I didn’t have to tell the sheriff and Opie twice. They were already moving, running through the house and making sure it was clear. It seemed like forever before they were back at my side, even though the likelihood was it was a matter of a minute or two. Time stretched when you were holding back a force of this magnitude.
“Everyone’s out.” Sheriff Taylor had to shout to be heard over the roaring flames. “We’ve got to go.”
I gave him a nod. “Go. I’ll follow.”
“The hell with that,” Opie said. “Try to keep your concentration going for a few seconds longer.” Then he scooped me up into his arms, and we were running for the door.
The flames took advantage of my movement, and even as we ran, they escaped from their under the floor prison, racing through the threshold of the basement stairwell as if they were intent on catching us.
Luckily, Opie was a little faster. Carrying me, that was no small feat.
He didn’t stop until he was at the edge of the parking lot. Then he laid me down on the ground and looked up at his dad, who was still staring at me.
Oh yeah, he’d never witnessed my work up close and personal before. I was rather hoping he wouldn’t make a big deal of it. News would travel pretty fast to the council if he did.
Not that it mattered at this point. In a decision between my future and Opie’s life, I’d choose the latter every single time.
Instead of making an issue of it, he instead looked from me to the tree line that was altogether too close to the club.
“That fire is going to spread and, if we’re not lucky, we’re gonna have a wildfire on our hands. Anything you can do to stop that happening?”
I shook my head. “I’m too drained to make much of a difference. I need help.”
His cell phone was out in a heartbeat. Opal was his first call, the fire department his second.
The man was smart.
Opal was smarter.
Several things happened in the next several minutes. Opal arrived in tandem with Patricia Bluespring and working together, we held the flames from reaching the trees until the fire department arrived and got that side of the house, where the main blaze was centered, under control. It took a while.
By the end, the sheriff wasn’t the only one giving me funny looks. Only this time it was a much more immediate threat to my well-being. Patricia was a council member.
Maybe Opal hadn’t been so smart after all. Or maybe my magic had drained enough from the initial blast to make me appear a little more normal? That’s what I was telling myself, anyway.
I just hoped it was true.
Sheriff Taylor took Billy Myers in to book him on double murder charges and a hell of an arson charge for starters. If there had been anyone downstairs that hadn’t made it out, that would be tacked on to it too. I was so hoping that wasn’t the case.
Opie, of course, stayed glued to my side.
When my mom and my new family arrived, I was given leave from the fight. By then it was mostly over, anyway. As I limped over to Opie’s car, I looked over at him.
“How did you figure out it was Billie?” I asked. I mean, sure hindsight is one thing. It was pretty clear now, but before it hadn’t been. Although I was kind of thinking this was what Destiny had been referring to with the cryptic help message. Not the building of the gazebo.
My bad.
“We didn’t. Missy was staking out the club, and she saw Billy sneaking in and called us in. After that, it was pretty apparent. Before that, no clue.” Then he gave me that lopsided smile of his. “Guess I shouldn’t have admitted that, though, should I? Let me change my response to your question. Awesome police work. That’s what cracked the case wide open.”
I glanced back at the dwindling fire. As hot as it had started, it was burning itself out pretty quickly. Especially with all the water and magic being thrown against it. The club was a goner for sure, but we’d survived.
That was all that really mattered at this point.
“I’ll take that answer.” Then I shivered. “Can I ask a favor?”
Opie’s eyes traveled over to the fire too. We’d had a close call. There was no denying that.
I’d always known that Opie and his dad put their lives on the line for others on a daily basis. But watching them run into a building that they knew was about to explode? That had really put a lock on that knowledge. I wasn’t handling it well.
This time, I’d been there. The next time I might not be so lucky.
“Right now, you could ask me anything, and, if it was in my power, it would be yours.”
“Could you spend the night with me tonight?”
His breath caught as he jerked his eyes back to me. “I can so do that.”
Chapter 25
IF EITHER OF US HAD been expecting to take our relationship to the next level that night, we would have been disappointed. Luckily, we were both on the same page in that respect. Holding each other was enough.
At least at first. When we woke up the next morning, it was a different story. I’m not even sure who really initiated it. One minute I was just stretched out beside him, watching him sleep and the next minute, clothes were flying.
Okay, so maybe I was the initiator. I’m all right with that. The main point is, he didn’t say no.
My magic even behaved itself, more or less. Right up until the end. At that crucial moment, the whole room lit up like the fourth of July. Talk about a physical representation of a feeling, but my magic pretty much nailed it.
After things settled back down, Opie—oops, Trevor—had declared it far too early to get up and face the day ahead. I had to agree with him. But while he fell almost instantly back asleep, I was still lying here thinking.
Mostly about Billy.
I felt heartfelt sorry for the man. Being subject to all the raving sermons from Crazy Al outside the library whenever he visited Mabel and then seeing her bruised body inside... well, it had just been too much for his simpler mind.
Billy Myers was a good man who’d just been trying to help the people he cared about get a better life than the one they’d currently been dealt. I could understand that. I hoped when the time rolled around, the judge and jury would focus on that fact and see to it that Billy got the help he needed. He didn’t deserve to be thrown away in a prison for the rest of his life.
And, yes, I know what he did was wrong. Murder is never right. I’m just... conflicted on this one.
Opie started snoring softly, and I snuggled a little closer. Right this minute, life was practically perfect. If it wasn’t for that niggling thought at the back of my brain, it would be. But time and again, my mind kept returning to the Goddess’ words. Change was coming. She’d made it sound like a warning rather than an announcement of good things to come.
But just for today, I would push that niggling thought to one side and rest in the knowledge that whatever that change happened to be, the Ravenswind family and friends could handle it.
Just for today, that would be enough.
THE END... FOR NOW
THE GEMSTONE WITCHES will be back soon in Home, Familiar, Home. Be sure to join my mailing list so you will be the first to know when it's available!
A Note From Belinda
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR reading Un-Familiar Magic. I truly hope you enjoyed it! Please check out my website at BelindaWrites.com for updates on upcoming books.
Also, if you can spare a few minutes, please consider giving my book a review. I'd really appreciate knowing what you thought of it.
BELINDA WHITE
October 2019
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Other Books by Belinda White
ACCIDENTAL FAMILIAR Series:
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Relatively Familiar
Un-Familiar Magic
BENANDANTI SERIES:
Finders Weepers
Sister's Keepers
Demon Peepers
Un-Familiar Magic (Accidental Familiar Book 3) Page 15
