“Good luck. If you need anything, let me know.”
I smiled and turned to him. “Thanks.”
He glanced at me with a smile, and my stomach did a flippy thing. I hoped I never lost that feeling with him. Everyone said the “honeymoon” period ended after a year or two, and when I watched romcoms, I couldn’t help but think after the end that they weren’t going to be so damn happy five years down the track, but who knew? Maybe happy ever after did exist for some people.
Will dropped me at home and gave me a chaste kiss on the cheek before I got out of the car. We hadn’t had a proper first kiss yet, which seemed ridiculous—we were both adults, and neither of us were virgins, surprise, surprise, but we’d only gotten together for jogging or café day-time dates—nothing romantic. I hadn’t asked him why he was holding back, but I figured other than us agreeing to take things slow, he was like me: I wanted our first kiss to be special, something to remember for all the right reasons. As I got out of the car with my cheek tingling, I hated myself for being a closet romantic. If our first kiss didn’t happen soon, romance would totally get chucked out the window. A sweaty kiss after jogging couldn’t be that bad…could it? And, hey, it would be memorable for being super unromantic.
I let myself into the house, and as I shut the door, my phone rang. Wow, Angelica calling me twice in one day. Maybe tonight’s meeting was called off? “Hi. Long time, no speak.” I grinned.
“Yes, dear. Ten minutes is a long time, especially in dog years.” Her dry tone was interlaced with a hint of a smile.
Oh my God, she’d made a joke, and it wasn’t even gory. I laughed. “So, what’s new?”
“I need you to come in and take professional photos of James and me. The powers that be are insisting. James held his previous role for three years, and I’d held mine for ten. They want updated photos to coincide with our new positions for our files and the portraits where they work.”
“Where the ‘powers that be’ work?”
“Yes, dear. They operate out of a super-secret location that even I don’t know about.”
Well, that was weird. But then again, what did I know? I was so low down the food chain in the witch world, or any world, really, that the comings and goings of those who ran things were way beyond my notice. And I was sure that’s how they wanted it. “Sure. I can do that. When would you like me to come in?”
“Is now too short notice?”
“Um, no, that’s fine. I just have to get my gear, and I’ll be there. Are these going to be indoor or outdoor shots?”
“Indoor.”
“Okay. Thanks. See you soon.”
I hurried upstairs and grabbed my knapsack and camera equipment. Most of it fit in the bag, except the tripod. I chuckled, remembering the day Will had to pretend to be my assistant at Olivia’s engagement party. I’d made him carry a lot of unnecessary gear just to see him suffer. Ah, those were the days.
I made my doorway and travelled to the PIB reception room, my heart racing. I’d only been back twice since the whole Dana Piranha disaster, and it wasn’t getting any easier. The bad memories of this place were really piling up.
I didn’t even have to buzz to have the door opened—James was waiting for me, thankfully. He knew this place still gave me the creeps. “Hey, sis.”
“Hey. This is good service. Couldn’t wait to see me?” I grinned.
He smiled. “Yeah, nah. I was passing by, and Angelica messaged me about the photo shoot, so I stopped. Let me take that.” He reached out and grabbed the tripod.
“Thanks.” As far as brothers went, he was definitely a good one. That made me a lucky girl. I took a few calming deep breaths as we walked along.
We went to the lift and up one floor. When we alighted, James turned right. At the end of the corridor, he took a dogleg right that kept us travelling north, as far as I could tell. There were no windows, and I always got confused. This was a way I’d never gone before. After three minutes, we came to a hallway that had four white doors opening off it—two on either side. He knocked on the first door on the left. It turned green, colour leaching into the white until there was no white left, the way a chameleon changes.
Wow.
James opened the door and went in. I followed and shut the door behind me. The large room was divided into an entry area with an office behind. The same dark grey carpeting ran through both areas, and the walls were painted light lavender blue. Two three-seat Chesterfields faced each other in the entry area, an end table next to one of the couches holding a glossy-green indoor plant. I wondered if it were real or plastic. Unable to resist, I went over and touched a leaf. Damn. It was fake. I didn’t know why that was so disappointing, but it was.
“Lily, when you’ve finished caressing the potted plant, we can start.” Angelica stood behind her large mahogany desk, smirking. Two large windows at her back revealed the park-like garden outside. The empty wall to her left had a large square of darker paint.
“Is that where Drake’s portrait was?” I asked.
“Yes. And that’s where mine is going, if it ever gets taken.”
Pushy much? They were paying me, so I guessed I’d just have to suck it up.
“Ha ha. So, are you after something formal or informal?”
“Formal. Sitting at my desk would be best.” She sat in her black high-backed plush chair and ran a palm over her immaculate bun.
“Okay, great. I just have to get set up.”
James unfolded the tripod while I fished my Nikon out of my bag and changed to the 35 mm lens. The windows behind provided good backlighting, but we needed some natural light on her face. I turned off the office fluorescents—ugly things—and got James to hold the silver reflector just out of shot.
I attached the camera to the top of the tripod and got to work. I was already taking the second shot when I realised I’d forgotten to turn my magic off. I had the terrible “talent” of being able to see if people were going to die through a camera. Whether it was my Nikon or the one on my phone, it didn’t matter. If someone was going to die soon, they appeared faint, almost see-through when I looked at them. Thank God Angelica was as solid as the table she rested her clasped hands on. I heavy sighed my relief and kept shooting.
When I’d finished with Angelica, James and I went to his office and repeated the process. When we were done, I looked at my phone. The whole thing had only taken forty minutes, and it was just going on twelve thirty. Lunchtime! One of my favourite times of the day.
I packed my gear away, grabbed the tripod, and slung my bag over my shoulder. “See you tonight.”
“Bye, Lily.” James waved as I made my doorway and stepped through, my mouth watering. The leftover shepherd’s pie in the fridge had my name on it. The way my life had gone ever since my twenty-fourth birthday, lunch might be the highlight of my day, so I was totally going to enjoy it. I needed to appreciate each happy moment for the gift it was because the scary or sad moments had been outnumbering the good ones lately.
I shut all that out of my mind and savoured my lunch.
And it was a good thing I did.
Chapter 2
After dinner, I travelled Olivia with me to James’s. I knocked on the reception-room door, which set their dogs to barking. They were big dogs but total softies. Olivia stared at me, her eyes wide. “They’re not vicious, are they?”
I smiled. “No. They just get excited. Don’t worry. Are you normally scared of dogs?”
“Not really, well, maybe big ones, and ones that sound like that.” She jerked her head in their direction.
The door opened, and she jumped behind me and put her hands on my shoulders. Millicent stood there dressed in a simple, loose yellow dress that showed her baby bump off to perfection. I grinned and stepped towards her. “Hey, Mill. You look gorgeous, and so does the bump.”
She smiled and pulled me in for a gentle, if not awkward, hug where I had to stick my bum out to avoid the bump. “It’s so great to see you.” She stepped back an
d looked over my shoulder at Olivia. The dogs had quieted and were sitting at her feet looking up at us expectantly, their tails wagging. “What’s wrong, Olivia?”
“She’s scared of the dogs.”
Millicent laughed. “They’re just big softies. They never bite.”
“That’s pretty much what I said.”
“There’s a first time for everything.” Olivia squeezed my shoulders harder. Ouch. I wanted to pry her fingers off, but what kind of friend would I be? I could take a bit of pain for my bestie.
“Wait here a sec.” Millicent left the hallway and went towards the kitchen, where their back door was. “Come on, puppies. Come on.” They followed her, tails still wagging. Olivia’s grip loosened, but she was still holding my shoulders.
“You big scaredy cat.” I turned around and shook my head. “I would never put you in harm’s way. You can trust me. You know that, right?”
“Yes, I know, but when my phobias come on, I’m helpless. Rationality doesn’t come into it.”
“What are your other phobias?”
“Spiders and moths.”
I gave her a quizzical look. “Moths? Those soft butterfly-like light-bulb worshippers?”
She nodded.
“But they can’t hurt you. How can you be scared of those?”
“They could get stuck in my hair or up my nose, in my ears.” She shuddered.
I tried not to laugh, but it came out anyway. I had no control. “I’m sorry, but moths? Also, I’m pretty sure one wouldn’t fit up your nose.” She had a pert little nose that was definitely narrower than the wingspan of even the tiniest moth. “Anyway. Next time we come, Mill can shut the dogs out back before we arrive. But I can’t promise anything about the moths.”
She looked around, maybe checking for moths, her eyes wide.
”You’re such a nut. Ooh, I know. Do you want me to find a spell to cure your phobias?”
Her face relaxed, and she even managed a small smile. “That sounds like a great idea! But would it potentially harm part of my brain?”
“I have no idea. I’ll research it and let you know.” I faked a witchy laugh and rubbed my hands together. She rolled her eyes.
Millicent returned. “Are you okay? I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were scared of dogs.”
“It’s just the big ones. Sorry to make you put them outside.” Her caramel-brown cheeks darkened in a blush.
Millicent grabbed her hand. “Not to worry. The dogs like being outside anyway, as long as it isn’t snowing.” She laughed. “Let’s go through. Everyone’s waiting.” She dragged Olivia with her, and I followed.
We walked through their lounge room, with the huge TV on the wall surrounded by white bookshelves filled with paperbacks, and into the dining room. James and Millicent’s timber dining table was extended to its full ten-seat capacity. Angelica sat at one head, James at the other. Beren sat to Angelica’s left, Will to her right. Millicent sat to James’s left, and I went around to that side of the table and sat next to Will, his delicious, subtle aftershave chasing coherent thought away. I resisted the urge to shut my eyes and savour the moment.
Will smiled at me, and I returned it, but there was no kiss on the cheek, not with everyone watching. My face heated, just thinking about everyone watching us be affectionate. I didn’t do PDAs, especially when we were on such new ground with each other. Maybe it would be different when I was more comfortable with us.
Olivia sat next to Beren and pulled a notebook and pen out of her bag. Beren grinned at her and said hello. She blushed again. Aw, they were so cute.
Angelica waved her arm in an arc. She cleared her throat. “Welcome, everyone. We have our bubble of silence. I want to remind everyone that what we’re about to discuss is top secret. You will all be required to swear an oath of secrecy. What we discuss in these meetings must never be discussed with anyone else until such time as we’ve captured this rogue witch group. Make no mistake—they’re operating against laws set up hundreds of years ago, and they’re not only dangerous to us. Groups like this often have a bigger agenda. The safety of everyone here, and possibly around the world, is at stake.”
I took a deep breath. Things were getting serious—well, more serious than they’d been. I figured it was just me and my future niece or nephew who were in the most danger, but pursuing this group would put everyone in harm’s way. But not chasing them would be worse.
Angelica clasped her hands on the table in front of her. “We’re here to find and destroy the group Dana works for—the same group who have been trying to kidnap Lily. Before we swear our secrecy on the Witches Wellspring of Knowledge, I must warn you all: trust no one.” Her tone hinted dire consequences for anyone who didn’t heed her words. The solemn faces around the table indicated she’d made an impact. “Trust not the man, woman, or child in the street. Trust no one at the PIB. You can only trust each other. If you’re not fully committed to this cause, please leave now.” She turned her head and stared at Olivia. “If you swear to this cause, any misstep could lead to your death. Are you willing to take that risk?”
Olivia swallowed, her eyes huge. She looked at me, then at James and Millicent before turning back to Ma’am. “Yes, yes, I am. I’ve done a lot of thinking, and it’s clear that whoever they are, controlling Lily isn’t their only objective. Whilst they’re out there somewhere, I have a feeling everyone is in danger… including non-witches.”
I nodded. She and I felt the same way—this wasn’t just about my safety anymore. They wanted me for a reason. If they didn’t, I had no doubt Piranha would have killed me. And if I was the means to an end, what was the end?
Angelica gave a nod. “Your summation is correct, Olivia. If we’re all good to swear in, let’s get started. Once we’ve done that, I want to discuss our objectives.” Angelica held her left palm upwards. A bell dinged, and a small golden book, just larger than her hand, appeared. Its smooth surface gleamed—it was the shiniest, most immaculate object I’d ever seen. I leaned forward to get a better look.
The cover seemed to be solid metal with an ever-diminishing pattern of squares pressed into it. None of the squares were complete. Just before the fourth line of each square reached its brother, the line started another, smaller square. But that wasn’t the incredible part.
The book emitted the sound of running water, almost a babbling-brook type of happy, relaxed-summer-day noise. I turned to Will. “Can you hear that?”
He smiled. “Yes. It’s the book.”
“I know that, Captain Obvious. I just wondered if you could hear it.”
“No need to get so testy, Miss Crankypants.” He tapped my nose with his finger.
I raised a brow and smirked. “We’ve just started dating. I’m not taking your name.”
He looked at me, confused, and Olivia giggled.
“Okay, children, if we can focus. This is neither the time or place to make jokes.”
I swallowed. “Sorry. I was just thrown by the book’s noise.”
Angelica placed the book in the middle of the table where it hovered about four inches above the tabletop on a bed of golden light. I sucked in a breath. Wow. Magic still had the ability to surprise and awe me. Olivia wore an amazed expression similar to what mine probably looked like.
Warmth radiated from the small tome. I held my palms towards it, as if I was warming my hands in front of a fire. I shut my eyes and enjoyed the balmy energy soaking into my skin. The pleasant heat trickled through my veins and up my arm. Golden flecks winked into existence in the darkness behind my eyelids. One by one they appeared until a stunning golden Milky Way shone for me alone. The sounds of running water had changed from bubbling serenity to a whooshing roar. Somewhere in the distance, someone was calling out.
“Lily! Lily!”
I was shaking. No… someone was shaking me. I opened my eyes and dropped my hands, the warmth and twinkling golden lights disappeared. Instead, six people stared at me, mouths hanging open, eyes wide. Will still gripped my
shoulder—he must have shaken me to get me to come back from wherever it was I had zoned out to. His face had drained to white.
“Lily, are you okay?” The book’s warmth was nothing compared to the heat penetrating my forearm from his hand.
Why was everyone so worried? “I’m fine. What’s wrong with all of you? I just shut my eyes for a minute. The book’s like a little heater. I was just enjoying it.”
Angelica stared at me as if not sure what to say, which was totally a first for her. She shared a glance with my brother before turning back to me. “Lily, you were sitting there unresponsive for five minutes. We were calling your name, but you ignored us.”
Okay, so that was weird. Was she joking? “I couldn’t hear you.”
“What was going on?” Will asked.
I explained the golden stars and the sound of a rushing river. “I’m fine. Honestly.”
James leaned forward, placing his palms on the table. “Lily, look at the book.”
Weird request, but I complied. It was still where it had been before, but something had changed. “It’s not glowing as brightly. Is that it?”
“Yes, but it was even fainter before, when you were in that trance. Watch. It’s getting brighter.”
And so it was. “What does that mean?”
James shrugged. “I have no idea.” He looked at Angelica. “Do you know?”
She cleared her throat and glanced down at her hands, then back up again. “I have an idea, but we don’t have time to discuss it here. Lily, don’t do that again, okay?”
“Ah, sure.” But what had I actually done? Everyone except Angelica and Olivia still gave me worried glances. Will had dropped his hands from my shoulder and forearm, and I patted both sides of my neck. Phew! I hadn’t grown a second head. With everyone staring at me like they were, that wouldn’t have surprised me.
“You’ll all swear on the book. It will come to you, one at a time. When it does, place your hand on the cover and repeat after me. Olivia, you’ll hold my hand and swear an oath that I will make binding.”
Witch Silenced in Westerham Page 2
