by J. C. Hart
"Have you got much on today?" she asked, trying to change the subject.
"A little. What's the time?" He glanced around, reaching for the cell which sat on the bedside table. "Oh, still plenty early. I've got to be somewhere at ten, but otherwise..." He looked her up and down, a small grin turning the corners of his mouth up.
Well, that wasn't exactly where she had been hoping to take the conversation, but she was pleased she'd had the foresight to brush her teeth.
Alyssa leaned forward, pressing her lips against his and inhaling the scent of coffee on his breath. His hand slid up behind her head, fingers tangling in her hair. She was glad they were already sitting down, because his touch left her weak at the knees. The kiss lasted longer than she thought it would, and she was torn between wanting to push him back onto the bed, and wanting to pull away. Her hunger won out though and she pressed him back against the pillow, all but climbing on top of him. He kissed her harder, deeper, his desire matching hers.
She pulled away slightly, her breath coming in ragged gulps. "We probably should go and have breakfast," she murmured.
"Or we could just do more of this." He drew her back down and she did straddle him then, pushing her hands up under his shirt to feel the skin she'd been itching to touch since she'd seen him mowing the lawn. His fingers did the same, tracing her belly, her ribs, and coming to rest on her breasts, cupping them firmly and rubbing her hard nipples with his thumbs. She groaned against his mouth, and ground down on his crotch to find him hard and ready. Could she do this? They didn't know each other that well, but it had been so long and he was here and he wanted her and this would burn away all the other things wrong in her life. At least, for a little while.
She hitched her fingers under the waistline of his jeans, fingers stroking the sensitive skin by his hip, itching to get just a little further down, but his cell phone started to ring and he groaned. Not the good kind.
"I'm sorry," he said, stopping to kiss her one more time before gently rolling her off him and grabbing for the phone. He stood up as he answered, trying to readjust his pants with a wry grin. "Hello?" What followed were a series of 'uh-huh's and some not-the-sexy-kind of dirty looks. "Okay, I'll see you soon." He ended the call and threw the phone on the bed, scrubbing his beard with his hands. "I'm so sorry. That was the last thing I wanted. I should have switched the bloody thing off."
"Oh, because you knew you were going to be getting lucky with me in the morning?" She quirked an eyebrow, unable to look serious. "I think you're more witch than I am in that case."
He laughed as he slipped back into the bed next to her. "I might be a little something, but it's not exactly witch. Maybe you'll get to find out sooner or later. I know a little magic." He leaned in and kissed her again, and Alyssa had to agree. This man certainly did know a little magic.
When he finally started to pull away she wrapped her legs around him, trying to keep him close. She ached for him to be inside her, but he managed to pin her hands above her head and slip free of her grasp.
She pouted, frustrated. "Please tell me you'll be back later and we can finish what we started."
He licked his lips unconsciously, his eyes telling her that there was nothing more he'd like to do, but then he sobered his features, the lust draining away. "How about you call me and let me know if you still want me to come over later, and we'll take it from there."
Alyssa wasn’t going to let him leave like that. She crawled toward the edge of the bed and got to her knees, pulling him back down to kiss her again. "Be here by seven, and bring dinner with you. It's your turn to cook." Then she released him and flopped back on the bed. "I'm going to nap while you get some work done."
"I'll see you later then." He dropped a kiss on her cheek and headed for the stairs. By the time the front door closed the stupid grin still hadn't disappeared off her face.
Chapter Sixteen
The grin stayed firmly in place until she got up a few hours later. She grabbed her phone and started typing a message to Kelly before remembering what had happened there. She had no one else to share her gossip with—unless she went and apologised to Sam.
Which she should probably do. Not just for the sake of their business arrangement, but because Sam was really the only person she had become friends with since moving to the Bay. Sure, Brandon looked like he was going to become something more than friends, but she needed a girlfriend, and she wasn't sure Kelly would ever be able to claim that spot again.
Alyssa dragged herself through a mildly cool shower to make sure that all the impure thoughts of Brandon had been eliminated, and then dressed in tidy, sweet looking clothes so that she could be at her least intimidating for seeing Sam.
She grabbed her keys and wallet and hopped in the car to head to the store. The door was open when she got there, and a guy was at the counter, handing off some boxes to Samantha. When Sam saw her enter the store she quickly finished off her business and the guy headed for the door before Alyssa could take in his features.
"Who was that?" Alyssa asked as she approached the counter.
"His name's Noah. He's the local tattoo artist. If you're looking for ink, you should definitely go and see him." Sam peered at the door and Alyssa glanced over her shoulder to see that this Noah guy had flicked the sign from 'open' to 'closed. Sam reached for her hands over the counter and squeezed them. "I'm so glad you’re here. I wasn't sure whether it was safe to come back to your place."
Alyssa rolled her eyes, trying to brush off the depth of her earlier annoyance. "I'm sorry for shooting the messenger. I did ask, I just wasn't prepared for the answer." She squeezed Sam's fingers and then released them. "Got time for a coffee?"
"Yeah, of course. Come on." Sam nodded toward the back of the shop and they went through into the small kitchen there. Alyssa got the feeling that this happened a lot. Sam had a naturally caring vibe and was like a little old nana, apart from the fact she definitely wasn't old enough to be a nana—she was barely older than Alyssa, but she sure seemed to have her shit together. Perfect person for advice.
Once they were seated, Alyssa cleared her throat and said, "So, the Bay needs someone from my line to help strengthen the barrier. And this is what Mrs Nolan has been banging on at me about. All the while failing to tell me the essential information."
"But that's not all." Sam cringed, taking a sip of her coffee before speaking again. "She's hired someone to come to town and bring your Gran back from the dead. Because if you aren't prepared to do it, your Gran will."
A wave of dizziness washed over Alyssa and her stomach churned. That bitch wanted to force her Gran into servitude, like Magnus has been?
And then it all clicked. Of course it had to be someone of her line, and no doubt, Magnus had contributed to the power of the witches in her family—no wonder Mrs Nolan had been so set on her making sure he didn't get away. Even then the woman had kept information from her, merely saying that the ghost needed to be kept under control least it cause damage. What the hell kind of way was that to operate? Give someone half-truths and expect them to fall into line?
She considered the options. Because while the thought of Gran, trapped for hundreds of years and being used like that made her feel sick, the thought of being able to talk with her, hear her voice and feel her presence... Well, that was sorely tempting.
"So, it's me. Or Gran." She chewed on her bottom lip. "Are there really people who can do that? Bring someone back once they’ve passed? I mean, I know that a soul or spirit can be trapped before death, thereby killing the person, but this is something different right?"
"I guess you'd call it necromancy, and yeah there are such people."
"Necromancy..." It was an unpleasant word, an unpleasant business. She'd watched enough horror movies to cast horrible images into her mind of Gran, twisted and deformed, shadowed in darkness and raging at being brought from her rest to work for the rest of her afterlife.
And yet, Magnus hadn't been all that bad.
Shit, you couldn't just google crap like this either, not for the real information. This was the stuff of nightmares and fantasy, the realm of imagination. It wasn't meant to be her reality.
"Who is it?" she asked.
Sam looked a little off guard. "Huh?"
"Who is this necromancer?"
"I don't know, honestly. I've tried to find out, but Mrs Nolan isn't sharing those details. I don't even know if they're here yet, or how this is meant to go down. It's our job to keep the Bay safe and the more time passes, the weaker it gets, the more vulnerable we are."
God it was all beginning to make sense. "Kelly found her way here, and she couldn't after the funeral. She couldn't find the road at all."
"Bingo." Sam snapped her fingers. "Unless you're from here, or someone is helping you, or you know exactly what to look for, you won't find the Bay. We may as well not exist to most people."
"Holy shit." Alyssa leaned back in her seat, finding this all hard to take in. "You guys should make some kind of welcome pack for us newbies, help us get to know this stuff quicker."
Sam laughed. "What, and scare you off the first day you're in town? No, most people know about this, just the occasional few who don't. And, to be fair, you've kind of avoided getting to know much about the place."
"Yeah, I'm beginning to regret that." Alyssa reached for her mug and drank the rest of her coffee. "Look, I know you all want me to be this great and powerful witch—"
"No." Sam shook her head vehemently. "It's not like that. This is what I've been trying to get across to you. We're not okay with what Mrs Nolan is doing. She should never have tried to force you to become a witch or be like your Gran. You have a right to choose. For weeks now, a few of us have been trying to find a way to strengthen the barrier without you."
"You have?"
"Yes. Why do you think I stormed off to confront that woman?"
"What the hell is her first name anyway? I want to use it next time I see her. She's never told me."
"Vivica." Sam huffed. "Suits her, don't you think?"
Alyssa had to laugh. "Yeah, it does kinda."
"Well, Vivica has taken matters in her own hands, to use her term. She’s convinced that you're the only one who can do this, or your Gran. She relies on tradition, but times are changing. It was sheer luck that you came back at all, and what's to say you'll decide to have children and raise them here to continue things?"
"I can't," Alyssa said, her voice quiet and tinged with regret. "I'm infertile. I can't have babies."
"Oh." Sam's shoulders slumped a little, her sorrow for Alyssa tinging her features, though Alyssa thought she could also see a little regret. This meant the search for another way to strengthen the barrier was even more important. She didn't say that she had a sister, or suggest that maybe she'd have babies, because they were well out of this and Alyssa wasn't going to drag them in. The Bay had never been part of their lives.
"I'm sorry," Alyssa said, though she wasn't sure she was.
"Well, it just means we need to keep working. We're not going to force you to become your grandmother. It would be fantastic if you wanted to step into her shoes, but we won't make you."
"Just Mrs Nolan, and her necromancer." She gave a bitter laugh.
"Why don't you want to?" Sam asked the question gently. "I'm just curious."
"I'm not a witch." Alyssa shrugged, surprised that she felt upset by the declaration. "I might have it in my blood, but I was never taught, not enough to do what you want me to. I can't help, so it's pointless asking."
"Are you sure?" Sam reached for Alyssa's hand, and there was a tingle between their skin, that slight buzz that she'd come to associate with magic.
Alyssa pulled back, but then reached out again, letting the feeling wash over her. She'd always been drawn to Sam, but now she could feel something else between them. A frown creased her brow.
"Are we related?"
A smile played on Sam's lips. "In a sense, yes. We're cut from the same cloth and that's what you can sense. We're both tied to this place, our magic part of the weave."
"Great, now you're being vague. That's never good." Alyssa rolled her eyes, but then cracked a grin. "Seriously though, I don't know magic. I can't help you with this barrier."
"You don't know magic, yet," Sam said, stressing the last word. "That doesn't mean there’s no magic in you, or that you can't learn to use it. If you want."
Alyssa tugged at her earlobe, unsure what to say or do or even think.
"What do you want?" Sam asked, as if it were that simple.
She wanted to run, to hide, to escape the pressure of expectation. But hadn't that always been what she'd done? And where had it gotten her so far? She thought she'd got what she wanted—a business of her own, online sales of clothing and knick-knacks. But the supply would run out soon enough and did she really have the skills to go looking for more? What happened then?
"I don't know." Alyssa shrugged. "I just don't know. I want to ignore everything, but I've done that before and it didn't work out so well for me. I want to be left in peace, but I'm so lonely, Sam."
"It's been your choice," the other woman said softly. "We've been pretty respectful of that, haven't we?"
"Well, everyone but Vivica." Alyssa rolled her eyes and Sam laughed.
"So, now you need to make some kind of decision. Are you open to learning what you need to know? Or do you want to avoid all witch stuff?"
"You're so patient," Alyssa said. It reminded her of Brandon, actually. He was ridiculously patient with her, considerate, kind. She kind of just wanted him. They could live in a little bubble for a bit.
But bubbles always burst.
"I need to think about this. I wouldn't have the first clue where to start, and even if I did, I'm never going to learn fast enough to satisfy Mrs Nolan."
"She doesn't know, huh?" Sam chewed on the inside of her cheek.
"No, she doesn't. But she's never stopped to ask, or explain things either, so it's no surprise." Alyssa sighed, then pushed back from the table and stood up. "I'm going to go have a think, and I'll let you know what I come up with."
"And I'll try and talk to Vivica..."
"Yeah, good luck with that. Catch you later." Alyssa headed back through to the shop and let herself out, flipping the sign back to open as she went.
Chapter Seventeen
"What do you want?" he asked Mrs Nolan. She hadn't even bothered to get up from her desk, and the smug smile on her face did nothing to settle his mood.
After seeing Alyssa last night, seeing how upset she’d been, how torn over being forced into something she didn't want to do, it had hardened his resolve even more. There was no reason for him to follow through on this.
"I wanted to see how you were getting on. Any progress?"
"No. I told you, I'm not going to do this job for you." He plonked into the seat across from her and put his boots up on the table.
"But you can't leave until you do." She gave a pointed glare at his feet. "And I know you've got other things you need to attend to."
"Wouldn't it just be easier to bring the woman back rather than try to get Alyssa to take over the role? The witch knows everything, and she'd be able to do the job no problem. And then we can call it quits."
"We could, but living magic would be more potent."
"But the witch will be able to carry on the role forever."
"And you think this girl will appreciate you bringing back her dear dead grandmother and installing her as the town ghost?"
Brandon slumped back, grinding his teeth together. There was no way to make this situation work for him. Either he broke his promise and made Alyssa do the thing she didn't want to, or he enslaved her grandmother to the town for the rest of eternity. Oh yeah, way to win the girl.
"Get to work. Convince her to become the witch we all need, and get the job done. Your nephew needs you to get the cure."
He shook his head as he stood, feeling that twist in his gut at the mention of
Michael. "For the record, this was not the job you told me it would be. You can't expect me to play by your rules when you're playing by a completely different set."
"You will do as you said you would." She was so bloody certain, throwing the words at him as he left her office. Preservation Society. Ridiculous.
Brandon couldn't pin down what Mrs Nolan was. Not a witch, or a god-child. Not human though, that much was for sure. He thought he detected a thrum of magic, though it was weak and he had no idea how she’d managed to trap him here. Somehow, she'd gained power in this town and as Brandon's only contact, he wasn't sure where else to turn.
But most importantly, she had what he needed to save Michael's life. And that was more important than Alyssa's feelings. Right?
Except that it didn't sit right. Not with him. He'd done bad stuff in the past, knew his kind were not well loved, but he didn't want to be that guy anymore. The one who forced the dead to do his bidding.
He was so distracted by his thoughts that he shoulder barged another guy entering the offices.
“Sorry mate,” Brandon said.
“No worries,” the guy replied with a smile. “I know what she’s like. Rattles the old brain up a bit.”
Brandon laughed. “You’re not wrong. Good luck.”
“Thanks.” The guy carried on inside.
He typed a message to his sister as he walked to the car.
How is he?
Not good, he took a slide downhill. I don't think we have long. If you can’t get the cure, you need to come home.
Shit.
He couldn’t give up just yet.
And then it hit him. He needed to do that séance with Alyssa. He needed her to know more about him, and he needed to get in touch with her Grandmother to find out whether she'd be okay with coming back. If they could answer that question it would go a long way to getting him what he needed, and then getting back to Michael.
Chapter Eighteen
