“What is this higher entity?” I asked. Lilith sniffed again, waving a dismissive hand.
“It doesn’t matter,” she said. “They won’t be a concern for much longer.”
I frowned at her response. Something told me that if some sort of higher entity wanted me to keep my magic under wraps, I should, at the very least, know their name.
“I’m sure whoever they are have a good reason for wanting us to keep this secret,”
I prodded.
“Enough.” I was startled by the sudden harshness in Lilith’s voice and I saw something green spark in her eyes. It was gone in an instant. “I will not talk about them anymore.”
My throat had gone dry again at Lilith’s outburst and I took another tentative sip of water.
Okay, I guess that’s a touchy subject for her.
Lilith breathed in deeply and her features smoothed.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “But you must try to understand. Witches like us...we shouldn’t be forced to hide our powers. We should embrace them. Show the world who we really are. Take the power that rightfully belongs to us.”
Her voice got louder as she continued, and something prickled along my skin. It was similar to the staticky sensation I felt whenever my own magic got out of hand, but this time, it seemed to be coming from Lilith.
“I’m not sure about this,” I said, standing up from the sectional and inching away from Lilith and the energy that was beginning to overwhelm my senses. “I didn’t even know magic existed until a couple of days ago, so this is a lot to wrap my head around. Besides, I can barely light a candle with my magic, now. I don’t think I’d be able to ‘shape the world around me’ or whatever, even if I tried.”
Lilith’s eyes narrowed and her magic pricked at my skin even more.
“I can teach you,” she said. “You have so much potential, Heidi.”
“And then what?” I asked, starting to feel more than a little uneasy. “You’ll teach me how to control my power and then let me go on my merry way?”
Lilith grinned. “Well,” she said. “I would expect something in return, of course.”
Of course she would.
I raised a brow, waiting for her to continue. She got up from the sectional and wandered back towards the window, clasping her hands behind her back.
“I have been wanting more influence throughout Clover Pointe,” she said. “But it’s been proving quite difficult to gain that influence. It seems as if my wealth doesn’t hold the same weight that it used to.”
I thought back to my conversation with Mrs. Abigail and “Amelia’s” repeated attempts to buy the library, and my unease grew. Whatever Lilith had in mind, it couldn’t be good.
“There are ancient spells that could help me get what I want,” Lilith continued, turning away from the window and facing me. “But they are extremely powerful, even for me. I would need another witch’s help to cast them, someone with the strength to withstand the ritual.”
I swallowed hard.
“What kind of spells?” I asked cautiously.
“Binding spells,” Lilith answered simply. “Spells that, when cast correctly, can allow the caster to bend others to her will.”
“You would take away someone’s free will?” I asked incredulously. What was wrong with this woman? Lilith gave me a sharp look.
“If it got me what I wanted, then yes,” she responded coolly. “Imagine the potential, Heidi. You could have anything you wanted. Revenge on that cheating ex-husband of yours, for instance. The ability to demand the respect you deserve from anyone.”
I shook my head, unwilling to consider it. It was wrong. Unnatural.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “But I’m not interested.”
Lilith practically snarled as I made my way towards the door.
“Don’t walk away from me.” Cold fear lanced through me as Lilith’s eyes began to glow a sickly green. Even her teeth seemed to transform before my eyes, becoming sharper, more lethal. I froze, inches from the door.
Neither one of us spoke and, after what felt like an eternity, Lilith seemed to calm down. The glow in her eyes disappeared and her teeth lost their sharp points. I felt my knees wobble and fought the urge to collapse on the floor in a heap.
“Why can’t you ask someone else?” I finally managed to choke out. “Someone in your coven?”
Lilith laughed derisively. “All long gone,” she said. “They abandoned me, one by one. Even your grandmother. They were frightened by my potential.”
I shuddered. Ma told me that Grandma had died from natural causes before I was born. Had something more sinister happened to her?
“Run away, if you must,” Lilith said, fixing her harsh gaze on me. “But know this: those who turn their backs on me always come to regret their decision. Always.”
Despite the fear racing through my veins, I managed to wrench open the office door.
“I’m sorry,” I repeated. “But I can’t get involved with this. I refuse.”
“Very well,” Lilith said, turning back towards the window. “You may leave.”
She didn’t have to tell me twice.
Chapter 10
I wasted little time getting as far away from Lilith Blackwater and the Olympia Country Club as I could. Once safely locked in my car, I attempted to wipe the clammy sweat from my palms.
There was no doubt about it: Lilith was terrifying. On top of that, I hadn’t exactly done a great job of making a good first impression.
“Better her enemy than her friend,” I muttered to myself.
Despite my fear that she would turn the full force of her magic on me, I knew for certain that I wanted no part of her scheme. To use magic in order to bend the will of others, to forcefully claim power for ourselves and rule over Clover Pointe as some kind of twisted dictator duo went against everything I believed in. Just the thought of it made me feel physically ill.
Letting out a shaky breath, I started up my car and pointed it in the direction of home. I still hadn’t read my grandma’s grimoire in its entirety. Maybe there was something in there that could help me. At the very least, I could practice more spells and my power might develop that way. It was worth a shot, anyway, and I knew that Ma would be thrilled about it, especially if I decided to try out a cleaning spell. The thought cheered me up a little.
As I neared Ma’s house, the roads were empty, save for my car and a white SUV some ways behind me. I frowned, glancing in my rearview mirror.
How long has that SUV been there?
I could have sworn that I had seen a white SUV when I pulled out of The Olympia’s parking lot. I had even spotted one when I stopped briefly for gas on the way back home. Even though it wasn’t unusual to see a little bit of traffic near the outskirts of town, it was rare for a vehicle to make the trip up the winding hill leading to my mom’s house and, as far as I knew, none of my mom’s friends drove a white SUV.
Feeling uneasy, I stepped forcefully on the gas pedal, wanting to put a little more distance between my car and the strange SUV.
Dread unfurled in my stomach when, after a few more minutes of driving, I checked the rearview mirror to see that the SUV had gotten even closer. This time, I was able to see clearly through the windshield. I briefly locked eyes with Lilith’s receptionist, Julianna, and an ugly sneer curled her lips. Her eyes seemed to give off an otherworldly, burning glow and the red tendrils of her hair whipped around her head like snakes.
She gave me a little finger wave before inching her vehicle closer and closer to my bumper.
Holy hell!
I snapped my eyes back to the road and pressed my foot down on the gas, desperately trying to get her off my tail. The murderous glow in her eyes had goosebumps rising along my arms and as if in response to my intense fear, my magic woke up. The radio crackled in and out as I felt static roar to life in my ears and chest.
Lilith had obviously sent her demon secretary after me. Whether her purpose was just to scare the living crap out of m
e or to actually kill me was yet to be determined.
My eyes flickered between the road and my mirror as I quickly weighed my options. The hill leading up to my mom’s house wasn’t too steep yet and there wasn’t a sharp drop-off on either side until at least a couple of more miles. If I acted soon, I could potentially drive off the road and down one side of the hill without completely wrecking my car.
Tiny sparks of electricity jumped from my fingertips and I jolted forward as Joanne’s SUV made contact with my back bumper.
“Don’t fail me now, car,” I said, gripping my steering wheel tighter. Without giving myself any more time to second guess myself, I jerked the steering wheel to the right. Tires squealed and I struggled to maintain control of my car as it raced down the bumpy terrain. As soon as I reached the bottom of the hill, I slammed on my brakes with enough force that my head almost hit the steering wheel before snapping back against the headrest. I took in deep, shuddering breaths as my knees trembled and my upper body shook hard enough that my teeth chattered.
I was definitely too old for car chases.
Terrified of what I would find, I glanced in the rearview mirror again and was relieved to see that Julianna hadn’t followed me down the hill. Her SUV was parked right at the edge and she stood next to it, staring at me while her hair whipped more violently around her head, even though there was no wind. I shuddered.
At that moment, she tipped her head back and let out an inhuman screech, one that had me covering my ears and wincing in pain. My magic spiked again in an almost panicked jolt against my chest. The screech continued for a few more seconds before cutting off and I unplugged my ears.
She still stood at the top of the hill, but now she held something long and spear-like in one of her hands. I barely had time to react before she hurtled the object towards my back window. I ducked down, covering my neck, as my back window shattered. Milliseconds later, my front windshield shattered, too. I whipped my head back up, gasping.
An icy spear with a deadly point sailed away from my car before dropping to the ground and shattering.
She’s trying to kill me. Great.
Adrenaline surged through my body as I untangled myself from my seat belt and wrenched the door open. I nearly collapsed when my feet touched the soft ground, but I refused to let myself fall down and become an easier target for Julianna. A quick look over my shoulder confirmed that she had another spear ready. I ducked behind my open car door and prayed that the spear wasn’t strong enough to pierce through metal.
I braced myself for the next spear, using the car door as a makeshift shield.
I was thrown backward when it connected and shattered against the metal, and I landed on my back with a pained cry. Sharp rocks dug into my spine and I scrambled to my knees, frantically searching for an escape route.
The forest, blessedly thick with trees and potential hiding spots, was only a couple hundred feet away. I wondered if I would be able to make it in time before the demon chucked another spear at me.
I cursed as my magic did nothing but pulse in my ears and crackle at my fingertips. Why couldn’t it be useful for once? Like when I was about to be skewered by a dangerous ice spear?
“Now would be the perfect time for some kind of divine intervention,” I snarled, pulling myself back up to my feet. I wobbled, still dazed from being thrown to the ground and worried that my aching knee might give out as I tried to run away.
I was out of time, though. And nearly out of options. Risking one final, terrified glance over my shoulder, I took off at full speed towards the forest. My knee and back throbbed painfully but I kept going, expecting to feel a spear piercing through my back at any moment.
Thankfully, that moment never came, and I made it safely to the edge of the forest. Had Lilith’s secretary finally given up? Or was she coming after me in earnest now?
I winced as twigs scratched at my face, but I pushed forward, determined to find a good hiding spot to collapse in. After a few more minutes of shambling through the darkening forest, I fell to my knees behind a large, gnarled oak tree.
My magic had been uncharacteristically quiet during my brief run through the forest. Now, I couldn’t even feel a buzz as I curled into a ball.
“Thanks a lot,” I whispered, as if my power could actually hear me.
Slowly, my heartbeat returned to normal and I began to tremble violently as the adrenaline wore off. It was cold in the forest and I needed to find a way to get somewhere safer. Even if I could hide for a while, I would need to eat eventually and make sure my mom and Victoria were safe. The thought that Lilith might hurt them in order to get to me made my stomach churn.
I pulled myself to my feet, groaning as my knee popped painfully. With a pang, I realized I had left my purse in the car, along with my cell phone and my trusty bottle of painkillers.
Just my luck.
I knew that if I headed north along the edge of the forest, I would eventually come out behind my mother’s house. It would be quite the hike (and I’d most likely have to take at least a million breaks along the way), but I didn’t want to risk going back to my car. Especially not when the ice wielding demon lady could still be out there, waiting for the perfect moment to stab me.
If I stuck to the shadows and hid behind the trees as much as possible, I was certain I’d make it. Then, I could make sure my mom and Victoria were safe and figure out how to get my car and purse back from there.
“No point in delaying this any longer,” I said grimly. I began to trudge north and prayed that I would get to my mom’s house before nightfall. While I was fairly comfortable traversing the woods during the day, I was afraid I’d be hopelessly lost in the dark, especially without my phone’s built-in flashlight as a guide.
I had made it barely a couple of yards before something grabbed at my arm, yanking me backward.
Chapter 11
I let out a girlish shriek that would have been embarrassing under any other circumstances. Before I could scream again, a calloused hand clamped down on my mouth. Scratching and clawing at the arm that had grabbed me, I struggled to get loose.
“Heidi, stop, it’s me!”
I froze when I recognized the urgent voice in my ear. It belonged to none other than Aidan Walsh.
I managed to wrench myself loose from his grip and whirled around to face him.
“What the hell are you doing here?” I asked, my heart threatening to beat right out of my chest. My magic had also spiked again, crackling in my ears and shooting through my arms. Aidan rubbed at the scratches I had left on his arms and regarded me sheepishly.
“Looking for you,” he said. “Are you hurt?”
My head spun. How had he found me?
“It’s incredibly rude to creep up on a woman,” I snapped, trying to get the magic thrumming through my body under control. “How did you know to find me here, anyway?”
“Just a hunch,” he said a little too easily and I frowned.
I wasn’t sure what he was hiding, but I knew he wasn’t telling the truth. And considering the fact that a power-hungry witch had just sent her minion after me, I wasn’t too keen on trusting anyone at the moment. Especially a suspicious private investigator who had just so happened to find me in a secluded forest based on “just a hunch.”
“Look, Aidan,” I said, slowly backing away. “I’m not having the best of days. Someone’s trying to kill me and, I’m not sure if you saw my car on your way over here, but it’s got some pretty big holes in it. On top of that, my knee hurts and I’m pretty sure I’m developing a stress-induced eye twitch. So, unless you’ve got some painkillers tucked away somewhere in those jeans, could you please just leave a business card or something? I’d love to get in touch when I’m not in the middle of a crisis.”
In my haste to put some distance between me and Aidan, I missed the giant tree root sticking out of the ground. My foot caught, and I fell backward onto my butt. The breath rushed out of me and, based on the pain emanating from my butt and
lower back, I was pretty sure I had bruised something important.
“Shit.” Tears stung my eyes, a mix of pain and exhaustion.
Aidan jogged over and squatted next to me, concern etched into his infuriatingly handsome face.
“Heidi, you can trust me,” he said, reaching out a hand. “Come on, let’s go. I think I’ve got some Advil back in my car. I want to take a look at those scratches on your face, too.”
A feather-light touch ghosted across my cheek and my magic pulsed in response. I repressed an eye roll. Where had my powers been when I was almost gored by a magical ice spear? I shook off Aidan’s touch and rolled off the tree root. With a soft grunt, I pulled myself to my feet, ignoring Aidan’s offered hand.
I was going to be sore for at least a month after this.
“No thanks,” I replied. I swiped at the dirt caked to the back of my yoga pants and hoped that I hadn’t torn a hole in them. The last thing I needed was for some strange man to see my underwear.
“Heidi,” Aidan repeated, clearly frustrated. “I know what you are. You can trust me, I promise.”
My magic jolted in my stomach again, as if to say, “Listen to him, idiot!” I shook my head, trying to ignore it.
“Come again?” I asked, but I stayed put. I didn’t want to risk tripping over a tree root again. “You know what I am?”
“A witch,” he said. “Magic.”
A chill ran down my spine as I remembered what Aidan had said at The Witch’s Brew. Extermination. Maybe he had just been waiting to get me alone so he could finish the job without any witnesses.
“Are you here to kill me?” I asked, my throat threatening to clog up. I had barely escaped from Lilith’s minion with my life. I didn’t think I had it in me to escape from a second threat. Especially if said second threat looked like he could run a marathon without breaking a sweat.
“What?” Aidan asked, looking genuinely confused. “No, I’m not here to kill you.”
My So-Called Magical Life Page 7
