worry—as long as you don’t try anything, you and Sean will be safe. You’ll both be able to walk way at the end of this. That is, as long as you don’t do anything stupid and get us all killed.”
Hallie swallowed loudly, her face burning. The horror of the nightmare she’d had only a little while ago still shook her. Nicholas had a power over her—not just having captured Sean, which made her feel sick, but he knew her greatest fear. Hurting people. She gritted her teeth, hating that he’d trapped them. She clenched her fists. “You’re the one putting us in danger, not me!” she cried. “You’re the one who’s threatening me! I don’t want to use my magic—I don’t want to fight anyone—but the longer you keep me and Sean here, the more upset I’ll get, and I can’t control my power when I get upset. You know the story, you know what happened. If I feel threatened, my magic comes out and people get hurt! Tell me why I’m here! Tell me what’s going on!” Hallie shut her eyes, trying to control the fear and turmoil boiling inside of her. A harsh wind blew around the room and the air became very cold. She looked at Nicholas, but the candles had been blown out, throwing them into darkness.
Nicholas reached over and grasped her arm. “Hallie, stop! I’ll tell you more. Just stop!”
She took deep breaths, lessening some of her panic, and the room returned to normal. Nicholas put his hand over the candles and lit them with his magic. Hallie stared at him, still filled with emotion but trying to get a handle on it.
Nicholas looked very pale but remained composed. He took a deep breath. “I’ll tell you more, just calm down. You have to control yourself.”
Hallie only nodded, not trusting herself to speak.
Nicholas sighed. “Like I said, I don’t want to hurt you and Sean. I used Sean to get you here, and I’m using you to get to someone else. Her name is Ariel. Because of her, someone I cared about very deeply is dead, and I want her to suffer for it. I need to avenge this person, need to make up for what was done to them. Ariel can’t get away with it. She needs to suffer, like my loved one suffered. She needs to pay for what happened. Ariel is looking for you, Hallie, and it’s only a matter of time before she finds you. When she comes for you, I’ll be waiting and then I can get rid of her. Nothing will happen to you—this is about Ariel. When she’s gone, you and Sean will be free. That’s all there is.”
Nicholas sat back in his chair, as if he’d answered all of her questions, but Hallie had a dozen more. She was too frightened to ask them, as Nicholas was clearly disturbed. This was all about revenge? Who was the person he’d lost? Was Nicholas insane—would he just kill her and Sean if they tried to escape? And who was Ariel, and why was she looking for her? Hallie shook her head, too confused to make sense of anything and just wishing this was over. She glanced at Nicholas and found he was staring at her, as if he was trying to read her thoughts. She frowned. “Is Ariel a witch?” she asked. Nicholas didn’t say anything. She felt that confirmed it. “If Ariel’s a witch, she’ll fight you,” she said, looking at the table. “Unless her power is very weak.”
She looked up at Nicholas again, and then it clicked.
“Her power isn’t weak—her magic is strong, isn’t it? That’s why you need me—that’s why you’re not going to her. You want her to come to you, so you’ll have the advantage. Her power is strong.” Hallie gulped, wondering if she’d figured it out. Nicholas
rested his chin on his palm, staring at her. She met his gaze with trepidation, wondering if what she was saying was going to get her into trouble.
Nicholas sighed, lowering his arm. He ran a finger over the flame on the candles, their light reflected in his eyes. He chewed on his lip. “You’re a little too smart for your own good, Hallie,” he murmured. “I hope you don’t keep prying into things that are none of your business. We wouldn’t want Sean to stay trapped without food and water, now, would we? I’m the only one who knows where he is. I’m the only one who can release him.”
Hallie caught her breath. The thought of the one she loved being trapped with no help horrified her. She shook her head. She had to stay calm. Had to play this safe. Had to bide her time until she could get Sean out of this. But then she started to think—why was this Ariel person looking for her? Did they have something in common? Was… she nearly couldn’t breathe when the realization hit her.
Was Ariel like her? Did she have the same kind of strange power? Hallie looked at Nicholas, wanting to ask one final thing. Just in case he had the answer. Just in case he knew more about her than he was letting on. “Nicholas, what am I?” she said.
He looked at her, seeming surprised she would say that. He took a deep breath. “A rare kind of person,” he admitted. “You’re both blessed and cursed. If you meet the wrong person, your life is over. I’m a kitten compared to some people out there, people who wouldn’t think twice about using you in far worse ways than I ever would. Be thankful I only want you to get to Ariel. Be thankful all I’m after is revenge.”
Hallie felt her heart race in her chest. “And what is Ariel?”
“When I get to her, she’s dead.”
***
Brayden paced the front room of his house, two seconds away from going after Ariel, when she burst through the front door, slammed it behind her, and threw herself into his arms. He held her in astonishment, wondering what had happened to make her react this way. He held her face in his hands, staring at her. “What happened? What’s wrong?”
“It’s—she’s—he’s….” Ariel shook her head and started to pace the room as he’d just been doing. “I had a vision of the other High Witch—she’s a teenager, about seventeen or eighteen. She’s going to cast a huge spell tomorrow to try and save herself and a man. They’re trapped. I also saw their captor. He’s… oh, Brayden, I can’t believe it.”
“What? Can’t believe what? You’re scaring me.”
Ariel stopped, moved towards him, and kissed him deeply. Brayden held her as she moved her mouth against his, her tongue dancing with his own. He was overcome with emotion, fear, arousal, but lost himself in the moment. She gasped in his arms, moaning slightly, and then she came up for air and kissed him lightly a couple more times.
Brayden gazed at her in surprise. “Okay, I’m slightly less scared,” he said, suddenly forgetting what they were talking about.
Ariel half-smiled at him, cupping his face with her hands. She bit her lip. “I saw their captor,” she repeated, her expression now serious. “He looked just like Julius. Younger—he’s only about twenty—but he could be his twin. They’re related somehow. I’m sure of it.”
Brayden shut his eyes. Dammit. He thought they were rid of Julius, once and for all. He frowned at Ariel. “He really looked like Julius? Ariel, I want us to have seen the last of him. I don’t want to believe this.”
She furrowed her brow. “I’m sorry, Brayden, but it’s what I saw. They’re practically identical.”
He groaned. “And you’re sure this girl is a High Witch?”
Ariel nodded. “The spell she cast, it’s too powerful for an ordinary witch, too intense. What if the man wants to turn her? Maybe she’ll get away from him with the spell, but she might not. Does she even know she’s a High Witch—what that means? Brayden, we have to find her!”
Brayden hugged Ariel closely and felt how tense she was. He smoothed his hand down her hair. “You’ll keep casting the locating spell, and we’ll get to her. It’ll work. It has to.” Ariel sighed deeply in his arms. Brayden shut his eyes, wishing all of their trauma was gone. He moved his lips to her ear and kissed it gently. “Let me make love to you,” he whispered. She looked at him, and he softly kissed her. “I don’t want to argue with you, Ariel. I was just worried about you. I don’t want us to be angry with each other. I want you and the baby to be safe. Let me hold you, wipe out the memory.”
Ariel looked at him tenderly. “We need to talk, Brayden,” she whispered. He kissed her again. “Maybe I do need to bind our child’s powers. I’ll think about it some more. I don’t want to be angry with you, either.”
“Ariel.” He pressed his lips against hers, his anguish filling the kiss with intensity. They kissed until they were both panting and Brayden was desperate for her. They somehow made it to the bedroom and lay down together, resuming their embrace. Brayden ran his hands down Ariel’s body, and she drew his shirt over his head and began to moan as he kissed her neck. He moved his hands beneath her blouse, loving the feel of her soft skin, and brushed his fingers over her breasts. She gasped, and he removed her blouse, then took off her long skirt. He removed the rest of his clothing while still kissing her.
They began to make love, and though it was beautiful, it wasn’t sweet or tender like it often was. Instead, it was intense, all their anxiety, their pain, and their worry banished as they lost themselves to each other. Their anguish dissolved as they writhed together, and Brayden wanted the time to last as long as possible. He made himself keep going, refusing to give in to his building climax, wanting them both to feel greater sensation. She clutched him the way she did when she was close to peaking, but he kept going and heard her cry out as her body trembled at the height of her pleasure. He kept making love to her, wanting her to feel it again. She gasped, a deep moan escaping her throat, and Brayden couldn’t take it anymore. He led them to the end, giving in, screaming her name as he collapsed on top of her. He almost couldn’t breathe at his release, his heart pounding and his body trembling. He’d never felt anything so euphoric in all his life.
Chapter 11
Hallie woke up feeling sore and weary, and wondering why her bed was so hard and why she had a horrible feeling of dread hanging over her. She opened her eyes to the bare wooden room and shot up in bed, remembering everything that happened. Sean! How was he? She shoved aside her flimsy blanket and looked over to the chair near the door, where Nicholas had sat when she went to sleep. The chair was empty.
Hallie stood up, shaking slightly, feeling full of nerves. Last night Nicholas had magically transported her to this room, presumably so she wouldn’t see the rest of the house, then told her to rest. She’d resisted at first, sat there looking at him in the dim candlelight, but finally weariness took over and she lay down. That was the last thing she remembered. Now Nicholas was gone. She knew he’d be back soon. She had to act fast.
What was she going to do? She looked around the empty room as she thought. It contained only the bed and a table next to it—there was nothing else other than the chair. The walls and the floor were plain grey wood, not even a coat of paint to brighten the place. On the table was a tray with a plate of cheese and bread and a glass of water. She had no intention of eating; she didn’t trust anything Nicholas gave her.
She clasped her hands together and thought of the obvious solution. Why not just magically transport home? She could get help and transport back here with someone. But what if Nicholas found she’d left? She remembered his threats. What if in the time she was gone, Nicholas killed Sean, thinking she’d left for good? Her stomach turned at the thought. She couldn’t just leave, but she wasn’t going to just sit there and do nothing.
She started towards the door, but felt she had to be prepared somehow. Thinking back over her childhood, she remembered she could make herself invisible with her magic. It was something she hadn’t tried in years, but she knew anyone with magic could do it. She chewed her lip, the question she’d been askin
g herself since yesterday coming to the forefront of her mind: was she willing to use her magic to get her and Sean out of there? If it came to it—if there was a chance for them to get out—was she willing to use her powers? Even if it hurt Nicholas? Was she willing to hurt him?
The thought horrified her. As much as she hated him, as much as she thought he was insane, she didn’t want to be responsible for hurting anyone else ever again. And she hadn’t used her magic on purpose in years; it pouring out of her when she became upset—or extraordinarily happy, like when she was with Sean—wasn’t the same as having control of it. Wasn’t the same as being able to cast a spell carefully and with finesse. Anything she tried would likely come out all wrong, and there was always danger when she used her magic. She couldn’t even think how to start a spell properly. She looked at the door, became sick of wasting time, and walked over. She just had to try something. Anything.
***
Brayden watched Ariel as she sat at the kitchen table the next morning, the map before her just like yesterday, some of the potion in a mug, and the string attached the vial in her hand. She was very still, waiting. She’d been periodically casting the locating spell for the last hour, convinced it would work somehow. She said she wasn’t going to give up until she found the other High Witch. Brayden just hoped all her work wouldn’t be for nothing.
“I can’t have had that vision for no reason,” Ariel said. “I’m just going to keep trying until I find her. You believe it will work, don’t you Brayden?”
He tried to smile, but couldn’t quite manage it. “I think it’s your best shot. I think if anyone can make that spell work, it’s you. And no, I don’t think you had the vision for no reason. Just keep trying. It’s all you can do.”