The Queen of Witches

by Brandi Elledge

  I was a tad shocked to see Talon had somehow managed to enroll in my classes, as in every single one of them. He also finagled his way to my lunch table. It was when he set his tray down on the table and took a seat next to me that my inner voice warned me that this had all the makings for a creepy Lifetime movie. “Is this seat taken?”

  I ignored his question hoping he would take the hint. He must get a huge commission for every trainee he brought back to the camp because he was straight-up hardcore when it came to getting my attention. If he was trying to win me over this was the wrong way to do it. My nerves were beginning to fray.

  Tandi raked her carrots onto my plate before she snatched one of my cookies. That was so not an equal trade, but she could tell Talon was starting to annoy me. I guessed she saw a moment of distraction and went for it. I made a mental note to get her back.

  Finally, Tandi broke the silence. “What’s up, face?” Tandi said, as she ate the last of my chocolate chip chewy. “You coming to promote your facility—again?”

  Jamison was mouth-watering hot. Ruggedly handsome. But Talon almost looked like a Ken doll. Pretty, but… fake? Plus, he made my radar go off. Everything about him from his wide smile to his mannerisms was a red flag. I was so comfortable with Jamison. When I talked with him it was like talking with an old friend. But Talon? No, I didn’t trust him.

  “Ladies, I’m not being too aggressive, am I?”

  Tandi was never one to mince words. “Seriously, I think you passed ‘a little’ aggressive awhile back.”

  Talon looked to me for confirmation. “It’s true. Switching to all of my classes is a little more than just tenacious.”

  He tried to disarm us with a smile. “I’m truly sorry if I am being too forward, but time is ticking, and I just want to make sure that if Charlie does turn our training camp down, I can at least say I did my very best in trying to get her to join us.”

  “What’s the huge rush?”

  “Our new session is soon to start and I just don’t want you to miss out on this wonderful opportunity.”

  I started to tell him that I had found someone less pushy to train me, but I somehow managed to keep my mouth shut. “How about this? Give me a day just to think about what you have said. I really don’t want to talk about it anymore right now. Does that sound fair?”

  His eyebrows rose in concentration, and I almost told him to cool his jets, but he saved me from embarrassing us both. “Yeah, that’s fair. I think I’ll skip out on the rest of the day. I really was dreading geometry. At my old high school, I barely sat through that class the first time.”

  We all laughed, and it broke the tension. He finished eating with us, and then he parted ways. Tandi watched him as he exited the cafeteria. “Too bad he’s not mute.”

  I laughed before I could catch myself then I grew serious. “Don’t for one second think I’m going to let you get away with eating my cookie. Somehow, you’ll pay for that, friend.”

  “Diabetes is a problem that I was trying to help you avoid. That’s what good friends do. They take the bullet for one another. In this case, it was a cookie.”

  I bit the inside of my mouth to keep me from grinning. “Yeah, whatever.”

  She stood up with her tray in hand. “Oh, and it was plural. There were two cookies. I only got caught snatching one.”

  That heifer. Some things just crossed a line, friend or not. I was smiling as the remainder of my day flew by without Talon breathing down my neck or giving me that blank stare I caught him doing so often. More than once I caught myself thinking of a different boy. One that looked like a sinful angel who made my heart race.

  I daydreamed about that angel all the way through my shift at work. Five minutes before closing, he showed up. He wore faded jeans and another soft cotton shirt. This time the fabric was white. I realized that I was staring and turned, so he couldn’t see my blush.

  “Just let me finish clocking out, and then we can sit and talk for a second. I’d like to know about this object you’re looking for.”

  “Take your time, I’m in no rush.” He strolled through the shop, looking at all the little trinkets. I had a hard time taking my eyes off of him, but I made myself go through closing. Finally when I was finished, I made a motion for him to take a seat in one of the two huge chairs by the cash register. I took the opposite one, facing him.

  “You don’t want to go out to eat? Or somewhere more comfortable?” he asked.

  I was too nervous to eat, and I was scared I would throw myself at him if we were going for comfort. “Nope. I’m good. I have been anxious all day, waiting to hear what you’re looking for.”

  He reached out and grabbed the leg of my chair, scooting me closer to him. Then he held onto one of my hands. Lust hit me full throttle. If my heartbeat got any faster, I would pass out and wouldn’t that be embarrassing. “I’m looking for a very important key.” His sigh was heavy, as if he didn't know where to begin. “This has to remain between me, you, and I guess Tandi, considering that you’ve probably never kept anything from her. If you trust her, then so do I.”

  With a sheepish smile, I said, “Not going to lie, I can’t keep anything from her, but I can promise you I would never blab my mouth about you or what you’re after, and I know Tandi wouldn’t either.”

  “I believe you.” He stretched out his long jean-clad legs on either side of my chair. “I guess I need to explain some things. Get you up to speed. Right now, there’s a war between the factions that’s imminent. Small wars have already taken place between the Degenerates and the Lux. If you had grown up in a witch community, you would have learned about all of this. The Degenerates are evil creatures, like demons, ghouls, rogue vampires, and even though my brother is reigning King of the Werewolves, some of the wolves have turned to the Degenerates’ side. The Lux are mostly made up of fae, shapeshifters, and vampires. Like I said, the witch community covers many different supernaturals: healers, mind readers, telekinetics. Most witches are on the Lux side but, like everything in life, there are some bad apples.”

  It was hard for me to take it all in, but I tried. “So, what exactly is everybody fighting for?”

  He still refused to release my hand, and now he was making small circles with his thumb on the inside of my wrist, sending shivers through me. With one simple touch and I almost felt bare. How is that even possible? I should pull my hand away, but I didn’t. His voice penetrated my thoughts. Focus, Charlie. Focus! “The Degenerates have a hard time not destroying everything they come into contact with. As a whole, they’ve decided to take over the world. They began by attacking the leaders of all the different Lux factions. The Degenerates think if they can kill the Lux leaders, as well as collect all the keys, then they can overpower what's left of each faction to create, basically, one Degenerate army. We can't let that happen. Not only will the Lux be hunted down and killed, but no human will be safe.”

  “What’s so important about these keys? What exactly do they open? And why do you think Peu Springs has your key?”

  “There are seven keys total the Lux have to track down. Technically, there are six now, since my brother, CG, has the first one in his possession. All the keys used to have guardians, but the Degenerates slowly started killing the keepers, one by one, to claim the keys for themselves. There are forty-nine portals all over the world, and the keys can open up any of those portals to different planes. Here’s the problem: some of the vilest supernaturals are on those planes. They were banished there by the strongest Lux. Think of it as a human prison. When a supernatural commits a crime that breaks the rules of the supernatural realm, they have to go to one of the forty-nine portals. Lesser evils go to the lower-numbered portals. The higher numbered the portal the worse the plane is because that’s where the evilest beings reside. If the Degenerates hold the keys, they can open up the portals and free their friends—the felons who were once banished from earth. Then they have the freedom to come here and wreak havoc, mostly on humans. In the last year, th
ere have been a lot of John and Jane Does turning up in morgues everywhere. I fear that there might be even more in the future.”

  If he feared something then I should be terrified. I shook my head. “Let me get this straight. You’re saying the Lux have to find a total of seven keys or earth will be like a huge frat house, but with murder and mayhem?”

  “Yeah, that’s one way of putting it.”

  I blew a stray piece of hair out of my face. “Well, no offense, but it seems like the Lux didn’t do too good of a job protecting the keys in the first place. What makes you think that they will do a better job of it this go around?”

  “The last go around, the Lux trusted the wrong people. I think we’ve learned our lesson. Plus, Ariana—she’s like my and my brother’s grandmother—she’s been looking out for us since we were little. She’s a soothsayer. She can see all and is in charge of picking who will control the keys this time. Like a gamekeeper, she picks and chooses who can be entrusted with the keys.”

  I felt sweat trickle down my back. Sitting this close to him was like being placed in a furnace. My forehead wrinkled. “You still didn’t answer me. Why do you think one of the keys is located here in Peu Springs?”

  “Sorry, Ariana can not only see the future clearly, but she can also control what she sees. She told me that I needed to go to South America, so I packed a duffel bag and immediately headed out.”

  “What was in South America?” I asked.

  “A man who knew where a key was located. But that’s not the reason she sent me. The man was trafficking small children, and Ariana has a soft spot for all children. She could have just told me the real reason why she wanted me to go, but sometimes, I feel like she is so used to manipulating us to do what she wants she forgets how to just ask.”

  “Who in this town could possibly have the key?”

  “That’s what I’m hoping you will help me find out.”

  “So, this man in South America just gave you some serious, heavy-duty information and then what?”

  “I demolished some things,” he said. “And before you ask what happened to the man, ask only if you really want to know.”

  It was like knowing most gummy bears had a certain percentage of bugs in them. Once you knew that, you couldn’t un-know it, and now I couldn’t enjoy the candy without gagging a little. So, no. I didn’t want to know. “All right, so we find the key and we’re done?”

  “Yes, but I promise you it won’t be that easy.”

  “How do we start?”

  “Why don’t you start by telling me how you found the missing kid?”

  “It was actually Tandi who suggested that I try. When something is missing, I concentrate on the object and can somehow hone in on it. But anything that I’ve ever found has been mine, or I have been close to it, like the child. I felt a strong connection to him since I sometimes babysat him and his older sister. I’m not sure how it would work with something I’ve never seen or have a connection to.”

  “It’s worth a shot.” He acted as if he wanted to say more, but instead he gave my hand a gentle squeeze. “I’ve given you a lot of information in a short amount of time. Would it be all right with you if I came to your house tomorrow around six, and we can get started?”

  I felt a little disappointed I wouldn’t be spending more time with him, but I tried to mask it. “Sure.”

  Obviously, my face betrayed me. I glanced up at Jamison who was laughing while looking at me with such heat in his gaze. “Trust me I don’t want to go, but if I stay I can’t promise that I’ll behave as a gentleman.”

  I was waiting for my cheeks to catch on fire when he placed a finger under my chin, tilting my face up slowly, forcing me to look into his eyes. His piercing gaze had me licking my lips, drawing his attention there before he abruptly stood up. He jammed his hands in his pockets as he cleared his throat.

  The silence between us became long and drawn out. I had to say something. Anything to ease the tension. “So, training tomorrow?”

  His blue eyes were swirling with honey. “Hmm? Oh, yeah. I’ve been thinking about the location of your training. I think it’s best to start out in the country where no one will stumble upon us. Can you get out of work tomorrow? Then we could start your training and look for the key.”

  I bit my lip. I’d love to, but I really loved this job. Plus, the old lady who owned the store really relied on me and to call in with such short notice… I just couldn’t.

  “I have to work tomorrow, but we can meet at my house afterward. Then the next day, we can begin training.”

  So many emotions flittered over his face and I would have given anything to know exactly what he was thinking. “Promise me you won’t do anything rash like joining Talon’s group until you’ve given me a chance to work with you.”

  “What do you have against Talon?”

  “That’s a great question that deserves a lengthy answer. How about as an extra incentive, I’ll answer some of your questions if you learn something new while I’m training you? That sounds fair to me.”

  It sounded more like stalling to me, but I let it slide. For now. “I guess that’s what old people do, huh? They try to keep a little mystery in their lives, so us youngsters won’t grow bored.”

  His bark of laughter had me smiling. “I’ll show you old on training day.”

  Something in his blue eyes made my stomach clench. There was mischief there, along with some kind of unspoken promise. Man, he was hot. His nose flared briefly. Just in case he was that psychic he claimed he wasn’t, I jumped up from my chair with a fake yawn.

  “Whoa, look at the time.”

  He grinned as he stood. “Come on, and I’ll walk you to your car.”

  After I had locked up the shop, he walked me down the street to where my car was parked. He held the door open for me and, right before he closed it, his full lips curled into a sly smile. “You are making it so hard to behave.” He gave a humorless laugh while he raked a hand down his face. “You know I can smell pheromones, right?”

  Thank goodness it was night-time because I’m sure my face was crimson. “Um, no I didn’t know that. But thanks for that interesting detail. I don’t know what I’ll do with it, but I’ll definitely file it away.”

  I slammed my car door, not caring if I got his fingers or not. I tried not to notice his smirk as I started my car and pulled out. Being a teenager was a hard life. But awkwardness got cranked up to an all-time high when you were crushing on someone, and they could literally smell it. I had a feeling this would be another long night without sleep. My embarrassment would see to it.

  Chapter Seven

  The next day at school, Talon waited for me after my first class. I thought I internalized my groan, but since he was scowling, I might’ve slipped up. He wore a polo shirt with jeans and looked as if he could fit in easily with Peu Springs’ wealthiest.

  “Have you given any thought about my offer?”

  I shifted my books in my arms. “Yes, actually I have. I want to train. I want to learn who I am, and if at the end of the day, I still don’t like who I am, your offer of eliminating my—” I glanced around the hall to the other kids. He smiled at me, and with a wave of his hand, he put us in a bubble like the one at the diner. “Thanks. Your offer of eliminating my powers sounds perfect, but let me ask you, how do you plan on doing that, exactly?”

  His practiced smile annoyed me. “I have some connections. People that can help you.”

  My gut was saying that he was lying through his perfectly straight teeth. I clenched my fist in my lap. Just exactly what was his game? Why lie to me?

  “Well honestly, I can’t just pick up and leave my brother and Tandi.”

  He gave me a charming smile. “I’m not going to take no for an answer. I’m going to persuade you. Eventually, you will thank me.” He took my books from me. “Come on. I’ll walk you to class. Promise you will save me a seat at lunch?”

  Having a hot boy carry your books was nothing to complai
n over but here I was again feeling aggravated. Maybe it was the lack of sleep I got last night. I’d tossed and turned half the night, replaying my conversation with Jamison. The bags under my eyes were from the revelations I learned, not from remembering how his touch seemed to leave me hot and confused at the same time, and how he seemed to know exactly what he was doing to me. I had boyfriends in the past, but this was the first time I had ever felt an attraction like this. Every time I was around him I was scared that I would burst into flames.

  Oops. Talon was still waiting for my answer. “Yeah, sure. Sounds good.”

  He looked a little put out over my lack of enthusiasm, but I was in no mood to smooth his feathers. This day couldn’t possibly go any slower.

  My day went by at a snail’s pace and so did work. I’d thought less about my powers and more about my soon-to-be trainer than I would like to admit, even to Tandi who was currently at my house.

  “Listen, why do I have to be here when Mr. Boy Toy comes over?” Tandi whined.

  I had made Tandi come over to my house after I got off of work. She had reluctantly helped me straighten up before flopping on my couch, swearing she wasn’t built for domestic life, and she had to stop before she started sweating because she wasn’t built for that, either.

  Reaching down, I took her sandals off of her feet. All I needed was dirt on our white couch. Tandi always said, “The higher the hair, the closer to God,” and my motto was more like “cleanliness is next to godliness.” To each their own.

  “For the umpteenth time, I don't want to be alone with him. He makes me a little nervous with all those smoldering gazes and innuendoes he throws my way. It’s hard to concentrate with him around.” Plus, having her in the room would kill those pheromones leaking from my body without my permission.

  Tandi narrowed her eyes at me. “Um, thanks? So, I’m like your chastity belt.”

  I threw my hands up in the air. “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “Whoa! Hello, angry? Mad much?” She waved an arm at me. “Simmer down. Now, tell me what it was Face was talking to you about today.”