She had a feeling that Braxton was a dragon.
The idea had blown her mind, and she had locked herself in her apartment ever since, trying to make sense of it all and not get herself into any more trouble.
Because, surely, if a dragon had her in his sights, she was in trouble…
She had been led to believe that only werewolves and werebears were living in Bridge Hollow, but what if other magical creatures had somehow settled here too? Her mother had never mentioned anything to her about the prospect of dragons. But Braxton had said something about living elsewhere… What if he had been in hiding just like her?
She sipped a cup of tea and watched the crowd on the streets below. They were starting to arrange their stalls for the day, and the fair was reaching its midpoint. It was shaping up to be the busiest time of the whole week, and Elizabeth knew that, over the next few days, the number of tourists would likely double, if not triple, and the events that had been organized around the place were only going to increase with the demand. She had already seen ads online and posted on Main Street for several band nights at Shifter’s Bliss, a huge psychic party at the town hall, and on the last night, the annual gala dinner that was due to take place at a grand tent that had been erected on the outskirts of Bridge Hollow woods.
The idea of going to these things was beginning to increase in appeal, and she couldn’t help wondering if Braxton would be at any of them.
She sighed and rose from her chair. She couldn’t bear to sit there any longer and drive herself mad with her thoughts. She couldn’t stay cooped up in the apartment for the rest of the week, and she didn’t want to see her mother until she had decided how she felt on the matter.
“Why would she put a spell on me like that…?” she said aloud and then felt rage begin to spiral deep in her belly.
Her inner voice was screaming that her mother was afraid of losing her only daughter… But Elizabeth was sure there was something more to it.
She huffed and rubbed her temples.
Maybe her mom was just trying to keep her safe. It was so easy to assume she would be doing something selfishly and purely for her own gain, but what if Braxton was truly dangerous, and her mother knew it?
What if she was trying to protect her and stop her from getting mixed up in something that could get her killed?
A fear started to snowball, and she blinked back tears.
She had felt something so powerful when she had first seen Braxton. It was something that dominated her every thought, and the idea of losing it before it had even begun was heartbreaking, but she had to be strong and know that this was a distinct possibility. He was a stranger. Even now, after she knew his name, he would continue to be a stranger…
And she could see a dragon inside him, for God’s Sake!
She shook her head and slapped her cheeks lightly as if to spiritually wake herself up, and then she padded across the soft carpet to her hallway, where she kept her magical cabinet.
It had been a long time since she had opened this with the intention of making something to serve herself, but her mind and body were so scrambled with conflicting emotions, she knew she needed clarity and protection.
She looked through her dried herbs and crystals, at her colored threads and candles, and then selected a black, blue and pink candle before pulling a large chunk of black onyx and an aventurine out.
She sat in the floor and arranged them in a circle and then, one by one, she lit the candles. If she had still been a young witch, she would have needed to consult her mother’s Book of Shadows, but she had written many, many spells of her own over the years and she knew a lot of them by heart.
She held a crystal in each hand and visualized them filling with and then radiating white light. Her mind was clear and calm, and when she cast her intention to fill them both with protective energy, she vowed to keep them with her if they, in turn, kept her safe. She mediated with them, as the candles burned down, and then she lit some sage and cleansed her living space to release all the negativity that must have built up inside the walls within the past thirty-six hours. Her thoughts had been so conflicted and negative that there was no way the air around her was pure and safe, and she had to get rid of it to move forward.
When the ritual was complete and the spell was cast, she felt as if a weight had been lifted, and she kissed both the onyx and the aventurine, feeling their wonderful heat, before she slipped them into her pocket and began to clear her supplies away.
“Okay,” she said aloud as a way of psyching herself up. “Now, it’s time to call your mother…”
She rolled her eyes as she said it, just hoping that, after all the good work and positive intentions she had just cast out into the universe, she wasn’t about to ruin it by having a negative encounter with the woman who had given her life and guided her in her witchy learnings.
She picked up her phone and pressed dial. And all she could do was sit back and wait.
Her mom answered on the fourth ring and sounded out of breath.
“Elizabeth!” she panted. “Thank goodness, I was beginning to worry!”
Elizabeth put her hand in her pocket and rubbed the aventurine. She had to keep herself grounded and calm.
“You sound as if you’ve just run a marathon,” was all she could muster in positivity. “Are you all right?”
“I ran up the stairs to the phone,” her mom sighed as she started to regain her breathing. “I had hoped it was going to be you on the other line, but I was in the middle of restocking some of my herbs in the kitchen.”
Elizabeth paused and mulled over what to say next.
“I know what you did, Mom…” She found the words escaping her mouth before she had a chance to stop them. “And I want to know why.”
Her mother remained silent and there was a stern tension rocketing down the phoneline. Elizabeth closed her eyes and breathed slowly to keep herself calm, continuing to rub the crystal in her pocket, sending a nice heat through her fingertips.
“I…,” her mother began, but then seemed to think better of it. “I was just trying to protect you…”
“I’m an adult, a grown woman… I can take care of myself.”
“But this man…,” her mother said hurriedly. “He sounds dangerous.”
“You haven’t even met him. Admit it, it’s more to do with the fact that you don’t want me to live my life. You want me to always be alone, just like you…”
As the words came out of her mouth, she instantly regretted them, but it was too late to take them back. She cringed and closed her eyes again, wishing the ground would open and swallow her whole.
Her mother didn’t speak.
“Mom…,” Elizabeth said. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it to sound like that. But admit it, you shouldn’t have cast a spell on me and messed with my memory. What if it had backfired and I got full-blown amnesia?”
Her mother sighed too, but Elizabeth could tell she was feeling guilty rather than annoyed.
“Yes, you’re right,” she said finally. “I shouldn’t have meddled in your affairs. You’re a grown woman who is perfectly capable of looking after herself. I’m sorry.”
The fact that her mom had admitted she was in the wrong was a surprise but a very welcome one. Now, Elizabeth felt guilty. As if she had thrown terrible words around and hurt her mother’s feelings.
“But when it comes to this town, Elizabeth, you will never know the full extent of the dangers and horrors that exist. From what you told me about this man, he is not like the others I have encountered. The fact that you could see scorch marks on the ground where he had been standing led me to think he could be connected to the devil.”
A chill rolled over Elizabeth, and she found herself shaking her head.
“No, Mom,” she said nervously. “He isn’t the devil… But I think I know what he is…”
“What?”
Elizabeth could sense the piercing silence over the airwaves, making their conversation ripped with tens
ion and nerves.
“I think he’s a dragon shifter…,” she said.
She held her breath and waited for her mother to respond. It felt like hours before she spoke again, but in reality, it was likely only a couple of seconds.
“A dragon…,” her mother finally said. “Well, holy shit…”
Elizabeth smiled. She loved that her mother still had a good sense of humor.
“I can’t be one-hundred-percent sure yet,” Elizabeth continued. “But I saw him again, and when we were talking, his guard was down for a split second. I was able to see the beast under his skin, lurking there like a spirit or ghost.”
“My goodness,” her mother gasped. “How extraordinary.”
“He really is,” Elizabeth smiled. “I don’t know if I can trust him yet, or why he has suddenly appeared here in Bridge Hollow, but my gut is telling me he is a good guy… And I want to know more.”
She could feel her mother bristle, her energy apparent even when they weren’t in the same building, but she rolled her eyes and gripped the crystal even tighter, willing herself not to rise to the bait.
“Be careful,” her mother said. “You are a very special and powerful woman, Elizabeth… Don’t give that power to someone undeserving.”
Elizabeth smiled.
Her mother had never married because of this; and she had always made Elizabeth aware of how a man could ruin a woman’s power, if they allowed it. With them being witches, they were more likely to be taken advantage of; then again, they could protect themselves in amazing ways.
Elizabeth had never entertained the thought of meeting a man and having a relationship. She had never given herself to anyone before, body, mind or soul… But when she looked into Braxton’s eyes, she felt different. She felt as if he was the one she had been waiting for. Someone to share these amazing experiences with and make them count.
“I will make sure I don’t, Mother,” she smiled.
“Okay,” her mom said happily, the mood of the conversation changing. “I know you’ve got it under control, and I look forward to hearing how this develops.”
Elizabeth found herself smiling, and felt warm and fuzzy inside.
“I’ll call you later,” she said, and her mother agreed. “Bye, Mom.”
She placed the phone down and then looked back to the window. It had been such an eventful day, and she hadn’t even left the apartment, but now that she had her mother’s blessing, she was suddenly even more excited at the thought of getting the hell out of there and going back to the bar to look for Braxton.
She didn’t know if he would be there, but she sincerely hoped so.
She had plenty to find out about him, and the idea of looking into his eyes again was making her heart flutter.
He was casting a spell on her… And he didn’t even know it.
11.
Even being a witch didn’t make her immune to nerves as she started getting ready later that evening. Elizabeth flipped through her racks of clothes again and again, looking for the perfect outfit that would both intrigue and impress in equal measure.
She wanted to look sexy but mature and not too overdone. She had only been in Shifter’s Bliss once, and it wasn’t exactly the type of place people dressed up to go to, even if there had been several tourists in miniskirts dancing on the bar.
She pulled out a tight black dress with long sleeves and a boat neckline. It was on the short side, but it went a good way down her thighs and if she wore black tights with it, she would look even more covered. She slipped her feet into the thick stockings and pulled them up before putting on a push-up bra and a spritz of her homemade perfume. She had infused it with rose quartz and made it under the last new moon, meaning it was perfect for drawing love to her and manifesting her desires. She looked in the mirror and smiled. She looked fantastic and she hadn’t even touched on her make-up.
She dabbed some red gloss on her lips, lined her eyes with black liner and slicked on some mascara before she dotted on some rose blush and highlighter. The result was that she looked fresh and dewy, pink and radiant, and the scent of the perfume infused with the crystals only heightened her power.
She put on a pair of sharp-heeled ankle boots with a silver buckle, and coordinated her jewelry to match. She wore silver rings with moon stones, rose quartz earrings, and an amethyst necklace to keep bringing positivity and calm her way.
When she was ready, she slipped into her coat and tied it at the waist. She felt like a movie star, even if she was just going a few blocks down the street to the local watering hole.
The noise on the street was already high-pitched, and music was drifting out of many of the bars and taverns. She could hear the clinking of glasses, the chatter of hundreds of people, and the laughs and cheers of a community united over a common love of the supernatural. She truly did love her town, and she was beginning to realize she had missed out on so much by being afraid of who she was.
But now, the time had come for Elizabeth to embrace her magic and power. She was a strong force and deserved to be out in the world, experiencing all life had to offer. She no longer cared about her magic being exposed; if anyone did see through her masking spells and figured out she was a witch, she could easily erase their memory just like her mother had done with her. Except, this time, she would do it properly and with only good intentions behind it.
She grabbed her handbag and popped her cellphone inside before fastening the clasp, and then she headed out of the apartment and toward a night of, what she hoped would be, much fun and frolics.
She deserved it, after all…
Shifter’s Bliss was already bouncing by the time she arrived, and Elizabeth stepped up to the door confidently and ready for what was waiting for her this time.
She stepped past the crowd gathering outside and noticed the variety of accents coming from the mix of people. They were all tourists and some of them sounded like they were from the East Coast, whereas some could have been from Canada, or even Europe. She was sure she could even hear a selection of other languages, Spanish and Italian, and maybe even Arabic.
She smiled and went inside, and the scent of smoke and booze hit her along with the heat. She moved quickly toward the bar and saw the exact spot where she and Braxton had sat and talked only two nights before, and it made butterflies and nerves dance in her belly.
She recognized the barman as Ryder, the same man who had served her the first night, and she could see the wispy image of a bear beneath his skin, resting there like a shadow. She caught his eye as she sat on one of the barstools, and he came walking slowly over to her with a friendly smile.
“Back again?” he asked.
Elizabeth nodded.
“Sure, why not?” She put her purse on the counter and scanned the refrigerators behind him. “I mean, there’s only a few days of the festival left, I may as well get out here and enjoy it.”
Ryder nodded. “It’s been wild in here all week,” he laughed. “And tonight won’t be any different. We have a big band coming to play, someone the people who organize the yearly festival have booked. They’re very popular, apparently, on the supernatural circuit… Whatever that means.”
He winked, and Elizabeth laughed.
She had no idea what it meant either, but she could only imagine the musicians must be into this kind of thing too and traveled around the country going to these kind of events to drum up business.
She finally made her decision when saw a bottle of Bridge Hollow’s own cider, and she ordered one while taking out her cellphone and looking at her messages. Her mother had had the sense to leave her alone for a few hours. She hadn’t tried to contact her since their semi-argument, and Elizabeth sighed and placed it on the counter.
She had spent so much time hanging off her mother’s every word, she had carved out quite a lonely life for herself, and now, she was determined to change it.
She thanked Ryder for the drink and paid him, and then she sat and watched the band setting up and the
crowd filtering into the bar. It was certainly much bigger than she had ever seen around town, and this night was clearly going to be a big part of the festival. She felt nerves and apprehension, constantly checking over her shoulder to see if Braxton had walked in, but she knew, deep down, that if he had, she would have sensed him immediately.
An hour passed, and she ordered cider after cider until she fancied a change and opted for water. She wasn’t much of a drinker, unless it was wine to enhance her magic, so her newfound love of cider and hitting bars was going to take its toll if she didn’t pace herself a little.
As the band struck their first chord and the atmosphere in the room ramped up, Elizabeth felt a tingle run up the back of her neck, and her heart began to pound.
Suddenly, the room felt hot and fiery, as if an intense heat was brewing beneath the floorboards. She barely dared move, but when she felt the sensation of being watched, a little smile flitted across her lips, and she turned to see Braxton standing there, looking sexy as hell.
He was dressed in black. Black jeans, black boots, black t-shirt, and a black leather jacket that was open and showing an incredible gleaming belt with a dragon buckle.
She smiled, and he returned it with his own dashingly handsome grin and a twinkle of fire in his eyes. He stepped forward, and the crowd seemed to part for him. It was like everything was happening in slow motion, and Elizabeth was trapped there in his gaze, unable to breathe or move. All she could do was stare at him, at how frighteningly gorgeous he was.
She had never felt like this before. It was a completely new feeling, and one that was fast becoming addictive and more electrifying each time she saw him.
“I hoped I would find you here,” he said as he slid next to her at the bar. Even though the crowd had mostly moved toward the stage to watch the band, there were still plenty of people waiting to be served drinks and because of this, they were pushed against each other.
Braxton looked down at her and smiled, and she wanted to reach out and touch him but didn’t dare. The nerves weren’t scary, they were enjoyable. She was loving feeling this way, as if he had known exactly how to act in order to drive her as wild as possible.
Bridge Hollow Shifters: The Complete Collection Page 47