Witchin' You're a Dragon

by Isabel Micheals

“When did you discover your father is evil?” Zara asked.

  “On my mother’s death bed. She warned me not to trust him and to keep my powers a secret. Before she could tell me more, we were interrupted by my father who had been lurking in the hallway trying to listen to our conversation. I thought, suppressing my dragon would keep me safe, but it’s obvious I was wrong.”

  “I guess it’s a good thing Cole discovered you in the parking lot of The Bellagio.”

  “I think you’re right about that, Zara. I was so stunned that my father would use Max and Jax against me that I allowed them to get too close. It’s become brutally apparent to me that he doesn’t care who he hurts. It also concerns me because a ruthless man with no boundaries will stop at nothing to get what he wants.”

  “You’re correct,” Zoe said. “I guess the question we’re all avoiding is whether or not you’ll be able to take out your father if push comes to shove?”

  “Honestly, I don’t know at this point. But what I do know is that I’m tired of running. This is not a life and I’ve done nothing wrong.”

  “If it comes down between you and him, Cole will take him out to protect you,” Zara said in a no nonsense tone.

  Cole listened intently as he eavesdropped on the women. He didn’t care if it made him look like a sap. He was desperate to know more about Sarah and how she had come to this point in her life. The more he learned about her asshole of a father, the more he wanted to burn the man to a crisp. There was no way in hell, he was going to let that asswipe take Sarah’s powers. Zara was right, he’d do whatever it took to send the man back to Hell where he belonged.

  CHAPTER 8

  “You can come out of hiding now, Colrath,” Zara yelled.

  “How- How did you know I was there?”

  “I could smell your dragon’s breath from across the room. Did you forget we’re connected?” Zara asked with a raised eyebrow.

  “Goddess knows I try on a regular basis,” Cole said dryly, as he joined the women in the kitchen with the rest of the men following closely behind.

  “I don’t mean to rain on anyone’s parade, but what’s the plan? How are we going to send this nut job back to Hell where he belongs?” Stefano asked. “No offense, Sarah.”

  “None taken.”

  “I think we need to ask dad and the rest of the community for help. If he’s immersed himself in Dark Magic, we’re going to need all the help we can get,” Nicolai suggested.

  “I couldn’t agree more,” Mac said. “Although Zelda has some Dark Magic of her own, I don’t know if she can handle Jacob by herself. There’s more power in numbers. Besides, maybe they’ll have an idea about how to reverse his Dark Magic.”

  “I’ll call mom and tell her we need the community’s help. If Sarah has something of her father’s, maybe she’ll be able to get a read on him. If we have an idea of what’s coming, maybe we can head it off at the path,” Stefano said, pulling out his cell phone.

  Two hours later, everyone was gathered around Zoe and Stefano’s dining room table. The women had whipped up a huge pot of spaghetti, salad, and garlic bread. Once again Zelda had chosen to create her own concoction by adding hot sauce, anchovies, and maple syrup. It was beyond disgusting, but no one dared say a word.

  In addition to Stefano’s parents, Zeva and Mikhail, showing up, the two lion shifters, Dillen and Ariel, as well as Alec Stone and Jasper of the wolf pack joined the group. Shortly after everyone had been seated, the doorbell rang again and a witch by the name of Serena introduced herself and offered her services. From the way she cozied up to Alec, it was obvious she was there more for him than to help deal with the danger Jacob O’Malley presented to his daughter and the rest of the magical community. Even Hildy and Chuck made an appearance even though they couldn’t enjoy the delicious spread out on the table.

  “Goddess, I miss food?” Hildy said with a sigh.

  “Me too! I would kill for a big juicy rib-eye about now,” Chuck replied.

  “Thank goodness we don’t have to give up sex because that’s where I draw the line Snookums. If I weren’t able to run my fingers over your big, strapping chest, as well as some other big parts, I’d have to kill someone,” Hildy said, licking her lips one minute and then flattening them into a thin line when she thought about her next Great Adventure without Chuck.

  “TMI, Aunt Hildy,” Zoe said with a laugh. “We’ve had this discussion. No sex talk or raging hormones, while we’re at the dinner table.”

  “You didn’t say that the other night when Nicolai had you spread across it and was nibbling on you like you were his last meal,” Hildy replied.

  “Aunt Hildy,” Zoe exclaimed. “Have you been spying on us?”

  “Well. Not exactly. Chuckie-poo and I dropped in to chat and just happen to catch you in a compromising position. We immediately disappeared, although I still contend, you’re one lucky girl,” Hildy said with a smirk.

  She quickly regained her composure when Chuck growled in her ear.

  “Oh calm down you big bear. No one will ever be as good as you in bed.”

  “Enough,” Zoe exclaimed as everyone around the table started to laugh. “Now, where was I? Oh yes, I remember now. There’s one thing that’s been bothering me about this from the beginning. How did Jacob O’Malley manage to amass so much Dark Magic?” Zoe asked.

  “Do you want to tell them or do you want me to tell them, Baba Yo Pain In My Ass?” Hildy asked in a deadly voice.

  Sighing in defeat, Baba Yaga finally said, “The Council of Witches have been watching Jacob for years.”

  “Why have they been watching him?” Sarah asked, confusion spreading across her face.

  “When he killed Roslyn for her Dark Magic, we were concerned but not much because she was helping him steal your mother’s powers.”

  “What?” Sarah yelled. “Roslyn was my nanny. I loved her like a mother and was devastated when she disappeared. You’re telling me that she was a part of murdering my mother?”

  “I’m afraid so, dear. She didn’t disappear. Your father used the Lurking Evil, as Zelda fondly refers to it, to steal her powers and once she was too weak to defend herself, he killed her and disposed of the body.

  “Oh My Goddess,” Sarah said in a whisper.

  Knowing that everyone needed to know what they were up against, Baba Yaga ignored the distraught look on Sarah’s face and continued. “Over the years, he’s been hunting down witches who wield Dark Magic and using the Lurking Evil to take their powers and then kill them.”

  “Holy mother humper on a stick. Why are we just now hearing about this Baba Yo Pain In My Ass?” Zelda yelled. The more she thought about the situation, the more livid she became on behalf of all of the witches who had lost their lives to this asshole.

  “Because the Council of Witches have tied my hands,” Baba Yaga exclaimed, equally outraged by the situation.

  “Those ass-farts wouldn’t know how to take out a target if it walked up and bit them on their proverbial asses,” Hildy said in disgust.

  “Well, our hands aren’t tied. Jacob is a threat not only to the Wiccan community, but the magical community overall. It’s time we put his sorry ass down once and for all,” Zelda said in a deadly voice.

  Mortified that her father could commit such heinous acts against witches, it took everything Sarah had not to run screaming from the table. From listening to everyone in the room, he was a bigger threat than she could have ever imagined. Just thinking about what he was capable of sent chills down her spine.

  Cole knew it was difficult for Sarah to hear all of the disgusting things her father had done. The more they learned about his crimes against witches and the magical community in general, the more he wanted to light a fire under the man’s ass. However, sensing his mate’s distress, he knew this wasn’t the time nor the place to voice his disgust of the situation. So, he slipped Sarah’s hand in his and gently gave it a squeeze hoping that she understood, they were in this together no matter what. He would ne
ver turn his back on her. Too many people who should have protected and loved her unconditionally already had, and that was one too many people for him.

  “Sarah, I know this news must come as a shock to you about your father. Do you have anything of his that I might be able to use to invoke a vision about what he has up his sleeve next?” Zeva asked in a soothing voice.

  Nodding, Sara removed the emerald pendant from around her neck and placed it in Zeva’s hand. “My father gave this to me on my sixteenth birthday. It was the last birthday, I had before my mother passed away. That’s when he told me that I would always be his Princess and no matter where I was in the world, he’d always be able to find me. I didn’t realize he meant it literally.”

  “I’m so sorry, Sarah,” Zeva said.

  The sorrowful look on the older woman’s face and the kindness in her voice almost brought Sarah to her knees. She needed some air before she unraveled completely.

  “Will you excuse me? It’s been a long day and I’m rather tired,” she whispered before scooting her chair back, standing, and walking upstairs.

  Cole knew he should have given her a few moments alone, but the protector in him wanted to wrap her up in bubble wrap and put her away so that she’d be safe. He quietly followed her upstairs, contemplating how to make all of this go away. Her father was beyond reason with all of the Dark Magic flowing through his veins. For the first time in his life, he didn’t see a way out of this mess, which scared him to death.

  He watched her intently as she silently walked into the bedroom, undressed, and crawled under the covers. His heart was breaking for her. She looked so sad, vulnerable and defeated. It frustrated him to no end that he couldn’t make her pain go away.

  Sliding into the bed behind her, he pulled her closer, wrapped his arms securely around her and whispered in her ear, “What can I do to help, sweetheart?”

  “He killed all of those witches, Cole. How could he be so cruel?” Sarah asked in a whisper as her eyes welled with tears.

  Cole felt her body start to shake and then heard her sniffles. He pulled her closer and said in a stern voice. “Listen to me, sweetheart. This is not your fault. This is all on your father. He consciously made a choice to murder those women and now he’ll have to suffer the consequences. You’ve done nothing wrong. The power your mother gifted you with was never his in the first place. If the Fates had wanted him to be immortal, they would have seen to it long before now.”

  “I hear what you’re saying, but my heart is breaking for those women. Maybe I should just give him the power so that he doesn’t harm anyone else?”

  “No,” Cole said in a stern voice as he turned her to face him. “Look at me, sweetheart. Your father is greedy and willing to do whatever it takes to obtain immortality. If you give him what he seeks, he won’t stop there. I know this because men like your father never get enough. They feed on the week and regardless of how much power they amass, they always inevitably want more. Today, he wants to be immortal. Tomorrow, he’ll want to rule the world.”

  Sarah knew Cole was right, but it was still a hard pill to swallow. Since all of this mess began, she’s often wondered what her mother would have done if she had survived. While she knew it was wishful thinking, the thought of her mother alive and happy was the only thing keeping her going right now.

  “How are we going to stop him, Cole?”

  “I don’t know, but we’ll figure out something. We just need to stick together no matter what is thrown our way because we’re stronger together.”

  “Okay.”

  “Now that that’s settled, close your eyes and rest, sweetheart. The next couple of days is going to be rough and you’re going to need all of your strength.”

  Once Cole was positive that Sarah had fallen asleep, he joined the others downstairs. It killed him to hear her crying. His dragon was torn between wanting to protect his mate and wanting to rip Jacob O’Malley to shreds for all the pain he’d caused his daughter. What kind of man kills his wife and hunts his daughter like an animal?

  “A fucking psycho,” Cole murmured to himself as he descended the stairs two at a time.

  “How is she?” Zara asked when he walked into the kitchen.

  “Heartbroken. Exhausted. Confused. Scared. Pick one. Any one and that’s the emotion she’s feeling at any given moment.”

  “We’re so sorry, Cole?”

  “It’s not your fault. You didn’t create this situation and neither did Sarah. But, I plan on cleaning it up. Did you have any luck with the pendant, Zeva?”

  From the somber look on the older woman’s face, Cole knew he wasn’t going to like her answer.

  “It doesn’t look good, Cole.”

  “We knew that from the get go. So, quit stalling and tell me what you saw in your vision. I’m a big boy. I can handle it.”

  “The reason her father has been able to find her is because the pendant was laced with a location spell. He must’ve had Roslyn cast the spell before he killed her. I was able to reverse it, but he still might know her location, even as we speak.”

  “Are you fucking kidding me? He’s been playing mind games with her this whole time while he continues to hunt her like a damn animal. What kind of father does that to his own fucking daughter?” Cole said through gritted teeth as he paced back and forth in the kitchen.

  “I think we’re all in agreement that Jacob O’Malley is a psychotic asshole, who needs to be sent straight to Hell and fast,” Zara said.

  “You think? The things he’s done to Sarah are incomprehensible. How do we stop someone who has no boundaries and doesn’t give a damn about who he hurts?” Cole asked, frustration evident in his voice.

  “There’s something else you should know, Cole,” Zeva said.

  “Oh goody. There’s more. Why am I not surprised?”

  “Before this is all over with, Sarah will go to her father willing and offer him her mother’s powers.”

  “What?” Cole yelled, freaked out by Zeva’s latest revelation. “Why would she do that? She knows we’re here to help her.”

  Zeva looked him straight in the eye and simply said, “To save lives.”

  “What does that mean? Whose lives? You know and I know, Jacob O’Malley is one sick son-of-a-bitch. He’ll never stop, which is the reason we have to stop him now before he becomes stronger and more powerful,” Cole insisted.

  “Cole. Honey. You need to calm down. We’ll do whatever it takes to help you protect Sarah. You know that, right?” Zara asked as she stood and walked toward her best friend who was more like a brother. Before she had known about her sisters, father and aunt, he was the only family she had ever known. She wouldn’t let him down now in his time of need.

  When she prevented him from continuing to pace and cupped his face, he looked into her fierce green eyes and whispered, “I can’t lose her. She’s everything I never knew I wanted and we just found each other.”

  “I know, honey. I promise we’ll do whatever it takes to protect your mate. You have my word. If anyone deserves a Happily Ever After, it’s you,” Zara whispered in his ear, as she wrapped him in her arms.

  The rest of the room watched in silence as Zara tried to console Cole. They all knew what he was feeling because at one time or another, they had been there as well. It was hard finding your mate only to run the risk of losing her so quickly, but unfortunately it came with the territory. No one is promised tomorrow, which is why they made sure to live for today every chance they got.

  Exhausted from the weeks’ activities, everyone decided to call it a night and reconvene tomorrow. They all agreed Sarah would be less vulnerable if she knew how to shift into her dragon without a thought. Zeva promised to let them know if any more visions came to her about Sarah’s father and what he might be up to. Cole had quickly said his goodbyes and returned to Sarah’s side. He had no clue of what the future held in store for them, so he decided to enjoy whatever time the Fates had granted them, which is the reason he quietly slipped back
into bed and wrapped his arms around her silently promising never to let her go.

  CHAPTER 9

  Although they had yet to come up with a plan, everyone was in agreement that Sarah needed to continue shifting until it became more natural. The more everyone watched, the more self-conscious she became, which made it more difficult to shift.

  How does Cole do this so effortlessly? Sarah thought, the harder she concentrated on shifting.

  A few minutes later, Cole walked up behind her, wrapped his arms around her and whispered in her ear, “Relax. Think about how good it felt to soar in the air. Let your dragon come to you naturally. You can do this, sweetheart. I have faith in you.”

  While his words had helped her relax, still there was nothing. It’s like her dragon was pissed and had decided to go on vacation. If she couldn’t shift, she couldn’t fight her father. What the hell were they going to do now?

  “We’re going to need a Plan B if she’s unable to shift because once the gears are put into motion, the next set of events will cause a chain reaction that won’t stop until one side is eliminated permanently,” Zeva whispered in Zara’s ear.

  “She’s nervous. Maybe if we weren’t all watching her, she’d finally relax. Wait! Why do we need a Plan B? What are you not telling us?” Zara whispered back.

  “Her father is a vile, vicious man who doesn’t care about anyone or anything but becoming immortal. He will destroy our Sarah unless we make sure that all of our bases are covered. There’s a storm coming and it has the power to destroy everyone and everything we love,” she replied cryptically.

  Everyone was startled when Hildy let out a loud whistle and said, “It’s obvious this isn’t working. Men, go play with yourselves and let the women handle this. You’re making our Sarah nervous and it’s preventing her from embracing her dragon.”

  “No, it’s okay. I can do this,” Sarah protested.

  “Sweetie, we know you can do this. You just need a little privacy. Besides, Fabadouche wants Cole to try on his new flame resistant Fab-a-tards. He’s so excited by his ridiculous invention that he’s beside himself.”