The Queen of Witches

by Brandi Elledge

  “I love wind,” he said. “I wanted to see it again.”

  I rolled my eyes and was trying to think of something to say that wasn’t stupid when the phone rang.

  Chapter Nine

  On the fourth ring, I answered. “Hello?”

  “Hey, beautiful, I was wondering if you wanted to get together for lunch tomorrow?” Talon’s overly charming voice was not loud by any means, but I knew the werewolf I had just been kissing could hear the conversation with no problem.

  I turned my back to Jamison, trying to create more privacy. Not that it would help. “Listen, this training camp sounds amazing, but I think right now the best decision is for me to stick close to my loved ones while I try to straighten out the kinks. And, I’m working on how to control this new side of me.”

  Talon was silent for a moment. “I heard that my old pal, Jamison, was in town. He wouldn’t be the one helping you with your power, would he?”

  I looked to Jamison for guidance. He gave me a curt nod, so I replied, “Actually, yes, he is.”

  “Are you what has brought him to town?”

  Something in my gut tightened. I’d learned over the years to trust my gut more than anything else, and right now my intuition told me to keep quiet. It’s not that I wanted to lie to Talon, but I knew that if Jamison had any chance of finding the key, he needed to be secretive. I mean, he had a world to save—one that I was currently inhabiting. Not to mention, I had made a promise to Jamison. “Yeah. Apparently, I’ve been projecting to the world that I can’t control my powers, so he came to help out.”

  “Out of the goodness of his heart, I’m sure.”

  “You’ve both been very nice.”

  Talon was so silent on the other end of the line that for a second, I thought we had lost the connection. Finally, he said, “That’s unfortunate. I was hoping that we would get to know one another on a more personal level. Before I go tomorrow, I would still like to take you to lunch.”

  “Um, yeah, sure.” Why in the world did I agree to that? Spending more time with Talon on any level was the last thing that I wanted to do.

  “Great. See you tomorrow.”

  “At Ma’s diner?”

  “Sounds great. I look forward to it.”

  After saying goodbye, I hung up the phone. Drawing up my composure, I turned around to find Jamison scowling. “What?”

  “I don’t like him.”

  “So you’ve said. Want to elaborate?”

  Jamison sat on the couch. Leaning forward, he rested his elbows on his knees. “I don’t have proof, but I think Talon has been working for the Degenerates.”

  “That’s a pretty heavy accusation.”

  “You asked, and I told you my opinion.” His tone was stiff. “Why are you meeting him tomorrow?”

  I got that he didn’t like Talon but there was more to this. He sounded… jealous. Testing the waters, I said, “Because he offered me something when I thought I needed it the most. And I don’t like to burn bridges. One day, I might decide to go to his training camp.”

  Jamison’s jaw clenched. “I can’t tell you what to do, but I can say I don’t think that would be a good idea.”

  “Your opinion has been noted. Now, are we done for the night, or is there anything else that you think I can accomplish?”

  “Oh, there is a lot more that you can do. I believe you’ll be able to turn any form of liquid into ice, turn objects into ash, and surround yourself with wind and fog before it’s all said and done. I also believe you will be able to persuade the weakest of supernaturals to do anything you want. But control is not something you learn in a night.”

  “I’ll only be able to persuade the weak?”

  “What is something that you want right now?”

  For him to kiss me again, but I couldn’t say that. “Ben and Jerry’s double fudge ice cream.”

  He laughed as his eyes were fixated on my face. The intensity in his gaze makes my face warm. “You didn’t even have to think about that one. I sense a hidden addiction somewhere in there.” He patted the couch seat next to him. After I sat back down, he looked me in the eyes. “Make me go to the store and get you some. Try to persuade me like you did Brandon and attempted to do with Tandi. Think about how badly you wanted Brandon to leave you alone. Use that same desire, need, and want, apply it to how badly you want the ice cream, and then tell me to go get it.”

  I did just as he asked. I pictured the ice cream that I wanted and my desire for him to get it for me. I shoved the image towards him. “Go get me some ice cream now, please.”

  His head turned to the side. “Good job. I felt you pushing in on my thoughts, so that means Tandi must have some supernatural in her. Though it’s diluted so much, it would never amount to anything.”

  I found myself frowning. “I hate it didn’t work on you.”

  He chucked me under the chin. “I said the weak, love. There is nothing about me that is weak. Besides, you don’t need to persuade me to do anything. After we create wind a couple more times, I’ll probably be wrapped around your pinky so tight you could make me jump off the tallest bridge just by batting those pretty eyelashes.”

  I couldn’t help the laugh escaping my lips. We discussed my ability to create fog, and after a couple more hours of concentrating hard on my emotions, I was able to create a small puff. It looked more like a smoke ring then it did fog, but Jamison seemed to be delighted at my progress. He was a patient, kind teacher, and I had to mentally slap myself several times to keep myself from sighing out loud. At ten we finally said our goodbyes. I was secretly hoping for another kiss and was a little disappointed when it didn’t come. I locked the door behind him and trudged up to my bedroom. I tossed and turned in bed. There was something about Jamison that just didn’t add up. The guy looked like he had fallen from heaven, had a charming personality, and was confident, but there was something big that I wasn’t seeing. My gut told me I could trust him. It also told me that I was safe with him. So why did I feel like he was hiding something from me? Maybe the answer was right in front of me but because I’m more than a little infatuated, I’m missing it. Sometimes when things were too good to be true, people were left feeling disappointed. I hoped Jamison wouldn’t be a disappointment.

  After a sleepless night, I threw on some clothes and dragged my feet down the stairs. All night I had dreams of blue eyes swirling with honey. I had barely had time to finish my cereal when Tandi showed up. She strode in wearing a hot pink blazer, tight jeans, and pearls. The girl was always in pearls.

  She snapped her fingers. “Coffee. I need coffee,” she said as she headed over to make her cup.

  “Umm, good morning. Are you driving me to school today?” Totally missed that memo.

  “Yes. I had to come by to see how last night went.” After she had her steaming cup of coffee in her hands, she sat next to me. “All right, spill the beans. Tell me how it went last night after I left.”

  I rolled my eyes at her. “Tandi, he knew that you didn't have a physics class. I don't know what you were thinking.”

  “I thought that three was a crowd. A wheel that you didn’t need.”

  “Well, nothing happened.” I bit my lip. “Well, maybe a little something happened.”

  Her eyes widened. “Don’t you leave me hanging. I want all the details.”

  I explained to her about the phone call I received from Talon and then about Jamison’s kisses that I still couldn’t put out of my mind.

  Tandi squealed. “I knew it! I just knew that he was your soul mate. I can sense these things.”

  “You’re crazy. He is not my anything. But I need to be honest with you. Even though that kiss was electrifying, there is something about him that is off.”

  “Like Ted Bundy off, or like he’s hiding that he has a secret sweet tooth?”

  “He’s definitely hiding something, but it’s more than just a need for candy.” Trust is such a precious thing. It was something that I instinctively shy away from and ye
t I trust Jamison even though I know he is hiding something.

  Tandi patted my knee. “But you do like him?”

  I think of the way he makes me feel when he’s around and instead offer my bestie an easier answer. “What’s not to like?”

  “Truth. So you’ve decided to let the angel train you here, and Face will now be heading back to wherever it is he’s from?”

  I thought about Talon. There was definitely something he was hiding, too.

  “Right. Starting today, I’m going to learn how to control all the elements that I seem to wield when my emotions are high, but we still have to keep it a secret.”

  “Um, duh. What are you so afraid of? That I’ll share your freaky self with the world? Have I ever told anyone anything you didn't want me to? No, never.”

  “Well, now, that's not entirely true.”

  Tandi looked shocked. “I have never.”

  I nodded. “Yes, you have. Remember that time we were in first grade and Bobby Jenkins kept pulling my pigtails so hard my eyes watered. He stole my lunch money every day. He pushed me off of the merry-go-round. He would trip me when I walked by. I put up with his bullying for weeks, and when I confided in you, I swore you to secrecy.”

  “Ah, now I remember, but I don't think that really counts as telling your secrets.”

  I laughed. “You went and got my brother, Wes, and told him that if he didn't take care of Bobby Jenkins, you’d follow him around everywhere he went calling him your lover boy and embarrass him in front of all his friends.”

  With a smile, she said, “If I remember correctly, your hot brother beat the crap out of Bobby Jenkins.”

  “I think that’s probably more because he was scared about your threat of sticking to him like glue and less about his love for me.”

  “That’s not true. Your brother has always been there for you.”

  Wes was only two years older than me, but he jumped into the role of loving parent and didn’t bat an eye. He was supposed to be home in two more weeks. Sometime last night when I was tossing and turning, I decided to tell my brother about my flaws. Now that I had help on handling what was happening to me, I knew I wouldn’t be a burden to him.

  Chapter Ten

  Talon was in the back booth at Ma’s Diner with his back to the entrance. I had to make this quick and return to school before our lunch break was over. As I approached him, I heard him on his cell phone. “That’s right. Let’s go ahead and put the plan into motion.”

  I slid into the booth opposite of him, and he smiled at me. He put up one finger, telling me to give him a minute. After a few seconds, he finally hung up. “Sorry about that. When you’re in charge, you never get a break, even for a beautiful girl.”

  Shifting uncomfortably in my seat, I tried to smile. “So you’re leaving today to go to…?”

  “Sorry, I can’t tell you the location. It’s for security purposes. I’m sure there are a lot of people that would like to get their hands on a whole bunch of weak supernaturals in training. Some of those kids haven’t even learned the basics. They would be like sitting ducks.”

  “Oh, well, that makes sense.” I studied the boy in front of me. He looked tired. Maybe he got as little sleep as I did last night.

  We ordered some lunch, and for the most part, I just sat there letting him talk about the training camp. He was ambitious, and it showed. To be as young as him and be a leader was amazing. Then it occurred to me that looks could be deceiving. Jamison appeared to be twenty.

  “Talon, how old are you?”

  “Nineteen, why?”

  I pushed my empty plate away. “It’s just you never know. People can look nineteen but be three hundred and nineteen.”

  His brief smile showed perfectly even, straight teeth. “How many supernaturals have you met?”

  “Just one other than you.”

  His smile dropped. “Oh, so we're talking about Jamison?”

  I didn’t know what their deal was, but it was apparent there wasn’t much love between them.

  After a couple of awkward moments of silence, he asked, “Since you’re finished with your food, do you mind if I put a bubble around us, so there will be no eavesdropping?”

  “No, go ahead.”

  With a wave of his hand, our table was completely soundproof. The air around us shimmered. Such a cool trick. Talon rapped his knuckles a couple of times on the table like he was weighing his words before speaking. “The power that you cast out a week ago let us know that you’re going to be a higher-level witch. Usually, those witches can create an element. Have you discovered which one you will be able to call to you?”

  I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. My gut was tightening again, and it always won. For whatever reason, I didn’t want to show him all of my cards. Out of the four tricks that I could create, I considered fog to be the least powerful. “I can call fog but not intentionally.”

  He looked a little confused with my answer. “One of my people saw the energy you were releasing. They talked of it as a great power. Don’t get me wrong; fog is a great trick to have, but are you sure that’s it?”

  “I’m positive. I fell asleep one night, and when I awoke, I was surrounded by fog.”

  He mulled over my answer. There was no doubt that disappointment colored his face. “Maybe they were wrong.” He reached across the table. He hesitated for a second before his hand grabbed mine. “Is there nothing that I can do to change your mind about coming with me?”

  At his touch, my gut screamed for me to put some distance between us. I very awkwardly disentangled my hand from his. Talon made me uncomfortable, and I was pretty sure it was showing. “I’m guessing if my power is a lower level one, there is not a whole lot of training that I will need. I don’t know what I would bring to your camp.”

  “Your beauty would cheer everyone up.”

  I smiled. “Thanks, but I think I’m going to stay here.”

  We said our goodbyes and then with one final wave, I watched Talon get in a sporty car and drive off. I turned to head back to my car, and saw Jamison standing under an old tree, silently watching Talon’s taillights fade in the distance. What in the world was he doing? Was he spying on me? I crossed the street. When I was two feet from him, his gaze swiveled to me.

  My eyebrows rose in question. “Um, well, this isn’t creepy at all.”

  He shrugged. “I don’t trust him.”

  “I didn’t ask. Were you standing there the whole time, watching us through the diner window?”

  “What did he say? Did he ask about your powers?”

  Ugh! “You are crossing a line, bud. Lunch is over. I’m going back to class.”

  Jamison grabbed hold of my hand, stopping me in my tracks. I looked up at him, and my breath almost caught. He was so damn hot it was hard to even remember how to breathe. He pulled me close to him where I could feel his hard stomach muscles underneath his T-shirt.

  “I’m sorry that you’re mad, but I’m not sorry I was making sure you’re okay. Talon is up to something, and I don’t like it.”

  Concentrate, Charlie. My voice came out raspy. “If I knew the history that you two shared, then maybe I would understand where you’re coming from. It’s obviously something more than you think he’s working for the Degenerates. Do you want to tell me about it?”

  He gave me a small frown before he released me. Now, I was the one disappointed. “Can you miss the rest of your classes?”

  I hadn’t missed a day all year, so I would be fine. When the school called my brother, he would call me to see why I missed some classes. I guess I could tell him I was exhausted. Technically, that wasn’t a lie, considering how this past week had gone. “What did you have in mind?”

  “Take a ride with me?”

  Something about his tone made me want to go with him. It was as if he was begging. “Sure.”

  We walked in silence to his Jeep Wrangler. After he held my door open for me, I got in and sent a quick text to Tandi, letting her know
I was going with Jamison. All I needed was her putting out an APB on her missing friend.

  He turned down a road and after a few minutes, I knew where he was headed. The only thing down this road was an old farm with a dilapidated plantation house still standing between some old oak trees. When the beauty came into view, I couldn’t help but smile. It was two stories, white, and massive, with a traditional, Southern wrap-around porch. The wooden shutters hung askew, and vines crept up the sides of the house. I’d always loved this house and hated how it had fallen into such disrepair.

  He pulled off the side of the road, and we both exited the jeep and started walking in the mile-high grass. “There is something about this place that calls to me.”

  “Yeah, it’s sad and beautiful at the same time.”

  “Just like when I met you. You were sad and stunningly beautiful.” I turned my head, so he didn’t see me blush. “History can be sad, too. But like this house, its history has made it what it is.” We walked up the abandoned porch steps. He flicked a piece of peeling paint. “It’s weathered the storm and has the scars to show for it, but it hasn’t crumbled.”

  We both sat on a porch swing, and I held my breath when it groaned under our weight. When it didn’t come crashing down, I smiled. “Tell me your history.”

  He grabbed my hand, placing it on his thigh. My body tingled at the contact and I could feel it spreading quickly all the way down to my toes. A corner of his lip curled up, and I knew it was because of those stupid pheromones. They were leaking out of my body before I was touching his thigh. If my lust could just take a backseat for a moment that would be flipping fantastic. “You know how the Lux had all seven keys at one time? Some say they were taken because the Lux weren’t powerful enough to keep them. Some say the Lux got lazy or trusted the wrong people. I tend to think it’s somewhere in the middle of all of that. The keys will always be something that are sought after. After all, that was why I was sent here, and I don’t know how to feel about that.”