Hexed Hearts

by Becca Vincenza

  I went to my door and tried turning the knob I knew it wouldn’t open. I couldn’t help but try. To hope that maybe I could break the locking system with my magic. I attempted, though. My magic wasn’t subtle, and I hadn’t figured what my mother was up to in the slightest. I went to sit over by the window and pressed my hand against the glass. The outside was bright and sunny. We were definitely nowhere on the East Coast where winter was starting.

  I found that I missed the chill and snow. I sat there for a long time just day dreaming. I felt like I wasn’t even doing that, though. I just kept imagining grass between my toes. The subtle brush against the side of my foot the slightly damp ground wetting my toes.

  “Beautiful isn’t it?” A silky sweet voice said behind me.

  I jumped and turned around to face this new intruder. I swallowed my scream. I didn’t recognize him. His khaki chinos and button down complemented his neatly parted blond hair. His bright blue eyes twinkled mirthfully. My eyes roamed over his large frame. Werewolf for sure, especially considering with the way he walked. His gait had a predatory look. I to be strong in front of him, or else he’d sense weakness.

  I turned back to the window, showing him I didn’t find him a threat.

  He tsked behind me.

  “It’s nice enough. I prefer color during my falls,” I said.

  “Autumn,” he corrected.

  I rolled my eyes but didn’t turn toward him. I didn’t like the feeling of alertness he had on my wolf. She was standing, wrapped in my magic. Her defensive posture made me feel twitchy. I felt him get closer. His muggy breath was on my neck making me cringe.

  “Not my name,” I said trying to get a rise out of him. I knew what he was correcting me.

  “Very funny, Colette, I know you’re name.”

  He bent down and his head was next to mine. I didn’t like his proximity. I let out a warning growl. He let out a laugh and I scooted away.

  “Would you care to go outside?”

  My head snapped in his direction. I thought for sure he was playing a joke on me.

  “Who are you?” I demanded.

  “Jackson’s beta, Vance,” he looked me right the eye. I knew what he was doing. Under normal conditions, I would do the polite thing and submit. Instead I kept eye contact with him. It wasn’t until Vance’s eyes flashed yellow and he bared his teeth at me that I hesitated. There was no reason for me to submit to him, he had no real power over me. Instead I lowered my eyes because it was the smart thing to do. Lead him to believe I was weak enough I had to do as he asked.

  “Now would you like to go outside?” Vance asked again.

  I looked back outside. It was the only thing I wanted besides getting out here.

  “Yeah.”

  Vance held out his hand. I looked at like it was going to bite me. I didn’t want to take it, but I knew that I had to. It was starting to feel like I would never be able to get out of here. I never had time to plan, and after “training” I was always too exhausted. I took his hand to appease him, and we headed out of my room. I wondered why Aradia would allow Vance a beta – who didn’t seem very powerful – to take me outside. I just knew that even if I had the chance to escape today, I couldn’t take it. There was more going on here than just had to do with me. I had to find out what Aradia’s plan was. She didn’t want witches and weres to suddenly get along. She spoke of weres when they weren’t around like they were trash.

  Aradia lied about being the protective loving mother she claimed to be. Patricia made that painfully clear when she revealed that Aradia needed my powers unbound in order to track me. I didn’t know if Aradia kept the façade going to play the doting mother. Maybe she was trying to cover up for what Patricia said. Or not. If she wanted to find me so badly, she could have, years ago. There were so many things I didn’t know and had yet to find out.

  I tried to slip my hand from Vance’s tight grasp while we walked, but he didn’t let go. I didn’t like the feel of his skin against mine. His hands were soft, but his skin made mine crawl.

  Vance walked a steady pace. I wanted to run. The promise of outside was too much for me. It was exciting and gave me more energy than I had since arriving. But Vance was taking so long and I was sure that Aradia would come steal this small pleasure away from me. The only time I really got to be outside was when I was moved to sickness by Aradia’s revelations. I hardly remembered it. Just those words repeating in my head.

  Vance kept tugging me back if I moved forward to quickly. I was annoyed. What was I, a child? But I didn’t say anything. I wanted to be outside more than I wanted to put this idiot in his place. So I stopped resisting. This seemed to satisfy him because his grip on my hand loosened and his walk shifted.

  I hated the annoyingly slow pace. We arrived, finally, at the doorway. I was practically bouncing where I stood.

  “Oh, Vance, there you are dear.”

  Aradia’s voice came from behind. I hoped that if I didn’t move, she wouldn’t see me. I knew it wouldn’t work, but I wanted to hope. Gods I just wanted outside.

  “Ah, I see you are taking my dear Colette outside. How sweet of you,” she said with a smile.

  “Yes, a walk around the grounds will do her well.”

  Vance spoke in a familiar way that made me want to say something. Instead I bit my tongue. I didn’t want to say something that would change their minds about letting me outside.

  “Yes it will. Enjoy yourselves.”

  She walked away after that. She barely acknowledged that I was there. I didn’t mind if I stayed off her radar. I don’t know when she would stopped trying the mother act, but I was happy it was letting up. I hadn’t come looking for her, and even when she told me things about her past, I never felt a craving to know her better. My father, on the other hand, whoever he was I was sure he was a great wolf. I wished that I could have met him. My memories of him were always so warm and safe.

  Vance took my hand tightly again as we walked outside. As soon as the sun hit my skin I relaxed. The wind wrapped around me welcoming me home. I missed it terribly. I wanted to run down the stone stairs leading up to the house, but Vance’s hand in mine was a firm reminder I was still a prisoner. I might be outside, but I wasn’t free. I let him choose his pace. At least being outside I got to feel the wind, the sun, and at least some pretense of freedom.

  “So you believe witches and weres can get along?” I asked. I hated that he still held onto me and that I had to let him.

  “I believe in the revolution that my pack and your mother’s Coven is trying to achieve. We shouldn’t be separate, you of all people should believe in that,” he watched me from the corner of his eye. I didn’t like the way he looked at me. Vance looked at me like I was a precious, prized jewel. Something to be owned. My ‘uniqueness’ seemed to be common knowledge here, though I hated that he knew it more than the rest. I hated that he looked at me that way.

  During my time here I had learned that not all witches were insane like my mother and Patricia. They weren’t open either. No one talked to me unless Aradia gave them permission. It was so stifling, I was still amazed I was allowed out here with Vance. I knew he had to be one her many puppets, but I wasn’t going to complain right now.

  I closed my eyes and took in the scents. There were hints of salty ocean but mostly it smelled like nature. The earthy scent of the dirt mingled with the scent of fresh grass. The bark on the trees.

  “You are unique, Colette.”

  “So I have been told,” I said with my eyes still shut.

  “A bridge between two feuding races, you could save us all.”

  Vance’s voice took on the cult-like tone I had noticed in use around here.

  I just sighed. I opened my eyes and looked at him. He didn’t look at me like the others did though. There was a different sort of possession in his eyes, one that stirred up fear.

  “I am an oddity. A freak of nature gone wrong,” I paused looking back at the house. It really was gorgeous. The front was faced
with different sized rocks a variety of shadings.

  “You’re a gift. Your mother worked hard to bring you home to us. This has always been your home, and you will never be treated like those mongrels treated you.”

  My wolf rushed forward with my rage, and I felt the urge to shift in my very core. I was certain that my eyes were yellow now, and I wouldn’t be surprised if my canines grew. Blind rage made my body shake.

  “They were my family. My life. They took me in and loved me. They are not mongrels. They are your kind, and are a million times the wolf you could ever be,” I snarled, tearing my hand from his grasp.

  I started to turn away from him breathing in slowly. His hand clamped on my upper arm and turned me violently. His own wolf showing his presence. Any other time I would have bowed my head immediately and showed that I wasn’t defying him.

  Instead I did no such thing. I kept eye contact with Vance.

  “You are so clueless. Soon you will understand, and you will know who you really belong to. You will remember to respect me,” Vance growled never taking his eyes off mine. We held eye contact, nothing in his gaze making me feel like I had to turn away. Even at a glance, I could tell he wasn’t more powerful than me.

  “I will do no such thing,” I answered, not even lowering my eyes.

  Vance snapped his teeth at me and followed it with a growl in an attempt to make me submit. Only it didn’t. My wolf snapped her own teeth. She kept eye-contact. She wasn’t submitting, she was getting ready to go for the kill. I ripped my arm away before I physically attacked Vance, which was becoming a real possibility.

  After yanking my arm out of his grip I headed towards the house. He didn’t follow right away but I could sense his movements. I was on high alert and I listened as carefully as I could to his movements.

  I made it into the house without being attacked. Attempting to escape while he was outside would have been stupid. But there was more at stake now. According to what he and my mother said, I finally had proof there was more going on here than met the eye. I had to find out what she was planning.

  “Colette,” Aradia appeared from the living room area. I guessed she was coming straight from a door to hell.

  “Where is Vance?”

  He hadn’t come inside yet and I wasn’t sure where he went. I didn’t really care, so I shrugged my shoulders and started to head upstairs.

  “And what did you think of him, dear?” She asked peeking around me as if he would suddenly appear. Or maybe she wanted me to think he was standing there.

  “I don’t think anything of him,” I answered drily as I tried to move around her. She was standing between me and my escape. I felt suddenly very exhausted. My wolf had pulled all the way back in my mind, and my magic left with her. It was strange but it was almost like they had become friends, my inner wolf and witch, and I was left on my own. Aradia let out a hearty chuckle.

  “Oh my dear, did you not think him handsome?” She asked watching me with her calculated look.

  “Not really my type,” I stated after I stopped trying to get around her. Apparently she wanted to gab like we were friends or something.

  “Colette, it is not about type anymore. You have been promised to Vance, you need a strong mate that can protect you. He fought and won you. Proved himself good enough for you. It is expected.”

  She watched me as she said this, with hard, cold eyes. A laugh caught in my throat sounding more like a snort.

  “You can’t be serious.”

  It was stupid thing to say on my part, but I could hold it in.

  “This isn’t a joke. What we are trying to do is change our world, Colette. You will be seen as a threat by many,” she started to talk like this was going to be a political change. I wasn’t sure what she was expecting was going to happen. “You need a mate there to protect you. You will be mated to Vance by the next full moon. You will do what is right for our world.”

  She waited but I didn’t answer. Instead I dropped my head and remained silent. She nodded once. Aradia walked away with her normal swagger. Hips popping femininely, but her stride was powerful. I watched after her wondering what had just happened. My heart was breaking in my chest.

  I had less than two weeks to get the hell out of here. Otherwise I was certain that I would be forced into a mating I didn’t want. To a wolf that would never be who I wanted. It was obvious I needed more information and fast.

  I looked at the stairs then looked back to where Aradia had disappeared. She left me out of my room unattended. I felt a smile cross my face even though I knew it shouldn’t have. Not with the news that Aradia just dropped on me. But she was either getting careless or she was starting to believe that I wouldn’t leave.

  I had the perfect opportunity now.

  Chapter 26 — Emery’s Diary

  The next few days were tense. I managed to get out of my room unsupervised. I attempted the door, and it was unlocked. Anytime I ran into another person they would watch me closely though. I didn’t want their attention while I wandered the house, so I tried to be unobtrusive. I had found a small library area, and I would go there to read. A lot of the books were about witch history, pure and simple. I find little regard for werewolves in those books.

  Today while I was in the library, I found something new. I found a werewolf-witch history book. I pulled it off the shelf purely out of curiosity. It didn’t have a title, and then I realized it was hand written. It wasn’t very big, it was smaller than the average book in size. The script inside was beautiful, the kind of handwriting you only see on really old documents. I pulled the book up close and breathed in. I sighed with the scent of an old book. I couldn’t stop my curiosity from taking over. I flipped to the first page.

  Emery’s Spell Book and Diary

  I started to read standing too intrigued to even sit. The first few pages were small spells and cantrips. I ended up skipping over them. I passed the spells and when I got the diary part of the book is when I started to really read it. Emery was one of the witches who survived through the Salem Witch Trials. As I read more about what had happened, I realized things were different from the picture history books painted.

  I found a seat in a dark corner of the room. It was hidden behind some shelves tucked away in the back. I knew about werewolf hunters, they were taught when they were young by their parents who were taught by their parents about our kind, all the way back to medieval times. It was a dirty business, a family business. Their numbers had decreased drastically, but they still existed. I hadn’t realized there were witch hunters as well.

  I read on. The more I read, the more I empathized. The witches were scared. They were watching their children being killed. Of all the ways a witch could be killed, humans at the time thought death was the only way to “purify” them. More powerful witches could douse the fires, but that wasn’t always enough.

  I read that witches didn’t hit their magical peak until their 21st birthdays, which explained what happened to me. These hunters would find the witches and warlocks before their 21st birthdays and kill them. There was no way for them to stop the hunters without their powers.

  That is when Emery, who assured her readers she was light witch, heard rumors of other witches using dark magic. Blood magic. Emery said that once a witch used blood magic, they rarely ever went back to the light. Light witches used the Earth around them and they gathered what they needed magically from it. Blood magic was diametrically opposed to light magic, and once it was used, the Earth rejected the blood magic user. From that point on, their powers would only be amplified with the addictive use of more complicated blood spells. The stronger the blood, the stronger the spell.

  Times are dire. Our Coven has lost two more innocent souls. Aradia is considering blood magic. She seems to believe that the only way to protect ourselves is to force the assistance of the only other supernatural beings that we are aware of. The wolves. They have become too reclusive and hidden in their human skins. We have no such luxury. We are s
imply as we are.

  I do not agree with her choices but she is the Leader of our Coven. I have to hope she knows what she plans. Otherwise she may curse the rest of her line.

  I pulled my head from the book as I looked at the name once again. Aradia. As in my mother? How long did witches live? I had always been under the impression they lived as long as humans. I knew weres lived longer because they had two separate beings contained inside of them. I looked back down at the book. I had to know more.

  I heard a creak and my head shot up. This was dangerous. I was in the communal room, so I decided it would be best to smuggle Emery’s diary away to my room. I was certain that Aradia wouldn’t want me reading this, but I had to know more. I tucked the small sized book in my sweater and grabbed another book from the shelf.

  I headed up toward my room and I thought I was in the clear. I could see my room, and my heart was racing at my near at hand victory. Then anger washed through me. I felt my face flush and a hint of fear slipped through me. I didn’t want to get caught with the book, but I could see Vance headed right towards me. I still couldn’t convince my wolf, who had become a permeant resident in the forefront of my mind, to accept I had to play a part with him. Rationally I knew I must, but I couldn’t even convince myself.

  “Colette,” Vance nodded his head at me. When he got closer his nose flared and I hated that he probably smelled my fear.

  “Van,” I said trying to brush past him.

  “Don’t call me that,” he growled.