Transfixed (Witches of Jackson Square Book 1)

by A Lonergan

  I made my way up the stairs quickly before she could exit the bedroom. I planted both of my hands on either side of the door and gave her my most determined look.

  Ayre looked at me and threw herself back onto my bed before she said, “We are really doomed now.”

  Freya gave me a glare. “Don’t try to stop me.”

  “I really don’t want to, in fact, I would love it if you left…” I trailed off and looked at Ayre giving me a death glare even worse than Freya’s. “But my sister and mother would literally kill me if I let you leave.”

  Freya shook her head and dropped her bags to the floor. I thought that she was going to give in and stay. I had thought I had won until she hunched forward in a defensive position, her hands went up into fists to protect her face and her glare got worse.

  Of course, it wasn’t going to be easy. Who was I kidding?

  Ayre dared to start laughing. “You’re going to lose.”

  “I’m not fighting a girl.” I planted my feet into the floor even firmer than what they had been before.

  “Are you afraid you’re going to lose?” She gritted her teeth for emphasis.

  “Never, I’m more powerful than you could ever dream to be.” I rolled my eyes just as she let her fist fly. It connected with my eye and almost made me fall over, more from shock than pain, but then after a few moments, the pain started to come in with little pinpricks dancing across my face.

  Ayre gulped and said, “You forget who her mother is!”

  “I am not my mother. I am Freya, my power comes from me and no one else.” She went to punch me again, and I was ready, dodged her and it was exactly what she wanted. She picked up her bags and flew under my arm, right through the doorway and down the stairs.

  Ayre fell over laughing, clutching her stomach. “Brother, dear brother, you are an idiot!”

  I let out a grunt and followed her down the stairs, but I was too late, my father had beat me to her. He held out his hand, and she took it hesitantly. I didn’t blame the hesitation one bit, my father was intimidating, to say the least. You could feel his power coming off of him in waves. Sometimes it was hard to be in the same room with him. I couldn’t hear what he was saying. My magi hardly stood a chance against my fathers. He knew how to protect himself and continuously had his magi working double time to keep him and his clients safe.

  I watched Freya’s long red hair bounce as she nodded to him and they turned around and walked back toward me. I could hear him now, “Please ignore Sterling, he can be rather tiresome, but once you get to know him, he will eventually grow on you.” He placed her hand in the crook of his elbow and escorted her back up the stairs, but instead of bringing her to my room. He created a whole new place. He touched the ring on his right hand then waved it in front of the wall separating mine and Ayre’s room.

  No matter how many times I had seen it happen, it was always shocking to watch. The wall contorted, it turned into what looked to be a wave, falling left then right before it groaned and then separated. It shoved my bedroom down a space and Ayre’s before two doors popped up right in the middle. The only thing that distinguished the French doors from mine or Ayre’s were the fact that they weren’t painted white but were a dark oak. They also didn’t have curtains on the inside. I knew the room was going to be empty because that was how mine had been when he had done it for us. He had added hundreds of rooms for the coven and hadn’t even blinked an eye. I wasn’t sure where the extra space led, but when my mom discovered more rooms, she always brought him to theirs for an excellent long lecture about the Dark Realm and the Mirror Realm. Though I didn’t know what those places had to do with the Mortal Realm where we currently resided.

  Chapter Ten

  Freya

  I didn’t know why anything surprised me anymore. Apparently, this place was much bigger than what I had thought. The only thing that made sense was, of course, magic. My magi warmed on my wrist at the thought. I stared at Jonathan Masters with a new sense of respect. I could feel the power coming off of him, but at my shock, I almost felt it being pulled back into himself. He touched his right hand before smiling at me.

  “I hope that this will be to your liking. You can dress it up or dress it down however you like. It is yours to change at your will.” His sophisticated English voice wrapped around me like a warm hug.

  I gave him a timid smile and opened up both of the doors. The room was very similar to Sterling’s, but the walls were an old shiplap. Jonathan continued to speak, “Go on, make yourself at home. Your magi will know what to do.”

  With that, he was gone. I closed the doors behind me and sat on the bare wood floor, unsure of what to do with myself. I didn’t have anything to help me furnish the new room, and I definitely didn’t have money to help. I rested my face on my fist and tried to figure out what he meant by my magi knowing what to do. Ugh, I didn’t like riddles or anything I had to think on for far too long. A soft tap on the glass had me turning around and facing the music. Sterling was giving me an irritated look, and I was getting really tired of his better than thou attitude. Though I was pretty happy with my handy work starting to form around his eye.

  I folded my arms across my chest and smiled at him triumphantly.

  “Is that how you get used to getting your way? Throwing a fit and someone caters to your every need?” His insults were getting worse and worse. At this point, I knew that if I left, it would be because of him. “That’s an interesting trait to have being an orphan.”

  I didn’t have time for his rudeness. I didn’t have time to be bullied and bossed around by him anymore. There was something wrong with him for him to continually come at me like he was. I tried to keep the tears from spilling over and blinked them back.

  I gritted my teeth. “Get out.”

  He blinked at me like he hadn’t expected me to get angry.

  I pointed to the door. “I said get out.”

  I could feel the heat lighting up in my cheeks and wetness falling from my eyes, but I no longer cared. When he finally retreated, I made sure the door was locked before I threw myself down onto my bag and cried.

  I didn’t know how I had been so exhausted, I was sure it had a lot to do with my emotions being haywire, but it was starting to get out of control. I pushed myself up and off the door, only to let out a shriek at Ayre sitting beside me. She gave me a bashful smile and held her hands up in surrender.

  “How did you get in here?” I looked at the doors to make sure they were still locked. Sure enough, they were. I glared at her.

  “Locks don’t keep witches out. Wards do, but I respected your privacy for locking the door and climbed through the tiny opening in your closet. It’s similar to the one that my brother and I shared, but smaller and I now share it with you instead of him!”

  “And you thought that I would be okay with that breach in privacy?” I tried to figure out where she would think this was okay.

  “I thought you might be lonely and sleeping on the floor sucks, so I brought you pillows and blankets and an air mattress.” She held up the box with the air mattress in it like it was a precious prize. That was when I realized that she had put the blanket over me while I had been sleeping.

  “I guess I forgive you now, but next time don’t do it.” She gave me a very unconvincing nod and then shrugged to add to it.

  “I heard what my brother said to you.” Her head hung forward, in remorse.

  I was unsure of what to say. He hadn’t been lying, even though he hadn’t been careful about it. But it was okay, I was going to prove him wrong, one way or another that I wasn’t to be messed with. I might have been a small little, but that didn’t mean that I was missing my fire.

  “My entire life, I was alone. I stumbled through every obstacle alone and never had anyone to hold my hand or tell me that I was going to be all right. I just had faith that eventually it would get better, and I would be okay in the end.” I pulled the blanket tighter around my shoulders and picked at the frayed edges. �
��Jumping from one foster home to another, you lose a lot of hope. I was the quiet one, and families don’t like the quiet ones. I don’t know, never mind.” I didn’t have the emotional strength to continue.

  Ayre grabbed my hand in hers and squeezed it gently. “Whatever happened to you there only made you stronger for here. You aren’t alone anymore, and you never have to be alone again. No matter what happens, you always have me, and I might not be enough sometimes, but I will always try to be.”

  Tears filled my eyes again, and I fought to keep them back. These people had turned me into a big softy. I didn’t appreciate it much, but when I looked up, I could see the tears shining in Ayre’s eyes too.

  Chapter Eleven

  Sterling

  “You didn’t! Sometimes I am flabbergasted by your will to hurt others.” My father’s voice boomed across the library. I flinched as it echoed around me, reminding me of the power that my father possessed.

  I took a deep breath and tried to stand up, but the gaze my father pinned on me was enough for me to stay put.

  “She is Sariah’s daughter, do you know what that means?” He crossed his arms over his chest, stretching his suit jacket tight over his muscles.

  “No, but I am very sure you’re about to tell me.” I sneered.

  “It means that when she comes into her full power when her magi allows it, she will be the new High Priestess.” He shook his head like he couldn’t believe I hadn’t caught on yet.

  “What about Mom?” I scratched my head.

  “What about her? She has never really filled the role correctly, and she has only been subbing until the real High Priestess came back.” He turned away from me and browsed the shelves in front of him. They stretched from floor to ceiling containing the history of our ancestors, along with spells and many books on healing magic.

  “This means that you already knew.” Of course, he did, my father seemed to know everything that went on in the city, no matter how big or small it appeared.

  “Well, of course, I knew Sariah’s daughter was alive. I watched her son die and watched her daughter just disappear into thin air. Your mother never came into the full High Priestess power because the essence knew that the real one would come soon.” He pulled a book from the shelf and set it on his desk. “I love your mother and your mother is very powerful, but when Freya comes into her power, it will be nothing like you have ever seen before.”

  “What about Sariah? What do we do about her?”

  “Nothing, Sariah is banished, if she were to come back the essence would kill her, and she knows it, though I don’t know what she could want with her daughter while she is there.” He frowned.

  “Finally, something you don’t know.” And with that, I stormed from the room. My father had always been an ass, the only ones he tolerated was Ayre and my mother, everyone else didn’t matter much to him.

  Ayre met me at the end of the hall and tried to keep up with my long strides, but I hoped I lost her soon. I didn’t have time for her rambling or questions.

  “You hate him, but you are just like him.” She matched my strides, and her question made me slow for a second.

  “If you are here to talk about dad, then you can get lost.”

  “I’m here to ask you if the training room will be free tomorrow.” She was out of breath by the time I made it out to the courtyard.

  “You are terribly out of shape.” I turned and faced her, leaning against one of the pillars. “That’s the only reason I’ll free up the gym for you tomorrow.”

  Her smile was radiant. She nodded her head and skipped away, not giving me any time to change my mind, and it had me curious, but not for long. I could hear my mother singing in the kitchen and knew she was whipping up something good if she was singing. She only cooked and sang when she was in a good mood, and I wondered what had put her there. There was no way it was Dad, he was in a terrible mood and would possibly ruin anyone's day with just a look. When I saw the thin pastry like rolls on the island my mouth watered.

  Crepes.

  My favorite and she knew it. I narrowed my eyes at the woman that had given birth to me and tried to figure out what her angle was. She was obviously trying to butter me up. She flipped the mixer on and dumped a little bit of vanilla in it, and I could have died. Mom was making homemade whipped cream to go on top. I spotted the fresh strawberries in the sink and plopped one into my mouth. The fruit burst on my tongue and immediately turned my morning around.

  “So, what’s all this about?” I stretched my arms wide and leaned against the island in the middle of the kitchen. I couldn’t keep my eyes off of the stove as she expertly flipped the thin pastry before she rolled it onto the plate next to the gas stove.

  “I want you to stop being so ugly to Freya.” There is was. She planted her fists on her hips and turned back toward me.

  “I don’t know what you are talking about.” I avoided looking into her eyes.

  “Then just listen. I won’t be in the position of power for forever, she will soon take this place, and you will have to answer to her.” She filled a crepe with whipped cream and slid it across the granite right in front of me. “Wouldn’t you rather her rise to power be a pleasant one or would you rather suffer at her hand?” My mother’s eyes grew hard as she looked at my stubborn expression.

  “I’m not ready to accept her into this coven.” And I wasn’t. I didn’t understand why, but I couldn’t put my finger on it just yet. She didn’t belong.

  “That poor girl has been alone her entire life. She hasn’t belonged anywhere, and you are going to make her feel even more alone.” The crepes no longer looked appetizing. I turned away from her and the breakfast. I wasn’t hungry anymore.

  “She doesn’t belong here.” I heard my mother set the plate down too hard, angry with my words. “At least not yet.”

  I tried to ignore my stomach growling. I was starving, but there was no way in hell I was going to go back into the kitchen. It probably didn’t matter anyhow, all the crepes would be gone. Commotion in the courtyard had me begrudgingly leaving my room to see what the fuss was about. In the middle of the yard, in the air was a cat. It was floating above everyone’s head when I saw the orange markings on its stomach and the pink collar, I immediately recognized it as Ayre’s cat Freckles. As the animal got higher in the sky, the witches in the courtyard started to back away. My stomach dropped with every foot the cat went up.

  I felt like I was going to vomit. I knew what was about to happen and before I could say anything to the growing crowd, Ayre exited Freya’s room. Her face went from confused to terror in seconds. She flew down the stairs with her hands over her mouth before she realized that maybe she could save him. She lifted her hands to the sky and chanted. It did nothing, and the cat started to flip before it was stretched at an odd angle, then ripped apart. There were screams from the witches around me, but I couldn’t bring myself to utter a single sound. I watched as a piece of paper floated to the ground from the cat’s body, that was still hanging lifelessly in the air. Blood splattering the pavement under and around it. The witches scattered, fearful of what was happening.

  I picked up the bloody parchment and read what it said to myself.

  Bring the girl, or the last thing you have to worry about will be cats.

  I swallowed hard and folded up the paper before I tucked it in my back pocket. My mother would need to see it. I could hear Ayre’s sobs as I walked to the study and soon after I had made it to the hall, I could hear her screams of sorrow. My sister and I hadn’t always gotten along, but her grief made everything terrible. My sister was a lot of things, but she was the happiest person in the coven. She was the light of everything and always cheered everyone up. She was the woman that cared about every living soul, and she was genuine. She was kind, down to her bones.

  Me? I was the opposite of her. I didn’t care about people until they were useful to me. I didn’t want to help others unless I knew that I would get something out of it. I figured
I had gotten it from my father, that's why it put me on edge with the way he treated Freya.

  Mother wasn’t in the study, so I went through each public room that I could find in the compound, there was no way she didn’t know what was happening. When I couldn’t see her, I decided I needed to head back to the dead cat. Maybe I had missed her there, but instead of Mother, Ayre and Freya were huddled together next to the fallen cat.

  Freya looked like she was in deep thought. Her eyebrows were drawn together as she held my sobbing sister. When her eyes met mine, I saw a storm brewing there. I had no idea what she was planning, but I was almost afraid.

  Chapter Twelve

  Freya

  Sterling watched me carefully, his expression finally moving away from hatred to curious. I didn’t know what his deal was, but it was pissing me off to the max. His comments about me being an orphan hadn’t been forgotten or forgiven just yet.

  Ayre let out a wheezing noise against my chest, and all I could do was rub her back in slow circles. I hadn’t had the opportunity to own an animal. Honestly, I hadn’t had the chance for much. All I could do was comfort her.

  Ayre sniffled loudly, in my ear, before she picked her head up and looked at Sterling. “Do we have any idea who did this?”

  Sterling gave her a somber look as he pulled a folded, bloody piece of paper out of his pocket. He handed it to her and more tears spilled down Ayre’s face. She hiccuped, “How could they do this?”

  “Who?” I frowned.

  Ayre looked down at her lap. “They want you.”

  “What do you mean?” I pushed myself off of the cobblestone ground and turned on Sterling. I didn’t want to know, but unfortunately, I already had ideas forming. My mother’s people wanted me, for what, I couldn’t imagine. Sterling was staring at me again, but this time with more hatred than before. Of course, I had asked a dumb question.