Kimi shivered, remembering the way Damien had put his hand on her shoulder and taken away the pain. Of course he was exceptional. She should have known. She felt stupid and breathless with wonder at the same time. It was like being told the man who brought your pizza to the door was the President of the United States.
Ella was watching her as she sipped her drink. “What happened between you two?” she asked curiously.
Kimi studied her, suddenly wary. “Are you his girlfriend?”
Ella burst out laughing. “Good lord, no. Dating is strictly forbidden at The Crux. It’s really dangerous, Kimi—the first thing they teach is not to be blasé about our powers. Even us level two witches wield a frightening amount of energy.” She shifted in her seat. “It’s all about channelling, you see? Did Damien tell you about that?”
“A little.”
“Well the more you practice doing it, the better you get. Level fives like Damien and the other Elders can channel energy from out there—” She waved a hand in the air vaguely “—through themselves to the Earth, without letting any leak out.”
“Leak out?”
“There’s an energy channel running down the centre of your body like a river, parallel to your spine. It’s controlled by seven chakras, at various points along your body.” She counted to seven, touching her hand to the crown of her head, her forehead, her throat, her heart, the base of her ribs, her stomach, and finally pointing between her legs with a grin. “These chakras are gates which control the energy flow down smaller channels like sluices to various parts of your body. They can be open—for example when you need energy in your hands for healing. Or they can be closed, in which case all the energy flows through to the earth. It takes an immense amount of skill to be able to channel all the energy to the base chakra without letting any ‘leak out’ to other parts of the body.”
“And that’s why witches can’t date each other?”
“Yes. It’s just dangerous. Like touching two live wires.” She moved forward in her seat and held up her hand. “Come here—I’ll show you.”
Kimi stared at her, then leaned forward, hand raised. Ella touched their fingertips together. There was a visible crack, and the space around their hands lit up with orange sparks.
“Shit.” Ella jumped back. “Wow, that’s impressive.”
Kimi withdrew her hand, shocked at what happened, even though she’d seen it when she touched Damien. “Sorry—was that my fault?”
Ella laughed. “It was a bigger reaction than I’d expected. Usually we just get a slight tingling feeling. It’s not surprising, though, if you’ve never been trained. You’ll be bleeding energy all over the place. That’s how the vampire would have tracked you.” She sat back and picked up her mug again. “The energy is so unpredictable. In fact, it’s one reason the Elders have to take an oath never to get involved with any of their students.”
Kimi curled up again. “What sort of oath?”
“A magical one. It makes the Elders take their responsibilities seriously. It’s all about balance, see? If they break their oath with a student and cause a disparity in the flow of energy in the world, the universe demands payment in return—they have to sacrifice their powers. And because no witch or warlock or shaman wants to be without their powers, it keeps them on the straight and narrow.” Her eyes were mischievous. “He is very sexy though.”
Kimi blushed and laughed. “Yes.” And knowing how powerful he was didn’t exactly turn her off.
Ella grinned, then sighed. “Seriously, sweetie—admire him, flirt with him, but don’t fall for him. Although it’s useless to say that, because everyone does. But you won’t get anywhere, believe me. You’ll only end up with a broken heart, and you won’t be the first. He takes his oath very seriously. His self-control is amazing—he spends all day, every day with gaggles of young women, often on a one-to-one basis, and I’ve never known him to give in, not once.”
Kimi had a flash of memory of Damien crushing her to him outside the club, of him lowering his lips to hers in the car, his eyes dark with passion. Not once?
“So he doesn’t date at all?” she asked.
“Only ordinary girls, non-magic ones, you know.”
“Does he have a girlfriend at the moment?”
Ella shrugged. “He keeps his private life, well, you know, private. But I can’t imagine he hasn’t. Can you?”
Kimi sipped her drink, saying nothing. She thought about what Ella had told her about him being a Midnight Shaman. If he really was incredibly powerful, and if she really was a powerful witch, it would explain what had happened between them. It would also explain why he was wary of getting involved with her.
“You said there were two Midnight Shamans here,” she said, trying to distract herself from the memory of him brushing her nipple with his fingers. “Who’s the other one?”
“Damien’s father, Robert Stone. He’s one of the Elders too.”
Kimi’s eyes widened. “His father?”
“Yes—I guess it runs in the family. He’s probably a bit more powerful than Damien, but only just. It’s a close thing.”
“Are they alike?”
“Well you can tell Robert’s his dad physically. But he’s not as nice.” She pulled a face.
“You don’t like him?”
“He’s quite arrogant, and he can be cruel when he’s training, you know, not very sympathetic if you get tired and stuff. Unlike Damien, who’s always thoughtful, always considerate.” Ella saw the look on Kimi’s face and laughed. “I can see what you’re thinking and no, he’s not perfect! He’s very patient, but he does have quite a temper. He clashes a lot with his dad. They don’t get on very well. They yell a lot at each other—things are always getting broken round here, doors slamming. You get used to it.”
Kimi sipped her drink again. “What about his mum? Is she here too?”
Ella leaned forward conspiratorially. “Ah, well, there’s the story, you see. Serena and Robert never married. She was a witch here, a powerful one, and she fell for Robert. He’d already taken his oath, but I guess they thought she was in control of her energy enough to be able to get away with having a relationship. If she’d channelled a hundred percent, no one would ever have found out. But just after Damien was born, something went wrong, and they were found out.”
“But Robert didn’t have to give up his powers as a result?”
Ella gave her a wry look. “No. Serena offered to give hers up instead.”
“And he said yes?”
“Yep.”
Kimi mulled over that news. “What happened after that?”
“I guess that although Serena made the offer, she never expected Robert to take it. They split up shortly after. I think that’s the main reason why Damien doesn’t get on with his Dad—he thinks his father should never have let her make that sacrifice for him. She lives in Exeter now—she never married. Damien goes and sees her a lot.” Ella yawned. “It’s getting quite late. Do you want to go to bed?”
“I’m not really tired yet.”
“Do you mind if I do? I’ve been working hard today, and I’m starting to fall asleep on my feet.”
“Of course not.”
“You can read or whatever. You won’t keep me awake.” She yawned again, got up, and went into the bathroom. A few minutes later she came out again in her pyjamas, her blonde hair brushed to a shine. She climbed into the right-hand bed. “Nice to meet you, Kimi.”
“You too. Sleep well.”
Ella turned over. Within minutes, her breathing deepened and she was asleep.
Kimi moved onto the sofa and stretched out. Her mind was buzzing too much for her to doze off. Just hours before, she’d never heard of The Crux, or Damien. She’d thought herself a freak, evil, even. She’d tried to ignore the truth of what she was.
It was still difficult to take it all in, but so much of what they’d said made sense, it was becoming harder for her to maintain her scepticism. It was as if she’d spent her life c
hained in a cell, and now someone had opened the door and there was a whole world out there for her. It was scary, but it was also exciting, too.
How lucky that Damien had found her. He’d been following her, tracking her like a wolf, like his spirit guide. Even the word ‘tracking’ was feral, making her think of something untamed, wild. She was shocked that he was incredibly powerful, but not surprised.
I’ve never known him to give in, not once, Ella had said.
Kimi touched her fingers to her lips. There’s a first time for everything.
She wondered what he was saying to the Elders downstairs about her. Suddenly, she was desperate to know.
She didn’t dare go down in person. But there was another way she could eavesdrop.
Ever since she was a child, Kimi had dreamed she could leave her body and travel as a spirit. When she was younger, it had happened naturally, and it had sometimes scared her, but as she’d grown older, she’d been able to control it more and plan where she wanted to go. She’d always forced herself to accept she was dreaming, even though sometimes she overheard conversations and found out information she couldn’t otherwise have known. Now she began to wonder whether she truly had been asleep, or if in fact she had been moving outside her physical body.
She lay on the sofa and calmed her breathing, placing one hand over her heart, one on her stomach. Nobody had taught her this—it was pure instinct, always had been. Gradually she relaxed. Her breathing became slow and regular. She concentrated on the rise and fall of her chest, the in and out of her breath.
After a few minutes she sat up, turned, and pushed herself to her feet. She looked back at the sofa, seeing her physical body lying there, eyes closed, to all intents and purposes asleep. Her heart pounded with excitement. She walked soundlessly across the room, then passed easily through the door onto the landing outside.
She walked down the marble staircase. This time her feet made no sound on the stairs and she glided rather than walked. At the bottom, she followed the light shining from a room across the other side of the large foyer.
At the door, she paused. Would any of them be able to sense her? She would have to risk it. What would be the worst they would do anyway? Send her back to London?
She walked into the room. It was the library, she realised immediately, seeing the walls lined with bookshelves, the comfortable leather armchairs, the patterned rugs. This really looked like something out of Cluedo. She wouldn’t be surprised if there was a secret passage to the billiard room somewhere behind the shelves.
There were five people in the room, three men, two women. Three of them were sitting down, drinking. One man was standing, his back to the fireplace, holding a glass of an amber-coloured liquid. Kimi knew instantly it must be Robert, Damien’s father. They had the same strong features, the same height and build, though Robert’s hair was grey and slightly longer than Damien’s, and his expression showed a cynicism and hardness not yet apparent in his son’s.
Damien stood not far from her, pouring himself a glass of whisky from a dark green bottle. She caught her breath, wondering if he would sense her presence, but he put a couple of cubes of ice in the glass and turned away, and she realised he had no idea she was there. His hair was damp and he’d changed his clothes. He was wearing a light blue polo shirt over another pair of jeans.
He must have had a shower and only just come down. He looked younger, and as gorgeous in blue as he did in black. She followed him as he walked over to one of the armchairs and sat, sipping his whisky.
“Good of you to join us,” Robert said, his voice holding more than a hint of sarcasm.
“I’m sorry,” Damien said evenly. “I needed to freshen up—I’ve had a busy day.”
“So I understand. She led you a right merry song and dance, from what I hear, which I find very interesting.” Robert, one hand tucked in his jeans pocket, indicated with the hand holding the glass that he was tired of waiting. “Come on then. Tell us what’s so special about this witch of yours.”
Chapter Six
Though she was in spirit form, Kimi still found herself holding her breath. What was Damien going to say about her? She watched him sip his whisky. He sat back in the chair, one ankle resting on the other knee, and appeared relaxed. Storm sat by his feet, however, alert and watchful, and she got the impression Damien wasn’t as calm as he seemed.
“What do you want to know?” he asked.
“Are you being purposefully dense?”
The other man in the room held up his hand. “All right, Robert.” He was quite a bit older, with a shock of white hair and a white beard, but his face was more gentle and his voice diplomatic. She got the feeling he was used to stepping between the two Stone men. “I know you’re defensive of your witches, Damien, most times rightly so, but no need to be in this case. We only want to know a bit about her. She sounds interesting. We all know you’re the best hunter at The Crux—she must be quite something to have eluded you for a few days.”
Damien swirled the whisky in his glass, cooling it on the ice cubes. “She is.” He took a large swallow of the drink. “She’s a psychic savant.”
They all gasped. Kimi stared at him, perplexed. She’d only heard of the word in an autistic sense, to describe a person with an extraordinary ability or expertise, such as an amazing musical skill.
The white-haired man frowned. “That’s unlikely. We’ve not had any documented for over a hundred years. How can you be sure?”
“Max, she opened my portal remotely.”
Max stared, Robert coughed into his drink, and both women covered their mouths with their hands. “You’re joking,” Max said.
“Nope.”
Kimi wasn’t sure to what he was referring. Was it that moment in the nightclub when the energy had shot from her into him? She hadn’t done it intentionally, and she’d had no idea what she’d done. But clearly, they thought it unusual.
The younger of the two women, slightly plump and with dyed red hair, leaned forward intently. “It could have been a trick, a coincidence, a weak moment on your part…”
Damien gave her a look that suggested he wasn’t impressed with her insinuation that he was capable of weak moments. “It wasn’t a trick,” he said firmly. “And it wasn’t just that. She can see Storm.”
“Good grief,” said the other woman, a slim lady with grey hair in a bun and glasses. “You’re sure?”
“She mentioned him before I did.”
“Gods, that’s amazing. I think you must be right about her.”
Robert shook his head, exasperated. “Margaret, come on—he must be mistaken. I’ve never known anyone be able to see another’s spirit guide without being introduced. Clearly he’s confused and misread the signs.”
“I’m not mistaken!” Damien snapped. He stood and walked over to the drinks cabinet and poured more whisky into his glass. Kimi could see he was trying to calm himself. Being in control of his feelings was very important to him, she thought. She supposed it made sense if he was indeed as powerful as Ella had suggested—kind of like trying to insulate oneself against a thousand voltage power supply.
Kimi glanced down at Storm, who looked over at her and licked his nose. She smiled wryly. Damien wasn’t mistaken. The wolf was as clear to her as if he were physically in the room.
When Damien turned back to the others, he seemed calmer and leaned casually against the cabinet. “Look, I know I’m right. I could sense her a mile away. Her aura was twice as big as everyone else’s in the club. And she had the gold pulse—now I know I’m not wrong in thinking that’s unusual.” All of them, except for Robert, shook their heads. Damien sighed, or was it a shiver? “She was channelling like you wouldn’t believe. Everyone in the club was aware of her. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Kimi shivered. Was he really talking about her? He sounded in awe.
“Then you’re mistaken in thinking she’s a natural,” Robert sat flatly. “She must be privately trained, maybe even in another
country.”
“No.” Damien stared at his father. “She doesn’t have a clue how powerful she is. She doesn’t know anything about the Craft. She didn’t even know what a portal was. She blew all the lights in the nightclub and had no idea why.”
The two men studied each other. Kimi remembered what Ella had said: He clashes a lot with his dad. They don’t get on very well. She could see what Ella had meant. Ella had said Robert was slightly more powerful than Damien, but only just. Was that the issue here? Damien was younger, still developing his powers—was his father jealous? Afraid Damien would overtake him?
Max cleared his throat. “What’s her name by the way?”
“Kimi,” said Damien, finally tearing his eyes away from his father. He let out a deep breath. “She’s only twenty-one.”
“And what level do you think she is?”
“At least four. Maybe even a five, with training.”
Kimi’s eyes widened. Five? The same as him and the other Elders? She was so shocked she gasped, then clapped her hand over her mouth before remembering nobody could hear her.
Max leaned back in his chair, exhaling with surprise. “Well, I think you did the right thing in bringing her here. At least we can protect her.”
“Did she come here willingly?” Margaret asked.
Damien opened his mouth, hesitated, glanced across at them, then had the grace to grin ruefully.
Robert rolled his eyes. “Oh good grief. You kidnapped her?”
“What was I supposed to do? She tried to run away from me. And don’t forget the vampire’s still out there. She’s so unaware of what she is, she’s virtually broadcasting herself to him—she has no self-control, no way of reining in her power. She was in terrible danger. My job’s to protect witches, not to let them hand themselves to vampires on a plate.”
“And you left the vampire out there? Alone? Amongst a city of innocents?”
“I’ll find him,” Damien said through gritted teeth. “I’ll leave tomorrow.”
Midnight Shaman, Fire Witch Page 5
