by Bethany Shaw
“Yeah?” She turned to the younger vampire, curious.
“When you use your magic, do you let go or do you fight to control it?”
“Control it,” she said with a frown. She was always fighting to control it. The last thing she wanted was more deaths or another incident where she hurt herself.
“I think that’s your problem. Your active magic is a defense. I think your problem isn’t that you aren’t strong enough, it’s that you doubt yourself. You need to stop trying to be in control and let go. Only then will you have authority over your powers,” Harrison said.
Cadence shook her head. “That doesn’t make sense.”
“You’re so busy trying to restrain your magic that you’re actually making it worse,” Harrison said. “You need to let go. Stop being afraid of your magic and let it flow naturally through you. You’re always in control of what you do, it’s just a matter of learning to focus.”
“But I’ve hurt myself and other people – killed people.” Her voice dropped lower as she looked to the ground. Shame filled her as the bodies of her victims fluttered through her mind, and she shuddered.
“I know. Again, I think it all comes down to control. You have to harness the magic, but also your fear. Fear is your enemy, Cadence,” Harrison tried to explain. “You need confidence in yourself.”
“I think I understand what you’re saying,” she said slowly. He was right – she was afraid of what her magic could do to her and to others. But how do I get over that?
“I’m not even going to work on helping you tap into your magic, Zak,” Harrison said, casting a quick glance to his brother.
“Why not?” Zak asked, narrowing his eyes.
“Because Cadence is your best defense,” Harrison explained. “You can fight and you have accelerated speed for a human. In a pinch it will probably manifest itself. But Cadence getting control is the best thing we can do right now. We don’t even know what magic you might have. There isn’t much use in trying to teach you when we don’t know what you might be able to do.” He shrugged his shoulders. “We’re just guessing that you have powers, there’s no proof that you do.”
“All right. Help Cadence,” Zak said.
Cadence saw Harrison’s point, but still found it hard to believe that she’d taken on Zak’s traits and he hadn’t taken on any of hers. There was no point in arguing, though.
“Why don’t you give us some time alone?” Harrison asked, inclining his head to Zak, then Melanie.
Zak looked between Harrison and Cadence. She nodded at him, letting him know it was okay.
“We could go back to the house and get supper prepared.” Melanie stepped forward for the first time. “Harrison usually helps, but I’m sure you’ll do just fine.”
Cadence stifled the urge to laugh, unable to imagine Zak helping in the kitchen in any capacity. He’d probably be just as useless as she was.
Zak blinked and let out a breath before stepping forward to place a kiss to Cadence’s temple. “I’ll see you soon.” He raced off with Melanie right on his heels.
“So, what’s going on?” Cadence asked, once she was sure Zak was out of earshot.
“I’m not sure you fully realize how powerful you are, and I think you’re scared,” Harrison told her.
She opened her mouth to protest, then closed it with a sigh and nodding in agreement. “My powers have been bound so long. I was never trained. My friends at home, Jamie and Maddie, tried to help me as best they could. It’s only recently while I’ve been here with Zak that they overpowered the binding spell an elder witch placed on me. I only know what you and Zak have taught me.”
“Someone with your power should have been taught from childhood. You are strong – strong enough to do serious damage, not just to your enemies but also to others who you may not intend to. This fight you face when you return home is going to test your strength and resolve. I don’t want you to hurt anyone, and I know you don’t want to injure someone.”
“What do I need to do?”
“I haven’t practiced magic in centuries. I miss the spark, the fire that would churn inside of me as I called on my magic. Obviously you know how to harness it, but you are afraid of it. Don’t be. Let it blossom, let it consume you. Only then can you truly control it. Do you understand?” Harrison asked.
“I think.” She bit her lip. He wanted her to let the inferno burn inside her unhampered.
“Good. Now close your eyes and draw on your power.”
Cadence gulped, swallowing down the lump that had formed in her throat. Harrison was one of the best people she knew, and she trusted him completely. She could do this.
A spark of energy bubbled inside her, and she chased it down. Opening her hands, she allowed the energy to flicker in her palms – lightning in one, fire in the other. The wind picked up, howling as thunder rumbled in the distance.
“Good. Don’t back down, let it flow through you,” Harrison encouraged.
Cadence rooted herself to the ground, letting the energy flow through her as the storm began to draw closer. Hail pelted the ground around her but didn’t hit her or Harrison.
“Keep going,” Harrison said. “Breathe in and out. Don’t be afraid.”
Cadence continued to follow the flow of energy until every ounce of it surged through her veins. She relaxed, letting it move through her.
“There,” Harrison said triumphantly. “Now open your eyes and focus on anything. Send your magic straight through it.”
Cadence opened her eyes, finding a wooden fencepost sticking out of the ground. She shot her hand up as a dart of lightning and fire pulsed out, striking the wood and destroying it.
“Excellent. As you get better at it, you’ll be able to call on the full strength of your magic faster – within seconds. Keep working, and you’ll be a force to be reckoned with by the time you get home.”
Cadence swallowed as she backed her power down. She hoped – prayed – that Harrison was right.
Chapter Eleven
Cadence raised an eyebrow as Zak secured some sort of leather contraption on her arm around her wrist and elbow. It had a stake imbedded into the sleeve and a release on the knuckles that spit the stake out into whatever she hit. One good punch, and she could ram the pointy end into something – or someone.
“What’s this for?” she asked. Her eyes drifted around the hotel room, taking in the furniture and bed. There was no way they could spar in here. He was nuts if he thought there was room.
"It’s too cold and dangerous to go outside.”
She nodded in agreement. The blizzard outside was so fierce the entire city had shut down. The frosty window was covered with a thick layer of snow.
“I think we’ll leave New York as soon as the storm clears. We can’t afford any more of this weather to slow us down. In the meantime, I want you to practice with these. You'll be wearing them when we return home. I want you to be comfortable using them." Zak finished strapping the weapons to her and went to the table, breaking the back of a chair and lifting it up so the pad was facing her like a mat. "I want you to hit hard enough to send the stake all the way through this."
“We’re destroying hotel property?” she asked with a frown.
He shrugged. “I’ll leave extra money for the damages. Staking someone is a lot harder than you realize.”
"I've never staked someone before," she said quietly. Other than the lives she’d taken by accident with magic, she’d never killed anyone.
“Exactly my point. Harrison says your magic is coming along, but I don’t want to rely on just that. I want you to be ready physically, too. Shoving a stake into a vampire – or anyone for that matter – isn’t easy. You’ll meet resistance and will have to push through it.”
Cadence crinkled her nose at his choice of words. “How many vampires are you planning on me fighting?” Unless there was something he wasn’t telling her, the coven was their biggest threat.
“Humor me, sweetheart. I want you to be com
fortable with these. It could be the difference between life and death. Malcolm, Liana, and a whole coven of witches are going to be ready to attack the moment we appear. There’s no telling if Malcolm has made his own army of vampires. It wouldn’t be the first time he resorted to such measures.” His pointed look caused her to shudder. Malcolm had formed an entire army to hunt her down.
“Just because we plan to come back to my family’s home doesn’t mean we won’t be coming into a warzone," he said as he clutched the chair tighter. “I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
"I'm not going to die," she said determinedly. She took a step forward and balled her fists.
"No, you're not." His gaze dipped down to the necklace she wore.
“Do you think it will protect me?” she asked, lifting a hand to touch the pendant.
"I hope so, but I don’t want to find out either. There’s also something we need to talk about.”
“What’s that?” she asked as she threw a punch at the chair.
Zak didn’t budge but the stake did pop out, spearing through the cushion and cracking the wood as it appeared on the other side.
“It’s about the bond.” He held the chair as she wiggled the stake out of it.
She hit the chair with the other hand. “What about it?”
“I told you we wouldn’t keep any secrets anymore,” he said, lowering the chair.
Cadence swallowed, dropping her hands to her sides. “Now you’re scaring me a little.”
“I don’t mean to, it’s just something that occurred to me that I thought you should know.” He looked away as he set the disheveled chair on top of the table.
“What?” she asked, not sure she really wanted to know the answer.
He picked up one of her hands and reset the stake into the holder. “If something were to happen to you – if your heart were to stop beating, I’m not sure you’d die. I think you’d become a vampire.”
Cadence gasped, her eyes widening at his revelation. Me, a vampire? “Oh.” She didn’t want to become a vampire, but now that he’d said it her mind spun and she realized that he was probably right. She would just have to do her damndest not to die. Hopefully, she would succeed.
“We should keep practicing, then.” She lifted her arms back up and nodded at him.
“Hit harder this time.” He hovered the chair over his chest. “Aim for my heart.”
“Thanks for telling me, Zak,” she said as she lined up to hit again.
“You’re not mad?” he asked, finally glancing up to meet her eyes.
“It scares me, but I chose to continue this bond. It was my choice; you didn’t force me into it. I knew upfront that you didn’t know much about the bond,” she said, offering him a small smile. The thought of becoming a vampire terrified her. She wasn’t ready to give up being a witch, and probably never would be.
He let out a relieved breath. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you. I like you just the way you are.”
“Good.” Zak had made every effort to keep her alive, and she knew he would continue to do so. She sighed, ready to steer the conversation to something other than her possible death. “Sadly, I wouldn’t stand a chance at kicking your ass if I was a vampire.”
“Probably not,” he said, easily falling into her playful banter as she began to punch the chair.
She focused on her task, determined to be ready for their journey home. She wasn’t going to die. She and Zak were going to pull through. They had to.
Chapter Twelve
Cadence walked through the town square, amazed at how different yet familiar the town was in 1944. The bones of the city were still the same. Old homes lined Main Street, some looking much larger and grander than they did in the present.
“We need to keep a low profile,” Zak said, placing a hand on her shoulder as she turned to look down Elm Avenue. The coven’s large mansion sat at the very end. She could see the willow trees and wrought-iron gate from here. “They can’t know we are here.”
“I know,” she said with a nod. “Jamie’s family home is a few blocks over. I was hoping to go speak with Annette by myself.”
“Cadence.” Zak’s face dipped into a scowl.
Cadence looked to Zak, then to Harrison and Melanie. They appeared to be in their own little world, sitting at the gazebo in the center of the square. She still wasn’t sure how she’d convinced Zak to let them tag along. “She won’t harm me. I think it will go over better if it’s just me since your family is well known in this town.”
Zak shook his head.
“We’ve got a lot riding on the fact that she’s going to help us. I don’t trust anyone else in the coven.” Cadence lifted her brow. “And we can’t bring in an outside witch. The coven would know. We need to keep a low profile,” she said, repeating his earlier words.
“Fine. Be careful. If you’re not back in thirty minutes, I’m coming after you.”
“I’ll be safe, promise. And you know darn well it’s going to take me at least thirty minutes to get to the farmhouse we’re renting.” She stood on her tiptoes and placed a kiss on his cheek. “Now get out of the square before someone sees you or picks up on what you are. This is a witch town, remember?”
Zak rolled his eyes, but took a few steps back. “We’ll be waiting at the house. I’ll see you soon.”
She smiled, holding his gaze for a long moment before making her way toward the house that would one day be Jamie’s.
Her heart kicked up a notch as she tried to think about how old Annette would be. She’d met her a handful of times before she’d passed a few months ago. Obviously she would have to tell her something, but how much should she divulge?
She paused in front of the white picket fence and drew in a deep breath, letting it out before heading up the walkway. Her fingers balled at her side as she lifted her other hand to knock.
Footsteps approached, and Cadence let out a breath as she met the eyes of a middle-aged woman.
“Can I help you?” she asked expectantly, her eyes narrowing. “You’re not a member of the coven. What do you want? Why are you here? The coven is down the street. You should go there if you’re seeking refuge.”
Cadence gulped. Well, crap, this isn’t going according to plan.
“I was hoping to see Annette,” Cadence said, managing to keep her voice even.
The woman glared. “What is your business with my daughter?”
“I only wish to speak to her,” Cadence said.
“No. You can speak to me. I’m not letting a witch inside this house, especially one I don’t know.”
“What’s going on, Mom?”
Annette appeared on the stairs, peering down far enough for Cadence to see her. She was only a teen, sixteen or seventeen at best.
“Go back to your room,” the older woman said, never taking her eyes off Cadence.
“Perhaps you can help me instead,” Cadence said, noting Annette still hadn’t moved. If the girl was as young as she suspected, she might not be much help to them.
The woman made to close the door. “I don’t think so.”
Cadence stuck her foot out and leaned forward, wedging herself in the opening. “Please. Hear me out at least. It’s important.”
The woman narrowed her eyes.
“What’s going on, Mom?” Annette asked again.
“There’s something different about you,” the woman said, pulling back. “You...”
“I don’t belong here,” Cadence said. “I’m from the future.”
“What?” Annette asked.
“You’re Cadence Hopewell.” The woman’s eyes widened, and she clutched the door until her knuckles turned white.
“How did you...” Cadence stopped as she stared.
“I’m an elder witch,” she said with a hiss. “You reek of Zakariah Smith. That’s what’s different about you. Get out of my house!”
“Look.” Cadence shoved the door further open. That little bit of vampire strength was paying off.
“I don’t know what you’ve heard, but it’s not true—”
“You’re not bonded to a vampire? You don’t intend to destroy the coven?”
“I’m not going to destroy the coven,” Cadence said, avoiding the first question. “I need to get home. Zak and I both need to get home to our time.”
“Find another witch. I’ll not help you.”
Realization dawned on Cadence. “You’re a seer, aren’t you?” That’s how she knows who I am.
“And you bring nothing but death and destruction. I’ve seen it.”
Cadence shook her head. “No. I don’t want anyone to get hurt.” It was the truth. If there was a way to stop the coven without harming anyone, she wanted to do it.
“What have you seen, Mother?” Annette asked as she came down the stairs.
“Enough.”
“I don’t know what you’ve seen,” Cadence began. “But it’s not all true. Liana has been manipulating the coven for generations.”
“What do you know of the witch?” the woman asked.
“You won’t believe me, so why don’t I show you?” Cadence held out her hand, knowing that the seer would be able to read a great deal just by them holding hands. “I’m guessing you don’t trust Liana. Your intuition is right. I can show you. Please trust me.”
The woman flicked her gaze between Cadence’s eyes and her hand before finally sliding her palm into hers. She gasped as images flicked through both their minds. Cadence flinched as she saw her mother’s death, but didn’t stop. She let all her memories and all of Liana and Malcolm’s activities flutter through both their minds.
“Oh, my,” the woman said. She withdrew her hand and slid her palm up and down her pant leg.
“I need to get home. Please.” Cadence hoped the images had changed the witch’s mind.
“I’ve never thought Liana’s influence was good for the coven. I did listen to what she said, but...”
“She will destroy the coven and the vampires,” Cadence said. “If she has her way, she could destroy the entire magical balance. I’m sure you don’t want that to happen.”
