by Kate Gellar
Sam continued. “I know you have your reservations, Murphy, but we need to keep this team together. It’s all of us or none of us.”
Murphy nodded. “Just thinkin’ out loud. Don’t piss on yerself over it. I’m still in this.”
“So what do we do about Abby?” said Brendan, realising now their union two hours ago might have jeopardised the guardianship.
“I don’t know, but whatever she is, it’s more than a witch,” said Sam. “She has the strongest link to this place that I’ve felt in some time. We can’t write her off, even if there’s contamination in the bloodline.”
“Okay, so we go with our original plan,” said Brendan. “The party on Friday.”
Sam nodded. “I think that’s a good idea. Until then, we all promise to keep away from Abby. That includes you, Brendan.”
He’d sampled her power. She was becoming irresistible to him. “I promise.”
“Don’t worry Brendan,”—Liam slapped him on the shoulder—“I felt the same thing you did when we kissed in the garden. I have a damn good feeling about this girl.”
Brendan smiled. Liam, always the eternal optimist.
27
Abby
Abby woke on Thursday morning curled up and cozy under Brendan’s covers. She rode the high of sleeping with Brendan a few hours ago. Holy shit! That had been some powerful orgasm. She’d had two boyfriends in her entire dating life: one in high school and the other in college. She’d had sex with both of them. Abby thought she knew what sex was supposed to feel like.
It turns out she had no clue based on her experience with Brendan. What had happened with her previous boyfriends hadn’t been sex. They’d been practice runs for the real thing.
She turned over expecting to see Brendan on the other side of the bed. To her surprise, she found the spot next to her empty. She clutched the covers to her naked body and sat up. A snoring Brendan had relocated to the sofa.
Abby lay back down. She didn’t get it. Brendan had been so attentive post sex, stroking her hair until she fell asleep.
She peeked at him, blushing hard when his eyes opened suddenly and caught her staring.
“Morning,” she said feeling shy.
“Morning.” He glanced at her as he got up and headed for the bathroom. She heard the water run for a shower.
Abby dressed quickly and left his room to return to her own. She could tick off her list what a one-night stand felt like—a dirty transaction where one party acted like enough of a dick in the morning to make the other feel like a slut.
In her room, tiny compared to Brendan’s, she flopped down onto her bed. Her phone on her bedside table had a full charge. She disconnected it from the power and checked it. No new messages.
Abby groaned and stared up at the ceiling. She’d been nothing more than a fling for the playful Brendan. He’d wanted sex and he got it whatever way he could. She had to admit the boy had skills.
Yet, what they had shared last night—the power... It was like nothing she’d ever felt before. Brendan had felt it too and she had felt him, as though they had become one person.
⁎⁎⁎
The rest of Thursday went by in a blur as Abby concentrated on her chores. In the evening, Sam hosted a history lesson in the Great Hall. But no matter what she did to distract herself, her thoughts kept pulling her back to Brendan. It was like a switch had flicked inside her and she craved time with him like she needed air. But when she approached him after the history lesson, he couldn’t get away from her fast enough. Even Sylvie avoided her, choosing instead to spend her time with Noomi.
So it was like that, was it?
They didn’t call redheads fiery for nothing.
When she checked her phone again, no new messages from either Paul or Wendy. Abby felt like one of those adulterers from the old days with an “A” sewn on the front of her dress. It was always the woman’s fault. Never the man’s. If women were the sirens men claimed them to be, surely they would have used their feminine wiles to escape their punishment?
Before Abby knew it Friday had rolled around. She completed her work in the garden under Liam’s watchful eye and returned to her room to find a flyer had been shoved under her door. Well, not really a flyer, but a reminder of a mandatory attendance dinner in the Great Hall that evening.
In no mood to mingle, Abby forced herself to pick out an outfit. She rummaged through her half-unpacked suitcase to dig out her nicest dress. Tomorrow, she’d pack up the rest of her things. She had made up her mind. She would not stay beyond the weekend. Later, she’d ask Sam if she could use his laptop to book a flight home.
Abby settled on a floral print dress far too billowy for this cold country. But coupled with a baby blue cardigan and black tights, she was all set. She pulled on a pair of Doc Martens and clumped downstairs, forcing all thoughts of Brendan out of her mind. Abby entered the Great Hall but stopped, stunned by the room’s transformation. A long oak table that looked older than the castle dominated the room. It was usually pushed to the side during presentations. Lit torches sat in sconces set into the four walls. Thick cream candles in the center of the table flickered and softened the evening light. Fourteen places had been set around trays of food in the middle of the table. The whole thing looked like a medieval banquet.
Each setting had individual place cards on them. Abby found hers, disappointed to find her stuck between two girls she didn’t know. Liam, Murphy, Sam, and Brendan entered the room, followed by Sylvie and Noomi, then the other girls. Sam sat at the head of the table while Murphy sat at the opposite end. The girls closest to him smiled and flirted. Not that he noticed their attention, judging by the grumpy look on his face.
Liam sat on her side of the table but further down while Brendan sat opposite her, beside Emma, the girl she’d seen him kissing outside the kitchen window. Abby pushed down her raw jealousy when Emma smiled and brushed her arm against his. Then to make her feel worse about it, Brendan draped his arm along the back of Emma’s chair.
Abby chewed on her lip and distracted her angry thoughts by focusing on the food in the center of the table. A real banquet. Around her the other girls ooh’d and aah’d. There was more than enough food to go around. Roast chicken, roast potatoes, dishes filled with vegetables. It all smelled amazing. Yet the lump in Abby’s stomach had killed her appetite for any of it. She heard Emma giggle and looked up in time to see Brendan lean in and whisper in Emma’s ear.
Abby tried not to look like any of it bothered her. But it did. Very much.
Sam’s eyes flicked to her before his gaze settled on the rest of the table.
“Thank you all for attending our little dinner party.” He got to his feet and the table hushed. “Brendan, Liam, Murphy, and I wanted to host a welcome dinner your first week. Now, I won’t keep any of you because I know this food smells delicious, so get stuck in!”
The girls chatted as they helped themselves to food. The boys held back for a few moments before diving in themselves, although Murphy didn’t look too happy about having to wait.
There was no way the boys made this themselves. They didn’t seem like the domesticated type. Brendan scooped vegetables onto Emma’s plate when she held it out. Emma flashed a sweet smile at Abby that made Abby want to climb over the table and wrestle her to the ground.
But Abby was a lady. Almost.
She scooped some food onto her plate while others around her talked among their little groups. She ignored them and nibbled on the edges of her food. With her stomach a solid lump she thought it best to take small bites. Didn’t matter anyway. The food tasted of nothing the instant it mixed with her anger and jealousy.
“How’s the food, Abby?” Sam looked at her, his eyes inquisitive.
“What? Oh yeah, lovely.” She looked at him and forced a smile. She felt a second pair of eyes on her. Brendan was staring at her the same way he had when she’d stripped naked for him.
Too late, buddy. This ship has sailed.
She forced
her eyes down the rest of the table. Her gaze stopped on an attentive Liam whose focus was also on her, not the food. Gone was the sweet boy from the garden, to be replaced with a man with an appetite for...something.
Her eyes landed on Murphy last, too busy eating to notice her.
Sylvie sat beside Noomi. Abby almost cried. Her friendship with Sylvie hadn’t lasted long.
Abby went to look away when she noticed an oddity about the pair. They both had their eyes closed and were mumbling to themselves. Nobody paid them any attention, except for Abby. The other girls were too busy with the boys or each other.
What were they doing? She studied their lips that moved in time, but they weren’t talking to each other. Then one of the girls nearest Sam got sleepy and slumped back in her chair. A second and a third followed, until only three girls remained awake.
“What the hell’s in this food? Sleeping pills?” Abby pushed her plate away, noticing Emma across from her was also passed out.
The boys continued to eat as if nothing had happened. Murphy ditched his fork to use his fingers.
“What’s going on?” Only she, Sylvie, and Noomi were awake.
Sam remained seated and clasped his hands. “Sylvie and Noomi cast a spell to put any mortal to sleep. We needed to know who the mortals were at this table.”
Abby pushed her chair back and stood. “You could have asked them.”
“No.” Sam rose too. “None of the others, except for Noomi and Sylvie, know what you are. We had to be sure.”
“That means the rest are...”
“Regular girls,” said Sam. He addressed the boys. “We have to send them home. I’ll make up some excuse that there’s a gas leak.”
“So this dinner was a trick to trap us, to reveal us as witches? So, are we dark or white?” Abby couldn’t believe she’d been tricked. Brendan could have mentioned it. Or Sylvie.
“The spell only works on mortals,” said Sylvie. “So that means we three are witches. But there could be more faking it.”
Abby sneered at her ex-friend. “I think I’d know if I was a witch.”
“What about that picture in the book, Abby?” said Brendan.
Her eyes cut to him. “Oh, so you’re speaking to me now?” She waved her hand. “It’s just a picture.”
“The likeness is uncanny.”
It was, except for the one difference: the hooded female had black hair. “So what happens now?”
“Now, Sylvie and Noomi will do another spell to identify who is white and who is dark,” said Sam.
Before Abby could protest, her former friend and Noomi started a new chant. Abby felt her skin get hot, and it wasn’t because of the attention on her. It became unbearable, like a fire raged inside her. She jumped back from the table.
“Stop it! My skin, it’s burning.”
One sleeping girl she didn’t know and Astrid from her work group screamed in a similar fashion. Both Sylvie and Noomi remained unaffected, as did the rest of the girls.
“Okay that’s enough,” said Sam. He looked shaken. “I think we have our answers.” He addressed the pair who continued to brush the fire from their skin. “Dark witches are not welcome in this castle. You will both leave tomorrow. That goes for you too, Abby.”
Abby didn’t understand. “What, you’re kicking me out? You can’t.” She had questions about that photo, about this place. This couldn’t end, not yet.
But you’re half-packed and planning to leave. Make up your mind, Abby.
Sam refused to look at her. “This is my castle and I can kick you out if I want. You’re not helping to contain the problem here, you’re making things worse.” Sam walked from the room, waving at Sylvie and Noomi. “Wake the others up, please.”
Sylvie performed an incantation and the girls stirred from their nap. “What happened?” said Emma to Brendan.
“There’s a gas leak, it affected some of you.” Brendan stood and pushed his chair back. “We’ve turned off the gas for now, but we need to cut this trip short and send you home. We apologize, but your safety is too important to us.”
The girls looked disappointed. But only a few knew the real truth.
Abby had no idea what to do next. This wasn’t how it was supposed to end.
28
Brendan
Brendan stayed back with the boys while the girls, including Sylvie and Noomi, filed out of the dining hall. Three dark witches had been identified, including Abby. They would all need to leave tomorrow morning, including the mortals. Sam had asked Sue and Mary, the experienced witches of the local coven, to cast a spell that would render the dark witches’ magic useless until then.
He couldn’t believe it. Abby was a dark witch, nothing more. So why did she voluntarily give her power to him? That’s not what dark witches did. But this castle was dangerous for her and the mortals. The power beneath the seal would continue to influence her and the other dark witches the longer they stayed. For tonight, thanks to Sylvie and Noomi’s spell, everyone would be safe.
Murphy smirked as the last of the girls left. “I hope they ate enough food because that was probably the last meal they’ll get here.”
Brendan was sick of Murphy’s lack of interest in their guardianship.
“It had to happen that way, Murphy,” said Sam. “I know you don’t believe in the process.”
Murphy shrugged and the smile dropped away. “Doesn’t matter what I believe. Fate is fate, right?”
“It is, and the rules say anyone with witch blood cannot bond with the guardians. The queen must be of pure blood.” Sam’s eyes slid to Brendan. “So that means it has to end here, Brendan.”
Brendan’s anger flared under Sam’s scrutiny. “I get it,” he hissed. “They’re all leaving tomorrow. Stop making a big deal out of it.”
But it was a big deal. The others didn’t understand. Brendan couldn’t stop thinking about her.
Murphy walked to the door. “You need to figure it out soon, Sam. Because that seal isn’t getting any easier to manage. Sue and Mary’s spell is already weakening. I can feel it.”
Brendan had felt the power the castle put out right before dinner. The spell keeping the rift between their two worlds closed might not last longer than a day. “We should ask Sylvie and Noomi to stick around, to work with Sue and Mary.”
“I’ll speak to them,” said Sam. “But they might be needed elsewhere. Let’s sleep on it.”
“What about the food?” said Liam lingering by the table.
Sam started to clear away dishes when Clara, their housekeeper, came into the room. “I’ll get that. You boys get to bed.”
“You sure?” said Sam.
“Absolutely.” Clara had worked for Sam’s family for years and knew all about the legend. But with dwindling funds, Sam had to reduce her hours to one day a week.
Brendan retired to his room after saying goodnight to the others. The minute he closed the door his thoughts switched over to Abby. She’d only been in his room two nights ago but he desperately wanted her here again, even if it was just to talk. What they had shared was powerful, witch blood or not. But it was over and Brendan might as well get used to it.
A knock on his door lifted his hopes. Maybe Abby felt the same way. What harm could one last time do?
He opened the door but his smile dropped away when he saw Emma standing there. Her arm rested against the door jamb. She looked up at him through painted eyelashes.
“I just wanted to say goodnight,” she said. “Since it’s our last night and all.”
Brendan’s eyes wandered to her outfit. She’d changed since dinner and now wore a low cut top that gave him a view of her ample breasts. Before Abby, his dick might have risen to attention. Now, it barely stirred. All he could think about was Abby. He didn’t blame her for not coming. He’d acted like an asshole over dinner.
“Goodnight, Emma. It was very nice meeting you.”
He went to close the door, but she slipped inside his room before he could.
“Eh, okay.” He ruffled his hair and showed her his room. Out of politeness he told her about the history of the place.
“This used to be a duke and duchess’s room?” Emma’s eyes widened.
“Only when they stayed here. In the old days, these castles were mostly used for entertaining overseas guests. A lot of English owned these big properties.”
“Wow.” Emma moved farther into the room, making it harder for Brendan to steer her to the exit.
“It’s been a long day, Emma. I’m ready to turn in.”
She turned and said, “What a coincidence, me too.” She pulled her top over her head. Then she let her skirt drop to the floor until she stood in a pink floral bra and panties.
“Emma, I don’t think this is a good idea.”
Her gaze traveled to the front of his bulging jeans. “Are you sure about that?”
She stepped closer to him and he froze. His hard-on was for Abby, not Emma. But, according to Sam Abby was off limits, and Emma would be gone tomorrow. What harm could one night do?
But when Emma pressed her cleavage into his chest, the moment felt wrong.
Emma looked up at him through her eyelashes and demanded with a smile, “Kiss me.”
Brendan stood there, like a statue. “This is a mistake.” He stepped back from her, but Emma surprised him by lunging at him and pressing her mouth to his.
Her ice cold lips against his shocked him. Emma’s tongue darted into his mouth. He tried to keep her out but she found new ways past his defences. Emma deepened the kiss causing Brendan to feel lightheaded. His skin heated up and his head pounded with the worst headache of all time.
Emma’s mouth created a tight seal over his. But when she covered his nose with her hand, he mumbled and tried to grab some air. But he couldn’t budge her.
Shit, this girl is strong.
He kicked her in the shin causing her to yelp and break their connection. Brendan stumbled back from her, breathing hard.