by Hazel Hunter
What are you thinking? Kieran left you less than a day ago. Are you so very shallow?
The thought of Kieran brought a stab of pain and sorrow to her heart. No matter how fickle she was, the grief was still there, and she flinched.
“Are you all right?”
Hailey looked up blankly.
“What do you mean?”
“You looked a little lost there for a second.”
Piers brought up his hand and smoothed the ball of his thumb over the point of her cheek. Hailey was too entranced by his butterfly-gentle touch to mind, but then she realized how intimate it was.
“I think I’m tired,” she lied clumsily. “It’s been a little bit of a long day, I guess.”
Piers looked chagrined.
“Of course. It was foolish of me to want to give you the grand tour while you were still fresh off your flight. Someone’s likely taken your bags to your room. Do you want food first or would you like simply to rest?”
She started to open her mouth, but then her stomach growled, answering for her.
“There’s my answer,” he said teasingly. “Let’s go.”
CHAPTER THREE
PIERS WATCHED IN amusement as Hailey ate the vegetable quiche that he had found for her. The egg pie was stuffed full of peas, carrots and potatoes, and it was enormous. He doubted very much that Hailey was going to be able to finish it, but it looked like she was going to give it a determined try.
He had to admit that she wasn’t what he had been expecting. He had read the histories, probably the same ones that she had. They had painted a dismal picture of the lives of witches like her. Her skills or ones very much like hers had cropped up throughout the ages. There would be one or two or even a group of young witches born with that power, but invariably, the result was the same. Their covens first became wary of them. Then in most cases, they would turn the young girls out. In some very dark cases, those young witches were persecuted as harshly by their own community as they were by the frightened, powerless humans around them. In the matter of a few cases that still made Piers shudder, their persecutors had been as bad as Templars.
Witches with Hailey’s powers were still uncharitably called vampires, and from what he knew from her records, she had been bounced from one coven to the other, each one wary of her skills and her abilities.
None of that seemed to affect the young woman who was sitting across from him. He had been expecting someone jaded, someone who had to be cajoled and perhaps even bribed to display her talents. He hadn’t expected a rather elfin young woman with long red hair and green eyes that he suspected could melt through stone. He hadn’t been expecting someone who would throw herself into what she thought was a fight, eager to defend children who couldn’t defend themselves.
“You’re looking at me.”
She had given up on the quiche, and instead sat watching him, her chin propped on her hand and her eyes wide and curious. She looked like nothing so much as a curious cat then. He had to stifle a small laugh.
“Well, there’s plenty to look at,” he responded in amusement. “There’s plenty to like.”
A faint blush stole up her fair cheeks, and she toyed with her fork. There was a charming artlessness to her. It made him want to reach over and tousle that gorgeous red hair. It made him want to sweep her up for a kiss.
Piers was not a man who was used to denying his impulses. He had come of age when England ruled the seas. He was used to following his inclinations
“You don’t look like you believe me,” he said softly.
Hailey shrugged.
“I don’t know how to answer that,” she mumbled. “I like you.”
The words must have slipped out, because she clapped her hand over her mouth in shock.
Piers was so delighted by her answer, he laughed out loud.
“Now that’s more than I deserve,” he said. “And I think you’re tired, so perhaps I should show you to your room?”
She only nodded. Even the tips of her ears were turning red. He took pity on her, offering her his arm again. She was quiet, but she took it willingly, and he led her to the living quarters of the Castle. When he opened the door, he had been expecting surprise, but not the reaction he got.
“Oh…Oh is this all for me?”
Hailey stared about her wide eyed. She was standing in a roomy chamber, a sitting room that was appointed with fairly tasteful, if subdued furniture. There was a desk off to one side, and plenty of shelves for books.
She darted inside and started opening doors, revealing a bathroom, closets, a kitchen and finally her new bedroom. At the last, she stared at the large bed and turned to Piers.
“This can’t all be for me,” she said a little nervously. “Did you kick someone else out or something?”
“Not at all,” Piers retorted. “This is a room we had open, and I had it furnished yesterday when we knew for sure that you were coming.”
“You mean that all of the rooms look like this?”
“Some larger and some smaller, of course, and some people trade when they need a new space. Some of the witches and warlocks who live on the mountain proper never bother coming in at all.”
Hailey turned around and around, touching the bed with a gentle hand.
“I never thought I would have a space like this all to myself,” she said softly.
“I had the fortune to build as I pleased, and after you spend enough time marching through mud and trying to decipher Latin while sitting on a bench cushioned with rotting straw, you develop a love for comfort.” Piers paused. “This is all yours, Hailey,” he said quietly. “Use it, don’t use it, leave it as it is, decorate it, sleep in that bed alone or choose to bring someone in with you. It really is yours as long as you choose to honor us with your presence.”
“Bring someone in?”
Piers felt a curl of desire move through his belly when she eyed the broad expanse of the bed, and then glanced at him. She must have realized what she did, because she looked away quickly, hand coming up to hide a blush.
“Well, I suppose that is something I could do,” she said quietly.
As quickly as her excitement over the room had started, it fell away again. He was no mind or aura reader, but he could tell that a veil of sadness had dropped over her. Even her eyes looked a little duller.
“Hailey, this is a lot to take in, I do understand that. That’s why I want to make sure that you don’t feel pressured to do this or that. This room is yours, and as long as you live at the Castle, it can be the place that you call home.”
“Thank you.”
Her voice was soft and subdued. Piers had to fight the urge to go over to her and take her into his arms. He wanted to take care of her and give her some of his energy. He knew that it was far too intimate a thing, however. To make sure that he behaved himself, he took a step back. Was that surprise or regret that crossed her face? He wasn’t sure.
“Take all the time you want. Sleep, and when you wake up tomorrow, come find me. You want to get to know more about the Castle, and I can guarantee you that there is no one else around who can show you more than I can. I want to give you all the opportunities you require to find out if this is the right place for you.”
For some reason he could not fathom, jewel-bright tears welled up in her green eyes.
Piers acted without thinking. He swept her into his arms and cuddled her against his chest. She was stiff at first, but then she dissolved into him with a cry. He sat back on the bed, pulling her into his lap. She tucked her head under his chin, wrapping her arms around his neck. For one quick, guilty moment, he realized how soft she was and how right she felt there. He ran his hand up and down her narrow back, massaging gently and willing her to relax. She sobbed quietly, like a child afraid of being found out. After a timeless span, she finally sat up, and pushed her hair out of her face.
“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean for that to happen,” she murmured, and he shook his head.
“I don�
��t mind at all,” Piers said firmly. “I promise. But just tell me why it happened. Perhaps I can fix it.”
She gave him a watery smile and shook her head.
“There’s nothing to fix. It’s just when Julie brought me here, she flew me overhead so that I could see the Castle. It’s amazing, Piers. It’s breathtaking when you see it for the first time that way. I was thinking that I didn’t know what was coming or what this place could mean to me, and then Julie just told me ‘welcome home.’”
“She was right to tell you that,” Piers said urgently. “This place can be yours if you want it, Hailey. I will not allow anyone to deny you.”
That nearly made her start crying again. Her body tensed up, and he could see the tears gathering in her eyes. Before they could spill however, she took a deep breath and quelled them.
“I believe you,” she said, her voice only cracking a little. “I heard her, and I wondered at it, but now in this room? For the first time, I think it might be true. This might be my home.”
Piers wrapped his arms around her again, wondering at how much pain this girl might have known in her life. It made him want to destroy the people who had refused to offer her a home. It made him want to wrap around her and to offer her all of the reassurances that she needed.
“No matter what, you will always have a place here.”
She nodded, and she looked nearly normal when she looked up. An alarmed look crossed her face, and she hopped out of his lap, straightening her dress nervously.
“There’s nothing to be afraid of,” Piers offered gently. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
Her laugh was bright and false.
“I…I never thought you did. It’s just, I guess I’m tired, and I think I need some time to rest.”
Piers could see that wasn’t the only thing on his newest coven member’s mind, but at the moment, he was willing to let it go. He stood and only barely resisted the urge to embrace her again.
“Come find me whenever you like. Take all the time you want. Wander around the Castle. Talk to the other people who live here so you can reassure yourself that I’m not just a crazy visionary with no idea what’s going on. Then when you’re ready, come find me and we can talk more about what you can do.”
A shadow flitted across her face, but then it was gone again. She smiled at him. He thought it was a real smile, which pleased him.
She reached out and squeezed his hand gently. If she felt the slight jolt of electricity that passed between them, she didn’t reveal it.
“Thank you,” she said. “For everything.”
“There’s nothing to thank me for,” he said firmly. “If anything, I should be thanking you for coming here at all.”
Her face lit up at that, and as Piers shut the door behind him, a premonition came over him. He had known many seers in his time, some of whom could describe the future with an almost terrifying amount of accuracy. Others could only get a vague sense of what was going on, but it was always right.
He knew he had found the person he was looking for when it came to protecting the Castle and perhaps all covens. He hadn’t anticipated he might find someone who might complete a jagged empty place in him as well.
Piers pushed the thought away. He had learned early on that there was no use in planning for an uncertain future, even if––and perhaps especially if––it was something that made him feel whole. He shook his head. He had been prepared to adore Hailey ever since she stepped between him and those children. He wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to pursue more. All that he knew was that every part of him wanted it.
• • • • •
When Piers left her alone in a space that was surely too large and too grand to be just hers, Hailey felt overwhelmed. It was simply too much. Her room with the Angioli coven had perhaps been a quarter of this size, though that was mostly because all of the rooms were monk’s cells and quite small. Before that, she had been shuttled around from spare room to spare room, forced to put up with conditions that were small and mean. It had reminded her of being a foster child, shunted from place to place. At the time, she told herself that she was used to it, but now she wasn’t so sure. Now she could see that a part of her had always longed for enough space to stretch out. Her bag was set up in a corner. In a little while, she would go and unpack her clothes, but at the moment, all she wanted was to stretch out.
Hailey stripped off her dress and her bra, pausing for a moment. It felt like so long ago when Kieran had eased his hand under her skirt and brought her to climax. He had done it slyly and smoothly, wanting nothing but her pleasure. She remembered looking at the sweet smile on his face and thinking she wanted nothing more than to see it forever. Now she wasn’t sure if she would ever see him again, and the thought choked her.
If she let it overwhelm her, she knew that she would only break down into sobs. She didn’t want to do that. Perhaps sometime in the next few days she would collapse, but right now, more than anything else after this remarkable day, she wanted rest.
She crawled naked into the bed. It had been freshly aired out, and the mattress sunk decadently beneath her. She thought drowsily of how it might feel to look at Piers across the wide expanse of the bed. She wondered what it might be like to pull his hair loose and to comb her fingers through it. The thought should have shocked her, but she decided that it was simply because of how tired she was, and drifted to sleep.
Sometime in the night, she heard a tapping at her window. Groggily, she got up and opened it, letting Merit glide in. The owl looked around, was satisfied with her mistress’s living conditions, and drifted out again. That was the last thing she remembered before deep sleep finally claimed her.
CHAPTER FOUR
FROM THE LIGHT, Hailey could tell it was already late in the day, and she groaned. She had been dealing with both jet lag and heartache the day before, and it had dropped her. She’d slept like the dead. Now that she was up, the day seemed to be nearly over. Piers was going to think she was lazy or indifferent, and she didn’t want that.
In the shower, Hailey frowned at the thought. Piers was the coven master, it was true, but she was startled at how much she wanted him to think well of her. Most of the coven masters of her experience wanted little to do with her as long as she kept to herself. Piers was the first who had seen value in her talents.
Then she thought of his smile, his broad frame, his height and the way her heart fluttered when she saw him. She realized with chagrin that it was more than simply wanting him to be impressed with her.
“I am too old to have a crush,” Hailey muttered.
Thinking about Kieran only made her heart ache, and it was more gratifying by far to think of the handsome master of the Castle. Hailey reasoned that it was simply a rebound. That explained it. She resolved to be professional and kind to the coven master, but nothing more.
She dressed quickly. The dress had honestly been an unusual choice for her. She sighed with relief when she slid into a pair of jeans and a green sweater. They were warm, comfortable clothes, and thus armored, she ventured out.
She knew that there were plenty of people who lived in the Castle, but at the moment, they all seemed to be staying out of her way. She wandered the halls instead, doing what Piers had recommended. She was learning more about the building and its courtyards. The more she saw, the more she loved it.
Every line of the Castle was gracefully quiet. It had a sense of history without feeling old-fashioned. The tall windows caught every available bit of sunlight. It was a place of peace. Hailey could feel it in her bones. The fact that she would be allowed to stay, to work and to study within its halls, was still difficult for her to believe. She was part of a community now, and if Julie and Erin were any indication, she would be welcomed.
She walked through the halls, gazing out the tall windows and peeking into the practice rooms. There was something nibbling at the back of her mind, a foreign feeling that was strange but not uncomfortable. Eventually Hailey realized that
it was safety.
She had never been at a place where she felt safe before. She had never thought that she had a place to stay on a permanent basis or people who would watch out for her. The Castle felt too good to be true. Perhaps there was something darker there, something she couldn’t see. It almost made her cry all over again, but she stopped herself. Food would help her feel more grounded, and she found her way back to the kitchen where she had eaten the evening before.
It was dinner time, and though she guessed that all of the Wiccans of the Castle had kitchens like hers, it looked like they were a community that believed in group dining. The four long tables in the dining hall were full of people lounging around, chatting and enjoying a last little bit of dessert. She seemed to have come in at the end of the dinner hour, and she wondered if there was anything left for her.
Hailey was just sidling her way towards the kitchen when the muscular girl who was learning parkour caught sight of her. Erin trotted over, waving her down with a cheerful hello.
“Hey, where have you been hiding yourself? Thought we’d be seeing more of you today.”
“Jet lag.” Hailey shook her head. “My body’s pretty convinced that it’s late morning right now.”
“Ouch, that sucks. Well, we don’t have breakfast food, but let’s see what we can find for you.”
Erin was a young woman obviously given to command. She led Hailey straight to the food that had been prepared for the evening. There was plenty left, and Hailey put together a salad sprinkled with nuts and a thick juicy sandwich that contained a soft white cheese and a slab of grilled beef.
“You’ll probably get added to the clean up roster in the next few days if you want to eat in the public kitchen regularly, but for now, don’t worry about it.”
Hailey thought that Erin would leave her when she had her food, but instead, the witch sat down across from her at the table. She chatted about the Castle, about parkour and free running, about how strange it was to be so far above sea level as Hailey ate her food. It was completely delicious, and that was why it took Hailey a little longer to realize that the other woman was watching her expectantly.
