The Dutiful Witch (The Ward Witches)

by Lauren McMinn

  “Sure. Do you want some company?”

  “No. I can feel just confident enough to pull it off with just a camera. Let me go without the audience.”

  “Alright. I think I'll watch some of your previous episodes while you do that.”

  “Sounds good. Let me get cleaned up.”

  “Before you go, I wanted to tell you again that what you did for Skylar was really great. I got a call from Leo not long after, and he was more excited than I've heard him be in a long time. I have a feeling we'll be seeing their kid before too long.”

  “I do too.”

  She gave him a quick kiss, then got dressed. She used her old style of clothes to keep with the attitude of the show, and it was almost weird to get back into that. She liked her new clothes so much better. Tonight, she'd announce on the show that she was taking her place as Duchess. Likely everyone would already know, but she still wanted to say it. Her name was already being talked about in the media but talking about it on her show would be her own little power-trip. It was special to her to say it because she was so happy to be Duchess next to Seb.

  When she left, Seb was still naked on the bed. She blew him a kiss because she knew that if she actually kissed him, she'd be back in bed with him and wouldn't get her show filmed.

  “I'll see you at dinner.”

  “It's at seven, I know. I hope to be done by then. If not, I'll be stuck with leftovers, I suppose.”

  “Mona's meatloaf goes quickly. If you'd like, I can abscond with some so that you'll have something to eat.”

  “That would be great.”

  “You'll have to pay me for it.”

  She grinned, getting into the spirit of it. “What will the price be?” Fiona asked, coquettishly. “I'll have to know in advance.”

  “You're going to have to wear one of those fascinating corsets while you go down on me,” he said, looking excited by the prospect.

  “Well let me think about that...” She pretended to contemplate, running her eyes over him as if she was assessing whether it would be worth it. Then she grinned. “I certainly think I can do that. Hell, I'll even enjoy it. I may have to deliberately miss dinner so that I can pay for my meatloaf.”

  “You're going to have to leave fast if you plan to leave at all,” he growled, drawing her gaze down to the evidence that he'd like to keep her there for a long while more.

  “I'm going. Thanks in advance for the meatloaf.”

  “Sure thing. Good luck with your show.”

  “Thanks.”

  It took her about two hours to shoot her segment because the preparation of the potions needed to be done partially beforehand. She used a trick like some cooking shows where she had an example of the potion at various stages already prepared for demonstration. Tonight she made what she called a Green Thumb potion. It helped plants grow bigger and stronger. Vegetable plants treated with it would also grow more and larger vegetables. It wasn't the fanciest or flashiest of magic, but it was certainly useful.

  To finish up the show, she commented on her new status. “As you may know, I've recently become Duchess of the National Coven. I'd like to encourage any unaffiliated witches to join a coven of their own. I was unaffiliated most of my life, and I've discovered a lot of benefits to being in a coven. But don't worry: I'll still be doing the show. You all have been great to me, and I won't forget that. Thank you all for watching, and may your trials be eased.”

  She used her laptop to put the finishing touches on the editing and such before posting it. That took another half hour. By that time, she was ready to stop. She'd deal with updating the shop tomorrow. Suzy would probably like to help her with that. She was eager to learn, and Fiona liked that.

  Fiona took the video back to the suite. Seb was watching television, and he smiled as she came in. “I got you meatloaf, and a slice of cherry pie to go with it.”

  “You're too sweet.” She gave him a peck on the cheek and took the meatloaf plate. “I'll head over to the family kitchen and heat this up.”

  “I do expect extra compensation for the cherry pie. Skylar made that one so you know it's good.”

  “We can negotiate when I get back. It will depend on how good the pie is, so I can't promise what the payment will be.”

  When she got back, she made an exaggerated affair of tasting the pie and thinking about what it would be worth.

  “You're going to eat dessert first?” He asked jokingly.

  “I'm an adult. I'll do what I want to. And I have a great idea about how I'll pay you for this. Get undressed and get ready for this. You'll like it.” She disappeared into the bedroom and came back out in a bright pink and black corset and matching pink skin-tight pants.

  Then, just to tease him, she proceeded to ignore him while she sat down and ate her meatloaf. She took her time with it too, pretending not to hear him growl in the background. When she was done, and from the sounds, he was about to explode, she took an extra long time to wipe her mouth. Then she turned to look at him. “Time for dessert.”

  “For god's sake, woman!” Seb groaned, grabbing his heart dramatically.

  She ignored his outburst and ignored the cherry pie too. Instead she picked up the can of whipped cream that she had also picked up from the fridge in a bit of inspiration. She saw the moment when he realized what she was about to do, and she reveled in the idea that she had that kind of power over a man. She'd had boyfriends before, but no one had ever looked at her the way Seb did.

  Fiona watched his eyes watching her as she applied the whipped cream. She kept her eyes on his as she cleaned him off. She felt him jerk underneath her hands, and she kept going. He soon pulled back reluctantly.

  “You'd better get out of those clothes faster than you ate that meatloaf or we're going to have a problem.”

  She wasn't done yet though. She was enjoying herself, and he was clearly enjoying himself too. She stood up and put her hands on her hips. “Then we're going to have a problem.”

  Without another word, Seb used his magic to flay her corset right down the middle. Then he proceeded to split her pants along the seams on her legs. She gasped. He would choose now to show off his underused powers. She shrugged out of the top, and the pants fell off of their own accord.

  Fiona discarded the playful banter along with her clothes. She had such a pressing need to feel him inside her that she didn't want to wait to toy with him anymore. He held out his arms, and she ran into them, kissing him passionately. She couldn't get enough, and it was suddenly imperative that she have him now.

  And have him she did, until they were both panting and sweaty on the couch.

  “That was incredible,” she managed to get out when she got her breath back.

  “Glad to hear it.” He pressed a soft kiss to her lips.

  Seb hit the remote to activate the ceiling fan and tugged a light blanket over them. As if there was any reason for modesty at that point. She curled up with him and laid her head on his chest.

  “Would you like to watch a movie?” Seb asked, stroking her hair.

  “That sounds nice. I'll need a bit to recover before we go to sleep.”

  “Same here. I've got an idea, and I already put it in the DVD player.”

  “Tales That Witness Madness, huh?” Fiona asked as the title sequence ran.

  “It's delightful.”

  “Then let's watch.”

  “I wanted to ask whether you actually like this kind of thing. I can take you out on the town, we can do whatever you like. I've always enjoyed just staying at home, the kind of leisurely entertainment like that.”

  “I do enjoy this a lot. I've also never really been one to go out on the town, as you called it. It's nice to just be with you. I can be myself, and I know you're not going to judge me. Besides, the movies you choose are more enjoyable than I would have expected them to be.”

  “I'm glad.” He kissed her soundly. “And you're right that you never have to be anyone but yourself when you're with me.”

 
; “I like that about you. Now be quiet so I can watch this.”

  He did, and she lazily stroked his chest. Part of her wanted to tell him that she loved him, but she wasn't sure how he'd respond. So she waited. But she didn't want to wait too much longer.

  Seb was disappointed when the credits started to roll. He had really been enjoying holding onto his wife. Fiona was so beautiful and sweet. She brought out all of his protective instincts. He wanted to give her the world. But her independence mattered so much to her, and she retained that. And that was important to him as well. Seb liked her determination.

  He loved everything about her, and he wanted to let her know. But he didn't want to force her hand in this step of their relationship. He wanted her to be comfortable with him, and since she seemed to be at this point, he didn't want to endanger that by pressuring her with his feelings.

  So he held onto her, cherishing both her and the fact that she was his. She was special, and he was glad to have found someone that worked so well with his life. He had worried that he'd be like his father and would have an unstable marriage with an unsuitable wife. But Fiona was nothing like his mother Gladys, and she was making everything she touched better. Including his heart. It was early days yet, but he couldn't help but think that they would have a strong marriage.

  “How did you like it?”

  “I liked it a lot. It was interesting to have those little vignettes that were all weaved together into a bigger story.” He liked that she liked the movies he enjoyed. He wanted to show her new things, even if it's just for her enthusiastic response.

  “There's a lot of this type of film by Hammer Horror.”

  “Perfect.”

  “What would you like to do now?” He asked Fiona.

  She reached up and grazed his cheek with her fingers. “I'm enjoying sitting here.”

  “Do you want me to put in another movie?”

  “Not just yet.”

  She shifted suddenly, and rather than sitting at his side with her head on his shoulder, she was laying on top of him and her lips were forceful on his. He responded passionately, moving so that he could haul her up against him. He could tell when she felt his arousal stir beneath her. He was actually rather surprised at the speed his body came back to life after all they had done earlier.

  She gave a little purr and slipped a hand between them to drag her fingers along his length. He groaned and squeezed her butt.

  “Oh Fiona, what you do to me.”

  “You'll just have to keep me around then.”

  “That I will. I'll never get enough of you.”

  “Good. You're not supposed to. Now stop talking,” she said, making sure he obeyed by claiming his mouth with her own. He groaned, and his hands fell back to his side as he was incapable of doing anything but feeling what she was doing with her hand. Seb's hands gripped the pillow beside him as he enjoyed her ministrations. When he couldn't stand it anymore, he stopped her.

  “I need to be inside you.”

  That was all it took to get her to move up and impale herself on him, both of them moaning at the same time. She clearly wanted to lead, and he was happy to follow wherever she went. He looked up at her uninhibited enjoyment of him, and Seb knew that as long as she was with him, he'd be a happy man. After all, she was his wife, and he loved her. He bucked up against her, and she grinned.

  When they were both done, again, they cuddled on the couch, content to just be with each other. Seb petted along her arm slowly, just savoring her nearness.

  “I love you, Fiona,” he finally said, knowing that he needed to express himself or die from the strain of keeping it in.

  But when he looked down after she didn't respond, he realized she was sound asleep. Sighing, he picked her up and carried her into the bedroom, nestling her under the covers. It would evidently need to wait until tomorrow. Upon further consideration, he should do something big to commemorate the moment he told her. Seb crawled in next to her for the night.

  Seb woke up first the next morning. He smiled to see that Fiona was still asleep. She must have been really tired. He ached in a good way after using all those muscle groups that had been underutilized before he met her. After his shower, he woke her up gently.

  “Oh hey, what time is it?”

  “Nearly eight.”

  “I do need to get to work on time. Got to impress the boss,” she said with a wink, getting up.

  “I've heard he's a real hard-ass.”

  “Ah, he's not that bad.” She paused. “Did you bring me to bed last night?”

  “You passed out cold on the couch. I thought it would be best to let you sleep.”

  “Thanks. I need to check with Suzy before I go in to work. I need to make sure she's still got all the supplies and such to keep filling orders. It's really sweet of her to help me out.”

  “From what I hear, you're paying her enough to work hard for you.”

  “She works hard, and I reward good help.”

  “I'd agree. Suzy's been very loyal to the Coven, and I'm sure she's providing the same level of service to you.”

  “I've been thinking about how I'm going to protect myself against a future contact from Redman.”

  “Good. I care a lot about you, and I really don't want to see him get at you again. If there's anything I can do, please let me know.”

  “But I've also been wondering if I should do it or not.”

  Seb's heart stopped for a minute. “Wait, what?”

  “If I let him contact me again, he might tell me somewhere to meet him or something that I can use against him later. If I block him, he'll be suspicious.”

  “You already said you didn't want to join him.”

  “But I can change my mind, or pretend to. Maybe I'm swayed by the temptation of power. But think of the possibilities if I act like I'm going to go along with it.”

  Seb shook his head definitively. “No. There's no way we can risk that. You saw how drained you were after a few minutes of talking to him. He's evil, and we can't ignore that or let that go. It's a bad idea all around for you to even pretend to listen to him.”

  “But Seb, I could do a lot of good with it.”

  He hardened his resolve and started pacing while talking. “No, Fiona. I don't want you getting hurt. I don't just want to protect you, I need to. He's proven that he's willing to kidnap and kill people. I saw what he and his lackeys did to Melanie. And I saw what that did to Justin. You heard what he did to your parents, and so did Justin and I. He's evil. There's no way to make sure you're safe if you put yourself out there as bait. You mean too much to me to do that.” He caught her eye and hoped that she could see how much she really did mean to him in his eyes.

  She seemed torn, then she nodded. “If that's how it's going to be, then I'll protect myself.”

  He was glad she capitulated so easily. Something inside her must have agreed with what he said. “Your potion didn't work as well as it could have. Take the amulet back from me.”

  “But then you won't be protected!”

  “He doesn't want me. He wants you. And I want you safe.”

  She gave in again. “Alright. But I don't like this at all. I'm going to make you another one as soon as I can.”

  “I look forward to it. I'm not trying to be a heavy handed dictator. But you're mine now, and I don't want anything to happen to you.” He hugged her tightly.

  “I know you're not trying to be a dictator. You've been Duke a long time, and a husband a lot less time. You're acting kind of like a caveman, but I understand somewhat.” She kissed him. “If you think we'll be able to get Redman another way, I'll trust you.”

  “Thank you, Fiona.” He took the amulet off from where it had sat on his chest and draped it over her head. He watched as she got ready to go to work. She was precious to him, and he would see her safe, even if she didn't take as good of care of herself.

  125

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Fiona had barely reached her office when the phone
started ringing. It was a cell, but she had left it in the office yesterday afternoon. As she picked it up, she noticed the light flashing to indicate that she had missed calls.

  “Fiona Ward.”

  “Don't you ever answer your phone?” Melanie demanded.

  Fiona chuckled. “I only just got in the door. Besides, aren't you on maternity leave?”

  “I'm in my bedroom. That counts.”

  “But I'm sure you can do plenty of work from there.”

  “Of course.” Melanie realized her slip with a sharp intake of breath.

  “Alright, I've harassed you enough for today. Tell me what you were calling about and then go back to being a new mother, won't you?”

  127

  THE DUTIFUL WITCH

  “I've gotten great interest in you since that segment aired on TV.”

  “Oh?”

  “You're new and hot. Not to mention the sexy factor.”

  “Really?”

  “Oh yes. Plus you are an intelligent and likable woman who can provide the general public with a way of making the Coven more accessible. You're going to be great PR.” Fiona could hear Melanie's excitement through the line.

  “So glad I could help,” she said wryly. “You do remember I'm not good with crowds.”

  “I remember. You'll get better though, with experience. Anyway, it seems every magazine and newspaper are trying to get an interview with you. TV shows are trying to book you for another spot on the air. Perhaps live this time. Some are asking for an exclusive.”

  “Oh goodness. I don't know if I like the sound of that.”

  “It'll be fine. Just a friendly bit of advice: beware what you do when you're in public. If they can take embarrassing pictures, they will.” Fiona didn't want to think too hard about that.

  “I'll be careful. So what are you going to do about the interview requests?”

  “That's partially up to you. Personally I'd love to get you out any way and anywhere I can find. But I understand that you likely won't want to do that. I'm going to be generous since I am technically on maternity leave for a while longer. I think we'll do an exclusive with one magazine and one live television show. It won't sate the desire for your publicity, but it should make it a little lighter while not stressing you too badly. And I want to do it soon. Strike while the iron is hot and all.”