How Torie Got Her Hex Back: A Paranormal Women's Fiction Novel: Singing Falls Witches Book Three

by M. J. Caan

  The hunter seized on the distraction to disappear, somersaulting out the door and running away from the bar into the woods.

  6

  “Elric, let’s go!” shouted Max. The two wolves were out the door and sprinting towards the woods before anyone could stop them.

  “Opal?” said Jasmin as she approached the woman with Glen and Fionna.

  The woman smiled warmly and greeted her sister with a hug.

  “Well. I see you still know how to party,” she said, holding Jasmin at arms-length to inspect her. “Are you hurt?”

  Jasmin’s mouth opened, but no words came out. She shook her head and regarded her sister with surprise. “Opal…what are you doing here?”

  “You called me, remember. Something about an emergency with a friend of yours. I just arrived at your place about an hour ago. You weren’t there so I used a locater spell to find you. Got here and it looked like World War III was going on inside. Ran into these two out back.” She pointed her thumb at Fionna and Glen. “Decided to crash your little party. Glad we did.”

  “I’m glad you did as well.”

  Torie raced up to them. “Hey, I don’t mean to intrude on this family reunion, but we should probably go after Elric and Max.”

  She started for the door, only to be stopped by Jasmin’s grip on her jacket.

  “Yeah, that would be a negative. They can handle themselves…and you’re without any magic, in case you forgot.”

  Torie frowned. How could she forget? She might as well have hid in a closet for all the good she had been during the fight. She felt a pain in her right hand and looked down to see that she had a death grip on the white gem Jasmin had given her.

  Fat lot of good it had been.

  She shoved the stone into her pocket and was about to argue further when Max and Elric ran back into the bar, shifting to human.

  “Wow. That is one fast hunter,” said Elric.

  “We followed her scent a couple hundred yards into the woods, then it just vanished. No idea where she went,” Max said.

  “You won’t get a bead on her that way,” said Opal, turning to face the wolves. “She’s using divinity power to cloak herself. I could smell it on her as soon as I walked in.”

  Torie moved to stand next to Elric, grabbing his shoulders and spinning him around to face her. She threw herself into his arms before drawing back to take a close look at him.

  “Are you okay?” she asked, giving him the once over for injuries.

  “I am,” he said, cocking his head to one side, not quite certain what to make of her concern.

  “Um, I’m fine too,” said Max, staring at the two of them.

  “Yes, you are,” said Opal playfully, her eyes taking in the big werewolf in a single floor-to-ceiling sweep.

  “Opal,” said Jasmin, taking her sister by the elbow, “thank you. You and Glen probably saved all of us. Let me introduce you to my friends.” She motioned for them to come closer. “You’ve met Fionna and her wife Glen. This is Max and Elric. Max is the sheriff here in Singing Falls; and this is Torie. She’s the friend I called you about.”

  Opal smiled, extending a hand to Glen and Fionna.

  “Nice to meet you officially. I like the hardware.” She nodded at the shotgun Glen had retrieved.

  “Speaking of, when did you start carrying that?” asked Jasmin. “Not that I’m not thankful you have it. Just curious.”

  “I started carrying when I realized there are certain elements in the town that want to kill you. Well, that and the fact that I’m the only human running with a bunch of supernaturals; a girl’s gotta find a way to protect herself.”

  Opal laughed admiringly. “Exactly. And for the record, magic is fine in some situations; but sometimes, you just gotta take a bitch to the streets old school style.” She turned to Torie then. “So. You’re the witch with no hexes. It’s a pleasure to meet you. We’ll have a lot to talk about later.” She leaned in and gave Torie a kiss on her cheek.

  She then turned her attention to the two wolves, looking them up and down. “Um-hm. Hello boys.”

  “Um, this is Elric and—” started Jasmin.

  “Shhh,” said Opal appreciatively. “Girl, they might as well be a biscuit and a plate of gravy, cos I just wanna sop one up with the other and eat them both.” She snapped her jaws playfully in their direction before turning back to her sister. “I always did have a thing for werewolves. So, sis. What have you been up to for the past twenty years?”

  Her voice was caring but tinged with the faintest trace of hurt as well.

  “Why don’t we call it a night and regroup in the morning,” suggested Torie. “We can bring you up to speed on everything that’s happened lately. Plus, I’m sure you two could use the time to get reacquainted. I assume you’ll be staying with Jasmin?”

  The sisters looked at one another before shrugging.

  “I’ll take that as a yes,” said Torie. “Max, will you be taking final statements from everyone? Would you mind sharing those with us tomorrow?”

  The wolf nodded and stepped away, heading for the kitchen where the staff had been gathering.

  Opal looked around the room, taking in the damage that had been caused by the fisticuffs. She stopped as she took it all in, her attention locked on the booth Torie had singled out earlier. She walked over to it and stared, not moving until her sister and Torie walked up to her.

  “What is it?” asked Jasmin.

  “Something…not natural was sitting here,” she said, running one hand lightly across the edge of the table.

  “Do you know what it is?” said Torie, her breath nearly cut off by excitement. “Max said that there is literally nothing here…a blank spot that his senses can’t register.”

  “Well, that’s because his senses, sharp as they may be, are still grounded in the physical world. My senses come from the spiritual world. And whatever was sitting here…does not belong in this world.”

  Silence hung over the group until Opal suddenly pivoted to face them, a huge smile on her face.

  “Oh well. Whatever it is, it’s gone now. Jasmin, I’m starving. What say you and I go get something to snack on and then head back to your place. Torie, you’re welcome to join us…that is unless you have something more pressing.” She turned her head, taking in Elric in a glance.

  Torie felt her face grow hot.

  “Thanks for the offer. But I do have something pressing I need to attend to. Why don’t you come over tomorrow?”

  Opal nodded. “Absolutely. I’ll need to examine you up close and personal, and it will go better in a space you’re most comfortable in.”

  Torie wasn’t exactly sure how she felt about that, so she just nodded, and then turned her attention to Elric.

  “Can I get a lift home with you?”

  “Of course,” the wolf replied. “That would make me happy.”

  As they were leaving, Max entered the room and told everyone to stay alert and be careful.

  “You as well,” said Opal, her tone now very sombre. “Don’t go after that hunter alone. She’s armed with a type of magic you’re not equipped to handle.”

  Max didn’t reply. He looked in Elric’s direction and gave him a single nod.

  The ride back to Torie’s house was made almost in complete silence. She was thankful for the crunching of gravel as Elric turned into the long driveway that led to her home. At least the sound was something to fill the space between them.

  “Here we are,” he said, shifting into park but not turning off the car.

  Torie moved to open her door but stopped. “Elric, can we talk? Not out here I mean, but inside.”

  He just nodded, quieted the engine and followed her to her porch. Once inside, Torie took their coats and hung them in the entry closet. The fire had gone out and without having to be asked, Elric went about adding wood and relighting it.

  “Thank you,” Torie said, rubbing her arms. Autumn days in the North Carolina mountains were beautiful, but once the s
un went down, there was a pervasive chill that quickly reached through any nook or cranny it could find in order to settle into one’s bones.

  “Here,” Elric said, retrieving a soft throw blanket from the back of the loveseat and draping it around her shoulders. “How’s that?”

  “Perfect,” she said. “You always know what I need before I do.”

  He laughed lightly. “Well, not everything.”

  Torie gave him a half grin and asked him to sit next to her on the couch.

  “Elric, I need to apologize to you. I’ve been such an ass to you lately. And that’s wrong, especially to you of all people. I’ve just…I mean, everything that happened, I’m still trying to adjust.”

  The big wolf shook his head and threw an arm around her, pulling her close.

  “You don’t owe me anything, least of all an apology. What you’ve been through is something I can’t even begin to fathom. You’re entitled to process however you see fit.”

  “Maybe. But I’m not entitled to cut the people that are closest to me out of my life. I made the decision to give up my magic in order to save Wednesday’s baby. And no matter how many times I play that night over in my head; I would still do the same thing again. I made that decision. Now I have to come to terms with the consequences.”

  Elric sat forward, twisting his body to face her. “But you don’t have to come to terms with it alone.”

  Torie looked away, unable to hold his eyes.

  “Torie, vulnerability is nothing to be ashamed of. We don’t have to be afraid to reach out and take someone’s hand. But I get it. Opening up is scary. Especially when you’ve been burned so badly once before.”

  Immediately she turned, her eyes taking in his face. “No. Don’t say that. You are nothing like Ward. I don’t compare you to him, so don’t you do it either.”

  Elric smiled. “Well, that’s good to know. But all I’m saying is I understand where you’re at. We shared my body, Torie; literally. You think that was easy for me? I knew the enormity of allowing you inside my head. It was the ultimate extension of the mental rapport we shared.”

  “Yes, That’s just it! Shared, as in past tense. Elric, I had no idea how natural the connection I had with you was. I didn’t realize the extent of it until it was gone. Not just with you, but this place…this weird, wonderful little town I’ve grown to love. I can’t expect you to just stay by my side based on powers I no longer possess.”

  And there it was. She had spoken the one thing she feared more than all else. Human Torie couldn’t possibly be as interesting, as deserving of love by someone as amazing as this werewolf, as witch Torie had been. She took a deep breath and held it, wishing she could swallow the words she had just said.

  Elric turned to her, his eyes searching hers. He didn’t say anything. At a time like this, words would have most likely failed him.

  Instead, he gently placed the tips of his fingers under her chin and tilted her face up towards his. He leaned in slowly and kissed the top of her forehead, then the bridge of her nose, and finally, he sealed her lips with his own. His hand found the back of her head and lightly strummed her hair before finding its way down her shoulders to the small of her back where he pulled her body into his.

  A spark became a flame, and a flame became an inferno inside of Torie. Her body ached and her heart sang as he lifted her off the couch.

  No spells, no muttered incantations, no magic.

  Just two bodies longing to know each other in the deepest, most primal way possible. She threw her arms around him, gripping him as strongly as she could as he carried her into the bedroom.

  7

  The setting autumn sun cast dappled shadows of orange and red that cascaded through the large window of the Tudor home that was nestled among the trees at the edge of a large, open meadow. The house sat atop a ridge that ran along the border of Singing Falls. It was far enough from town that tourists looking for hiking trails would never stumble across it, and those who lived in town would have no reason to venture too close unless they were invited.

  Inside, a wood fire burned, giving off just enough warmth to make the vaulted living room feel cozy and less expansive.

  Jasmin stood at the large, Wolf range, heating a kettle for coffee.

  “You know, it’s much quicker to heat water with magic,” said Opal.

  “Yes, I know. But I like the routine of making coffee this way. Magic shouldn’t be used for everything.”

  Opal walked around the living room, stopping at the fireplace as she took in the photos that sat on the mantle. They were pictures of Jasmin with Fionna, Taylor and Torie captured at various times over the past few months.

  “Nice collection of pictures of your friends,” she said.

  Jasmin paused, aware of the emphasis that had been placed on the word friends. She continued taking cups out of the cabinets, not acknowledging the not-so-tiny dig her sister had sent her way.

  “I can’t help but notice that you don’t have any pics of mama. Or me for that matter,” she said, continuing her inspection of the room. There was a console table that sat behind the large, cream-colored couch that anchored the space. She ran a finger along the bric-a-brac that sat on the console.

  Jasmin took a deep breath. “The photos I have of us as children are packed away. I only recently started putting out more personal artifacts.”

  That was a true statement she realized. For the most part, her home, immaculate as it was, was decorated with objects de art that she had purchased; but had little meaning for her on a personal level.

  “What’s the matter?” said Opal. “Ashamed of your family? Or are you trying to rid yourself of unpleasant memories?”

  Jasmin didn’t answer as she took the kettle of heated water and began the intricate process of creating a fresh pourover coffee for her sister. She let the cup sit as she went to the refrigerator to retrieve fresh cream, which she added to a small silver boat meant to keep it cold. She placed it on the center island of the modern kitchen and added a small canister of sugar in the raw.

  “Do you want anything other than cream and sugar?” she asked of her sister.

  “Hmm. Do you have any Baileys?”

  Jasmin pursed her lips together. “You know, that does sound pretty good.” She made her way to the refrigerator and took out an open bottle from the door.

  Opal smiled. “Looks like we grew up with the same tastes.”

  Jasmin didn’t answer, pouring a splash of the Irish liquor into the cups. She handed a cup to her sister and motioned for her to follow her out onto the deck. It overlooked a steep drop as the hillside on which her home was built dropped away. Beyond that, the canopy of the trees looked like a patchwork quilt of brilliant fall colors spread out before them. The deck was expansive, and at one end was a sitting arrangement complete with a coffee table with a gas fire pit built into its center.

  Jasmin flicked a switch and blue-white flames shot upward, warming the immediate vicinity.

  “So, I have to ask,” said Opal, taking a sip of her coffee, “I mean, I know we have a lot to discuss, but this is serious and needs to be settled first.” Her tone was deadly serious, and Jasmin found herself holding her breath. “You have to be honest with me here…are those wolves single? Cos, damn girl, they are fine! Or are they together? Cos you know I don’t judge.”

  She erupted in laughter at the look on her sister’s face.

  “Oh loosen up, sis,” she said. “But I’m kinda serious.”

  Jasmin rolled her eyes. “Max, the taller of the two, is single. As far as I know. Elric is spoken for.”

  “Ah yes. Let me guess…Torie?”

  Jasmin nodded, sitting her coffee on the table as she shifted her weight to observe her sister. “Opal, thank you for coming here. You didn’t have to; but I’m glad you did.”

  Opal squinted her eyes slightly. “What you mean to say is that I don’t owe you anything.”

  Jasmin felt her cheeks grow hot. “You’re right. You don’
t owe me anything.”

  “Do they know?” Opal asked. “About us I mean. What happened.”

  Jasmin took a deep breath. “I told Torie about it; well, most of it. Some things I’d rather not relive.”

  Opal said nothing as she gazed out over the foliage, watching the dying light settle across the landscape. They were high enough that the wind whipping through the trees was enough to hasten the chill in the evening air.

  “It was terrible, that night. Even now, I still have nightmares about it. I…I still feel so—”

  Jasmin cut her off, holding her hand in the air. “We don’t need to relive that. It was bad for both of us.”

  “I’m surprised you called me. That just goes to show how much this woman means to you. I didn’t think I’d ever hear from you again.”

  Jasmin felt her temples throb as she wrestled with her emotions. “If I’ve learned anything over the past few months, it’s that nothing is guaranteed. Our time on this world is limited. I wanted to make peace with you while I still could; this thing with Torie just gave me a reason.”

  “I hate that you needed to find a reason. I’m sorry for that. Not a day goes by that I don’t replay that evening in my mind. How stupid I was. How naive.”

  “Stop it, Opal,” Jasmin said, forcing her sister to look at her. “We are not the girls we were back then. We’ve grown into the witches who are sitting here now. We both know that dwelling on the past solves nothing.”

  “You’re right. It’s just that looking back, with what I know now; I understand the folly of what I attempted. We were lucky to survive. And the whole time, when we were cowering at Gram’s house, all I could think about was what if I had gotten you killed as well.”

  A tear slipped from her eye, rolling down her cheek.