The Trouble With Spells

by Lacey Weatherford

  “There’s never an easy way to break news like this,” Douglas replied. “I’m sorry for everything the two of you have had to go through at his hand. He wasn’t always this way, you know.”

  I couldn’t imagine Damien any other way personally, but I tried to appear caring over their situation even though I couldn’t have been happier that Damien was dead.

  “He was always very driven,” Douglas continued. “He pursued his education relentlessly, building on his successes, learning from his failures. He was always so positive. He eventually became the leader of his own coven. We were very proud of him and his accomplishments. But then something changed. He became consumed with studying all aspects of magic, often trying things out just see what he could do or discover. He was always pushing the limits, going past the boundaries of propriety as he tried to build his magical powers. It got to the point that we confronted him on it, calling him out so to speak. But he wouldn’t listen to reason. Instead he turned on us, and we never heard from him again. Your mother was pregnant with you the last time we heard from him.”

  Douglas cast his eyes down toward his lap, and Fiona reached out to briefly grasp his hand.

  “It’s obvious then that you’re magical also,” Fiona said and she placed her hand back into her lap, twisting it with the other which rested there. “Otherwise you would’ve never been able to defeat him. He was a very powerful warlock.”

  Vance gave a slight nod of his head, acknowledging that they were correct in that assumption.

  “Is your mother with you then?” Douglas asked.

  “No,” Vance replied with a shake of his head. “I’d received a tip from one of Damien’s previous staff members that she might actually be here.”

  “Here? At Bell Tower?” Fiona asked with a puzzled look.

  “That was what the woman said.”

  “What would’ve possessed her to say something as ridiculous as that? We haven’t seen Krista since before you were born,” Fiona stated flatly.

  I felt the heavy disappointment sweep over Vance at this news.

  “Darcy was afraid that you were going to kill her. She probably lied so she could get away,” I said softly to Vance, wishing I could help ease his disappointment somehow.

  He just nodded his head and clenched his jaw, and I could see that he was working to get his emotions in check.

  “This staff member was a demon witch perhaps?” Douglas asked.

  Vance nodded his head.

  “Enough of this talk,” Fiona said, standing suddenly. “It’s clear that the boy is completely distraught.”

  She came to sit by Vance’s side, placing her hand lightly against his forearm, patting him in a motherly fashion.

  “Would the two of you be willing to honor us by coming to spend the rest of your vacation here with us? We have a lovely suite on the second floor which overlooks the grounds. I’m certain you’d just adore it. It would mean so much to us to have you here with us.”

  Vance looked over at me with question in his eyes.

  I nodded my head slightly.

  “It’s fine with me,” I whispered.

  He paused for another moment before he turned back to Fiona.

  “We’d be happy to. Thank you for your hospitality,” he said with a small smile, even though his heart was breaking.

  Brian hopped up then.

  “Why don’t the two of you just stay here, and I’ll see to it that your things are transferred from Inverlochy Castle,” he offered.

  “What a wonderful idea!” Fiona said, brightening at the thought. “Then the two of you can join us for lunch.”

  Vance agreed to let Brian help us out, and Douglas led him to a telephone so he could call the concierge at the Castle to let them know we would be sending someone to check us out early.

  Fiona slid closer to me then, while Douglas continued to visit with Vance and Brian.

  “I’m so excited that you’re staying, dear. It’ll be such fun!” She smiled happily at me.

  I smiled back at her.

  “You’ve been very kind to offer us such nice accommodations,” I replied sincerely.

  She reached out and patted my hand, changing the subject completely then, catching me a little off guard.

  “If you wouldn’t think it too rude, may I ask how old you are? You seem so young,” she said her eyes boring into mine.

  “I’m sixteen,” I replied honestly.

  “Oh!” Her eyes quickly traveled down to my stomach area with a probing glance.

  I chuckled at her reaction, though I had completely expected it.

  “I’m not pregnant,” I said firmly, letting her know I knew exactly what she had been thinking. “Vance and I were just madly in love.”

  “I’m sorry,” she said as she patted my knee. “Forgive my lack of manners. You’re a very pretty girl, and that grandson of ours is quite a looker, too. The attraction seems obvious.”

  “Yes, but I do love him,” I stressed again, wanting her to understand this relationship was about a lot more than just attraction.

  “Of course you do!” She smiled with a wink.

  I had the feeling that she wasn’t really hearing me. Whether it was because she didn’t understand or she didn’t want to, I wasn’t sure.

  Vance returned to my side, with Douglas following close behind him. He reached out a hand and pulled me to my feet.

  Fiona stood next to us, smiling at each of us.

  “Let’s go show you your room, shall we?”

  Chapter 5

  Vance and I followed Fiona up the large staircase to the second floor. We went to the left when we reached the top, passing several closed doors as we walked down the tastefully decorated hall.

  Fiona led us to a large set of double doors at the end of the hall and opened the one side for us to enter.

  To say that the suite which lay beyond was plush was a complete understatement. The furniture was made of wood and painted white. In fact all of the décor in the room was white. There was an extremely large king-sized bed that had thick pillars that twisted up into the wooden canopy overhead. It was covered in a luxurious silk duvet, with pillows of every size and variety, strategically placed all over, starting at the head and trailing out to the near middle of the mattress.

  At the foot of the bed was a bench that was covered in a soft chenille material tufted with buttons.

  At one end of the room there was a sitting area with some beautiful chairs in the Queen Anne style, next to a slightly distressed white coffee table.

  The windows had sheers that hung over them, filtering the light, while heavier drapes hung over the top that could be closed to keep the light out completely if the occupants were to desire to do so.

  The walls of the room were in sharp contrast to the furnishings, covered in a dark richly paneled wood. The richness of the walls helped to set off all the white-on-white décor in the space.

  “Will this room do for you?” Fiona asked as she rubbed an imaginary wrinkle out of the duvet with her hand.

  “It’s perfect,” I said, feeling a bit like a fairy princess in a magical tower.

  “Yes, I agree,” Vance added with a nod of his head, still seemingly a bit formal as he addressed her. “Thank you again for your hospitality.”

  Fiona walked over and placed a hand on the side of Vance’s face, stroking it gently.

  “You have no idea how excited we are to have you here, my dear boy,” she said, with a longing look at him. “I look forward to getting to know you better.”

  “Likewise,” he replied, giving her a slight grin.

  “Well, I’ll leave the two of you here to get acquainted with the place,” she said, and she walked over to the door. “Get comfortable and make yourselves at home. I’ll send Colin up to tell you when lunch is served.”

  “Colin?” I did not recognize the unfamiliar name.

  “The butler, dear,” she replied. “If there’s anything else you find you may be in need of, just ask Coli
n and he’ll be sure to get it for you.”

  “Thank you,” Vance said with a nod, and she stepped through the door with her hand on the knob.

  “Oh!” she said, almost as an afterthought. “Feel free to explore any part of the house that you wish, except for the east wing. We’re currently under renovations there, and my allergies act up if people keep coming in and out with all the dust and everything.”

  “No problem,” Vance said.

  “Hopefully the work will be finished while you’re here and you’ll be able to get the complete tour. Feel free to explore the grounds of the estate as well,” she added with a smile, before she walked out and closed the door behind her.

  Vance immediately turned to me then, and I walked up to wrap my arms around his waist, leaning my head against his muscled shoulder.

  “How are you holding up?” I asked, and he wrapped his arms around me, resting his chin on the top of my head.

  “I’m not sure,” he said, letting out a large sigh as if he were releasing the weight of the world off his shoulders. “This is a bizarre and unexpected turn of events.”

  “Well, they seem genuinely happy to have you here with them,” I countered, trying to give something positive to look at.

  “That’s true,” he replied before pulling back to look at me. “What about you? Do you feel comfortable about staying here?”

  “As long as I’m where you are, I’ll be fine,” I smiled up at him as I squeezed his waist a little tighter.

  “You’re too good to me. You know that, right?” he said, and he lifted a hand to the side of my mouth, reaching out to stroke my lips with his thumb.

  “Not possible. You deserve the best of everything that life has to offer. I know how much you’ve always wanted a life with a real family. Maybe this is your chance to have that.”

  “Speaking of family, what are your thoughts on my mom?” he asked, pulling me over to sit in the two white chairs by the coffee table.

  “I think Darcy was probably lying,” I answered him honestly, though I knew it would be the last thing he would want to hear.

  “I’m afraid of that, too,” he said with a sigh. “I was so hopeful that she was right. I wanted to know that the person I destroyed was not my mom.”

  “Don’t give up yet,” I tried to encourage him, not wanting to see the crestfallen look on his face. “Maybe Darcy was just misleading us about your grandparents. We’ll keep looking around while we’re here, just to make sure.”

  “That sounds good,” he agreed.

  I got up then, feeling the urge to explore, and walked through one of the adjoining doors in the room. I found myself in a very large walk-in closet, which was bigger than my whole bedroom back in Sedona. I was surprised to find several articles of women’s clothing hanging inside.

  “It looks like someone has stayed here at some point,” I called out the door to Vance. “There are a lot of things in here.”

  I then wandered out of the closet and through another door finding that it led to an extravagantly large bathroom.

  “Vance, come look at this!” I said, taking in the sight before me.

  “Wow,” he replied when he entered, coming up behind me to look at the giant custom-tiled bathing area that was set into the floor. It looked more like a small swimming pool than bathtub. A slow grin spread across his face. “I think we’re going to need to try that out.”

  “It sounds like the perfect thing to relax an overwrought husband,” I said stepping around behind him to lift my hands to his shoulders, massaging the tense knots I could feel in them.

  “That feels wonderful,” he replied, hanging his head, allowing my fingers better access to the area.

  “So how about we have the bath after dinner this evening? I’ll finish massaging you, and it’ll help you sleep better,” I suggested, wanting to help him somehow.

  “There’s only one reason that I haven’t been sleeping well lately and I have no intention of changing any of that.” He grinned while turning to face me, giving me a sultry look that I couldn’t possibly miss the meaning of.

  He reached out and grabbed me by the shoulders, and I thought he was going to kiss me. He surprised me though as he turned me around so he could massage my neck a little for me.

  “You’re right,” I responded with a soft groan at the touch of his truly magic fingers. “That does feel good. I can’t wait until this evening.”

  He reached down, taking my hand and pulled me out of the bathroom, heading over toward the massive bed.

  “We have about an hour before lunch. Do you want to take a quick nap with me? All of our … umm … eventful nights are starting to catch up with me,” he said with a wide smile.

  “A nap sounds divine,” I replied, thinking we had indeed been pushing our physical limits lately.

  He pulled the bedding back, lifting me gently so I was sitting on the edge. Then he removed my shoes followed by his, before he crawled up to join me. He pulled the covers over both of us, as I cuddled up into the crook of his arm.

  “This is nice,” I said moving to drape my arm over his waist.

  “Yes, it is,” he replied, and he gave me a gentle squeeze in return.

  I closed my eyes and let the rhythm of his strong beating heart, along with his steady breathing, lull me to sleep.

  When we awoke sometime later, it was clear that we had slept through lunch and well into the evening. I instantly felt regret, wondering if we might have offended our gracious hosts.

  When I sat up I noticed that a silver tray loaded with food had been placed just inside the door for us.

  A note had been left from Fiona that said she couldn’t bear to wake us when we were sleeping so peacefully. She also said she and Douglas had an appointment for the rest of the evening that they couldn’t back out of, so to please make ourselves at home and they would see us tomorrow.

  It was then that I noticed our luggage had also been brought into the room.

  It was official. We were now residents of Bell Tower Hall.

  Vance helped me as we magically unpacked our suitcases, before we sat down to enjoy the wonderful meal that had been left behind for us.

  After we had eaten, I went into the bathroom and began to fill the massive tub, while Vance lit a fire in the grate.

  I looked through some of the cabinets and found a bottle of bubble bath, and soon the tub was filled with a steaming, sweet-scented aroma.

  Vance and I both sank into the tub with the foamy water up to our chins. He leaned against one end and pulled me up against him and continued the massage of my shoulders that he had begun earlier.

  “You have magic fingers,” I moaned, and he laughed.

  “Yes, I do, as a matter of fact,” he replied, and he lifted his hand from my neck and twirled his fingers around.

  Bubbles from the bath suddenly swirled up into the air creating an amusing environment of colorful reflections dancing about us.

  I playfully splashed him with some water.

  “You know what I mean!” I said.

  “Hey, watch it! You’re going to start something you can’t possibly win,” he chided me.

  “Oh, I could win,” I responded, fully confident in my own water sport skills.

  He laughed at my remark.

  “Maybe you could, but we aren’t going to find out tonight. This bath is about relaxation, so behave,” he ordered me.

  “Yes, sir!” I replied, finding I was more than willing to give in to his demands at the moment.

  He worked out my kinks and knots for several minutes, after which I traded places with him and returned the favor.

  “Mmm … that does feel good,” he agreed as I moved my hands over the sinewy muscles around his neck and shoulders.

  When I had finished massaging his back, he turned to pick up a bottle of shampoo, loading his hands up with soap and began to wash my hair.

  That in itself was probably my favorite massage as he rubbed the shampoo through my thick strands and d
own to my scalp.

  “I love your hair,” he said while he moved his fingers through it.

  “I hadn’t noticed,” I said facetiously, closing my eyes at the wonderful sensations he was creating against my scalp.

  When he was done with mine, I returned the favor and washed his, although I had a little bit of fun using the soap to shape his into funny hairstyles and laughing childishly over them.

  When we were done, we pulled the plug on the tub and headed over to the shower to rinse off, before wrapping ourselves into two luxurious bathrobes and heading out to sit by the fire.

  I was completely surprised to find that a bottle of champagne had been placed in a bucket to chill on the coffee table.

  “Where did that come from?” I asked looking at it and the two glasses that accompanied it.

  “I’m guessing Colin must have brought it in,” he replied with a shrug as he stared at the bottle.

  “Didn’t you lock the door?” I asked, feeling a little exposed over the fact that someone had been so near to us without our knowledge.

  He shook his head.

  “I didn’t even think about it,” he said, glancing up at the door and pointing finger at it.

  The lock in the door turned easily.

  “There. Is that better?” he asked with a wink.

  I nodded my head.

  “Sometimes privacy is a good thing,” I laughed quietly, “Especially when I’m with you.”

  “I understand completely,” he replied while he popped the cork out of the bottle and proceeded to pour each of us a glass.

  I didn’t know if I really cared for the champagne or not. The bubbles did tickle my nose, and I kept hiccupping every time I would try to drink a swallow. Finally, I just gave up and set the glass on the table.

  There was a very plush white rug on the floor in front of the fireplace. I got up and went over to sit on it, relishing the heat there.

  Staring into the flames, I enjoyed watching them dance around. I became mesmerized by the movements, and I lifted my hands to mimic the motion I saw, moving them from side to side. Centering my thoughts, I let my energies flow out of me, until the fire started to follow me, moving in the same motion as my hands.