“Considering,” I said, absentmindedly taking a book he offered, “you’re meant to be this hippy guru, you’re not helping.”
Sticking my bottom lip out, I flipped open the book and scanned its pages. Jamie had been helping me to research my ancestry. I figured I needed to know who I was, in order to understand my mother better.
“Well?” Jamie pushed. “Did you get the phones?”
Screwing up my mouth, I shook my head. “No, Tinniel spelled them to forget everything and erased the videos from their phones. I’m sure other people saw us, though, so it wasn’t like I failed. Not really.”
My glare halted Jamie’s proposed reply. Instead, he changed the subject. “Have you practiced today?” Jamie’s hushed tone was loud in the silent room.
My gaze instantly snapped to Synthia, who moved to stand up from her desk. She was so engrossed in her healing spell, she didn’t even say goodbye as she left the room, her earphones plugged in and her lips mouthing the words to whatever song played. Phew, she wouldn’t have heard Jamie.
“Not yet,” I replied, turning back to my friend, “but I want to give it a go now.”
Although the twins had insisted that I wasn’t strong enough to track my mother, I had to at least attempt it. Every day, I’d been thinking of her, trying to connect to her energy. So far, it had been no good. I wasn’t bloody strong enough. Yet. I would do it, just to defy the twins.
“I read that if you trust your magic, you will find it easier to harness.” Jamie tapped the page in front of him. “The first Ford witches were a mother and daughter pair. They created a blood bond, which somehow morphed the first spark of magic in their blood. It quickly grew as they learned how to use it for good. That’s when they created other witches, passing on their magic in potions and spells infused by the magic of the earth.”
Blinking, I shook my head slowly. “That’s why the other witches can only cast Earth magic. It’s also why they class me as royalty, I suppose.”
Jamie chuckled as he shrugged, clearly not convinced that I was good enough to be royalty.
If my mother had just been brave enough to tell me that I had blue blood and descended from a famous line of witches, maybe my life would’ve been a lot more kickass. Think what the kids at school would’ve thought. Oh yeah, they were human. They would have sent me to an asylum.
A chill ran down my arms as I shuddered. Not that long ago, I’d believed that I was suffering from a psychotic break. I’d even believed that Naz and Tinniel were figments of my imagination.
Tinniel’s face popped into my mind, brooding and handsome, his strong jaw softening as he licked his lips.
“You’re doing it again,” Jamie interrupted my fantasy. “Why don’t you just talk to the guy? You clearly need to bed him.”
Gasping in mock outrage, I scrubbed my hot cheeks as I pushed the image of Tinniel away. Maybe it was time to stop tiptoeing around him. He was a grown man, albeit a moody one, but still, he was adult enough to hear me out. “I think you’re right.”
“I know I’m right. That dreamy look right there, it’s getting on my tits.”
“Getting on your tits?” I barked a laugh. “Firstly, that saying never made sense. Secondly, your flat man boobs hardly count as tits.”
Waving away my perfectly sound argument to his stupid saying, he smiled. “Seriously, it’s getting on my nerves. Is that better?”
“No,” I said, looking down at the book in front of me, “it’s rude to…”
My sentence trailed off as I read the headline: Last Ford Witch Admits She’s Pregnant.
A pang squeezed my chest as I scanned the page. It was a newspaper cutting from two hundred years ago, printed in a collection of news stories about the royal Ford line.
Bloody hell, it was as if my ancestors were like Queen Elizabeth II and her family. The whole book documented the lives of the Ford witches.
“This is creepy,” I whispered, glancing around the room, “why didn’t my mother tell me?”
Leaning over me, Jamie tutted as he read the article. “I don’t know. She did you a disservice by not informing you of your origins, even if she was trying to protect you.”
“It says here that the line was dwindling. Apparently, the more a royal witch uses her magic, the harder it is for her to conceive. Shit, that’s scary.”
Not that a baby was high on my priority list, although I wouldn’t say no to a Tinniel mini-me. However, I had always wanted a family of my own. Yes, the damaged part of me had believed that I could recreate what I’d lost with my mother. What was the harm in that?
“Talking about using your magic.” Jamie gestured around the room. “Now is the perfect time.”
Pushing up from the chair, I nodded my agreement. He was right, I had to practice. The twins had encouraged me to keep trying to connect to different people, why not Jimmy and my mother?
My boots caught the thick red rug as I paced over to the fireplace and snuggled into one of the armchairs. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and relaxed. The crackle of the flames soothed my muscles as I envisioned my mother. Her soft brown eyes, her thick frizzy greying hair. How had I not guessed that she was a witch with hair like that?
A chuckle moved my chest as I breathed, enjoying the memory of her smiling face as she caught me at the bottom of a slide. The memory shifted, lines etching her face as she came in from work, frowning at me when she saw the cigarette in my hand.
Oh yeah, the rebellious teen stage. She had just missed my coughing fit, and although I knew she disapproved, she’d headed straight for bed, not even chastising me. How could a woman, who was running a whole federation of magical creatures, be so cold to her only daughter?
Swallowing down the pity party that threatened to take up residence in my brain, I concentrated on a happier memory. Just after we’d moved from our nice home, Mother had brought tons of snacks and made my favourite dinner. She’d explained that sometimes, it was safer to live under the radar. Ah, that had been her explanation, I’d forgotten.
The memory came back, full force. She had claimed that something had happened at work with a colleague – at this point, I’d believed her to be a solicitor – and he’d been cruel to her. Wow, she hadn’t completely lied to me, she’d just bent the truth. In fact, I used to tell my school friends that my mother caught the bad guys. How had I forgotten that?
“Lyla?” Her voice drifted to me, as if she was in the room. “Can you hear me?”
Sitting upright, I licked my lips but kept my eyes closed. My heart thudded loudly as I focused, clearing my mind’s eye.
“Mum?” I muttered aloud.
Surely not.
A dull ache gripped my head as I breathed deeply, keeping calm.
“It’s me,” she replied, her voice echoing from the shadows of my mind. “We’re in the dark, near the sea.”
“The sea? What else is around you? Who are you with?” Clenching my hands, I dug my nails into my palm.
A sob resounded loudly, the sound unfamiliar from the woman who had raised me. “Baby girl,” she cried, “they found you.”
Her words started to become distorted as my energy faltered. No, please, no, I couldn’t lose her yet. Tears popped into my eyes as my stomach churned.
“Mum,” I pleaded, “answer the questions, I’m losing you.”
The sound of a male coughing caused me to sit up straighter.
“Can’t…nothing…dark…” Her voice started to cut out, just like a phone when it lost its signal. “Henrick…”
“I’m losing you!” I cried as the soft touch of tears slipped down my cheeks. “Mum?”
“Find Jimmy,” her voice was barely a whisper now. “Find us.”
Something pinged in my head, the resulting pain stabbing into my brain and sending me to my knees. Clutching my skull as I groaned, I barely noticed the sound of the door opening, followed by the thump of hurried footsteps.
“Lyla?” Tinniel’s heavenly rich voice cut through the pain
, soothing it like a balm.
Arms came around me as I gasped for air, my body desperately needing something to rejuvenate its energy.
“Breathe,” Tinniel whispered into my ear, sending a whole host of tingles sprinkling over my skin.
Jolting as the sparks ignited my energy and the pain subsided, I clung to Tinniel and opened my eyes. His thick eyebrows were pulled together as he stared at me, his bright green peepers pinched at the corners.
“Are you okay?” he asked, his warm breath bathing my face. “What happened?”
Licking my lips, I tried to swallow, but my mouth was too dry. Almost choking, I blinked as Tinniel lifted me into his arms and cradled me to him. Yep, a woman needed a man to hold her sometimes, no matter how independent she was. Okay, I didn’t want to be independent, I needed Tinniel’s touch. There, I’d admitted it.
“I connected to my mother.” My voice was shaky as I reached up and cupped his face. “She said that if we found Jimmy, we’d find them.”
Tinniel’s cheeks drained of blood, the skin turning deathly pale. “Them?”
His gaze bore into mine as he dropped his face closer, as if being nearer would force me to answer. “She said his name,” I finally said.
“Henrick?”
A shuddering breath whooshed over my face as he exhaled, the force of it moving a strand of my hair.
“I think the werewolf was right,” I said. “Henrick’s still alive.”
His throat bobbed as he clutched me tighter, leaning his head against mine. My insides quivered as his eyes closed, his long thick eyelashes resting on his cheeks. A drop of water pushed out onto them, sticking the fine hairs together.
“Thank you,” he whispered, his eyes flickering open.
Biting my lip, I reached up, stroking the stubble that lined his cheek. Guilt sat so heavily in his chest, I could feel it vibrate in mine. He lived with the belief that he’d failed his brother, even caused his death. And all along, Jimmy had played a powerful magical trick.
“You don’t have to bully yourself anymore.”
His shoulders went stiff as the tips of my fingers slid over his lips, enticing him to open for me. He sucked in a breath as tiny sparks of intensity danced from my skin. I moved my hand to the back of his neck, digging my palm into the strands of his thick luscious hair.
As his gaze searched mine, I tugged his head down, pushing my lips to his in a fast, fierce kiss. He melted, his neck softening and his hand squeezing my thigh where he held me against him. Heat fired me up, no doubt sending steam from my head. Everything was forgotten, his lips against mine, taking me to another plain, where only we existed. If only his hand would travel upwards, finding my deepest place.
“Uh-hum.” Jamie cleared his throat loudly. “As voyeuristic as I may seem, it’s not actually my scene.”
Tinniel snapped back from me, his eyes widening as a wicked grin spread on his lips. The lips I’d been dreaming about since our first kiss. At least I’d had a taste of them again.
“Shall I erase his memory?” he whispered, looking over his shoulder at my human friend before dropping me to my feet.
Backing up, Jamie wagged a finger. “Don’t panic, no judgement here. It’s plain to see there’s sexual tension between the pair of you.”
“Jamie,” I interrupted as Tinniel released me. “This is erm…” Tilting my head to the side, I raised my eyebrows.
If the boho hippy didn’t get the hint, I would have to find Beauty and threaten him. His mouth dropped open before he rushed to the table, gathered a bunch of books and left, waving as the door closed behind him.
“That was awkward.” Looking up at Tinniel as he scratched his stubbled jaw, I tried to calm my racing heart.
The corner of his lip lifted into his cheek. “I dunno, it was quite fun.”
“Fun?”
I had never heard the word come from Tinniel’s mouth, let alone the lightness of his tone and energy.
“Lyla,” he breathed, slowly shaking his head. “Are you sure about Henrick?”
Of course, he would be excited about this brother, and rightly so. Doubt suddenly gripped me as I wrung my hands together. What if it was all a lie? Someone playing a trick on me?
“I…really hope so.”
His playful demeanour dropped slightly as he looked at me, his eyes big and puppy-dog like. Bloody hell, talk about putting on the pressure. If only he hadn’t walked into the library just as I was coming out of my connection with my mother. Although, the twins would’ve killed me if I’d tried to explain what I was doing before I’d managed to achieve my goal.
“It was the first time I’ve been able to track my mother,” I said, clinging to the sleeve of his zipped Nordic cardigan.
My gaze traced the pattern as he nodded slowly, his throat moving as he bit the inside of his cheek. The weather was changing, fast growing cold. I hadn’t pegged Tinniel for a fashion type of guy, but cardigans were all the rage right now. Annoyingly, it looked super-hot on him as it hugged his incredible bod.
“I didn’t even realise you were trying.” Taking my fingers in his hand, he stared down at them, his hair falling forward to cover his face.
There he went again, disappearing into his own thoughts. Was he as mentally unstable as me? Probably.
“I wish I had Naz’s ability,” I said quietly.
He smirked as he lifted his gaze, his eyes smouldering sexily at me. It was a good job we were in a public place. His vulnerability was making my intimate parts ache for his touch. I could wash away his pain with my hands, help him bury it deep – no, that was naughty distracted thinking. Had to concentrate on our bounty.
“Trust me,” he said, rubbing his flushed neck. “You don’t want to know what I’m thinking. My thoughts have been all over the place.”
“What happened with Jimmy?”
Blinking, Tinniel straightened his spine and released my hand. My perspiring palms shook as I tucked them into my pockets, safe from the temptation of reaching for him. He had confided in Naz and written a report for Klarita, but every time I’d asked him what Jimmy had done to him, he’d managed to change the subject. Synthia had assured me it was because he didn’t want to frighten me. Something deep inside me knew better.
“He beat me,” he said, turning away from me. “Then used a healer to get rid of my wounds, before doing it all over again. He wanted to know where you were.”
“Me?” I squeaked, my stomach rolling. “Why would he hurt you like that because of me?”
I couldn’t believe that Tinniel had taken a beating on my behalf. Why the fuck would Jimmy want a novice witch?
Looking over his shoulder, he raised his eyebrows. “Has your research not shown you how important you are?”
If I hadn’t felt so sick, I would’ve hugged him and probably kissed his face all over. The fact that he’d been hurt, over and over, in order to keep me safe, made me all wobbly inside. He’d suffered that, and I hadn’t stayed on the ball. Not really. Trying to connect to my mother in order to find her and Henrick hadn’t exactly taken a ton of effort.
My gaze travelled over to the pile of books left on the table. I had been so focused on practicing my magic, I hadn’t concentrated when Jamie had told me all about my ancestral line. I knew that we were the first ever witches, created by blood magic. However, what I didn’t get, was why we were in so much danger now?
“This is one of those rare moments when I wish I had my brother’s power, also.” Tinniel turned to face me, the intensity of his gaze warming my chest.
“Jamie told me that we were powerful, able to track people and cast all spells.” I shrugged, almost dismissing the information. “But, we’ve lost a lot of it because we’re dying out.”
Pursing his lips, Tinniel frowned. “You need to take this seriously.”
I was about to get defensive when I stopped, crossing my arms over my chest. “I know,” I said, my breath rushing out of my lungs.
“Your line is not just dying out, Lyl
a.” Coming to stand in front of me, he placed his bent finger under my chin and tipped it up, forcing me to look into his gaze. “Your magic is, too. If you don’t learn how to harness it, there’s a chance that all magic will cease to exist.”
Chapter Three
“Explain more,” I told Tinniel as we rushed through the corridor.
His strides were ten times longer than mine. Okay, maybe ten times was an exaggeration, but I still had to jog to keep up with him.
Klarita had messaged, ordering us to get our butts to the club for an emergency meeting. My heart played ping pong on my ribcage, vibrating my chest. What did she have to say? Had they found another lead in the Jimmy case?
“Your magic created all witches, which means, if your line dies out, every witch in the world will die with you.”
“Fuck,” I cursed, clenching my hands into fists as we trotted down the stairs. “You’re telling me that if my mother and I croak, tons of people across the world will die, too?”
Nodding, Tinniel side-eyed me. “Try hundreds of thousands.”
Stumbling, I put my hand on my chest as I righted myself. “There’s that many witches?”
“What have you been doing in the library?” Tinniel said, opening the door that led to the club and indicating that I go through first.
Oh, I liked a gentleman. This side of Tinniel made butterflies flitter in my belly. The heavy cloud that had been submerged over his head had lifted, revealing a ray of sunshine.
“You’ve never looked at me all googly-eyed before. Please, stop. It’s freaking me out.”
Jolting from where I’d been staring up at him, right beside the door, I laughed nervously as I shot into the club, coming to a stop when my gaze traced the occupants by the bar.
“That man,” I whispered, my attention completely averting away from Tinniel.
My hands started to shake as I swallowed hard. His face was familiar to me, although I hadn’t seen him at the Federation before.
“Oh, that’s Leon, the man in the picture that Naz showed you,” Tinniel said. “He’s an ex-bounty hunter. He worked under your mother for many years.” He paused, clearly realising his faux pas. “I mean…” Glancing at him, I cringed slightly. What? My inner child couldn’t help but pick up on the innuendo.
The Witch With An Attitude (Federation of Magic Book 2) Page 2
