Witchlight

by Sonya Clark

  “I liked the things we did that night.” She met his eyes, hers full of an intensity that tightened every muscle in his body. “I liked the bondage and the spanking. Giving control over to you. Mostly what I liked was that you didn’t treat me like I was broken.”

  “That was never my intention. Seeing you hurt yourself—” He swallowed a lump in his throat and took her hands in his. “It scared the hell out of me.”

  “I know. I can’t promise it’ll never happen again because I just don’t know. I feel like I’m on solid ground for the first time in my life but I know there’s no guarantee I won’t fall in a hole again.” She pulled away, covering her face with her hands.

  He knew exactly what she’d left unsaid. If she fell in a hole again, he wouldn’t be there to catch her. A sickening fury twisted through his gut. There was always the option of sneaking out of the zone through the tunnels. He’d thought about that a lot. They could keep trying to see each other, but how long could that last before the stress of it tore them apart? A clean break was for the best, once the ordinance passed. That’s what he’d been telling himself and he would continue to do so.

  Until that day came though, they belonged to each other and he would give her everything she wanted. He set aside his rage and his own heartache and gently pried her hands from her face. “Even if you fall in a hole, I know you can climb right back out. You’re the strongest woman I’ve ever known and believe me, that’s saying a lot.” A laugh slipped out and with it some of the sadness he’d been carrying around fell away. “What we need to do is get you, Calla and Tuyet in a room together. By the end of the day, the three of you would have figured out how to take over the world.”

  “I don’t want the world, Vadya,” she said. “I just want you.”

  He would have given the world to freeze that moment. A knotted tangle of thoughts and emotions kept any words from forming. Instead of speaking, he kissed her. Tender at first, with all the foreign feelings he didn’t know how to express otherwise. Didn’t have the courage to express otherwise. But she hadn’t asked for tenderness. She wanted passion. She wanted him to treat her like the woman she truly was, the woman who could take what he had to give.

  Then that’s what he would do.

  The kiss turned rough, bruising. She melted against him, her arms wrapped around his shoulders. He gathered her hair in one hand, twisted it, then pulled hard enough to tear her mouth from his and force her neck back. She cried out, the sound somewhere between pain and pleasure. He searched her eyes and found nothing but desire. He scraped his teeth over her throat, nibbling and biting. Her body jerked at the first bite. Harder at the second. His cock swelled and his heartbeat pounded in his ears.

  He maneuvered her so their eyes met. Breath labored, he said, “Are you sure about this?”

  “Yes.” No hesitation, just a smile that told him everything.

  “Let’s go upstairs,” he whispered. “I’ll find something to tie you to the bed with.”

  She wiggled off his lap, stood, then deliberately turned her back to him. An invitation like that was not to be missed. He smacked her bottom, hard. Her breathy gasp went straight to his cock.

  She gave him an appreciative smile over her shoulder as she walked away.

  “The things I am going to do to you.” He launched himself from the couch to give chase.

  Her cell phone rang. His heart jumped with foreboding. She met his eyes, a question in hers. He wanted to tell her to ignore it but his instincts were sounding alarm bells. He nodded.

  Lizzie glided quickly to her coat and retrieved her phone, turning to the side as she answered. Color drained from her face. In less than a minute the call was over.

  “What is it?”

  “An emergency council meeting has been called.” Her face dissolved in agony. “The vote is today.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Glass and steel gleamed in the heart of New Corinth. A cab dropped them a block from city hall. They would say their goodbyes in that short walk.

  Pain twisted through every part of Vadim, sinking sharp claws into places only Lizzie had ever touched. He kept his eyes on her as she exited the vehicle, all grace and style wrapped in a perfect dove-gray suit dress and black heels. Her hair was tamed in an appropriate updo, her face composed under a layer of makeup and her own icy defenses. Her eyes told the true story, an echo of his own hurt.

  Hand in hand, they strode to the fountain at the east end of the building. The number of people streaming into city hall registered in the back of his awareness, as did the heavy police presence. He had more pressing matters to worry about so he filed the information away and ignored it for the time being.

  “I’ve been thinking about the tunnels,” he said. “It’ll be dangerous but we could try it.”

  “No.” She stared at the water pouring out of a stone mermaid. “If you get caught, you’d go to prison.”

  “I’m willing to risk it.” It felt like a weakness to admit it, but to hell with it. For her, he’d be weak.

  She met his eyes. “I’m not. I won’t have you go to prison because of me.”

  “I’ve been in and out of those tunnels for years and nobody’s caught me yet.”

  “Don’t put this on me, Vadya. Don’t make me live with that kind of guilt. Please.”

  He swallowed. If their positions were reversed, he would feel the same. As much as he hated it, he had to respect her wishes. “This is it then.”

  “We knew it was coming.” Her jaw trembled and her eyes filled with tears. “I just thought we’d have more time.”

  “You never told me what the message said.” Immediately after the phone call, she’d gotten more information emailed to her, and she’d read it on her tablet. She’d said nothing about it though.

  “Duane gave me more details. The vote was moved up because of a combination of things. A Magic Born suspected of wandering around the GSS party, even though nothing was found amiss. The way Normals have been reacting to the magic displays in the city. Corinthhenge. I think that was the last straw. A crowd that large for an event associated with the Magic Born. There were so many Normals there. It scared the wrong people. Mendoza said they’re already pushing a narrative on news outlets about panic in the streets. So what if there was no panic? They’re going to lie and lie and just keep fucking lying until it might as well be the truth.” She clenched her hands into fists, the skin over her knuckles turning white.

  He took her hands and worked to force them open. “Relax, sweetheart. Don’t let it take over.”

  “I don’t know if I can do this.” She gripped his hands so tightly it hurt.

  “You can do whatever you have to do. Whatever it takes. I know you can.” He truly believed that. She had the strength and the resilience to get through anything. “You’ve been doing it your whole life. Nothing’s changed.”

  “That’s not true and you know it. Everything is different. Everything.” The last word was almost a sob.

  “I know.” He took a few slow, deep breaths. Falling apart was for later. Not now, right in front of her. He couldn’t make her see that and then tell her to walk away. “For me too.” After that, he couldn’t speak, his throat constricted.

  “Do what I have to do,” she said, almost absentmindedly.

  “You’re shaking.” He ran his hands up and down her arms to warm her. “Forgot your coat.”

  “It’ll be effective immediately. That’s what the memo said. No transition period like the original bill. Effective immediately.”

  Vadim swore. He needed to get the word out, get people back into FreakTown. If there was enough anger about Corinthhenge to instigate an emergency city council meeting, he wouldn’t put it past authorities to use the excuse for a brutal roundup.

  “I don’t know how fast things will happen after the vote,�
�� she said. “You should get back.”

  The din from the crowd gathering around city hall grew louder. He couldn’t focus well enough to tell what was being said or who was doing the shouting. “You’ll be okay.”

  Lizzie nodded, her composure returned, tears gone.

  “You should go. Find a cop to escort you through the crowd.” He dropped his hands. If he didn’t let go of her now, he never would.

  A siren pierced the crowd noise, followed by the crackle of a police bullhorn. Instructions were being given to clear the square.

  She took a backward step, eyes locked on his.

  This was it. He had to let her go, and it was best to do so without muddying things up with declarations that would only make it harder. Keep his mouth shut, watch her walk away, then get to work. That’s what he was determined to do.

  So it caught him by surprise when he reached for her, pulled her to him and poured his heart out to her in a kiss. Dozens of people surged past them, pushing them closer to the fountain. More shouting. More sirens. None of it mattered.

  “I love you,” he said.

  “I love you, Vadya.”

  Someone called his name, his real name. The real world forced itself into view. Still holding Lizzie to keep her from being trampled, he searched for the source of the voice.

  Nate Perez muscled his way through the throng, Calla at his side. He said, “Riot cops are on the way.”

  “Let’s get Lizzie through this mess and inside.”

  “You can’t take her. They’re barring Magic Born from entering city hall.”

  “Gods damn it. What is this?”

  Calla said, “Sheila Copeland put the word out. We’ve got people trying to find all the Magic Born still in the city and get them home.”

  “You should go before you get arrested,” Lizzie said. “I can handle this.” She had to shout to be heard.

  “Let Nate help you get through,” Calla said. “I’ll make sure Vadim gets back to FreakTown.”

  For a few more precious seconds, he held Lizzie in his arms. Then she was gone.

  Calla steered him out of the square. His vision obscured, all he could do was let her lead him. A chasm opened up inside, deep and unforgiving. If falling in would stop the hurting, it might be just the thing to do.

  “You with me, Vadim?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Because there’s work to do and we need you.”

  “Yeah.”

  Work he could handle. Everything else was a void, and would be, for a very long time. He shut out the clawing pain and gaping emptiness in front of him and focused on what he could deal with.

  * * *

  The halls were full of people. City workers. Police. Angry citizens. Most of those seemed to be from Rockenbach and Midtown, the areas that would be most affected economically by the ordinance. Press, screaming into their cameras. Nate forged a path through it with his size and attitude. Lizzie stayed close. Chaotic energy pressed against her nerves, further rattling her composure. Every ounce of ice she’d cultivated over the years would be needed to get her through this.

  She could not think about what came after.

  They reached the entrance to the meeting room. A guard recognized her and waved her through security. She paused while Nate’s ID was checked.

  The viewing gallery was full to capacity. People lined the back wall and stood in every available space. She hurried to her assigned desk. The parliamentarian droned on from the podium, reciting directly from Robert’s Rules of Order.

  Duane met her at her desk. “This is a clusterfuck,” he said in a low voice.

  “That’s an understatement. How did Sheila get all these people here so quickly?”

  “I guess she had a little help here and there.” He cleared his throat, his expression pure innocence. “The revenue study is nowhere near finished but everything I’ve got is there for you.” He pointed at the tablet on the desk.

  “Where’s Carger?”

  Duane shrugged.

  Nate stepped between them and gestured at a side door several feet behind the podium. “There. With his nose up Brice Jennings’s ass.”

  Sure enough, Jennings and Carger had their heads together with another man she recognized from the meeting the night of the GSS party.

  The mayor appeared at the podium and called the meeting to order. Grim-faced, she pounded the gavel as if trying to kill something with it. Through the roll call and the Pledge of Allegiance, Lizzie’s nerves tightened. Anxiety scratched at the inside of her skull and threatened to cross the line into panic.

  The councilman at large introduced a motion to vote on Ordinance 88257. Sounds of protest emitted from the gallery.

  Sheila Copeland stood and was recognized by the chair. “Madame Mayor, I submit that voting on an ordinance that has not been made public in advance of the vote is against the rules of this council.” She reeled off the heading, subheading, page number, paragraph—every detail that backed up her assertion in the city’s charter.

  The mayor kept her eyes on the podium. “We’ll take that under advisement. The chair now recognizes Councilman Hardy.”

  Hardy represented the Central City district. Lizzie had no hope of him being rational. He proved her correct. “I second the motion to vote.”

  The mayor nodded. “Do we have a quorum?”

  Counting the at-large member, there were nine seats on the council. Seven hands shot in the air.

  “Jesus Christ,” Nate said. “This is going to be over before it starts.” He took out his phone and typed a text message.

  Duane leaned closer. “What are you going to do?”

  Lizzie said nothing. She couldn’t think past the noise in her head.

  Sheila rose to her feet again. “We cannot ignore our own rules and laws! This is outlandish!”

  “You have not been recognized to speak,” said the mayor. “Please take your seat.”

  “I will not take my seat while you trample on our democratic traditions.”

  Hardy stood. “Madame Mayor.”

  “The chair recognizes Councilman Hardy.”

  So that’s how it would go, Lizzie thought. This was just political theater, a rubber stamp for what had already been decided. Had Hardy drawn the short straw, or had he eagerly volunteered?

  “With due respect to our rules and laws and democratic traditions, we are not dealing with any ordinary circumstance here.” Hardy spoke as if to a television camera, with an unseemly relish.

  Volunteer, Lizzie decided. Her stomach churned with disgust.

  Hardy continued. “In recent days, New Corinth has been victim to a resurgence in displays of magic in our city streets. For decades we’ve lived in the safety provided by the Magic Laws, but that safety is now threatened. Some might consider this ordinance extreme, but in order to protect ourselves from potential magical terrorism, we must take extreme measures.”

  The Rockenbach councilwoman interrupted again. “This goes far beyond extreme. It will do nothing less than turn this city into the home of a concentration camp.”

  Shouts erupted from the gallery. The mayor banged the gavel for order. Lizzie wanted to find a hole to crawl into and never come out of. This was not why she’d run for city council. Despite her own guilt and confusion, she truly believed in her father’s credo of public service. In no way did this law serve the public good.

  The mayor swung the gavel around. “I will have the gallery cleared if people refuse to be quiet.”

  “You’ve already refused to let the Magic Born speak on their own behalf.” Contempt rolled off Sheila with a near-physical force. “Silencing Normals is just the next logical step.”

  Something clicked inside Lizzie and she made a decision. She pushed her chair back and stood. “Madame Mayor.”


  After a few more bangs of the gavel, the mayor recognized Lizzie. She turned to look up at the gallery. Here and there were scattered familiar faces from her district. The majority were people she didn’t know. Women. People in their twenties, thirties, forties. Very few older faces. A mix of working-class people, likely from Rock, and young, educated professionals.

  She looked at Nate, trying to convey a whole conversation in one quick glance. He nodded and stepped closer.

  Lizzie took a deep breath. “Councilwoman Copeland is right. There should be someone here to speak on behalf of the Magic Born.”

  Behind the mayor, Carger shook his head. Lizzie answered with disdain.

  “The Magic Born do not have basic rights of citizenship. Nonetheless, they contribute greatly to this city’s economy. My aide and I have a revenue study under way to look at what this law will do to the small business community.”

  Hardy said, “You’d quibble about something so insignificant when lives are on the line?”

  “There’s been no Magic Born terrorism in over twenty years,” she shot back. “And I hardly think people losing their businesses is insignificant.”

  Some of those business owners whose livelihoods were in danger shouted approval from the gallery.

  “The bazaar is the largest shopping venue in New Corinth. This law will shut it down. What happens to all the people who either supplement their income or make their entire living there?”

  “Normals who sell their wares there will find other venues,” Hardy said. “I won’t pretend the transition will be easy, but in the end it will work out.”

  “And the Magic Born who make a living there?” Lizzie gave up addressing the Mayor and faced Hardy. “Rations aren’t enough. They were never meant to be the sole source of food and medicine inside the zones.”

  “Those people should have thought of that before they brought their magic into our streets!”

  “Those people live here too!” It came out in a shout. She instantly regretted raising her voice.

  The mayor took the opportunity handed her and beat the gavel on the podium. “You are out of order, Councilwoman Marsden.”