The Professor Woos The Witch (Nocturne Falls Book 4)

by Kristen Painter

  He closed his eyes and tipped his head back, the buzz of insects and the melody of birdsong creating a natural white noise that let him drift into his thoughts. Pandora was beautiful and had curves that wouldn’t quit, but there was more to her than just a stellar exterior. She was kind and sweet and funny and smart. Also not afraid to speak her mind or stand up to him, which he loved.

  But above all that, she was good with Kaley. If there was one way to his heart, it was through his daughter.

  After the divorce had been finalized, he’d dated a few times. Mostly set-ups put together by some of his colleagues at school. But after watching the change of expression on his dates’ faces when he mentioned Kaley, he’d quickly decided his need for companionship could take a backseat until his daughter was off to college. Apparently, it took a special kind of woman to accept another woman’s child.

  He hadn’t really needed another woman in his life that badly anyway. And Kaley sure as hell hadn’t needed another mother figure walking out on her.

  But Pandora had started out liking Kaley better than she liked him. He grinned. For a witch, she was all right. Hell, for a human being, she was spectacular.

  Which brought him right back around to thinking about kissing her again. He sighed deeply, remembering the sweetness of her mouth on his and the lush curves of her hips under his hands. And after seeing her in those skimpy shorts and too-tight tank tops, he could imagine very well what she’d look like—

  “You’re thinking about her, aren’t you?”

  He opened his eyes and sat up abruptly. “Hey, Kaley. I didn’t even hear you come out the door.”

  She sat in the chair next to him. “That’s because you were dreaming about Pandora, weren’t you?”

  “Miss Williams.”

  “Hah! So you admit it.” She got a big goofy grin on her face. “You’re in luh-ove,” she sing-songed.

  “Kaley. I just met Miss Williams. No one falls in love that quickly.” Although it wasn’t out of the question to say he was headed toward deep like.

  Kaley shrugged. “Whatever. You like her.”

  He gave her his best fatherly look. “Did you come out here to harass me or did you have another reason?”

  Her smile turned sly. “I thought I heard you call me for ice cream.”

  He laughed. “Oh, you did, did you?” For a moment, he was overwhelmed with how beautiful his daughter was. How perfect and smart. This child had been a gift to him. If he loved her any harder, he’d explode. “Come on, let’s get in the truck.”

  She sat up straighter. “Why?”

  He stood. “You said you wanted ice cream, didn’t you? Well, let’s go into town and get some.”

  She jumped up. “You mean it?”

  “Get your shoes on, young’un. They don’t serve the barefoot.”

  She ran back into the house. “Okay!”

  He walked in behind her and shut the door. If Kaley was a witch, he was okay with that. And if Pandora could help Kaley, then he needed Pandora. No matter what he was or what he had to sacrifice, he’d make sure this worked out.

  Pandora had over an hour to meet her buyers at the house she was showing them, which gave her the perfect opportunity to swing by her mother’s place. Corette didn’t open Ever After until ten anyway, allowing them plenty of time for coffee and an interesting chat about Mr. Cole Van Zant.

  She knocked on the front door, then walked in. As always, her mother’s house was pin-straight and picture perfect. “Mom? It’s me, Pandora.”

  “In the kitchen, honey.”

  Pandora set her purse and briefcase on the granite counter, then leaned in and kissed her mother’s cheek. “Morning.”

  “Morning.” Corette stood at the island, scrambling eggs in a Pyrex bowl. She smelled like Chanel No. 5, her signature perfume. “Hungry?”

  “No, I ate at the house, but I’d love another cup of coffee.”

  “Help yourself. What brings you by this morning?”

  Pandora filled a cup, then added cream and sugar. “I need some advice. And help. And I might not be the only one.”

  Corette’s precisely sculpted brows went gently skyward. “Are you in trouble, honey?”

  “Oh no, it’s not for me…” Pandora frowned. “Well, it might be a little for me.”

  Corette stopped whipping the eggs. “What’s going on?”

  Pandora stared at her coffee for a second, choosing her words. “What do you know about familiars?”

  Corette poured the eggs into a buttered pan and put the bowl in the sink. “The same as any witch, I suppose. A familiar is an animal that can help a witch focus, and often strengthen, her craft.” She smiled, but it was bittersweet, and Pandora knew why. “I wish we’d been able to find one for you. I still think it would have made all the difference.”

  If only her mother knew. “What about the human kind of familiar?”

  Corette blinked a few times. “They’re very rare. I haven’t heard about one in ages. Some people think they’ve died out.” She shrugged. “I don’t think that’s true. I think the familiars that aren’t bonded yet keep a low profile, and any witch who has one guards that knowledge dearly.”

  “I’d say that’s right.” She took another sip of coffee. “Ulysses Pilcher was one.”

  Corette laughed. “I don’t think so. Gertrude wasn’t known for keeping secrets. I’m sure she wouldn’t have held on to that one. If it were true.”

  “He was.”

  Corette looked over at her. “How do you know? You seem so sure.”

  “Because…I talked to Gertrude.”

  Corette turned the heat down on the eggs. “Start from the beginning.”

  “You know that guy I told you about? The one who inherited the Pilcher Manor? The one with the daughter who’s a witch—”

  “Just turned thirteen, right? And she can see auras?”

  “That’s the one. Kaley. I agreed to help him with her as she comes into her powers, and in exchange, he offered to give me the listing on the house when he sells it. I negotiated and got him to let me help with the renovation decisions too so I could get top dollar, because you know I know how to sell houses in this town.”

  “You do.”

  Pandora took a breath. “So, I was in the attic of the Pilcher Manor, and Gertrude showed up. Did she have pink hair?”

  “Pick a color, she had them all at one time. She was a true eccentric.” Corette added a little sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to her breakfast and stirred.

  “It was her, then. She told me about Ulysses and human familiars and said that Cole is one too.”

  “How does she know?”

  “She can see auras. I don’t know how clearly, but enough that she figured Cole out. And me.”

  “That much I knew about her.” Corette made a soft, throaty noise. “Wait, I thought you said this Cole was Ulysses’s great-nephew. How did his daughter inherit Gertrude’s abilities?”

  “She didn’t. Kaley is his adopted daughter. And her mother was a witch.”

  “So Cole was bonded?”

  “No. It’s a long story, but his first wife basically did whatever she could to get herself bonded to him, but it never took. Which is why she left him.”

  “Maybe he’s not a familiar.”

  “No, he is. Definitely. A raven shifter.”

  “Definitely?”

  Pandora slipped the feather from the side pocket of her purse and laid it on the counter.

  Her mother stared at it for several long moments. Then she took a breath as she slid her eggs onto a china plate. “Pandy, I know this must be very exciting for you, but from what I understand, human familiars are not only rare, they don’t just bond with any witch who comes along. His ex is proof of that. I’m sure he sounds like an answer to your craft troubles, but I’d hate for you to get your hopes up only to find out he makes no difference.”

  Pandora put the feather away. “What happens when a witch and a familiar bond? Besides her powers str
engthening?”

  “When the familiar is in his animal form, the witch can communicate with him telepathically. She can also see through his eyes in that form.” Corette pursed her mouth. “This is only what I’ve heard and read. I imagine Gertrude could tell you more.”

  “I’ll have to talk to her again the next time I’m at Cole’s.”

  Corette sighed. “I can tell you like this guy, and with you two working on the house together, that’s probably not going to change. I worry you’re going to end up hurt. You need some distance, honey. Get to know him, sure, but take your time.”

  Pandora swallowed. “It might be too late for that. I already know my magic works perfectly around him. And when we…touch, he gets these visions of himself in his raven form.”

  “And more than visions, apparently.” Corette’s brows lifted as she shifted her gaze toward the pocket of Pandora’s purse that held the feather.

  Pandora nodded slowly. “Until we made contact, he had no idea what he really was.”

  Corette sat at the counter across from her daughter, her eyes filled with concern. “So his parents never told him about his true identity? I can almost understand that. There was a time when familiars were practically hunted. Not in the shoot-to-kill sort of way, but witches with mediocre powers—even those with decent gifts—starting aggressively seeking out human familiars. A human familiar became a kind of status symbol. And a chance to increase one’s power. Many human familiars were coerced into relationships against their will.”

  “That’s horrible.”

  Corette took a delicate bite of her breakfast before she answered. “I agree. Most covens frowned on it, and eventually the ACW declared that any attempt to coerce a human familiar into a relationship against their will would be dealt with by a minimum of a five-year power nullification.”

  Pandora made a little eek sound. The American Council of Witches had the final say in all things witchy. If they decided you were going to lose your powers for five years, that’s exactly what would happen, and they had the witches on staff to back that punishment up. “I wonder if that’s why Cole’s ex-wife finally gave up on him.”

  “You’re sure they didn’t bond?”

  “Doesn’t seem that way. I don’t think he’d ever shifted before he met me.”

  Corette lifted her fork, then put it back down. “You say your magic works around him?”

  Pandora nodded. “I haven’t tried any big spells.” She hadn’t done any of those in years. “But the two simple things I did went off without a hitch. And Kaley said my aura didn’t look so broken now.”

  Corette smoothed the cloth napkin on her lap. “It could very well be his influence, but it may also be your craft is finally straightening itself out.”

  “I think we both know that’s not the case.”

  “No, maybe not.” Corette sighed. “I just don’t know if you should get involved with him, Pandora. I understand what a temptation it must be to think that another person could fix everything you think is wrong. But a human familiar is nothing like an animal familiar. You’re talking about having a relationship with a man you know nothing about. And he’s got a child.”

  “Who I like.”

  Corette held up a hand. “I have nothing against the girl. Or the idea of taking on the role of parent to a child who’s not your blood. Look at Sheriff Merrow and Ivy’s boy, Charlie. They get on like a house on fire.”

  “I hear Saffie’s rather fond of Charlie too.”

  “She’s got herself a crush, that’s for sure.” Corette smiled, but her expression quickly turned serious again. “But it’s not fair to the little girl if you waltz into her life on a whim only to waltz back out again. Children need stability. If this child falls in love with you, and things don’t work out between you and Cole, she’ll end up hurt too. That’s not right, Pandora. You have to understand what a relationship with this man entails. However enticing it may be to be around him.”

  “I get what you’re saying, Mom, but I just met the guy. There is no relationship yet.” Kissing, but no relationship. A detail her mother didn’t need to know.

  “You said you agreed to help him with the house.”

  “Okay, there’s a business relationship. If anything else comes of it, we’re going to take it very slow. I swear.”

  “Good. You have no idea if you’re compatible. Just because you’re a witch and he’s a familiar means nothing. That’s not a basis for a marriage. And working well together might be a basis for a business, but trust me, a marriage is a very different thing.”

  “Hold the phone. Marriage isn’t even a word that should be uttered yet.”

  “And what if you bond? What then?”

  “I, uh, I don’t think that’s going to happen.” Pandora looked down at her coffee, acutely aware of how that bonding happened. She wondered if the warmth in her cheeks was turning her cheeks red.

  “I take it Gertrude told you how the bonding works?”

  Apparently it was. Pandora’s eyes stayed on her cup. “Yep.”

  “You’re a grown woman. He’s a grown man. But if you sleep together and bond and end up not liking each other, I can promise that you will both be miserable. And not just because things don’t work out.”

  “I get it.”

  “Pandora, look at me.”

  For a moment, Pandora felt like a child again. She lifted her head. “What?”

  “Bonding with a familiar and then losing that familiar would be worse than a bad breakup. Worse than living with faulty gifts. It would destroy your magic for the rest of your life. And you’d both end up with holes inside you that would eat away at any happiness you find.”

  “Like Ren.”

  Corette nodded. “Like Ren.”

  Pandora stared at her mother as the words sank in. She certainly didn’t want that for Cole or herself. One tragedy on her conscience was enough. “I never intended to get involved with this guy. Now I’m not sure I want to.”

  Corette took her plate to the sink. “Familiars have a way of finding the witches who need them the most and, in the case of human familiars, the witches they belong with. There’s a good chance you could be meant for each other as a fated pair. But like I said, that doesn’t mean you’ll get along as man and woman. Just witch and familiar. It’s a lot to consider.”

  “That’s for sure.” But clearly it had worked for Ulysses and Gertrude.

  “I know this must be overwhelming for you to take in. Did I answer the question you came over to ask?”

  “Not really.” Pandora sighed. “I wanted to see if I could bring Cole and Kaley to dinner tonight. Kaley still needs a mentor, and she’s dying to be around other witches. Plus, I thought maybe being around my family would help Cole see there’s nothing weird about us.”

  Corette laughed. “Pandora, there will be four witches and a rook at dinner. You want to add a fledgling witch and a familiar and you think it’s not going to be weird? Bring them, but don’t expect miracles.”

  Pandora grabbed her stuff. “Thanks. All I want is for him not to be afraid of who he is.”

  Because no matter what the risks were, Pandora couldn’t help but be attracted to Cole. He was handsome and sexy and smart and, yes, her magic worked perfectly around him, but beyond all that, she felt drawn to him. Ever since that kiss.

  She gave her mom a little wave. “See you tonight.”

  Her mother nodded back as Pandora left the house. She walked to her car with a sinking feeling. What if the lure of being a witch with unencumbered powers was why she really liked Cole?

  Getting to know him better seemed like the only way to know for sure. But then she could be setting herself up for a disaster, and she’d already had one of those in her life. She couldn’t be responsible for ruining another man’s life.

  She got in her car, closed the door and started the engine, but didn’t pull out of the drive. Liking Cole for Cole was one thing. Liking him because he was a familiar was another. There was only one wa
y she could think of that would keep both of them safe.

  Under no circumstances, no matter how sexy Cole was, no matter how much she was tempted, not even if he did some kind of familiar magic spell on her (if that was even possible), there was absolutely, positively no way she could end up in bed with him.

  Jack Van Zant arrived at Cole’s house earlier than expected. He greeted Cole with a hearty handshake. “Good to see you, son.”

  “You too, Dad.” He raised his brows as he looked at his watch. Quarter to noon. “You made good time.”

  His father shrugged. “What else have I got to do these days?”

  “Grandpa!” Kaley came down the stairs. Despite being a thirteen-year-old, she hadn’t yet lost the ability to be affectionate, at least with her grandfather. Maybe it was because he was the only grandparent she had any regular contact with.

  Jack scooped her up in a hug. “Hello there, baby girl.”

  She returned his hug until he deposited her back on solid ground.

  Then he started with the questions as he came into the foyer. “How’s the move treating you? You like your new school? Keeping your grades up? Have you made any friends? I hope none of them are boys.”

  “Grandpa, no. No boys. And my grades are fine.” She rolled her eyes. Not even Grandpa Jack was spared that.

  “Good. Just checking.” He dug into his pocket and pulled out an iTunes gift card. “You have any use for this thing? I won it playing poker. It says it’s worth twenty-five bucks, but it looks like a fake credit card if you ask me. If you don’t want it, I guess I’ll just throw it away…”

  Kaley squealed. “Don’t throw it away!”

  Jack put on a confused face. “You mean you want this old piece of plastic?”

  “Yes, totally. Can I?” She held out her hand, playing up the cute factor with big eyes and a winsome smile. It was a look Cole had a hard time saying no to as well. And it was one of the few things Kaley had inherited from her mother.